The No Names

by Frank Albelo

  I tried to struggle in the mech’s grip but each movement sent pain coursing through my body. The robot had my neck in a death grip and I wasn’t able to pull it apart. This must be a stronger metal than the chairs in the city, was my last clear thought before one of the long limbed mutants jumped forward and stabbed me in the neck with something.

  I felt my Hyperburn kick in, slowly exhausting me as it tried to fight whatever the mutant had injected me with. A fog threatened to take over my mind, but I pushed back. I knew I was done for so I called out to Koma. I strained my brain to link our minds through the snow, ice and stone of the moon. I felt the familiar bubble that made up Koma’s range as I felt my thoughts begin to muddle.

  Caught. Don’t come. Mutants working with Officials.

  Alpha!? Alp— , Koma’s response was cut off. Whatever the mutants had injected me with had run its course and I felt my mental world darkening. In the distance I saw a man slowly making his way through the snow towards the mutants with not a care in the world. I tried to keep my thoughts together as the person neared but even my Hyperburn had stopped working. Within a few feet I managed to see a pair of red solid eyes through the man’s opened visor. My mind couldn’t process all the information and questions flying through it, the thoughts fleeting.

  The ATC lowered me to the ground, eye level with the man. He’s got Starden’s suit, I managed. He is a member of the base.

  “Humm… Very resilient indeed…” The man trailed off as if in though. Then whipped his hand and knocked me unconscious.

  Chapter 17: Doctor Howard Craft

  “Search for the ATC. I want to know where the other survivors are. They must have uncovered something for their success to be so bountiful,” the man said while looking at the slumped body at his feet. “I have some experiments to run…”

  At the man’s behest, the mutants around him took off into the snows cape, only a single multi armed mutant remaining by his side. “Pick him up, we are going to the lab.” The two shadows made their way through the snow easily, a trail of dark blood staining the ground.

  ● ● ●

  When I came to, a harsh yellow light was shining in my face. The light was blinding and I couldn’t see the rest of the room I was in so I closed my eyes, blocking the spots that swam in my vision. As my conscience expanded through my body I realized that I was bound tightly. Struggling softly against my restraints, but progressively harder, I began to feel a cold sweat trickle down my back. I breathed out deeply, trying to rein in my mind as my Hyperburn activated unwillingly. Several breaths later my mind had calmed enough to somewhat stop the pumping adrenaline through my body.

  Koma. Can you hear me?, I thought out once my thoughts were in order. As soon as I sent out the message I felt the walls of the room I was in push it back and an almost physical weight settled on me. I was stunned as I tried to process what happened. The message had somehow bounced off the walls and I felt it return. As I was trying to tamp down on the question and implications that were arising I heard “tsk tsk tsk” from somewhere in the room. I briefly tried to open my eyes to find the source but the burning light still made it impossible.

  “Oh, no no no. We can’t have you speaking with other Calforn, now can we? It’s a shame you would rely on others after what I saw you do to those mechanoids.” The voice sounded familiar, and I realized it was the man that had knocked me out.

  “What do you want?” I spat. I tried to remain placid, but the restraints and burning points in my retina were having a decisively negative effect on my mood.

  “Me? Well, I want to know how you work my dear boy! When that blockhead kept bringing garbage crops I dreamt my research was going to stagnate. Then you came around. I had my doubts, the USG captain tends to have a flair for theatrics, but you and your little group are the longest lived group we have on record.” I heard some light chuckling from somewhere to my right, at least now I knew which way the taunting voice was.

  “Yes, I imagine you would like to see. Probably have a go at me also.”

  “You aren’t wrong…” I said through gritted teeth. I was having trouble remaining calm. The instinctual nature of my mutations pushing me to activate Autophagy now and ravage the man to death.

  “Ah, yes. You are much progressed in the mutation process, but how did you retain your intellect, huh? Most of the ones that don’t turn into grotesque abominations simply kill themselves by tearing out their eyes or biting off their tongue,” the man paused, as if considering something, “quite a messy ordeal, that.”

  “You sick bastard.”

  “Oh, none of that my dear boy. I am a scientist. Science, just like life, is gruesome. No use shying away from it, mighty waste of time that.” I heard some shuffling around the room and the light burning holes into my eyes shut off. I waited several seconds for my eyes to adjust before opening my eyes.

  “I am Doctor Howard Craft. Listing my accolades would also be a waste of time and we would be here all day. Now I suggest we get started.” I was still seeing spots, but I had a general idea of where Craft was. The man moved within range and I focused all of my remaining energy on my right arm. I felt slight bone ridging grow out from my arm and rip the bindings that held me upright. The right side of my body was suddenly free to move and I tried to claw out the doctor’s throat but he had stepped back with lighting fast reflexes.

  With an impossible amount of strength, the doctor clasped my forearm and squeezed. My radius and ulna groaned in protest, empowered by my Hyperburn and Conditioning, but the scientist won out. The bones snapped with a crunch and I gaped like a fish as the pain racked my already stunned mind.

  “Hmmm… interesting. You display multiple aspects of the anatomical control of the Calforn…” The scientist roughly pulled on my arm to examine the section of my arm that had grown the bone protrusions.

  My vision was swimming, but I could finally see out into the room. The good doctor was a short man, at most he was a foot shorter than me and I instantly recognized him. He was the man Starden had called ‘the warden’ of the prison here. The unreal thing that separated the man I had seen on the spaceship was that this Craft had solid red eyes. The white completely replete with what looked like burst blood vessels.

  Several of my unanswered questions began to fall into place, but before I could give them much more thought however, the man turned my broken arm over to inspect it. I barely stifled a yell as the man tilted my arm in ways it was not meant to move. After nearly a minute of this, he grabbed the protrusion and ripped it from my flesh. The scream I had been holding ripped through my throat, the tail end forming into a guttural roar aimed directly at the scientist.

  Unperturbed by my outrage and pain, the doctor simply looked the bone over. A few seconds later, he appeared to be done examining the bone and headed for the door.

  “Oh, I almost forgot.” The man walked back to where I had been strapped as I followed him with my eyes. “Don’t think to escape.” Punctuating his comment, he swatted me across the face and the world darkened again.

  ● ● ●

  After I lost consciousness I found myself in the frigid cold of Dun Lund. It didn’t take me long to realize I was in my dreamscape, the one I had seen previously while in the underground city. None of my mutant features showed and my armor was nowhere to be seen, even the few tatters that remained.

  Shivering, I moved around the perimeter of the holding area. Having accepted the fact that I was in a dream, the cold stung a bit less and I moved around with purpose. The last time I had been pulled into a dreamscape I had received a warning. A command. I felt it was time for me to figure out what the dreamscape was. It didn’t take long to find the source.

  Standing amidst a calm spot in the raging winds around the base was the good doctor. The man turned to face me, but his eyes were a plain brown and the glint of frigid detachment I had seen in Craft was missing from his face, replaced by a look of defeat.

  “Seems I am still in control of some of the m
ind,” the man’s voice sounded far away even while we stood only a few feet apart.

  “I have no fucking clue what you or your red-eyed counterpart have going on, but some answers would be helpful.” I bit back my anger and frustration. Not only did I not have my mutations, but something told me it would be counterproductive to attack the doctor.

  “Ah, yes, of course. Pardon my manners, it was I who called you anyhow. We are currently inside your mind. Your human mind that is. The minutiae of differentiating between your Calforn and Human selves would take longer than we have.

  “Anyhow, as that thing said I am Doctor Howard Craft.” The man held out his hand when he stopped talking. Hesitantly, and more than a fair bit confused, I shook his hand. “Excellent.”

  “It appears you are more receptive than I gave you credit for, however that alone will not be enough. As I have postulated from your file, it was your exposure to radiation prior to our implantation process that allowed you to adequately adapt to the Calforn genes. You are likely the first success and, to my immense disappointment, it had nothing to do with me. I suggest we—”

  Before the man could continue I raised my hand to stop him. If it was possible to have a headache while inside your head, then I was sure this version of Craft gave me one then. “What are you talking about? What file? What receptiveness? Also, what the fuck is wrong with you and the red eyed fuck holding me captive.”

  “Ugh, this is a waste of time,” he responded while frowning, “ the USG is testing genetic weaponry using an alien gene. I gathered you knew this already from that blabbermouth soldier. As far as your file, you murdered over a dozen Officials, of course you have a file and so do the others dropped on this moon. I assume the reason the mutagen has assimilated as well with your body is due to the presence of radiation from your little nuclelectric stunt, instead of killing you from uncontrollable tumors it in tuned you to the Overmind. Now keep up.

  “The thing you see in my body is a failed experiment. I calculated the hormonal signaling incorrectly and the parasitic entity of the extraterrestrial was able to supersede my suppressants. I am now trapped in a corner of my mind while it uses my body. I need you to apply enough Theta wave pressure for me to take over the body again.”

  I stared at the man blankly. I was having trouble following what the man was saying. Not only about the reason I had been able to remain both human and Calforn, but if he was trapped inside his body I could only imagine that he was in a similar situation to what Basten had been before being infected by the two Calforn minds and turning into Koma. If the Calforn entity had access to Craft’s mind then we had a mad alien scientist with another mad human scientist inside trying to get out. That is all kinds of screwed, I thought.

  I nearly paused to consider the nonsense of thinking while inside my own thoughts, but shook my head to clear it.

  “Why the hell would I help you, Craft? You put alien parasites inside us and pit us against your failures, and you are included in that camp now, by the way.”

  “You don’t understand. Science demanded that we pursue the Calforn! They are the most advanced species that mankind has encountered! They had complete dominance over their bodies and mind! Someone of your standing simply would not understand the needs of the wo—”

  I didn’t let the man finish. I may not have had my mutations, but I was plenty strong before aliens started messing around in my body. I gripped the man by the throat and he flailed, clawing at my hand. I was thankful for the numbing cold storm raging around us as the injuries he was inflicting only felt like muted pressure on my arm.

  “I have a crystal clear idea of the implications, asshole. That does not give you free license with people’s lives. I don’t want to hear anything about your hierarchical nonsense. Now, tell me how to kill you and I may make it swift. Otherwise get the fuck out of my mind.”

  I let the man go and he crumpled to his knees. His frantic breaths and curses fell on deaf ears as I waited for him to recover. “You will die if you don’t help me, Digit. I tried to be civil, but I can see all your prowess can be accounted for by instinct. Useless.”

  “From my perspective, you are fucked either way. You also haven’t provided anything that might actually help so I am just going to stand over there until I regain consciousness.” I began to slowly walk to the opposite end of the holding area as the wind tossed my hair around wildly. It was only a few short moments before the Named shouted after me.

  “Wait. Wait! I… I know where there is a ship!”

  It took all I had to contain myself from whipping around on the man. Instead I turned and looked at him with as much skepticism as I could muster. “Go on.”

  “The Government captured a ship while we scoured the surface. This base was built around the hangar for the ship.”

  I pretended to contend with the man’s words. After a brief pause, I turned to face him. “Tell me how to break you out.”

  ● ● ●

  As the world came back into focus I was back in the same room. I wasn’t sure how long I had been out thanks to Calforn Craft, but Human Craft had insisted that time passed by much faster in the mind space. The bindings that had held me had been reapplied and two thick chains encased my upper and lower body. I struggled, testing them, but I was even more immobile. Resting my head back I took in the room.

  I was in some sort of macabre lab. There were tubes with floating black limbs suspended within. Xrays of unnatural anatomy hung from the walls and along one wall was a series of small doors. The sterile smell of the room and the presence of two smooth metal tables with drains told me that those doors probably held the corpses of some of the things I had killed and delivered to the USG. Great. Delivered myself to the morgue I guess.

  I scanned the wide room for something that might help me escape my bindings, but the only thing close to me was a small rolling push cart. It was ten feet away. Regular adrenaline flooding my system, I began to try to move the frame I had been bound to. On the cart were a few sample trays and breakers with samples of flesh, likely from the previous tenant of my bindings, but glimmering in the weak fluorescent lighting of the room were a set of keys. The loop held only three keys and a pass card of some kind, but I was certain one of those would get me out of the chains. The range of movement I had at my disposal was minimal and each moment I threw myself against my bindings only cause the frame to move ever so slightly.

  A bit of desperation crept into my movements. I was sure someone would hear me as I scraped along the ground. Taking a huge gamble I activated Autophagy.

 

 

 

  <...>

  The Overmind was obviously warning me this was a terrible idea. I ignored it. With a grunt I mentally nodded and the burning that I was becoming familiar with ran through my body. I knew I had limited time before I either killed myself or the good doctor returned. I inhaled a inhuman amount of breath, my chest stretching to the limits of my bindings, and I felt energy course through my body. I pushed and heaved for the next minute waddle walking the stand I was attached to. My attempts to use my mutated arms were for naught as the chains held but I still moved forward ever so slowly.

  With a loud screech the stand I had been attached to stopped just a foot next to the push cart. I gingerly stretched my arm as close as I could and then focused my energy on my claws. The once-nails of my hand slowly lengthened, closing the few remaining inches to the key ring. With sheer willpower I caused my nail to grow bent, hooking the key ring ever so slightly. Releasing the breath I had been holding, I pulled my arm back.

  Just as ring was within reach, a horrifying sound cut through the room. It sounded like metal fingers scurrying about a chalkboard. Surprised at the memory, I focused my attention on the ring of keys while the sound grated my ears. I felt my heart sink as the keys glittered from the ground. I felt red hot energy burn through me. I was so close. That single thought rever
berate in my mind and I felt my Autophagy respond in kind.

  My arms coated in a thin layer of bone as the tingling ran up and down their length. I felt my arm mutation activate once again an inkling of a plan formed amidst all the misdirected anger. I used my right arm to grip the chains. The links were nearly an inch thick and two long but I held the closest in my fist. Channeling as much energy as I could I closed it. The metal felt immobile and I felt my energy begin to flag but after a second, I felt the metal give, pinching slightly. Doubtful that I would be able to keep control of my body if I relaxed, I flexed my entire body as I pushed on the weakened link. My bone plating cut through the thick leather bindings that held me and after a few painful seconds were the chains pressed and bruised my skin where the bone didn’t protect, the snapped.

  I crumpled to the floor, panting frantically. My vision was blurry as I tried to gulp in enough breath to clear it. I nudged my mind out, but the walls of the room still seemed to compound and rebound the mental message. Before I had a chance to move, an explosion rocked the room and I saw double as the aftershock moved through the steel frame of the base. What the fuck? My thoughts were cut off before I could question what was happening in the base as the Overmind spoke in my head.