EMERGENCE: Annihilation, Book 6 (The Emergence Series), page 12
Chapter 28
Nick sat cross-legged in the shade of a large palm tree near the edge of the airport, his eyes gazing at Santiago working on the plane while Crixus was carefully loading a dozen tactical vests into the cabin.
Based on outside appearances, Nick resembled someone meditating, but his mind was reaching out to the other alphas throughout the Gulf States to continue their push south. Since being turned, his physical strength had intensified, keeping pace with his mental faculties to the point where he now envisioned himself at the epicenter of the brood while Roland stood below him, the distance increasing with every hour as the old man grew more debilitated from his previous injury.
Even now, Nick could feel Roland attempting to enter his thoughts, and for the first time, Nick found that he had the means to deny access to his mind. I am directing the others since you are still incapacitated, Roland.
You do so without invitation, and your feeble attempts to search for the location of the girl will not work, said Roland. She belongs to me—I created her, just as I did you. You both exist to serve me and our brood. That is your sole purpose.
Nick shook his head. I have probed your mind, your past, and who you once were—a greedy businessman who had more blind ambition than leadership abilities. Is that what you were hoping for in creating others like me? Replicas of yourself to do your bidding?
Roland’s anger was infused into his words. I have led our kind from the beginning and prevented their wholesale destruction at the hands of our enemies!
It seems like you have only led them into slaughter through your lack of vision and tactics. Nick smiled. Regardless, you need my help and my strength now. There is something happening to our legion of alphas that can’t be explained, here and elsewhere in the world. In the days since you were injured, our kind has suffered crippling attacks throughout the world, and now a mysterious illness is afflicting some of them in the tropics. I can’t—I won’t—stand by and watch them perish. I have a plan to—
A plan? You are no leader. You were just a boy when I found you. Your function is to serve me and then our brood, in that order.
He clenched his fists, feeling his enhanced forearm muscles tighten while marveling at his mental prowess. He took a deep breath, his back arching, then Nick envisioned a shaft of light pulsing a great stream of raw aggression as he channeled his powers into Roland’s mind. Yes, you created me, but we are not equals. I am far superior to you in every way. You have a shrewd mind, but you never had the physical abilities of a true alpha, nor the courage to join them on the battlefield. You have to be on the front lines to lead, not observing from the comfort of your hideout in the sewers.
He felt Roland try to insinuate himself into his mind, but he drove back the tepid attempt like a stone fortress repelling the onslaught of a thousand arrows. I plan to destroy the enemy at their center. I will not drag this war on as you have, sacrificing our kind because of a lack of vision and willpower. I have reviewed the attacks around the world along with your responses and found them to be pathetic. You have had millions of drones at your disposal, and you’ve done nothing all these months other than one attack upon the base in Florida.
He felt hesitation in Roland then sensed the pulse of the man’s energy ebb as his voice lowered. The brood must come first, above all else, Nicholas. They must not be mindlessly sacrificed to fulfill your ambitions.
As you have done! The drones are foot soldiers and the alphas are the surgical tools, yet you’ve only used them all in a reactionary manner rather than as a spear to plunge through the enemy’s forces. Decisive action and commitment have been lacking in your command. Exactly what I plan to remedy by being at the forefront of the coming battle.
I will not let you destroy what I’ve begun.
Either by a twist of fate or nature’s design our kind came into being—not by your hands, you foolish old man. Nick took a deep breath, closing his eyes then constricting his mental energy into a narrow beam, completely oblivious to his immediate surroundings as he directed all of his life force into Roland’s mind like an immense carbide drill penetrating through sandstone. Nick’s chest heaved as the parasite in his spinal column fluttered and pulsed, causing his body to shudder from the force. Nick felt like a supernova had erupted, sending wave after wave of psychic energy across space as the once-vibrant voice of Roland began to lower to a whisper. He felt Roland’s mental walls begin to yield before the violent force until his barriers splintered. He saw Roland collapse to the ground and gasp, his body resembling a withered tree in a barren field.
Nick relaxed his shoulders, taking in a deep breath as the parasite in his neck fluttered with excitement. He felt all of the chambers of his mind open, like floodgates that were now free from their restraints. He spoke into the dark void that was left of Roland’s mind. You will do well to remember your place in this brood now, unless you want to be completely cast out from the small group I have left you with. It is not your brood, nor is it mine, but I will help show them the way forward in a way fitting of their abilities. I will begin to secure their future on this planet rather than have them serving the vanity of a selfish leader.
Suddenly Nick felt the surge of thousands of minds around the world as they shifted their attention to him, like mighty oak trees leaning in towards the sun. He spoke to the yearning alphas as if he were standing atop a tall pedestal, looking down upon their fervent faces. Your time will come, and I will guide you in a way fitting of your exceptional skills. Soon, there will be a storm coming that will wipe clean the face of those who would destroy you. The Others are now an endangered species whom we will hunt down, just as they have done to so many other species on this planet.
He inhaled the salty air, opening his eyes and looking at the waves crashing against the shoreline, seeing how the smaller rocks that were once so firmly embedded in the sand were swept away.
For the first time, Nick could see a clear image of Abby, her mind freed of Roland’s control, her body lying atop a table as her panic-stricken mind screamed for help.
Found you, at last!
***
Roland lay on the concrete floor, his body shaking and his head throbbing as if a laser had severed his brain lobes, shredding tissue and parasites. He hunched forward, vomiting up black segments of the ropy parasite that had been entrenched around his cervical region. Where it had once fluttered with excitement and flooded his body with adrenaline, now he only sensed a faint ripple followed by a trickle of hormones into his veins. For the first time since his transformation, he noticed the effects of the cold air upon his body, as if a thick layer of insulation had been shorn from his skin.
He tried to reach out to his alphas throughout the world, but it felt like there was an immense chasm separating him from the rest of his kind, like a jungle bridge spanning a canyon that had suddenly been torn free from its anchors in the bedrock. All he could sense was the presence of eleven alphas to the north and south within a radius of a few hundred miles. There were no more pleas for help from his brood around the world; no more visions of struggles in distant lands nor battlefield reports from his alphas; even the mental control he possessed over the redheaded hybrid was gone. His once vast mind seemed like an empty universe devoid of stars, and he could hear the haunting echo of his own thoughts. No! I can’t have lost what was mine and mine alone.
Roland leaned forward, looking at his reflection in a puddle of water, his eyes resembling cavernous sockets and his translucent skin looking like parched paper. What is to become of our kind now? Of my brood? Of me? He whispered the words aloud, but the winter wind outside was all he heard as it howled and seemed to stab through the concrete walls around him.
***
Reisner was in his berth when Selene entered, racing to embrace him. She kissed him softly on the lips as he slid his arms around her waist. “See, I told you you were stuck with me—and now maybe for good, since we are bound for Mexico.”
He smiled. “Trust me, I can live with that.” Reisner brushed his fingers along her cheeks, staring into her eyes. Suddenly, he felt his heart race like he’d been given a shot of epinephrine. He stepped back, trying to catch his breath, a stabbing sensation flooding his mind as if his brain was being cleaved in two. He pulled away from her, heading into the bathroom. He turned on the faucet and began splashing cold water on his face.
“Will, what’s wrong?”
“Just another migraine.” He leaned against the wall as he gripped the sides of his skull. He saw the faint outline of a subterranean passage and felt the rush of cold air upon his face, then suddenly the image faded and was replaced by a remote shoreline laced with palm trees. He heard the shrill voices of hundreds of creatures. The pressure in his forehead was increasing, like a giant hand was squeezing his temples together. Then he saw an intense flash and the pain ceased, his heart rate slowing. Reisner forced his eyes open while blinking hard. He gulped in a huge breath of air then shook his head, staring around the room to make sure he was still on board the Lachesis.
Selene tapped on the door. “Are you sure you’re OK?”
He shoved his head back, staring up at the white ceiling. Hell, no. I’m not even sure who I am anymore. What if I am going insane? He opened and closed the cabinet and rustled around with the first-aid kit to buy some time. “I’ll be out in a second. Let me just grab an aspirin.”
He looked at his face in the mirror, recalling the sensation of peace and warmth he had felt in the tropical setting. He recalled the sound of a younger, more exuberant voice and how he felt the urge to follow it. It was different than the older, caustic voice he’d heard emanating from Abby on board the Nostromo. Something has changed.
“Will, I’m going to kick in this door if you don’t talk to me.”
He dragged a towel across his face then slid open the door, walking past Selene. “I better check in with Jonas on something—he needed me to get an after-action report over to him about the events on the Nostromo.” He hated to lie, but he had to get out of there fast before she asked him anything further and he caved under pressure in his weakened state. He needed answers, and right now there was only one person—or creature—that could hopefully provide those. “How long before Abby comes out of sedation?” he said as he stepped into the passageway outside their berth.
She canted her head, giving him a quizzical expression. “Three, maybe four hours, but—”
“I’ll see you then.” He disappeared out of her sight then trotted down the corridor, racing for the outside world—and some answers.
Chapter 29
“She’s been in your observation room since she was brought in yesterday and you still can’t tell me anything more than when I was there?” barked General Dorr over the videoscreen on Selene’s laptop.
“She’s been heavily sedated and is only now coming around, so I will be able to question her shortly.”
“Do what it takes to extract information from her, Doctor. I need answers on what she knows about the fleet and our operations here. If you don’t have the stomach to do what is needed, I have others with experience in such extraction methods.”
“This is a young girl we’re talking about, General. She’s the victim here and my patient, not an interrogation subject.”
“She’s an enemy combatant aligned with those who are trying to destroy us, whether she is a willing participant or not, so you will take the necessary steps to find out what knowledge she is in possession of or you will be relieved of your duties. This patient is yours until we arrive in Cuba in six hours. If I don’t see results by then, I will be considering a change in medical staffing on board your vessel.”
“But that’s—” She didn’t get the chance to respond as Dorr cut off the transmission, leaving her without a place to direct her fury. She glanced back at Schilling, her assistant, who had stopped moving around the room and stood frozen by the EKG readout. “Is this the same General Dorr who got us all through the battle of MacDill? What’s happened to him?”
Selene blew a strand of hair off her nose. “I think he’s immersed in his own mental version of MacDill these days. There’s no way in hell anyone is coming in here to torture that poor girl.” She paced around the room, thinking back to Reisner’s bizarre behavior in their berth. What the hell is going on with the men on this ship lately?
Schilling turned back towards the beeping on the EKG then looked through the observation window at Abby. “Speaking of her, your patient is coming around.”
Both women turned as they heard the door open from the corridor at their rear and saw Reisner enter. Selene still felt confused over his earlier state of mind and wondered if he was here for more than just scientific curiosity.
“I hope you haven’t come at General Dorr’s request,” said Selene.
Reisner stood at the door with a cautious look. “Uhm, no, you said she would be waking from sedation around 1630, so here I am.”
She stared at him, looking at his complexion and his pupils, which seemed normal. Why won’t he confide in me?
“Alright then,” said Selene, waving him over. She looked at Schilling while pointing to her laptop. “It will probably be better if there aren’t too many people in here while I question Abby, and I also need you to compare her bloodwork with the past records of alphas we have on file.”
“Certainly, Doctor,” said Schilling as she exited the room.
Once they were alone, Selene moved closer to Reisner. “You’re not going to believe the bullshit Dorr was just throwing my way—about using interrogation methods on her to get information.”
Reisner raised his eyebrows. “I’m not surprised. He seems beyond his breaking point, and Runa has described his staff as reaching their limits.”
He moved closer to the window, depressing the switch for the two-way speaker. “Well, let’s see what we can find out and what we can do to help her.”
Selene nodded, leaning towards the intercom. “Abby, my name is Doctor Munroe. I’m friends with Will and Jody Reisner.”
Abby’s eyes darted around the ceiling as she tried to turn her head towards the observation window. “What happened? Where am I?”
Selene gave Reisner a puzzled look then turned back to Abby. “You’re in one of my biocontainment labs for now.”
Abby blinked several times, her cheeks turning red. She arched her back and flexed her arms, tugging on the wrist restraints. “Oh God, help—get it out of me. Please, help!” Tears began streaming down her face as her mouth contorted, her body thrashing on the gurney. “Please, do something. He put it inside of me. That horrible man put this creature in my body, and now—” She strained her wrists until the shackles began to abrade the skin as she sobbed uncontrollably.
Selene stared at the MRI image on the screen, noting how the parasite attached to Abby’s spine was inert. She covered the intercom as she spoke to Reisner. “The creature must somehow still be sedated from the amount of barbiturates in her system, enabling her true self to emerge unhindered.”
She removed her palm from the speaker. “Abby, I’m trying to help you, but I need you to calm down before you hurt yourself.”
The young woman only yanked at her restraints, screaming as she flung her head back. “A thousand slivers in my mind. Please, make it stop—make the voices go away!”
Reisner moved closer, his heart racing as he pressed his hand to the window. “Abby, this is Will Reisner, Jody’s brother. Remember, I saw you yesterday morning on the Nostromo?”
The girl stopped writhing, her body going limp as she sank back onto the gurney. She turned her head again, staring at Reisner. He felt like there was an invisible tether connecting them despite the thick barrier of glass.
“You know what it’s like, don’t you?” she said in a low voice. “The voices that never stop. I know you do. I felt it on the first day we met—and again yesterday.”
He licked his lips, shooting a sideways glance at Selene before looking at Abby again. “I’m not sure what’s going on anymore.”
“He was in your blood and your mind, wasn’t he? Now there is another who has taken over?” She didn’t blink when she spoke, only continuing to look right through him. “I’ve heard his thoughts about you, whispers about the tainted one, and I knew it had to be you.”
“Who—whose thoughts?” Reisner’s outstretched hand balled into a fist.
Her voice was barely audible. “Whitmore—Roland Whitmore.”
Selene’s mouth hung agape. “Then he’s still alive, as you suspected,” said Selene.
“Where is he now? Can you tell me his location?” said Reisner.
Abby sniffled, her eyes scanning the ceiling as if scrutinizing a map.
“By the ocean—only not near here. There is snow on the ground and…and I see an old church with a green roof. A cathedral on a hill.”
Reisner and Selene turned and stared at each other. “But where?” she whispered.
Reisner pressed his face closer to the glass. “Do you see any other buildings nearby?”
Abby turned her head away, her eyelids fluttering as her clenched fists relaxed. “So tired.”
“Abby, stay with me. What else do you see?” he urged.
“Paul,” she whispered as her speech slurred. “Paaauuullll.”
“Abby—” Reisner felt Selene grab his arm.
