Benjamin Wray: Acid Reign: Genesis

William turned to Capener and waited until she finally stopped staring at the man.

“Sorry, sir.”

“It’s fine. Has the link to the remote chip connected?”

She checked the tablet against the readouts. “It’s connected,” she said with excitement.

William gently pulled the cable away from the man’s neck, withdrawing the optical strands, and held the biological chip in its place. A pattern of circuitry moved around the outline of the tattoo and then conformed to the same shape of the tattoo. The lights continued to race in random patterns, as he let go of the chip. It held in place as the blinking lights slowed into a solid pattern.

William typed in a code that connected his tablet to the patient’s nervous system. A holographic display generated a group of DNA strands that began to spin slowly. He manipulated the DNA stands one by one, pulling them apart, changing the strand sequences, and then closing them back together. After the last DNA strand on the hologram had been manipulated, he inserted a replicated shell strand that bound itself to all the others.

“Real-time genetic manipulation,” Capener whispered in complete shock. “How is that possible? Even before the Fissure, no one was even close.”

“The Theonium laced DNA shell allows the strands to be recoded without interfering with the processes.”

Just as he put the last strand back together, the man on the table jerked. His hair changed colors from a light brown to black, and then to white. His eyes opened, his pupils dilated to an almost impossible size.

“Where am I?”

He tried to look around, but couldn’t because of the restraints.

“Where the hell am I? What are you doing to me?” The man tried to break free. “Let me go,” he begged, squeezing his eyes shut, fighting against his restraints.

“You’re safe. We’re helping you Amon,” William said, halfheartedly as he focused on the monitors.

“I don’t need help. I want to go home. I don’t want to be here anymore. Let me go.”

He fought against his restraints again, which looked as if they might not hold him.

William and Capener watched him struggle, her in awe and William in mild disinterest. Amon grit his teeth hard, breaking some of the tips.

“Let me go,” he whispered, beginning to cry.

Capener felt she needed to help, and walked forward, not knowing what exactly she would be able to do for the man. William shot out his hand to stop her.

“The cycle needs to complete itself. Will you note that we need to use mouth-guards in the future?”

Capener looked at him for a moment trying to gauge his response. William dismissed her concern and motioned for her to write what he asked and turned back to observe the man.

Amon burst into maniacal laughter then let out a long soft breath as monitors flat-lined.

Capener panicked. She looked around at the monitors hoping that they weren’t accurate.

“He’s dead?”

William didn’t act surprised. He calmly stood, walked next to the man, and put his hand over the man’s eyes.

Capener looked at William searching for some kind of answer. William knew this would happen. He knew that this man would die, and he didn’t need to answer to her for it.

Footsteps broke through the tense silence. William pulled his hand back and looked at the monitor as the footsteps came closer.

Corporal Eloy Santez had dark, cropped hair, and dark, piercing eyes that matched the black Nucrean Guard uniform perfectly. He had dreamed about being in the Guard since he was a boy, not to serve his city, but because he loved control. He pushed past Capener who was standing at the door and inspected the man on the table. He looked at the displays, then turned back to face William. His eyes narrowed.

“Commander Yeong wants to talk.”

“I believe I know what is going wrong. I just need a little more time,” William answered, avoiding eye contact.

Eloy put his hand on his pistol, unlatched the safety strap, and sucked his teeth sharply. “I am not here to take messages. You need to follow me.”

William took a deep breath and held his hand out to Capener. She looked confused for a moment then realized he wanted the tablet. She handed it over quickly and retreated to the corner. William quickly skimmed through charts and information on the tablet then set it down casually on the dead man’s back.

“I remember when you had just joined the Guard. Skinny, scared and looking for some way to prove your worth to this city.”

Eloy pulled the gun halfway out of the holster and moved closer to William.

“Take it easy. All I’m saying is that it is good to see you have found your place.”

Eloy hesitated but holstered his gun.

“I won’t tell you again, let’s go.”

Eloy opened the door. William wanted so badly to take the gun from his holster and kill him, but he walked through the door, Eloy on his heels.

Ripp’s modified Mustang raced through the desolate tundra. Ahead of him, nestled into the shadows of two surrounding mountains was a broken city. The only kind of city you found while exploring the Fringe, crumbling, dark, and more often than not a home to Fringers.

A monitor showed a digital representation of the Nucrean transport heading right towards him.

“Okay, if you insist,” Ripp said with a mischievous grin.

The four soldiers were crammed into the transport’s small cabin.

“Don’t lose him,” Corporal Jamis said with anxiety.

“Going as fast as this thing will go,” Bettis replied as he pumped his leg, showing that the gas pedal wouldn’t go any further into the floor.

Lieutenant Roberts pointed through a dust-covered windshield at the remnants of a city at the base of the mountain range. “Doesn’t look like there’s anywhere for him to run,” Roberts said calmly. “Just follow the tracks.”

“Why does Kurth care about runners being way out here? It’s just another junk pile,” the Rookie said.

“I don’t ask questions Rookie. I follow orders, and you should stop calling the Captain by his first name,” Roberts replied as he finished inspecting his pistol and holstered it.

“Sorry, Sir.”

Roberts looked at the young man with compassion. The Fringe was a dangerous enough place for someone who knew what to expect, but for a first time soldier, fresh out of training, it could be overwhelming.

“Just do your job, Rookie,” Roberts said. “Everybody gear up. I’m sure he’s expecting us.”

Three cloaked figures quickly approached the long forgotten cabin. Their amber lanterns burned through the darkness of the night, disappearing and reappearing from behind the sharp, obsidian rocks that perforated the landscape.

Inside the cabin, an old woman struggled to catch her breath as she frantically searched for a place to hide the child she was carrying. Scattered throughout the rubble on the dirt floor, were white, luminous flowers that cut through the darkness like stars in a moonless night sky. She bent down and carefully held the child closely as she picked one of the flowers.

In the last room, there was a hole in the mostly rotted wall that looked wide and deep enough for the child to fit in. She gently tucked the child into the space. As she checked the cloth around the child to make sure there was nothing sharp, a small, soft hand reached up and grabbed the flower. The woman lovingly touched the child’s face, and quickly covered the hole with wood that had fallen from the ceiling. Heavy footfalls slowed and became silent as three dark figures entered the room.

Behind the wall, the child stared at the glowing flower as yellow light burst through the cracks and holes. Underneath the sounds of heavy breathing from the three figures, a faint hum vibrated through the air.