Charged (Electric)

by Casey Harvell

  I watch him as we go. It still amazes me that someone as wonderful and gorgeous as he is, actually cares for me. While all of this insanity may have forced us to become closer more quickly than we would have normally, we have forged a bond I never could have imagined. I stop quickly, turning to face him.

  “Mason,” I start, almost losing my nerve, “I want you to know how important you are to me. I love you, Mason.”

  I see his eyes warm, “I love you, too, Kat. I can’t imagine life without you.” He looks around. “Even without all of this. I think I loved you since you first plowed me over.”

  I laugh, remembering how we met. “I was so embarrassed.”

  “You were adorable.” He plants a soft kiss on top of my head. “Still are.”

  The door to the building opens, and a soldier motioning for us to enter. “Guess our alone time is up for now.” Mason says.

  “Yeah, let’s go see what they want now.”

  We don’t get led to the captain’s office as usual. Instead, we’re brought to a generic office in the basement, a place I’ve never ventured into before. The captain joins us after a few minutes.

  “Sorry, for all the sneaking about. As of tomorrow, I’m sending all of the troops that escorted Dr. Ford on a supply run, which will buy us at least a few days without raising any suspicions. The doctor wants to see you, of course, but it’s too big of a risk today.”

  I have to hide my smirk as Mason calls him out, before I have the chance to. “You didn’t call us in here for this, though, did you captain?”

  Captain Jennings runs a hand down his face. “No, no I didn’t. I’m sure you’ve heard of the difficult time the doctor had on his way here. We’re concerned that the infection is moving quickly towards us from the north. I only know of one way to stop the advance.”

  Mason eyes me worriedly. I look at him, “Can you give me a moment with the captain?”

  I can see the frustration in his face, but he gets up without any complaint. I wait until he shuts the door behind him. “Captain, I know it goes against all the rules and protocols you guys have, but I can’t ask him to stay behind again. I’ll go, but only if he comes with me.”

  “You understand the danger?”

  I nod. “We did pretty good before we came here. He won’t hinder any of our efforts in the field.”

  “Okay.” The captain concedes, “If it will help you to have him there, then go ahead and bring him.” He actually smiles. “You sure showed our boys last time, anyway. Doesn’t seem to me that we have much to worry about if you’re there.”

  I return his smile whole-heartedly. “Thanks, captain. This will definitely make us both feel better.” I go to the door and open it, finding Mason leaning up against the wall. I motion for him to come back in.

  I wait until he’s settled in his chair before I start. “I have to go out again-“

  “Aw hell, Kat, not again,” He complains, but stops when I hold up a finger.

  “The captain has given you clearance to accompany me on these, er, trips, also.” I have to try hard not to smile when I see his obvious relief.

  The grin on his face speaks for itself. “When do we leave?”

  Again, I find myself suited up in army gear, disoriented by the ride in the back of the windowless vehicle. The difference is that this time, I have Mason’s reassuring presence by my side, his hand in mine.

  This trip is bumpier than the last, and it reminds me to tell Mason to brace his feet when we stop. I learned my lesson last time, thanks.

  We lurch to a halt, and Mason gives me a grateful look for the advice I gave him. I see a few new faces amongst the soldiers, but there is definitely a camaraderie here that was absent at the beginning of our last voyage. Even as we file out into the sunlight, this time the soldiers stay back, prepared to help only if needed.

  Mason walks me to the front of the triangular formation of soldiers and stops at the very end, as I continue towards the metallic fog. It no longer intimidates me, no long instills fear in my heart. It seems to take me too long to get close to it. Is it? No, it couldn’t be.

  But it is. As I try to get closer, it shrinks back from me. It’s as if it knows I’m here to hurt it. I stand still momentarily, trying to process this new information. If the fog is retreating because of the recognition that it will be disarmed by my blast, then it has not just a consciousness, but a joint consciousness that allows it to communicate within itself. Everything that’s infected is attached. Could this begin to solve the mystery of where the infected people go?

  I move closer, advancing forward until I’m almost completely surrounded by the fog. It stays back from me, an almost fifty foot diameter, the circle most prominently noticed where it almost closed off behind me. I look back to Mason, who looks panicked, and the soldiers seem tense, weapons raised and poised to shoot. I know if I move any further inside the fog, all hell will break loose behind me, even if it would probably be incredibly effective.

  I feel the energy coursing through me. If I had any doubts left that I’m growing more powerful, they’re gone now. My body hums, wanting to unleash its fury on the surrounding threat. I place my palms facing each other in front of me. Turning my hands outward, I push the energy out and let out an astonished laugh as the energy flows out, a strong stream similar to when I channeled the lightning, but all on my own this time. At the river, I thought it was simply a short-term after-effect from the lightning strike. It’s obvious now that it’s not. Something more has changed in me, and I have far more power and control than before.

  This is the closest I’ve been to the fog while I zapped it, and it’s certainly the first time I’ve been inclined to really pay attention. Guilt washes over me, as I watch the fog writher and disappear. I can swear I hear a hissing sound, as though it’s in pain, though neither this nor the guilt is enough to make me stop. Too many lives are at stake for that.

  I rotate as I go, and when all of the fog in sight is gone, I throw a few spheres in random directions for good measure. As I approach Mason, I can’t help but notice the look on his face. “Wow, Kat. That’s certainly different than before.”

  “There’s more, too.” I quickly explain my theory regarding the nanobot’s collective consciousness and watch as his expression moves from awe to concern.

  “But that could mean…” His voice trails off as he begins to realize the ramifications.

  “That could mean a lot.” I climb into the armored vehicle and sit down. Turning my head to face him, I grab his hand. “I think it’s time to talk to the doctor.”

  We don’t make it to see Dr. Ford until the next day. When Mason and I returned yesterday, we filled Brie and Jared in on our suspicions. They both quickly jumped to the same conclusions that Mason and I did, and Brie immediately went in search of the captain to pass along the message that we need to meet with him and the doctor as soon as possible.

  We go to the basement, which I now see has been transformed into Dr. Ford’s temporary workspace. A wall, which apparently was removable, has been folded into a pocket space and the room is now twice as large, with an obvious lab set up in the new area.

  Captain Jennings and Dr. Ford are waiting for all of us. Dr. Ford greets us each with a warm hug. We take a moment to catch up, the doctor telling us how well our friends have fit in to the Columbus complex. Jack and Mariette, Becky and Nate are doing very well there. This is a relief. At least I helped save some people, even though it can’t begin to offset the things I’ve destroyed so far.

  It doesn’t take long for us to get down to business. Me, Mason, Brie and Jared fill the doctor in on our experiences since leaving Columbus. His eyes widen at the appropriate parts, though he only interrupts one time, when I tell of the sample I had grabbed. “Do you still have it?” He asks, his eyes alight with excitement.

  “We had it in the Jeep before we were brought here.” Mason says, and we all turn to Captain Jennings.

  “To be honest, I don’t think they’ve touched it si
nce we retrieved your belongings.” He picks up a phone, mumbling a few short phrases before hanging up. “One of my men will bring us any remaining items shortly.”

  We continue with our discussion. Just before I’m able to address yesterday’s occurrence, a knock sounds at the door. Captain Jennings calls them in, and three soldiers enter. One carries the wrapped up hoodie containing the sample for Dr. Ford. The other two carry trays of food and drinks. I glance at the clock on the wall, surprised to find that it’s lunchtime already. We’ve been talking longer than I thought.

  Dr. Ford immediately unwraps the gross hoodie and begins to examine the specimen we found. Now, in the light of day, it’s easy to tell that it was previously a foot. It still appears metallic, though more a tarnished silver than a shiny metal. I can see that Dr. Ford is going to become preoccupied with his new toy very quickly, so I hurry to relay yesterday’s events, and our suspicions.

  This is the first Captain Jennings has heard our theory too, and his concern is relevant on his face. Dr. Ford has gone into full scientist mode, his curiosity overshadowing his concern at the moment. We begin eating and speculating as Dr. Ford moves over to the lab area and immediately begins testing his sample. I follow him with a sandwich, gently reminding him to eat before I sit back down to finish my own lunch.

  Captain Jennings seems to be contemplating something important. Eventually, the look of indecision leaves his face, and he looks at all of us. “Dr. Ford, I think you need to hear this information too. You may already have been informed of some of it, but I think it’s important that we’re all on the same page here.”

  Dr. Ford sets a timer and grabs his still untouched sandwich before sitting back in his seat. Captain Jennings begins again. "There’s some information I’ve been reluctantly withholding for the purposes of national security. I realize under normal circumstances that including teenagers in these matters is unheard of, but we no longer have the luxury of ‘normal’ circumstances, and you four have consistently and effectively shown both discretion and perseverance. And frankly, I just don’t give a shit anymore.

  “When the infection first started, it spread more quickly than anyone could’ve anticipated. Even with all of the protocols we had in place for national security, we were not fast enough to beat the spread. The Nation’s Capital was overtaken, before we even had a chance at evacuation. We haven’t had contact with any of our nation’s leaders since the first day of the infection.”

  “Then who’s running the government?” Jared asks, incredulous.

  “Military leaders have been faking it, for lack of a better phrase. You four have been so busy out in the field, you wouldn’t have noticed that the president has failed to address a concerned nation yet. People started asking questions, and with the situation we’re facing, we had no choice but to instate Marshall Law throughout the remnants of the nation. The spread of fear and panic is almost as dangerous as the spread of the infection.”

  “You can say that again.” Brie mumbles, and I know she’s thinking back to the first day, and our chaotic escape from Canaan. The memory causes me to shudder, too.

  Captain Jennings hit a remote, and the large screen TV behind him springs to life. “This is an interactive map of the infection, from day one, until now. We can see it started at the BioNano rehab facility, where Michael had been learning to use his new leg. You can see how rapidly it spread from there, and you can also note the patterns, as you four began your journey. Before you contacted Dr. Ford, we were certainly perplexed as to why there was a certain radius that seemed to be unaffected by the infection. When you started moving, so did the radius.”

  “That’s how we made it.” Mason says. “If it weren’t for you Kat, we never would’ve made it out of there.”

  Brie jumps in before I can answer. “Kat, you were showing us what you could do right as the infection began to spread. Think about it. If you hadn’t thrown the spheres when you did, we wouldn’t have even made it back to my house to see the news report. Other’s like Becky and Nate would have never even had the chance.”

  I think back, remembering how the fog was present, but stayed downtown. At the time we were far too preoccupied with the horde of hysterical people to think much about it.

  “And the night before, Kat, when you first tried it. Your energy was already there, already keeping it at bay.”

  Dr. Ford nods. “Yes, that’s what I determined, once Kat contacted me. I watched your progress to my facility, and the impact it had on the infection as you traveled. The only problem was that it couldn’t hold them off permanently. It took a few days, but eventually, once you’d moved on, the infection would take the area back over.”

  “Didn’t we determine that back in Columbus? That my energy wasn’t strong enough, and the nanobots were adapting themselves to overpower it?” I ask.

  “Yes, but recently our maps have been indicating that you’re pushing them back farther than before, and it’s taking them longer to regroup and regain the areas you’ve been clearing.” Captain Jennings explains.

  Dr. Ford turns back to his lab. “The incident with the lightning you told me about, seems to be the turning point in enhancing your power. It’s possible that since lightning is an organic energy, such as the kind that you’re able to produce, that it enhanced your ability to hold onto to it, reproduce it, and ultimately became bound to you.” He looks at me a bit sheepishly. “Of course-“

  I interrupt him before he can finish. I know this road well. “Of course you have to run some tests, before you can know for sure.” I stifle an eye roll, not wanting to offend Dr. Ford, even if I dread the tediousness of his tests.

  “Yes, I have a lot of work to do.” Dr. Ford says. The timer dings, attracting his attention. “Captain, please continue, I’ll be listening while I work through this.”

  I turn my attention back to the captain, although it’s Jared that asks the question we’re all thinking. “There’s more?”

  “Unfortunately, yes, there is. So, now you know that the country’s leaders are MIA and the surviving parts of the country are under Martial Law. We’ve also had confirmation that the infection is spreading eastwardly, over to Europe. We’ve been sharing as much information with them as possible, and they have been good at not pointing their finger, however correctly it would be, at us.”

  “Whoa.” Brie comments, that about sums it up for me, too.

  The captain continues. “Now that our country is being run by a few military leaders, let’s just say things are not running smoothly. General Carch-well, you know about her. General Brown has been actively working against her. General Rowan keeps playing both sides, I think he’s waiting to see who comes out on top.”

  “So, not only are we facing extinction due to the nanobot infection, but behind the scenes our country is falling apart and has no specific leader?” I synopsize.

  “Wait,” Mason says. “You said this other General keeps playing both sides. I assume that this means there is a good side and a bad one?”

  “Gee, I wonder who the leading General for team bad is?” Brie scoffs.

  “Yes,” Captain Jennings says solemnly. “And Dr. Ford has just brought me the most disturbing news to date.”

  Dr. Ford sets down his glasses and papers to rejoin us at the table. He sighs as he sits, and I know whatever’s coming next is not going to be good. “Some people are meant to be leaders. They look at a whole picture, a greater good if you will. Others, the power goes to their head. It changes them. This is the case with General Carch. She began her military career as a decorated soldier. But after the loss of contact with our leaders, once it was decided she would be in charge with her two peers, she began to change. It wasn’t noticeable right away, but now it can no longer be ignored.”

  “Why?” Jared asks. “I mean, I know she’s a pain in our ass, but what, is she all Dr. Evil now?”

  This gets a laugh from both the captain and the doctor. “I don’t know if I’d put it quite so eloquently, Jared, b
ut yes, I suppose she could be classified as such.” The captain answers.

  I turn to Dr. Ford, looking for further explanation. “At first, we just thought she was being difficult.” He tells us. “She was given the Columbus location and surrounding areas, General Brown our area, and General Rowan the West Coast, the area still least affected by all of this. It’s her way of thinking that started to drastically change. I began to notice the change in her, when she talked about the infection. It wasn’t long before she approached me with an idea, an idea that deeply disturbed me.

  “She feels that this infection happened for a reason. The more I tried to explain to her the horror of this, the ramifications of it all, the more my reasoning seemed to have had the opposite effect. She wants to morph the infection, utilize it to make stronger soldiers and to weaponize the current strain. I told her until we get this, this invasion under control, that it was not a priority. We fought for weeks, while I was using your energy to develop the new weapons for our soldiers. Then one day, she just stopped, and I knew, even before I confirmed it, that she got someone else to do it for her.”

  “Dr. Harris.” I whisper, more to myself than anything, but the captain and doctor nod.

  “Yes,” Dr. Ford says. “Although, it’s not his fault, she left him no choice, took his family as collateral. It’s the first time I’ve ever been grateful to be a perpetual bachelor.” His half smile is more sad than anything.

  “Did he succeed?” Brie asks. “Do they now have weapons to infect us with?”

  “The day I left, Dr. Harris was beginning testing on the prototype. I know he’s trying to stall, but he won’t let his family get hurt, and I don’t blame him.”

  I stand up and begin pacing the room. This is an awfully lot to take in at once. Things are worse than I’d thought. A lot worse. I turn back to the others. “What can we do? How do we stop all of this?”