The Esoteric Design Read online

  Troy noticed the tension between the President and his female comrade and sat up straighter. “Sorry, sir. I was in training all day late into the evening. Once I was ready to turn in for the night, I noticed Aria had tried reaching me.”

  “Uh, I had left my phone on silent,” Gavin quickly sputtered, pointing at his ear.

  A small smile passed over Aria’s lips. She appreciated the men covering for her, but Gavin was such a terrible liar.

  “It wasn’t anything trivial,” Mr. Clarke muttered lowly. “At least I didn’t think it would be.” Aria raised an eyebrow at this statement. “I allowed Dr. Camery to take with him a small group of soldiers to the insertion site at the 66th Intel Reconnaissance Base.”

  “You what?” Troy asked with a little bit more volume than intended.

  Mr. Clarke continued, “It was to gather information at the site where the enemy was first sighted.”

  “How many men did you send?” Troy’s hands clenched the maroon leather arms of the chair.

  “He had five men with him.”

  “Five? What, five hundred or just five?” he asked in amazement.

  “I have good reason for sending out so few.”

  “I don’t think you can give me, nor Aria, a good enough reason for having sent out so few. You knew what we were up against! These things aren’t your typical soldiers, they’re monsters!” Troy argued.

  “Enough! I’ve had enough of both your and Aria’s objections to my decisions! Any further disagreement will lead to contempt, you hear me?” Clarke folded his hands; his mouth twisted to the side in a rather disapproving expression.

  ‘So, this is how it’s going to be?’ Aria glowered at the President.

  “No more of your glares, young lady!” He pointed at her. “After all these years, you two are so quick to feed me so much distaste.”

  The room fell silent. Gavin sat stiffly, feeling as if he was in the middle of a family’s quarrel. With Aria and Troy both being orphans brought up within the military, President Clarke was the closest thing they had to a father. Gavin, however, chose to be in the military. He was one of the lucky ones, born in the city with a wealthy family who raised him well and gave him schooling all through college. It was much to their horror when Gavin decided he wanted to fly planes for the military rather than commercially. His father threatened to disown him for that decision, and that was something Gavin had always taken for granted. Having a father was a blessing, just as it was a blessing for a father to have a child, and that was what Mr. Clarke was. He was a father to all the orphans of war. Though it may seem a parasitic relationship to the outsiders, Clarke truly cared for every one of his soldiers, especially Aria. It made sense why the situation seemed awkward, especially with the young woman in the room. However, whether it was his father or not, the booming of James Clarke’s voice made the strongest of men feel like a child being scolded for sneaking one too many cookies before dinner.

  “And after so long, I need to learn to humble myself and admit that I made a terrible mistake. I should not have granted Dr. Camery’s request,” Clarke continued.

  “Any survivors?” Aria finally spoke.

  “One…Dr. Camery.”

  “How?”

  “He is one lucky man; I can tell you that. He fired a distress signal. A separate team in Jordania had responded to the call. Upon investigation, they found Dr. Camery incapacitated in the desert with minor injuries. The soldiers who were with him were all found dead at the scene.” At this point, James Clarke had hesitated to continue. His solid gaze fell to the photograph on his desk. “The soldiers were all mangled beyond recognition. They were obviously attacked by these creatures you spoke of.”

  “How’d he escape?” Troy rubbed his aching brow.

  “That’s what we’d like to know. The doctor had barely a scratch on him save for the wound on his head. It appears he was knocked unconscious. The doctor claims not to remember anything.”

  “May we speak with him?” Aria asked with peaked interest.

  “That’s what I had in mind. I would like for you three to investigate this situation along with another matter that occurred earlier in a training facility today.”

  “A training facility?” the three sounded in unison.

  “On the 160th floor. It seems the Delta squad did not respond to their latest mission. No one on the squad had been seen since before the training session this morning nor could communication be made. Upon investigation, all members of the team were found dead within the training grounds.”

  “Dead?!” Troy gasped.

  Aria nearly fell from her chair. “Troy, weren’t you supposed to be assigned to that floor this morning?”

  “Yeah,” Troy gasped, feeling as if the wind had been knocked out of him. “I was until I was reassigned to the new recruit squad...and I thought I got the short end of the stick.” After a second thought, he gasped. “Team Phoenix?” he asked with trepidation. Aria showed similar concern for her and Troy’s original teammates.

  “Team Phoenix was not on training grounds today. They are out of the country on another assignment,” Clarke reassured them. Relief spread over the militants’ faces as the President continued, “The cause of death has not been determined. We’ve tried checking the video feed, and it appears that some electromagnetic disturbance took place beforehand, wiping out all of our video systems in the area.”

  “How could this happen?” Aria stammered.

  “We’re looking into it the best we can. We think the attack is somehow related to the Intel Reconnaissance Base. The 160th floor is currently on lockdown until the mess can be cleaned up.”

  ‘160th floor,’ Aria thought to herself. ‘Didn’t that man, Euclid I think his name was, get off on that floor?’

  “Have you watched the video feed on the elevator yet?” Aria asked.

  “It’s all been destroyed, seems to have encountered the same disturbance as the security cameras from the entire floor. What’s strange is the EMP appeared to travel from floor to floor as if it were moving with the elevator. Everything from the 159th floor and below has been disrupted within twenty meters of the elevator, save for the 160th which was completely wiped out.

  “That’s impossible,” muttered Troy.

  “Not quite,” Gavin spoke up. “If someone was carrying an EMP distributor like the one Dr. Camery developed, it’d be small enough to carry but big enough to knock out certain areas with its electromagnetic static.”

  “Sounds like we need to pay the doctor a little visit,” Aria murmured. “Sir, I’d like a request for an Identity Scan.”

  “Identity Scan? You have an idea of who may be involved in this?”

  “Just a hunch. I only have a first name, but it’s odd enough; I doubt many share it.” The woman stood from her chair. “Euclid.”

  “Euclid?” Mr. Clarke questioned. “Why do I feel I’ve heard that name already once today?”

  “Closest thing I can think of is Euclidean,” Gavin mumbled aloud, rubbing his chin. The others stared at him in wonder. “My father works for Aerospace Technologies. I’ve had to grow up listening to him talk about things like that.” It seemed that Gavin did have a brain after all. “But don’t ask me what it means. Plus, I think Dr. Camery has mentioned it before during his Faze Shield conferences.”

  “That’s where I heard it.” The President snapped his fingers.

  “Also, I talked to my father last night and asked him about the satellite that went out. He gave me the usual answer.” Gavin frowned.

  “Which is?” The President lifted an inquiring eyebrow.

  “Well, I asked if there were any UFO sightings or if anything weird occurred during the I.R.B. attack. He said it was all classified, but he could confirm that there was nothing out of the norm. It appeared the satellite went out due to an EMP wave shot from Earth; the signal was strongest near the Jordania area. He said it was similar to the Electrostatic Cannon’s pulse wave Camery furthered development on.”


  “I don’t like how these clues are connecting,” Aria mumbled. “Where can we find Camery?”

  “Infirmary. Last I knew, he wasn’t released yet.” Mr. Clarke pressed on his DNAIS. “Courtney, get me an IDS on any individual with the name Euclid.”

  “Yes, sir,” a female voice droned over the device. Clarke’s DNAIS was connected to the largest computer network for Bio-Tech. Courtney, the name he gave his digital secretary, had the highest grade of clearance for the company and ran all of Clarke’s searches and requests.

  “Also, make sure Dr. Camery does not leave the premises. If seen outside the infirmary, have him detained for further questioning.”

  “Yes, sir,” the system hummed again.

  “Aria, you are to report to me after you meet with the professor. I’d like to speak with you about your next mission priorities.”

  With a nod, the woman turned about-face and left the room, Gavin and Troy quickly following. Grayson gave a short nod to the three as they passed him by.

  “Am I the only one who finds all this completely confusing?” Troy hurried beside Aria.

  “It’s not really that confusing, Troy. All signs point to Camery.” The woman punched the elevator button.

  “Yeah, but why?”

  The three slid into the box. Aria hastily pressed against the numbers on the keypad for the infirmary’s floor. The small cart seemed very stuffy. She rolled her shoulders, suddenly feeling a bit claustrophobic.

  “I don’t know. Mad scientist?” she retorted.

  “Makes sense to me!” Gavin chimed in.

  Troy scratched his head–a nervous habit. “Come on. Why defect now?”

  “I don’t know.” Aria thought a moment. “Remember a few months ago? The termination contract?”

  “Where the clones were unplugged?” Troy’s brow rose.

  “Exactly. Is losing your life’s work reason enough to want to destroy your employers?”

  The doors slid open, and the three quickly filed into the pristine white hall, rushing toward the clinic.

  “I suppose it makes for a good motive,” Troy agreed.

  The woman leaned toward the security door of the hospital, placing her thumb into the identity scanner. “Aria Ivanov,” she sternly stated to the clinic’s database.

  “Accepted,” a small voice chimed from the speaker. The heavy glass doors slid open, allowing her access to the infirmary before quickly closing.

  “Troy Moreau.” The man rolled his eyes at the protocol.

  “Accepted.” The doors allowed the one man in and shut again.

  “Gavin Sigo.”

  “Accepted.”

  Entering from the silent hall into the thunderous panic of the infirmary was unnerving. With great alarm, nurses and doctors rushed from room to room to help the injured. In a world of countless war, wounded soldiers were infinite. Doctors were always needed, even in a facility as large as Bio-Tech’s. With the corporation housing more than 400,000 soldiers and 200,000 faculty workers, the infirmary was no match with only 5,000 doctors and 10,000 nurses. Luckily, the main city hospital was only a couple blocks away, but it was constantly crammed with civilian patients wounded from street gangs or outside mini-military warfare. Not to mention the other people that were actually sick or dying.

  “I’ve never seen so many wounded.” Troy narrowed his gaze.

  “There must be an incline in battles due to the base attacks around the world. Panic always causes mass hysteria, which always means more trigger-happy soldiers.” Aria turned her gaze toward the floor, avoiding the sight of the convulsing patient in a nearby room, the red alarm signaling for help.

  “This is why I can’t stand hospitals.” Gavin grimaced at a man sitting on the floor next to a doorway. His arm was missing, bandaged, and clean despite the blood that covered his uniform and cheeks. The pilot shook his hands involuntarily, trying not to imagine what it would be like to lose a limb.

  The screams and groans were more than uncomforting. This hospital had a way of making a person feel guilty for being alive and well. Aria hurried down the hall, dodging the many doctors and nurses. She narrowly avoided running into a gurney as it twisted around a corner from an emergency elevator. After a few more twists and turns, she made it to the private quarters of the hospital through a sliding glass door where the higher-ups were often taken care of. This area of the clinic was nearly silent, a high contrast that made the woman’s ears burn.

  “Are you looking for Dr. Camery?” a nurse asked from behind the main desk.

  “Yes. We have some questions for him,” Aria confirmed.

  The nurse stood from her chair and led the others toward the room where Camery was being held. Seeing that the woman had artificial legs, no doubt a casualty of war, Aria averted her gaze, not wanting to insult her with a stare. The woman tugged on her skirt, covering a red and black tattoo that decorated the thigh of one of her metallic limbs. Sure enough, the nurse was once a medical officer for the Marines.

  “He says he doesn’t remember much. He has a slight concussion, but I believe he’ll be okay. Nothing more than a bump on the head, really.” The nurse gave a slight roll of her eyes. “If he needs anything, let me know. I’ll be out in the hall.” She eyeballed Aria’s shouldered weapon. “Those aren’t allowed in here.”

  “Yeah…well, we’re in code red right now.” Aria opened the door.

  “Since when?” The woman’s eyes widened.

  “Since now. If you see anything or anyone suspicious, report to us immediately. Dr. Camery is to be detained until further notice.” Aria swiped her wrist across the scanner of the door leading to the hospital room.

  The nurse rushed to her desk and pressed against her mental chip and the intercom system.

  “Ah! No…top secret.” Troy waved at the woman. She slowly pulled her finger away from the intercom and her ear and slumped nervously into her chair.

  “Trying not to raise any panic?” Dr. Camery spoke up. He sat on the infirmary bed, holding a cooling pack against his forehead.

  “We don’t need a hospital full of injured soldiers to be in alert mode,” Aria answered coldly.

  “Of course.”

  “Dr. Camery, what happened out there?” Aria didn’t waste any time questioning the man.

  “I, uh, honestly cannot say.” He shakily lowered the pack from his head.

  “Really? You remember absolutely nothing?”

  “Nothing,” he stated almost defiantly.

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “All I have is speculation,” he answered.

  “Funny, cause that’s all I have, too.” Aria leaned forward, firmly gripping her weapon.

  The doctor lifted his chin. “Trying to intimidate me?”

  “I can do more than that!” She removed the safety from her weapon.

  Dr. Camery glared at the threatening woman. “And what, exactly, is your speculation?”

  “That you have something to do with these attacks. It looks a bit funny when you are the only survivor, and the enemy is known to use Faze Shields and an Electrostatic Cannon–both your creations, by the way.” Aria shared glares with the older man. After a minute of waiting, she continued, “And don’t think for one moment we aren’t taking the termination of your Biomechanical Android program into consideration as a motive.”

  The doctor swallowed thickly, knowing very well that the evidence was piled against him. He slumped, his hands shaking, as he took a slow, deep breath.

  “Upon examination of the site outside the 66th Intel Reconnaissance Base, I was able to determine that the beings indeed use Faze Shields as a means of disrupting frequencies but not in the way you use them. It is very well possible that these creatures are multi-dimensional entities capable of fluctuating between our plane and another. As noted in the autopsy reports, these creatures have a massive amount of beryllium in their skeletal structures. Beryllium alloy has a high-temperature melting point and also has an exceptional flexural rigidity. This means
the beings are able to conduct elevated vibration energies within their bodies. Notably through the use of the Faze Shields, they can amplify this vibration which then creates a heightened energy field within themselves, making them capable of somehow merging or fluctuating between dimensional planes. But that’s only a theory right now. It could be something else entirely,” he explained.

  “Wow, that bump on your head must be going down. That was quite a bit of information you were withholding from us.” Aria returned the safety on her weapon. “Got anything else you’d like to share? Anything about the attack?”

  “I…I was trying to activate a Faze Shield that was found at the site. There was a gravitational disturbance, and I wanted to test the area by setting off the vibrating device, except it wouldn’t start up. However, another portal had opened up and…those things returned and killed the soldiers. The last thing I remember is screaming…and laughing.” The doctor trailed off, mindlessly staring at the square patches on the floor.

  “Laughing?” Aria questioned.

  “Huh?” Dr. Camery met her gaze again.

  “You said you heard laughing,” she repeated.

  “Oh, did I? Well, mostly screaming. And hissing. The animals made a lot of hissing sounds. I don’t remember much else outside of waking up in this hospital.” The doctor shrugged.

  Aria frowned. She couldn’t help but feel the doctor was still withholding information. She opened her mouth to press forward with the man who suddenly seemed lost in his own mental world, but an enormous blast interrupted her. The floors rumbled, causing tiles to drop heavily from the ceiling.

  “What was that?” Aria mumbled cautiously. Silence consumed the hospital. She readied her rifle; Troy followed her actions as they waited, listening.

  Another boisterous boom sounded; this time the floor jerked downward, throwing everyone onto the ground. Flames exploded outward from the elevator shafts, sending the doctors and patients into a maddening flurry.

  “Everybody get out!” Aria barked.