Of Monsters and Humanity: The Genesis

Chapter 64 - Terra

The United States District of Health and Medicine's Project X Masquerade Ball

There were four unconscious bodies on the floor by the time a military officer entered the Loading Deck.

He walked at a quick, heavy pace at first, but stopped dead in his tracks. After standing there for a moment, I heard him command, "I need medical staff to the Loading Deck immediately. We have an internal triage, and a possible code silver and grey. I repeat--a possible code silver and grey. Rapid response team needed at the Loading Deck. Squadrons, be at the ready. We have four unconscious bodies in the Loading Deck."

I had to think quickly, or else I would never escape.

The control board was long enough that I could crawl from my original hiding space and travel close to the doors without being seen. I had to be completely silent, and it had to happen with the lights off. One wrong move--one noise or opportunity for the officer to see me--and I would singlehandedly ruin the entire operation.

Xander was going to start making his way down the shaft soon. I needed to do something before the officer saw the screen on the pedestal.

Though, he did something else. Something that made me me gasp and panic.

He stormed straight towards the levers next to the door controlling the lights and shifted them up. All of the lights in the room illuminated, including the ones under the control board.

The officer turned and started walking over to the bodies, checking the heartbeats of each and asking if they could hear him.

The door opened and shut.

When he turned around, he saw me rush up to him. "I came immediately," I imitated in Dr. Aletheia's (the doctor owning the keycard I wore around my neck) voice. I had only heard her speak once, but she had a lower, more proper voice than my own. "Are there any signs of trauma?" I rushed to one of the first men I injected and started removing his mask. Seeing his face made me feel a little guilty for what I did, but I knew that they would wake up within the next few hours.

"No, doctor," the officer confirmed. He only looked up at me for a moment before removing the mask of the woman lying at his feet. "They're all breathing. Did you see anyone enter or leave the Loading Deck?"

I checked the pulse on the man through his neck. Heartbeat and breathing were normal, just as I expected. "No, I didn't. This man is alive." I turned to check the one next to him.

"Then I suggest you leave," the officer commanded, suddenly drawing his gun. "They could still be in this area, and I don't know what weaponry they could have on them."

I looked at him in fake shock, but nodded in understanding. "Thank you. Please be careful," I warned as I hurried past him and exited the Loading Deck.

My heart was beating out of control. I couldn't believe that I just made it past a military officer. I sedated all of those people by myself, without being caught, and somehow made it past a military officer. I stared at him right in the face--gun strapped to my leg and syringes guilty of sedating the people on the floor in my pocket--and left without him thinking the wiser. I had no idea how I was able to pull any of that off. I felt superhuman--like I had no boundaries or limits. I felt like a God, mediating life and death.

But I had to stop my thoughts. I was not Balcom. I wouldn't kill anyone, and I sure as hell would never let myself become him. I had lives to save, and one of them was on the brink of complete freedom.

I rushed through the dark, concrete hallway that opened to the larger, bright white hallway just as a dozen military personnel rushed past me towards the Loading Deck.