Edict 42

Chapter 19- Ryan

Everything was black but static blazed close to Ryan’s head. He took deep heavy breaths as the worst thoughts came across his mind as he heard the truck coming to a stop and the pair that had kidn*pped him shouting words to each other. It wasn’t long before he felt his body being tugged on. Out of the truck and now on his feet a hand gripped him tightly on the shoulder.

“Move!” he heard a muffle voice being shouted at him as he was tugged forward.

The static played even louder.

“Did he contact you yet?” a woman’s voice in front of them asked.

“I haven’t had any contact yet from him. Stick to the script, he will make it back.” He felt the arm in his shoulder sinking in.

He heard a ratling of if some sort of door was being opened and footsteps coming beside his. There was a change from the rocks he was walking on to pavement. He knew he was inside a building now but he didn’t know where. Ryan was forced into a chair to sit and his arms and legs were bounded to it.

His thoughts ran wild wondering what had happened and what exactly was going on? Was there someone out for him or did they know about the lab judging from the secret police shooting at them? He had tried to persuade them with money to no avail, it had to be one of the latter options why go through the risk and they seemed to know what they were doing. Military or police?

“You can remove his mask now,” a familiar woman’s voice spoke as the static played in the back ground less noisy than before.

He felt a tug as it was pulled from over his face revealing the room that he was in. It looked like an old abandoned warehouse but what had Ryan shocked was the person before him.

“Alina? What are you… what are you doing here?”

She faintly smiled. “I don’t have time for the pleasantries we need to know everything you know about the lab.”

The lab? Ryan thought nothing was going exactly like how his experiences were in the future. It had to be because he didn’t act according to the script that the world changed accordingly. Still the end time would still occur if he did nothing. It might make sense to figure her motives.

Beside Alina was another face that Ryan remembered the police officer from the station, Sally he recalled.

“The lab? What do you intend to do?” Ryan asked.

“I plan to destroy it, the parasite, the immortal father, everything. So that a future where humans or not hunted does not occur.”

“How are you aware of that ? Did you come from the future too?”

“Don’t give me that crap,” a voice spoke behind him. “What exactly is in there? What are you doing that the government doesn’t want any interference.”

Ryan turned to the voice of Frank. “ We are under orders to create a weapon that could wipe out humanity and go pass the virus.”

“Wipe out humanity? You really mean the people at the bottom?” Sally responded. “f**k, how many people are going to die from this s**t? This is what the secret police were hiding?” Her hand slammed onto the table beside her.

“The CFG2 is the first step into this, I am trying to slow it down as much as I can but stop? Destroy the lab? What would you do if it awakened all the parsities in everyone?”

“Those CFG2 are killing people?”

“Not killing them out right but you can say its weakening the immune system. Making it easier for diseases and the chemicals that we induce in our bodies now to have a deeper effect on the body.”

Sally walked around pacing herself in a circle. “Dammit, you know how many people I know that take those? I even had them too. Sally gripped the gun in her hand tightly although she kept it lowered. “ Did you had a part in that too?”

“The CFG2 was before me but the information is more widely known. Its bigger than you think its not only the Lab that’s making it. The government is involved and the rest of the world.”

“Why would they go through the trouble of doing all of this?”

“Food shortage, the world is running dry of everything. They are afraid with not many people dying of what would come next. As it stands the food being produced is only enough to feed those at the very top and with AI enhancements. The tensions that are expected to come will be high.”

There was a silence in the room for a while as it seemed the two seemed to be processing the information in there mind.

“We still have to find a way to effectively kill the parasites without harming people. Ryan’s eyes fell to Alina. Do you know about the Blue Poppers?”

She nodded her head up and down.

“I don’t think killing the father would be the smartest move, I actually think keeping him alive would be better. I think, I believe he might be trying to talk to us.”

“What makes you think that?” Alina asked.

“The headaches you have them? I do too and whenever I am near him, I feel those same headaches. I think hes a clue into whats going on but hes almost in a coma or rather in hibernation.”

How was it possible that they had both returned. Ryan wondered. His own existence made him question it to be an act of God to right his wrong but now Alina too.

“Did you die too?

“What? Did I die? What do you mean by that Ryan?

“When you went to make the supply run,” Ryan looked at her then at Frank.

“I thought it was a dream. I can’t believe it actually occurred.”

“On our way back we were ambushed, I don’t remember much after that when I got back I was here again back into this time with a headache. If you knew what we went through why would you be working with Nikkolai?”

“I am not working with him, I am trapped Alina. Constantly being watched and I have already been threatened. What exactly happen to you and why has the time line change? Is that because of the different paths we went down?”

“I don’t know, I was refused the offer I was giving from Nikkoli and I went down another route. It just didn’t play out the way I thought it would when I tried to explain what was going on. I was kidn*pped by the secret police and I escape. I think that they were trying to kill me to keep me silent.”

Ryan’s noted her information.

“What exactly were you planning to do, Ryan?” Alina asked.

“I was preparing for the worst and trying to slow down the process as much as I can until then. I am unsure of if anything can change. I want to do something but its just to many people we would have to face,” Ryan said.

“Honestly nothing the two of you all say makes any sense. We learn that what you said is true Alina but how the hell do we stop something on this We don’t have the people for it.”

“The media?” Sally responded, “I know a guy, I sent some of the information through to him.”

“Sally are you f*****g crazy?You understand how serious this is right here, get back whatever information you sent to that guy. This is the part of the train we drop off. It’s far to much to deal with.”

“You might not go through with it but I can’t let this go, you know how many people I know that are taking this in a day? Out where I live am I just suppose to let them die. I will follow this through to the end and will wait to see what Mark has to say.”

“Ridiculous,” Frank responded, “you’re always to rash and you don’t think about things in a logical manner.”

“Look at us, if they would kill to cover up you think that we have a chance. We barely made it out of that area and we put civilans at risk.”

“A few lives Frank compared to the many that will die.”

“This is madness, I don’t want no further part in this. I know enough what do you plan to do with him. Throw him to the side of the road make it look like a robbery that went bad. I don’t know, I didn’t like this idea to begin with and now the more I know the more I don’t like it.”

“Your going to bail out just like the chief your already in it. I thought you’re responsibility was to serve and protect?” Sally responded.

Ryan sat quietly watching the two as they exchanged words coming to a quiet and now a glare.

There was a click as the static faded and then a voice spoke through the radio.

“A police detective from the Mantana station Mark Malone has been arrested in connection to the k********g of Dr. Ryan Matters which happened sometime this evening.The police have not commented on the matter but said and investigation has been launched for his colleague. Frank Hooper in connection with the crime and another suspect who the police have not yet indentified. We will keep you up to date with the news as it develops.”

“s**t!” Fred shouted as he slammed his hand into the wall. “We have to take out the chips in our arms and we have to get out of here.”

Ryan watched them frantically struggling to get the chip out of their arm before Frank grabbed him cutting him free and throwing his chip on the ground.

“We have to go now!” he shouted as he pushed Ryan along the others followed behind him.

In the distance loud sirens blazed as they pulled around the huge door. A helicopter could be heard outside circling above the building.

“There is a path at the bottom that will lead to the sewers,” Sally said, as she placed a hand on Frank. “There is no way we could out run them that way.”

Frank shut back the door. “Alright show us the way and lets go.”

Sally lead him to a part of the floor that looked identically to everywhere else and pushed her hand on it moving it around.

There was loud movements outside as police car doors shut and someone spoke on a loud speaker.

“Come outside, Frank and Sally we know you’re in there. Release Dr. Matters. We don’t know how you got to this level but we can talk this out. We don’t need to engage in any hostility here. Think about your families and try to hold any last shred of respect you might have for the badge you wore.”

Sally entered the hole first it was like a long ladder that she was climbing down with just a speck of light at the bottom. Then Alina followed behind her. Ryan was pushed in by Frank before he finally entered himself ignoring the noise outside. He pulled the top around almost closing the group down into darkness.

Outside the door was thumped over and over again until finally the police broke in. Ryan heard the noise as soon as he reached the bottom. The space was tight as he had to duck to get into a tunnel.

“This way,” Sally whispered, “stay close its possible to get lost down here.”

Sally lead and everyone followed behind.

“Do you have a plan Sally?” Frank whispered, “is that why you picked this place?”

“It’s a route that some members of the anti government use, I was told about it. In no man’s land, I kind of mentioned that we might run into trouble. I guess my big mouth did come in handy at least. I… what do you think they will do with Mark, Frank?”

“I don’t know, I can only assume it won’t be anything good. If all of this information is true.”