60. Sloan #2
“And we were supposed to have a ball, celebrating our victory in Burrow Den. It’s all political.
I asked the Queen to postpone the event for a day so Jack could have time.
” Sloan stepped forward, placing a hand on one of Aareth’s quivering arms. “Edison—you mentioned something else? You discovered the Phoenix Serum while researching what exactly?”
“Yes, yes, you’ve gotten a taste for the future and want more. I can understand that.” Edison wriggled his way out of Aareth’s grip. If he was perturbed at the rough handling, he didn’t show it. “Think of the lives that will be spared, the resources we will save.”
“Start from the beginning. What is this Vampire Project you’ve been referencing?” Sloan finally felt comfortable enough to sheathe her blade. “Don’t leave anything out.”
“We’re so close.” Edison motioned to Elwood. “The plans, Elwood, the plans.”
The gnome reached an empty hand behind his back. He pulled out a massive rolled-up scroll that couldn’t have been shoved down his pants.
“Thank you.” Edison accepted the plans, spreading open the document on a steel table. He waved away their confused looks with an open hand. “Elwood’s a mage gnome. He can produce small to midsize objects. The perfect assistant for an inventor.”
“He can conjure objects out of thin air?” Sloan fixed the gnome with a raised eyebrow. “I’ve never heard of anything like that.”
“Yes. Of course, there’s a limit to his ability, but anything he’s able to handle he can bring forth. Watch this.” Edison looked down at Elwood, barking out items. “Espresso, screwdriver, brick, glasses, can.”
As quickly as Edison could shout the object, Elwood was reaching behind his back, conjuring the items. A second later, he stood with his arms full of the desired objects. The espresso was balanced atop his full arms, teetering dangerously.
“Well done.” Edison took the screwdriver, the brick, the glasses, and the can and put them on the four corners of his rolled-out schematic. The espresso, he drank in one large gulp. His face lit up like a Christmas tree. “That’s what I needed! There it is!”
“I don’t think you needed that at all.” Sloan looked over at Aareth, who had gotten over whatever fit of anger had come over him. “You ready for this?”
“Do we have a choice?” Aareth asked, joining them at the table. They looked down at the drawing. “Okay, tell us what this is.”
“All right, coming at you, fast and furious.” Edison pointed to the map below them.
It was the outline of a man lying on his back, notes and arrows all over the paper, pointing out enhancements and changes.
“The Vampire Project is our run at creating the perfect soldier. We’ve been able to increase strength, speed, even the length of their lives.
The only drawback is that they’re a bit blood-lusty.
But we’re so very close to having a perfect model.
Doctor Livingston says he’s had a breakthrough that will solve the blood thing, but I just don’t understand how. ”
“Blood-lusty?” Aareth joined the two looking over the schematic. He reached out with a hand and pointed to fangs sprouting from the outline man’s mouth. “What’s this?”
“It’s an animal thing. Their fangs protrude when they’re preparing to fight. Think of Sloan pulling her saber from her sheath.” Edison crossed his arms. Deep in thought, he shook his head while he spoke. “Their bloodlust makes them too eager for combat. We’ve created warriors too eager to fight.”
“You experimented on these people.” All Sloan could think about was the journal found in the cave laboratory that detailed experiments done on animals and human beings alike. “Why? Why would you do this?”
“They were all willing. Each one of them understood what we were seeking to accomplish here.” For the first time, Edison looked hurt.
“I promise you, there was nothing but complete transparency. No one was hurt while we did our testing. As to why we would do this, imagine the lives we could save if the good guys are ten times faster than the bad guys, ten times stronger and possess a fighting courage that makes them smile in the face of battle.”
Edison’s genuinely ignorant demeanor disturbed Sloan.
He was a good man she had known for years.
It was hard for her to imagine a scenario where he was involved in any of the experiments going on in Burrow Den.
The way he talked sounded like he didn’t have a clue.
He was either the best liar she had ever met, or he was being used as a piece in a much larger game.
Edison motioned the group over to a chalkboard with white notes covering nearly every inch of the surface.
“By no means is it perfection. For some reason, the vampires are sensitive to light, and we already talked about the bloodlust thing.” Edison stared at the board as if he were in a trance. “If we could fix that and somehow increase their healing factor, we’d have the perfect soldier.”
“Why are they called vampires?” Sloan asked as she studied the board. “Like the vampire bat?”
Edison’s eyes were slowly beginning to close. It seemed the espresso had worn off. Elwood tugged at his pant leg, jolting the inventor back to the waking world.
“Oh, yes, sorry.” Edison shook his head, rubbing at tired eyes. “I didn’t name the project, but I assume you’re right. The bat with the thirst for blood.”
For a moment, the three humans and the gnome stood quiet.
Sloan wasn’t sure what was going on in the heads of her companions, but she couldn’t stop thinking of the story Aareth and Jack had told them about fighting their attacker atop the locomotive on their way to Burrow Den.
He fit all of the physical characteristics Edison had explained.