From the very beginning Jessica knew that it wasn’t going to be easy. Not just anyone could become an agent; there were certain qualities that the company was looking for in an agent. Candidates had to be smart, fit, courageous and willing to risk their lives to help others. The only one of those qualities Jessica was somewhat lacking was the fitness. As long as she could remember she had always been a runt and even in school she had struggled with physical education. It was another reason why she had been picked on at school, her lack of height and scrawny frame made her weaker than almost everyone else in her class. She could not let her weakness get in the way of what she truly wanted. She had to break through all of her walls and insecurities to barely pass the physical tests.
There were also a number of tests that Jessica needed to pass before she would even be considered being given the opportunity to become an Agent. One such test was a personality test that delved deep into every aspect of her life and personality. The company didn’t want to give powers to anyone who would likely abuse them. Not only could be disastrous but potentially cataclysmic, if someone had the power to create great destruction and didn’t have any self-control that person could kill thousands.
Throughout the personality tests Jessica was asked several questions that under any other circumstance would be very inappropriate. Not only was she questioned several times the company wanted to test her reactions to different scenarios and situations. She didn’t need to say anything for them to see if she was worthy of becoming an agent. During these tests many would be candidates were immediately eliminated. At least in these tests Jessica seemed to pass, she showed no malice and when she was asked the all-important question of why she wanted to become an agent she answered that she wanted to truly help people and the numerous instruments the company used couldn’t detect any deceit.
Jessica had been known to the company for some reason since she was the daughter of one of their top scientists. Like her father they had expected her to follow in his footsteps but they were very surprised to hear that she wanted to be an agent. At first the Board thought about immediately dismissing her but then it would be unfair to her. They had not fully known her personality but everyone who applied to become an agent was given the opportunity. But if a candidate failed in any of the tests they would never get a second chance.
One field that Jessica had absolutely no problem passing was the intelligence test. Like her father she was extremely intelligent and he had been teaching her the answers to the questions for some years before. That was one reason why she was so intelligent; along with her normal studies David would give her a few additional tests every now and again to keep her mind sharp. For all the good it did her it seemed to help her get past the intelligence tests. Out of all the candidates that took the tests she was the one who obtained a perfect score.
One thing the company did was that they would never train candidates individually, they would always take around a dozen at a time and by the end only two or three of them would pass and become agents. They also didn’t accept candidates on a regular basis, they had a very strict level of agents and if any retired or were incapacitated for any reason a replacement would be brought forward. Even if a candidate was successful they would not become an agent straight away. When they received their powers they would have to go through another series of tests to see the extent of their newfound abilities and their strengths and weaknesses. All information would be filed away and as soon as the full extent of an agent’s abilities was understood the company would immediately start to develop countermeasures against that certain individual. It was nothing against the agent personally but they always wanted to have a way of stopping an agent if they ever went out of control or were somehow controlled by an outside force.
The company itself was completely government funded. Throughout the company’s aim was not for profit but for the safety and wellbeing of others. Not only was the company used to send agents to different planets it was also one of the top think tanks on Home. Many marvellous medical and scientific advances had been made Home a better place for everyone. Never did the company research or invest in another that could be used as a weapon, they were mainly a peaceful company that wanted absolutely nothing to do with war profiteering.
The tests also weren’t done all in one day, the process took several weeks and Jessica had to go to the company practically every day. The company was very strict; if a candidate was late for a single test or lecture they would be struck off the candidacy list. This had been very difficult for her because as everyone who knew her knew that her time keeping wasn’t the best in the galaxy. Once or twice she was almost late but just made it at the last possible minute.
The lecturers were all either agents themselves, scientists or high ranking military personnel. Although the company didn’t take any part in conflicts the military still had a strong influence on them. If national security was on the line then the agents would be called into action. An agent was not allowed to invade a foreign nation with the armed forces but they were allowed to defend their own nation if they were invaded themselves. But for now that wasn’t a problem, unlike the Earth Home was usually at peace with no nation threatening another. Because of this the military were not as numerous as they would be on Earth but if there was ever a war they could quickly prepare themselves with very little time.
After three weeks of lectures and tests there were only three candidates remaining. These included Jessica, a young man named Gilmore and another young woman that Jessica had not learned her name. She was a quiet girl who usually kept to herself, this had been noted during her personality tests but it had not been deemed that much of a problem. The woman had been very open during her personality tests and all her answers had been true and sincere so the company decided to overlook it. There had been nothing in her personality that led the company to believe that she would be any kind of danger to anyone.
Jessica and the two other final candidates were all sitting at school like desks inside a relatively large well lit room. The room had large windows allowing the sunlight to enter the room unimpeded. On the walls were a couple of safety notices and news for the employees to read. There were a couple of military personnel at the front of the room along with a couple of agents. One of the military personnel was a high ranking General where the other was there for his protection. The two agents stood at both ends of the room looking at the new candidates. The General took a step forward and it was obvious that there was something that he needed to say. The room was eerily silent as everyone waited for the General to finally speak.
“My name is General Kilgore and let me be the first to congratulate you on your success,” said the General in a loud voice so that he could be heard clearly. “Out of everyone who applied you three are the only ones who passed all the tests. You are exactly what Park Incorporated is looking for in their agents. Throughout you have shown determination, character and the willingness to help others. You are a rare of people who unfortunately are few and far between. You should be all very proud of yourselves and I believe Mr. Park himself would like to have a word with you.”
No sooner had he said this Jessica saw a frail old man enter the room. He was easily in his mid-eighties and needed a walking stick to walk under his own power. He was wearing a business suit and what was left of his hair was completely white. His face was very wrinkled and he seemed to be trembling. He reminded Jessica of her late grandfather but he also wasn’t alone. Right next to him he had two young assistants carrying important documents. Whenever the old man looked to be falling they would immediately steady him so that he didn’t fall. It was obvious that his health was failing him but he was still trying to move around unassisted as much as he could.
After a minute the elderly man reached where General Kilgore was standing. Kilgore quickly moved aside for the elderly man and even shook his hand when the old man finally reached him. His assistants helped gave him one of the documents they had and he kept it in his free hand. As soon as he got himself composed he looked at Jessica and the remaining two candidates and gave them a gentle smile.
“Greetings my friends,” said the old man in a soft voice. “For those who do not know my my name is Mister Harold Parks chairman of Park Incorporated. I am proud to see that there are young people out there who still believe that putting the safety of others before their own. I will not lie to you, you will be in some danger from time to time but it is all for the benefit of the people of Home and the peoples of other planets who yet do not know our existence. You are the select few who have passed all the tests and proven that you are both brave enough and responsible enough to become agents of Park Incorporated. Sadly chances are I won’t live to see you become the truly great agents that you will be but I only want you to know this. No matter how small you think your actions are you will be helping more people then is beyond comprehension.” He made a quick hand gesture to his aides and they both walked forwards. Without saying a word they lay down a set of identical documents on each of the desks occupied by the candidates. After all three of the candidates had these stapled documents the aides went back to Mr Park’s side. “What you have in front of you are your contracts. Read them thoroughly and sign if you agree to everything. If you choose not to sign and leave the company no one will stop you. This is entirely your decision and the contract will tell you all the risks and benefits of the job. Take your time while reading them so that you understand everything.”
Each of the candidates began to read the contract that was in front of them. They was already a pen placed on each table so they didn’t have to worry about that. As Jessica began to read through the contract she was a little surprised with what she was reading. There were parts on how becoming an Agent was a job until retiring age, an Agent was not allowed to quit unless given special circumstances. If an Agent was seriously injured on a mission they would receive financial aid along with the best Medicare available. If an Agent died on a mission their family would receive compensation. Any misuse of powers would be dealt with harshly and immediately. If there was an Agent who could not voluntarily switch their powers off then it would be a special circumstance. There was also a part about how much an Agent could be paid and all the health and dental benefits.
After going through the entire contract from start to finish Jessica took a moment to think. If she were to sign it she would have the career she wanted but she couldn’t walk away from it. It was the biggest decision she ever had to make in her life and eventually she picked up the pen and signed on the dotted line.
Jessica had to wait a few moments before the other candidates all finished reading their contracts and eventually signing on the dotted lines. As soon as all three of the contracts were signed the aides returned to pick up the contracts and place them each in a separate folder. Jessica could see that one of the folders had her name on it and a small headshot of her taken on the day she did her first test. Mr Park seemed to smile as his aides returned to him and he prepared himself to speak once more.
“You have done a great thing today,” said Mr Park addressing all three of the candidates. “Today you may leave here as mere candidates but tomorrow you will be injected with the Jones serum and you will receive a new and fantastic ability. You have read that there will be some risk when receiving the serum but we hope that you will benefit from these new abilities like the vast majority of agents before you. You are the future of Park Incorporated and I know you will not let us or Home down.” He then began to cough a little and this caused some concern with the aides. “My apologies it seems I must leave you now. I look forward to seeing the good you will do.”
The Jones serum was named after its discoverer Bolivar Jones. It was a compound he created while researching a cure for a deadly disease. He had discovered it completely by accident and it became one of the most important discoveries in Home’s history. It was a serum that granted practically any person a random superpower. There was no control over which superpower would be attained but it would be enough to change the lives of everyone on Home. Unfortunately not too long after discovering it the Jones serum was used poorly by a few people and created a huge conflict between a few superpowered beings that left the rest of Home in fear. After the dust settled all the governments agreed that it should never fall into the wrong hands again. They agreed that only people with the right personality and responsibilities would be allowed to be injected with the serum after going through rigorous tests. So far since the even there had been very few incidents with people injected with the Jones serum. Only a select few people on Home actually had access to the serum and the formula itself was a well-guarded secret. Anyone who attempted to misuse the serum was dealt with immediately. There were also a small percentage of people who were naturally immune to the serum so they would never gain any superhuman abilities.
No sooner had Mr Park finished his little speech the aides began to escort him out of the room and General Kilgore once again took centre stage. He had stood by in silence while Mr Park said his piece but now it was time for him to add one final statement before Jessica and the others could leave.
“You are to report to Test Centre Three at exactly 0800 hours and not a minute later,” said General Kilgore in a stern voice. “Failure to reach Test Centre Three at 0800 hours will result in termination of your contract and failure of your candidateship. In the off chance that you have a bad reaction to the Jones serum there are measures that can be taken to ensure your health.” He cleared his throat before speaking again. “You may disembark when ready, I suggest you rest well before coming back tomorrow. You may speak to the agents present if you have any concerns. I wish you all the luck for tomorrow, you are now dismissed.”
Slowly Jessica rose from the desk and decided to ask an agent a few questions before she went back home. The agent she spoke to had the ability to fly and like the rest of the candidates he had passed all the tests and received the Jones serum. He had been an agent for some years and he seemed to be a very nice person. Jessica was still nervous about receiving the serum. She had no idea what kind of powers she would get or if they would even be useful.
Like usual Jessica was very timid when approaching someone she didn’t know. It was also something that had taken its toll on her self-confidence but she thought that if she became an agent it would lift her spirits and break her out of her mental shell. That was only one of the minor reasons why she wanted to become an agent, she truly wanted to help everyone no matter how good or bad they were. She didn’t realise that out of all the candidates that the company had ever tested she was the most selfless and kind. Right now the only thing that she had that was big was her heart. Never before or again would anyone see someone with a heart like Jessica’s.
That night Jessica could hardly sleep. She had spent the rest of the day talking to her father about receiving the Jones serum. She learned that he would be present when she received the serum although it was not in his field. David’s field was in engineering where the scientists who dealt with the Jones serum all specialised in biology. Normally he would have nothing to do with that department but he had specially requested that he would be present so that he was there for his daughter.
When sleep finally came to Jessica the world around her disappeared and she entered what seemed to be a heavily wooded area. She had seen places like this a few times before but it had been years before she had ever stepped foot in a forest. She was wearing the pyjamas that she was wearing when she went to bed and she couldn’t remember exactly how she got there. It was like she had just entered the forest with absolutely no knowledge of how she got there. The forest around her spread as far as she could see and she saw that everything was also very misty.
Almost out of nowhere a woman appeared several metres in front of Jessica. She was several inches taller than Jessica but she had the same hair colour but it was much longer and seemed to blow in the wind. She was wearing nothing but a long white dress and no shoes at all. Jessica looked long and hard at her face and saw a beautiful and familiar face. Tears formed in her eyes when she realised just who this woman was.
“Mom?” asked Jessica in a quiet voice.
The woman did not answer and just held her arms out. Jessica didn’t hesitate in running to her and immediately she embraced her in a hug. She began to sob uncontrollably as she looked up to the angelic face. She saw the woman smile and she realised that the woman was indeed her dead mother. For many years Jessica had wanted to be reunited with her mother but there was one thing that was sad about it all. It seemed that as the years went by she was slowly forgetting her mother’s face so what she was seeing was her best recollection of her mother.
“Mom you’re here,” cried Jessica with tears rolling down her face. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“Hush my child,” replied Jessica’s mother. There was light shining from her face which seemed to light brighter with her smile. “You are more beautiful then I dared imagine.”
“Thank you Mom.” She knew deep down that she was ugly but hearing it from her mother meant that it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that she was here with her right now “I have so many things I want to know.”
“All in good time my child. You have a big future ahead of you and I know that you’ll make the right choices in life.” She placed her hand on Jessica’s cheek and she could feel her warmth. “You are my little girl and I couldn’t be more proud of you. Just know that I am always with you, you are never alone and always be good to others. You will be someone that Home will never forget, you will benefit more people then you can possibly imagine. Always remember to do the right thing no matter how hard it may be.” Suddenly she began to glow even brighter and moments later she began to fade away. Jessica looked at her and began to panic. “Remember.”
“No Mom don’t leave me.” She was trying to grab a hold of her mother but her hands went right through her as she continued to fade. “I don’t want to lose you again, there’s so much time we need to spend together.”
“Remember.” Her voice was becoming more distant.
“Mom please.” Jessica was continuing to cry and she tried in vain to keep her mother close to her. But as the seconds rolled by Jessica’s mother completely disappeared and Jessica broke down on the ground and continued to sob uncontrollable. “MOM!” She was now completely alone in the woods and there was no one around to hear her cry.
Suddenly Jessica jolted awake when she heard her alarm go off. For a couple of seconds she didn’t know whether she was awake or still asleep. After a few seconds reality began to set in and she quickly reached over to her alarm clock and pushed the off button. The time was six thirty in the morning and she slowly sat up from her bed. The only thing she could think about was her dream. Although it had only been a dream it had felt so real to her, this caused her to shed a few tears but she didn’t have much time to reflect about it. She needed to get showered, changed and eat breakfast before she could go back to the company and receive her injection. She wondered what superpower she would acquire but it wasn’t her immediate concern. The only thing that Jessica could do was prepare for the day that would change her life forever.
After what was a somewhat hectic rush Jessica and her father David both arrived at Test Centre Three several minutes early. For now she was the only candidate who had reached the test centre but there was still some time before the actual procedure would be performed. Jessica was beginning to get nervous again, she knew that after she went through with the procedure she would never go back to the way she was. Whatever changes she would go through would last the rest of her life. Her father was also extremely concerned about everything, he had seen first-hand what happened to a few of the candidates after receiving the Jones serum. He hoped that Jessica would not be incapacitated by her new abilities. He looked at her while they waited just outside the test centre. He could see her nervousness and he put his hand on her shoulder.
“How are you feeling Honey?” asked David. His hand seemed to be very large on Jessica’s small shoulder.
“Nervous,” replied Jessica in a quiet voice. She then turned around and looked up at David. “I had a dream last night and it seemed so real.”
“What did you dream?”
“I-I.” She was thinking of the best way she could tell her father about her dream. She knew that he would sometimes get emotional whenever she mentioned about her mother. “I saw Mom.”
“What?” This was something he had not expected to hear. He could see that Jessica was upset and he didn’t want to do anything that would further upset her. “You saw you mother in your dream?”
“Yes I saw her and she spoke to me. She told me that I was beautiful and that she would always be with me. Then she just left as if she were some kind of ghost.” She began to smile at David. “She said that I had a big future and that my actions would help more people than I thought ever existed. She wants me to do this.”
“If that is what you believe Honey.” He couldn’t help but be happy with what Jessica had told him. It seemed that his late wife still wanted the best for their daughter and that was all he needed to hear. “Your mother is right, she always was.”
The two then embraced in a hug that lasted for a couple of seconds before they had to break it off. Their relationship had never been closer and now that Jessica was going to be an agent she thought that they would be as close as ever. All she wanted to do was make David happy and help as many people as she could. Like her mother had told her in her dream she would only use her powers to benefit people and never for her own selfish purposes. She would be a beacon of light that shine all over the galaxy.
A short amount of time later Jessica was standing in the middle of Test Centre Three. It was the size of a warehouse with a very high ceiling. All that she could see was a door and a large one way glass on the opposite side of the room where she was standing. She had been stripped down to her undergarments and several patches had been placed on her body. This was so they could wirelessly monitor her vitals as the procedure was initiated. The room itself was featureless and she knew that in the room behind the large glass were several scientists, her father and Mr Park with his aides. He would be present whenever an agent first received their new abilities, he felt that he had the right to be there to see them truly become an agent for his company. There was also General Kilgore who was there representing the Government, so far he had seen nothing that was out of the ordinary. To him it would just go like clockwork. So far they had seen Gilmore gain the ability to create ice by freezing the moisture in the air, the other female candidate had gained the ability to move herself faster than the eye could see.
Jessica wasn’t alone inside the test centre however. Standing right next to her was a female scientist holding a syringe filled with a bright green chemical that was obviously the infamous Jones serum. When she had seen it her heart rate increased slightly but her will to help others outshone her fear. Although she had never been so nervous in her life the thought that she would be able to help so many people made her think that it was all worthwhile. She looked forward to her future for the first time for a very long time.
The scientist approached Jessica and swabbed her arm in preparation for the incoming injection. Many thoughts were going through Jessica’s head but there was one thing that she had to go through first.
“Are you sure you want to go through with this?” asked the female scientist. “After I inject you with the Jones serum there is no going back.”
“I know,” replied Jessica looking at the scientist. “Please just make it quick, I bruise easily.” She then winched as she felt the syringe pierce her skin and she felt the scientist inject the Jones serum into her bloodstream. She felt it course through her veins but what happened next took everyone by surprise.