Next to Edwin, Duane made notes, taking readings from the nodes attached to the three Circs.
“I upped their dosage, as you said, sir.” Duane continued to type into his laptop. Average in height, appearance, and manner, on the surface, Duane Smith appeared no better than Edwin’s errand boy.
But that subservient nature masked a sadist and brilliant mind. A microbiologist by trade, he’d attracted Edwin’s attention over a decade ago during a lecture he’d been giving. Duane’s questions had been insightful, and much more broad thinking than his more pedestrian classmates.
Yes, Edwin had done well to take Duane into his confidences. He had so few people he could trust. Granted, the money they’d appropriated from their last benefactor had made it easy to buy loyalty, but that loyalty only lasted until someone else paid better.
Not with Duane. Edwin’s assistant had seduced and then served as a spy in Amelia Norton’s camp. He still held Ted Norton’s, Amelia’s father’s, trust, surprisingly. So while the ex-senator continued to push his agenda to find out who had killed Amelia, Duane fed him information leading to the suspicion that the murders and mismanagement of funds had come from rogue Circs. Not from Edwin.
Though ninety million dollars was a lot of money to go missing, to a billionaire oil tycoon like Norton who had people to manage his money, that ninety million could easily be made to seem as if in another account of his. His accountants continued to try to straighten out the mess, taking a long time and moving things around at Edwin’s request. Again, a case of money buying services he would otherwise not be able to afford.
Edwin studied the Circs, not pleased at the slowness of their reactions as compared to the mutants he’d been tinkering with. “It’s unfortunate that the serum so degrades the mutants’ mental processes. Their speed, endurance, and strength is remarkable. Yet the Circs we have that can withstand the serum without it rewiring their brains tend to be a step too slow.”
“Yes.” Duane paused in his typing. “But according to these readouts, Myers and Yates have gotten faster. In fact, Myers is outperforming both Yates and Sheer. Looking over his last test results, you’ll see that his mitochondrial output has increased. His ATP production is twice as high as Sheer’s.”
“And what is his accelerated growth in comparison to Caldane’s?” Excited at the thought that Caldane had contributed to Myer’s physical progression, to know he hadn’t in fact made a mistake in letting Caldane live, Edwin felt renewed hope.
Duane looked up the data and beamed. “It’s close, sir. Caldane’s mutated DNA had the effect you were hoping for.”
“Yes.” He watched Myers roar at Yates, then come in for the attack. To no one’s surprise, though, Yates outmaneuvered him, pulling Sheer into the fight.
Though Myers had more muscle and power, Yates’s brainpower continued to prove the factor that contributed to his victories. Involving Sheer made sense, because Sheer didn’t tolerate anyone overcoming him. Something in the male’s psyche had turned him into the monster he was today, and it had to do with sex, violence, and being muscled from behind.
Edwin imagined a sexual assault of some kind when Sheer had been in a more youthful state of his development.
Which made him think…
He ignored the sudden change in hormone levels and aggression in the Circs. Duane watched with fascination as Yates and Sheer ganged up on Myers, always tempted by harm done to others.
A weakness, but Duane was allowed his frailties. Especially since Edwin capitalized on them to his gain.
“I’ll be back in a bit, Duane. Keep an eye on them and run the next series of tests, hmm?”
“Yes, sir.”
Edwin left him and went in search of the Level 4 subjects. He despised the fact they had to work in this modified environment, but since the laboratory’s security had been compromised with the escape of Kennedy Knight, he’d had no choice.
Now working in a secondary location on a deserted ranch, he had no worry of passersby or witnesses to his particular brand of science. A front company owned the fifty acres of land, and the makeshift lab served well as a temporary setup.
Yet one more reason to wipe the A series from existence. They continued to make problems when Edwin had enough to do just keeping his work in order.
He found the females in their respective rooms, paired with Circs packs that had much less power than this earlier series, yet the females seemed to balance them in a way that created a healthy environment. Of the four remaining psychics not counting Charlotte, whom he kept sequestered since he needed her mind intact more than he needed her effect on his Circs, the females seemed to have adjusted fairly well.
None of them seemed pleased about their pairings, except for Nivia. And he attributed her acquiescence with the brain damage she’d suffered when put in with the B series. Back when he’d tried to keep Caldane with the group. Unfortunately, Caldane had a negative impact on Sheer, causing the pyrokinetic to turn wilder and angrier. His rages had become dangerous.
Caldane and Sheer had used Nivia a little too hard. The same force that had altered Myers had destroyed something vital in Nivia she’d never get back. Even her telekinetic powers had weakened. But she still served a purpose. Even now she was breeding, and she satisfied the team currently taking their turns with her. Keeping them stable and useful. A good fit.
He checked on the women, pleased at their progress. The Circs continued to mate, less with each other and more with the females. Procreating to satisfy a need to continue the species. Another female was pregnant as well. So at least he had success in one area of research. He’d take the subjects back to the main laboratory on the island soon enough.
But in the meantime, he needed information from Charlotte. A glimpse into the future he knew she’d provide—if she wanted to remain safely out of reach from the monsters who wanted a bite of her.
Ten minutes later, he left her with a satisfied smile. He knew exactly how to get Kennedy back, Palmer once again under his thumb, and finally rid himself of the A series once and for all.
And now, time for lunch.
