Tesla Evolution Box Set

by Mark Lingane

  Peter scooped her up into his arms. Her head lolled around. “Poor girl,” he muttered. “Michael, could you please get her some water?” He placed her back on the bed, covering her with several blankets.

  Her body twitched beneath the covers as her body fought for control over her strained mind. Her breathing unwound from the frantic gasps until it gained a more normal rhythm. Michael moistened a small towel and placed it on her forehead. When Nikola entered the tent, Michael debriefed him.

  “I don’t know her that well, certainly not as well as you, Nikola,” Michael said. “Do you think the soldiers bursting into flame had anything to do with her?”

  Nikola shook his head. “It’s highly unlikely.”

  “Your word’s good enough for me. Unless something happened to her in the Hive.”

  “Or at the church. We have to accept that she’s been infected,” Nikola said. His face was gray with concern.

  “Something’s definitely wrong with her,” Peter said. He ran his hand over her forehead. The heat coming off her was intense. They watched her body shiver and sweat. Her chest barely moved.

  “She isn’t herself, that’s for sure,” Nikola said.

  Michael sighed. “I think the poison may be affecting her mind, making her unstable. In all honesty, and it grieves me to say this, I can’t see her surviving until New Toowoomba.”

  Nikola nodded. “In that case, we should be considerate of her condition and give her support when we can.” He brushed the hair away from her pale face. “Personally, I’m praying she makes the distance.”

  Nikola, Parker, Albert and Michael were in a heated discussion. Michael had pointed out that the chances of two people blowing up were so remote it was quite simply impossible. Albert agreed.

  “So, someone did this, and it’s either one of two people,” Michael said. “Are we agreed?”

  The others nodded.

  “I’ve known Melanie for years,” Nikola said. “She’s never shown any ability like this in the past.”

  “But she’s been infected,” Michael pointed out. “And we don’t know if it can affect people in this way.”

  “This is ridiculous,” Nikola said. “The chances are even that an infection of this kind would never do something like this.”

  “It’s highly unlikely,” Albert agreed. “Ve vill examine what she says and through thorough logical deduction and process of elimination ve shall uncover the truth, no matter how unbelievable it may seem.”

  Michael shrugged. “We could just ask her.”

  41

  MELANIE WAS WAITING outside the tent, pacing a few steps up and down. Sebastian ran around kicking bits of wood. Melanie continued her fretting until she felt faint. She sat down heavily in the sand and wiped away the sweat. Sebastian got bored and sat down next to her.

  “What do you think they’re talking about?”

  “You and your grades,” she replied.

  He rocked back and pulled at his hair. “Not again.”

  She gave him a push. “Not really. It’ll be about the soldiers spontaneously combusting.”

  “Is that possible? I’ve heard stories of people suddenly bursting into flame, but not two at once.”

  Melanie didn’t respond. She sat looking down at the sand.

  Sebastian looked around cautiously. “I have some theories,” he whispered.

  Melanie gave him a sideways glance.

  His eyes darted around the area. He leaned over and whispered, “Aliens.”

  Melanie sighed. “We need a grown-up, sophisticated mind to look at this. That’s why you have to sit outside.”

  “I am so totally grown up now. Super-mature. Oh look, swords.” He picked up one of the two swords that were speared into the ground behind the tent flaps, and pretended to fight the shadows.

  “Real grown up. Go play with your toys.”

  “They’re not toys, I’m keeping in practice,” he said indignantly.

  “I guess you never know when you’re about to be attacked by an army of shadows.”

  He stabbed valiantly into the air. Melanie rolled her eyes.

  Nikola popped his head out of the tent and gave Melanie a smile. “Please join us.”

  She stood up uncertainly and entered the tent. The men were trying to appear casual and relaxed, but their movements and nervous chatter indicated otherwise.

  “Melanie, as you can imagine, the issue with the soldiers is a concern,” Nikola said. “We need to get to the bottom of it. None of us believes it was you, but you were there when it happened. We really need to find out what you know.”

  “I think it was Angel,” she blurted. The others remained stoic in their appearance. “There is more to her than meets the eye. She could be some sort of anti-tesla.”

  “What’s the opposite of a tesla?” Nikola asked the men.

  “When I was in the cells, I heard stories, rumors, about something under development.” Michael paused, lost in recollection. Slowly it came to him. With a pained expression on his face, he said, “I know what it was. The word they used was faraday. A cyborg with tesla powers, but based on the theories of Faraday. Yes, it’s coming back to me now.”

  Albert nodded. “That vould make sense. Faraday and Tesla, the two entities that bookend our knowledge of electromagnetic theory. Faraday at the beginning and Tesla at the end.”

  “Yeah, whatever,” Melanie said. “Angel had scratches. I saw them, and then they disappeared. How does someone do that? Why isn’t she ill? I saw her skin glow, like a fire was beneath it.” She paused. “Like the soldiers did.”

  “Are you sure?” Michael said. “Could you have made a mistake?”

  “Me? Make a mistake?”

  “Yes, I know, but you’re making a serious accusation. We need to address it. Angel needs to be scanned.”

  “How?”

  Michael sighed and smiled. “We need a tesla to run his hands over her.”

  They all turned to look through the tent flap at Sebastian outside in the sand. He had constructed some toy planes out of several small pieces of wood and was flying them through the air, making droning noises and the sound of machine-gun fire.

  He looked up. “What?” he said.

  “We need you to scan Angel for any implants. We’re checking to see if she’s a faraday. Come with me,” he said, beckoning him inside the tent.

  “Yeah, sure, but I can do it from here.”

  “She needs to be naked and in front of you.”

  “I. Er. Um. Er. W-Why?”

  “She can’t be allowed to conceal anything. Apparently, Melanie saw her skin, or something under it, glow.”

  “But why can’t I do it from here?”

  “If she is a faraday, it’ll be impossible for us, and very hard for you, to detect.”

  “Why?”

  “You know how the faraday cage works?” Michael asked.

  “Sure.”

  “Really?”

  “No.”

  “Okay, it’s a cage, right, that surrounds the body, and a current is applied to it, concealing what’s inside. If the cage gets struck by electricity, the current on the outside will protect what’s inside, making it impervious to EM attack and detection.”

  “Can’t you cut her open or something?”

  “I’m a doctor. How much do you want me to hack into her before I give up?”

  Sebastian snapped his mouth shut, and cast his eyes down, embarrassed.

  “The only way you can scan Angel is to send an electromagnetic field into her body, between your hands. The cage will block it. If it’s just flesh and bone, you’ll feel the current.” Michael looked into Sebastian’s dilated eyes. “Did you listen to any of that?”

  “Naked?” he gulped.

  “You know, in a few years you’ll be, well, thinking differently about it.” He slapped his hand on Sebastian’s shoulder and gave him a wry smile.

  “Angel, I’m sorry to do this to you,” Nikola said. “You know about the soldiers. Melanie sa
ys she’s seen you do things.”

  “The cut on your arm that disappeared,” Melanie interjected.

  Nikola raised his hand “Calm down, Melanie. We do this properly.”

  “I’m sorry,” Angel said, “when was this? I haven’t had a cut on my arm. If I did, then I’d have a scar.” She offered her arm for examination.

  “It’s a little more complex than that,” Nikola said. “We think there’s a chance you could be a faraday.”

  She gave them a coy smile. “You are joking, of course.” Her smiled dropped as the reality sank in. “Oh, I can promise you that I’m not a faraday.”

  “If it weren’t for the soldiers I wouldn’t be asking … insisting.”

  “But how can you test for such a thing?”

  “Sebastian is a tesla,” Nikola said. “He should be able to tell. Please go behind the sheet we’ve set up for you. Sebastian will let us know the results once he’s finished scanning you.”

  “Why do I need to go behind a sheet?”

  Nikola hesitated. “You need to be unclothed. A tesla needs to have clear access. Even dirt in the clothes could affect the readings.”

  “I understand. If it makes you trust me, then I’ll do it. I trust Sebastian.” Angel bowed her head and disappeared behind the sheet.

  “I think there’s something I forgot to do,” Sebastian said, and turned as if to leave the tent.

  Melanie steered him behind the sheet. Angel dropped her clothes and stood before him. She held out her arms.

  He leaned in and whispered. “Sorry about this.”

  “I’m glad it’s you,” she whispered back. “Maybe I can return the favor one day.” She gave him a wink.

  “I really think I need to go,” he said. Sweat was forming on his overly flushed face.

  “No, this must be done,” came Nikola’s voice from the other side of the sheet. “One way or another, it’ll establish the truth.”

  Sebastian cleared his mind and squatted down in front of her. While trying to keep the trembling to a minimum, he ran his hands over her body and down her arms. He wiped his sweaty palms on his tunic and stopped.

  “Everywhere,” commanded Melanie from the other side of the sheet.

  “Oh, gosh. I’m sorry, Angel, but I have to touch your, er, your, um, things.”

  “It’s okay,” she replied. “I’ll try not to enjoy it.” She stood tall and thrust out her bust.

  Sebastian hoped the steam coming out of his collar wasn’t noticeable. Or anything else sticking out. He tried again to clear his mind, but it was full of images tormenting various parts of his body. He swallowed nervously and gently touched her, um, things. As soon as he had made contact, he pulled his hands away.

  “It’s done,” he said, and stepped away. “Is it hot in here, or is it me?”

  He came out from behind the sheet. “I’m sorry,” he said to Melanie. “I can’t detect anything.” He let out a long sigh. “I’ll be in the shower for the next hour if anyone needs me.”

  Angel put on her clothes and stepped out from behind the sheet.

  “Melanie,” Nikola said. “I think you need to say something.”

  Nikola motioned to the other men and they left the two girls alone.

  Melanie looked at Angel as she tightened the silken layers around her feminine figure. She bent her head and clasped her hands in front. “I’m sorry to have accused you. I was obviously wrong. Please accept my sincerest apologies.”

  Angel glanced outside the tent, confirming their solitude. “You know Peter’s attention has drifted away from you. He’s only with you because he feels sorry for your pathetic life. You drain his spirit and give him nothing. He needs someone like me who can truly love him.”

  “I do love him,” Melanie cried.

  “Then, let him go. He can decide who he loves. And it will be me.”

  As Angel walked away, Melanie twisted down to the ground and burst into tears.

  42

  MELANIE STAYED EVEN further behind the group the following day. Her mood darkened and she retreated into her shell.

  Nikola signaled for everyone to pull over for a rest before starting the long trek into the evening. It was midday and the sun was cresting over the top of them. A cool breeze blew in from the northeast.

  As Nikola dismounted, he caught a hint of something on the breeze. He told everyone to stay near the SUVs. He scrutinized the area. He cocked his head to one side and closed his eyes. “Peter, Melanie,” he shouted, “stay here and keep an eye out. Parker, come with me.”

  The two men set off on a perimeter reconnaissance.

  Peter turned back to Melanie. “Everything all right?” he asked.

  She grunted, turned away from him, and looked in the opposite direction.

  “You look a little—” He stopped abruptly, looking past her. He shouted a warning and pointed.

  Melanie slowly turned. Out of the valley charged three men. Their bodies were thin, malnourished to the point of being walking skeletons. Their skin hung off them loosely. Their eyes were a terrifying bloodshot red, rolling around, unfocused but searching. Before she knew it, they were upon her. She fired her pistol at one, temporarily slowing him. She drew her sword.

  One broke away and took a swipe at Angel. She shrieked and fell to the ground, narrowly avoiding the man’s grasp. She kicked him, and he staggered away before balancing and preparing to attack again.

  Peter leaped over to Angel and thrust his sword into the man, who twitched as the blade ran through him. Peter put his foot against the body and pulled his sword out. He put out his hand to Angel. She grasped it delicately and he pulled her upright. He quickly looked over at Melanie.

  Two men were running at speed toward Melanie. She steadied her sword. She slashed into the first man and knocked him into the second. Her head spun with the exertion. She swung upward with her sword, cutting into both. One staggered back. She speared the closer one, ripped out her sword, pivoted on the spot, and plunged it into the second. Both attackers collapsed to the ground, dead. Sweat was pouring off her forehead.

  Peter ran over to her.

  “Where were you?” she gasped. She sagged forward, letting the sword take her weight. The point drove into the sand.

  He helped her up and supported her as they walked over to the rest of the team. Melanie’s head was bowed. The sun pierced her skin, causing pain to dig into every exposed inch. Her eyes blinked away the sweat rolling down her forehead.

  “I’ll get you some water,” Peter said.

  As he made to leave, she vomited up a thick green liquid. She collapsed onto the ground and convulsed violently. Green foam erupted out of her mouth, smearing down her face. Peter lay next to her and held her tightly until she stopped shaking. He stood up and bent over, relieving the pain where she had kicked, kneed, and elbowed him.

  Michael wiped away the green mess from her face, then opened an eyelid and flashed a light into her pupil. He noticed the bandaging around her arm. The wound was seeping heavily through the cloth. He pulled it off. The smell hit him instantly. The cut in her arm was a rotting green color. The infection was deep, and it had expanded.

  Peter turned away.

  “This proves it, she’s been poisoned by those kids,” Michael said.

  “There’s got to be something we can do,” Peter said. “I read through the notes. The vial contains a cure, potentially. It’s a risk, but we’ve got to do something, I’m pretty sure that’s what the experiments at the church were aiming for. Michael, you need to see if Albert brought a microscope.”

  “He will have,” Michael said. “What scientist would travel without one?”

  “And Sebastian, ask Angel to get some water. We’ll see if she can clean up this mess,” he said, indicating the fetid infection.

  Michael ran over to Albert’s SUV. Albert rummaged through the back of the vehicle and eventually extracted an ancient microscope in a box held together by yellowing tape. Michael gave it a quizzical look and handled i
t like it would fracture under the lightest touch.

  “How old is this?” he said.

  “I had it at school.”

  “It’s an antique. Can we carbon-date it?”

  Michael took the box back to where Melanie lay. He extracted a thin glass plate and a syringe, and then scraped some of the infected blood from her arm and spread it on the plate. He placed it under the microscope and pulled it into focus. He extracted a couple of drops from the vial into the syringe and injected it onto the infected blood. He spent several moments maneuvering the glass and zooming in and out. Eventually, he sat back and scratched his chin thoughtfully. He didn’t look happy. Time moved on slowly, and his face didn’t change.

  Eventually, Sebastian couldn’t take the silence anymore. “Well?”

  “There’s good news and bad. The good news is that this is an antidote. It was slowly combating the poison.”

  Sebastian flushed with relief. “She’s going to be okay?”

  Peter picked up on what Michael had said. “Was?”

  “That’s the bad news,” Michael said. “The antidote is weak. It was combating the poison, but it stopped because there’s not enough of it. We’d need a significant amount to cure her. It would take the entire contents of the vial, plus maybe even more to neutralize the poison inside her.”

  “We need to give all of it to her straightaway,” Sebastian said.

  “As a doctor and scientist, I have to make a decision. I can choose to use this, the only vial in existence, to cure Melanie, or I could use it to make more and cure more people.”

  “It’s simple,” Sebastian said. “We cure Melanie.”

  “It’s far from simple. What if we use it all and it isn’t enough? We then lose the only cure and we lose Melanie. She would die in vain. But if we mass produce the antidote, we’ll have enough to cure her and everyone else.”

  “But what if she doesn’t make it?” Sebastian said.

  “This is the conundrum. Is personal the same as important?”

  “We can’t let her die to save other people we don’t even know.”