Organism X Ch. 14

Now they had five, excluding Jon. It was a motley crue, but it was better than nothing. Leah wondered what Talia Maroney would bring to the table by the end of the day. She wasn't feeling optimistic.

Jessie hovered behind Professor Pierce, Molly, and Bethany as they went about their work. The laboratory looked like something out of a bad science fiction movie with beakers and test tubes filled with neon colored liquids and bunsen burners flaming. Jessie wondered what was what. The professor seemed to toss chemicals together as if she were making a stir fry for dinner, acting randomly and erratically. Then again, Jessie didn't know shit about chemistry, so what did she know?

Stepping forward, Jessie picked up a beaker full of bright green liquid. She noticed that the fluid glowed slightly, splashing verdant light over the edge of her palm.

"What is this stuff?"

Professor Pierce turned, her eyes nearly bugging out of her skull.

"Put that down!" She shrieked.

Jessie set the beaker down on the table and backed away from the professor as fast as she could. She had never seen the jokey, laid back professor react like that before and she was shaken.

"Don't ever pick that up again!" Pierce said. "Sorry, that was harsh. Still, don't pick it up."

"What is it?"

"It's the mutagen I've harvested from the worm samples. It's what I'm using to create new samples -- and more mutagen."

"So it mutates other creatures into parasite worms?" Jesssie asked.

Professor Pierce nodded.

"It seems to radically rewrite biological life to its own purposes."

"What would happen if you gave that stuff to a human," Melissa Takizawa asked. She seemed way too invested in the answer for Jessie's tastes.

"It mutates human cells heavily too."

"How do you know?"

"I tested it on myself!"

"What?" Everyone in the room cried at once.

Jessie began to back away from Pierce, horrified.

Pierce burst into one of her great big belly laughs.

"Relax! I tested it on my blood sample," she said. "The effects were startling. The mutagen works like a virus, infecting and repurposing cells for its purpose at an alarming rate. It moves faster than any mutagen or virus I have ever seen. I think this fluid is what actually infects the host. The worm is just a delivery device."

Jessie glanced at the beaker of green liquid and shivered. It was disturbing enough to have the worm samples nearby. This mutagen funk seemed even worse. One bad spill might cause them all to start mutating into infected. She suddenly had a strong urge to wash her hands just from having touched the beaker.

Melissa Takizawa also had her eyes fixed on the beaker. There was a hollow, haunted quality to her gaze.

What are you hiding?

"So what would happen if a normal person was exposed to that stuff?" Haley Lewis asked.

Increasingly, Haley had been cloistered away with Eliza and Penny. In the midst of the terror of the last week, Haley and Eliza had put aside their roommate squabbles and become fast friends. Meanwhile, Penny was along for the ride, her easy going personality seamlessly integrating her with the other two.

Jessie could feel the wall between her and those three. Yesterday's decision solidified it. Jessie wanted to leave, abandoning any chance of a cure and saving the fallen. They were loyal to each other. Melissa had suffered, Bethany had lost a friend, they had been terrorized. A cure might be the only thing keeping those girls from going over the edge into insanity, but it might also damn them.

Bitterness like a parasite slithered into Jessie's heart. It fed on her sorrow and exhaustion, turning it into resentment.

Jessie had been the one to save Haley, beating her own best friend to a bloody pulp in the process. She had led the girls to safety and protection how many times? Now they were quietly excluding her, all because she was the only rational thinker in the group.

I've lost friends too. I've had my heart broken.

Jessie tried to remember Leah Bardot as she was before this nightmare started. In her mind's eye, Jessie saw a pretty, friendly girl with long brown hair that reached nearly to her waist. Jessie used to tease Leah, calling her Rapunzel for how long she kept her hair. Leah would huff and pretend to be mad, but she never really got angry. She didn't have a mean bone in her body. Sometimes she talked about her dreams -- how she wanted to be a Physician's Assistant after college. How she wanted to help people in need.

The tears snuck up on her like a thief in the night. Jessie felt them well in her eyes, turning the world into a blurry abstract art project. Only now, after so many days, did she allow herself to really and truly miss her best friend.

Leah was gone. No, worse than gone. Corrupted. Turned into a cold, unfeeling monster.

Jessie wondered if the real Leah, whatever that meant, was still in there, hidden by the lust and cruelty. Part of Jessie hoped so, but another part of her desperately hoped that her old friend was dead and gone, replaced by a doppelganger. If Leah really was stuck inside of herself, trapped by horrible urges and instincts and thoughts she could not control, then she was truly living a fate worse than death.

Jessie brushed away the tears and forced herself back into the present. Professor Pierce was answering Haley's question, explaining what the mutagen would do to a normal human being.

"The effects would likely be similar to what you have observed with infections. The mutagen would begin infecting and reworking cells. Depending on the infection method, it might just impact the local area it was administered to. However, if it got into the bloodstream or into the spinal fluid, the spread would be far greater. I also think that the physical changes would happen at a much faster pace, depending on the dosage. Think about how quickly it takes for a simpler organism to transform an infection vector when exposed to the stuff."

"Can it be absorbed through contact with the skin?" Haley asked.

Pierce shrugged, "quite possibly. That's why I always wear gloves while handling the stuff and do my best to keep it secured. In fact, I have no idea how it got out here. I know I can be a scatterbrain, but I'm usually pretty good about this sort of thing."

The professor placed a cap on the beaker and placed it in a small refrigerator on the other end of the laboratory. As she did so, Melissa hitched in a sharp breath. No else seemed to notice this, but Jessie did. For a fleeting moment, the girls made eye contact and Jessie saw a terrible hunger etched into the other girl's features.

Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the laborator door. The other girls jumped, but Jessie kept her eyes fixed on Melissa Takizawa. Something was definitely off about the girl.

"Oh shit, it's five o'clock. Sarah has the lab reserved," Professor Pierce said. "Ugh, I was making so much progress, too. I don't want to leave early, not when things are going so well."

Suddenly, Melissa spoke up. "Why don't you come back after Sarah finishes and work late?"

Eliza groaned, "I don't want to spend all night in a lab."

"Yeah, I'm already exhausted," Haley said.

"And hungry," Penny added.

Bethany nodded in agreement. Ever the pragmatist, she clearly wanted to balance her newfound cause to cure her friend with her own sanity.

"A little rest might be nice."

Professor Pierce looked visibly disappointed hearing this. She was clearly one of those psychos that loved to work. Jessie, however, was more focused on Melissa, who seemed even more disappointed.

"You guys don't have to stay," Melissa said. "We have enough people that as long as we split into two big enough groups and keep in touch via text, we should be fine. I think the cure is really important."

What is your game? Jessie wondered.

"That's quite a change of heart from earlier," Pierce said.

Melissa blushed and looked down at her feet.

"I was scared before. I'm sorry I lashed out. We need a cure and I want to help in any way I can."

Bethany came up behind Melissa and gave her a reassuring backrub.

"We all do," Bethany said. "But we're all pretty tired as well. I'm certainly wiped."

The other girls nodded.

Jessie saw how the situation was going and decided to make her move. She knew she should leave campus as soon as possible. Staying here with these girls who didn't even want her around was a mistake. Still, something about Melissa gave her the willies. She had to know more.

"I'll stay," Jessie said. "It'll be me, Melissa, Molly, and the professor. Not a big group, but big enough to fight back if things get bad. Besides, if we have too many people coming in and out of the lab, especially late at night, it'll draw attention to what we're doing."

Melissa turned and gave Jessie a hollow stare. God it was creepy.

"That's a great idea," Melissa said, her voice devoid of any emotion.

"I am on a roll," Pierce said. "If I work the night, I might make a huge leap in a very short amount of time."

Reluctantly, Bethany accepted. The other girls fell in line after that.

They cleaned the lab up and let Sarah in to work on her senior project. Through it all, Jessie watched Melissa carefully. The girl moved through her tasks lackadaisical, often pausing to glance at one of the worm samples. When Sarah entered, Melissa looked her up and down like she was a piece of meat.

Something was definitely wrong with the girl and Jessie wanted to get to the bottom of it. She just hoped she could get through the night in one piece while doing so.

"I'm so excited for our new team members!" Wendy Terrence said. "Although I am a tad bit concerned for our team dynamics."

Nora grit her teeth and bit her tongue. Wendy had been dropping little hints like that since lunch. She never came right out and said she didn't approve of the newcomers. Instead, she spoke of team dynamics and interpersonal morale. It was a whole bunch of vagary designed to undermine Nina's position.

"I think it'll be fine," Nina said flatly.

Emmy, seeing the tensions rising, swooped in to rescue the situation. It was moments like this that made Nina so thankful for her best friend.

"Team dynamics be damned, I'm just glad we'll have a few more helping hands when Halloween rolls around."

Emmy winked at Nina. Nina returned the gesture with a warm smile. It was moments like this where the hornettes really did feel like a sisterhood.

Wendy shrugged. "I guess if you put parties over competitions, games, overall prestige, so on and so forth, that argument makes sense. Still, I wonder."

The girls walked down the path towards the dining hall. The sun was close to setting, casting a forlorn orange glow on the sky. There was a chill in the air, carried by a sharp wind that rushed across the river water and through the trees. The gloom filled Nina with a sense of unease. She bickered with Wendy all the time, but for some reason it felt worse today. The snide comments cut deeper and hurt longer.

"I hope I don't get replaced," Chloe Montrose muttered. "My mom would be pissed if I'm on the bench during competitions."

Nina glanced over at her teammate. The petite freshman often felt out of place on the team. This wasn't a bad thing, per se, and certainly didn't reflect on Chloe's abilities. The girl had the body control that came with years of ballet and gymnastics. Chloe Montrose was also beautiful, though not in the way most cheerleaders were. In the fading light of the autumn evening, the girl looked like an elf or fairy. Her skin was pale as snow and her limbs were so thin and delicate that they looked as if they would snap if she moved them through the air too quickly. Her figure was slim and boyish, soft where it counted and taut everywhere else. Her blue eyes always looked enormous.

Chloe was beautiful like a work of art. Art was appreciated, not lusted after. Desire, especially male desire, tinged cheerleading. At games, the male student body would always pass up Chloe's elfin fluidity for Megan and her friends' double d's.

"You have nothing to worry about," Nina lied.

"Yeah!" Emmy added. "What are you stupid, Chloe? You're like the best acrobat on the team. You can do stuff that would literally break me in half."

Chloe gave everyone a weak smile. Wendy, seeing how unconvinced the girl was, swooped in.

"It's okay to be a little insecure. I get it. Everyone gets it. You've put in all this hard work. It wouldn't be fair to get passed up for a beginner."

That was it. Nina was tired of Wendy undermining her. Tired of being second guessed and having her toes stepped on. The hornettes were a sisterhood and like any sisterhood, sometimes sisters fought. It was high time to bring things out in the open.

"Emmy, Chloe, you guys go on. Wendy, I need to talk to you."

Everyone froze. It was rare that tensions ever boiled over like this.

Nina glared at the other, "go on!"

Emmy took Chloe and hurried down the path, but not before throwing a worried, hesitant glance Nina's way. Emmy knew what was brewing between Nina and Wendy and had tried her best to keep it under control. Her best efforts had failed.

Wendy lingered, giving Nina a sullen look.

"Why do you keep questioning me?" Nina exploded. "You keep giving me shit for letting Megan and her friends in, even though I've been trying to get her to join for a year. You never said anything before. You are always making snide little comments with that dopey, innocent little smile plastered across your face. If you have something to say, say it!"

Wendy's expression flattened and her eyes narrowed. The change in her features was small, but it completely transformed her. Gone was the perky, all-American cheerleader. In its place was cold and angry.

"Okay, Nina. I'll tell you exactly what I have to say. I don't think you should be team captain."

There we go, Nina thought. A little honesty is refreshing.

"Let me guess. Is it because I'm not a typical cheerleader?"

"What? No! It's because you don't take anything seriously."

The world fell out from under Nina.

"What?"

"You are so focused on being friendly and down to earth and making cheer hyper inclusive that you forget about competitions. We are a losing team, Nina. We're one of the worst in our division. I have tried to be patient and I have tried to give guidance indirectly, but it clearly isn't working. Now you invite those three floozies onto the team, which will take time and effort away from competition prep, and act like it's no big deal. I swear you treat this club like it's your own personal social club."

"We're a sisterhood," Nina stammered.

"No, we're a team. A losing team."

"Winning isn't everything."

"That's not for you to decide," Wendy said. "There are girls on the team who want more than parties and games and team building exercises. They want structure and guidance and a winning record."

That hurt to hear. Apparently, Nina's "sisters" had been talking behind her back. She felt sick to her stomach.

"Who thinks that?"

"I would rather not say, for their sake. Just know I'm far from the only one who thinks this."

"So what, do you want me to resign? Give the position to you? That seems mighty convenient."

Wendy shook her head, a stray lock of blonde hair coming loose and bouncing between her big blue eyes. It made her look girlish and innocent and a little sad. The cattiness was gone, as was the anger. She clearly didn't want this conversation to go like this.

"No! I don't want you to quit. Just, can you maybe focus a little more on competition prep and a little less on goofing off?"

"Fine." Nina said.

"And no more new recruits. Our team is already too crowded and now we have to accommodate three more members."

Anger flared in Nina's heart. She couldn't tell if Wendy was right or not. She needed more time to search her heart and take an honest look back at the past. However, even if Nina had been a bad team captain, that didn't mean Wendy got to order her around.

"The team is always open to new recruits. I'm putting my foot down on this, got it?"

Wendy began to argue, but Nina cut her off.

"I mean it. We are always open. I'm not excluding anyone."

Wendy gave Nina a sad look and shrugged.

"That's your choice, I guess. Now come on, let's get to dinner."

Nina declined, "I need to be alone. I have a lot of thinking to do."

Nina and Wendy parted ways in an awkward huff. The sky was getting darker and night was closing in, deepening the chill in the air. It was late October and Halloween would be coming in a few days. Usually, Halloween was a joyful time in which upperclassmen opened their townhouses and suites for blowout parties. The hornettes were always a big part of the Halloween celebrations and until recently, Nina had been bursting with excitement. Now it all seemed tainted.

She wasn't a bad captain, was she? She tried her best. Sure, the hornettes didn't win a lot of competitions, but that wasn't everything. Team dynamics depended on warmth and openness as much as on discipline.

Memories took on different colors in Nina's mind. Bored or zoned out expressions became looks of frustration and disapproval. Awkward moments became expressions of simmering resentment.

"I did my best," Nina muttered. "All I ever wanted was for my teammates to be happy. They're my family. Who wouldn't want the best for their family members?"

Perhaps it was a mistake to invite Megan's cohort. If half the team was frustrated with Nina's reign as captain, adding three bombshells would only add a bunch of envy to the mix.

I have to stop thinking like this Nina thought. I can't let someone like Wendy get under my skin. This team has to be open. If people start to see us as a snobby little clique, we're done for. No one will want to join.

A sound caused Nina to look up. She was far down an offshoot of the main path that led to a wooded area. The location was secluded and quiet, which Nina supposed was why she came here. She often walked this way when she had something big to think about.

The sound was a voice. A moan. It sounded so sultry it was almost cartoonish. Nina looked in the direction of the sound and saw three shapes next to a large oak several feet off the path.

Nina had no idea why she didn't leave immediately. Perhaps it was genuine concern, maybe it was morbid curiosity. Either way, she stepped carefully off the path and crept in the direction of the figures, taking care to move slowly and quietly.

As she got closer, Nina saw that two of the figures were women. Beautiful, voluptuous women with impossible bodies and an aura that screamed "sex". One of the women had a short pixie cut, the other a cloud of blonde curls. The third figure appeared to be male. All three of them were naked.

The man was slumped against the trunk of the oak tree, groaning softly as the woman with the pixie cut rode on top of him. Nina watched the lewd display in shock. She had seen some wild things in college, but an orgie in the woods took the cake.

The cheerleading captain's shock deepened as she began to recognize the two girls. They were Shelby and Ellie, Megan's friends.

The sickening lump in Nina's stomach felt worse than ever. These were the girls she had invited with open arms into her team. Nina tried not to slut shame girls, but this was pushing even her tolerant moral sensibilities.

Nina continued to watch as the raw sexual display reached its crescendo. Shelby, the girl with the pixie cut, screamed into the night as her body pumped up and down at a superhuman pace. The man she was fucking convulsed and then collapsed, his eyes becoming glassy.