Invincible Heart: The John Baker Chronicles: A Permutation Archives Division (The Permutation Archives Book 1)

by Bryan Tann

  “Well?”

  “It is done, Commander. I still do not understand.”

  “President King says that her work leading up to this unfortunate incident has been top notch. He wants her fully involved in his capture.”

  “Yes but…”

  “Doctor Tee. Would you like me to inform President King that you are second guessing what he wants?” Matheson asked, a slight edge in his voice.

  “Absolutely not, Commander. But I…” Matheson held up a hand to silence him.

  “Believe me, Doctor. You do not want to finish that sentence. Just do what you are asked. Understanding, as President King said, is not necessary for cooperation.”

  “Of course,” Nobu Tee replied.

  “Good. Do not worry, the military occupation of Fuji-O’Hara Industries will be over soon enough and you can get back to research.”

  Matheson picked up his stride and left the doctor alone.

  “It will not be over soon enough,” Nobu muttered.

  David Newton looked at himself in the mirror of the motel room, and a tear fell from his cheek.

  His sallow cheeks, more prominent after he’d shaved his beard, spoke the truth in volumes that his heart couldn’t deal with. He looked to the toilet, the blood streaked urine brought out a sob he’d tried to suppress.

  He finally brought his hands to his face and bawled. The agony threw him to the floor. His tears flowed hot and dense as he pulled his knees to his chest, shaking uncontrollably.

  “It’s not fair! It’s not fair! It’s not fair!” he sobbed. His voice high, childish, and weak. He lay there sobbing, and time did not matter as the anguish swam through him like a lake on a hot summer’s day.

  “It isn’t fair!” he screamed again.

  “Hey! Shut the fuck up!” a disembodied voice called from another room, pounding on the wall.

  “It’s just not fair,” he whined.

  He opened his eyes and saw the red cooler and brown leather satchel on his bed. He then remembered what he had to do. He pulled himself up to his feet, tears still unbroken as they fell from his eyes.

  “You failed.” He looked at himself in the mirror. The thick, black circles around his eyes made him sick to his stomach. His sallow skin repulsed him as he shuddered.

  He pulled away from the mirror and opened the battered old cooler. The dry ice mist flowed from the opening immediately.

  He went into the satchel and pulled out protective gloves, reached into the cooler and removed a plastic case and set it on the nearby table. He waited a few seconds, removed the gloves and opened the case to reveal ten vials filled with an orange liquid.

  He went back to the satchel and removed the auto injector and loaded the first vial into it.

  “You failed.”

  He shoved the needle directly into his heart and injected the fluid, wincing in agony. He didn’t let the pain stop him. He pulled the needle from his heart, ejected the vial and loaded the next and repeated the process.

  Each time, he cried out in agony as the pain became more intense with each shot. By the sixth injection, he could feel his heart starting to seize. He forced himself to continue on, injecting the seventh, eighth, and ninth shot. He could taste blood in his mouth. He ejected the vial and loaded the tenth. All began to go dark, his entire left arm went numb. He could feel the cardiac arrest overtaking him. He jammed the needle into his chest, his body stiffened. He lost all strength to activate it.

  “Please?” he whimpered to himself, blood dribbling from his mouth from the abuse. His finger twitched lightly, and the liquid was injected. He fell backward with an awkward thud and lay still. His eyes turning milky as life left him.

  A small smile spread across his face.

  18

  “I want him taken back to Fuji-O’Hara Industries immediately,” Nobu Tee told the coroner.

  “Dr. Tee I…” the tall, brown haired coroner began.

  “Dr…” Tee leaned forward to read the identification. “Thornton? What you must understand is, I am the Head Research physician with Fuji-O’Hara Industries. I am also among the President’s top advisors on his scientific staff. Now do you really want me to pull the strings that I can pull to get my colleague’s body from here, or are you going to cooperate?”

  “Dr. Tee I have not finished my…”

  “I do not care what you have finished or have not finished. I am hoping that I got here before you were able to completely butcher the poor man’s body. Now I will say this one last time before I get very, unpleasant—” Nobu Tee’s eyes narrowed as he presented a slip of paper to the coroner,

  “You will sign Dr. David Newton’s body over to Fuji-O’Hara Industries, to me specifically. There are no questions. No ifs, no ands, and no more buts. If you do not you will be teaching junior high school biology by week’s end. Understood?”

  Dr. Thornton looked to Dr. Tee again, then he looked to the paper. With a last hint of defiance, he snatched the paper from the smaller man and scribbled his signature angrily and pushed it into the man’s chest.

  “Take your body and get the fuck out of here,” Thornton replied angrily.

  “Thank you for your cooperation,” Nobu Tee replied as he turned his back pulling out his phone. “It’s done. Send them in now.”

  Five hours later, Dr. Nobu Tee finished sewing the chest of Dr. David Newton after the autopsy he’d performed alone. He pulled off his gloves and let out a light sigh.

  “So. Again for the record, Dr. David Newton, born July twenty third two thousand sixty. He died September twenty first twenty one thirty five making him age seventy five. My finding is that Dr. Newton, whom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in twenty one twenty five, Dr. Newton survived ten years of this diagnosis via regular nanobytes injections. It appears that Dr. Newton has died from heart trauma due to more than ten injections of undiluted nanobyte injections directly into the heart.”

  Nobu Tee stopped for a moment, clearing his throat, hoping that the sob he suppressed didn’t come up on the playback.

  “It is my theory that Dr. Newton, whom had recently discovered that his pancreatic cancer was terminal and that his regular nanobyte injections were not strong enough, seems to have decided to risk overdosing on nanobytes. Straight injections to the heart, David theorized, would cure him. The risk was always too great, which is why it was never done. Until now. We now know that the theory has been disproven.

  “Dr. Newton leaves behind no children, no spouse. He will be buried, per his wishes, in his family plot in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.”

  Nobu Tee ended the recording, taking a deep breath before pulling the sheet over his colleague’s face and exited the room.

  “I see a ranger station nearby,” John said as he dropped from the tree and hit the ground running.

  “What is your plan then, John?”

  “Going to get in there, obviously, get some clothes, use the computer to get some info out to FP, and then figure out just how the hell we’re going to get east.”

  “Sounds reasonable. However I am sure the government will be tracking any files sent from one of their own computers on the network.”

  “Is there anything you can do to help? Anything at all?”

  “I will see what I can do. It may take a little bit of time though.”

  “Fair enough. I think I should eat before we get there.”

  “Do you feel hungry already?”

  “A little.”

  “I’ve done a good job conserving the energy from the bats. However they are also just bats. You’ll probably need something bigger. I’m sorry I couldn’t do a better job.”

  “You did great, Queen. Thank you.”

  John took up another tree, leaping branch to branch.

  “Does the meat have to be raw?”

  “It will last a lot longer. I’m sorry, John, I know it isn’t your preferred method of eating. After this meal, I suspect you will be good for a good while depending on what you eat. Bigger the game, the longe
r it lasts. If you’re able to get a predator, consider that a bonus. But there is one thing you need to know.”

  “What’s that?”

  “No human. Promise me. Not unless it is absolutely necessary.”

  “The idea of eating a person sickens me. Don’t worry about that.”

  “Good.”

  They remained silent as he leaped the branches. He then stopped suddenly, picking up a strong smell of urine and earth.

  “I have no clue what that is, but it smells fucking awful.”

  “Neither do I. However if it smells that strong, it has got be something…”

  “Big.” John paused, seeing a massive black bear looking up at him roaring.

  “He is quite big.”

  “Think I can take him, Queenie?”

  “There’s only one way to find out.”

  John leaped down into a crouch looking at the bear. It stood up again to its full height roaring loudly.

  “Yeah, still not scared, ya big dumb bastard.” John growled looking the bear in the eye.

  He launched himself into the bear’s chest, slamming his shoulder hard into the powerful beast’s upper body.

  John grunted loudly with pain, as his right shoulder popped out of the socket and sent vibrations through his core. The bear roared loudly as it staggered backward from the impact, but otherwise remained unphased.

  “Goddamn!”

  “John, what do you expect? It’s a bear!”

  He clutched his right wrist and yanked quickly, popping his shoulder back into place. The bear roared and began to charge at him. John took two steps and leaped over the bear’s outstretched, clawed paw that was aimed for his head and the bear came back down on all fours when it missed its mark.

  John leaped on the bear’s back and began slamming his fists into the bear’s head, tightening his thighs against the bear as hard as he could to maintain his grip.

  “John this isn’t a rodeo!”

  “Yeah I know, Queen! And how in the hell do you know about rodeos?”

  “I told you I adapt and evolve.”

  “So do you have any suggestions?”

  “Actually I do.”

  “Well do you care to share!”

  John yelled out loudly as the bear swung John off of its back swaying its body back and forth. John hit the nearby tree leaving a crack in the base.

  The bear rose to its height and roared again before coming down on all fours and charging at John.

  “Go for the nose!”

  “What?”

  “Hit it in the nose!”

  “But I…”

  “John Baker punch the thing in the nose with all that you have and then punch it in the jaw. Then you should have it! Now!”

  John roared and threw a shot to the bear’s nose with all of his strength, standing the bear upright as it roared in agony. With his left hand, he threw a hard shot to the bear’s jaw causing a crunch of bone on bone. His hand shattering, along with the bear’s jaw.

  As it fell to the ground, John leaped on its chest and punched it in the nose again and on the left side of its jaw to shatter it again. He then gripped it by the head and chin and twisted as hard as he could, breaking its neck.

  “God. I’m so fucking hungry right now.”

  “It seems as though you go into a predatory mode when you know you need to eat. I suppose the bats did not satisfy you, only…

  “Only fed my need.”

  “Yes.”

  “God what is happening to me?”

  “It will be alright, John. We will figure this out. Right now you just need to eat. That is all. Take your knife and cut into it so you can get what you need. Although judging by the size of the bear and that knife, you’ll need to get something new and improved.”

  “Here’s hoping we can find something better at a ranger station.”

  John grabbed the five inch knife on his belt and began to cut down the bear’s chest and began to eat at the meat hungrily. He grunted angrily when the blade broke while he anxiously cut to get more of the delicious meat with the broken blade, ignoring the cuts that healed themselves instantly.

  After taking his fill, he cut the meat from the bear, wrapped it in leaves and began to stuff the meat into his pockets as best he could.

  “You won’t be able to have it all.”

  “I know, Queen. But if we get to the Ranger Station, we will get a pack and some other supplies.”

  “Something will take the kill.”

  “No it won’t. It’s a black bear. It’s the apex predator in these parts I’m betting. Now I am.”

  “Don’t get a big head, boy.”

  “Sorry.”

  John took a few steps away from the clearing and began to urinate around to leave his scent.

  “I suppose that will work.”

  “Thanks. God…I feel…”

  “Yes. The meat is powerful. Very powerful. You should make the Ranger Station in no time at all.”

  John took off running. Everything flew by faster than he remembered it doing. Every step felt as though he were floating. The world seemed to stand still as he moved.

  “My God…”

  “Yes. The adrenalin flow is amazing, John. This meat is sustaining you better than anything has so far.”

  “Great. The new delicacy; Bear meat.”

  “Don’t be a smart ass.”

  The Ranger Station came into view in less than ten minutes. He made his way to the front door and knocked gently.

  When the ranger opened the door, John didn’t hesitate. He reached forward with his left hand and hit the man in the jaw to knock him unconscious.

  “Shit I hope I didn’t hit him too hard.”

  “No. I’m sure he will be fine. That was about what you did to Karen. That was smart. I’m sure Matheson has a picture of you out to the ranger stations already.”

  “That was my thinking. If he’s not going to put it out publically, they will at least trust the government employees.”

  Carrying the man back into the station, he laid him down on the floor. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw a picture of himself on the wall in the man’s office. While his name was not given, there was a firm ‘Be on the lookout’ notice on him.

  “Appears our suspicions have been confirmed.”

  “Yes they have. Yes they have. You were right, John. Let’s get what we need and get out of here.”

  “Agreed. Are you ready for the computer part?”

  “Of course.”

  John sat down to the nearby computer and wiggled the mouse.

  “Thank God you never log out of this thing,” John muttered as he grabbed the piece of his pinky and pulled the line and connected it to the computer.

  “Alright good. I’m in. I have security set up good and proper. The encryption is all set and ready to go as well. No one is going to crack that.”

  “How are you sure?”

  “I know enough of Mila and Horatia Hunter from the files that I have been able to figure out their habits, if that makes sense. As they attempt to get it open, they will develop a pattern and it will open. Anyone else? It will just get harder and harder until it is essentially impossible.”

  “Sounds good to me. So how much longer until it’s sent.”

  “It’s done. Get the bag, clothes, and so forth. I also just sent another encrypted message to a known information broker that will be dropping off a hardcopy of the files at an older data drop Fallen Paradigm has used. Paid for by the United States government.”

  “Nice. Very nice.”

  John stood up from the computer and began to search the station. After a few moments he found a hiking pack and began to stuff it with matches, a radio, batteries, and sandwich bags from the cupboards.

  Moving into the ranger’s living quarters, he found various pants and shirts that he stuffed into his pack as well, tearing out the sleeves of the last uniform shirt, he pulled the shirt on and buttoned it quickly.

  A nearby wet s
tone drew his attention while he stuffed it into his pack, he saw sitting on the nightstand a ranger hunting knife with a dark redwood handle with an oil finish that he couldn’t identify.

  “It looks like that will come in quite handy, John.”

  “I agree,” John replied unbuckling his duty belt to secure the knife and its sheath on his right hip, adjusting the collapsible baton past his leg toward his back.

  “Well you have clothes, a good knife, and transport for your food and a good solid back pack. Wait!”

  “What?”

  “Get a map. Maybe we will find a rail line. No sense in having to run the United States.”

  “Good point.”

  John left the room and began to snatch at various maps, stuffing them into the backpack. He looked down to the still unconscious ranger, seemed to regard him for a moment before exiting the station, running back toward his kill.

  Using his new knife, he skinned the corpse of the bear and set the fur aside. He then began to cut at the body, stuffing the sandwich bags to their limit with meat.

  “What are you planning with the bear pelt?”

  “I do not know. Don’t really need it, but I hate to let it go to waste.”

  “I know. It was a magnificent animal.”

  “I don’t have room for it in the pack.”

  “Just leave it.”

  John looked to the pelt and shook his head in disgust. He pulled out one of his maps to study it, then stuffed it back into the pack, closed it and slung it onto his shoulders before taking off running.

  “There’s a rail line about sixty miles away. It connects part way through the state with another line that goes into Idaho.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  “Yeah. Not quite sure how long it’s going to take to get there, but will never know just standing here.”

  “Agreed. Let us go then, John. We have many miles to go yet.”

  John looked to the mutilated corpse of the bear one last time and took off running.

  “Come on, Rudy, let’s get this done already! I do not want to be here when that Commander Matheson gets back!”

  Two young men in Fuji-O’Hara Industries jump suits made their way into the laboratory. The young white man who had spoken looked nervous. His brown hair was cut close to his scalp in a military style. His brown eyes and clean shaven face showed every bit of his twenty-two years.