Elites photosynthesize. Not only do they convert light into chemical energy, they absorb carbon dioxide through their skin and release oxygen. The latter occurs as needed, based upon the ratio of oxygen to carbon dioxide in the air. In oxygen rich environments, they rely upon human-like respiration. In oxygen starved environments, a single Elite is capable of purifying the air for up to seven human adults, maintaining near-ideal oxygen levels without the need for external cleansing systems.

On Elite Biology, Second Edition, 1970

Lesly stretched in her bed until the tips of her toes slipped off the far end. Odd. Maybe she’d slid down during the night or… Wait! She was an Elite now, or at least she was fast on her way toward becoming one! She’d grown a full three inches yesterday so, duh, her bed should feel smaller.

She turned over, facing the window where the sun had only begun to peek through the blinds. She also faced her sister, eyes still shut and mouth partway open, a few strands of her straight hair falling across her lips, shifting slightly with each breath.

Ky usually woke first, but not this morning. Les doubted she could go back to sleep even if she wanted. The day held too much promise, too many things to think about and experience.

The air smelled different. Dirty laundry, clean leggings and t-shirts, and stale peach yogurt drying in it’s container on Ky’s desk. Ky herself had an odor, one of mild sweat, faint shampoo and others Les couldn’t identify. She probably needed a shower, but in truth, Les didn’t mind. Her nose seemed to be working differently, and in a good way. She wanted to get closer to her sister to smell her better even though it would be super weird.

If she concentrated, she could hear Ky’s lungs pumping air and, though it must be her imagination, Ky’s heartbeat - thuh-bump, thuh-bump, thuh-bump. Other sounds too, like the faint buzzing of electricity feeding into their old wall clock, birds singing their wake up songs, and a jet plane in the distance. However, she preferred to focus on Ky’s noises — so much more interesting.

She let her hand drift toward the lower part of her nightie, remembering once more how her bedsheets, clothing, and underwear felt different, more vibrant. She could easily distinguish between the materials used, the fibers brushing against her skin and hairs, each in their own unique ways.

Was it always like this? Becoming an Elite?

As long as she could remember, she enjoyed the comfort of touching her panties, but this morning, she found the circular rubbing of her fingers to be particularly invigorating. It mixed with the warmth of what she’d come to associate with growth, the heady feeling of slowly getting bigger. Though the latter wasn’t nearly as powerful as when she’d been in the chamber, it was still quite enjoyable, especially when combined with her own lower massage.

While reveling in buzzed relaxation, Ky’s words came back to her. Ky had mentioned she’d been jealous, and Les hadn’t understood. However, feeling as she felt now, perhaps it made a little sense. Les would continue to experience mechanical, sensory, and cognitive improvements, while her human sister wouldn’t, at least not at the same rate and scale. If her sister didn’t ascend, Les would eventually...almost inevitably...become superior.

Heat bloomed in her stomach and surged toward her extremities, blanking her mind, letting one thought through at a time.

I’ll finally get more praise than my sister...

Yes — the heat, the electric blood pumping ticklish glitter through her veins.

Because I’ll be better than my sister...

A torrent of warmth, roiling in her midsection, rising higher than ever before.

SO...MUCH...BETTER...

Her thighs clenched around her fingers, and her back went straight as a board. Though momentarily frightened she’d hurt herself, she quickly snapped her mouth shut as her throat hummed and her body tingled with fuzzy heat. She pulled her hand away, only vaguely registering it’s moistness, and curled into a tight ball.

Wow. Utterly shattered, her brain began picking itself up from the insides of her skull. That felt gooood.

She’d never felt so alive before. It wasn't as strong as it had been a few seconds ago, and it appeared to be lessening, but it left her floating to the point where she had to look and confirm she wasn’t actually floating. Hopefully Elites didn’t feel that good all the time or she’d go crazy.

Even more interesting, Ky’s face had reddened considerably and her rate of breathing had increased. Weird. Was Les projecting?

Embarrassment and shame flooded her gut. After all, she’d experienced the surge of euphoria by imagining herself as Ky’s superior. Elites often prided themselves on their superiority. Would she simply become another one of them, basking in her own superiority, even over her own sister?

Before this morning, such a possibility seemed remote. Ky was indomitable after all. But, she was also human, at least for now. If Les became superior and flaunted her abilities as an Elite, it might crush Ky. Yes — it had felt amazing, thinking those thoughts of superiority, savoring them like the most delicious of candies.

But it did not feel so amazing now. She’d rather die than become someone who killed her sister’s dreams, especially for her own… Her own what? Pleasure? The thoughts sickened her, and she vowed keep her distance from them in the future. If the Elite cancer could give answers to math problems, it could certainly put bad thoughts in her head, and she could certainly ignore them.

It was her head after all. If Ky was going to fight to reach her dreams, Les could fight too.

And she would, even if the fight was against her own brain.

*****

Kyleigh awoke well rested, but decidedly less than clean. The sheets clung to her body as if they’d dried there overnight, her hair lay plastered against her cheek, and her underwear —

She threw back the covers and examined the mattress, sighing audibly as the worst of her fears evaporated. She hadn’t wet her bed, thankfully, but her panties definitely needed changing. In fifth grade, she’d learned about the discharge girls received before the first period. Maybe it was a sign. Then again, maybe she had peed a little, just not enough to cause a scene. Either way, she needed a shower.

Noting the unusual absence of her sister, Ky hopped out of bed and stripped down, burying her nighttime clothes toward the bottom of the dirty pile. She scurried into the adjoining bathroom, closed the door, and examined her lower body in the mirror. Unable to see much down there, she wiped herself with toilet paper.

Whew! No trace of blood.

Is it possible to get your first period while sleeping? she thought.

She didn’t know the answer, but she’d google it later. Frankly, she couldn’t imagine many places, other than perhaps the shower, where she would like to get her first period. Any surprise involving blood dripping from that area...ugh! She didn’t want to think about it.

She let the hot water from the shower cascade over her hair and shoulders, but her mind returned to periods. She’d have to ask Mom to buy some liners for herself and Les.

Wait. Did Elite get periods? Yes, the girls did, but not until later because they aged twice as slow. That’s right! Les would age more slowly now that she was becoming an Elite. Ky wasn’t sure how she felt about it. She liked being the older sister, but Les was her twin. In three years, Ky would be fourteen, and Les would still appear twelve.

Ky cupped her budding breasts, which, though currently not much different from a boy’s chest, would certainly fill out over the next few years. Les might get jealous, but she’d be an Elite by then. It was only fair Ky gain a few advantages. Plus, Les never stayed jealous for long. Heck, Ky had never seen Les jealous in a bad way, not like Ky had been yesterday.

Ky had been extremely jealous. She’d thought and said mean things. But she’d apologized, and formulated a new goal to change the world. How exactly? She had one, specific possibility in mind.

What if she became Earth’s Prime? She’d be the first human to ever hold the position, and she’d have influence over everyone — humans, Elites, Megas, even Titans. The Prime had to be voted into office, and voting weights favored the superior races, but it wasn’t illegal for a human to run for office. They simply never tried, at least not since rise and fall of Torment nearly a century ago.

That settles it. She rinsed the Mango Mischief shampoo from her long hair. I’ll become Earth’s first human Prime.

*****

“Mom!” Ky stomped her foot. “You’re not even listening!”

“Hold still, honey.” Mom placed her hand on top of Ky’s head, measuring. “Yup, already an inch taller than you. Can you believe your sister grew another two inches since the doctor? It’s hardly been a day!”

Ky stepped away from her forced position of standing back to back with her sister. Les did seem taller, and two inches in twenty-four hours was impressive, but not more than Ky’s announcement she’d become the first human Prime. If anything, Ky should be receiving the praise, not her sister who could and would grow inches by merely existing.

“Okaaay, but what about me?” Ky asked. “Didn’t you even hear what I said?”

“Sweetie, I believe you can do anything you put your mind to.” Mom lit a cigarette, inhaled, and exhaled light, minty smoke. “But you should be happy for Les. At this rate, we’ll get the Elite stipend in...hmm…let’s see. Three feet, twelve inches per foot — ”

“Eighteen days,” Les said. “Right, Ky?”

“Duh,” Ky said, though she hadn’t yet arrived at the answer herself. “A Prime makes a lot more money than an Elite, by the way. Like tons more.”

“That’s nice, sweetie.” Mom returned to the couch where she flipped on the morning news. The human anchors discussed the weather, human sports, and the latest Elite acts of heroism. The latter included a drug bust, a single Elite cowing an entire household of armed meth addicts with nothing more than her kevlar suit and force of will.

“Les, maybe you’ll become like Miss Majestic.” Mom pointed two cigarette-clasping fingers toward the screen. “Bustin’ druggies and fightin’ crime. Whaddya think?”

“Maybe.” Les shrugged.

Ugh. Yep. Now that she’d begun her ascension, Les merely needed to exist.

Well, no one ever said becoming Prime would be easy. Ky shouldn’t expect praise before she’d even begun. In fact, it was better this way. When she finally did achieve her goal, it would mean so much more than having it handed to her. Probably. At least thinking about it this way made her feel better about being ignored.

“C’mon Les.” She grabbed her sister’s hand marched toward the front door.

“Where you two going?” Mom asked. “It’s not even ten.”

“We’re going to train,” Les said.

“Train?” Mom asked, her attention momentarily diverted from the television. “Whatever for?”

“I already told you, Mom,” Ky said. “If she’s going to be my vassal, she’s gotta train.”

“Ohhhh, ok.” Mom turned back to the tv. “Have fun and be careful.”

Ky rolled her eyes and stomped out of the house, her sister in tow. At least Dad would appreciate her actions, once he finally climbed out of bed. With Sunday his only full day off, he usually took full advantage by sleeping in.

“I think it’s super cool,” Les said as the front door slammed shut.

“What?” Ky asked.

“You becoming Prime,” Les said. “It’s awesome.”

“Of course it’s awesome,” Ky said.

Even before her ascension, Les, with all her faults, usually saw the awesomeness behind Ky’s ideas. Though Ky would never admit it openly, sometimes Les’s enthusiasm for said ideas made Ky fight even harder for them, long past the point when most would give up. Yes, Les was becoming an Elite, but she was still Ky’s sister.

“And you’re going to be Vice Prime.” Ky made the decision right then and there.

“I am?” Les appeared stunned.

“Obviously,” Ky said. “I’ll only get elected to Prime if I can prove my ability to work well with Elites. So, I’ll need your help. You’re going to help me, right?”

“Yes!” Les grinned and stepped forward, arms spread.

Ky held up her hands. “No more super hugs this morning.”

Les stopped, but bounced on the balls of her feet, awaiting further instruction.

The hug Les had given Ky in the bathroom earlier had caused Ky’s back to pop. It didn’t hurt...much...but Ky wasn’t ready for another one. The growing girl simply had way too much energy. Time to burn some of it off.

“First, let’s stretch.” Ky bent and touched her toes. “Then we’ll run around the block.”

Ky lunged forward with one foot, then the other. Les performed the same stretches in sync with her sister, not wobbling or falling over as she usually did. Good — improved balance, something Les could definitely use.

“Try and keep up. If you fall behind, I’m not waiting.” Ky inhaled the crisp morning air and took off at a medium pace, the pace she generally chose when running with her slower sister.

However, Les kept up with apparent ease, her newly lengthened legs matching Ky stride for stride. Ky increased her pace to her distance maximum, the fastest she could run for extended periods of time.

Les didn’t fall behind, but instead lengthened her own stride to maintain speed. The two continued this way, running side-by-side until they completed the first lap around the block.

“Another,” Ky said between puffs. “Run faster if you can.”

Les nodded, and jetted out ahead. But within seconds, Les slowed, returning to her spot beside her sister. “I can’t run any faster.”

“Yes you can,” Ky said. “I just saw you do it.”

“I’m too tired.” Les said, though she didn’t even appear to be breathing hard.

Ky stopped and placed her hands on her hips as she sucked air. Les stopped too, pretending to gasp.

“You’re lying,” Ky said.

“No I’m — ”

“If you’re going to lie to me, you’ll never become my vassal.” Ky poked her in the chest. “I can tell you’re holding back, which is stupid. In a few weeks, you’ll be over nine feet tall. What’ll you do then? Walk while I run?”

Les bowed her head and spoke softly. “I just don’t want to embarrass you or anything.”

Ky clenched her fists at her sides. “The only embarrassing thing is when you say stupid stuff like that!”

Les flinched and seemed about to cry.

Anger boiled in Ky’s chest, similar to yesterday, but less intense. Why it had returned now, Ky couldn’t explain. Les didn’t mean any harm. She was just an idiot sometimes.

“Look,” Ky said, willing herself to calm down. “You’ll obviously beat me at physical stuff like running. It’s part of becoming an Elite, but don’t worry. I’ll always be better at other stuff like...leading and motivating and…plenty more. If I’m going to try my best, you need to do the same, or I’ll just do this without you.”

Les didn’t seem convinced, still hesitating to make eye contact while she picked at her thumbnail.

“I can’t read your mind, Les,” Ky said, secretly grateful for the extra moment to rest. “Obviously something’s wrong. What is it?”

“This morning I…” Lesly’s face reddened perceptibly and she bit her bottom lip.

“Spit it out,” Ky said, growing impatient. For better or worse, Les told her everything, often making Ky feel like a confessional in a Catholic church. Les almost never lied successfully, and when she did, she always felt bad and told Ky the truth eventually. It was annoying, but Ky hated liars, so she respected her sister for her honesty.

“This morning, I was touching myself under the covers.” Les glanced up, then looked down again.

“Okaay,” Ky said. It wasn’t the first time they’d talked about the good feelings. Ky had explained it was normal, so long as it was kept private.

“I started thinking about becoming an Elite,” Les said. “Not just getting bigger and stronger. But about how I could see better, hear better, and smell better.” Les looked up, this time maintaining her gaze.

Ky swallowed and looked away, unsure of her feelings on the topic.

“Then...I thought about becoming better than you.” Les spoke, going into her zone of storytelling. “And...and it suddenly felt so good!”

Ky glanced around nervously, making sure no one was standing outside the neighboring houses.

“My body got all stiff and hot and...it was the best thing ever!” Les said, finally appearing to come back to earth.

“Okaaay.” Ky could feel the heat in her face. As usual, Les had no filter. “You done?”

“Yeh...but…”

“But what?” Ky wanted to start running again, anything to get away from what had to be one of the most humiliating conversations she’d ever had with her sister.

“Was it wrong?” Les asked. “For me to think about becoming better than you?”

Ky rolled her eyes and faced her sister again. “No, you idiot. Elites always think that way. It just means you’re becoming an Elite. You probably had a flippin’ orgasm. Wait...you said it was this morning?”

Les nodded, face solemn in attentiveness.

“Oh my god, no wonder,” Ky said. “You made me feel it too, you dolt.”

“Oh.” Les scrunched her brows together. “But it felt good, right?”

“I’m sure it did. It also makes you wet, if you hadn’t noticed.” Ky couldn’t believe she had to explain masturbation to her sister. The girl couldn’t look anything up for herself. If Ky didn’t teach her, she’d be utterly lost. “And since you projected the feelings, it made me wet too.”

“Oh,” Les said. “So I shouldn’t do it again?”

“Listen, I don’t care what you do,” Ky said. “If pretending to be superior helps you get off, go for it. Just wait till I teach you how to control your emotions first.”

Les nodded, seemingly relieved. “Kay.”

“Anything else?” Ky asked, then started running again without waiting for an answer.

Les jogged to keep pace. “I — I know it’s not true. I’ll never be better than you, not for reals.”

“I just said — ” Ky wanted to pound her head into the stone mailbox as they passed it, but she forced her frustration down, and her voice to a normal tone. “You will become better at lots of things, and it’s fine. If it makes you happy, fine. If you get off on it, fine. So long as you keep the feelings to yourself. I’ve got my own plans. I know exactly what Elites are capable of, but I also know myself. I don’t want you to worry about me. It’s incredibly annoying.”

They ran for several more seconds in silence.

“So, I can still be your vassal?” Les asked.

“Not if you keep holding yourself back,” Ky said. “If you don’t try your hardest because you’re afraid of embarrassing me, you’re lying to both of us, and you’ll never have what it takes to become my vassal.”

“Kay,” Les said, a slow smile forming on her face.

“So what are you waiting for?” Ky said. “Run as fast as you can and don’t look back. If you can lap me before I get home...I don’t know. You can give me a flippin’ hug, I guess.”

Les took off, running impressively fast, presumably at full speed.

She didn’t look back.