Love of Mars

Chapter 17

Stoker stared through the broken doorway, then walked into the room slowly, very carefully, like if he moved too fast the whole world might shatter.

He looked into the cages and his jaw clenched so hard it looked like it might crack. Stella was already opening the cages with shaking hands.

"I've got you... I've got you... I'm so sorry... I'm so, so sorry..." she kept whispering as she gently lifted each tiny mouse out.

The white one tried to speak but only a tiny squeak came out.

"It's okay, Vinnie," she whispered, recognizing him immediately. "It's me. Stella. You're safe."

She handed him carefully to Stoker, then picked up the large grey mouse. "Modo...Come on big guy." she whispered, her voice breaking slightly. He tried to sit up straighter in her hand, stubborn even now.

Finally, she picked up the tan mouse. He was whimpering, shaking and trying to cover his eyes with his paws.

"Throttle..." she whispered, her voice cracking, and something in her chest felt like it was tearing apart. "I'm here. I've got you." She cradled him to her and the mouse nuzzled close to her collarbone trying to hide from the harsh light. It was in that moment Stella's fear for what they might find turned into something else entirely.

White Hot Rage.

Stella stuffed Karbunkle's research papers into her back pocket, took off her jacket and used that to wrap up the three cowering mice. Out on the warehouse floor, Charley had already opened dozens of cages and animals were running in every direction, cages hanging open, metal doors slamming somewhere in the distance. Suddenly alarms started blaring and lights came on, flooding the warehouse in horrible unnaturally bright light. 

A raspy cackle and slow clap echoed from above.

They all looked up at the metal walkway.

Karbunkle stood there, metal eye glowing in the flashing red alarm lights, several armed goons behind him.

"Well done, Doctor," he said. "Very impressive."

Stella slowly stepped forward. Stoker immediately noticed the change in her. He'd seen it in soldiers many times during the war and muttered a curse under his breath.

Karbunkle tilted his head slightly. "Ahh and you found my special specimens, I see." Stella stayed silent but followed the doctors movements as he slowly made his way down the stairs. Karbunkle continued talking like a lecturer. "The transformation process was quite the spectical. Painful I imagine... But their biology is... resilient. Especially the grey one. He has survived procedures that should have killed him. I should know..."

Stoker slowly reached for his blaster. Karbunkle looked directly at Stella again.

"The tan one was the most interesting. He tried very hard not to scream at first. Very noble. But ultimately pointless."

Everything in Stella went still.

Completely still. Charley saw the change wrap around her then and backed away slowly. Karbunkle just kept talking.

"They called out while I injected the syrum. Mostly each other's names. But Miss Davidson's came up.. and yours. Your name came up quite often, Doctor Macgee. Over and over again."

Stella was calm. Terrifyingly calm. She handed the wrapped mice to Charley without taking her eyes off Karbunkle.

"Hold them," she said quietly. "Get them to safety. When I give the signal you run." She didn't give Charley time to say anything. Didn't tell her what the signal would be. She just started walking to meet the derranged doctor on the stairs.