The Iso-Stasis Experiment (The Experiments)

by Jacqueline Druga

  Turning the corner to the gathering room, he spotted the open door. “Rickie, Carlos, stay back!” On his last word they stampeded in, barking in anger like the pack of wild animals they were. “Cal!”

  Immediately and together, they fired. They were the perfect team. They held the ten wolves at bay. They took them out one by one just before they leaped to attack. Jake heard the final yelp and saw the last wolf Cal took out fly backwards from the force of the shot. He charged forward and closed the front door. He was fast about it, quickly closing out anything else before it could storm in. Seconds before he shut the door, he saw the large bloody footprints that trailed outward into the snow.

  ^^^^

  “Shut up!” Jake shouted as loud. He was in his room with Rickie and Carlos who rattled and rambled in panic over John’s death. “Just shut up! Be men for Christ sake!” He paced frantically around the room, holding the back of his neck. “I have to think.”

  Cal remained calm, cradling her shotgun like it was a baby. “Jake?”

  “Fuck!” He was so angry and his face showed it. He grabbed his duffel bag and opened it, examining what was inside. He tossed it to the ground and rubbed his face. “OK.” He took a calming breath, letting it out through his nostrils. “Here’s the deal.” He leaned against the desk waiting for everyone’s attention. “All of us know what killed John. Whether it’s the same thing that just didn’t die, or a new one doesn’t matter. We have to take it out. But we have a problem. The last time Cal and I blasted it, it took about forty rounds of ammo and it still didn’t go down. We cannot defensively afford to do that again.”

  “So what do we do?” Cal asked.

  “Figure out another way,” Jake continued. “We have two problems, the wolves and the . . . I hate sounding like a bad moving from the fifties . . . the thing. We can take out the wolves one shot each. But this . . .” Jake hated to say it, “Thing,” he took a ‘disgusted at himself’ breath before continuing, “has to go down, and we can’t take it down as easily as the wolves. We have to destroy it. Anyone have any suggestions?”

  Carlos looked up. “Burn it. Burn it until there’s nothing left.”

  Jake’s thought and then asked, “Yeah, that’s a good idea, but where? We can burn it out there, but we stand a chance of it tossing itself in the snow to put out the flames. Plus we would have to get it far enough away from the building and that would mean dealing with the wolves.”

  Carlos came up with another suggestion. “What about the storage building?”

  Jake shook his head. “No. We need that as secondary shelter, just in case.” After getting a disgusted grunt of defeat from Carlos, Jake looked to Cal. “Anything, Cal?”

  Cal shook her head. “If it’s the same thing, we have to ensure it can’t stay alive. Take it apart maybe?”

  Jake lifted his hand to Carlos who moaned. “Easy. She’s just suggesting.” He turned his gaze to Cal. “Unfortunately . . .” he shrugged, “we can’t take it apart.”

  “Sarge?” Rickie slowly stood to his feet. “The wolves can.” All eyes turned to Rickie. “They could tear it to shreds.”

  The brilliancy of Rickie’s plan lasted a moment in Jake’s mind. “No.” He shook it off. “If they were going to do it, they would have. Good thought Rickie, but it won’t work.”

  “No, Sarge, it will work. They don’t attack Bigfoot because Bigfoot smells like them.” Rickie nodded. “If we can make him smell like us, man, those werewolves will be on him like you on Cal.” Rickie’s enthusiasm came across.

  The brightness returned to Jake’s smile.

  ^^^^

  Carlos’ suspicions about Rickie were confirmed. There was something entirely too demented about the ‘always stoned’ boy. Jake pounding extra security to the front door wasn’t enough to block it out. Neither was the total concentration Carlos put into mopping up the blood in the gathering room.

  Rickie’s singing was loud, and Rickie didn’t even sing good songs. He sang songs out of his era and out of character for him, not to mention at really bad times. Swishing the blood and ringing out his mop, Carlos found himself mentally joining in with Rickie’s own rendition of the song ‘Warrior.’ Actually it was the first tune Rickie had sung anything all afternoon that sort of went along with all that had occurred.

  “We’re back.” Rickie announced as he stepped into the gathering room with Cal.

  Jake stepped away from the door. “How did you guys do?”

  “Excellent-a-mundo.” Rickie set the box on the table and speaking nonchalantly began to remove items. “Cal-Babe and I went on a little perfume and cologne scavenger hunt. Found a gay magazine in Carlos’ room.”

  Jake’s eyes went to Carlos as quickly as he dropped the mop.

  Rickie started laughing. “Anyhow . . . Cal-Babe and I went through everybody’s smelly stuff.”

  Cal reiterated. “We took anything we thought of that caused a scent.”

  “True.” Rickie nodded. “We had this bitchin’ time. Whoa . . .” he looked at Cal. “If we had fun under the extreme pressures of sci-fi death, imagine the cool times we’re going to have when we’re roommates.”

  After getting a glance from Carlos, Jake stepped to the table. “I don’t think we are going to extend the invitation to live with us so quickly.”

  “We?” Cal looked at Jake. “We, as in you and me?”

  “Well . . .” Jake stammered. “I meant . . .”

  “Awfully presumptuous, don’t you think?” Cal asked.

  Rickie intervened, “It’s completely understandable, Cal-Babe. He’s making assumptions because he’s latched on.” He took a whiff of cologne, then dabbed himself with it. “Should have seen it coming, dudes always latch on to the babe they lose their virginity to.”

  Cal started to laugh.

  Carlos had enough. “Rickie,” he snapped. “I’m gay. Jake’s a virgin. You want to bust on anyone else during this really inappropriate time?”

  With his mouth swishing from side to side, Rickie looked up to the ceiling for a moment in thought. “Um . . .” He shook his head. “Nope, I’m done thanks.”

  Carlos gave up and went back to mopping.

  Observation Room - Caldwell Research Institute

  December 10 - 9:30 P.M.

  Sadly Stan’s raised his eyes as he placed the receiver down on the phone and looked up at Dr. Jefferson. “Nothing.”

  Dr. Jefferson swallowed. “How long has it been now?”

  Coughing, Stan flipped a page in his folder. “Nine forty-five this morning was the last hourly check in we had. We gave them till eleven and have been trying ever since.”

  “There are no cameras down there. Do you think perhaps there’s a problem with the satellite hookup?”

  “I thought of that,” Stan said. “But that would be impossible. We can still watch the remaining participants. Dr. Jefferson, has this ever happened before?”

  “What? Lost contact? No.”

  “No, that’s not what I mean. I have a bad feeling. Do you think something has happened to them?”

  “If it has, then it wouldn’t be the first time.” Clicking the pen he held, Dr. Jefferson placed it in his pocket. “Keep me posted.”

  “How can you do that?” Stan stood up following him. “How can you have a such-is-life attitude? These four people are part of our team. They’re part of us.”

  “That they are,” Dr. Jefferson told him firmly. “But they, like the rest of the participants, agreed to go. They knew the risks. They took them.” Without any more words, Dr. Jefferson walked out.

  I-S.E. Twelve - Seal River Complex, Manitoba, Canada

  December 11 - 2:30 A.M.

  It would become his nightly routine. Jake would make rounds through the building, checking all doors, armed and ready at every corner he turned. He was now armed with something besides a gun. Hooked to his belt by the yellow trigger was a squirt bottle that once held window cleaner but now was filled with John’s cologne. Always near Cal, Carlos and Rickie
were similar items. They were ready for the beast when it returned. They had their plan. It was gone over constantly, embedded in their minds. They would lead it outside and draw the attention of the wolves. Jake knew it wouldn’t be long before it would attack again.

  Jake raised the ladder to the roof and lowered the hatch. He had stepped up there to listen. He couldn’t see anything; the moon wasn’t full enough to cast enough light. Returning from the roof, Jake was somewhat disappointed that couldn’t hear it. That noise, that call couldn’t be heard, but Jake sensed he was there. He could feel it deep within his bones.

  Jake didn’t like to be gone, especially if Cal was sleeping, but he knew she was still up so he allotted himself a few more moments. Jake turned when he heard quiet unexpected footsteps coming to join him.

  “Hey.” Cal, her arms folded, approached him. “You should be inside. It’s cold.” She rubbed her arms. “What are you doing, thinking?”

  “Watching and waiting,” Jake said and pulled Cal close. “I’m hoping, too.”

  “Jake . . .” She raised her head to look at him. ”Not to be a damper and all, but . . . I don’t think we’re going to be able to trap him. He’s smarter than that.”

  “Why do you say that?” Jake asked.

  “He’s hunting us.” Obviously deep in thought, Cal looked out again. “He’s bigger than us and stronger. He knows he doesn’t go down that easy. If this is a game to him, a hunt, then why doesn’t he go after us all at the same time?” Cal spoke with confidence knowing what she was saying held frightening truths. “I think it’s too easy. He wants to make us sweat. He needs that thrill. He’s the hunter . . . and we’re his prey.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  I-S.E. Twelve - Seal River Complex, Manitoba, Canada

  December 15 - 1:00 P.M.

  “Cal! Get to the roof, now!” Jake shouted to her over the loud cries of the creature as it stood arms extended in attack mode facing Jake. Holding his shotgun, he kept Rickie safely behind him. “Hurry with that door, Rickie.”

  “Right away, Sarge.” With a window cleaner bottle under his arm, a rush of excitement and fear, Rickie raced to the front door, prying off the two by fours. “One . . . second.”

  Jake backed up leading the thing into the gathering room. “Come on,” he said, baiting it. “Come on. Look at you. Get me.” Jake kept moving at a steady pace. With a fury the thing swung forth and Jake threw his head back, giving it a taunting laugh. “Ha! Look how slow you are you stupid mother fucker.” He felt the blast of cold air on his back. “Come on!”

  The beast stopped, seeming to know it was being lured, and turned around to go back in.

  “Carlos, now!”

  Seeing the creature heading toward him, Carlos used a lighter and Jennifer’s can of hair spray to throw a long flame at the thing causing him to squeal and turn back toward Jake.

  He was close enough that Jake could poke him with the shotgun and step back. “Rickie, you get back out of the way.” Jake moved through the doorway with the angry beast following. The smell of the thing was soon overshadowed by the scent of cologne as Rickie began to blast him the second he went by.

  Feeling the hard ground become a soft snow, Jake used his own trigger bottle to blast away at the thing that used to be Griff. He watched the door to the building close. He knew it would be seconds before Rickie and Carlos were on the roof. Jake led it further outward, but not so far that he couldn’t leap to the safety of the rope dangling from the roof. “A little further,” Jake called, beckoning it. He raised his eyes and saw Cal perched on the roof which gave him a sense of security.

  The thing groaned louder, the misty white breath coming from his foul mouth making a cloud around him.

  Cal’s heart beat faster. She was ready. “Jake, now?”

  Jake shook his head, moving in circles not letting it go anywhere. He shifted his eyes. “Cal, fire into the hillside and start them moving. We can’t wait.”

  Cal fired a single shot from her rifle and the rumbling began.

  Jake avoided the swipes of the huge hands that he knew could tear him apart. He moved toward the rope, feeling the ground vibrating with the heaviness of the approaching wolf stampede.

  Cal aimed at the thing. Her breathing grew heavier the closer the wolves drew. “Jake?”

  “Not yet!” Jake cried and pumped his shot gun moving ever closer to the rope.

  The wolves were so close to Jake, one leap was all it would take and they would be on him. Cal knew there were too many to take out if they went after him instead of the thing.

  The beast glowered as it noticed Jake’s attention was no longer on him. With a loud cry the beast stepped toward Jake and prepared to lunge with the wolves no more than fifteen feet away.

  “Jake!”

  “Now!” Jake yelled and began to fire with Cal. The beast’s body shook with every hit it took, but still did not go down. Ceasing fire, Jake leaped out and grabbed the rope and clung to it as the wolves launched themselves at him. They slammed against the building, missing him as he flew up the rope. Climbing up to a safe distance, Jake paused and watched as the wolves surrounded the creature, barking, growling and pulling at him.

  The beast struggled to his feet fighting off the pack that was growing in numbers around him. He ran, pulling those who had hold of his flesh along with him.

  From the roof they watched as the beast disappeared into the moving blur of the wolf pack near the hillside.

  Jake did not join in the celebration shouts of Rickie and Carlos who stood behind him jumping up and down. Jake merely stood near the edge of the roof with his focus toward the hillside. He listened for something that would confirm the end to the creature’s reign but didn’t hear it. What he did hear, he was certain no one else did. It wasn’t what he wanted to hear. What he heard was the distant painful yelps of the wolves as they fell, one at a time, until there was silence. No. Jake lowered his eyes, and then lowered his head.

  “Jake?” Cal called out softly to him, moving closer. “What’s wrong?”

  Jake shook his head. No, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe it did fight back, but it can’t take them all. Not all of them. No way, there were too many. It’s quiet now. Maybe they got him. “Nothing, it’s nothing Cal.” He reached his hand out placing it behind her head and he pulled her into him. He wasn’t going to say anything. Why should he, he wasn’t sure.

  Cal felt his grip, the grip that didn’t want to let go. “You sure you’re fine?”

  “Positive.” He brought his lips down to kiss the top of her head, his eyes never leaving the far off hillside. “That was excellent shooting today, Cal, excellent.”

  “Thanks.” She stayed in his arms. “We unloaded a lot into him.”

  Jake closed his eyes and let his heart sink. “Yeah, I know.” It was a reality he didn’t want to face. How much they continuously fired and how much was wasted. Yes, Jake had come prepared to protect himself, more so than anyone else, but even he hadn’t come prepared enough for what they now faced.

  Investor’s Meeting - Caldwell Research Institute

  December 15 - 4:30 P.M.

  Aldo watched Stewart, Graison’s investor, more than he listened to Dr. Jefferson who was giving his opening comments at the meeting. Yet another investor was missing from the meeting. Running his finger down his mustache he wondered where Stewart’s mind was. Somehow he didn’t look quite as arrogant, cocky, as he did earlier. Still, he had that look of confidence on his face, a look that Ivan and Douglass, Rickie and Carlos’ investors, did not.

  Aldo would have felt a little more confident, if he hadn’t been worried so much about Griff. He knew by the tapes that everyone thought they killed it, everyone that is except Jake. Aldo could see that look in his eye. Jake had something in the back of his mind and Aldo would bet his fortune it was Griff.

  Maybe it was the drop in Dr. Jefferson’s voice that got Aldo’s attention, but more so he believed it was the word ‘metamorphosis’ that made him listen up. Shi
fting his focus, and his chair, Aldo turned his attention to Dr. Jefferson.

  “The metamorphosis has made its way again to the far entrance of the controller’s tunnel,” Dr. Jefferson explained. “He did this for protection from the wolves and for a place to let his wounds heal, to rejuvenate himself. Our scientists tell us he sustained a lot of injuries and is now in a deep sleep stage. When severe rejuvenation is needed, the deep sleep could last some time. Our participants may have a Christmas break, so to speak.”

  The comment ‘oh, that is so weak’ coming from Stewart’s mouth made Aldo see red. With a slamming hand he faced the scrawny little man. “What is your problem? Haven’t they seen enough to warrant a break? Let them celebrate the birth of our Lord for Christ’s sake.”

  “Let’s have a winner and end this game!” Stewart argued. “It’s dragging on. Only one other experiment had this many people left after nearly five months. End it. It’s ridiculous.”

  “You’re ridiculous,” Aldo said pointing at him. “And you’re getting on my nerves.”

  Stewart didn’t a response for Aldo. He faced Dr. Jefferson instead and asked, “Does the stasis know what he’s doing?”

  “Yes. He still has Griff’s mind and Griff’s ability to see things in his demented way.” Dr. Jefferson explained. “He is different than the last ones or the ones we have in the basement lab. Griff is brilliant. Most serial killers are. Not only was his body metamorphosed but also his mind. The DNA transformation is remarkable. Up there now we don’t just have an unleashed beast, we have a master hunter.”

  Aldo, holding a pen, waved it at Dr. Jefferson. “Did you steal that from Cal? The other night on the tape she made a similar comment. Is she correct or did you just like her phrasing?”

  “In essence, she is absolutely correct. They are being hunted. Only we feel it is more strategic. We believe the Stasis is hunting them one at a time, making them hold their breath between kills as he moves from weakest to strongest. We think he’s saving Graison for last. Realistically, if he eliminated Graison now, the rest would be too easy. The thrill, the challenge would not be there for him. Actually Griff knows it is a game. I guarantee you he wants to win.”