I am not dead! (Just figured that I should get that out of the way for you guys.)

Just as a bit of a warning, this chapter involves several changes in perspective and rather awkward jumps in format. I apologize for this, but I couldn't think of a better way of having all of this information in this chapter. There are line breaks between these shifts though. You have been warned.

Oh, and uh...this chapter gets a little dark at the end...


Sixty seven days after the hatching of the egg in Tel Aviv.


"It is good to finally meet you Dr. Weinberg." John said.

John had been working almost nonstop since beginning work at the DoD. It hadn't taken long to find the records for May's adoption, but much of the information was restricted for legal reasons. After nearly two months of jumping through hoops, he and Peters managed to find May's birth mother.

It took a couple of weeks to convince Dr. Weinberg to allow American government agents to see his patient, but eventually, he allowed a brief visit. Immediately, John booked a flight to Germany.

"I wish that I could say the same thing Mr. Dillinger. I am still not fully convinced that it is a good idea to let you visit Ms. Hartmann." Dr. Weinberg said as the two walked through the halls of a large church.

Weinberg was a short, round faced man with a large forehead and greying hair. He has stocky, but not fat, and he spoke with a slight German accent.

"Why not?" John asked.

"You claim that she has a daughter, yes?" Weinberg asked.

"Yes."

"Ms. Hartmann has mentioned that she has a daughter, but it has only been during one of her delusional episodes when she refuses her medication."

"So you think that her daughter is tied to her delusions?" John asked.

"I think so, yes." Weinberg said.

The two continued in silence for a moment before Weinberg stopped next to a closed door.

"This is her room. She spends most of her time in here."

John nodded as Weinberg knocked on the door. Ms. Hartmann said something in German and about a minute later, the door opened.

Ms. Hartmann and Dr. Weinberg had a short conversation in German as John entered.

As she was talking to Dr. Weinberg, Ms. Hartmann sat down at a table with a sewing machine on it and began to sew.

She said something in German, and Dr. Weinberg translated.

"She wants too know why you are here." The doctor said.

"Tell her than I think that I found her daughter." John said as he placed the folder he had been carrying onto a coffee table in the center of the room.

Weinberg relayed the information as he sat down in a nearby chair, and Ms. Hartmann replied in German.

"She says that that isn't why you are here."

John frowned. "Then why am I here?" He asked.

Without speaking, Ms. Hartmann stood up and walked over to a chair with a quilt neatly folded over the backrest. She picked up the quilt and unfolded it, letting the front of the quilt face John. Only then did she speak.

"She wants to know...which one?" Dr. Weinberg said uncertainly.

The quilt's design was divided into two parts. On the right side of the quilt was what appeared to be a man wearing solid gold armor with high shoulder guards. However, it was clear that this was not a man. It had a light blue, elongated face and hands, no mouth, and glowing eyes.

On the left side of the quilt, a Zergling was depicted running. John's brow furrowed.

"May I take a picture?" John asked.

Ms. Hartmann nodded in the affirmative. John pulled out a camera and took a photo.

"How long have you had that quilt?" John asked.

Dr. Weinberg replied instead of Ms. Hartmann. "That was one of the first ones she made...around fifteen years ago I think."

John inhaled sharply. "Why did you make it?" He asked.

After Dr. Weinberg translated, Ms. Hartmann smiled and replied.

"She says that she made it so that you would listen to her when her daughter woke up." Dr. Weinberg said.

"What do you have to say?" John asked.

Ms. Hartman replied as she folded the quilt back up.

"She wants you to answer her question first." The doctor relayed.

"The beast on the left."

Ms. Hartman replied as she sat back down at her sewing machine.

"She wants to know when her daughter woke up." Weinberg translated.

"What does she mean by 'woke up'?" John asked.

Dr. Weinberg and Ms. Hartmann had a shirt conversation before Dr. Weinberg turned back to John.

"From the way she describes it, she means something like her daughter was revealed or realized, perhaps..." Dr. Weinberg turned back to Ms. Hartmann and had another brief conversation before resuming his conversation with John.

She says that when her daughter woke up would be the day that the Zerg were created.

"That was about four months ago." John stated.

Ms. Hartmann laughed when the doctor answered. Instead of giving any reply, she simply began sewing two pieces of fabric together.

"Ms. Hartmann?" Dr. Weinberg called.

Ms. Hartmann turned her attention to the doctor and stopped sewing. The two had a quick conversation in German before Dr. Hartmann turned to John.

"She says that she doesn't want to talk about it anymore." The doctor said.

"Can you at ask her how she knew about the Zerg?"

The doctor had a quick conversation with Ms. Hartmann before turning back to John.

"She doesn't want to talk about it. She keeps saying that it doesn't matter."

John frowned again. "Can you ask her what the other-"

Dr. Weinberg cut John off by raising his hand. "Please. She does this sometimes. I don't think that she is going to tell you anything else. It would be best for her if we left." Weinberg said as he stood.

John gave Ms. Hartmann a hard look as he stood and began to follow Dr. Weinberg out the door.

Just as they reached the door, Ms. Hartmann shouted something. Dr. Weinberg turned around and the two spoke briefly.

"She wants to see a picture of her daughter." Dr. Weinberg said to John.

John opened the folder he was carrying and fished out a picture of May. He stepped forward and placed the picture in front of the woman who stared at it longingly. She said something in German, but did not look away from the picture.

"She wants to keep it." Dr. Weinberg translated.

John nodded, and Dr. Weinberg motioned for him to leave.

Again, Ms. Hartmann spoke as they were about to leave.

Dr. Weinberg turned to John and translated.

"She would like to see her daughter if possible."

"I'll see what I can do." John replied before exiting the room.


UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

DEFENSE THREAT REDUCTION AGENCY

FORT BELVOIR, VIRGINIA

To: Director Durand

Date: 08/20/17

Precedence: Immediate

From: Berlin, Germany - Bethel Hospital

Drafted by: John Dillinger

Approved by: Scott Peters

Synopsis: To provide results of interview of Christiane Hartmann, suspected mother of May Janine Flowers.

On 08/19/17, Christine Hartmann was briefly interviewed by John Dillinger in her room at the Bethel Hospital in Berlin Germany. Hartmann was initially cooperative, but became unwilling to answer questions after discovering the duration of the Zerg's existence. Hartmann provided the following information:

Hartmann had knowledge regarding the existence and the physical appearance of the Zerg prior to the birth of the first Hatchery by May Flowers. Attached is a photograph of a quilt made approximately fifteen years ago by Hartmann. Dr. Weinberg bore witness to this fact. Given Hartmann's perceived mental instability, she claims to have made the quilt as proof of her validity in case someone found her.

Further investigation found the attached report from Bethel Hospital dated as late December of 1997 in which, Ms. Hartmann claimed to have been given a vision of the future by an unknown being described as having glowing red eyes and no physical body. Further, she claimed that this being showed her two races of intelligent creatures called the Zerg and the Protoss. She was shown images that she later began to integrate into various quilts, including the quilt that is shown in the attached photograph. According to the report, the being implanted a child within her and instructed her to be the creator, leader, and uniter of the Zerg and Protoss races. Hartmann's perceived delusions resulted in her losing custody of May Flowers and her permanent residence at the Bethel Hospital.

When Hartmann was told the length of time since Flowers woke up - which seemed to be referring to the creation of the Zerg - she refused to answer any further questions, claiming that it did not matter. However, Hartmann did express a desire to speak with her daughter in person.

The circumstances surrounding Hartmann's pregnancy will be investigated further along with a more detailed investigation into Hartmann's admittance to Bethel Hospital.

End of report.


John sighed as he closed the laptop that he had just used to send a hurried report to the DTRA director's office. He was in the Berlin Tegel Airport waiting for his flight out of Germany. His very brief stay had not even allowed him the time to spend the night at a hotel. In fact, he had arrived in Germany early in the morning, and as John sent his report, the sun was preparing to set.

Not ten minutes after the report was sent, he received a notification on his secure phone. The director had already read his report, and was ordering him to cease all investigation of Christine Hartmann until further notice. Upon reading this, John frowned.

He wanted to ignore the order, but to do so would likely result in his immediate dismissal. However, nothing stopped him from looking into Hartmann on his own time. He would be limited to whatever was public knowledge, but he was not about to let such an important lead be missed. Likely, Hartmann's case would be given to another team to investigate, and John needed to know everything he could find out about May if he was going to find out who had taken her.

What Hartmann had to do with May's disappearance, John had no idea. What he did know was that someone had known beforehand that the Zerg existed, and it appeared that someone wanted to use them for some purpose. What that purpose was, again, John had no idea. In spite of his ignorance, or perhaps because of it, he did not know, John decided to follow the path set before him.


UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

DEFENSE THREAT REDUCTION AGENCY

FORT BELVOIR, VIRGINIA

To: Timothy Carter

Date: 08/20/17

Precedence: Immediate

From: Fort Belvoir, Virginia

Drafted by: Director Durand

Approved by: Director Durand

Synopsis: To provide a more detailed account of the knowledge of Christiane Hartmann, suspected mother of May Janine Flower, regarding the Zerg and Protoss.

On 08/19/17, Christine Hartmann was briefly interviewed by John Dillinger in her room at the Bethel Hospital in Berlin Germany. Hartmann was initially cooperative, but became unwilling to answer questions after discovering the duration of the Zerg's existence. Hartmann provided limited information, but a more detailed account has been deemed necessary. You are to obtain the following information:

A detailed description of the being that reportedly placed May Flowers within Hartmann.

A detailed description of the visions Hartmann saw regarding the Protoss and Zerg races.

A detailed description of the exact task meant for May Flowers regarding the Protoss and Zerg races.

A detailed description of the circumstances surrounding Hartmann's loss of custody of May Flowers.

A detailed reason for the cause of the sudden appearance of the Zerg race.

A detailed description of the circumstances that will result in the creation of the Protoss race.

A reason for why knowledge of the time of the Zerg's appearance caused Hartmann to refuse to answer further questions.

A detailed account of any information that may seem pertinent to the Zerg, Protoss, or May Flowers.

No permanent damage is to be dealt to Hartmann until after the above information has been retrieved unless the subject resists all other forms of questioning. Any ties between you and the DoD are to be dissolved should you be placed under arrest or you actions discovered by any outside source.

Order effective immediately.


Upon receiving his orders, Timothy wiped any traces of it from his laptop. Simply deleting it would not be enough, so he used a government issue program to replace the data where the document had been with over a dozen sets of randomized ones and zeros.

Timothy shut down his laptop and walked out the door. First, he needed to scout out the hospital. Second, he needed to find a way to get the target out without anyone noticing. After that, he would take her to a nearby interrogation facility in Berlin where he would get everything he needed out of her. After getting the information from the target, he would need a place to dump her body.


Sorry about another long period between updates! It was not intentional! I did not plan on having this chapter as early in the story as it is, but it made the most sense for it to go here. I am not a huge fan of this chapter or the last, but they needed to happen for things to make sense later on. (Next chapter will involve the kicking of butt and the taking of names to make up for the long period between posts and these boring two chapters.)

Anyway, I think that from now on, to keep this post-chapter stuff down to a minimum, I am going to be responding to people's reviews through PMs unless the review has a particularly good question or a question that has been asked by several people. A large, to large in my opinion, portion of this story's word count thus far is because of the length of these post-chapter responses.

Speaking of responses that involve pretty much everyone, Arachnodon says "You still haven't answered to my idea of May's different form, or basically anyone's ideas."

This statement is not false. If I haven't answered anyone's questions or comments about something, it is most likely because I have not come to a solid conclusion on whether or not I want to or even can implement the idea while still holding to the story that I have planned. I wan't to implement May having alternate forms, but I am not entirely sure where I could without changing a lot of other stuff. I have large portions of the story to come already written out (but not finalized), and a change in May's physical makeup would constitute large changes in various places scattered around future chapters. I am fairly certain that I will have May take another form in the future though. My apologies for not answering y'all's questions. If you have asked a question that I have not answered, feel free to PM me and I will try to get back to you.

I will see you all in the next chapter!