by Jeremy Flagg
“Hello?”
A privacy curtain obstructed his view. It was where they did their research into the cybernetics being applied to soldiers. A table in the middle of the room held microscopes and vials with liquids being pushed through them. Mark knew that it wasn’t all the pursuit of academic research; a bone saw sitting on the table told him there were also experiments being conducted. Only a few rooms away, soldiers volunteered for the next wave of cybernetic enhancements. With the support of the Genesis Division they already progressed leaps and bounds. Now they were talking about covering the cybernetics with synthetic skin, something he honestly didn’t believe would ever be possible.
Mark could see movement on through a curtain hanging near the door. He pulled it back to Goddard holding Ivan against the wall, pinned by the neck. Ivan grappled with the man’s arm, trying to pull it away from his windpipe.
“Goddard, put him down.”
The cyborg didn’t turn his head to see who entered the room. Goddard leaned into his stance, holding Ivan several inches off the ground. Ivan’s face transformed into a deep purple.
“Put him the fuck down.”
“The doctor is refusing to upgrade my hands.”
“That’s no reason to kill him, Goddard.”
“He says that my limbs wouldn’t work well with the new interface. He thinks he’s funny by leaving me with second rate gear. I seem to think it’s funny that he’s going to choke.”
Ivan reached out, trying to grasp at the security guard’s face. Goddard batted away his hand like it was nothing. “I can’t even feel him. I can see him suffering, but I can’t even feel him struggling through this metal limb.”
Mark hadn’t been sure how it was going to happen, but he knew it would eventually come to this. Goddard had been an ass to begin with, but it only magnified after the incident with his hands. He stayed clear of Mark after the fight in the ring, but now he was determined to harass Ivan until the scientist quit. Mark knew this was the line in the sand and Goddard stepped far over it.
He didn’t remember picking up the bone saw from the table. Mark didn’t remember the cold sensation of the metal running through his palm. He didn’t remember his vise-like grip holding it like a weapon.
“Put down Ivan or I’ll kill you.”
“You can try,” Goddard said.
Mark swung the blade at the man. The swing was messy. He fought to keep his eyes open, fearful he’d miss if he let them shut. The metal sounded loudly, ringing as it struck Goddard’s hand. He swung again, the blade scraping along the back of the man’s jacket, just enough that it grazed skin.
“And you,” Goddard said, thrusting his hand out and grabbing onto Mark’s tie. Mark used his free hand to punch the man in the kidney, causing him to take a step back from Ivan.
The scientist fell to the ground. Mark expected him to suck in air, like in the movies, but the man didn’t move as his body slumped to the ground. Mark assumed Goddard killed him, all because he wanted an upgrade.
Mark slashed through his tie with the blade and kicked hard at the security guard’s knee. Goddard knocked his foot away. Mark hissed at the impact of the club-like fist. He took a couple steps backward, jumping outside of the guard’s reach.
“You think because you beat me once I’ll be your whipping boy?”
Mark ducked under Goddard’s fist, realizing too late the man’s knee already lifted to meet his face. The impact launched Mark backward, threatening to send him to the floor as his nose exploded. Before he registered the pain, he tasted the copper on his tongue. He had been so confident in the ring, determined he could take the man down. Now, it seemed as if they reverted to their original relationship, Goddard the bully and Mark the weakling. Even the blade in his hand didn’t provide him any comfort.
Mark lunged, swinging wildly with the saw, determined to catch whatever blocking limb he could. Goddard’s metal hand clasped at the blade, gripping it, crushing the tip, and ripping it from Mark’s hand. Goddard laughed as he tossed the weapon to the side.
“If I kill you...H” he panted, his lips turning upward, as if he pictured his ‘happy place.’ He took a step in closer, sending Mark jumping back, trying to stay out of his reach. “If I kill you, nobody will miss you.”
Mark had a moment to realize the man’s assumption was horribly wrong. In fact, Mark understood that he was the last man standing between all the Goddards in the world, the people who would kill them, and Ariel, Arturo, and even Penelope. There was a fraction of a second in which Mark realized if he fell today, everything he built would crumble. The stupidity of a single power-drunk man could destroy all his hard work.
“Over my dead body,” Mark said.
Mark wanted to move forward, for his foot to kick as swiftly as possible in the hopes he might catch the man in the groin. His muscles tensed but stopped as a headache bit at the back of his head. The pressure threatened to make him hurl. He fell to the side, grabbing onto a table to try and keep himself standing. He clutched at the piece of furniture, wrapping his fingers around a microscope. As Goddard stepped closer, he swung the piece of equipment, catching the man in the neck, causing him to stagger backward.
As quickly as it began, the headache vanished. He needed to be done with Goddard so he could check on Ivan. Mark spun around just in time to duck under Goddard’s attempt at a bear hug. Mark studied the man.
Right foot forward. Then he’ll swing. He’ll hope I duck. He’ll try for the knee again. He wants to drive down my spine and I’ll be helpless.
Mark saw Goddard’s hand come out, a slow left hook. He caught it and spun around, using the man’s momentum to hurl him over his shoulder. As Goddard landed on the ground, Mark grabbed onto the metal forearm and twisted hard, causing a loud pop as the arm came loose from its socket.
Goddard howled.
Mark smiled.
The edges of his vision was starting to cloud, as if a blackness was moving in around the edge of his sight. He went to stomp down on the man’s face, but got knocked backward by the other cybernetic limb. Mark gasped. For a moment, it was as if Goddard was slowing down until he stopped.
Goddard is going to lunge at me and try to take me down to the floor. The room sped up, and Goddard prepared to jump at him again. Mark stepped to the side just in time to watch the man fall down onto all fours. He’s going to reach into his boot for the knife.
His vision darkened. It was beginning to look as if he was seeing the world down a long hallway. His foot stomped on Goddard’s hand, pinning it to the ground. He reached down and grabbed the man’s head, wrapping his arm around his neck. He held him in a sleeper hold, giving him just enough room that he wouldn’t collapse.
Mark’s limbs moved, but he wasn’t aware of what they were doing. There was a distant sensation of the man’s neck pressed against his forearm, but it was like a memory that happened years ago. He shook his head, trying to get a grasp of what was going on.
“I’m going to kill you,” hissed Goddard.
The tunnel grew longer and longer until Mark could barely make out Goddard. He watched as his hand slid to Goddard’s jaw. His other hand rested on the back of the security guard’s head, and with a fast spin, the body fell to the floor. Mark watched as his eyes stared off toward the wall of the lab. Then Mark’s vision closed, turning entirely black. Before the darkness swallowed him whole, he made out Ivan, standing unharmed to one side of the lab smiling.
I had hoped we would have more time to benefit from one another, but my hand was forced. But out of necessity, what amazing things we discover about ourselves.
Mark tried to respond, to yell at the scientist, but he couldn’t find his voice. His limbs refused to respond, and it became obvious he was trapped inside the dark room. His heart started to race as he panicked. He wanted to claw at the walls, but his immobilized body did nothing.
Mark knew he wasn’t standing in the lab anymore. He glanced down and could see his hands, bright white flesh shining against the
darkness. Everywhere he turned, the room was perfectly black, swallowing any light that might enter. He screamed and this time, his voice came out as a guttural cry.
“You can scream all you like here,” said a vaguely familiar voice.
Mark turned around to see Ivan several feet away, his lab coat perfectly white, almost blinding against the endless void of a room. Mark tried to understand what was transpiring. They weren’t in the lab anymore.
“No, we’re not,” said Ivan.
“How did you know…”
Ivan’s body seemed to absorb the darkness of the room until wisps of smoke wrapped itself around his limbs. His body faded from sight until all that was left was a spindly shadowy man. Mark recognized the form from his dreams. It struck Mark all of a sudden, everything falling into place.
“A telepath.”
A cackle filled the space, seeming to echo off surfaces he couldn’t see. There had been so many questions building over the last two years and now, with a single statement, it made sense. There had been something dark coming, he thought. Is this what Eleanor had foreseen?
“You’ll never know. But with you working side-by-side with me, I’ll achieve great things in this prison for mentalists.”
“I’ll never help you.”
“You won’t have a choice.” The smile appeared to spread across the smoky figure. “Warden.”
“I said to leave him alone.”
Mark spun about, looking for the source of the second, soft voice. It was just above a whisper, sounding as if it was coming from across the room.
“I told you he was mine,” said Ivan. Mark cocked his head to the side as the telepath spoke. He followed the man’s downward facing eyes. Whoever he spoke to was short, hovering just over five feet.
The response was distant, impossible to understand. Mark was aware of his heartbeat speeding up and his muscles tensing. He couldn’t see it, but he knew the hair on his arms stood on end. His body reacted as if he was having a panic attack.
“It doesn’t seem your abilities work on a telepath.”
Mark’s eyes went wide in disbelief.
Penelope. Oh, God, no.
Chapter 26
2033
Jacob walked through the White House with Lily and Dikeledi two steps behind him, their feet falling in time on the plush rugs. He wore his white suit while Lily wore a white gown showing off ample cleavage and Dikeledi wore white slacks and a white blouse tied behind her neck. Behind them, three Barren followed, their bomber jackets and frightful smiles making them stand out. They were being led down the hallway by two Secret Service agents while another two took up the rear.
He made note of the number of synthetics stationed about the White House. He wondered how many extra were there to deal with the constant barrage of attempts on Cecilia’s life, or was this a special occasion for the Society? She wasn’t a fool. She knew the Secret Service agents were nothing more than cannon fodder and they’d be weapons with a simple thought from Jacob.
They passed by executive offices passed as they continued down the hallway to the Oval Office. At the door, massive security guards stood at each side. They all had a look about them: stiff backs, clear plastic earpieces, and folded hands ready to reach into their jackets and pull out weapons. He stifled a laugh; they had no idea how close they were to dying right now. A thought is all it would take.
They waited a moment as one of the guards reached up to his earpiece and waited for commands. If it wasn’t him that killed them, it’d be Lily tearing them limb from limb or Dikeledi dragging out their suffering for days.
Yes, he thought, this is going to be fun.
“With so many studs around, I can see why she doesn’t want to give up office.” Lily tried not to pout as the guards refused to partake in her verbal sparring.
The man at the front of their troupe opened the door and stepped inside and to the right. Jacob walked in to see the President of the United States standing in front of her desk, arms crossed, trying not to look displeased. Synthetics waited, stationed about the room in a manner to intimidate visitors. The room held the same iconic pieces of furniture as it had a century before. He pondered if the carpet was the same. Despite its historic appearance, he noted the security cameras located along the molding at the top of the room. Behind her, a giant blue virtual display revealed she had been watching them walk through the hallways.
“We appreciate your attire,” he admitted.
She glanced down, dismissing the compliment. A formal gathering for Society businesses required they wear white. Her pure white pantsuit made her skin appear dark in comparison. The four of them contrasted with the security guards and their pitch black uniforms.
“What is it you want, Jacob?”
“It’s a bit crowded in here, don’t you think?”
She smirked. “They are loyal, you can speak openly in front of them.”
He didn’t doubt her. She could be paying them copious amounts of money, or perhaps she blackmailed their families. What she lacked in abilities, she had in resources to get her way. Her guards were ex-military, some were even mercenaries, but they were human none the less.
“Be gone.”
The guards turned toward the door and walked out in unison. He smiled as they obeyed his command. They waited in the hallway, staring at the wall. Lily flipped her wrist and the door shut. With a simple gesture from the President, six synthetics came to life. They took a step closer, closing the distance between the president and her potential threat.
“Showing off to somebody who already knows your abilities seems like a wasted effort,” she said.
“I like to remind you who sits in charge.”
“They will kill you if you try.”
“You’ll be dead before they take another step, Madame President.”
“Their orders are to kill you if anything should befall me.” The smug grin wiped away the wrinkles at the edge of the president’s lips. She laughed, a condescending laughter that felt like daggers in his chest. He closed his fist and let the nails bite into his skin. He could tear her mind to pieces, but watching her lose her humanity wasn’t enough for him. He wanted to make sure she was aware he pulled all the strings before he killed her.
“I know you put the Warden in charge of the Facility.”
“I’m sure you do.” She didn’t move more muscles than absolutely necessary to answer. “You’ve come a long ways to share information about the obvious.”
“I know he was amassing an army of Children of Nostradamus. I have my suspicions you knew exactly what was going on. More than that, you were using Genesis Division resources to allow it.”
She placed her hands on the edge of the desk and leaned back on the oversized piece of furniture. Her right pointer finger tapped against the surface. Through her legs he could make out the sigil for the United States of America. He reached out with his mind and brushed against hers. He wanted to hear her panic, but all he got in return was silence. The one woman he wanted to violate with his newfound talents had an immunity to his psychic abilities.
I must uncover how you do that, Cecilia.
He sat in one of the chairs facing toward her desk. The women sat on each side of him on the stately love seats. The Barren stood behind them, their bodies appearing almost as robotic as the machines in the room. Cecilia made no move to join. Instead she continued tapping away at the desk.
“What are you hinting at?”
Before he could respond, Dikeledi blurted out, “The Warden is a mentalist.”
He stared at Dikeledi, who motioned a “sorry” with a shoulder shrug. He had no doubt she received his impending giddiness. The woman appeared on the verge of giggling, unable to suppress her abilities.
The president didn’t respond. Her lack of a response made it clear what she knew about the man. Jacob might not be able to read her mind, but her body language helped make her understandable.
“Why do you suddenly have such an interest in a dead
man?”
Jacob ran his hands along the leather of the chair, admiring the craftsmanship. “It’s not him I’m interested in. What has caught my attention is you, my subordinate, raising an army without informing me. You wasted Genesis funds and decided to hide it from us. I’m hurt, Cecilia.”
“It could have—”
“I’m not done,” he stated, motioning for her to stop. “But the crime I can’t forgive you for, the one that really makes me question our business relationship, is knowing your Warden is a mentalist.”
“How would I have known that?”
“She’s good at hiding her emotions,” Dikeledi said, drawing a disgusted look from Cecilia.
“You carry more secrets than not,” Jacob continued. “I have no doubt you were fully aware of what you were preparing to unleash on the world. And even if you didn’t know his intentions, you made it possible.”
“Your grandstanding has gone on long enough. What is it you want, Jacob?”
“I want your job.”
She gave a slight nod, barely a twitch. Her security guards poured through the door, their guns drawn and pointed them toward him. He didn’t flinch. He assumed humans to be beneath him, and this was another example of their feebleness. Each stood up straight and turned their guns toward their temples. He smiled as the guns fired, dropping all of her guards.
“Really, Cecilia, did you think that was going to end any other way?”
“I think my reliance on the Society ends here.”
Two synthetics near the door took steps forward. The lasers on their shoulders hummed as power pulsed through the machinery. She made no attempt to hide the smirk on her face. “Lily may survive these two, but there are over one hundred synthetics close enough that you will not walk out of here alive.”
“Isn’t this the very spot where you were nearly assassinated before?”