This is not my first story on this site, but this is my first real work as a drama/action. I've already written out the second chapter and I'm currently editing the third. Just considering the fact that even I can't wait to tell this story is crazy. I usually wait for a post before I began the next chapter. I just have such a good feeling about this one. This fic will be exciting, hopefully long, and definitely finished (probably before I post the fifth chapter :). I'm excited for this story and I have high hopes for it. It's different from my usual writing style. That's probably why I like it so much.
Also, prewarning, if you want fluffy romance, you might get a few scenes, but to be honest, I'm really working on action and drama here. There will be V/H (of course). That's an automatic given. :)
Now READ! lol!
"Sir, the third installment of Merchant's frequency translator located the 1850-1990 MHz PCS phone band and finally allowed Crying Gray to tap into the lines. Apparently, not a moment too soon. Just within these last four to six hours, he learned they decided to commence with the experiment despite Kanzaki's absence. They tested the fossil's antimatter this afternoon."
"And?"
"The fossil's experiment has proven successful, Mr. Dornkirk. According to Crying Gray, Fanel has predicted the fossil will be introduced into worldwide use within the this or the next decade. The man confessed as much over the main line. The plan to go public with the news hasn't been decided yet. He is waiting for Kanzaki to enter the lab and discuss the next course of action."
"Perfect," a deep, old voice answered. "Tell Crying Gray to alert the Dragon Slayers. Begin Operation RED once Kanzaki has been confirmed entering the lab. "
"Operation RED, sir?"
The old man remained silent for a moment. A bony hand lifted to stroke his long beard thoughtfully. "If my predictions are correct, Kanzaki and Fanel will both be in the lab till the early morning, along with the rest of their staff. Now that the antimatter has been deemed a success, we cannot let those fools move any further. The perfect time to strike is when you can wipe out all targets. Make sure to mention to Crying Gray that there must be no survivors. No evidence for the Feds to find. Nothing must be left."
"But what of the-"
"Nothing must be left." Dornkirk repeated unblinkingly.
"Yes, sir." The young man said stoically. "I will inform Crying Gray at once."
Despite the early hour and lack of sleep, Tsukasa Kanzaki grinned happily as he scanned his encoded key card into the security system. He gave a happy wave to the two security guards sitting at the window, which they returned with tired smiles of their own. With a soft beep from the machine, he strolled through the swinging unlocked door of the main front lab. He turned to his left and seemed to shake with excitement as he placed his large hand on a thick rubber plate strapped to the wall. Another small beep signaled his access and heavy doors glided open to let him through.
He practically skipped down the plain hallway into his bright, florescent lab. The whitewash walls of his establishment were covered with different categorized sketches of what looked like a large, stone human heart. Slowing his walk, the man breathed in the energized air. Wanting to prolong the moment, he stopped to look at a detailed blown up picture of the heart's left side with several parts labeled. The man sighed with satisfaction. The break-through had finally happened. Today was a summarization of everything he had worked for these past seven years. With this kind of discovery, all worry about poisonous gases, holes in the o-zone, melting icecaps, toxic wastes, and world wars for oil would disappear forever. And it was all thanks to this beautiful fossil. Leaning in further till his nose almost touched the paper, Kanzaki studied the inner shadows of – what they nicknamed – the left valve.
It wasn't a stone. There's no way this could have come from Gaea. His crew had tested its outside skin for familiar particles. Nothing matched its biological makeup. Was it an undiscovered type of rock or seed or even a prehistoric egg? Though it hinted the inner valves and atriums of a heart, it hardly had any association with organic tissue. It wasn't until Fanel took it to the radiologist lab that they made some headway into its true nature.
The fossil was a miracle. It was everything modern society needed.
Once the almost diamond hard shell had been thoroughly x-rayed, they discovered the steady pulse of what looked like charging radiation.
It was concluded – through careful examination - that the charge within the fossil could power three major cities simultaneously as well as have enough juice for several small ships. When tested for radiation decay, the fossil's Gamma photons appeared in the right atrium of the heart for approximately 756, 432, 998 metres per second before disappearing into an unknown. That was more than triple the speed of light. It left absolutely no pollution. It also was rechargeable. It mysteriously supplied its own particles from the left atrium.
But where did the new particles come from? Now that was a question! A fourth dimension like Pearson's theory? A separate solar system all together?
Tapping the left atrium with a finger, he shook his head at the wonder of it all. In there was the answer.
Now that their second hypothesis had proven successful, he was – as of this moment – one of the two most famous men in history. The other would be his partner and best friend.
Green eyes dancing with pride, he continued on his way to the radiation lab. Grinning at the different white coated professionals scurrying all around him, Kanzaki finally walked with slow steps, enjoying the hustle and bustle of his crew. His three radiological specialists, two paleontologists, and three master engineers whispered to each other in unrestrained excitement. Some caught his eye and returned his smile with one of their own. Several others stopped what they were doing and started applauding.
Yep, today would be one for the history books.
"Dr. Kanzaki," A stern voice resounded behind him. Jumping slightly, the man grimaced before turning to look at the small, younger woman.
"Uchida, geez, you really should change your career path to ninja. You always somehow find a way to sneak and scare the hell out of me."
She frowned up at him sternly as her auburn hair fell slightly from its messy bun and into her dark, alert eyes. Though she had been in the labs just has much as the scientists had, she remained impassive to the excitement around her. Clutching her diagnostics chart to her chest, she walked closer to him with her heels clacking the title floor.
"Mr. Fanel called you at one this morning. That was more than an hour ago. He's in the office waiting for you now."
Tsukasa laughed kindheartedly. "I'm sure he is. Be happy for once, Uchida. Today is a glorious day."
"I am happy, Dr. Kanzaki." The woman stated in monotone, her dark eyes completely blank of emotion.
"Right," the man stifled his laugh with a cough. "Let me see the chart, then."
She handed over the clipboard with a steady hand. "I've pinned the abnormality readings behind the Baryon Asymmetry Parameter tests you requested, but there isn't any need to look further. It's true. The left atrium of the fossil is 67.879% coated in the unknown Beta radiation you discovered a year ago. We have also concluded that the center of that valve has tested as a pure source of antiparticles including the opposite quantum spin. As you know, Doctor Fanel had thought originally that the chamber itself held the antimatter together, but the test results of the .005ng antimatter particle combination of our own .005ng matter just several hours ago concluded-"
"I knew it! I KNEW IT!" Kanzaki shouted, laughing again. Caught up in his euphoric daze, he dropped the clipboard and grabbed the woman in front of him into a huge bear hung. She stiffened as he lifted her off the ground and swung her around several times before gently setting her back down. Her tousled hair fell out of the bun and hung long in her face.
"Doctor, please compose yourself."
"It didn't react, did it?" Tsukasa was grinning so brightly, he could barely see out of his eyes. This was against anything science or logic could ever explain. "It's an unknown antimatter altogether! It isn't antimatter we've created from our own particles. It came from inside the fossil. A fossil we obtained from a dinosaur excavation site! And this unknown antimatter - actual pure antimatter - met with our own matter and remained stabilized. Do you understand what means, Uchida? These heart fossils hold the key to a completely different reality. An opposite universe from our own. Those crazy Baryogenesis nerds might actually be right! Another world was created with the Big Bang! Another universe in the negative. Or maybe we are the negative! Just think of the-"
"Dr. Fanel is still waiting," Uchida commented seriously. She had straightened her skirt underneath her white coat and was trying to calm her flyaway hair. "You shouldn't shout in the hallway, Doctor."
Bending quickly, Tsukasa Kanzaki picked up the fallen clipboard and placed it in Uchida's arms. "Call my wife! Tell her to meet me outside the labs in two hours!"
"It's two in the morning, Doctor." She called back.
"Trust me! She's up!"
Megumi Kanzaki sat at the kitchen table with her head in her hands. All around her were remains of a birthday party that had taken place just that afternoon. Swallowing the tense feeling in her throat, she finally sat up straight and breathed deeply. Brushing off the bits of ribbon that should have been cleaned hours ago, Megumi reached into her blue robe to withdraw a small silk pouch. Holding the light weight bag in her hand, the woman knew she was opening a door she had closed many years ago. Her powerful sixth sense scared her almost as much as her bad feeling. It has started earlier in the week as an odd tingle that would run down her spine for no reason, or a sense of being watched by someone unseen. Today, she had run to check on Hitomi a handful of times convinced the girl was in danger.
Tonight, she told Tsukasa her troubled thoughts after they had put Hitomi to bed.
The expressive smile he gave her almost made her laugh in spite of herself. Just with one look, he told her to figure it out- the old way. If she had a way of knowing, suck up the fear and just do it.
"Alright, Megumi," she whispered to herself as she placed the bag upon the table. "This is just a precautionary reading."
Opening the sack with determined hands, the woman reached inside to take out a stack of tattered cards. As soon as she pulled the cards out of the bag she heard a small sigh of contentment come from them. With a quick intake of breath to steady her nerves, Megumi's hands began shuffling the cards, almost instinctively. Her tired brown eyes began to widen. Her vision of the table cleared. She impulsively fought the familiar foggy awareness that tried to grip her thoughts.
Relax…
The thought moved slowly… seductively...
"Right," the woman breathed out loud. "I must relax."
Instantly, the fog was there and her fingers cut the deck with expert precision.
Swiftly placing the tarot cards face down on the table, Megumi's ears repeated the soft thud of the cards hitting the table's surface. Her breathing turned unsteady and her hands became sweaty. She picked up the first card from the pile and placed it face up in front of her.
"Strength," she whispered. The Present. With your resolve, the future might soon have a better chance for survival. The mighty lion of uncertainty has been conquered. It was your strength of patience and unstoppable determination, Tsukasa. You are a brilliant man. You are strength.
Lifting the next card and placing it across her present, Megumi felt her blood run cold.
"Tower." The Challenge. A force will extinguish strength. Hope may survive, but it won't be enough to stop the inevitable fall. The strongest card of change.
Megumi closed her eyes against the fog in her brain. It swirled softly in her head like a cloud. "You knew this was going to be difficult. Just keep going." She whispered to herself.
Turning the next top one and setting it to the right, she blinked in surprise.
"Sun." The Distant Past. Happiness. We always had financial security with my family's inheritance. Meanwhile, Tsukasa made one of the greatest discoveries of the new age. And then – five years ago Hitomi came along… Megumi smiled at the card despite the Tower looming over her future. She completed my life.
Grabbing the next one on the pile, she placed this one on the bottom.
"Seven of Swords." The Recent Past. A thief or liar. There was deception very recently. It will be the cause of our strife. The brown-eyed woman blinked and felt her something wet on her right cheek. Brushing it with her hand, she felt a wave of importance hit her. A tear?
Wiping her fingers on her robe, she reached out with her other hand for the next card.
"The upside down Fool." She said frowning. She placed the card above of the others on the table. The Best Outcome. Our single strength is not enough to fight back. In order to overcome the obstacle, we will have to band together. There will be a loss of innocence, but it will be for the best.
"Hitomi…" Megumi whispered, knowing somehow this card was for her child. "You will need to grow up quickly and trust in those around you, my darling girl. Never abandon your friends."
"And now…" she muttered, knowing this next card was the second most important in the Celtic Cross.
"Death."
She choked. With a trembling hand, she couldn't stop herself from staring at the card. Death was seated on his white horse bringing with him the souls he had reaped. He carried the black flag of reality. Just below the hoof of his horse, a woman begged on her knees before him. She could see it as if the card were animated. The crushing of the woman's skull as he urged his horse forward. Unfeeling. Uncaring. He crushed her as she begged beneath him. Megumi's ears thudded with her bounding heart. Letting go of the card, she watched it glide with a mysterious wind right to its spot on the left.
The Immediate Future. A forced sacrifice. Unmerciful destruction.
Biting her lip, Megumi breathed deeply and tore her brown eyes away from Death. Almost as if trying to escape the card, she quickly flipped the next one over and placed it on the bottom right.
"Queen of Wands." Factors Affecting the Situation. There will be a strong woman. There are a lot of friends surrounding her, but she is also independent. She is fiery and ambitious. Almost stubborn to a fault. She is a force to be reckoned with.
The woman smiled as a vision of her daughter swam in her head. "Fits you like a glove, sweetheart. I hope this is you."
Removing the next card and placing it on the right above the Queen, Megumi frowned.
"Knight of Pentacles." External Influences. It's a man. He will be almost as headstrong as the Queen. His greatest strength is creativity. He's also very patient. Together they will be able to work to the best outcome. He is the most dedicated and loyal of any card. And he's on her side.
A wave of relief filled her. Sitting back for a moment, the brown-haired woman studied the Knight and Queen together. If this was Hitomi, she'd be well taken care of with the Knight. Then, without further hesitation, she reached out and pulled up the next card.
"The upside-down Moon." Hopes and Fears. There will be more deceptions, but they cannot influence a strong mind. The darkness will rule, but not forever. There will be untamed wildness, yet a softer gentler side will try to direct the path. An odd buzzing noise sounded in the dark haired woman's ears. It sounded like a vehicle… motorcycle?
Megumi's eyes lifted slightly to focus on where the last card will be placed. The most important one of the deck.
"Well, here goes nothing."
She flipped the card as fast as she could and slammed it on the table. Her cold palm covered the card's picture. With a thudding heart, she raised her hand and looked.
"Judgment." The Final Outcome.
Riiiiiiiiinnnng
Megumi gave a shout and quickly covered her mouth to make sure she didn't wake Hitomi upstairs. Feeling the fog instantly recede from her mind, the brown-haired woman jumped up from the chair and crossed the messy kitchen to pick up the cordless phone.
"Kanzaki residence, Megumi speaking."
"Good morning, Mrs. Kanzaki. My name is Uchida Hanne and I'm calling from your husband's lab office."
Megumi smiled, "Yes, Miss Uchida, I remember you. How have you been?"
"Quite well, ma'am. I'm calling at the insistence of your husband to ask your presence outside the labs at four o'clock this morning."
"Then it worked!?" The brown-eyed woman shouted, momentarily forgetting her sleeping child. "He and that crazy Fanel actually pulled it off… I am so proud of him! I've been so worried about the antimatter test."
"Pardon my impoliteness, but this entire experiment is classified information."
"So, naturally, he told me all about it." Megumi laughed.
She heard an unnatural long sigh as a reply.
"Tell him if you see him that I'll be there at four waiting with Hitomi."
There was a silence and then, "I will tell him as soon as I-"
"No worries. Don't try to find him, Miss Uchida. This is only if you see him around the labs. I'd rather you go get some rest before hunting down my lunatic of a husband."
There was another weird silence.
"Um… Miss Uchida? Are you there?"
"Yes, yes, Mrs. Kanzaki, I'm still here."
"Is everything okay?"
"I have one thing more to say. And again please do not take offense."
Megumi rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Go ahead."
"You are very much like your husband, ma'am. In a good way."
The brown-haired woman blinked. This was the closest thing to a compliment she had ever received from the woman. Granted she had only met Uchida a handful of times, but still. Megumi found that she was glad this woman thought so well of her family. Especially where her frustrating husband was concerned.
"Thank you. I appreciate that, Miss Uchida. I like you, too."
"You're-You're welcome." The woman stuttered, as if still taken back by being liked by someone. "I'll try to meet you outside the lab. Doctor Fanel finally changed the code so that I am able to enter everywhere."
"That would be lovely, thank you. Well, I better go get ready."
"Goodbye, Mrs. Kanzaki."
"Goodbye, Miss Uchida."
Hanging up the phone, the woman looked back at the cards arrayed on the table.
"I'll tell Tsukasa the outcome when I get there," she decided out loud. "He's probably in the middle of celebrating with Fanel. He needs this time to be happy about his accomplishments." Nodding her head, she moved to the table to break up the Celtic Cross.
She had no idea that several miles away, the forces were already moving against her.
"Gather the men. Dornkirk has given the signal for Operation RED. How long till your Dragon Slayers are prepared?"
"I've been prepared since two days ago. I've already have some men stationed at the Kanzaki residence."
Crying Gray quickly answered through his headset, "No need to attack the house. We don't need civilian onlookers. From the phone call it looks as though his wife is on her way to the lab with their child."
"Well, damn, I was looking forward to raising a little hell in that quiet suburb."
"That would defeat the purpose of Operation RED, Dilandau. Need I remind you that Dornkirk has given you this assignment as a way of redeeming your last blunder?"
"I can't help it if churches catch fire so easily. What of Fanel's family? This is Operation RED we are talking about."
"Let me deal with them. Personally."
Crying Gray could just see the young man's eyebrow twitch in irritation. "Fine, have it your way."
"You have the spy's DNA I sent you correct?"
Dilandau scoffed. "I've had it for months. I don't see why I need it anyway since we have the spy already there."
"She is there to make sure everything runs smoothly. If it wasn't for the spy, we wouldn't have been able to progress this far in the first place."
"Hmph. They better not get in my way."
"You need to understand what's at stake here. Do you even know what to look for? This thing will be covered by security guards and doors. Make sure you know the layout well."
"GEEZ, crybaby, get off my back! You're acting like I've never done a job before!"
"Successfully…" Crying Gray muttered. "This is an important Operation RED, Dilandau. Dornkirk was specific about that. He doesn't want anything left."
He heard a low laugh in reply.
"This is a-"
"Yes, yes, yes," the young man said still chuckling. "A clean Operation RED. Get in, kill them all, steal the goods and we are out of there as the rockets red glare."
Goau Fanel stood in the small office facing the door, switching his sharp eyes from the clock on the wall to the computer screen on his desk. His hands excitedly twisted behind his back as he tried to keep himself from stereotypically tapping his foot with impatience. When he had sent Kanzaki home for his daughter's 5th birthday party, he had been positive the results of the experiment with antimatter would take days to catalog. It was almost tragic they had chosen to start the day his partner couldn't be there. Busy as he was here, Kanzaki was wrapped around that little girl's finger. Goau smiled for a moment as he pictured the short-haired child. She was pretty cute.
His own children… Goau felt the familiar stab of pain and retreated his mind from the issue. Today was going to be one of the best days of his life since Varie left. It was best to not touch that subject.
Eyes twisting back to the computer screen, Fanel studied the constantly monitored pink stone that was held suspended by pressure points. In the solid lab underground where the left valve of the fossil was only partially removed to take out the accumulated antimatter, Goau saw firsthand the fall of every single science equation ever proven. With this discovery, not only would a safe and stable supply of energy be channeled for indefinitely from the fossil, but it actually hinted at other worldly aspects. The unknown energy was closest to Beta radiation, where the fossil's continuous energy spectra of a particle mirrored the continuous kinetic energy spectrum. However, with the disappearing Gamma, it was hard to figure out the exact amount of energy that was constantly being produced by the fossil. Also, the average neutrino energy never spiked. The particles were constantly being circulated. The level always remained at a steady pace. It was as if the fossil pumped the radiation like blood in a heart. But if that was the case, where did the radiation come from?
Which was the answer for the antimatter. The buildup of antiprotons and electrons formed an enormous amount of antihydrogen atoms. For a long time, both scientists were afraid they had discovered the end of the world in this little fossil. With that much antimatter hitting the world's atmosphere, the entire planet would be incinerated in a matter of seconds. Extracting the antimatter from the fossil was a nightmarish few months. Kanzaki was the only one optimistic during that tough time. He urged everyone to go ahead and test the unknown antimatter with their own .005ng matter. He even refused to postpone the experiment till he returned the next day. Continue as scheduled with or without him. Speaking of without…
"Where is that idiot?"
Goau glanced at the clock once more and scratched the back of his head with clammy fingers. His ears instantly perked as the sound of heavy footsteps approached the door. The mustached man grinned at the familiar sound. Within seconds, a messy brown head peaked through the open doorway, a mirrored grin plastered on his face.
"Come here, you nerd." Kanzaki laughed practically running through the door to sweep Goau in one of his large bear hugs. The men embraced tightly, slapping each other on the back.
"Where have you been? I've waited for over an hour and a half!"
The brown-haired man looked sheepish. "I had to visit under a bridge."
Goau quirked an eyebrow. Letting go of his friend, he studied the tall man's face for translation. "And that means...?"
"I'll tell you later," Kanzaki said furtively, waving the subject away with his hand. "So, what did I miss?"
"You knew it would happen," Fanel started, leading the way to his desk. "Check it out. Your predictions were completely correct. Look at the readings. Not only is the antimatter ready to be taken out of the pressurized plates, but can probably be handled by human touch."
The taller man's eyes widened as he leaned over to the computer screen. "You're kidding me…"
Fanel shook his head, his longish black hair swaying into his eyes. "The antimatter is not only stabilized, it is practically harmless to humans. There is that mysterious green powder that coats the antimatter, but we deducted that it is a simple residue. We'll have to test it more to figure out the exact components. I think we can go and actually hold the fossil now."
"You've decided a lot while I was away. It's unreal to think that something so radioactive could be completely harmless to us and yet it can still be channeled for power."
"I don't understand it either! Why haven't we sprouted cancer all over our bodies?"
Kanzaki frowned at the puzzle. "Everyone was tested as soon as the experiment with the antimatter concluded?"
"Even after we took off the protective suits."
Tsukasa's face slowly broke out into a huge grin. Giving his friend another hard slap on the back, he announced, "I think we may have just found our next hypothesis, Goau."
"This time I'll be the optimistic one with family distractions and you are the one stuck here in the middle of the night." Despite the joking manner in which he said those words, Kanzaki recognized the sad note in his friend's voice.
Goau Fanel was a brilliant scientist with an even more brilliant heart. Varie's absence was a constant torment for the man. She left him only three years ago taking their two boys with her. Fanel mentioned the youngest boy sometimes when Tsukasa asked after them. Fanel hardly mentioned the eldest son though.
"I got a call from Varie," the black-haired man stated in a low voice. "She called my cell about thirty minutes after you left yesterday."
"How is she?" The taller man asked without looking at his partner. He kept his head down, studying the monitor of the computer. "You never told her what we do here, right?"
"It was for her own good." Goau muttered. "She ended up thanked me for never letting her know. She said it made me easier to leave. I said that what we do here will change the world within the decade. She laughed at me. You've told Megumi, right?"
"You know I can't keep anything from that woman even if I wanted to. Hell, those cards are practically a neon sign over my head sometimes."
"I thought you told me she gave up her fortune-telling."
Kanzaki shrugged. "I know she did one earlier this morning. Something's been bothering her lately. She doesn't like to do readings anymore though. Gotta admit, it creeps me out too. For once I'd like to be right in the conversation."
"Maybe that was the problem between Varie and me. I couldn't let her in and she couldn't read my intentions for doing it."
Sensing this conversation was going downhill fast, Tsukasa altered the topic. "Van's doing well in school?"
"He joined the writing club. Varie says he has a real knack for poetry. Don't know where he got that from. Probably from her side." Fanel answered, smiling despite the sadness in his eyes. "She told me he won the fifth grade competition for best limerick."
Kanzaki looked at his friend startled. "Isn't Van only in second grade?"
The sadness was slowly replaced with fatherly pride. "They let him compete. Apparently, his professor is saying he has great potential. He is already introducing him to study the different styles of poetry."
"Well, of course, he came from the best, right? I bet that kid can do anything." the green-eyed man chuckled, placing his arm around his friend's shoulders.
Goau's eyes tightened. "Folken is a completely different story. Varie said he left the house. She doesn't even know where he is. He took all the money out of her purse and her jewels stashed in her closet. Then he vanished. This was six months ago. She didn't even bother to tell me when it first happened."
"Oh," was the only reply Kanzaki could think of.
There was a pause between them was one of understand. It lasted for only a minute, but it must have been one of the longest 60 seconds in history. Tsukasa kept his arm around his friend, still staring at the blinking monitor.
"I'd love to see this thing close up and not through a monitor if you don't mind." The taller man suddenly said with a smile. "Unless you found out it can magically live in computer screens as well."
Though the smile was forced, it was back on Goau's face. "Sure. By the way, I think we should name it. To keep calling it 'fossil' is getting a bit old."
The taller man turned away from the screen and started walking to the door. "How about Kanzaki-junior?"
Fanel glanced at his grinning friend, "I'm serious here. We should think of something. Something… identifying." He strolled through the open door. Kanzaki closed it behind him.
"Well, it's full of mutated Beta radiation that is harmless to humans, yet can supply a whole world's worth of energy. How about Energy-Heart?"
"That sounds like a romantic movie title." Goau answered with a face. His expression turned thoughtful after a few seconds as they walked down the hallway. "I like 'energy' being in the title though."
They both stopped at an obscure white wall that was several feet from the office door and took turns bending to scan their retinas into a small unnoticeable platform. All the while Kanzaki shot off names, each one more ridiculous than the last.
"Energy-Crystal?"
"This isn't a video game."
"Radical-Glow?"
"Not a bad rock band name, but no."
"Ener-Radia?"
"That just sounds awful."
"Energheart?"
"I already said no to Energy-Heart!"
"I know! I just put the two words closer together." The green-eyed man frowned jokingly.
Walking past the radiation protective suits, the air inside the room was chilly and stale. Stopping in front of white closed double doors, the partners each swiped their security cards at the same time in different sides of the door. A small beep resounded announcing their access and the doors slowly slid open. Overhead lights leisurely flickered on; however, there really was no need for them.
The fossil made enough light to see perfectly fine.
Walking closer, side by side, both stared at the startlingly beautiful object suspended in the air. The pinkish hue of its radiation made the entire room a warm peach color. The greenish glow of the antimatter sparkled hauntingly on its top left side through an almost invisible hole that had been drilled to extract the matter. The pressure plates – connected together by titanium plates - were braced on an aluminum table making the fossil eye level for the humans.
For the first time in almost a decade of research, Tsukasa Kanzaki was seeing his subject face to face, without glass, radiation suit, or even protective goggles. It was free.
"You've moved it out of the testing dome," the taller man commented quietly, as if being in front of the fossil demanded respect. "And I thought you took out the antimatter."
"Once it was declared safe, I thought we'd want to study it in a more personal way besides through a looking-glass. And I did take the antimatter out. This is new antimatter that it made just a few hours ago." Goau answered in the same respected awe.
"What the hell is this thing?"
The mustached man shook his head slowly. "That's what we are here to find out, Tsukasa."
There was a second's pause, and then…
"Energist." Kanzaki said quietly.
Goau's dark eyes watched the pink pulsating fossil cycle the unknown Beta radiation through its valves. He knew from the x-rays that the Gamma radiation instantly disappeared within the right atrium not a moment later.
"Energist." He agreed.
Crying Gray checked his watch under his armored sleeve. It was only one more hour till Operation RED. There wasn't much time left for him. Feeling a strange calmness in his mind, the young man knew he needed to keep his heart rate completely stable. Reaching up with a gloved hand, he felt the wire that was deeply imbedded into his chest to monitor his heart. Right now, Dornkirk was probably at the screen watching all the racing hearts of those Dragon Slayers as they reveled in the future blood bath. He prayed silently that he could keep his heart at a steady pace. Everything depended on it.
His mahogany eyes glanced out the abandoned car window he was hiding in. The house in front of him was a modest, one-story brick home. It was simple in its decorations. The house was obviously never loved. There were no flowers planted in the garden. No toys on the sidewalk. Not even a fence to keep a dog.
The lights were all out except for one. Hers was always on.
His mother's light.
"Mama, can I go see what dad does, too?" Hitomi asked cheerfully. Like her father, she was a morning person. Megumi squeezed the girl's little hand as they walked through the dark night to the large doors of the lab. It looked just like an abandoned building to her. She never understood her husband's strange obsession with the secret hideout. She guessed it had something to do with his childhood fantasies. Whatever it was, she always thought the lab building looked like a rat's nest for homeless people surrounded by a chain link fence. The parking lot was filled with only a few cars, mostly the doctorate staff.
"You'll have to ask him when you see him." She answered leading the way to the front steps. "He'll probably let you see the entrance labs."
"I hope he'll take me into the back labs. I've always wanted to go in there. He says I'm not old enough, but I had my birthday yesterday!"
"Like I said, honey, you'll have to ask him."
"I'll ask him as a birthday present!"
Megumi laughed. "You already got all your presents, honey."
The little girl was quiet for a while. Then her mouth widened for a huge toothy smile, her green eyes squinting in happiness. "Then I'll ask him to make it for Christmas."
"We'll see, Hitomi." The mother shook her head, still chuckling. Then she stopped and frowned in confusion at the little girl. "Wait a minute, missy, when did you stop believing in Santa Claus?"
The girl snorted. "Oh, come on, mama! I'm five, not an idiot."
This caused the woman to shake her head in hopelessness. Reaching down, Megumi grabbed Hitomi under the arms and held her on her hip. "You are too much like your father. I'm still trying to figure out if that's a good thing or a bad thing."
"That is an excellent question. One I was debating earlier."
Both Hitomi and Megumi jumped at the unexpected monotone voice. Turning to the younger woman who had come up from somewhere behind her, she gasped, "My goodness, Miss Uchida. You scared me."
"I have that effect on people." The auburn haired woman's stiff eyes hardly blinked. She was a pretty woman with unusual auburn hair and cool dark eyes. Her lab coat draped off her straight shoulders. Her badge named her Assistant to the Chief Heads of Experimental Radiology.
"That was cool!" Hitomi said happily. Megumi put her down so she could properly greet Uchida. "It's hard to startle mama."
"And yet not impossible." Megumi smiled. "It's nice of you to meet again so soon, Miss Uchida."
"And you, Mrs. Kanzaki. I was asked to show you to the back lab. Doctor Kanzaki wants you to be there to see the experiment."
"What about Hitomi?" the dark-eyed woman asked glancing down at her questioning daughter.
"He said he thought she was old enough."
"Yippee!" the little girl cheered. "I'm so excited, mama! I'm finally old enough."
Megumi sighed. "It's his experiment. If he thinks you are old enough, then I guess you are. You better behave yourself though. And you cannot touch anything, alright honey? You can only look."
"I'll keep an eye on her." Uchida offered with a complete lack of emotion. "She can have a tour."
"I can?" Green eyes sparkled brightly.
"That would be fantastic, thank you!" the mother said in relief.
Walking past to scan her security card, the auburn haired woman held the door. Megumi waved to the two security guards on duty and Hitomi mirrored her gesture. Both men returned her greeting with tired smiles.
And the door closed solidly behind them.
Varie sighed as she glanced over her accounts one more time. Slouching lower against the pillows on her bed, the long-haired woman thumbed through her planned budget for the month. It'll be tight, but she could manage. She was horrified to admit, but she wasn't going to make it at the rate she was going. Even though divorce had taken a toll on her savings, she still felt it was worth the price. Being married to a stranger wasn't worth financial support, in her opinion. She'd rather have Goau with no job at all than stuck for days - sometimes weeks - on end at that silly lab he lived in. Sucking on her cheek in concentration, she pulled up her resume to once again to check the information and add a little more to the description of her past jobs.
The house she was currently in was a rental from her older step-brother. Balgus was a bit sullen, but he was at least a man who understood the importance of taking care of family. She was eternally grateful to him when he broodingly agreed to let her rent his old house for several months at a very reasonable price. Then - as she lost her job, Folken ran away, and her car decided to get mechanical cancer and have almost every problem imaginable – Balgus agreed instantly to lower the rent and let her sign a very flexible year contract. He also chipped in for the electric bill from time to time. Always with a scowl, of course.
She sighed again and pushed her hair behind her ears. Clicking the browsing tab, she uploaded her resume on yet another job searching website. As the site flashed that they had received her resume, she muttered. "Well, better go to my email and delete all the spam I've gotten for submitting this."
"You've got to leave."
Varie almost screamed in fright. Gasping for breath, she zipped her eyes to the corner where the dark voice came from. Deep from the doorway that led to her bedroom, she saw a tall man all in black standing as if made of stone. His entire face and head was covered in a black shroud except for bright mahogany eyes.
"Who are you?" she cried, throwing off her laptop and jumping off her small bed. "What are you doing in my house?"
"I don't have much time. They won't be coming after you. But you and Van have to leave this house. Hide somewhere in the country."
The voice instantly sent tears to her eyes. "Folken…" she whispered. "Folken, my baby. What is going on?"
The young man who was her son closed his eyes as if to calm himself down. "I'll tell you only what I can. I work for a corporation. I have for a while now, even before I left the house. I figured out what dad was working on all these years. He kept it from you to try to keep you safe, but I know. And now I've got to stop him. My boss has just declared an Operation RED. That means nothing is to be left. Every paper will be either confiscated or burned. All computer databases copied and terminated. All those involved are to be killed. Dad's lab is probably under attack as we speak."
Varie stared at her black clothed son in shock. Slowly she fell to her knees on the carpeted floor. "Will Goau be alright?" She asked, her tearful eyes pleading.
"I can't promise it." Folken answered shaking his head. "That's why you need to pack up Van and get out of here now."
"Why, baby?" The tears were slipping down now; steadily dripping on the carpet. "Why would you do this to your father? To your family?"
"You don't understand what he's doing, mom. He's been testing and experimenting on something that should have been destroyed a long time ago. This is what tore our family apart. I want to get rid of it once and for all." His voice grew in strength as the words continued to tumble out of his mouth. "He never trusted me with the secret either! He never trusted any of us! So, why should you have to die for him? Why should his entire family be sacrificed for his mistakes?"
"Folken, you're not making any sense. You want to kill your father!"
"I want to save you!" He almost shouted, stepping further into the doorway. The long-haired woman studied the young man who was once so kind and loving. He had lost weight since he'd left, but his shoulders were broader. He was still a growing child. Only sixteen. He probably would grow to be taller than his father.
Why did it have to be this way?
"This was my only chance to warn you. Operation RED was going to happen regardless if I joined the corporation or not. I just sped it along before anymore damage could be done."
"Mom…?" A small voice sounded from the conjoining bathroom. It was creaky from sleep. "What's going on?"
Varie could only sit on the floor and stare at Folken, not even able to register another soul just entered the room. The silver-haired youth, however, turned his head to gaze at his bleary eyed little brother. The young boy's black messy hair was even more tangled than usual and his baggy truck pajama bottoms were twisted at the waist. He stumbled slowly into the room and squinted his mahogany eyes at the black stranger. With a light shout, the boy's entire body seized with fright.
"Who-who are you?" He whimpered his small body shivering. "Get out of this house!"
Immediately marching to Van with long legs, his brother swiftly removed the shroud in less than a second. Kneeling down, the teenager grabbed the young boy's shoulders with long, thin hands. Van's eyes widened.
"Brother? Why are you dressed like that? What happened to your cheek? It's like a teardrop."
"No time to explain, Van. I need you to promise me something, okay?"
Van swallowed several times before nodding his small, messy head.
"Take care of mom. Don't let her get hurt anymore. This will probably be the last time you see me. So, please, do everything you can to make sure she's happy."
The young boy's eyes danced all over his brother's familiar features. He suddenly rushed forward; wrapping his skinny arms around his brother's neck. A small sob came from him. He tightened his arms and laid his tan cheek on Folken's chest.
Right over the wire monitoring his heart.
Folken's hands stayed suspended in the air for a few seconds before slowly moving them around Van's small back. He gently returned the hug, feeling his throat tighten. His heart beat was probably as fast as the Dragon Slayers, but for a completely opposite reason.
"I've missed you, brother. I've missed you so much. Please, don't leave us again. Don't leave like dad."
"You have to promise me, Van. Promise you'll take care of mom." Folken's voice cracked only once, showing his held back emotions.
"I will, brother. I promise."
"Good." The silver-haired youth detached Van's arms from him and stood up. Slipping his shroud back on his head, he strolled to the door with his shoulders lower. He stopped at the doorway.
Glancing back at the two most precious things in the world to him, he whispered one more word.
"Run."
Thus ends the first chapter of my story. The next chapter will be along shortly, probably next week. I'll try to get it out this week if I can. My work allows me to be flexible in this area (meaning they don't see that I'm typing dialogue and not invoices). I hope you enjoyed the beginning of Energy-Heart. I had a blast writing it.
If you liked it, you can tell me. The process is quite simple. :)
Thanks for reading!
Blue…