Broken Mirror: Apophis 2029 (31 page)

  There were still a few dozen personnel posted on the space station, but by remotely overriding a few airlocks and purging the atmosphere in selected sections on the station, Cypher was able to vacate the entire platform of its staff.  The man was a touch psychotic, but intelligent.  It was a dangerous mixture.

  The phase development lab on the blue level below us was designated towards the process of replicating of the MN4 virus for genetic splicing into various compounds.  The automated machinery had continued developing research samples nonstop for the past several years.  Not trying to create a cure, but revealing ways to manipulate the pathogen into various forms for military applications.

  Beatrice had been a part of the original research staff that had helped develop the monstrous mutations at Fallhaven.  Those test creatures had been secured in cryogenic freezers for future study, until the day they had eventually lost control of containment.  We all knew how that had worked out for everyone.

  They had been aiming to regulate a half-life to the virus in effort to effectively utilize the microbe as a weapon on foreign soil or against any resistance met by their new regime.  Instead, the initial mutagens that were crossed tested with a soup of experimental pharmaceuticals ended up being wildly contagious and further resisted all forms of controlled degeneration.  Their grand idea of spreading a designer disease that would be rendered impotent over a set duration of time had eventually backfired on them in a spectacular way. 

  More disturbing, was Cypher's revelation that these genetic research facilities had been attempting this same scenario with every known viral outbreak over recent decades.  Whenever a new disease or epidemic had been detected within any given country across the globe, those instances had actually been the first steps of many in the test-phases related to this Mirage project, which had been birthed to create a designer virus.  However, it wasn't until the introduction of this exotic alien germ appeared that there was a truly potent and viable candidate for their covert operation for population reduction and control.  They had been creating and testing bioweapons here under clear violation of international treaties.

  We had to agree on one point with Cypher, that the world was a better place with out our high-ranking officials running the game.  Not only had they entirely botched the mission to prevent an asteroid collision that would likely have never happened in the first place, but had also added fuel to the flames by trying to forcibly manipulate and gain global domination through treachery and intimidation.  It was beyond reckless ...it was madness.

  While we were arguing with Betty about her involvement with such an immoral agenda, Cypher tapped a few buttons on the arm of his control chair.  A mechanical arm on our side of the glass wall reached out and snatched up the covered capsule that Tasha had set beside her.  We all turned just as a separate clamp uncovered the soiled cloth, unveiling the meteor sample held within.  Cypher nodded to himself in contemplation for a silent moment before cutting the tension in the air with a audible sigh.

  "I had been wondering what this little item was that you were so careful lugging about, its contents had been shielded from the cargo scanners by the lead lining I would presume," Cypher stood debating for a second with a finger to his chin, "is this what I think it is?" he inquired to the young girl as she clung tightly onto her rifle with a scowl of resistance stamped upon her brow. 

  "My father was the hired escort originally assigned to deliver your lead military scientist and this meteor sample to this facility all those years ago," Tasha revealed to Cypher as his eyes lightened up at her words, "as you already know, this package was never delivered."

  "Until now," Cypher uttered as his face glinted brightly from behind the glass while he gazed at the container.  Beatrice took a stand in front of the box in defiance, as if blocking his view would somehow sway his mind.  The robot arms simply moved the container higher above her head and closer to the transparent wall where he could view it in greater detail, "a very dangerous gift indeed," he smiled while admiring the celestial shard containing the microbes that had forever changed the world we knew, "so enchantingly beautiful, yet so deadly," he exclaimed while his eyes swept down to Tasha, as if to complete the meaning of the metaphor.

  "What happened to my father?" Tasha spoke flatly, her blue eyes turning cold as steel in that moment.  She had waited a long time and many sleepless nights for an answer.  We all quelled our jabbering among one another to hear his response.

  "As I mentioned, there was an instance of insubordination between the military personnel and the contracted mercenaries who were hired to deliver this most valuable package," Cypher began with a nonchalant wave to the small stone as he turned once again towards the window on the far side of the room; his voice amplified through a hidden speaker to us at a constant volume from wherever he stood with the cell, "when the authorities in charge at the time discovered that the armed escort had delivered their Scientist, but had left the rock sample behind as a bargaining chip and began demanding answers, the situation quickly escalated into a firefight after they were informed about the true nature of the Mirage project," Cypher finished with a long breath.

  "But why were the tunnels blown, it seems a bit extreme for a lockdown," Tasha argued. 

  "When the mercenaries held the lead scientist as leverage, they apparently didn't like the bits of classified intelligence we disclosed that the purified sample of the asteroid was actually going to be utilized for final development as a bioweapon, rather than a cure; they had a pretty ...let's say,
volatile
reaction to that information and they took measures to seal off the base from within," Cypher related, acknowledging that her father and the rest of his squad had fought back and collapsed both points of entry to the complex. 

  The mountain tunnel was fully collapsed and blocked all ground based vehicle exits, and they took measures to sever the subterranean train rail below ground.  Power to the base was being supplied by the hydrogen generators through sealed conduits in the underground tunnels, so they ultimately failed to shut down the facility completely as initially planned.  Their heroic move crippled the continued function of the base and all but a few helicopters left in commission, but they couldn't handle the volume of materials required to continue operations on site.  During the insurrection, the base was irreversibly damaged and key sections were compromised which eventually led to a breach in containment.  To avoid exposure, that incident initiated an emergency evacuation of all top officials by launch to the orbiting space station.

  Cypher didn't quite agree with the governmental oversight and their compliance with the military branch in the production of a control virus; his section was initially organized towards the success of the Veil probe.  Cypher's division quickly lost any continued value after its failure to mitigate the asteroid; and it was not long thereafter that the true purpose of the Mirage Station was exposed to the personnel in its entirety.  Having helped design the guidance systems for the transit vehicle itself, Cypher took measures into his own hands for having been left behind, in the form of exacting swift vengeance.  Needless to say, he certainly got the last laugh; so to speak. 

  He admitted that Tasha's father had died during the revolt.  He had done what he believed was right, and in a small way, justice was served.  The containment of the base led to the entrapment of those personnel here on the site that eventually succumbed to the disease.  During the chaos of the initial clash with the mercenaries, there were a few of the original staff which had escaped via the underground rail system to the outlying shelters; some of them unknowingly spreading the contagion on their persons as they fled to the other bunkers along the subway system.  It was almost ironic how all the precautions set in place to protect the underground facilities had been jeopardized by the fleeing faculty who had good reason to hide their personal involvement with this highly illicit operation at the testing lab, to all the rest of the shelter residents.

  It was a grand failure.  It never ceased to amaze me how human kind could be so arrogant and small-minded, and could never seem to grasp the larger picture to see anything beyond their own pettiness.  With their top officials slain in the catastrophic failure of the launch vehicle, the rest of the military personnel and staff tried to escape the facility on their own, and succumbed one by one to their own personal fate among the shattered and bloody walls of the base.  Many of the workers still lurked here in their infected state, mentally deranged and aimlessly shambling the corridors in search of food; staring listlessly behind their dull bloodshot eyes as the virus coursed through their veins.

  Cypher had used his knowledge of the station construction and its computer systems overrides to have the robotic automations help him construct a containment cell on the top floor.  He had more than enough rations and supplies available for him in storage that would have sustained the thousands of workers that had once staffed this facility.  He then devised an elaborate system of disinfecting any goods and programmed the failsafe program to target anyone who either lacked security clearance or was infected.  Here in solitude, he lingered for the past several years, alone in his ivory tower.

  He watched in earnest through the security feed during the mayhem that ensued around the base, as the contagion spread and the once few weepers, quickly became many.  This led to a problem that he had been working on since he locked himself up in his gilded glass cage.  The power levels that maintained his elaborate system relied upon had become compromised over the span of time; and he needed to shut down the debilitating energy drain from the automations working feverishly in the biotech chamber on the blue level below.  He was certain by the old woman's reaction to his tale, that she would be less than cooperative to assist him towards that ultimate goal.

  These past years spent trapped inside his glass box had not gone entirely wasted for Cypher, while he worked diligently crafting a wild plan.  On the launch pad in the underground bay, he stated there sat a prototype shuttle that had been used as a model for the shuttle transport created for the high officials.  During his time incarcerated on the top floor, he had reassigned the robotic units in the bay to finish construction on the smaller model to make it flight worthy. 

  All that was left to complete his venue was to divert the excessive power being funneled away by the untiring automations in the Phase Development Lab, and have it diverted directly into the hydrogen cells on the prototype vehicle.  Cypher was an engineer who wanted to take his place among the stars as he felt he had deserved, and he was going to persuade his current guests help him achieve that.

  Though his paranoia was clearly validated, Cypher took great measures to keep from putting himself at risk of meeting the same fate that had befallen the rest of the facility staff.  He had seen how his coworkers had been mercilessly mauled and slaughtered; and turned into those walking husks of what they once were.  The dread of it kept him awake for days on end while he devised layers of security to guarantee his safety and remove any chance of exposure.

  Former workers on detail at the base had been removed to the outlying shelters shortly before the comet strike, personnel such as Beatrice who had been relieved of her duties in the blue level as the research tasks were left to be compiled by automation.  Millions of chemical recipes and DNA strands from the infected hosts of this new disease had been left for the computers to analyze and sequence.  When the mercenaries revolted against the research base, they had left the system crippled and slowed its progress.  With no more active staff on duty a failsafe lockdown of the contagion samples were left unhampered to continue its programmed functions without interruption.

  The system was protected by a security encryption fire wall that Cypher was unable to access from the floor where he had imprisoned himself.  After a great deal of probing, he revealed there was an entirely separate data server connected to the phase development lab, which was heavily shielded from changes to its initial protocols.  It had a direct power connection to both the redundant and reserve power source as a safety measure to keep it in operation.  These were the very test samples that had been supplied to the military labs and cryogenic chambers, which had been relocated to the resident shelters along with the scientists while they secretly worked on infected humans with the experimental drugs.

  The electrical coil which carried the power to the blue level was engineered to be foolproof.  If development lab should ever accidentally lose power, then the specimens that had been mixed and stored in refrigeration would be lost.  Years later, without human intervention and unused by the outlying labs, the robotics had accumulated thousands of stacked samples, which were currently drawing excessive amounts of power from the crippled power supply.  The top floor security systems were starting getting buggy, so Cypher had applied all his efforts towards repair of the prototype ship.   However, he found that remote control of the robotics in the launch bay had its limitations. 

  The service drones he had reset as sentries that roamed the halls of the lab building had kept the upper levels free of any wandering Weepers, but there were countless hundreds left roaming the massive facility in the floors below.  Understandably, Cypher did not wish to become one of them.  By chance of her arrival, the functioning chip implant in Betty's hand would grant her clearance to certain security operations they might come across.  He only had to craft a way to manipulate her to his will.

  Cypher kept the core sample in his possession, counting on the fact that that it could be used as leverage against Beatrice.  With Tasha accepting solace regarding the fate of her father, the rest of us were stuck in a situation we had little control over.  Getting to the lab had become a one-way trip and there was little here to keep our interest.  Cypher had promised us answers, but what he had offered still left us feeling unfulfilled.

  Having sequestered the entire top floor for himself, Cypher agreed to let us return to the level below.  Though Beatrice tried, she noticed her security chip would no longer override the controls to the elevator.  Cypher had partial command of the facility, except for access to the shielded systems in the Development lab.  We returned to the break room in remorse to find that the bodies had been removed and their blood sanitized from the scene.  With worry, we searched the floor and finally found Serena and the mute child at the far end of the Foyer, both huddled under blankets asleep in a dark corner.

  "Are you two alright?" Thorn asked as he gently swayed Serena awake with his hands, speaking softly enough not to wake the boy cuddled up next to her.  She seemed a little shaken, but recovered enough to answer.

  "After you left, another robot entered the room and removed the damage one we had shot up; then it came back and took the bodies of our friends," she shuddered, "It didn't attack us; I was alone there and didn't know if shooting it would provoke it, so we left the room to find a safe place to hide," she finished.

  We disclosed what had happened upstairs on the top floor to her, and our eccentric host with whom we had met.  Tasha and her friends had retired back to the break room with Beatrice, as she found she was now unable to open any other doors on the blue level.  Apparently, Cypher was able to block her access to the stations computer, to keep her in check.  I left Thorn there while he shared his tale with Serena as I walked back to the window to look out at the evening sky.  I stood there peering at the dark swirling sky as lighting flashed far in the distance. 

  It had been a long time since I had seen the stars, as there were only rare times when the clouds would part in the evening hours.  Perhaps that is why I kept moving, always on the go; trying to find a better life for myself where there weren't hordes of weepers or people killing one another for mere scraps of food.  There was no way to escape that world anymore; maybe I was just searching for another place where I could finally see the stars once again.

  An intercom came on from a miniature video board beside a maintenance door on the far side of the room.  A voice issued from it, calling my name.

  "You are the one they call Caitlin," the hushed voice hailed from a distance.  Curiously, I strode over to the sound to find a palm sized view panel on the wall meant for video intercom use.  Cypher sat there framed within the small digital screen.

  "Yes," I answered in confusion, "...what do you want?" I inquired, and feeling a little bewildered why he was contacting me in secrecy.

  "I have a proposition for you, Miss," Cypher submitted with feigned politeness, "to help you and your friends ...if you will do a favor for me, that is," he offered.  I was listening.  There wasn't much direction any of us had planned for after escaping this place, if we managed to get out of the building alive.  Topside, the facility was placed beside a river gorge with high cliffs that circled the perimeter.  The mountain tunnel was permanently blocked, and the main lot below functioned as the shaft plate to the launch chamber.  Since we didn't have the equipment to scale the high cliffs, there was no way out but up.  I did not realize until this moment that would be an option.  To my surprise, Cypher offered to take us with him on the launch.

  It seemed like a bizarre gesture.  One that I wasn't sure if I found appealing, but I didn't want to speak for the rest of the crew.  Sure, I had always wanted to visit space as a child, but I sure as fuck didn't want to stay there
forever
.  His offer didn't come without risks, there was a great deal we would have to do.

  "Why are you just asking me, and not the others?" I inquired with a shrug of my shoulders as if I was nobody.  It didn't make sense to me, I didn't exactly come across as the leader type.

  "You and Beatrice appeared to have a history together," Cypher explained, "I have your image and data on file from your short stay with her at the Fallhaven shelter, Miss Caity Lee," he admitted, having hacked those files from their source. 

  I really shouldn't have been surprised.  The rail network had connected the bunkers to one another; so it would be safe to assume there was a data cable secured to each facility from the main research base.  It was clear to him that we did not share any love for the old woman and wanted me to ask the others of my crew if they would accept his offer.  Those that agreed, he would grant passage to the Mirage station if they so desired.

  "And what about any of us who don't want to go, even if we do help you?" I had to ask, speaking for myself at the moment.

  "The prototype vehicle was originally designed as a shuttle, rather than a simple rocket booster," Cypher countered, "that is why it was a 'prototype'.  The final version was too large for that additional feature and had been reengineered to the revised specifications.  That means I can drop off anyone within a thousand mile radius before leaving the atmosphere; as long as I have time to alter the flight plan, of course," he answered with that annoying signature grin of his. 

  His offer actually wasn't a bad one.  He could give us as many supplies as we could carry and even locate an abandoned bunker or two within flight range for anyone who wanted to stay behind on the surface.  Personally, he squabbled to question why anyone in their right mind would turn down the chance to live on the orbital station considering the current global conditions; but he was a man obsessed with science.  I found the thought of living the rest of my life in a sterile vacuum under artificial light and filtered air entirely abhorrent.  There was no replacement of the wind in my hair and the earth beneath my feet, and to go where I wanted; that was a sense of freedom I valued above all else.

  Grudgingly, I agreed with Cypher that I would try to inquire with the others about his offer, but made no promises.  To this concession he nodded, and ended our brief conference with an tribute to have a robotic unit bring us water and a prepared meal to the break room.  With a click, the screen went black and I was left to ponder this new situation.

  I advised the Tasha and the other ladies that supplies were being delivered to us just moments before an automation arrived which made them jump out of their skin.  Thorn enticed Serena and the boy back to the main room where we ate the best meal we've had in years.  Even the grub at Fallhaven paled in comparison to the finer quality of this cuisine Cypher had presented.  The administration here had apparently spared no expense of the taxpayer's money when it came to acquiring lavish personal perks, and given the circumstances, Cypher had been living it up quite well these past years.

  "Wow, fucking champagne!" Serena touted as she took another swig straight from the bottle.  We had all lost our grip of lesser etiquette somewhere over the years, some of us more than others had.  The smile fell from her face when she set the bottle down only to linger in thought as her eyes were drawn down to the spot where Haiti had died.  The breakroom was probably not the best place for us to stay, considering, but there were no other tables in the main foyer.  Our host hadn't considered that we could forget our friends so easily; but in his limited psyche, he probably couldn't even fathom how strongly it would affect us on an emotional level. 

  Beatrice sat alone at a second table, feeling shunned for her previous involvement with the viral outbreak and her former connection to this classified facility.  The fact was, she had a lot to be ashamed of, but she was just one of many government workers who shared that guilt.  However, in light of it all, the unexpected feast we had been gifted helped to lift our spirits.  It had been a good play on Cypher's part to offer us this carrot as a peace offering, especially so after suffering the whipping stick that took the lives of our two friends earlier that day.

  I had to find a way to speak with each one of them in privacy, in effort not to show our hand to Betty about the proposition Cypher had made.  Of course, Thorn was first on my list.  We had some quality time to make up for as it was.  I took his hand and dragged him out to the windowed foyer while Tasha and her girls heckled under their breath.  It was all in good fun.

  "I'm sorry about what happened to your friends, Thorn," I whispered, savoring the moment together once again.  He still looked shaken by the thought of what had happened earlier.

  "Yeah, I'm going to miss Haiti and his funny accent, he was always upbeat," he glanced away with a heartbroken smile, "and though Killroy was a hard ass, he knew his shit," he turned back with a flash of shame over his choice of words in my presence, "...I mean, knew his stuff," he apologized, not wishing to seem crude. I thought it was cute. 

  Like the rest of the crew, we were all exhausted; it had been a very taxing day.  We turned when we saw Beatrice exit the break room with a blanket and head down the hallway towards the Development lab.  Feeling unwelcome, she was going to spend the night in there alone.  Cypher actually let her in, noting he could keep an eye on her from the security cameras if she managed to get herself into any trouble, so we were not too worried about it.  It was probably for the best, and was by design of by our host, which gave me the opportunity to openly speak with the rest of our companions in privacy without Betty overhearing.  I just wanted to clear things with Thorn first.

  While I was holding his hand, I told him how Cypher had contacted me while he was tending to Serena, and of the offer he had made us.  I explained how Beatrice fit into that equation, but the less she knew about it, the better.  The plan made sense to Thorn as I spelled out the details.  Little did I know that Cypher was listening to every word as we conversed in hushed whispers out in the foyer.

  Cypher's plan was relatively simple, considering we were fully aware that he only needed a few lackeys to complete it.  The strategy he proposed was to go down to the launch bay and detach the power coupling to the lab and link it to the fuel cells of the prototype shuttle; all while avoiding any weepers in the area.  He needed Beatrice to assist with granting security access to the power panel on the blue level to allow the encrypted security protocols to disengage.