Chapter One

All Along the Watchtower

Everyone says the weather is nice once in a while. Well, that isn't the case if you're working for a government agency bent on solving the EVO problem in the streets of Liverpool. Providence throws a distraction, while I go in for the attack.

'Six, what's your status?' White Knight asked on the radio.

'Rex has the EVO pinned down. We're waiting for further orders,' Agent Six answered.

'Acknowledged,' he said.

Bobo then walks up Six and stands by him. 'So, this is the home to the Beatles. I'm sure I'm having a hard day's night,' he said.

'It'll be over soon,' Six said.

I soon cured the EVO and it reverted back to her normal self. 'What happened?' she asked.

'Trust me, you don't want to know,' I answered.

A Providence medic walks up to woman as I left her. 'Nice job with the EVO. Since we're finished early, we might as well kick back and explore the rest of Liverpool,' Bobo said.

'What's there to explore?' I asked.

'Trust me, you'll understand soon enough,' he answered. The next thing we did is we took a Beatles tour of the city. A couple of days later, we arrived back at Providence Headquarters, White Knight appears on the screen and he isn't impressed. 'You're supposed to report back after you cleaned up Liverpool and London,' he said.

'Just because we finished early, doesn't mean we have come back and do nothing. Besides, I haven't been to England before, so we took in the sights and we had a good time,' I said.

'That's not the point here; you're supposed to follow orders. Look, you have to forgive for being under pressure. I spoke to the Board about your recent actions,' he said.

'What actions?' I asked.

'For instance, during your recent trip to London. You threw an EVO into Buckingham Palace, I wouldn't exactly call that subtle,' he said.

'It hit me first, so I hit back,' I said.

'And there's the incident where an EVO attacked the Bangkok Hilton,' he said.

'I took care of that EVO and stay behind to round up the escaped convicts,' I said.

'That's true, so we did some serious thinking and we came to a decision. You're on suspension until further notice,' he said.

'Suspension, come on,' I said.

The screen then switches off; I was in Dr. Holiday's lab a few minutes later, mumbling the fact that I got suspended. 'I find it hard to believe that White Knight suspended you. You should consider yourself lucky,' she said.

'Lucky, how does a suspension bring me luck?' I asked.

'It gives you time to think about your actions and what needs to be improved.' Edwin the mailman arrives. Like me, he's too an EVO, incurable, deformed and he still has his humanity. 'Ah, morning Edwin,' she said.

'Good morning, Doctor. How are you today?' he asked.

'I'm fine, put today's mail by the desk,' she ordered.

'Yes Doctor,' Edwin said.

He puts Dr. Holiday's mail on the desk. I picked a magazine that's addressed to her and I looked at her oddly. 'What, a woman has got to keep with her beauty secrets,' Doc Holiday answered.

'Right,' I said sarcastically.

Edwin digs deep into the basket and picks up a package. 'And this for you, Rex,' he said.

'What a minute, you don't get mail,' Dr. Holiday said.

'Maybe it's fan mail,' I said.

'Yeah right,' she said.

Edwin gives me the package and he leaves the lab. I found out that the package is addressed to me and I opened the package to find a CD inside. I wasn't impressed. 'That's it, a CD. I was hoping for a love letter or some cookies,' I said.

'Maybe the message is on the CD. Play it and see what they have to say,' she said.

I insert the disc into the drive, found the audio file and I played it. 'My name is Dr. Vladimir Kazan and I need your help, Rex. Days ago, I became trapped in my laboratory outside Cape Town in South Africa. There wasn't anyone else inside the lab at the time of the incident, but I'd your help if I'm going to survive. In return, I'll tell you everything you need to know about nanite event and maybe some fragments of your past,' the message said.

'Okay, so much for fan mail,' I said.

'I know the name; Dr. Kazan is an expert on genetics before the nanite event.' Doc Holiday then brings his profile on the screen. 'The science community hasn't heard from him in six years since the event occurred,' she said.

'Maybe we caught a lucky break,' I said.

'I doubt that, also why did he sent the CD to you? This doesn't make any sense. Even though you're under suspension, but that doesn't stop you from visiting our Providence branch over in South Africa. I'll contact Kieran to let him know you're coming,' she said. I got onboard a Providence ship bound for Cape Town. After a long flight, I arrived at the base and I met up with Doc Holiday's contact, Kieran.

'Welcome to South Africa, Rex. We have a lot to discuss.' We head into the debriefing room. 'What brings you to Cape Town?' Kieran asked.

'A man name Dr. Vladimir Kazan sent me a CD with an audio message. Saying that he needed help after an incident in his lab,' I answered.

'We heard of him, he hasn't been seen for six years. After the nanite event, the police reported Kazan as missing. Initially things were promising in the search for him, but they gave up after their leads went dead,' Kieran said.

'No surprises there, I was wondering if you knew where he is now,' I said.

'Even our top Providence agents have difficulty finding him. According to our Intel, he and his lab are based just outside of Cape Town. He also known to frequent at the Red Cliff bar, which is located north in Cape Town,' he said.

'I'll start there,' I said.

'One other thing, Dr. Kazan wasn't working alone. He had a colleague, Dr. Yoshiro who too went missing after the nanite event. We'll be grateful if you can find both of them,' he said.

'Thanks for the tip,' I said. I left the base and began my search for Dr. Kazan and Dr. Yoshiro. I head over to the Red Cliff bar Kieran recommended. I walked up to the bar and the bartended looks at me.

'Aren't you a too young to be at this bar?' the bartender asked.

'I'm not looking for trouble. I'm looking for two scientists, Dr. Kazan and Dr. Yoshiro,' I answered.

'You're the first person in six years to ask me about those two. Yeah I knew them, they regular frequented this bar. They often sat in one of the private lounges and discussed the day's findings and so on. But I don't pay much attention to that scientific stuff,' he said.

'It looks like we agree on something. Before they disappeared, did they discussed or acted suspicious?' I asked.

'Now you mention it, Dr. Yoshiro was concerned about something. It relates to a sister project they had in Europe and a rumour that one of their scientists could go rogue if he ever crossed the line again,' he answered.

That sounds like Van Kleiss alright or is it, I'm not too sure if it's him. 'Thanks for the information. Listen, I don't suppose you know where they worked?' I asked.

'They kept that to themselves, but you might want to ask Dr. Yoshiro's son, Sasuke. He's runs a junkyard just outside the city,' he answered. The bartender then gives me directions to the junkyard that Sasuke is running. I ride over to the junkyard to find Sasuke operating a magnetic crane, he turns it off and comes to down greet me, sort of.

'I don't know who you are or why are you here. But I want you out of my yard,' he said.

'You must be Sasuke, the Red Cliff bartender told me where you were,' I said.

'Yeah, he likes to talk to people. Is there a reason why you're here or can I get back to work?' he asked.

'I'm looking for your father,' I answered.

'You're the first person to mention my father in six years. Who put you up to it?' he asked.

'I got a distress message from his colleague, Dr. Vladimir Kazan,' I answered.

I noticed that Sasuke is worried by what I just said as he turns around for a moment and thinks. 'I know where the lab, but there's one problem,' he said.

'And that would be?' I asked.

'It's got a barrier around it to prevent individuals with active nanite cells from getting in or out. It doesn't affect those with dormant nanite cells,' he answered.

'Thanks, which way to the lab?' I asked.

'Head northeast outside the city, look for a massive pyramid like complex. You can't miss it, but be careful of the barrier,' he answered. I left the city and headed northeast and began looking for a pyramid like complex. It took a while to find it and it was massive.

'Now that's a laboratory.' I then noticed a huge storm brewing in the sky, as the thunder roared when the lightning struck the lab. It revealed an invisible barrier that Sasuke warned me about. 'That must the barrier Sasuke warned me about.' I walked up to the barrier, touched it and hurt myself after an electrical shock scourged through my body. I began to make my through the barrier, the electrical shocks became more intense and painful. I made it through, knowing my body is hurting after being exposed to the electrical shocks. I passed out on the ground and slip into a coma.

Six hours have passed since I fell into the coma; I then felt a warm hand touching my right hand. I woke up to find an attractive teenage girl, lying right next to me. 'Okay, what just happened?' I wondered.

She then begins wake up. 'Your guess is as good as mine, Rex,' she said.

I'm complete shock as she knew who I am. 'Do I know you?' I asked.

'Boy, I suddenly know a lot about you. Although I don't exactly, approve of the things you do,' the mysterious girl said.

'You haven't exactly answered my question, who are you and how do you know my name?' I asked.

'Please, I knew you since you were exposed to the nanites. As for who am I, I don't have a name,' she answered.

'That makes things complicated.' I then noticed the weather is getting worse. 'We need to get to shelter before it starts raining,' I said.

She then notices the weather. 'I couldn't agree more,' she said. We both head inside the pyramid complex as it started raining. The place was dark and eerie when we arrived. Suddenly, the lights were switched on automatically.

It's been years since I had guests.

'Who said that?' I asked.

A black mist appears in front of us. I apologise for not having a body, although I did at one time in my life.

'I don't encounter sentient mists during my travels,' I said.

That's because I'm no ordinary mist. Like you, I'm an EVO and I'm incurable, at least that's what I think.

'Oh, that's charming,' she said.

'How do you know I'm an EVO?' I asked.

I picked up your electromagnetic reading the moment you arrived. Unfortunately, I had to deal with an emergency in the basement.

'That's explains a lot,' I said.

You must be cold after getting caught in the rain. There's a shower just around the corner to your left. Once you're finished, meet me in the cafeteria, we have much to discuss.

We head to the showers. It's been days since I took a nice warm shower. Half an hour later, we met up with the black mist in the cafeteria as we sat down at the table.

'Thanks for the showers. For an odd looking EVO, no offense, you would make a good dinner host,' I said.

I take that as a complement. What brings you all way here?

'I got audio CD with a distress message from Dr. Vladimir Kazan,' I answered.

So you finally got my message after all.

'Wait, you're Dr. Vladimir Kazan?' I asked.

I am or was until the nanite event changed me. I owe you some answers, I'm Dr. Vladimir Kazan, I'm a expert on genetics and I hold degree on that subject from Cambridge.

'Great, just whatI need, an egghead,' I said.

'Show some respect Rex. We should be grateful to him for letting us in,' she said.

'I hate to change the subject. But I don't who you are or how is it that you know so much about me? Do you even have a name?' I asked.

'Now you mention it, I don't have a name. My creators referred to me as "it" or "the miracle",' she said.

'I'll give you a name. Casey, Lucy, Harley, Hope,' I said.

She then stops me in mid-sentence. 'I like that last name, Hope. You can call me Hope,' she said.

'If you say so, Hope,' I said.

The lights all the sudden began blinking. I knew this wouldn't last long. If you excuse me, I need to head into the basement, so I can reconfigure the power generators. Dr. Kazan then vanishes to the basement.

'While he's down there, we need to talk,' I said.

'Talk about what?' Hope asked.

'Like how do you know me and where you came from?' I asked.

'The answer is obvious or haven't you figured it out yet,' she answered.

'Come to think of it, I am feeling slightly different than usual.' I then figured out who she is. 'Oh no, you're not my nanites, are you?' I asked.

'Bingo, I'm a full human/nanite hybrid,' she answered.

'Excuse me, while I faint,' I said.

I then fainted onto the ground. 'Typical,' she said.

I regain conscience a few minutes later, got up and Dr. Kazan was standing beside Hoop. 'What just happened?' I asked.

You went into shock after finding out your friend is a human/nanite hybrid and you fainted.

'That I remember,' I said.

I've done an analysis of Hope's blood and was able to confirm that she is a human/nanite hybrid.

'How is that possible?' I asked.

There's one possible explanation, when you walked through the barrier. The electrical shocks you absorbed must've caused the nanites to separate from your body and may've formed the very being we see around us right now.

'Figures, how did it get hold of a DNA sample?' I asked.

Since this is a lab after all, the nanites may've gained a sample somewhere within this site.

'I guess that makes sense, Doctor,' she said.

Indeed it does, I'm going to turn in for the night. Feel free to explore to rest of the lab, oh and do stay away from Level 13, it's off limits.

'Will do,' I said. Dr. Kazan then vanishes to his quarters.

'I know what you're thinking. You're thinking about exploring Level 13, are you?' she asked.

'Before I say or do anything. I like to take back all the nasty comments I made about you in the past,' I said.

'You're forgiven, for now,' she said.

'So, how much do you know about me, besides my name and all?' I said.

'I notice you tend to have a fascination over tacos, pizzas and motorcycles. That and your constant attempts to ask Dr. Holiday out on a date,' she answered.

'Well, she's different from all the girls I met,' I said.

'Other girls, you mean like Circe or Annie. You're taste in women is more macabre than your ego,' she said.

I took offense to that remark. 'That's uncalled for, okay so I made a lot of bad choices when it comes to girls and women. Circe was okay, but she works for Van Kleiss. And Annie, it's like dating death on two legs,' I said.

'Listen, maybe you're right. What I just said was uncalled for, I'm still getting used to being a human. Is it always like this, dealing with emotions every day of the week?' she asked.

'All the time, on some days even if it's a bad day, you just want to mope and cry about it. On a good day, it's all about laughter, sunshine and bunnies,' I answered.

'That's the one thing I like about you, Rex. Your sense of denial, denying what is and what isn't,' Hope said.

'It's clear that we got a lot in common. Kazan, is there a library in the building?' I yelled.

Head out of the cafeteria and turn left. You should see a sign!

'Come on, I'm going to teach you what it means to be human,' I said. We both left the cafeteria and head over to the library. The room is huge, full of books and texts dating back to the 1940s. I taught Hope every about the world, its history and what it means to be human.

Back at the Providence base, Dr. Holiday and Bobo arrived at the base and were greeted by Kieran. 'Thank you for coming on short notice,' he said.

'Believe me, Kieran. I rather be here than in a lab,' Dr. Holiday said.

'We got a problem, Rex hasn't checked in the last eight hours,' he said.

'As if, Rex doesn't check in, he just does his own thing and be on his way,' Bobo said.

'Easy for you to say, chimp,' he said.

'Watch it or you'll see what an angry chimp can do,' Bobo said.

'Enough, this isn't getting us anyway. What've we got?' she asked.

They then walked to a giant monitor. 'Surveillance footage shows Rex entering the Red Cliff bar. He asks the bartender a few questions and leaves the bar.' Kieran then uploads another surveillance footage image. 'We then pick up his trail again over a junkyard. We did a facial scan on the owner and we got a match. Sasuke Yoshiro, Dr. Akira Yoshiro's son, who worked with Dr. Vladimir Kazan before their disappearances after the nanite event,' Kieran said.

'You don't think this a coincidence, do you?' Dr. Holiday asked.

'In my line of work, there's no such thing as coincidence. Once he left the junkyard, he left the city and that's where the trail went cold,' he said.

'We better find him before he does something drastic,' she said.

'I know, that's why I summoned you and the chimp,' he said.

'For the record, I'm an ape, not a chimp. Why won't anyone get the memo?' Bobo wondered.

Back at the lab, I was in the library, talking to Hope, trying to explain what powers. I show my sword, fists and the cannon.

'Well, it is impressive, I'll give that much,' Hope said.

'So you do like my powers. Since you're a human/nanite hybrid, you must have powers of your own.' She then activates her powers, which are similar to mine. 'Okay, we both share the same powers, go figure,' I said.

'I'm tired now, I'm going to sleep,' she yawned.

I think the quarters are on the top floor.' She then heads up that way, while I explored the place. I made my way into Dr. Kazan's office and I picked a framed photograph of two people shaking hands. 'I wonder who those two are,' I wondered.

Dr. Kazan appears besides me. The fellow on the left, the bald one with the long hair is me. The fellow on right was my colleague, Dr. Akira Yoshiro.

I then put the picture down. 'So this is your office?' I asked.

Was, until my body mutated me into a EVO.

'There're some questions I never got to ask,' I said.

I do my best to answer some of them.

'First, why did you send me the CD? You could've sent it to White Knight or any member of Providence?' I asked.

When I read of your abilities to talk with machinery, I realised that your powers could be to shutting down the barrier you walked through.

'That seems logical. Out of curiosity, what was the purpose of this lab?' I asked.

I and Dr. Yoshiro were investigating an unusual genetic anomaly. This affects at least a small portion of the world's population. Even the nature and the purpose of the anomaly were kept classified for our safety and the public interest.

'Who put up to researching this anomaly?' I asked.

The U.S. government, but Akira had suspicions about the project and their motives.

'So what happened to Akira?' I asked.

Before the nanite event, he was murdered, probably by some drunk lunatic. When the event came, I managed to evacuate all my staff, except for me. And this is the result, mutated to some black gas full of nanites.

'And where does the barrier come in?' I asked.

It was activated after the event, to prevent active nanites from getting in or out. Think of it as a decontamination system to prevent stray viruses from getting loose.

'Now that's a good defence system. So, was the nanite project related to what you're doing?' I asked.

Sort of, but the details of what they were doing or the purpose of the nanite project was classified. Even I didn't know what they were doing, Akira had doubts and suspicions about the project altogether.

'So what do you want me to do?' I asked.

The barrier itself uses some kind of cryptology to keep active nanite cells in. Whoever created the barrier must've gained access to nanite programming code.

'In other words, we're dealing with an expert programmer and computer scientist,' I said.

Come to think of it, Akira was a computer scientist and skilled programmer. So was his son, Sasuke.

'You know Sasuke. I met him yesterday at the junkyard. I don't how a programmer ended running a junkyard,' I yawned.

You must be tired after all this talking. Why don't you get some sleep?

I head up to the living quarters and get some shut eye. The next morning was different as Kieran, Dr. Holiday, Bobo and some Providence agents were in the debriefing room.

'Listen up, we got a new assignment. Rex went missing a day ago,' Kieran said.

'Come on, he'll turn up eventually,' a Providence agent said.

'The thing is, he's been missing for thirty six hours now. I count that as suspicious. According to our intel, he was last sighted at the Red Cliff bar and then made his way to a junkyard owned by Sasuke Yoshiro,' Kieran said.

'Isn't Sasuke the son of computer scientist Dr. Akira Yoshiro?' another Providence agent asked.

'He is, but we can't rule him out. He was the last person to see Rex before he disappeared. We'll split into teams, so we can search Cape Town more easily. I'll take Doc Holiday, Bobo and couple of agents with me. The second team will cover the southeast, while third and forth gets to choose either north or southwest. Move out,' he said.

They left the base as Dr. Holiday, Bobo, Kieran and a couple of Agents begin their search at the Red Cliff bar.

They enter the bar and walked up to the bartender. 'Is there something I can help you with?' the bartender asked.

'We're looking for a sixteen year old boy, wears goggles and a red jacket?' Kieran asked.

'Yeah, I saw him, asking about Dr. Kazan and Dr. Yoshiro. I told him to head over to the junkyard where Sasuke works,' he answered.

'Thanks for the info,' Kieran said. They left the bar and head over to the junkyard. A Providence agent picks an unusual energy reading.

'I'm picking a huge energy reading coming from the yard,' she said.

The automated defences then came up. 'I think I know why. Take cover!' Bobo yelled.

They took cover as the defences targeted the group and opened fire on them. 'Since when did a junkyard have an automated defence system?' Kieran asked.

'It looks like Sasuke is hiding something. Something that he doesn't want us to find out,' Dr. Holiday answered.

'Bobo, I'll cover you, while you go in and take out those turrets,' he said.

'You don't have to tell me twice,' Bobo said.

They provided cover fire, while Bobo takes out the turrets with his blasters. They entered the yard. Sasuke comes out of hiding. 'Come on, this our chance,' Kieran said.

They then entered the yard and proceeded on to the office. They entered the office to find Sasuke holding a gun and aiming it at them. 'Not exactly what I was expecting,' Bobo said.

'Put the gun down, Sasuke. No one wants to hurt you,' Dr. Holiday said.

'That's rich coming from an organisation that relies solely on putting others down,' he said.

'That was then, things are different now, put the gun down,' she demanded.

He then puts the gun on the desk. 'You have a valid point, but this doesn't change my opinion about Providence. What is it you want to know?' he asked.

'We're looking for a kid named Rex. He wears goggles and a red jacket, have you seen him?' Kieran asked.

'As a matter of fact, I have. Not long ago, I was hoping he would solve my problem,' he said.

'What problem?' Bobo asked.

'It's nothing really, nothing serious,' he answered.

'Uh-uh, how do you explain the automated defences and the gun you were holding?' Kieran asked.

'We know you're hiding something. If you don't tell us what it is, we'll be happy to resume our gunfight,' Bobo said.

'All right, I'll give up. I guess I owe you a lot an explanation. Outside the city, there's a lab or what's left of it. It's got a barrier I designed in place, to prevent persons with active nanite cells from getting in or out, it doesn't affect dormant cells,' I said.

'And you expect us to believe that?' Bobo asked.

Sasuke walks to his computer and brings a blueprint of the lab. 'See this massive circle surrounding the complex, that's the barrier,' he answered.

'Hmm, according to the blueprint, it's powered by an external power source,' Dr. Holiday said.

'That's because the barrier was put in place after the nanite event. It's meant to keep something in,' Sasuke said.

'Like what, an EVO?' Kieran asked.

'Yes and a dangerous one at that. His name is Dr. Vladimir Kazan,' he answered.

Dr. Holiday is shocked to hear this. 'What? You imprisoned your colleague, your friend inside the lab all this time.' She then punches him in the face. 'You're a sick person,' she said.

'There's another reason why I imprisoned him.' He gets a DVD out, inserts it into the disc drive and plays the footage. 'This was recorded ten minutes before the event,' Sasuke said.

'I want to talk to you about the test subjects we're using,' a man said on the footage.

'That man there is my father, Akira,' he said.

'Of course, I'm listening,' another man said.

'That must be Dr. Vladimir Kazan, am I right?' she asked.

Sasuke nodded yes. 'I discovered the mass graves the soldiers have been digging. What have you been doing, Vladimir?' he asked.

'What does it look like, experimenting on the subjects,' Vladimir answered.

'I heard screaming coming from the corridor. Oh gosh, you were experimenting on the subject where they were alive,' he asked.

'Please, it's all in the name of science,' Vladimir answered.

'You call that science? That was genocide you committed. When we first took on this project, we agreed that we aren't allowed to use live test subjects,' he said.

'So, there's a saying that in order to do good, we must commit evil deeds in order to do so,' Vladimir said.

'From now on, you're suspended.' The alarm then goes off and Akira reaches for his intercom. 'The alarms are going off, what is happening?' Akira asked.

'Sir, it's our sister branch. The nanite core there is going into critical. An overload is imminent, we have a least two minutes before the core... it's too late, the core has exploded and has triggered a pulse full of nanites,' a tech said.

'Evacuate the lab and destroy all data relating to this project, god knows what'll happen if this pulse hits this lab and not to mention if the public caught wind of this,' Akira said.

Vladimir then gets a gun out of his lab coat. 'I hate to be the first to say this, but this is where our partnership ends,' he said.

'Put the gun away, Vladimir. Please, I beg you,' Akira panicked.

'You should've said that a long time ago,' he said.

Vladimir pulls the trigger and murders Akira in cold blood and the footage end abruptly.

'He murdered Akira in cold blood. I'm so sorry, Sasuke,' Dr. Holiday said.

'So where's the rest of the footage?' Kieran said.

'The wave knocked out all the systems, including the security cameras. I was in the cafeteria at the time, taking a coffee break, going over the findings as usual. I managed to evacuate most of the staff, including myself. I came back a month later to inspect the collateral damage. That's when I found out about my father's murder and Vladimir's fate. I learned the truth about his murder and knew that Vladimir was too dangerous to be free,' he said.

'What kind of powers does Vladimir have?' she asked.

'He's no longer human, but a black mist. He has the ability to possess anyone he comes into contact with. The side effect is that he can't possess anyone with active nanite cells. I found that out when he tried to possess an EVO toad,' he answered.

'While those with dormant cells are vulnerable,' Kieran said.

'Exactly,' Sasuke said.

'Why didn't you come forward with this? The police file said you were in Costa Rica at the time of the incident,' he asked.

'That was a cover story so I can build the barrier and contain Vladimir,' Sasuke answered.

'Now the cat is out of the bag. We need to find Rex before Vladimir could exploit him,' Dr. Holiday said.

'Good idea.' Sasuke then get a huge glass looking jar out of the closet. 'It's a containment unit designed specifically to trap Vladimir. Also, you'll need weapons and equipments to prevent Vladimir possessing you. I already got that taken care,' he said.

'You suddenly came prepare?' Bobo asked.

'I knew this day would come. One other thing I need to know, how did Rex know about Kazan?' he asked.

'He received an audio CD with a distress message,' she answered.

'Figured as much, Vladimir sent the message as a ruse to lure Rex into connecting the external power source to the main computer system in order to deactivate the barrier. We don't have that much time left,' he said.