Chapter 24

"Ow!" escaped from my lips as T squeezed me and lifted

me from my feet.

Eli and Joshua looked at each other puzzled. They then

turned their attention to me.

"Ow?!" queried Eli. "What do you mean, Ow?"

"I felt that, and it actually hurt a little," I said. "What

the hell is going on?"

T looked around as he began to piece together what was

happening, his intelligence still increasing. But in pure T fashion, he grasped

the situation and put his own T spin on it.

"I'm your antithesis, your total opposite. Is it any

wonder that I would be the one person in the world who COULD hurt you, knowing

that I NEVER would?" said T. "Brother, the world will be waiting a long, long

time for me to go against you. It just ain't going to happen!"

"Is it psychotropic proximity, or amicus optimus, that

causes his biorhythms to degrade and cancel out the reproduction of my

mitochondria?" I asked rhetorically. "Is it the radiation or the frequency?"

"It's neither," answered T. "It's just plain old

mother nature balancing things out. I love you man, but you spawned something

that is truly unnatural, and nature is fighting like hell to re-establish a

balance. Your ascension was rapid and bursting with life, while mine is slow

and steady, and full of anti-life. 'You're the disease, and I'm the cure!' or

something like that!"

"If you're anti-life, wouldn't you be the disease?" I

smirked as we laughed and hugged again, this time with T reigning in what he

called his Antithesis Field. But to his point, if I were the end result of

evolution for humankind, would T be the end result of evolution for the DCs?

The hypotheses raced through my mind.

Next up was Gerald. He walked up to the door of the

chamber and paused. He took a deep breath and turned and faced me.

"Doc...Marv, how will this change me? I don't want to

become a freak," he said with a concerned look in his eye. "How do you cope

with it?"

"I don't know what is more disconcerting, Gerald," I

said. "The fact that you don't trust me or that you think I'm a freak." We

stared at each other awkwardly for a few seconds and then I cracked a smile.

"I'm kidding G," I said. "Don't think of it as

becoming a freak. Think of it as you becoming the ultimate you." Gerald entered

the chamber and Eli and Joshua administered the serum. Gerald's mutation was

shocking. Tufts of a fur like substance covered his body. His nasal passages

pushed out into a canine like snout and his ears peaked to above the top of his

head. He developed a feral like visage. His hands became claws and his legs

were lupine in nature. But it was his eyes that threw me. His eyes became a

crimson color that looked as if they saw through your soul and reminded me a

lot of Charles' eyes.

His mental state was completely animalistic. Day after

day, he looked more like an amalgamation of animals and less like a human

being. His thoughts were all over the place, "Hunt...kill...eat...survive...protect...preserve...survive!"

On day seven, Gerald collapsed in the chamber. I rushed in to tend to his

condition. Gerald was slowly but surely reverting to an advanced human state.

His vitals were remarkably close to that of T's, in the weight and body mass

that he accumulated.

Gerald's mutation was unique in that he could trigger

an animalistic transformation that added to his already inhumanly hunting

skills. Tests proved that he could see and hear through the entire

electromagnetic spectrum. He was able to detect things that only I and Em could

see and hear. His strength and speed surpassed Tank's but was nowhere near

mine. He also developed a healing factor that was quite remarkable. Gone was

the corporate huntsman I had met so many years ago on that retreat. What stood

before me was now a true Huntsman in every sense of the word.

"Oh Yeah!" growled Gerald in his animalistic

excitement. "This is what I'm talking about! This is the shit!"

"What about your concerns on being a freak?" I asked. "What

are your thoughts?"

"Fuck being a freak!" he exclaimed. "I am now a bonafide

badass! I can't wait to howl at the moon!"

Leon was next. Before he would allow us to administer

the serum, he wanted to meditate. He sat in the chamber, somber and solemn, for

two hours without so much as a peep out of him. I could hear his mind

contemplating the universe as he steeled himself for what was to come. When he

was ready, he stood and faced the door. Leon was never the most talkative

person to begin with. He was the exact opposite of T in a social setting in

that for the most part, he kept to himself. I mean he was social and even cordial,

but not without effort on the part of the person engaging him.

I entered the chamber and bowed before my junior

fellow student, as anyone who knows anything about martial arts is a huge no-no

unless you are attempting to convey the utmost of respect.

"Leon, I really appreciate and respect what you have

done here," I said. "You've and T have taken a rag tag group of people and

turned them into a close-knit fighting unit! Your efforts are to be commended

and you should be proud of what you have accomplished."

"Thanks Doc," he said. "Without T's training and your

leadership, I wouldn't be a 10th of the man I am today. You truly are an

inspiration to everyone here."

We administered the serum to Leon and again he sat

there with his legs crossed, a symbol of concentration and stoicism. Although

Leon's height changed very little, his density was off the charts. His bones,

muscles and tissues became incredibly dense. Leon reached a top height of 5'11"

but weighed well over 500lbs. His density made his skin tougher than carbon

fiber and could only be damaged by the Nano-scalpels we had. On the seventh

day, we realized that Leon could control his density, making him as light as a

couple of pounds and as heavy as 3 tons. His increased density directly

correlated to his increased strength and toughness, while still maintaining his

speed and flexibility. At his maximum density, Leon became as dark as coal and

his strength was almost half that of mine.

"Doc?" he asked, "What happens when the irresistible

force meets the immoveable object?"

It was a question that T had given me, and apparently

Leon, long ago to ponder when he attempted to center himself. I don't believe

he has ever attempted to answer it.

"Do you now know the answer, Leon?" I asked.

He smiled and looked at me as he began to increase his

density, "Nothing!"

Andre was up next, and Diane pleaded with him not to

go through with it. According to her, her Catholic faith would find what we are

doing an abomination. But for the life of me as I recall everything I've ever

read about Catholicism, I can say with certainty it never once addressed the

issue of cellular mutation.

"Marvin, you know this is wrong," she said. "This goes

against everything that God stands for."

"Is this the Christ's position or yours?" I retorted. "Because

with my increased brain capacity and total recall thanks to my now eidetic

memory, I don't recall the Christian faith ever addressing cellular mutation.

Because I am a creature of God's own creation, isn't it possible that

everything I do is God's plan?"

This time I was able to detect the push and this time

it did come from me as Diane was now agreeing with me. I pulled back my

influence to allow her to come to her own conclusions. As she toiled with the

circumstance, she was less opposed to it and now just uncertain how that we, as

a collective, would behave with our newfound abilities.

Andre stepped into the chamber and Eli and Joshua

began to administer the serum. Like T, Andre only partially mutated physically.

Day after day, his weight and height slowly and marginally increased. A total

of 10 inches and 75 lbs. On day seven, Diane screamed.

"Where is he? Where is Andre? Did he disintegrate?"

screamed Diane. "What happened to him? You killed Andre!"

The newly mutated ran into the observation area

outside of the chamber as their mental acumen added to the collective

intelligence to better navigate our new journey. I peered into the chamber and

did not understand. Gerald stood right beside me and shrugged when he looked at

me.

"Is she crazy or delusional?" he asked. "What is she

rambling on about?"

"I have no clue," I responded. "Clearly he is right

there!"

"Wait, you two can see something in the chamber?"

asked Eli. "Because I don't see anything besides the items that are always in

the chamber."

'This isn't humorous in the least bit, Eli," I said. "Diane

is really freaking out. This better not be some practical joke!" But I knew it

wasn't a joke, because they all thought they saw nothing. It was confusing

until Diane screamed again as she believed she saw the blanket floating.

"Mierda! It's a fucking ghost!" Diane screamed. "What

the fuck did you do, Marvin?!"

I concentrated and realized that light was now

refracting around Andre. I theorized that both Gerald and I were peering into

the infrared spectrum and were able to perceive him despite the dispersion of

light. Andre was for all purposes was invisible. Perhaps the more accurate

description was that Andre was a chameleon who was blending into his

background.

As Andre stepped towards the door you could see that

his aura solidified. Diane ran to the door and pressed up against it.

"Are you ok baby?" she mewled. "Tell me you're ok

baby!"

"I'm fine. I've never felt better. As a matter of

fact, I feel like I could take on Doc!" Andre exclaimed. "I feel like I could

take on the world!"

"Calm down Andre!" advised Fred. "You are Marvin's

inferior in every respect: physically, mentally, psychologically, experience

wise...Should I go on?"

"Damn Fred, you sure know how to remove an elevated

level of endorphins in a succinct manor," said Andre. "Does these hyper

intellects mean we have to forego our ability to interject levity?"

"It's ok, Andre," I said. "Each person seems to be

acclimating in their own way. You now have to learn your new body, your new

senses and your new abilities. The good thing is the excess brain capacity

allows for accelerated learning."

It was at this point that I noticed Em, and she didn't

look too hot.

"Is it the baby?" I mentally inquired as I noticed a

wincing look on her face as if she were in discomfort. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," she reassured me. "But haven't you noticed

it's getting a little 'noisy' in here?"

Now that she had mentioned it, I did notice that there

was an uptick in the telepathic activity. It seems that our new additions to

our advanced neural pathways are not yet versed in the proper etiquette of

sharing one's thoughts.

"Damn! My baby Naomi has a fat ass!"

"If I use a gold/aluminum/silver composite, I could

get a 67% increase in efficiency."

"Is it fair to peep at Diane?"

"I'm going to bag the biggest buck I can find, with my

bare hands!"

"I used to be special. But now, it's just like it was

before and I'm a nobody again."

"Who..." I thought, when my eyes fixed on Tank. I told

Eli that we would suspend the dosages for a few days so that I could spend some

time with Tank and Joshua.

"If you're planning to take Joshua with you, take

this," said Em as she pressed a vial of the serum in my hand. "Hopefully you

won't need it, but it's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not

have it."

"Thanks babe," I said. "You take such good care of us."

"Tank, how would you like to get out with me and

Joshua?" I asked. "I'm starting to feel a little cooped up myself and I can't

imagine you feel any different."

Tank nodded and we went and found Joshua who was with

Jamie. A feeling of jealousy swept over me. It was definitely coming from Tank.

But was he jealous of Joshua or his relationship with Jamie? I couldn't quite

get a read on his intent. It was much more difficult to get a reading from him

if he did not wish it. We still have a lot to learn about these abilities.

About their limitations and their weaknesses, especially when being used

against, to or for one another.

"Son, are you ready to go? I asked Tank to join us," I

said. "I think we could all use some time out of these walls."

"Yeah dad, I was just spending a little time with

Jamie," he said.

"Ooooh, can I come too?" asked Jamie. "I'd love to

gather some data on yours and Tank's performances."

"Not this time Jamie," I said. "This time is just a

boy's day out."

"Bruh, how are you going to plan a boy's day out

without ya BOY?" exclaimed a voice from behind me.

It was T and he went completely undetected by me. It

appears that he seems to be getting a hang of his Antithesis Field.

"You know you are always welcomed, T," I said. "You're

family. Just like Tank and Joshua."

Tank looked up at me and asked, "Me?"

"Of course, you are family," I said. "In a way you are

the father of everything that has happened to us. You are our

progenitor."

"Well, to be fair Doc, I would have to give the credit

to Eli for that, and he would have to defer to you for his copying of your

work," he responded with a smile.

I think that is the most I had heard Tank speak since

having the pleasure of meeting him. He, T, Joshua and I set out to just get

away. In the back of my mind, I was a little concerned about Joshua, as he was

the only one who was not inoculated against the bites. We drove for about an

hour just to get away from everything that we knew as familiar.

"You know Tank, I don't even know your real name," I

said to him. "Do you mind if I ask what your birth name is?"

Tank looked at me with a scrunched up look on his face

as he vigorously shook his head in the negative.

"Look, I'll make a deal with you. I'll tell you my

middle name," I said. "Not even T knows that my middle name is Augustus!"

"Like the Caesar?" said Tank as he smiled. "I like

that name!"

"Ok, now it's your turn," I said. "What's your name?"

"My name is Taruane," he said. "I was named after my

grandfather. Everyone used to call me T."

"Wait a minute," I thought to myself. "T was named

after his father, even though he wasn't there for him. Could Tank be his

nephew? After all, Taruane really isn't that common of a name."

I looked at Tank and then I looked at T. I really

looked. I mean at the cellular level. There, at the Y chromosomes. There is no

doubt that they are related on the male side of their lineage.

"Tank, would you mind if I called you T2, so as to cut

down on the confusion as I already know a guy named T?" I asked as I motioned

to T. "You should get to know him. You guys have a LOT in common. Yo, T, come

over here!"

As T walked over, T2 remarked how much he walked like

his dad. But unlike his dad, T was fun and silly. He made him feel better about

himself.

"Hey T, I think you should tell Tank your REAL first

name," I said. "Trust me on this."

I walked over to Joshua as the two of them began to

chat. I felt the curiosity as T's emotions caused his Antithesis Field to

fluctuate. Through questioning, he was able to piece together what I already

knew. His father had another family and Tank (T2) was his nephew.

"So, your name is Taruane, just like mine?" asked T. "What

was your father like?"

"He was okay I guess," said T2. "He was kind of a

sourpuss though. He was never happy, and I think I was a mistake."

"Don't say that," said T. "Without you, Marv would

have been a goner. You saved his life and have given us all a new outlook on

life. You're kind of like our savior."

"That's what the church people said. But it's not

true," said T2. "You know, you have a knack for making me feel better."

"There's a reason for that: Cause I'm T, T. Is it okay

if I call you T?" asked T. "I mean I don't want to overstep my bounds."

"Doc suggested T2 to cut down on confusion," said T2. "I

kind of like it. It makes me feel like we are connected."

"Well, I sort of wanted to talk to you about that,"

said T. "Did you ever meet your grandfather?"

"He was around when I was a really little kid. Back

then, my brain didn't work so well," said T2. "Mostly I just remember him and

my dad arguing all the time. I think that was one of the reasons that my dad

was so unhappy. Grandpa made him miserable and I think he believed that that

was the way to raise a child."

"Look at me T2. I mean really look at me," said T. "Is

there anything familiar about me? Think!"

"Well, as I told Doc, you kind of remind me of my dad

in some ways. But in other ways, you two are nothing alike." said T2. "He was

miserable, but you are a happy, go, lucky kind of person. But now that you

mention it, you kind of remind me of my grandpa too."

"Taruane, I'm your uncle," said T. "Your grandpa was

my father and although I never met him, your dad was my younger brother."

T2 stood there stunned as T regaled him with the tale

of how his father walked out on him and his mom and how he must have started

another family that resulted in T2's dad. As T spoke, I felt him begin to

relinquish the bitterness and hatred that he hid about his father from everyone

but me. The façade that he erected to hide the shame of not feeling good enough

to warrant his father's love. He began to understand that T2's father received

that love and was miserable for it.

"T2, do you know what this means? It means we are

family," said T. "It means that if you will allow it, I will love you like

neither of us were loved."

T2, grabbed T and lifted him off his feet as tears

began to stream down both of their cheeks. And if I was honest with myself, I

got a little misty eyed myself. It was at that moment that I realized that

Joshua had disappeared. I listened for his heartbeat, but I couldn't hear it. I

was able to detect his scent in the direction of the tree line.

"T, T2! We have a problem!" I whispered. We were

completely surrounded by the dead and Joshua was missing.