The Quixotic Faction: (Above Top Secret Edition) Page 27
August 28, 0957 hours
On a television mounted on the wall of a small, sterile room, Michelle Obama is being interviewed by an attractive female reporter regarding the half billion spending project for the White House dining hall. In the room is a small twin-size bed and a young Japanese American woman sitting in a wheel chair. The girl is staring off into one of the corners, not paying any attention to the interview.
A strong female voice appears in the doorway talking in a low but audible hush tone, to an older balding gentleman. “How is she holding up?”
The young woman in the chair expresses her annoyance at the invasion of her privacy. “Igor took my legs, not my hearing.”
“Agent Nomi, you know that if you had told us that...”
Director Carol puts out a hand to stop the man from pursuing and pressing her. “Doctor, can you give us a few minutes.”
He looks up at her, nods and backs down. “She’s all yours, good luck.” Shaking his head, he turns and walks away.
The director takes a couple of steps into the room as the interview on the television catches her attention. Watching the First Lady trying to justify the spending, she shakes her head in disgust before turning her attention to the young agent. “Yukiko, why did you not tell anyone about the parasite?”
“I didn’t ask you to put that in me and I sure didn’t ask you to remove it.”
Keeping her voice somber as she studies the small agent, “Look, when you and Roynika came back from Kandahar, we were at our wits end trying to restore the use of your legs.”
“So, you just up and went and used me as a guinea pig for your little alien symbiont.” Turning her head, she catches a glimpse of surprise from the director. “Yeah, I know, Igor told me all about how you had been running tests on it since 1974.” Gaining some confidence, Nomi wheels her chair around to face the director. “All those years, all those experiments, all those beings you killed, because you didn’t understand.”
Director Carol’s expression tenses up, but before she can say anything, Nomi wheels up to her. She grips the wheels of her chair to the point that her knuckles begin to turn white.
“And then you think you can just rip it out of me and kill it!”
Anger begins to take over the director as she tries to keep her composure. Leaning over, she places her hands on the armrests of the wheelchair, backing down the young agent with slow whisper. “Look here young lady! If you weren’t close to my daughter, you’d been left in that desert to become food for the hyenas and wolves. Do you have an understanding?”
For a moment they stare at each other, before Nomi wheels back a few inches, causing the director to let go and stand back up. Watching each other without saying a word, the only sounds in the room are coming from the Michelle Obama interview on the television.
“Yes, Katie, we live in trying times, where we have to put our best foot forward.”
Without turning to acknowledge the television, Director Carol massages her hands. “These are trying times and she’s an idiot.” After a few moments of watching each other they both crack a slight smile.
“I stopped by to see how you were holding up. Yukiko, I did not come here for a fight. And please stop calling Dr. Grayson, Igor. He’s a good man, he saved your life a few times now.”
Nomi’s facial expression goes blank. “Now you see I’m still alive and that you authorized me for experiment part two…”
Unable to keep her impatience at bay, she raises a hand stopping the young agent. “You lost control of it! You withheld information about it, despite working with Charlie at the San Antonio facility, learning to reuse your legs.”
Anger taking over, Nomi blurts out, “It was sentient! You had no right!”
Turning to leave, Director Carol looks at the interview on the television, and then back over her shoulder at the young agent. “You may not have the use of your legs anymore, but you still know who’s responsible for my daughter’s death.”
Sitting back in her chair and folding her arms. “Yeah, I figured that was why you came.”
Just before the director leaves the room, she stops and her shoulders drop. “Yukiko, Roynika was my only child and I need to know who was responsible.” After a moment of quiet, the director exits down the hall.
Spinning the chair around to face the corner again, she instinctively tries to push herself up and bring her feet under her. Only her legs refused to move and she falls back into the chair. Out of frustration she slams her fist onto her thigh. Not feeling anything, she pounds both of her legs; but, before she can yell out, she feels a twinge in her right leg.
Looking around she goes to call out for Dr. Grayson when flashbacks of when they found her trapped in the crunched-up van in July. Closing her eyes, a shiver shoots up her spine. Nightmare flashes of colors and Harvey and his mechanical monkey suit. Then the memory of her snapping the neck of Dr. Stevens brings her back out of her thoughts. A tear forms and makes its way down her cheekbone as she stares into the corner.
Catching it with the back of her hand, she realizes that she is absently rubbing the spot on her leg where she felt the twinge. Rubbing the location firmer with the palm of her hand she begins to feel a slight tingle in her big toe. Almost willing it, she watches her big toe begin to twitch, then realizing that she was able to move it.
Nomi looks at the doorway to see if anyone else saw, thinking out loud, “How can this be? They removed the symbiont.”
A cautious childlike voice, whispers and interrupts her thoughts. “Hello?”
About the Author
After an unknown number of years of traveling around the world, T. D. Kohler has finally found a place to call home — sitting on a secluded beach on the tropical island of Guam with his wife, one of his sons, and his two dogs.
United States military service has proven to be a gateway to the world for him, and he has worked, shared knowledge and played games with humans from Afghanistan to Thailand, Australia to United States. He has taken up writing as a means to share, for as he says: “Sharing is caring.” For the past few years he has been working on sharing his insights through Anthropology, and enjoying time out on his small boat, doing what should be the only form of trolling.
This novel, his first, was originally released in January 2016, but is now available for the world in this updated and expanded "Above Top Secret" edition.
COME VISIT US
Rhetoric Askew
While you're there, don't forget to join our friends list to receive valuable coupons and special offers in your email!
Read Askew. Be Inspired.
Thank you for downloading this eBook.
This book remains the copyrighted property of Rhetoric Askew, LLC, and the author. It may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer.
Thank you for your support.
rhetaskew publishing
Table of Contents
Prologue 1948
The Quixotic Faction 2015
1895
2015
2014
2015
1989
2015
1989
2015
1982
2015
Epilogue 2015
About the Author