Ch. 4: Living Dead Girl
The cold night breeze brushed against her face as she sped along among the clouds. The night always seemed to sooth her, letting her collect her thoughts. Tonight, she had much on her mind, too much for her like. Questions she needed answered, and only one person who could answer them. One person who knew her, knew Jenny, and knew the Divinity Project. And one man she despised even more than Harada Busuzima himself.
"Ah cannae go to him. Ah need ta resolve this by meself," she resolved. She swooped down to a nearby building and looked over the edge. "Harada, Lisseth, Reiko, everything's getting turned upside-down. By gods, Ah jest wanted me simple life..."
Transforming again, Rahne swooped back the way she had come, riding the rising air currents fro the city below to carry her into the sky. "Ah suppose the first thing Ah should do is tell Reiko what little Ah do know..."
"The night is a beautiful thing, is it not?" Harada said with a smirk.
"I'd rather not engage in pleasantries, Busuzima," the hologram of the female said.
"A feisty one, are you not?"
"You are asking me to deceive and spy on an innocent woman. Had you not blackmailed me into this, I would have never agreed."
"But you did, my dear Reiko Ohgami. And you will continue to serve me, unless you would rather your parents knew your recent activities."
"Damn you, Harada..." A man then entered the office, interrupting Reiko's curse. He was tall and muscular, with long black hair and a square jaw. He wore a black turtleneck shirt and black slacks that barely contained the musculature within. A wide brimmed hat covered his head, but long black hair still flowed out. He briefly shot a glance at Reiko, then at Harada.
"Ah, appointment has arrived. If you will excuse me, Reiko, Dr. Goldberg and I have business to attend to." He pressed a button on the Holo-phone, and Reiko's image flickered off the screen.
"Dr. Goldberg, how is our other object of interest?"
"The one called Lisseth has been stationary since her involvement in the death of Richard Gado."
"And what of him?"
"As expected, sir"
"So know we know," he mused. "Very well, Dr. Goldberg, keep an eye on both, and report any change directly to me.
"As you wish."
Harada picked up a glass of red wine and took a sip, looking out over the city, his city. "Soon, the secrets of the divinity Project will again rest in my hands, and more importantly, immortality." A silhouette flew past the full moon, eliciting a smile from Harada Busuzima, "and you, Rahne Wallace, will provide the key."
Rahne swooped down, to the terrace of her loft apartment, and changed to her human form. She quickly brushed back her hair, and walked inside. She opened the door, ever slowly and quietly, to her bedroom. Reiko was asleep inside, curled up on Rahne's bed. She sighed, and walked over to her papasan. "Ah'll let her sleep the rest of the night. In the mornin' Ah'll tell her." Rahne streached out, made herself as comfortable as possible, and closed her eyes.
"Rahne... Rahne... Rahne..." an eerie voice called out.
"Wha? Where am ah? Reiko?"
"Rahne... one of us... one of us?"
"Lisseth? No, Ah'm not like that! Ah'm not...!"
"Humans... broke the taboo... created us... made us... from the originals... Rahne... Rahne... RAHNE!" Rahne's eyes shot open, and saw the familiar visage of Reiko Ohgami. "What... Ah was..."
"Judging from screams and sobs, having a nightmare." Reiko answred. "I know it is little consolation, and I hope you do not mind, but I took the liberty of preparing breakfast. I hope pancakes are to your liking..."
"Reiko, we need ta talk. Please, sit down."
"Certainly," she replied in cimplience. Rahne sighed, and looked her square in the eyes.
"About last night, Ah'm sorry, it was all me fault." Reiko began to interrupt, but Rahne stopped her. "Please, let me expain. Me body... well, Ah'm unique. Me body sends out a hormone, makes other people unable ta resist me. Usually, Ah can control it pretty well, but last night, it just..."
"I understand," Reiko said comfortingly, "but what do you mean, 'unique'?"
Rahne let out another, deeper sigh. "That's another thing Ah wanted to talk ta ye about."Rahne picked up a letter-opener from her coffee table, and Reiko's face took on a look of shock and horror as she heard it tear her flesh. A long, deep gash from her elbow to wrist, bleeding profusely. Rahne took Reiko's hand, and brought it to her arm. Her fingers touch, expecting to feel blood and torn skin, but instead found clean, unbroken flesh, as if the edge never pierced her.
Rahne took Reiko's hand to her chest, placing it I between her breasts. They stayed there a moment, and again shock overcame Reiko. "No heartbeat..." Rahne took another deep sigh, then stopped. Minutes passed. Five minutes, ten, fifteen, they just sat there, Reiko know completely and thoroughly shocked. "No breathing... What are you?"
"An aberration..." Rahne replied. "Tylon... he... they... Project Divinity"
Rahne... Rahne... let yourself be free...
Rahne clenched her head and screamed in pain. She thrashed wildly, in a voice barely human. Reiko rose quickly to comfort her, but instead found herself thrown back by Rahne's tantrum. "Rahne, Rahne! What's wrong?"
"Greeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaagh!" Rahne screamed, then stopped, and slouched over.
"Rahne...?" Reiko slowly approached, placing a hand upon her shoulder. Rahne jerked up, glaring at Reiko with blood red eyes. A sadistic smile came over her face as she grabbed Reiko's arm and flung her to the ground. Before she could crawl to her feet, Rahne punched, pinning Reiko to the ground. She pressed her body against Reiko's, and dragged her tongue along Reiko's exposed flesh on her arms and neck. Rahne's mouth hovered, feeling the heat rising from the blood in her body. All those veins and arteries... the blood...
"Rahne, please.... This isn't you..." Reiko's pleas were interrupted by a rough, unloving kiss from Rahne. She rose from her lips, the squirming and crying Reiko, and let out a low, guttural growl. She again focused her attention on the neck, and then began to drift farther down. "Rahne... please stop... what is wrong?" Rahne paused, and looked into Reiko's glassy, gray eyes. She shot to her feet, and screamed again.
"Rahne? Rahne, are you alright?"
"Reiko... Ah'm so sorry... Ah... Ah have to go!" Rahne ran to the terrace, and jumped, changing into her bat form letting the air currents take her. Reiko walked over, and watched her fly away.
With a tear in her eye she wondered aloud, "Harada, what have you gotten me into?"
The old man walked into his office, and hung his coat on a nearby hook. He took his place at his desk, and lit a cigar. Life was good when you are as wealthy as he. A hearty breakfast, a Limousine to work, a top floor office with only as much work as he wanted to do, and the finest Cuban cigars. Yes, life was good, but today, something felt off. There was someone here, a familiar presence. A woman he knew from a long time ago. She crawled to him, weakly, her hair covering her face and her palms sweating profusely as she reached for his pant legs.
With a look of desperation, she implored his mercy. "Help me... Roman Tylon..."
The cold night breeze brushed against her face as she sped along among the clouds. The night always seemed to sooth her, letting her collect her thoughts. Tonight, she had much on her mind, too much for her like. Questions she needed answered, and only one person who could answer them. One person who knew her, knew Jenny, and knew the Divinity Project. And one man she despised even more than Harada Busuzima himself.
"Ah cannae go to him. Ah need ta resolve this by meself," she resolved. She swooped down to a nearby building and looked over the edge. "Harada, Lisseth, Reiko, everything's getting turned upside-down. By gods, Ah jest wanted me simple life..."
Transforming again, Rahne swooped back the way she had come, riding the rising air currents fro the city below to carry her into the sky. "Ah suppose the first thing Ah should do is tell Reiko what little Ah do know..."
"The night is a beautiful thing, is it not?" Harada said with a smirk.
"I'd rather not engage in pleasantries, Busuzima," the hologram of the female said.
"A feisty one, are you not?"
"You are asking me to deceive and spy on an innocent woman. Had you not blackmailed me into this, I would have never agreed."
"But you did, my dear Reiko Ohgami. And you will continue to serve me, unless you would rather your parents knew your recent activities."
"Damn you, Harada..." A man then entered the office, interrupting Reiko's curse. He was tall and muscular, with long black hair and a square jaw. He wore a black turtleneck shirt and black slacks that barely contained the musculature within. A wide brimmed hat covered his head, but long black hair still flowed out. He briefly shot a glance at Reiko, then at Harada.
"Ah, appointment has arrived. If you will excuse me, Reiko, Dr. Goldberg and I have business to attend to." He pressed a button on the Holo-phone, and Reiko's image flickered off the screen.
"Dr. Goldberg, how is our other object of interest?"
"The one called Lisseth has been stationary since her involvement in the death of Richard Gado."
"And what of him?"
"As expected, sir"
"So know we know," he mused. "Very well, Dr. Goldberg, keep an eye on both, and report any change directly to me.
"As you wish."
Harada picked up a glass of red wine and took a sip, looking out over the city, his city. "Soon, the secrets of the divinity Project will again rest in my hands, and more importantly, immortality." A silhouette flew past the full moon, eliciting a smile from Harada Busuzima, "and you, Rahne Wallace, will provide the key."
Rahne swooped down, to the terrace of her loft apartment, and changed to her human form. She quickly brushed back her hair, and walked inside. She opened the door, ever slowly and quietly, to her bedroom. Reiko was asleep inside, curled up on Rahne's bed. She sighed, and walked over to her papasan. "Ah'll let her sleep the rest of the night. In the mornin' Ah'll tell her." Rahne streached out, made herself as comfortable as possible, and closed her eyes.
"Rahne... Rahne... Rahne..." an eerie voice called out.
"Wha? Where am ah? Reiko?"
"Rahne... one of us... one of us?"
"Lisseth? No, Ah'm not like that! Ah'm not...!"
"Humans... broke the taboo... created us... made us... from the originals... Rahne... Rahne... RAHNE!" Rahne's eyes shot open, and saw the familiar visage of Reiko Ohgami. "What... Ah was..."
"Judging from screams and sobs, having a nightmare." Reiko answred. "I know it is little consolation, and I hope you do not mind, but I took the liberty of preparing breakfast. I hope pancakes are to your liking..."
"Reiko, we need ta talk. Please, sit down."
"Certainly," she replied in cimplience. Rahne sighed, and looked her square in the eyes.
"About last night, Ah'm sorry, it was all me fault." Reiko began to interrupt, but Rahne stopped her. "Please, let me expain. Me body... well, Ah'm unique. Me body sends out a hormone, makes other people unable ta resist me. Usually, Ah can control it pretty well, but last night, it just..."
"I understand," Reiko said comfortingly, "but what do you mean, 'unique'?"
Rahne let out another, deeper sigh. "That's another thing Ah wanted to talk ta ye about."Rahne picked up a letter-opener from her coffee table, and Reiko's face took on a look of shock and horror as she heard it tear her flesh. A long, deep gash from her elbow to wrist, bleeding profusely. Rahne took Reiko's hand, and brought it to her arm. Her fingers touch, expecting to feel blood and torn skin, but instead found clean, unbroken flesh, as if the edge never pierced her.
Rahne took Reiko's hand to her chest, placing it I between her breasts. They stayed there a moment, and again shock overcame Reiko. "No heartbeat..." Rahne took another deep sigh, then stopped. Minutes passed. Five minutes, ten, fifteen, they just sat there, Reiko know completely and thoroughly shocked. "No breathing... What are you?"
"An aberration..." Rahne replied. "Tylon... he... they... Project Divinity"
Rahne... Rahne... let yourself be free...
Rahne clenched her head and screamed in pain. She thrashed wildly, in a voice barely human. Reiko rose quickly to comfort her, but instead found herself thrown back by Rahne's tantrum. "Rahne, Rahne! What's wrong?"
"Greeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaagh!" Rahne screamed, then stopped, and slouched over.
"Rahne...?" Reiko slowly approached, placing a hand upon her shoulder. Rahne jerked up, glaring at Reiko with blood red eyes. A sadistic smile came over her face as she grabbed Reiko's arm and flung her to the ground. Before she could crawl to her feet, Rahne punched, pinning Reiko to the ground. She pressed her body against Reiko's, and dragged her tongue along Reiko's exposed flesh on her arms and neck. Rahne's mouth hovered, feeling the heat rising from the blood in her body. All those veins and arteries... the blood...
"Rahne, please.... This isn't you..." Reiko's pleas were interrupted by a rough, unloving kiss from Rahne. She rose from her lips, the squirming and crying Reiko, and let out a low, guttural growl. She again focused her attention on the neck, and then began to drift farther down. "Rahne... please stop... what is wrong?" Rahne paused, and looked into Reiko's glassy, gray eyes. She shot to her feet, and screamed again.
"Rahne? Rahne, are you alright?"
"Reiko... Ah'm so sorry... Ah... Ah have to go!" Rahne ran to the terrace, and jumped, changing into her bat form letting the air currents take her. Reiko walked over, and watched her fly away.
With a tear in her eye she wondered aloud, "Harada, what have you gotten me into?"
The old man walked into his office, and hung his coat on a nearby hook. He took his place at his desk, and lit a cigar. Life was good when you are as wealthy as he. A hearty breakfast, a Limousine to work, a top floor office with only as much work as he wanted to do, and the finest Cuban cigars. Yes, life was good, but today, something felt off. There was someone here, a familiar presence. A woman he knew from a long time ago. She crawled to him, weakly, her hair covering her face and her palms sweating profusely as she reached for his pant legs.
With a look of desperation, she implored his mercy. "Help me... Roman Tylon..."