Rex Easly--The Wilde Side

[Garrett Jax]

Chapter Seven

The liner sailed toward Sunderland as the automated systems kicked in and guided it toward one of the available docking bays. Looming in the backdrop, lie the ruins of an ancient civilization. The normally stoic Wilde, all stopped and stared at the foreboding structure, with what appeared to be silent reverence. This ancient space city offered glimpses into a time when beings existed that were far more knowledgeable and powerful than them. That thought sent shivers racing down Rex’s spine. If such a wise and powerful race could simply disappear into obscurity, what hope was there for humanity?

With a final jolt, the liner finished docking onto Sunderland. At once, Lorelei approached Rex, placed her hand on his shoulder, and stared at him silently.

Immediately, the incubus inside him responded. An inner voice, not his own, entered his mind and commanded him to depart with Lorelei. This foreign being imposed it’s will upon him with a force much stronger than before. Rex could feel his legs attempt to comply. With as much effort as he could muster, he tried to focus his willpower to suppress the incubus’ control. However, with Lorelei’s influence, it was too much to overcome and control over his own body was superseded. To Rex’s great dismay, his legs stood up and he walked off the bridge with Lorelei.

Lorelei maintained physical contact with Rex as they disembarked from the vessel. The incubus reacted accordingly, gaining more and more influence over its host. The only control Rex had left, were his own thoughts. Soon, even that would be lost.

Behind Lorelei, were two security personnel, carrying cases designed to look like luggage. The incendiary devices, of course. If an opportunity to get away from these Wilde didn’t occur soon, Sunderland would be destroyed as well as his hopes of ridding himself of this infestation.

They crossed the catwalk across the hangar bay and were met on the other side by a short hunched man flanked by several BAF officers behind him. The man rubbed his hands together nervously as they approached.

“Mr. Easly, I assume?” he asked, with a slight stutter. He stopped rubbing his hands together to briefly adjust his thin framed glasses.

Rex hoped he stilled owned control over his voice. He did. “Yes. And you are Doctor Larkin?”

The doctor almost jumped in excitement. “Yes, yes I am. So good to see you boy. So good.” He moved closer and with a concerned expression, he looked Rex directly in the eye. “Tell me, how do you feel?”

Before Rex could respond, Lorelei stepped forward.

“All in good time doctor,” she said. “Perhaps you could direct us to your lab, where we can be more comfortable?”

The doctor quickly looked over the group. He focused back onto Rex. “Of course, of course.” He began rubbing his hands together again. “How rude of me. You must forgive my excitement. I never thought I would be able to examine a former patient of Doctor Skelter. This will help my research considerably.”

One of the BAF officers spoke. “Doctor Larkin,” he said. “Command has only authorized Former Deputy Commissioner Rex Easly to board Sunderland. These others must remain with their ship.”

Rex could have hugged that officer. Maybe there was a chance here.

Lorelei grabbed Rex’s arm. “You are not going to let me stay with my husband, Officer?”

The incubus exerted its influence. Rex tried to pull away from Lorelei, but failed. He tried to speak out, but only screamed. He was losing himself. He looked up at Larkin with pleading eyes, unable to vocalize his dilemma.

“This man’s in pain,” the doctor yelled. He pointed to a couple officers. “You, get him to my lab, now.” He looked at Lorelei. “His wife can come. Just have her wait outside.”

Instantly, the officers sprang into action. Two officers half carried, half walked Rex to the lab, with Lorelei in tow. The remaining officers, guns ready, made sure the two security men and their cases returned to the liner.

Rex experienced a brief respite from the incubus. The officers at his side prevented Lorelei from any physical contact. Already, the weakening neural inhibitor was providing him a slight measure of control. If the doctor didn’t help him soon, however, he was doomed to be a Wilde for the rest of his life.

By the time they reached the lab, Rex could finally walk on his own again. Doctor Larkin instructed the officers to wait with Lorelei outside the lab as both he and Rex went inside. Rex caught a glimpse of a none-to-happy Lorelei as the lab doors whisked shut.

Larkin pulled a small tray forward and gestured to Rex to sit on the medical bed. From the tray, he grabbed an ophthalmoscope and examined Rex’s eyes. “Ok, son,” he asked, casually. “You want to tell me why you brought a ship load of infected humans on board my facility?”

If Larkin appeared disconcerted by the fact that Wilde were at his door, he gave no indication. The casual manner of his question caught Rex off-guard and rendered him speechless.

The doctor observed Rex’s confusion. “Oh, don’t act so surprised, Mr. Easly,” he said. “If I was concerned about attacks from infested humans, I wouldn’t have continued Dr. Skelter’s research. Do not worry yourself, we are quite safe here.”

Rex was unconvinced. “They have a couple bombs with them Doctor. They are going to blow this whole place up.”

“Relax,” Larkin said. He grabbed another instrument and placed it upon Rex’s chest. “I’m more concerned about you right now. It appears your neural inhibitor is failing.”

“It is,” Rex cried out. “I don’t know how much longer I can withstand this incubus.”

Rex couldn’t understand how Larkin could be so calm. A ship load of Wilde lay parked at their door, one of which waited outside the lab and that didn’t take into consideration the fact he could lose total control at any moment and become fully Wilde himself. There should be some serious panicking going on here.

Larkin put away his instruments and grabbed a syringe and filled it with a small bottle. “This will help take care of your headaches, as well as give your inhibitor a momentary boost, so you don’t suddenly become something…unexpected.” He injected the fluid into the back of Rex’s neck.

Rex accepted the injection gratefully. “Thank you, Doctor.”

“Not at all. Not at all,” Larkin said, dismissively. “I’m going to leave for a few minutes and let the nanobots I injected you with do their job. When I come back, I’ll return with something that should help you out permanently.”

Rex let out a cry of joy as waves of relief washed over him. This was more than he could have possibly allowed himself to believe. He wept openly as the doctor left. In just a little while longer, the incubus would be gone forever. He thought about Lorelei. Maybe the doctor could help her too. He determined to ask him when he came back. He remembered the helpless girl begging for help. If there was any possibility to save her, he would.

Suddenly, his arms and legs began moving on their own again. The incubus was feeling stronger than ever. No. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. He began to walk around the room with absolutely no control over his body. This was like how it was when Lorelei maintained physical contact with him. No, it was worse. What did the Doctor do to him? The incubus moved him back and forth across the lab, eventually standing him at attention at the foot of the bed. There was nothing Rex could do to stop himself.

Any feelings of relief fled from him and Rex found himself in a near panicked state. Doctor Larkin returned, smiling. In his hands he carried a case the size a first aid kit, with a folder sitting atop it.

Rex tried to cry out to the doctor for help, but couldn’t. Doctor Larkin sat his items upon the bed and looked him over.

“I have to say, Mr. Easly,” he said. “That neural inhibitor was an ingenious piece of work. How are you feeling now?”

Rex tried to respond, but couldn’t.

Larkin smiled. “Good. Those nanobytes are working fast. Soon that neural inhibitor will be totally deconstructed.”

Confusion crossed Rex’s face.

The doctor caught it. “Oh, you haven’t caught on yet, have you?” He approached Rex and covered his mouth. In a whispered voice, he said, “Shhh. Don’t tell anyone. I’m working with the Wilde.”

Anger replaced confusion. He was betrayed. All hope was lost for saving his identity, his humanity.

“Don’t look at me with those judgmental eyes, Mr. Easly,” said Larkin. “I gave up on humanity a long time ago. Humans have a long history of violence and bloodshed. They take without giving. They infested Sirius like a plague. They kill Nomads for trying to reclaim their home. Tell me, Mr. Easly, does that sound right to you? They didn’t have to infest me to convince me to help them.”

Rex couldn’t argue with the doctor. Not vocally, anyways. The nanobots were making quick work of the inhibitor. Soon, his mind would be overtaken. He looked at the case the doctor brought in, wondering what was in it.

Larkin followed his eyes. “Do you want to know what’s in this case?” he asked. “Hmmm. Well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to tell you now.”

Larkin opened the case and pulled out a small blue capsule. “This is the cure for nomad infestation,” he exclaimed. He held it up for Rex to see. “A poison pill, as it were, for the nomad incubus. This little bargaining chip guarantees my life. The Wilde would never kill me as long as I possessed this. Sadly, I could never uncover a way to take it with me from off this facility. The insufferable BAF are too thorough in their searches. However, being a former patient and needing the cure, you could.”

Rex could have laughed at the irony of his situation. Here was the cure for his nomad infestation, inches away from his face, and he was unable to reach out for it.

The doctor must have sensed the irony as well, for he laughed loudly. “Doctor Skelter was a brilliant scientist. Too brilliant, it seems. By infecting people with the nomads, he drew their attention. By the time he found the cure, the Wilde had all but destroyed his research. I really enjoyed working with Doctor Skelter. It was a shame I had to kill him.”

The doctor paused, as if to let his words sink in. He appeared to be enjoying himself immensely. With every word spoken, however, fresh rage boiled forth from Rex. The Doctor’s betrayal of humanity was complete.

“I remember when you arrived at our facility, Mr. Easly,” Larkin continued. “You were an overly ambitious pilot with delusions of becoming famous and powerful. It gave me great pleasure to implant that incubus inside you. My only wish was for you to have been awake when I did it, so I could see the look on your face.”

Rex’s face grew red with fury. He wanted to strangle the doctor with every ounce of strength remaining. His eyes focused on the Doctor’s neck. How frail it appeared. If only he could…suddenly, he broke loose. Rage improved his mental strength and the incubus’ control over him faltered. Both his hands found themselves around the neck of a stunned Doctor Larkin. Rage flowed from Rex as his hands tightened their grip. This man was despicable, worse than the Wilde even. He willfully chose to help the Nomads against humanity. Most humans that became infected had no choice.

Life abandoned the doctor much too soon to suit Rex. Still angry, he found the blue pill that dropped from Larkin’s lifeless hand. As he picked it up, there was Lorelei standing at the door, confusion on her face. Two lifeless Bretonian Naval officers lying behind her.

She looked at the doctor, lying on the floor, dead. “What did you do, human?” she demanded.

Without thinking, Rex lunged for Lorelei in a burst of speed. For a moment, the strength from the incubus poured through him, yet his rage, and what little remained of the neural inhibitor, left him control of his mind and body.

Before Lorelei could react, he was at her throat also. He didn’t know how much time was left remaining for him, but he was determined to use it as efficiently as possible. All he could think was to snap her pretty little neck with as much brute force as he could muster.

As his hands and arms wrapped around her for the killing blow, he saw her eyes change from the haughty arrogant expression of the Wilde, to the scared pleading expression of the human. Instantly, he let go of her, unwilling to take her life.

He stepped back. “Lorelei?” he asked. “Is that you?”

“You human fool!” she roared. She lunged for him, knocking him down and striking him with all her strength. Her eyes emanated a deep purple glow.

Rex tried to fight her off, but she pressed her advantage. Stars danced in his eyes as he received constant blows from the Wilde. With a desperate heave, he pushed her away. He knew he had scant time left. The physical and mental attacks were too much. The inhibitor was all but gone. Any rage he had, was spent. Time to give up.

Lorelei, sensing his defeat, laughed at him. “Finally, human, you will succumb to the Wilde,” she mocked. “Did you think that a Wilde could so easily lose control of its host? I remember you standing above me in your quarters, speaking to the human female. I allowed that. And when you were thoroughly deceived, I took her back. We know your thoughts, human, simple though they are. At every step, you managed to do our bidding despite your determination to do otherwise. Now, Skelter’s research will die and the humans will be powerless to stop us.”

Rex fell to the ground, twisting and writhing, fighting the incubus. His time was finally up. Lorelei had won. The Wilde were victorious. Worse yet, she was right. He had served them unwittingly every step of the way. He could feel her approach, reaching for him, to finally finish off the last remaining vestiges of resistance the inhibitor provided. Before she could grasp him, he realized he was still holding the blue capsule. In his rage, he completely forgot about it. With his last final act as a human, he broke the capsule and shoved it into Lorelei’s mouth. Instinctively, she swallowed.

Lorelei gasped in horror. “What have you done to me, human?” she cried. She dropped to her knees, gagging, trying to rid herself of Skelter’s cure. The nomadic incubus threw her into a frenzy, struggling to maintain its hold over the young woman. She twisted and rolled around the floor, screaming in agony.

After several minutes, her writhing began to cease. Rex lay on the floor, the incubus inside him, as wore out as he. He couldn’t move, he could barely speak and he waited for the incubus to have its way with him.

Finally, the woman stirred. She moaned in pain, bruises from her thrashing about becoming evident all over her arms and face. She turned over to face Rex and crawled slowly to where he lie.

“Rex,” she whispered. “You did it. You saved me, Rex. Thank you. Thank God for you.” She cried uncontrollably upon his chest.

He tried to put his arms around her, but failed. There was one last thing to do.

“Lorelei,” he said. “You have to kill me, quickly. I am becoming a Wilde.”

“No!” she screamed. “I cannot kill the man who saved my life.”

Rex sighed. He couldn’t demand what she couldn’t give.

“Then you need to run from me, now,” he warned.

Lorelei got up, reached for Rex’s arm and placed it around her shoulder.

“What are you doing, Lorelei?” Rex asked, alarmed. “I could turn at any moment.”

The little human female groaned with the effort, but managed to lift him up. “I’m taking you to your ship,” she said. “You are going to live and continue fighting, just as I did.”

By the time they arrived, the incubus was fully in control of Rex Easly. The little human female had rescued him and for that it chose to spare her life. The research of Doctor Skelter had finally ended, removing the threat the humans presented. As it boarded the ship, it gave one final look upon the human female, Lorelei. Somewhere, deep inside, a thought surfaced. A wish. It hoped it would have the chance to encounter the female human one more time.

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