Chapter 4 - Betrayal
US Department of Defense - Genetics Research
Adam and Brennan walked into the main genetics research area and Brennan knocked out the guard with a small bolt of electricity. Adam and Brennan continued on to the lab that Adam had left Shalimar in, but it was empty. They checked Obsidien's office, but he wasn't there, but they did find a lab number on his schedule board and headed there. When they got to the lab they looked through the window to see Shalimar in a white sterile room unconscious. "She shouldn't be in there." Adam said somewhat quietly. "Those machines shouldn't be involved in the procedure," Adam also pointed out.
"So, then let's get her the HELL out of here!" Brennan said and Adam nodded in agreement. Adam unlatched the restraints and Brennan picked her up, cradling her gently in his arms. Adam and Brennan started towards the door when suddenly Doctor Charles Obsidien came into the lab.
"What the HELL, do you think you're doing?!" Obsidien asked shocked.
"What the hell, do you think you were doing, Charles?" Adam asked furious.
"I'm serving my country!"
"Stand aside Charles!"
"I don't think so! Security will be here any minute!"
Brennan laughed for a second, "actually they won't.they're taking a nap."
Adam hit Charles and knocked him out. "Let's go," Adam said annoyed and opened the lab door for Brennan. They exited the Department of Defense and got into the car.
Brennan got into the back with Shalimar as Adam took off. Brennan held Shalimar in his arms trying to wake her. "Shal', come on." but Shalimar did not wake. "Adam! I think something's wrong!"
"Brennan, calm down. I'm sure she's just heavily sedated.I can check when we get back to Sanctuary."
A While Later. Med Lab - Sanctuary
Adam had made Brennan, Jesse, and Emma remain out of the med lab. It would make his work easier and faster. Adam scanned Shalimar and the first thing he noticed was that her DNA had been restructured, but not to stabilize the New Mutant DNA, but the New Mutant DNA was completely gone. Adam was in a state of shock. Shalimar was no longer a New Mutant. Adam had to sit down and he did on the floor leaning up against the wall with his head in his hands. "How could this happen?" Adam asked himself aloud.
"How could what happen?" Shalimar asked weakly.
Adam looked up completely surprised and still shocked. "Shalimar!" Adam got up and walked over to her. "How are you feeling?"
"Umm I don't really remember much, and I feel really tired." Shalimar told him obviously not in full capacity. "Adam, what happened?"
"Shalimar.about a week ago.you attacked Brennan, Jesse, and me.you were suffering from a DNA breakdown.your feral DNA was taking over."
"But I'm okay now? You fixed me?" Shalimar asked a bit confused.
"Yes and no.Shalimar, I took you to the Department of Defense to my friend Charles Obsidien who works in genetic research.and.I got worried so Brennan and I went and brought you back here."
"So, my DNA is still breaking down?"
"No.I just scanned you and you're DNA isn't breaking down anymore."
"That's good right?" Shalimar asked becoming more and more aware.
"Well, I suppose.your DNA is not longer breaking down, BUT you have been stripped of all New Mutant DNA."
"WHAT?!" Shalimar asked totally in a state of utter and complete shock.
"You're as "normal" as I am.you're no longer a New Mutant or a feral," Adam said looking down away from Shalimar.
"Ada..Adam..what's.what's going to happen to me?" Shalimar asked although it was hard for her. The concept that she was no longer a New Mutant or a feral was hard to accept.
Adam looked up, "what do you mean, Shalimar? You'll live!"
"But live where? Do what?"
"I.I.don't know yet."
"Have you told the others yet?"
"No. Do you want me to tell them? They're worried and waiting outside for me to tell them what's going on."
"Will you please?"
"Okay, I'll be back in a few minutes. Just lay here and rest," Adam said placing his hand on her shoulder for a minute and then headed out of the med lab.
Main Area - Sanctuary
Brennan, Jesse, and Emma immediately stood up when Adam exited the med lab. "Is she okay?" Brennan asked worried.
"Yes," Adam answered trying to stay as calm as possible.
"But there's something wrong." Emma said matter-of-factly.
"You could say that. As a result of the procedure that should have stabilized Shalimar's DNA.Shalimar is no longer a New Mutant."
"WHAT?!" all three exclaimed in unison.
"Shalimar is no longer a New Mutant," Adam repeated this time a bit slower.
"But she's okay?" Brennan asked.
"Yes."
"Well, that's all that's really important anyways, right?" Emma said.
"Yes."
"Can we see her?" Jesse asked.
"Yeah, but PLEASE try not to get her upset?" Adam asked and everyone nodded and then walked into the med lab while Adam set out on the steps.
Med Lab - Sanctuary
Shalimar smiled when she saw her three friends enter the med lab. "Hey," she said smiling.
"How'ya feeling, Shal'?" Brennan asked concerned.
"I'm okay."
"We're glad you're okay," Jesse said relieved that he knew his friend was safe. Not that he didn't believe Adam, it was just that actually being able to see for himself was somehow more comforting. There was silence for a few minutes.
"So, did Adam say how long you have to stay in here?" Emma asked breaking the silence.
"No, but I feel fine! I'm just a little tired, but Adam said that it's from the sedatives," Shalimar explained. "I really just want to get out of here, take a nap, and then do SOMETHING."
Everyone smiled, "how about we do something tomorrow?" Brennan suggested.
"What are we going to do tomorrow?" Emma asked curiously and a bit excited.
"Why don't you choose Shalimar?" Jesse suggested.
"Good idea," Brennan agreed.
"I don't care.I just want out!" Shalimar told them and they laughed.
US Department of Defense - Genetics Research
Adam and Brennan walked into the main genetics research area and Brennan knocked out the guard with a small bolt of electricity. Adam and Brennan continued on to the lab that Adam had left Shalimar in, but it was empty. They checked Obsidien's office, but he wasn't there, but they did find a lab number on his schedule board and headed there. When they got to the lab they looked through the window to see Shalimar in a white sterile room unconscious. "She shouldn't be in there." Adam said somewhat quietly. "Those machines shouldn't be involved in the procedure," Adam also pointed out.
"So, then let's get her the HELL out of here!" Brennan said and Adam nodded in agreement. Adam unlatched the restraints and Brennan picked her up, cradling her gently in his arms. Adam and Brennan started towards the door when suddenly Doctor Charles Obsidien came into the lab.
"What the HELL, do you think you're doing?!" Obsidien asked shocked.
"What the hell, do you think you were doing, Charles?" Adam asked furious.
"I'm serving my country!"
"Stand aside Charles!"
"I don't think so! Security will be here any minute!"
Brennan laughed for a second, "actually they won't.they're taking a nap."
Adam hit Charles and knocked him out. "Let's go," Adam said annoyed and opened the lab door for Brennan. They exited the Department of Defense and got into the car.
Brennan got into the back with Shalimar as Adam took off. Brennan held Shalimar in his arms trying to wake her. "Shal', come on." but Shalimar did not wake. "Adam! I think something's wrong!"
"Brennan, calm down. I'm sure she's just heavily sedated.I can check when we get back to Sanctuary."
A While Later. Med Lab - Sanctuary
Adam had made Brennan, Jesse, and Emma remain out of the med lab. It would make his work easier and faster. Adam scanned Shalimar and the first thing he noticed was that her DNA had been restructured, but not to stabilize the New Mutant DNA, but the New Mutant DNA was completely gone. Adam was in a state of shock. Shalimar was no longer a New Mutant. Adam had to sit down and he did on the floor leaning up against the wall with his head in his hands. "How could this happen?" Adam asked himself aloud.
"How could what happen?" Shalimar asked weakly.
Adam looked up completely surprised and still shocked. "Shalimar!" Adam got up and walked over to her. "How are you feeling?"
"Umm I don't really remember much, and I feel really tired." Shalimar told him obviously not in full capacity. "Adam, what happened?"
"Shalimar.about a week ago.you attacked Brennan, Jesse, and me.you were suffering from a DNA breakdown.your feral DNA was taking over."
"But I'm okay now? You fixed me?" Shalimar asked a bit confused.
"Yes and no.Shalimar, I took you to the Department of Defense to my friend Charles Obsidien who works in genetic research.and.I got worried so Brennan and I went and brought you back here."
"So, my DNA is still breaking down?"
"No.I just scanned you and you're DNA isn't breaking down anymore."
"That's good right?" Shalimar asked becoming more and more aware.
"Well, I suppose.your DNA is not longer breaking down, BUT you have been stripped of all New Mutant DNA."
"WHAT?!" Shalimar asked totally in a state of utter and complete shock.
"You're as "normal" as I am.you're no longer a New Mutant or a feral," Adam said looking down away from Shalimar.
"Ada..Adam..what's.what's going to happen to me?" Shalimar asked although it was hard for her. The concept that she was no longer a New Mutant or a feral was hard to accept.
Adam looked up, "what do you mean, Shalimar? You'll live!"
"But live where? Do what?"
"I.I.don't know yet."
"Have you told the others yet?"
"No. Do you want me to tell them? They're worried and waiting outside for me to tell them what's going on."
"Will you please?"
"Okay, I'll be back in a few minutes. Just lay here and rest," Adam said placing his hand on her shoulder for a minute and then headed out of the med lab.
Main Area - Sanctuary
Brennan, Jesse, and Emma immediately stood up when Adam exited the med lab. "Is she okay?" Brennan asked worried.
"Yes," Adam answered trying to stay as calm as possible.
"But there's something wrong." Emma said matter-of-factly.
"You could say that. As a result of the procedure that should have stabilized Shalimar's DNA.Shalimar is no longer a New Mutant."
"WHAT?!" all three exclaimed in unison.
"Shalimar is no longer a New Mutant," Adam repeated this time a bit slower.
"But she's okay?" Brennan asked.
"Yes."
"Well, that's all that's really important anyways, right?" Emma said.
"Yes."
"Can we see her?" Jesse asked.
"Yeah, but PLEASE try not to get her upset?" Adam asked and everyone nodded and then walked into the med lab while Adam set out on the steps.
Med Lab - Sanctuary
Shalimar smiled when she saw her three friends enter the med lab. "Hey," she said smiling.
"How'ya feeling, Shal'?" Brennan asked concerned.
"I'm okay."
"We're glad you're okay," Jesse said relieved that he knew his friend was safe. Not that he didn't believe Adam, it was just that actually being able to see for himself was somehow more comforting. There was silence for a few minutes.
"So, did Adam say how long you have to stay in here?" Emma asked breaking the silence.
"No, but I feel fine! I'm just a little tired, but Adam said that it's from the sedatives," Shalimar explained. "I really just want to get out of here, take a nap, and then do SOMETHING."
Everyone smiled, "how about we do something tomorrow?" Brennan suggested.
"What are we going to do tomorrow?" Emma asked curiously and a bit excited.
"Why don't you choose Shalimar?" Jesse suggested.
"Good idea," Brennan agreed.
"I don't care.I just want out!" Shalimar told them and they laughed.