Shudder - The College Years Ch. 09

Nevyn listened to Connie's audio picked up by both Bekka's and Lola's cell phones. His fury was complete as she spoke those words, and he thought about her demise in a million different ways, all very violent. This might have been the end of the thread that connected Derek and Nevyn, except Connie kept talking.

"If you really wanted to try, Derek, and you were willing to risk your current immortality, plus the life of whomever you were possessing at the time, you could roll the dice. You'd just need this device right here." Nevyn again desperately found himself wishing for video of what he was hearing." You'd set it to, hm...this is where it worked with your mother, so I'd speculate you'd about have to double that and put it here, which as I've said would be very fatal. Before it killed you though, it would be very painful for both parties. But in theory, and theory only, it should definitely swap you back just long enough for you to die. Shall I call up Nevyn now or...?"

What Nevyn could not hear was Bekka's tongue stick out of her mouth, or the face Bekka made as it became scrunched up while staring intensely at Lola. Nevyn only heard Derek's question as he asked, "How come I can't go back to Lola?"

"Because she didn't undergo Iontophoresis," Connie explained. "The bridge is currently only one way. Hold on." Lola was almost fully conscious as Connie quickly repeated the process that Bekka had gone through minutes ago, then told Derek, "Try it now."

Bekka's face scrunched again, then relaxed and her eyes became vacant. Derek spoke from Lola, "Wow, yeah, no problem that time."

"In order for it to work, there has to be a sender and receiver. The receiver only exists in a body that undergoes lontophoresis, which activates the signal in the gene and ties it to the body."

The audio continued for quite awhile as Connie laid out a schedule that highlighted this line of testing. Nevyn let it play but he was no longer listening. He knew what he had to do, and thanks to Lola, he knew how he was going to do it. He would watch them closely for at least another week before making his move. He would have one shot, and it might cost him everything, but at the moment, he felt like a man with nothing to lose. He had lived an exceedingly long life. There was so much more now that he wanted to do. He really wanted another shot at world peace. He'd figure out a way to do it right this time. He'd scrap what he had tried when taking over kings and presidents. He'd rule through intimidation or fear, focusing on controlling the scourge upon the world known as human nature. He could be the one to put everyone in their place. But who was he kidding. He didn't have the faintest clue how to actually pull that off, and he'd probably be dead before he got a chance to really brainstorm a workable idea.

Nevyn's mind was made up on the next step. He missed the last portion of journals and audio that revealed more discoveries. Connie noted that it was like the gene was altering its own properties to do what she wanted while experimenting, a notion she wrote down in jest only. On a whim, she had injected one of Derek's encoded samples into both Bekka and Lola, then placed a bit of simple circuitry above the place of the injections. Connie had thought she was being silly, had no reason to think it should be this easy, but she felt like she had some sort of special intuition that was guiding her. She placed a similar bit of circuitry on Derek's host. It marked him as sender, and there were now two separate receivers. She then told Derek not to think about anything, which Derek found relatively easy.

Bekka was signal A, and Lola was signal B. Connie fully expected this to be a waste of time, but she had pressed signal B. A few seconds later, Lola's body gave a shudder, and a very confused Derek was sputtering and asking questions from her mouth. It was discovered that as long as there was a sender/receiver element involved, Connie could send Derek's conscious into anyone.

Connie was at a complete loss as to how this should be possible. They were way past the realm of science fiction. This seemed almost supernatural. She knew that the gene had other properties. She had loads of documentation of how it altered a person's mental state. It made them much more prone to baser instincts, especially in regards to sex. It was heightened when it came into contact with someone else who possessed the gene, but would affect those who didn't as well. She had felt it herself. It was the reason she had occasionally joined in a threesome with her husband and whatever tart Aubrey had been in. It was the reason she had hooked up secretly with Derek on more than one occasion. Being around anyone with the gene corrupted a person. She had seen it and experienced it first hand. And Richard Johnson had been living day in and day out with a wife whose gene was active but confined to her original body. Connie didn't like what Richard had done, but she understood why he had done it.

The question was quickly becoming, what to do with all this information. She felt way in over her head now, and needed more people that could help her. She knew she needed to turn this over to more brilliant minds than herself. Most recently, she had mulled over the possibility of making a deal with the government. It would mean turning in the twins, something that would be difficult, but manageable if they were sedated before they could hop anyone to escape. They were the key to immortality for the world, but she was hitting a wall. If she couldn't figure out how to make the gene work for her, the possibilities stopped there.

They were indeed the key, and the theories and ideas in her mind would be used to unlock their vast, limitless potential. But Nevyn would be the one wielding them, but not for quite a few decades.

In the present, Nevyn watched the research center. The patterns of those that came and went varied little. It was important that when he made his move, that everything went perfectly. If he messed up, they would most likely run, or go into hiding, or kill him. He knew they were capable of much more now. When everything finally seemed right, when all the pieces seemed to be in place, Nevyn acted. He confidently strode into the front of the research center, where Lola sat behind a desk, acting as their sentry for any unwanted guest such as himself. She flashed a smile at him, which vanished just as quickly as she recognized him. Before her hand could hit the intercom for the lab, Nevyn spoke quickly, "Lola, I see that you recognize me, that you know who I am."

Lola's finger hovered over the button. "Of course I do. You're Nevyn. I'm supposed to let the others know right away if you ever show up."

Nevyn knew that the others in this case meant Derek who was currently inside Bekka, and Connie and Aubrey. He hoped that was still the case anyway. Nevyn gave Lola what he hoped was Derek's most winning smile. "Lola, no need to rile up your friends in there. I just have a quick question for you, and then I'll be on my way."

Lola's expression tightened as she mulled this over. Finally, she gave him a curt nod for him to ask away.

Nevyn tried not to appear malevolent, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but go up as he asked, "How come you keep letting Derek and Aubrey hop you every few days to erase your memories?"

He saw the question hit her like he hoped it would. Lola hadn't been hopped for over two days. The memory alterations made by Derek or Aubrey would not hold for another 24 hours. According to their routine, Derek would hop her that night and reset her mind, reprogramming her to be loyal to them and do what they needed her to do. Before that happened though, on this day, she would be most susceptible to remember the truth. She just needed a little push.

"I don't..." Lola began. "Derek and Aubrey never erase my..." She frowned as her mind seemed to hit a snag.

"I'm sorry," Nevyn said as he began to slowly plod forward into the turmoil of her mind. "They do erase your memory. If they didn't, you'd remember how they've been keeping you as a hostage. No, I'm afraid that's not right. It's really as more of a pet, a sexual pet that they have done so many unspeakable acts to."

Lola's face contorted as her mind whirred. Images seem to flash to the surface, things that she could almost seemed to recall, but then disappeared as if it had only been a dream. "You're wrong. They're my friends. Bekka's my best friend in fact. She was the best roommate I ever had."

"Really," Nevyn jeered. "Well, why don't you tell me a time when just the two of you hung out, since you're such best friends."

The request seemed reasonable. There should be tons of memories for her to choose from since Bekka was her best friend. But the question seemed to hit a wall of fragmented haze in her mind. She couldn't remember a time they had hung out on their own. There were always other people there. And it was always the same people.

Nevyn continued to push. "Do you remember the first time you met me, Lola? Derek was inside you at the time, or Aubrey, it gets so confusing I know. Or maybe you don't know because they won't let you remember. Well, when I met you, they were letting me and Bekka use your body. We turned you inside out and you moaned and howled as we got you off. And then briefly, ever so briefly you were allowed to come to your senses so I could talk with the real you, the one I'm talking to now. I told them how to erase you, but they refused to do the smart thing. Instead, Derek and Aubrey chose to possess you every few days and reset you so to speak. They think they're doing you a favor by doing this instead of putting you out of your misery. Go ahead. Check your calendar to four days ago. Think real hard. Does stuff start to fog up around then?"

Lola had begun sobbing as the truth of what Nevyn was saying hit her. More images began to pour into her mind, things that seemed to play out like actual memories. It still seemed unreal, but as she tried to focus on them, the clearer and more real they felt.

"I'm trying to set you free from them, Lola. You know the truth now. If you're smart, you'll run. You'll run and never look back. And don't tell anyone where you're going, because they'd be able to hop them and find out. You can't trust anyone Lola, because they can be anyone. And if they catch you, they'll either erase you, or worse, you'll end up right back here, thinking they're you're friends. But that's not the truth, is it Lola? I can see by your face that you know I'm the one that's telling you the actual truth, isn't that right?"

Lola didn't remember everything in that moment, but she remembered enough. She knew that Nevyn wasn't lying. She didn't know why he was helping her, but she knew that this was probably her only chance. She staggered up from her chair, reeling from the assault happening in her mind as the dam of blocked memories burst. Then she started to move quickly as she brushed by Nevyn.

"Wait," Nevyn said while grabbing her arm. She looked frightened and started to jerk away, but he put on a concerned face and again spoke quickly. "I'll try to buy you more time, but I'll need your security card and pin number for the door to the lab."

Lola looked at him for a hard second, then handed him her card. "It's 39248."

Nevyn released her and she dashed out the door. Nevyn looked at the card and marveled that Lola hadn't taken his advice. She had trusted him of all people. He went to the door, slid the card, and entered the pin. The light flashed green, and he was in.

Connie, Aubrey, and Derek inside of Bekka were all working in the closest lab, but didn't notice Nevyn immediately. They were all focused on elements of an experiment, but all looked up at the same time when Nevyn stood right outside of the glass door. They were so surprised that none of them moved or spoke as Nevyn calmly opened the door and entered the room.

Nevyn gave a smile that showed Derek's teeth and gave a small wave. "Hey guys, just wanted to check in and see the progress you were making. Oh, also to let you know that Lola seems to have remembered all the lies you've implanted in her head and just ran off. She said something about getting the police. You guys really need to get better at erasing her memories."

In his heart, Nevyn wanted Derek to be the one to be out the door first. That would leave Aubrey. He didn't really want either of them to die, maybe to suffer a little, but to die, no, not yet anyway. But it was Aubrey who ran out of the room first to investigate. Nevyn knew it was time, and there was precious little of it. He blocked the door to prevent the other two from leaving, and pulled a knife from his back pocket.

Bekka's internal voice said what Derek was also thinking. "Fuck!"

"Nevyn, what are you doing?" Derek's voice asked, trying and failing to keep his voice steady.

"Let's not waste time with questions. I won't hesitate to plunge this blade as deep as I can into the person who gets too close. Just do as I say and I'm sure everything will be fine." Nevyn motioned with the blade from Derek to the wall on his left. "Derek, go sit on the gurney. Connie, grab your fun electricity machine there that you used to shock me with and hook it up to Derek."

Derek was already moving towards the gurney, but Connie stood still, partially out of defiance, but mostly out of fear. "What are you planning on doing?"

Nevyn laughed. "How did you put it Connie? Oh that's right, I'm going to roll the dice. You're going to electrocute me and my boy here while we're touching each other, and hopefully we swap."

"But that won't work."

"Oh I think it will if you give it enough juice. You're going to crank it way higher than you ever did before, and then zap us."

"But...that could..."

"Kill us, I know right? That's a risk we're just all going to have to take. Now get moving, or I kill you, Connie."

As Connie began wheeling the machine to the gurney, Derek began talking softly. "Uh, Nevyn, look, I know you've felt on the outs recently and..."

Nevyn strode quickly to Derek and put the knife at Bekka's throat. "Derek, It's funny. I like you. You drive me nuts, but you've always kept me entertained. Don't ruin our complicated relationship by making me have to carve a hole in Bekka's windpipe."

As Bekka's mouth closed, Bekka's consciousness let out a string of obscenities before beginning to plead with Derek to do something that Derek was pretty sure would get them both killed.

"You'll need to lift your shirt," Connie said shakily to Derek.

Derek pulled Bekka's shirt over her head, and Connie placed two electrodes above her breasts. Nevyn kept the knife at Bekka's throat with one hand, while he lifted his shirt with the other so Connie could do the same. Once they were in place, Connie went to press the button to activate the machine, but Nevyn grabbed her arm with his free hand. "It's not on the right setting, Connie."

Connie became flustered as she attempted to argue. "Yes it is."

"I don't think so. That number is the one you used when you activated Nancy's gene. I know because I read it in your notes. I've read all your notes Connie. So don't lie to me again, or so help me I will use this thing." Nevyn gestured with the knife by pressing it harder against Bekka's throat. "I believe I heard you say that you'd need to double it. So, go ahead, doublt it."

Connie's eyes went wide at this. "I was just guessing! That number will almost certainly kill you."

Even though Nevyn spoke with an eerie calm, his face looked mad as he challenged her. "If we die, you'll just have to do your best to bring us back. This is my only hope you know, because as it stands, I'm dead in another sixty or seventy years anyway. Now crank up those numbers, and let's roll the dice."

Connie hesitated once more, then slowly began to raise the numbers on the display. The machine beeped at her as she went past the safety limits. She went higher still, and then she stood and stared at the button that would most likely end two lives.

Nevyn grabbed Bekka's hand and snapped Connie out of her revery as he growled, "Press it, bitch!"

Connie pressed the button and both bodies connected to the machine seized up. They fell to the ground as the electricity coursed through them, Bekka's fingernails squeezing into Nevyn's hand so hard it drew blood. Connie turned off the machine, stopping the high voltage instantly, but the bodies continued to shake. Connie saw that this movement was different than when they were convulsing because of the current. Rather, both bodies seemed to be in a shudder state.

When they finally subsided and went completely still, Connie checked both of them for a pulse. Neither had one. She flung open the drawer that contained the shots of epinephrine. She then looked at the body of Derek and the body of Bekka. She knew she had a better shot at saving one of them if only one of them got her undivided attention. She needed help. She quick dialed Aubrey's number on her cell and put it on speaker. While it was still ringing, she plunged the needle into Derek's body, hoping that it was actually Derek in there.

"I can't find her anywhere!" Aubrey's voice blared through the speaker. "Her phone goes straight to voicemail. This is bad."

Connie listened to this while blowing into Derek's airway. As she began chest compressions, she yelled back, "Shut up Aubrey and get back here! Nevyn attacked us and if I don't get your help Derek and Bekka are both going to die!"

The response was a dial tone as Aubrey hung up, highly motivated to get back to them. Connie continued CPR on Derek while she looked at the limp form of Bekka. After a few more minutes, Connie's efforts paid off, and Derek's eyes opened. He couldn't move, and he felt like a truck hit him, but he was alive and conscious. His head tried to turn towards Bekka, but only his eyes seemed to follow his commands. He was able to choke in a faint whisper what he wanted though. "Bekka. Help Bekka."

Derek had known that if Nevyn's dangerous swap worked, Connie would try to save him first. She would have tried to resuscitate whoever she thought did not have Nevyn inside them. But now that Derek's heart had begun beating again, she would try to save Bekka, even though it also housed the soul of a monster.

Connie carefully put the needle into Bekka, and hoped the adrenaline within would react in time. As her mouth formed a seal over Bekka's lips with her own to blow air into the girl's lungs, Connie felt her lips begin to shudder. Connie's last free thought was a scream of no in her mind, before Nevyn's soul slipped in to take complete control. As the shudder swept through her, internally Nevyn grabbed her soul and consumed it, causing all of who Connie had been to flow into him. When he left her body, she would be as a woman he had once loved long ago, nothing but a vacant shell.

Derek saw in his peripheral vision that Connie had been bent over Bekka, and then a bright light had momentarily filled the room. Now Connie was standing up straight. He wondered if she was giving up, if it was already too late for Bekka. But then Connie's body squatted next to his face, and it was smiling. It was a smile that he had never seen on Connie's face, and he knew at once that it belonged to someone else.

"Well, it looks like I should go buy a lottery ticket, Derek," Nevyn's voice said from Connie's lips. "You should too probably, because this worked out for both of us. You got your body back, I got my power back. Although I got to say, you're looking a little worse for wear."

Derek tried to move, but every signal his brain sent to his limbs came back with uncontrollable twitches or no response. Even trying to move caused a moan of pain to escape from his mouth.