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“Gina just turned all the hard work and progress made on subject 5 to waste. “ Dr. Francis said his mouth twisted in savage distaste as he cursed under his breath. “I’m sure she did that under your authorization. “
“Oh my, that is terrible. I had no idea. “ the Director’s face looked shocked. “Of course she did that under my authorization but she assured me she won’t in anyway interfere with the progress made so far on subject 5.”


“Well she did more than interfere, she practically shut the whole thing down. “ the doctor moved involuntary to one of the empty chair before the table the Director was sitting behind but stopped himself. “I have had to sedate him, to keeping him under for long to put a halt on the damage that had occurred. “
It took a strong effort of will for the Director not to sound skeptical but appeared concerned. “Please tell me doctor what happened. “


“ Like you know the major challenge we had with successful implant of the enhanced cells for the rapid tissue regeneration, was for the brain to accept them. “ this time, the doctor’s shoulders sagged as if a heavy burden was just placed on him. Then he finally surrendered and collapsed on an empty chair. “At first the brain forced the body to reject the bio implants, making the body to regard them as diseases. As the antibodies fought off the implants, the implants fought back causing the regenerating tissues to turn cancerous and kill the subjects.


“We lost several subjects on the early trials, like you know. It took me a while to figure out what the problem was and I proposed a temporal solution. Which we tried on a subject and was relatively successful. I proposed we wipe the memories and personalities of the subjects, administering slow reconditioning of the brain and eventually induce it to accept the implants as being part of the body. The results showed the new method worked physically but the subjects ended up being just empty mentally, devoid of memories, personalities and their own wills. Just like an empty computer waiting to be loaded with programs and commands. That is where Gina came in. She is a psychologist and psychiatrist, so this was her area if expertise. “


“Yes, yes doctor, I’m aware of all that. And that worked brilliantly. We had multiple real life on the field successes. “ the Director put in just to prod the doctor along his narration.
“Like you stated at one time, what you needed were soldiers-super strong, adaptable and reliable soldiers. Which was less than what you were getting from the crop of the successful first set. Which led me to the next trial stage. This is what produced subject 5.”

He saw the doctor on the monitor being challenged by the security at the door leading to the floor of his office. He spoke onto the communication device before him and saw one of the security speaking into his hand held two way radio in acknowledgement. He authorized the doctor to be allowed to see him. Well he knew what Francis was coming to him for . Gina had already come to present her own part of the event. Initially when she had proposed doing something with subject 5, claiming she has a way to handle the defect in the project’s success. A new way of accessing the subject’s mind and implanting false memories and personalities that the brain will accept and the body will go along with.


She argued about the danger of allowing any of their subjects having independent thoughts. He had given her the go ahead knowing what her tinkering will cause. It was a breach of the agreement he had with the doctor, but that’s a small matter. Besides he wants to see how this new power play of Gina and Francis will pan out. He smiled again when he heard the soft polite knock on the wooden door. This should be entertaining.


Dr. Jedidiah Francis walked in slowly after he heard the Director’s voice asking him to step in. The doctor’s face looked drawn, new lines of worry seem to have found their way to his face, same with more recent shots of grays on his hair. The wire rimmed glasses did little to hide any of the strain he has been on these days. He has been more dedicated and focused on his work for a while now much more than before. His need to push the success of his theory on subject 5 driving him beyond his normal abilities. The Director admired that.


“To what do I owe this unscheduled visit, doctor? “ his eyes searching the face of the doctor for any hint of guile while maintaining a congenial attitude. “I’m honored you took your time out of your busy schedule to drop by. “
If he hadn’t known better, all outward appearance might have suggested the doctor was fidgeting. Knowing fully well that what he is witnessing is the doctor doing his best to calm his anger. Doing his best not to show any form emotional outburst.
“We might have a problem. “ Dr. Francis said after a while, seeping his hands to the side pockets of his lab coats to quell them from shaking.
The Director sat back on his chair, allowing his eyes to take on a grave look but inwardly amused at what the doctor’s next words will be. Well he decided to push him on. “So what could be the problem, doctor? “

The Director had known about Dr. Jedidiah Francis from low rumors and a chanced encounter had happened in one of his meeting scheduled with some of the top military brass he had dealings with on the private military contract. While he had sat down at the board room in pentagon and feigned boredom when the seemingly unsteady doctor had presented his research. What it is and can accomplish, how it was like the next line in human evolution, what immerse benefit it will bring to people suffering from genetic related disease. The top brass has been interested in what military application his project has.


On that the doctor has not much to say. Right then the Director has seen the immerse possibilities what the doctor was presenting has, if it works that is. While the elderly men in crisp well ironed military uniforms had snickered behind tight control not to laugh at the seemingly self deluded scientist, the Director had made up his mind to have a personal chat with him. He had joined in the shared jokes at the expense of Dr. Francis then but he was willing to see what the doctor has personally.


On the one on one chat with the doctor, he realized that the doctor was a gold mine that the proud and self absorbed heads of this country’s military were too blind to see. The deal was further sweetened when he realized that the doctor was just involved in his research for the glory of science and a better world. The Director chuckled on that thought. Francis was so naïve back then. He never saw the dark side of the human race. He just wanted the little money to help his only daughter through the university after the death of his wife. Well the Director had educated him and shown that his research will be lost unless he comes to work for him.


The Director promised him all the resources he will need to continue his research without interference. Then offered some very good financial compensation. Because as part of the deal, the doctor has to drop his lecturing job and turn over every aspect of the research to the Director and give the patent of it to his D.R.I.V.E organization. It had been a hard choice for the doctor to make back then. Well he was desperate, he needed money and grand to fund the continuing of his research. He has a daughter that he wants to pay her way through college. He had agreed and given some conditions of his own. A personal lab and work space all under his total control with unhindered access. The next thing was that his daughter should be set up. Her education paid for and taken care off. He wanted her in one of the best schools in the country. Well it all worked for the Director. He had been slightly amused then to see a man so dedicated to his work and was motivated by altruism and not money.

More updates. So sorry it's slow coming ib these days. Just bear with me guys.

Three years ago

EST 12.30PM

The monitor lit up suddenly and the executive director of D.R.I.V.E turned to see what it was. A spy cam set up along the passage to his office picked up the image of a man in lab coat coming in. The spy camera has a motion detector wired into it and connected to one of the main monitor in his office. Once the detector picks up something, the monitor lights up and show what is on its pickup angle. It is a separate system from the security set up of the entire building with access limited only to him and therefore cannot be compromised.


Ah, the doctor, the director thought with quiet amusement. Of course he has an idea what could be driving the doctor towards him at this time. He was never always here most of the time. His being here at now is to see what progress the project has made since the last time. Doctor Francis has hinted on a successful breakthrough in finding a way to deal with the major challenge that had propped up at the advent of the project. While he was quite optimistic about the doctor’s claim, as he was known never to exaggerate, Gina had proposed something else.


Now the Director would have wanted to believe that there’s some sort of power play going in between the psychologist and the biologist/genecist doctor, if he doesn’t know Francis that well. The problem is, Gina is way too ambitious for her health. And she’s also brilliant, reckless and has a certain level of mental instability. As far as the Director is concerned, that is a common trend among all psychologist anyway. Francis wasn’t in this for any power gain what so ever, the Director has been sure of that from the start when he employed him. He knew what attracted the doctor to this.

Mantee:
l have listened to his music. Though I am an old school I like his voice and I believe he should continue trying until he gets required attention from public

i
Thanks. The music industry is highly competitive that's why we are asking for you guys to help us promote him in the little way we can

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Hi guys... Hope you all are good?
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He saw a tiny spike in the orderly sequence of the numbers displaying on the screen. His eyes looked up quickly at the body monitor machine. The screen started showing erratic movements on the lines showing his heart rate, pulse and brain activities. Something has gone horribly wrong. Going quickly to check it out, the doctor noticed that the subject’s body was beginning to react against the enhancement and accelerated tissue repair functions that the modification had granted him.


The tinkering of his brain has sent in information to all the parts of the body, to regard the enhancements as malign . The body is fighting back and the genetically enhanced cells are beginning to turn cancerous. Damn, this was the major problem he had facced at the beginning of the program which had required them shutting down the minds of the earlier subjects, so the body can accept the modified cells enhanced with the accelerated tissue repair function. For that to have worked, the mind had to be shut down.


Those early cases had ended up not being humans in their mind but drones who only functions when they are activated. All seven of them except subject 5. That was why he had requested that he be exempted from the mind wipe activity of Gina, the witch. He had monitored subject 5 and with careful and painstaking work, he had administered the enhancement fully and his body had accepted it however , under heavy sedation. But it had worked, the subject’s bio makeup had successfully bonded with the enhancement.


That is until the interference of this woman. Now he will have to start all over again. He quickly took the hypodermic injection went to the subject and injected him with a heavy dose of sedative. He watched subject 5 go into sleep as the drug took effect, hoping he is not too late.

“What have you done, you witch? “ Dr. Jedidiah growled at the departing laughing form who paid him no attention as she closed the door behind her as she left the lab.
The doctor quickly did a fast physical examination of the manacled subject, noticed the slight bump behind his right ear. He carefully opened the sealed up flesh with a scalpel, saw the electronic chip implanted there with filaments of wire snaking around nerves and muscles, buried beneath them at times, going to a part, he suspected as the brain. He cursed silently. The subject under his observations turned his head weakly to look at him, his eyes deeply bloodshot, lips quivering as they tried to form words.


“Who are you? “
“I’m Jedidiah Francis. “
“Where am l? “
“Unfortunately that’s classified and you don’t need to know that at this moment. “ the doctor replied turning away from him and going towards the stainless steel tables. His face formed into a look of disgust as he saw the multiple colored liquids in the bakers and test tubes, of which he never authorized, half of them unknown to even a doctor like him. All experimental and untested. What the hell has this crazy vixen been up to here? He thought angrily for the hundredth time.


Leaving the table for the test tubes, he looked at the monitors, noticing one of them having series of figures scrolling slowly across them. After studying them for a few seconds, he detected they are the codes and sequences, Gina has used for the tinkering of subject 5’s mind. They were been supplied from the chip imbedded behind his ear. That was why he didn’t try to remove it at first because he wasn’t sure the extent of the harm she must have caused to the subject. And if he was reading what was scrolling on the screen correctly, none of this is good. He will have to take this to the highest authority in D.R.I.V.E.


“Who am I? “ the weak voice said behind the doctor.
“Well that’s what I’m trying to rectify now. Once, you were ex marine corporal, a husband and father of two. Deceased along with all your family members. But that’s ancient history and no longer relevant. For now, curse the interference of that she-devil, I’m trying to find a new personality for you. “

Hi guys. Hooe you're all good? It's not my intention to keep updates this long, but where I am still have very poor light, so a lot of time not enough juice to do write up. Enough of my complaining, here's a little updates for today.



“Dr. Jedidiah Francis, glad you could take the time out of your busy schedule to joins us. “ the female said as her face broke into a broad smile. “I never knew my small time tinkering is important enough to warrant your personal attention. “
“Spare me your trash Gina, you knew full well that subject 5 was off limits to you. Who gave you the clearance and access to have him? “ the man asked angry the more as he saw the state in which the subject of their discussion was in.

“Oh Jed, this subject’s mind was so fascinating that it was impossible to hold down my urge to tinker with him. “ the smile took on a darker and sinister shade with a prompting edge.


“Gina the fascination of your morbidly twisted mind is none of my concern but the efficiency of subject 5 is. You know full well he was off limits to you. You are also aware that he was an experimental subject to see if allowing those enhanced will function better with their will and mind intact and trained to obey orders or if their personalities are wiped and they are nothing but super soldier drones. “ Dr. Jedidiah came pushing the female away from the object of their discussion. “We have seen improved mental activities from those whose personalities were not tampered with of which subject 5 is the only surviving one. The ones whose memories and personalities you wiped out are behind him in the synapses and reflexes tests we have conducted so far. Though that still leaves field and real life tests, which I am confident will prove no different from the lab results. It’s no fault of anyone that the ones whose mind you had turned to your play field performed less than the ones whose mind were left intact. So Gina you are warned, stay away from subject 5.”


With a voice brimming with laughter and tinkling like broken glass, the female replied. “Oh fret not my dear friend, I’m already through with your precious subject. Well my mind altering technics have been greatly improved. While your subject’s mind was strong and resilient , it has succumbed. I’m sure he doesn’t even remember who he is any more. I had toyed with several preprogrammed memories and personalities to upload into his now wiped out mind but hadn’t decided on which yet. So since you rudely interrupted the session, you can decide on which one to upload. I leave you to it, doctor. And I left you a passing gift, the control chip implanted, just behind his right ear. “

Vulcanheph:
Appolux
There is a Marvel comics named penance too but Dont Worry he is nothing like This one....... Just felt like You should know..........please update its been more than a month.

ONE LOVE

Yeah I know about that later after I have started writing and posting the story. Though the character in marvel comics with that name is the one called Speedball. He just took the name temporarily but dropped it later.
For updates, I may update tomorrow. My greatest challenge at the moment is light to power my phone.

Evold:
Welcome back boss. I was going through a similar mental state as Chris, trying to remember a story character with the capabilities that Penance posses only to see it today.

Lol...
I feel I'm spending too much time on characterization. Anyway this will help explain Penance motivation and the change that came over him. If you look at Chris and Penance and the relationship they had with Jay, they look like two different people.

She walked up to where he was being held immobile my his manacles, she reached out and touched a point behind and a little above his ear. He felt it itch a bit and sent a mild shock down his body.
“There is a tiny chip buried there just below the skin connected to your brain by fiber filaments feeding your mind with anything we want. Memories, impulses, feelings and decisions. You are practically a controlled machine to us. “ she said looking at his eyes as she withdrew her hand from behind his eyes scrolling through the tablet and her hand passing a finger lightly on the touchscreen surface. “We can program anything we want into you. We can rewrite your memories or recreate your personality. It was hard getting through to you but with that gizmo firmly placed behind your ears, you are all ours. “


“Who are you? “ He tried to speak through the weakened muscles of his mouth. “Who am I? “
“You are whoever I programmed you to be. “ the red haired female said. “The last session I just had with you lasted four grueling days that was getting me flabbergasted till I used that little toy. “
Just then a door appeared on the plain white seamless wall. An elderly looking man with light brown hair starting to turn gray and a thinning beard and mustache shot through with lots of grays badged in.
“What the hell do you think you are doing here, Gina? “ the man said his face flushed red with anger that the glasses could not hide. “This is subject 5 and was totally off limit to you and your mad psychological reconditioning schemes. “

Again another sight graced his eyes. A black man rushed at him screaming holding a huge butcher knife in his hand. He swings the knife angrily at him but Chris dodged it as he dropped below the arc of the blade. He rolled away from the angry man that he had discovered may be drunk. He rose to his feet and landed a heavy kick at the black man’s back which caused him to stumble. Chris followed up with that and hit the man with a full punch at the side of the ribs. The man collapsed the butcher knife dropping from his opened hand. Chris picked it up and with a single swing buried the knife on the man’s neck spewing a fountain of blood.


As he stepped away from the dying man, his mind queried, who he is and what has he done to attract the man’s ire? Just then the view before his eyes winked out and once again he got swallowed up by the cocoon of darkness. With a scream he burst out of the darkness only to realize that his mighty scream was only a low and slow whisper. Once again a bright light hurt his eyes. As he closed and slowly opened his eyes, he was in a completely white room. His head felt as if it was swelling and a certain kind of déjà vu hit his head which caused it to throb painfully. His body sagged weakly against the manacles holding his arms and legs.


The bright light in the white room did not seem to have a single source. It was almost too bright for his senses and it was hurting his eyes. A red haired woman on a lab coat turned to look at him, the expression on her face hard to determine because of the thick rimmed glasses she had on. She was looking at him as her buttocks rested lightly on a stainless steel table with a monitor screen and attached keyboard. She was holding an all screen electronic tablet on her small hands. She tapped at the touchscreen surface of the tablet, twisted her lips at odd angles. He had a feeling he had seen this woman before and should know her. But try as he may, he could not remember .


Who is she and what is she doing here? Moreover what is he doing here like this? His mind sagged with these thoughts. It was as if the very process of thinking in itself is a heavy work.
“I’m supposed to look at this and say ‘hmmmm interesting’ well might as well say it. “ the only other occupant in the white room said. “Mr. Christopher Rudolf you are an interesting specimen. Your reconditioning failed several times. The only possible way to break through the strong barrier of your mind was by subjecting it to images of misery and traumatic episodes. Even at that we couldn’t break through until we had a little help. “

He felt the tiny pinch as the needle touched his skin then a point of heat started from that and began to spread over all his body. Soon darkness rushed over him in an encompassing embrace. Chris didn’t have the time to scream nor the ability to before he passed out. Like a flash, the darkness broke apart in a swirl where he saw his wife carrying his toddler son. He was carrying Lisa and they both were sitting on a rug placed over a well trimmed lawn. The place was like they were having a picnic. He saw Sena and Jay sitting with a checkered cloth on the lawn. Basket and plates of food were already there. Their two boys were sitting with them and Sena’s baby bump was now very prominent. Everyone was laughing and the day was just bright and perfect. Suddenly everything turned dark, as a vortex like turning twisted the sight into darkness and a scream was sounding like from far away. It was later he realized the scream was his own .


Another image popped up from the darkness. He found himself crying, blood stained the white singlet he was wearing. His hands were covered in blood, one of them held a sharp knife also covered in red liquid. Before him was a woman. Her posture and stillness showed she was dead. Her clothes were quickly getting stained by an increasing circle of blood on her chest. At the center of the bloody circle was a small tear that showed a knife wound to her chest. Beside her is a girl of about four or five years, dead in a rising pool of blood. She has been stabbed too. A toddler boy was also lying still by the girl with a thin line cut on the neck.


Blood was spewing out from there too spreading round the tiled floor the baby has been killed on. It was obvious that they are all killed from a knife wound and that is the knife he is holding. Could he had been the one who killed them? He was convinced it was him. But who are they and what did they do to him to have made him want to kill them? They looked really innocent and something inside him rebelled at what he was seeing. A hidden part of his mind dragged at him that they are people he should have known. He just have to remember.


A flash of light like a strobe hit his eyes and the images disintegrated into darkness. And he felt his whole being cartwheeling in the darkness with no idea of direction up or down just a sensation of falling. Like a flash he found himself behind the wheel of a minivan, a woman sitting by him carrying a baby boy with her smiling at something he said. Who is this woman? Try as much as he can, he couldn’t remember. He heard a voice behind him. When he turned, there were two women sitting in the seat there. The one who had spoken was a black woman. The other woman sitting beside has just smiled a little but said nothing.


Then someone said something from the third seat. She was an elderly woman who had two black boys lying down beside her and a white girl of about five years sitting om her laps and resting her head on the woman’s shoulder fast asleep. Who are all these people he was driving in this vehicle? Something made him feel it was important to know who they are but try as he may nothing about them registered in his mind. Just then a fast moving heavy duty truck appeared before the van’s windscreen. As the sound of the crash hit him the darkness swallowed him again.

Hi guys, it's been a long tine and a crazy two months.
Let's see if I can continue this story, if the steam hasn't gone off yet


“ I don’t have to give you any explanation Mr. Christopher Rudolf. “ She turned down the flame on the Bunsen burner, disconnected the condenser from the crucible then picked up the slim test tube with a clamp. The liquid in the test tube looked like thickened milk with spiral of red mixed in it. Then she brought a syringe, dipped the tip of the hypodermic needle in the milky liquid then pulled up the piston for the liquid to flow into the chamber. When she got satisfied, she pulled out the syringe from the test tube.


“Well I must inform you that I have already prepared for your stubborn refusal of our slight conditioning and a little modification of your mental state. “ As Gina came closer she lifted the syringe applied a little pressure on the piston which threw up few drops from the hypodermic needle’s tip. “Your body had adapted to all the modifications and enhancement we had subjected it to. No complications whatsoever. The accelerated damaged tissue repair function works perfectly. But your mind has refused to be tamed just as your body has after subjecting it to months of slow genetic modifications and enhancement. Well I still have a few tricks to use. “


Chris mind reeled. Did she mean he has been here for months? That’s not possible. He was just with his wife, daughter and son yesterday (?) His mind swirl as he tried to settle on that thought. He witness an accident in his dream. Is that a dream or memory? He just can’t tell. There are things he feel he should remember but none comes to mind. If what this woman is saying is true, that he has been here for months, then where is his family?


“Where are my wife and Kids? “ He struggled to pronounce the words as he asked her. His eyes looked beyond her, LED figures colored in blinking green were displaying behind her on the wall. He recognized it as the time for it showed the numbers 11.34am.
“Oh you still remember them? Well that is almost unfortunate but I will remedy that now. “ Gina said as she came close to Chris. He squirmed as she touched him, his bounded body doing the best to recoil from it. She only grabbed the lower part of his arm, pierced his body with the needle on the syringe and pumped Chris veins with the liquid inside it. “Relax Mr. Rudolf for when you wake up again you will be a new man. “

patoranfire:
Nice Story Appollux, pls i need the last episode of marvel chronicles. my email is adeagbofemi123@gmail.com

Pls send a message to my email so I can get ur correct email address

Lol... I'm around o. Just that the new place I'm in right now hardly have light. I will still be posting stories soon.

Another stainless table was besides the first one Chris could see, on this one were scattered glass tubes and bakers containing several kinds of colored liquid. There was a crucible held over a Bunsen burner with a finger width blue flame. The liquid within the crucible was boiling but the vapor it was pouring up was being collected into a condenser which led the liquid to be dripping in a slim test tube held in place by a clamp. Someone whose back was turned to him was standing before the table with attention fully fixed on the dropping liquid. The person was putting on a white lab coat. The person turned and it was a woman. She was short, at least below five feet but was skinny.


Her hair was colored red and cut off just above shoulder length. A prominent arrow line of the hair dropped downward at the top of her face just barely above the space between her eyes. She was wearing a large round wire rimmed glasses on a squat nose. A short thin lip graced her face. Her eyes looked wide behind the glasses and she had this look that was like a mocking facial texture permanently in place.
“Oh you awake? Right on time. “ She said putting her hands in the pockets of her lab coat. “You have unusual resilience and resistance to our subliminal hypnotic suggestions. Totally screwing with the process of psychological and mental reconditioning we had planned for you. “


Chris felt his whole body weak. If not for the manacle bands holding his hands and legs upright, he would have fallen down totally. What’s really going on? He try to recollect his last memory but they eluded him like a hand grasping at smoke. His headache spiked higher as he exerted his mind to remember. Talking was like carrying a quarter ton weight on his chest. His joints felt like rubber, disjointed. His muscles and bones felt stressed as if something has been hitting them none stop for hours. His stomach was in a state of Flux, flip-flopping at every breath he takes. His throat felt parched and his tongue hanging out because of thirst.


“What’s going on? Why am I here, how did I get here? Who are you? “ Chris managed to croak out slowly at the woman standing before her.
“I’d start by answering your last question. I’m Dr. Gina Hofmann, a behavioral therapist /scientist and a psychologist. Here at this time I’m responsible for your behavioral reconditioning. “ She said as she turned back and heads for the table with all the lab equipment. “Your other questions will not be answered by me. “
“Why? “

He screamed out in pains as the darkness that enveloped him exploded and his eyes were struck with a sudden bright light which caused him to shut them tight instinctively. Slowly he opened his eye lids one after the other, squinting. He saw that he is in a room all white. floor, walls and ceiling seem to be made of an unbroken white material he couldn’t determine at that moment. The bright light was coming from several points at the ceiling. His nose picked up the whiff of a smell he couldn’t identify but there were others he could guess at. Disinfectant, menthol and alcohol. Normally he shouldn’t have been able to tell all these smell apart but his nose seem to have grown that ability without him knowing.


He noticed he is standing but as he tried to move his legs and arms, felt them held back. Moving his eyes to see what could be the problem, he saw that his hands and legs were bound by heavy metal manacles fastened to two wide rectangular poles in the crossed form of an X. The manacles were holding his hands and legs upright fixed to the poles. He then noticed that his head was throbbing heavily with a headache, his body was burning up with fever and glistering sweat covered every inch of his frame. Also he was naked. It was difficult to tell the dimensions of the room as everything seem made of same material but it wasn’t empty.


Just by the side is a standing equipment he has no idea what it is but it has connecting wires that he noticed were fixed on it and connected to his chest, arms and thighs. The equipment has a glass display showing gauges with yellow, green and red lights moving from one end of the glass display to the other spiking at intervals with slow ping sounds. A wide stainless steel table was placed beside it. On the table was a big monitor with the light image of a human body with labeled parts on the screen. The monitor was connected to a specialized keyboard and linked with thick cables to a large CPU data console which was connected to a computer mainframe like super computer.

CHAPTER FIVE

Three years ago

11.22am EST

Chris was at the wheel of the mini van smiling at a joke Sena who was directly behind him had made. His wife who was sitting beside him on the passenger side laughed and said something funny after that. Chris sister-in-law, Evelyn was sitting with Sena behind him, joined in the joke, though she hardly say much these days since after her divorce episode. Sena has added more words to her already packed ones eliciting more laughter all around till Mrs Harvey, Chris mother-in-law reprimanded them that kids are around and listening to them.


Sena’s two boys and Lisa where with her on the back of the van. Sena disagreed, that what she is saying can be heard by kids and besides they are all sleeping. The only way they can hear her is if she is some kind of Freddy Krueger kind of monster and visit them in their dreams. Which caused another round of laughter and Mrs Harvey was forced to smile but quickly replaced it with a scowl.
The day was fully bright , the sky unusually blue and everything just looks like the view you get from an imaginary image of a perfect day. They were on their way to visit the auto shop just set up by Jay.


The road was unusually wide, the sides looks filled with well trimmed grasses and beautiful flowers. Trees swerving lovingly in the breeze. The world appeared surreal to Chris as he drove the vehicle but it didn’t seem strange to him as everything is just the perfect picture of what his heart desires. The road was just a long one that seem to go on forever without a break or turning and there appeared no other vehicle using the road like them. He turned to look at his wife and noticed that she was smiling a him. She held him by his arm and rested her head on his shoulder. The new baby was strapped to her chest as there was no space for a baby cot in the mini van.


He felt happy and fulfilled at that moment, he was lucky to have her in his life. Just then everything bright he was seeing suddenly turned dark, the happiness and joy all turned to a feeling of dreadful fear yanking at his senses. Just then the massive image of a heavy duty semi truck appeared before his windshield as if by magic. He opened his mouth to scream but nothing could come out as his mouth and throat seem filled with gravel. He tried raising his hand but they felt like melting rubber, drooping and weak. He turned back to his wife again to try and warn her but she seem oblivious to the looming danger and just continued to smile until a heavy noise that sounded like a mountain crashing to the earth filled the interior of the mini van. Then the world hard turned upside down, pieces of glasses were flying everywhere, the dashboard caved in and cracked into two. Still his wife continued to small as the world darkened around him.

Finally it hit front page after four months.

ashatoda:
please continue but let me ask how far about your job issue

Nothing yet. I have to be moving back to Lagos soon.

Penance sat back on the car’s seat watching as the teenage Shirley walked away. A lot have changed about her since he last saw her. The deaths had taken their toil on her but it was good to know she is still alive and dealing with it. His late wife’s niece. He had known Shirley when she was still very young seen her grow into the teenager she is today. Penance had been worried that his actions might have drawn the attention of his enemies and despite how far he has gone to hide his identity, they may have find out who his is. That is why he had come to see Shirley but had to watch the environment she is first to see if there are those keeping her under surveillance.


There were none both at school and the house where she lives with her father and step mother. That is good and tell of one thing, that his enemies haven’t figured out who he really is. Though Penance is sure, they will eventually but for now they haven’t, that still gives him a little more time to get things done. Though he wondered why Shirley and her father were spared, when every other person related to him has been killed. His friend’s family weren’t spared either. Well they may just have never thought of that or just feel that leaving a few alive might keep suspicion off the sudden death of members of three families at the same time.


Well he had accomplished his goal here, Shirley is safe from danger for now. Though Penance wondered why she couldn’t recognize him again. Maybe his face have changed so much and the fact she believed he was dead and buried may not allow her to see any remembrance between him and her late aunt’s husband. But Jaylen hasn’t had problem recognizing him on sight. Well that is something for another time. He twisted the key in the ignition, drove the car away from that place.

“I’m not dumb, you hear me. “ Shirley tried to put on her bold bitchy face. “I have seen you driving in circles around my school and I’m always the object of your attention. “
A look at the stranger’s face showed he would have smiled at this but his face seemed not to be cut out for it.
“Are you Afraid, Miss Shirley Anderson? “
“Not of a sad faced pretty boy like you, stranger. “
“You should be afraid. Didn’t your… “ here the stranger paused awkwardly as the next word to follow is quite familiar but he used something else. “… folks tell you not to talk to strangers?”


“Is that a threat? “ Shirley asked her hand almost touching the call button. Though she wasn’t afraid as it is a very public place with several people passing on both sides of the road. Though the traffic is free, there are still several traffic stops along it. So this man can’t harm her and really get away with it.
“No Miss Shirley but you should be more careful of people you talk to, especially strangers. I’m glad though that you are more cognizant of your surroundings. That is a skill that might save your life when you least expect it. “


“And how the hell is that any of your business mister? “ Shirley was almost getting angry carelessly. “And how in the world did you get to know my name? “
“It doesn’t really matter, but what I said is. “
“Now here’s one more to add to the list of important things to you. Next time I see you or this blasted car anywhere around me, I’m calling the cops on your sorry ass. And yes that’s a threat. “
Shirley stormed away from the car, taking swift steps and looking at her back occasionally to see if the car will come after her. Her hand continued to hover over the dial button till she got to a turning and didn’t see it again.

At least the two other times the car had passed, a glimpse she had of the driver seemed he was looking at her. The only difference was when she saw the car through the window of her class, the driver couldn’t have been able to see her. Now again the car is parked ahead of her by the sidewalk. Shirley was convinced that the man was watching her. Well she has had her episodes of people always watching her in the past when they thought she will commit suicide. But who could this man be? Could he be a cop or a private investigator sent by her never available father to watch her? Or could he be someone who meant her harm. She isn’t sure anyone will wish het harm anyway but you can never really be sure.


She hasn’t been able to get a good look at the driver yet but just glimpses of his face, showing it was a male behind the wheel. Well only one way to find out who he is and what he wants.
She brought out her smartphone typed 911 and left it on the speed dial. So at a single touch it will dial in a moment notice. She walked down to the car, knocked on the rolled up glass on the passenger side. The glass slide down and she bend to address the driver. The first thing she noticed about the man behind the wheel is his all white silvery hair yet he isn’t an old man. Something else was the complete lack of emotional display on his face.


But something tagged at the back of her mind, that the face looks remotely familiar. Try as she may, she couldn’t shake off that feeling or recall where she might have seen the face before.
“Hey mister, I noticed you have been watching me for hours, I want to know why? “ She asked, her thumb close to the dial part of the all screen phone.
After a few seconds of the driver just fixing his face on the windscreen as if he didn’t hear her, he responded. “And what makes you think you are the one I’m watching? “

The black day had like any other wonderful day not revealing its dark claws till way past her mid period. A teacher had come to call her in the class that the principal wants to see her in the office. When she got in, she saw two policemen in uniforms with the elderly dark skinned principal. She was surprised but that was the least of the feelings she had that day. When the news had hit her from one of the policemen, he was still talking when she blacked out. It was at the hospital when she revived that the full details of what was told her that day hit her. She had cried none stop until the doctor had sedated her.


All her waking moments were spent in tears, as the pains of the news continue to hit her afresh. Her aunt Erica, aunt Sena, her grandmom, little Lisa, her nice and aunt Sena’s two boys were all in the mini van heading for the auto shop aunt Sena’s husband had started when a speeding semi truck had crashed into them killing every one in the mini van. Her mom had gone with them on that trip though reluctantly. It was aunt Erica’s husband, Chris that had convinced her mom to go along with them as he was the one driving the mini van. The tears had refused to stop that at a point the doctors had refrained from giving her sedative to for her sleep as it was getting too much.


Shirley withdraw from life. She stopped eating and caring. Her dad had visited several times but she had said nothing to him no responded to any of his inquiries. She was so weak that she was carried to the funeral on a wheelchair. The funeral was held on the same day and they were all buried side by side. The only family members of the deceased were just her, her dad and aunt Sena’s husband Jay and someone with him she later learned was his brother from out of the State.
In just one day a perfectly good life was turned all the way opposite. She had screamed at the universe, complained to God and cursed fate.


Why will good people have to die. Even if life isn’t fair, it shouldn’t be this bad to anyone, especially her. Well the counseling had come. She was always watched at school and home. All metals, strong and heavy objects were kept far from her. Though she had thought of killing herself to end it all but there was no room for it. Life had just gone on. Then the pity look thrown at her way at school instead of helping her pissed her off and she started to lash out at every one. Then the fights had started, then the gossips and the reprimand.


Hey there it is again suddenly flashed across her mind in the middle of her introspections. That black car. It looks like a Jaguar sedan. This is the fourth time she was seeing it today. The first time was like two hours ago while she had stepped out of the school building to clear her head. The car had passed by the other side of the road. Later about thirty minutes after, it has stopped by the sidewalk outside the school gate, parked there for a few minutes before driving off. After about an hour again, Shirley had see the car roaming through the window of her class during her final period. She never really paid attention to any of it till now.

Well life just went on for her and none of these seems out of place for Shirley’s young mind. Soon she got to meet aunt Erica’s best friend, aunt Sena. She was such a beautiful soul. Her negative impressions about blacks changed when she knew her. She was among the few people on earth back then she can tell her secrets without fear of criticism. It hadn’t started that way though. Initially, Shirley just thought of her as a nice woman, with this funny negro accent and a twirling of her index finger when she talks. She always likes to hug Shirley and treat her like a younger sister. That had felt nice till a day when their relationship got deeper.


Shirley had got back from school that day, her heart broken and sad. She had caught Brad, her first ever boyfriend kissing another girl behind a tree. She had screamed, ran away, cried on her way home. She skipped her house and headed for aunt Erica’s place. Before getting there, she had washed and whipped her face. When she got in the house, her aunt had been happy she came, as she was pregnant then. She needed her help and didn’t pay much attention to her niece. But the first look aunt Sena had of her, she had noticed something was wrong with Shirley. Taking her apart, the black woman had pressed on her till she had opened up.


Aunt Sena had really spoken to her, cheered her up, boosted her dwindling self confidence and had really made her laugh so hard like a little girl. Since then they had almost been inseparable. She had also loved her kids too. She was always happy, that despite her mom and dad being apart, she still have good people around her that makes her happy. Though it never crossed her mind to be afraid that the husbands of both women she loved above all else are both marines. That hit home a bit when uncle Chris had an injury that kept him home for months. Still things didn’t change all too much until that dark day.


She sighed again as she slowly dragged her feet heading for the open gate now that the school bus was gone. Though there were still students within the wide open compound around the school, they are few that knows her. She is on her final year in senior high, most pf them won’t know her well enough. Those that did had gone with the bus. At least there won’t be an object of gossips for them as they head home in the bus. Even if they did gossip, it won’t matter to her as she won’t be there to hear it.

That blasted accident, just that one event was what turned her world upside down. Shirley, though loved her mom, never seemed to be on the same per with her on most issues in life. Right from when she turned twelve, Shirley and her mom just seem to drift further apart as the days went by. But it wasn’t the same with aunt Erica, her mom’s younger sister. Erica was more accommodating and relatable than her mom ever could be. Her dad was something else. He was never happy with her though was never mean to her, he was just cold and aloft mostly. As if he doesn’t understand why her mom has to give birth to a baby girl. Shirley always felt that her dad was disappointed that her mom had a female child first.


Her dad wasn’t a bad man, just that he doesn’t know how to relate with female children not to talk of a growing teenage girl with hormonal issues. The baby boy that would have come into the family, died at birth. Both of parents were really disappointed by that and they never made any serious attempt at having another baby again . After that, the marriage just seem to crumble piece by piece till the separation and finally divorce.
The divorce had further divided her and her mom, keeping them more apart. As for her dad, he dealt with it by remarrying but her mom never did. That was when she had gotten more close to her aunt Erica.


Then her husband, the marine. She calls him uncle Chris. He was nice but was just the cool but unaccommodating guy. But that was okay back then as she was always welcomed in their home anytime. Soon she started spending a bit more time at their house because her mother’s house was just getting cold and lonely always as it was empty and her mom was not always around. She became sad and grumpy mostly and never remarried. Guess she still loved her dad and she got broken and disappointed by her dad’s new marriage.