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Agent Madeline Byrne sat at a desk with a detailed report titled, "Hyper-Accelerated Activity" in her hands. "My god." She whispered, "And you suspect that Sellers is now capable of this? His pysch profile already says he's a borderline case. If he's somehow able to manipulate himself, I mean, I'm no scientist, but this man could do anything he wants, and there's nothing we can do to stop him."
"True, it would be difficult to stop him, but we're able to detect when someone makes the transition." Dr. Mason typed a few commands on the keyboard. "The problem is that this 'early detection' is almost useless because by the time we detect any change, it's already too late. That's why we need to do an autopsy and find out what changed Mr. Gonzalez and possibly duplicate it."
"What about his wife? She could object to it?"
After putting down the phone, Agent Hasert interjected, "Unfortunately, Dr. Gonzalez is suffering from some form of mental delusion; they say they have no idea what may have caused it. They have advised that she be kept sedated for her own safety."
An assistant walked into the room. "Dr. Mason, the body is ready for autopsy." Dr. Mason had Hasert take Madeline to the observation room. Dr. Mason entered the Spartan operating theater and pulled down an overhanging microphone closer to record her observations. "This is autopsy series one. Dr. Anna Mason performing the examination. Subject is a male, hispanic, approxiamately 37 years of age. Weight 245 pounds. Death was caused by multiple stab wounds to the chest by a surgical scalpel."
Anna looked at the wounds. "This isn't right," she said into the microphone, "On visual examination, the wounds are not severe enough to have been the cause of death. The lacerations are not deep enough to have severed any major blood vessels. They look like bad paper cuts."
Remembering what was done to him earlier at the Bone Dry facility, she probed the outside of his rib cage with her fingers, carefully applying pressure. "This can't be right. A two-inch section from the eighth rib on the left-side was removed for further examination. The eighth rib on this body has the section in question. The subject's identity has been confirmed." With a syringe from a nearby tray, Anna drew blood from the body and prepped it quickly, placing the slide under a nearby microscope to look at. "What the hell is going on?!" She gasped. The blood cells on the slide crackled with energy like a static discharge.
"Okay doc, I'm ready."
"Excellent Chester," Sellers said looking past his minions to Awilda sitting beside him in the car. "Are you ready?" Sellers reached out to Ms. Concepcion.
She flinched away from his touch. "Don't hurt them. You promised."
"And if you do as I say, then you have nothing to fear from me. I need access to that facility, and you can provide some lovely cover." His face grew darker. "Now remember, cross me, and you will be busy trying to arrange for six funerals. You know Andrew wouldn't hesitate using the trigger word to your family if we happened to be caught. Can you imagine what the morning's headlines would be like."
"No, please." She wimpered.
"Good, since you are known, I can use you to keep the attention away from myself and Chester here."
"Yo, doc, we're coming up to the first gates." The Suburban pulled up to the gates. The guard paid some attention to the three people inside and saw three badges, one on each. He waved them through, giving them access to the first part of the complex.
Sellers sat back in his seat and fired up a cigarette. "There, go down this way and turn at the next intersection. The building over there surrounded by the fencing is where we have to go.
"Sure thing. You been here before?"
Sellers looked at the faraway building. Memories came back to him from long ago. "Yes, a long time ago from what it seems. We have to make sure that there's no record of the experiments that have affected all of us."
"No prob there. I don't want some damn geek sticking something in me. We're coming on the second set of gates. You sure about this, doc?"
Feeling self assured, Sellers responded, "Of course, just stop the vehicle when the guard tells you."
Chester pulled the van up to the guard shack as he was instructed, and the guard waved him through. "Hey doc, I didn't feel you do it."
"You should have shifted when I did. Give my your stablizer."
Chester handed him the modified cellphone. Sellers looked it over. "I believe it may not be as finely tuned as before. I'll hold on to this and fix it when we get back."
"But doc."
"Don't worry. You have thirty hours before you're forced back and you just shifted when I did. Just stay close to me."
Sellers moved back to the middle benchseat where Awilda sat; he looked at her tender red face. "There, there don't cry." He stroked a tear away from her cheek. "I just want access to the research mainframe system. That's all. You've done splendidly." Sellers knew that she had been adjusted to be so afraid so as not to do anything rash.
"We're here."
"Good, come along dear."
Awilda got out and walked into the building with Sellers and Chester right behind her after they had put on some white labcoats.
Anna screamed, "My god! He's got a heartbeat!" She scanned the other monitors that were quickly hooked up to Joel's body.
"What?! How's that possible," Madeline screamed, "He was dead!" Both she and Hasert ran out of the observation room to the operating theater.
Anna heard the sound of a deep breath being taken. She slowly turned around and saw Joel's chest rising and falling. Feeling groggy, Joel sat up. "Where am I?"
Holding back her panic, Anna mustered her sweetest voice, "It's all right sir. You were in an accident." She placed her hands on his shoulders, gently pulling him down flat onto the table. "Now just relax sir. Everything will be okay."
Behind Joel's back, Anna motioned Madeline and Hasert not to enter the room. "Just relax, and I'll be right back sir."
Anna closed the door to the hallway where they were waiting for her. Madeline broke the silence first, "What the hell happened in there? How did he..." Motioning with her hands. "...come back?"
Final grasping what had happened, Anna looked visibly shaken. "I don't know. His blood showed...something. Something I've never seen before." She paused for a moment. Looking for the right words to say. "It's as if he's charged. I knew he was exposed to something from the reaction. Sellers could never identify what it was, and that's what possessed him."
Anna looked back through the window. Joel was resting on the table. "Agent Byrne, I need you to go in there and keep him calm. Don't tell him anything. Lie if you have to. I have to get some monitoring equipment. Hasert, just stay out of sight."
Sellers walk about the facility with Awilda right by his side. Chester lagged behind a few step trying very poor to look like he belonged there. They turned a corner, and Awilda slid her pass card in a reader. A door to one of the labs slid open. Sellers found a computer and typed in Warren's access code.
"Chester, look around the room and see if anything on the list I gave you is here." He looked back into the monitor. "They did increase the security. The main frame is a stand-alone. That's good." He murmured to himself. With Warren's access, Sellers navigated through the menus and found the research data he was looking for. Sellers mused over the computation, quickly calculating the sums. "Someone has extrapolated data on the research." He typed a few more keys, and then his mouth dropped open in astonishment. Then just as quickly his face twisted red in anger. He got up from the computer and walked over to Awilda. He placed his hand on her cheek. "I'll keep my promise. I won't harm your family, dear girl."
Awilda threw back her head. Her face etched in fear as her body moved on it's own. Accepting the small pistol Sellers handed to her and stiffly walked out of the lab, down the hallway.
"Chester, we have to tie up a very loose end." A scowl crossed his face. "Now, our little angel is doing her job, and we don't have much time."
"Where's my wife? I want to see her," Joel said weakly. Joel tried to get up again, but Madeline held him down firmly. "Lie down." Madeline looked at the door. "Dammit where is Dr. Mason."I'm sure Janice will come by soon. Please rest."
Anna looked over her checklist again in the equipment room. "Here take this. We may need to preserve the tissue samples for transport." She heard a gasp then a thud from behind.
"Hello Anna." Came Sellers voice from behind.
Startled, Anna spun around where Sellers was standing. "Dr. Sellers! You're alive. I thought you wer...."
Sellers placed a finger across Anna's lips. He looked at her and gently smiled "No, I'm not dead. I managed to get out while I could. I thought you had been killed."
"I was brought here and treated, they wante...." Her vision blurred. The next instant Anna realized she was pinned against the wall with her hands cinched behind her back and her throat clamped by Sellers' hand.
"Arghhhhhhhhhhh!!"Joel howled in pain. He felt the shift and his body reacted. Madeline had her hands on his shoulders when it happened. Her senses swirled as she tried in vain to let go of Joel. Her hands were stuck to him like a paperclip on a magnet. Then just as quickly as it had started, it was over.
"He's..." Coughing hoarsely. "He's here. I can feel him." Joel got off the table and fell to the ground.
Madeline regained herself. "Who? Sellers?" Joel nodded. Madeline helped him up. "You can't do anything. Not in your condition.
Joel coughed. "I have to."
The door slid open. "Evening Dr. Concepcion. You're not scheduled to pick up anything," said the guard sitting at his post desk.
Awilda just smiled, pulled out a small pistol, and shot him the head. Inside her mind she screamed in pain. She knew what was happening and what she was doing, but it was not her. It was like her body was acting on its own. She reached over the desk and pressed the vault button. A small klaxon sounded off as the vault door opened. On a nearby console, Awilda's fingers danced across the keyboard. She entered her name and authorization. The screen switched to a waiting screen then switched back to the authorization screen. She entered the authorization code again, and the system complied. The screen blinking.
Loading: One(1) M.E.R.V. Sub-Warhead 1K (NU)
A robotic arm retrieved the small warhead and loaded it onto a pushcart. Awilda went over to the cart and opened the access panel.
Sellers looked away. "He's here," he said in a whisper. Sellers locked his eyes on Anna's blue eyes. He could smell her fear as she struggled. He tightened his grip on her throat. "I trusted you. I never thought you actually knew what we were doing. I saw your research data. You're good. You had me fooled."
Anne struggled against his tightening grip. "P...p...p...please don't," she sputtered. Then the next instant she heard her neck snap. Her vision went black.
Sellers released his grip. Her body dropped down to the floor limp and lifeless. Sellers leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "Goodbye Anna."
"Arghhhhhhhh!" Joel screamed in pain again. He was forced to shift again in his weak state. Madeline felt her stomach churn as the shock came back again. Not as hard as the first time. They walked down the hallway where she had seen Dr. Mason walk down, Hoping to find out where she might be.
Awilda's face was full of tears. She struggled against herself as the timer was set by her own hand and began the short countdown.
Joel pulled away from Madeline and stumbled down the hallway. "Here's nearby." Joel turned around the corner and walked right into Chester.
"OH SHIT!!" Chester yelled. He jumped back. "DOC! DOC!" Chester ran back the other way. Sellers heard the cries and left the room. Chester ran into him. "He's here. Just down that way."
Sellers looked at his watch. "Dammit! We have to get out of here."
Joel turned the corner. His face was sweaty and pale. He leaned up against the wall. "Sellers!" Madeline drew her pistol and jumped into Sellers' view. "STOP!!"
Sellers snarled. "I don't think so," and Sellers shifted.
That next instant, Joel felt the energy build-up. He fought against it. He forced his body to stay in normal time, against Sellers. "NO!" Joel screamed as he dropped to his knees. Sellers felt the feedback. He couldn't shift. He was still in normal time. "NO!" Sellers screamed.
Madeline pulled the trigger. The bullet struck Sellers square in the left shoulder, knocking him to the floor. "OH SHIT! DOC!" Chester yelled. Chester turned away and ran. He turned a corner and ran into a squad of three security guards with their weapons at the ready. "Halt, or we'll fire!" Panicked, Chester turned around. "Fire!" They opened fire hitting Chester at least five times." One of the guards stayed with Chester as the other two turned the corner.
Madeline ran up to Sellers with her pistol pointed right at his head.
"DROP YOUR WEAPON!!" Screamed one of the guard.
"I'M FBI!!" She yelled.
"SHOW ME YOUR BADGE!!" He yelled back.
Madeline twisted her waist, she kept her pistol right on Sellers' head. The two guards saw her badge and ran up to assist her.
"How the hell did you know about this?"
"Surveillance system." Was all the guard said. "We'll take it from here."
"The hell you will!" Madeline still had her weapon pointed to Sellers head.
"NO!" Sellers screamed. "I have to get out of here!"
"WHY?!" Madeline yelled."
"There's a bomb rigged to blow! You can't stop it!"
Madeline cocked the hammer back. "Where?!"
Sellers cringed back into the wall. "The weapons vault! Down that hall!"
Madeline grabbed Joel. He looked like he had died. His face ashen and sweaty. He tried to pull away as Madeline picked him up and ran down the hallway towards the vault. As soon as Madeline had turned the corner, the two guards reholstered their weapons while the third guard rejoined them.
Sellers got up nonchalantly, brushing himself clean. "Good work, is the vehicle ready?"
"Is Chester dead?" Asked Sellers.
"Yes sir." Replied the guard.
"Good, at least he was able to provide some cover for me. Take me to your vehicle."
Madeline dragged Joel down the hallway into the weapons vault. Madeline saw the dead guard lying on the floor in his blood. Awilda stood by the warhead in mute fear. The anguish in her eyes told Madeline everything she needed to know. The countdown indicator showed
4
(Joel pulled away from Madeline)3
(Joel reached out with his hands)2
"RUN!!" Joel yelled.In blind panic, Madeline turned around and ran for her life. She felt a shock of energy bite her but she kept running. Past the people, past everything, running like an animal stampeding until she could run no more. She collapsed on the side of the highway, exhausted and worn. Her lungs burned and her head ached. She bit her lip and tried to block out the pain in her mind. That was when she felt the shock again through her body and sands of New Mexico felt the power of the sun exploding on it.