Radioactive: Chapter Four

Radioactive

Chapter Four

~Other Others~

“Hello, Kaiba,” the secretary chimed.

“Good morning, Bridget,” Kaiba muttered.

“Is Sirius coming in later this morning?” Bridget asked, “Will you be taking on his duties until he gets here?”

Kaiba nodded, “Yes, to both.”

“I will forward any official calls to you then,” Bridget looked at a post-it note on her computer, “Oh, and Kiri said that Jekyll has finished with the autopsy.”

Kaiba looked at her, “Where is the doctor?”

“In the basement laboratories,” Bridget answered cheerily.

“Thank you,” Kaiba said as he walked off.

He walked briskly through the halls of the Tower. It was a splendid building, build anew after the events of what was now known as the Turn. Windows let in as much natural light as possible. The Tower was the by far the most powerful force in the world. Because of the Turn, people knew more about the Island and the Tower than previous generations. Others had begun to be generally accepted in society. It was still a slow process but someday Others would be a common sight in the world.

Kaiba got into the elevator and proceeded to the basement floors. When the doors opened he proceeded through the cooler hallways. The temperature here was kept at 62°F compared to the rest of the building that was kept at an average of 72°. Kaiba was glad for his coat, he wore it almost everywhere. He wasn’t at all fond of cooler temperatures.

He went down a narrow hallway and walked through some thick doors. There was a small hallway and at the end of the hallway was a sealed door. Kiri stood there in her usual attire looking out through a large window. Kaiba stood beside her and looked out as well. There was an operation table. Tower doctors and their assistants, all in their protective gear, hovered over a mutilated creature. They looked like some kind of spacemen with their helmets and baggy safety suits and boots. Kaiba crossed his arms and watched.

“I thought Jekyll was ready,” Kaiba muttered.

“He is ready,” Kiri stated, as she pointed to a figure in the corner, “He just hasn’t issued the all clear. The air samples are still being processed.”

A woman came in just then from the outer hallway. She walked confidently into the other room after dialing in her code. It took her a few moments to get on the safety gear and go out into the larger room. She walked up to Jekyll and handed him a folder. He looked it over and nodded. Jekyll took off his helmet. Kiri turned to the door and Kaiba followed. After entering their code they walked into the room.

Jekyll’s expression didn’t change as he saw them approach. The other doctors were taking off their gear, breathing fresh air again for the first time in hours. Kaiba had been forced to wear one before. It was uncomfortable, bulky, and the air supply always smelled musty. Kaiba looked at the creature on the table.

“Well, Kaiba,” Jekyll sighed, “You really do know how to make a mess of things. You couldn’t have gotten it back in one piece? Not three…”

Kaiba shrugged, “I was rather annoyed about him biting me.”

Jekyll raised an eyebrow; a small trace of a smile was on his face, “Sounds like you need anger management classes. I can require for you to take them, you know.”

“I’m good, thanks,” Kaiba glared at the doctor.

“Did you find anything doctor?” Kiri asked.

Jekyll looked at the creature’s corpse for a moment. He had conducted all the necessary tests along with the unnecessary tests that would just sooth his curiosity. Now he was putting all the data together into something that made sense.

“It’s a mutant,” Jekyll reported and walked off to talk with one of the other doctors.

Kaiba walked after him, “What does that exactly mean?”

Jekyll was looking at something one of the other doctors had noticed, “I mean it isn’t human, it isn’t an Other, and it isn’t an animal. I mean there are genetic strands of each mixed together but not enough to say one way or the other. It’s a new creature. A mutant. A deviation from the norm.”

“Technically, we’re mutants,” Kaiba stated.

“Yes, but we don’t look like that,” Jekyll pointed.

Kaiba had to admit, he had never seen an Other with scales quite like this before. The way it was acting as well was questionable, more like an animal stalking its prey as if it had lost its human awareness.

The intercom crackled to life, “Code 437, I repeat, code 437.”

Kaiba sighed, “What now?”

He turned to leave. Kiri followed close behind. Together they went up to the Central Control room. It was half way up to Sirius’ office. The Central Control room was large. People sat in front of computers typing away, concentrating on the task at hand. The elevator opened in the center of the circular room. Four large screens took up the walls on the four sides.

The room was loud and chaotic, unusual unless there was an emergency. Kaiba looked around. He saw his father in front of one of the screens. Kaiba walked quickly to join him.

“I though you weren’t coming in until later,” Kaiba said as he approached.

Sirius smiled, however his blue eyes betrayed his concern. He brushed a strand of white hair out of his eyes and looked up at the screen. Kaiba looked up as well. A grainy cell phone video was playing. It looked to have been taken by a passenger in a car during rush hour. It looked like they were stuck on one of the suspended highways in all the traffic. There was a large explosion; cars flew everywhere narrowly missing the person in the car. There was screaming and part of the highway in front of them collapsed. A moment before the video was cut there was something in the back ground. Someone rewound the video and paused it.

“What is that?” Kaiba asked.

“I was hoping you would find out for me,” Sirius turned.

Kaiba looked at his father, “Couldn’t you send an Agent?”

“I would but I already have most of them out on missions,” He smiled at Kaiba, “I need some here for the Islands safety. Besides, you aren’t doing anything right now.”

“How about Chaud?” Kaiba asked, “Can’t you send him and his team?”

Sirius looked at Kaiba, “They are on a mandatory three month vacation. This mission doesn’t meet the requirements needed to pull them in for emergency reasons.”

“Fine,” Kaiba said. He looked at the picture again, “I’ll need to bring Jekyll along.”

Sirius raised a curious eyebrow, “Really? Are you sure you want Jekyll?”

“It’s not Tuesday,” Kaiba turned to leave, “It will be fine.”

“It’s fine with me as long as you get going. The attack is still going on. Oh, and bring Kiri with you,” Sirius smiled.

“I don’t need a babysitter, Father,” Kaiba called as he walked off.

Sirius looked over at Kiri, “Keep him safe, will you?”

Kiri nodded silently and followed after Kaiba. A person handed Kaiba a folder with all the mission information in it. He walked passed without acknowledging it. Instead, Kiri grabbed the file and scanned through it. In the elevator, Kaiba was on the phone, asking Dr. Jekyll to meet them at the front desk.

“May I ask how you plan to get this done?” Kiri asked when Kaiba was done on the phone.

Kaiba thought for a moment, “Well, if possible, I want it taken alive. It isn’t like any Other I’ve ever seen. It might be like the creature in the labs.”

“The picture wasn’t of the best quality,” Kiri noted, “It was difficult to determine what exactly we were seeing.”

“It was blue, Kiri,” Kaiba looked at her, “Last I checked, Others looked like humans, meaning no blue skin.”

“They could just be the nature of their powers,” Kiri stated.

“True,” Kaiba shrugged, “Either way, we’ll try to take it alive.”

The doors opened and the twosome walked out. They walked toward the front desk where Jekyll was waiting for them. The doctor was out of his white coat and was dressed in his black suit attire. He was looking to the ground. His wide brimmed hat covered most of his upper face. Upon their approach, Jekyll looked up. As usual, he didn’t look happy. He tugged on his hat with a gloved hand, colored white. With a sigh, he straightened his suit and tie.

“Just when things were starting to get interesting with that creature you brought in,” Jekyll glared at Kaiba with a cold black stare.

Kaiba smiled sarcastically, “Is there ever a time when I’m not bothering you?”

“Not really,” Jekyll smiled darkly in return, “I wouldn’t have minded if your father had called me instead.”

“Gentlemen,” Kiri stated, glaring at both men.

“What if I bothered you to help me inspect another incident,” Kaiba crossed his arms, “One where the creature is alive.”

Jekyll straightened his posture, “That might be enough to still my annoyance.”

“Good,” Kaiba turned to the door, “Shall we go?”

Kiri sighed as Kaiba walked away. She turned to Jekyll. A small mischievous smile could be seen forming at the corner of his mouth.

“Why is it that you two can’t seem to get along?” Kiri asked the doctor.

Jekyll looked at her a moment then smiled, “Who said we don’t get along? We haven’t killed each other yet.”

“Are you two old maids finished gossiping? We do have a narrow window to get to where we’re going, you know?”

Kiri shot Kaiba a look that could kill, “Old Maid?”

Jekyll walked slowly toward the doors, “He really can be quite the arse, can’t he?”

“I thought you said you liked each other,” Kiri questioned.

“I never said anything of the like,” Jekyll looked over his shoulder, “I merely said we haven’t killed each other…yet.”