The First: EVO Uprising (5 page)

“
What is our other choice?” one of the older women of the group nervously asked.
 

“
You can come and live with me,” Sophia smiled. “I have a place, a very large place, where there is warm tropical weather, blue sea water all around, and pearl white sands. “
 

“
For how long?” Nadiya lifted her hand asking.
 

“
For as long as you like,” Sophia said. “You can each decide for yourselves what you want to do.”
 

Sophia once again turned her attention to the back of the brothel with rooms filled with stark naked Johns waiting to hear their fate.
 

“
All Johns in the back listen up!” her voiced boomed again for all to hear. “You have all been found guilty of rape and soliciting sex from unwilling women and minors! All of your money is forfeited along with whatever this flea-ridden mutt at my feet has, which will be divided and given to the women and children you subjugated and terrorized! Your clothes will be burnt to ash! Now with two knocks, how many of you are going to go home and tell your wives, girlfriends, and families what you did here today?”
 

A couple of knocks rang out, which made Sophia sneer in disgust.

“
Stop! Stop!” she yelled. “You lying sons of bitches, stop! You all know damn well if you make it out of here alive, you not going to tell anyone what happened here. And that doesn’t sit well with me. I like my rapists to be seen and known. Fortunately for all of you back there, we have a way of making that happen.”
 

“
How will you do this?” Kateryna nervously asked
 

“
Anyone see Inglorious Bastards?” Sophia innocently asked.
 

The women looked around at one another unfamiliar with the cult classic Quentin Tarantino movie.

“
Well, my friend, here,” she motioned. “Has her own
twist that she loves to do, minus the Apache knife.”
 

Without a word, the woman pulled out what appeared to be a black telescopic baton from her right jacket pocket, snapping it open to a full foot long length. She then pulled out a large metal letter “R” from her left pocket screwing it on tight to the top of the baton. As she held it out, Sophia heated the large metal letter “R” turning it bright red with a concentrated blue atomic eyebeam blast.
 

All of the women’s eyes widened as they now fully understood the fate of the Johns in the back that treated them less than animals.
 

“
Anyone who doesn’t have the stomach for roasted flesh,” Sophia suggested, “can wait outside.”
 

On that night, the only screams and cries that could be heard were from cowardly evil men.

Not one woman or child left to wait outside.

Chapter 3

Two weeks later, within a secure and disclosed facility underneath the Pentagon itself, Secretary Graves sat at the head of an enormous conference room table equipped to seat fifty people. He sifted through his secured computer tablet viewing digital files of superhuman candidates prepared by Mendes and Doctor Alexander. Both men patiently sat flanking him on opposite sides of the conference room table as he viewed their report.
 

“
So,” Graves began with a dull smile, “what do we have to offer the American public out of this pool of genetic misfits.”
 

 “
Based on both standard and newly implemented tests for EVO recruits,” Dr. Jason Alexander scrolled through his tablet, “we found five possible candidates…”
 

“
One of them Captain Omega?” Robert Graves grabbed his coffee taking a sip.
 

“
No,” Dr. Alexander responded.
 

“
He never applied,” joined in Executive Assistant Mendes.
 

Graves gave a dry snort.

“
Why am I not surprised?” he sighed rolling his eyes. “America’s number one “hero”.  America’s number one failure, I should do well to remind him of that someday.”
 

Mendes and Dr. Alexander gave each other concerned eye contact baring witness to the Secretary of Defense’s subtle rant.
 

“
So who did we acquire?” he returned from his thoughts. “God help us if it’s any of those idiots from
Chicago.”
 

“
Abraham Rogers,” announced the doctor.
 

“
Who?” Graves cocked an eyebrow.
 

“
Sergeant Abraham Rogers,” expanded Mendes as he tapped on his own tablet bringing Roger’s file up and the theatre size conference room flat screen, “Widower…age forty-eight…”
 

“
Ancient,” Graves furrowed his eyebrows.
 

“
Former United States Marine receiving the Medal of Honor for the Iran-Iraq War; a silver star for the Invasion of Panama,” added Mendes, “served during Desert Storm. He received the Purple Heart after injury by an IED with full honors. Almost ninety percent of his eyesight was gone in his left eye.”
 

“
Ancient and crippled,” Graves took another sip from his coffee.
 

“
Eyesight was gone,” Dr. Alexander emphasized. “It was restored when he was infected by the EVO virus. He is currently a class five Titan, possessing tremendous superhuman strength lifting in the fifty ton range. Nowhere near, Captain Omega’s level, but still impressive. He also possesses almost high level superhuman durability, endurance, stamina, and regenerative healing.
 

“
Combine that with his former military background you have…” Mendes tried to close.
 

“
The perfect soldier,” Graves finished his sentence. “I retract my cynicism, gentlemen. Good pick, who else we do we have?”
 

“
Oliver Brandon,” Mendes selected the next file. “Age twenty-two, born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A class nine Apollo EVO. “
 

“
What can he do?” Graves dryly demanded.
 

“
Mr. Brandon possesses the ability to store, channel, and manipulate electricity on an extremely large scale,” informed Dr. Alexander.
 

“
How large?” asked an inquisitive Graves.
 

“
We didn’t get an accurate reading,” reported the doctor looking at his notes, “but if I had to guess, he has the potential to drain all of the energy out of half the Northern Hemisphere. He is capable of taking the same energy and engulfing either a portion or his entire body in a plasma form of pure electricity. He can achieve flight and move at speeds of one-hundred-eighty-six thousand miles per second. His electrical output produces heat greater than any electrical arc ever created, thus, allowing him to burn through some of the hardest metals on this planet. Very few Apollo types in the electrical class possess his variety of abilities.”
 

Secretary Graves watched with disturbing fascination as Brandon, wearing a special protective black bodysuit, stood in a controlled testing room. Without uttering a word, he transformed into a being of pure electricity. Extending his right arm, he unleashed a blinding electrically charged beam at a brick wall forty feet away obliterating it on impact.
 

“
I think I like this one,” Graves nodded. “Another good pick. I must say I am impressed so far.”
 

“
Rosann and Adrian Esposito,” Dr. Alexander adjusted his glasses before selecting their file on his tablet to project on the flat screen, “both twenty-three… paternal twins from Staten Island, New York.”
 

“
Brother and sister EVOs?”
 Secretary
Graves knitted his brow.
 

“
An extreme rarity,” the doctor explained, “but plausible considering they are twins who share some of the same traits, both are classified as mutants, and sub-categorized as Elemental EVOs. Rosann Esposito is an organic Elemental. When her adrenaline levels rise
microscopic hollow barbs protrude from her fingertips allowing her to collect DNA samples from carbon based lifeforms. Once it enters her blood stream, her body morphs taking on the physical traits of the person or animal she touches. Regular form returns once her adrenaline levels normalize. The sample does not even have to be alive for her to change just organic based. With animal DNA, she transforms becoming a half-human, half-animal hybrid form. Strength, speed, endurance, and agility vary depending on the animal. The transformations seem to be extremely painful, but are easier as long as she remains within classes such as mammals, reptiles, and certain amphibians. The last recorded organic Elemental that attempted to assimilate bird DNA died due to complications of incompatibility; the same fatal results also appear to happen with all aquatic DNA. In addition, she can only assume one form at a time. The barbs in her fingertips retract and remain so once in a transformed state.”
 

“
What about humans?” Graves carefully scanned her file with interest.
 

“
The transformations seem to be much easier,” noted the doctor. “Slight changes take place turning her into the subject’s monozygotic or identical twin, although sex does not change when she comes into contact with male subjects. Height, weight, eye and skin color, as well as hair all change to match any subject she touches. What makes her extreme interesting is when she comes in contact with another EVO. She is capable of mimicking their abilities, not on an extremely high level as the subject she encounters, but enough to be quite formidable.”
 

A faint smile grew on Graves’ face.
 

 “
That’s very useful, what of her brother?” he asked.
 

“
An inorganic Elemental,” the doctor said. “The barbs in his fingers are apparently stronger than his sister’s. When he touches noncarbon based materials such as wood, stone, or metal, his entire body transforms from
the inside out taking on the same properties. His transformations appear to be painless. Strength, durability, and endurance also increase based on whatever he touches. His sister can duplicate his abilities when she touches him, however, he cannot do the same when it comes to her. It is also unclear why they react differently to carbon and noncarbon based materials.”  
 

“
Always thought twins were weird,” Graves huffed. “Even my brother’s set.  Who’s the final member to our list?”
 

“
Last we have Erica Champion,” Dr. Alexander projected the final applicant to the screen, “originally from San Francisco, California… age sixteen and a Promethean class eight EVO.”
 

“
Wait, what age again?” Graves narrowed his eyes.
 

“
Age sixteen,” Dr. Alexander reiterated. “A child prodigy diagnosed with autism, until the EVO virus infected her, curing her of her autism while granting her intelligence on a superhuman level with access to eighty percent of her mental capability. Her abilities include reading minds, telepathy, psychokinesis, extrasensory perception, and low-level telekinesis.”
 

“
No recruiting of children,” Graves emitted with passive sternness. “They’re a pain when it comes to taking orders and a PR nightmare waiting to happen.”
 

“
Actually, Ms. Champion is already on the payroll, sir,” informed Mendes. “She’s also known as Lady Tech.”
 

Graves leaned back in his seat for the first time, stunned by Mende’s news.
 

“
She’s Lady Tech?” he pointed to the screen.
 

“
The top anti-cyber terrorist in the agency responsible for re-firewalling all of the United States government’s security systems.” Mendes nodded. “Harvard graduate at the age of eleven with a masters in biology,
biomechanics, biophysics, bionics, robotics, Aerodynamics, quantum physics, nuclear physics, atomic physics, astrophysics, cybernetics, computer science, and criminal law. She is also the top expert on EVOs. She volunteered to become a part of this group.”
 

“
Her knowledge and intelligence would give this group an extreme advantage like none other, in addition to her technological advances,” Dr. Alexander interjected.
 

“
Technological advances?”
 Secretary
Graves asked with a spark in his eye.
 

“
Ms. Champion holds several patents on fully functional combat ready applications that she is willing to share should she be picked for this group,” informed the doctor.
 

Graves narrowed his eyes while leaning back further in his seat as he tapped his chin.

“
She’s in,” he sprang forward in his seat reversing his decision. “We’ll just keep her out of combat situations; focus her strictly on R&D. So this is the ‘best’ this country has to offer?”
 

“
Those willing to take the offer,” said Mendes.
 

“
God damn Bush,” Graves muttered, “he’s made it that even superhumans don’t want to be all that they can be. This bunch will have to do for now.”
 

“
How do we proceed?” Mendes asked.