[USS Charon] SD240908.29 || Backlog IV || Cpt Zane Akina, SFI (NPC) - "Into The Darkness - Part IV"

[ BACKLOG – Eight Months Ago ]

Astate Colony
Unpopulated Jungle Island Chain - Secret Underground Research Facility (NeoDyne Corp.)
“Into The Darkness – Part IV”
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Zane continued his research at the operational computer terminal as he continued to read through Doctor Ballentine's experiment notes detailing the horrors he had put his subjects through to achieve some unknown goal.  The doctor spoke cryptically of keys, but to what Zane could not deduce.  The doctor was careful not to divulge too much in his notes - perhaps out of fear of being replaced, perhaps to keep NeoDyne at bay while he conducted his experiments keeping data close to his vest to protect himself.

Zane continued reading until a voice startled him sending him into a somersault and defensive crouch his weapon at the ready – his finger quivering over its trigger ready to fire.

“Are you here to help us”, the voice said.  Zane looked on as a child roughly 10 or 11 years of age by his estimation called out to him with an innocent voice that seemed filled with hardship and pain.

Zane hesitated for a moment.  Could this be one of the experiments that had survived?  Zane shook his head.  He couldn’t think like the researchers.  This was a person – a living, breathing individual.  No matter what others had done to him, Zane couldn’t treat him with the coldness of the scientists.  His heart wouldn’t let him.

Lowering his disruptor pistol, Zane nodded, slowly holstering the weapon.  “Yes, I’m here to help.  My name is Zane.  Zane Akina.  What’s your name?”

“Name”, the young boy asked in confusion.  “Name – I don’t understand?  What’s name?”

“What do they…what do I call you?”

“Call me”, the boy asked with confusion.  “My designation is X109.”  The boy ran toward Akina and grabbed him in a tight embrace.  Hugging the small child who began to cry at his shoulder, Akina was unable to withhold his own emotions despite years of SFI training and experience designed to harden him to the ill effects of emotion.  A few tears ran down his cheeks as he held the boy as his emotional control waivered.  How could anyone do such things to someone so innocent and young?  "It's ok, it’s alright", Zane said pulling the young boy back.  Reaching into his backpack, Zane produced an energy bar.  The boy looked starved and disheveled having probably survived on little for what seemed like a long time.

"Try this", Zane said holding out the bar.  "You eat it.  It's good."

The boy hesitated at first so Zane took a bite himself.  "See?  It's good.  Try some."

The boy took the bar and carefully examined it.  After a few quick sniffs he quickly devoured it.  After a moment the young boy was smiling at him.  "That was good!  Do you have any more?"

Zane gave the boy another bar which he quickly devoured.  Zane’s training snapped back into action.  He had to debrief the child as gently as possible – perhaps the boy could shed light on what had happened.

“X109 – what are you doing here?  Where is everyone?”

With a full mouth, the boy responded.  “The bad men are all gone.  They can’t hurt us anymore.”

“Bad men?  You mean the scientists?”

“Sci-on-tisck”, the boy tried to repeat.  “The white coats, the bad men, are gone.  All gone.  Brother took care of them all and now there is light again.  It was so lonely here, but you’re here now.  You are not like the white coats, you bring yummy food and bring back the lights.  You are here to help us right?”

“Yes”, Zane replied.  He doubted this child would ever lead a normal life, but at least he could rescue him from this hellish pit.  The Federation would have the resources to determine what had been done to the boy and how best to help him.

“You said others, are there more of you?”

“Yes, there are my brothers and sisters.”

“X109”, another voice shouted from the entrance of the giant experiment room.  “Who are you talking to?”

A teenage boy stepped forward being somewhere of 16 or 17 years of age.  Surrounding him were a dozen other children both male and female of varying ages although they all were younger than the teen which seemed to be their leader.

“He’s a bad man”, the teen shouted quickly moving forward.

“No, he returned the light.  He brought food and is here to help.  Tell them”, the small boy pleaded tugging on Zane’s clothing.

Zane stood as grim reality sank in.  The men and women of this facility hadn’t been killed by some alien beast, or vicious, unknown life form.  They had been killed by the very experiments they had been working on.  These innocent children had most likely been their killers.  Somehow they had managed to overpower grown, mature adults, bypass advanced security measures, and survive in this facility without power for an undetermined amount of time.  The killers were the experiments and Zane now found himself surrounded by over a dozen of them.  At least now some of NeoDyne’s ambitions and goals were now clear to him.  He wasn't sure just how they killed, but these children had to be the source of the carnage.

“He’s just like the others!  Are you here to put us back into those things”, the teen shouted pointing at the pods at the center of the room.

“No”, Zane said firmly, but in a non-threatening tone.  “I discovered this place from the outside.  Many bad people have hurt you.  I’m here to help – to take you away from all of this.  My designation is Zane.  And yours is?”

“I’m X002”, the teen said proudly.  “This outside you speak of?  Where does it exist?  We’ve been everywhere.  There is no outside, no light.  Where did you come from?”

“You are in a sealed underground building.  I found a way inside.”

“LIAR”, the boy shouted.  “There are no entrances or exits.  I’ve looked.  We all have.  You’re one of the bad men!”

Zane had to regain control of the situation and fast.  He could feel the stares of the children upon him.  If he didn’t act quickly it was very unlikely he would survive to escape this facility.

Zane slowly pulled his disruptor pistol.  “X002.  This is called a disruptor.  It is a tool that emits a powerful light that can cut apart objects by disrupting their molecular structure.  This tool allowed me to open a door to this place from the outside.  It is how I came to be here.  Without this tool it would be as you have said impossible to come or go.  Watch.  I will demonstrate.”

Zane hoped a demonstration of his weapon would win the children’s trust.

Pointing the weapon at a nearby surgical cart, Zane pulled the trigger.  A green beam leapt from the tip of his pistol across the room slicing through the cart splitting it into two pieces.

Expressions of shock and bewilderment were now upon the faces of the children.

“This tool can cut through walls and make holes in solid objects.  I did not lie when I said this I came from the outside.  I can also use it to help us all escape this place - that is if you let me.”

"He gave me food", X109 said happily running toward the teen holding up what little remained of the energy bar.  The teen took the bar and after some inspection also ingested the final few bites.

The teen X002 moved to the cart and stooped inspecting the still glowing fragments.  He slowly stood with an expression Zane recognized as one of disbelief.  His mind was attempting to interpret something he had never seen and the boy was struggling with the new facts Zane was presenting.

“So…that light can get us out of here – that tool”, the teen said slowly.

“It already has”, Zane said quietly.  “If you will follow me, I will lead you to the exit.  From there we can leave this place.  I have friends that will help us, help all of you.  There’s no reason to stay here any longer.  I have others with food and drink who will help you.  They do not wear white coats and they do not hurt innocent children like the people of this place once did."

“Listen to him X002”, shouted the younger “X109”.  “He can help!  He isn’t like the others!”

“Show me this exit”, the teen instructed with a menacing tone.  “If this is a trick I will end your life just like all the others.”

[ To Be Continued ... ]