Signs of Humanity Chapter 9 - Sign 1
As Jericho stood there stunned by what this thing had said to him, his mind desperately races to try to remember where he would have seen this Gen X before. Until now he could only remember seeing two, long before being captured by Seon and they wore both bloated mounds of mindless flesh that had no comprehension of their existents. Clearly, the ones that reside in the Helix Towers were different, they had managed to hold on to their minds.
Well at least somewhat, the first one he encountered was that muscular Brute with the bulbous eye growing from its arm. It was able to communicate with him but still he slipped into incoherent rambling about being a part of Seon, like that would ever be possible. The second was more what Jericho expected for a Gen X however it seemed like it had some memory of being human left in it. But this one in front of him seemed almost like a normal person perhaps it is because it's a Psychic so it's able to masquerade as a person. For the moment he is still too weak from his previous encounter to escape or defend himself, Jericho had no other choice but to humour ‘the doctor’.
"Well?" Doctor Sam calmly said snapping Jericho back into the here and now. "Don't just stand there with your mouth agape, we have a fair bit to discuss and it would be more comfortable if you took a seat". Again, Doctor Sam gestured to the old office chair opposite him. "Right, yes," Jericho said cautiously as he slowly lowered himself into the slightly damp chair, his eye's fixated on the being in front of him, just encase this is the opportunity it was waiting for to attack.
There the two sat in silence, studying each other trying to comprehend the other's motives. Jericho was wondering what it is this Gen X could want, sitting here facing each other like almost civilised beings seemed absurd. Gen X's were nothing but base instincts personified, but this one was acting like a person "What could he be thinking?" Jericho asked himself.
On the opposite side, Doctor Sam was trying to figure out what would be the best way to go about telling Jericho what he was about to say. Would he believe him? Even to him, all that had happened to him seemed like a nightmarish fairy tale one would tell as a joke. Why would someone who has no grounds to trust him believe a word of it?
Growing frustrated with the silence Jericho decided enough was enough, at this point he was at rock bottom, and niceties would do nothing to progress the situation. So, with a murmur under his breath barely audible, as a "Stuff it". He then blurted out, "So? Then how did we meet? I think I would remember a giant eyed Gen X Psychic, moonlighting as a doctor in a rusted tomb.
For a second Doctor Sam was stunted by Jericho's straightforwardness, but a smile cracked across his face and he chuckled to himself, Jericho was right 'stuff it'. "I don't think you would remember me you were unconscious every time I cleaned your cell".
"Wait what? Do you mean at Hill Cape? Where Seon kept me captive for 60 years?" Jericho said.
"Yes, the very Sam..." Began Doctor Sam.
"Wait why would a doctor clean a prisoner... or I guess test subjects' cell?" Interrupted Jericho.
"Well, that's because at the time I was just a janitor" explained Doctor Sam.
"So, what you got promoted to doctor? I don't think that’s how it works?"
"Well, no I'm not actually a doctor" said Doctor Sam with a bit of reluctance in his voice.
Confused Jericho stammers "But what that Lilith girl said, and the get up".
"Oh, this? It's just a ruse I put on to keep Lilith calm, as for Doctor Sam that’s just something she decided to call me one day, just call me Sam." Explained Sam, with a slight smile seeming more relaxed.
"What is with her anyway, she thinks we are in a Russian camp or something?"
Sam took a deep breath, and sighed "That's something I'm not too sure of myself, but I will tell you what I do know".
Sam begins to explain to Jericho what he knows of Lilith's condition.
"When I found her, she was already in this delusion that she was in a Russian Military Camp as a nurse treating wounded soldiers and local villagers. When I approached her, she was terrified of me and even attacked me by throwing things at me."
"What no way" Jericho sarcastically interjected.
Annoyed Sam continued "It was because of all of this" he gestured to his face in particularly the giant eye in the middle of his head.
"It seems that in Lilith's mind she sees all of the mutants roaming around here as either enemy soldiers, those that are still vaguely human at least. Or she will see them as beasts like wolfs or bears for those that don't even resemble their human origins anymore. I'm certain that this has helped her in her survival so far".
"So how did you become a friendly doctor in her eyes" asked Jericho.
"Pretty simple really, I played into her delusions, I dressed up, covered my face and suddenly she thinks I'm a new field doctor sent in to replace the old one that was killed the week prior."
"Ok makes sense, but why do this? Why not just leave her?" Questioned Jericho.
"I'm not sure why, I think it would be because all the others here, are a part of some bizarre cult and are just going insane being trapped. I was lonely and even though Lilith is in some make-believe world, she is still very much sane. She is kind and very intelligent and is quite fun to talk to, sometimes it feels comforting playing into her dream world, like a vacation from this rusting prison".
Sam stops and just stares off into a corner of the room like it is only just dawning on him how isolated he has been all these years.
Jericho notices that Sam is slipping into a dark place and quickly asks a question to focus his mind, "So how is it Lilith is here and unchanged like the rest of the mutants?"
Sam snaps out of his thought process, happy for the distraction. "Oh yes, I should explain that otherwise, this whole place doesn't make sense. Originally the Helix Towers was built for the sole purpose of housing and study Gen X mutants. The building has a lot more reinforcement than is needed, it's also extremely isolated and it's positioned in the ice above a deep section of ocean, no doubt you noticed".
"Yeah, I remember" answered Jericho flashing back to his fight with the Fishman that dragged him down into the deep.
"All of this is to help contain Gen X's, encase of a breach that couldn't be contained, the entire base was to flood with water and sink to the bottom of the ocean".
"I see that never happened," Jericho remarked.
"No" continued Sam "Once the scientist lost themselves, they dismantled all the systems for the base to flood and we have been trapped here ever since".
"What do you mean 'lost themselves? Did something happen here with the Gen X's? Also, on top of that how could you be working here? Even as a janitor, Seon would never allow a mutant to work in their facilities, Gen X or no, Seon sees all mutants as an abomination to be destroyed. Does your ability allow you to trick people into seeing something that's not real?
"It's actually like a second sight, I can see sound waves even if I can't hear the noise" cheerfully answered Sam.
"Oh, then how did you..." Jericho stopped as Sam raised a hand as if to say slow down, I'm getting there.
"I've got a long story here let me explain".
"Years ago ithink its close to forty, it would have to be getting close to forty by now, I was transferred to the Helix Towers, as a form of punishment. Officially I was transferred because my 'skills' were better suited here, I'm a janitor I'm as skilled as the next. The truth was I, caught the director hooking up with a researcher and the director had a wife, so best to just send me as far away as possible".
"Damn that sucks man," Jericho said.
"Yeah, but at the time I, saw it as more of a win, this place was a high-risk area and in such a remote location I would be a Fly in Fly out worker with a 3-week break once every 2 months, plus better pay I could move my family to the base near Melbourne. It was like a punishment reward. Shitter job but better perks, too bad it didn't even last a month.
"As I said here at this base there were experiments been done on Gen X's seeing what made them different from other people with mutations. I didn't care it was just a pay check to me. It's like that in Seon, most of the Grunts, Admin staff all the lower-level workers don't follow the whole pure-blooded humanity the upper brass cling to, we just want somewhere safe to live and work. I mean most mutants could kill us with... I guess I shouldn't say that... after all" Sam gestures to his face.
"Yeah well, we're not all monsters ready to hurt the weak, but I've known plenty that will use their power to dominate people. Not just normal humans, if a Brute or Psychic thinks they are above another of their kind they will quickly try to take advantage of them. Damn, there are some ass holes out their" Jericho reminisced. "But, come on tell me how you got in this state".
Sam smiled and continued "Right so a month after I started here there was an accident with one of the Gen X's, the one we called The Tree".
"The Tree?" Jericho asked confused.
"Yes, it's this disgusting looking thing that looks like a cross between an old Oak tree, Mushroom covered in eyes and an octopus but all made out of flesh. I think it was a woman at one stage because there is a female torso in the middle of the trunk that looks like that's where everything grew out from." described Sam.
"I see, that is disgusting" agreed Jericho.
"Yes, and the smell, it gives off is horrid aroma like a gym in the middle of summer with no air-conditioning or fans".
"Please stop, if I had eaten in the last day, I'd be sick" Jericho interrupted gagging at the thought. "Just tell me what happened with it, and not how it smelled".
"Haha ok, I had to clean its chamber so I also wanted to tell you about the stuff that oozed out of it" Sam laughed, Jericho gagged again. "So, this thing we could tell it was a psychic because of the Release it always had going whenever someone was in sight just staring, damn it was creepy. One day during a test to figure out what its power was, The Tree launched its tentacles out and grabbed one of the researchers, a woman by the name of Kelly Olsen".
"The tentacles wrapped around her with one of the larger ones making its way up to her head. No one tried to help her, the other researchers all bolted for the door. Security refused to go inside because they were afraid they could get attacked, a real shit show. Anyway, this tentacle that was coiled around Kelly's body was now stretched above her head, with the tip dangling down just above the top of her. It then opened like the world's most disgusting flower and engulfed Kelly's entire head".
"God damn that’s a horrible way to go". Said Jericho in shock.
"If only" sighed Sam "It didn't end there for Kellie unfortunately it was only the start. See we all thought well that’s it for her as well, this thing is going to eat her and then the higher ups will have to deal with the fallout. Wouldn't be the first time one of the test subjects killed a staff member around here. But while we waited for The Tree to finish its meal it just didn't do anything. It just sat there holding Olsen's body, then after a little bit it just dropped her, not any worse for wear, except unconscious and covered in slime. The Tree also seemed to pass out, it slumped over and closed its eyes".
Jericho confused added "That's so weird most Gen Xs are nothing but pure instinct, all they do is eat, sleep and aggressively patrol their territory".
"Yeah, everyone back then was just as confused as you" continued Sam. "But nothing to do but put Kelly in the med bay run some tests and wait till she woke up to find out more about what happened. I was unlucky enough to be picked to clean up the mess The Tree made. Also, as a new 'security measure' the door had to be locked while I was working." the last sentence Sam spoke was seeping in sarcasm.
"They wanted to see if they could replicate the attack?" Asked Jericho.
"Considering the door was half the Size of The Tree and the damn thing couldn't move, yeah it was a trap. But when your protests are met with a security guard confronting you with a loaded gun you are willing to enter the trap. While I was cleaning as quickly as I could The Tree started making this weird murmuring. Which was extremely odd as the thing has never shown any ability to speak ever." said Sam.
"Turns out this thing's ability was Telepathy, actually it was more than that, The Tree could act as a giant mental server able to link multiple minds at once. Also, by coming into direct contact with a person it can move one consciousness from one body to another."
"Wait did it switch with Kelly or something?" Jericho asked with a stunned look on his face.
"Exactly, but it got worse from there, at first we thought it was putting on an act by using memories it copied from Kelly, telling us it was Dr Olsen and to help her get back into her own body. We thought for a while that it was talking to us normally with some mouth we hadn't found yet, by the time we realised it was talking to us directly in our minds it was too late. When Kelly... or rather The Tree in Kelly's body woke up it would only talk about how all the chattering had finally stopped, how it was the only one in its head and that she could once again speak with her mouth." continued Sam.
"I'm not too sure what happened from there I was just a cleaner and all this was above my pay grade, so all I got was a few rumours from here and there. But after they realised that the body swap had taken place this was classified as a containment breach and the whole lab was locked down no one in or out. A bit after The Tree woke up, I think it was about a week, it had a bunch of seizures and died from a massive brain aneurism. The researchers believe that a human brain just wasn't capable of supporting a psychics mind."
"This is insane I never heard of a Gen X being able to transfer minds, what was it like? Was it sane or was it no different to the way it was before?" Asked Jericho curiously.
"Not sure I never met it" frowned Sam. "Like I said it died shortly after it woke up, although from what I heard it was like talking to a magic 8 ball sometimes the answers lined up other times it was nonsense. Although I will say we were much better off with it in charge of its old body..." Sam trailed off lost in the memory of what happened next.'
"Sam what happened?" prodded Jericho.
Sam sighed "no one told Olsen that her body died but you could tell she knew. One day she just stopped talking and kind of went into a long sleep. During all of this the base was still in lockdown everyone was trapped and beginning to get on each other's nerves, that’s when the dreams started. Everyone was having them; it was like you were living in paradise like everything was ok and somehow you knew that this paradise was the doing of The Tree. Eventually, the dreams shifted to worshiping The Tree as a god and that you would do anything it asked. Then one day it wasn't a dream anymore. We had moved the tree into the Garden atrium which is this giant glass bubble on the base most people used to go there to relax but now they treat it as the holy ground of their god." Sam knowing what happened next in the story, broke his gaze away from Jericho and stared at the ground trying to hide his shame.
Jericho began to feel uncomfortable knowing this story was going to end badly. "Sam... what did you do?"
Sam began to cry "I didn’t want to... She had us under her spell" Sam stopped for a little bit and just stared at the ground, with a large tier falling from his massive eye. After some time, he gathered himself and continued.
Slowly Sam spoke "It took two months I think? I don't know she plays with your mind... makes you forget who you are... makes you forget what makes you. Kelly spent along time weaving her way into our minds, indoctrinating us in ways you wouldn't believe. It was like she was rewriting our minds like she was making us into the people she wanted us to be. I don't know why, maybe the power she gained from the Gen X's body drove her mad, or maybe she wanted us all to suffer the same way she did. But what she made us do... made everyone do, there was no excuse for that."
Sam stopped and took a deep breath. "See here on this base the Number of Gen Xs breaks down to 50 Brutes and 3 Psychics including me and the Tree there was one more..."
Jericho interrupted "Lilith!?" He said shocked. "She's a Gen X?"
Sam answered "yes and no, she was a part of an experiment to see if Gen Xs could be forced to reproduce, but I'll tell you about that in a bit because it's a part of a request I have for you. But back to the main story, one day Kelly announced to us all that she wanted her followers to ascend to the level of gods like her."
"Oh no," Jericho covered his mouth with his hands.
Sam paused for a second, holding the memories of what had happened and finally blurted them out "It was worse than you think, she began picking people at random and transferring their minds into Gen X bodies. Once it was all done, she ordered the peoples bodies that had their minds transferred be killed and used to satiate her followers".
Jericho gags "Sam... no you didn't".
Sam shouts "No! No, I didn't... Thank God I was the lucky one the second I was transferred into this body it was like waking up for the first time in months. Something about this body cut me off from Kelly".
Jericho took a deep breath and sighed with relief. "Thank god, it was probably the Flair Field all Psychics put out that cut you off from her."
Sam looked confused at Jericho "I see, how do you know that?".
Jericho "Oh my mother was a Psychic, she taught me a lot about the differences between Brutes and Psychics."
Sam was even more confused "Then was your father a Brute, is that normal? I thought the mutants hated each other".
Jericho happy to get away from the last topic onto something more comforting answered "Yeah dad was a Brute, where I'm from it wasn't uncommon for Brutes and Psychics to hook up, hell even normal humans would get together with mutants."
Sam was shocked "What really? Where is this place?"
"I'm from the Northern Tablelands, pretty much middle of nowhere with very few people around, so it's either everyone gets along or we wipe each other out. Hell, if you think that’s weird, I have a brother that’s just a normal human, not one-bit Brute or Psychic." Answered Jericho.
"Wait what now! That’s impossible, how could a Brute and Psychic produce a normal human..." Shocked exclaimed Sam.
"Because that’s what you have been taught?" Cut in Jericho "Mutants aren't human so they couldn't possibly give birth to one, once upon a time all our ancestors were just normal humans".
Sam stopped for a second and thought about it "You're right, also I probably shouldn't be one to make these statements anymore, after all, I am a mutant now."
Jericho smiles "Ha, yeah I guess you are now, also to be fair it's extremely rare for a human to be born to mutant parents, I'm not sure if I've ever heard of it happening besides my brother. But anyway, we are getting off-topic, what did you do after you were transferred into your new body?"
"Well, since I was awake again and in full control of my mind, I slipped away from everyone, while they were... having their feast. Ever since then I have just been hiding from everyone, which is harder than you think, all the Brutes can sniff me out without even trying, luckily I have found this section of the base that was pretty much unused even during its heyday".
Sam finishes his story and looks up at Jericho to study his face to see what the man now thinks of him, behind those blue-grey eyes all he could see is a pity for a life wasted. To think this man that was told to be a dangerous subject that caused the deaths of so many upon his capture. A mutant that was meant to be a lower form than him, one that hates humanity with all his mind body and soul would pity him. It was true the world he had grown up in under Seon was a lie, although he already knew that, it still hurt to have the truth staring him in the face. Mutants were just humans all the same in the end.
Jericho sighed and thought for a moment, he had met some weird Seon in his time since his escape. The ones he had known during his time trapped in the lab were horrible, the cold uncaring researchers that saw him as a lab rat. The crewel meat head guards that would come into his cell when they thought he was out cold just to mock and beat him to make themselves feel stronger.
Indeed, the ones he had met in the wild seemed worlds apart. The three scared patrolmen that he had run into on the way to Melbourne, granted he didn't treat them the best but he did save them from the Vile. Thinking back, he still can't tell why he did it, maybe he couldn't bring himself to treat them less than human even though it would be something they would have done, our maybe he just felt sorry for them.
Then there was Johnny on the ship, Jericho even killed a Psychic to save him, he even trusted Johnny enough to let him go when he found out Jericho was Subject 24. Why? Jericho kept asking himself maybe he too can only see these people as human as well, what's the point in killing them if there is no need. Why is he even doing all this? Just to keep living with Lisa and the kids? maybe. It's not for revenge that was for sure, after all it's been so long most of the people in Seon that wronged him are probably dead already. Maybe its the moral responsibility that Seon is an evil authoritarian regime? No, that would be an easy answer, but not for Jericho he had no heart for it, truth was he just didn't want to die and this was the only way forward, he was just empty inside even if he didn't know it himself.
Finally, Jericho broke the silence, "So what's the story with Lilith? I don't get the feeling she is forty years old maybe twenty, twenty five at most".
Sam's attention refocused on the here and now "right Lilith, so like I mentioned she was a part of an experiment to see if it was possible for Gen Xs to procreate. This was done some time ago I think it was about sixty years ago, yes twenty years before I ever came here".
Jericho tenses up at the mention of sixty years, that was around the same time he was captured by Seon but doesn't interrupt as this now seemed too important.
Sam continued "See back in the day Seon had this thing about wanting to make Mutant soldiers fight for them. However, this was scrapped forty years ago with the reasoning being that it was too costly and was only going to create abominations that humans shouldn't rely on. This was weird because in the records I could find there was nothing but support for the research and they were making huge strides. They were able to do all of this because they had sequenced the DNA of a Brute Shape Shifter". Sam looked Jericho dead in the eye to see the colour drain out of him.
"No...no, me they used my DNA too..." Sam noticed Jericho looked as though he was on the edge of a breakdown.
"No, the notes don't say which subject exactly the sample came from only that it was from one hundred years ago, meaning".
Jericho finished Sam's sentence "It was a First Gen?".
"Right, although that sample was the basis for all their research, I will say they did use you for many experiments after that." Sam answered
"Like what?" Jericho asked reflexively hating the idea that he had somehow helped Seon cause more suffering to an innocent person."
"Lillith" Sam answered immediately "it had something to do with an experiment called "Combining" you were used in. I can't access the files as they a stored locally on only a selected number of terminals one being on this base somewhere. I'm not sure about the details but apparently, it was a success and the proteins you generated were what they used to allow Lillith to be born." Sam explained.
Jericho not happy with the answer but knowing that Sam wasn’t to blame said "well keep going, you still have more to tell me about her". Jericho at this point just wanted to get away from the topic of himself.
"So, once the Researchers were confident that they could make a viable offspring they decided to expand the scope of the experiment. To kill two birds with one stone, as it were, or I guess four birds. One is making a viable subject. Two Researching the progression of a Psychics abilities from birth. Three testing a mind control chip that would allow them to alter the user's perception of reality. Four, extending long term deep freezing, by using the chip to keep the brain active." explained Sam.
Suddenly things started to fall into place for Jericho, why Lilith had a normal appearance, her weird view of the world and how she could be around for 60 years and still look so young. But there were a few things that still didn't make sense.
"Ok that makes so much more sense now, but how did she unfreeze herself? Did you do it?" Asked Jericho accusingly.
"No, the machine she was stored in had lost its power connection, as a failsafe, and since she was deemed 'low risk' thanks to the chip she was unfrozen in order to protect the Seon asset. This was an automatic process and someone was meant to be there to collect her. But since this place was abandoned, she just kind of wandered off on her own. Like I said I just happened upon her, I have no idea how long she has been out but my guess is not that long, couldn't have been more than a year". Sam answered a little offended by Jericho's assumption.
Jericho expected this as an answer but still had one more thing to ask, this whole thing was pretty unbelievable but, what else could there be this whole place was a monument to Seon playing God, but still, he needed some proof not just Sam's word. "Sam how do you know all this? You said yourself that you were just a janitor I don't think that Seon just gives all their staff an orientation on all their experiments".
Sam laughed at the question "Do you think I spent the last 40 years just walking around the base looking for mind-controlled friends? No, a lot of these computers still function, and I'm a bit of a sticky beak so I read everything I could, I had nothing better to do. If you don't believe me, you can take a look for yourself". Sam gestures to a line of computers with the spinning Seon logo screen saver glowing on them.
Jericho got up and headed over to a computer. "Ok, I want to see the file on Lilith". said Jericho.
"The 3rd on the right, in the search bar look up "Wildfire. That’s the name of the experiment." Said Sam still seated in the old office chair in the middle of the chamber.
Jericho sat down at the computer and wiggled the mouse, to make the screen saver disappear. The white screen cut to black with a search bar in the middle with the text above "Enter name of experiment". Jericho typed in "Wildfire" and hit enter, the report popped up immediately with all the details Sam mentioned. Lilith was the subjects informal name, formally Subject 626, the expanded experiment list, the chips, make a model and Gen X donor names. Subject 590 "The Tree" and Subject 68 "The Eye". "The Eye" Jericho whispered to himself, then realising looked back at Sam.
"You said there were only 3 Psychics on this base, You, The Tree and Lilith?". Jericho asked Sam.
"Yes," Sam nodded.
"To ensure that Lilith would be born a Psychic, Seon would want to use two Psychic Gen Xs."
"They would". Agreed Sam.
"So, you, or at least that body is..." Jericho trailed off.
"Lilith's father" Sam finished.
Jericho didn't know what to make of the situation, it was too bazaar and he didn't know how to process it.
"That’s why I have something I want you to do for me". Sam said firmly.
Jericho, remembering Sam mentioned a request earlier. "Right, what is it?"
Sam sighed and closed his many eyes, "When you leave this place, I want you to take her with you. If you agree I will tell you where the All Cure is."
"How did you..." Jericho started before Sam cut him off. "Oh please, why else would you come out here, I have looked at your file I saw what Seon did to you, to keep you contained. It's some nasty stuff they call it the Death Stagger you know? Because it's a guaranty that you will stagger and die if it's untreated. Why you came here? I don't know but I know it’s the only thing worth having here besides a cold lonely death."
Jericho thought for a second. Could he leave with her? She's off with the fairies and has no idea about what the world is like outside of her little box, no, she would be too much of a burden. "I can't take her with me, I barely made it here by myself, how could I get her back to Australia safely she will get us both killed".
Sam yelled "She will die if you don't take her! How long do you think she would last against one of those Gen Xs. She thinks she's a medical officer, she doesn't even know she is a Psychic. Once they find her, they will rip her mind from her body and stuff someone else in there."
Jericho paused and thought for a little bit, Sam was right Lilith wouldn't last a second against a Mutant let alone a Gen X nor could he in his current condition. She did save him as well the least he could do would be to repay the favour. "Ok I will take her with me, but what about you what are you going to do"?
Sam stared at Jericho with a look on his face that was willing for Jericho to already know the answer. But Jericho only stared back wanting an actual answer. Sam sighed; he would have to say what he already knew making his predicament all the more real. "I'll stay here, I can't leave, I'm not ready to face the world outside like this, I have no friends or family, they would already be dead or unwilling to believe that I'm the person I once was, no I think I will stay here in my little hole".
Jericho not believing this to be the real reason asked, "Are you sure? There might be a place for you in Melbourne?" Jericho was hoping Sam would reconsider, staying here was no way to live.
Sam sighed "I guess I shouldn't lie to you, you're probably the last sympathetic ear I'll have a chance to talk to. I'm not going to be myself for much longer, a year at best I think".
"What do you mean?" Jericho asked confused by Sam's words.
"I'm slowly losing my mind, I think it has something to do with this body, maybe the brain is rejecting me but I feel myself drifting away at times. I will just sit here for hours just staring into nothing, others I can't talk or move my body like I used to. These states come and go but are happening more and more often and the time between episodes is getting shorter, I'm down to at least once a week for hours at a time. Soon it will be daily and I think one day I'll just be locked away forever." Sam said, his words weighed down with dread, now he has finally admitted to himself his reality. "Surely you would have noticed that something was wrong with the others you met here?".
Jericho, shocked by the news and feeling deep sorrow for what Sam was going through thought back to his fight with the other two Gen Xs, while the Iron Back did seem to be all there, the one in the water seemed more feral by comparison. "Sam I'm so sorry, maybe... the All Cure could..." Jericho wanted to say that Sam could use the All Cure, but a selfish voice in his head told him to shut up.
"No, it wouldn't work on me, there isn't anything wrong with my body, my mind is the intruder in this body". Sam interrupted, to the relief of Jericho.
Jericho stood there quiet for a while, not knowing how to handle the situation, on one hand, he felt sorry for Sam and his predicament, but there was nothing he could do to change it, nor did he particularly want to, Sam was just a stranger he had all of one conversation with. But Sam was willing to help on one condition and Jericho was beginning to think it was at least the right thing to do if not to fulfil the final wish of a dying man, but repay Lilith for fishing him out of the ocean. Jericho decided to do as Sam asked it might even work out better having an extra set of hands around and maybe Lilith's powers could come in handy.
"Ok I'll take Lilith with me but first I need to know what she can do, what are her abilities, her affinity, mutation level, everything". Jericho said with great intensity as he sat back down in front of Sam.
Instead of a grateful smile on his face, Sam's face held more of a reluctant hesitation "Well her affinity is in human biology as you might have guessed, that’s why she's so good at playing a Field Medic, her Mutation Level is only Level 1 as you could imagine, she doesn't exactly know how to increase it. But she has had training in combat through the simulation chip she is partially good at close quarters and mid-range combat". Sam slowly worked through Lilith's usefulness in the field not making eye contact with Jericho and nervously rubbing his neck.
"Right but you're missing the most important part, the thing that would come in handy in a fight even if she is a novice, what is her ability?" Jericho asked with a defeated expression knowing the news wasn't going to be good.
"Well, Lilith's power has...."
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