Amoeba (The Experiments) (78 page)

A cultural man of many tastes, Aldo so desperately wanted an egg Mcmuffin at that moment as he sat in the lounge watching the news. But since all businesses were closed on this day due to the national emergency, he gathered McDonald’s wouldn’t open either, and he dismissed his muffin for a scrambled egg on toast sandwich he made himself. The news was the only thing on, except for that kid’s channel and cartoon one.

“And he sits alone
,” Douglass stated as he walked in the lounge.

“Yep.” Aldo kept his eyes glued.

“Watching the countdown?” Douglass joined him at the table.

“I thought everyone else would be
, too.”

“They are, sort of. They’re in the control room listening to the expert talk about freezing that island. That’s why I came to get you. Thought you might like to hear what he has to say.”

“I will. But I want to hear what this guy has to say.” Aldo pointed to the television.

“I really don’t care for this news woman.”

“Me either. She wears too much make up.”

“Exactly.”

They shared the long table in the news studio, Beth Chase on the right, an older redhead woman, Dr. Carmichael on the left. Beth nodded seriously while listening to Dr. Carmichael’s . “And is this virus similar to the flesh eating virus that ran rampant some years ago?”

“Similar
, yes.” Dr. Carmichael stated. “The only difference is, this is an organism, and it hits you and keeps moving. There is no way, unless caught immediately, that it can be stopped, nor the victim saved.”

“So in your opinion, what will happen in Oahu in an hour
’s time is validated?”

“Without a doubt.”

“Tell us, Dr. Carmichael, what we can expect from this blast?”

“Well
, Beth, as you know, they are covering the ground. Short range missiles, napalm, and burning out the land first, then a small nuclear detonation will follow. We shouldn’t feel anything on the east coast at all. Some on the west coast may have a tremor or two.”

“Tidal waves, earth quakes, none of these will occur?”

“They may.”

“What about radiation poisoning
?”

“Well
, considering the strength of the nuclear weapon used, I would advise those on the West Coast to not leave their homes if entirely possible, and if they do, keep exposure to a minimum.”

Beth nodded. “Should citizens on the west coast be concerned with electromagnetic pulses
?”

“No.” Dr. Carmichael shook his head. “Now
, neighboring islands within a hundred mile radius should be, and they will be affected. To avoid damage to televisions, radios, cars, all of these things should not be running or in operation when the blast occurs. If they are, they will never work again. Also,” Dr. Carmichael cleared his throat, “the threat of electromagnetic pulses does not end when the blast does. There is still a chance that a pulse wave could hit those neighboring islands for days, so use of antennas, satellite dishes, and such should be closely monitored.”

“Thank you
, Dr. Carmichael.” Beth gave a signature nod and faced the camera. “As we approach the top of the hour, the destruction of Oahu a heart beat away, our prayers go out to them and their families. And America faces for the first time not only the explosion of a nuclear weapon for destruction reasons over our soil, but the implementation of Martial law, that has officially gone into effect for the entire western seaboard.” Beth smiled. “We’ll return in a moment.” A fanfare of dramatic trumpet music played as Beth faded out and the screen flashed to a reddened color video of a marching army brigade. And after the headline, ‘America Dying’ appeared momentarily, the station took a commercial break.

Aldo shut off the television. “I hate that woman.”

“So chipper.” Douglass shook his head. “Going to watch in the control room?”

“Yeah, bigger screens.” Aldo followed him out. “Besides, I want to listen to the cryo guy.” They turned the bend to the control room.

“Aldo, there may be something you need to know first.”

Aldo slowed down when he opened the door and looked to his left. “What in the hell.” Greg and Colin were seated on the meeting level at the table with the cryo man. He wore a dark grey uniform, his hair a little dirty and messed up. Aldo could only see the man from the back and that made matters worse because Aldo could clearly see the golden letters that read ‘Bruno’s Heating and Air conditioning.’. Aldo shut the door, causing an ‘ow’ from Douglass when he hit him with it. “Haynes?” Aldo had
a question in his voice. “Is this . . .” He gasped when the guy turned around and looked. Unshaven, maybe not even twenty-two years old. “Haynes, what the fuck? Tell me this kid is not our cryogenics expert.”

“Actually.” Greg stood up. “I’d like you to meet Craig Lawson.”

Aldo reluctantly shook his hand. “Not even Bruno?” Aldo rolled his eyes.

Craig was nervous. “I work for Bruno
, sir.”

“Haynes.” Aldo’s voice cracked. “He’s probably a wire puller.”

“I am,” Craig stated.

Colin cringed and held his hand to Craig. He stood up. “Aldo, this man is an inventor. He contacted us when he heard on the news what we’re trying to do. Actually, Mr. Lawson has a very brilliant idea. And technical school graduate or not, his idea just may work.”

They all gathered around the television that was fed through for them. On the screen nothing much could be seen except thick black smoke and fire. A timer in the right hand corner counted down and some annoying newscaster with terrible commentating.

“Jake.” Cal looked up
at him with folded arms. “How is this going to affect us?”

“Not at all.”

“What about the radiation?” Cal asked.

“Cal.
If
there is a nuclear blast going off a hundred and fifty miles away, we may feel it and we may not, but we certainly won’t be affected by radiation. Not when we’re in this concrete building insulated with mutant amoebas. Don’t worry about it.”

“I do.”

“Don’t.”

“Sarge, like, why don’t you buy this guy? It’s real.” Rickie questioned.

“I just don’t.”

Lou looked to Jake. “Jake, when will you believe it is real
?”

“When I step off this island and someone with some
credibility tells me it’s real. Till then, I follow my gut. My gut says this is part of the Iso-stasis experiment.”

“Dude, like
, you really think?” Rickie asked.

“Yes.”

“Whoa.” Rickie scratched his head. “And they’re, like, allowed to destroy a number one tourist spot?”

“Rickie.”

Cal shook her head. “You’re wrong, Jake. And you know for certain your gut sucks.”

“Cal, please. I have great gut instincts.”

“Maybe when it comes to breaking a perimeter or pulling an assassination. But not here, history proves it.”

“What?” Jake laughed. “What history.”

“Last experiment. You said Carlos was bad.”

“But I said Rickie would survive. You didn’t.”

“You said poor Reed was the catch. Wrong there.”

“You said Judge.” Jake held his hand out to her.

“Well, you said Billy was going to be a psychopathic killer and try to take us all out.”

Quiet Billy was shocked. “Jake, you thought I was a killer?”

“I said no such thing.” Jake spoke with an edge. “She’s telling tales to be amusing. And she isn’t.” Jake lowered his face to Cal.

“I’m merely trying to show that your gut is wrong.”

“Cal?”

“Yes.”

“What have I always taught you sweetie? Even when you know you’re wrong?”

“Never admit it.” Cal finished his sentence.

“Exactly. Now watch the show with me.” Jake pulled Cal into him and glued his eyes to the count-down timer. Watching with anticipation he tried not to show, and just like his rule on never admitting you were wrong, Jake would never admit to Cal that what he was watching was real, even if he believed it was.

“
The safest distance that we can get
.” The newsman’s voice spoke over a shot of Oahu, smoldering in the distance. All the investors, Greg, Colin, and every worker from Caldwell gathered in that room. “
We can monitor the countdown
.” The male voice spoke slowly as if announcing a golf tournament. “
But it is this journalist’s guess that even seeing the timer hit zero, the realization of what ensued will not hit us until we see it for our own eyes.”
A silent pause
. “Still, silent. Our prayers and hearts go out to these who are alive on the island of Oahu, for we surely feel their pain. We can see the remnants of the earlier destruction still . . .
”

It sounded like a snap of electricity, a click, and the screen went bright white, a deepened boom was heard in the distance
, and then silence and the screen turned to static.

Fuzzy, white, the speakers in the control room hissed with the interference of the signal. Slowly they watched the picture squiggle some, return blurred at first, then
return fully. The newsman faced the camera at his desk holding onto his ear piece. He looked up, “
We’re back and I’m told now . . . yes, we are getting a shot . . .
” The screen then showed the bellowing mushroom cloud in the distance. “
Yes, there it is . . . the nuclear cloud of death. Some say we are witnessing our future right now. Some say we are witnessing our salvation. However one views it, I can say we’re all viewing it with a heavy heart and an abundance of sadness. This station will pause right now for a moment of silence for our brothers and sisters who gave up their lives in a fight to save ours.
”

Complete and utter silence engulfed the control room. Not a sound, not a breath could be heard.

Every other hour Jake did it without fail. He did it for Cal more than anyone else. He checked every door, window, seal, vent, and opening into the building. He wanted no surprises, no attacks from the amoebas that he didn’t see coming. He guessed by the now deadened acoustics in the building, the steady hissing, and the photos that Caldwell showed them, that the amoebas outside were getting worse than even he had thought they’d get.

With the experiment’s end fast approaching, Jake was trying to determine what factor would play into the elimination of him, Cal
, and Lou, the remaining participants. There had to be something more than the amoebas. Because with the way things were, they were safe inside. But part of Jake was starting to believe there may be trouble. Even if the whole amoeba thing was a set up by Caldwell, they would still have to implement a plan to get them off the island, to free them. And that part was the only part that Jake truly believed Caldwell had trouble with.

The amoebas had gotten out of hand, more so than they wanted them to. More so than they could control. And they communicated with Jake constantly. And even though Jake had exhausted all that he could learn from the amoebas, Caldwell still kept him abreast
, his number one clue that something had gone amiss.

Jake could hear the sound of muted gunfire coming from a speaker as he rounded the turn into the monitoring lab. “Hey
, Stan.”

“Jake.”

“What’s going on?” Jake looked at the television. People were lighting fires in the street, throwing things.

“Rioting is bad in San Francisco. Rumors are starting to spread that martial law m
ay be placed in full force, all access road in and out may be shut down.”

“Just like fuckin people to get themselves in an uproar before they have the facts. What are they saying is the reason for the barricade
? Is it because they can’t get near Oahu yet?”

“No.” Stan shook his head. “They think . . . they think the amoebas may have made it to Molokai.”

Jake had no expression on his face. He sat down, watched the television, and waited with Stan for Caldwell to place one of their many calls to him.

A blue hue took over the shot of Jake on the screen, followed by a squiggle of interference, then, with a couple flicks of the screen, Jake came in clear. “Sorry. What were you saying?” Jake asked Greg who stood with Colin.

“We think we got it
, Jake.” Greg said. “We’re gonna get you guys off that island, but first we’re going to freeze it.”

Jake blinked rapidly four times staring at the camera next to the monitor
on which he watched Greg. “Freeze the island?”

“Yes
,” Greg answered with a nod.

“What are you
, out of your fuckin mind? This is a body of land. Or did you for . . . at . . . n . . . to . . .”

“Jake, you’re breaking up again
,” Greg said, then looked at Colin. “Thank God at least we didn’t have to hear him bitch completely.” He raised his eyes to the screen watching Jake come back in clear focus.

“Amoebas
,” Jake complained. “Anyhow. How do you plan to freeze an entire body of land?”

Clearing his throat, Colin stepped forward. “We’re
, uh . . . we’re working on it.”

In the background
, Aldo’s voice emerged yelling out. “There it is again.”

Greg turned, looked at Aldo
, and then back to Jake. “We are getting the equipment and supplies together. We’re expecting to do a first round test, then if that works, move into building a prototype, and test some more. We’re moving . . . . Jake you’re breaking up.”

The shot of Jake came in clear a little faster. “I lost you after prototype.”

“After we build the prototype, we’ll test it some more. We’re moving on this, Jake, but we have to make sure that it’ll work. We got a hold put on the annihilation of your island, but we don’t know for how long. There’s only one problem and it’s happening now. We have to keep the lines of communication open, no matter what. We’ll be going down to the wire here, Jake, time is of the essence . . .” Greg’s gaze moved to the television screen when he heard the interruption ‘this is a special report’

Beth Chase appeared on
the screen of Central Network News. “Sheltered in, tucked away, the residents of the island of Molokai may be safe from radiation, but not from the virus. Officials who were formerly speculating hve now have confirmed that the microorganism has spread, I repeat, has spread to the Island of Molokai . . .”

Slowly Greg raised his eyes back to Jake. “More so than ever now, time is
really
of the essence.”