Defintion of Human
Round 1, Part 1
Simone

After the Battle of Graduation

Life went on, even on the Hellmouth. Though it was only yesterday that the mayor had tried to eat the entire graduation class of his high school, only to be blown up in a spectacular explosion that had leveled the entire school.

Today nobody wanted to remember the unnatural eclipse, that had darkened the sky. Nor the really big demon snake, that the mayor had turned into, that had eaten the principal... the only good thing that it had done in the opinion of some. This was Sunnydale, survive and deny.

Xander sighed as he packed the last of his luggage into the trunk. Soon he would be out of here, if only for a short while. He had earned this road trip, a few months away without demons, magic and vampires sounded heavenly after the events of the last few days.

He had already said goodbye to his friends. He had hugged Willow and teased Giles one last time. Now it was time to go and so he settled behind the steering wheel and drove away.

***

Four months later

"Our target: One Alexander LaVelle Harris, born March 21rst 1981 in Sunnydale Hospital, American citizen. No known siblings. A few friends and his parents are drunks. We have already taken care of the parents, they will not do anything or they will loose quite a hefty sum of money. His friends are troublemakers and no one will help them or believe them if they raise the alarm or they talk about his abduction.

"I want to remind you that Mr. Harris is not to be harmed in any way. Currently he is one of only two survivors of oilien contact and we want to find out how he survived unharmed, which means that you have to take him in undamaged our scientists would be rather put out if they have to wait for him to heal just because one of you has lost his temper, understood?"

The group of black clad operatives answered as one "Yes Sir."

"Mr. Harris had been under surveillance since he came into contact with one of our manipulated 'stamina enhancers' in his years of high school. Since then his parents have been paid to put several different substances into his food and drinking water, he survived everything without even getting sick. Four months ago he vanished from Sunnydale without a trace when he went on a proposed extended vacation, which he informed his parents that he intended to spend touring neighboring states. We were unable to locate him for the duration of the trip, three entire months. Our tracking devices failed not long after he left the immediate Sunnydale area.

"One month ago he reappeared in Sunnydale and he has retaken his place in the Harris household and with his circle of friends. Yet the time he has been without surveillance had us worried and added to the fact that he now appears to have a steady girlfriend is even more alarming. If we wait any longer, his girlfriend could be impregnated and we have no idea how the different substances and the oilian DNA have influenced his own DNA. One week ago, we managed to get our hands on the other survivor of oilian contact. He had been under the influence of a fully grown oilian without damage to his body or brain tissue as far as we can ascertain without invasive tests. He is currently securely locked up with the oilian speciem and will be transferred to our testing facilities as soon as his body is weakened enough and he no longer able to fight back.

"So now go and collect our second subject, good luck, Gentlemen."

***

Washington D.C.

"Take a look at this, Scully."

Those were the first words she heard when she entered their office this morning. Then she was handed a file... a rather thick file describing a series of events involving to a high school swim team two years ago.

"I was given this yesterday evening. I don't know by who, honest! It was just there on top of a pile of file that I was checking at home. The Gunmen have already checked it for me. Guess how many members of the swim team are still alive."

She shrugged and waited, she knew he wouldn't be able to wait long with telling her, he was like a little kid in such cases.

"One, Scully. Only one member of the team is still in the land of the living. During the last 18 months every other member of the team has died. Most of them were sudden and gruesome deaths during the first three months. The others slower and due to, according to the coroner, the complete failure of their immune systems. Yet when they were autopsied, there were no reasons found as to why their immune systems failed. And now it looks like somebody is planning to go after the last survivor if the person who left the file for me is to be believed."

She sighed, rubbed her temple.

"When does our flight leave?"

She knew him only too well.

"At six. And pack lightly."

***

The Silo

He was tired, so tired and hungry, not to mention thirsty and dirty. Right now he would kill for a bottle of water. He had no idea how long he had been here now or even where 'here' was. The only thing he did knew was that it was dark, damp and cold and he couldn't get out. And there was this THING. The thing which was now hiding in the belly of the alien ship. The thing that had stolen his body and free will, that had steered him here only to leave him again through his eyes and nose and mouth... Again he hammered at the door, but by now his movements were slow and weak and he doubted that somebody would hear him. And yet he couldn't give up. To give up was to die and he wasn't ready to die.

Not yet.

-oo0oo-

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