The Genesis Covenant

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Wednesday 22nd April 2022 - 1450

St Judes, Middle School and Orphanage - London

Main Corridor

I  freeze, I'm fixated, staring at the paper.

20 seconds go by.

Then 30.

Where did it come from? Is this some kind of joke or threat by Fizz and his goons.

That's my first thought.

However, I'd just gone through the weirdest examination of my life. That old guy had looked seriously stressed for a moment, could he have put it in my pocket?

Why would some strain of Scarlet Fever need me to run, it didn't make any sense.

It must have been Fizz, probably when I was curled up in a ball taking a kicking. Just another attempt to freak me out, well it was working.

I hear Drucker and his cronies starting to leave the room. I quickly turn forward, and start moving, I fold the paper and slip it into my front pocket.

Maybe I should try and find out a bit more about these guys, maybe I can listen in as they leave. It's a crazy and scary idea, but I decide to give it a shot. I'm pretty sure I play on being a dumb kid if they catch me.

What's the worst that can happen? I get knocked around, that happened twice a week every week anyway.

Drucker could strangle me to death and no one would know, yeah there is that.

I quicken my pace, head down the corridor and turn left at the end, the way I'd go to exit the school. I'm assuming that's where they are headed.

I'm about to pass the economics room which was of course now empty.

I stop, look at the door, take a step towards it, turn back to head on.

I give myself a mental slapping, suck it up dude, get a grip.

I turn back, open the door, enter and flatten myself against the corridor wall.

I leave the door open as far as I dare. If Drucker catches me I don't want to think what will happen.

I listen, I listen hard. I can still feel the vibrations from when white coat did whatever he did to me.

They have been fading but they are still there.

Now I can feel them building in intensity, all around my ears. It's freaking me out.

I stop listening as hard and it eases off thankfully. I want to hear them though.

I start to focus on listening hard again. Back come the vibrations, not as bad, but they are back. I'm beginning to really worry about what's going on with me when I start to hear voices, mumbling from other classrooms but then clearly the voice of Drucker.

'So Doctor Blake, no positive results, are you sure your tests are accurate? We do not have many more target locations.'

Then came the voice of white coat, 'I'm quite sure, we have proven them accurate in many simulations. We just haven't found them yet. You realise of course they may not even be in the school system Corvas'.

'It's a possibility, but this is our most effective strategy, should this fail we will simply have to search harder, you know how important this is to the Institute'.

'It's possible the catalyzation has not started to occur' says Blake, 'it's possible we are still too early.'

'Records have shown the male at least should have begun the process, he should be detectable' says Drucker.

They pass the door to the economics room, they are speaking in terse hushed tones.

How am I able to hear them so clearly?

The buzzing has gone from my ears, and I'm hearing them with perfect clarity.

I'm so distracted I miss the next part of the conversation trying to sort it out in my head.

The next thing I hear is Drucker talking 'Back to the Institute then Doctor, perhaps further analysis of the blood samples will bear fruit. Follow protocol and have Jensen validate all of your work, Rymar ensure it is so'

'Of course Corvas, of course' Says Doctor Blake.

Then.

'Yes, sir.' It's the booming voice of the giant.

I continue to hear them, they go through the swing doors at the end of the corridor.

I step out into the corridor, I can no longer see them, but I can still hear them, although not clearly.

I track them all the way to the exit before the background noise drowns them out.

What's happening? What's happened to my hearing? I need help, I need someone to talk to.

I need Ami!