Parker fumbled with the large stack of files and a few DSAs. "I don't get
it. Why would the Centre turn my brother into a…a…"
"Vampire?" Jarod asked.
"Yes!"
Jarod sighed, "It's my fault."
"How is it your fault?" Then Parker groaned, "Don't tell me you did a simulation on it?"
Jarod nodded, "I didn't really understand it then but I do now. After I looked at Lyle's charts." Parker held her breath. "There's a chemical in our blood that is not found anywhere else. Nowhere in this world is it found. But this chemical can enhance brainpower and physical strengths. But who would ever want to drink human blood? So I did a simulation where I manipulated genetic cells to the point where the body would need this chemical to survive and the person would have to drink blood."
Parker gagged, "So my brother kills to survive. But why give it Lyle?"
"Who is Lyle's father?"
Parker's head dropped, "Should've guessed."
***
Syd stood up and injected another needle into Lyle's arm. Surprisingly he didn't fight it. He and Sam hauled his limp body off into Jarod's bedroom. When they came back Syd explained, "That injection will stop Lyle's massive headache. He'll wake up feeling refreshed. Though he doesn't deserve it after all he's done."
Broots shrugged, "Who decides who deserves what?"
The group shrugged. None of them had any answer for that question.
***
Parker shuffled through the rest of the files. "They're all medical. For you, me, Lyle, Angelo, Faith, Kyle, Eddie, Alex…"
Jarod nodded, "The DSAs?"
Parker shrugged, "Don't know. We didn't exactly bring a DSA player with us."
"I hate it when you're right."
Parker laughed, "I'm always right, Jarod. When are you ever going to learn?"
***
Jarod and Parker burst into the apartment. The group still, thankfully, there. "You'll never believe what we found!" Parker exclaimed as Jarod slammed the door shut.
"Try us." Broots muttered dryly.
Quickly the group compared notes. "Anything from Faith?" Jarod asked after they had finished.
Syd shook his head, "Not a thing."
Parker sighed. "I just wish we had some answers."
Jarod rustled the bag and pulled out the three DSAs he and Parker had recovered. "Maybe today we do."
Parker's eyes widened. She had completely forgotten about the DSAs. "Broots get the DSA player from Jarod's room."
"What are those?" Mac asked.
"They look like little CDs," Harm observed.
Broots returned with the player and the group, specifically Sam, Jarod, Syd, Parker, and Broots, crowded around the tiny screen. Jarod inserted the first DSA. The text at the bottom showed the event taking place was on Sublevel 18.
Piercing screams broke through the hallways. Catherine Parker gripped the young woman's hand. "Hang on. Hang on."
Whispers of pain flooded Catherine's ears. She could barely hear the woman. "I'm not going to make it."
"Damn it! Yes you are. Yes you are. There's nothing wrong!" Catherine cried, "This is normal!"
"Normal?" The woman grunted as she turned towards the camera and let out another piercing scream.
Jarod's eyes widened at the site of his mother. "Mom." He whispered. Sydney and Parker both squeezed his shoulders to calm him.
"Hang on. Cousin. Hang on!" Raines commanded.
There was a piercing scream from Margaret. And then quite except for the crying of a child. Raines placed him into Margaret's arms, "He's perfect."
Margaret kissed the child's head. "What shall I name him?"
Another man entered the room. His face was blocked by shadows but his voice gave him away, "Jarod. Name him Jarod."
"Oh my god." Parker murmured, "My father… err…Mr. Parker… named you!?"
Jarod was stunned. "I don't believe it."
"Hang on." Broots instructed. "There's more." And he was right there was more. Lots more.
Catherine embraced her husband welcomingly. "I'm glad you made it."
Mr. Parker gave a grunt. "Have you found Major Charles?"
Margaret shook her head from the bed, "He's still missing. God I hope they find him soon."
Raines rubbed Margaret's shoulders, "Don't you worry yourself. I know he's all right. But until his return you are going to continue to stay with me until his return… for your safety."
"For my safety?" Margaret huffed, "Or so I can continue to work on the Pretender Project?"
Mr. Parker gave a small laugh, "Well Margaret you did develop it so you might as well over see it."
"Aye. But if I had known what you were going to do with it and how you were going to acquire these children I never would have agreed."
The screen went black and the whole group sat back in a sigh. "I don't believe it." Jarod said. "My mother invented the Pretender Project!?"
"She worked for the Centre." Parker said, stating the obvious.
"Where was my father?" Jarod asked, "They said he was missing. Well where?"
Broots handed Jarod the next DSA. "Maybe this can tell us."
Jarod nodded gratefully at the technician and inserted the next DSA.
"Vampire?" Jarod asked.
"Yes!"
Jarod sighed, "It's my fault."
"How is it your fault?" Then Parker groaned, "Don't tell me you did a simulation on it?"
Jarod nodded, "I didn't really understand it then but I do now. After I looked at Lyle's charts." Parker held her breath. "There's a chemical in our blood that is not found anywhere else. Nowhere in this world is it found. But this chemical can enhance brainpower and physical strengths. But who would ever want to drink human blood? So I did a simulation where I manipulated genetic cells to the point where the body would need this chemical to survive and the person would have to drink blood."
Parker gagged, "So my brother kills to survive. But why give it Lyle?"
"Who is Lyle's father?"
Parker's head dropped, "Should've guessed."
***
Syd stood up and injected another needle into Lyle's arm. Surprisingly he didn't fight it. He and Sam hauled his limp body off into Jarod's bedroom. When they came back Syd explained, "That injection will stop Lyle's massive headache. He'll wake up feeling refreshed. Though he doesn't deserve it after all he's done."
Broots shrugged, "Who decides who deserves what?"
The group shrugged. None of them had any answer for that question.
***
Parker shuffled through the rest of the files. "They're all medical. For you, me, Lyle, Angelo, Faith, Kyle, Eddie, Alex…"
Jarod nodded, "The DSAs?"
Parker shrugged, "Don't know. We didn't exactly bring a DSA player with us."
"I hate it when you're right."
Parker laughed, "I'm always right, Jarod. When are you ever going to learn?"
***
Jarod and Parker burst into the apartment. The group still, thankfully, there. "You'll never believe what we found!" Parker exclaimed as Jarod slammed the door shut.
"Try us." Broots muttered dryly.
Quickly the group compared notes. "Anything from Faith?" Jarod asked after they had finished.
Syd shook his head, "Not a thing."
Parker sighed. "I just wish we had some answers."
Jarod rustled the bag and pulled out the three DSAs he and Parker had recovered. "Maybe today we do."
Parker's eyes widened. She had completely forgotten about the DSAs. "Broots get the DSA player from Jarod's room."
"What are those?" Mac asked.
"They look like little CDs," Harm observed.
Broots returned with the player and the group, specifically Sam, Jarod, Syd, Parker, and Broots, crowded around the tiny screen. Jarod inserted the first DSA. The text at the bottom showed the event taking place was on Sublevel 18.
Piercing screams broke through the hallways. Catherine Parker gripped the young woman's hand. "Hang on. Hang on."
Whispers of pain flooded Catherine's ears. She could barely hear the woman. "I'm not going to make it."
"Damn it! Yes you are. Yes you are. There's nothing wrong!" Catherine cried, "This is normal!"
"Normal?" The woman grunted as she turned towards the camera and let out another piercing scream.
Jarod's eyes widened at the site of his mother. "Mom." He whispered. Sydney and Parker both squeezed his shoulders to calm him.
"Hang on. Cousin. Hang on!" Raines commanded.
There was a piercing scream from Margaret. And then quite except for the crying of a child. Raines placed him into Margaret's arms, "He's perfect."
Margaret kissed the child's head. "What shall I name him?"
Another man entered the room. His face was blocked by shadows but his voice gave him away, "Jarod. Name him Jarod."
"Oh my god." Parker murmured, "My father… err…Mr. Parker… named you!?"
Jarod was stunned. "I don't believe it."
"Hang on." Broots instructed. "There's more." And he was right there was more. Lots more.
Catherine embraced her husband welcomingly. "I'm glad you made it."
Mr. Parker gave a grunt. "Have you found Major Charles?"
Margaret shook her head from the bed, "He's still missing. God I hope they find him soon."
Raines rubbed Margaret's shoulders, "Don't you worry yourself. I know he's all right. But until his return you are going to continue to stay with me until his return… for your safety."
"For my safety?" Margaret huffed, "Or so I can continue to work on the Pretender Project?"
Mr. Parker gave a small laugh, "Well Margaret you did develop it so you might as well over see it."
"Aye. But if I had known what you were going to do with it and how you were going to acquire these children I never would have agreed."
The screen went black and the whole group sat back in a sigh. "I don't believe it." Jarod said. "My mother invented the Pretender Project!?"
"She worked for the Centre." Parker said, stating the obvious.
"Where was my father?" Jarod asked, "They said he was missing. Well where?"
Broots handed Jarod the next DSA. "Maybe this can tell us."
Jarod nodded gratefully at the technician and inserted the next DSA.
