Interlude III
(Behind the One-Way Walls)
Dr. Evans
Dr. Evans watched on in horror as everything seemed to be going so poorly. She knew it had been a stretch to put the boy here almost immediately. Though many doctors use this as a humbling moment, one where they realize what the end goal is, that regardless of how powerful they are now there is always something that is insurmountable waiting to crush you if you let your guard down.
As healers, given the ability to literally pull people back from the brink of death, this is a good experience, as it is meant to show the healers just what types of horrors those heroes face when they go beyond the walls of protected society and attempt to farm, collect, or cleanse valuable resources that can be taken back.
Right now, humanity as a whole is on a precipice, one that many of this generation have become complacent about, given how advanced society has become. Yet, it is all a façade that would crumble if anyone knew the true threats that linger in the darkness.
Yet the one slight glimmer of hope now sat chained to a wall as if he was little more than the monster, no not monster, than the patient he just tried to treat. Constance was not a monster, despite how much Christine, Dr. Evans’ sister might have become, she refused to believe that the same fate had already befallen Constance.
Shiver.
A chill ran down Dr. Evans’ back as she remembered the complete look of first hope, and then longing, then loss that Constance had on her face as she watched Cadet Fotos drop to the ground and start to convulse in agony as he changed.
Then true to form, the reason for these protections, the reason why everyone was now here gathered around and watching what Frank would do next was because he had not one but two dark glyphs appear on his body.
Of course, the appearance of the dark glyphs came after he had a larger than life healing glyph applied to him. This was a familiar glyph as it was the same one that Dr. Evans herself had unlocked. The same one that made her the best practitioner of healing.
“His primary is still healing?” General Graves asked, coming up next to Dr. Evans while never taking his eyes away from the subject who was now pinned to the wall like an interesting lab experiment that was just waiting to be dissected.
“Yes, he has my Greater Healing Mark.” Dr. Evans stated.
Hearing that the General nodded, while a secretary next to the general made a note of the finding.
“And what exactly are the benefits of this glyph?” General Graves asked, knowing full well what the Doctor’s benefits were from the glyph, but wanted her to state them for the public record.
“Well, mine are an increase of plus ten percent to Power, and a fifteen percent increase to Efficacy.” Dr. Evans stated.
Hearing that the general nodded, still never taking his eyes off of the young lab subject who just sat there as still as could be.
“Do you think he got the full glyph?”
“I didn’t see any partial discolorations, or any blemishes to the mark as it was being applied, if that is what you mean.” Dr. Evans stated.
More Nodding.
Then silence.
“Did you happen to witness either of the two dark markings that he received?” General Graves asked.
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Hearing that Dr. Evans half expected the question, though she did fear having to answer the question truthfully.
“Yes.”
“Did you recognize either of them?”
“One.”
“Which one?”
“The mark of the Dark Queen.” Dr. Evans answered truthfully, though she felt sick by doing so.
Hearing that, the General could only nod in agreement, before he pressed. “How do you know it is the mark of the Dark Queen?”
“Because it is the same marking that my,” Dr. Evans began, but soon corrected herself. “It is the same one that patient Constance received.”
Hearing that General Graves just nodded, half expecting further questions to be asked about the known powers of this particular glyph, but instead he seemed to change topics entirely.
“He looks awfully calm.” General Graves stated, his eyes never moving away from Cadet Fotos who just hung from the wall as if he was just finding a new place to rest, using a vertical bed versus one of those boring and overrated horizontal beds that everyone is so used to.
Shocked by the sudden switch in topics, Dr. Evans paused and looked at Cadet Fotos, to see that it was just Cadet Fotos. He had the same expressionless face on that masked his true feelings, the only real difference from the him of now, versus the him of this morning was that his hair seemed to glow that much brighter. The greens and purples seemed to have come to a compromising truce for the moment and seemed to glow in unison. Other than this, the boy didn’t even seem to move. Even his breathing seemed to be slow and measured, not at all what someone who was bound and restrained against their wills would show. Other than his eyes that seemed to constantly scan the room, one could almost assume he was asleep. Almost.
Seeing him, and hearing the General’s words, Dr. Evans couldn’t help but look at him with a bit of concern as well.
Most people would be wild and uncontrollable at this point of detention. Most would even try to subtly pull on, or at least test the resistance of their restraints, yet Cadet Fotos just sat there motionless.
Dr. Evans was about to speak, to ask what the General thought about this, but fortunately the General seemed to interpret the sudden look of concern that came across her face.
“You see it too? The fact that he is just too calm. The fact that he is waiting for us to make our move.” General Graves stated.
Looking at Cadet Fotos, Dr. Evans wanted to refute the comment, to protest. As it was her own hubris that put her promising student in such peril. But looking at him sitting there motionless, Dr. Evans couldn’t help but see the words of the General for what they were, a warning.
“What do you think he is waiting for?” Dr. Evans asked.
“Hard to say. Likely he is just waiting for us to decide what to do with him, but I can’t help but feel that he is ready to strike out and escape at a moment’s notice.”
“You think he can escape?”
“I don’t know, I used to think that our restraints are impervious. Yet, looking at him and how calm he is, even compared to the other elder vampires we have captured, he seems calm. The elder vampires all show signs of pain, particularly when they try to access their powers. This boy however does not appear to do the same.” The General said, his eyes never stopping their incessant scan of the perfectly calm and still boy.
“Do you think he is dangerous?” Dr. Evans asked.
“Exceptionally so, though right now I think he can still be packaged to be pointed at the enemy and released.” The General began, his words making his view on the boy perfectly clear. Namely, the boy was just a future weapon, one that would only work if pointed towards the enemy, though he was noting that it could be a weapon that could cause self-inflicted injuries as well.
“What would you like us to do with him?” Dr. Evans finally asked, realizing that the longer this went on, the harder it would be for Cadet Fotos to trust them, to trust her.
Pausing for only a moment the General ground his teeth, causing his jaw muscles to scrunch up for a moment, before he spoke.
“We are going to give him a quick test.”
“A test?”
“Yes, we are going to see how he reacts to stimuli from one who is infected.” General Graves stated.
Hearing that Dr. Evans was at first confused, then suddenly shocked as she realized what the general was trying to test. Yet, before she could even protest, the General was already issuing commands to members of the staff who were nearby.
“Bring back in patient Constance, and then leave the two alone.” General Graves stated.
With that, Dr. Evans felt her heart begin to beat quickly, as she realized that this was their chance, to see if the tales were true. This was their chance to see if elder vampires could in fact communicate telepathically with other infected creatures. Yet, this meant that either the General thought that Constance would in fact be able to control Cadet Fotos, or worse.
“Do you mean to test if he can just talk to her mentally?”
“That is one thing that we will test, but we will also need to test and see if she has any control over the subject as well.” General Graves stated.
Dr. Evans for her part was about to protest, but before she could, she saw the other staff members wheel in Constance. Constance at first seemed to be fighting, as she always did when being chosen to be experimented on. Yet, something changed entirely as she entered the room, as her gaze instantly turned to Cadet Fotos, where there was a clear and obvious reaction, as Constance’s whole body seemed to relax upon seeing him.
Then Dr. Evans watched as Constance and Cadet Fotos both seemed to share thoughts across an unspoken link.
“I guess that answers our question about whether he has the ability to link minds with the others.” General Graves stated.
Hearing this, Dr. Evans could only look on in shock as she realized what this all meant. Here he was, the first hope for humanity in a long time, and he had been corrupted by her own hubris.
It was clear what would happen next. Next Cadet Fotos would be locked away to be experimented on as well, despite having managed to overcome the odds, despite his being able to keep healing as his primary affinity, he would forever be judged by this stigma. A stigma that even now, everyone knew was a death sentence.
To speak to and be able to communicate with other infected meant that you were too far removed. That you were a danger to society, to the balance. Despite how helpful your future talents might be, you would forever be considered an unacceptable risk.
“Prepare containment procedures.” General Graves said, his jaw growing tight as he was clearly committed to this course of action.
With that it was clear, that the General had already come to the same conclusion as Dr. Evans.
But before anything could truly happen, forever cementing the fate of Cadet Fotos, a miracle happened. A miracle that just might go down as the reason why the world avoided calamity, or the reason why the second and final apocalypse occurred as violently as it had.