Chapter 24 #3
“There is no information about them. I can’t find age or gender. Whoever this person is, the Conglomerate doesn’t want that information given out.”
“Damn,” he grumbled.
That poor bastard. Nate had been brainwashed the old-fashioned way. He couldn’t imagine losing his entire sense of self.
“The people I saw in the lab, were they part of this experiment?” he asked, thinking back to that gruesome scene.
“Yes and no. They are in another program that Project Gaslight depends on: Project Euphoria. I don’t have much information on it as the data is mainly on Project Gaslight, but Project Euphoria is mentioned a few times.”
Project Euphoria.
Oh, God. Nate had heard that name before, while he had been locked up in the Sims Center. He was sure that was the experiment the Conglomerate was doing on him.
“Give me everything it says about Project Euphoria,” Nate demanded.
“It appears to be where they are receiving the drugs for Project Gaslight. Experimental drugs. It doesn’t give any detail of what kind. There are serial numbers for each instance they were used in Project Gaslight, but there is no hint of what they could be. The two projects were kept separate.”
“I can guess what some of them contained,” Nate grumbled, realizing that he had been a human Guinea pig for those poor souls.
“You have discussed your captivity at length. I’m very sorry, Nathan.”
“I appreciate it, but we can’t focus on me. Where are they getting these test subjects? They’re certainly not volunteers.”
“Some of the subjects don’t have previous locations.
Many do. It appears that Douglas Sims has been providing them with a steady stream of people.
” Nate cringed. “They have selected veterans at the facility who have no family or estranged family—people who would not be missed. The Sims Center also specifically asks the VA to send them unhoused or under-housed individuals. Again, they could easily disappear without notice.”
“You’re saying they are snatching up homeless vets?” Nate asked angrily.
“And ones without family,” Sally added.
“That’s pretty fucking awful,” he growled. “Why veterans? They could take anyone. Why them?”
“The logic is that they already have training if the Conglomerate could turn them. If they could perfect the experiment with little margin for error, they would have a steady stream of soldiers.”
“Oh, fuck me,” he cursed, putting his head in his hands.
“I can’t do that, Nathan, but I can ask Alex to do so.”
Nate’s jaw dropped.
“How do you know—”
“I analyzed the marks on your neck and made an inference.”
Nate immediately reached his neck and rubbed at the tiny scratch marks Alex had put there. They were barely visible, but of course, Sally could see them.
“Please don’t comment on my love life,” Nate said, annoyed. “Alex wouldn’t appre—”
He didn’t finish the sentence when he thought about Alex and the implications of what Sally had just told him and what she had said to him about her mission. It was all connected, and he had the key to it.
“Are you going to finish your thought?” Sally asked.
“I realized that Alex’s Conglomerate mission was to see where missing veterans from the area had gone. I’m assuming the ones in Project Gaslight are the ones she was investigating.”
“A plausible assumption.”
“I need to talk to her. I—”
Nate’s cell started beeping, and he fished it out of his pocket to see John’s number. Great. This meant more trouble.
“Yeah,” he answered.
“There is Conglomerate activity at The Sims Center. I need you there now. I have suspicions that there may be suits there.”
Nate stiffened.
“Why do you think this?”
“My hacker friend has lost track of several suits, and the Conglomerate is being careful not to show whatever they’re transporting in the semi-trucks. I know it’s a hunch, but you need to get there.”
“All right. I’m on the way after I let Alex know.”
There was a pause.
“You…care about Alex, don’t you?” John asked.
“Yeah.” And he did. A lot. “Do you have a problem with that?”
“No. Not one bit. I’m glad you have someone. You’ve had a rough life. You deserve some happiness.”
“Aw, I’m touched, Stratton.”
“Yeah, yeah. Get your ass in gear. I needed you there ten minutes ago.”
Before Nate could respond, the call had ended. Shaking his head, he immediately texted Alex.
Nate: New mission from John. Close to home. Warn me if GT goes anywhere near the Sims Center.
It only took a few moments for her response to come.
Alex: Gray Tower is on the way over right now!
Nate’s heart sank. He wasn’t sure how they got their intel so quickly. They must have been watching just like Stratton had been and came to the same conclusion. Regardless, he still had to go. It was just going to be a lot harder.
Nate: I still have to go. Give me what details you can, so I don’t accidentally hurt someone. I’ll let Sally know. Maybe she can help make sure this isn’t a giant clusterfuck?
Alex: Okay. Please be careful.
Nate: I will.
Pocketing the phone, Nate began his preparations, hoping this would turn out okay. This would be Sally’s first test, and it involved Gray Tower. Fantastic.