“DAD!” Ben reached for him. But it was too late, he sunk below the surface, stunned from the blow to his head. The only thing that remained was the snuffed out cigar that fell out of Tucker’s mouth as he went down.
“NOOOOOO! DAAAD! NOOOOOO!” Ben shouted, standing in the boat.
He extended his arm toward the general direction that Tucker had fallen. He clinched his teeth and then shouted at the top of his lungs. His emotions raced through his veins causing a wave of energy to pass down his arm and into the lake.
Hardly believing with his own eyes what was happening to him, Tucker was drawn to the surface where Ben could reach him. But he didn’t need to, as the energy from his arm was all that was needed to drag him back into the boat. Then the energy dissipated and he bent down to see if he was breathing.
Tucker coughed and spewed part of the lake from his lungs and then inhaled a gasp of air.
Coughing from the ordeal, he opened his eyes and looked at his Son, “OH...MY...GOD, Son! Your eyes...”
“What about my eyes?”
“They’re GREEN!”
* * *
CHAPTER 9
Whidbey Island Naval Base & Space Port
Oak Harbor, WA
Memorial Hospital
October 2nd, 2064 011:30
Ben sat on the examination table wearing only a hospital gown. Tucker stood next to Cassandra and Beverly, wrapped in a blanket and holding a towel to the back of his head. The towel had become fairly soaked with his blood, but white sections could still be seen.
Rhodes peered through the ophthalmoscope into Bennie’s eyes. Then he looked in his ears with the otoscope. Walking around behind, he moved Bennie’s hair from the back of his neck to inspect the chip receptacle, “His jack hasn’t been damaged by any water, his heart, lungs and B/P all are normal.”
“So, look, Doc. I swear to you. His eyes turned to that very familiar glow we saw on Salvage-5. They glistened just like Savage’s, and then it slowly faded away.”
“Well, they’re his normal color now. Bennie, how do you feel?”
“I feel great, Doctor Rhodes. But I’m having a hard time understanding what just happened to me. Am I turning into a freak? What did this alien chip do to me?”
“You sure you didn’t just think you saw that?” Rhodes questioned Tucker.
“Doc, you know me. We spent nearly a month in space together...and let me tell you, you get to know people when you’re in tight quarters...I know what I saw.”
“Okay, Tuck. I believe you. Really isn’t any explanation. You said he pulled you back to the surface. How do you know he did? That’s a pretty nasty cut on your head. I’d bet you have a concussion. You should let me have a look at that cut too, looks like a stitch or two, perhaps?”
“Ah jeez, Doc. That means you have to stick me with one of your famous needles.”
“Tucker...”
“We came here for Bennie. I’ll be fine...soon as the bleeding stops...”
“Tucker...” Casandra said with a stare.
“Ah come on now...it’s just a little cut,” Tucker protested.
“It’s okay, Tuck,” Beverly assured, “Now you go have that thing looked at and I’ll stay here with Bennie. You don’t have to worry about it, I’ve got this,” she smiled.
He gave a reluctant sigh, “Okay, okay...Rhodes, lead the way.”
“I’ll stay and keep you Company, huh Bev?” Cassie said, resting her hand on her shoulder.
“Yeah, sure, Cass.”
Doctor Rhodes took Tucker and escorted him to another room and closed the door behind him.
“Okay, Doc. Let’s get this over with,” Tucker said, jumping on the end of a table.
“You don’t need stitches.”
“Huh?”
“I needed to get you away from the others. Griffin’s out in the hall, Ms. Bitch is also prowling around here too.”
“Rhodes? What’s gotten under your skin?”
“Tucker, there’s something bad going on since we returned.”
“Well, I don’t know if what Bennie did was necessarily bad, Doc...”
“...No, not Bennie. Now listen, this Nadine from the Company is getting way too much power over this project. They’re doing some pretty bad things down below ground...things that if I don’t cooperate, will land me in a prison cell, or worse.”
“Doc, what kind of things,” Tucker asked, jumping off the table.
“No, get back up there, just in case someone comes in.”
“Doc, wow...something’s sure got you all riled up.”
“Yeah, so lower your voice a tad, huh?”
“Okaaay,” Tucker whispered, “Is this better?”
“Yes, much,” the doctor whispered in return, “Now, this chip. Another test subject has one of our chips implanted and alien enzymes to make it active...”
“...Wow Doc, you already have a working prototype? You’re good,” Tucker smiled.
“Yeah, nice to know my finger prints are on the thing that may very well destroy humanity.”
“What are you talking about? I thought this tech was going to help mankind?”
“Well, it hasn’t helped my first two test subjects. One’s dead, the other’s going to be in the morning...but you’re getting me off subject.”
“Sorry,” Tucker again whispered.
“Nadine...”
“You mean the General’s snooty secretary?”
“Yeah, that’s the one...only she’s a Company appointment over the gamma project.”
The gamma project? That’s what the General named this thing?”
“Yeah...but listen...something about this Nadine. She creeps me out...”
“Oh...I see...very funny, Doc. You almost had me.”
“No, Tuck. I’m dead serious.”
Tucker snickered, “Dead serious...another good one...look, I know it’s October and you’re trying to be festive and all...”
“Tucker, it’s not about Halloween. Not at all...Tucker, you’ve got to help me...”
There was a knock at the door. Rhodes stood behind Tucker as if he had just finished treating him when Nadine entered the room.
“Ah, there you are Doctor.”
“Well, Colonel. That should take care of it. You just keep that area clean and dry for a couple of days and you’ll be fine,” Rhodes instructed, pulling off his latex gloves with a snap.
“We’re taking Bennie back to the complex. Sorry, Colonel. You don’ have clearance...”
“Wait, you can’t take him away like some prisoner,” Tucker protested, jumping down from the table again.
“Oh, but I can...it’s a national security risk until he’s checked out in our lab.”
“It’s okay, Colonel,” Rhodes assured, “I’ll be right by his side.”
Tucker looked at Rhodes and then over at Nadine, “Okay, fine. But I want him back with us soon.”
Nadine escorted Rhodes out of the room. Tucker simply shook his head, “Jeez, where do they find these people, anyway?”
“I don’t know, you tell me?” a familiar voice came from the door.
“Cass!”
“Yep, it’s me, Tuck. How ya feeling.”
“I’m not sure just exactly,” he said, placing his hands on his hips, “
“Whattya mean, Tuck?”
“Doctor Rhodes was acting very odd.”
“How so? And how’s the head?”
“That’s just it...I didn’t need stitches.”
“Come again, oh one who bleeds like a stuck pig?”
“Head wounds always do that at first...no, he was bringing me in here to tell me something.”
“What was it?”
“I don’t know for sure, he started to tell me something about Nadine he didn’t like.”
“Who does? She creeps me out.”
“See, I thought Rhodes was trying to make a funny about Halloween saying things like she creeps him out and that he was dead serious.”
“
And you let Bennie go with her?”
“Rhodes assured me he’d be by his side at all times.”
“And you believed him?”
“I didn’t have much of a choice. I got nothing on her except I don’t like her.”
“Yeah, I know. Just have to hope that Rhodes can get him checked out. Our mission clock is ticking.”
“You don’t have to remind me,” the Colonel smiled.
“Maybe I should do some inside digging on this Nadine...find out what her story is…”
Tucker grabbed her backside and drew her close to him, “We’ll be alone tonight.”
“You sly dog you.”
“What Major?”
“You are still incorrigible,” she smiled.
“Are you going to refuse a direct order?”
“Not a chance, mister.”
* * *
Whidbey Island Naval Base & Space Port
Oak Harbor, WA
Underground Lab Complex
October 2nd, 2064 14:00
“What do you make of it Doctor?” Nadine asked.
Rhodes turned from Bennie, “Think we need Calvin in here. We need to see what happens when we send his chip a small dose of gamma waves.”
“I think that trial is long overdue...let me put a request in,” Nadine answered.
“Hey, how about not talking like I’m not even in the same room,” Bennie said, sitting in a chair with his arms folded.
“Sorry, Ben,” Rhodes said, turning to him, “I made a promise, I won’t leave your side.”
“I’m fine, Doctor Rhodes. Can’t you just give me a clean bill of health so I can get back to my vacation?”
“Not so fast, Bennie,” Nadine typed the request for Calvin to accompany them on her data pad. “We can’t risk you being out there until we find out if this was an anomaly or not. If this were to get out of your control, innocent people could be hurt,” she said in her best sympathetic voice.
“I suppose you’re right. I mean he’s the doctor, right Doctor Rhodes? You agree with Nadine?”
“Yeah, Bennie. I agree with Nadine on this one. Let’s find out what’s going on first, okay?”
“Sure Doctor Rhodes. Anything you say. Not so much for Nadine, though,” Bennie leaned over to whisper to Rhodes. The doctor chuckled the best he could under his breath.
“Calvin is on his way,” Nadine reported, then slid her data pad into her lab coat.
“Are you a scientist too, Nadine?”
“Why do you ask, Ben?”
“Because you’re wearing a white lab coat,” he snickered, “Don’t you all wear them?”
“No, I just like the way they look on me,” she winked back.
Ben snickered again, “Doctor, you need to lighten up like Nadine here. You seem awfully uneasy.”
“I’m okay, Ben. Just been under a lot of stress as of late,” he said, looking over at Nadine.
Calvin scanned through the man trap and entered the lab with the others.
“Mr. Jones? Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“Oh, sorry,” he rolled his eyes, “Where’s my manners, hey buddy, my name is Calvin and I’m going to wire you to the computer today. You ready?”
“That’s not what I was talking about.”
“Oh...”
“Your box, Jones...where’s your box?”
“Oh that...heh heh, yeah, well it’s a bit too clunky to be carrying around and all...”
“...and?”
“...and I’ve hooked up a fiber optic connection to the amplified projection module...here, Ben, you mind standing over here?”
Calvin directed Bennie to the side of the room, near the computer console and AMP interface.
“Just stand right here, Bennie. I’ll hook you up and we can start the gamma wave session. We’ll start small, say… 40 Hz.”
Calvin sat on a stool and slid up to a keyboard that protruded from the wall. He typed a couple of commands to unlock the screen. Then he punched in another access code, leaned close to the terminal to allow the retina scan to authenticate.
“You sure you want him standing for this?” Nadine asked, stepping closer to Bennie.
“I’ll be fine!” Bennie spat.
“My, aren’t you all grown up,” Nadine smiled, “Alight, Rhodes. Make the connection.”
Rhodes took a long fiber cord from Calvin and unwound it. He connected one end to the computer console on the wall and then plugged the other end into the receptacle on the back of Bennie’s neck.
“Okay, Cal. You’re all set,” Rhodes said.
“Okay, Bennie. You ready?”
“Ready Uncle Cal,” he smiled with anticipation.
“Okay, we’re making the connection now...connection complete. Starting the first gamma stream,” Calvin said, studying the computer readout. “We’re now passing a 40 Hz gamma wave directly into the chip.”
“Ahhh,” Bennie winced, as his knees collapsed slightly, not expecting such an experience. He caught himself on the wall with one hand and leaned forward, “Whoa...Doctor...”
“You okay?” Rhodes asked, reaching for a chair, he set it under Bennie just in time.
“I’m terminating the wave...”
“No! Wait!” Bennie demanded, “I’m fine, I’m fine...just didn’t expect that effect.”
“What effect was that?”
“I think he’s referring to the bliss factor, Doctor,” Nadine answered.
“Yeah...yeah... wha-what she said,” Bennie struggled to say.
“Okay, Doc? Leave it on or terminate?” Calvin asked.
“Let’s leave it for the moment,” Rhodes said. He took his pen light from his lab coat and shined it in Bennies eyes, “Will ya look at that...”
“What, Doctor?” Bennie asked.
“Well, I’ll be damned...the colonel was right.”
“About my eyes?”
“Yeah, there’s a light pigment change occurring. It’s very subtle at this intensity, but it’s there nonetheless.”
“I’m just going to close my eyes for a minute, okay, Doctor Rhodes?”
“Sure, Bennie. Go ahead,” Rhodes answered, then turned to accompany Calvin at the screen. “What do you see?”
“I’m picking up all sorts of high levels of brain activity...and it’s rising.”
“I see that,” Rhodes agreed, “Bennie, how do you feel now?”
“I feel woooonderfuuuul,” he answered, mesmerized by the gamma effect.
“Okay, Ben...stay with us now,” Calvin advised, “We’re taking you to the next level...setting to 50 Hz...now 60 Hz...and slowing to 75 Hz.”
Bennie convulsed for a fraction of a second, then calmed back down.
“How about now? What do you feel, Bennie?”
The room was quiet for a moment while Ben sorted out the new effects the gamma wave modulator was having, “I...I’m feeling...kind of...weird...”
“Bennie, can you hear me?” Rhodes said in his direction, “Tell us what you’re feeling.”
“I’m getting all kinds of images...yeah...images...”
Nadine leaned down closer to Bennie’s face, “What do you see, Bennie?”
“I can’t make them out all the way yet...but they’re images of people I know...Jenny...images of Jenny...they’re all grey and faded...Cal, turn it up some more.”
“Doctor, I think you should hold back,” Nadine advised, “He’s obviously still under a great deal of trauma.”
Calvin, not complying with Nadine’s instruction, “No, let’s turn it up a little bit more. I see no danger from any of these readings.”
“I agree, Cal,” Rhodes nodded, “Let’s see if we can get those images clearer for you son.”
“I’m all for that,” Bennie said as his eye pigment changed to a brighter color of green.
“We’re at 100 Hz now,” Calvin reported.
“Bennie, can you see the images now?”
Bennie remained silent for a moment. Then he winced at the sudde
n flow of new gamma frequencies. He regained his composure and opened his glowing green eyes.
Nadine was leaning down right in front of his face when he reached up and grabbed her face with both hands and looked deep within her soul.
She winced with pain, grabbing for her temples in an attempt to make the pain stop. She fell to her knees in front of Bennie, “You! You’re keeping something from me! What is it!”
He probed her mind searching for the answers when she cried out in pain, “STOP! You’re killing me!”
“What is it!” Bennie demanded, probing deeper within the confines of her mind, “I see Jenny...she’s nearby...what’s this all about? WHY HAVE YOU KEPT THIS FROM ME?”
Then he pushed her away and gasped at the sight of his Jen entering the room. Calvin wound the machine down, and then terminated the connection. Bennie collapsed on the floor, breaking the link to Nadine.
Rhodes unhooked the AMP cable from Bennie and picked him off the floor and set him in the chair.
His Jenny knelt down beside him and stroked the side of his hair gently with her soft fingers, “Oh, Bennie...I’ve missed you so much...come on...wake up for me now...”
Bennie began to stir, moving his head from side to side. He slowly opened his eyes and focused on his lost love, “Je-Jen? Jenny...is it really you?” he managed to smile.
“Yes, Ben...It’s really me.”
“Bennie?” Rhodes asked, kneeling with Jenny, “Are you okay?”
“I don’t know, Doctor. Are my eyes still green?”
“No, they changed back already.”
He looked over at Calvin, “Can you turn it back on? Please?” he begged, “I have to experience this again...please give it to me.”
“Bennie, we should take a break. Let us go over the data we collected and then we’ll determine if we should have another go.”
Bennie turned his attention to Nadine, “Why? Why didn’t you tell me? I was starting to think you might be one of the good guys...now...you broke that trust...you lied to me...how could you?”
“Bennie,” Nadine said, kneeling before him again, “I kept that little piece of information for a special time. I was going to surprise you...I thought you’d be happy we saved her life.”
“She can be jacked in too?”
“Yes, Ben. Doctor Rhodes saved my life with his first chip duplication attempt. Using some of the alien enzymes to give it a kick start. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Doctor Rhodes.”
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