THE TITAN EXPERIMENT

CHAPTER 25 - Site B (Sarah)

If Area 51 still existed, and the government hadn't closed it down and dismantled it in 2039, it would not even have come close to the secrecy of the TXP Facility, or the level of planning and construction it took to create such a place. The subterranean rail system of The Bullet and its underground supply stations took over fifty years of tunneling and fabrication. But Site B upped the ante to a whole new level. It wasn't just the fact it was a secret or that it was a facility deep under the earth. What marveled Sarah more than anything was its location—somewhere outside the United States, under a flat plain of lifeless desert surrounded by a vast chain of arid mountains. No one could stumble upon this place by accident, and if someone or something escaped, they wouldn't make it far.

Sarah assumed Admiral Jax had an agreement with a lower tier government for restricted use of their native habitat in return for an economic stimulus package. Or he could have promised military protection to a power-hungry dictator. Or told their leaders the U.S. had to commandeer their land, and if they knew what was best for them, they needed to shut up and walk away. Of course, how the site came to fruition didn't matter. The mission and its objectives were all Sarah cared about.

Three days ago, the admiral, Wolf, and Sarah arrived at Site B by plane, touching down on a landing strip amidst the parched and cracked earth. Soldiers identified by the admiral as Navy SEALs escorted them to the nondescript topside building. Sarah had never witnessed soldiers covered in armor from head to toe during non-combat activities. She thought they would at least remove their helmets and visors during civilian transport. But no, these men didn't let their guard down for one second. Anyway, that was beside the point. Maybe they were concealing their identities for other reasons? Or maybe they were altogether something else? With the admiral's link to Next Gen, it was possible they were humanoids.

After taking an elevator below the surface, the admiral gave Sarah a tour of her new laboratory and the rest of the Site B research complex. They had equipped the lab like the one at the TXP Facility, except this one was smaller. With the tour over and her personal things squared away in her new room, she got down to business, making final preparations. Today was the day she would test her version of the serum.

Sarah stood in an observation room behind a two-way mirror. She felt like a detective waiting for her partner to interrogate a suspect. Beside her, Admiral Jax had his arms folded, with his customary look of smugness draped across his face. On the other side of the mirror, in another room, Wolf sat in a metal chair facing them, his elbows on a table, face in his hands, waiting.

Sarah glanced down at the image of Wolf on her watch and then tapped the screen. "It's almost time. How are you feeling?"

With wild eyes, Wolf slammed his fists down with a bang. "I'm a little nervous, paranoid, and itchy. I feel like something's crawling over my skin. Bugs or something. Biting me. And it makes me itch." He swiped a fingernail across his neck, scratching himself. "I've never taken it down to the wire like this, at least not for a long time."

Admiral Jax said, "It's just paranoia. Relax. We'll know soon enough if Sarah's concoction worked."

"That's easy for you to say."

The comm system linked to Sarah's watch could pick up any sound in the small room. It had no problem registering Admiral Jax's baritone voice or any twitch that escaped Wolf's mouth. Sarah lowered her hands to her hips and pushed up on the balls of her feet, watching the scene before her with mounting trepidation, almost standing on the tips of her toes. The anxiety in her stomach climbed up into her throat. The anticipation. She sensed it. Wolf sensed it. But the admiral seemed as calm as ever. Figures. She cast a sidelong glance at Jax.

Sarah looked at her left wrist and turned off the comm on her watch. "I'm going in there."

"No." The admiral caught her by the arm, which drew a harsh glare from Sarah. "It's too dangerous. If he goes berserk, I need you around to continue work on the serum."