“Security to basement floor two, there has been a breach from Room 7734!” A voice shrieked over the intercom. “Security to basement floor two, there has been a breach from Room 7734!”
Cyrus stood to the side of the doorway, his chest heaving up and down as he tried to control his anger. He felt a need to save it until the guards arrived. He stepped to the side, squatting down beside the opening, waiting to catch the incoming guards by surprise.
“Move, move, move!” Someone yelled from the other end of the hallway.
Numerous booted feet struck the floor as the guards raced toward Cyrus’s room and stopped at the doorway.
Cyrus sprang from his position and grabbed the end of the first guard’s gun just as he rounded the entryway. He tore the weapon away and let it fall to the floor. He then grabbed the man by the edges of his body armor and tossed him through the door to crash into the wall.
His bones broke with the impact.
Cyrus leaped after him, landing on top of the screaming man, tearing out his throat with his impossibly sharp claws. The blood splattered everywhere.
“Kill it!” shrieked one of the guards.
A torrent of bullets spewed forth, but nearly all of the shots were off target and either buried themselves in the wall or ricocheted down the hallway.
Cyrus screamed. The few bullets that struck him felt like hornet stings, enraging him even more. He leaped at the guard immediately in front of him, jabbed him in the stomach with his claws, and tore out his intestines.
The man screamed and fell to the floor.
Cyrus flew at the rest of the guards, unleashing a frenzy of unrelenting, blood-drunk violence. He ripped through flesh and sinew and tore off limbs and heads, biting through throats and spines as fresh, warm blood flooded the hallway.
The guards continued to fire upon him, intent on bringing him down, even as their comrade’s butchered corpses fell to the floor, one after the other. The gunfire eventually ceased altogether.
Cyrus palmed the side of the last guard’s head, crushing the man’s skull against the wall.
The blare of the alarm stopped, and the hallway grew silent.
“Cyrus! Stop this! We only wanted to help you!”
Cyrus released the dead man’s head from his grasp, letting him collapse onto the floor as he turned to see Viddur approaching him. The red alarm lights danced over a face full of shock and horror.
“Is this what you call help? I’m a monster!” Cyrus bellowed. He yanked the gun away from the dead man nearest him to rush at Viddur, charging at him, barrel first.
Viddur screamed when Cyrus stomped down on his foot, nailing him to the ground with his claws. Cyrus rammed the gun barrel up under Viddur’s ribs, impaling him upon the blunt-ended weapon.
“You didn’t have to do this, Cyrus,” Viddur whispered, blood pouring from his wound as Cyrus pulled the weapon from his chest. The light faded from his eyes as he fell to the floor.
Cyrus looked up from his gruesome work to find a single figure at the end of the hallway.
“This experiment was a mistake. I see that now.” Dr. Shen’s voice echoed out through the silence, full of regret. He pulled a pistol from his waistband and pointed it at Cyrus.
Seeing the gun, Cyrus let out a feral roar and charged down the hallway toward him.
“It’s over, Shen!” screamed Cyrus, rushing for the doctor.
Dr. Shen stood his ground and fired upon Cyrus as he sprinted toward him. Shot after shot rang out through the hallway, all missing their mark.
The doctor moaned and put the gun up against his temple.
Cyrus sank his claws into the doctor’s arm just as he pulled the trigger, tearing the limb from his body.
The wasted bullet ricocheted down the hallway.
A torrent of blood flowed from the doctor’s wound onto the floor, and his shrill screams penetrated the air. Cyrus dropped the severed limb and dove for Shen’s neck. The doctor’s spine broke under his powerful jaws.
Shen stopped screaming as his body went slack and lifeless.
“Cyrus, why are you doing this?” Elysia shrieked. She suddenly appeared from around the corner, causing Cyrus to look up from the slaughtered doctor.
“I don’t know!” he cried, letting Shen’s body fall to the ground. “The rage in my head is driving me insane!”
Cyrus launched himself at Elysia, his jaws open wide and claws extended, unable to comprehend why he was so intent on butchering her.
* * *
Cyrus jerked awake, opening and then immediately closing his eyes, the blinding lights hanging above him not helping the pain in his head. He lay drenched in sweat, flat on the padded examination table, unsure how he had managed to dream up such strange and terrifying images. The nightmare was even more vivid than any he had had involving Talon’s death. He hoped Shen’s treatment hadn’t done any lasting psychological damage.
Cyrus tried moving his arms, finding himself still tethered to the table, frowning with curiosity when he strained against the metal restraints. He wasn't sure if he had imagined it or not, but it felt as though his arms had exerted more force than usual. He pushed against the restraints once more. The tightness of his shackles rendered him incapable of discerning if the sensation of force was indeed due to an increase in strength.
”How are you, Mr. Blackthorn?” Dr. Shen’s voice echoed throughout the room, catching Cyrus off guard. The doctor was eager but also worried. Cyrus was so preoccupied with his restraints that he hadn’t noticed him come in.
“Been better,” Cyrus groaned, finding his back sore.
“Viddur, would you raise the examination table, please?” The doctor turned toward his lab assistant and found him standing against the wall. “I would like to converse with Mr. Blackthorn, and I believe things would be less awkward for him if he were upright.”
Viddur moved off to the side to access the table. A motor buzzed as it ascended.
Cyrus slowly opened his eyes once more, re-accustoming himself to the intense lights. As the blurry white dissipated, he looked over his surroundings. He quickly realized he was in the same room as earlier, doubtful he had ever moved. Two figures whom he assumed were Shen and Elysia stood in front of him, but the light obscured their faces.
Metal struck metal as the table reached its apex, leaving Cyrus restrained upright to look down on the rest of them.
Viddur’s blurred form moved away from him and back toward the far corner to stand against the wall.
“Thank you very much, Viddur,” said the doctor.
“Why am I still in the same room?” Cyrus asked with a yawn. “Did the treatment not work out?” He might have panicked if he hadn’t felt so lethargic.
“Oh, no, Mr. Blackthorn.” Dr. Shen shook his head, his awkward, uneasy grin coming into view. “The treatment went splendidly, even better than expected. You responded to the nanobots perfectly. They successfully rebuilt your damaged skeletomuscular system and corrected the deletion in your DNA. You have been returned to this room as we felt a more intimate environment would be best for the initial evaluation.”
Cyrus looked past the doctor and into the mirror in front of him as his vision returned. He was relieved when he saw his reflection.
He remained draped in the same hospital gown as before, and his skin remained pale and smooth as always. His eyes were still blue, and he possessed no vicious claws or deadly jaws. If anything, he looked better than before. His sickness and frailty had disappeared overnight, replaced by a healthier, more robust form. Cyrus flexed the muscles in his arms, finding them significantly larger. The doctors had granted him the strength denied him at the very last.
“How… How long was I out?” asked Cyrus, snapping back into reality, exasperated by his muddled thinking.
Elysia stood just off to Shen’s left, wide-eyed. She appeared to be the only one concerned for his welfare. Viddur took the opposite attitude and leaned against the wall, nonchalant, looking as though he slept.
“Well, let’
s see, today is Thursday.” Shen’s face contorted in thought. “That means we put you out a couple of Wednesdays ago. So it has been just a little over two weeks.”
“What? Two weeks?” Cyrus came out of the mental haze entirely.
“The procedure took much longer than anticipated.” Dr. Shen shrugged, unconcerned. “It’s a complicated process, Mr. Blackthorn, one that must be carried out properly to ensure its success. What is losing fourteen days to sleep compared to regaining the rest of your life? Are you absolutely sure you feel well, Mr. Blackthorn?”
Dr. Shen pulled out the clipboard he held behind his back and took a pen from his lab coat pocket. “What symptoms are you experiencing?”
“My head hurts pretty bad.” A frown remained plastered on Cyrus’s face. “And I’m sore from being strapped to this table.”
“Very good.” Shen sounded oddly delighted. “Both can be easily remedied.” He hastily scribbled something down on his clipboard. “Do you believe you feel well enough to be released from your restraints so we may see if you have successfully regained the ability to ambulate?” He gazed up at Cyrus. “I’m confident you will be capable of walking once again.”
“Sounds great, doctor,” said Cyrus. The smile that appeared on his face felt strange to him. He had waited for this day for most of his life. But, excited though he was, something felt off.
“Will I be able to go home after I prove to you that I can walk again?” he asked, his smile suddenly disappearing. “I realize I have become very unaccustomed to walking, and you may want to hold me over for physical therapy or something. Maybe you just want to hold me for observation. I don’t know. I didn’t really expect to be released immediately. I just thought if I showed you everything you needed to see that you would let me leave soon.”
Elysia stared up at Cyrus once more, looking as though she desperately wanted to speak. Unfortunately, Shen had likely ordered her not to say a word.
The doctor gazed up at Cyrus as well. His awkward smile suggested dishonesty.
“We had indeed planned on keeping you here for a few more days for observational purposes, Mr. Blackthorn,” Dr. Shen barely blinked as he spoke. “Before you are released, we must assess if the treatment was successful. The first item we are to evaluate is your ability to walk. You will need to attempt to demonstrate other abilities in order to facilitate your release, but we will address things one item at a time. You will be released upon full completion of our assessment and not before.” The doctor let his words sink in. “Now, are you ready to attempt ambulation, Mr. Blackthorn?”
“Yes, I am,” Cyrus’s grin returned. He was unable to believe this moment was finally happening. ”Let’s do this.”
“Viddur and Elysia, would you release Mr. Blackthorn from his restraints, please?” Shen stepped back. The doctor stood in front of the mirror to observe.
Both Viddur and Elysia moved from their positions and approached Cyrus’s bed.
The lab assistants unfastened the restraints around Cyrus’s arms and ankles, both turning to give Shen looks of hesitation before they undid the final restraint around his middle. They awaited further direction.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” asked the doctor, nearly as a reprimand. “Let him catch himself, but make sure he doesn’t fall on his face. He should be ready to stand and walk on his own. Any problem Mr. Blackthorn experiences will be related to forgetting how to ambulate properly.”
“As you wish, doctor,” said Elysia. Both Viddur and she grasped a side of the final restraint.
“Here we go,” said Viddur, preparing to pull the restraint open. “1, 2, 3…”
Elysia and Viddur pulled the restraint open.
Cyrus slid down from the bed. He felt muscles he had forgotten he possessed tighten as the soles of his feet made contact with the cold floor. He instinctively reached out with his right hand and attempted to catch himself as the upper portion of his body leaned toward the floor. The muscles in his back simultaneously stiffened to prevent his full descent to the floor.
“Don’t let him fall,” said Elysia. Both she and Viddur barely had time to react to Cyrus’s sudden release from the restraint. They stood off to either side with arms outstretched, ready to catch him should he suddenly veer off and stumble toward them.
Cyrus held his arms out to either side, retaining his balance as he cautiously placed one foot in front of the other, teetering slightly off to one side as he moved. Though uneasy, he took several slow, careful steps until he was walking. The feeling was beyond euphoric, and Cyrus couldn’t help but beam as he moved around the room. He couldn’t recall a time he had ever felt this happy. He could cry out with joy.
“How does it feel being able to walk, Cyrus?” Elysia smiled gleefully at him.
“It’s better than a dream!” he exclaimed, attempting more steps and nearly tripping over his own feet due to excitement.
Though Cyrus was overjoyed to be back on his feet at last, an odd thought suddenly entered his mind, which caused him to stumble yet again. It was strange to walk even with the nanobotic reconstruction.
“Uh, doctor, how is it that I’m walking without any therapy or anything?” Cyrus asked, concerned. “Surely, it’s never been this easy to get back to walking just like that.”
“That’s very simple,” explained Dr. Shen. “In addition to the nanobots that repaired your DNA and rebuilt your muscle tissue, the infusion cocktail contained nanobots designed to stimulate your brain and neural cells. These nanobots deliver a small electric shock to the cells of your cerebellum and the motor neurons connected to your muscle tissue, helping to unlock your muscle memory. This, along with the muscle tissue rebuild, has allowed you to quickly regain the ability to walk without extensive therapeutic intervention.”
“Get over here, doctor!” Cyrus felt a sense of overwhelming gratitude surge over him. “I’ve never been a hugger, but I think I can make an exception just this once.”
Cyrus awkwardly stumbled toward the doctor, taking him in a hardy embrace, repressing the impulse to tear up. Dr. Shen wasn’t much of a hugger either and remained silent and limp.
Cyrus continued to hold the doctor in his cumbersome clasp until he gazed up into the mirror.
He flinched when he saw his reflection. There was something very wrong with his eyes. They had changed from the dull blue of a moment ago, and his irises now glowed copper yellow.
“Doctor, I think there is something wrong,” said Cyrus, releasing Dr. Shen as a sickening feeling hit the pit of his stomach.
He pushed past the doctor as he made for the mirror and leaned in for a better look.
“What’s wrong with my eyes?” he shrieked.
“Just relax.” Dr. Shen turned to face him in the mirror. “It's nothing to worry about, Mr. Blackthorn. It’s just one of the side effects of the treatment. It’s purely cosmetic and is no reason to become upset.”
“That’s one heck of a side-effect!” Cyrus flew into a rant. “Would it have killed you to at least tell me this might happen? How much information have you been keeping from me?”
“Elysia. Viddur.” Shen ignored Cyrus. “Would you please leave the room so Mr. Blackthorn and I can speak privately?”
“Whatever you say, doctor,” said Viddur, turning to leave.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” asked Elysia, immobile where she stood.
“I’m sure I will be quite alright here with Mr. Blackthorn,” Shen assured her. “Thank you for your concern, Elysia.”
The lab assistant’s eyes darted toward Cyrus and locked onto him for a brief moment before she regained focus, reluctantly following Viddur. The heavy door slammed shut behind them.
“Mr. Blackthorn, I told you everything you needed to know at the time.” Shen turned his attention back to Cyrus. “I told you that we would cure you of your disability, and we have. As you can see, you are no longer disabled. Isn’t that good enough for you, even if the gift was bestowed under a few minor false pretenses?”
“Hey, what’s this?” Cyrus felt a bristling at his neck. There was an object hidden underneath his hospital gown, something he hadn’t noticed due to all the excitement. He stood erect, grasping for his neck, his fingernails striking something metallic and hard.
Cyrus pulled down the top of his gown to find a black metal collar.
“Why is there a collar around my neck?” he asked, turning around to face Shen.
“It’s a shock collar,” Dr. Shen’s voice was blunt. “It has been placed around your neck in case you suddenly step out of line. It’s a precaution, placed there to protect all of us, including you.”
“Why does anyone need protection from me?” Cyrus shouted. “I was more than harmless a couple of weeks ago, and now that I’m cured, hurting anyone is the farthest thing from my mind. I suppose I’m more dangerous than I was, but trust me, I have no reason to attack you.”
“I’m happy to hear that.” The doctor attempted a friendly smile. “I never doubted you. The collar is merely a precaution. Given your display of gratitude, I’m sure it will be removed very soon.” Dr. Shen stepped away from Cyrus, continuing toward the upright examination table before turning around to face him.
“I believe you may want to sit down for what I’m about to tell you, Mr. Blackthorn.” He pulled a rolling chair out from under the table nearby and gently pushed it toward Cyrus. “I must confess to something I’m sure you will not approve of.”
“What is that, doctor?” Cyrus folded his arms across his chest, letting the chair hit the side of his leg. “You know, I would say it better not be something you should have told me before I consented to the treatment, but I think we passed that point a while ago. If you really are going to start telling the whole truth, I do want to be sitting down, you know, just in case I pass out from the shock.”
He took a seat in the rolling chair and nearly fell out of it when he plopped down. He could use some practice in the fine art of sitting.
“You likely won’t believe most of the things I tell you as of right now,” Dr. Shen continued, hands folded behind his back.
“In time, I am certain you will find everything I say from this point onward is indeed true.” The doctor found a rolling stool and moved it closer to Cyrus before sitting down to face him. “The first of the few things I neglected to mention is that not only have we corrected your disability, we have also improved your abilities to a point far beyond that of the average man. For example, your physical strength will soon exceed that of even the most powerful weight-lifter.”
Fall Prey: The Hunt Page 14