New Birth

by Orrin Jason Bradford

  They're coming, Tabitha announced to Flip and her sisters.

  How do you know? Flip was surprised to notice a quickening of his pulse at the announcement and then wondered if such changes showed up on his monitoring equipment.

  I feel a change. It's difficult to describe. I'm getting signals. They're still garbled, but something has shifted in their mood. I think they've escaped.

  Escaped? Do you mean they were being held against their wills as well? Heather asked.

  Yeah, I think so. They haven't been happy, and now, they are. I can get their emotions clearer than anything else. However, one of them has a lot of anger. It's a constant wave of anger and hate. It was the first thing I picked up. It's coming from the strange one—the boy.

  What's he mad about? Flip's discomfort at the conversation was growing.

  I don't know. It doesn't seem to be directed at anything in particular, just at everything.

  Great, Flip thought to himself. We've got an angry young boy coming for a visit. There was no telling the reason for the visit, but something told Flip it could only mean trouble for the rest of the Kindred. Meanwhile, there's no telling what kind of powers these two unknowns possess.

  Keep us posted Tabitha.

  Oh, I will. It's fun. I can't wait for them to get here.

  The rest of the Kindred agreed. Flip did not comment.

  "It's a completely safe drug; I can assure you of that, Franklin. You know I'm as committed to the health and well-being of the children as you are. At the same time, we are a research facility and the Kindred are the best chance we have for a tremendous breakthrough in bioengineering. It would be a befitting way for you to retire, wouldn't it?" Chickowski reached out and patted the old man on the shoulder warmly. "You'll finally get some of the recognition you deserve."

  "Oh, I do not doubt your concern for the children, Doctor. It's only when you speak of truth serum; it brings up memories of the old Gestapo days. But if you can assure me that it's safe, then I see no reason we can't proceed. You will let me know how you are progressing?"

  Chickowski closed the manila folder in front of Franklin and tucked it under his arm. He certainly didn't want anyone else to see the bogus reports on Tetrazole. Anyone with any biochemical background, and many without could see right through the sham.

  "As always Franklin, you will know of my every move. Oh, I do have one request. We both know how safe this experiment will be, but I'm afraid it might be quite impossible to explain to Denise and Bridgette. Neither of them has a scientific background. They do have a strong mothering extinct, which I very much admire. However, for this experiment, it could jeopardize our results. I'm afraid they might get upset, and the children would certainly pick up on that. For a short time, while I'm experimenting, we need to restrict them from that wing of the center. Could you take care of that for me?"

  "Well, they won't be pleased with it, but I'm sure I can handle it. I'll see if I can't figure out somewhere to send them for a few days. Perhaps they can do some PR work for Bio-Vita."

  "Thanks, Franklin. I knew a man with your resourcefulness could come up with something."

  "I must admit this is an exciting time. You've done some fine work for Bio-Vita. You should be proud."

  "Oh Franklin, you flatter me. I've done nothing compared to what is on the horizon. Really, nothing."

  The long gray limousine accelerated smoothly as it blended with the morning commuting traffic. Inside, Bridgette and Denise made themselves comfortable for the drive to the Modern Mother's for America meeting at which they were to speak.

  "I can't believe Franklin did this to us without even asking our permission," Bridgette said as she inspected the various buttons and controls of the back seat.

  "Yes Madame, how may I help you?" The chauffeur's voice came across the speaker with a particularly condescending tone.

  "Sorry James, I must have punched your button by error."

  "That's quite all right, Madame. And my name is Henry."

  "Excuse me, Henry. I won't let it happen again." Bridgette pushed the button again to disconnect the intercom and snickered. "I must say we're going first class." She glanced over at her traveling companion, who hadn't spoken since getting into the limo.

  "What's wrong, Denise? You're awfully quiet this morning. Cheer up; this talk is going to be a snap."

  "Oh, it's not that. It's this damn limo. It reminds me of when I first met Flip. He was such a gentleman. Oh sure, he was rich and spoiled, and a bit conceited. But that was all his cover-up to protect himself. Underneath all that was a remarkable human being. I miss him."

  Bridgette patted her hand. "I know how hard this must be on you, but he's still alive. I know the doctors haven’t offered much hope, but as long as he's alive, there's always a chance."

  Denise tried to smile. "Yes, that's what I've been telling myself for almost three years. Even I don't know if I believe it anymore, but enough of Little Miss Sour Puss. Tell me, how's it going with you and Lionel?"

  Bridgette's cheeks turned scarlet. "Why my dear, whatever do you mean?" She asked in her most Southern accent.

  "Oh, come on. You aren't fooling anyone. Everyone around the place has noticed how he looks at you. What's up?"

  "Looks, my dear. Lionel is great at looking; I'll grant you that. I've noticed. I'd have to be blind not to, but that's as far as it goes. He's so shy; it's painful to watch sometimes."

  "Bridgette, can I ask you a question, and if it's none of my business, will you answer it anyway?"

  "Sure."

  "Do you like the guy?"

  "Why, yes. Of course, I do. What's not to like, other than the shyness. Even that's kinda cute in moderation," Bridgette answered.

  "Then, if he's not making the right moves, you need to."

  "Moi? Oh, now, that's out of the question. I can't just throw myself at him, simply because he likes to look at me with those puppy dog eyes of his."

  "There's a far cry between throwing yourself at him and what you're doing. Just let him know that there is a mutual attraction, that's all. Hell lady, this is the twenty-first century. Go for it!"

  Bridgette considered the advice. "You know, you're right. If I wait for Mr. Lionel Adams to come forth with dishonorable intentions, I might die an old maid. I might just need to change the bait a little."

  Denise laughed. "Honey, your bait is just fine. It's time you threw the hook into the water."

  Trouble

  Alp stared at her brother, an amazed look on her face. "You've got to be joking. You can't be serious. I've told you a thousand times; we can't possibly break into the lodge."

  "But we can, Alp. Not only can we, but we must. Listen, just listen to me. We don't have any choice. We need money, lots of it. And, we need it fast. I haven't told you this before 'cause I didn't want to worry you, but our sisters are in trouble."

  "What do you mean, in trouble? What kind of trouble?" Alp looked at him suspiciously.

  "I don't know exactly. The message is still very blurred. But it's clear to me that they're in deep trouble. If we don't get there quickly, it may be too late. It'd take weeks to hitchhike there, not to mention the fact that we'd likely get caught. I needn't remind you that several people would like to talk to us about what we left back there at the cabin."

  Alp sat down on the flat stone where she had performed her first healing miracle on Mel only a few months previous. She cradled her head in her hands as though to block out his words. Finally, she looked up at him.

  "Okay, but you've got to promise me, no one else gets hurt; you got that?"

  "Sure, sis, I got it. I didn't want to hurt Sarrah. She just didn't leave me an option. I promise not to hurt anyone else unless they try to hurt us first. Is that fair enough?"

  "I guess," Alp answered slowly. "Do you think we can really get into the lodge without getting caught?"

  "Sure. No sweat. Listen to my plan. I've thought of a dozen ways to do this, but this one is the most direct and expedient. By su
nrise tomorrow, we'll be on our way to sunny North Carolina."

  The sheriff walked away from the body, leaving the little man who had been identified to Chunk and Lionel as simply "Joe the Coroner" to finish his work. Sheriff Parker joined them at his car.

  "Joe says it's the damnedest thing he's ever seen. It looks like she swallowed a grenade just before it exploded. Of course, that's impossible. No sign of shrapnel, either. She just exploded. Pieces of her cover the entire room."

  "Please sheriff, do we have to go into the details?" Lionel asked.

  "Sorry. We'll put out a bulletin on those two kids. 'Fraid we don't have much of a description of them. So far, we haven't found any pictures of them, but we'll keep looking. What are your plans?"

  Chunk continued to rub his temples with his eyes closed as he talked. "We'll hang around for a little while. See if we can nab the little brats before they head out. I think I know where they're going but considering what I saw here; we need to catch them before they get there."

  Lionel looked at his partner. "You figure they're heading to the lab?"

  "Yeah. Where else would they go?"

  "But, how would they know anything about the lab?"

  "I don't know for certain, but I suspect the same way they knew to write the word, "Kindred," on the floor. That couldn't have been an accident."

  "Good point. I hadn't thought of that. No one but the Kindred knows that name. They're in contact with each other, aren't they?"

  Chunk lowered his hands from his head and nodded. "Yep, it would appear so, and I doubt that we'll find any long distance phone calls to West Virginia on Bio Vita's phone bill. They've found a better way to reach out and touch someone."

  "Where to now?"

  "Back to the airport. There are a couple of commercial flights in and out. I figure they might try flying the friendly skies to North Carolina. I want to be sure to be there to welcome them."

  The technician looked down at the signed report. "I can't believe you were able to convince old Franklin to go along with this experiment," Fred said with a note of doubt in his voice. "No wonder you waited until the evening to start this."

  "First off, Franklin understands that this is a research facility and that part of research is taking small risks at times," Chickowski answered with a smug look of satisfaction on his face. "Unfortunately, there are others around who do not share that philosophy."

  "Yeah, but using Tetrazole is more than a small risk. I read that over fifty percent of the people that it's been used on have had residual hallucinations. They don't even know yet how long the hallucinations can last. That's why it's never been approved."

  "Listen, Fred. I'm only going to say this one more time. If the heat is too hot in the kitchen, get out. I can always find someone else that needs the money and can keep their opinions to themselves. Do you understand?"

  "Sure, Doc. I didn't mean anything by it. I guess I'm just impressed by your powers of persuasion."

  ''It's important to find out what these little midgets are hiding, and I know they're hiding a lot. Tetrazole, for all its possible side effects, has been proven to be the most effective truth serum ever made. No one has been able to resist spilling her guts with it. Our little Kindred is about to unfold all their mysteries to us. Bring me the first subject," Dr. Chickowski said as he started to pull a dark amber fluid up into a syringe.

  "Barry's already gone to get one. He should be back in a moment. Did you want anyone in particular?"

  "Nah. One guinea pig is as good as another." Dr. Chickowski looked up from what he was doing: "You realize I was only kidding about that."

  "Sure, Doc, I know. You really think of these kids as your own," Fred answered with a trace of sarcasm.

  Before Chickowski could answer, Barry opened the door to the lab and escorted Tabitha into the room. "Sit over there on that chair, dear. Dr. Chickowski is about to open up a brand new world to you."

  Tabitha sat in the chair as instructed, her hands grasping the arms tightly. She sat rigidly in the chair, staring straight ahead; her lower jaw clenched shut in defiance.

  "Relax Tabitha; you needn't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. As long as you do as you're told, no one will get hurt."

  "Afraid? I'm not afraid of you, 'Dr. Chickenman'. If you had any brains at all, you'd be afraid of my sisters and me. You and your stupid experiments. You don't know what you're messing with."

  "Good. It's better if you aren't afraid," Chickowski said. "I'm not afraid of you or your sisters, but I do respect your special powers. In fact, this experiment is intended to find out a little more about those powers. Who knows, we may uncover things about you that you aren't even aware of yourself. Won't that be interesting?"

  "I'm trying to tell you that you're fooling around in dangerous territory, Chickenman, and if you aren't careful, you're going to hurt yourself."

  "The name is Chickowski as well you know, and I'd appreciate it if you'd remember that," Chickowski replied. "Now listen to me: you might not be concerned about your well-being. But I warn you that if you don't cooperate with me and be a good little girl, your father could be in a lot of trouble."

  "You leave Flip out of this!" Tabitha yelled.

  "I hope to do just that," Chickowski replied. "Behave yourself, and I'll be happy to leave him alone." He turned to his technician.

  "Ok, let's get started. Fred is going to secure you to this chair so you won't hurt yourself. Don't be afraid. As long as you do exactly as I say, you'll be fine."

  Fred securely fastened the nylon straps around Tabitha's wrists, ankles, and waist. Tabitha shut her eyes.

  "Tabitha. Tabitha, come back here. I want you present right here in this room. None of your mystical tricks, do you hear?" Chickowski shook the little girl's shoulders until she opened her eyes. "Stay with me, is that clear?"

  "Don't worry Doc; I wasn't checking out, just checking in."

  Chickowski ignored the comment. "Barry is going to insert a small tube into your arm. Don't move or fight, and it won't hurt. You must sit very still. Do you understand?"

  She nodded.

  "Okay Barry, place the catheter."

  In a few moments, Tabitha's arm was ready. Dr. Chickowski took the syringe that had been resting on the lab stand and walked over to Tabitha.

  "Now, Tabitha, I want you to listen very carefully. I'm going to give you a little shot, but it won't hurt because of the tube in your arm. I just want you to relax and listen to my voice. And I want you to answer my questions with words. Do you understand?"

  Tabitha nodded.

  "What was that?" Chickowski asked in a threatening voice.

  "Yes, I understand," Tabitha spat out the words like a drill sergeant.

  "Good. Now just relax, but stay with me in this room."

  Chickowski slowly pressed the plunger of the syringe, sending the amber fluid into Tabitha's body. The effects of the drug were almost immediate. Tabitha's wrinkled brow relaxed, and her body slumped as her tensed muscles loosened. Her eyes fluttered as though preparing to close, and then, suddenly flew open as the Tetrazole reached the brain. The hard cold stare of the small girl intensified into a fearful glare.

  Tabitha tugged and kicked at her bonds, abrading her tender skin. She took no notice of the pain. When she found she could not free herself, she threw her head back and laughed maniacally.

  "Oh, what fun. What a lark it will be," she screamed in a voice two octaves below her normal pitch. "You will. Flames, everywhere flames." She laughed again.

  "She's already hallucinating," Fred said as he backed away from her.

  "Not necessarily," Chickowski replied but without much conviction. "She may be trying to fool us. Tabitha, I'm going to ask you some questions, and I want you to tell me the truth. Is that clear?"

  Tabitha turned her head and stared at him, but did not answer. She appeared not to see him. Her head flew back again in another frightening fit of laughter that bordered on hysteria.

  "What power! What power y
ou gave us." Tabitha's eyes finally focused on Dr. Chickowski. "Hello, Chickenman. You want some answers. Try this on for size."

  Suddenly the tray of medical supplies beside Tabitha's chair rose in the air—rose and started to spin in the air. As the tray picked up velocity the vials of medicine and syringes flew off of it. The three men watched in disbelief at the exhibition.

  "Are you doing that Tabitha?" Dr. Chickowski asked.

  She only laughed as the tray continued to spin faster and faster. Suddenly, it shot across the room straight for Chickowski's head. At the last second, he ducked, and the tray continued across the room smashing against the far wall with a loud crash.

  Tabitha laughed again. "You would not listen. Now pay the price."

  The room was suddenly flung into darkness as the overhead lights blinked out, then, into brilliance as they flashed back on, doubling in intensity. They continued to do so as all the furniture and unattached objects in the room started to spin as the tray had done. Tabitha's chair began bouncing on its legs, as though in an earthquake, then, rose a couple of feet into the air. Still tied to the chair, Tabitha began flying around the room, laughing uncontrollably.

  Suddenly, there were three of her flying around the room, each laughing in unison. Two of them passed through the objects they came into contact with, while the third caromed off of them like a billiard ball.

  Chickowski and his assistants cowered on the floor, each of them taking turns trying to make their way to the door and safety. Whenever one of them got within five feet of the door, they were attacked by the flying trio, or by an assortment of medical and surgical supplies.

  The lights continued to flash on and off, each time becoming brighter until finally, the bulbs began to explode and were replaced with the emergency lighting in each corner of the room. These also took up the same rhythmic flashing.

  Finally, after what seemed like an hour, but was less than five minutes, everything came to a sudden stop. As Chickowski peaked out from under the desk where he had taken refuge, he noticed Tabitha in the center of the room where she had begun, still strapped to her chair. Fred and Barry crawled out from under the lab table on the other side of the room.