Chapter 5 - Termination of MarsH2-3(5) - Fritz
In 2053, just before the genetic revolution.
A pale bald man with dark patches of chemical burnt skin leaned over a test tube. Vapors of a sickening brown color wafted up into the attic as the man felt around for his glasses.
He hit his hand on a different test tube, knocking it over into a vat of liquid with a loud splash, “Damn it! Why haven’t those new goggles arrived yet?”
A blinding light filled the room as a young man scrambled into the room, “Gramps! Stop pushing yourself!”
The scientist chuckled, “Thanks for worrying about me Gaius. Can you hand me my glasses?”
The young man plucked a small blur of white off the ground and handed it to the scientist, “Are you okay grandpa Fritz?”
As he slipped the glasses onto his head, Dr. Fritz nodded, “You’re saving me big guy. What have you been up to?”
The man smiled, “I just got on the varsity football team! All the guys back in Boston have been calling me nonstop.”
Dr. Fritz smirked, “You are going for college sports?”
Gaius frowned, “Well I’m planning on the air force academy. Only thing I gotta prepare for is the walk.”
Dr. Fritz looked at the largely built young man with fiery red hair and goatee. He smiled, “You’re a true Fritz.”
Gaius glanced at the large vat of bubbling clear liquid, “What’re you working on gramps?”
Dr. Fritz gazed down into the vat, “Regrowth.”
In 2056 just before Gaius goes to the US Air Force Academy.
“You’re giving me dad’s pistol?”
Dr. Fritz nodded, “You’re at about that age. This pistol has been passed down in our family since we came to America after the war to end all wars!”
Both laughed at the phrase. Gaius looked up at Dr. Fritz, “Who’s that?”
Dr. Fritz laughed, “You can find that yourself in the family library!”
Gaius looked down at the pistol and saw many scratch marks on the grip, “What are these?”
“Everyone always puts their own name and the names of their close comrades when they go off to war. When they die, we scratch their name off the pistol.”
Gaius nodded, “Dad’s name is still here.”
Dr. Fritz pointed at the name, “That’s because the owner of the pistol has to scratch it off.”
He proceeded to hand him a small pocketknife and leaned back, “Remember to scratch my name once I die.”
Gaius nodded as he placed the tip next to the left of his father’s name, “Jacob Fritz.”
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Dr. Fritz nodded.
He wheeled himself down the ramp to the basement as Gaius followed behind him, “What’re you trying to show me gramps?”
“You’ll see.”
In the middle of the basement was a large tub filled with a clear liquid. Dr. Fritz pointed to the tub, “Take a dip in it.”
Gaius balled up his work out cloths and dropped them on the floor with the pistol on top, “So what does this experiment do?”
Dr. Fritz smiled, “Hmm. I think it widens up your veins and reinforces them.”
Gaius looked at the tub with suspicion and jokingly asked, “You sure this won’t kill me?”
Dr. Fritz shook his head, “It’s not nearly powerful enough for that. But it might hurt a little. It’s a power from another dimension after all.”
“What do you mean other dimension?”
Dr. Fritz scratched his head, “I really don’t know much either.
Gaius slipped into the tub and gave a thumbs up to Dr. Fritz.
The sound of sharp snapping noises filled the air.
“GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH”
The man looked up to see the plane of material existence shatter above him as a large presence loomed inside the gaping abyss.
They looked at the boy who was now staring directly into his eyes. The boy’s mouth opened wide and the quietest sound as weak as a pin dropping whispered.
Debt
The man could feel blood trickle down the sides of his neck from out of his ears as he felt his eyes and brain ballooning from the overexposure to ether.
The man fell on his side right after setting down the boy. He felt as if his skull was cracking from the pressure.
*Prrp* *ptchhhh*
A warm sensation filled up the man’s neck as his eyes shot open with a dark red glow. A marine in silver power armor let go of the small grey aluminum cylinder that had been crushed into a dense puck.
Xavier looked down at the man, “Hey Gaius. What stupid shit are you pulling this time?”
1450 years ago, in year 7002, mothership class ‘Punisher’.
Gaius sat on a glowing control seat, “Guardian one, awaiting orders.”
A voice responded to him, “We must end the infestation on Mercury. If it spreads to Venus…”
Gaius nodded, “Humanity would be at risk.”
The other marine with the number two in roman numerals on his shoulder plates nodded, “There’s only one answer then.”
More panels appeared and more marines in silver armor with golden and red roman numerals appeared. Gaius looked up and hesitated before looking down at the map of Mercury. Hundreds of spore pods were regrowing and were almost ready to launch into space. He glared at the panel through his helmet and yelled, “All in favor of purifying Mercury?”
“Aye!”
Gaius’s arm shook as he turned the glowing seat and clicked a series of control sequences. He glanced at the expectant marines before announcing, “Purification commencing.”
Gaius watched as the beam of blue light smashed into Mercury. The blue wave washed over its surface like a massive tsunami as it crystalized the surface. A tear rolled down his face as he gazed out of the command module.
He held up the pistol and said four names, “Gaius Fritz, Amanda Fritz, Aria Fritz, Kaizer Fritz.”
Reaching into a pouch on his chest, he pulled out a small pocketknife with a whittled wooden handle.
“Sir! We can’t find the bodies of your deceased family.”
Gaius stood up, “What!”
“We could only find three severed forearms with wristbands.”
Gaius pounded the war table, “You’re telling me you couldn’t find a single trace of them? What the hell are you even doing!”
“Sir! Dr. Fritz is calling you.”
“That fake!”
He flicked a panel, and the face of a middle-aged man with fiery red hair appeared on the screen, “What do you want Dr. Fritz?”
“Still refusing to call me grandpa huh?”
Gaius sneered at him, “I don’t know what the hell you did to gramps but you’re not him anymore.”
Dr. Fritz frowned and panned the camera behind him showing three bodies floating in cylindrical tubes full of liquid. The one on the left was an old woman with blond hair while the middle body contained an adult girl with bright red hair. On the right, a baby that was barely a month old was curled up in a ball inside the tube. Gaius’s eyes opened wide, “No… No… You can’t do this.”
Dr. Fritz smiled, “I’m simply perfecting the family.”
Gaius stood up, “You know that they won’t make it!”
Dr. Fritz nodded, “That’s part of the plan.”
He panned the camera around showing three synthetic bodies floating in tubs. Gaius’s started shaking uncontrollably as sweat dropped down his face, “No… How did you…”
Dr. Fritz smiled, “I think I should start experiment zero.”
Gaius collapsed into his seat, “Why?”
With a shine in his eye Dr. Fritz put his face up to the camera, “Science waits for no one.”