Chapter 3 – New Life Forms
Following morning…
Desmond walks out of his house looking around at the following houses. He notices not much going on and looks up at the sky. He doesn't see any Samson's or Scorpions being sent out. Desmond looks into the distance and sees the Military Base all the way on the other side of the City. Desmond drops down his hover board and moves on there.
At the Military Base…
Helen looks at the injured soldier on the bed examining his arm. She analyzes it from a computer and starts treating the wound. The Soldier twitches as Helen runs a stitch through him. Jake and Quaritch stand in the room as well with the Soldier. Quaritch steps forward.
"Is there anything else you can tell us about what happened?" Quaritch asks with his arms crossed
The Soldier lifts his head up.
"Not that much else Sir. We heard or saw something…moving around in the trees above. Next thing I know…I got shot by that…arrow." Soldier explains pointing at it near him
Quaritch walks over to the arrow that struck the Soldier. He examines it and notice how long it is.
"It's almost four feet long. God Damn. What the hell happened last night?"
"Were still collecting the video footage from the other soldiers Sir." Jake explains
"Well, what's taking so long? They weren't out there for three hours. Let alone an hour."
"Some of the cameras got damaged during the run Sir." Jake explains again
Quaritch sighs. Helen finishes up.
"Done. Now take it easy."
The Soldier nods and lies back. Helen walks out of the room and Quaritch and Jake follow her.
"Dr. Augustine, once the videos are done uploading I want you to look at them." Quaritch orders
Helen turns around.
"Sir, I got other wounded Soldiers to look at, they need medical atten…"
"I don't care! Do what you're told and figure something out!" Quaritch yells
Helen just blinks. Quaritch looks pissed at Helen and walks away from the two. Jake walks in front of Helen.
"He's just mad because he doesn't know what's happening, that's all."
Helen rolls her eyes.
"And when he doesn't, he takes it out on everyone." Helen explains rubbing her eyes
Jake looks down the hall and back.
"Look, I have a look at the footage when it's done, you tend to the wounded."
Helen looks at Jake funny.
"Don't worry, I'll have Quaritch yell at me instead."
Helen sort of smiles.
"Thanks Jake."
The two go their separate ways.
Outside, right at the front gates of the Military Base…
Desmond slows down as he approaches the Military Base. He slowly floats his way towards it. He comes up to the front gate and looks at the access code reader. Desmond reaches in his pocket and pulls out the Enforcer. A small quick handle device that force a random code to be entered into the computer. Desmond places it against it and the gates open. Desmond kicks up his hover board, it shrinks down to a smaller size and Desmond walks in.
As Desmond enters the area, he notices all around the Soldiers preparing up for something. He notices in the distance Scorpions and Samson's being uploading with ammo to the hull. Desmond shakes his head and heads to the main lobby of the Base. Desmond enters the lobby and looks around at Soldiers, (Not heavy armed, more like radio control Soldiers), running around like crazy. Desmond shakes his head and goes to the main desk where a female Soldier is operating quickly with an earpiece to each caller.
"Military Base, your call will be corrected, please hold."
Desmond walks up and sees the woman busy. She slowly turns around sees Desmond. Desmond waves.
"Hi."
"Can I help you?"
"Yeah, I'm here to see Jake Miles."
"You have an appointment?"
Desmond blinks to believe this woman doesn't know who he is.
"No I don't." Desmond says with a straight face
"Then I'm sorry, I can't help you."
She woman looks away and continues her calls. Desmond blinks and moves in the direction where she's looking, the soldier looks up.
"Could you tell me where he is?"
"Excuse me?"
"Tell me where he is? Or even better, think of where he is for me."
The woman blinks and slowly looks the other way. Desmond rolls his eyes and sees the elevators passed her.
"Well, since you're not going to tell me, I'll just head straight to his office."
Desmond starts to walk away and the woman tries to catch him but can't leave the desk. She quickly calls in some soldiers to grab Desmond. Desmond makes it down the hall and two soldiers get the call from the female soldier about Desmond.
"He's a kid. You should see him." Female Soldiers explains
The two Soldiers see Desmond and nod at each other. Desmond almost makes it to the elevators but suddenly, the two Soldiers stand in his way. Desmond looks up.
"Excuse me."
Desmond tries to walk past them but they stop him. Desmond sighs.
"Please move. I'm asking nicely."
The two Soldiers look at each other and back at Desmond.
"Come with us young man."
The Soldiers grab each of Desmond's shoulders, then suddenly Desmond, twists their hands off of him and knock them both back. Desmond wipes his arms.
"Please don't touch me; I don't like it when people touch me."
The Soldiers look at each other wondering what just happened. They walk back to Desmond and suddenly, Desmond grabs one of them and throws him into the other guy. The both scream as they crash over a bench. Desmond shakes his head.
"Gets easier every day."
Desmond walks up to the elevator and rings the bell. The Soldiers try to get up and look around. Desmond walks in the elevator and pushes the button for the floor. The Soldiers quickly rush to Desmond to stop him. Desmond sees and waves at them with a smile. Desmond waits patiently in the elevator to the floor he's going to.
Couple floors up…
Jake looks at several screens around his desk. All of which the video footage are from all the Soldiers who ventured out that night. Each screen is enhanced and zoomed in to identify the creatures that were out there that night. The computer analyzes the creatures, but the computer still 'searches' for any known matches. Jake sighs slowly and looks up. Suddenly Helen knocks on the door and walks in.
"Helen. What brings you around?"
Helen walks over and sits down in the chair.
"I watched the video footage over and over again. I couldn't find a single matching to any known creatures like these before."
"Dead end?"
Helen nods.
"Dead end."
"Well, same here. I got nothing so far."
Helen sighs. Jake leans forward and looks at something strange from the last minute of one of the videos.
"Helen, take a look at this."
Helen looks up and gets up.
"What did you find?"
"I don't know, but it's something strange."
Helen walks around the desk and looks at the image with Jake, but Helen doesn't see anything.
"What are we looking at? I don't see anything."
"Hold on, let me enhance the image a bit."
Jake does.
"The Soldiers said they were shooting at something up in the trees right before they boarded the Samson."
"Yes, and?"
"Look at the camera footage of the Soldier who got shot."
Helen looks. Jake moves the footage back and forth where the arrow came from. But on another screen where a different angle is scene. Jake and Helen spot something from the trees. Someone definitely shot that arrow, but was it something or someone?
"What does that look like to you?" Jake asks
Helen looks closer.
"It…looks like…a person. But it's too hard to tell."
Jake rubs his eyes.
"I was hoping you weren't going to say that."
"You can't possible show this to Quaritch."
"We have nothing else."
"All we have here are strange creatures no computer can recognize with and an out of focus something in trees. I'm telling you, we got nothing."
Jake sighs.
"Well…we still got to show it to Quaritch." Jake says getting up
Helen follows. Jake and Helen walk down the hallway and pass the elevators. The elevator bell rings and Desmond gets off. He walks down the hallway and up to his father's office. He stands in front of it for a second and sighs. Desmond walks in and sees no one in the room.
"Dad? Hello?"
Desmond walks around the room and doesn't see his father insight.
"This is not a surprise."
Desmond walks around his father's desk and sits down. He stares down at the screen in the desk and pops it up in front of him. He sees the words 'CAMERA #1' in front of him. Desmond recognizes it as a video footage camera. Desmond pushes the screen and sees the camera footage of last night. Desmond just blinks and watches. Then suddenly the video just stops. Desmond pushes play but the footage remains on pause. Desmond pushes the screen back down into the desk and Desmond looks around the desk. He opens drawers and finds nothing. Desmond opens the drawer in front of him and comes across a photo of him, his mom and father in a family photo. He stares down at it for a second and picks it up.
Me, my mom and my dad. Well…eight years ago I guess. Seems like a decade almost now.
Desmond shakes his head and puts the photo back in the drawer.
Back out in the hallway…
Helen searches around in her pockets and remembers she left something in Jake's office.
"Hang on a second; I left something back in your office. I'm going back to get it."
Jake nods and continues on.
Back in Jake's office…
Desmond walks up to the glass wall looking down at the backyard of the military base. Desmond leans against it with his arms crossed. He watches all the Soldiers keeping everything perfect and to its 100% rating. He looks off into the distance at the obstacle course of Soldiers running around keeping it in training. Desmond looks to the side of that at all the A.M.P. Suits all lined up perfectly. Helen quietly walks into the office and sees Desmond against the glass wall.
"Desmond?"
Desmond blinks and slowly turns around. He recognizes Dr. Augustine. Helen sort of smiles.
"Desmond."
Desmond gulps.
"Dr. Augustine. Hey, I mean hi. How are you?"
Helen nods.
"Good. Fine actually. Little busy but fine."
Desmond nods. Helen puts a pen down in her coat.
"What brings you here?"
Desmond walks back to the desk slowly.
"Just…getting a little information."
Helen blinks.
"Information? What kind of information?"
Desmond tilts his head and looks at Helen funny.
"You know what I mean. About last night."
Helen realizes. Nods.
"Oh. That information."
Desmond nods.
"Yeah, that 'information'."
Helen crosses her arms.
"You need high level clearance to get that information Desmond."
"I know."
"And you also need higher level clearance to gain access to this floor Desmond.
Desmond scratches the back of his head.
"Yeah, but not if your related to the second in command guy. Oh, what is his name again? Bake? Dake?" Desmond asks looking around for an answer
Helen rolls her eyes.
"Your father?"
Desmond snaps his thumb.
"That's right! My father. Jake Miles. A.k.a. Major Jake Miles."
Helen steps forward.
"Well Desmond, if you have any questions about last night, I can certainly help you."
Desmond shakes his head.
"Nah, I rather ask my Dad. I love when he tries to lie his way out of it when I catch him. Makes him feel dumber then he looks if you know what I'm saying."
Helen sighs.
"What do you want to know?"
Desmond bites his lip and leans back.
"Well, for one. What the hell happened last night?"
"As in?"
"As in like, that cloud thing that appeared above the city. And to ask it off, what about that thunder? Nearly killed me and my dad."
Helen blinks to hear that Desmond and Jake almost got hit by one of those lightning bolts.
"Well, were still determining that Desmond."
"That's it? That's all you can say?"
"We don't know where that cloud came from? It just…appeared and disappeared in a second."
Desmond blinks.
"How can a cloud just disappear?"
Helen shrugs.
"Were still trying to find that out."
"And the black out?"
"Were figuring that the cloud caused it after that beam of light."
"Can a cloud do that?"
"A…normal cloud can't do that."
Desmond nods.
"Right. And what about the Samson?"
Helen blinks in a confused way.
"What Samson?"
Desmond sighs.
"My friend Dennis spotted a Samson going outside the city and into the forest. Why'd you guys have to send out a Samson outside the city?"
Helen blinks to be aware that Desmond knows this. Desmond waits for the answer. Helen almost says it but…
"Helen! Are you in Miles's office?" Quaritch asks from the intercom
Desmond and Helen look around and both look at the intercom.
"Uh, yes. I am."
"Well get in my office now. I want a status report and Miles here isn't making go well."
Helen and Desmond look at each other. Helen blinks and wonders if she should mention that Desmond's here. She shakes her head and looks back up.
"I'm on my way."
Desmond looks up in relief. Helen starts to walk away.
"Next time you drop by Desmond, let's grab lunch together."
Desmond turns his head at Helen. Helen stops at the door and looks back at Desmond.
"We haven't had a talk in a while."
Desmond looks away and back. Nods.
"I'll think about it."
Helen nods and leaves. Desmond taps his foot on the floor for a second and decides to leave as well.
Down on the lobby floor…
The two guards that Desmond threw wait in pain for his return. The bell of the elevator dings and the guards look. Desmond walks out calmly like he did nothing wrong. He walks past the two guards. The guards look at each other and nod. They follow Desmond and each of them places their hands on his shoulders. Desmond stops walking and the guards look at each other and back down. Desmond turns around and looks at both of them.
"Okay…which medical room will you guys be in? I'll be there to laugh at you and your buddies body casts."
The two guards look at each other nervously and back off of Desmond. Desmond smiles and leaves.
Back in Quaritch's office…
"Are you serious?" Quaritch asks
Helen rolls her eyes. Jake sighs.
"It's what Helen and I came up with Sir. It's the only explanation."
Quaritch puffs smoke from his cigar.
"Alien creatures? This is what you give me as a status report?"
"None of the creatures from the footage came to no match. Not even for the past 300 years. So they have to be…alien." Helen explains
"This isn't some movie Dr. Augustine."
Helen keeps in her frustration.
"I know that Sir, but Major Miles is right. They had to come from the cloud."
"Clouds now shit out unknown alien creatures? I'm starting to miss rainy days people." Quaritch comments
Jake and Helen look at each other and back at Quaritch. Jake gulps.
"There's also…one more thing we've discovered."
Quaritch blinks and leans back.
"Well, I'm all ears."
Inside the City…
Desmond hovers around looking at all the damage that was brought down on the City during the storm. A few car wrecks, a few shops broken down from electricity. Desmond spots off in the distance Dennis and Sarah helping a few out with some damages being done. Desmond kicks forward and runs into them.
"Dennis. Sarah."
The two turn around and see Desmond hovering toward them.
"Hey Desmond." Dennis says
"Hi Desmond." Sarah says
Desmond nods. He looks left and right down the street.
"It's a disaster isn't it?"
Dennis looks.
"To think one stormy cloud did all this." Dennis comments
"That was no 'stormy cloud' last night Dennis." Sarah explains
"That's for sure." Desmond says
Desmond kicks up his hover board and packs it away behind him. Dennis and Sarah follow Desmond around the City looking at the damage.
Later that night…
Desmond lies quietly on his bed staring up at the ceiling. Desmond thinks about what he saw today in his dad's office. Those…creature things.
"What were those?"
Downstairs…
Jake walks in and slips on Desmond's hover board.
"God dammit!"
Desmond smiles.
"Zero for Miles, two hundred and fifty one for me."
The next day…
Desmond rides on over to the Military Base. He uses his Enforcer again on the access code reader. He gets in and walks into the lobby. The two guards from yesterday see Desmond and just stay in one place as he passes both up. Desmond stops for a moment and the guards stand nervous wondering what Desmond is about to do. Then all of a sudden…
"BOOO!" Desmond yells spinning around
The guards jump and Desmond laughs. He gets on the elevator and goes to the Medical Bay floor. Helen walks out of her office and down the hall. The elevator dings and Desmond gets off. He heads down to Helen's office and knocks. No answer comes and Desmond walks in.
"Hello? Dr. Augustine? Hello."
Desmond looks around and doesn't see Helen insight. Desmond looks around the room and walks to one wall where all of Dr. Augustine's M.D. degrees and science degrees she's got over the past years. Desmond slowly smiles and looks down. Desmond notices a photo of Helen and his mother standing together at some graduation party. Desmond's smile slowly forms away and he slowly picks it up.
My mom and Helen went to the same schools together. They graduated together as the top students of the universities. They both wanted to become doctors. But Helen got the job first.
Desmond puts the photo ; Suddenly Helen walks in her room and Desmond turns around. Helen walks in and sees Desmond.
"Desmond."
Desmond waves.
"What are you doing here?"
Desmond looks around and points.
"You said we haven't had a talk in a while."
Helen nods.
"Let's talk. I was around so…"
Helen looks at the time and nods.
"It's almost lunch time. Let's get something to eat."
Desmond nods and follows Helen out.
Down in the Mess Hall…
Helen and Desmond get two trays and grab some food behind a couple contours. They walk out into where all the tables are and sit down. Desmond turns around and sees a lot more armored Soldiers than usual. Helen sees.
"I know what you're thinking."
Desmond turns back around.
"It's nothing to worry about. Just a slight precaution."
Desmond narrows his eyes.
"Precaution? From what?"
Helen swallows her food.
"Exactly, like I said nothing."
Desmond rolls his eyes. Digs into his food.
"Don't forget who you're talking to. You're talking to a Miles. Say that crap to anyone else, they'll fall for it."
Helen smiles.
"Same old Desmond. Smarter than his own father."
Desmond nods.
"That's right."
"So, how have you been Desmond?"
Desmond shrugs.
"Surviving here, helping out someone there. You know the usual."
Helen rolls her eyes. Desmond looks up.
"Tell me Helen. What's going on around here? Be honest and don't try to lie."
Helen sees how serious Desmond is asking. She wipes her mouth and nods.
"Well…I can trust you Desmond. But you can't tell anyone else this."
Desmond lifts his hands up.
"Who would believe me?"
Helen rolls her eyes.
"Remember the storm?"
Desmond shrugs.
"Who can forget?"
Helen leans in closer.
"Besides the powerful lightning bolts that came crashing down…"
Desmond nods.
"Something...we believe…came to the island as well."
Desmond blinks and leans in closer.
"Something came? What?"
Helen looks side to side.
"Some…alien like animals."
Desmond throws his eyebrows up.
"Alien like animals?"
Helen sees Desmond not exactly believing it.
"We got video footage of them on the first patrol that came out the cloud suddenly disappeared. They went to the exact same spot where the cloud set off that massive E.M.P blast."
Desmond nods.
"That's why the island went into the black out state."
Helen nods.
"Precisely. So, the Soldiers got dropped off. And as they were patrolling, they came across strange like creatures that no one, even I haven't seen before. Quaritch doesn't like our theory that we presented to him but…it's the only explanation we have so far."
Desmond nods, looks off to the side.
"Quaritch huh? He'd kill someone for the right answer 'he's' looking for right?"
Helen nods. Desmond leans back.
"Quaritch…a.k.a. Asshole from Hell."
Helen covers her mouth and smiles. Desmond shakes his head.
"He still running things around here?"
"Well, obviously."
"Hmm…"
Desmond looks off to the side and sees a platoon running by. Desmond nods.
"Yep, he's still running the place…I take it that he's busy now, huh?"
Helen rolls her eyes.
"More than ever."
Desmond gulps.
"Well…it was nice talking to you again Dr. Augustine." Desmond gets up, lends out hand
Helen gets up and takes Desmond's hand.
"Yeah, it was good to see you again."
The two shake. Desmond begins to leave. Helen just watches.
Outside…
Desmond begins to leave the Military Base, he runs for it for the gate closing on him. Desmond tosses down his hover board and sighs. Suddenly rain drop hits him and Desmond looks up.
"Oh, man! Come on!"
Desmond kicks up his hover board and it shrinks down. Desmond throws up his hood and walks on the bridge leading to the City one way, and the other way, the giant City wall gates leading outside the city. Desmond stands at the top of the T Bridge staring down the long bridge. He sighs softly and suddenly hears a loud roar. Desmond slowly turns his head back at the gate and stares at it.
"What the hell was that?"
Hey, hey Readers, sorry for the long wait. I really do apologize. When I'm in school, I think about writing another chapter to get it done, and the same goes for work. So, Quaritch is busy dealing with the problems on 'his' island. Desmond's busy to figure out what's going on. Maybe these two can help each other? Next time on Kid Avatar, Chapter 4, The Avatar Solution