Blood Stained Innocence
Chapter 1
Phone conversation between Jeb Bacheldor, Head Of Genetics, with, Marian Janssen, Director of Itex
Nearly 18 years ago
"All good so far. She passed her physical examination with flying colours. Everything is there, where it's supposed to be, no extra parts and she is actually quite a stunner," Jeb Bacheldor happily informed the Director.
"Whatever. Just tell me, what are the scans of her brain indicating?" the Director snapped back angrily. She was loosing her patience quite rapidly.
"The scans suggest the she is developing according to plans. But…"
"But, what?" Jeb shivered at the icy tone in her voice.
"It was also revealed by the scans, that what we had hoping was just a late development, is in fact something much worse. Further testing will be needed of course, but all signs are pointing towards it. We believe that the specimen may be blind. That she was in fact born with this condition."
"Has she been formerly diagnosed?"
"No. The specialist is coming in tomorrow. Until then we are keeping her sedated," Jeb rapidly explained.
"Good. And make sure you give me an update on the results the moment you hear them. And I don't even have to tell you why," the Director retorted so quickly and hanging up just as fast, it took a while for Jeb to get a grip on what had just happened.
He put his own phone down and sat back in his chair. Mentally going through the conversation he just had, trying to figure out how bad the damage was, and whether or not he was going to get back into the Director's good books again, ever. He decided that it wasn't so bad and quickly moved onto the next problem that badly needed confronting.
Project Cassandra.
Jeb really didn't know what to do with it anymore. In true form of frustration, Jeb ran his hands through his hair, ruffling it up, destroying the neat comb over that had taken all morning for his wife to perfect. His hand then came down to cover his eyes and then to the bridge of his nose, gently massaging it as he took in several deep breaths before letting it all out.
What was he going to do?
He abruptly got up out of his chair and began to pace the room, while rubbing his chin, desperately scrabbling to find an answer. A proper one, not just some quick fix thing, that would make it all go away for a couple of days. He needed a permanent solution. But as to the extent of his knowledge, there was no known cure for blindness.
As he went through it all, the more complicated it became and the more he came to resent it. He stopped and rolled his shoulders, trying to relieve the frustration that had been building up ever since he had seen the brain scan results earlier that afternoon.
"Fuck!" he shouted out as he turned around to punch the wall.
He kept punching it, well past the pain and anger that was clouding his mind. He only stopped when the distant sound of crying from down the hall of his office pierced his mind and actually got through to him. He let out a heavy sigh and brought hist fists to his sides as he hung his head in defeat. In that moment of clarity, he knew that he was in over his head.
He turned and jogged through the door and down the hall to the excluded and now abandoned at that time of night, lab that held the centre of all the drama. He swiped his key card across the security panel and waited for the computer to register him. As he waited he looked though the glass window and saw only one thing.
In the middle of the room, in a crib that was surrounded by masses of medical equipment and machinery that were quietly droning away in to the deathly silence of the sound proofed room was a baby girl, who was also known as Project Cassandra.
He waited and finally a loud and clear beep was let out, followed by a green light and the door slid open for him to enter. He was in.
He swiftly crossed the room and looked down and the cause of all the noise. The baby girl was screaming, at what sounded to be the top of her lungs. He reached down into the depths of the cribs and began stroking the girl's cheek, which just increased the crying even more. Bending right over, Jeb put his hands right around the baby and making sure he had a proper grip on her before gently picking her up and cradling her close to his chest, bouncing her up and down, in an attempt to calm her down before his ear drums burst.
She eventually stoped after a while and drifted off quietly to sleep as Jeb continued to rock and sway with her. He looked down and just like each time he saw her, he sucked in the breath of what he saw.
Even at such an age, as he said had to the Director before, she was a stunner. She had a head full of hair all ready that was the colour of cornsilk as it wound its way into loose but defined curls. The cheeks bones looked like they belonged on some model, but there they were on the babies face. Jeb knew that underneath the sleepy set of eyelids laid a pair of beautiful eye's that were a warm brown that was randomly dashed with hazel.
Eyes that were never going to see the world, but only an endless darkness. The perfect metaphor that could also be used to describe what her life was going to be like in the coming years, as she under went tests and people poking things at her. She would have no idea where they were coming from or who they were, just that she had no control over what was happening.
Ten Years Later
A whole decade and the memory of that night had never faded or changed. The whole ten years it had remained embedded within the deep recesses of Jeb's mind. Quietly simmering away, awaiting the perfect opportunity to present itself, to that it maybe called upon and arise to the surface.
Then there were other memories that had also been kept about Project Cassandra as she had grown up through out the years. Going from toddler, to smart ass child, to finally a wiser and more aware than ever ten year old that hated her life, more than she probably hated the white coats that ran the horrible experiments on her.
The experiments. Those were the things that Jeb that couldn't help but remember.
He had watched them strap her down to a table at the age of two as they did open brain surgery to try and speed up the development of her powers. When she was four she was put in a room with a projector and made to watch a screen with various pictures and using her newly developed power that was half the purpose of her creation and existence, she had to predict what would happen to the people after the pictures were taken, using her power to see into the future.
When she was six they had put her in a room full of erasers to see if she would be able to defend herself by seeing where they would be and be prepared
too block them. One thing had definitely been learnt that and day and it was that she was no fighter. She had left that experiment covered in scratches and bruises that had only slightly marred her beauty but had had scarred her even more, if it was possible, for life.
By her eighth birthday, she had grown so much, yet she was different from the other experiments. She was so isolated and cold, having no social skills what so ever. She had been marked at showing vast amounts of intelligence, yet she had never spoken verbally to the white coats or any other experiments that were deemed good enough to be with her.
By her tenth birthday Jeb had seen enough and made the decision in his mind that he was going to set Project Cassandra free. Along with some other hybrids of her kind. Five of them.
The night of his plan came and he let out the other five experiments first and then drew aside the dark male that came across as been leader. If he recalled correctly he had been referred to as Fang. The others were Iggy, Nudge, The Gasman and then the baby Angel. They were the same kind of hybrids as Project Cassandra.
"Fang, I know that you probably don't trust me but I need you to just this once and listen to what I am saying very carefully," Jeb said slowly letting it sink into the young boy's mind that this was a matter of utmost importance.
Fang took into consideration what the white coat had said and what he had just done for his Flock and decided that listening was the least he could do so with a slight nod, Jeb took it as the indication for him to continue.
"Fang, have you ever heard of Project Cassandra?" At the most crucial words in the sentence, Fang's eyes had severely widened and he gave Jeb a level look before loosing his façade and spoke to Jeb for the first time.
"Yeah. It's about the really pretty girl that won't talk to anybody because she's such a snob," Fang said simply, like that was all to know about her.
"Good," Jeb had been leading Fang over to the girls crate the whole time and when the reached it Jeb pointed down and asked, "Do you recognise her?"
Fang was startled at how beautiful she was close up. Not been able to help it, he leant down, been drawn in, to get a closer look at her. Jeb knelt down with him and began explaining everything that was Project Cassandra into his ear.
"Fang, I want you to take her with you. Give her a name. Give her a home. Protect her. Love her even. But she is blind and not a fighter so she might not be off much use to your Flock but she has some special talents. That may come in handy. Just be cautious about her 18th birthday, because people are going to come after her and it's going to be absolute fucking hell."
Fang looked at Jeb and then back down at the girl. If he was hearing right than this girl was truly much more than just a pretty face. Eager to hear more he looked back up at Jeb who was waiting calmly for Fang's reaction to this.
"Fang, she is destined to destroy the world. And she predicted this with the power that she has now, to see into the future. And if she stays here it will come true. So this is why I want you to save the world. Take her with you and try and prevent her coming back here as best you can," Jeb whispered into Fang's ear.
Jeb then reached down to open the dog crate door that she had been leaning on. When the door was open wide enough and with her support gone the girl had bent to the laws of gravity and flopped like a rag doll into Fang's unknowing arms. Jeb studied Fang as he took in her physically.
Fang really did think that she had to be the most beautiful person in the world. Her hair was so blonde and felt like silk against his rough skin. Her skin making contact against his, sent shivers all through him, shocking his nervous system. His mind short-circuited as he came to her face, he longed to reach down and stoke it. He longed to claim the prize as his own.
Yet he also found it hard to believe that someone as beautiful as her could have such large fault as being blind. Being beautiful as that had to come at some price and it really wouldn't be fair if she had it all.
Jeb was startled when Fang who had gotten up, trying to manage the weight of a still sedated from earlier girl in his arms as he carried her bridal style. As he adjusted to the weight and looked like he would even be able to fly with her, he asked a rather odd question.
"What should I call her?"
"What?" Jeb was confused.
"Her name?"
"Oh. I don't know. Umm…well you are going to be having a grand adventure and with her at the wheel of it that bumpy drive. It's going to be the maximum ride of your life…so maybe…."
Jeb didn't get to finish. Iggy had just come running over to where Fang was and with a quick look of confusion at the girl and then straight into business he revealed the horrible new development with Eraser's noticing their empty dog crates. The rest of the Flock soon came running over. Gazzy holding Nudge's hand and then Nudge's other spare arm was been used to carry baby Angel.
"Go! And look after her!" Jeb hissed just before he ran off, leaving Project Cassandra in the hands of Fang, and unsaid by anyone, the fate of the world.
15 minutes later in flight
Fang glanced down for about the ninth time in one minute at the girl he was carrying as he flew. Just managing to hold his body weight and hers at the same time. But he could juts feel that maybe all of this effort might be worth it for…
She still needed a name…he had liked what the white coats had mentioned before. Something about a bumpy drive…and that was it. Maximum Ride.
She was going to be the Maximum Ride of his life, so that's what he was going to name her and he could even call her Max for short. He smiled down at Max and his cleverness and then slowed down slightly letting the Flock catch up to him, so that he could explain and introduce them to their newest Flock member.
Maximum Ride.
A/N: Review please. 3 for the next chapter. And does it sound promising? And Jeb is swearing...I know. Gasp! And you all know the wings colours and wind kind of hybrids they are so, I got lazy and couldn't be bothered to put it in.