The Shimmer Project

Queen Bee

James

18 years earlier

I stripped and tossed my bloody clothes in my washing machine. There were photos of Ebba on my walls, a baby with white skin and curly brown hair, then a three-year-old, then five. All her life hung up on my walls.

I closed my eyes, falling back on my little bed. I started crying again, hugging my knees to my chest.

I fell asleep, then woke up again at lunchtime. My stomach grumbled as I got up and dressed again. I passed my hand through my coarse black hair, then left my room in search of food. When I passed, Thomas, a colleague, stopped me.

"Chief, the director is looking for you. He wants you to see him in his office," I nodded slowly, then walked off through the white corridors.

Essentially, the research lab wasn't a bad place, it was a place for hope. Scientists and doctors from all over the globe were flown in, most without the true knowledge of what happened behind the glass windows. The Chimeramortuses had proven themselves to be fascinating test subjects. Not only were scientists working on their species, studying how they evolved, why their powers grew with each generation, why and how they existed. Studies were also being done for mankind at the same time.

The Chimeramortuses were utterly immune to diseases. AIDS, Herpes, Rabies, Hepatitis B, Diabetes, Polio, Cancer, everything and anything the doctors could imagine, they never showed any sign of illness. Not only were they immune, but they could remove these illnesses from a human, over the years they had cured Diabetes Type 2, Ebola, Influenza, Arthritis and many more. However, each time they used their powers to cure, they grew extremely weak. Our scientists worked to extract their immunity and put it into humans. One day, we were going to cure cancer.

That's what I keep telling myself.

We'd already found a chemical solution with their blood that, contained the smallest amount of their powers and when inserted into a human's bloodstream, the human could heal more rapidly from any cut or cold than normal. Each generation produced a child with even stronger powers that made scientists' and doctors' dreams become a reality.

Essentially, it wasn't a bad place.

"Ah, James! Come in!" Director Morgan beckoned me in when I pushed his office door open. He was in his early sixties and fit for his age. He had a full head of curly salt and pepper hair and black eyes. He stood up and waved me forward, grinning. I knew he was very happy with my daughters. He was obviously in a very good mood. I couldn't meet his eyes as I walked down the rug and stopped in front of his desk.

"You should be proud, James, they are beautiful specimens. Numbers 5, 6 and 7," he stood up and paced around his desk. "We did something right, impregnating Number 4 at eighteen. She was able to give birth to the three babies that had developed. All three are very healthy and strong. Can you imagine what their daughters will be able to do? Cure cancer is what! Have you seen them?"

"Not since they were born," I replied.

"Well, you should, they are very interesting. You have to check up on these things. Know everything that happens in this lab. You'll see. Now I wanted to ask you something."

"Yes?" I asked.

He moved back around his desk and shuffled through some papers, then sat down and gazed up at me.

"Do you want to monitor all three of the specimens or only one?"

"I'll monitor them all," I said. Director Morgan smiled at me, nodding.

"That's wonderful. You know the drill. This time should be interesting."

"I know," I turned away.

"Oh, and son," he called. I faced him. He shook his head. " Get yourself cleaned up. Your employees cannot see you in this state to take you seriously," he gestured at my shabby appearance.

I nodded in agreement, stuffed my shirt back into my pants and tightened my tie. I lifted my chin and straightened my shoulders. Director Morgan nodded approvingly. I turned on my heels and quickly left the room.

I headed towards the maternity wing, dreading every step. I hesitated as I passed the delivery room. I peered through the window in the door and found the room had been cleaned, shiny and white again. I looked around and grabbed the first nurse passing by. She stared up at me wide-eyed.

"Chief Morgan?"

"Where is she? Ebba? Number 4?"

"She died sir," she replied, the poor thing looked confused.

"I know she's dead," I growled. "I was there. Where is she now?"

The nurse bowed her head slightly.

"I think they took her outside, they buried her an hour ago," she answered.

I paused, closing my eyes for a second.

"Thank you," I moved away slowly.

"Chief Morgan, the new specimens, they're in the nursery," she called after me.

"I know," I replied, still walking away. I could feel her eyes on my back as I made my way to the nursery.

It was a very small room with three little cots. Two SAT members stood to one side of the room watching the cots. A doctor, one that I didn't know, obviously very new, stood over one of the little cots with a clipboard. She glanced up and smiled slightly.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm Chief Morgan," I said.

She looked taken aback, then shook my hand heartedly.

"Of course. I heard so much about your research on these mutants. It's a real pleasure to meet you."

"Thank you," I moved past and peered into the cot next to her. A baby girl lay asleep in the cot. Her skin was sheet white like her mother's and her hair was ebony, like mine. She was beautiful. My heart skipped a beat as I stared down at my daughter.

"She was the second one born, she's Number 6. The middle one," the doctor told me. I nodded slowly.

"She's so beautiful."

"Yes, they're identical, you know. I'm sure they will be very powerful, though."

"She looks just like her mother did," I peered over at the next cot, another baby slept in the same way, her fists curled into little white balls. Like her sister, her hair was ebony, and her face was porcelain white.

"Now she was born last, Number 7," she glanced at her folder. "They remind me of Snow White," she continued.

"Unfortunately, won't be living a fairy tale," I murmured back. I reached down and stroked her cheek slightly.

"James!" I pulled back swiftly and turned to face Director Morgan, who was standing in the doorway.

He sighed.

"You know just how lethal they are. They kill their fathers without hesitation," he held my third daughter in his arms tightly. "Remember, they aren't even human."

I stared at him wide-eyed.

"Yes sir. I'm sorry. They are mutants. Chimeramortuses. I'll go now," I moved swiftly out towards the door. When I passed Director Morgan, I looked down at the baby in his arms. She looked slightly different from her sisters, her expression not as peaceful, her hands clenched tighter, her face more scrunched up.

"She's the queen," Director Morgan told me, looking at the baby.

"The what?"

"The queen bee. She's the most powerful one. The first one born. Her powers are stronger than we've ever seen."

I gazed down at the white baby.

"How...how do you know?"

"Because she's already used her powers. When the doctor set her in her cot, the mirror broke and the pieces were aimed at him. He got out of the way in time. Ability to make objects move and desire to kill, and she's not even a day old. We're locking her up on the first floor this afternoon. She's already lethal. James, you need to watch out with her, she's much more dangerous than her mother."

"I understand."

"Good."

"I'll go have lunch," I murmured before moving out of the room.