by Candice Lim
“Who are you to say that to me?” His voice was crisp, echoing in every corner of the lab.
I hated seeing them fight. Especially at a time like this when we were supposed to have each other’s back. I couldn’t completely blame them. And I knew it was all because of me. If the ATP hadn’t come for me, Axon wouldn’t have lost his home.
Vaxine fixed Axon with a glare that could melt him.
Axon broke the silence. “You have no right to say that to me, Vaxine. Remember where you came from―”
Vaxine whipped out her Zapper and stuck it in Axon’s face. Derrick and I both flinched in shock.
“Whoa, hold it there, woman.” Axon’s voice shook. Ego won out and he fought to keep a straight face. He had held his hands up in defense though I saw no point in doing so. “You are scaring the kid.” He pointed in my direction.
“I am not a kid!” I yelled.
“You know I have a bazooka and you wouldn’t like it if I shove that in your pretty face. Now put down that―”
A second later, Axon lay flat on the ground. A wisp of black smoke snaked out from the burnt spot on his chest.
My heart nearly stopped. I couldn’t believe Vaxine actually did it though Axon would be all right in a while. Vaxine lowered her hand, but no guilt or remorse in her voice. “Too bad Zappers don’t have lighter ‘stun’ settings.”
Derrick looked at Vaxine, still in shock.
“You want something to eat?” asked Vaxine. “How about a pizza?”
Derrick skipped away as his hands shot up in surrender.
“Um, sorry.” Vaxine shook her head and pocketed her Zapper. “Leave me alone for a few minutes. I’ll be fine.”
☣☣☣☣☣☣
After the zap, Vaxine and Axon didn’t talk much. As a matter of fact, none of us had talked. I found it a relief from all the arguing. We were all consumed with our own thoughts. The ceiling-to-floor windows shut themselves, turning into a solid wall, and shielding the room from the morning light.
The night had been long. We only caught some shut-eye near dawn when fatigue eventually overcame worry.
“Don’t worry. I still know how to handle this shit,” said Axon, tapping away on the laptop when Vaxine woke up. She gave him a nod and shifted away, letting him take control.
Axon whipped out a can of beer he’d managed to salvage from the pandemonium. He took a big gulp and slammed the can on the table next to the metallic scroll. Axon had scrubbed up well in a brown leather jacket over a gray tee and a pair of ‘fresh from the dryer’ jeans. He looked more erudite and even quite charming.
We all had taken quick showers, slipped into a fresh change of clothes, and had breakfast. The three of us huddled together on the couch. Axon was the only one standing and doing the talking. “So far, I’ve managed to locate three potential facilities, all owned by Cash and MAD.” Blueprints appeared as Axon waved his hand at the screen. “Malakana Research Facility, the one near the straits of Malakana. All admin shit run by Cash’s most faithful, Cooper.” He spat. “That guy’s a real SOB.”
I arched a brow at him.
“Well, we’ve sort of crossed paths before but that’s a long story, I’ll save it for next time. Next, Gem Spring Laboratory.” The screen flickered to another scene. “Running small clinical trials and QC tests. Nothing special. And then, this place.”
I gasped at the sight of the futuristic superstructure. It was shaped like a fan, its curved blades breaking out of the ocean.
“Oceana Research Facility of MAD. In short the ORF, quite the contrary to how it looks like. Highly secure, not even a fly can get in. They are running tons of government-funded research there. It’s equipped with 10,000 square feet of animal-holding areas. Can you imagine the size of this big bad monster? I strongly believe Hershey is there.”
Derrick applauded. “Your presentation is most impressive, like in the old days, Axon. If what you say is true, then we must get in there.”
“That’s the problem. As I said, not a single fly can get in there. Cash is not stupid.”
“But this is our last resort, isn’t it?” Vaxine asked. “Look. We have no choice already. The anti-Cranax gene doesn’t work. More people are dying every day. Nothing changes if we sit here and wait for the sky to fall. We must take action.”
Axon found his voice. “She’s right. Waiting isn’t the solution. I am going in there.” He jutted his chin at the screen. Untold anger seethed in his eyes. “And I’m bringing my friggin bazooka.”
Vaxine rolled her eyes. “Hershey isn’t going to like this.”
“Who cares? They destroyed my friggin house!” snarled Axon. “You think I’m going to let it go like that? Screw the Ethics! Revenge is mine!”
“Whoa, you know you can’t waltz into a place like that!” Derrick got up from the couch. “We must have a plan.”
“I am the plan!”
“Well, everyone here wants to slam their fists into Cash’s face, not only you,” said Vaxine.
“But they nuked my friggin’ house―”
“Cranax took my parents,” I interjected quietly, but enough to make all heads turn. “I don’t even know if they are dead or alive.”
“And they captured Hershey,” added Vaxine. “Your house is nothing compared to what goes on every day in Graybridge and Whiteshore.”
Axon held his hands up in defeat. “All right, you win, Vaxine. I’m not going through this with you again.”
“I would appreciate it if you get serious with this matter. This is not your retaliation. It’s ours. And we are not blindly breaking in. There is a need for proper preparation since we are going to rescue our mentor.”
Axon scowled at Vaxine. “What brilliant idea do you have in mind?”
Vaxine gazed at the floor as she was contemplating ideas. When she lifted her head again, she stood up. “You have the full blueprint of the facility?”
“Yes, it’s pretty obvious.”
“Every floor, every room, every corner?”
“Everything you want is in my hands.”
“Then it’s all good. I have a plan. You gotta follow my lead.”
“That’s by default.”
☣☣☣☣☣☣
“Were you jealous?” Axon asked.
Vaxine and I both looked up. Though he was gazing out the windows at the murky sea it was easy to see his soul and mind was wandering.
Vaxine broke the silence. “Were you talking to me?”
“Who else?” He chuckled, baring his perfect set of teeth. He took another swig of beer. “What, you think Roxy has got anything to be jealous of me?”
I frowned and went back to reading on my tablet.
“No.” Vaxine laughed it off, though it sounded hollow like she was hiding the truth. Perhaps, she was. “Why would I?”
“You know, everybody’s calling me Hershey’s favorite. I got kinda sick of it.” A sigh escaped Axon’s broad chest. He turned from the windows and met Vaxine’s eyes. “They should have picked you for the project instead. You are charismatic, smart, loyal, wise. Well… everything I am not. And I want an ordinary life, like everybody else. You are different. You crave adventure.”
“Why be ordinary when you were born unique?”
Axon shook his head. “Not everybody wants to stand out. Some people, like me, want to sit back and enjoy the show.”
“Why do you think yourself as such a loser?”
Axon sipped his drink absently.
“I screwed up more than you can imagine,” sighed Vaxine, massaging her temples.
“That’s a sign of trying and learning.”
“I compromised the project. I was sworn to secrecy.”
“I’m pretty sure your crime can be discounted when you rescue Hershey from the enemy.” I put in my two cents. “Stop being such a drama queen.”
“I thought you were reading?” asked Vaxine.
“I have the attention span of an
Infected.”
Vaxine snorted. “How about you, Roxy? If you could turn back the time, would you still make the same choice?”
It had become my second nature to ask myself this question. Would I make a different decision? Would I still choose to walk this path? But I hadn’t expected it from Vaxine, someone who didn’t appear to care about anything else but Hershey, and maybe a bit of Graybridge. “If there’s anything I can do to get away from you, then hell yes.”
A weak laugh rumbled from Vaxine and Axon. That was all they could afford after a long day at work. Contemplating a rescue plan, to be exact. At least they had better stamina than Derrick, who had succumbed to sleep. They might have taken it for a mere joke, but there was something deeper than truth in those words.
“You still worried about your project?” asked Vaxine.
If Vaxine hadn’t mentioned it, it would still be lost in the labyrinth of my mind. Perhaps, why I didn’t feel a certain weight on my chest anymore. After all I’d been through, that crappy set of lab results held no meaning to me anymore. It was merely a measure of my worth through the eyes of someone else who probably didn’t even know who I was. “Nope. Not in the slightest.” I’d never been so positive.
Everyone drifted away in a deep trance, contemplating what the future might hold.
If only I had made another choice. Such as venturing into another field or ditching the Community altogether, my life would have turned differently, perhaps not happier. I wouldn’t even know who Hershey was, nor Vaxine, Axon, or Derrick. When I saw scientists in their shiny lab coats, I would sigh in awe, admiring their great contributions to Asia Nova, sheltered from the darkness behind the stage.
“We have one more problem,” said Vaxine, snapping the two of us out of reveries. “We have anticipated every complication we might face inside the facility. But we have overlooked how we are going to get in.”
A wry smile broke out on Axon’s face. “I should introduce you all to my Wifey.”
28
ROXY
The architecture of the Oceana Research Facility was more intimidating in real life. Six dagger-like towers jutted out of the sea, as though launching themselves to stab at the sky. Chrome blades caught the sunlight and glinted with a white energy field. The facility was shelled with a plasma field that protected it from shock waves. What a shame that the magnificent construction housed the facility run by Adenine Cash.
“Your freedom is close at hand, Roxy.” Vaxine’s voice was drowned by the waves hitting the boat. We were in the white speedboat or ‘Wifey’ as Axon called had named her. It had a streamlined body and glided across the sea like a torpedo. Axon had bought it from a friend and modified it to suit his needs, which included a cloaking system and an automated beer dispenser. “Everything will be over as soon as we get Hershey out.”
The wind whipped my hair and blew it around my face and neck. It played with Vaxine’s too, her hair danced as though it was alive. Axon and Derrick were behind the wheel. I savored this brief respite; not having them argue or come to blows while both breathing the same air was a luxury. Perhaps, their mutual thirst for revenge had united them. Our anticipation hung in the air like a static charge.
I turned to Vaxine, who stood on the deck and stared out to sea, possibly going over the plan again. Nothing came easy to Vaxine, always on the alert as if the universe was constantly plotting against her.
Glass panes glinted in the rough-hewn granite walls that bristled with minute weapons and sensors.
“We are going incognito,” said Axon.
Vaxine and I glided into the cabin. Derrick shifted aside to make room.
“Everybody ready?” Axon asked.
We all nodded. Axon placed his finger on the touchscreen panel.
“Cloaking system activated,” an automated female voice called out.
“Thank you, Wifey, thank you.” Axon smiled and clapped. He looked like he communicated better with nonliving things. Maybe he wasn’t quite used to complete solitude. The roaring of the engine softened into a barely audible purr as the waves calmed around the boat. The last few miles towards the ORF was a calm ride, and a stroll to doom.
“Vaxine, got the Jammer ready?” Axon asked.
“As ever.” Vaxine folded her hands. She wore the same unreadable expression. I hated such ambiguity, not having any clue if we were going to be okay or if Vaxine was trying to make this suicidal mission easier on us.
The boat slowed until we moored at a pier on the bank. Axon tapped a series of buttons and the engine noise petered off with a soft whine. No guards were in sight but the CCTVs and mounted sentry laser guns littered the walls at the back entrance of the ORF.
“Ready to go?” He looked at us. Maybe it was my imagination but he seemed hesitant.
I stood still as Vaxine and Derrick nodded. Axon gazed at them in turn. “Vaxine, you go with Roxy first. Derrick, we need to talk.”
No one protested, to my surprise, not even Vaxine. Vaxine steered me out of the boat and onto the pier. “Make it quick. The guards are changing their shifts. They’ll be back soon.”
Axon mumbled something to Derrick, who nodded in return. Their faces turned grim when Axon waved his hands around the control panel, apparently explaining some sort of emergency protocol to Derrick. Derrick’s lips never moved. He was only nodding in approval and submitting to what Axon had to say. It was strange that Derrick agreed with him without a word of objection. A moment later, the two rejoined Vaxine and me on the dock.
“I hope it doesn’t come down to that.” Vaxine glanced at Derrick, speaking in riddles, as she pulled out a tablet from her coat.
“It’s the only way to save the mission,” Derrick insisted but I didn’t know what he was referring to.
“I have disarmed the two infrared laser guns at the back door,” Axon stated. “The Jammer will take care of the CCTVs. As for the guards―”
The back door of the facility opened and two guards walked out. They froze when they were eye to eye with us. The guards groped for their rifles but Vaxine acted faster; shooting the two with her Zapper. They collapsed to the ground in a pile.
“Just in time. That should take care of them for five hours.” Vaxine picked the security badges from the guards’ chests and passed one to Axon. “There are hidden infrared monitoring systems everywhere in the facility. Pin this to your chest so they think we’re one of them.”
“What about Derrick and I?” I asked.
“I’ve set the deactivation program to ‘Auto Detect’ and ‘Disarm’ modes so it should be fine. If not, you can stay closer to the both of us.” Vaxine flicked her chin at the door. “Let’s get going.”
The first door had been an easy one. With a gentle push, it opened into an empty hallway. It was exactly like the floor plan in Axon’s scroll, which could be unrolled and flattened into an ultrathin tablet.
“Guys, we need some coordination here.” Vaxine read from her screen. She looked up, gazing at us in turn. “Guards are patrolling this facility on every floor and every corner. But they move according to their duty schedule. I have generated the route for us. Timing is everything. You have to follow my lead.” She pointed at the tablet. “Three are coming our way. Let’s move!”
Vaxine broke into a run, followed by the rest. We were right behind her as she led us along the main corridor with multiple turns. The coast was clear but I didn’t like the look of the CCTVs mounted on every wall. Vaxine’s gaze flicked back and forth between the tablet screen and the cameras. She constantly whispered, “Over here. Follow me.”
No one said another word. Not until we stopped after countless more turns and sprints. Vaxine stood by a corner while we huddled in her shadow, her eyes still glued to the screen. I was unnerved by the sudden pause.
“What now?” Axon’s voice was low but fed up.
“Incoming.” Vaxine looked up. “We need to retreat.”
“To where?” Derrick frowned.
“To the emergency stairs.”
We picked up the pace again, heading to the heavy EXIT door where Axon and I cowered behind. Vaxine pressed herself against the wall while Derrick stood ready with his Zapper. As the door shut, voices rose as the shadows of the guards loomed behind us. My heart beat like a drum. Through the frosted glass pane in the door, the silhouettes of two men flitted past.
“I don’t get what Cash wants,” said the guard to his colleague.
“Oh, she’s now at the nadir of human understanding. Be grateful you and I are never going to sink to that level,” his colleague replied.
