Olivia followed Philip into a small elevator that took them down two floors. When they got off the elevator, Olivia was stunned to see a fully equipped laboratory that rivaled that of the central government.
“Where did all this come from?”
“I have no idea.”
“What?”
“The funding and equipment came from an anonymous source. It was too good to be true. I can do my work without government intervention.”
“They’ll crucify you if they ever find this.”
“After what I’ve just done, this is the least of my worries.”
“When are you going to tell me about the boy?”
“Come over here and sit down, Olivia.”
Philip directed her to a nook with a circular couch. Philip sat down and Olivia did also.
“Would you like anything to drink?” Philip asked.
“What about the boy, Philip?”
“It wasn’t a boy.”
“What do you mean?”
“It wasn’t a boy in the normal sense of that word.”
“You’re not making any sense, Philip.”
“That boy as you call him was manufactured. He’s something completely new. He has human parts, but he’s not human.”
“That’s impossible.”
“Not impossible, but something far ahead of anything that I thought could be done. Apparently they’ve been doing research in that facility without anyone else knowing about it. Someone very powerful is trying to create a whole new race of people. A race of people that he can control.”
“What do you mean?”
“The boy, or whatever you call him, was designed in such a way that he could be easily directed by his creator.”
“You mean a slave?”
“You could call him that. But you could also think of him as a piece of machinery.”
“That’s horrible.”
“Clearly someone didn’t want that to happen so they funded my laboratory. I knew it couldn’t be that easy. He or she wanted me to find out about this and do something about it.”
“What?”
“I wish I knew. But that individual has brought you in also so you must be important to the plan.”
“What can I do?”
“Hang on. Someone is snooping around.”
Philip focused the monitor on Kent Woodard.
“Oh, it’s Kent.”
“He’s on our side?”
“Of course. Come on.”
Philip and Olivia took the elevator back up. They walked through the garage facility and then Philip touched the wall. As it rose, Kent moved forward, but Philip immediately sensed something was wrong.
“Get on the transport.” Philip called out as he dove at Kent’s legs.
Kent raised his pistol and shot, but Philip got there just in time to knock him off balance. Olivia watched in desperation as Philip struggled for his life with Kent.
“Stop it, Kent!” Olivia shrieked.
“You don’t understand.” Kent grunted as he fought with Philip.
Kent grabbed Philip by the throat and began to choke him, but an accurate shot by Olivia caused him to slump to the pavement.
“Thank you.” Philip said as he jumped to his feet.
“What happened?”
“They must have gotten to Kent. We have to go.”
Philip jumped on the transport and with Olivia in tow he raised the transport into the sky.
“Where now?” Olivia asked.
“I have no idea, but I believe we may be the only people capable of stopping the takeover of the human race.”
“By who?”
“I wish I knew.”
Olivia shuddered as they flew through the air. The previous night she had gone to bed with her world in perfect order. Now as the night darkened, her world was in turmoil and the life she knew was over. Eventually Philip put down in an isolated area far from anything that Olivia had ever known.
“What’s out here?” Olivia wondered as they got off the transport and looked around.
“Nothing that the government can control.” Philip replied.
“What’s our next move?”
“I wish I knew.” Philip sat down dejectedly on the ground.
Olivia sat down next to him and put her arm around him soothingly. It had been some time since she had been intimate with a man and she had never thought of Philip in that way. But right now he seemed so sad and pathetic. It felt like the right thing to do. She had the feeling she was being led by something beyond her. That brought back the memory from before.
“Philip.”
“Yeah.”
“When I was leaving the detention facility I felt as though I was being led by some force.”
“What kind of force?”
“An intelligent one.”
“You mean like God?”
“I don’t know what I mean.”
“I’ve felt the same way since I’ve been working on this.”
“What do you think it means?”
“I think it means that someone or something wants the human race to survive. Our very existence is on the line and we need all the help we can get.”
“I’m really tired, Philip.”
“Looks like this is where we are bedding down for the night.”
“Doesn’t look like much.”
“No, but its safe.”
“Maybe things will look better in the morning.”
“I hope so.”
Olivia lay down on the hard earth. It contrasted completely with her comfortable sleeping unit. She had taken so much in life for granted. Now someone was trying to take that all away. She may have stumbled into this thing by accident, but she didn’t think so. Suddenly the image of the cloaked woman, somehow she knew it was a woman, came to her mind. She sat up and amazingly there she was. She pulled back her cloak as the woman appeared. Philip was sleeping and Olivia believed it was right that it should be that way. The woman came and knelt down next to Olivia.
“My name is Cassandra.”
“I know who you are. You were the woman I saw earlier.”
“Yes. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t allow you to capture me at the time.”
“You are the wife of the high commander.”
“I was.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning he will seek my life now that I have killed that abomination.”
“You killed the boy?”
“I’m sure Philip has explained to you that it was not a boy.”
“Why did you do it?”
“It had to be done. They must all be destroyed.”
“There are more?”
“Many more.”
“What can we do?”
“Come.”
“What about Philip?”
“He has done his part. Unfortunately he had done monstrous things. He has become a liability.”
Cassandra went over to the sleeping Philip and snapped his neck with amazing ease. Olivia gasped at the sight. Death seemed to be following her wherever she went.
“It had to be done.” Cassandra said solemnly.
“I keep hearing that.”
“Olivia, you might not understand this, but you are the defender of the human race. You might ask why you were chosen, but that is not important. The responsibility is yours. My husband must be stopped. He has a vision for a new race of abominations that will make humans obsolete.”
“What do I have to do?”
“Let me show you.”
Olivia took one step forward. She was committed now. If the human race was to survive, she had to act. She shook with the enormity of responsibility that was upon her. Any other time and she would have lived a normal life, but she didn’t have that opportunity and somewhere deep down she was glad of it. She had been born for this and somehow she would be ready. Cassandra would lead the way, but she would take the steps. Together they would get it done. She stumbled to the ground. She was tempted to give up. Could she really do this? It was too much.
Cassandra appeared standing over her. “You coming, Olivia?” She asked in a kind, but firm voice.
Olivia looked up and responded, “You bet I am.”
We hope you enjoyed reading Volume 1, don’t forget to read Volume 2:
Perilous Choice(This is Olivia, Vol. 2)