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CHAPTER THIRTY ONE - INSANITY REIGNS


There was a faint hum as the elevator approached the floor and then a soft beep filled the air as the doors efficiently slid open to admit him entrance. Smartly he stepped inside and pressed the button that would take him to the correct floor of the base. He waited. His fingers curled themselves into fists and betrayed his excited anticipation.

He could feel energy leaping about his body in a crazed frenzy. For days he had been confined but now he was free and every part of him rejoiced. However, he still felt the tightness inside that bound every muscle. It was like coiled springs full of tension that were ready to lurch forward with an awesome burst of strength.

There was a creak as the elevator reached the desired floor but the doors remained tightly sealed. He had been told that this would happen, but it was merely a trivial barrier to his new found powers and strength. He was no longer frightened of the strange things that he could do anymore. He pressed his hands into the seal of the doors and began to push. Slowly a gap began to form and he grinned in satisfaction before he felt a sharp tingling buzz through his hands.

“Ow, fuck!” he roared as he jerked his fingertips away from the door and tried to shake off the unpleasant rippling effect of the electric shock that had struck him.

It seemed that there was a force field on the other side of the door that prevented him from gaining access to the floor. He should have expected that otherwise any ordinary person could easily have blasted through them with lasers.

But he wasn’t an ordinary person. Not anymore anyway He was no longer bound by the same rules as others.

His eyes narrowed and a wave of irritated rage began to burble as it gathered speed before crashing upon his mind. He screamed as he felt heat searing through his body and held up his hand to the door in front of him. Immediately the metal began to melt and bend and the force fields on the other side buzzed and flickered through dozens of vibrant colours before it vanished, leaving nothing but the acrid smell of smoke hissing through the air. He smiled, loving the new powers that he could unleash from his mind. No one could fight him or restrain him anymore.

B stepped into the corridor, head held high in pride. Those rebels would not stand a chance against him. And as soon as he was finished with them he was going to start on Marlowe and the others. Oh he may have been playing at being their puppet for now but he knew that he was stronger than them. He wouldn’t obey them after this. They would be the ones doing his orders.



* * * * * * * * * * *


Sammy sighed as he slumped against the wall and allowed himself to slide down to the floor in exhaustion. His head and eyes throbbed after staring at a computer screen for so many hours, but he had made good progress. The entire floor was locked off with force fields that couldn’t be shut down from anywhere except this floor. For the last few hours he had also been sealing away other parts of the base to prevent the Gerai from getting to any of their weapons. Soon he hoped to have gained control of every system in the entire base. Then they could simply walk out of the place. He could lock the Gerai behind force fields and the base would be theirs.

He smiled to himself, but it soon faded as it was fated to do. He had tried to hack through the base’s computer to find information on B but there was nothing. They must have been using a code name for him.

‘B, where are you?’ he thought miserably.

Had they done the right thing by gaining control over the Gerai like this? Or would B’s life pay the price of their rebellion?

No, B was still alive and they wanted to keep it that way. The Gerai could still contact them if they needed to over the intercom and they had yet to make any threats or demands or try to seek a compromise. However Sammy’s stomach still turned inside of him with nervous nausea. The Gerai had been too silent so far. They had to be plotting something.

“How are you feeling?” Kevin asked gently as he knelt down beside his friend with an offering of water.

“I’m all right, just tired. I’m having a break now,” he said in reply. Gratefully he took the water and sipped at the cool liquid while casting his eyes about the large room. Like he had been doing, several people were seated at computer consoles and trying to hack to gain control. The others were sitting around or standing guard with lasers in case the Gerai decided to attack.

“You deserve a break,” Kevin said. “You’ve been working for much longer than any of the others.”

He tilted his head and Sammy saw Kevin’s green eyes taking in his dishevelled appearance. He knew he looked the worse for wear. His hair was lank and matted with grease and grime and his clothes were covered in stale sweat. He had only been here for a matter of days and yet he was already beginning to feel the effects of being a slave. His eyes were heavy with lack of sleep and the emotions were taking their toll upon his soul. He still felt pangs of guilt about what he had done to Heather, but worst of all were his fears for B.

“I miss B,” he whispered eventually. “I miss him so much.”

“Of course you do,” Kevin said softly as he seated himself beside Sammy. “You’ve always been very close to one another.”

Sammy leaned his head back and stared at the black ceiling that towered above him. He felt so far from home and even more remote from his self. How had everything turned into a miasma of dreadfulness? He closed his eyes, trying to remember the last time he had been in good spirits. Back at the base he had always been playing referee between B and Brian and now… now he didn’t know if either of them was alive. Maybe Brian was still in a black coma of blissful unknowing, or maybe he had left this world completely…

Sammy pressed his hands to his sore eyes to try and black out everything that surrounded him. “I’m so tired,” he whispered wretchedly. “I just want B and dad back and I want to feel normal again.” His voice trembled slightly and he felt the urge to sob falling upon his face. It didn’t seem like he had slept in so long. Ever since B had gone missing he had been plagued by nightmares about his well being.

“It’s all right,” Kevin soothed as he wrapped an arm about Sammy’s shoulders. “It’s almost over now.”

Sammy shook his head. “Don’t you see that it’s not? I still don’t know what’s happened to my dad and I still don’t know what is happening to B. The last time I saw him…” he trailed off as he remembered B’s desperate tears and the terrified light that had ruled his eyes. “God Kevin, they were doing something awful to him.”

Kevin hesitated for a moment as he sought for words but finally he spoke. “Brian is a fighter and B takes right after him. B will always fight as long as he knows you’re there and he knows you’ll be thinking of him. As for Brian, it would take a lot to keep him away from you both.”

“He was in a coma, Kevin!” Sammy snapped, though he instantly regretted the harsh tone of his voice knowing that it was caused by stress and not from animosity towards Kevin. He lowered his voice miserably. “I don’t know if he could fight that.”

“Nick said there was a chance. I believe him.”

Sammy said nothing and allowed his thoughts to dwell upon his father. Maybe Brian was coming for them right now. Maybe he was panicking over B’s welfare as much as Sammy was. Sammy rubbed his hands against his temples. He felt his fingers shaking slightly with the pressure of everything that was relentlessly piling on top of him. A few weeks ago his life had seemed so far away from this misery. He’d been happy with Lori and he’d had no worries about B or Brian’s safety. Now the entire world had turned about his head and destroyed everything in one brutal blow. He was no longer certain what would happen when he next saw Lori and all he could do for his family was to pray that they were still alive.

“Somehow it will work out Sammy,” Kevin said softly. “Just don’t give up. We’re close to getting out of here now.”

“But what about everything else?” Sammy murmured. “The Gerai, this war… when will that be over? What about the virus in B’s arm? They probably have a copy by now. We don’t have a clue what’s happening in the outside world anymore. Hell, I’ve even lost count of how long we’ve been here.”

“It feels like longer, but it hasn’t been that long. The Gerai can’t be ready to make their big move yet and don’t forget about Darren. He will not let his base go down without a big fight. He’ll be coming for us. He’ll send someone. They have to send someone to get B.”

Sammy nodded and leaned back against the wall. “As long as they get him out I don’t care what happens to me, but I would die to find out if he was all right. I can’t stop thinking about how he was the last time I saw him.” Every night when he tried to sleep he was confronted with B’s pale and terrified face as he’d run to his arms. He remembered the dull look that had closed in on his usually bright green eyes and clouded them with fear.

He wound his clammy hands about one another in anxiety and stared about the room where he could Paul hurriedly conversing with another man Sammy didn’t recognise. This was just another small step towards their freedom. It would take so much more than this before they were out completely.

“I want to get back to work,” he said determinedly. “I want to get us out of here.” He took one last sip at his water and then dragged his weary body to its feet.

Kevin placed a hand on his arm. “You should sleep. You haven’t had much rest lately and you’re not going to help anyone when you’re exhausted.”

“I’m the only one who can hack that computer system to the level we need.”

Kevin shook his head and gestured to the others who were gathered at various computer screens. “They can hack it as well and get the control we need to get out of here.”

Sammy sighed as he stretched his arms. Kevin was wrong. Sammy was better than the others because he had been doing it for longer. B was better than anyone because he’d learnt how to use a computer when he was seven and had gone from there. He’d taught Sammy a few tricks as well. “Kev, you know I’m the only one who can do this at a reasonable speed. I have to get back to work. I prefer it anyway. I’d rather stay busy.”

He frowned as he suddenly started to pay attention to his surroundings again. Paul looked worried as he stared hard at the computer they’d set up to give them reports of anyone trying to get onto their floor.

“What’s up?” he asked as he jogged over towards him, ignoring Kevin who tried to say something to keep him back. He didn’t need rest. He needed to get everyone, including his brother, out of here.

“Someone blew out one of the elevator doors and the force field there.” Paul pointed to a corner of the screen that displayed a map of the floor. One area was flashing angrily in red which showed there had been a breach.

Sammy bit his lip nervously. How the hell had they managed to get round the force field? You couldn’t blow them out from anywhere except this room. He cats his eyes about the place suspiciously, but quickly calmed those sinister thoughts. They couldn’t have a traitor in with them surely?

“We need to put extra people on the doors in case someone does break in,” he said quickly.

Paul nodded. “Already done.” He placed a finger on the screen above a red dot that had suddenly appeared on the screen. “Someone’s just come out of the elevator and is coming this way.”

Sammy’s brow furrowed with confusion. “Only one?” he asked. How could the Gerai expect to do anything by just sending one man down?

“I don’t like the look of this,” Paul mumbled. “I have a bad feeling.” He looked from the screen and then pulled a gun from his belt and headed towards the door. “I’m manning the main doors myself. People!” he shouted, addressing the entire room. “It appears someone is coming down after us. Everybody except those manning doors and those at the computers get back against the far wall, just in case. This guy coming down might have a bomb or something.”

“Good thinking,” Sammy whispered as he looked about him for a laser, but Paul placed a hand upon his shoulder.

“You get back with the others. You’re too important ‘cause you’re the one I’m relying on to crack the computer, getting control of the base and getting us out of here. Go back with the others.”

Sammy immediately tried to protest but soon ceased his attempts, knowing that Paul was right. The Gerai computers in this base may have been quite primitive but Sammy was probably the only one who could get them out quickly. He meekly nodded and then backed away with the others, leaving Paul, Kevin and a few other men to guard the doors and see what was happening.

Paul pressed himself closest to the door and peered through the panel so that he could see who their visitor was. Sammy heard the nervous mumbles of the prisoners around him, all anxious and wary about their escape attempt. If they failed then the Gerai would be certain to execute them whether they needed workers or not.

Paul paused for a moment and various people began to hiss impatient questions at him, all desperate to ear answers.

“Who is it?”

“Is he armed?”

“What does he want?”

Sammy himself remained silent, knowing that Paul couldn’t tell them anything yet without having asked the Gerai what he was doing down here.

Paul was peering through the panel and then he pulled away sharply. He stared about them and then his eyes alighted on Sammy. “You better come and see,” he whispered.

Sammy frowned in puzzlement but before he could question Paul there was a huge ripping, grinding noise of metal folding in on itself. Sammy’s eyes were drawn back to the door and he gasped as he saw that it was buckling and creaking without anyone touching it. Immediately Paul and the others backed away before the door began to be dragged and torn open.



*************************


B slowly walked down the long corridor savouring the feel of freedom. He had never been allowed to go anywhere on his own before. Usually he was accompanied by Marlowe and people with guns whenever he was moved from room to room. Now he was alone and he had a purpose: to stop the rebels using any force necessary. It sounded as if he might have some fun doing this… besides, it was something to do even if he was serving the Gerai. He didn’t like that idea much, but for now he would let them believe that he was their pawn before he showed them exactly who was in charge around here now.

Curiously he stared about the corridor and experimented by allowing his mind to pry at lumps of metal upon the walls. At first it had been difficult to touch anything purely with his mind but now it was becoming much easier. He smiled as he watched a strip of metal prise itself from the ceiling and drop harmlessly at his feet. He was becoming stronger and he was restless to exercise his newfound abilities upon people.

He turned left as Marlowe had instructed him to do and grinned as he caught sight of the door at the end of the corridor that led to the room where the rebels were locked up. He flexed his fingers and checked to make sure that his guns were ready to be pulled out of the utility belt around his waist. He wasn’t just planning to rely solely upon his own unique powers to take them out. At the same time he made sure that the radio Marlowe had given to him was still switched off. He didn’t want the Gerai bugging him all of the time and he didn’t want to make them too comfortable either.

He slowly approached the door, concentrating hard until the force field in front of it cackled and buzzed in defeat before disappearing. He smiled and then allowed his mind to touch the door. It happened so slowly… the metal began to grind and moan as it twisted and writhed. The door bulged in and a tear began to rip across the surface. B loved every sound the door made as it only served to make him realise how extraordinary his new powers were. It was fascinating to see how easily materials could be torn apart and destroyed.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he concentrated harder and then he heard the dull thudding before he felt the door being ripped away from the wall and flying to land behind him with a crash of dying metal.

He opened his eyes and smiled as he saw the open doorway in front of him, but it faded as he saw that a few men were facing the hole in the wall and aiming several guns at him.

He was about to tear the weapons away from their hands when one of them said something to make him hesitate.

“B?” one of them said. “I’m right aren’t I? That’s who you are?”

B’s head spun dizzyingly. They knew him. This man in front of him knew him. The determination and strength that had powered him before seemed to suddenly drain away as fear and insecurities began to try and drown his soul. He was reminded of the fact that he had nothing and that he had no memories of anything. He took a step back. “W-who are you?” he asked his voice faint.

This man knew him. He was even lowering his weapon in front of him. If he knew him then why hadn’t he come to help B? The man was even in the same fucking building! They were in control of an entire deck and yet they hadn’t bothered to come and find him!

His hands had turned themselves into fists and his eyes had narrowed he felt rage burning his eyes and his mind bubbling, desperate to lash out and consume something.

“It’s okay,” the stranger whispered. “My name is Paul. You don’t me, but I know who you are. I think there’s someone here who wants to see you.” His voice was soft and he slowly stepped aside.

Curiously B approached the door and peered inside to see several faces staring back at him with equal interest. His eyes travelled around each face but none of them meant anything to his angry mind… except for one.

He froze as his eyes took in the tall frame, the blonde hair and the bright blue eyes. In a second he saw a memory straying across his mind like a fading ghost. He knew this man… knew him very well, or he knew that he should have done but most things were still evading his memory. All he knew was that he knew this person. He even remembered screaming for him when he had been locked alone in a room… but he hadn’t come to him.

“B?” the blonde whispered, his eyes widening as he saw him.

B’s eyes narrowed and he felt his body beginning to shake with rage as he faced the one who hadn’t come for him. The one who had been here all along and hadn’t come, the one who had abandoned him. “You,” he whispered hatefully. One of his hands slid to his belt and clasped the handle of a knife. “I know you.”

Tears blurred the blonde’s eyes and suddenly he was running towards B, his arms open and wide. B felt the arms wrap about him, but he remained rigid. This man had abandoned him. His fingers caressed the hilt of the blade.

‘Fucking bastard.’



************************


It was like a dream as Sammy saw B stepping through the wreckage of the door and into the room. He had imagined seeing B again for days now and suddenly it was all real. His mind reeled with questions about how B had disrupted the force fields and broken the door, but none of those truly mattered anymore in the face of B’s arrival. All that mattered was that he was here.

He felt tears stinging his eyes. B was okay. His face was a normal colour and his eyes were bright. His clothes were now longer filthy and crumpled, but were new and fresh.

“B?” he whispered.

“Sammy,” Kevin warned quietly. “Something’s wrong.”

But Sammy barely even heard him and his mind refused to accept the words. He felt as if he had fallen asleep and entered a blissful dream where finally he could cast aside his heavy worries. Everything painful was suddenly erased from his tired mind and a refreshing, cooling rush rippled along his skin to ease the tension from every muscles. His lips trembled as he stared at B for a moment longer and then he was rushing forward to embrace him.

His strong arms wrapped tightly about B’s body and he let out a cry as he felt him real and solid in his arms. He pressed his head against B’s neck, feeling the tears trickling down his cheeks.

“I know you,” B whispered.

Sammy smiled and nodded. Hw gently pulled away from b but rested his hands upon the boy’s shoulders. “Thank God you’re all right,” he said as he ran a hand over B’s cheek. “I was so worried.” He lowered his head as he felt his voice choke with tears and then he pulled B close again. His entire body shook and he felt sobs shaking his chest. He’d had nightmares where B had been dead or lost to him but now he was alive to discount all of those eerie dreams. His hands clasped B so tightly and his chest filled with warmth as he closed his eyes to savour this moment of perfection. B was alive… he was okay.

“I know you,” B repeated. “I don’t know how, but I know you.”

Something cold suddenly seemed to drop over Sammy’s head. Slowly he raised his head and saw B’s green eyes calmly watching him, a strange light glittering in their depths. Bliss was suddenly throwing him down into the icy cavern of reality and with that single look Sammy realised that something was deadly wrong. B’s voice was different. It was faint and airy holding none of his usual character.

“Who are you?” he asked softly. He titled his head and stared down at Sammy.

Sickness hit Sammy’s chest and he felt everything turning unpleasantly inside of him so that he had to gulp to prevent nausea from winning. His heart was lurching, each breath threatening to shake his body apart. “B, what do you mean?” he whispered.

B glared down at Sammy’s hands that were still wrapped about his body and Sammy saw hatred and malevolence darting across those green orbs. Suddenly he felt something invisible jerking his hands away and pushing him back a few steps.

“I know you,” B said in a dangerous voice that was so quiet and yet somehow so deadly. “I don’t know how or who you are, but I know I know you.” His eyes suddenly narrowed. “And I know what you did to me.”

Sammy’s chest rose and fell with heavy sobs that threatened to erupt from his mouth in a wave of nausea. He wanted to believe that B was playing a game but his eyes were so far away and seemed to dance with the lights of madness.

“B, I - ”

“You abandoned me!” B screamed hatefully.

Sammy felt something hard slamming into his chest and he gasped and stumbled back a few paces, his hands clutching at his abdomen as something hot and fiery bubbled inside to send rivulets of pain screeching through his veins.

Sammy shook his head, tears flying from his eyes as he felt the rage in B’s voice. B was right, he’d taken too long to try and help him. Desperately he staggered to his fete and stumbled towards his brother. “B, I love you!” he cried. “I’d never leave you!”

He tried to reach out with his arms but at that moment he heard Kevin’s frantic scream from behind him.

“Sammy, watch out!”

He turned his head and suddenly caught sight of the light that was dancing on the blade in B’s hand. Sammy’s eyes widened, but as B struck forwards with the knife Kevin’s strong arms were suddenly shoving Sammy viciously out of the way.

Sammy hit the ground heavily and grunted in pain, but above his own discomfort he heard a strangled cry from Kevin. He jerked his head up and then screamed as he saw that B had thrust the blade into Kevin’s abdomen instead of Sammy’s own.

“Kevin!” Sammy screamed desperately.

The whole situation seemed to have suddenly frozen in time. Kevin’s face was a mask of pain and shock as blood trickled from the knife wound. B stared down at him, his eyes betraying nothing except the hatred and anger.

Sammy’s body shook and he found that he could not move forwards to even help Kevin. He was frozen, his stomach numb and icy and his head spinning at the nightmare that had enveloped him within its jaws. This wasn’t real… it couldn’t be…

B pulled the knife from Kevin and the older man gave a groan as he slumped to the floor where blood rapidly began to pour from the wound and stain his clothes crimson.

B stared down at the knife and now something seemed to register in his eyes. He stared down at the knife and then at Kevin again and finally his eyes were drawn towards Sammy. B’s face contorted into a hideous expression of hatred and he took a step forwards towards Sammy.

Sammy kept his eyes locked with his brother until he heard the clicks of several lasers powering up. Immediately he turned his head to the silent and shocked room about him where several men, including Paul, had their lasers aimed at B.

“No, don’t!” he begged desperately, sobs winding their choking way into his clotted voice. “Don’t hurt him!” He turned his head back to B to see him staring down at Sammy, his eyes blazing with anger.

“You left me. I was calling for you and the other one and you didn’t come,” he whispered

Sammy tried to think fast but his mind was suddenly slow and nothing wanted to move. He couldn’t process the situation. He couldn’t accept that B was doing this and that he had just stabbed Kevin and left the man bleeding on the ground. His eyes flickered towards the expanding puddle of blood and he watched as Paul leant down beside him.

He licked his lips and tried to dampen his dry and sickly mouth. “B, you’re confused. I don’t know what Marlowe has said to you but - ”

“He looked after me!” B screeched. “He cared when you abandoned me!”

“They separated us! I was kept locked up away from you!” Sammy screamed tears spilling out onto his face.

“Liar!”

Something hard hit Sammy’s body and then he found himself being flung back against the wall. He gasped as the breath seemed to be forced from his chest, as if something heavy were slowly crushing the life out of him. He tried to move his arms and legs but they seemed to be tied back with invisible chords. He stared at B and shook his head in disbelief. “What have they done to you?” the words were hardly audible, but B heard them.

He titled his head and his voice was once again calm and frighteningly quiet. “They made me strong,” he hissed. “Watch this.”

Sammy screamed as he felt something inside of his gut tighten and constrict with burning pain. He gasped and screwed his eyes shut, all the time begging for Paul and the others not to shoot B. he could hear Paul shouting hurried orders at people and his heart hammered. He didn’t care what had happened to B, but he wouldn’t let them kill or hurt him. He was still Sammy’s brother and Sammy had to reach him.

Tears dribbled down his face leaving his eyes horribly red and sore. “B, you’re my brother…” he whispered tearfully.

Suddenly he felt the pain cease and he was dropping to the ground. He raised his head weakly and saw B staring down at him in disbelief. His face suddenly took on the image of a confused child’s.

“My brother?” he whispered, his voice tiny. He held a hand to his head. “I-I don’t remember…”

Sammy felt a small bubble of hope beginning to inflate inside of his wobbling stomach. He gulped and held out a hand to B. “B, please… I don’t know what Marlowe has done to you but I’m here for you. I never left. I love you.”

B shook his head. “You left me! You’re my brother and you left me! You bastard, I hate you!”

Sammy’s body was trembling again. “B, no!” he begged. He had never known any words before now to sink into his heart like a thousand knives. He choked on tears and felt his own heart trying to cave in on itself.

Tears were running down B’s cheeks. “You left me, you left me!”

“Marlowe separated us!” Sammy screamed. He wanted to run to his brother and take him in his arms but every part of him was frozen so that he couldn’t move.

B had covered his face with his hands but now he pulled them away and hatred creased his brow again. “Marlowe,” he hissed.

Suddenly he was running for the door, a determined expression upon his face.

“B, no!” Sammy screamed. He couldn’t let b go back to Marlowe, there was no telling what that twisted scientist would do to him next. “B, no!”

“Sammy, let him go,” Paul said softly. He had appeared beside Sammy’s side and was slowly helping him to his feet. “Let him go. He’s a mess.”

Sammy frantically shook his head, refusing to believe that B was acting like this. He refused to believe that B could reject him. “I have to go after him!” he cried desperately.

“In you’re state? Sammy, he tried to kill you! That knife was meant for you!”

Sammy wasn’t listening. “I have to find him!”

“Sammy!” Paul screamed harshly. He spun Sammy around and seized hold of his head. “Your little, innocent brother has just murdered Kevin!”

Sammy’s eyes widened at the words. “W-wha - ”

“He’s dead.”

Sammy stared down at the limp form of Kevin on the floor and he felt his chest heaving with sickness as he saw the blood. He slowly turned his head to the doorway which B had left through and his eyes filled with tears. He covered his face with his hands and began to sob as he slunk down to the floor. The only thing that had kept him going up until now were the thoughts of his brother and now he was faced with what the Gerai had done to him.

“He’s gone,” Paul whispered. “Sammy’s he’s crazy, you saw him. You can’t get him back.”

Sammy wrapped his arms about his body as everything inside seemed to explode. He wanted to scream, he wanted to cry but neither of those things would do him any good at all. His limbs jerked convulsively and his head whirled in nausea. He felt his entire life crumbling apart and he was feeling every crack of every broken piece…

It was too late.



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