by Michael Carr
The three look at each other in disbelief. Tonya jumps to her feet, “Excuse MEEE!?! In case you are not aware, there is a world turned upside down out there! We are just a fortunate few that have not been infected and came here for help. WE are the ones you are supposed to be protecting!”
The General slams both of his hands on the table, “You are trespassing! You are in MY sector! Now, what is your true purpose here?”
Tonya comes closer to the General, “For protection and to get medical treatment for our friend!” Bringing her hand over her nose, “Maybe we can assist you in finding a breath mint!”
Patrick and Chief chuckle. “Oh! My side!” Chief’s laugh stop short, the pain is intense.
The officer, unphased, barks, “This is not fun and games that you are dealing with you IDIOTS!! You three will be given a medical review, questioned and depending on your answers, potentially released.”
Tonya bangs her fists on the table, “Released?! How long do you think we will last out there? We barely made it this far!”
Anders turns his back to walk out, but stops at the door. “Remember, you advanced this base with weapons and did not yield to security! Not to mention the damage you caused!” He points at them as he is halfway out the door, “As General, my duty is to protect the soldiers that serve this sector.”
Tonya is frustrated as the General grins and exits. She sits with her arms folded, “He is playing us. The interrogation process has begun.”
Patrick puzzled, “What did we do wrong? It is like we are the bad ones. I don’t understand.”
Tonya sits, exhausted, putting her face in her hands, “I don’t know anymore. I would give just about anything to be able to go back one year.” She ponders further, “What about Corey? We need to see what they are doing with him.”
Patrick looks over at her, his opinion has changed, “What about him? We wouldn’t be IN this mess if he hadn’t come around.”
Tonya turns and points at Patrick, “You do not know that! Think about it…”
Chief has heard enough, still holding his side “Both of you stop! We need to decide what we are going to do. We have come to a fork in the road and there is no turning back now kids.”
In an observation room not far away, a Doctor reviews a chart with Corey lying unconscious on a bed. The patient has multiple IVs and machines connected to him. His condition is being monitored closely.
“Looks like we just sit back and wait…see if the magic does its thing.” Pleased with himself, Dr. Timothy Richards looks over at the door to verify no one is there. He looks down at his arm, rolls up his sleeve deciding which vein to reward. Looking up at the clock, “I’ve got some time before the next specimen needs to be taken, let’s see how this new batch came out.” He holds the vial up and inserts the syringe to extract the drug.
The door to the exam room swings open and the General enters, “How’s our patient?”
Richards a bit startled sets the drug vial down under a nearby counter and slowly unrolls his sleeve. “Stable, General Anders…I’m anxious to see how the latest application takes.” Anders stands over Corey to inspect him visually.
Just above them is a large air vent, like the one seen in the meeting room. It looks to be big enough to hold a pint-sized fireball. Tonya has made her way through the air vent to find out more about Corey. The General steps back, “What type of drug was administered?”
Dr. Richards quickly responds, not wanting to disappoint, “I thought it best to go with the Lu-Ci-4. He has not responded to the others as anticipated.”
The General looks at Richards, “Others? How many have you given him?”
The Doctor gets up to show the stat sheets, “I started him in the same order we did with prior candidates, but since he was bitten by the Zly, I felt it was time to see how the new drug acts against that infection.”
The Doctor looks over the sheets again, “SZ1A did not seem to stimulate the results required.”
Tonya sits back in disbelief and turns away from the opening not wanting to hear more. She takes a moment for a selfish thought, thinking back to a time she was younger, before the outbreak. Her youth was not a happy time. Though she was never physically abused, her environment was her torment. She would close her eyes hoping the daily nightmares would end. But to no avail, the yelling and banging continued. The madness was persistent…being a good little girl did not distance her from the abusive displays around her. Now, older...Tonya sees that a different evil has presented itself but the emotional response is still the same for her. The aggravation never seems to end; the mundane struggle to exist can only be achieved by doing the same the thing over and over. She now finds assurance with the belief, “Whatever it takes to stay alive!”
“I need him alive!” Her attention is immediately brought back to the exam room. The General, stressed, continues, “….alive and improving, not doped up!” He is very aware that he will need Corey.
Dr. Richards holds up the stats again, trying to prove his actions. “The patient has a serious wound infection. I'm afraid that may keep the drugs from working as rapidly as they have in past subjects.”
General Anders asks, “What type of wound?”
Richards hesitates, “A battle wound…to be expected, right?”
Anders knows what he wants and has no problem relaying it, “Past candidates have been bred and honed for the SZ1A program. I need to see results. I'm tired of sitting here letting the Swarm use our country as a breeding ground for their army. It is pissing me off. I need the soldiers you promised me!”
As the General walks out, the Doctor acknowledges the need, “Understood!”
Richards turns back to the patient, pulls back the gown and again, stares at the branding…and mutters, “brotherhood”.
Tonya, not able to hear the Doctor’s last comment, looks again through the vent to see him pull the syringe and drug vial out from under the counter. He holds the needle up, thumps it and inserts it into his own arm. Shocked, she tightly presses her hands over her mouth, to hold back a gasp. Her eyes grow big. Richards looks around the corner and then looks up as if to have heard something.
Tonya crawls back rapidly through the air ducts. She shakes with emotion and is scared. It is just unbelievable! She does not want to accept that there is no one left to trust and fears the worst for the four of them. Reaching the end of the air duct tunnel, she taps the vent. Patrick stands up to remove the cover and assists her down. She makes her way out holding her stomach. Feeling sick, she runs to the small bathroom inside the meeting room, “RALPH!”
Patrick looks at Chief in disbelief. “What do you think that’s about?” Chief does not have a chance to reply before Tonya returns. She sits staring at the center of the table. Chief rolls his chair closer to calm a distressed Tonya; and Patrick comes over to place one hand on her back. She begins to tell them what she has seen and heard. After a moment, Chief says quietly, “It's time to start playing the game.”
Tonya looks down and removes what looks to be a silver stud from her boot. Patrick looks at her strangely, “What are you going to do with that?”
Tonya tosses the stud in the air and catches it, “Putting things in our favor. Now, go tell them I'm sick and that I need to see the Doctor.”
Corey awakens and has a killer headache, so severe it somewhat smothers the fire sensation from his chest. He grabs his head and tries to sit up...but that does not last long. Sitting up causes some serious nausea. Looks like lying down is the only option. After lying back, he looks around at all the equipment and attachments. Curiosity makes him reach for the IV to look at the monitor. As his right arm is extended, he notices a silver colored band tightly affixed to his wrist. The band is made of a very strange metal that shows flexibility when bent. Even more odd is that it has a short vial connected to it. He sits up again, but slowly. He begins to wonder the whereabouts of the others.
Dr. Richards arrives to examine Tonya and finds her stretched out on the mahogany table
. Looking her over he begins to ask a series of medical questions. As he adjusts his glasses, he reaches for a small flashlight in his lab coat pocket. After a few clicks of the tiny light to verify it is functioning, he moves back towards Tonya. As he leans in to begin his examination, Patrick grabs him from behind. Tonya jumps up and attaches the stud on the back of his neck.
“What is this?” asked the Doctor, confused.
“A small explosive...now be a good boy and behave,” Tonya smiles.
Moments later in the General’s office, his assistant phones “Sir, there is a faint tracking signal coming from within the base.” The General orders a search and slams the phone down.
From his room, Corey hears a lot of traffic going up and down the hall. He eases off the bed and begins releasing the attachments, but he is afraid of removing the band. It appears to be somewhat permanent.
The commotion in the hall is also noticed by Tonya who decides this is as good a time as any…and presses a stud on her boot. At that same instance, the General’s assistant sees that the signal is gone and contacts him again. The phone takes the brunt of his anger after the message is delivered.
Tonya turns to the Doctor, “We know about your experiments and that you are injecting yourself with the Devil. Confess what you are doing to Corey…and Sister Tonya will absolve you of your wrong doing… OR (touching his neck) your penance will be …Boom!”
Corey cracks the door to his room and looks out. Seeing a guard...Corey whistles to get his attention. He steps back into the room and waits for the solider to come in. Upon the soldier’s entrance, Corey picks him up by the neck and tosses him across the room knocking him unconsciousness. “Whoa!” Corey is impressed with his increased power. He quickly removes the guard’s uniform and starts suiting up.
Back in the meeting room, Richards stands with his hands out as if to help express himself, "Let me explain!”
Tonya puts her hand in front of his face moving her finger back and forth like a metronome, “I wouldn’t make a lot of sudden moves…..Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock. It’s time to get down to business Doc.”
Before she can say more, Corey walks into the meeting room, dressed in a soldier's uniform pointing at his arm, “Actually, it is time to tell us what you have done to me!”
Tonya, relieved to see Corey, rushes to help him to a chair, “Yes, Corey, the Doctor was about to tell us…from the beginning.”
Chapter Five
Chaos Erupts
Richards is seated with his chin resting on his folded hands. He is scared to move, nervous after divulging all he knows.
“Unbelievable!” Tonya staring straight at the Doctor, “Chief, do you believe the shit he is trying to pass off here?”
Chief motions to Tonya, “We need to talk.”
The Doctor looks over at Corey and sees him nodding off and pale. Richards gets up, makes his way over to Corey and explains his concern, “I really need to get him back to the examination room.”
Tonya walks towards Chief and turns to speak, "Remember, he is not a lab rat!”
Richards reassures the three, "I know. I just need to get him stabilized.” Patrick helps the Doctor lift Corey and get him back to the exam room.
Chief waits for the door to shut completely before communicating what is beginning to worry him, “I’m not in good shape, obviously. That thing slammed me pretty hard to the ground, amiga.”
Tonya has little patience, “What are you saying?”
Chief still seated holding his side looks at her with candidness, “This is it for me kid, but I’m going to help you get out of here.”
This is not what she was expecting to hear, “We have Richards where we want him, and he will help you.”
Chief looks away...he is firm on his decision, “He is not touching me! Just listen to what I am telling you. I have a plan.”
As Richards and Patrick get Corey back into the exam room, the Doctor’s concern is split between Corey’s condition and his own fate with a bomb stuck to his neck, “Careful Patrick, help me put him on the table.” He decides to take a chance, “What do you know about this device on my neck?”
Patrick has questions of his own for the Doctor, “First…what is the thing on his wrist?”
With Corey on the examining table, Richards begins to work on him and answers Patrick, “It is a developmental drug. One that has been tested many times on soldiers infected by walkers, but never on someone infected by a Zly.” Turning away to review test results, Richards continues, “He has shown some positive results. I’m surprised at the abilities he has acquired, even with his infection.”
Patrick has no faith in the Doctor or his motives, “Explain!”
The Doctor continues to look over the chart, “By this time a large majority of the soldiers that were given this amount of the drug had expired. But Corey shows no signs of physical breakdown, in fact he is statistically better.” Richards looks over at Patrick, “Corey should show signs of increased intelligence and perception, ESP if you will…characteristics of the Lu-Ci-4 drug.”
Patrick is perplexed, “Lucifer? Are you kidding? Is this the same thing you are taking?”
Richards takes a deep breath, “If I answer, can I get this explosive removed from the back of my head?”
Patrick provides a blank stare. The Doctor is not surprised, “I didn’t think so.”
In the meeting room Tonya situates herself to be at eye level with Chief, “We have time. Think about what you want to do.”
Chief puts his hand on her arm, “Thinking’s done! Tonya, these are evil people. I need you out of here now! Don’t waste the little time I have left to do what I need to do.”
In another part of the base, the General hurriedly walks out of a meeting, with his assistant next to him, “I’m on my way to see Richards. Let me know immediately when you pick up that signal.”
His assistant nods and returns to her station “Will do, Sir!” The General continues walking down the hall briskly.
Doctor Richards looks at Patrick, “That’s the General's footsteps...I have heard them a million times.” Patrick steps back just beyond the entrance so he is not seen when Anders comes in. Hopefully he can slip out when the General passes him.
The door opens, “Where are we with the patient?”
Richards is noticeably nervous, “He did come to briefly, Sir.”
General Anders reaches over as he puts on his reading glasses, “Let me see his chart.” Patrick tries to slip out, but the General turns with the chart in his hands to see him, “What are you doing here?!”
Patrick gets a bit ballsy, "Making sure your Doctor doesn’t do anything else weird to him.”
The General walks up putting his finger in Patrick’s face, “Leave now!!!” Patrick becomes fearful and exits. The door shuts, Anders looks over his glasses to glare at the Doctor. “Explain!”
Richards pauses... “They know.”
General Anders becomes increasingly frustrated, “Know what?”
The Doctor tries to continue business as usual and holds up a syringe, drawing from a vial, “That we are performing tests and enhancements on Corey.”
Anders is speechless and red faced, “And why would you tell them?!”
Dr. Richards with the syringe still in the air flicks it to the simultaneous sound of Tonya and Patrick busting through the door. With little acknowledgement of the intrusion, the Doctor looks again at the needle, “because they put…”
“Enough!” Tonya prevents the Doctor from commenting further, “We are citizens! We came here for help yet you treat us as vagrants. We are out of here! Doctor, gather Corey whatever medical supplies are needed.”
The General folds his arms, “I can not let you leave with him. Besides, how do you think you are going to get out of here?”
Tonya looks annoyed and gets in the General's face, “I think you are the one with a problem. Patrick, go grab Corey's bag and the box from the jeep.” She reaches to her boot and turns on the tracking dev
ice.
The phone on the wall rings, the General is slow to reach for it. Not taking his eyes off Tonya, he answers the phone. The voice on phone updates the General, “Sir, we have the signal again.”
Anders desperate to know, “Where is it?!” His face is enraged…his eyes grow large...jaw slightly drops. He disconnects the phone call. General Anders has never been tested like this before nor has he ever felt so powerless. “What is it?”
Tonya walks over to the Doctor and shows the General where the object is located. The stud that has changed everything,
“A small device has been applied to the back of your senior medical officer’s head. When he is no longer useful, I will detonate the explosive.”
“How did my troops miss those when you entered the base?”
Tonya smiles, pleased, “Well they don’t give off ballistic residue and they appear to look like studs on clothing. Really a cool weapon I'd say.”
The General walks up to the back of Richards to review the bomb, “What do you want? “
She responds quickly, she knows exactly what they need, “We require a clear path out of here…no obstacles.”
The General tries to show less anger and takes a lighter approach. He puts his hands in his pockets and kind of shrugs as if her request might be possible, “A path for whom?”
In her mind, Tonya already has one foot out the door. She does not want to negotiate further, “Present company, excluding you.”
The General stays firm, “No can do!”
Tonya states the obvious hoping not to lose any momentum, “You don’t really have an option. You have everything to lose.”
He tries to stay calm and intimidate his younger opponent, “…and you don’t? Remember…you came to me for help.”
“Things have changed. We are going to have to protect ourselves and make our own happy ending. Besides, we will leave you to your bigger agenda, like ruling another country, another weapon to build or another dollar to make. You sacrificed your citizens…for what? You have nothing…” Tonya looks over as the Doctor begins to put a somewhat coherent Corey into a wheel chair.
