LYCCYX Episode 1: The Declaration (3 page)

              Disbelief and shock filled my psyche after reading John’s message.  At the same time, it made sense.  He was always suspicious of authority figures.  It probably had to do with his overbearing, controlling oaf of a father.  After years of putting up with his abuse, John’s mom left and took him and his brother, Todd, to the States (back when we were still called the United States of America – those were the good old days).  John Stephan had a horrible excuse for a father, unlike my dad, who was and continues to be the best dad a guy could ever ask for.  I thought back for a moment to all the times John was over at our house and how my folks sort of adopted him as part of our family.  He often seemed to lack any sense of self-worth back then.  I heard once that good fathers instill a sense of worth and a positive sense of pride in their kids.  I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to not have a good dad.

              My thoughts eventually took me back to the summer I worked for a man named Rodney Kratz.  He was the worst boss I ever had.  He constantly belittled and berated me in front of the other workers.  To make matters worse, he never paid me the bonus he said he would when I first agreed to come to work for him.  I endured his abuse month after month because I was saving up for a car.  Finally, after eleven long months, I had had enough.  I walked up to him one morning and told him I was quitting. He turned beet red; it was as if he had lost, as if he wished he could have found an excuse to fire me before I had the chance to fire him, but he couldn’t because I was a hard worker and followed his orders completely.  Also, I had earned the respect of my coworkers and other supervisors.  I bet he had a lot of explaining to do after I left, seeing as how I was viewed as a valuable part of the team by everyone else.

              My dad used to tell me that it was for the best that I had spent some time under such a harsh tyrant of a leader.  He said that I had learned all the things
not
to do in leadership.  He was right; my time at boot camp and at the Academy was a breeze all thanks to Kratz and his ridiculous ways.  If I ever should happen to run into him someday, I will be sure to thank him.

              As I put on the gauntlets of my ShockSuit, I switched on the Energy Absorption System, or EAS, a technology developed by AMC that absorbs enemy fire and converts it to electrical energy and it occurred to me that nothing happens by chance. Everything – even pain and turmoil, happens for a reason.

              The mission was a go; we had been given the green light to infiltrate LB127. We would descend to the lunar surface using the revolutionary fusion propulsion technology built into our ShockSuits.  We were to land on the Far Side, which was the side of the moon turned away from Earth and out of sight from AMC’s Orbiter and monitoring equipment, and sneak aboard LB127 via the underground labs.  For all intents and purposes, our chance of success was nil.  Stephan would obviously be expecting some attempt at a hostage rescue.

              Dyas, Baaz, and I were joined by four more Alpha troops: Lt. Ed Rikes, a medic; SSgt Bill Pope, a sniper; MSgt Mac Lawrence, an explosives technician; and TSgt Kip Green, part of signals intelligence.  Our mission was to deliver the antidote to the LB127 population and capture or eliminate Stephan and any others who chose to side with him.  Though I was prepared to execute my orders, I couldn’t shake the hope that perhaps he would listen to reason and that we could put a peaceful end to this and go home.

              The deep graphite gray of the moon’s mantle closed in as we inched toward the lunar surface.  It was much like skydiving but in slow-motion.  We touched down in a flurry of dust and I motioned to the men to move forward.  Since we had to go silent (no radio transmissions) we would have to rely on hand signals to communicate for the time being. 

              As we neared the entrance to the underground labs, I felt my heart pound through my temples.  Did I have the courage to do what needed to be done if Stephan refused to surrender?  I thought of Kate.  She wanted to get married and start a family.  That thought alone scared me more than the possibility of having to kill my best friend. 

Get it together, Xander! I chided myself.

              The team dug through the lunar grit until we reached the metallic hatch covering the opening to the labs.  Lawrence and Baaz mounted a small breaching charge and we quickly backed away.  A tiny shockwave later and we were able to descend into the deep blackness below. 

“That wasn’t so bad,” Baaz remarked.  He seemed remarkably calm, as usual. 

“Right, Baaz: you and Green stand guard here and keep an eye on your sensors,” I said.  “We can now communicate safely on the encrypted channel.  The rest of you, follow me and set your Mk5’s to stun.  We want to save as many lives as possible.”

              We slowly moved in unison down the dark and dusty corridors of the labs.  Our ShockSuits were equipped with enhanced night vision with full-color capabilities but there was no color to be seen down here, just the dull metallic gray of oxidized aluminum.  A faint electronic hum along with the distant clatter of machinery indicated we were getting close to the manufacturing facilities.

“Alright, men – this is where we split up.” I said.  “Pope, you come with me.  I’ll need your support to engage Stephan and his men.  Rikes, you and Lawrence try to locate the women and children and administer the antidote as soon as possible.  We will rendezvous at the opening hatch in exactly two hours – Godspeed, gentlemen.”

              SSgt Pope and I headed up a stairway past the cloning facility.  Glowing green pods by the dozens filled the warehouse-sized room below.  There was a stench that even our ShockSuit filtration systems couldn’t handle.  We knew: this place was completely evil.  I don’t know quite how to explain it, except to say it was as though we could feel hatred and malice in the atmosphere.  We slowly crept past the clone room when I instructed Pope to activate cloak mode.  We were now invisible to any and all forms of surveillance – optical and radio.  We still had to tread lightly, as our footsteps could be heard on the metallic grates of the walkway.

              The clatter and buzz of machinery became louder as we approached the BioHybrid facility.  Gasps and moans of agony began to fill the air.  The Hyans were surgically implanting mechanized weaponry and tools into living creatures.  The creatures did not appear human, but still I could not help but grieve for what was being done to them.

We have to stop this madness! I thought to myself. 

              I was beginning to feel the need for justice outweigh my desire to rehabilitate Stephan.  I quietly switched my Mk5 to the kill setting.

              Pope and I had several canisters of STRIPES with us in the event we came across any victims infected with LYCCYX.  I couldn’t help but wonder if STRIPES could help those poor creatures.  Dr. Brason said it had several positive benefits.  Nonetheless, I had a mission to complete: stop John Stephan. 

              We neared what looked like a secure conference room.  I disengaged my suit’s cloak in order to use my listening device.

“Captain, you could be spotted!” Pope said.

“At ease, Pope. Remain cloaked and watch the door.” I told him. 

“Stun or kill, sir?” he asked in reference to his Mk6 pulse sniper rifle.

              I hesitated for a half-second.  If anyone was going to execute justice on Stephan, it would be me.

“Stun,” I replied.

              My eyes scanned the corridor leading to the conference room.  A ventilation shaft above would likely be my best ingress.  The only problem was that the shoulders of my suit were just a bit too wide to fit through the opening; I was going to have to remove the upper part of my ShockSuit.  I powered down the EAS and began unbuckling the gauntlets.

“Captain, what are you doing?!” Pope demanded.

“There is no other way, Pope.  I have to confront Stephan but this suit won’t allow me to fit into the ventilation shaft.  Remain cloaked and stand guard by the door.”

“Roger,” Pope reluctantly agreed.

              I managed to remove the upper portion of my suit and was able to pull myself into the ductwork all the while, hearing voices below.

“Everything is right on schedule, sir.  The clones and Hybrids will be ready in a few days and the weapons manufacturing facilities are running at full capacity,” Madras reported to Stephan.

“Excellent, Kent; we’ll be ready for the UCM when they arrive.” It was Stephan. His tone can only be described as a gurgling, beastly voice.

              I peered down through the slats of the vent below to see my best friend John Stephan about fifty pounds heavier (with muscle) and about a foot taller than the last time I saw him.  His face was nearly covered in coarse grayish-white hair.  His ears were further back and pointed, and his nose and mouth were slightly elongated with large canine teeth gleaming in the artificial light.  He looked like a combination of a wolf, a bear, and a wild boar.  Madras – well, he looked a bit more weasel-like than usual but not at all intimidating.

              The dull, electronic hum and mechanized buzzing provided just enough noise to allow me to remove the vent and slide it out of the way.  I waited until Madras left the room and noticed that he left the door open.  That would make for an easy escape route once I took care of Stephan.  I would probably need to drag his body with us to keep his minions from reanimating him with the BioHybrid technology.

              I slowly lowered myself down onto the conference room table while Stephan had his back turned working at the display panel in the corner.  He was still wearing his Alpha uniform, which, with his muscle and height gain, looked humorously small.  His boots were gone, replaced by large, hairy dog legs.  I shouldered my Mk5 and took aim at the back of his hideous head.

“It’s that easy, is it?” he snarled.

              I gasped in disbelief; he knew I was there…

“Shut your face, you monster!” I growled back.  “I can’t let you live after what you’ve done!”

“So you’re my judge, jury, and executioner? Ha, ha, ha…” he mocked in an evil coughing tone.

              He slowly turned around and the lighting illuminated the yellow of his eyes.  They were still human, but barely so.  When I looked into them, I thought back to the John I knew sitting at the dining room table with me, my mom and dad and my sister, Tabitha. 

“John, you need to surrender and come with me.” I said as a tear filled my left eye. “This is not who you really are, you have a disease and need help…”

“A disease… ha, ha, ha… that’s what
they
told you.  My friend, this is the way life is meant to be lived.  Join me, Lucas… experience the power of LYCCYX.” His eyes grew larger and more convincing as he spoke.

“What about those creatures, the hybrids?  You think what you’re doing to them is okay? And the cloning… are you out of your mind?!” I asked emphatically, my Mk5 now aimed at his chest.

“We…?  You mean you… and the United Continents. You guys sold out to AMC years ago.  We merely discovered and activated what was already here.  This is the true mission and purpose of the Haven Project – to perfect humanity and unleash our full potential.” He asserted himself as he lifted his massive claws in a show of strength.

“What are you talking about?” I asked as I stepped down from the table.  I glanced toward the door knowing that time was running out.

“Put down your weapon and come over here.  I’ve found all the classified records; there is much you need to know.”  He sounded very convincing but then again, I was talking to a seven foot werewolf.  Talk about sensory overload; I chose to doubt everything at this point.

              He slowly turned toward the monitor as if to look up the records.  I lowered my Mk5 and moved closer.  Just then, he wheeled around holding an antique 1911 .45 pistol.  A deafening blast and a blinding flash came from the muzzle.  I felt all the breath leave my lungs as I fell backward to the floor.  Just before everything went dark I watched Stephan lurch toward the door and heard a distinct “ZEET!” sound.

              I woke up staring at the acoustic tile ceiling above my bed; I was back in the hospital.

“He’s waking up.” I recognized the voice of my good friend and comrade Birmingham Baaz.

“Baaz, what happened?”  I asked.

“That silly coin of yours saved your life.  Is that the same one you picked up that day you and John were scouting on quadrant 4?” He asked this as he handed me the circular piece of bright golden alloy.  There was a slight dent on the side without an inscription.  This thing had to be more than just pure gold and now it was more than just a coin; it stopped a .45 caliber bullet. It was a miracle.

              I looked up toward the door, which was now opening to my girlfriend Kate along with Mark Dyas and Bill Pope.  A sudden warmth filled my heart that I had not felt in many months.

“Kate!” I exclaimed as she embraced me and kissed my neck.  I kissed her lips and knew once and for all that she was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.  I couldn’t believe I ever wavered on that.  I looked into her big blue eyes and told her I loved her.

“Mark!  Bill!  I’m so glad to see you guys!” I hugged both of them as they made their way to my hospital bed, though I had to exercise caution as I felt a sharp pain in my chest from where the coin stopped the bullet. I looked down to see a horrific yellow and purple mark that looked like a bit like a solar eclipse.

“The doctor says you have a cracked rib and one heck of a bruise but that you are going to be just fine,” Baaz said.

              Pure elation and gratitude filled my heart.  I was alive and wanted so badly to propose to Kate straightaway.  Thanks to that coin that I had found half-buried in the lunar dirt, I survived.

I looked down at it again and flipped it over to check out the inscription once more.

“Pope saved your life, you know,” Baaz reported.  “He shot Stephan with a stun pulse and carried you out of there.”

“Looks like I’ll owe you one, Bill.” I said as I turned toward him.

“Don’t mention it, Captain.  You would’ve done the same for any of us,” He replied.  “I took a look at the coin after we got you aboard the Lander.  Would you care to know what the inscription says?”

“You bet I would!  Is it some magical incantation?” I asked as I handed him the coin.

“Better than that, it’s Ancient Hebrew.  It’s a blessing that has been around for thousands of years.  My parents used to speak it over me every night before I went to bed.  It goes like this:

The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace. – Numbers 6:24-26
”

“That’s beautiful.” Kate said as she broke into tears and covered her mouth with both hands.

              I was speechless.  I got to thinking; perhaps we aren’t alone in the universe because someone somewhere was obviously looking out for me that day.  Thankfulness and peace filled my heart.  I would never look at things the same way again.  If we were truly created for a purpose, I knew mine right at that moment: I had to get back to LB127 and bring liberty to the captives, to the Hyans and the Hybrids.  They, just like we humans, deserve the chance to be free.