by Eric Burney
Viktor waddled to the table somewhat awkwardly, due to the heavy chains that were also securely fastened to his ankles. His eyes searched the room inconspicuously for anything that could aid in an escape, should the opportunity arise. A Bunsen burner would do in a pinch. So would a mixture of Potassium and water. That would make for quite a bang. You don’t want to be around when that nasty combination goes off.
“You’re doing it all wrong,” Viktor said with a show of arrogance, watching with amusement as the Chemist struggled to figure out the right combination of wires that would make the guidance system CPU operate properly.
The haggard man’s frustration was painfully evident in the jerky way his fingers twisted and moved the multicolored wiring inside the metal enclosure. The knuckles of both hands were badly bruised and bloodied from unsuccessful attempts to maneuver inside the tiny opening. He grumbled, agitated as he tapped a screwdriver on the table like a judge’s gavel.
“That is precisely why you are here.”
Viktor stepped closer to the guidance system housing and hovered over the wiring. Without another word, he moved the wires back and forth while humming the jingle to MacGyver, his favorite TV show. The man could do amazing things with only a paper clip and a stick of gum.
The Chemist watched Viktor impatiently, squirming about as he tugged on the collar of his soiled lab coat, complete with an empty pen holder. After a minute or so of tinkering, Viktor stepped back with a rather satisfied smile.
“That should do it.”
The Chemist didn’t take his word alone. Only a fool would do that. Shoving Viktor aside, he reached in the box and checked the wiring himself, inspecting the changes implemented. The not-so-casual rising of his brow confirmed the changes were both accurate and acceptable.
“Very good, very good. And what about the actuators? Will the thrusters respond properly once Orion II is in flight?”
Viktor laughed dryly, as if the questions were a cause for great annoyance and an insult to his intelligence.
“The thrusters and body flaps will be more than capable of manipulating the flight path automatically once Orion is deployed. What you should be concerned with is fallout. Trust me when I say the current yield will not be sufficient enough to achieve the desired results.”
“What do you mean?” the Chemist asked, skeptical of Viktor’s bold assessment. “I have checked the calculations several times. Orion II will deploy at the approximate height and achieve maximum yield.”
The Chemist sounded extremely agitated now. He was positive his own calculations were correct. Viktor, on the other hand, didn’t seem so sure.
“Yes, I agree it will achieve the approximate height and maximum yield—if your end result is only the state of Michigan. You have to think bigger picture. I can show you how to impact the entire eastern seaboard. And if done correctly, quite possibly the entire planet.”
The Chemist was beyond irritated at this point, cursing under his breath and pulling at the few remaining strands of hair atop his head like a mental patient, none of which escaped Viktor’s ever-watchful eye. He paced back and forth, repeating the same thing over and over.
“That can’t be right. Plutonium 238… radioactive isotope with detonation at twelve miles altitude… no, no…that can’t be right…”
“A radioisotope thermal generator would do the job,” Viktor suggested.
“Hmmm… radioisotope thermal generator in place of Plutonium 238 with the proper specifications,” he mumbled. “Yes… that could work.”
The idea whipped the Chemist into a frenzy and he hurried over to his workstation to enter the new data into the computer.
With both men guarding him distracted by the Chemist’s eccentric behavior, Viktor sprang into action. He delivered a sharp elbow to the bridge of the nose for the bigger one. Odds placed him as more likely to put up a decent struggle, so he needed to be the first to go. The man dropped like a wet towel.
Viktor followed by swiftly throwing the wrist restraints over the head and around the throat of the other one, pulling back forcibly. Wide-eyed, he struggled and fought against the chains, but quickly succumbed. Viktor tossed the man to the floor and stepped over him.
He could hear heavy footsteps approaching from down the hall. Viktor glanced at the Chemist in a moment of indecision, torn by whether to take the time and properly dispose of him as well. The Chemist stared back like a helpless animal caught in a steel trap.
“I… I just ran the numbers based off the alternate energy source you suggested. It works,” he said, almost in a whisper. “Why would you give me this information if you planned to kill me?”
Viktor didn’t respond, perhaps because he himself didn’t know the answer. Instead, he shuffled over to the window as fast as he could, grabbing a small screwdriver off the table as he went and threw himself through the glass pane, shattering it on impact.
Lucian burst into the room not more than a half-second later. It didn’t take the brute long to survey the scene and realize what had transpired. With an angered growl in the Chemist’s direction, he stalked over to the broken window and searched down below. All he could make out in the darkness were shards of glass and two empty sets of restraints on the ground. But Viktor was nowhere to be seen. A prisoner no longer: he was gone, vanished into thin air.
Chapter 64
After a quick shower and some fresh clothes, I headed out to see Jasmine. If anyone could find a way to repair Standeval’s cane it was her. She was a virtual wiz with computers and electronics. A mystical cane didn’t exactly fall into either of those categories, but she was the closest thing to a genius I’d ever seen. Maybe she was one.
I bumped into Nick along the way. He was walking a bit gingerly and looked like he’d been fed through a meat grinder judging from the cuts and bruises all over his body.
“You doin OK?”
“You know me,” he said with a strained smile. “I’m like that bunny in the battery commercials. I just keep going and going and going.”
“Good. Because Jasmine thinks she may have a location on Kara.”
“When we leaving?”
That’s why I loved this guy. He was always ready for a fight. I’d never met anyone so willing to sacrifice his body and put it all on the line the way Nick did. I was thrilled to have him on the team.
“Not sure yet. Got a few things still left to do before we set out though. Stay close.”
“You know me,” he grinned. “I’m always close, no matter where you are.”
I smiled and kept walking through the manor. I passed several people I didn’t recognize along the way. The ranks had been replenished with new blood after the government raid on the old manor. I wondered how many of us were left. I doubt the number was that high.
“Charlie! Good to see you up and around,” said Jasmine, looking up from her work for a second as I entered the lab. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better, thanks.”
“See, I told you Vitamin C was just what the doctor ordered,” she joked. Then she noticed the pieces of the cane in my hand and that piqued her interest. “What happened here?”
“This is all that’s left of Standeval’s cane. I was hoping you could do something with it.”
“Bring it to me,” she insisted without hesitation. I covered the distance between the door and her desk in two bounds and handed the pieces to her. She marveled over the broken cane like a nerdy kid with his first science kit.
“I’ll have to hook it up to some of my special equipment and see what I can come up with,” she said after inspecting the cane up close.
“We need him in the fight,” I said, knowing I didn’t really have to remind her.
“I’ll put a rush on it.”
“Thanks, Jazz.”
“You bet.”
I turned to leave, but she stopped me.
“Before you go, there’s something I’ve been meaning to give you.”
Jasmine set the pieces of Standeval
’s cane on the desk, then stood up and walked to a set of wall lockers in the opposite corner.
“I think this will be very useful to you going forward.”
She punched the entry code on the keypad and opened the first locker. I was blown away by what I saw. Inside was a black biomechanical suit, hung on a headless mannequin.
“It’s lightweight, resistant to extreme temperatures and weather conditions.”
“That will come in handy during flight,” I said, impressed. I couldn’t help but crack a smile.
“Like the suit I constructed for Michael, yours has an internal network of sensors that will tap into your kinetic energy. The sensors are designed to trigger the neurotransmitters inside your body that will in turn give you a major boost. You’ll be stronger, faster and more powerful.”
“How much protection?”
“It will stop NATO rounds. Heavier ammo as well, but it will begin to lose its structural integrity if you take too many direct hits.”
“This is incredible, Jazz. And look, you even added a mesh hood!”
“I’m glad you like it. I’m just trying to do my part and help out any way I can.”
I smiled like a high school graduate who just received the keys to a brand-new car. The suit was beyond amazing.
“You help more than you know. You’re an integral part of this team. I don’t know what we’d do without you.”
“Aw, geez,” she said, sheepishly. “You’re going to make me tear up.”
I was about to reply when a strong gust of wind blew past me and nearly knocked me off-balance. Loose papers flew up and off Jasmine’s desk.
“Who’s about to make who tear up?” Nick asked, appearing before us as though he’d been there the entire time.
“Were you just eavesdropping?” I asked.
“Uh, no.” He tried to sound convincing but failed miserably. “I just happened to be on my way to the kitchen for a little snack.”
“The kitchen’s on the other side of the house,” I reminded him, trying to stifle the need to laugh at his latest theatrics.
“Oh…well, I—I needed to stretch my legs a bit. I might have overheard something about a new suit on the way by.”
He looked past Jasmine into the open locker where the suit was hanging.
“That’s nice.”
He tried to sound upbeat while hiding his disappointment. It made sense in a way. A guy with super-speed would never want to stand around while everyone else around him was getting some new gadget or custom outfit specifically designed for them. He was used to being first at everything. But now, he wasn’t even last. He hadn’t received anything at all. I could understand his pain in a way.
“Did you really think I just forgot about you?” Jasmine asked, right on cue. She punched the combination for the other locker. When she swung the doors open, Nick’s mouth stretched to form a nearly perfect O, he was so stunned. He looked like a contestant on The Price Is Right.
“This is what I have been working on for you,” Jasmine said, with great pleasure and pride. And for the first time since I’d known him, Nick seemed to be at a loss for words. He stared at the sleek black suit with childish excitement.
“This… is... AWESOME!” he finally blurted out, barely able to contain the joy.
“What are the specs?” Nick was nearly breathless as he fawned over his new toy.
“Your suit is a combination of synthetic polymers overlaid by the black metal alloy you see in the hexagonal or honeycomb-like design. You’ll notice when you run at a high rate of speed, the polymers will flex and expand. The metal alloy will also vibrate and expand, covering you almost completely in impenetrable armor.”
It was a remarkable design. Both suits looked entirely futuristic and unlike anything I’d ever seen.
“I don’t have a clue what you just said, but I’m in love already!” Nick shouted.
Another strong gush of wind filled the room and, just like that, Nick was standing in front of us, beaming from ear to ear with the suit on. He held his arms up and waited for a response.
“Well, what do you think?”
“You look great,” I admitted. “How does it feel?”
“Surprisingly light.”
Before Jazz or I could even utter another word, he was gone. Apparently, he couldn’t wait to test the new suit outside.
“He’s probably halfway across the city by now,” I joked.
“Well, let’s find out.” Jasmine pressed a button on her desktop keyboard. A holographic image came to life and we could actually see Nick streaking across the city in a silver blur. The image was so clear and realistic, he appeared to be running in place right there in the room.
“I put trackers in each of your suits. I won’t lose anyone else,” she vowed.
“Wait, I thought the suit was black? And what’s that thing on his head?”
“I was about to reveal that before he took off, but you know him. It is a bio-helmet that initiates when he starts to run, extending from the base of the neck. I’m still working on a few kinks, but when I’m finished he will have tracking, monitoring, even night-vision. And, the suit is black. But remember the honeycomb-shaped plates? They turn silver the faster he runs. Also, the plates become more flexible, eventually binding together into one cohesive unit. It’s basically flexible metal armor.”
“Wow,” was all I could manage to say. “How did you come up with the design? I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“That’s because the technology is Alarian. It’s from our home world. I’ve been working on these concepts for years.”
“Well, I’m grateful no matter what.”
“Thank you, Charlie.”
“Hey!” Robert shouted, bursting into the room nearly out of breath. “Can you tune into a television broadcast from here?”
“Sure,” said Jasmine. She set her monitors to display a TV signal. “Which channel?”
“It doesn’t matter,” he said, with a forlorn look on his face, “it’s on every one of them.”
I bit the inside of my lip in preparation for what I was about to see. I silently prayed it had nothing to do with Kara. But then I was reminded of an old saying:
If wishes were fishes…
Chapter 65
The broadcast didn’t involve Kara at all, at least so far as I could tell. But what it did involve wasn’t a whole lot better in the relief department.
The shaky camera zoomed in on the face of Cain as he stood behind a seated and barely conscious Vice President Palmer. His eyes were sunken and distant. The tailored suit he wore was wrinkled and badly soiled. Cain addressed the nation.
“It’s been forty-eight hours, Mr. President. The deadline I gave you has come and gone. I guess you don’t think I’m a man of my word. Just remember I warned you when that pretty white house of yours is crumbling down around you.”
“Where is he, Jazz?” I asked, keeping my eyes trained on the image of my former best friend.
“I’m working on it.” Jasmine had already opened up the trace program on her computer.
“So, what should I do with you?” Cain said, stroking the vice-president’s head like he was a Cheshire cat. “I know; how about we play a little game of hide-and-seek? The vice-president here will hide, and you have exactly sixty minutes to find him before I execute him on national TV.”
“Jazz…” I said with more urgency this time.
“I almost have him,” she said, her brow scrunched with intensity. Her fingers worked the computer keyboard like Elton John during a live rendition of Rocket Man. “Just a second longer—there! I found him. The broadcast is coming from a scrap yard at 1505 Briarwood.” She breathed a sigh of relief.
“Oh, and Charlie,” Cain continued, grabbing the camera and pulling it closer to ensure the message was loud and clear, “I know you’re watching. I’d sit this one out if I were you.”
The video feed ended abruptly, followed by the shrill sound of static. I wondered how he was able t
o tap into a national broadcast. No matter, I had to put an end to this. Best friend or not, he was threatening to destroy a place I had come to love and call home. And he was going to start by killing the Vice President on live TV.
The result would be catastrophic. The greatest, most powerful country on earth brought to its knees by a madman who could kill its leaders at will? It would create panic and chaos across the nation, not to mention the planet as a whole. I could finally see the endgame. America was just the first stop on Evolution’s tour of terror.
“We have to stop him,” I said. I looked at the bio-suit Jasmine had designed for me, hoping it would not only give me an edge when I faced Cain again, but also a much-needed boost in courage.
Because make no mistake about it, I was scared. For the first time in a long time I was afraid—not only for myself, but for my friends, too. This fight was going to take its toll on us and might even require the ultimate sacrifice when all was said and done. But my life was a price I was willing to pay.
This was all happening because of me and my actions. Cain and Evolution wouldn’t even exist if I had been just a little bit stronger, a little bit faster. I refused to see that happen again.
A silver streak flashed into the room. Nick slid to a stop and the hexagonal alloy plates of his suit mechanically separated and shifted back into their previous form. The sleek aerodynamic helmet retracted into the neckline of the suit and disappeared.
“This thing is unbelievable!” he raved, his face glowing like a jack-o-lantern. Then he looked around and quickly gauged the temperature in the room.
“Hey, why all the sour faces? What’d I miss?”
“Evolution is at it again,” Michael said, entering the room. He was donning his own new suit, and paused a moment while he took in Nick’s new look. “Very nice. I saw the broadcast in my room,” he replied with a little turned-up grin before anyone could ask.
The gang was all here—almost. A problem I hoped to soon rectify.
“You know this is probably a trap, right?” Michael asked, pulling at the fabric of his sleeve. He looked like the brakeman for an Olympic bobsled team, but way cooler.