The Suicide Project (Rebirth Book 1)

by Yazz Ustaris

  It was at this point that Sergeant Ramsey hit “pause” on the DVD player just as Sam blurted, “Teagan!! How in the hell did you do that?”

  “Wow…that was so freakin’ awesome!” added Gideon. I noticed that the guys were both staring at me reverently like I was some mythical Goddess or something come to life, and I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about that.

  “It’s not like I did it overnight guys… I had to work my way up to that. Do you see how there are padded mats all over the East side of the gym? I fell many, many times, and some of them were painful. One time I thought I had dislocated my shoulder because I completely missed the balance bar and landed sideways on my arm. It hurt like hell. But when I woke up the next morning, I was only slightly sore. My arm was fine.”

  Turning to address Sergeant Ramsey, Gideon demanded, “Does this mean that Sam and I will be able to jump higher and farther like Teagan? I want to be able to do what she just did!” The excitement in Gideon’s voice was unmistakable and I felt relieved that they weren’t freaked out by what they had just witnessed.

  Dr. Duffy stood up and approached the frozen screen, eager to shed some light on our abilities. “What we just witnessed was the Black Panther in Teagan. Black Panthers are stealthy, graceful, and are the strongest climbers of the cat family. Each of you have big cat DNA, so yes Gideon, you and Sam should be able to leap far distances as well. Practice makes perfect but I have no doubt that you’ll both be as proficient at climbing as Teagan.”

  I ducked down a little on the couch as Sam and Gideon took the time to high-five each other above my head. I could tell they were both excited about this new development, rather than being repulsed like I worried might happen. I was so happy that the three of us were all on the same page. Dr. Duffy then went on to explain their hope for my shark DNA.

  “Sharks have exemplary vision and an outstanding sense of smell. Those abilities will became greater once you receive your third injection. However what we’re all excited for, is when you’ll start to develop the Electro sense of a shark. All living things can emit an electrical field and sharks have the ability to detect whether or not an electrical field is nearby. Teagan, you will have the power to sense if someone is nearby simply by feeling the electrical currents in the air. You won’t even have to see them! You’ll just automatically know! It’s an exceptional gift to possess and it will make you an extremely valuable soldier when you’re out on a mission.”

  I know my eyes were probably bugging out of my face, but I was blown away by what I’d heard so far. Still, I couldn’t help but question, “What exactly is the canine DNA for?”

  “Ahhh.…good question!” Dr. Duffy praised. You already have the DNAs of two dangerous predatory animals in you. We always try to combine two predatory DNAs with one DNA from a gentle or playful animal. The primary purpose for that is to keep you balanced. Through trial and error, we’ve discovered that combining three aggressive animal DNAs was not a good idea.”

  While I contemplated what Doc Duffy just said, Gideon took the time to inquire about what he was injected with. The Doc was completely in his element as he accepted the notebook that Sergeant Ramsey held out and consulted his notes.

  “Gideon, you were injected with Polar Bear, Lion, and Stingray. Polar bears are the largest species of bears and are good hunters in land and water. You will possess the heightened sense of vision and smell that come from the Lion. Your night vision will be excellent. We gave you Stingray because contrary to popular belief, stingrays are actually quite docile in nature. That’s why they’re known to peacefully swim with humans in warmer waters. With the Stingray, you’ll also have the Electro sense capability that Teagan will have.”

  “Wooohooo!! That’s AWESOME!” Gideon couldn’t contain his excitement over what he’d been injected with, and his happiness over it was infectious. I laughed with him when he leaned over and grabbed me in a big hug. His ecstatic smile lit up his entire face. I looked up and saw that Sergeant Ramsey and Dr. Duffy were both beaming at us. Jamie was equally as excited, but I saw that for some reason her eyes were all teary. She had both of her hands clasped tightly beneath her chin almost as if she were praying. Catching her eye, I asked, “Why do you look like you’re about to cry Jamie?” Dr. Duffy slung an arm around Jamie’s shoulders and squeezed her briefly in support as they exchanged relieved smiles. Jamie had to clear her throat before she could answer me.

  “I’m sorry. I’m getting teary eyed because I’m just so happy and relieved that you guys seem to be doing okay with everything we’ve told you so far. Like Sergeant Ramsey mentioned earlier, we’ve waited a long time for a group like you three to come along. Trust me, these are definitely happy tears. Happy, happy, happy.” She emitted a semi-embarrassed laugh as she wiped away a tear that slowly trickled from one of her eyes.

  I couldn’t help feeling a little mystified over her declaration, but I had no time to ponder it further because for the life of him, Sam couldn’t keep quiet a second longer.

  Practically squealing with excitement as he bounced on the couch, he demanded, “My turn!! It’s my turn! What was I injected with?” I simultaneously laughed and winced, at the volume with which he was projecting his excitement. In a hushed tone I chided, “Inside voice sweetie. You’re going to make my ears bleed,” I teased half-jokingly. I exchanged a knowing grin with Gideon as he let loose an amused chuckle. Honestly, we were just as eager to hear about Sam’s DNA combinations as he was, just on a quieter scale.

  Doc Duffy took the floor as he accommodated Sam’s request. Once again, the Common Room fell silent as the Doc focused on Sam. “Sam, don’t be disappointed but we didn’t want your DNA combination to be as aggressive as the other two. For you, we selected a single dangerous predator animal and a double docile combo.” Already, a frown was turning down the corners of Sam’s lips when I glanced at him. Anticipating a drama-filled tirade of dissatisfaction, I nudged him and cautioned, “Just hold off on the protests and let the Doc finish his explanation first. We’ve trusted them this far and we know by this point that they have a good reason for everything that they do. Have trust Sam.” After nodding his head at me in compliance, a small smile returned to his face as he redirected his focus back to Dr. Duffy.

  “Alright, without any further ado… Sam, you were injected with Gorilla, Tiger, and Dolphin. Gorillas are the largest of all primates and possess upper body strength that’s at least six times greater than that of human beings. They’re actually shy and gentle in nature though, and will not attack unless they’re provoked. Tiger is your big cat DNA, and tigers are the largest of the cat species. You’ll possess the same night vision capabilities as Teagan and Gideon, as well as having super enhanced hearing. With practice, you and Gideon should be able to do the same exact things that we saw Teagan do on the video. We decided to give you Dolphin DNA when we discovered after your first month here that you didn’t know how to swim.”

  A laugh burst out of my mouth at the truth of Dr. Duffy’s words. Sam had nearly drowned twice when Sergeant Ramsey tried to incorporate swimming drills as part of our physical repertoire. After the second incident, the sergeant decided to postpone swimming drills until Sam properly learned how to swim. Unfortunately, Sam never learned because he refused to re-enter the pool after his second swimming catastrophe. Clapping my hand over my mouth guiltily, I looked at Sam in apology before encouraging Doc Duffy to continue.

  “Your Dolphin DNA will allow you to become excellent at swimming and diving. Combined with the upper arm strength from your primate DNA, not only should you be able to swim; you should be able to swim very fast.”

  “That’s extremely cool, Sam! Now all three of us have water animal DNA!” Gideon was quick to point out.

  Turning to look at Sam, I saw nothing but satisfaction in his expression so I assumed that he was happy with his DNA concoction. Sam shifted on the couch to address both me and Gideon in a loud stage whisper, “It’s almost like we’ve been given super powers! We’re so lucky
we ended up here guys!”

  “Hell yeah!” A quick glance at Sergeant Ramsey after his growl of displeasure had me quickly amending my earlier expression. “I mean…Heck yeah! We are so fortunate to be in this program. Thanks for the gifts you’ve bestowed upon us,” I grinned at the Sergeant, Dr. Duffy, and Jamie each in turn before I hesitantly voiced my next concern.

  “Everything you’ve gone over so far has sounded awesome. But it almost sounds too good to be true. I’m old enough to know that there is always a downside to everything. Soooo….I’m just wondering. What exactly is the downside to all of this?”

  6

  We watched as Sergeant Ramsey, Dr. Duffy, and Jamie all exchanged uneasy glances with each other before looking back at me uncertainly. The Common Room was as silent as a graveyard. I wasn’t as naïve as Sam and Gideon, and instinctively I knew there definitely had to be a few drawbacks somewhere along the line. I liked what I had heard about the program so far, but I was skeptical enough to suspect that it couldn’t be all rainbows and unicorns. Shooting apologetic looks at Sam and Gideon, I said, “I’m sorry to be a kill joy guys, but I think the three of us have a right to know what the negative repercussions are of being part of the project.”

  I watched comprehension dawn on their faces as they finally realized what I was hinting at. Fear wavered in Gideon’s voice as he looked at me and said, “You’re talking about side effects aren’t you Teagan?”

  Pinning a direct look at Dr. Duffy, I watched dismay cloud his features when I answered Gideon back, “Yup. That’s exactly what I’m talking about. Side effects. Don’t beat around the bush or try to candy-coat anything for us Doc. Just give it to us straight. Honesty is the best policy here. You guys did say this was the Circle of Trust, didn’t you?” Dr. Duffy tilted his head in Sergeant Ramsey’s direction, and the Sergeant gave an almost imperceptible nod of his head in answer to his silent question.

  The doctor released a defeated sigh before sharing a cryptic look with Jamie. Hmmm…what could possibly be that bad? I wondered if perhaps they were making a mountain out of a molehill or if there truly were horrible side effects. Come on guys… just spit it out already. Almost as if I had psychological powers of persuasion, Dr. Duffy finally began his explanation.

  “You three have heard Sergeant Ramsey mention in the beginning of this meeting that we are still in the early experimental phases of the program. Our military doctors and scientists had problems with the very first test subjects and the results were slightly unstable. Through trial and error, we’ve managed to better stabilize the animal DNA injections to more desirable results. However, there are still physical side effects that will always remain an inevitable part of this project.” I couldn’t help but notice how sad Dr. Duffy sounded as he went over his explanation. I knew there had to be more to this story though. There were missing pieces to the puzzle, and I wished the Sergeant would shed some light on the situation already so that we could see the full picture and decide for ourselves how we felt about the program. I started to wonder if the Sergeant really could read my mind when he looked at me and picked up where the Doc left off.

  “Unfortunately, we are at a crossroads with the program and currently it’s at a standstill. I know you three have been under the assumption that the other test subjects are more advanced than you are, but it’s not true. Compared to them, you guys are rock stars! Not to put unnecessary pressure on you guys, but I’m about to explain why you three are so crucial to the success and commencement of the program.” Geez! I felt pressure just from that last sentence alone. Internally, I sighed in exasperation at Sergeant Ramsey’s way with words. It was at that moment that I decided Sam wasn’t the only drama-queen in the barracks. It seriously took every ounce of my willpower not to roll my eyes at the sergeant. I imagined that Sam and Gideon were probably both freaking out right about now even though they were as silent as I was. I knew they were taking their cues from me. My beloved little minions. It was for this reason that I outwardly tried not to react in any way since I could sense the importance of what the Sergeant was about to divulge. No sense in spooking the guys if the situation didn’t really warrant it. I guess right now is as good a time as any to practice my freakin’ poker face.

  I noticed that Sergeant Ramsey was staring straight at me again, probably scrutinizing me for any clues as to what I might be thinking or feeling. I only raised both eyebrows at him in expectation as I calmly declared, “Proceed.” The corners of his mouth pulled down into a slight frown of disappointment at my lack of emotion, and I had to clench my teeth to prevent my grin from slipping out. Game on! Operation “Poker Face” was now officially in effect!

  The sergeant cleared his throat before picking up where he left off. “Some of the other potential soldiers had the opposite reaction as you guys when they first learned why they were here. A few of them were angry that they were drafted into the program against their will. About half of them suffered from depression and lacked the will to live. A couple of em’ were still suicidal after completin’ boot camp and even begged us to let them finish the job they started.” Sergeant Ramsey blew out a frustrated breath as he reached up to rub away the tension from the back of his neck. “When they found out that they were being held here as test subjects for experimentation with genetically enhanced animal DNA, well, let’s just say that the overwhelming consensus was not favorable. As y’all can imagine, we wouldn’t have much of a program if the majority of the test subjects were unwillin’ to cooperate.”

  I contemplated what the Sergeant said and concurred that of course not everyone would be as open minded about the program as Sam, Gideon, and I were. People were like snowflakes, everybody was vastly different from one another. However, after having spent time with the sergeant during these past six months, I definitely sympathized with his feelings of frustration that things weren’t going according to plan. I was beginning to see where Sergeant Ramsey was going with this now, if the majority of the other test subjects were already pessimistic about the program from the get go. I felt the prickle at the base of my neck that signaled the sergeant was looking at me again. I mentally did a fist pump to congratulate myself over the fact that I still had a blank expression plastered on my face as I calmly returned his stare. I decided to reward myself with chocolate when this meeting was finally over. Whenever the heck that would be. It was hard acting like an unemotional zombie!

  My confidence started to slip as Sergeant Ramsey started eyeing me with suspicion. Oh no! Poker face! my subconscious screeched at me. I noticed that Dr. Duffy and Jamie were both openly smiling at me, so I knew that they were both on to my game. Damn! Am I REALLY that transparent?? There was another few seconds of silence before the Sergeant began talking about the program again. Whew!

  “Currently, there are a total of five groups within this program. One of the groups is being supervised by Sergeant Quartermaine, and his group happens to be made up of three former soldiers who were all suffering from PTSD, aka post-traumatic stress disorder. Dee, Wyatt, and Angelo are the only other test subjects who have actually earned the right to receive additional DNA injections. Since they’re already soldiers and possess the necessary skills, they’ve already been out on a few secret missions under Sergeant Quartermaine’s leadership. We kind of consider them to be a separate “project” because so far, they have highly exceeded all of our expectations. They’re extremely advanced in all areas. Our hope is that you three will become as equally competent as Dee, Wyatt, and Angelo. Anyways, you guys probably won’t run into them until much later since they’re always coming and going. They haven’t had direct contact with any of the others because they’re being housed in a separate wing of the barracks. The others probably aren’t even aware of their existence yet and we want to keep it that way.” Huh. Then why the hell was he mentioning them to us at all? I was dying to ask the question but I bit my lip, determined to maintain my nonchalant façade. Besides, I had every faith that either Sam or Gideon would ask that very same q
uestion.

  Peeping at Gideon out of the corner of my eye, I could tell by his expression that he was baffled by my silence as he peered back at me. After all, silence was definitely not my forte so he had every right to be confused. Yet, he beat Sam to it as he asked the exact question I knew he would. What a dork! It was his idea to practice my poker face in the first place! How quickly he forgot…

  Glancing back at Sergeant Ramsey, I noticed that he was staring at me appraisingly, and I mentally sighed as I saw that he finally realized what I was doing. He grinned at me approvingly for a couple of seconds before answering Gideon. “Unlike all of you guys, Sergeant Quartermaine’s group volunteered to be here. They already worked for the government so they were filled in on what the project was about, and they were given choices which you guys didn’t have. If the other groups found out about them, well, it would just be another strike against us. We’d have an uproar on our hands if they found out about them.”