- 3 -
- Origins -
As the group entered through the set of double doors that served as the buildings entrance, the sheer size of the structure was made apparent. The building seemed to be one massive hall, filled with all kinds of different machines, displays and other such things. From what Cal could see, security in the building was extremely lacking and he was starting to wander what they really did here. Just as he was thinking this, Louise just came out and asked.
"Ok then Mr Kelham; you're going to have to explain something to me." Louise said, glancing around the massive hall to take everything in.
"Go on Ms Lee." Richard said with a small smile on his lips.
"As far as I understood, this was supposed to be some sort of secret government lab or something. If that was the case, why is everything on display and why isn't there anymore security around here?"
Richard smiled but supressed laughing out loud. "Two things before I answer Ms Lee…" he said, holding up two fingers. "One, what makes you think this is everything we are working on? Two, there is a lot more security then you seem to give credit for. Just because you cannot see it, does not mean that it is not there." He smiled, earning a frown from Louise in return.
"Allow me to explain. It is no secret that S.T.A.R.T. labs are an innovator in medical, military and civilian technological advancements. We have built weapons of mass destruction as well as the means to fix that which has been destroyed. Along with that we also improve the daily life of people all around the world, first and third world alike…"
"Enough with the sales pitch…" Cal said, shaking his head.
Richard's smiled deepened slightly before he continued. "S.T.A.R.T labs try not to be the top secret government lab everybody seems to expect from it. As such, everything in this hall is free to the public for viewing, any time of the year, any time of the week."
Louise raised an eyebrow and turned her head to face Richard. "Seriously? They can just walk on in and have a look at whatever they want?" the tone of voice made it clear she found this ridiculous.
"Not quite. An appointment has to be made at least a week in advance and then each individual visiting has to undergo the security screening you yourselves just went through before entering the building." He gestured to his right in an action for the three of them to follow him. "But once they've done that, they are free to roam this hall and inspect anything in here to their hearts content."
"Ok then Dad, I can accept that." Sophie put in, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "But I'd be an idiot not to point out the obvious."
"Which is…?" Richard prompted, his smile turning from glee to mischievous in a second.
"If all this stuff is free for public viewing, what the hell are you working on in the back?"
"…and that, dear Sophie, is the million dollar question. Wait here a second."
The group had reached the end of the hall and had come to a set of double doors. At first sight they seemed to be made of simple wood, but the three of them could guess otherwise; even more so when Richard moved to the side of the door and activated a small panel of numbers. However, Richard ignored the numbers however and placed his finger against the small glass panel above the numbers.
The panel lit up with a blue glow and passed over Richard's index finger, taking the print as he pulled his finger off. The print stayed for a second before fading away and being replaced with Richard's name followed by a sequence of 8 numbers. Richard glanced at the numbers once and input them into the number panel, causing his name and the sequence to be replaced with the digits as he entered them.
Once he finished entering the numbers he punched enter and there was a whirring sound from behind the door before they jerked out an inch and then slid silently to the sides, revealing a short but wide entranceway behind it.
"Ok now, everyone in now." Richard said, ushering his guests into the area and following them in himself. As he passed the threshold the door slid shut again and dropped inwards an inch before the whirring sounded again and the group could see a complicated lock system slipping into place on the backside of the door.
"That's pretty secure." Cal commented.
"That's the whole idea one would suppose." Richard said, his face back to a sly smile.
Once the whirring sound stopped, a beeping sound echoed around and small lights came on at regular intervals along both walls. They lit up like projectors and the group was covered from head to toe in bright white light. The light pulsated a couple of times before they died completely and the group was plunged into darkness. This lasted a couple of seconds before a blue light flickered on them from above, bathing them a blue hue, and another whirring sound filled the room.
A door then opened on the far side of the hall and Richard ushered them through and into a four-way corridor that led to 3 different doors along with the one they had just left. "Ok then, if you could just step over to the centre of the corridors, I'll explain some more about what you are doing here."
As the group made their way to the centre of the crossroads, the door slid shut behind them and whirred as its locking mechanism clicked into place. Just as Richard instructed, Cal, Louise, and Sophie stopped in the centre of the crossroads, and glanced around at the three entrances. From what they could see, it gave nothing away as to what went where, except for a series of strange symbols in a sequence above the door.
"Right then…" Richard said, clapping his hands as he approached. "Now we have passed the initial checkpoint, security is a little bit less extreme further in. However, I will insist that you do not stray particularly far from myself or you might get trapped somewhere unpleasant."
"Wait a minute; before we begin I have a question." Sophie said "Why are you showing us this? The answer you gave Cal was not exactly an answer, was it?"
Richard paused and looked at Sophie carefully. "The answer I gave Cal is the answer I'll give now; you've never seen mine, or your mother's, place of work so I thought I'd give you a chance to see it. I mean, how many kids can't tell someone where their parents work?"
"A fair few I'd suggest." Sophie retorted, not looking particularly impressed. "We wouldn't be unique in the fact if you just stayed quiet about everything."
"A fair enough comment but…" Richard began but was interrupted as the lights suddenly blanked out and a siren blared out at a ridiculously loud level. Richard's eyes widened in surprise and he reached into his pocket to pull out some kind of touchscreen device. It lit up with what seemed to be random lines of text, and his eyes widened even further. "Follow me, now!" he shouted over the alarm and strode quickly over to the door on their right. "Quickly!"
Cal, Louise and Sophie didn't stop to ask questions, instead quickly following after Richard, stopping behind him as he flashed his device in front of the door. There was a light and a beep and the door slid open to reveal some kind of laboratory.
"Dad, what the hell's going on?" Cal shouted, following his father into the room, pulling Louise along with him by the hand. "What is that alarm?"
Richard ignored his son's question and instead traversed quickly through the tables, which were stacked with all sorts or liquids and vials, and rushed to another door, once again waving his device in front of the door. The light and the beep sounded again and the door slid open to reveal a large square room bathed in a dark red light. Richard swept in but suddenly jerked to a halt, making Cal nearly topple over him.
"Dad, what's wrong?" he asked, looking around the empty room in bewilderment.
"Dad!" Sophie said, slipping into the room and grabbing Richard by the arm.
"Get out, now!" he said just as the door slid shut behind them. Richard spun around and pushed past Cal to get to the door, swiping his device. Except this time, nothing happened. He tried again, but still there was no response.
"It's not going to work, Mr Kelham." A voice said from the darkness.
The four of them turned around just as a figure became visible in the darkness of the far corner. It was wearing some kind of heavy black cloak, helping it to hide in the dark, which covered its entire body with the exception of its face. As the figure turned to face the group, it was revealed to have a white mask on, plain except for holes for the eyes from which a red light seemed to glow.
"And I'm sure you wife would not appreciate you leaving so soon." The figure sneered. He turned his body and a woman tumbled out from behind him a fell to the floor.
"Susan!" Richard shouted and started forward, only to be stopped in his tracks as the figure raised his hand.
"Move any more than that and I will kill her. You know I can without any trouble at all." The figure said, the smile on his lips clear despite the mask on his face.
"Who the hell are you?" Cal said, taking a step forward so he was level with his father. His face was one of clear fury and his hands were clenched by his sides.
Richard started and spun around to face his son, stepping to the side at the same time to stand in front of him. "Cal, don't even think about doing something stupid! You don't know who this man is!" he hissed.
"And you do?!" Cal retorted without hesitating, his uncharacteristic anger flowing freely. "Who the hell is this person, Dad, and what the hell does he want."
"His name is Luthor K…." Richard started but was interrupted as the cloaked figure took a menacing step forward and a literal growl escaped from his throat.
"That is not my name! Not anymore, not since I was your subject!" he hissed the final word and took a step forward. "If you ever try to refer to me as that name again, I'll do more than just kill your wife."
"That's it, get the hell away from my mother!" Cal said and pushed his father aside to stride forward towards the cloaked individual.
"Cal!" Richard shouted and moved to step forward, hesitating at a look from the cloaked man. At the same time Louise rushed forwards but Richard grabbed her and pulled her back. "Don't." was all he said as all eyes were on the angry Cal.
Cal approached the individual and it was only at this point that he realised that the person was actually taller than he was, which was a surprise, but he was physically bigger so he didn't hesitate as he reached forward to grab him.
"Impudent boy." The figure said as he aimed a backhand at Cal's stomach; like he was swatting a fly.
Cal wasn't expecting much of an impact but as soon as the back of the gloved hand touched his stomach, it felt like he had been hit by a car. His body was flung sideways and he crashed into the wall, crumbling some of the top layer and sending cracks running to the ceiling and floor. The cloaked figure stepped forward, his glowing red eyes boring into Cal, and formed his fingers into a flicking shape before placing it on Cal's chest. Then with just a simple flick of his fingers, the wall crumbled behind him and Cal was sent flying backwards, where he crashed into a table of beakers and glasses and it all smashed around him as he hit the floor.
"This is what happens, boy…" the figure said as he walked slowly into the room. "…when you listen to your emotions." He reached Cal, who was crouched on the floor, cradling his chest and breathing heavily. Then he reached down, grabbing Cal's arm, and lifted him clean off the floor, like he weighed nothing more than a plastic bag. "And this…" he squeezed Cal's arm and the loud snap of it breaking echoed around the room. "…is what happens when you try to fight someone stronger than you." He finished over Cal's scream.
Richard and Louise rushed into the room, Sophie having run to her mother, with a look of terror on their faces. "Enough, what the hell are you here for?! When you broke out you said you'd never be back."
The figure turned to face Richard before punching Cal in the gut, clearly cracking a number of ribs on both sides. He then did it again and again before Cal gave up struggling and hung limply from his broken arm which the figure still had hold of. Then, without any kind of effort, he flung Cal across the room where he smashed through a door and slammed into some kind of pillar, knocking an object off and onto the floor, where it started spraying out some kind of green gas.
Immediately a heavy duty metal door slammed into place as metal walls followed suit either side. Louise ran across the room, ignoring the man in the middle, and slammed her fists into the door. "Cal!? Cal, can you hear me!?" she yelled, pressing her ear to the door in an attempt to hear a reply.
Then a far door opened and a figure in black armour, carrying an assault rifle. "My Lord, we've secured the objects and are ready to leave as soon as you want." He saluting at the figure's nod and disappeared through the door again.
"Then there is only one more thing left to do." The figure said. "The boy is dead, the mother is dead; I might as well finish the set." He stepped slowly towards Richard as he stumbled backwards over some rubble from the wall.
"People will soon learn my name…" he said as his red eyes shone brighter "…People will soon learn that darkness will rule."