EIGHT
The man stared at the group nervously. He glanced around and they all had the same thought: he was hiding something.
"I . . . I don't have an explanation," the man said finally.
"You're a poor liar," said Hank. "You've all ready admitted you have at least one power. Which would normally mean you're a mutant, not a human. But if our friend here can sense a mutant's power and he can't sense yours there has to be another explanation."
"What about Cerebro?" Bobby asked. "This guy showed up as a blue dot instead of a red or white one. Do you think that has anything to do with it?"
"Makes sense to me," said Ororo. "But if he's not a mutant and he's not human, what exactly is he then?"
"Could he be another android?" Logan asked, glancing at the intruder.
"Unlikely," said the intruder. "He's definitely organic. Which means he's alive. And Dr. McCoy is correct. He's lying. His blood pressure is elevated, his eyes have dilated, there's perspiration on his skin, and his heart rate has increased. All indications of lying."
"You can tell all that just by looking at him?" Logan questioned.
"Actually, my sensors are able to detect physiological changes in the human body," said the intruder. "I'm just at a loss to explain the discrepancies with this individual."
"You'd better start explaining," Ororo said to the man. "We aren't leaving here until we have some answers. The sooner you tell us what we want to know the sooner we'll be out of here."
The man looked around at the group for a moment. He was obviously nervous. Suddenly the look on his face changed. From one of nervousness and fear to what appeared to be resignation.
"Well," he said finally, "I suppose I have little other choice. But I must ask you to keep what I am about to tell you in the strictest confidence. If it should get out the mutant-human war you mentioned could pale in comparison."
"What could be worse than a mutant-human war?" Bobby asked. "We've all ready seen what that could entail. The battle at Alcatraz Island took a heavy toll on both sides."
"My name is William Johnson," said the man. "I'm an accountant for a rather prestiges accounting firm. At least that's what you'll find out if you were to run a back round check on me. Except that information isn't exactly accurate. My real name is Chil'Ta Norran'Chi. And I'm from a small planet in Orion's belt called Telcore."
"You're an alien?" questioned Piotr.
"Yes," said Chil'Ta. "My ship crashed here some years ago. I was able to effect repairs on it but my fuel source was severely depleted and unfortunately your science has nothing that even approximates the type of fuel we use. So I've effectively been stranded on your planet for some years."
"That would explain a great many things," said the intruder. "Not being human it's quite possible that the cure would have no effect on him. That's why the cure seemed to have worn off."
"I have no intentions of taking the cure," said Chil'Ta. "No one is aware of my unique physiology on this planet. I've been keeping it a secret. And quite frankly, after seeing how you treat each other, I can't say it was the wrong decision. I can certainly imagine how your people would treat me if they knew I wasn't even human."
"You might be quite justified in your assessment," said Hank. "Humans can be quite unforgiving about things and people they don't understand. It's probably best if they aren't aware there are other races in the galaxy."
"So let me see if I have this right," said Ororo. "He's an alien from another planet. And some time in the near future he's going to be exposed. Only people will think that he's a mutant. So to calm them down he'll take the cure to placate them. Only the cure won't affect him. And when the human population finds out about it it will start a war that will destroy the planet. Is that about the size of it?"
"Partially," said the intruder. "I had multiple objectives in coming here. The first was to identify why the cure didn't seem to affect him. I seem to have completed that objective. My second objective was to find out who altered the cure."
"What do you mean who altered the cure?" Hank asked. "Altered how?"
"When a law was passed that required all mutants to take the cure," said the intruder, "many resisted. But many decided to take the cure to help keep the peace. Unfortunately someone secretly altered the cure. Very subtly. It wasn't even noticeable. At first.
"Several months after the altered cure was administered, the mutants that had taken the cure began to die. The cure no longer simply suppressed a mutant's power. It began to destroy it. That was a death sentence to any mutant that took the cure. Trying to destroy their power was tantamount to destroying a human's ability to breathe. None of them were able to survive it."
"That's horrible," said Ororo. "But I have to admit it's not totally unexpected. I told you, Hank. I told you something like this would happen."
"You may have been right," said Hank thoughtfully. "Initially you said the planet was a barren rock. I can't believe that killing off mutants would have that effect."
"You would be right," said the intruder. "Unfortunately the altered cure didn't remain confined to mutant's for long. It mutated. Became an airborne virus. And because the mutant body is basically a human body, it also affected humans. The wind caught it and spread it around the world. Within months it infected everything. All plants, animals, any form of biological life form. And it did exactly what it had been designed to do. Kill off those that were infected with it."
"The end of the world," said Logan. "That's what you're describing. The end of the world."
"Basically, yes," said the intruder. "That was my second objective. To locate and identify the individual responsible for altering the cure. And to prevent it. Without the altered cure, everything that happened could be averted."
"Identifying who altered the cure should be rather simple," said Hank. "It would require someone who has extensive knowledge of the cure and how it works. It would also require someone with the knowledge and expertise to be able to alter the cure so that it wouldn't be noticeable."
"There must be a lot of scientists with that information," said Ororo. "How would it be possible to locate the one responsible?"
"It would also require someone who has access to the actual cure," said Hank. "And with the necessary access to switch the altered cure with the real one. It also means that whoever altered the cure wants mutants dead instead of just powerless. Most people working with the cure honestly believe they're helping. It shouldn't be difficult to identify someone with ulterior motives. I know a couple of psychiatrists who can help make that determination. It should be relatively easy to fine someone who fits all of these requirements."
"Very logical, doctor," said the intruder. "I must admit I was in a quandary about exactly how to locate the individual responsible. My records of the individuals working with the cure are sorely lacking. It would appear that you are better equipped to identify the individual than I am."
"A few discretely placed inquiries should do the trick," said Hank. "I'll get started on it the first thing in the morning. With a little luck we should be able to find out who it is within a couple of days. In the mean time I can let the President know. He can make sure that any cure made available is the genuine article and not the altered one."
"Then I would submit that two parts of my objective are completed," said the intruder. "One question remains, however." He looked at Chil'Ta. "What is to be done with him? Simply knowing what is going to happen is not enough to insure that it does not occur. If he remains where he is the risk is too great that he will precipitate the very war I have returned to prevent."
"My people are on their way to get me," said Chil'Ta. "They will arrive in a few months and I will leave this planet. No one will ever know who I actually am. Save for you, of course."
"That is unacceptable," said the intruder. "Your actions in the previous timeline indicate that you are a caring individual. That is why you risked your life to save those you perceived as being in danger. It is conceivable that such an occurrence could happen again. Any incident that would expose your identity to the humans could have the very repercussions I have been sent to stop."
"He could stay at the school," suggested Ororo. "He'd be around other mutants. I mean, mutants. Any abilities he exhibited wouldn't be considered unusual. And it's unlikely that he'd be put in a position to expose himself unnecessarily. Even if he did, he wouldn't have to feel that he needed to take the cure to fit in. He could wait there until his people arrived to get him."
"That's a good idea," said Hank. "Right now only those mutants who wish to will be given the cure. No one will be forced to take it except under the most extreme circumstances. As long as Chil'Ta is around mutants he should be safe."
"That would be acceptable," said the intruder. "You would be able to prevent his identity from being exposed. That would prevent the holocaust that happened the first time. Assuming that he is willing to accept the arrangements."
"Well," said Chil'Ta, looking at the others, "my only purpose is to remain hidden until my people arrive. I never intended to be a concern to anyone. If staying at your school will help to prevent what he has described I'm more than willing to accept the arrangements."
"I guess that settles it then," said Ororo. She looked at the intruder. "Do you have a name? I feel funny just saying 'hey you'."
"My creator never actually gave me a name," said the intruder. "Although she did refer to me by the name of the central processor she used to construct me. So much was destroyed during the war between humanity and the mutants. But my creator was able to salvage enough of my central processor to construct me."
"What was the name of your central processor?" Bobby asked.
"Cerebro," replied the intruder.
