“Father!” Eden cried, the din drowning out her voice.
She ran forward against the rush of terrified workers who knocked her onto the slippery floor. Wet, gooey flame retardant foam shot from ports in the wall. Eden wiped off the mess from her face and arms. Too late, she watched her dark coating peel away in streaks. But she couldn’t think about that now.
She felt like a loose electron bouncing from atom to atom as she crawled through the melee. When the crush passed by, she grabbed onto a workstation to pull to her feet. In the flickering light, she saw her father standing alone in the operating theater. He seemed dazed, and she guessed he had finally noticed the world around him.
A painful cry filled the air. Her father jerked towards the test bed. It seemed Bramford was in trouble. Blessed Earth, the extreme heat must have contaminated the experiment. Her fault, all of it.
Eden heard the soldiers’ footsteps echo down the hall. Desperate, she scanned the lab for a weapon. But she was just one little Pearl against armed FFP soldiers. What could she do?
She flashed on the day the lab had opened. Hadn’t Father given her a secret code?
—My work must never fall into the wrong hands. Use this, Daught, when no other alternative exists.
That would be now, right? Still, why did she have to be the one to decide? But if she didn’t they would win.
She activated the memorable code. Go bluebell.
—Just remember your mother’s pretty eyes. They were the color of bluebells.
The system responded with a standard question: Are you sure you want to terminate Resources for Environmental Adaptation?
Eden groaned. Every backup of her father’s work would be destroyed. Just then the soldiers burst into the lab. She had no choice but to proceed. Sorry, Father.
A loud, insistent female voice announced the end. “Warning! REA will self-destruct in five minutes. Please proceed to the nearest exit.”
Hand over fist, Eden grabbed hold of objects as she made her way towards the operating theater. She almost had reached the stairway when Jamal caught her, a blood-soaked bandage wrapped around his head.
“No more games, Eden,” he said.
He dragged her below the operating theater while the soldiers’ heavy boots pounded up the stairs. They fanned out along the rim of the stage and stood ready. Her father leaned over the operating bed, his back to the soldiers, once more oblivious. Beside him, Bramford’s chilling cries cut through the sounds of falling timbers and snapping flames.
Eden calculated their survival odds: one crazy, old scientist and his gullible daughter against, count ’em—seven armed soldiers, including Jamal. Bramford was useless. Their one hope was Shen who, to her amazement, remained by his employer’s side.
As her father might have said, the current trajectory would no doubt result in a re-organization in favor of the more dominant genes. In other words, Jamal, and therefore the FFP, would win and kill all the Pearls, starting with her.
“Dr. Newman, we represent the Federation of Free People,” Jamal called out. “We’re here to requisition your services and technology for the benefit of the People. Come with us peacefully and I guarantee you’ll be treated with the respect you deserve.”
“Four minutes until termination. Please exit the building at once.”
Still, her father ignored them, as if he was immune to the chaos.
“Father!” Eden yelled. “Help!”
At last he spun round to face the enemy. “What? It isn’t possible!”
If the situation hadn’t been so dire, Eden might have laughed. To her father, anything was possible if approached in a logical sequence.
“I insist you leave at once,” he continued. “You are interfering with a delicate operation.”
A curdling scream rose in the air. Poor Bramford. Eden wouldn’t wish such suffering on anyone, not even him.
Inquisitive detachment replaced the crazed look on her father’s face. He seemed to forget the immediate danger and turned back to the test bed.
“Proceed to the nearest exit. Three minutes remaining until termination.”
“Advance,” Jamal told the men.
Eden watched the soldiers step forward, her heart in her throat. Her father wheeled round again, waving a syringe in the air.
“Stay back!” he said. “Or I’ll kill myself and the subject.”
The men halted and looked to Jamal for instructions. He yanked Eden in front of him, shouting above the raging fire. “If you cooperate, Dr. Newman, nothing will happen to your daughter. However, if you continue to resist, I cannot guarantee her safety.”
Her father hesitated.
Eden heard the shock in Jamal’s voice. “Do you understand, doctor?”
“What? Yes, the paradigm has been clearly presented.”
Eden’s father looked at her with regret. She guessed what he was thinking: the biggest leap in evolution since man discovered fire.
“Father?” she said.
He shook his head and focused once more on his precious patient.
It was embarrassing, really. No one wanted her—not her boyfriend, not even her own father. Guess the FFP hadn’t counted on her worthlessness.
“Warning! Two minutes remaining until destruction of REA.”
“Take out the doctor,” Jamal ordered his men.
An earth-shaking roar split the air. Frantic, Eden fought to get away. “Let me go!”
To her surprise, Jamal released her and stared ahead, wide-eyed. Then as the thunderous sound repeated, she understood it had come from the platform. From Bramford.
Her father staggered away from the test bed. Even the soldiers stepped back. From the tearing sound, Eden guessed that Bramford had ripped off the bindings that held him to the bed. But that was impossible for any man.
She gasped as something dark and monstrous sprung from the bed. It landed at the edge of the platform, towering over the room. Bramford didn’t resemble the controlled model of the new man she expected. Instead, she stared up at a terrifying creature, part man and part beast.
Mostly, he reminded Eden of his new cousin, the jaguar. In the slash of cheekbones and feline face the resemblance was unmistakable. His eyes, now a luminous deep green, gleamed cat-like in the glow of the fire. No longer bald, he had dark silky hair tumbling down his shoulders. Powerful, carved legs ripped through the white surgical pants.
His skin had turned so dark it blended with his camouflage spots, giving the impression of muted scars or tattoos all over his body. The deep, dark coloring, thanks to the melanistic jaguar’s pitch-black coat, enhanced his powerful presence, just as Bramford must have intended.
He shook with rage. The shirt split across his chest, revealing tight bands of muscles under a light mat of fur. Slowly, he turned over his hands, examining the thick padded palms. His gaze traveled down his adapted body, and Eden wondered if the unexpected beastly form shocked him. Or had Bramford even retained enough human awareness to experience such an emotion?
His angry roar seemed to answer her unspoken question with a resounding yes. She felt faint from the ferocious power he exuded. Unreasonable feelings bubbled up within her. Maybe it was crazy, but she wanted to roar back at him.
Feral eyes landed on her, devouring every inch. She found herself smiling at him. But his eyes stayed cold, his expression as flint-hard as ever.
In that moment, Eden understood that despite his dramatic physical transformation, deep down Ronson Bramford hadn’t changed one bit. He was still the same arrogant bastard.
THE WARNING countdown rang out in the laboratory with increasing urgency. “One minute and thirty seconds to termination of REA. Immediate evacuation required.”
Eden tensed as her father approached Bramford, who towered over him. Like a child experiencing his first World-Band fantasy, her father’s eyes were wide with wonder for his creation. If Bramford so much as flicked a finger, he might destroy the man who held the keys to his destiny. But would the beast understand
that?
Beside her, Jamal ordered his men in a calm, low voice. “Do not kill the creature. I repeat, stun but do not kill him.”
To her surprise, Eden felt a protective urge towards her boss. “Run, Bramford!” she cried.
He seemed not to hear her, and she wondered if he still knew his name or even retained the power of speech. Or maybe he simply chose to ignore her, as usual. In any case, he stood firm, facing the semi-circle of soldiers. She hated to think of how the FFP would cage and dissect him like a common lab rat, Rattus norvegicus. They would destroy him, just like every other wild thing on the ravaged planet.
And yet, hope surged in her as the cunning predator now embedded into Bramford’s DNA seemed to take possession of him. His feline eyes canvassed the room, probably devising a strategy to attack. She imagined him drawing upon the superfine senses and formidable powers he’d been given. But how would he resist the soldier’s lasers?
Bramford sank onto his haunches with a warning rumble. Powerful muscles rippled in his thighs. His lips curled into a snarl, ready to attack. The louder his growl grew, the more nervous the soldiers seemed. Eden understood with a rush of respect that like any alpha male, he needed to establish his dominance over them.
Her father pleaded with the FFP. “Please, desist at once. You’re inciting the subject.”
“One minute and counting until termination. Fifty-nine seconds…”
Fire mushroomed through the shattered roof, sucking out the air with a powerful whoosh. Chunks of the building rained down. Eden screamed as one of the soldiers fired his laser at Bramford, who dodged the flare with lightning speed.
Shen rushed forward but Bramford sent him flying back with a light slap. He looked surprised when Shen hit the wall with a loud thud. Eden wondered if he’d simply aimed to put his loyal bodyguard out of harm’s way.
A second laser blast sizzled in the air. Again, Bramford pivoted away, too fast for her eyes to trace. He leapt upon the nearest soldier and mashed him into a ball. With ease, he hurled the screaming man into the path of an oncoming laser. In a blur, Bramford ducked to evade the other two soldiers’ flares. He bounded towards them, crushing them with a single swipe of his arm.
Giant and Squeaky retreated to the edge of the platform.
“Stay down,” Jamal told them, as he aimed his laser. “I’m going to neutralize Bramford.”
Eden saw that Bramford would leave himself open to Giant and Squeaky, if he attacked Jamal. She had to help. She recalled that Aunt Emily said she felt as if the top of her head came off whenever she recognized poetry. Now, Eden felt a similar lift and knew what to do.
Time slowed, in her mind, as she spied a burning timber shake loose from the roof. She grabbed a nearby chair and, like an old-fashioned baseball player, swung it hard at the falling timber. It connected with a bang and sailed in Jamal’s direction. The chair flew from her hands, sending her tumbling to the ground. A sick scream filled the air, followed by a laser blast. Eden raised her head to find Jamal lying on the floor covered in flames.
Another gut-wrenching cry reached her, its familiar tone filling her with dread. Father!
Scrambling to her feet, she saw him sprawled on the ground. He clutched his leg, a crimson stain spreading onto his lab coat.
Bramford roared at Giant and Squeaky, the remaining line of defense. They inched backwards, then turned and ran to their fallen leader.
Once more, Bramford’s penetrating gaze fell on Eden. Did she imagine it or did something in his eyes soften?
Distracted by Shen’s loud moans, he turned to the devoted bodyguard, who struggled to stand. One arm hung limp at his side; the dragon tattoo gone slack. He lurched forward with obvious effort, but Bramford’s abrupt growl stopped him.
A look that puzzled Eden passed between them. Bramford pointed towards the exit, clearly ordering Shen to leave. Now she was sure the creature must have lost his human voice, although some reasoning appeared to be intact. Shen shook his head, refusing even now to abandon his boss. Bramford answered with a final roar, its cold authority strikingly similar to his old ways. Finally, Shen turned away.
What was it, between those two, anyway?
Bramford leapt towards Eden’s father, who lay helpless on the floor. The beast’s emerald eyes burned feverishly, the nostrils flared. Eden gasped, afraid the blood that oozed from her father’s wound might incite Bramford to attack. Any predator would.
She hardly could believe it when he carefully lifted her father in his arms. Not even Bramford’s former self was capable of such gentleness. Like a rock skimming over a flat pond, he carried her beaming father across the tops of the workstations until he stood above Eden.
She stared up into his savage face, her mind a blank. To her amazement, Bramford spoke in a raspy growl, as terrifying as a tsunami, as thrilling as a rare bird in flight.
“Come, Eden,” he said, holding out a sharp-clawed, leathery hand.
He knew her, she realized with delight. Perhaps it was silly, but she felt special, as if a celebrity had recognized her. And she felt helplessly lost in the magnetic glow of his cat-like eyes.
“This is your final warning! Thirty seconds until termination. Twenty-nine seconds…”
Bramford barked at her. “What are you waiting for?”
Eden liked him much better when he seemed mute. She certainly didn’t want to go anywhere with the scary beast. But there was Father, and her promise to watch over him.
She reached for Bramford’s hand, shocked once again by the electric feel of his touch. This time, there was no mistaking the reeling effect on her, despite the change in him. Or maybe because of it, she realized.
Bramford balanced her onto one broad shoulder, as if Eden were a little bird perched there. She clung to his neck, petrified, as he sped away. Fiery objects exploded around them, and yet he easily evaded them, dodging through the smoke-filled tunnels.
Ahead, she saw a wall of fire, blocking their path to the upper level. Good Earth, Bramford wasn’t going to stop. She screamed as he sprinted forward. The fire reached for them, but Bramford was too fast for it to catch hold. He seemed to have the power of ten jaguars.
Eden laughed hysterically, as they burst through the blaze. She wondered if they were laughing, too. Possibly, they had designed an entire night of elaborate Holo-Images to drive her mad. She only wanted it to stop.
Bramford ran past the charred security gate and into the hangar, where his aircraft waited. The pilot’s eyes widened as they approached. Like Eden, he must have recognized Bramford in the creature’s steely gaze. At once the doors slid open.
A Uni-Gov military siren echoed in the distance. Eden feared they’d treat her no better than the FFP. Her father might be retained until he was of no further use, but she would be cut off. They had no choice but to rely on Bramford, as crazy as that seemed.
He lowered her to the ground then set her father on the back seat, again with surprising tenderness.
“Get in, Eden,” he said, as he jumped into the facing seat.
Her father’s eyes begged her to join him. Happy at this meager sign of acceptance, she stepped in beside him when a horrible thought stopped her. Austin. She’d forgotten him in the chaos. Before she could leave, Bramford yanked her inside, and the doors closed.
“Full speed ahead,” he told the pilot. “And tell the airstrip to ready number one.”
“Stop!” Eden cried, banging on the cabin door. “I have to go back.”
Bramford released her with a grunt, as the aircraft vaulted into the air. She fell back into the seat beside her father, unable to fathom life without her dog.
A heart-stopping boom shook the skies. She watched the lab explode, and let out an anguished scream.
“No! Austin!”
Slammed by the shock wave, the jet skidded towards the hillside. The driver struggled to right the craft, then raced ahead.
Eden slid down into the seat, devastated. Everything she had known was gone. If her life were a
simple equation, like one plus one, it now yielded a negative number.
“Austin is of the species Canis lupus familiaris—a dog,” her father explained to Bramford in a soft voice, as if talking to a child.
“You’d risk your life for a dog?” Bramford asked her, incredulously.
“You wouldn’t understand. For Earth’s sake, you left poor Shen behind.”
He winced. “I expect he’ll be safe.”
“He has a mate and a child, doesn’t he?”
“Yes, for their sake, I made a choice. If the FFP thinks he’s only an employee they’ll leave him alone.”
“Then who is he?”
Bramford gave her a hard look then stared out the window. He seemed more upset about Shen’s future than his own. Or more likely, he’d lost some secret advantage by leaving his aide behind. Bramford couldn’t fool her; he was simply a more powerful, and yes, even exciting, version of the selfish man Eden loathed.
“Well, I’m grateful you saved us,” her father said.
Eden glared at him. Didn’t he understand why Bramford had taken them along? He didn’t care about them any more than he cared for Shen. If he hoped to restore his human form, he desperately needed her father’s help.
But what if her father failed? Then what would the wild beast do to them?
EDEN GRIPPED the armrests of her seat as Bramford’s fleeing aircraft zigzagged through the air. A pursuing military aircraft shot laser fire at them, nipping at their heels. The blinding white flashes and blazing firestorm lit the dark night. Bramford’s vehicle lacked firepower but was nimble and fast.
Beside Eden, her father squeezed her hand. To comfort her, she supposed. She caught him grimacing, a hand clamped over his leg. Fresh blood oozed onto the white coat.
For the first time in her life, she wished there was a God. But that idea had disappeared in The Meltdown.
Bramford sat across from her, his powerful body dominating the small space like a mountain cramped in a cave. Holo-Images played in the small cabin, showing the deadly battle in progress. He studied them as he issued a steady stream of orders to the pilot.