Origin Z

by Tony Hartzell

  O’Reilly looked from the rebar to Reed and then Tin. After about thirty seconds, there was another loud buzz at the same time a metal arm with a pad on the end of it poked out of one of the upper holes in the wall. Before O’Reilly could look back to the chimp, he was a blur, jumping all of twenty-five feet to punch the arm with his left hand while grabbing a handle with his right. The wall was thirty feet high and twenty-five feet wide. There were holes and handles all over the wall. The arms poked out randomly everywhere on the wall for a count of three seconds each. The chimp was able to make it to each to punch it hard before moving on to the next. He was a blur, moving at incredible speeds. O’Reilly watched, dumbfounded, for a full five minutes as the chimp jumped around the wall until finally the buzzer went off again and three more mangos fell into the tray at the top of the tree. The chimp was up the tree again and eating the mangos almost before O’Reilly could look there.

  O’Reilly staggered back a couple of steps and looked before he sat down on a bench against the wall.

  Reed came over and leaned forward, putting his hands on his knees and looking O’Reilly straight in the eyes. “So you see what you needed to be sworn to secrecy about.”

  O’Reilly got an incredulous look on his face. “So, we are going on missions with a chimp?”

  Everyone laughed except Tin.

  Reed stood up and looked over at Dr. Abraham.

  “No Sergeant O’Reilly. You are going to be the chimp!”

  O’Reilly got an even more perplexed look on his face.

  Michael spoke up now. “Follow me, Sergeant.”

  He walked toward the door and opened it, inviting O’Reilly to walk back into the room they had come out of. O’Reilly then looked back at the habitat and saw that the chimp was now right up to the front of the glass and looking right at him. When he looked back, the chimp puffed up again and grunted at him. He shook his head and walked out the door that Dr. Abraham had opened for him. Reed led the way over to the far end of the floor, where there were cages with animals in them. Dr. Abraham grabbed a person in a lab coat and told him to go grab Dr. Leonard. They ran across the room and spoke to a man who was working at one of the pathology tables. O’Reilly thought it looked like the person who had been working on the pig that had rolled its eyes.

  The man who returned walked over and introduced himself to O’Reilly. “So you are our volunteer Spartan?”

  Reed spoke up quickly. “We’re still indoctrinating him on the program, Dr. Leonard.”

  Leonard nodded his head. “Oh!”

  Dr. Leonard waved him over to a cage with a huge hog in it. “This is Gorga.”

  O’Reilly laughed. “Ha! Does the chimp know you have his queen in a cage?”

  Leonard gave him half a smile. He obviously didn’t have a sense of humor.

  The doctor forced the hog down a caged tunnel after he opened the cage door. He pushed it until it was in a mechanism that, when he pulled a lever down, trapped it so it couldn’t move. He grabbed a scalpel off one of the trays next to the cage and moved to the Gorga’s back haunch. He grabbed the hog’s back leg and dragged the scalpel across its haunch. The cut was deep but bled very little. The squeal was deafening. He and Tin were the only ones not expecting it, though, and they slammed their hands to their ears. Gorga started rocking the cage with jerking movements but settled down quickly.

  Dr. Leonard grabbed both sides of the cut and pushed them together. He held it and looked back at O’Reilly, who just looked back and forth between the pig and him a couple of times. At about forty-five seconds, he pulled his hands away and wiped away the blood around the cut. It was a pink line. Both O’Reilly and Tin looked flabbergasted. Tin moved up and nudged the doctor out of the way. He rubbed his hand across where the cut had been. It looked as if it had been healing for days, if not a week or more. O’Reilly came over and inspected it too. They both stepped back and took a couple of seconds of reflection.

  It was Reed who finally spoke up. “Let’s go to Dr. Abraham’s office.”

  They all moved back into the room where they had been earlier. Reed stretched his arm palm up toward a chair for O’Reilly. He didn’t bother refusing. He needed to sit down after watching the chimp.

  Reed settled into his own chair across from O’Reilly. “After introducing the healing genes using a virus, we injected Leonidas with performance enhancing drugs that were one hundred times stronger than anything that any human has ever used. That has proven to be OK because the Spartan genes help his body heal any damage caused by the enhancement drugs. And as you have witnessed, it enhances the healing abilities of Spartan also.”

  He hesitated while O’Reilly was absorbing what he said.

  Michael spoke up then. “You see, it’s the perfect storm. The genes heal what the drugs destroy. Even broken bones heal within a couple of hours!”

  O’Reilly looked at him for a few seconds and then turned to Reed. “So what are we going to be doing once we are Spartanized?”

  Reed smiled. “You and your team will be special ops. You will be sent into areas that can utilize the enhancements. Can you imagine being able to jump walls twenty feet high, sprint thirty-five to forty miles per hour, and maintain twenty-five miles per hour for hours at a time? You’ll be able to break open steel-grated doors with just your hands.”

  Reed stopped and said slowly, “You will be faster and stronger, and heal quicker than any human on earth—even faster than those with the normal Spartan gene.”

  O’Reilly looked down at the floor for a few seconds and then looked at Dr. Abraham. “No damage to my body?”

  Abraham shook his head no.

  “When will this wear off?”

  Michael spoke up. “The strength and speed will eventually wear off unless you receive boosters.”

  O’Reilly smiled. “Shit! Are my balls going to shrink?”

  They all laughed and Michael said, “No, the Spartan gene will protect your manhood. You can go inspect Leonidas’s balls if you think you can get close enough to them!”

  They all laughed again.

  Everyone except Tin.

  He had a concerned look on his face and just smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

  SPARTAN SQUAD

  When O’Reilly exited, he saw Raines on guard duty at the door and gave him a nod of his head. “So what kind of shit are they up to in there, O’Reilly?”

  O’Reilly smiled big. “When you get off your watch, grab Laudner and meet me outside the barracks. Don’t say anything to anyone else.”

  He was so hopped up that he couldn’t help but trot to where he knew Anderson would be. The gym was Anderson’s second home. He probably spent way more time there than he did in the barracks.

  When he arrived at the gym, Anderson was in the middle of some kettlebell butterfly swings with a fifty-pound bell. He was the strongest man O’Reilly had ever known. He could only imagine how far Spartan could take him. This guy was the school bully type that everyone loved to hate. But the thing about school bullies is that they’re naturally aggressive. You don’t have to train it into them. He was very enthusiastic about his weight training, and a behemoth is always very useful on the battlefield. Obviously descended from the Vikings, he had this “berserker mode” that scared his fellow soldiers as much as the enemy. He had seen Taliban soldiers literally piss themselves and lay down their weapons in the face of his battle rage.

  But like everyone in the Seventy-Fifth, he was courageous and made good battlefield decisions. The reason he would never be a leader was that he expected everyone to be as strong and agile as he was. So as long as he was taking orders, he was an asset. If he was giving orders, he was a definite danger.

  O’Reilly nodded to him. “Hey, man, I got some news.”

  Anderson looked at him and swung the bell three more times. He held the bell out in front of him at arm’s length to offer it
to O’Reilly and said with a smile, “You want to do some reps?”

  O’Reilly shook his head with a smile, “Not with that thing! I’d like to keep my guts from squirting out my belly button!”

  Anderson flexed at him with a smile.

  “All right, Arnold.”

  Anderson did his best Schwarzenegger impression. “Dee Teerminatorrr iss a puussy.”

  “Like I said, I have some news.”

  Anderson sat on the bench used for pressing weights and looked up at O’Reilly.

  “They’re making me sergeant.”

  Anderson smiled and then took on a fake serious look. “What? Did the lieutenant lose his mind? I thought you weren’t going to get it till after we got redeployed.”

  O’Reilly beamed. “There is a special assignment that they need a special squad to carry out.”

  Anderson scrunched his face.

  O’Reilly gave him a serious look. “Meet me at the barracks in forty-five, and make sure you take a shower, Smell-inator!”

  Anderson flexed again then sniffed under each arm. “HOOAH! Strong in every way.”

  They both laughed, and O’Reilly headed out the door to grab something to eat before he met with the team.

  _______

  O’Reilly saw Anderson, Raines, and Laudner waiting for him. When he walked up, they all snapped to attention and saluted as they said in unison, “Special squad reporting as ordered, sir!”

  O’Reilly gave them a dry look. “So I can count on you all to be idiots. I can’t say it surprises me.”

  After they had a good laugh, O’Reilly looked around to make sure no one was within earshot. He lowered his voice to make sure he wasn’t overheard. “OK. It’s time to be serious now. I want you guys to be part of a special squad that I will be leading as a sergeant.”

  After a few seconds, Laudner spoke up. “Is it just us?”

  O’Reilly nodded.

  It was Anderson’s turn then. “What are you getting us into, O’Reilly?”

  O’Reilly looked him in the eye. “I can’t tell you yet.”

  He looked each guy in the eyes. “You’ll have to take a special oath to be in this squad.”

  They stood in silence as O’Reilly turned to each one and nodded. He waited for each one to nod in return.

  “Breaking the oath means treason. Secrecy is part of that oath.”

  He let that sink in for a few seconds.

  “I need to know that you are willing to take it before I can even continue this conversation.”

  At that, he stopped talking again. Looking around at them, he could tell he still had them. When he looked at Laudner, he knew this was his weakest link, but having a tech-savvy team member was essential. He moved to Raines, who was hard to read even in the most intense situations. But this was who he could depend on to take command if something happened to him. Raines gave a half smile and nodded.

  Anderson had a huge smile when O’Reilly looked at him. “Hulk smash!”

  They all laughed except Laudner. He was looking at the ground. “Why me?”

  O’Reilly gave him a serious look. “You’re the smartest guy I know, Laud-ne…. Laudner.”

  Laudner knew he had stopped himself from calling him Laud-nerd. When he started to shake his head, O’Reilly stepped forward and met his eyes with an intense stare.

  “This is going to make us all special, Tim—Special Ops, with special treatment, and respect.” O’Reilly knew these were things were lightning rods for the private.

  After a few thoughtful seconds, Laudner changed his response to a nod.

  “Trust me, Laudner. This assignment will get you all the respect you want or need.”

  He half smiled at that and gave a slightly more committal nod.

  O’Reilly smiled big now. “So that cuts it! We are now known as Spartan Squad! We’ll meet near the command tent at oh six hundred in the morning.”

  “I have watch duty at that time,” Raines said.

  O’Reilly smiled at him. “We no longer stand watches, Raines.”

  Raines chuckled. “Well, there’s that, then.”

  _______

  When O’Reilly arrived at the command tent the next morning, the other three were already there and talking to the private who was on duty. He held his breath as he approached, expecting that they would be discussing what he had warned them they should not.

  When he was close enough, the private turned his attention to him. “Good morning, Corporal. Lieutenant Hardt would like you to go in first.”

  He held open the tent flap.

  O’Reilly smiled at the private. “Not Corporal O’Reilly for long, bucko!”

  He turned his head and smiled at the three waiting behind him. “Wait here, guys.”

  Then he turned and walked through the flap.

  When he entered, he noted all of the same people who had been with him when he took his oath.

  O’Reilly saw his sergeant stripes on Tin’s desk along with three sets of corporal stripes and smiled.

  He saluted and accepted Tin’s hand and shook it hard.

  “Congratulations, O’Reilly. Well deserved. You owe me a sergeant test.”

  “Piece of cake, sir. I should be able to do it with my left hand and my eyes closed!”

  He accepted the stripes that Tin offered and slid them into his breast pocket.

  Tin smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. “So, Sergeant O’Reilly, bring in your team so we can get them sworn. These guys are pretty anxious to get started.”

  He looked around the room at the faces of the Bio-Sure team and ended at Reed. All were smiling except him. He had a self-important look to his demeanor.

  Tin noted the smug look.

  “I’ll send word to the battalion to send five replacements for you and the men you will have on your team. It is imperative that this team be separated from the rest of the population, so they will be staying inside Building 51. Please make sure you squash any rumors that may start from this.”

  Tin glanced at Reed, who gave a nod. He looked as if he regretted looking at that gesture. It gave Reed power, thinking he was giving his approval. There was definitely some animosity in that relationship.

  O’Reilly noticed the exchange and bailed Tin out by saying, “Will do, Lieutenant.”

  Tin held his attention for a few seconds before nodding.

  The three soldiers walked in and stopped in a shoulder-to-shoulder line in front of the desk, and all saluted.

  “Reporting as ordered, sir.”

  Tin saluted in return. “At ease Privates.”

  They all went to parade rest. None of them dared look at Reed.

  Tin kept speaking. “Are you all aware that you will have to take an oath of secrecy?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “If you break this oath, you will be tried for treason and sentenced accordingly.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Reed stepped forward. “If you break this oath, you will be executed!”

  They all couldn’t help but look at him now.

  “This is a matter of national security. The gain for you will be great! There is also the potential for a shit storm if there are any leaks.”

  They shifted a little on their feet. Laudner went a little whiter than his normal translucent color. You could tell he spent more time in tents than on the battlefield. They all regained their composure after that revelation and turned their eyes back to the front. They all said “Yes, sir” with a little less enthusiasm.

  Reed turned to Tin. “Carry on, Lieutenant.”

  Tin clenched his jaw a little tighter as he turned to the men. “You will swear that anything you witness and participate in will not be discussed with unauthorized personnel. You will also swear that any details from any missions during this program will not b
e discussed with unauthorized personnel.”

  They looked at Tin, then at O’Reilly briefly, and said in unison, “Yes, sir.”

  “Consider yourselves in special squad, operation name Spartan. As part of this squad, you have all received promotions to lance corporals.”

  They couldn’t help smiling at that unexpected news. Tin handed them all their stripes and shook their hands.

  Reed spoke up again. “Welcome to the Spartan program, fellas.”

  Then he smiled a greasy smile. “You will move into Building 51 immediately. You will not speak to anyone about anything that has transpired here except that you are part of O’Reilly’s squad and that you have a special assignment for guard duty inside the building.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The entire team snapped to attention and saluted as O’Reilly said, “By your leave, sir.”

  Tin saluted.

  “Dismissed.”

  _______

  O’Reilly went back to the barracks and started to pack his footlocker. The others were there doing the same in silence. O’Reilly mused about what had just happened and the fact that they were afraid to even smile. O’Reilly caught himself holding his breath a few times. He was a little afraid too, but he couldn’t wait for tomorrow morning to get here.

  PART II

  Shadows

  MISSION

  O’Reilly heard as well as felt the thump of the Black Hawk helicopter. He looked each of his squad in the eye one at a time. They had made it from Bio-Sure in South Carolina to Tall Afar Airport in Northern Iraq in thirty-six hours. Their helicopter ride to the hot zone would be another thirty minutes. He couldn’t wait. And he could tell that the others were anxious too. His heart was beating steadily but at a much faster pace than usual. Blood was pumping, and the adrenaline coursing through his system was making his muscles flex in the specially made expanding lightweight body armor. He had felt this way before. But he was excited to use his now-enhanced abilities in a real strike. The training had felt good, but there’s nothing like being in a real situation! He checked his weapons again. The dart guns they carried would make less sound than a mouse fart, and they were made of high-impact plastic that had magazines carrying 150 darts each. Each dart was made of a dozen compressed plastic slivers that would explode outward in many directions upon impact. Pumping the air chamber took a lot of strength. Only he and his team were strong enough without mechanical assistance. Ten darts and then three quick pumps would get you to the next ten. The only other weapon they had was an eight-inch combat knife that was made of the same plastic and had a ceramic blade. It was amazing how few weapons they needed with the added strength and agility.