The scientist turned to the camera, shaking his head. “Just shut everything off, we’re done for now.”
I tapped the holographic display, closing the whole content, with the green X reappearing on the screen of my watch.
Obviously, they must have succeeded, I told myself. I’m a living proof among many others.
But unfortunately, I hadn’t gotten close of finding the answers I wanted.
I slipped off my glasses and headed off to bed. It was now, four-forty in the morning and I still had the chance of getting a few more hours to sleep.
CHAPTER 65
The following morning, I arrived at our usual spot in the cafeteria, with my breakfast tray. Jeffrey already sat, savoring his first bite of ham and egg bagel.
“Hey buddy,” I greeted, handing him a memory stick.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“The operating system. I modified a few things and tinkered around with it. But nothing much.”
“For my part, I haven’t had much time, lately, to work on the project. Homework, part-time job … girlfriend,” he said.
“I understand,” I replied, taking a bite of my own egg and ham breakfast.
“But I’m not giving up, though. I truly want this to be done.”
“Absolutely. Can’t wait to see when it’s completed. However, there will always be something to innovate.”
“That’s for sure,” Jeffrey said. “But I recently thought of something. Maybe you’ll think it’s crazy, but I like the idea.”
“What idea?” I asked him.
“Miniaturizing it.”
I nodded. “Sure why not?”
“Make everything fit into a watch.”
“It doesn’t sound crazy at all! In fact, that’s a wonderful idea!” I exclaimed. “A very mobile device! Perhaps the next step will be a tiny microchip inserted into our thumbs.”
We both laughed.
Jeffrey lifted his gaze behind me as he then frowned.
“Something wrong?” I said, glancing behind me, seeing a pretty woman, probably a teacher, crossing the cafeteria.
“Are they hiring new staff members or something?” Jeffrey wondered.
“I have no idea,” I replied. “Why do you ask?”
“I don’t know … all of a sudden, within a week I’ve noticed a lot of new faces around here,” Jeffrey stated.
“Only school staff, or also new students?” I asked.
“The students I cannot really tell. There are quite many of us here. It’s mainly about the school staff.”
Jeffrey was playing a good detective.
Looking around subtly, I remembered being told, by old Samantha, that several Elites were, possibly, surrounding the area and walking among us in our school.
I watched the woman exit the cafeteria: tall and slender, long straight black hair, wearing black flats, blue jeans and a red blouse. At first glance, she seemed to have popped out of a beauty magazine for having a model-like figure.
“I see what you mean,” I told Jeffrey. “I never seen her before today.”
“Anyway! As long as they’re nice and cute!” Jeffrey said, forcing a laugh.
Careful there, buddy!
I feared more for my friends and loved ones than myself. Besides Samantha, Jeffrey was also a sure target as well. Eventually to be part of the X-Agency project.
Jeffrey swallowed the last bite of his breakfast, washing it down with a final slurp of juice. “I forgot about which class we’re starting with, this morning.”
“Math,” I told him.
CHAPTER 66
On my way for the day’s second period, I got to my locker and fiddled my combination. I swung the door open and grabbed my books for English class. Closing back the door, I noticed the young woman, from the cafeteria, strolling nearby. Flipping her straight black hair, her blue eyes glittered at me, followed by a sudden smile.
I responded with my own faint grin, purposely acting innocent.
But I soon caught the glimpse of her black watch. Unmistakably one that Elites wore.
As she drew a certain distance, I hurried to put my books back into my locker. Then I decided to follow her. I felt it was better to keep a close eye on the enemies, rather than wait for them to make their move. They would have to get to me first, before anyone else.
From a few meters behind, I watched her stroll, without much hurry, toward the corridor, leading to the trade school classes.
The main floor soon became quiet as the remaining students hurried to attend their class on time. Everyone of them except me.
Entering the corridor, she walked far ahead, reaching the end, then taking a left turn. I knew the place where she had turned into. It was nothing but a short passageway leading to one of the school’s back exit.
Dimming my pace, I expected to hear the slightest sound: such as the door clenching, as she would, perhaps, make her way outside.
But nothing …
Nothing except, maybe a hasty swooping sound.
As for my turn of reaching the end of the corridor, I peeked a careful eye to the left, thinking that she may already be waiting fiercely, ready to shove a fist or a foot at me.
But I only came to snoop around an empty passageway, noticing a row of locker to the wall on the right.
I raced toward the exit, pushing the door open, seeing an empty area – the school’s empty ballpark, and the faint sound of cars roaming the streets around.
She’s already gone. Transmitted herself elsewhere.
Still holding the door open, I turned back inside, barely having the time to catch a glimpse of the sudden red flash, already struck with a foot, fiercely smashing against my ribs. I flew several meters out the door, my body hitting the chain-link fence, before the ballpark.
The woman immediately sprang forward, ripping my watch off my wrist, then heaving me up from the grass and bringing her face close to mine. The color of her eyes faded up from dark brown to burning red.
“Without a doubt, I knew you’d follow me,” she breathed to my face.
She held me up with a single tight grip of my collar, then swigging me back toward the building, my body cracking against the brick wall, losing my glasses. I fell back onto the grass, desperately gasping for air, spitting out blood. I was trying to breathe, feeling tremendous pain from my ribs and lungs.
Once again, she leaped into the air, landing both feet right in front of my face. She then shoved a foot on my glasses, breaking them onto the lawn.
She lifted me up with one hand and held me against the brick wall. Seeing her devilish eyes, I felt her solid nails barely braking into the skin of my neck, watching the veins bulging from her hand and up her arm. The muscles of her forearm began to expand, slightly tearing the fabric of the rolled-up sleeves of her red blouse.
“You won’t be causing anymore trouble, Derek,” she said. “I’m going to take the pleasure of finishing you nice and slow.”
But that was when she suddenly flew away backwards, striking her head against the massive poll from the chain-link fence, with white sparks surging around her body.
I fell back onto the ground, holding a gun. I had shot a luminous-white ball to paralyze her stiffly.
“I always carry one of these. Just in case,” I croaked.
The woman swiftly rose to her feet, her body rapidly resisting the paralyzing effects from the powerful shot.
She leaped high into the air, dropping toward me, surely in attempt to finish me once in for all.
But a blue flash of light suddenly surged before me, followed by two powerful gunshots. At first, I saw nothing more than a man, standing with his back to me, wearing a long coat. Then I heard a body crumble to the ground.
The woman was now dead, now seeing the side of her face lying against the grass. Her burning red eyes gradually faded back to their initial brown color, with blood streaming out from her nose and mouth.
I saw old Thomas turn to me, followed by old Samantha drawing closer, both
of them holding their smocking guns.
Then both of them spoke to me as I was no longer able to understand what they were trying to say. Their voices slowly grew distant, flowing away into an echo, drifting further with every word. Then my sight dimmed, seeing nothing more than two blurred figures coming for me, until I felt myself being taken away, beyond my control, into a dark silence, compellingly pulling itself over my eyes.
CHAPTER 67
I opened my eyes to a white room. A very large room. Feeling alone and small within the spacious hall, I tried to sit up, but my entire body suddenly ached tremendously, with heavy stiffness. So, I laid back with my eyes staring up at a solid white ceiling.
Even though I had lost my glasses, my eyesight seemed clear. Everything so colorful and crisp.
They must have fixed my eyes.
Then, within the following minute, I managed to slowly turn my head to the left, feeling the warmth of the rising sun, its powerful rays, beaming through a large window, revealing one of nature’s breathtaking scenery. I was watching the sun rising above a vast forest, stretching to the horizon’s far mountains. No roads, cities, high rises, vehicles, or people. Only the faint sound of signing birds, flying peacefully in the clear blue sky.
Once again, I tried to lift myself up on the institutional bed. Although it took me some time and great effort, I managed to endure the pain and finally sit up. I was dressed into a white medical uniform, without any needles or machines connected to me. But I did notice several holographic panels, hovering to my right, monitoring my body life signs.
I gazed around, seeing no one else. The hall held many rows of beds – all of them empty.
Sliding my legs out of bed, I lay my bare feet onto the cold floor. From all the stiffness, I was able to walk, but very slowly. I directed my steps toward the window as I suddenly heard footsteps walking nearby.
“Up already?” a man’s voice echoed, drawing closer.
I spun around and came face with a young man in a white coat.
“Good morning, Derek! I’m Doctor Gibbs,” he added.
“Where am I?” I asked.
“You’re safe and sound at the X-Agency medical department,” Gibbs replied, strolling over to the panels to read the displayed information. “You took quite a fall there!”
I got my ass kicked, severely.
“We’ve managed to put you back in one piece,” Gibbs laughed, attempting to be humorous.
“I guess I’m all right?” I asked.
He nodded vigorously, turning away from the panels. “Absolutely. Right now you may feel quite sore and stiff. From that, I suggest you get some rest. Your left leg was broken at two parts, several broken ribs on both sides, fractured lung, broken right arm, broken lower back and fractured liver … and we even fixed your eyesight.”
“I’ve noticed,” I replied.
“You’ve been asleep for the past sixteen hours.”
I shook my head, stunned by everything Doctor Gibbs was telling me.
“Let me tell you, Derek,” he added. “Although with all our advanced medicine and technology, you’re still lucky to be alive.”
“Thank you,” I said.
He nodded, drawing a few steps away, toward the main door. As he made his way out, I saw Derek making his way in.
“How are you feeling?” Derek asked me.
I shrugged.
“Don’t tell me,” he added. “You should be resting after what you’ve been through.”
“I know, Doctor Gibbs just told me,” I replied, turning around and slowly lying back down on the bed.
“You know, Derek, your training consisted for you to have a high chance to escape an Elite,” he explained. “You weren’t yet trained to fight them.”
“They’ve grown excessively stronger,” I said. “I shot the woman with a white-ball gun, barely paralyzing her.”
“I know. We’re all aware of how stronger they’ve recently become.”
“That’s why we need to get stronger. There has to be a way to genetically increase our strength, like they do.”
“There is,” he notified. “But the process is still being tested.”
“And what took you guys so long?” I demanded.
“You were supposed to be dead, Derek,” he said. “That’s how we got the knowledge to go back in time and rescue you. To rescue us, actually. You being killed by an Elite, at school near the ballpark, we had both ceased to exist. That’s why Thomas and Samantha went back on more than one attempt to bring us back. Possibly the Elite woman had changed the moment of your death, purposely to confuse us. That’s why they appeared at the very last minute.”
I felt lucky but also discouraged, realizing that my life could end at any moment.
“They’ve succeeded … and we’re back,” he stated, throwing his gaze somewhere behind me.
I turned myself around on the bed, seeing old Samantha walking forward with younger Samantha.
“Someone’s here to see you, Derek,” old Samantha said, smiling cheerfully.
Samantha hurried, but gently threw her arms around me, silently shedding tears on my shoulder.
“Come on, sweetie,” old Samantha told my older self. “Let’s leave these two young birds alone.”
Our older selves drew away, exiting the hall.
Samantha lifted her head, wiping some tears. “They told me everything. You almost died.”
“I know,” I told her.
“I love you so much, Derek,” she breathed.
“I love you too, Samantha. Don’t worry,” I assured her, holding her against me. “Everything is going to change … for the best.”
CHAPTER 68
On the following day, at the X-Agency facility, I had been informed by Doctor Gibbs that the strength enhancing procedure had been finally approved to be used on people.
A procedure certified to be entirely safe.
That morning, I woke up in the same bed, from the same hall. My body felt an immense difference from the day before. No more than minor aches and mild stiffness.
Doctor Gibbs ordered me to remain all morning and that I’d be ready to return home in the afternoon.
After having breakfast in bed, old Derek strolled by for a morning visit. He picked up a chair from close to the window and sat near the bed.
“How are you feeling this morning?” he asked.
“Much better,” I said.
“Great!” A sigh. “You’ve been told that the Super-Serum has been approved. What are your thoughts on that?”
“I’m ready to take it,” I said. “I’m not risking another chance of getting myself beaten to death.”
“All right,” he said. “I’m granting you permission.”
An hour later, I was rolled down a long hallway to an operating room by a female medical assistant. Once arrived, I stood up from the wheelchair as the assistant indicated me to lie my back on the table.
“Just relax,” she said, smiling.
She came around the table and waved her arm at the wall on my right, opening several holographic panels at once.
I turned my head to the left and saw Samantha through the glass, standing right outside the operating room by herself, gazing at me with certain worry, even though, being extremely supportive of my decision.
She smiled, putting her hand against the glass, then gently moving her lips, saying, “I love you.”
The assistant proceeded around the table, fastening my arms and legs with metal clamps. Then she inserted large glass phials, filled with a blue serum into each metal clamp.
Doctor Gibbs entered the room. “All right, Derek,” he said. “Just try to relax as much as possible. You may feel a little discomfort when the serum will work its way into your body. For the following days, you may feel some muscle aches and stiffness.”
I nodded.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said.
Gibbs activated a few controls from the holographic panels. Then I manage
d to look down at myself, seeing the serum being injected, disappearing into my veins, ready to transform my body.
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