Chapter 1: Reflections
Six years have passed since the Cradle Bay events. Yet for some, time never stops as though it occurred just yesterday. Fade in...Music cues with "Be the Ball." "Achieve...Greater...You will Achieve Greatness. You are unstoppable, you are chosen. This is your world...Take everything."
~ City backdrop fades into view as Sky ripples with a cold weather effect in uptown Chicago, Illisnois. ~
The sun bakes down on a busy commercial building right outside the industrial district. There, two sharp dressed men with briefcases pull into the side driveway and park. They step out of the car. You can see they are very tidy, with hair slickly combed back and an austere almost excited gesture across their face. The first man enters the main floor following the other down a large dark hallway to an office.
"SENIOR PROFESSOR OF SCIENCE, Doctor Meryl Walters." Reads the sign on the front door. A well dressed woman in professional attire sits at the seat studying a trifold of papers. One of them catches the eye of the first man as he walks in the office.
"Doctor Walters, I had been expecting to meet you here earlier." He glances at his watch. "You were supposed to be in the office thirty minutes ago. I believe these will be of supreme interest to you." The second man nods towards the first, as he opens a jet-black cross painted suitcase on the desk.
"Ahhh yes. I see. This is very interesting...These files..Where did you get them, Thomas?" Dr Walters dryly replies.
"From a vacant file cabinet in the late Dr. Caldicott's office. I thought you might receive some heightened interest in them given your recent project." the man suggested.
The man's name was Thomas Drake, Lieutenant Colonel for the United States Air Force. His commanding officer was Admiral Richard D. Kormander a brigadier who started out teaching wayward students at the University of Warchester, before he officially started up the division for Applied Sciences under the Air Force in 1961.
"Thomas, shall we show them the entire file?" the other man insisted. The other man's name was Gen. Marvin Lionel Strick, a presumed to be multi-generational cousin of the infamous Gavin Strick who had disappeared more than six years ago. "I feel quite strongly it would help the professor make up her mind." Marvin reinforced.
Thomas opens the other end of the briefcase and pulls out a cassette tape. He dryly inserts it into the cassette player and plays back the message in its entirety.
((Flashback...Six Years Ago.)) "I told you, the prototype is not ready yet. When it is, the board will know about it." John Yates: "And what of the side effects? I feel we must take this project with extra caution. I plan to seize the responsibility away from you by tomorrow. Dr. Caldicott, they've lost patience with you. Frankly after the incident with your daughter...I'm surprised that anyone trusts you to finish the agreed project."
"They are MY children!" Calidcott violently snapped. "I will NOT let anyone take them from me!" a loud crash is heard as a lamp goes flying against the wall. "Get out, GET OUT NOW! Cradle Bay will be a role model!"
Dr John Yates: "Dr. Caldicott, with due respect I believe you've done enough damage to our reputation. The division of Applied Sciences at Cambridge doesn't take kindly to an amateur who goes out of his way to take credit for a serum that isn't even fully developed yet."
Dr. Yates: "If you will not hand the formula over to us today, you can expect a court order tomorrow. (Pause) I'll give you less than three hours to think about it."
Caldicott reached for a gun and aimed it at Yates. ((crackling sound begins)) Suddenly a loud crash is heard. Yates is thrown from the room and Caldicott is punched in the stomach by the associate to Dr. Yates, Martin Strong. Strong works for the U.S. Army Services division. Strong then destroys the gun and grabs a glass vial and microchip from Caldicott's locked office cabinet.
Yates fiddles with his glasses outside the office, frazzled by the whole event. He makes his way outside the corridor and down the hall staring grimly at the empty doors to the school exit. A shadowy figure appears right there at the cross-section. "Did you get it?" Yates hastily speaks.
"I got it, doctor. Relax, there are no more issues to take care of. Col. Drake will know what to do once we get this data back to headquarters. Besides, it doesn't matter what happens to these failed teenagers. The real prize is back in Cambridge. All we need is the time to perfect this formula for recruits. The CIA won't be able to stop banging our doors down for this stuff just for the hits."
"Good." Yates dryly responded. "I also meant though, is the Cradle Bay operation neutralized?" "I want there to be absolutely no evidence tying them to us. Did you take care of it?"
"I took care of it." Strong coldly responded. Two blocks north of where they stood lied Secretary Whittaker, assistant nurse for Cradle Bay High School who often ran errands for Caldicott. She was dead laying in a pool of blood. Clutched in her left hand was a Kodak camera. Three photos were displayed that had caught the interaction between Yates and Caldicott, all were destroyed. The "wonk" from Cambridge as they called him, had gotten away unannounced. But Strong didn't trust the camera or other evidence Whittaker had taken. So he went back, deleted the memory cards and melted the camera down in a furnace he alleges on the recording.
"I saw the photos she took, went out and melted the Camera in the furnace smelter. No one will ever find evidence of your visit, so I took extra caution and tossed morphine into Caldicott's glass. He won't remember anything and this incident will all be forgotten." Strong coldly indulged. "Good, that's the only way this works. I don't want anyone else from Cradle Bay following us. Shut down the Bishop Flats while you're at it Strong, destroy the project files and add all these fluffer documents to make it look like Caldicott's team has been really busy. That's an order."
"Yes Sir!" Strong coldly replied. Gun fire was later heard on the tape making it sound as though at least two school cops were killed. The evidence assuming Strong is correct, was all destroyed.
Thomas leans forward and plays the second half of the tape. Dr. Walters stares at her office wall in silence, seemingly contemplating the new revelations. The gaze each one of them share begins to turn stern and unyielding as the tape plays forward.
"This recording was taken much later. We were checking the calendar to see when." Thomas coldly reassured.
'((Flashback)) "The chip is functioning properly..But what I do find is that excess stimulation to the pineal gland caused the dopamine levels to go through the roof." the Nurse speaks. "You're telling me that every time these kids get a hard-on they will beat someone with it." Caldicott dryly stated. "No,,Cut the cranium at the effect of it and we'll see what happens."Wha..Really." the Nurse says.."Cut the bruises out of the brain." Caldicott continued.
"We're trying to determine the cause of her violent reaction. Now part of the treatment was designed to regulate neuro-cranialogic surges, to remove moments of arousal or emotional conflict..There appears to be an irregularity..A wildcard response." Caldicott announced.
"..What if this was to compromise us, for the entire project?" Dr. Walters dryly replied. "We've mopped up the mess..There is no threat of exposure. The treatment works..For the most part." Caldicott grimly responds. "Now every successive kid, we are getting closer...and closer to perfection. I got a couple of...tiny glitches to iron out and you'll have your prototype." Caldicott coldly continued. "After the years of trial and error...It got past the hurdles on my daughter's delinquent disorder didn't I.." "Last I heard actually doctor, your daughter had been placed in a psychiatric ward." Dr Walters grimly pointed out. "As I've said to everyone...My daughter is a leading Valedictorian at Stanford. Any rumors to the contrary are just that, rumors."
"But if we can't trust you, what makes you think we want to gamble on the current chip?" Dr Shu pointed out with acute frustration. "Even if the board finds out you told the truth about your daughter, the decision to take this any further lies at our sole discretion." Dr Shu pointed out. "You are ordered to bring the recent chip upgrade by this man's office in one week. If you do not choose to follow through on your end of the bargain, we will send one of our men to assist you." Shu insisted. "Don't fail us any further Dr. Caldicott, I have a lot more than my career riding on this project." Dr. Walters dryly stated. "While the chip itself is expendable, our operation is not. Any failure on your part will reflect badly on our enterprise. You must realize I cannot allow any sort of fabrications or exaggerations of your product." Walters calmly stated. "It is an Applied Sciences prototype after all, Doctor, and they are property of its benefactors." Walters continued.
"And who might they be!?" Caldicott snapped. "The United States government, Dr. Caldicott. Under the auspices of Applied Sciences: A recently developed division under the U.S. Air Force." Dr. Walters dryly stated. "Your prototype is not just our product, it is our future doctor." Dr. Shu implicitly laid out. "If one or the other shall have its integrity impugned, then all of us will deal with the fallout. We will not allow that to happen." Shu continued. "Dr. Yates will be by your office again to check on progress. (Pause) Assure us you won't disappoint him yet again."
"They are MY children!" Caldicott barked. "No Doctor, they are not. This science is not your pet project to toy with. It belongs to all of us...And we will ensure our investment is protected."
Caldicott then storms out of the lab. He motions to his Nurse assistant as Caldicott asks coldly. "Did you catch all of that?!" The nurse looks at him with shaken eyes. "I Did, just as you instructed doctor." The recording comes to an abrupt end.
~ Fade to Present Day ~
"Damn. That sonofabitch lied to us..I should have known something was afoot the minute we stepped foot in their supplies cabinet." Dr. Walters dryly mused.
Meryl Walters was referring to the strange device lying on the floor in the supplies room of the hospital, that made a high-pitched whirring sound presumably used to kill rats. Though at the time they found these still barely functioning devices, they were covered in dust and being used elsewhere for some other agenda. Somehow, there was a lot of debris and plastic blue hospital bracelets lining the floor of the closet. On a few of them were etched words like "Believe in Yourself." and "Caldicott's Daughter is Perfect. No God can take away Perfection." to even the subliminal "Life is Filled With Music."
"He was hiding the experiments he ran through the Pscyhiatric Hospital...an insane asylum that Cradle Bay claims as its pride and joy. How stupid did Dr. Caldicott think some of his contributors were going to be?" Dr. Walters drly implied, emotionless. "The man was eccentric, insane even...It's why I warned you at the start, Thomas."
"There's something more that you're going to want to hear, Meryl. He didn't just record all of us. He made recordings of his own voice...Talking to himself about the research. Disclosing certain things that never should be spoken to anyone." Thomas paused. "There was much more to this than a few bad eggs...He was clearly insane. Listen to it and you'll see where we are coming from." Col. Drake dryly imposed.
'((Flashback)) "Log number 442...I'm here again at the facility. My daughter is seeming to react kindly to the new music. I just know pretty soon she will be able to surpass the honor graduates." (Pause) *Dr. Caldicott plugs in a large flat stereo amplifier and begins emitting high pitched shrieks. Another device is plugged in similar to the model used on E-RADicators that the janitors once employed for shock value. He turns the dial on full-tilt, suddenly a high-pitched electronic whirring sound begins buzzing at full speed.
*Ziiiiirt...Beep...Whiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrrt.* The sound echoes across the room. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH" a high-pitch scream is heard.
"Meet...The Musical Little Creatures...That hide AmOng the Flowers!" Dr. Caldicott shouts.
"He video-taped these lessons, using his own camcorder. You should see this." Col. Drake pressed as he punched the play button on their DVD player. Marvin stares on.
"There you are, much better isn't it. How about the ALPHABET...Can you say it backwards with me? How about this." Caldicott speaks. "So much better...Soon you will Achieve. You Will Be. Be The Ball." *Whiiiiiiiiir Ziiirt...ZZZZT. Click.* A large electronic shockwave is sent through the girl's body. Suddenly sparks ignite in a fire that blazes in the room with a number of other inmates. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH" the girl screams. "AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" the scream continues. " Log Number 448...Subject is responding to the electronic neural stimulation well. She appears to be taking in the acoustic arousal quite handily, with just a few more adjustments here...I may be able to make her speak Cantonese. So many languages. Genius...Who's the Genius!? I am the Genius..! Me." Caldicott hurriedly explains.
"I kept the light sources minimal. The subject appears to not respond with the same volatility that way. High pitched screams activate the Chip's neuro-conductor core causing spontaneous combustion. I've tested it on a few of my children here. Over there, Robbie...His head finally combusted in a cloud of blood so we had to change the dose level. I've taken the liberty of reducing dopamine levels to the central cortex...This is working better as Bruno has proven." Caldicott shouts at the monitor. "Before this treatment, Bruno couldn't utter three words! Now he is singing songs and just got admitted to Broadway. As you can see, another perfect child is made."
Caldicott bemused.
((A video monitor turns on.)) "I'm singing in the rain...Just singing in the rain. What a glorious feeling, happy again." Bruno repeats. He's locked in a cell in the second floor. Caldicott is then seen on the monitor entering the room, turning the buzzer to full blast. Bruno doesn't act surprised by stimulai, in fact he gets even more excited when the buzzer vibrates violently.
"I've finally perfected a new version of the chip. Bruno has taken to it quite well. This next update doesn't vibrate as fast as the last one. High-pitched sounds normally affect the neural-transmitter region of the brain, causing the chip to malfunction and finally.. explode. But this one is different. Bruno's still alive...Two weeks with my child here. No side effect!" Caldicott states.
"He seems happy now...Vibrant even. I later took him by the admissions office at Harvard and they accepted him right away. ((Caldicott holds up admissions certificate proudly.)) This next iteration is quite a vast improvement on earlier models...So perfect...My children...Each so perfect...Can't allow them to know what I have!" Caldicott smirks. The tape continues.
"Log 693...Bruno has been rising through the ranks at Harvard like the son I never had...Today he got administered into the United States Army Reserves. He runs faster, jumps higher and dodges easier than any recent upstart I've seen there. ((forward)) Ahhhh another problem...Bruno got into a fight with his superior officer which didn't want to offer him a bronze star. Today Bruno is in the hospital with a concussion. ((forward)) Chip is working remarkably well...Bruno's skeletal structure is entirely healed. The abrasions against his left skull cap have completely disappeared! ((forward)) Some startling news today, Bruno took over the entire unit in his Army Reserves training manual. ((forward)) Unexpected development...Bruno killed two plantoons he was commanded to oversee. I attended the funeral. Bruno then showed up with a semi-auto m4 rifle and shot everyone. Local police fired into the crowd, killing Bruno."
"Log 872...The effects on Ms. Caldicott have been tremendous! She is functioning normal again. Recent tinkering with the Chip has made her much more aware of her surroundings. Now she screams when she's happy. screams when she's sad. *BZZZT* Loud sounds don't affect the acoustic volume levels of the corresponding cranial nasal cavity. I have saved her." Caldicott announces. ((forward)) "The effect of the transmitters no longer impact my Chips..Another great report from the trenches! I inserted one into my Nurse and began other successive refinements. Shouting no longer bothers her, she excels in mathematics and has taken the honors award at the Smithsonian Institute. I'm pleased to say I'm going there to film her today. ((forward)) There she is...So magnificent! Just like all my children. Now that the experiment on the next upgrade has been a success." Caldicutt hissed. The Nurse is shown on screen led into the President of the Smithsonian's office. The president hands it to her, taking a photo for the press. The Nurse responds by asking why the President requested the press to leave. Then the Smithsonian's president leans in to kiss the Nurse, where she proceeds to shout "Who's office is this?" and "I won an award for my research. Why isn't it my name on the Smithsonian, instead of yours!?" Then come shouts for her to leave now, after of which the Nurse pulls a gun from under the desk: Where she aims and shoots him, then herself. "That was the last time we had to share our blessings together." Caldicott bemused. "But I feel like a real winner now...Surprisingly the chip has only gotten more effective with each test. This is Caldicott, reporting to you live..Signing off." Dr. Caldicott smugly stated.
Dr. Walters cleared her throat as the tape came to an end. "It's clear that Caldicott, he was a mistake. He was a threat to this program who had to be neutralized." Walters stated. "But overall, he was an invaluable asset to the future of this operation." Walters continued speaking from behind her tall black steel desk. "Did you recover the files?" she asked the two men as she grabbed the video tape.
"As I told you earlier, we recovered every file Caldicott was working on in regards to the newer models of the chip. His body was fished out of Lake Superior several years ago. There was no research on him. All we could locate is the files on this disk." Col. Thomas Drake dryly pointed out. "None of them are more recent than six years ago."
"And? What, did you not get the blueprint?" Meryl dryly retorted. "No, we got the full schematic. Our technican Bradley is working on it as we speak." Col. Drake replied. "The asylum didn't have much. Most of his work is destroyed, and the daughter still lives there in a corner cell with padded walls." he paused. "But it did have this." Col. Drake coldly insists. "This is another tape? What is it of?" Meryl said with contempt.
"Another experiment, we think that either went bad or didn't finish." Col. Drake insists.
He plays the tape, and on it Caldicott can be seen with a young-man strapped to a chair.
(scene play) "Yes Stephen, it will be over. You are going to be among our finest students soon. Now just relax." Caldicott muses. "Shut up.." Steve speaks. The whole scene then shows the boy break out of his restraints, killing two guards as he escapes.
Meryl stares at the screen with renewed interest. "Who is he?" Dr. Walters dryly announces. "That is Steve Clark, a local kid during the time of the Cradle Bay incident. We think he might be a possible witness...a loose end that needs to be tied up." Dr. Walters then states "So he's the Cradle Bay guy...Keep a close eye on him." Meryl bemuses. "And what about the newest chip Thomas? Are we ready for field testing?" Dr. Walters dryly continues.
"We're already ahead of you there, Professor Walters." Marvin Strick retorts. "I've been silent while I watched as you saw the tapes. Ms. Walters, meet Terrence O'Grady. First Officer of the United States ROTC for Ground combat. He's volunteered for the recruitment exercise. This will put our officers on the map beyond any steroid on the market." Marvin states. After a moment Dr. Walters responded: "That is what I wanted to hear. Development of army assets and cadets are our top priority at Applied Sciences. Bring the subject in, and have him secured in the chair immediately." Walters insisted.
"I thought you were never going to ask. (Pause) Bring First Officer O'Grady in and suit him up. (He motions to the officer appearing by the door.) Martin Strong, take the recordings Caldicott made of himself and destroy it all. Wipe the hard drives and leave no traces of evidence." Colonel Thomas Drake states. "Report back to Dr. Yates that nothing is out of the ordinary...All facets of the operation are proceeding as planned." Thomas continued. "Yes Sir!" Martin Strong replies, as he exits to carry out his orders.
Dr. Meryl Walters enters the end of a long dark laboratory. Officer O'Grady fills out the lines of paper work talking to the receptionist as he goes. "What I heard them say, is this is going to make me super fast to pass the entrance exam. I also heard them say I'd be able to talk twice as fast at bars, pick up more girls while I'm out and pass every single test-qualifier for driving attack choppers that the ROTC can throw at me!" O'Grady snapped with excitement. "Oh it will do that, and much more." the receptionist smiled as she filed away the paperwork.
Marvin Strick stroked his chin as he looked on in amazement, intrigued by what this would mean for future army reserve units. Two lab assistants strap O'Grady to the chair with steel restraints and take a needle to his neck. "What's this!? I wasn't told about any of these here outliers..." O'Grady stated. "It's in the fine print. You will feel brand new, like a whole new man once we're done." Dr. Yates stated with a sly grimace on his face. "Trust me on this." Dr. Walters said. "What you're going to be able to do, will make every officer in a 5 mile radius blush with envy." she continued.
A large hydraulic circular saw begins cutting away part of O'Grady's skull. As Dr. John Yates stares at the monitor screens, a shrill set of screams can be heard. The new chip is inserted into O'Grady as the theme turns to "Believe...Be...Achieve...Greater...Be The Greatest. Be The Ball." Colonel Drake looks over the room as a smile creeps on his face. Every officer in his program will be the best the force has to offer, that's all she wrote.