Chapter Twelve: The Price of Freedom A Few Seconds Earlier
Pete Costas slowly felt himself rising out of the deep darkness into which he had fallen when the blast from the EMP device Max had thrown had knocked all of Dreadnoughts systems off line including those that had kept him constantly aware of what was going on, sending him into blessed unconsciousness. Immediately he was apprehensive was he going to wake up to find himself still a prisoner in the machine-thing that had once been his body? Wait a minute what was that?
Shock and surprise filled him as he realised that he could feel his body for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime. Things that had once seemed so trivial and mundane that he hadn't consciously noticed them registered as if brand new. For example he could feel the gentle regularly rise and fall motion of his chest as he breathed. He could feel that he was lying on something soft but firm and that something soft was gently covering most of him, perhaps a blanket. Yet something felt different about everything. He couldn't really describe the feeling; just he could feel that something was different.
It was then that he realised that Dreadnought was gone, completely gone. It was the only explanation for how he could be feeling what he was feeling. He didn't understand how it could be possible – Karlands words to him just before he'd been changed had seemed to imply to him that there was no escape for him. Yet if anyone could remove Dreadnought from him then it would be N'Tek.
A shocked gasp was drawn from him as the realisation dawned that he really was free. Due to his dry throat it came out more as a groan.
"He's regaining consciousness," he abruptly heard an unfamiliar female voice say.
Taking that as a cue Pete tried to open his eyes. He was surprised how much effort it took but he managed it and promptly groaned again as the bright overhead lights sent shafts of pain down his optic nerves – but only for a second, then suddenly the pain was gone and he could see normally – in fact better than normally. Everything seemed sharper somehow, more real. It was immediately obvious to him that he was laying on a bed in what was obviously some kind of well-funded hospital – or maybe N'Tek own medical centre.
A figure appeared over him. His father.
"Hello son," he said and strangely his voice sounded incredibly loud so did the bleeping of the surrounding medical equipment now that Pete thought about it. "Welcome back to the land of the living," his father continued as his mother appeared at his fathers side.
"Wher…where am I," Pete said even his own voice – dry and crackly though it was – sounded loud to him.
"Your at N'Tek," a deep familiar voice said. Jefferson Smith appeared over him. Followed almost immediately by Max and Laura. Pete winced slightly at the volume in Jeff's voice.
"Not so loud," he complained. Everyone around the bed exchanged knowing glances. "What. What's going on," Pete demanded.
"Were not talking loud Pete," his father said. Pete frowned luxuriating in the feeling of feeling his facial muscles move.
"What do you mean dad," he asked.
"It only seems like were talking loud to you because of what we needed to do to get the Dreadnought technology out of you," Berto said as he appeared in Pete's vision.
"What do you mean," Pete asked again.
"Well its like this," Jefferson started saying.
Quickly, taking it in turns Jefferson, Berto and a female doctor Pete didn't know explained everything. How they'd discovered that the Dreadnought circuitry had been slowly collapsing, killing him as it did so. How Berto had discovered that the circuitry was based upon nanotechnology that had been applied in perhaps the cruellest possible way, how they'd used their own nanotechnology to destroy the circuitry and repair the cell and tissue damage it had caused. Before they could continue Pete had the distinct impression that he knew where this was going.
"Wait your going to tell me that the max probes are part of me now aren't you," he said. He looked straight at Max and saw him nod.
"Yes they are," Max replied. "Your like me now."
"The nanoprobes weren't programmed to become part of you," Berto added. "They were supposed to shut themselves down until they could be dialysed out of your body once their task was done."
"But they didn't did they," Pete broke in.
"They started to," Berto replied. "But for some reason they stopped and started doing what they weren't supposed to do. Why I don't know. Best guess one or more of the probes malfunctioned and misinterpreted or completely disregarded the shutdown command."
"How could they do that," Pete asked though there was no bitterness or anything in his voice. He was grateful to have his freedom back, even if he didn't really deserve it. Too many people had died at his hands. Stop thinking that right now, a little voice inside him said, you couldn't stop Dreadnought. You had no control. You are not to blame. Somehow he couldn't make himself believe it though. If I'd been stronger I could have beaten Dreadnought, he thought. No you couldn't, the little voice inside him answered.
"I don't know. Possibly it was just a fluke error," Berto replied. "Possibly a flaw that developed in the nanoprobes circuitry during the replication phase. Its anyone's guess."
"Was there no way to stop them," Pete asked.
"No. By the time our sensors picked up what the nanoprobes were doing it was to late to do anything to stop them," the doctor replied.
"Look at it this way Pete," Jefferson said. "At least your alive and more importantly your free." Pete felt a ghost of a smile come to his lips just before a really strange feeling passed through him. A strange tiredness that seemed to plague every cell in his body simultaneously. Then all of a sudden it was over.
"Whoa what was that," Pete said shaking his head to clear the residual disorientation.
Berto glanced over at the monitors already guessing what he was going to see. Sure enough the monitors showed that Pete's T-juice level had dropped below ten percent.
"Your low on transphasic energy Pete," Berto said just as the feeling came to Pete again stronger this time. Berto's words barely registered on Pete's consciousness. Pete groaned slightly. Then the feeling passed again and Pete sighed in relief.
"I feel horrible," he said quietly.
"I know how that feels," Max replied understanding in his tone. "Running low on T-juice is not a nice feeling is it?"
"No," Pete admitted then grimaced as another wave of tiredness rippled through him. "What do we do now," he asked fighting against the tiredness as best as he could but he could steadily feel himself getting weaker.
"Well we need to recharge you so to speak," Berto said.
"It's going to be painful," Max added. "The first recharge is incredibly painful. More painful than anything you can imagine."
"Doubt it," Pete said weakly. "Nothing can be as painful as what Karland did to me. So what are we waiting for lets just get it over with?"
"One thing first," Amanda said speaking for the first time. "You need to put some clothes on. Unless you want to go into the… what did you call it," she addressed the last part to Berto.
"The transphasic generator."
"The transphasic generator naked," Amanda finished then almost laughed as a red embarrassed flush appeared on her sons face at the thought.
"Wait here I'll get you some clothes," Max said, then he left the room.
A couple of moments later he returned with a spare N'Tek jumpsuit taken from one of the supply lockers on this level slung over his one arm. A pair of boots in Pete's size was held in his left hand.
"Here you go put these on," he said to Pete.
"We'll leave you to get dressed," Amanda said to her son knowing that he would be really embarrassed otherwise just like anyone would be.
Everyone left the room and Pete gently and carefully got out of bed. For a moment he swayed as dizziness brought on by the tiredness rippled through his head. He fought it down and picked up the uniform.
It took him a minute to actually find out how to undo the things fastener – it wasn't a zip or a Velcro fastening like he was used to but somekind of molecular bonding strip. But eventually he found the right place to touch and the two sides of the binder split from each other and he was able to pull the uniform on. It fit tightly but not so tight that it impeded movement in anyway.
Then he sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled on the tough composite combat boots that were part of the uniform. As with the uniform they didn't have conventional fastenings – Pete supposed that was because N'Tek field agents didn't want to have to stop in middle of doing something like bashing terrorists to have to do things like tying laces up. Instead the tops of the boots were lined with a molecular fastening ring like the uniform was. Pressing the tops of the boots made them bond seamlessly to the leg of the uniform.
Then he stood up and immediately collapsed to the floor as his legs refused to take his weight. Closing his eyes Pete took a number of deep breaths gathering as much energy as he could together before opening his eyes again and once more trying to stand up. Again he wasn't able to stand his muscles were just too weak to support him now. Well Pete old boy I guess you have no alternative, he thought.
"Help," he called weakly hoping someone would hear. Sure enough Max heard and came back into the room followed by Jacob, everyone else had already gone to the transphasic generator control room.
Noticing his friend sprawled on the floor unable to stand through lack of energy Max felt a twinge of sympathy. He'd been in that position enough times in the last two and a half years to know how helpless Pete would be feeling. Quickly he turned to Jacob.
"There's a wheelchair over there," he said gesturing to a chair beside a medical equipment storage cabinet. "Go and get it I can carry Pete." Jacob nodded reluctantly and went to do what Max instructed. Knowing what he knew now about Max/Josh's enhanced strength he didn't doubt that Max would be able to pick the one hundred and eighty pound Pete up as if he weighed next to nothing. Whereas he would struggle to lift his son and would probably do his back in trying to lift him.
Max squatted down besides Pete.
"It's okay Pete," he said reassuringly to his friend who'd managed to flip himself over onto his back. Pete's skin was a shine of moisture from the fever he'd begun to run as a result of being so low on T-juice. "Don't struggle."
"I don't think I can even move," Pete replied his voice thin and weak. "Let alone put up a fight that you couldn't overcome Max."
"True," Max replied slipping his arms under Pete's back and legs. Carefully he picked Pete up and carried him over to the wheelchair where Jacob was waiting eying his son with rising concern. With incredible gentleness that belied his size Max gently placed Pete in the wheelchair. Pete was able to muster enough strength to at least sit up and put his feet on the footpads. "This way," Max said to Jacob as the older man began to push the wheelchair.
Pete was barely conscious by the time they reached the transphasic generator chamber. He could feel himself fading away, could feel the darkness reaching up to envelop him in its embrace again. This time he fought against it with every ounce of strength that he had – but he was steadily loosing the battle. Is this what Josh feels every time he runs low on transphasic power, he thought, how does he cope with it?
After a moment Pete felt himself being picked up again and moved into a seat in the centre of a platform that floated in mid air.
"Pete I know this is going to hurt," Max said softly into his ear. "Don't be afraid to cry out okay. It'll only hurt this time I promise. Okay?"
"Okay," he replied mustering the strength to speak only just. Looking around with his eyes only Pete was able to see that he was in the centre of a large circular chamber. Thick metal rings were visible and beyond them he could see somekind of projection units. Looking up he could see another projection unit that looked slightly different to the others. He abruptly heard a humming sound as the gantry was withdrawn. He relaxed back in the chair and waited for the next part of the regeneration procedure to start.
He didn't have to wait long. A few moments after Max and dad left he heard the humming of powerful motors. Pete watched as the massive metal rings began to move. Slowly at first but with ever increasing speed. Some of the projectors around the sides of the room came on sending blue fans of energy at the rings as the speed increased until the air itself seemed to be bending and flexing with the motion of the rings. Rippling arcs of yellow-green energy appeared on the rings glowing brighter and brighter and being transferred somehow to the massive energy projector at the top of the chamber. Looking up Pete saw a shimmering yellow-green nimbus of transphasic power glow brighter and brighter at the tip of the projector as the power built.
Then with the suddenness of a bursting dam the massive top projector discharged sending a thick shaft of yellow-green energy straight down onto Pete.
Blinding, searing pain burst across his body as the beam impacted him. It was as almost as bad as the pain the transformation into Dreadnought had caused. His face contorting in agony Pete screamed at the top of his lungs. Max hadn't been kidding when he said that this hurt like hell. Still Pete injured it with a stoicism that he had never thought himself capable of only crying out when the bursts of pain caused by the pulsating energy beam became to great for him to bear and a scream was ripped from his lungs.
After what seemed like an eternity the energy beam cut off and the motion of the rings began to decrease as the motors powering them were reversed automatically by the computer that regulated the generator. Pete slumped back in relief and gratefully gave himself up to the darkness.
*****
Up in the transphasic generator control room Max sighed in relief as the regeneration cycle concluded and Pete's screams stopped. Hearing Pete scream like that was almost like hearing an echo of himself two and a half years ago during his own first recharge. It had sent a shiver down his spine and he'd held onto Laura's hand quiet tightly during the recharge.
Now looking down on the chamber through the thick glass windows he saw Pete slumped unconscious in the central chair as the generation rings slowed to a halt and the energy projectors shut down.
Looking at his friend dressed as he was in an N'Tek jumpsuit Max couldn't help but wonder if he would see Pete in one more often. Would Pete want to become an agent after this? Would he adopt another appearance and identity like he'd adopted the persona of Max Steel if he did decide to become an agent. Pete would probably be a good agent, he had handled himself reasonably well during that encounter with Vitriol in Alaska a few months back. Pete could probably make it as an agent if he passed Rachel's demanding and comprehensive training programme which wouldn't be easy as the beautiful, sophisticated British woman was a very demanding taskmaster. Only time would tell.
"Extend the gantry Berto," he abruptly heard Jefferson say. "Let's get Pete out of there."
*****
InfirmaryHalf Hour Later
Pete regained consciousness to find himself once more laid out on a comfortable bed in the medical centre. The terrible tiredness was gone – though he was still tired it was a more normal, natural tiredness that was easily explained by the fact that it was getting close on to midnight according to the digital clock on the far wall. Despite being tired he also felt strong. In fact he felt better than he had ever felt in his life before. In its own way it was almost as frightening as the tiredness and weakness had been.
"Welcome back sleeping beauty," Amanda said teasingly from her seat as she saw her son open his eyes again. She was very glad to see him awake again and to see that their was no pain in his eyes. His screams during the regeneration procedure had struck to the very core of her soul and caused both her and Jacob considerable distress. They were both relieved that Pete would only have to bear that pain once. According to Berto, Yevshenko and Max recharges after the first one were not painful just mildly uncomfortable.
"Hi mom," Pete replied.
"How are you feeling son," Jacob asked from his own seat.
"Better. The tiredness is gone for the most part. What's left can easily be attributed to it being so late at night. Aside from that little bit I feel fantastic. In fact I feel stronger than I've ever felt in my life."
"You'll soon get used to that," Max said coming into the room with Laura in tow.
"Does it always feel this way?" Pete asked his friend.
"Yes it always does. Though the high feeling fades after a couple of hours. The trick in the meantime is not to let it go to your head. We're not invincible Pete, were close but not quiet. Always remember that."
"I will. I'm glad this feeling will fade its almost as frightening as the tiredness."
"It is that," Max agreed. He felt a faint nudge in his side from Laura. "We came to say goodnight Pete," he said. "Both me and Laura are shattered and are going to go home."
"That sounds like a good idea," Pete said hoping to sleep in his own bed tonight, and hope he didn't have nightmares about what he'd done while he'd been Dreadnought.
"I'm afraid sleeping in your own bed is not going to be a luxury you or us will have tonight," Jacob told his son. "Dr Yevshenko wants to keep you here tonight for observation just to make sure your okay before releasing you in the morning."
"Fair enough," Pete replied knowing it would be useless to argue. In his experience doctors were impossible to shift on such things when they'd made their minds up. "Are you staying tonight?"
"Obviously," Amanda replied. "We'll be sleeping in one of the other rooms."
"Okay."
"Goodnight Pete," Max said softly holding out his hand. Pete took it and they shook.
"Goodnight Max," Pete replied. "Goodnight Laura."
"Goodnight Pete," Laura replied leaning forward and giving Pete a kiss on the cheek. With that Max and Laura turned and left the room heading for the car park some eighteen levels above them. Pete watched them leave then yawned as sleep beckoned to him as well.
"We should go to bed ourselves," Jacob said standing
up. "Goodnight Pete."
"Goodnight dad. Goodnight mom," Pete said softly through another yawn.
"Goodnight Pete," Amanda said standing up herself. "Sleep well."
"I can but hope," Pete replied softly. Amanda and Jacob traded a glance of concern. They knew what Pete meant by that. He was afraid that he was going to have a nightmare about what he'd been through. Such things were inevitable – at least until Pete came fully to terms with it.
"Goodnight," Amanda tossed back over her shoulder as she and her husband left the room. Pete watched them go as well before sighing, making himself comfortable on the bed and closing his eyes. Within seconds he had slipped into a deep dreamless sleep.
