Russell Brooks - Pandora's Succession

The lights turned back on and she spotted two men in silver reflecting HAZMAT suits, about to head towards her. She quickly ducked behind a counter before they turned around to walk her way. She heard their footsteps get louder, and she walked in a crouch around the opposite side of the counter as they passed her. She then ran from where they came and arrived at a closet where there were over a dozen HAZMAT suits. She closed the door behind her, removed her mask, and quickly dressed over what she wore. She took out the poison from the pants pocket and put it in an outer pocket of her suit, along with the bayonet and scabbard.

Parris made it to the Op-Center just as she saw the other two men in HAZMAT suits at the top of the staircase that lead to the isolation chamber. She walked fast and caught up with them as she heard Hashimoto’s voice boom out over the loud speaker.

“Everyone is to report to the main control room immediately. Our moment to shine is now.”

The entire group would be here soon. And still no sign of Tanaka.

Naturally, Pandora’s chamber was separated by an airlock which doubled as a decontamination chamber. The scientist closest to the door pressed a button beside it. There was a loud hiss as the air seal was broken, and the door slid to the side. They all walked in, and after Parris stepped inside, it automatically closed behind her. The same scientist pressed another button when they arrived at the second door. The door opened for them and also closed behind Parris as all three of them entered.

Parris saw Pandora’s Box for the first time, exactly as she had seen it in the diagrams she viewed with Fox on the laptop. She looked at the base of the structure and saw exactly where she would pour in the serum. She stole a glance to her upper left, to the window, and saw a few of the white-coats. The other two men went to Pandora’s Box where one of them took out a vial similar to the ones both she and Fox had. Only she knew this one had the nutritional supplement. Neither one of them had looked at her directly-she did what she could to avoid looking at them. But she had to draw them both away from Pandora’s Box long enough to insert the serum. That’s when she reached down and felt the handle of her bayonet.

She walked behind the man with the vial and slowly drew the M-11 so that the metal didn’t even hum as it slid against its scabbard. Pinching the spot above his waist slightly to the left of the middle of the man’s suit, she quickly sliced it and replaced the bayonet into its scabbard. She took out the serum and tapped the man on the shoulder frantically. He turned around while Parris grabbed the other man’s shoulder and pointed to the tear in his colleague’s suit. In the brief moment of hysteria that erupted between the two of them, the man with the torn suit put his vial down on top of the machine while he tried to feel for the tear. While his colleague helped him locate it, Parris poured the serum into the open slot.

The scientist with the tear in his suit immediately ran to the exit when a white-coat from upstairs inquired through the intercom as to what had happened. Parris had nearly emptied the serum when suddenly Pandora’s Box fell silent.

Parris backed away and looked at it in disbelief. A second power failure? No, it can’t be. Not now. She heard the hissing from the airlock and looked over to see five ninjas rush in and surround her. The other HAZMAT scientists backed away towards the wall, puzzled. Parris realized there was no power failure and that Pandora’s Box was turned off from inside the Op-Center. When she looked up, Dr. Marx, Hashimoto and the white-coats looked down at her.

One of the ninjas came up behind Parris and made her face the window where the others watched. Parris saw the surprised look on Hashimoto’s face but there was no change in Marx’s expression. If there was one thing she could say about Marx it was that she was a woman who had learned to mask her emotions.

Parris heard what sounded like a command come from one of the ninjas who shoved her forward towards the airlock. It was all over. Not only had Fox failed, but so had she. There was no decontamination process since no hazardous material had leaked. The ninjas made her remove her HAZMAT gear, leaving her in the ninja garments. Soon she stood beside Fox with two ninja guards behind her. Hashimoto and Marx watched as they stood by the rail on the floor above.

Hashimoto approached her with a stern look. “You would’ve succeeded, Dr. Parris but one of my ninjas noticed that one of their own disappeared on entering the bunker. That’s when I noticed that there were three men inside Pandora’s chamber instead of two.”

Parris glanced at the recruits below before she turned to Hashimoto. “You should’ve done more human trials on your Clarity drug, Hashimoto. It wore off. It’ll soon wear off your followers, too. It’s only a matter of time before you have a mutiny.”

“Don’t lie to me!” Hashimoto yelled. “Tell me how you overcame the effects of Clarity.”

“Relax, Dr. Hashimoto. The important thing is that Pandora was left unharmed.” Marx looked over at the white-coats in front of the console. “Isn’t that right, gentlemen?”

“Some men are down there cleaning out the contaminant. Whatever it was she put inside didn’t do any damage.” At that moment Parris saw Tanaka. Marx then stood before Parris and Fox. “You came so far for nothing. That’s why I think it’s only fitting you both be kept alive so you can witness the inevitable.”

Minutes went by as Fox watched Dr. Marx supervise the white-coats on the upper level. Both he and Parris stood a few feet away from Hashimoto on the main level, as he made a speech to the ninjas and the other members of the cult who had gathered on the lower level of the Op-Center. He went on about how within minutes justice would be served, and they would all be set free. He then directed everyone’s attention to a twelve-by-eight-inch flat, high-definition screen located on the wall facing the white-coats.

“We have cameras set up outside the bunker so we can watch as Pandora is launched into the sky. We’re also connected to major broadcasting stations around the world which will relay all the carnage Pandora will bring as it spreads worldwide. This island bunker is our refuge and the world will serve as the execution chamber. We will watch as justice is finally served!” Hashimoto’s last sentence brought thundering roars of approval from his audience.

“We shall leave here as the inheritors of this world! Before you joined The Promise, some of you were future doctors, engineers, and computer specialists who had your futures stolen from you. And then there are the others who had less fortunate upbringings who never would’ve had a chance to escape the shackles that society had tied you down with. But we’re not here to dwell on the past, but on the future. Once we exit this underground refuge, we will all leave with one important commonalty that will unite us-a second chance to prosper in a more forgiving environment. You will be the new inheritors of the earth.”

There were massive cheers and outstretched arms in the air that went on for several seconds until Hashimoto raised both his arms and held them there until the room became quiet again. Hashimoto was about to continue when Marx stepped up to the rail of the upper deck.

“The systems are online,” said Marx as she stood at the rail on the upper level.

Fox looked at Parris, who seemed too choked up to even whisper. She looked through the window to Pandora’s chamber. The cracking sound grew louder and its rich blood-red cloud in the cylinder was reflected in the Op-Center.

“Pandora’s growth is at 100 percent, now at 150 percent, at 200, 400, 800 percent!” called out one of the white-coats. “It’s ready.”