The beginning of the end
by Bradley Peraino
Chapter One “Gentlemen, thank you all for coming. I know you have had long trips, but rest assured the security of this meeting is much more important than your comfort.” These men, of course, were accustomed to comfort. They were America’s elite. It was the “who’s who” of power and money. “Charles, can you please tell us why we are here?” “Well, Robert, I will do even better than that. I will show you.” Perched behind the 20 foot long mahogany conference table, adorned with hand carved engravings of U.S. historical events, Robert waited patiently. He caressed the finely crafted scene of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. “What a glorious day that must have been”, he thought to himself. The room was small, lined with a rich golden carpet. A blue velvet curtain hung before him. It stretched from floor to ceiling and was dressed with gold silk fringe around its edges. “Gentlemen, do not be alarmed, for what you are about to see will almost certainly take you by surprise.” As the curtains were opened, Robert stared in disbelief. There stood, what seemed to be, a U.S. serviceman. However, he was different. Much different! “Behind this 70 mm thick ballistic glass, glass strong enough to stop multiple rounds from an AK-47, is our nation’s future Super Weapon. This soldier was given a serum, devised by my scientists, to make him unstoppable. He doesn’t need a weapon. He doesn’t need food. He doesn’t need sleep. All he needs is training.” “Training”, Robert repeated. “What kind of training? Who is this soldier?” “Robert, that doesn’t concern you. What does concern you is the protection of this country, which brings me to why you’re here.” “Yes, Charles, why are we here?” “Bob, can I call you Bob?” Robert waved him off impatiently. “Bob, I have exhausted the majority of my resources funding this project. What I need from you is help training these new soldiers. Unfortunately, after receiving the serum, what they gain in strength and survivability, they lack in intelligence or even common sense. Essentially, they are running on pure instinct. We have no means of controlling them. A demonstration…” A door, situated in the far right rear of the demonstration room, swung open. A young girl, dressed very scantily, was pushed into the room. She was obviously some kind of street walker or prostitute. The door slammed behind her. It was but a second before the soldier saw the young girl and began to rip her to shreds. She tried getting away, but the fruitless effort was met with clawing and biting. There was blood and pieces of bone everywhere. Blonde strands of hair were stuck to the glass. “Charles, stop this! What are you doing? That girl…” “That girl” Charles exclaimed. “That girl is nothing more than a hooker, a cancer on society. You have to see the big picture, Robert.” Robert sat back in his chair, rubbing his head. “So these “soldiers”, as you call them, will attack anything or anyone they come in contact with?” “Yes Robert, that is correct. That is why we need to train them.” “What the…” Geoffrey reeled back in horror! “What the hell is happening?” “What is it Geoffrey” Robert inquired. “L…L…Look” Geoffrey stammered as he pointed towards the glass. “Ah yes, there is that” Charles sighed. “There is one other problem with our new weapon. It replicates itself.” “I want no part of this! This is insane!” Robert was horrified at the thought. “Robert, please listen to me.” “No, I’ve seen enough. I will be obliged if you’d show me the way out of this place.” “As you wish, Robert, as you wish.” Suddenly, the door in the room swung open again, and the men who were tasked with taming these new weapons came in with what appeared to be tools used by a dog catcher. They were long poles with ropes on the end. One man placed the rope around the girl’s neck and cinched it tight. He led her out of the room and out of sight. Another man tried to subdue the soldier but, before he could get the rope around the soldier’s neck, he was being attacked. Charles picked up the transmitter hanging next to the radio system, “Someone, secure that room!” “Charles, are we safe in here?” Geoffrey asked, with great concern. Charles gave him a half empty look. “Do you hear me? Secure that room!” A few long moments passed before the sound of the radio broke the nervous silence that had settled in the room. “Sir, this is Alpha Zero Six.” That was the code name for the security commander. “I say again, this is Alpha Zero Six.” “Go ahead Alpha, what is your status?” “Sir, I recommend that you and your guests exit this facility immediately. I can no longer guarantee your safety.” “I understand, Alpha, we have enough personal security here. Send all available security personnel to their designated stations. I will radio for an update once I land.” Charles had a Marine Corps issue VH-60 helicopter. The same helicopter used to transport the President. It was outfitted exact, save for the color and the lack of the Presidential seal. “Roger that, I will be standing by, awaiting further instructions. Alpha Zero Six, out.” As the men moved through the corridors of the underground bunker, they could hear people screaming. They could hear security personnel barking orders to their subordinates. Though mainly, and most freighting, they could hear gun shots and painful cries for help. “We must move quickly. I’m not sure how long we have before the entrance will be sealed.” “Charles, if we survive this…” Robert was cut off by the sound of a high pitched squeal. Everyone turned just in time to see the prostitute bite Charles on the back of the neck. Blood sprayed everywhere. Charles instantly turned white and his body went limp. “Run!” One of the security guards motioned down a long narrow corridor. “Get to the choppers!” One by one, the men were dragged down, bitten and ravaged! With every new attack came a growing fear. When they made it to the exit, only three remained. The security guard was the last to exit. He pushed the emergency button just in time to stop the soldier that was following them from getting out. The security gate slammed down with a thundering clank. “What are we going to do about this?” Geoffrey asked. “We do nothing. It’s contained. I want nothing more to do with any of this. I have a meeting to get to and I intend to be there. My pilot won’t be back for an hour or so, is there a radio I can use?” “Let’s just take Charles’ helicopter. It’s the only one running, and I don’t think he’ll mind. You can contact your pilot from the air.” “Geoffrey, that’s the best idea you’ve had all day” Robert said. After agreeing not to ever speak of the events that had just unfolded; Robert, Geoffrey, the security guard, and the four other pilots all piled into the chopper. They lifted off and headed east into the clear afternoon sky. http://perainopoetryss.blogspot.com
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