CHAPTER 15
THE LIFE AND LIES OF GAZ
FEBUARY (19 Years Ago)
"Gavin. Come on wake up!" Snapping back to consciousness, Gaz opened his eyes to see his co-worker and long-time friend Dutch sitting beside him. The two of them were on their way to work and the overhead lights of the transit tunnel passing by overhead had once again worked him into a hypnotic trance.
"Yeah, yeah I was just resting my eyes," Gaz groaned.
"Yeah right." Dutch chuckled. "You look like crap. Just hang in there, you've only got a month left."
"And Alisha's mood swings are driving me crazy," Gaz grimaced. "I can just imagine how bad it's going to be when the baby's finally here."
"Well at least you have that excuse up your sleeve if Trager decides to complain about your lack of energy," Dutch smirked. "Or if a Norma manages to get the jump on you."
"Shove it you cheeky bastard." Sunlight washed over them as their vehicle exited the tunnel. In the distance, a huge tower loomed over the Imperial Capital all the way to the clouds. The Dawn Pillar, source of all Mana. It's size and design never seized to amaze Gaz and proved what a great place the Misurugi Empire was.
As they drove on, the municipal buildings changed to suburbs before thinning out into fields that still had some snow on them. The roads glistened with ice and it was times like this in which Gaz was grateful Mana vehicles floated off the ground. It would be quite a hazard if they had wheels in this weather. Farmland eventually turned to trees that were just starting to bud their spring leaves as they drove into the woods until finally, a huge square building came into view. 15 floors high and over 400 meters in length, its outside was a shell of black shaded glass which reflected the snowy environment. They drove through the front gate, past a sign that read 'Resource Development & Tech Cooperation' and into the lot where a number of cars and what looked like a school bus were parked.
Leaving their vehicle, Gaz and Dutch entered the building. The clock on the wall showed they were 10 minutes early as they pulled up their ID screens at the front desk and the female receptionist waved them through. Gaz couldn't help but notice how her attention seemed mostly focused on Dutch. "You know it's no secret she fancies you." Gaz commented. "When are you going to ask her out?"
"You know my workload." Dutch said. "But…I might ask her for a quick coffee on our lunch break."
"That's the spirit," Gaz laughed patting Dutch on the back. "My little man is finally noticing girls!"
"Oh shut up!" As they passed through the Administration block, displays of advertisements for the latest Mana tech and inventions hung on the walls. In one room, a field trip of elementary students and teachers were being shown around by the docent. Upon reaching the elevator, after checking that no visitor or guests were around, Dutch pulled up a Mana screen of a keypad. After typing in the appropriate combination, the door opened, and the two men rode the elevator down past the bottom floor to the hidden lab. Upon arrival, Gaz and Dutch walked down a long sterile hallway, the automatic doors at the end opening as they approached where they were greeted by another receptionist. This one a man who reached for the gun under his desk in the event they were not authorized to be down here. After confirming their identities, Gaz and Dutch retrieved their guns and ID badges from their lockers when they were greeted by a younger man in a lab coat with slicked back black hair with the same flame orange eyes as Dutch, his younger brother Donnie and one of the chief researchers for Project Alpha. It was Donnie who had gotten the both of them assigned to Project Alpha which Gaz was more than happy to do. Guarding the Royal Family was an honor but here they could do some real good.
"Oh great you're already here," Donnie said to them. "Dr Trager is waiting for us. And he's been on edge since Norma #63 bit him the other week."
"That won't happen again that's for sure." Gaz reassured. "It's a lucky thing we were there to get that little monster off of him."
"He's lucky it didn't kill him." Dutch pointed out. Following Donnie deeper into the facility, they were next greeted by a short overweight man wearing the same long white lab coat. He had slick greying brown hair and wore glasses that looked rather large for his pug like nose.
"Dr Trager," Donnie called.
"Donnie." Trager nodded at Donnie, his tension easing as he saw the two guards, he had with him. "We're going to give Norma 66# a bio scan to check if the subject is still healthy." Unstrapping their guns so they could draw at a moment's notice, Gaz and Dutch followed Dr Trager and Donnie into the holding area. On both sides, holding cells with doorways of bulletproof safety glass ran the entire length of the hall. Each one was barren save for a single bunk for the sole occupant, women ranging from late teens to their forties. All were dressed in loose fitting sterile tunics and pants and as they passed, most of them shot death glares at the three men. One even spit at the glass as Gaz passed by, not that it surprised him that a Norma could be so uncivilized. Finally, they stopped at once cell in particular and gazed at the young woman inside.
"On your feet 66!" Trager ordered. The young woman slowly got to her feet as the door was unlocked and Gaz stepped in. Her shoulder length hair was jet black with pretty sky-blue eyes, and she had a pale, haggard face. But what made her different from all the other Norma was the swell of her stomach. After entering her second trimester she was really starting to show.
"Put your hands out in front," Dutch ordered as he stepped into the cell with Trager. #66 complied and Dutch roughly slapped a pair of metal cuffs to the Norma's wrists. "Follow me 66." Donnie said calmly.
"Yes," she mumbled.
"What was that!" Gaz barked.
"Yes sir," she flinched with a frightened glance at Gaz. As they passed by the last few cells Gaz saw a number of other scientists, all women, checking the other Norma alongside a guard assigned to protect them should the Norma attack. Aside from Trager who was chief researcher and his assistant Donnie, the guards were the only other men in this wing.
At the far end of the holding wing, they entered into the primary exam room. Rows of monitors lined one wall and against the far end was a large boxy machine with a long bench sticking out from a hole in its face. As the Norma were immune to Mana, primitive medical scanners like this one were the only way to examine them.
"This shouldn't take long," Donnie assured the Norma. "Just lie down, don't struggle, and then you can go back to your cell." Gaz didn't know why Donnie always spoke so gently to the Norma, but it seemed to calm them down, so he supposed he had no complaints.
"Yes sir," she said. After she laid down on the bench, Donnie thumbed a switch and the slab retracted back into the scanner, taking the Norma with it. As the scanner hummed to life, the screens began displaying patient stats, internal scans, and finally an ultrasound of the womb.
"With any hope, 66 will be the result we've been looking for, if the subject is still alive." Donnie said.
"If we're to find any hope of stopping any child being born a Norma, then she might be what we've been hoping for," Trager said as he overlooked the data. "But no Norma impregnated with human sperm has successfully carried one to term."
"She's 21 weeks in," Donnie reminded him. "That alone is promising." Gaz himself came over to have a look at the ultrasound, which to him seemed to be nothing more than a black hole. Though he never cared what happened to the Norma he was eager to see if Trager and Donnie's hard work hadn't gone to waste. He wouldn't be surprised though if it failed. Miscarriages were the norm in Project Alpha which made the traumatized Norma even more aggressive. "Did you see that?" Donnie suddenly gasped.
"Shh hold on a second." Trager said as he adjusted the image quality. The black hole began to shift into a white blur which before their eyes began to take the shape of a fetus. And it was moving. Trager leaned in to examine the image more closely as Donnie began to write notes down on a Mana screen. "I can't believe it." Trager finally cheered. "It's a boy! Do you know what this means? A Norma can successfully interbreed with a human. And since Norma are girls and this child is male it means it's human." Donnie opened the machine back up and assisted #66 out.
"Success! The child is human." Donnie told her. Gaz saw her give a weak little smile, tears welling up in her eyes as she placed one had on her bump.
"The head of the Management Board is going to be very happy with this," Trager said enthusiastically. "And just wait until the rest of the staff find out." The celebratory mood however was cut short by a sudden commotion out in the holding area. A scream of pain, frightened shouting, and snarls like a wild animal.
"Dutch stay here with the docs!" Gaz ordered. Bursting out the door, Gaz had less than a second to take it all in. One of the Norma, an older one with boyishly cropped grey hair, had attacked one of the scientists. She lay on the floor, screaming in pain and clutching at a gaping hole that had been bitten in her right cheek. A guard had grabbed a hold of the feral creature who was nearly frothing at the mouth as she struggled. "Throw her down!" Gaz ordered. The guard heaved her against floor as hard as she could as Gaz drew his gun and fired two rounds into her back. The Norma spasmed a bit as if attempting to fight off death itself and finally lay still.
"What is going on here?" a voice yelled. Behind Gaz, Dr. Trager, Donnie and Dutch emerged from the exam room with 66 in tow.
"63 broke through her restraints and attacked Ms. Anderson," the guard answered as he helped the nearly hysterical researcher to her feet. "We were going to take her for impregnation and she suddenly went berserk." Trager stood over the dead Norma and grunted with disdain.
"Well, it's probably for the best," he said. "She was starting to get too old for the project anyway. Well done Gaz. Take Ms. Anderson to the med bay. Then get this mess cleaned up. Donnie, put 66 back in her cell. I have a report to write up." As the staff went on about their business, Gaz noticed how Donnie seemed almost sad as he looked down at the Norma.
"Hey, don't worry Donnie," Dutch assured him as he patted his shoulder. "Plenty more where that came from."
"That's not the point Dutch!" Donnie suddenly snapped. "We didn't have to kill her."
"She attacked a human Donnie," Gaz pointed out. "This is what happens when you let your guard down around Norma. If I didn't, she would have killed someone."
"See?" Dutch nodded. "It's like I told you Donnie. These things aren't pets. They're wild animals. Don't ever forget that."
"Yeah, I know," Donnie mumbled, though it looked to Gaz as if the young researcher was going to be sick.
"Come on," Gaz said. "We've got three other Norma to check on before lunch." Gaz approached her and 66 recoiled. Her face was pale, and her entire body shook.
"Just try it!" Dutch threatened as he raised his pistol.
"Dutch stop!" Donnie ordered. Placing himself between them and 66, Donnie extended a hand to her. "It's okay," he assured her. "We're going to put you back in your cell. No one's going to hurt you." Slowly, the Norma calmed down and allowed Donnie to lead her back to her cage. Once she was unchained and safely locked in, she stumbled to her bed and collapsed sobbing in a fetal position. As he watched her, Gaz was suddenly shocked to feel like his insides were twisting up inside of him. He hadn't done anything wrong. The Norma had attacked a human and he had acted accordingly. It was what he was trained to do, what he had dedicated himself toward. But as he looked at the cells' occupant, 66 didn't look anything like some dangerous animal. Instead, she looked just like a frightened young woman being held prisoner.
"You coming?" Dutch called. Gaz looked up and saw that he and Donnie had already walked off towards the next cell.
"Yeah I'll be right there." As he turned away, he could still hear 66 sobbing on her bed. "I'm sorry that you had to see that," he told her. He had just started to step away when a faint weak voice called out to hi,
"Thank you." 66 sniffed. Gaz's heart missed a beat by the fact a Norma was speaking to him in person.
"Just make sure you don't try and do something stupid like that if you want to stay alive," Gaz advised her.
The rest of the day passed by rather quietly. If any of the other Norma had any ideas about getting rowdy, Gaz's little show seemed to have convinced them otherwise. Which was just fine with him. He really didn't want to have to deal with anymore problems. He was just on his way out when Dutch ran into him. "You ready Gaz?"
"Yes, Alisha's probably making dinner."
"Hey are you okay?" Dutch asked. "You've been acting really strange all day."
"Yeah," Dutch said. "Like I said I'm just really tired."
"Not too tired to put down a wild Norma," Dutch smirked. "I'm actually kind of jealous."
"Could we not talk about that please?" Gaz asked as Dutch shot him a bemused look.
"Are you actually feeling sorry for her?" he asked. "Seriously? Gaz get it together. Dr. Trager was really impressed with how you handled it. Remember, this assignment is our ticket into the NMB security division. We've got to take our chances when they come. Otherwise, we'll never make it to the big time. Don't forget you've got a baby on the way."
"Yeah yeah I know," Gaz sighed. Thankfully, on the drive home, Dutch allowed Gaz a few minutes of shut eye to at least unwind. "Well see you tomorrow," he said as Dutch pulled up to a nine-floor apartment building.
"You know it," Dutch joked. "And remember, I get to bag the next one." Gaz bit his tongue and managed a wave as Dutch drove off. Inside, Gaz rode the elevator to the top floor and opened the door to unit 901.
"Alisha I'm home." From out of the bedroom door, a beautiful woman with raven black hair flowing to her shoulders came to greet him. Her piercing violet eyes sparked with excitement at the sight of her husband.
"Gaz," she smiled as she got on her tip toes to hug him but was prevented by the swell of her baby bump. So instead, Gaz wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.
"So how was your day?" Gaz asked as he took off his coat.
"I just got the last of this week's grocery shopping. And look!" Walking to the couch, Alisha held up a tiny, fluffy pink one piece. "What do you think?"
"It looks cute." Gaz grinned. Alisha smiled warmly at the thought their baby girl eventually wearing it, but she could tell by Gaz's body language that something wasn't right. However, she decided not to press the matter until they had time to unwind. She got her chance after dinner as they watched an ocean documentary on the Mana net.
"So you want to tell me what's bothering you?" she asked. "I can tell something bad happened at work."
"You know I can't discuss that," he sighed. "Especially in regard to the Norma Management board."
"Well don't go into detail then," she suggested. "Just be as vague as you can." Gaz thought it over as to how best to do that.
"I just had to do something…really nasty today," he finally said.
"I see," she said. "Did you have a choice?"
"I guess not," he admitted. "But it's not just that."
"What do you mean."
"It's Dutch." Aisha leaned up as she noticed the change in Gaz's tone.
"What happened to Dutch?"
"Nothing. It's just…he didn't have the same reaction as me. You know how I told you about how we met right? He was a scrawny kid who got picked on by the other students at the academy. I felt obligated to protect and help push him to improve. But even then, I knew he was somewhat unstable. He's always been full of anger because of the way his parents and teachers treated him. Donnie and I were really the only ones who saw him as anything more than a failure."
"That must have been hard for him," Alisha said as she laid her head on Gaz's shoulder. "I can't imagine how it must feel growing up like that."
"I worry about him sometimes," Gaz admitted. "I went to work for the NMB because I felt it was the right thing to do. Dutch though, I sometimes think he just loves having power over others. Even if it's just Norma. He sometimes loves his job a bit too much and It scares me at times." Reaching up, Alisha cupped his cheek to turn his gaze towards her.
"Well, it's a good thing he has a friend like you," she said. "Just let him know that he doesn't have to overdo it. He's only a failure if he decides that he is." Alisha then gave a slight jump and smiled blissfully. "She's kicking again. She's been active all day." She pulled Gaz's and down to her stomach as he felt warmth and happiness spread across his body. He smiled and nearly teared up as he felt the little angel in Alisha's womb. If there was any moment that he could live in forever it would be this.
March
As usual, lunch time in the cafeteria was full of activity. 40 to 50 Norma sat down along rows of metal tables eating their lunch. Whenever the Norma weren't confined to their cells or due for exam or impregnation, they were taken here to eat or were given free time in 'the quite room' where they socialized and were allowed entertainment in the form of books, board games, or watched movies on primitive disk technology. Behind them rows of guards stood along the wall watching them like hawks. After 63's attack, patrols were doubled, and each subject was assigned a monitor to make sure no further incidents happened. As it turned out, Gaz was assigned to 66, who after her successful pregnancy had become quite popular among the other Norma and scientists.
The activity ceased as the alarm rang, signaling lunch's end as all the Norma stood up. After disposing of their refuge and depositing their trays and utensils at the dishwashing counter, each Norma paired up with their guard and made their way back to their cells. Gaz had just gotten 66 out the door when she suddenly stopped and bent over, her hand clutching her stomach. Several of the guards on reflex reached for their weapons but Gaz raised his hand and bend down beside her. "What's wrong?"
"Sorry," she meekly said. "I just got a cramp." Gaz nodded and brought her over to a bench so she could rest it off. With her pregnancy proceeding at a good pace, it wouldn't do to strain her and risk losing the baby. Dr Trager would have his hide for that. "Do human women go through this too?"
"As a matter of fact they do," Gaz nodded. "In fact, my wife and I are expecting any day now. It's probably why they assigned me to you." 66 perked up with interest and stared at Gaz as if he was telling a story.
"Really? Do you know of it will be a boy or girl?" Gaz looked at her in surprise and she paled as she realized she might have just crossed a line. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"
"No, no it's okay." Gaz interrupted. "We're expecting a baby girl."
"Is that what you wanted?" she asked.
"Well," Gaz mused, "It would have been nice to have a little me to follow in my footsteps. But having a little princess I can spoil rotten could be fun as well." Looking down, 66 sighed as she petted her swollen abdomen.
"I'm glad mine will be a boy," she sighed
"Why?" he asked.
"Because if he was a girl there's a chance it would be born a Norma like me. But at least he won't have to live his life as a guinea pig." Once again, Gaz was struck by how human 66 could act.
"Maybe," he admitted, "but because of you and your child, it could mean that we might just have a cure for the Norma condition." 66 however didn't share his optimism and scowled at Trager's name. "What are you thinking of calling the boy?"
"It doesn't matter," she said. "They're going to take him away from me the moment he's born so what's the point?" Gaz felt like banging his head on the wall. Talk about a stupid question. "What about you? What are you and your wife planning to call your child?" Gaz raised an eyebrow. Over the past month they only conversations they had had were small talk. But now it was as if she were speaking to him as if he were a friend. "I'm sorry Mr Wright. I shouldn't have…"
"Chloe. We're going to name her Chloe." He said warmly. "My wife and I flipped a coin. She won so she got to decide on the name."
"It's a beautiful name," 66 said.
"Thank you," he said as he stood up. "Think you're good to walk back to your cell now?" 66 nodded and strained as she tried to get to her feet and before Gaz knew it, he had offered her his hand.
"Easy now," he said as he helped her up. From the corner of his eye, Gaz caught a few disapproving stares from the other guards.
"Hey, if she strains herself, she'll lose the baby," he argued. "And then who's going to explain that to Dr. Trager?" The other guards took his point and went about their business. After escorting her back to her cell, Gaz locked the door when she suddenly called out to him.
"Mr. Wright? Thank you."
"Why?" he asked.
"For being so nice to me. Most of the other humans, they scare me. Especially Dr. Trager and Mr. Villson. But you and Dr. Villson…you make me feel safe." Gaz felt his heart sink as she saw the empty smile, she gave him. 'Why do I feel like such an ass?' he wondered. 'She's a Norma. She'll turn on me if I give her a chance just like 63. So why does it feel so wrong?'
"I'm just doing my job," he said as he pulled up a Mana screen to check the time. "Now it's time for my lunch. I'll check up on you later so just keep your head down and behave."
"Yes Mr Wright," she said sadly. Gaz turned to walk away but couldn't resist casting a glance back.
"Listen call me Gaz." He smiled. "But only when we're on our own." 66 beamed at him, but before he turned the corner she called after him.
"Ashley. My name is Ashley!" Gaz was shocked that she had told him this. It was forbidden for either Norma or staff to refer to them by their birth names. But somehow, it felt better to refer to her as such rather than her number.
Winter was coming to an end and with the weather warming up, Gaz and Dutch decided to take their lunch outside. As he ate, Gaz kept glancing at his long-time friend and co-worker as he scrolled down the news website on his Mana screen. Ever since the incident with 63 Dutch had become somewhat distant and deeply involved in his work. From what Gaz had seen, when dealing with his assigned Norma #49, Dutch was very heavy handed and not above using threats to keep her in line. It was almost as if Dutch were trying to antagonize her into attacking him.
At the moment, Dutch was reading a puff piece about the birthday of Julio Asuka Misurugi II, the only child and heir to the Misarugi throne. As he scrolled down, Dutch scowled at what he saw. "Take a look at this," Dutch as he flipped his Mana screen over for Gaz to read.
'Last night highly classified weapons belonging to the NMB was stolen off the coast of the Marmeria Republic. Over 30 guards along with two survivors who are seriously injured. Both survivors described figures dressed in black who for some reason refused to use Mana. The NMB have put out a full inquiry into the investigation.'
"It's those terrorists again isn't it?" Gaz mused. Something similar had happened 4 years ago but on a much bigger scale. The Dawn Pillar was attacked by the same figures in black and it was reported something highly classified and valuable was taken. "They obviously aren't Norma. The Management Board would have identified them as such. So who are they?"
"I don't know," Dutch growled. "But the sooner we're ranked up to Captain the better use we'll be." Dutch said. "Though I guess you don't have to worry about that. Trager said he put in a word for you since he was impressed with the way 63 was dealt with." Gaz felt his stomach clench. Over a month ago, he wouldn't have given another thought to putting down a wild Norma. But now, after all the time he had spent with Ashley, the thought left him feeling sick.
As Gaz returned home, all he wanted to do was relax. Those hopes were dashed however when he stepped out of the elevator and heard a loud thump. 'That sounded like it came from my apartment,' he realized. A cold dread spread through him as Gaz broke into a run and barged through his door. "Alisha!" he called. A pot was boiling on the stove, but his wife was nowhere to be seen. Maybe she was just in the bathroom. He went to look, and something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. It looked like a leg lying across the kitchen floor. Gaz's heart skipped a beat in terror as he rushed over to where his wife lay unconscious on the linoleum. "Alisha! ALISHA!"
Two hours had gone by and still no word had come. His hand knitted in front of him, Gaz could do nothing but wait. He had contacted the paramedics and they had rushed Alisha into the emergency room. He didn't understand. Alisha had seemed perfectly healthy when he left that morning so what had happened? Time continued to tick by into the early hours of the morning when finally, a tall and lanky doctor with short Aruban hair came out. "Mr Wright."
"Is Alisha okay?" Gaz panicked. "What's wrong with her? Please tell me she's alright!"
"She's going to be just fine," the doctor assured him. "She was suffering from Abruptio Placentae, a separation of the placenta from the uterus. It caused an infection that put her and the baby at risk."
"What about the baby?" Gaz asked. Was he in a situation where he'd have to choose between his child and his wife?
"Well, some complications did occur," the Doctor explained. "We had to induce early labour in order to save both of them. Luckily, the baby has reached a point of development where she can survive outside of the womb. They're both fine. We placed her in room 306D, and she should be waking up just about now." Now that he knew his wife was safe and where to find her, Gaz rushed on ahead. Upon arriving, he burst in and found Alisha lying on the bed within.
"Gavin…" she whispered. Her usually beautiful face was ghost white and haggard. Her hair was messy and the bags under her eyes spoke volume. Pulling up a chair, Gaz set himself beside her.
"Hey," he said as he stroked her forehead. "You scared the shit out of me." Alisha shifted and winced as she remembered where she was. "Easy. Gaz urged her. Don't force it."
"Gavin!" she began to panic. "Where's…" before he could finish, the doctor who had spoken to Gaz came through the door. With him was a nurse who carried something wrapped in a pink blanket.
"Congratulations," she told them. "It's a beautiful baby girl." Alisha took the small baby from her and cradled the new-born against her chest. Gaz stared down at the small sleeping face with a crop of jet-black hair and it began to dawn on Gaz what he was seeing.
"She…she's our daughter." He said on the verge of tears.
"She's absolutely perfect." Alisha sobbed.
"Just like her mother." He said as he kissed Alisha's forehead. But the moment was short lived when they both realized something was wrong. "Why isn't she crying?" Gaz asked.
"That's the other problem," the doctor explained. "Although we managed to save you and your baby, she still has infection which has left her very weak and sick."
"How serious is it?" Gaz asked.
"Don't worry. We just need to run a few tests to determine what antibiotics the baby needs. Since she's just been born, her body is too fragile for the stronger drugs. Before that though…" The doctor gestured to the nurse who reached towards the baby.
"What are you going to do?" Alisha asked as she clutched her daughter close.
"Just routine procedure," the Doctor assured them. "Nothing to worry about." Gaz gave Alisha a nod which eased her as she handed the baby to the nurse. The doctor's hand shone with a green light as a small Mana shield formed. He gently brought it to the baby's head and as soon as it touched, it shattered.
The nurse let out a loud gasp and Gaz felt his whole world collapse around him. "No, No!" Alisha screamed, trying with all her might to get up to take her baby back. But she was much too tired and weak.
"Please try again," Gaz pleaded. "Maybe her sickness is affecting her!"
"Sickness doesn't affect the Light of Mana," the Doctor said. "I should have known. The Mana quarantines would have protected her from any infection."
"Then save her!" Gaz snapped, making everyone in the room jump.
"Excuse me?" The doctor gaped in surprise.
"Save her!"
"Absolutely not," the Doctor half laughed. In an instant, Gaz leapt to his feet and the doctor paled as Gaz towered over him, his face contorted in rage.
"What!" Gaz growled as the Doctor and Nurse took a step back.
"We can't give a Norma any medical care. And even if we could I would certainly not waste them on one." The world vanished in a red haze as Gaz grabbed the doctor by his skinny neck and threw him across the room.
"Security!" the nurse yelled as Gaz closed in on the doctor and began slamming his fists over and over into the smaller man. Gaz was barely conscious of Alisha screaming for them to give her baby back. Something grabbed on to him and Gaz was in the midst of throwing them off when something pricked his neck and the world fell away to black.
His head and body throbbing as if he had gone on one hell of a bender, Gaz woke up as the memory came rushing back to him. He reflexively jerked only to find his hands secured to the edge of a table. He looked around at the barren room he had been locked in. No windows and a lone mirror on the wall across from him. No doubt with people watching him on the other side. Gaz was familiar with interrogation rooms. He had used them more than once to interview people suspected of hiding unregistered Norma. As the door suddenly opened, Gaz looked up and was greeted to the sight of none other than Dutch standing before him.
"About time you woke up," he sighed as the took the seat opposite Dutch. "You caused one hell of a scene. From what I heard it took six guards to pull you off that doctor."
"Dutch where am I," Gaz slurred, his mouth feeling like it was stuffed with cotton. "Where's Alisha and my Daughter?"
"Just calm down," Dutch ordered. "Alisha is up in the private med room. So is the baby." Dutch's face grew a sad expression as he reached for his friend's hand. "I heard what happened. I'm so sorry Gavin." Gaz fell back in his chair. The realization that his own flesh and blood was a Norma was too much. It had to be some kind of a joke. "They gave you a sedative that knocked you for a loop. You've been in the detainment room for hospital security for the last 24 hours. The police were planning to take you in, but I managed to pull a few strings to get them to drop the charges."
"But the doctor…" Gaz started to say.
"All taken care off. He'll keep his mouth shut and you're still in commission. So at least no damage has been done to your career. Listen I can take you back up there. By the looks of things, the kid hasn't got long left. The least I can do is let you spend her last moments with you." The reality of it all finally sunk in and Gaz nodded, doing his best to hold back the tears that threatened to overflow at any second. One his restraints were undone, Dutch walked him back upstairs. A few doctors and nurses they passed along the way gave him funny and frightened looks, but Gaz didn't care. "I'll wait out here," Dutch told him. "You take as much as you need. After it's done, I'll take you home." Gaz didn't respond and quietly opened the door. Inside, Alisha was cradling their daughter as tears streamed down her face.
"Gavin," she wheezed, her voice was so dry and hoarse she could barely speak. Gaz rushed to her side and embraced her in his arms.
"Alisha I'm…I'm so sorry I left you alone," he sobbed into her main of black hair. "I lost control."
"It's okay, you're here now," she wept. They both stared down at the small baby who looked so beautiful. "She's been like this ever since you were taken away. She's never cried once or opened her eyes." The baby's breath was ragged and slow, and her face was chalk white. All Gaz and Alisha could do was hold their daughter and wait for the end. Suddenly, Gaz felt a pair of tiny fingers grip his index finger. He looked down to see a pair of sky-blue eyes look at him.
"Alisha look." he whispered. Alisha gazed down and somehow managed a smile.
"Hello there Chloe," she whispered. "I don't care if you're Norma. You're the most perfect thing I could have ever wanted."
"She is isn't she." Gaz agreed, one hand stroking the child's tiny head. "Whatever happens, no matter how many years or decades that pass by, you will always be my daughter. I will never forget you. Not for one second." The little fingers wrapped around his finger more tightly as if somehow, she understood.
And then it happened. Those little sky-blue eyes began to shut slowly, the ragged and slow breathing was no more, and it swept over Gaz that his child, his baby daughter, was dead. He clutched Alisha and the child in her arms tightly as hot tears spilled from his eyes. All he could hear was the painful wails from Alisha as they sat there for what seemed like an eternity until the child was taken away by a nurse for disposal.
MAY
The past two months had been the hardest of Gaz's life. It wasn't even eight weeks when he thought he would be embracing his newly born child, feeding her for the first time, changing her diaper, or putting her to bed. Due to Gaz's connection to the NMB he was allowed to have her buried, but a funeral was forbidden as it would have sparked too many questions. Just on the outskirts of Misarurgi in the middle of a large cemetery stood a little tombstone that read, 'Rest in Peace, Chloe Wright.'
Alisha meanwhile had become an empty shell. She would hardly talk, and it took a great effort from Gaz to try and get her to eat. After 8 weeks Gaz decided to return to work to take his mind off things and hoped Alisha would be fine on her own, though he regularly asked neighbors and friends to keep an eye on her. Gaz had felt numb all day and hardly spoke a word to Dutch or Donnie, the only one he would talk to was Ashley. Her pregnancy was progressing at a good pace and she was now in her third trimester. She could tell something was wrong however and as Gaz passed by on his patrol, she called out to him. "It's good to see you," she said. "None of the other Norma knew why you were gone. And I didn't dare ask the staff."
"Thank you," Gaz sighed. "Some personal things happened, and I felt coming back would take my mind off things. What about you? Any problems?"
"None," she said as he patted her stomach. "Dr. Villson told me that the child is looking stronger than ever." Gaz turned around to see she was not happy but somewhat sad and scared. Gaz found himself thinking of that look the rest of the day, even when he sat down to lunch with Donnie outside.
"I'm glad you're back," Dutch told him. "I bet it must be a relief for you as well."
"Kind of," Gaz mumbled as he tried to down his rather dry turkey sandwich. "It has helped to get out of the house. But the wounds haven't healed yet. And I don't think they ever will." Dutch put a hand on Gaz's shoulder.
"It's probably for the best," he said. "It would have died anyway." Gaz looked up and while a part of him wanted to slug Dutch one, something told him there was more to it than that.
"What are you talking about?" Dutch looked around and then gestured for Gaz to lean in.
"I was passing by Trager's office the other day and I heard a very interesting conversation. He was on the phone with someone from the NMB's head committee, trying to procure new test subjects from some place called Arzenal."
"Arzenal?" Gaz asked. "Is that some kind of Norma penal colony?"
"I don't think so," Dutch frowned. "I didn't understand everything, but it sounds like it's someplace out in the middle of the ocean. Apparently, it's a military base. The Norma there are trained to fight something called 'DRAGONs'. It makes sense in a way. Might as well put the Norma to use doing what they do best. Better them than humans anyway."
"You're saying if my daughter had lived," Gaz said, "she would have been forced to fight these…'DRAGON' things?"
"According to the person Trager was talking to, death is the only way out of this Arzenal place," Dutch nodded. "Take my advice, you and Alisha need to just put her out of your mind and try to make another one. There's no way it could happen twice in a row." This dismissive tone in Dutch's voice was the final straw and Gaz seized him by the collar of his uniform, lifting him clear off his feet.
"You son of a bitch!" he screamed. "That's my daughter you're talking about!" The look of fear in Dutch's eyes snapped him back to reality and Gaz let him go before he did something he'd regret.
"What is your problem?" Dutch demanded. "Are you seriously becoming a Norma lover just because you're related to one? Don't you remember what happened with 63? Don't forget that the Norma are all animals Gaz. Sooner or later your daughter would have done the same thing to you!" Without a word, Gaz turned away and walked back into the lab. His entire head was spinning, and he had to lean against a wall before he passed out.
"Gaz? Are you okay?" Gaz looked up and saw Donnie standing before him.
"Yeah," Gaz said as he wiped his face. "Just...a little lightheaded that's all. Is something wrong?"
"Well, with 66 almost due so we need to do another scan. Do you feel good enough to help me escort her to the exam room?"
"Sure," he said. A short while later, as Ashley was loaded into the medical scanner, Gaz and Donnie stood before the ultrasound image.
"This is brilliant," Donnie beamed. "He's a real kicker. Just look at him move!"
"Yeah I can see," Gaz said.
"So what happened?" Donnie said.
"It's just…I had a bit of a fight with Dutch."
"What happened?"
"He said it was for the best that my daughter died," Gaz answered. For a long time, the exam room was quiet enough to hear a pin drop.
"Gaz," Donnie finally said. "I'm so sorry. Why would he say that?"
"Donnie does the name 'Arzenal' mean anything to you?" Donnie furrowed his brow in thought.
"Not especially. Why do you ask?"
"Never mind just forget it," Gaz told him. If this Arzenal place really was some top-secret military base for Norma, then if Trager found out word had gotten it would be all their hides.
"I'll speak to Dutch," Donnie promised. "Norma might not belong in society but there are limits to what's acceptable." After the exam was over, Ashley was escorted back to her cell though Gaz noticed she still had that forlorn look from earlier.
"Are you sick?" Donnie asked. "You need to tell us if…"
"No, honestly I'm fine," Ashely answered. Gaz however wasn't so sure. Ashley had the same look Alisha had. Once back in her cell Donnie looked at Gaz. "Trust me I'll have a word with my brother. But keep an eye on 66. If she looks off or becomes ill come and tell me." Gaz nodded as Donnie left. Turning back to Ashley, Gaz was shocked to see her hyperventilating.
"Ashley," Gaz asked worriedly, "what's wrong?" Tears spilled from Ashely's eyes onto her lap as she began to sob.
"I…I can't."
"Yes you can. You can tell me."
"I don't want this child," she wailed. "Why do I have to bear this burden alone?" Gaz swallowed the lump in his throat. Once again, he was watching a pregnant woman suffer and he was powerless to do anything about it.
"Look, I know it might be scary, but you'll be fine. The child you carry is very special." This did very little to comfort Ashley. "Don't worry I know how you feel but…"
"Please Gavin!" She cried. "I don't want this child! I don't want this child!" Gaz motioned for Ashely to be quiet, but she was hysterical. "Please, Gavin I'm begging you, please help me! Help me get rid of it! Help me get out of here!" Sweat dripped down Gaz's face as images of Alisha wailing and screaming filled his mind and vision. 'Please help me Gavin, help her, our daughter. Don't let them leave her to die!'
"Gavin please!" Ashley begged as Gaz's fist slammed into the bullet proof glass with a loud thud. She jumped back against as Gaz loomed against the doorway, his face beyond angry.
"Don't you ever ask me that again!" He roared. "Don't ever talk to me you filthy Norma!" Gaz inhaled a deep breath like he had been under water for too long as his eyes filled with tears. Ashely meanwhile sank onto her bunk and buried her face in her pillow. 'What did I just say?' he thought in disgust. Without saying a word, he ran off. He kept on running back up the stairs all the way up to the ground floor. Out the side door he ran until he collapsed and vomited on the ground. Once empty, he wiped his mouth and looked up to the sky. How could he have been so blind? All the Norma just like his daughter weren't degenerate abominations. And Ashely was just a frightened young woman. All because she and all the Norma couldn't use Mana.
"I don't understand why you're acting like this Dutch! This isn't like you!" Dutch just rolled his eyes. After the scene with Gaz, Dutch had come back in when Donnie had pulled him aside and confronted him about what he had said.
"What?" Dutch snapped. "You can't tell me it's not the truth. Besides the world's a better place with one less Norma. Even if it is my best friend's kid!" Donnie face palmed in frustration at his brother's attitude.
"What are you trying to prove?"
"I've got nothing to prove to anyone," Dutch argued. "I'm just doing my job."
"So doing your job means being an ass?" Donnie asked. "For God's sake Dutch the man just lost his daughter. You keep acting like this and you're going to lose him just like you lost Mom and Dad." Dutch's face went red with anger as he grabbed Donnie's lab coat and shoved him against the wall.
"I didn't lose them!" he screamed. "I cut them off after all the shit they dumped on me! But you wouldn't know anything about that would you? Always the perfect son with your good grades and your fancy schools. I had to work for everything I had! I'm going to be head of the Norma Management Board and when I do, I'm going to hunt down every Norma and those terrorists who love them and put them down myself." As the rage faded, Dutch released his younger brother and straightened his uniform. "And if Gaz is so weak as to let something like this break him then he never had what it took in the first place. If it were me, I would have put the little monster down myself." As Dutch walked off, Donnie found himself too shocked to do anything but stare. 'Come on Dutch get yourself together,' Donnie thought. 'You're better than this.'
May 19th
After another rough night, Gaz woke up to see Alisha missing. He walked out the bedroom to the living room and found her sitting in a chair staring blankly out the window that overlooked the apartment courtyard and the fountain of Queen Sophia Ikaruga Misurugi. "Alisha, Alisha." Gaz called, clicking his fingers in front of her face and getting no response. Ever since their child had died Alisha had been on suicide watch as she had almost hung herself one day. But for seven weeks she had been unresponsive, and Gaz was getting desperate.
"Alisha c'mon, please this isn't you." Gaz pleaded. "We have to get through this. You can get through this. You're stronger than this." Alisha looked at him with no discernible emotion. "Look, why don't you go out for some fresh air today. It's not helping you being stuck inside." The slight glimpse of a smile appeared on her face which gave Gaz a sense of relief. "I have to get to work but I'll try and get off early. I know somewhere we can go. Somewhere peaceful." After changing into his uniform, he walked back into the room and saw Alisha had moved from the chair to sleep on the couch. 'Don't worry Alisha,' he promised. 'I'll never leave you. I'll always be here for you.' As he stepped out the door, Gaz thought he would give anything to change the situation. 'Hopefully something will come to me. I'll find her help or something that will bring her back.'
As he arrived at work, Gaz didn't' feel any better. Ever since the day he had let his anger and pain get the better of him and snapped at Ashley, she had been distant and nervous around him. When he tried to speak to her she would always recoil as if she expected him to hurt her. Not that he blamed her. He'd just have to try again to today and hope she'd accept his apology.
As he entered the holding area, he noticed something was odd. The Norma in their cells seemed more apprehensive than usual. And all of them had they eyes locked on Ashley's cell. A feeling of dread rising within him, Gaz quickened his pace and when he stood before the entryway, found the cell empty.
"There you are!" a familiar voice called. Gaz grimaced as he turned and saw the last person, he had wanted to see rushing towards him. But his curiosity was piqued when he saw how unusually expressive Dutch seemed.
"What is it?" he asked. "Where's…66?"
"Where do you think?" Dutch countered. "She went into labor early this morning. She just had the baby!"
"You're kidding!" Gaz gasped. "Is she alright?"
"Never mind her," Dutch argued. "We did it. A Norma can produce a human child!" Images of Alisha lying motionless on the kitchen floor came rushing back to Gaz and he ran on ahead. At the door to the exam room, the other scientists were waiting outside.
"Hey, you can't go in…" one started to say just before Gaz shoved them aside.
"It's okay," Dutch assured them as he followed him in. "He's 66's handler." Once inside, Gaz took a quick scan of the situation. Dr. Trager and Donnie were standing before several Mana screens, each one displaying a person Gaz recognized as one of the leaders of the six nations of humanity. A trio of nurses in surgical scrubs stood around a hospital bed where Ashley lay with her hand chained to one of the railings.
"It was a difficult labor," Dr. Trager explained, "but both the mother and subject Alpha managed to pull through."
"We look forward to seeing how Subject Alpha develops," The Velda queen said.
"You have done so well, to make the impossible happen," agreed Emperor Misurugi
"Let's hope with enough tests and research this child will be the answer to cure the existence of how the Norma are born," added the Endurant President. As Dr Trager cut the transmission, Gaz moved around to the side and saw a baby basin next to Ashley's bed. And inside Gaz could see a tiny sleeping baby with a crop of spikey jet-black hair wrapped in a fluffy blue blanket.
"Dr. Trager we did it!" Donnie cheered.
"After all these years," Trager laughed, practically dancing around the floor.
"Shhh!" One of the female scientists hissed. "Don't wake the baby."
"This is a giant step in the right direction." Donnie grinned typing notes on his Mana screen. "But what happens now?"
"I talked with the NMB Committee," Trager answered. "The child will be taken away to be raised in a secure facility." Gaz felt more than a little guilty. He wasn't surprised that was what would happen and also knew that Ashley did not want the baby. But the thought of a child growing up without its parents was sad. Suddenly, the baby woke and began to fuss and cry.
"The little guy must be hungry." Donnie said. Awakened by her son's cries, Ashley's sky-blue eyes opened, and she turned her head weakly towards the basinet. "Dr. Trager, maybe we could allow 66 to feed him?"
"Out of the question, she'll tear him apart." Trager said
"Please," Ashley weakly croaked, "give me my baby."
"Doctor please," Gaz suddenly spoke up. "she might be a Norma, but doesn't she deserve to hold her own flesh and blood? She might even prove a Norma can have motherly instincts." Donnie nodded in agreement and Trager rolled his eyes.
"Oh, very well. I suppose I can allow that much. But if she tries anything funny…"
"Don't worry she's far too weak to do so," Donnie said as he unlocked Ashley's cuff. With a great deal of difficulty, Ashley managed to sit up as Donnie lifted the baby out of the bassinet and passed it to her. One of the Nurses used her Mana to heat up a bottle of formula as Ashley cradled him. As she began to feed him, Gaz stood over her as she looked up at him.
"Gaz," she whispered, "thank you for speaking up for me."
"You deserve it," he said. "I'm so sorry what I said and what you've had to endure. I wish there was something I could do."
"It's alright," she told him. "He's perfect." Once the baby had his fill, a nurse opened a Mana screen so she could run a diagnostic on the baby. As if fascinated by the floating screen, the baby waved his hand at it and the Mana cracked and shattered like shards of glass. Everyone gave a surprised jump as silence filled the room. Trager's eyes widened to twice their size as the nurses, scientists, Gaz, Dutch and Donnie looked on in horror.
"What…was that?" Trager gasped in horror.
"I…I…I don't know," one nurse said.
"No it can't be!" Donnie gasped.
"No." Trager snapped. "I refuse to believe it." Rushing forward, Trager's hand lit up as he manifested a Mana shield appeared and moved it towards the baby's head.
"No don't." Ashely begged as she held the baby close.
"Hold her!" Trager barked. In an instant, the nurses grabbed a hold of her and before all their eyes, the barrier shattered just like the screen. One of the Nurses let out a horrifying scream as Trager leaped back.
"It's an abomination!" Dutch shouted in revulsion, his hand reaching for his gun.
"Everyone calm down!" Gaz yelled, doing his best to defuse the situation. "There's no such thing as a male Norma! There has to be an explanation!"
"There is no other explanation!" Trager screamed. "My career is ruined! Someone! Get that…thing out of here!" Dutch went to take the baby away from her, but as he grabbed her wrist, she bit him hard enough to draw blood.
"Fucking Bitch!" he yelled.
"Get the guards in here!" Trager screamed. The tiny baby cried and screamed fearfully as three other guards barged in and yanked him from Ashley's arms.
"No! Get away from him!" Ashley yelled, flailing wildly to try and fight them off. Unable to do anything but watch, Gaz looked away just in time to see Dutch draw his gun and aim at the hysterical girl. Instinct took over and Gaz raised a Mana shield just in time, the bullet ricocheting off the barrier to impact one of the monitors on the wall.
"Gaz what the hell are you doing?" Dutch demanded as the guards rushed the baby out the door. Ashely screamed and yelled for them to come back as one of the nurses jabbed a hypospray into her neck, the sedative quickly putting her under as she collapsed back onto the bed.
Hours had passed by as Donnie and the other scientists sat in the meeting room to discuss the catastrophe that had occurred. "This is unheard of," one scientist murmured. "The very first male Norma to ever exist. What have we done?"
"It's a monster! An outrage against nature!"
"What should we do?"
"Everyone calm down!" Donnie announced. "Dr Trager is speaking with the NMB committee to determine what action to take."
"What's the problem? Just send it wherever the Norma go!"
"No, it should be killed. Who knows what it will do when it's full grown!" The argument came to a halt as Dr Trager finally joined them. The look on his face a mixture of frustration and resignation.
"Alright. Everyone pay attention," he announced as he sat down. "I've spoken with the Norma Management board and they've reached a decision on what's to be done with Subject Alpha." Trager cleared his throat and adjusted his tie. "They have concluded the experiment was a failure. However, I convinced them that if 66 can produce a healthy baby then there's always the chance she'll do it again and it will be human."
"But what about Subject Alpha?" Donnie asked.
"The abomination will be euthanized tomorrow. We'll be rid of it and start anew." The reaction of the other researchers ranged from relief to frustration. Donnie however was seething.
Outside of the meeting room, Gaz and Dutch sat and listened. Even with the thick metal walls and Oak doors they could still make out everything that was said. "Well at least that's one problem taken care of." Dutch said. Gaz had recovered from the shock of the birth and was on the verge of exploding.
"You can't be serious," he whispered through clenched teeth. "Where do we draw the line? What if the Norma can't produce a human? You honestly think we should just kill every baby they give birth to?"
"What does it matter?" Dutch asked. "They're just Norma!"
"Are you for real?" Gaz snapped, not caring if Trager heard him. "This isn't what I signed up for! I wanted to protect people not kill children! It's wrong and you know it!"
"The only thing that's wrong." Dutch argued back, "is the thing that came out from her legs! It's a freak that shouldn't exist!"
"Just like my daughter?" Gaz growled as he stood up, his eyes watering. "I will not be a part of this."
"What are you saying?" Dutch spluttered.
"It means I quit." Gaz said as he walked away. He was barely out the door when he heard Dutch shout after him.
"Go on then, Go! I don't need you! You're just a stinking Norma lover!" Beneath the anger was a feeling of betrayal and sadness but Gaz could not bring himself to look back. Without realizing it, habit had taken him through the holding area when a loud slam made him jump. He looked him and found himself in front of Ashley's cell, her hand pressed against the glass. "Gaz, GAZ!" she screamed in panic and despair. "Please tell me where my baby is?"
"I, I don't know. I'm sorry Ashely."
"I heard what they are going to do to him!" she gasped as she slid to the floor, the sedative still in effect. "Don't let them kill him!"
"Ashely I'm sorry there's nothing I can do," Gaz said, the lump in his throat growing bigger.
"Please…Please Gavin…don't let them kill him…" Ashely whispered. Gaz tried his hardest to think of something to say but walked on. He never felt so low in his life. For all his talk and posturing, he couldn't do a thing to help a friend. Just like with his daughter.
By the time he got home, Alisha was still on the couch. Too drained to do much of anything, Gaz picked her up and put her to bed. It finally dawned on him how messed up this world was. In just a few months he had witnessed just how savage and cruel humans really were. All his life he was told that Norma were monsters. But it was all a lie. He, Dutch, and the rest of humanity. They were the real monsters. Gaz heard a tiny sob and laid down to put his arm around Alisha.
'Maybe we could try again,' he thought. 'Maybe Dutch was right and there's no way it could happen twice. No. If I did, it would be the same as saying Chloe never existed.' Tightening his hold on Alisha, Gaz stared out the window. 'There's no telling what would happen if I'm caught. Even if I succeed, they won't ever stop looking for us.' He knew the lab like the back of his hand. Maybe it would work but was it worth it? For him and Alisha to leave everything behind? Gaz closed his eyes and in his dreams; images of Alisha, Ashely, her son, and the Norma child he held down pleading for help played across his mind. And so did the beautiful baby girl with sky blue eyes. He held his hand out to touch her tiny hand and she vanished like smoke.
Gaz shot up from bed, his body heavy with sweat. 'That does it," he vowed. "I will not let them kill that poor kid. I promise Ashley even if I can't get you out, we will will give him a good life, no matter what it takes.'
As soon as the rest of the staff left, Donnie cornered Trager and argued fervently that killing Subject Alpha was a mistake. That they could learn a lot from a Male Norma. "It just isn't right Trager," Donnie protested.
"A necessary thing that has to be done," Trager countered. "It's our fault this happened."
"But killing him isn't going to solve anything! We're trying to cure the Norma condition and we can't do that if we kill our first successful breeding. Dr Trager I have to insist you talk with the committee and change their minds!" Trager sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Okay, I think it's time I finally tell you the truth." Donnie raised an eyebrow. He was certainly not expecting that.
"What are you talking about?"
"Even before you were born the NMB have been trying to cure the Norma condition and the truth is it will never happen." Trager explained. "For the past 30 years I and I alone know the reason why Subject Alpha had to be a success. But the thing is I'm not going to be around forever. I'm getting old. And you've got the potential to be better than I ever was."
"I'm flattered sir," Donnie said, thought a bit uneasy. "But I don't understand." Trager smiled and placed a hand on Donnie's shoulder.
"Let's go. It's about time I introduce you to someone." Trager escorted Donnie back up to the ground level where Trager's car was waiting for them. As they drove back into the city, a thousand questions were racing through Donnie's mind.
"Where are we going?" He asked.
"To the Dawn Pillar." Trager told him. "It's where I go every month to meet with my superior. He's been wanting to meet you for quite some time so promise me you'll be on your best manners." The nervousness on Trager's face just raised even more questions.
"Who?" Donnie asked.
"His name is Embryo."
Although Gaz didn't get much sleep, he was surprisingly full of energy. There was no room for error, so Gaz carefully concocted his plan, running scenario after scenario to anticipate any complications and counter plans from B to Z. After a light breakfast, Gaz went to Alisha who as usual was still in bed. "Alisha, I need you to listen to me carefully." Gaz knelt down to look his wife in the eye as she wearily turned her head to him. "I'll be off early today. When I come back, we're going to go on a trip. Someplace far away. And hopefully, we'll have at least two people coming with us." Smiling he kissed her on the forehead. "I know it's hard, but I need you get up, get dressed, and be ready to go as soon as I get back." With his mission clear, Gaz stood up and went towards the door when he heard Alisha call to him.
"I love you." Freezing in his tracks, he turned to see her sitting on the bed and felt a sense of hope that he hadn't felt in weeks.
"I love you too." He told her. As the cab drove him past the Capital suburbs, though the woods and into the parking lot of the huge black building, Gaz never felt more determined in all his life. But also, never more nervous. 'C'mon Gaz you can do this.' He told himself as he tried to steady his heartbeat. 'Ashely, Subject Alpha, I'm getting you and all the Norma out.' First step was to find where the baby was being held. After that, he would kill the power, then cause a distraction. Something to clear the building and cover his and the prisoners' escape. After putting on his gun belt, though he prayed he wouldn't have to use it, Gaz's first stop was the medical wing. Sick Norma were occasionally quarantined there so that would be his first guess. He had just existed the locker room and stopped when he came face to face with a pair of orange flame eyes.
"Oh, hey buddy," Dutch said awkwardly.
"Hey." Gaz returned coldly. Acting as if he were just off to his patrol rounds, Gaz stepped aside when Dutch suddenly grabbed his wrist.
"Gaz wait." Dutch said. "I'm sorry about what I said."
"Dutch just leave it. I'm not interested…"
"I know and I don't blame you." Dutch sighed. "I'm sorry for the way I've been acting the past few months. It's just...I was afraid."
"Afraid of what?" Gaz asked.
"Look," Dutch said. "It's no secret that I owe you. Aside from Donnie, you were the only one who treated me as if I wasn't a failure. The whole reason I even got to this point was because you helped me. I just…I wanted to show that I could do it myself. And when you got assigned to watch 66…it felt like I was being left behind and it colored everything. I let you down and wasn't there when YOU needed me." Gaz knew he didn't have time for this but after seeing how genuinely remorseful Dutch was, he sighed and put a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"I get it," he told him. "You don't have to worry about it. We made a promise that we were going to come up the ranks together. I'd never leave you behind even if they made me head of my own country. But you're right. No matter how either of us feel there's no point fighting against something we can't change. My daughter was a Norma and she would have been taken from me either way. It's best I just learn to accept it."
"Exactly," Dutch agreed. "Just focus on what's going on now. Give it time and you'll forget all about it."
"Speaking of Norma," Gan interrupted, "what about subject Alpha? What have they done with him?"
"Last I checked they left him in cell #247, in the solitary wing. My guess is he'll be put down in a few hours. Why do you ask?"
"Well, like you said, no point trying to be resentful over something I can't change. Might as well get it over and be done with it."
"Absolutely," Dutch nodded as he patted Gaz on the back. "It's good to have you back. And I'm glad you're staying." Somehow Dutch forced a smile. He had just lied through his teeth to his best friend. A man who had been like a brother to him. But their paths were going in different directions and he had a job to do.
"Hey, you know what?" Dutch called as he walked off. "I think I might ask out the girl at the front desk on my lunch break."
"That's the spirit." Gaz cheered as Dutch vanished the corner. 'I hope you realize the truth eventually old friend,' he prayed. 'And I hope you live a good life without me.'
The metal hallways became dimmer and dingier as Gaz headed deeper into the lab. Hardly anyone besides maintenance came down here so the cleaning crews tended to slack off. Pipes and wires began to line the walls with increasing density until finally Gaz came to a single metal door that read 'Utilities Room.' He took a deep breath and knocked. The door opened and a man in grease-stained coveralls and spiky black hair answered. "Yes?" he asked.
"Yes, Dr Trager sent me, he says he needs your assistance with one of the vending machines. It's jammed." Gaz said his hand ready to pull out his gun.
"Sure. Just let me get my tools." The janitor turned around to reach for a box and Gaz seized his chance. Rushing through the door, he put the man in a sleeper hold, his target struggling briefly before collapsing limp in his arms. After setting him against the wall, Gaz's next stop was the main server. A primitive computer separate from the light of Mana, it served as the processing unit for the entire facility. Opening the front console, Gaz programmed the security footage to play a loop. That way, if anyone checked the cameras, they wouldn't see what was really going on. Next was the power source. To help keep Project Alpha's confidentiality, the lab ran not on Mana but on a micro fusion generator. A tug on one of the cables, and the unit shut down, bathing the entire room in darkness before the emergency lights kicked on. Now it was time to get Ashley and her baby.
Exiting the utilities room, Gaz hustled but refrained from running, keeping his pace to a light jog. Best not to attract any attention. As he returned to the lab's upper levels, he passed by several scientists and guards who also were trying to make sense of what happened. "You would think maintenance would sort this problem out by now," he overheard one said.
As he finally reached cell #247, Gaz peered through the tiny square door window and saw a cot in the centre of the room with five scientists standing around it. To his relief, the child was still alive but as he drew his gun and prepared to barge it, he found the handle was jammed. 'Shit!' Gaz thought kicking himself. 'I forgot the manual safety locks activate on every cell door when a black out occurs!'
Gaz turned back and broke into a run. The cell control room wasn't too far. He'd have to unlock the cells manually.
"God this is freaking me out." One guard muttered.
"C'mon stop being a pussy it's just a power failure." The second guard joked. "What do you expect when using fusion power?" From down the hall, footsteps could be heard racing towards them. As they wondered what the commotion was about, a tall muscular figure appeared around a corner whom they recognized as Gavin Wright.
"I need to get past." Gaz ordered. "Let me in."
"What for?"
"Medical emergency," he answered. "Norma number 66 is having some king of a seizure."
"Yeah and?" one guard asked. With a grimace, Gaz slugged one guard hard enough to send him flying back against the wall. Before the other one could cry out, Gaz drove his knee into the second and he slumped to the floor.
'Hopefully no one heard that,' he prayed as he grabbed the manual key off one guard and opened the control room. As he scanned the control panel, he heard someone running towards him and realized he would have to alter the plan a bit. In a sweep across the console, Gaz flicked as many switches as he could, opening the cells and allowing the occupants to make a run for it. He had hoped to lead them out himself, but he'd just have to trust the prisoners could take care of themselves as the door flew open.
"Stop!" someone said. Gaz whirled around, caught sight of a guard drawing his weapon and pulled his own, the flash from the powder igniting the room as Gaz shot first and the guard fell like a rag doll, blood seeping onto his uniform from the hole in his chest. Gaz looked down in horror at what he just did and felt sick. He had taken a human life, but he forced himself to push it aside. Someone was bound to hear that gun shot.
As Dutch waited for the power to come back on, he felt surprisingly good. Not only did he make up with Gaz, but it looked like he was finally coming to terms with his daughter's death. 'Hopefully he'll be able to get his wife help.' Dutch thought. 'And then they can start rebuilding their lives.' Suddenly he heard a loud bang that could only have been a gun shot. "What was that?" one of the female scientists yelped.
"I don't know?" Dutch said. "Stay here, I'll go check it out." Dutch bolted out the doors into the dimly lit halls. As he continued to run, he could hear a mix of grunting and shouting. And one of the voices was Donnie's.
Sprinting as fast as he could, Gaz knew he was getting further and further away from cell #247. But to his luck he saw the glimpse of a sign off to his right that read, 'Equipment and storage.' If he cut through there, another door on its far side would lead him back to the way he came. Gaz skid along the tile floor to make the turn when he felt something yank him by his collar. Pulling his stun baton, Gaz swung and cracked the guard who grabbed him in the jaw only to take a hit himself when the second guard clubbed him over the back of the neck. Stay down!" he heard him shout. Fighting through the pain, Gaz launched forward and tackled him. Elbow strikes rained down on the back of his ribs, but he grit his teeth and slammed his opponent straight into the wall, stunning him just long enough for Gaz to thrust his palm up into this chin and knock him out.
"Gaz what the hell!" came a voice to his left. With every breath a dagger in his side, Gaz looked up into the shocked face of Donnie.
"Donnie, don't move!" Gaz ordered as he drew his gun
"What do you think you're doing?" Donnie demanded. "What is this?"
"Donnie I'm warning you to get out of the way! I don't want to hurt you!"
"Is this all your doing? Is this about Subject Alpha?" Gaz paused and stared at Donnie, seeing the disbelief and fear in his flame orange eyes. "Gaz just stop and think!"
"I have thought about it Donnie. I can't stand by and allow you kill to that child."
"Gaz please you don't have to do this." Donnie pleaded. "You have no idea what you're dealing with. If you do this, he won't stop looking for you. He'll send every resource he has to find you and Subject Alpha." Gaz sensed the fear in Donnie's voice and realized he was trying to tell him something important.
"He? What do you mean he? Who's he?" Gaz said. "Are you talking about Trager? The head of the NMB? You're going to have to do a lot better than that if you want to scare me."
"Gaz you have to trust me. That child is more important than you can ever imagine. More special than anyone in this world."
"Then why do they want him dead?" Gaz roared, his patients reaching its limits.
"That's not…" But before Donnie could finish Gaz felt something grab onto him. One of the guards had taken the opportunity to sneak up behind him and put him in a choke hold. Gaz felt his lungs begin to burn from lack of air and struggled with all his might to get free. And in doing so, accidentally pulled the trigger.
"Donnie!" Came a voice from the open door, Donnie turned to see Dutch running towards him as the sound of the gun shot echoed through the room. The hiss of leaking gas stopped all three on the spot as Dutch was only yards away from Donnie. In a blink of an eye, Gaz watched as Donnie was engulfed in a bright orange light and then he was hurling into the air, spinning in every direction as everything went black.
It was so hot Gaz felt as if he was locked inside of a furnace. He could barely breathe and when he did, his entire body felt like it was on fire. Using his Mana to try and heal himself, Gaz opened his eyes and was greeted to a vision of hell. Everywhere he looked flames engulfed the entire hallway. The bullet must have hit one of the gas tanks set against the wall. Gaz looked around and tried to find Donnie and Dutch but neither of the brothers were anywhere to be seen. All he could do was hope that they had gotten out on their own.
Forcing himself to stand, Gaz formed a Mana shield to protect him from the flames and heat. But if he didn't get out soon, he'd suffocate. His body screaming for him to stop, Gaz forced his way through the pain and flames. Two bodies lay in his way. And judging by their feminine shape, they were Norma.
"I'm so sorry," he said as he pressed on. There was nothing he could do for them but hopefully he could still save Ashley and her baby. 'Why haven't the fire extinguishers activated yet?' he wondered. They must not have installed them in the lab. After all, the humans could use Mana to protect themselves so who cared if a few Norma got barbequed.
At last, the solitary confinement wing appeared before him and he could hear a baby crying in fear. With his strength renewed by hope, Gaz rushed forward and threw open the door, burning his hand on the heated doorknob. Inside, Subject Alpha had been left on the cot. The staff had been so desperate to save themselves, they had decided to let the fire finish him off for them.
"Easy there," he said as he wrapped the baby in his jacket, careful not to let him touch the Mana shield. "We're getting out of here!" As he emerged back into the flaming hallway, Gaz cast a look around. The emergency stairway was to his left, but something made him hesitate. 'Don't do it Gaz, it's too late, take the kid and run.'
But what if Ashley was still alive?
'There's no time! And she would have escaped when you opened all the cells
But what if she was still weak from the labour? Gaz pulled his jacket down and looked at the tiny frightened baby who cried in his arms. 'No! She deserves the same right to live as him. I can't leave her without trying.' Turning away from his escape route, he ran back down the hallway, the light of Mana parting the flames in his way like radiant curtains. His lungs began to burn from breathing in so much smoke, but he was close now. Ashely was only meters away. But as Gaz turned the corner, he froze as he saw the entire cell block engulfed in flames. "Ashely!" Gaz screamed as he ran towards her cell. As he stood before the doorway, Gaz saw that the cot was on fire but no Ashley.
For a moment, Gaz dared to hope that she had taken her chance to run. Those hopes were dashed when two black and blistered hands slammed onto the glass and the horrifying sight of a charred humanoid figure appeared before Gaz.
"Ashley…" Gaz gasped in horror. Her face was blackened and burned with bright red blisters all over her body, her eyes delirious from the pain. But as quick as she pounded at the glass, she sunk down to the floor and lay still. Gaz choked back his tears as he turned and ran back to the stairs, not caring how much his lungs were pleading for him to stop. The higher Gaz got the clearer the air became. And with it the sound of an alarm. Finally emerging onto the top floor, Gaz saw crowds of people stumbling out of the front doors.
"This way," one woman said. "Everyone stay calm and proceed into the parking lot in an orderly fashion." Mingling with the crowd, Gaz escaped into the bright noon sun. As much as he wanted to stop and take a rest, he sneaked his way to the edge of the crowd until he found an unoccupied car safely out of sight. After laying the baby on the passenger seat, Gaz channeled the Light of Mana through his free hand and the vehicle levitated into the air as he drove off. In the rear-view mirror, Gaz could still see smoke rising above the horizon but thankfully, no one was chasing him.
"What have I done?"
'A huge fire breaks out at 'Resource Development & Tech Cooperation,' the article read. '10 dead, 35 seriously injured and 8 missing. The fire department are still working on putting out the flames and an investigation on how the fire started has been ordered.' The loss of an entire facility was bad enough, but Trager had even greater concerns. "What do you mean Subject Alpha has not been found?" Trager panicked.
"We don't know sir," the researcher answered. "We left him to die in the flames but haven't recovered a body."
"Could someone have gotten him out?" Trager asked. According to some of the other survivors, the prison cells had malfunctioned prior to the fire and some of the Norma had escaped.
"We don't know sir. Someone tampered with the cameras. I have heard that Mr Villson is still alive but in critical condition."
"Donnie?" Trager asked.
"No sir his brother. If he recovers, he might be able to tell us what happened."
"Very well. Contact me if anything changes. I have other matters to attend to." Trager ended the call and buried his face in his hands. How could this have happened? The only thing that came to mind was sabotage. But that was impossible. The primitives couldn't possibly access the lab so that meant it had to be a human. But who in their right mind would do something like this just to save a bunch of Norma? Feeling a prickle on the back of his neck, as if something or someone was watching him, Trager turned around and saw a tall slender man in a sharp green suit and long pale blonde hair standing behind him. "M…M…M..Ma…Master…Master Embryo!" Trager stuttered as imminent dread raced through him. The man's body and demeaner seemed calm but his green eyes were livid as he raised a finger to Trager's head and Trager fell to the floor in agony, his body twitching madly as if he was having a seizure.
"You have failed me Trager."
Driving down the streets Gaz saw numerous Mana screens displaying footage of the burned-out building that was once the Resource Development & Tech Cooperation. Crowds of people gathered around at the horrifying news and Gaz picked up speed. It was only a matter of time until the NMB found out he was missing and put two and two together. He just hoped Alisha would be ready when he arrived. The instant he arrived, he gathered up the baby who had finally fallen asleep and rushed into his apartment building.
"Alisha, honey!" Gaz called. "Have you seen the news? I'm fine but we have to go now." No one answered and Gaz felt his tension begin to grow as he turned on the light. "Alisha please we need to…" and Gaz fell silent as he saw his wife lying motionless on the couch. Setting the baby on the coffee table, he knelt down by her side. "Alisha?" he said as he knelt down and shook her shoulder. She didn't respond and Gaz began to panic. "Alisha, wake up!" Opening her eye lid, Gaz saw her pupils were blank and listless.
"Alisha, Alisha!" Gaz felt a sharp pain in his knee and looked own to see a broken drinking glass on the floor along an almost empty bottle of pills. "Alisha, Alisha," Gaz cried, tears falling from his eyes onto her face. "No please, please…. please." Holding his wife Gaz cradled her in his lap as he sobbed into her mane. His wife, the woman he loved was dead. He had failed everyone. His daughter. Ashley. And now Alisha.
Day turned to night as Gaz stayed there holding his wife. It wasn't until he finally raised his head, his eyes red and dry, that his hand reached down for his gun. Staring down the gaping black hole of the barrel, Gaz began to raise it to the side of his head. 'Ashely, Donnie, Dutch and Alisha, all dead because of me.' Gaz saw nothing but the faces of the people he had lost and felt the metal barrel touch his head as he finger laid over the trigger. 'I'm so sorry. I was selfish and that caused you all to die. I hope if we meet soon, you'll all forgive me.' Gaz's finger began to slowly squeeze the trigger until the sound of crying caught his attention. He turned to the coffee table and there was the baby he had rescued. Almost as if some outside force had taken over Gaz's body, he put down the gun and picked him up. He stared down at the tiny face and began to rock him back and forth gently. "Hey c'mon don't cry it's going to be just fine." Gaz sniffed wiping his stinging face. "You're going to be fine little one."
Gaz could not understand what he was feeling, as the baby stopped crying and looked up at him. It was if he was holding his daughter once again. "I promise I'll keep you safe." Gaz said 'I promise Ashley I will not let them kill him. I'll do everything in my power to protect him. For you. For Alisha. And for Chloe.'
Within Trager's personal study, Embryo studied the data regarding Subject Alpha and Norma 66. With a frown he read a report from the NMB that the body of a baby was never found. "It appears that the Subject has either disappeared or was completely immolated," Embryo mused as he cast a glance towards Trager's shaking body.
"Forgive me…Master…" Trager sobbed his ragged breathing turning into sobs of agony.
"From the look of things this was no accident." Embryo said waving his hand, as images of the fire appeared. "Well, perhaps the fire was. But it seems you had a traitor in your ranks. And I thought you kept an eye on your staff."
"Master…I beg of you, I didn't know." Trager sobbed. "We've tried to find any footage of what happened to the child, but all the cameras were down. And with the building destroyed it could take years to find out what happened."
"Well that is a fair point, but that doesn't help your case Trager." Embryo pointed out in annoyance. "And now it seems we'll have to start over from scratch."
"There is someone who could help us!" Trager grunted. "Dutch Villson survived the fire but he's in a coma. He's a great soldier and I know he's loyal." Embryo considered the idea. It was the younger Villson brother that would have been much more help but maybe he could use that to his advantage.
"Thank you Trager I guess I should give this Dutch Villson a visit in due time. In any case, I have no use for you anymore."
"No!" Trager pleaded. "You need me! For the sake of the plan!"
"And why is that?" Embryo asked.
"I didn't get to tell you, but today we took a blood sample of Subject Alpha. We have his DNA and that of its mother too." Trager told him. "We can start again. We have everything we need to make sure that this time it will be a success." Embryo leaned back and smiled. With a click of his fingers, he ended the torture he had inflicted on Trager, the old man collapsing in exhaustion.
"Hmm…I guess you'll be some use to me after all. I'll be in touch soon. And I would advise you not to disappoint me a second time, Trager."
The lights and sounds of town receded into the distance as Gaz motored further and further from land, the small white boat laden with what little supplies he could carry. Before setting out, he had checked the news and saw a report that a dead woman had been found in his apartment. At least Alisha would be buried with dignity. 'I'm sorry Alisha,' he thought. 'I hope wherever you are you can forgive me." At the other end of the boat, inside his makeshift crib, Subject Alpha began to cry. Taking a break, Gaz began to mix the baby formula together and heated up the baby bottle with his Mana. It was a weird feeling, feeding a baby that wasn't his own, but it wasn't exactly unpleasant either. As he finished up Gaz looked up and could still make out the silhouette of the Dawn Pillar.
'I hope this works,' Gaz asked. If what Dutch had told him was true, then that Arzenal place had to be somewhere in the vicinity of where he was heading. It would be the last place they would look for them and there were dozens of islands inhabited by animals and fruit trees that would give Gaz and the child a fighting chance. He checked his map and saw that he still had a few hundred kilometers to go. If he kept up his pace, he might just make it by morning.
A pair of tiny fingers gripped his fingers as a pair of sky-blue eyes stared at him. It was like looking at his daughter once again and Gaz felt as if he could cry as a memory came rushing back to him…
"C'mon Gaz you can't tell me you can't think of a name if it's a boy or girl." Alisha laughed.
"Gaz the second." Gaz suggested
Alisha giggiled. "No silly!"
"Gaz JR"
"I have one." Alisha said. "How about Cal…."
Gaz smiled as he looked at the baby whose sky-blue eyes shone a sense of calm and curiosity and hugged him. "I promise I will never let anything happen to you. Cal."
(11 years later)
"Gaz, I'm so sorry," Jasmine said as she covered herself with the bed sheets.
"Thank you," Gaz sighed and hung his head in shame. "You know, sometimes I wonder if everything that happened was some kind of divine justice for all my sins." Jasmine shifted to the bed side and wrapped her arms around his wide muscular shoulders.
"Don't talk like that. You're not that person anymore. Look at all you've done since. You've kept Cal safe all these years just like you promised." Gaz sat up and walked around Jasmine's quarters to a large window that overlooked the ocean.
"It's not enough Jasmine." Gaz said. "I just know that, if my daughter had been born a human then I would not be here today. I would still be a senseless disgusting man who treats Norma like they were dirt."
"Gaz," Jasmine whispered.
"And I still am," Gaz bitterly laughed. "I'm dirty. The blood of my best friend, his brother, my wife and Cal's mother…they're all on my hand. The thought of Cal calling me father…I wasn't ready…or I was too scared and selfish for him to call me so." Gaz began to shake, and Jasmine hurled herself at Gaz, hugging him tightly from behind and pressing her naked body tight to him.
"Gaz stop it," Jasmine begged. "We've all done things we regret. I've lost friends and allies who put their trust in me and Alektra to lead them and they're all dead." Jasmine felt Gaz's shaking become steady.
"Jasmine it's different. You weren't the reason you and the other Norma have to live this life…"
"I know that!" Jasmine interrupted turning him around to face her. "And neither is it yours. You changed. Look at what you've done for us since we first met you. Helping the ancient folk with their raids. Making sure Alketra's identity was kept secret, she's still alive becuse of you. And you've kept your promise to Ashley after all these years and you continue to do so." Jasmine cupped his cheek as Gaz gently held her hand. "To me, you're the best man I've known. And I know you'll continue to be the man you are for Cal's sake." Somehow, Gaz managed a smile as a single tear traced down his cheek.
"Thank you, Jasmine. You're right. I'll never give up on Cal. And someday, Libertus will begin again."
"I just hope Jill will come back from this," Jasmine sighed. "She hasn't been the same since the failure of Libertus."
"Don't worry. She's strong and I know she'll be the right person to lead us. And I hope Tusk is still out there alive."
"If you do find him, it's for the best if you keep him with you and Cal. Having someone the same age will do wonders for both boys." Gaz kissed Jasmine and lifted her of her feet, carrying her to the bed as the two fell deep into bliss.
(Present)
Jasmine felt the hand in hers go limp. Cal's eyes were wide but emotionless. His face blank and heavy as if he heard something unimaginable.
"And that's the whole story," Jasmine said as she held Cal's hands tightly.
"I know it's a horrible thing to hear but it's the reality of what we Norma have to live with because of society's rules." Maggie said.
"Cal are you okay?" Jasmine asked lifting his face lightly. But it was if Cal was in a trance. "I know it's not what you wanted to hear, but you can't let it get to you. Your Gramps loved you like you were his own flesh and blood."
"That's what it means to be a Norma," Jill said. "Regardless if we're fighting DRAGON's or some sick experiment, we're all slaves to the humans. Even still you keep fighting. It's the only thing we can do."
"I'm sorry you had to learn this way," Jasmine said. "I didn't want the happy memories you have of Gaz ruined."
"It's okay." Cal said, his voice sounding too casual and quiet. "Thank you for telling me."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Maggie asked. Cal looked at her and managed a sad smile.
"I'm fine." Cal said though Jasmine had her doubts.
"It's getting late." Jill said abruptly. "Let it sink in for the night. But don't forget you've got duties like everyone else. This is your home now and you're a soldier. So rest, fight and survive. That's what Gaz would have wanted."
"I'll give him a little something to help him with sleep." Maggie said as she gave Cal 2 pills and a glass of water which he gulped down. Within minutes Cal dozed off peacefully as Maggie unlocked his cuffed wrist. "Let's leave him to rest. Hopefully he'll keep this to himself from Zola and the girls."
"There's no doubt Salia and Mei will start asking questions but that will be Cal's choice if he decides to let them know." Jasmine said.
"I think Libertus, Siegfried and Vilkiss can wait," Jill suggested. "If he is the right pilot for Siegfried then there's no sense overwhelming him. Hopefully, this will give him the motivation to dig deep." Jill and Maggie left as Jasmine sighed. She knew Jill was right. They would all need to harden up if Libertus was to begin again. But giving in to hate and rage was exactly what Gaz didn't want Cal to do. 'I'm sorry Gaz,' she thought as she tucked the young man in. 'I just hope he doesn't turn into the very thing you didn't want him to be.'
