Invisible Death

We, Robot

Handshakes, heads slightly bowed, sage smiles gracing both older men faces, enquiries on welfare and health concerns. Samihah Shah had one of the smiles attached to her face, little wrinkles in the corner of her eyes, under her glasses, attested to the sincerity of her pleasure in the company she was keeping.

Oliver St. Clair and Datuk Alif Sharfan bin Muhammad, Samihah's new "husband", were meeting for an afternoon of serious business negotiations, dealing with the transport of St. Clair Pharm's chemicals and meds on the Malaysian tycoon's freight ships.

"I hope you're feeling better today, Sid Alif." Oliver St. Clair was genuinely worried about his guest.

"Much improved, thank you, effendi."

"The earthquake was a complete surprise, a freakish natural phenomenon. This part of the world is prone to occasional winds, but never before an earth tremor."

"Allah's ways are unfathomable, Mr. St. Clair," said the bespectacled gentleman, playing with his Muslim beaded rosary. "Shall we reconvene to your private office and leave the younger generation to their scientific amusements?"

"See, Dr. Harrison? I believe you are still included in the 'younger generation'," chuckled the pharmaceutics industrialist.

Ken Harrison also had a little smug smile on his thin lips. His beautiful secret main laboratory was ready to welcome a top VIP guest. He would take Samihah down to the lab proper, to inspect his great achievement in the field of bio warfare. Finally, he would prove to the world his worth as a scientist and researcher, Adam Kane's true nemesis. Whatever Adam had created, he, Kenneth Harrison, botanist cum geneticist, would undo, destroy, and write his name on the pages of History as Mankind savior, together with Jonas Salk, Alexander Flemming, Louis Pasteur and so many other beacons of light shining in the black darkness that was ignorance. One name shone brighter than any other in Kenneth Harrison's mind, in golden, glowing, glistening letters, five of them... pure gold... N... O... B... E... L...

Of course, other five letters crept insidiously from the blackest corners of Kenneth's mind, casting their shadow over his dream. Actually, the five letters of lead cast their shadow over his entire life. He thought of them every second, every waking moment. They were like a ghost, haunting his every thought, always lurking behind his eyelids, spoiling every idea, every notion, every thought they touched. Everything and anything Kenneth Harrison did in his life had a single aim: to defeat the five letters of lead, to chase them away from his brain, from his heart, from every fiber of his being. This time, he would do it. It was so close! So near! Within his reach: victory! The complete annihilation of the Mutant threat. The five letters of crap would never again turn his golden dreams into rotting garbage! They would never again make him wake up drenched in cold, stinking sweat. They would never again make him look over his shoulder, even when he knew there was no possibility the letter owner could be in the same room, the same city, the same country, even the same continent! The five letters of crap would never again make Kenneth Harrison's heart thump like crazy in his chest for no reason! He would have proven himself the better man! The abler man! The real ace and alpha male! He, Kenneth Harrison! Never again... M... A... S... O... N...

"Let's go visit the lab, Samihah? Ken? Ken, are you all right?"

Thomasina's voice woke Kenneth Harrison up, making him snap out of his stupor. He looked around and all eyes were turned in his direction. He shook his head lightly to make all letters disappear and smiled more broadly. If he could, Ken Harrison would blush. Bowing his head slightly like he had seen the other men do, he directed Samihah to the exit. Outside, under the clear blue tropical sky, the stretch limo with St. Clair Pharm's logo painted on the sides waited for them.