Rouge Chapter 2.

It was another day of stormy weather over Laginas Island. Rain drops dropped from the grey overcast sky with the force of a bullet and the wind howled across the ocean, churning up heavy waves which crashed against the island cliff sides. The facility that stood upon the island looked lifeless in the miserable atmosphere, yet lights were on here and there, casting weak little glows into the mist of raging rain. One of the glows came from an office window on one of the top floors, an office of the Cerberus branch Sigma facility on the island, belonging to one Lucas Rowan, working for the Seras agency. Right at that moment, Lucas was having a talk with mister Alexson, the temporary ‘inspector’ for the facility who also happened to be one of the agency’s top executive members, one of the officials of the Board of Directors.1

Lucas sat in his place behind his desk, gazing at mister Alexson with calm concentration. The rain outside rapped against the window panes, providing the only true sound in the room, apart from mister Alexson’s voice. The light glowed ambient in the office and gave the two men a pale and ghostly appearance. There was definitely a volume of tension within the atmosphere.2

“And so the board has seen fit to liquidate the Leviathan branch of our agency. Four complexes have already been decommissioned.” Mister Alexson said with his eyes glued to the face of Lucas. He was explaining some of the major changes that the agency was going through lately, mostly because of government and economic setbacks, and perhaps some other reasons he was not willing to share with Lucas. “We believe the best course of action is to merge Leviathan’s work and objectives with Cerberus. The nanite-SG prototype is a first step in this direction, you could say. I believe subject Seraphin could be given the enhancement.”3

Lucas watched the man’s dry lips stop moving and then shifted his eyes down to the open metal case upon his desk. Inside was foam, cushioning a glass cylinder containing a red liquid. This was the delivery made by mister Alexson when he had arrived, a little farewell present from the now outdated Leviathan branch of the Seras agency.4

“No doubt you would have been updated via emails.” Mister Alexson said as he watched Lucas’s reaction carefully. “I’m sure you have no complaints against the wishes of the board.”5

Lucas stared at the vial in the open metal case. The red liquid had the colour of oxygenated blood, bright crimson yet rich. It was surprisingly pleasing to stare at and Lucas could almost feel the mysteriousness of the liquid through his vision. This was the latest development by the Leviathan branch before their termination, nanite-SG, or nano-cellular spirit gene if one wanted the full name. It was developed after years of research into the human and animal genome by the Leviathan branch of the Seras agency, with an uncompromising sum of money pushed into the project. There were also rumours that the nanite-SG contained something else that no one apart from a few top members knew about. This secret and unknown element was apparently what gave it the ‘spiritual’ factor. Lucas had to say that after years of development, a small vial no bigger than a beer bottle, is a rather disappointing result. Yet, the agency seemed fully content about its readiness.6

“It’s tested?”7

Mister Alexson’s lips twitched as he dragged a finger across his chin. His grey eyes were dark and dangerous. He was anticipating something.8

“We have used it on both human and animal. Its effectiveness in increasing the brain activity of subjects has taken an average of thirty three point eight percent. For physical dexterity and resilience, an average of forty seven point three percent.” Mister Alexson paused and took note of the raised eyebrow on Lucas’s face. The man’s dark brown hair was fashionable and his green eyes seemed warm, yet mister Alexson knew that Lucas was a sceptical man. Lucas would be difficult to deal with when it came to secrets. “Of course, these are basic effects. Leviathan’s researchers also noticed that a few rare subjects with, what they call the angel genetic code which was only found in humans, took on a few more side effects you could say. These include an extremely higher biological resistance and cellular regeneration, enhanced reaction limits to the point of impossibility, and the strange capacity of being able to cast a mirage-like effect around their bodies.” Mister Alexson paused again as he grinned at the slightly confused expression of Lucas’s face, “and of course, ones with the so called angel gene code also developed what the researchers dubbed the evil eye syndrome.”9

Lucas felt his eyelid twitch ever so slightly and to his surprise, noticed that the man dressed in the suit sitting across the desk from him was grinning. Was this something amusing? Was there something amusing that Lucas didn’t quite catch on to?10

“Pardon me, evil eye syndrome?”11

“Yes, that’s right. All test subjects who had the angel gene sequence within their DNA seemed to have underwent a temporary state of blindness, after the injection of nanite-SG. Their eyes developed a thin membrane similar to cataract. This would last for around twelve hours, after which the eyes seemed to shed some blood. After this period of no lasting damage, the irises of the eyes would have taken on a red colour, and the pupils changed from circular to sharp oval, much like a feline. It’s a symptom that we really couldn’t understand, yet it doesn’t seem to inhibit the subject in any way. It would simply make them less conspicuous.”12

Mister Alexson stopped in his explanation and folded his arms, watching Lucas with a meaningful smile. Lucas only said one thing.13

“Our task did not include the use of any prototype synthetic agents, especially one from the Leviathan branch.”14

Mister Alexson chuckled and leaned in closer across the desk. Lucas couldn’t help but frown slightly. He didn’t like this man’s presence in his office anymore. It worried him. Something was going on and he wasn’t notified in any shape or form. His gut instinct told him that this nanite-SG was bad. What kind of biological agent gave the host extraordinary reaction limits? Plus, what the hell was the mirage-like effect? Yet its successfulness could not be argued with, apart from the ‘evil eye’ syndrome. But if he refused to introduce it to subject Seraphin, he would be disobeying a directive from the executive board of the agency. No one disobeyed orders from the executive board.15

“Lucas, all the other Cerberus projects are near completion. They have under gone training and mental preparation. Within another week or two, they will be up and running. Seraphin is late. I am providing you with an excuse for your lateness.”16

Lucas nodded, but he didn’t agree. It wasn’t because he cared for Seraphin in any way; she was a weapon in development. Yet like all projects that you have over watched, you would not want an anomaly to be introduced which could potentially ruin everything. If Seraphin was to fail, if the nanite-SG was to cause some undesirable effect that deemed Seraphin to be ineffective, Lucas would take the brunt of the consequences, and he didn’t like that idea one bit.17

“Surely, it is not necessary. In the three days you have been here, we’ve got Seraphin out of the stasis tank and into the basic training program. She’s well on her way to completion. Also, we haven’t located any anomalies within her genetic code which may suggest anything along the lines of some angel gene. The nanite-SG would not give her those questionable side effects.”18

“Ah, but Lucas, I’ve heard she’s difficult. Doctor Dunham has informed me of her mental instability and her uncontrollable aggression.”19

Lucas forced himself to keep eye contact with the board member and to remain still in his chair. It was making him uncomfortable, but he wasn’t one to give in to pressure. He became the chief of a Cerberus facility because he was capable and always in control.20

“What could nanite-SG possibly do to help with those problems? They are merely temporary barriers which we will resolve soon enough.”21

“But not soon enough, Lucas. I’ve told you that the board sees your progress as uninspiring. We do not have the patience that you do. Nanite-SG is capable of giving her, shall we say, a mental and physical boost. Her mind will become clearer and more powerful, and with the enhancements already done to her, she would become a great success with or without the angel gene code. Surely that’s a good thing, a great success on your behalf.”22

Lucas looked back down to the vial of red liquid in the case. It continued to glow in the pale light of the room. The sound of rain hitting glass was keeping his mind anchored and in focus. Mister Alexson demanded the use of nanite-SG on Seraphin, yet if something happens, the man will take no responsibility. Yet if it did succeed, with no doubt, Seraphin may become a better subject, more susceptible to her training and more respondent to orders. Lucas didn’t understand why he was questioning the bidding of an executive member so much, but his instincts have served him well in the past, and nanite-SG was not something which eased his tension.23

“And why hasn’t any other Cerberus subjects been introduced to this nanite-SG?”
Mister Alexson rolled his eyes slightly, eventually deciding to find interest in some rain water that were rolling down the window pane behind Lucas. “The use of nanite-SG upon any of the Cerberus subjects was highly debated. We came to the conclusion that only one will be required.” The man smiled and began to rub his chin. Lucas watched with unmoving eyes and the thunder continued to rumble outside. “I decided to take Seraphin as our chosen one, simply because she is lacking so would be the one best requiring the enhancement. The board has already agreed.”24

Lucas couldn’t help but feel that mister Alexson was hiding something from him. There was defiantly something going on here under the table of the Board of Directors, but Lucas was in no position to delve any deeper. He didn’t like this, but he would dislike the consequences of disobeying orders more. “What if something goes wrong?”25

“Lucas, there is no point in you even asking that question. The nanite-SG has been tested on countless subjects. We are fully confident of its results. There is no need to worry.”26

Lucas thought it was slightly naïve for a member of the executive board to speak so confidently of something that gives subjects red cat eyes without any specific reasons. The top members were always suspicious and careful of the products developed by the different branches of the agency. It is unnerving that mister Alexson would be so confident in this new technology.27

“Why Seraphin? I just can understand the reason for you chosing her.”28

Mister Alexson leaned back and folded his arms again. The smug look on his face didn’t leave. He drew in a deep breath and sighed slowly, letting the sound of the storm to fill the room for a while before he spoke.29

“Because she’s behind, Lucas. Because she’s weaker than the others and so require something more. Because, Lucas, because I fear for your position as chief of Cerberus Sigma.”30

+++++3031

Julia stood in her white lab coat, in the analysis room and observed the naked girl through the shatter-proof glass. She had her glasses on and was fiddling vacantly with one of the spectacle legs. Besides her were other researchers and staff in lab coats, observing computer screens and scribbling down all kinds of information. Julia herself wasn’t doing much. Her job was to make sure things went smoothly for now.32

“Activate step four, shock intensity eleven.” Julia said with her eyes focused on the girl through the glass.33

“Understood. Step four, shock eleven. Commencing in five, four, three, two, one, go.”34

The researchers activated the program and Julia continued to watch. Inside the white room in which the girl stood, a dozen small prods protruded from certain points on the walls and ceiling. The girl was Japanese in race and had her head down, her long black hair hiding her face and falling over her breasts, however, her hands clenched into fists as she tensed her body.35

“She knows.” Julia muttered to herself as she stared at the pale skin of the girl. Something was so wrong about all this, but Julia ignored the feeling. 36

A blue arc of energy shot out from one of the prods in the room, towards the girl, yet it was far from hitting her. The girl had done a back flip, landing like a cat two metres behind her previous position. Another arc tore through the air towards her at lightning speed, which also missed as the girl did a side roll away.37

“Pulse at one hundred and thirty seven BPM, steady. Increase of eighty three from static.”38

Julia nodded to show that she heard this. An increase of eighty three within less than a minute, and without any physical limitations or damage. This was incredible; a normal heart couldn’t possibly do this. Seraphin’s body was able to go from fully docile to complete readiness almost as if she was able to control her heart rate consciously without any damage to her health. Her physical limit really was unbelievable. 39

The girl dodged another arc that zapped down from above. Her hair flew gracefully with her agile movements, flowing like the arms of wind. She certainly didn’t look as if she was physically capable of her acrobatics with her healthy figure of a young adult, yet she was. The girl was always one step ahead, changing her place as soon as the slight hiss could be heard from the prods, signalling that they would fire within a few milliseconds. She never missed a beat, flipping and jumping her way around the room and off the walls, always avoiding the blue stings, until.40

Julia gasped and caught herself before she did anything that would seem unprofessional. She quickly moved her hand down from her mouth and took a step towards the glass. Seraphin had tried to dodge one charge, but had failed this time. The shock had hit her in the side full on, knocking her to the ground with a bounce and drawing a scream from the girl. The prods were still on however, and as the girl tried to pull herself back up with shaking arms, another zap shook towards her, hitting her in the back, making her scream again and fall flat onto her front, shaking in a convulsion.41

“Halt! Cease function!” Julia shouted out to one of the researchers at a computer terminal. The man gave a nod and quickly typed something on the keyboard. “I didn’t think she was going to miss. She had been doing so well today.” Julia said to herself mostly. She didn’t know why she had ordered the shock intensity to eleven. Perhaps she was too overconfident of Seraphin’s abilities. They had been running trials for the girl for most part of the day so far, and she had done well. Since her exit from the stasis tank two days ago, Seraphin had been difficult, not taking orders and being very violent. She had gone mad on the first trial they had set her, breaking the equipment and injuring three members of staff. Today had been relatively smooth though. Julia shook her head as she stepped up to glass to view the girl on the ground.42

Seraphin had stopped in her convulsions and was lying on the ground panting now. Her eyes were obscured by her splayed hair and she was covered in cold sweat. There were dark red patches from where the electricity had hit her, burns which would have been much worse if she was a normal human being. Seraphin however, seemed to recover very quickly. She continued to gasp for air as she pushed herself up onto all fours with her shaking arms. She wiped her mouth and shook her head. Then, out of the blue, the girl yelled in rage and pounced forewords towards the glass. Julia twitched because she caught a glimpse of Seraphin’s eyes. They were watching her and they were very angry. The glass may be unbreakable, but they weren’t one sided. Julia yelped as the girl smashed against the glass head first and bounced back. This didn’t stop her as she screamed again and ran up to the glass, launching a fist to where Julia’s head was. 43

A slight crack resonated through the lab as Seraphin’s fist collided with the hard, dense glass. The girl pulled back and launched her other fist to the same position, again generating a slight splintering sound. Julia stared at the girl as she pounded against the translucent material designed to withstand the impact of small amounts of plastic explosives. Did this not hurt her?44

“Seraphin, stop.” Julia whispered at the girl. There was no way she could have heard it, and so the girl continued to smash her fists against the glass, forming a slight crack in the translucent block on her side.45

“Seraphin, stop. Now.”46

The girl still was relentless, screaming a sound of animosity which was muted slightly on Julia’s side, each time she hit the glass. The crack in the glass widened and began to spread out like the roots of a tree. A slight spatter of blood appeared on the distorted surface as Seraphin’s fists began to bleed from her hits.47

“Stop it!” Julia shouted, losing control of her voice.48

The girl screamed again and made a hammer with both her hands and swung it down over her head against the glass, making a splintering crack appear upwards along the glass, dividing the whole pane into two.49

Someone from behind Julia said something and one of the scientists ordered the restraints. Julia watched in shock as a misty steam-like gas filled the room in which Seraphin was in, making the girl scream and stumble away from the glass, coughing and eventually collapsing to the ground.50

+++++51

Julia stood in front of the chief’s desk, her eyes averted to the papers on its surface, avoiding Lucas’s eyes. She had been called after the little mishap down at the training labs. Lucas had requested a status report and Julia had the nerve to admit something went downhill. If she had a quicker mind, she would have given her report with more of an optimistic value. Yet, her bluntness seems to have been her undoing again. To tell the truth, Julia was scared of the chief. It was slight, but she was. Either that or she felt some weird emotion she didn’t understand towards the man.52

“What’s the problem this time?”53

Julia tried her best to look at the man in the eyes, but whenever their gaze connected, she quickly shifted to look at something else. It was almost like a reflex action. She didn’t want to, no doubt she looked weak to Lucas, but his plain green eyes, blank expression, and cold voice made Julia uneasy.54

“It’s just a slight mental breakdown. She has lightly torn a few ligaments within her knuckles and has sustained minor hairline fractures from punching the protective glass. That stuff is meant to be unbreakable, yet she cracked it. I think her anger mixed with her high threshold of pain made her oblivious to the self damage she was causing.”55

Julia stopped and covertly sucked in some air. She looked quickly at those eyes that were staring at her and then found interest in the Seras agency’s emblem badge upon Lucas’s chest. The wolf’s head seemed to be growling at her. The man himself didn’t budge or give the slightest reaction to her words. He only spoke, but once again in his blank and chilly tone of voice.56

“I did not ask for your personal opinions, doctor Ingras.” Lucas said, his eyes steady upon the young woman’s behind the spectacles. Julia muttered a feeble apology but Lucas ignored her. “I want to know what the lasting problem is. Is there any reason as to why Seraphin is acting in this way while other Cerberus subjects have not?”57

Julia was feeling more and more uncomfortable by the minute. This wasn’t exactly Julia’s fault, and Lucas wasn’t meaning to hold her as the antagonist. She knew that. Yet she never liked the chief when he was in one of his terribly serious moods. It really made Julia tense. She fidgeted behind her back and squirmed slightly on the spot.58

“I’m not sure sir.” Julia said, looking quickly at Lucas’s face to check for a reaction. There was none. “But, I do have a theory.”59

Lucas gave a small nod which Julia nearly missed, a nod which normally meant that Julia is allowed to go ahead with her explanation. The young woman sighed slightly, relieved that Lucas wasn’t going to be mad at her for coming up with another personal opinion.60

“When Seraphin was brought to us, I was told that she was a rape victim, the perpetrator being a new stepfather. This is true?” Lucas nodded. Julia nodded in unison. “Well, it would be my opinion sir, that Seraphin’s mental stability is locked in the condition subsequent to the assault. Her mind is unstable due to her anger, fear, and humiliation.”61

Julia paused, unsure whether to continue, half expecting the man to tell her to shut up with her crack pot theories. So it came as somewhat of a surprise when Lucas nodded again and told her to keep going.62

“Well, Seraphin may not remember what happened to her due to the memory eradication, yet her emotions remains at a very human level. We think this lasting effect is causing her mental instability.”63

Lucas finally seemed to look away from Julia and focus onto something else. Julia finally got a good look at the man’s face and saw that he was slightly troubled. Julia wasn’t sure, but he looked tired, or stressed, or both. No doubt this had something to do with that executive who arrived a few days ago. Lucky enough for Julia, she hasn’t seen him since the arrival.64

Lucas rubbed his chin and let the silence carry on for a while longer. The rain outside had stopped temporarily, but the over cast was still present and the view out the window was still unpleasantly miserable. “What do you suggest, would be the best course of action?”65

“Me, sir?”66

Lucas looked back to her so quickly that Julia blushed. “Yes you, doctor.”67

Julia was silent for a few seconds. Her mind was running through different options of what could possibly be done that would actually be useful. The truth was, if Seraphin’s mental condition was how she believed it to be, curing it wouldn’t be an easy job. You cannot just erase someone’s emotions so easily, besides, who would want to. Would it be right? Yet, Julia had an idea. She felt bad for that girl whom they had corrupted, whom they had forced into a life as a soon-to-be killing machine. She had a few ideas in the back of her head and when she spoke, she was cautious. She had to be careful on what she would say from now on. What she was thinking would be crazy, dangerous and unforgiving, but it would make her feel better at least. Sometimes, you had to go by your instincts after all.68

“It may or may not help, but let me talk to her privately, sir.”