Title: The Persia Saga – Chapter 4: X-Gene
author: Logan Berry
summary: deep in Brazilian Rainforest Tweed's research is underway. But how does Kaylan fit into his plan and what has her father to do with it?
Rating/warning & pairing: PG-13 language
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to any Marvel Characters. Kaylan O'Connor, Lewis Williams, Korrigan Tweed, Edwards, Mist and Thor are fictional characters and are owned by the above author.
Feedback very welcome
Korrigan Tweed sat alone in the vast, steel re-enforced room he called an office. The only light coming from a dim desk lamp, casting a sickly yellow glow across an expanse of paper and folders scattered over the table. Tweed idly ran his wiry fingers through his greasy graying hair as he pawed over the content of a large red folder marked 'Secret'. He had not left the room in three days. He slept little; dozing on the couch at the far end of the room when he could no-longer keep his eyes open. Food and drink had been brought to him, but he ate little, instead choosing to devour the content of the myriad documents.
Stage one of his scheme was nearing completion and the need to force his team on to the next phase drove him with an absolute passion. Over twenty years of research sat in piles on and around the desk, all the result of Tweed's single-minded and sometimes brutal focus to achieve perfection. Nothing less would do.
But the last few years had been hard. He had allowed THEM to make too many of their own decisions, stepping back to enjoy his wealth and fame. But a string of unsuccessful experiments and dwindling investment had driven him back to the beginning – back to his initial research, when money was no object and the need to achieve gripped his power-hungry mind. Since his team had discovered the error in their earlier work Tweed had stepped back into the limelight, taking control of every element of the new scheme, nothing was done without his say-so. The energy that had driven him as a young biologist had now reawakened, and the Professor of genetics and bioengineering now worked with renewed vigour.
"Professor Tweed, your two o'clock is here." came the delicate voice of his secretary over the intercom.
"Yes, yes, send them in woman" he spat agitated by the sudden disturbance. He'd lost track of time – having neither watch nor window.
The 'bio-containment' door to his office slide open and three white-coated scientists scurried in, led by Edwards.
"Well!" Tweed addressed them without lifting his gaze from the folder.
Edwards hesitantly stepped forward "err…yes sir…err…we have the latest progress reports on stage one, sir" he stammered. Tweed always made him nervous, even the thought of his boss made his left eye twitch.
"Yes, yes, and?" Tweed said, finally fixing them with a frosty gaze (that would have put Bobby to shame).
Edwards continued, "Sir everything is progressing as planned. 15 pairs have been recovered so far."
"And the cover stories?" Tweed interrupted.
"Going to plan, Sir. The two shape-shifters we've employed have been taking their places for a few days as and when we recover each unit. By the time the units are discovered missing there is no trail to follow"
Tweed's face twisted in a cruel smile, "Good, Good"
"Err…Sir…err…" Edwards muttered.
"WHAT!" Tweed barked, knowing instinctively that Edwards had bad news, he could always tell what was coming when the wretched man started to hop nervously from one foot to the other.
"Sir we have had some difficulty in acquiring one half of unit 16"
"What sort of difficulty?" Tweed rose from his seat and strode around the desk to stand before the now cowering Edwards.
"Well Sir…err…the retrieval team encountered…err"
"SPIT IT OUT MAN!" Tweed yelled, droplets of his spit splashing Edwards glasses.
The blood was rising to Tweed's cheeks, as the intimidated Edwards tried not to make eye contact. The other two scientists unconsciously took a step backwards. Tweed's bellowing rages were renowned throughout the complex and neither wished to be on the receiving end.
Edwards looked up, "They encountered resistance Sir"
"Well what kind of resistance?" Tweed was loosing patience.
"Mist reported they were attacked by three black-clad Mutants at 16's home. "
"MUTANTS!," Tweed yelled.
Edwards winced "Mist said it was as if they knew we were coming, Sir"
"Why didn't they eliminate them?" Tweed snapped.
"Err…they were…err…over-powered Sir" Edwards cringed, waiting for the back-lash.
But Tweed strode back to his desk, scattering documents onto the floor as he searched for a single sheet of paper. Discovering it he scanned the list of names and code numbers on the page. Tracing his finger along the line pertaining to unit 16 his heart skipped a beat and the blood rushed in his temples as he read the two names.
"Which one of unit 16 did they fail to retrieve?" he whispered, staring at the page.
"Err… the female Sir"
Tweed's heart pounded in chest. "Kaylan O'Connor" the name rang in his head. Of all the units, she was the one he'd wanted most. He threw the paper back onto the desk and propelled himself at Edwards.
"Do you realize what you've DONE!" Tweed's voice rose to a roaring crescendo as he grabbed Edwards' collar. Edwards had no clue, he knew the units only by number, not wishing to give the 'poor unfortunates' the dignity of names, freeing himself from the moral accountability which Tweed forced upon him.
The name, Kaylan O'Connor was all Tweed could hear in his mind, over and over again as he shook Edwards violently. The first, the beginning, the key to his research. "How could they loose her?". He recalled the day his research truly began.
30 years earlier.
"Well, does she have it?" Lewis Williams' voice trembled with fear and anticipation as the white coated man entered the waiting room.
Dr. Korrigan Tweed silently crossed the room and sat down beside his old friend. His thin slit of a mouth drawing back into a slight smile but his eyes gave away his true emotion. He patted Lewis on the shoulder.
"Now Lewis, I told you not to worry" He answered calmly.
But Lewis was worried; it was his daughter in there. "Is she alright?"
Tweed took a deep breath. "Yes, she's alright, the procedure went well"
"And does she have it?" Lewis asked again.
"Yes, Lewis, I'm afraid she does." Tweed replied, trying to portray and air of sombre concern when inside his heart was racing with excitement.
"Oh God!" Williams stood up, a look of frantic horror on his face his heart bouncing in his chest. He paced the room rubbing his hands together nervously, unwilling to accept the enormity of the situation. "Oh God!". He stopped for a moment and faced his friend. "What can you do to help her, Korry?" he whispered. "Please you have to help her."
"Yes, Lewis, I can help her, but" he paused, only for dramatic effect.
"But what!" Lewis snapped hysterically, "Money's no option, you know that!"
"It's not the cost Lewis" Tweed answered. "The procedure, well…it's new…something I've been working on."
"Yes, yes, anything, please" Lewis pleaded, tears welling in his eyes at the thought of his daughter lying in the lab.
"Please sit down Lewis, I'll explain what it entails, you may not want to put little Kay through it when I've explained it to you" Tweed tried to sound genuinely concerned but he knew his friend would try anything to protect his precious child.
"The procedure is untested on humans, but I have had exceptional success on animal subjects" he continued. "Firstly, I will need to take a sample of spinal fluid that will involve a painful lumbar puncture. From this I can extract the gene in question and place it in stasis, 'freeze it' if you will." he smiled at the attentive Williams.
"And that will stop it?" Lewis asked hopefully, "She won't develop what her mother had?"
"It's hard to say Lewis, this is experimental. I could not cure her mother but with the information I gained from her I have developed this procedure and maybe I can help Kay live a full and normal life"
Lewis slumped back into his seat, loosing his wife had been hard enough, but the thought of loosing his daughter as well he could not bare. He nodded his head. "You must do it, help her Korry, whatever it takes."
"Very well Lewis" Tweed could barely contain the excitement welling up inside him. "We'll begin immediately." He stood up to leave. "Trust me Lewis, Kaylan will be fine."
Now all Tweed could think of was taking out his frustration on the diminutive man. Edwards squirmed in his grip, trying to speak. "S..i..r…we…wi…ll…try…ag…ag…agin". Tweed pushed him backwards, forcing him to fall into the arms of the other two scientists.
"GET OUT!" Tweed yelled. "You're totally incompetent. I can't trust you to do anything right." The three men scurried for the door as thoughts whizzed through Tweed's agile mind. "NO WAIT!" he yelled after them. The three stopped in their tracks.
Tweeds voice fell to a whisper "Retrieve the others, we cannot delay stage two. But tell those idiots Mist and Thor to keep their eyes open. We cannot afford to be exposed." Edwards nodded and turned again for the door. "Save the female till last."
Twenty-five years earlier
"That's it!" Tweed whispered excitedly to his assistant as he stared through the eye-piece of the electron-microscope. "I think we have it." He stepped back to allow the woman assisting him to view the sample. Picking up a Dictaphone Tweed begin to record his findings.
"Subject XG12, shows noticeable signs of pre-pubescent gene mutation, gene proteins showing considerable aggression towards 'Xblock', will consider additional doses over next few days".
He switched off the recorder and placed it back on the table. "Anne, please add my recommendations to XG12's chart would you" he asked his assistant. The woman nodded and headed out of the lab.
Tweed picked up his notes and walked to the desk in the corner of the lab. He slumped down in the chair sighing with relief. His latest patient had proved particularly tricky and to finally get some results was a god-send.
"Not disturbing you, am I?" came a deep baritone voice from the doorway.
Tweed looked up, a little surprised to find Lewis Williams' head poking around the door. "No, No not at all" he answered, flashing Williams a broad smile to hide his annoyance at being interrupted. Quickly closing the folder he had open on the desk and shuffling a few papers Tweed rose from his seat and met his friend halfway across the room.
"It's good to see you Korry" Lewis said, shaking Tweed's hand.
"And you, Lewis" Tweed replied.
"How's everything going?" Lewis asked looking around the large multi-million dollar lab.
"Very well, thanks to you old friend" Tweed answered with a sly wink.
Lewis smiled, a little embarrassed at his friends remark. "No thanks needed Korry, it was the least I could do. You have everything you need?" he added.
"Oh, yes, yes, I couldn't ask for more Lewis." he lied. "there was always more …and Lewis will give it to me" he thought deviously.
"Good, well I'm glad things are running smoothly, let me know if you do need anything" Lewis finished.
"So, how's the research, not that I could begin to understand what your doing?" he laughed.
"Things are going well" Tweed's eyes sparkled at the thought of his latest breakthrough. "We have four patients in the ward at the moment and they will be ready to leave in the next few days. We have three more due in next week."
"And the treatments?" Lewis asked.
"Oh, yes the treatments are working well. We are very pleased with the results." Tweed gushed.
"I'm glad" Lewis added. He thought back to the day Kaylan had been released from hospital five years before and the relief that came with knowing she was going to live a normal life. He thought of the parents and families of the children now on the ward and smiled to himself, knowing how they must feel.
"Have you seen the new plaque, Lewis?" queried Tweed, breaking his train of thought.
"No, not yet" Williams answered "Although I've heard it's very nice, I'll go along and see it later."
"It seems appropriate that the man who has invested so much in this research should have a wing named after him" Tweed added greasily.
Lewis blushed slightly; he was not one for accolades. It was enough that his money was helping those in need. "Well, I'll let you get on, looks like you have a lot to do" he said peering over Tweed's shoulder at the laden desk.
"Oh, yes I do" Tweed cut in, taking his friend by the arm and leading him to the door. "It was good to see you Korry"
"You too Lewis, we must have dinner sometime soon" Tweed suggested.
"Yes that would be good" Lewis added as he slipped through the door.
Tweed closed the door behind him. "Wish he'd ring first before dropping by." he thought, returning to his desk. He pulled out the folder from under the hurriedly placed papers and read the title on the cover silently to himself.
US Government:
Classified: Eyes Only
Mutant Research: X-Gene Project