The alarms were going off again. The loud buzzing is really getting to be a common occurance around here. Hank put down his book, something in latin (his grandfather had taught him), and we looked at the monitors. I can't get over how many times this place gets raided and as a guard down there at the Terra Volta reactor you gotta be on your toes. My wife Jill always used to worry about one of those gangs that hang about near the place. The pay was good and most gangs never made it past me and Hank. Well... there was that one crew of skyraiders that busted in but the heroes came and took care of em. So Hank and I bust our butts to the front to see whats the big deal. The maniacal laughter tells me its the Freaks. I dunno what that green crap is in their hip and backpacks but from the way they talk and laugh must be like nitrous-oxide. Their cybernetic modifications always amazes me. How anyone can live with all the jurry rigged implants... "Let's take 'em out boss!" one of them screamed. "Nah, I got a better idea!" he said. I went ahead and pulled out my pistol and popped off a few shots. The leader just laughs as I pump six rounds into him. Hank pulls the same bit plus throws the gun. Well, looked like we were
dead men. The Freak (he called himself Dreck) took us hostage and dragged us with them. He and the other techno punks quickly learned from the scientists how to jack into the system that controls the core. After giving him the information he wanted, he shut them all into their offices with a guard of serveral punks and one of the big guys they called "Tanks". Hank tried to trip one of the Freaks until they busted him over the head. He fell and seemed to be uncontious. They proped him up in the corner as they dragged me over to the blast doors for the reactor core.
"What are you gonna do?" I cried, then I figured out what the idea for me was. "You can't! Please!" they pushed me into the core and closed the door. As I watched their laughing faces
slowly dissapear, I wondered if Jill would be taken care of... The alarms buzzed louder as they hit the conrols to pull the rods from the core. I finaly passed out with my last thoughts of her.
I awoke staring up at the celing. It was a nice celing. White. I felt like hell. Jill was staring down at me, sad but smiling. I remember she cried. I looked around and realized where i was and rememberd why I was here. Red. When I felt strong enough to move I looked down at my hands. Green. I thought my vision had been affected by the severe radiation burns, but then I thought why wouldn't anyone else be strangly colored. "The doctors are saying that your extremely lucky to be alive," Jill smiled, "but something strange happened. You had a recessive mutant gene and the radiation jumpstarted it. It saved your life. They say you're giving off some strange radiation that accelerates cell groth." "But I'm a freak..." I said. "Your the same man I married, and we can get through this." A though struck me, "Who pulled me out of the reactor? Is the plant still there? Is everyone alright?" "The plant is fine. Hank wasn't so fortunate. The blow to his head put him into a coma. They tell me that The Statesman pulled you out of the core after taking care of those Freaks that did this to you." Jill smiled again and ran her hand though my now lank grey hair. I finaly got up the courage to look in the mirror. I was not pretty. My skin was now a strange glowing green color and many of the veins and major arteries were now a light blueish-grey and could be seen through the skin.
When I could stand I went to go see Hank. My friend had been in a coma for a week now and things were looking bleak. "how long might he be like this doc?" I asked. "Comas are tricky it could be hours, months, years. We just don't know." More than anything I wanted Hank to be ok. He had tried to save us both and for all his trouble he ends up like this? No I said to myself. I wanted him to be ok. I wanted to help him and suddenly I knew I could. The green glow flashed all about me as I was lost in a world of pain for the near loss of my friend. Suddenly Hank took a deep breath and sat up. The doctor droped his clipboard and stammered for awhile. Hank said something in Latin. "what?" I asked. Hank blinked a few times and quietly "I said "by what misfortune are you this way John?" "what was that word for 'Misfortune'?" I asked. "Formiore" he replied. "I'm glad you're ok Hank." I said with a smile. Hank looked at me strange and asked "Hows the plant?"
Since my accident I have begun helping others and with my new abilities. People have started calling me a hero. Me? I call myself Formiore.
I would love to hear some feed back on this
this is really one of the first things I have written for myself and would love to hear what you all think.
-House
