Hybrid (38 page)

“I think these things like the repellent,” he swore as he continued waving the insects away.

He took a brief look at his topographic map to get a quick lay of the land. The land inside the parklands was relatively easy hiking—several well-beaten paths in ever-expanding circular patterns around the large lake. However, the outlying woodlands were a much different story. The altitude lines on his map ran in several crazy directions and very close together beyond the park. This was a clear indication that he would be doing some fairly heavy incline hiking later on in the day as they left the outskirts of the park. Novacs reported his observations to the team leader who was busy radioing their position and location to the base coordinators at the roadside command and control center.

“There's no way in hell we can cover sixty-plus square miles of woodlands in one search,” Novacs grumbled to the Private walking next to him. “Let alone one day.”

“Hey, man,” the Private replied, “I just work here.” The soldier paused then asked a question that was probably on everyone's mind. “Hey, Novie, what d'ya think is really out here, man?”

Novacs shook his head. “I really don't know, Sparks, you know as much as me on this one, bro'. We seem to be hired on as exterminators for some really big-ass roaches or something. Just keep your eyes open, though. The Sergeant thinks we'll see these buggers as soon as we leave the parklands. Based on this map, and at our present rate of terrain cover, that should be in about fifteen minutes.”

* * * *

Saturday afternoon, 1:00 p.m.

The traffic in the Critical Care Unit had been exceptionally heavy during the night and deep into the morning hours. Something was happening to a patient that defied medical science. Several doctors and surgeons had been called in to study the phenomenon, but no one had been able to come up with a satisfactory explanation as to what was happening inside the body of Erik Knight.

“This is impossible!” the doctor swore as he checked his patient's vital signs again.

Erik Knight's body seemed remarkably different than when he was wheeled into the Critical Care Unit. The multitude of deep lacerations and bruises were nearly invisible, leaving behind surgical staples embedded in healthy tissue. The deep flesh tears upon his torso were little more than light pink scars that were hardly noticeable against his flesh tones. It was almost as if someone had performed complete cosmetic surgery on his frontal facial structure. Where there once was a shattered mass of broken cartilage now resided a totally reconstructed nose and nasal passages.

Erik's unconscious body had been wheeled to x-ray when his monitoring equipment had registered increased vital signs throughout the night and early-morning hours. Doctors watched in amazement as his once battered and broken body was mysteriously mending itself.

“I don't know where to begin,” the doctor said as he addressed Shanda and Alissa. “His bones are totally knitted, his heart's been beating on its own for nearly four hours, and his ribs seem to have moved back into place on their own,” he recited in total disbelief. “And not only that, his lungs look like they've never ever been cut. We can't even find any lingering scar tissue that would indicate that there was any trauma to the area, or in any vitals area.” The doctor paused and glared down at his notebook.

“His vitals are all different now; his heart is beating stronger and his tissues and skeletal structure seem to be thicker, stronger even. The bone mass readings we just took have to be wrong; nobody has a bone density this hard. It's almost as if his skeleton were made of iron, not bone. This is the most bizarre thing I've ever come across.”

“You're saying he's going to make it?” Shanda asked, getting her hopes up.

“Yes, we're going to want to keep him here to run some extensive metabolic tests and tissue studies to understand what's happening to him, but he's well on the road to a complete recovery,” the baffled physician answered. “But not from anything that we did. What happened to this man defies any medical phenomenon that we know of. By all rights, Erik Knight should be dead.” The doctor shook his head and quickly left the room.

Shanda looked over at Alissa whose face seemed to reflect genuine confusion. “What's wrong?”

“He's healing much quicker than I expected, faster than a normal man.”

“That's because he's not exactly normal, we both know that, but he has abilities that even you don't suspect,” Shanda boasted.

“I don't understand,” Alissa replied.

“His body can already generate enhanced bursts of strength, his senses are far keener than any man's, and his fighting abilities are almost supernatural.”

“How do you know this for sure?” she asked.

“I felt it in our link. I experienced all his gifts first hand. I saw him fight at the park; he's already above normal. Why didn't you expect that? I thought you had all the knowledge of these people?” Shanda challenged.

“I have no answer, perhaps the virus did more than the Espers had intended, possibly. There was no time to actually test their creations,” Alissa replied somewhat defensively. “I never claimed to have all the knowledge of these people, just the task that I needed to perform and some rudimentary skills, such as the potion we used earlier. Our minds could never hold the knowledge of that race; we haven't evolved to that point. That much, I'm sure of,” she added.

“I'm sorry, I'm not accusing you,” Shanda said in a much softer tone. “I guess I'm just nervous. It's just all so much to comprehend.”

“I understand, sister.” Alissa reached out and took her hand. Both women watched and waited in silence as more minutes ticked past.

Several minutes later, Erik began to stir; his eyelids fluttered then opened. He tried to move, but was restrained by the casts upon his arm and leg, as well as several tubes and monitors that had been placed in and on his body. Erik struggled, battling the disorientation.

“Erik! Easy, you're in the hospital.” Shanda placed her hand on his to lightly restrain and reassure him.

He tried to speak, but the wrapping around his skull prevented him from moving his jaw and opening his mouth. His eyes seemed to come in and out of focus. Shanda could read the confusion and concern on his face as he slowly became aware of his surroundings.

Suddenly, she picked up on a great wave of grief and fear so strong that she was nearly overwhelmed by it. She looked down at him and saw that his eyes were filled with tears. He had remembered: his daughter was taken. He remembered the events that brought him to this place. She had known Erik for many years and had never seen such a look of total and complete despair on his face as resided there now. She gently laid her hand upon his head, caressing him. He looked up and groaned a sound of endless agonizing torture.

“I know, my love, I know. We'll get her back. There are so many things you need to know before you can do that, so many things that we never knew before,” she whispered to him while she used a tissue to dry the tears flowing down his cheeks like two rivers.

Alissa walked over to Erik's bedside. She gently placed two fingers upon his left temple. “He is much better now; the elixir has done its work. His body is much stronger, it will be able to withstand the changes it will undergo. His human form, as it was, would not have survived.”

“Just what are you talking about?” Shanda asked, looking away from Erik.

“His normal human biology would not have allowed him to survive the mutation caused by the Sentient Staff. The staff will change him, make his Esper more predominant. As a mere human, though very strong, he would not have survived the transition. The elixir not only healed his torn flesh, but also enhanced him as it was designed. He is now more than he was, but not nearly what he will become—what he has to become in order to defeat both creatures.” Alissa looked at Shanda with a look of confusion.

“You still don't understand, do you? Both those beasts are now at the height of their power. The armored Seelak is many times stronger than it was before. Erik fought it while it was at its weakest; it has gathered food and has no doubt already fed. As he is now, even with the enhancements the elixir has given him, he would be no match for one creature, let alone two.”

Shanda suddenly became enraged. “You, you son of a...” she stammered. “You don't care a thing about him, or who he is. You only care about creating some sort of mutant Frankenstein's monster. I love him, and I won't see him hurt any further,” she added in a voice filled with venom.

“You have a right to be angry, Shanda, but deep down you know this must be done. You have seen the truth. How can you be so stubborn after all that you have been shown? Erik must become what he must become; neither my feelings nor your feelings have any part in this. Those creatures must be destroyed!” she added forcefully.

“Not entombed or captured, but destroyed. Humankind does not have the capability to do so without tremendous collateral damage. Even if they detonated a nuclear device on that hill, they would sense the threat and disappear through Netherspace, only to appear somewhere else and start the cycle over again. They must be contained here, now, while there's still time, before they can reproduce themselves.” She walked closer to Erik and looked down at him. “And he is the one who must do it,” she whispered, taking Erik's hand in an almost affectionate gesture.

Shanda knew that the young girl was right. Despite her anger and frustration, she knew that Alissa was telling her the truth, as far as she knew it. Shanda also knew, from her own latent abilities, there was more—something that Alissa didn't know that was yet to be played out. She wasn't going to give up on Erik just yet. “You're right, and he'll change willingly, if only to get his daughter back.” She walked over to his bedside.

Alissa looked directly into Erik's tear-filled eyes. “I know you feel sadness at the taking of your daughter. Do you want her back?”

Erik nodded his head.

“The doctors will try and keep you here; will you allow that?”

He shook his head.

“You now have the strength to free yourself from the plaster restraints. Use that strength now, call upon it. This is your first test,” Alissa prodded.

Erik glanced over at his right arm which was completely covered in a heavy plaster cast. His eyes narrowed, and the arm began to tremble slightly. Shanda saw the muscles in his shoulder bunch and contract as they worked in rhythm with his arm. There was a sudden loud crack as the cast began to splinter and crack. Erik's arm tore free of the plaster restraint, sending fragments of the cast all over the bed and floor. He flexed his leg muscles and easily shattered the cast on his left leg as well. He then took both hands and grasped the layers of bandages and plastic bracing that were wrapped around his head and jaw. With a small effort, he tore the material from his skull and tossed it to the floor. He slowly sat up on the bed and brushed the long stray locks of hair from his unshaven face. He wiped his eyes quickly and looked at Shanda.

“How?” he whispered. “I should be dead or at least crippled after what those things did. How is it that I'm alive?”

“It's a long story, Erik,” Shanda began. “Let me tell it to you the way I was told.” Shanda reached for his hand. She gently touched the side of his head with her other hand. “My love,” she whispered, “we were truly made for each other.”

Their minds touched, and Erik relived the last days of the Espers and Seelak. He saw all that Alissa had shown Shanda, and shared Shanda's astonishment. Erik gasped in amazement as the two enhanced their link.

The shared link triggered the dreams that plagued Erik's subconscious. Shanda relived the battle through a different perspective, experiencing the combat firsthand, not simply as an observer, but as an active participant. She realized that these were memories locked away deep inside her lover, memories that were now being released. She shuddered at the ferocity of the combat, and felt the enhanced emotions that were inherent in the race of beings called Espers. She also quickly recalled that the feelings and attitude were remarkably similar to what she shared with Erik when he fought the thugs in her store.

Erik recalled the image of the massive explosion that engulfed the beings at the end, and shared Jakor's final plummet to his death. There was no fear as he fell, only a deep regret of what they had done and all that they would never aspire to.

The link between Erik and Shanda broke. Erik sat stupefied on the corner of his bed.

“I thought they were only dreams, bad dreams. Never in my life could I imagine that I have some part of someone else inside of me,” he whispered.

“We all do, all three of us,” Alissa added as she walked toward the black duffel bag.

“This is unbelievable. I feel as if I'm still in a dream.” Erik looked down at the fragments of shattered plaster on the bed and floor. “But it's not, is it? Those things do have my daughter.”

“Yes,” Shanda whispered. “But there's more. I'll let her tell you.” Shanda gestured toward the young woman.

Alissa went to the large duffel bag and carried it toward Erik. Something inside the bag began to moan and purr, like the hum of an electric generator. “I'm now fulfilling my purpose, Erik Knight. My family has carried this item for generations. It is yours. You now know the truth of who you are and why you were chosen. Will you accept the responsibility and obligations that go along with this property?”

“You know I have no choice,” he said, slightly bitter. “I'll do anything to get my baby back, and you know it. But then, you've always known about me,” he whispered as she approached him. He suddenly understood why Alissa had turned up at Madame's, and why she started working there; it was to be near him.

“Be warned, once you take and activate the staff, you will be changed forever, no longer human, but not purely Esper, a true hybrid. You will stand alone among the race of men. Do you accept this?”

“Yes, anything to get my daughter back.”

Alissa reached into the duffel bag and produced a dark satchel and belt. Wordlessly, she handed him the items. Erik studied the weapon resting in the satchel, it was barely over two feet in length, but instinctively he knew it would elongate and take the shape of whatever he desired. The staff seemed to murmur and vibrate with recognition.