The Deathstalker [4]

"The elimination command is activated," The King's voice was heard from the other side of the line.

"Accepted, King," Deathstalker replied her. He was on a roof top of a ten levels building. Actually he had been there since for hours ago. It was actually a hot summer. His shirt was actually dampened since a long time ago. He was just grateful that he wasn't just wasting his time sunbathing on the roof top today.

"The object will be on your sight in five minutes,Fire" King informed Fire. "His car is leaving the building now."

Exactly five minutes later, a black luxurious car was seen on the road across the building. The car stopped in front of traffic light of an intersection.

"Now, Fire," King ordered. Deathstalker put one of his eyes on the surveillance camera. A minute later the car's driver was out and opened the car's hood. He took a look at the engine and then came back into the car to try to start the engine again, to no avail, of course.

The driver went out again. This time with two other men, one was sat on front while the other was on the back. From their figures, both were bodyguards. They tried to help the driver to make the engine started. But of course, nothing worked. The disadvantage of having luxurious modern car was.. it was all digitalized. Meant, it was easily being hacked. Well, not that easy.. unless you had remarkable hacking talent like Fire.

Another man came from the back seat. Finally. It was a very hot summer day. Being outside had already this hot, it might be almost unbearable to be inside a car.. One of the bodyguard noticed him. The bodyguard, told him to say inside the car. But the man refused. He would regret his stubbornness soon.

The bodyguard approached the man, about to guide him to stand under a tree. But Deathstalker's bullet approached the man faster.

The bodyguard was stunned for a second to see his boss's body suddenly dropped on the ground with a hole on his forehead. He then shouted and grabbed his gun, pointing it around, but he saw nothing since Deathstalker already took his gun from its place.

While the two bodyguards and the driver were in chaos, Deathstalker was calmly and thoroughly cleaning up the scene. After making sure he left no evidence, he went to the right side of the rooftop and dropped his gun case before he himself jumped from that side of the building.

Deathstalker and his gun case were landed on an opened truck filled with hays. Soon, the engine of the truck was started and the big vehicle was starting to move.

----------

Side by side, Deathstalker and Gila walked across wide aisle of their headquarter. That morning they had message from Madam's P.A, saying that Madam wanted to meet them. They were actually lived in the headquarter, but in the north wing of it.

"What do you think Madam wants from us ?" Gila asked, couldn't hide his anxiousness. Gila, despite of his strength and sadistic mode of killing, was actually most emotional knight, compared to other's cold and calm demeanours.

Deathstalker just shrugged. "I have no idea," he said with his usual calm expression. He then turned his head to Gila. "Why are you so nervous ? Did you do something wrong ?"

"No," Gila said.

"Then don't worry. It won't be something bad," Deathstalker said.

Gila sighed. "I just have a bad feeling for this," he said.

Deathstalker didn't respond to him as they had arrived in front of Madam's office. Before he could knock, the door had been opened for them.

"Welcome," Madam's P.A greeted them. "Please be seated. Madam is on her way," he added.

Madam actually barely visited headquarter. She managed the organization remotely, delegated trivial and daily tasks to her P.A.

Deathstalker and Gila sat on one of the armchairs in the center of the room. Around thirty minutes later, once again the P.A opened the door. This time was for the Madam.

"Good day, my knights," Madam greeted them with her charismatic smile. She was not alone. With her, there were three men with white lab gowns. The tree men followed as she entered the room.

"Let me first introduce you to these men," she said, stretching her arms to point on the three men, "They are a special team that conduct special research in our RnD. Mister Vraine is their leader."

Deathstalker and Gila nodded as those three men took seats on the couch. Madam herself sat on a love-chair.

"It's been more than a decade our organization interested in .. expanding.. no.. evolving man's capabilities," Madam uttered her introduction.

"It would be great if humankind not only be healthier and more immune to diseases and viruses, but also stronger, faster, smarter. Of course it could be reach in conventional ways, but it would take a lot of effort and a long time with a little to none result," Madam continued. "Thus, it is why our organization has been conducting an intensive research in genetics and neuroscience. Mister Vraine, you might want to continue ?"

The bold man with thick glasses cleared his throat first before started to speak. "As Madam has mentioned, my team has conducted intensive research on neuroscience for almost two decades. Our focus is in activating the idle neurons of human brains. Typically human brains only use 10% of their cells. The concept is, the more cells are being active, the faster brain would work. Thus, human can learn faster, storage knowledges more, and even do what common human can't"

"Al though activating idle neurons is easy, unfortunately stabilize it is another story," A man with white coat that sat on Mr. Vraine's right said. "We have experimented many methods to stabilize it. They worked on rats and chimpanzee, but not to human."

"Until now," Mr. Vraine took the speech. Both Deathstalker's and Gila's sights that once were on the man at his right, in the same time shifted to him. "Three years ago, we conducted a method and experimented it to a volunteer.."

"I am the volunteer,:" A man sat on Mr. Vraine's left continued. Once again, both young men shifted their gazes to that man. "They activated few cells in my brain."

"Only five cells," Mr. Vraine continued. "And look what he can do.."

"Do you have any book, Madam ?" the man asked to Madam. Her P.A walked to the bookshelf and grabbed a book before came back and gave it to him.

The man opened the thick book and literally only scanned the book page by page with his eyes. It only took him less than ten minutes to finish "read" the book.

"Please, ask me anything that within the book," the man said while handing the book to Deathstalker.

"Who's the author ?" Gila asked.

The man smiled. "Roger W. Eden. Please, ask me more difficult question."

"Okay..," Deathstalker opened the book randomly. "What the page 315 is about ?"

"Line by line or just the summary ?"

"Line by line"

Then the man started to tell them the exact words in page 315 of that book. He didn't miss a word. Not even a punctuation. Both young men had their jaws dropped in awe.

"And the content of that book is stored in his memory as a knowledge, permanently," Mr. Vraine added.

"The activated idle neurons will boost one's capabilities. For instance, Mr. Meyer here had already be known as a fast learner. He loves to read and learn. Thus, once his activated idle neurons boosted his capability to that extend," The man on Mr. Vraine's right explained.

"So, to every human there will be different extension of capabilities ?" Deathstalker asked. Mr. Vraine nodded.

"Awesome.." Gila said.

"How does it feel ?" Deathstalker asked to Mr. Meyer.

"I felt nothing," he said.

"Really ?" Deathstalker asked again to confirm.

"Well, honestly.. in the first couple of month I thought I was going to lose my mind since I felt the world went so slow. But then I discovered a method to adapt the normal speed and how to control my brain," Mr. Meyer answered.

"He recently finished his training center for our volunteers," Mr. Vraine added.

"How many volunteers you have so far ?" Gila asked.

"Since Mr. Meyer, there are five people. And they are all doing fine. Except one man who died because of an accident," Mr. Vraine answered.

"So.. why do you want us to volunteer ?" Deathstalker's blunt question surprised Mr. Vraine. Deathstalker turned his head to Madam, "Isn't that the main purpose calling us here ?"

Madam nodded his head. "It's true. Since the research ws showing good result, I think it is safe to say that it is a successful research. And it is time to implement it to real good use," she said.

"Us ?" Gila asked.

"Yes. You," Madam answered. "Think about it. If all of our soldiers could evolve their capabilities exponentially.. you would be unbeatable."

"Why only us ? Why not all Royal Knights ?" Deathstalker asked.

"Because you both are the front liners. So you have the privilege. The others will have the same procedure eventually," Madam said.

"Why is it so ? Can't you just do the procedure to all of us at once ?" Deathstalker asked again.

"The material needed for stabilize the brain can only reproduce every three years, and each time very limited," Mr. Vrain was one to answer Deathstalker.

"Beside you need at least six months to fully control your brain," The man on Mr. Vrain's left added.

Both Gila and Deathstalker nodded to understand.

"Is it an offer or an order ?" Deathstalker asked again after being quiet for several minutes.

Madam smiled to hear her son's usual straightforward question. "It's an order."