by M. R. Forbes
“When you get older,” she would say, “you’ll realize there’s nothing special about it. It’s just another day. Make the most of all of them, Davey. Don’t wait for that once a year.”
She had meant well, but he still missed the cake.
The door to the room slid aside, and Doctor Valentine walked in, flanked by Doctor John Byrnes and their head of security, the one Doctor Valentine called Mackie. Mackie was cute too. Not as pretty as Doctor Valentine, but he knew he was too scrawny and ugly to be picky. She had a handsome face and a shapely body. What more could someone like him have wanted?
Of course, sitting in a puddle of urine and shaking like a leaf in a windstorm wasn’t likely to score him any dates. He looked weak because he was weak.
He just wanted to go home.
“David,” Doctor Valentine said. “How are you feeling?” He noticed her noticing his wet groin, but her eyes didn’t linger and her expression didn’t reveal any negative judgment.
“Scared,” he admitted.
“I know this hasn’t been easy for you,” she said. “Honestly, when I was in school I never expected holding someone prisoner would be part of my job description. But we don’t always get to choose the shit life throws at us, do we?”
“No, we don’t,” he replied. “I never expected demons to overrun the Earth.”
She laughed, causing him to blush. “Me neither. My goal isn’t to hurt you David.” She moved past the chair to the counter behind him. He hated when she did that. “It’s actually the opposite. I want to heal you. That’s why everything has taken so long. I’m trying to be as certain as I can that the alterations will be effective.”
“Alterations?”
She came back to the front of the chair. “Have you ever heard of CRISPR?”
“No.”
“It’s a method of genetic editing. You may not have heard of it directly, but you may be familiar with some of its applications. For example, it was used to wipe out the mosquitos that carried malaria, and to create fruits and vegetables that stay ripe for weeks without spoiling.”
“Wow.”
“Exactly. My team and I have been working to create a tool like CRISPR that will allow us to make better humans. Humans that can resist the trife, fight back against them, and ultimately defeat them.”
“I saw Sergeant Pratt heal from his wounds in seconds,” David said. “Was that CRISPR?”
“Sort of. Our methods follow the same principle, but we do it by injecting prepared plasma into your bloodstream.”
David could hear Mackie moving behind him, doing something on the counter. “You’re going to inject me with something?”
“Yes. This is the next evolution of our original sample. We’ve spent the last year working on it, but there always comes a time when you have to let your babies fall or fly. Today we’ll find out which it is.”
“I’m going to die.”
Doctor Valentine smiled. “Oh, I wouldn’t think of it that way. No matter what happens, you’re doing a great service to the rest of humankind. The most successful people become successful because they’ve learned from failure.”
“I’d rather help myself.”
“At least you’re honest. I’m sorry, David. We need you.”
David shifted his hands. They were shackled to the chair, limiting his movement. “Like I have a choice?”
“True. Choices are for the strong. You? You aren’t strong, are you?”
“I’m a survivor.”
“And how do you survive, David?”
David remembered Corporal Carlyle, the Marine who had helped him during the trife attack. He remembered how he had left the man to die, taking advantage of Carlyle’s bravery to run.
“Any way I have to,” he replied, swallowing hard. He could feel the heat of his embarrassment on his face. He hated to feel so weak in front of her.
Doctor Valentine moved in close to him, leaning over to put her face near his. David’s heart began to pulse to have her so close to him. His face began to burn even more. “Uh. Um. What are you doing?”
She put her lips to his ear, breathing into it. He could smell her breath, minty and fresh and hot. “Distracting you,” she replied.
Something stung his neck. He grunted in pain, struggling against his restraints. Too little, too late. Doctor Valentine stood up, her expression a mix of amusement and disgust. She thought he was weak and pathetic.
He hated that.
“What’s going to happen to me?” he asked, his voice cracking.
“If things go well, you’ll show positive alterations in your healing factor, agility, and general intelligence. If they don’t go well? You probably won’t wake up.”
David’s fear burned through him. He closed his eyes, fighting to hold it in check. He didn’t want to lose control of his bladder again. He already looked weak. Doctor Valentine already thought he was a joke.
She stared at him in silence, waiting. He stared back at her, his eyes getting heavy. Everything was going to go away. He was terrified it would never come back. As bad as his situation was, dying was worse.
He might not have a choice. Choices were for the strong, and that wasn’t him.
He sucked in one last breath and the world faded away.
Chapter 8
Years earlier…
David didn’t know how long he’d slept. When he woke up, he felt good. Better than he had in a long, long time.
Better than he ever had.
He took a deep breath – deeper than he could recall ever having breathed before – finding it easier to breathe than he could remember. He put a hand to his stomach, feeling his stomach expand as he sucked loads of air into his lungs.
Lungs?
“Congratulations, David.”
David turned his head toward the voice and realized he wasn’t in his cell. He was in the research lab, the chair adjusted so he was lying flat. They had changed his soiled pants and taken his shirt so they could put sensors on his body, but otherwise he hadn’t moved.
“How do you feel?” Doctor Valentine asked.
“Good,” David said. “I feel good. Better than good.”
“Your damaged lung has regenerated. You should be able to breathe like a normal, healthy young man.”
“It’s amazing,” he said. “I was so afraid you were going to kill me, but you didn’t.”
“No, we didn’t. The better news for both of us is that your brain activity is stable. No signs of delusions or paranoia. No signs of rejection of the altered DNA. As near as I can tell, the editing went flawlessly.”
“That sounds great.”
“There is one complication.”
“What’s that?”
“We do have to test your stimulus-response.”
“What does that mean?”
Mackie appeared from behind the table. She had a scalpel in her hand.
“We have to cut you,” Doctor Valentine said.
David looked at the scalpel, and then back at her. He was breathing better than he had in his entire life. If his lung had regrown, why shouldn’t his skin?
“Okay,” he said. “Go for it.”
Doctor Valentine smiled, surprised by his willingness. She nodded to Mackie, who lowered the scalpel to his arm.
She pressed down as she sliced, cutting deep. It hurt more than David thought it would, the blood pouring easily from the deep cut as Mackie dragged the blade through.
“Ow. Damn,” David said, looking over at the wound.
Mackie drew her hand back. All three of them watched as first the blood stopped flowing, and then the flesh and muscle quickly knitted back together.
“You did it, Riley,” Mackie said, staring at the unblemished flesh.
“We did it,” Doctor Valentine replied. “David, how does it feel?”
“It still hurts a little. It feels okay now. Better than okay. I’ve never felt better in my life.”
“Everything looks good so far. I’m pleased with the
way things are turning out.”
“Me too,” David said. He felt so damn good. So strong. His body was tingling like it was on fire. He could breathe normally. What else could he do? “Is this all I get? Super healing? Or is there more?”
“There’s more,” Doctor Valentine said. “You should see improvements in your hand-eye coordination, your agility, your endurance, and strength. The genes play a massive role in your capabilities and limitations. A larger role than most people realize.”
“I can’t wait.”
“It shouldn’t take long. We need to keep you under observation for a while. Sergeant Pratt exhibited a lot of the same improvements, but the alterations had a negative effect on his mental state. I have a theory that the age of the subject is important. Older brains struggle more to handle the change. It’s easy to feel invincible, but you aren’t invincible. You aren’t a god. You’re just a more optimal human.”
David nodded. “I see. I don’t know, Doctor. I feel pretty powerful right now, to be honest.” He flexed his arms, pulling against the metal restraints holding him to the chair. “I feel like if I tried hard enough, I could bust right out of these bonds.”
“What would you do if you got out of them?”
David paused. “Hmm. I don’t know. If I were that strong? What do you think I should do with it?”
“If everything goes according to plan, I’d like to work on making similar alterations to one of the female civilians in Metro, and then introducing the two of you. Would you like that, David?”
David’s heart started thumping. He was already aroused – a side-effect of the sudden rush of energy and strength. “I might if she looks like you.”
“I’m sure I can find someone who looks like me,” Doctor Valentine said. “In the meantime, if you’re willing, once we’ve finished our evaluation I can let you walk free in Research. You can become part of my team.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I never wanted to keep you prisoner, David. But you need to understand how important this work is.”
“Oh, I do, Doctor. I understand. You can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs, right?”
“That’s not what I meant. The human race is at war, David, and before we didn’t have any weapons to stand up to our enemies. Now we have one. You. And if we can make more, and they can have children with the same genes, then by the time we reach our destination, we could potentially have thousands. You’ll be directly responsible for saving humankind. How does that feel?”
“It feels great.” David smiled. Everything felt great. Everything felt easy. He pulled against his restraints again. Breaking them would be so easy. And why should he be a prisoner anyway? He was special. Important. He kept watching Doctor Valentine. Riley. That was a pretty name. She was a pretty woman. “Doctor Valentine?”
“Yes, David?”
“Maybe you could take the CRISPR? Then you would be like me, and you and me could test your theory. About making super babies, I mean.”
She smiled. “I’m too old to take it. I’m almost old enough to be your mother.”
“I think you should take it. Do you have any more?”
“We always keep extra so we can replicate it. I’ll find someone for you. Someone closer to your age. Metro has a database of every passenger. I can show you their profiles. You can pick the woman you want.”
“Hmm.” David didn’t mind the idea, but it didn’t really excite him. Riley excited him. “I really want you, Riley.”
Doctor Valentine’s expression changed when he used her first name. She stiffened, glancing over to where Mackie was standing. The other woman was looking back at her, concerned. Her hand started drifting behind her back.
“I don’t mean any harm,” David said. “You’re just so beautiful, that’s all. Beautiful and smart. I think we’d make a good couple. You said I’m special. That I’m optimal. So why don’t you like me?”
“I never said I don’t like you,” Doctor Valentine replied. “I told you, I’m too old.”
“I think I should decide that.”
David pulled at the restraints. They broke easily beneath the force, the metal bending out of shape before snapping. He kicked his legs out, one at a time, breaking the bonds.
“Mackie,” Doctor Valentine said, backing up.
“Are you afraid of me?” David asked. “Why? You’d rather be afraid of me than be like me? You’d rather be afraid of me than be with me?” He felt the heat of Mackie’s arm coming toward him. He turned and reached up, catching her wrist before she could jab him with a needle. He turned his wrist and pushed, throwing her to the floor. “I wasn’t going to hurt you. But you want to hurt me? Why? You made me.”
He turned back to Doctor Valentine.
“Look what you did, David,” she said, pointing to Mackie, who was slowly getting up. “We’re trying to help you. All we’ve done is try to help you.”
“I’m trying to help you, Riley,” David replied. “You can have optimal babies. You can make your own army. Isn’t that what you want?” He lunged for her, moving too fast for her to get away. He grabbed her wrist and held it tight. “Where’s the CRISPR? I want you to take it.”
“I’ll go insane.”
“Is that what you think? That I’m insane?”
“No, but you’re mind is younger. Didn’t you listen to what I said?”
“Do you think I’m stupid too?” He squeezed her wrist, and she cried out in pain. “If I break you enough you’ll have to take it, won’t you? If you don’t want to die.”
He heard a crack behind him and felt something punch into his back. It was followed with a second something, and then a third. He glanced back over his shoulder.
Mackie had drawn a gun from somewhere, and she had shot him three times. She was preparing to shoot him a fourth.
He let go of Riley, moving toward Mackie. She fired twice more, the rounds hitting him in the chest. It hurt. A lot. But the action enraged him, and he kept going, reaching out and grabbing the weapon from her hand as it fired into him again.
“I didn’t do anything to you,” he said. “I wouldn’t have hurt any of you.” He swung his hand into her, throwing her sideways into the chair. Her head bounced off the side of it, and she collapsed to the floor.
David whirled around to face Riley. Only she wasn’t there. She had let her friend take the beating so she could run.
That was okay.
He didn’t mind chasing her.
Chapter 9
Years earlier…
The door to the lab closed in front of David. He came to a stop, staring at it for a moment. Riley wasn’t getting away that easily. He looked around the room. They had left him with all kinds of equipment and heavy machinery. One looked like a square metal box. He walked over to it and started lifting the heavy machine with little effort. He knew he would never have been able to pick it up before his change.
He had no trouble doing it now.
He raised it over his head, turning back to the door. She couldn’t run from him like that. He wanted her to take the CRISPR. He wanted her to be like him. Then they would be together, and they would be happy. Why didn’t she want that? She wasn’t too old, no matter what she thought.
The door slid open again. Doctor Byrnes and Doctor Craft flanked the doorway, rifles in hand.
“David,” Craft said. “Put the centrifuge down and put your hands up. It’s going to be okay.”
“Where’s Riley?” he asked.
“I’m here, David,” she said, appearing behind them. “You don’t have to do this. We don’t want to hurt you, and you don’t want to hurt us.”
“You know what I want.”
“I can’t do that. David, if you make me take it you’re going to kill me. Is that what you want?”
“No. I love you.” He noticed Craft’s expression when he said it. “I do, Doctor Craft. I love her. She’s perfect.”
“I’m not perfect,” Riley said. “Far from it.”
“You’re trying to trick me, aren’t you? You think I’m an idiot.” David stepped toward them, still holding the heavy centrifuge. He had forgotten they had already shot him in the back. It didn’t hurt anymore. In fact, he felt even stronger than he had a minute ago.
“David, don’t move,” Doctor Craft said.
“Or what, Paul?” David said. “You’re going to shoot me? Go ahead.” He smiled, taking a step toward the doctor.
Craft did fire, a single round that hit David in the chest. His breath escaped him, and he stumbled forward, the machine in his arms suddenly heavy again.
“Paul, damn it!” Riley shouted.
David recovered his strength and threw the centrifuge at Paul, who tried to get out of the way. It caught him in the shoulder, spinning him around and knocking him down.
The violence caused Doctor Byrnes to start shooting, unleashing a volley of slugs. David put his hand up in front of his face, tears coming to his eyes from the jolting pain in his chest and hips and arms. He cried out, rushing the other doctor.
He reached him, dropping his hand away and grabbing the rifle, tearing it out of the man’s grip and throwing it back into the lab. John tried to backpedal away. Too slow. David punched him in the face, the blow shattering his teeth and knocking him to the ground.
“David, stop!” Riley said. She had backed away from him again.
He turned toward her. “I can’t. Not until you take the CRISPR. Just do it, Riley. Nobody has to get hurt. We can be together. I’ll take care of you. I’ll be gentle. I promise.”
He heard the gunfire before he felt it. His head whipped to the left. Harry was there, shooting him again. It hurt so bad. He needed to get away from it. He looked the other way. He was in a small corridor. There was a door at the end of it that looked thicker than the others.
A second barrage joined the first, Doctor Gu appearing behind Harry, sending more rounds into him. He fell to his knees, turning and taking the rounds in the back. He wasn’t sure how much more he could take.
