The Crescent Stone

by E G McNally

  “Thank you, Madeline.” Jacque replied. “We’ll need some privacy for a while, if you don’t mind.” He added.

  “Sure thing, Sir,” she smiled, placing steaming bowls of soup in front of them, while they made themselves comfortable, and then returned with a platter of sandwiches.

  “Well, where should I start?” Jacque huffed, reaching for a sandwich.

  “How about the beginning, like how you got involved in all of this.” Taylor replied.

  “Okay will do.” He tasted the soup and then dipped the sandwich into the steaming bowl. Taylor followed his lead, picking out a sandwich and began eating, while listening intently to his story.

  “It all began about fifty years ago. I was only about twelve. . .”

  “I was accepted early to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, very early. And my mother was extremely happy for me, as was I, but that didn’t mean the four years I spent there were easy or forgiving.

  “The students found that having a child compete for the highest grade in their classes was a serious threat. Not only did I make many of the student feel intimidated by my genius, but I also made the school look like a breeze, flying through the advanced courses my first year, and working on my master’s degree in the third year.

  “As you can imagine, I was not a favorite among students, but still, I excelled, finding every means possible to further my studies.

  “

  “When I finally graduated, with the highest honors, I was one of the youngest students ever, to graduate at MIT with a doctorate in bioengineering. I was considered quite a prodigy in my time. But anyway, at graduation one of the most promising offers of a life time was made to me, by Second Lieutenant Bradshaw.” He explained.

  “Wow, he’s really gone through the ranks over the years, and he’s been in for a long time.” Taylor commented. “But sorry, go ahead.”

  “At sixteen, I was very excited to join such a prestigious research team, as was my mother, granting me her best wishes in my future career. Only back then, I was naïve, and didn’t realize how manipulative the military can be, even though I was a civilian partisan.

  “Youthful, excited, and naïve, I eagerly began research for Lt. Bradshaw, working with some basic protein bonds to reconstitute DNA helical structures. I flew through the processes, creating new combinations with astounding results, which must have impressed Lt. Bradshaw, and before I was nineteen he moved me to a top secret lab. Only some of the most prominent names in protein bond science worked in the labs and I was beyond thrilled to be placed in charge of the scientists who’d been working there, some for nearly twenty years.”

  “That’s crazy, I bet you got a lot of crap from them, being so young and all.” Taylor interrupted, finishing her sandwich and slurping on some soup.

  “Maybe a little,” he replied, cocking an eye at her. “But anyway, the research was the key. The military accidentally stumbled upon a stone fragment during WWII, while they were building bunkers on the Western Coast. The man who found it, had gotten injured during an accident, and when he stumbled upon the stone, he was able to heal himself. The military instantly covered up the event, stationing the man on the U.S.S. Lusitania, and buried the accident under a mountain of red tape. To anyone who knew anything about it, that was the end of the stone. But what they didn’t know was that was actually only the beginning. The lab I was placed in charge of had been doing research and experiments on the stone for several years.

  “The research was fascinating; it was as if the stone was alive. Using first, guinea pigs and lab rats, we discovered a protein serum, that when paired with a catalyst, or host, reconstituted DNA, causing significant changes in the host’s makeup. Only one problem kept occurring. We really couldn’t discover the stones true capabilities using rodents. Eventually, at that time, Captain Bradshaw approved human subjects for the testing, and began bringing them in. At first it was all on a volunteer basis, using people with significant sensory deprivations.

  “Although difficult on the host’s body, the protein serum reared amazing results, fixing and enhancing the targeted sensory loss. It was almost as if they developed super-senses,” he waved his hands around excitedly.

  “It sounds like you guys made some really cool medical breakthroughs.” Taylor butted in again. “So why are you up here then?” She added, dampening Jacque’s mood.

  “Well, sadly it got out of hand. We had become so comfortable, that we decided to try injecting already affected subjects with different strains of the protein bonds, and at first it was magnificent. Some of the subjects began showing signs of supernatural powers. One could read minds and another could see through objects, one could even move things with his mind. But, we got too excited.

  “We began putting additives in the serum to see if we could manipulate the causes more to our liking. And that’s when it all began going downhill. Captain Bradshaw decided that some of the abilities we had created were useful in combat. He had us combine all the strains together and inject them into four of his best men. I refused to do it. I told him that we had no clue what that could do to the subjects and that it could possibly kill them. He ignored my warning and went ahead with it anyway.”

  “So did they die then?” Taylor interrupted again.

  “Just let me get there. At first, it seemed like it was going to be too much for their bodies to take, their hearts were racing and their blood pressure was off the charts. Then suddenly they all flat lined, just as I had suspected their bodies couldn’t handle it. The injections were very tough on the subjects’ bodies, even the single strain injections.

  “We watched, as the monitor displayed a lone unmoving line across the screen, but then almost in sync, their heart beats came back. Weak at first but then the beats got stronger. Two of the men began changing. Claws jutted out of one man’s hands, long bat like wings from another. They had transformed into very evil looking gargoyles, bony and clawed. Then one by one they busted out of the restraints, holding them on the medical beds. The one with claws knocked me back against the wall; another one picked up a bed and launched it at the window in the lab. All four of them climbed through the window with amazing agility, and barreled through the long corridor knocking down scientists in their way.

  “They were out of control and dangerous, but Captain Bradshaw didn’t seem disturbed in the least bit by what had just happened. Instead he sent some men out to find them, and ordered me back to work. He wanted more work done with the stone, but what he really wanted was an army of soldiers. After watching those men, destroy the lab as they left, I knew that this was not what the purpose of the stone was for.

  “I began working on a treatment that would reverse the effects caused from the serum, and acted like I was making progress for the Captain. He didn’t have a clue, at first, but eventually he caught on. I found that if I placed the stone in between a ray gun and the subject the result was a cancelation of the protein strains in the subject. I used this method on a couple of the subjects until Captain Bradshaw found out what I was doing, and boy you better believe he was angry.

  “I knew I didn’t have much time before he came down to fire me or more likely kill me. I released all of the subjects from the labs, set fire to the place, and before I left, I wanted to destroy the stone. I didn’t want him to continue any of the research. I entered the safe code to the containment lab, but the Captain had caught up with me. When I was in the containment center, I reached for the stone, but the captain pulled a gun out, pointing it at me. Without hesitation, I threw the container at the Captain and darted for the door. He dropped his gun to catch the container but it smashed against the side of a table in the lab and the stone fell to the ground. As I was headed out the door I turned, out of sheer luck, and a piece of the stone slid across the floor and stopped at the edge of my foot. I reached down snatched it and then sealed the room, with the Captain inside. That gave me enough time to escape. I fled the lab, with most of the patients, and we set up headquarters here
, at my parent’s old summer house. Now most all of them call this home. Basically all the kids you meet around here, used to be test subjects from the lab. Unfortunately I didn’t escape with all of the stone and so I’m sure the Captain or I guess Major now, has probably been continuing his research on the stone and has possibly got a fairly large army of super human drones.”

  “So what are you going to do if he finds you?” Taylor asked.

  “Well fortunately I’ve been doing my own research as well. I’ve found a way using my portion of the stone to reverse most of the effects of the stone; however it only works up to a degree. I would be able to reverse more if I had more of the stone, but I only have this half. I also discovered that the portion of the stone that Major Bradshaw found so long ago was in fact only half of a whole stone in the first place. So what I’m saying is that there is another half of the stone out there somewhere.” He explained, tilting his head at Taylor.

  “You mean the other half, the one that I found then, right?” Taylor asked.

  “Yes most likely.” He responded. He looked at Taylor curiously and then finished off the glass of water he had with his meal.

  "I will need to run some tests to confirm my feelings, but I suspect that indeed you and the stone have become one. I have seen what someone can do holding the stone, but to have the power of the stone inside of you, part of you, which altogether is a new discovery that I never imagined." He remarked. "I bet the possibilities are endless.” He added.

  Taylor sat at the counter for a moment staring off into space. She had finished eating, and was momentarily distracted. "Um, Jacque. . .”

  “Oh you can call me Professor, like everyone else. It’s just easier.” He interrupted.

  “Okay, Professor . . . can you tell me who was at the inn earlier?" She finally asked.

  "Why do you care so much?" The professor responded.

  "It's just that, there was this feeling, no. . ." she wrinkled her brow, "connection more like, when he was there. And I’ve never felt anything like it before.” She hesitated.

  "Curious, very curious," he commented. "That was Willem. You might get a chance to meet him some other time, but for right now I think we are done here. I've got lots of work to catch up on, so go on ahead and Philip will show you your room, we’ll meet up again later.” He finished, calling to the butler.

  “You called, Sir?” Philip popped into the room.

  "Will you please escort Taylor, to her room and. . ." the professor leaned over to Philip and gave him some inaudible instructions to follow.

  "Yes Sir that will be fine." The butler responded.

  "Right this way Miss Taylor." He motioned to her, leading Taylor back the way she’d come in. Once in the main room, they marched up a grand spiral staircase and around an overhang, down through a dark corridor. At the end was Taylor’s room.

  “Make yourself comfortable, you’ll find your bags are beside the dresser. While you are staying with us, please remember, there are other guests, so refrain from loud noises after dusk.” He explained, handing her a skeleton key, before leaving.

  Taylor took a deep breath, soaking in the surreal atmosphere. The room was far too elaborate for her to feel at home. All she wanted was her old bed at her grandparent’s house. Peering out of the magnificent window, in her room, depression began to settle in, as she realized that she may never see them again. If only she’d never gone drinking that day, then she never would have found the stone, and none of this ever would have happened.

  “It’s all, my fault,” the words escaped her mouth, as silent tears trickled down her cheeks. She gazed off into the milky white abyss of the lifeless courtyard, until she was disturbed, by a light tapping on the door. Using her sleeve as a handkerchief, she checked her face in the mirror and then answered the door.

  “Oh, hi Jill,” she forced a smile.

  “Hey Taylor, just thought I’d let you know I’m in the room across the hall from you, okay.” Jill responded. “Is everything okay?” She added.

  “Oh, yeah. . . I just had something in my eye, that’s all. Taylor replied, rubbing her face.

  “Sorry about your family,” Jill offered, leaning against the doorframe.

  “You heard about it?” Taylor said, wondering if the professor said something to Jill.

  “Yeah, it’s been on the news most of the day. They’ve been calling it a high school prank gone seriously wrong, but they wont release names or anything like that.” She explained.

  “I wish I knew what happened to my grandparents.” Taylor mumbled, “It was all my fault.”

  “I’m sure they’ll be okay.” Jill wearily added with a smile.

  Taylor forced another in return. “I hope so. . . So what’s up?” Taylor added, figuring Jill had some other purpose of coming over.

  “Oh I just wanted to let you know that Dad. . . I mean the professor, wants you to join him in the lab downstairs. I think he just wants to take some x-rays for tonight.” She finished. “Just get me when you’re ready, and I’ll take you down there.”

  “Okay thanks,” Taylor responded, watching Jill disappear into her room, across the hall.

  Taylor decided to empty out the bags that Jill packed for her at the Inn. Philip had piled them neatly in the far right hand corner of the room. After she was finished, she found a hair-tie and messed with her hair for a while before settling on a simple ponytail.

  Jill’s door was cracked, and so she lightly tapped on the doorframe, before popping her head inside and glancing around the room and spotting Jill, crouched down in front of a big chest.

  “Hey, ready to go downstairs,” Jill looked up.

  “Yeah, if you’re not busy,” Taylor responded.

  “Nope, just fiddling with some clothes, might as well get comfortable, if you know what I mean. Probably gonna be here a while. Dad . . . I mean the professor; sorry I keep forgetting, said that the Inn was burned down. These guys really don’t want people to know you exist. The good news is that they’ll never find this place, he’s got it hidden very well, it doesn’t even show up on maps, plus there are hidden cameras and silent security alarms everywhere.” Jill watched as Taylor’s face displayed signs of alarm. “Oh, don’t fret we’ll be fine here.” She finished explaining, and closed the lid to the chest.

  Taylor followed Jill, paying close attention, as they marched past the grand stairwell, down a smaller set of stairs and finished at a large room downstairs, another long dark corridor.

  “This room seems like it’s right under our rooms,” Taylor commented.

  “It basically is, but there’s no staircase that leads down on these ends of the castle, so we have to walk the long way.” Jill replied and then greeted her father who was fidgeting with a box hanging on the wall. “Hi Dad, do you need some help with that?”

  “Nope just a sec,” he hit the side of the box and then it began to glow. Taylor realized that it was the same kind of light that the doctors used, to look at her leg x-rays.

  “Okay Taylor if you will come with me into this room over here. I will take some x-rays, and then we can be done for the night.” The professor said, with Taylor following him into a small room adjacent to the main lab. “Here, put this jacket over your body. I’ll get your head first.” He placed a heavy lead jacket over her shoulders, and then disappeared behind a little protected niche in the room.

  “Hold still for a moment,” his voice echoed from the niche. The room went dark, and then a machine whirred around Taylor’s head, pausing briefly, while making little clicking noises.

  “Okay, now lift your arms like this, and hold still again,” the professor popped out, pushing her arms up like a scarecrow, and then disappeared into his little operating room again.

  The machine made several stops, before it was finished. The professor came out of his room just a few more times, repositioning Taylor’s arms and legs, in order to finish the x-rays, and then finally stopped. When the lights flicked back on in the room, the professor popped o
ut of his little room and dismissed Taylor.

  It was about fifteen minutes before the professor rejoined Taylor and Jill, waiting in the main lab. He carried a large folder, and inside were the x-rays.

  “Everything looks normal, except for a growing area around your heart.” He explained, pulling her chest x-ray out and placing it on the light box.

  “This is your heart, and this is the abnormal area.” He pointed to the large cloudy spot on her chest. “If you swallowed the stone, and it never exited, then I would have found it in your stomach or bowels. But there’s nothing there. The heart is the only abnormal area I can find in your body, and if you asked me, I’d bet it has become a part of you and has basically encased your heart in some sort of bone hard case. A good protection mechanism, I think.” He remarked; arms crossed around his chest, staring fascinated, at the x-ray. “It’s really rather incredible.”

  “So . . . I’m like this forever?” Taylor asked.

  “Quite possibly, also it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to get the other half of that stone in order to completely reverse the effects of the protein strains.” The professor sadly commented and then plopped down onto a chair in the lab and began sulking. “There is most definitely going to be a war now, and I’m gonna have to do some things I’ve always dreaded,” he mumbled, too low for anyone to hear.

  “Don’t worry Professor; I’m sure it’ll all work out just fine.” Jill encouraged, with her usual unrealistic optimism. “Come on Taylor, let’s go turn in for the night, and we can talk some more tomorrow.” Jill nudged her and then whispered as they walked out of the room. “I think he needs some time alone right now, he’s got a lot to think about.”

  The professor waited for the girls to leave the room and then walked over to a small T.V., and turned it on.

  “. . . Swine flu. . . Is it the pandemic we’ve feared, Don Reese, acting director of the Federal Center for Disease Control says; ‘I fully expect we will see deaths from this infection’ as the count raises to 3,049 infected confirmed accounts from yesterdays 1,020. Already 159 deaths in Mexico are confirmed to be from swine flu and another 2,500 infected. Pandemic alert has been raised from level 4 to level 5 as we now confirm the spread of the disease in more than two countries. Schools everywhere are being shut down and residents are being urged to avoid highly congested areas and stay home if they’re sick. . . Next Director John Pablo of the Federal Bureau of Investigation makes a comment on the disappearance of children in elementary schools all around the country. Later, another attack on the white house, who is doing it, and what do they want?”