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The AdvAnTAGE Project

By

Mantrid Brizon

Episode 12: Awakening

As cacophony envelopes the room, dozens of reporters, hand-picked to represent their Networks, shout their questions at the liaison who stands at the podium. None can wait their turn, eager to learn what the U.S. government intends to do about the breaking news. Unifact has created human-animal hybrids, without their knowledge or consent!

“What are you going to do about these creatures?!"

“Will Unifact be held accountable for violating any laws?!"

“Did the President and his cabinet know about this?!"

Their voices are like the chattering of a school cafeteria, deafening and almost unintelligible. Soon, the speaker raises her hands, wincing from the pain of their strained voices.

“Calm down, or I'll be forced to clear the room!" She tries to shout above the others.

Sitting in the safety of an undisclosed location, Kyle and Carol stare intently at the television screen, in what appears to be a five-star hotel room. The trio were brought to this suite, high up in a skyscraper in a bustling city, first by private jet and then by an executive helicopter. They were never once shown or told where they were being taken, but the rooms luxury oozes opulence. The living room is massive, nearly the size of their former home. Golden walls match the carpeting, which is lush and soft. Little Harriet plays with a doll as she sits between them on the gold and cream pinstriped couch, which has an antiquated appearance. She's quite uninterested in something so boring as the news. Why can't her parents put on cartoons, like usual?

“I can assure you that neither the President nor his staff knew anything about this project. Unifact has been working solely on its own, and their CEO, Mr. Baker, will be brought up on charges. The fate of these creatures, and the scientists who've made them, have not yet been decided. The President has top people advising him on how to deal with this very... Unique situation." The speaker assures the reporters, who've finally quieted down. “Now, I'll take your questions in an orderly fashion... You."

“Thank you, ma'am." A reporter glances down at his notepad. “Considering the sheer numbers of these creatures, what do you think will be done about them?"

“I cannot comment on that at this time... You." The speakers points at another reporter.

“Thank you, ma'am. What about the doctors responsible? Kyle and Carol Burnheart? Will they be brought up on charges?"

“While I cannot say for certain, at this moment, it is a possibility."

As the speaker points to another reporter, Kyle and Carol turn toward each other.

“Assuming they don't decide to terminate them, would the President and his cabinet consider using these creatures for medical research?"

“I cannot comment on that at this time. You." She points to another reporter.

“Hold on! Are you seriously considering killing these creatures?!" A shocked reporter interrupts, turning toward her colleague.

“Why not?! It's not like they're not people, just mutated animals."

“The hell they are! That little girl looked like a person to me!"

“Alright, enough!" The speaker raises her hands.

“What the fuck's wrong with you?! You think that monster should be kept alive?!" The other reporter snickers.

Carol glances down at Harriet, who pretends to make her doll walk along the couch cushion. With an arm outstretched, Harriet commands the doll to poke her mother's leg. As soon as she does this, she looks up very expectantly, gazing upon the woman with her big, turquoise eyes. Carol knows what she wants, and scoops Harriet into her arms, snuggling with her hybrid daughter, who giggles so sweetly.

“Monster?! What kind of monster would murder a quarter of a million children?!" The first screams.

As the room erupts into chaos and members of the Secret Service rush in to clear the room, the news feed is terminated. Kyle uses the remote control to turn off the television, only to turn his head and look toward his wife in a moment of reflective silence. Suddenly, he climbs up from the couch and heads for the door. The unnerved Kyle yanks it open and looks between the two Agents who guard their room. They turn their head, glancing back at him.

“Sir?"

“I'm sorry, but-"

“Was there something you needed, Dr. Burnheart?" An Agent turns to him.

“Yes. I'd like to speak to whoever's in charge around here."

The Agents raise their brows and glance toward each other.

“I'm sorry, doctor, but that won't be possible. I'm sure you can understand."

“And I'm sure you can understand. You assholes brought us out of hiding to help you make your little project more presentable. I just watched that press conference and I need some goddamn reassurances! ... Look, I-... I just want to speak to somebody who won't bullshit me, alright?" Kyle growls.

“... I'll see what I can do." An Agent reluctantly replies.

Closing the door and returning to the couch, Kyle sits with his pregnant wife and little Harriet. The couple embrace, their creation nestled comfortably between them. Her tall ears brush their chins as Kyle kisses his wife, who sniffles as a tear runs down her cheek.

“It's going to be okay, baby." He assures her.

Carol can only nod. Her emotional state is such that she dares not speak, lest she alert Harriet to her distress. Only a few moments go by before there's a knock at the door, though it feels like hours. Opening the door, they find themselves looking upon an older man. His salt-and-pepper hair and cleanly shaven face pairs wonderfully with his plain black suit.

“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Burnheart. May I come in?" The man bows his head.

“Of course." Carol steps aside.

“Thank you. Oh! And this little angel must be Harriet!" The elderly looking man gushes as he steps inside. “Hello, Harriet!"

He waves to the child, who still clutches to her doll as she sits in her mother's arm. Harriet raises a hand, waving her little fingers at the man, who cannot help but softly chuckle. He steps further into the suite. Following the man are a dozen Agents, some of them openly carrying submachine guns. They stare intently at the couple as they take positions throughout the large living room of the suite, forming a crescent around the family.

“I've always had a fondness for children." The man remarks, turning toward Kyle.

“I'm sorry, but I asked to speak to someone. Might that be you?" Kyle asks.

“Indeed! Please, have a seat."

The elderly man claims an extravagant wingback chair, while the couple return to Harriet, sitting on the matching couch. She's quick to slither out of Carol's arms, eager to hide at her side. Seeing her frightened glances at the armed strangers, the elderly man glances at his entourage.

“You can step outside."

“Sir?!"

“I'll be fine." The elderly man insists, waving the guards away.

“... Yes, sir."

After giving them a moment to comply, the strange man straightens his tie and becomes comfortable in the chair.

“Now, then, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Mr. Rey. Most people call me 'sir', and behind my back it's 'The Old Man', though they don't know that I know that." He flashes a little grin. “I'm in charge of Sovereign Six."

Kyle and Carol are dumbfounded, their eyes as wide as saucers.

“Well, uhm... Thank you for meeting with us, Mr. Rey, sir!" Carol begins.

“I understand that you have some concerns?"

“Yes." Kyle nods.

“Are your accommodations not up to par?"

“No, no! This place is wonderful, but..."

“Ahh... Concerned about your futures." The Old Man remarks, clasping his hands before his chest.

“Yeah..."

“You see, sir, we love our daughter." Carol begins.

The Old Man's smile grows a little wider as he watches the woman comforting Harriet, her arm draped over the child, who tucks herself away in the woman's side.

“But we saw that press conference." She continues.

“We did this with the assurance that everything would be okay." Kyle chimes in. “We don't want anything to happen to her, and we don't want anything to separate us."

“I understand your concern. I have children and a few grandchildren myself. Despite how that looked, everything is going according to plan. You have my word on that."

“Are you sure?" Carol whimpers.

“I'm always sure." The Old Man replies.

“Public opinion is already divided. I can only imagine what the regular people-" Kyle hesitates to finish his sentence. “I won't let them kill my daughter..."

“And neither will we. Understand, Mr. and Mrs. Burnheart, your daughter is very special. All of her kind are very special. We have a vested interest in seeing them grow up, in showing them the world. No harm will come to them... Ever. Is that understood?"

“Uh... I guess so, but-"

“Good! Then I will leave you to enjoy your night. Bye-bye, little angel."

The Old Man waves to Harriet, who once again waves back. He rises from his seat and turns toward the door, leaving the stunned couple to struggle with their nerves.

“Wait! Can you give us some sort of assurance?!" Kyle jumps up from the couch.

“Please... It's hard to find your way in the dark. All we need is a glimpse of light." Carol pleads.

“Very well said, Mrs. Burnheart... Alright. Here's your glimpse of light... What do you think is in the nuclear football?"

“Huh?" A perplexed Kyle furls his brow.

“The famous, oversized suitcase that always travels with the President. What do you think is in it?" The Old Man asks again. “It's a telephone with a single button on it. It calls my office. Don't worry about what the public or the government are saying right now. It doesn't matter. It never matters what the public says, and I write the script that the President reads from. I'm sure you will find the end results to be more than satisfactory. Just be patient and enjoy your stay here. You'll be well-guarded and very well taken care of, and when the time comes, you'll be allowed to leave. Goodnight Mr. and Mrs. Burnheart."

The Old Man steps out of the suite, leaving the couple with even more questions than they had before. Still, their host exudes confidence, and his power is undeniable. The time passes so slowly. Hours turn to days, which eventually turn to weeks, and then, finally, months. For some time, there was great unrest. There were protests, and even a few riots. Eventually, the military was called in to guard MiLab. The population was seemingly unified against Unifact, something Carol found amusingly ironic, given the corporation's proper name. But then, something happened.

Lobbyists emerged, backed not only by Unifact but dozens of other pharmaceutical companies, and even human rights groups. A seemingly endless flow of money began to grease the palms of every politician, and all the while, Harriet continued to make public appearances, albeit televised and from the safety of Sovereign Six's safe-houses. Kyle and Carol took turns, and sometimes acted as a couple, playing with Harriet and explaining her creation to the laymen. It was always made clear that Harriet was not intended from their research, and though her form may be alien to the population, the love and the joy her parents derive from Harriet's existence is not.

The more that little Harriet is seen, the more the lobbyists push, the more people find themselves divided. One fateful day, a planned protest finds a small group of counter-protesters setting up across from the masses. They praise Unifact's scientific progress, then show their admiration for the Burnheart's ability to take in and love their creation, rather than butcher it for said progress. It's the best of both worlds, science and humanity sharing a stage. The next protest sees even more counter-protesters, many of them younger and some of them underage; the adolescent children prove to be, by and large, the staunchest supporters of the AdvAnimals.

The Old Man's words prove true, but the Burnheart's cannot find it in themselves to relax, not until the twentieth day of March, 1997. That was the day when an emerging group, calling themselves 'The Puritans', made headlines. Though they'd formed almost immediately after the 60 Minutes exclusive, and helped lead the majority of the anti-AdvAnimal protests, it wasn't until that day that the tide changed. One of The Puritans, a man named Devin Donogue, destroyed an isolated lab unrelated to Unifact and the AdvAnimals, detonating a van full of ammonium nitrate in a suicide bombing.

Not only did the bomber kill himself, but fifteen employees of the lab, and thirty-seven civilians who were on and near the premises. Public opinion instantly changed, and all but the most ardent of The Puritan's members backed away from the movement. No one wanted to be seen as a terrorist, an irrational, hateful murderer of innocents. Overnight, the debate on the AdvAnimal's fates was silenced. No sooner than someone spoke out against the hybridized creatures did someone point to the bombing, and soon the voices fell silent.

By the seventeenth of May, 1997, nearly ten months after Harriet's initial appearance on 60 Minutes, and two months after the 'Puritan Bombing', the President of the United States signed a bill giving the AdvAnimals protections, and allowing Unifact to finish their last batch. Mr. Baker also received a full presidential pardon. Sitting in his chair, surrounded by the other five members of Sovereign Six, The Old Man smirks as he watches a television in the corner. Muted, and with the caption prominently displayed, they watch as the President makes his speech.

“It is nearly done..." Mr. Nazarov remarks, breathing a sigh of relief.

“How long before they revise the law to allow more batches?" Mr. Spender asks.

“I think by the time the sixth batch is finished growing, in about seven months, the public will be ready to support more batches." The Old Man replies.

“That was an excellent idea, sir! Sending Mr. Donogue on a suicide bombing. You were right! It drastically shifted public opinion!" A chipper Director Busch remarks.

“Oh, don't thank me. That was Mr. Nazarov." The Old Man extends a hand toward their colleague, a former Director of the KGB.

“If I may, how did you convince Mr. Donogue to kill himself in the bombing?" General Davis asks.

“It is hard to argue your impending suicide when you are already dead." Mr. Nazarov speaks in his thick, Russian accent.

“A special timer, made of a soft metal with a low melting temperature, ensured that he could still push the button, even in full rigor. Should they somehow discover the device, our people in the FBI will dispose of it for us." Mr. Spender adds, glancing over to Director Busch, the current head of the FBI.

“And what of the other project?" The Old Man asks.

“Van D'Steen's work?" Director Bloodworth clarifies.

“Yes. How is that coming along?"

“They've been working around the clock. My men report on it daily." General Davis begins.

“They're nearly done constructing the subterranean complex. It should have room for two-point-five million new incubation chambers. Construction of the village is slated to begin in about fourteen months, when they finish the underground complex." Director Bloodworth finishes.

“Good... Good..." The Old Man flashes a sinister grin.