Dark Rose

by Odeena Sabnach

Chapter 2

Note: italics flashbacks

Cher Degre sat up in her bed, her body drenched in a cold sweat, her chest heaving with every panting breath. Several seconds passed before she realized where she was. She brushed a lock of hair from her face with trembling fingers, and then she buried her face in her hands. "A dream..." she whispered. "Just a dream." But by all gods, it had seemed so real!

It took a few seconds before her uneven breath calmed down some. Finally, she straightened up with a long sigh, and she looked at the glowing display of the electric alarm clock set up on a small table beside the bed. It was so late at night that it was actually starting to be early in the morning.

Her dream had seemed too real. Cher usually didn't remember what she dreamed at night; and yet, this time, the images came back on their own, uninvited, and with frightening clarity. She was standing again in the underground laboratory where she had seen Celestin, only this time, all the lights were out. Faint screams, as well as pleas for help and mercy, came from the surrounding darkness. She could hear deafening noises in the background, of shattering equipment, torn wires and breaking glass. And then, all of a sudden, thick vines were closing around her, thorns biting painfully into her flesh, the sickening sound of ripping flesh and crushing bones taking over her sense of hearing. She was trying to shout, cry, to implore, but no sounds were forming on her parted lips.

Cher shivered and shook her head, forcing the fresh memories away. Slowly, she stood up. Get over this nonsense... she thought to herself furiously. And yet, her body was still shaking, and her heart was still beating faster than it should have been. She sighed. This had clearly not been a good way to start her day, especially since that day would be an important one. It was the day that Celestin, Cher Degre's new 'research project', would be awakened from his lethargic sleep.

As Cher mechanically followed her morning routine, memories of the encounter on the previous night flashed briefly through her mind. Maya Seiki had been more than explicit as to what the purpose of her research team would be...

"Lord Oakum has asked that we find how to duplicate the process that was used to create Celestin. Combining DNA from different species is still eluding us. We did our best to find how it was done by researching Celestin, but we couldn't find a single clue to help out. At one point, we were ready to give up, but then we figured that maybe Celestin himself could have the answers we are looking for."

"And what will happen to him after you do find your answers?" Cher's ethics had pressed her to inquire that, although she could already suspect what the answer would be.

"That, is for lord Oakum to decide." But Maya's grin foretold nothing good for Celestin.

Cher had a strong reticence about taking part in the awakening of Celestin. The ethics of the method that the team would employ were... questionable in the least.

"How do you intend to awake him in the end? I suppose you've tried everything my team tried, and it hardly had any effect at all..."

Maya's grin grew wider, and for a second Cher had the strange impression that the doctor's teeth were slightly longer and shaper than they should have been. However, the illusion faded almost immediately. "We plan to try a more... unconventional method."

Cher leaned forwards despite herself, her lips forming a wide, 'Oh?', silently asking the other one to continue.

"We will inject a highly concentrated stimulant directly into Celestine's nervous system. This substance, combined with high intensity electric impulses, will cause an automatic response from--"

"You will give him a dose of anesthetic before that, won't you?" Cher cut in, demanding.

Maya's eyes narrowed slightly. "An anesthetic would only cause us to use a greater quantity of stimulant", she answered. "An unnecessary waste".

"But - you can't do that to him!" Cher exclaimed, horrified. "He is a living being! Surely he can feel pain! "

The other's features showed no emotion, and her tone was glacial as made her reply. "As far as I am concerned, Celestin is simply a test subject. I have no need for such inconvenient principles."

Cher stood up abruptly. "I will not take part in this," she stated. "I want to leave. Now."

Maya closed her eyes and heaved a sigh, sounding rather annoyed than frustrated. "You will not leave, doctor Degre. You already know too much." The woman stood up slowly and drew out a small revolver. "It wouldn't be wise of me to let you go now, wouldn't it." After a few moments, Maya went on. "You are a valuable scientist, Cher." She was using the name for the first time, and the other woman started slightly. "I'd hate to lose you because of such a trivial reason. Join me in my research, and you will have greater achievements than you have ever dreamed of - that, I promise you."

'Just like in a bad action movie', Cher thought bitterly. But this was real, and she knew her answer would mean either life or death. "And... if I decline?"

"Lord Oakum has already taken into consideration that alternative. If you do that, I'm afraid that you will never leave this complex alive."

Cher laughed mirthlessly. Was there any choice at all?

"All right", she said after a while. "I accept."

At that moment, she had the distinct impression that she had sold her soul to the devil.

...It took her several seconds to realize that the phone was ringing. Her hands were still shaking some when she picked up the receiver, "Hello?"

"Come." The voice was cold and precise, and as soon as the word had been uttered, the link was cut off. Cher knew what this meant. They had come for her. She clenched her hands into fists. She had become nothing more than a mere pawn, and she hated every bit of it. Still, what choice had there been?

Cher took a deep breath. 'I did what I had to do,' she told herself. 'I did it to survive. I...'

This isn't right, a small voice at the back of her head whispered. You know this isn't right.

'I had no choice.'

You don't have to do this, the voice pleaded.

The woman shook her head, refusing to make another answer. Talking to a voice inside her head was clearly not a good sign for her sanity.

Cher blinked in surprise as the small car came to a stop. "We arrived - already?". She questioned. She peered out through the darkened window on her right, and after a few seconds she was able to make out the massive form of Freeze City's research facility looming outside.

The automatic lock on the door next to her clicked open. Cher knew what that meant. She nodded briefly to the driver, and then opened the door and stepped out. As soon as she slammed the door shut behind her, the car turned and roared past her and into the darkness.

It was hardly past four in the morning, and Cher felt her pulse quickening despite herself. As a child, she had suffered acutely from the proverbial 'fear of the dark', and some reminiscences of it lingered still.

"Doctor Degre, I assume?"

The woman all but screamed out loud. She turned around, eyes wide, and found herself looking up at the figure of a tall, middle-aged man, dressed in what seemed to be the standard attire of the researchers of the center. A plasticized ID glistened on the left side of his broad chest. Cher remembered his features vaguely, although she couldn't tell where from. She swallowed past the sudden lump that had formed in her throat and nodded, "Yes.".

"Come with me."

The lights of the underground complex were dazzling after the blackness outside. Cher followed the other man as if in a trance, hardly taking notice of what was going on around her. Once, his ID caught her eye, and she managed to make out most of his name. Duncan Sen... Now, she was certain that she knew him from somewhere.

Of course! Duncan Sentry had been one of the leading scientists in researching the flower maiden, until he had mysteriously disappeared. Strangely, the event had seemed to coincide with Cher Degre's assignment to the Cheza project, and now, the woman began to wonder whether the two events had been connected in any way.

"Here we are", Duncan's voice jerked her abruptly from her thoughts. A few seconds later, the massive doors which lead to the laboratory where the attempt would take place slid open.

The laboratory was bustling with activity. Men and women in white suits rushed back and forth, and an excited murmur filled the air, mixing with the steady humming of the computers and other machines. From where she was standing, Cher could make out the tank where her 'test subject' was held, and for a second she felt a strong impulse to simply turn back and run as far away as she could. However, she rejected the thought almost as soon as it had come. There was no point in it. No point at all.

"So, you finally came." Maya Seiki's tone was rather cordial. "I hope you're well rested, because today we have a lot of work on our hands."

"I... did".

Cher's words were obviously not true, but Maya chose to ignore that as she smiled and placed a hand on Cher's arm. "Come on", she said, leading the other to the center of the laboratory. "Let me show you my technicians' latest achievement..."

Cher cringed involuntarily as the two came to a stop in front of the large container in the middle of the room. Inside it, Celestin was dangling from the chains which held him. The upper part of his body had been stripped, and, Cher noted with a sharp intake of breath, hideous scars littered his arms and chest.

"They're all from previous attempts", Maya answered Cher's unspoken question - or rather, accusation. "We've tried stimulating several vital organs, but we've never gone so far as to tap with his nervous system directly. Today will be a first. If the attempt succeeds, he will be sedated and allowed to recover before we proceed with the actual questioning."

Questioning. Cher didn't like the word. It held the promise of much more than a mere dialogue.

The same man which had accounted Cher before approached the two, a clipboard in his hand. "Doctor Seiki, the device is ready."

"Very well". Maya took several steps back, motioning for Cher to do the same. Slowly, a mechanical device descended above the tank, and Cher gasped as she saw it. It held three robotic arms with several thick needles sticking out. Some of its segments were transparent, and through it, a dark crimson liquid was visible.

"You're going to use that - that thing - without an anesthetic?"

"He will survive", Maya answered coldly. "The pain will add to the effects of stimulus and will serve our purpose."

Cher bit her lips to stop herself from answering. A strong feeling of helplessness overcame her. "What... what's inside it?" she answered, deliberately turning her thoughts to a different subject.

"A little bit of everything. Adrenaline, steroids... and, most important of all, wolf blood."

"Wolf blood?" Cher repeated, stunned. "But - but that's - I mean - wolves have been extinct for..."

Maya shook her head, "You silly girl. Wolves are still out there... and they may be closer than you realize. One of my agents spotted two of them fighting today. That is what caused Cheza's reaction. Both her and Celestin are very - sensitive - to the scent of their blood."

Cher opened her mouth for a further inquiry, but Maya held up her hand. "In due time, doctor Degre." She turned to Duncan, who had been waiting patiently next to her. "All right, doctor Sentry", she said. "You may proceed."