Part 2
Chapter 1
Union Aerospace Corporation Olduvai Research Facility/ Mars/ 14:26 hours/ 7-23-2059
Stepping through the doorway, Jed shuffled from the front holding, one end of the long black bag while Ben hefted the other. Gould and Sarge carried the other. More men and women wearing long white coats stood around the lobby watching the Marines as they walked in. Jed was a gruesome sight, his green fatigues were splattered here and there with the dark purple blood of the pirates. Stepping up from the rear, Adam sidestepped Mack and directed them with an outstretched arm.
"Forensic labs, this way." A security officer in grey fatigues rushed over to his superior.
"Sir! Thank God you're back!" he exclaimed. His expression was stressed as he approached. Adam frowned, wondering what caused the man's terror.
"What is it?" Adam asked.
"We've been trying to contact you for four hours now." Scanning around them briefly before continuing, he lowered his voice. "We have a situation in the lower levels."
"What's happened?" Adam demanded in a stern, serious tone.
"Apparently some doctors for whatever reason went off the deep end and attacked other staff members."
"Attacked?" Adam reiterated.
"Affirmative. We sent a team down there but haven't heard anything. Everyone listed on the registry for level two is missing."
"Has the level been isolated?"
"Yes Sir, the security hatches have been disabled."
"Good," Adam said as he turned and started after the Marines. "I want a talk with Carmack."
"He's in the med-bay overseeing Fuller," the officer reported. Adam paused and looked back at the officer.
"Fuller?" The officer stammered slightly.
"Y-yeah. He was in the mess hall then suddenly just collapsed.
"What's wrong with him?" Adam asked in bewilderment.
"We don't know, Sir." Adam stared him down, he didn't like that answer.
"I want that registry sent to my PDA." Without another word, Adam turned sharply away and strode with purpose down the hall towards the first set of transparent, clouded double doors. Still walking, he pulled his PDA from his pocket and accessed the feed. Opening the first message, he found a list of names, the registry of everyone missing from the second level. Seventeen names were listed on the registry and four of them he recognized. The three doctors, Stephen Yates, Rhonda Barret and Nile Willets were part of the medical team that assisted in the wreckage of Samas Aran's ship. One of the security officers sent down there was Wade Olsen, one of the three security personnel, including himself and Rob Fuller that accompanied the doctors. Adam paused halfway down the hall, dropping his PDA to his side with a pondering expression on his face. He started again, moving with new purpose in his steps. He approached the clouded, transparent double doors of the med-bay. Across the hall the door to the Forensic laboratory was wide open. The Marines carried the body bags to observation tables inside while Sergeant Dawson stood rigidly in the doorway. He glanced over his shoulder, catching Adam's hardened, distressed face.
"Malkovich, everything alright?" he asked.
"Just stay put Sergeant," Malkovich ordered before stepping through the retracted doors. With a hiss they closed behind him. The wide room had a white appearance to it, pristine and sanitized. In the forefront of the room were the rows of beds along walls. Near the back, a man laid on one of the beds. His eyes were closed in a deep sleep, but he didn't move a muscle. Even with a respirator strapped over his mouth and nose, Adam recognized his man, Will Fuller. In the rear of the room was an observation table. Seated in the chair behind the screen on the table, Adam identified Dr. Carmack's bald spot.
"Any developments?" Adam inquired. Carmack looked over his shoulder. His wide, nervous eyes fixed on Adam.
"None whatsoever," he replied as he turned back around to the computer screen. Adam looked at Fuller.
"What about his bloodwork?"
"Should be in in a minute," Carmack said. He then spun his chair around, looking up at the Security Chief. "What about what's happening downstairs?"
"Still haven't heard anything," Adam replied as he continued to watch Fuller.
"I want this contained, Malkovich." Adam turned and stood rigidly with his hands clasped behind his back.
"It will be. The second level is completely locked off from the rest of the station. In the meantime, Sir I think there is something you should be aware of," Adam said.
"Yes?" Carmack waited for him to continue.
"There's a connection between Fuller and some of the personnel that have gone missing in the lower levels." A nurse then stepped up to Malkovich's computer and pressed a key on the display.
"Doctor, Fuller's bloodwork," she said then turned back to work in the corner. Without a word, Carmack turned back to his screen and squinted his eyes slightly, only to widen a second later.
"Oh my," he muttered in shock. On the display was a microscopic view of a blood sample. Drifting freely in the red substance were clumps of black. Both Carmack and Adam were astounded by the sight, missing the distinct hiss of the doors opening.
"What's that?" a strong, perturbed voice demanded from behind. Carmack's head snapped back to find Sarge standing solidly, eyes sharply fixed on the computer screen.
"A patient's bloodwork," Carmack answered then turned back around.
"Thank you, Doctor. I'm a Marine, I know what blood looks like. I mean those black spots in there." His voice rose into a growl. Carmack turned again, nervously looking back at the Sergeant.
"They're dried-up clots in the bloodstream. It's a symptom of infection by Parasite-X."
"You're effing me," Sarge blurted.
"No, we're not," Adam glanced back and said.
"What happens when you come in contact with it?" Sarge inquired harshly.
"95 percent of the time, you will contract it," Carmack answered.
"And what happens then?" Sarge demanded.
"We don't know," Adam replied. "It seems unpredictable."
"Here we have someone that's infected and all he did was slip into a coma; while in the past, someone lost all control and went barking mad on the spot. They killed two medical personnel before being contained," Carmack continued.
"What is it, Sergeant?" Adam asked after watching him closely.
"The two bodies you asked for, their blood has that same stuff in it," Sarge said. "Not to mention that I came in contact with it." Carmack was silent, looking at Adam whom just stared at the Marine Sergeant. "Is there a cure?" Sarge asked in a gruff tone.
"No," Carmack shook his head, looking at Sarge with mortified eyes.
"Yes, there is," Adam blurted. The doctor turned sharply, fixing him with an estranged look.
"What are you talking about, Malkovich?"
"There is a cure derived from the cells of a Metroid."
"I'm sorry, a what?" Sarge inquired sharply.
"A Metroid," Adam explained. "They're parasitic lifeforms from SR388."
"Please, Malkovich, it'd be a lot easier if you just say Mercury, its what I grew up with," Sarge growled.
"As I was saying," Adam growled back. "The X and Metroid are natural enemies, and a vaccine derived from Metroid protoplasm will eradicate the infection." Carmack shot from his chair his bushy eyebrows caved in with annoyance.
"We've been over this, Malkovich, it is an untested treatment. There's no telling what could happen." he insisted. Adam hesitated, looking at Sarge's curious face then down to Carmack's. There was no use, he couldn't hide it any longer.
"I did it anyway," Adam said stiffly. "Remember the crash victim two weeks ago?"
"Yes, that bounty hunter, that the Supreme Council ordered us to terminate." Carmack paused, and sneered at the Security Officer. "You told me you took care of it."
"First of all, she has a name, it's Samus!" he growled. With each word his voice got harsher and harsher.
"Second, she's served both officially and unofficially for the Federation for years now and they just wanted to cut their losses and consider her a lost cause because you were too much of a coward to take a risk." Carmack felt as if he was backed into a corner. Adam's glare cut right through him, the doctor had lost all sense of authority over the hardened veteran. "Now this vaccine works, and it can be used to cure everyone that's infected with the X, which most likely includes everyone down on the second level," Adam continued. Stepping forward, he closed in on Carmack, looming over the anemic doctor. Sarge, watched from behind slightly startled by Adam's brutal aggression. "Now do I have your permission to send a detachment to the BSL to retrieve a Metroid sample for the vaccine?" Carmack glanced up at Adam then quickly tossed his gaze to the floor. He knew that even if he said no, Adam would go ahead and do it anyway.
"I'll take that as a yes," Adam muttered. He turned around and headed for the door. "Sergeant, a word?" Sarge gave one more glance to Carmack, even catching a glimpse of the nurse in the corner, watching in shock. He turned and followed Adam out the doors. The two of them stepped into the wide hallway, taking a few paces before Adam turned to face Sarge. "Can you get through to either of your men on the BSL?" he asked. Sarge was almost taken aback by how easily Malkovich had shifted back into a calmer mood.
"Strangely, no," Sarge answered.
"Neither can we," Adam interrupted. "No radio, holos or even PMs. Which means we have to send a detachment."
"Just get us a shuttle, and my team and I'll be ready," Sarge said.
"No, I have to go myself, otherwise we won't get anywhere near the Metroid," Adam stated.
"Why's that?"
"Its highly classified. Only a handful of personnel even know about the program. But being Chief of Security makes me one of them," he explained.
"What do you need from me?" Sarge inquired. Adam glanced about the halls before answering.
"I need you to stay here. Now that Carmack knows that Samus is still alive, he's going to be after her to cover his own butt. I need you and your men to guard the hallway in sublevel 3, she's in a life pod in one of the labs. Just keep anyone from getting to her," Adam said in a hard tone. Sarge nodded in acknowledgement.
"You get me that cure, I'll keep your girl alive. Anything else you need?" Adam paused for a brief thought.
"Mind sparing me a couple of your men?"
'Why? Why didn't I just tell Sarge to go eff himself?' Jed cursed himself in his mind as he sat in the last place in the whole solar system that he wanted to be. Gould nearly did tell Sarge off when he assigned both he and Jed to accompany Malkovich back to the BSL. Jed didn't think much about the gruff Chief of Security and was rather looking forward to the Ark ride home, something he'd never thought he would admit. Jed looked up to the front of the dropship. The door to the cockpit was open and Adam sat in the pilot's chair, his crewcut was visible over the headrest. As far as Jed knew this was a retrieval op. He wondered why this mission required more than two guys, let alone, five. Seated at his side was Gould, who was in no more a pleasant mood than Jed was. Across from them sat two of Adam's Security Officers. Eddie Gonzales sat uprightly in his seat, a Spa5-30 Shotgun cradled in his arms. Gonzales had Jed's build and strict disciplined look in his eyes. To his left was Kayla Davie, one of the five women that Malkovich ever hired for his Security crew. He only ever accepted the hardest, most disciplined former servicemen to be under his command, and she proved it day after day. Not even two minutes passed before Gould tried to hit on her, and she hit right back, which explained his sore jaw and foul mood. It still didn't stop him from running his mouth off.
"So Malkovich, our Sergeant says once upon a time you were a real badass, what happened to ya?" Gould blurted to the bow of the ship.
"Why don't you tell me, Portman?" Adam replied.
"Well for one, you left the Corps," he sneered. "What was it? I bet you cracked right, a Section Eight."
"Shut the frick up! Give it a rest, Gould," Jed growled at him. Gould's beady eyes widened in alarm and he grit his teeth.
"Hey man, fricken SOP," he mumbled.
"Who cares," Jed muttered as he rested his head back.
"Wow, eff you Jed!" Gould said. Across from them, Gonzales and Davie both snickered.
"No, Gould," Adam called back to the cockpit. "It was a medical discharge," he answered. Jed frowned and turned his head to the cockpit.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Nothing," Adam said. "Just have a bad heart," he continued. Both Gonzales and Davie frowned, then looked towards their Chief.
"You never said anything about that before, Sir," Davie said.
"How'd you end up here then, Chief?" Gonzales asked.
"The UAC liked my record. Plus, they were very persuasive," he said.
"In other words, they offered to make you rich," Jed scoffed.
"Jed, up to the front for a minute," Adam called back. Jed frowned, then rolled his eyes as he stood from his seat, leaving his PDR-2 in his stead. He stepped through the door to the front and stooped beside the pilot's seat, peering out through the window.
"Is Gould going to be any trouble?" Adam asked in a quieter tone.
"No. He's a competent Marine when he needs to be," Jed answered.
"All the same, keep him in line," Adam said.
"I'm not a babysitter," Jed grunted as he began to turn away.
"You know I'm curious," Adam started. Jed begrudgingly turned back around. "Other than your sunny manner, why do they call you 'Reaper'?" he inquired.
"It's a play off my name, Grimm."
"Clever," Adam scoffed.
"Yeah well they're Marines, not poets," Jed replied. Again he tried to turn to leave but was back.
"Grimm? As in Dr. Samantha Grimm?" Adam asked curiously.
"So you knew my sister," Jed stated. Suddenly his interest grew a tiny bit.
"I was among one of the last to see her alive. I'm sorry," Adam said in a softened tone.
"She die on your watch?" Jed asked in a prickly tone.
"In a matter of speaking. She died saving a friend of mine." Jed stood up straight, his eyes opened, allowing a brief peek into the soul within, the pain of loss. He felt stunned for a moment as thoughts of his sister flashed through his mind. She was always the one that wanted to help people, which was why she became a doctor. It was a desire that for the longest time, Samantha Grimm whole heartedly believed they both shared, then he enlisted. She'd have been fine with the Air Force but the Corps was different, it was dangerous. They always promised they'd be there for each other. Ever since the death of their mother, they were all they had for each other. But that was years ago, it was all different after he left for basic. They'd been distant since, and now the gap was even further. Jed snapped out of it just in time to hear Adam's command. "We're on approach, take your seat." Jed didn't even realize that the station was quickly filling the view of the window. He turned away and sat back down next to Gould.
"So what'd the principal want?" Gould smirked. Jed ignored him, it wasn't worth telling him to eff off. At the front of the ship, Adam keyed the com to the BSL's frequency.
"BSL Control, this is Chief of Security Malkovich clearance code 7253-Alpha, Delta, Bravo." Adam paused in wait for a reply. Five seconds passed, then ten and there was no reply. "BSL Control, this is Chief of Security Adam Malkovich, clearance code 7253-Alpha, Delta, Bravo," he slowly repeated. Again no reply came. Eyes looked up from the cargo hold to the cockpit in wonder. "No answer," Adam mumbled.
"What the hell's going on?" Davie inquired.
"It's alright, we have an override," Adam said. He keyed the controls as the dropship came closer and closer to the hanger doors of the BSL situated over the brace supporting the ring around the coned structure. Holographic guide lights projected from the lower corners of the hanger door as it slid to the side. Adam followed them, easing into the station, prodding through the energy barrier . Scanning about the insides of the hanger, Adam frowned. The lights were out leaving only the flash of the dropships hull lights. Still hovering above the deck of the hanger, the dropship shuttered suddenly then rested again.
"What was that?" Gould exclaimed. With the ship fully inside the hanger, the doors slid closed. Adam engaged the landing gear then disengaged the ship. He unstrapped from his seat then stood up and moved to the cargo hold. Jed, Gould, Davie and Gonzales all were out of their seats and holding their weapons in their hands. Adam moved past them to the bay door and pressed a button on the panel. The dropship's door folded down and Adam reached to his DP-P Sidearm. Pulling back the slide, he let it snap back into place.
"Eyes open, I don't like this."