Neel Dervin and the Dark Angel (43 page)

“Finally, after almost three years, we had succeeded in separating most of the
elements
present in the ape‟s bloodstream, identifying them and studying that one, fascinating new
compound we had found. It only remained to apply thehormone‟s use to humanity.”

“And then I remembered my son. I
received a letter from the hospital stating that it
could not keep in a patient who showed no sign of improvement, since they needed the room
for other patients who had chances of recovery. No other hospital was willing to take him
either. I had no choice; I brought my son to our research site.”

Doctor Fahim sat in his chair, and for a while he seemed to be in a coma. He was staring
at the container as though hoping it might speak to him.

“I was horrified at the
change in Asif. He could not speak nor move. He was fourteen
years old at the time, but for all intents and purposes, he was dead. I could not imagine the
hopelessness he felt every day, and I, his father, could do nothing to help him. I felt
miserable. Ashamed and helpless. I had neglected him for so many years. Doctor Thompson
sympathized, but there was nothing he could do either. What was the use of all my
knowledge if I could not save the person who meant the most to me? Every time I looked at
him, I saw the face of Noor, who had been everything to me. Ihad failed them both.”

Doctor Fahim buried his head in his hands again, his shoulders shaking. Divya did not know
what to say. She could guess only too well what the story was leading up to.

“Those were difficult days for me.”
Doctor Fahim said, trying to control his shaking
voice. “I lost control and began drinking heavily. In my depressed state, I had difficulty
thinking clearly. Even my mind was losing control… and then, one day it happened.”

“I came to my room
very late that night. I had had too much to drink, but sleep would
still not come. I sat staring at my son lying on his bed. Suddenly, I had an idea. The serum
had proven to be quite effective on bonobos, who are the closest relatives to the human
species. Why would it not work on my son? If I had been thinking clearly, I would never
have done it. The serum was still very much in the experimental stage, and we had no idea
how it would affect humans. But in my intoxicated condition, I convinced myself that it
wouldwork. I injected my son with the serum and… and…” Doctor Fahim looked as though
he was wrestling with an internal seizure. “Asif‟s body started trembling… his body was
rejecting the serum…. He went into convulsions, and fell out of the bed because of the
shaking…” Tears were streaming down DoctorFahim‟s eyes. The soul crushing torment in
his eyes brought tears to Divya‟s as well. “And then… my son died.”

“I could not believe what I had done. I sat on the floor with my son‟s dead body in my
hands. I don‟t know how long I sat there. I was too shocked at what had happened to cry.
Suddenly, I heard someone come into the room. It was Mehta. He had been sent by Doctor
Thompson to check on me. He saw the empty serum bottle, the broken injection, and my son
on the floor, and realized what had happened. He checked my son‟s wrist but there was no
pulse to read. He helped me to my bed. He kept telling me not to worry, that he would handle
everything. He told me to sleep and gave me some sleeping pills.”

“I slept for
eleven hours. When I woke up, I found the bed in my room was empty. Then
I remembered what had happened. I was… well, it would be useless for me to try to explain
how I felt. For a long time, it seemed I would simply go insane. The only thing which saved
me from insanity was guilt. I was afraid people would say I had deliberately murdered my
own son. That he had been a burden on me. More than the awful guilt, it hurt me to think
what people would say about my family. I prayed Mehta had taken care of everything like he
had said he would, and it seemed I was right. Dr Thompson informed me that Mehta had
disappeared, taking samples of the serum with him. But at that moment I did not care at all
about the serum. I was only relieved that Mehta had taken the awful burden of guilt off my
shoulders.”

“
I fought back against depression I was feeling those days, and threw myself back into
the project. My work became my life. I told Doctor Thompson my son had suffered a fatal
heart attack and I had sent his body home to be cremated. I felt I owed it to my son to perfect
the serum which had been unable to cure him.”

“You know what happened after that.
Doctor Thompson died, and I carried on the
research alone. I became famous for my talents and achievements. You became my aide, and
together, we finally managed to perfect the serum.”

“But then I got Mehta‟s call, and he told me the truth about that night. My son had not
died. His body had temporarily gone into a state of coma, but had later recovered. His body
had become stronger, but he was still paralyzed. Mehta had taken away my son along with
the serum samples, and over the years, conducted his own experiments to create a super
soldier.”

Doctor Fahim stared at Divya. He looked like a man who had seen hell itself
. “Can you
imagine what he did to my son?” he said in a low voice, his eyes brimming with tears,
“Mehta wasn‟t interested in refining the serum. He only wanted to increase the strength of the
subject. His research took a completely different path from ours. He pumped my son full of
every conceivable steroid, and you can see the result in this container. Can you imagine what
my son had to go through for all thoseyears?”

Doctor Fahim fell silent, looking at the container, trying to still his shaking hands.

 

“Doctor, please.” Divya whispered, her eyes filled with tears. “Let us help you. What
you are doing is illegal. Please“

“No one can help me.”
Doctor Fahim said quietly. „If the government finds out, they
will either kill Asif or use him as a guinea pig again. I cannot allow that. Asif is powerful
now, but not invincible. If they had sent an army of Alpha soldiers after him, as they certainly
would have once they found out about his existence, he would have been ripped to pieces.
That is why I had to stop the project. And that is why I chose Neel. The life of my fourteen
year old son for the life of another fourteen year old. The bomb I planted in my office should
have exploded by now. People will think I am dead. Now I will take my son away from the
world and no matter what it takes, I will find a way to cure him.”

“And what will you do with me?” Divya asked.

The doctor turned away without saying anything, and Divya knew why. In spite of his
betrayal, he was still essentially a peaceful man, and he was avoiding doing anything drastic
about her.

She opened her mouth to plead with him again, but stopped as she heard a banging
sound. She searched the room for the source of the noise and her blood froze.

 

The container had begun to tremble.

 

CHAPTER 19: Fall of an angel

Arjun stared at Mehta, stunned. He could hardly believe what he had been told, and yet,
it made sense. All the acts of betrayal, finding out the secrets of the topmost level, getting
inside the most private locations.

It was Doctor Fahim all the time
…

 

“So he‟s responsible for everything that has happened today.” Arjun muttered.

“Everything that has happened
yet
.”
Mehta said, watching the disbelief on Arjun‟s face.
Arjun stared at Mehta, focusing on what Mehta had said before. “What did mean when you
said you would not let us get away without getting revenge?” he demanded.

Mehta shrugged. “Well, if I can‟t use project Kumbhkaran, I don‟t think anyone else
should either.” he said calmly.

 

Arjun brought his face close to Mehta‟s. “What have you done?”

“Did you notice the vapor nature of the gas inside the container of my subject?” Mehta
asked conversationally. “It‟s a form of depressant developed specially for my modern
Kumbhkaran.” He paused, as comprehension dawned on Arjun‟s face. “I arranged for him to
get a lower dose when I found out about DoctorFahim‟s intention to get the container. Soon
the vapors of the drug will evaporate, and Kumbhkaran‟s footsteps will shake the earth
again.”

Arjun stared at him, for once not knowing how to handle a crisis. Someone stronger then
even Neel... “How much time is left?” he asked, fighting to keep his voice calm.

“Well, let‟s see.” Mehta mused. “Today would be
the second day. And the time is…” he
tilted his head and looked at Arjun‟s wristwatch. Then he smiled fully, a disturbingly
humorless contortion of his face muscles as he glanced up at Arjun.

“Time‟s up.”

 

* * *

Neel listened to the conversation on the other end, his heart pounding. Then he heard the
sound of metal bending and breaking in the background. He switched off the mobile and took
a deep breath, trying to calm himself. But it was no use.

Rage boiling in his veins, he leapt off the building in the direction of the forest.

 

* * *

 

Divya watched in horror as the container shook and trembled. The monster inside was
coming to life. Disjointed thoughts ran through her mind.

 

Mehta concentrated on simply increasing the strength
…
Kumbhkaran… stronger than
Neel… the container made of the same alloy used to make tanks…

 

Doctor Fahim stood rooted in front of the container, mesmerized.

Slowly, as if by accident, a hand broke through one side of the container. The shaking
stopped, as though the monster was unconscious again. But suddenly, the hand convulsed,
and the container was ripped apart, sending shards of metal everywhere. And like a modern
day Frankenstein‟s monster, it emerged

More than eight feet tall. Arms and chest the size of a car. Legs as thick as tree trunks.
Gigantic hands flexing slowly, it stood on top of the wreckage.

Little remained other than its general body shape to show it had ever been human. The
features were twisted and scarred as though they had been melted. The skin was rough and
blackened, and pinpricks covered his entire body, where innumerable injections had entered
his skin. Tiny eyes almost invisible beneath jutting eyebrows peered out, and the mouth
opened to reveal a gaping hole with most of the teeth missing.

The creature seemed to be confused, as though it was still recovering from the effects of
the depressant. It lurched slightly as it swung around, examining its surroundings.

 

Doctor Fahim stepped closer to the monster. Tears were flowing down his cheeks in a
thick stream. His heart was breaking inside him.

 

“What have they done to you, Asif?” he whispered, watching the countless scars
covering his son‟s body.

The monster stiffened at the sound of the voice, and swung around towards Doctor
Fahim. They looked at each other for a long, long time. But there was no recognition in the
small eyes embedded deep inside the twisted face. There was no trace of Asif Fahim left.

Suddenly, the monster roared in pain. It had never been out of incubation for so long,
and was feeling the pain of his wounds. It howled, maddened eyes fixed on Doctor Fahim. Its
mind had been obliterated, leaving only the most basic instincts, which when left without a
guide contained only pain. And the accompanying rage.

Doctor
Fahim stepped closer, not even hearing Divya‟s cries. His whole life had come
crashing down around him. In that terrible, soul shattering moment, he felt the full horror of
his failure.

The monster grabbed him by his neck, his fingers like steel clamps. In his dying
moments, there was only one emotion in DoctorAgleyar Fahim‟s heart. Regret.

 

“
Forgive me, Noor… forgive me, Neel… forgive me… my son…”

 

The monster threw the body onto the ground, and Doctor Fahim moved no more.

 

Divya had a hand over her mouth, trying not to vomit. She was crying in desperate sobs,
staring at the body on the floor.

 

The monster turned to gaze blearily at her. It swung around towards her, and Divya
knew the killing had only begun.

It had almost reached her when there was an explosion at the other end of the hall.
Someone was hammering on the wall from the outside. A portion of the wall fell in, letting in
golden shafts of sunlight, and a black clad figure leapt into the hall.

* * *

 

Neel gazed at the scene inside the factory. It had taken him some time to find the
factory, and he saw what had happened in the interval.

The monster turned at the noise, and the two super humans locked eyes. By some
primordial instinct, the monster knew this new arrival was dangerous. He gave another roar
and bounded towards Neel, shaking the floor wherever his feet touched the ground.

Neel strode towards the monster, measuring the distance between them. When they were
less than twenty feet apart, he suddenly accelerated his speed. The monster swung a fist at
him. Neelducked and kept on running, blowing past the monster. The monster‟s momentum
carried him forward. His fist connected with the wall, creating a hole similar to the one Neel
had made. He stared around himself, confused.

Neelhad reached Divya‟s cage. One kick tore the door off its hinges and slammed it into
the opposite wall. He stepped inside and went to where Divya was standing.

 

“Start running.” he said abruptly. “I don‟t know if I can beat this guy. Get to Arjun and
tell him the truth. Tell him to send some help.”

 

“No, wait, Neel.” Divya said, gripping his shoulder. “It will take the entire army to stop
this monster. Bullets won‟t be any use.”

 

“Then call the General.” Neelsaid, watching the monster coming towards them. “Use
my mobile. I‟ll stop this thing for as long as I can.”

 

He stepped out of the room and strode towards the monster, forcing himself not to look
at the body lying on the floor. Divya stared at the confrontation in fascinated horror.

 

Balling his hands into fists, Neel ran at top speed towards the giant. The monster was
slower than him. It gaped at the oncoming black figure, not even attempting to dodge him.