T and I went back to the conference room as the three
of them ascended ladder.
Since Joshua has received his abilities, it's almost
like there is a permanent mental link between the two of us, like the one I and
Em share. I could "hear" their entire conversation and shared it with T.
"Look JoJo, I more than most know what it's like
starting a new family per se." said Joshua. "Even without reading your mind, I
know you think this is messed up!"
"But why does it have to be messed up?" asked T2. "Why
can't we be a family?"
"Why? Why?! Because we don't know him. And he sure as
hell doesn't know us," said JoJo. "He's not our father!"
"JoJo, look at it from his perspective. In addition to
your shared genetic makeup, there is also a possibility of a cognitive
alignment. Imagine if you found out you had another genetic sibling in the
ether besides T2, uh Tank?" asked Joshua. "Wouldn't you want to gather more
innocuous data concerning his origins?"
"What the fuck did you just say?" asked JoJo. "All I
heard was waa waa waa!"
"Yeah Jo, it's too late for him to know his brother,"
said T2. "But he can get to know him through us. If you'll let him."
Joshua breathed deeply this time while trying to reign
in his intellect.
"JoJo, if you give him a chance, you will see that
Uncle T is one of the coolest people you'll ever meet," said Joshua. "He has
this way of making a quark seem like a quark."
"Man, if you don't talk plainly, I'm gonna kick your
as— that is, ask you to speak plainly again." said JoJo as he caught himself.
"I'm sorry," said Joshua. "I'm still not quite used to
limiting my vocabulary. But Uncle T has never changed. Not even when he emerged
from the chamber. Just give him a chance. You'll see. You won't be sorry."
"Besides, he doesn't make me feel like a freak. And if
he's our uncle, then so is uncle Marv," said T2 slyly. "You might even be able
to get him to take you as a personal student like he does Uncle Marv."
"Hmm...a student like Uncle Marv?" pondered JoJo. "I
guess that would make us cousins, like we are with Eli huh Joshua?"
"Affirmative," assured Joshua. "You might even be able
to get moved up on your injection time-table because of the familiar
connection."
"Fuck it!" said JoJo. "What could it hurt? You can
never have too much family."
"You'll see Jo, you won't be sorry," said T2. "He's
everything we wanted dad to be."
"We'll see, Tank," said JoJo. "Just don't be
disappointed if I'm not slobbin' all over him like you are."
The three of them stayed topside for a while talking
about asking permission to install a basketball rim at the armory, girls,
lifting weights, girls, what kind of abilities JoJo might get and girls. T2
mentioned that there was a good probability that he would never find anyone due
to his freakish size. JoJo teased that it wouldn't be because of his size, but
because of his stinky feet. It was at that moment that I realized these were
just kids and this new world was forcing them to be adults much too soon.
"Let's head back in," said Joshua. "I'm sure your
genetic familiarity in proximity to that of Uncle T will be a prioritized
subject."
"Man, you are an uber-nerd," laughed JoJo. "I mean, I
thought you were square before, but now..."
"Keep casting aspersions in my vicinity and I'll share
with everyone the probability of you losing your virginity, plus or minus 0.3%,"
joked Joshua. "I'm think sometime in August. Of 2042!"
The three of them laughed.
"I don't get it," said T2. "Why would he wait so long
to engage in coitus?"
Joshua burst out in laughter, "Because he won't have
any choice!"
The three of them made their way back to the
conference room. T stood there as they entered the door. JoJo looked at T2,
Joshua and them me. He slowly walked over and gave T a hug. T2 ran over and
hugged them both, lifting them off their feet.
"I love you JoJo and T2," said T.
"Why does everyone keep calling Tank, T2?" asked JoJo.
"Is it some sort of codename?"
"Well," answered T, "because technically he is Taruane
Charleston Johnson II and I'm Taruane Charleston Johnson. That's a bit of a
mouthful, and you can't have two Ts, so T2 it is."
"Will I get a cool nickname too?" asked JoJo.
"You already have a kickass nickname, Joseph Austin
Johnson, Jr.," said T. "But if you prefer, how about J2?"
"Nah! You're right. JoJo is kickass," said JoJo.
"Well if y'all are ready, we can get this show on the
road," said T.
"I do have a question Uncle T," began JoJo. "When will
I get my injection?"
T looked at me as he shot me a thought. "You know, he
has the right to know when? He's family, why are we waiting? He, Jamie and
Naomi can go one after the other."
"Really!?" interjected Joshua on our mental channel. "Jamie
is really anxious to receive the serum."
"You both know this will reduce our reserve by two as
Eli will facilitate JoJo's and we still have Ronny to consider?" I projected to
them.
"Well, my baby will be the last one for me," thought
T.
"And Ronny will be my last one, when he's of age of
course," thought Joshua.
"Hello! Earth to the Super Friends," yelled JoJo. "Is
anyone going to answer me?"
"Sorry Jo squared," said T. "You'll see when you
receive your injection how easy it is to get caught up in these psychic
conversations!"
"Does that mean—" began JoJo.
"Yes, it does," I interjected. "I'll talk to Eli about
prepping the lab now."
"Oh, hell yeah!" shouted JoJo.
Besides Joshua, and T2 of course, JoJo is the first
teen to receive the treatment. Hopefully the increased mental acuity will stave
off some of the angst and bravado cognizant in his id and will allow wisdom to
course correct his intentions. Damn, now I'm thinking this way too.
Eli prepped the lab and got everything ready for
JoJo's injection. Eli and Joshua entered the chamber like they did so many
times before and they administered the injection. The seven days came and went,
but there was little change in JoJo. He received the now common addition to his
height and mass and you could tell that his neurons were firing at an
accelerated rate. But when I peered closer, I noticed that JoJo's cells were in
a constant state of flux.
As T2 approached the containment unit, JoJo's mass
gradually began to increase, but stopped at approximately 10% of his respective
body mass. The same thing happened when Joshua approached, approximate 10% of
JoJo's neurons began to fire at a faster pace, but his mass returned to what it
was previously. It's clear to me JoJo has become a copycat just like Joshua,
but on a 10% scale. It looks as if he can duplicate 10% of the abilities of
those in close proximity for a yet unascertained amount of time but can only
maintain one ability at a time.
It wasn't until T approached the chamber that things
started going wrong. As T approached, JoJo began to seize. I mentally shouted, "Get
back!" as JoJo was unprepared to unconsciously absorb T's Antithesis ability.
He fared no better when I approached the chamber as his body temperature spiked
and he fell into a stasis like unconsciousness. I theorized while unconscious,
JoJo could not metabolize the self-replication of my cells, or the
self-deprecation of T's cells.
As he woke from his stasis, you could now see the
change in him. It would take time for him to get a handle on this new and
strange ability. We decided to wait to administer Jamie's and Naomi's
injections until tomorrow, as I was curious about JoJo and his ability. Eli and
I ran through some tests and my hypothesis was correct. As we exposed JoJo to
those who had taken the dosage before him, just like we did with Joshua, he
acquired roughly 10% of their ability, but try as he might he could not copy
mine, Em's or T's much like Joshua. We began to refer to his ability as Copy
Cat.
I can see that each time JoJo uses his ability, an
imprint is left on his cellular structure that indicates a possibility of
growth in this ability. After the testing, JoJo approached both T and I. You
could tell he was wrestling with a conundrum.
"Doc, Uncle T, how do I vocalize my intention without
implementing antisocial psychological trauma on either of you?" he asked.
"That's MY nephew," said T proudly.
"You plainly ask," I responded. "I think all present
have evolved beyond hurt feelings. Also, you have to remember: It's think,
consider, think again and then speak."
"I apologize. I will endeavor to do better," he said. "I
have a request to make but I don't want to offend either of you."
"Spit it out JoJo," said T. "Anything that is within
my power is yours."
"Well, that's just it. It's not within your power," he
responded. "I have done some serious calculations and have pondered that I need
better control and stability."
"Go on," I said.
"Well, what do you two think of me asking Master Leon
of making me his apprentice?" he asked
I could tell that JoJo's injection has also caused a
maturity and a growth in wisdom as he was now thinking about possibilities and
causalities in relation to current situations.
"That would be up to Leon," I countered. "But if you
are just as earnest with him as you were with us, I can't see why he would deny
you. But know this: he will work you and HARD!"
"I look forward to the challenge," said JoJo.
We walked JoJo to Leon's dojo and explained JoJo's
desires. Leon had a couple of questions for him.
"JoJo, what happens when an irresistible force meets
an immovable object?" he asked.
JoJo thought for a second and then responded, "We know
that a body continues at rest or in uniform motion along a straight line unless
it is acted upon by a force. We also know a body acted upon by a steady force
suffers constant acceleration. And we can conclude that action and reaction are
equal and opposite. So, to answer your query, nothing happens."
T beamed with pride over JoJo's careful consideration
in his answering of the question.
"However," continued JoJo, "Newton did not have the
data or foresight necessary to foresee perpetual motion or the ability to
continuously increasing mass. Therefore, we will have to revisit this matter
once more data has been accumulated."
Leon nodded in agreement.
"My second question is why me?" Leon asked. "Why not
T, who was my teacher?"
"The decision of you was a calculated one. Learn
everything you could teach me as my sensei Master Leon without a familial
hindrance. as one must crawl, then walk and then run," he stated. "I believe
while Joshua is an excellent teacher, it is time to part ways while I believe I
am ready for the next stage of training, I am not yet ready to learn from a
master's master once removed."
"I will accept you as an apprentice," stated Leon. "You
think beyond the surface. That, more than anything is what a ninja needs."
As T and I turned to leave, the two began to shift
their densities as JoJo struggled to keep pace with Leon. It's funny, because I
was able to keep pace with him with each step I took as we walked away from the
dojo.
I theorized that with concerted effort and practice,
each ability has a potential for growth and perfection. I am reluctant to think
what that means for me. Through sheer will, I have already begun to duplicate
the abilities of the others with very little practice or effort. That is all
except T's. The only one I've shared this with is Em, who also, to a degree,
has shown signs of ability duplication such as density control and
computational analysis. And while we were testing my newfound abilities, we discovered
a new one that has yet to manifest itself in anyone else.
The day arrived and we were now ready to proceed with
Jamie's injection. Jamie was not just nervous, but down right scared. Joshua
was able to dissuade her anxiety and provide a level of comfort to her. Eli
administered the serum and Jamie began to grow. Originally 4'11" tall and
approximately 94 lbs., Jamie topped out at 5'11" and 182 lbs. all muscle. The
days passed uneventfully, until day seven. On the seventh day Jamie's gurney
began to shake. Everyone assumed it was due to her body convulsing, but I could
see that Jamie was displaying my new undiscovered power.
The gurney continued to shake as Joshua reached out to
Jamie with his mind in an attempt to settle her. It was then that it happened,
as Joshua began to levitate off the floor. First forward towards the door and
then away and then towards again. Joshua was shocked at first, but quickly
deduced it was his connection to Jamie and she was the cause of his "flight."
Small items in the chamber began to levitate and move
in a swirling pattern. Faster and faster they moved. Eli was beginning to panic
as he thought the items would damage the chamber due to the sheer velocity in
which they were moving. I had to intervene. I slowly and gently reached out
with my mind and attached my thoughts to each item. First to slow them down,
then to place them in their proper places. I then reached out to Joshua and he
knew instantly that it was me. He shook his head and mentally forced himself
downward.
Joshua gently touched down on the floor and Jamie
stopped her tortuous flailing. Jamie stirred as Joshua approached the door. The
door slowly crept open as Jamie's mind willed it to do so. Joshua slowly
entered the chamber and approached Jamie. He kneeled beside her as she laid on
the gurney. He held her hand and that seemed to ease her mind. She slowly
opened her eyes and smiled at Joshua.
"I love you," she whispered.
A tear ran down Joshua's cheek as this was the first
time either of them had uttered the phrase.
"I love you too," whispered Joshua, as he clutched her
close to his chest.
Joshua scooped up Jamie in his arms and turned towards
me with his head resting against hers.
"I'm going to take her to get some rest," he projected
to me.
But due to their elevated heart levels, pheromones and
hormonal activity I knew rest was the last thing that was going to happen.
"Just remember son, in everything you do, ALWAYS BE
SAFE!" I responded psychically.
I could feel Joshua blush, but I could also sense that
he didn't care. His love for Jamie outweighed his embarrassment he felt of me
knowing his intentions. Forget becoming, approaching or inferring: My son is
now a man in every sense of the word. Not because of a sexual appetite, but
because of the maturity that comes along with it and the responsibility that
oversees it. I have to admit, I smiled a little.
Joshua levitated out of the chamber with Jamie in his
arms. They landed near Eli and walked out of the lab.
"Doc, what the hell just happened?!" asked a stunned
Eli. "I mean, I think I know what just happened or at least I hope I know."
Eli's mind raced with the possibilities. His mind
could not reconcile what his eyes were telling him.
"Why is it so difficult to believe?" I asked. "Over
the last few years, the dead have risen, a person has become immortal and these
abilities have sprung from seemingly nowhere."
"But they just flew?" he shouted. "I mean come the
fuck on!"
"It's not as uncommon as you would think," I said as I
levitated a pencil from his lab coat.
"You too, Doc!" he yelled. "What the fuck!"
"Yes, Eli. I not only have this ability but can pretty
much duplicate the abilities of all the others with ease. All, that is, except
T's," I stated.
"Question, Doc: Why would you keep this secret from
everyone, when you know your track record with secrets?" asked Eli earnestly.
"It's not necessarily a secret as much as it is a
period of discovery for me," I said. "I'm still not certain what the totality
of my share of these gifts include. It would be irresponsible of me to announce
a new gift every time I figured something out without yet having a handle on
it."
"It begs the question: What more are we in for?" said
Eli. "From the 50 doses we began with, one from mine and Tank's 10 for JoJo;
two from yours and Em's 10 for Joshua and Jamie; and five from the council's 30
for Fred, Gerald, Leon, Andre and T. We have a total of 42 doses left."
"This serum has to be guarded in that in the wrong
hands, it could be catastrophic," I warned. "Speaking of the serum, when are
you taking your injection?"
"I'm thinking of doing it in the very near future
along with the girls," Eli said. "I'm anxious to see what ability I get. It all
seems so random."
"Really?" I responded. "To me, the ability assignments
have been totally predictable. Think about how they unfolded: a mechanical
engineer who became more inventive; a hunter who became bestial; an immobile
martial artist with density control; a guy who thinks he's invisible to the
woman he cares about; a teen who emulates everything, but doesn't think he
quite measures up; another teen who is a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts; a
third teen who tries to emulate everyone because he's not sure of his place in
the world and a guy who thinks of himself as my polar opposite. Everyone's
abilities have either taken on the traits of their personality or their current
emotional state."
"Gee Doc, I never thought of it that way," said Eli. "I
guess I'm not much for the psychological and emotional sciences."
"Well in lieu of a therapist, I'll continue to talk to
you," I said. "Eli, Em is the only other person who knows this: like Joshua, Em
and I can duplicate everyone else's ability but to a greater scale. I'm
theorizing that it is the presence of my cells that allow the replication of
abilities in the three of us. As far as JoJo, I believe it is because he shares
DNA with T2 that allows him a similar ability."
"But that would mean—" started Eli.
"Yes, that would mean that there is a distinct
possibility that due to his age and not yet hitting puberty, T2's abilities
have not yet fully matured," I said. "It is not out of the realm of possibility
that he will acquire some if not all of the abilities that Em and I share."