Episode 10 | No Family Left Behind Part 2
#10 of GNCR X - ZodiA WavE Pt. 1
Oliver and Ruth Brown, two brothers on their way to visit their father, discover a grim truth about the nature of reality.
Details: Testing continues on the Gorgon Virus as cracks form among Hermes' staff, and Wade lets power get to his head further.
Okay, this one was a bit harder to get right, but I think I got it all across.
Episode 10: No Family Left Behind Part 2.
No experiments had been performed yet, and this guy already looked half dead. People can look similar, but this jackal struck a chord with me that I couldn't fathom. His muzzle, his eyes, even his fur pattern, all of it were identical to mine. Of course, I knew why.
In the ever-expanding realm that is the multiverse, no matter how altered history may become, you will always somehow be born somewhere else. While Lincoln was a hammerhead in this universe, in many others he was a completely different species, a "human." This test subject fell into a similar camp, being a me whose parents were killed by The Order, had an elephant for a brother, and was sent here. This is my doppelganger.
Next to me were two of my superiors, Wade Ryan and Dorothy Harrison. We had a glass window set between ourselves and the subject; wires, and dials surrounding us for the sole purpose of recording data. Ms. Harrison was gripping the console in front of us, no doubt frustrated; as for Wade, he was unscrupulously looking the jackal up and down. I couldn't help but glare at him jealously, even if it was still me.
WADE: So you're tellin' me this one survived the Chroman Virus?
TOM: Yes. We still haven't tried the Gorgon Virus, but we could probably put this to our advantage to begin developing a vaccine.
WADE: You sure that's a good idea, Tom? Really been lookin' into vaccines and... idunno, seems like scary stuff.
DOROTHY: (Why don't you just quit then, you fucking troglodyte?)
WADE: What was that?
DOROTHY: Nothing. Anyways...
She then pressed a nearby button.
DOROTHY: Nubi, can you hear us?
ANUBIS: ...
DOROTHY: Anubis?
WADE: (Anubis, like that god, right?)
TOM: (Kind of, he was the god's son in his homeworld.)
ANUBIS: ... where is he? Where's my brother?
DOROTHY: Don't worry, he and the rest of his quadrant are being held safely in their quarters. Right now, I need you to keep calm. We're going to repeat the same test from before as a demonstration, alright?
ANUBIS: I'm gonna guess it's for your boss.
DOROTHY: ... yeah.
ANUBIS: Hey, you, the shark man.
WADE: ...?
ANUBIS: Don't think for a moment that you're safe. You or that other me, because one way or another, I'm not letting you forget this.
WADE: Tch. Start the virus, Harrison, I got places to be.
DOROTHY: Yes sir.
At the pull of a lever, a series of vents opened up in Anubis' padded room, red gas filled the air in a gory miasma. I could hear him coughing, and a vague silhouette of the subject passing out on the ground. The smoke cleared to show him struggling to get back up, scars around his eyes, and said eyes pitch black with glowing irises. He looked like he was dying, but right then and there, his face literally faded back to normal. It was like someone edited it on a video.
WADE: WELL THEN! You were right, that IS fascinating! We could work with this.
DOROTHY: W-work with this? How-?
WADE: I'm thinkin' some tinkerin' to help with gorgon mutations. You know, avoidin' that whole beastoid malarkey.
DOROTHY: But sir, I was going to ask for approval on vaccine-
WADE: Did I stutter?
DOROTHY: ...
WADE: I'm doin' this for us to ascend. I ain't lettin' a vaccine get in the way of that!
He left, with Dorothy banging on the wall, and Anubis laying on the floor, his will to live seeming drained.
TOM: I should probably talk to him.
After that, I met Wade in the halls.
TOM: Hey, you alright? Usually, I'm the one in a mood.
WADE: ...
TOM: Wade, honey, talk to me-
WADE: Why are you still workin' here? I've told you the shit that vaccines cause, so why are you still helping these people make 'em?!
TOM: Well, it's my job, sir, I can't really throw it away like-
WADE: No. No. NO! I ain't dealin' with this! If you wanna stick to these heretics, then be my guest! If [REDACTED] wasn't callin' the shots, I'd have this whole goddamn sector removed! Seriously, I thought you were one of the good ones.
Without even thinking, I slapped Wade in the face. Hard.
WADE: ...
TOM: Fine. You want me out of your life? Fire me. Now. If not, that's also fine. Because I'm done making excuses for you.
WADE: Hold on- Wait, Tom, I-!
I was already strutting off to my office.
TOM: Wade, I know you never left your wife. 5 months, and you're STILL cheating on her with me. And now you're telling me to throw my life away for you?! Do you even listen to yourself?
WADE: But-
TOM: And don't give me shit about those "strings" of yours. I believe they may exist, a lot of guys in your spot do, but you can't keep using that as an excuse to never try. Don't even THINK of coming back to me until you actually change, for real this time! GOT IT?!
While on my way to drop off some documents, I wound up getting lost again. It made more sense once those gorgons explained how gateways worked to me. A lot of these things share a server and just... take you to the wrong spot sometimes from accumulating input.
It's dumb, but at least I know my first screw-up wasn't my fault.
Luckily, I came across the Head Supervisor's office. I did know he had access to admin features, including changing a gateway's route! It shouldn't have been too hard to request. With some confidence, I knocked.
WADE: You can come in.
*SSSSLIDE*
JAY: Hey, Mr. Ryan? Think you could open me a direct route to Dorothy's office? I got lost again.
WADE: ... yeah, sure thing. Here, have a seat.
He moved over on this two-cushion couch. It was small enough to fit in the small office, but big enough to still feel kind of cramped. This got awkward given how close I wound up sitting next to Wade, reminded me of whenever Pedro came over for movie night. Mr. Ryan pulled out a box of cigarettes, offering one.
JAY: S-sorry, I don't smoke, but thanks for offering.
WADE: Hmph! Didn't think you were the boy scout type.
JAY: Well, you know how it is, gotta set an example for your kids! Heh...
WADE: Oh yeah, Ruth right? Good kid, think my boy's friends with him.
JAY: OH! Holden, right? I thought that hair looked familiar.
WADE: Hard to miss, bit o' tradition in the Ryan family. Every guy has to wear this pomp in honor of my great, great grandpa.
JAY: Must've been one hell of a- GUY!
I'm caught off-guard by the feeling of Wade's hand rubbing around my leg.
JAY: U-um, Mr. Ryan? Are you okay, your hand's on my-
WADE: Tell me Jay, you ever hated your wife or your kid?
JAY: What? Of course not! Sure, the boys can get overwhelming, but that's just part of the job.
WADE: You never felt forced into that life?
JAY: Well, no, I didn't mean to get Daisy knocked up, but Ollie's my little buddy. Couldn't picture my life without him. So, about my leg, Mr. Ryan-
That was when I saw him get up, and type some kind of code onto the door panel. This was then followed by sliding his card. Once the door opened, I didn't recognize anything in there. No hallway, no lab, it almost looked like a boiler room crossed with a warehouse. I made the foolish decision to move in close to get a better look. Then Wade grabbed me by the shirt collar and tossed me in.
JAY: H-HEY! Wade, what was that for-?!
The door shut behind him, and I saw the slider's light turn red, signifying it's locked. Wade's face was... off. It was devoid of any emotion I could think of, like he was just empty.
WADE: You like your life, huh?
JAY: Y-yeah? Is there something wrong with-
WADE: Okay then, you wanna rub it in some more?
JAY: Wait, no! Wade, I thought we were just talking-
WADE: Shut up.
JAY: What-?
I couldn't process how quickly he lunged at me, before punching me in the face, knocking me out cold.
My memory after the punch was hazy. I remember briefly waking up, and seeing a really blurry image. Just a mass of colors, white, grey, some black in there, but I could just barely make it out. I also felt a sharp pain... everywhere, like my insides were about to explode. It felt like having surgery, but the anesthetic wasn't kicking in. It was hell, and it dragged on for minutes, until finally... my intestines suddenly felt warm, it was nauseating, my lightheadedness slowly knocking me out again.
When I woke up, this time with a clearer picture, I saw Wade sitting by his desk smoking as before. He was completely naked, save for that jacket of his. That was when his eyes rolled their way to face me.
WADE: Good, you're up. Thought for a bit that you died.
JAY: W-what happened- why are we-?
I tried to move, before realizing I was tied to the bed.
WADE: Yeah, sorry 'bout that, couldn't risk you runnin' out there in a panic. Anyways, put in simple terms, I fucked you. Hard.
My blood ran colder than usual, he couldn't have been serious, I had to have been hallucinating.
WADE: Got myself stuck in the moment and, well, decided to have some fun with you. Now, we gotta set some rules.
JAY: ...
WADE: I'm a simple man, you see. I love dragons, they're so innocent and cute, PERFECT for a man like myself...
JAY: *GULP*
WADE: ... so I ain't gonna kill ya, no, I'm keepin' you right here. You'll still work here so that no one gets suspicious, but you're gonna keep this all hush-hush. Capische?
JAY: What about my wife? My kids? I still have to support them-!
WADE: Don't worry 'bout it! I'll take care of it~!
The grin on his face gave me the opposite of comfort.
JAY: So what if I don't? Huh?
WADE: You're fired. And I'll send a word to [REDACTED] to have you blacklisted in the field.
JAY: W-what? No, you can't do that! I just started working here-!
WADE: Oh, I can. Think for a moment, Jay. Who would the higherups believe in a sexual assault case? The responsible, well-adjusted family shark; or the gremlin who made a mistake at 17, struggles to just barely afford heatin', and oh yeah, sucks dick. And don't even get me STARTED on how crazy you'll look when you bring up aliens!
JAY: ... why... why are you doing this?
WADE: ... Jay, when I met Hadron, I realized what I was missin' in life. Power. And when he gave me a chance to finally get it, I ran down this road without lookin' back, to finally pull my own strings. Then there's you, the tiny, soft, easy-to-use rookie... I realized I can get a taste of this now, more than I ever could with Tom! Besides, I'll be honest-
The shark stood up, stomped over to me, and grabbed my chin to face him. I kept struggling in the binds, desperately trying to break free and run.
WADE: -I loved seein' you squirm~
We decided to sit out by one of the balconies, I felt like Nubi could use the fresh air. Truth be told, I wouldn't have blamed him for resenting me. Despite all the protesting I did of these experiments, I still carried on with them. Every moment prior, I'd told the kids that it was all so I could make a vaccine and help them, but... now? Now what? A few hours prior, I'd received a notice that all funding for vaccine research was cut. We were running thin as is, so it was only a matter of time now.
DOROTHY: What a joke...
ANUBIS: Eh?
DOROTHY: Sorry, just thinking out loud.
ANUBIS: That's rare, you all love keeping secrets.
DOROTHY: ...
ANUBIS: Seriously, you all knew what you were doing, not telling us why we were getting transferred. You wanted to give us that false hope, just to take it all away like fucking sadists-
DOROTHY: Enough. I know, I know.
ANUBIS: Then stop trying to play innocent.
DOROTHY: I never did.
ANUBIS: Oh really, is that why you always take me here? Showing me this infinite plain that I'll never get to explore. You're just rubbing it in that you're free and I'm not.
DOROTHY: None of us are free. We can try and tempt fate as much as we want, but sometimes, sometimes a greater power holds us back. I... WANT to help people, but every step of the way, The Order keeps making it harder.
ANUBIS: You expect me to believe that-
He clutched an incision in his abdomen.
ANUBIS: -after you dissected me alive?
DOROTHY: No, but I hoped you would. What I don't expect is forgiveness.
ANUBIS: Dorothy, have you ever heard of the term, "parasitic trauma?"
DOROTHY: Like, physical trauma from a parasite?
ANUBIS: No, a more common term is a "chamber." It's a psychological phenomenon that was discovered some years ago. The only way I can explain it is: when you undergo something horrible, someone susceptible enough to your trauma will be doomed to suffer it upon exposure. When it happens to them, the trauma is passed onto others whose fates will conspire to perpetuate the cycle. It always begins where it begins.
DOROTHY: That sounds pretty far-fetched.
ANUBIS: I mean it is a theory, but I think about it often. This idea of being trapped in a chain reaction of misfortune.
DOROTHY: I'm guessing there's no cure for it?
ANUBIS: The thing is, it's not a disease or a disorder, it's a force that traps you in a cruel fate. The escape it, you need to find a way out, hence the term "chamber." To do that... you need to kill the source.
DOROTHY: Wait, you mean the victim?
ANUBIS: No. No, the one who caused the trauma. And if they're already dead, the one who maintains it.
I could hear him tightly clenching his fists-
ANUBIS: There is a force, something that no matter how hard we try, it keeps forcing us to live our lives in chains. My goal-
-then turn to me.
ANUBIS: -is to kill him: Poseidon.
It was honestly sad to see, this kid was weak, dizzy, and his eyes were the emptiest I'd ever seen. Despite being an elephant, he was thin to a concerning degree. Even now, they hadn't been feeding the poor kid.
I always hated these kinds of tests. We all knew that these strains didn't have what we needed to push past the beastoid barrier, but Wade always insisted. He never cared how many innocent people died from this virus, it was all about this dream of his. There's a reason my only ambition was surfing, I saw this in people, and never wanted to become that kind of monster. Just sad that it wound up happening to Wade anyway.
Tom and I sat behind a window, and on the other side was our next test subject. He hadn't been given the name, for some reason the guards didn't let him have one, so for now we're just calling him Patient Zero.
TOM: I still don't get that name, didn't we already inject ten people with the virus?
JAMES: Yeah, but this is our first test for a double injection. I think it's safe to say he's a patient zero for what's sure to have different results.
TOM: I will continue to doubt that. *sigh* We should start.
*click*
TOM: Testing, testing... Patient Zero, can you hear us?
ZERO: Y-yyyyy-yes.
TOM: Okay, good. Try to remain calm, okay? We are going to inject two samples of the Gorgon Virus. The goal of the test is to see if the virus can counter itself, mainly due to its aggressive nature. Do you understand?
ZERO: Yes- yes I d-do.
TOM: Look, it's okay to be scared, I know you know how these have gone so far, there's no shame to be had.
ZERO: ...
TOM: If it helps, we recently tested your brother with the Chroman Virus, he survived.
JAMES: Wait WHAT?
ZERO: What? R-really?
TOM: Yeah. Just keep your fingers crossed, your family could have special immunity to these viruses!
That boy's tusks, they rose at the sides like a smile, it tore my hearts to shreds.
From there, two men came in wearing hazmat suits, one of them carrying a tray with the syringes.
JAMES: You think that was the right thing? False hope?
TOM: No. I don't, and I already regret it.
Tom got out his clipboard. Even though he seemed composed, everything from his delay to his shaking told me everything. I could relate, none of us wanted this anymore.
One shot went into the left shoulder.
Another went into the right shoulder.
Patient Zero began to vibrate, his head flicking in every possible direction, his every appendage curling and stretching out of control. As he grabbed onto the arms of the chair, I could see tears forming in his eyes, and that was when I knew we failed. The boy was dying.
TOM: Mr. Johnson... something's off.
JAMES: What do you mean?
TOM: Gorgon mutation tends to extend limbs, yes, but- unless I'm seeing things, he's also growing.
JAMES: You mean in scale?
TOM: Yes, like new mass is forming-
One arm extended at the speed of a race car, crashing onto the ceiling. I saw some rubble about to fall over Tom.
JAMES: KATTAN, GET OUT OF THE WAY-!
James dashed over and tossed me back. When I looked, the ceiling had already crashed on him. My heart was already racing, but now I was terrified of what hell we unleashed.
The gorgon that used to be Anubis' brother, it let out a loud, haunting howl. It was like a battleship's siren from Hell. And with that noise, the entire sector began to rumble. So, with a heavy heart, I had to leave James for dead and run.
On that day, the most terrifying of all gorgons, Codename: EGO, was born.