Unit HAZE

Part 6

Part 6
April 7th, 2008.
The planned project to induce accelerated evolution in a human specimen has proved impossible at current time. The subject has become unstable, and is unlikely to survive outside the tank.
Suggest termination of subject.

August 9th, 2008.
The subject has remained in the tank for an unsafe period of time. Original body has begun to die. Subject, dubbed 'Eve', has lost humanity. Termination is highly advised.

January 14th, 2009.
'Eve' has successfully maintained five hours outside of incubation. With continual enhancements to the body, another form of evolution is technically possible. Although not natural, the upgraded body is evolving at an accelerated rate thanks to robotics.

August 1st, 2009.
'Eve' has learnt to self-modify her body as she sees fit. If she can be brought under control, the possibilities would be endless. The evolved subject, now less than 20% human, has been given a new, more fitting title. 'Cerebra'.

March 24th, 2012.
'Cerebra' has grown hostile, and shows no signs of humanity. Any drugs used for sedation show no effect. She seems to have adapted herself against their effects. 'Cerebra' can no longer be tamed and seen as an individual. The only term for the subject is 'weapon'.
As such, she will be handed over to a group that deals with weapons. Perhaps she can be handled by them.

March 28th, 2012.
The group meant to hold and control 'Cerebra' has been destroyed. 'Cerebra' has been captured and is currently being held in the underground prison. Awaiting orders.

May 18th, 2014.
Subject 'Cerebra' has escaped from confinement. However, the lack of destruction leaves questions. One possibility is that an outside accomplice let her out and took her away. However, such events seem improbable since no human can control 'Cerebra'.
Search and investigation ongoing.

Haruke rubbed his chin.
Using his position as one of the overseers for the 'human evolution project', he could gain access to all files about Cerebra. His personnel involvement ended once she was given to a weapons company, but he still had authority.
He now had to think.
Escape from the underground prison was impossible. The results of the 'induced esper project' had been trying for years. So if someone truly did help her out, who?
It must've been someone she trusted.
But at that time, she trusted no-one.
Everyone viewed her as a dangerous weapon, but she was still just a young girl. She was scared and traumatised.
"A person in that state would only trust someone who knows their pain. A different subject, perhaps?" The different subjects came to mind.
The espers were still in containment, so they were out.
It clearly wasn't Haruke.
That left two.
'Ethereal shift' and 'artificial slider'.
He oversaw Ethereal, and remembered what he looked like clearly.
Matching him up to one of the higher ups was difficult. But even if he wasn't one of the higher ups, he could be working on orders.
To find out who actually helped Cerebra, Haruke would need details on the event. But only two people were present besides those involved.
The espers.
The two were in confinement on either side of Cerebra's cell, so they must've seen something.
"But questioning those two won't be easy. I'm sure others have tried and failed. But I know them. Maybe I can get them to talk."
He hardened his resolve and made his way to the underground prison. Only the very worst people went there. Only those guilty of crimes so great that the above world hadn't even suggested laws for.
But luckily, less than ten people were actually there.
The two espers were very easy to find. They were in insanely secure cells, but they could still see outside into the hall.
One of the espers was confined with his hands encased into the cold concrete floor. This was the one they had titled as 'Mass'. A stupid name, based on his power.
The other was inside a full body iron casket that clung to him like a suit. Only his head and bare hands were visible. That suit was secured in a magnetic field as to keep his hands away from the cell walls. There was an oxygen tank on his back leading into the wall behind him. The room was filled with a strange gas for the purpose of equalling internal and external air pressure. And for some reason, this gas took away his power, or at least made him unable to use it. He, like Mass, was named after his power. He was called 'Anti'.
Anti was the most unstable. Just getting into his cell was a challenge, never mind getting out.
Mass was the more human of the two. His power was also less deadly since it could be overwhelmed.
The obvious choice was to question Mass.
Intent on finding information on who helped Cerebra, Haruke entered the cell with just a boy sat neatly in the centre of the room, his hands in the floor.
The boy looked up at him and smiled.
"Haru-chan! Good to see ya! Have you figured out how to cure me yet?"
"No. Sorry Mass, but I believe I already told you that science cannot reverse what we've done."
"I get that man. I just wanted to know if I could get outta hear at any point."
"Mass, you're too dangerous to let free."
"What about Cerris-chan? She got to leave!" A certain name came up in his rant.
"'Cerris-chan'? Cerebra?" It was not a stretch for 'Cerris' to be a nickname for Cerebra.
"Yeah, that chick! She was more unstable than me, but the higher ups brought her out!"
"Wait! The higher ups? They took her personally?"
"Yeah. One of them came and took her out."
"But you don't know what they look like." Neither did Haruke until an hour or so ago.
"He said so himself!"
(He!?)
The mastermind was now identified as male.
The eight suspects had dwindled down to five.
"Who was it? Who let her out?"
"I dunno. Cerris-chan trusted him for some reason. He called himself 'the slider'."
(So it was the slider................)
"But I don't get it. The only people that Cerris-chan trusted were me and Anti. So who-"
"Mass, you don't know this because you were imprisoned very soon after you were created. There have been other experiments. One of which aimed at artificially producing a 'slider'. A being that can shift through dimensions. Cerebra would only trust a fellow subject, like you or him."
"Whatever. Can you pull a few strings and get me outta here then?" He seemed to have minimal interest in Haruke's questions.
"I'm sorry, but no." He responded, slightly irritated.
"................."
Silence crept in.