Enchaîné - Chapitre 8

Âme - l'personnification du humain ...

In front of a man and a boy was the sea, spreading colours of blue & green in an amazing kaleidoscope manner. It was stained with streaks of bronze provided by the setting sun. Cotton-candied clouds floated against the darkening sky. A light sea breeze blew against their faces, filling their senses with the smell of hidden secrets of the sea. The man, wearing spectacles, turned and looked down at a young boy. A boy of shoulder length raven hair, seaweed eyes to match his angelic face.

Straining a smile, the man knelt down and said, "Do you know what's beyond the sea?"

The boy shook his head.

"Beyond the sea are many lands and there are lots of people living on them," The boy stared at him, bewildered. "Yes, you'll be going with me to these places."

The boy blinked his eyes, turned, and pointed his slender fingers at two children standing not far from them. Then, he turned back and looked at the man.

"Your siblings," the man looked briefly at them. "They can come with us if they want to. Before we go, there is something that I have been thinking. You need a name. After all, you are a human being and all living things deserve to have names, not codes or numbers."

"From today onwards, your name is André Masson."

André Masson

"My name is André Masson," André whispered, staring at himself in the mirror. "Why this name?"

"André," a voice spoke from behind.

"Omi?" André walked towards him. "What are you doing here? You should be resting."

"I can't," Omi shrugged his shoulders. "I slept too much back then." His voice grew softer. "I'm sorry about Shella. She save us from Gloven and his men."

"Omi."

"Yes?"

"Who gave your name?"

"Huh?"

"Your name? Who gave it to you?"

"My parents, I guess. Why?"

"André Masson. Seta Sakimoto gave me this name," Leaning against the wall. "Without any reason, he gave me this name without an identity. For 2 years, he took me under his house and taught me other things, just a mentor and his apprentice, nothing more. He never spoke of Âme or looked at me in the eyes for more than a minute. Then, one day, he became very ill. On his deathbed, he told me to pack up my things and leave for they will catch me. And I did that without understanding why." Closing his eyes. "Now I know why."

"André…"

"Seta Sakimoto came here to find his sister. Instead, he found her dead and discover me, a synthetic biological life form," Lips curled into a bitter smile. "In revenge, he published his findings with Sophie's wealth and influential means and Fideline's information. He took me in, gave me a name, taught me some streetwise stuffs and that's it. Like Gloven, that's all he gave me."

"André…"

"Do you know what Âme means?"

"No."

"It means soul and that's something they didn't give me. My maternal mother gave me life. Gloven gave me the survival skills. Sakimoto gave me a name but what they gave weren't enough to completed their creation." Slumping down to the floor. "All living things have a soul, the personification of a human. Do I have a soul? Am I human?"

"André…" Omi knelt beside him. "I believe you are a human and you have a soul." His voice was steady. "Like Fideline said, you came from your mother's womb. That means you were created naturally. Being naturally created means you are a human, thus, given a soul."

"And who gave me my soul?"

"God did."

"God?" André stared sightlessly at him. "Do you believe in God?"

"I…" Omi looked away. "I'm not sure but I believe He exists."

"He exists huh? Maybe this 'soul' thing is something you humans made up to make yourselves superior than other living beings…" André started to cough. Clutching his aching chest, he crumpled down to the floor, shaking.

"André!" Omi bent over. "Wait here! I'll get a doctor."

"No!" André gripped Omi's wrist. "Once they examine me, they'll know that I have Enchaîné DNA in me. They might kill you and I'll landed up as lab rat."

"But…"

"It's all right… it's subsiding," Beads of sweat trickled down his pale face. "Don't go. Just stay with me. For a while." Seaweed eyes were pleading. "Onegai (please)…"

"Okay," Omi replied, kneeling down again and gently lifted André upon his lap. "Here, you can rest upon my lap."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Omi fondled André's hair as he watched André closing his eyes into a peaceful slumber.

Outside the room, far from the two boys' view, Aya was standing there, watching them. Turning, he walked down the hallway. Analyzing, Aya knew of two things. One, the French government had no intention to destroy Âme or any of its data, including André and Frère. Second, they have to leave France as soon as possible. Aya always hated to be involved in any stupid political pointless missions, especially this one. There would be always mad scientists creating superior beings all over the world, whether known or not. Seta Sakimoto was definitely a lucky son of a gun to stumbled upon this and his ways of having revenge was certainly idiotic! For Omi's sake, he better not gets too attached to André…

Then, he saw his room door slightly opened. Taking out his sword from his trench coat, he slowly opened and entered. Treading inside, his eyes darted for presence of intruders. Suddenly, from the corners of his eyes, he saw something long and sparkling. Spinning, he strike, cutting off something that he had no idea what they were. Kicking the door shut, he switched on the lights.

Standing before him, a Greek-looking man with baby blue eyes and red hair, a shade lighter than Aya's. He stood there, with a smug on his face. From his hands, merged out long lavender threads-like objects. Clapping softly, he said in a raspy voice.

"Congratulations. You are the only one among your four comrades that sense my pretty hackers," He held up his tribal-like mask. "No, I don't intend to fight you tonight. I'm sure we can save our strength for tomorrow. Don't you think so? After all, you were shot by Gloven's snipers."

"Shut the talk and get to the point!"

"Don't get so cold, Aya," Frère smirked. "On the other hand, maybe that's why Shella somehow took a liking to you. Did you enjoy her kiss?"

"You deliberately sent her to her death, knowing she was suffering the final stages of rejection."

"And what if I did? At least, Gloven has less men now."

"Really? Is Gloven really your target?"

"What do you mean?"

"Since 1989, I am certain you have countless opportunities to kill Gloven. Instead, you didn't but kill the founders of Âme, their scientists and men. Though Sophie was your maternal mother, you let Gloven kill her in front of you. At the cathedral, you had every opportunity to go after Gloven while we deal with his men but you didn't. Why? Don't you want Gloven dead?"

"Of course, he's the one who made me this way."

"Really? I believe that you have no intention of killing Gloven. In fact, I bet you are going to let him escape tomorrow, leaving us at the French government's men. Probably, Omi, Manx and I will be killed and André a lab rat for future genetic modified humans."

"Ridiculous!" Frère spat.

"But it's the plan, isn't it?" Aya went on. "Have you seen the movie 'Mary Shelly's Frankenstein'?"

"What?"

"Let me tell you about it. 'Mary Shelly's Frankenstein' is about a scientist named Victor Frankenstein who wanted to create a superior being that doesn't succumb to illness or death. After collecting his materials and equipments, he was successful in creating one. However, after seeing the horror and abomination of his creation, he abandoned it. The creature survived and wanted revenge. So, it went after Victor and had his loved ones killed. However, it didn't kill Victor. Instead, it fled to the North and let Victor hunt it down. After months, Victor, out of exhaustion and guilt, died. It found him and wept. When someone asked him why did it weep, do you know what it said?" Seeing Frère's fist shaking. "He is my father. And in the end, it decided to end its life."

"What's the purpose of this absurd tale?"

"The creature sees Victor Frankenstein as his reason to live. He wants his affections and everything in him. You are like the creature, Frère. Gloven, not only is your father, he's your only purpose to live. You will kill anyone associating with him but not him. When Gloven dies, so will you."

"Menteuse (Lair)!"

"You are very happy being with Âme because you are the best among the 1000 subjects. Gloven loves you because of your ability. You love the attention and praises he showers on you till Sakimoto came and exposed him. Once Âme is shutdown and Gloven went into hiding, you felt lost, abandoned in the world outside Âme. You couldn't bear because everything is so different and new and it frightened you. Yes, frightened you to the point that you influence Shella to be with you but you couldn't do the same with André."

"You hate Sakimoto because he took Gloven away from you and I believe you killed him with some unknown poison. You let Gloven kill Sophie Amiel because she betrayed him and separated him from you. You kill the founders of Âme and scientists because they too betrayed Gloven and denied him of information in creating you. You wanted Gloven's men dead because they are 'taking in' your place. You used Shella because you know how much Shella wants Gloven dead and there could be only one person for Gloven. You!"

"As for André, he's the only one opposing you and you don't like that. So, you mixed up his thoughts with your own lies and other physical activities. The real fact is you are jealous of André because he has something that you don't have."

"And that is?" Frère hissed like a snake.

"His ability to adapt." Aya replied. "This Enchaîné DNA is nothing more than a vaccine, except it works the other way around. Instead of the body adapting to the Enchaîné DNA, it is the Enchaîné DNA adapting to the body. Once adapted, the Enchaîné DNA enchances the body in its way. However, in some subjects, the Enchaîné DNA couldn't adapt itself and since it is a foreign substance, the body will reject it."

Aya pointed at his index finger at him. "André has that ability to adapt in his new surroundings and is able to fit in but you couldn't because you couldn't accept your new environment. Out of jealousy, you deliberately let Âme chase after him. It shouldn't be a problem since you are capable of accessing into people's brains and computer systems. Nevertheless, André once again adapted and fit in each time in his new surroundings. This infuriated you because you want André to be dependant on you, to desperately need you. And now, you last resort is to threaten him that you will kill Omi if André doesn't submit to your conditions, which is what I had mentioned earlier, to be Gloven's permanent lab rat."

"There might be other details but at least this is the picture." Aya ended.

Frère threw back his head and burst into laughter. Aya frowned.

"Very good, you had that all figure out," Frère gave a thumb up. "Then, tell me something. Why are you letting Omi alive, knowing full well that his father was responsible for your parents' death and your sister's condition? Ah!" Grinning at Aya flinching. "How did I know? Well, I took a little moment accessing Omi's recent memories. You told him rather harshly about it."

"You could kill that brat very easily yet you let him live. Why? Do you need him to serve you as a remainder the reason you choose to become an assassin? Why not kill him? That way, you can complete part of your revenge. Maybe you couldn't because of Manx? Why kill her as well? People like her are always using people like you to wash their dirty laundry. Think about it. This mission has completely no meanings. Are you willing to through all the troubles because of one miserable journalist?"

"Frankly, I don't give anything to Sakimoto, " He paused. "However, I do understand his feelings as a brother when he discovered his sister raped and killed for the baby she could produce. His feelings to learn that there are evil like Gloven who brutally used children for his own selfish ambitions. Based on these evidences, this mission does have a meaning to it and I intend to complete it."

"Oh? And by what means?" Frère smiled sadistically. "When my men are already here."

"Here?"

Just then, a group of soldiers burst in, their guns locked onto Aya. Seconds later, Manx and Omi were brought in with guns pointing at their temples. Aya reluctantly surrendered.

Bound and gagged, the trio was taken to military base near the seas. Into a room, the rags were removed from their eyes. They squirmed at the sudden brightness, blinked and slowly focused on their surroundings. Gloven was there, his bushy eyebrows shadowed over his deep-sunken eyes. The half-grayish hair was cropped, enhancing his rectangular face twice the original size, including his hawk nose.

"Welcome, my Japonais amies (Japanese friends), " He greeted. "How kind of you all to join us."

"Cut the crap, where's André?" Omi angrily responded. "What have you done with him?"

"Chutzpah this little one is," Gloven placed his thumb and index finger on Omi's chin. Omi glared. "I could see why you have interest in this one, Frère. He's young, naïve and unaware of the tracking device you placed in his jacket."

Merely rising his hand, the men nodded and activated a switched. Instantaneously, the metal floor opened and out came a long table. Lying on top of the metal table, a man bound in place by straps on his forehead, neck, wrists, waist and ankles. Tubes, wires and needles are attached all over his body, monitoring every aspects of the body.

"André!" Omi struggled to break free. One of the soliders kicked him in the stomach, forcing Omi down on his knees. "Damn you…"

"My little prey has come back to me," Walking towards the table, he looked down and observed. "Fideline does deserve credit for her results. Very beautiful," Lustfully fingering over the naked skin, "A mixture of European and Oriental blood." Pressing the raven black hair, the sleeping eyes and the lips, "A sleeping beauty. I can see you have a selected taste for men, Frère." Taking out a syringe and inserting it. "Now, we must see what did Fideline gave him. Rectify the defected genes, brainwash him a little and he'll be ours forever."

"You are a sick animal, Gloven," Manx spat. "Your government will not stand such barbarianism."

"But you're wrong, Manx," Gloven handed the filled syringe to his subordinate. "You see. The government still needs me. I'm the thorn in the flesh that cannot be moved because the blood will spurt out the moment it is removed. I'm the foundation that made this country. I'm what is France is here today. I'm their father, mother and the root of their existence. Without me, they will be lost like stupid sheep. Do you really think they give a damn about a bunch of foreigners? Very soon, every country will see my vision and embrace it as their own. You three will be mere dust in the wind. Long forgotten."

"Now, let's study André's DNA while he's still in sub-conscious state. Afterwards, we'll have a hunt. Ah! I see the good doctor has it in view."

The huge screen displayed a crystal blue double helix model of the strands in twisted and distorted snake-like forms, emitting blue luminous light. Scrolls of numbers and letters rolled down the computer screens while another displayed André's breathing and pulse rates.

"Amazing," Gloven marveled, then his brows puckered at the sight of strands breaking apart. "What is this, doctor?"

"I don't know, Sir," stammered the doctor. "I never see anything like this before but," Quickly saying, "I believe the DNA are rearranging themselves."

"Yes, I can see that!" Gloven grew impatient. "But in what formation?"

"I'm able to determine that now…"

"Determine it now before I blow your brains off."

"Wait!" Frère interrupted, seeing the strands twining themselves. "It's going back to a normal human DNA strand."

"What?" Gloven bellowed, watching the blue luminous light dimming away in microseconds. "What about happened to Enchaîné DNA? Doctor?"

"The system is unable to detect it," stammered the doctor.

Frère pushed the doctor and inserted his lavender veins into the system. Closing his eyes and concentrated, he muttered. "The doctor is right. The system can't pick Enchaîné DNA anywhere." Looking at the pulse rate screen. "It like it has disappeared and its disappearance has not affected André in any way."

"Does that mean that Fideline has found a way to revert the Enchaîné DNA?" Gloven felt humiliated, cheated of his ultimate triumph in creating more of his children. Suddenly, he took out his gun and aimed it at André. "Then, he's of no use to me!"

"Wait! Father…"

"General Gloven," He snapped. "Everyone will address me with this title, including you!"

"With due respect, General Gloven," Frère bitterly continued. "It is suggested to wait for 24 hours more before concluding. What we have seen could be the initial stage of its transformation. While waiting, it is best to get rid of the Japonais as soon as possible."

Gloven stood like a rock for an intensely long period of time. Nodding his head, he yelled out. "Take them to the hunt!" Glaring at Frère, "I want the woman. Choose your pick between the other two." Glancing at the sleeping André. "Let us hope that your analyze does come to pass or else, you'll be next!"

The hunt was a vast space of forest with all its trees, undergrowth, miniature ponds and all its earthly scents. Manx and Aya were given five minutes for their head start. They had no weapons and against a troop of military trained men. Aya had plenty to worry about. As much he respected Manx, she may be capable in dealing a few but he had an awful feeling Gloven had his eyes on her. For Omi, He wasn't certain if they had release him somewhere else or they didn't. No matter what, his thoughts on André would distract him from fighting properly and that was what Frère wanted. Out of the blue, bullets burst into the open, forcing Aya & Manx to split in different directions.

André felt he was floating between times, buoying by an unknown force. His face turned skyward to the darkened space. He though he was awake but he couldn't see or speak, not fully conscious of what had befallen on him. Drifting in and out in the darkness, reaching back or falling, he couldn't tell. Inaudible voices were muttering around him. For a moment, André thought he had died.

Then, out of the blankness, he heard a voice calling out to him, echoing over and over. Upwards was a thin strong light, a warm and inviting light. The voice seemed to be coming from there. Once again, he heard the voice whispering to him.

What is your name?

André Masson…

André Masson… is that who you really are??

Yes… I'm André Masson…

If this is who you are… Then… Awake! André Masson…

Then, everything changed in an instant, the light, the voice, his sense of time and space – all disappeared. As his senses returned to him, he realized he wasn't floating but lying on a hard, cold surface in a white room of glaring lights, beeping sounds and monotonous ratting of something mechanical. Tubes and wires were all over him.

André remembered then. He was coughing badly and Omi was with him. He didn't want to be alone and he asked Omi to stay with him. Omi agreed. He fell asleep for some time till he heard the thumping of army boots. They came and he was too weak to fight.

Squinting against the lights, André thought there was someone towering over him. Vaguely, the image blurred in fuzzy colours of white, black, red and blue. It spoke something inaudible, it sounded raspy, nasal, with a similar accent. He wanted to get up but for an unknown reason, he couldn't. Gradually, the image cleared into defined lines and curves. André felt his stomach contracting.

"Awake, André?" Frère asked, his baby-blue eyes dark and smoldering.

Hiding low beneath the trees, Aya surveyed the area for Gloven's men. Like he expected, they were lying low and armed. Down on his belly, he crawled his way towards them. Stained in mud, he crept up to a fallen truck and stayed very still. Luckily for him, one lone solider was approaching. Swiftly as a deadly snake, Aya pounced on him, pinned him down and broke his neck in one smooth motion. Digging through the clothes, Aya took out all the weapons he could find and use. Dragging the corpse down to the mud, he tossed dried leaves and twigs over it.

Half running, Aya caught sight of more soliders. Merging into the surroundings, he hid once again. This time, a handful of soliders marched past. Sneaking from behind, Aya took a dagger, grabbed the solider last in the line and slit his throat. Examining the dead soldier's belongings, he found a silencer. Attaching it onto his gun, he climbed up a tree as quietly and nimbly as a cat. Targeting them, Aya shot them all dead before any of them to realize what was happening. With a heavy sigh, he took out a water tumbler and took a deep long drink.

Then, a loud booming shot shattered the silence.

The water tumbler slipped from Aya's hands.

Manx was running for her life, rather desperately. She knew someone was stalking her, deliberately missing her with his gunshots, taking his time in calculating the best time to capture and to kill her. Tree branches were scratching her arms, legs and face, mud and dirt was covering her and she hated it. Not so much of the dirt but because she hated to be the prey.

A hunter's prey.

Without warning, General Gloven burst out of the dense surroundings, knocking her flat to the ground. Manx felt his full heavy body weight on her, squeezing the every breath out of her. Struggling as hard as she could, she kicked relentlessly at him. One of them struck hard right at Gloven's face. Scrambling to her feet, she picked up the nearest branch she could find and hammered him over and over. However, the General was tough and he caught the branch with one hand and struck her across the hand with the other. Manx fell, rolling onto the earth.

Gloven came closer, pulled Manx up by the hair and punched her in the stomach. She winced at the thundering pain as Gloven pushed her backwards. Pinning her hands to the ground, Gloven roughly placed his leg between Manx's legs, shifting his body further in. Manx felt Gloven's stench upon her. Wiggling fiercely, she tried to break free even for an instant. Gloven laughed, enjoying every moment of his prey in her helplessness. She was screaming and her screams excited him more. With his hand tightly gripping both of her wrists, Gloven proceed on to undress her, placing his filthy fingers onto her soft oriental assets, squeezing and spreading.

Suddenly, something solid struck upon his head. It came one at a time, then repeatedly, blinding Gloven completely. He tumbled down in the soil, almost tasting the bits of bark, leaves and roots in his mouth. A boot stamped heavily onto him. Then, something hard was inserted inside his mouth. He knew what it was and before he could do anything, Darkness swallowed him.

Manx rose to her knees, coughing and shaking all over. A black coat was wrapped around her. A pair of strong and steady arms was cradling her in his comforting warmth.

"Arigatou (Thank you). Aya." She whispered.

À Suivre