The Gray Fade - 1. Chapter 1

The Gray Fade

By J.A. Oshio

Doctor Bowman stood behind the plastic shielding alongside his assistants. He proudly stared at a strange slightly glowing structure that he and his coworkers had constructed.

His chief assistant, Eric Campbell, was actually more interested in the expression on the doctor’s face than what was going on in the room on the other side of the glass. Eric could have sworn that there was almost a psychotic look of triumph painted there that almost scared him.

Doctor Bowman turned, knowing full well what Eric was doing. “Are you taking notes Eric? Thought not.” With that the small man gave his much larger assistant a snide grin. “You were better off staying in sports rather going into the genetic-physics Eric.”

The doctor’s face became animated as he began to make a speech, “Note the structure we have before us, despite several cuts due to both American and British Government’s general lack of interest in interest but their own personal agendas. We finally built it and none too soon I’d say with the Euro going into default along with the American dollar.”

Eric nodded. “If you say so doctor.” He personally hated the doctor and hated the way the doctor treated him as an inferior. But than anything Eric hated that he couldn’t stand up to the doctor. Eric never understood why the doctor treated him like he was an inferior and yet made the former jock his chief assistant.

Doctor Bowman glared back at his chief assistant. “I do, I did, and I’ll not be saying it again.” The doctor sighed in dismissal of the conversation as he sat down in his throne-like chair. “Now then if you would be so kind Eric as to throw the final switch.

A shudder went through his huge quarterback frame as Bowman rubbed his gnarled hands together with child-like glee. By the second the scientist looked less like a scientist and more like a child about to watch the Muppets show for the first time. It was something Eric found disturbing. The young man walked over to the panel sitting against the wall and sat down in his own chair. Rather than throwing a switch, he pushed enter on a keyboard causing his little computer to light up with new information.

An alarm sounded in the other room barely filtering through the glass signaling for the room to be cleared. Then the four panels on the 10 foot sphere began to glow a steady red before slowly climbing the light spectrum into white-yellow.

Bowman looked at Eric expectantly. “Well Eric speak up, how we doing?”

Eric smiled almost as giddy as Bowman was a few moments ago as he read the data on the computer screen. “It looks like a stunning success Doctor. We’re holding a 100% critical mass.”

Bowman genuinely smiled to his assistant for the first time. “Well then it looks the first bioreactor is a glorious success, and just think this will open doors to bigger things. Like turning the Sahara green or stopping global warming. Well done pup, well done….”

Eric was practically glowing under Bowman’s comments before a sudden warning signal flared on his computer causing the young man to spin around and read it. “What the hell, there is an energy spike… Temperature and power are both fluctuating.” Eric began frantically typing on his keyboard in an attempt to shut down the energy reaction.

Doctor Bowman frowned, his eyes turning away from his assistant as he watched the panels on the sides of the energy globe begin to shifting to a bright white color then shifted to a radiant blue color. “Quickly Eric shut it down, the energy is eating through the reactor seals…”

Eric gasped, typing instructions into his computer as fast as he could. The room went into chaos as other researchers ran to their consoles to begin their own efforts to stem the tide.

“I am trying Doctor, the machine won’t shut down. The cooling systems are offline.”

Bowman slowly stood looking out the window like a king about to meet his doom. A sad, grim look painted on his face.

On the other side of the shielding the reactor burst out like a volcano. A torrent of radiant blue energy flew outwards, hitting the walls of the room like a tsunami, before finding the building’s greatest weakness, the ceiling. Breaking through it after a few seconds the energy shot up like a geyser into the sky above Westfieldin pouring pieces of bioenergy into the atmosphere.

The clouds changed into a brilliant blue color around the column of energy, the atmosphere instantly ionizing, causing bolts of lightning to shoot across the landscape.

Meanwhile the walls of the reactor room were still under attack by the flood of bioenergy. Like a predatory animal it was seeking a way to the scientists on the other side of the shielding. Finally the thick glass started cracking in front of the on-looking scientists and tendrils of energy started floating into the room, touching many of the on looking scientists.

Eric finally pushed a final button on his keyboard and got the emergency coolant flowing into the reactor room, ending the reaction and darkening the room.

Bowman slumped down into his chair holding his head thinking they had all averted disaster, mumbling under his breath. “I am never going to trust government contractors again… Incompetent… incompetent…”

Then there was a sudden moan in one part of the room, followed by another, and then the doctor heard Eric’s voice cry out. The forty year old doctor looked up at his assistant in half-annoyance and half in-concern.

Eric gasped and grabbed hold of his stomach his face going pale. The twenty year old stumbled out of his chair then fell to the floor. He barely managed to catch himself with his arms before they too collapsed under him. He was crying inside his body felt like it was being consumed from the inside out, and he could even feel his muscle mass and bone density being eaten away.

To the doctor’s eyes his protégé seemed to be physically shrinking. Bowman’s eyes darted around the room for a second, seeing similar things happening to another two members of his team, but his main concern was on Eric. Bowman stood up and carefully walked up to his assistant. Bending down, the doctor placed a hand on the young man’s shoulder only to notice that the shirt the boy was wearing was hanging loose, and becoming looser by the second.

Eric looked up with a boyish face, to anyone who could see him; he looked entirely gender neutral in his facial features. His eyes were pleading as his voice cracked going to a higher tone, “Help Do… ctor…” Eric reached up his hand to Bowman before his eyes rolled back in his head and Eric collapsed from the strain.

The doctor frowned, quickly placing his hand on the twenty-year olds neck. Upon sensing a pulse he stroked the kid’s hair gently. Doctor Bowman frowned then, standing up to look into the reactor room. The doctor’s face drained of emotion, as he spoke. “Well…. Fuck.”

….

Two months later a blond haired teenager dressed in almost unseemly tight leather jeans and a similar latex shirt walked out into the parking lot. The boy was a lithe individual, and a member of the fall swim team, and the spring track team. However he was considered by many, especially within his class to be the type of person who would hurt you if you messed with him. He had gotten into several fights throughout middle school that earned him his nickname of Rad for Radical, though his real name was Randall.

The teenage boy at the moment had his head plugged into his earphones, listening to the news on his iPod as he walked.

“Doctor Bowman, who is accused of malpractice and crimes against humanity by the Court of the U.N., countersued the American and British Governments today for their own role in the incident that led to the creation the people now called alternately as Wraiths or the Faded. It is thought by our legal team that he has very little chance of winning any of these court battles.”

Randall sighed, turning off his I-pod to in order to get ready to leave school, mumbling a curse under his breath.

The blond haired boy walked onto the high school parking lot and made his way to his car. He opened the door to his old red 1981 pickup truck and tossed his bag on the seat.

Rad was about to climb into his vehicle when he heard shouts and other sounds of a coming from behind the trees that were planted on the school lawn. Randall frowned, turning his head towards the noise for a second. Making up his mind in a split second decision, he got out of his car and made his way into the trees.

Before Randall were three jocks beating on a much smaller teenager. While he could not immediately see the person they were picking on, he knew each of these kids.

There was Mikael Black, a black haired boy and the smallest of the three. Randall remembered that Mikael was a year older than him, and a follower in general, not that the other teen was small or anything he was on the football team like the other two.

The second was a black kid, tall and a runner. Randall knew he was going to be on his track team this spring, though he was in football now. The kid’s name was Trace Donalds, another sophomore.

The last guy clearly six feet tall, and mostly muscle. Randall easily recognized him as a junior that he had unfortunate dealings with when he was a sixth grader. The kid had flashing blue eyes, and dark brown curls, and was built like the football star he was. Unfortunately over the years, this same kid picked on anyone he considered different in any form and his cruelty had only gotten worse. This kid was James Madsen.

The freshman saw red for a moment as he took hold of Mikael by the back of his collar pulled the sophomore away from the group. Rad used his body weight to spin the kid away from himself. Next he proceeded to punch Trace in the upper jaw, sending the jock toppling into the leader.

“Leave him alone James,” Randall said putting himself next to the bully’s wounded victim.

The big jock let go the kid glared at Randall. “Get out of the way you punk ass freshie.”

Randall put his now bloody fingers to his tongue then gave three bullies a wicked smirk. “I can’t do that James….”

James glared at the smaller, leaner freshman. “We’ll take you too.” Though Randall was clearly unnerving him, something else was beginning to click into his memory, an old hatred. The tall football player narrowed his eyes looking Rad up and down. “Are you some kind of fag? He’s a wraith; they’re all sins against god.”

Randall got a crazed look in his eye the moment the word fag came out of the jocks mouth and didn’t wait for James to do anything else. The freshman practically flew up to James, punching the larger teen in the gut before kneeing him in the lower groin.

Mikael tried to throw Randall into a chokehold but the small teen took the fingers in his hand, and wish-boned them.

Rad then spun around and kicked the other kid in the side of his stomach before running over to the kid on the ground. Rad took hold of the bleeding Fade’s hand and pulled him from the ground. “Come on before they recover from the shock…”

Randall half-dragged and half-led the dazed fade away from the scene, and to his pickup. Throwing open the door, he pushed the kid into his vehicle. The other kids actually didn’t follow the two of them; instead they were making their crippled way back to the school building.

Randall pulled himself into his truck and started it up, driving out of the parking lot at high speed. He didn’t slow down until he was a few blocks away from the school.

When the freshman felt that they weren’t being followed he turned his head slightly to look at the other kid. “You ok, what’s yer name…?”

“I… I am Lethon Esposito, why’d you stop them?”

Randall slowed down and pulled to the curb. He grinned as he turned around to look at Lethon. “Well Lethe, I don’t like people being picked on for being what they are. It isn’t your fault yer a Fade; it’s that weirdo in England’s fault.”

A tear rolled down Lethon’s pale cheek. “You’re the first person to say that in the last two months.”

Randall smiled, and touched the pale kid’s cheek gently. “Maybe it’s because I know what it’s like to live with something you can’t control.” He pulled a napkin from his pants and began wiping the blood and tears from Lethon’s face as he looked into those grey eyes.

Lethon blinked two things connecting in his brain. “You’re gay, aren’t you?”

Randall grinned almost wolfishly, his green eyes glimmering with mischief as his hand darted up and messed with Lethon’s stringy white hair. “Really how’d you guess…? My name is Randall Sangra’al, but you can call me Rad. That’s what everyone calls me. Besides I earned the name. Where do you live Lethe?”

Lethon smiled slightly for the first time in weeks then sighed sadly. “On the corner of Oak Street and Lincoln Avenue.”

Randall nodded and pulled away from the curb and drove his truck down the streets. He navigated his way through the town of Sandau, finally reaching the Esposito residence ten minutes later. He slowly parked the car turning off the engine. Turning with a smile, he spoke to the Fade, “There you go, need any help with your stuff?”

The kid smiled to Randall, though his face betrayed an almost terrified look. “Thank you. Perhaps some other time you could come over?”

With that, Lethon scampered out of the passenger side of the truck and walked around to his house, opening the door and entering the building.

Randall attempted to restart his vehicle only to have it not start for a few minutes. Rad sighed. “Blast, now I flooded it.” He sat there for a couple of minutes before he started hearing yelling coming from the house. He turned his head frowning. “Well damn, I am such a snoop.” With that he walked up to the house and looking into the window.

Inside the house, a tall Italian man was shouted at Lethon, “This is the last straw Lethon! You’ve been expelled for fighting. In less than three days after arriving here, you helped a kid break another’s hand.” The man glared at a woman who looked like she belonged in the movie theaters. “You’ve been mollycoddling this little bastardo long enough Maria.” Lethon’s father turned back to Lethon. “We even had to leave Windgate because of your profano ways.”

Lethon looked up at the man. “But Papa, they were attacking me. The kid was trying to help me.”

Lethon’s father glared at his son. “Enough of your lies Lethon, I want you out of this house!”

Lethon looked at his mother pleadingly, “Mama?”

Maria looked at her son for a moment, her face devoid of emotion, before she turned away.

Lethon nodded. “As you wish.” With that he turned and walked to the front door and left the house.

Randall moved quickly to the front door walking up to Lethon. “Here I was going to knock while I waited for my truck to cool.”

Lethon grimaced, his eyes vacant, the look on his face being one of someone who had been broken beyond repair. “I suppose you heard all of that Rad?” he asked, ignoring Rad’s excuse for still being there.

Randall nodded simply. “Come on Lethon, you can stay with me.”

Lethon frowned, giving Rad a worried look. “But you hardly know me and what about your parents?”

Randall smiled. “I don’t live with my parents. I rent a room from my grandmother.” He shouldered his new friend into his red pickup truck and drove off. Rad then drove the two of them up to the hillside estate of his grandmother, and parked the vehicle outside the family “guest house” where he lived.

Really it was mostly a two room shack, devoid of most furnishings and once used as a shop by the former owner. The building however, had a bathroom and quite a view overlooking the entire town.

Randall smiled. “It’s not much to look at, but it has most of the comforts I need.” He waved his hands at the cushions that surrounded the television. Then he pointed to the kitchen table and fireplace then placed his hand on the pale fade’s shoulder. “Make yourself at home my friend.”

It was at this point that it all caught up to Lethon. “I used to be strong, like you. Ever since I became like this…. I am not a… man, not human… The smaller teenager began shaking as tears started to flow down his cheeks. “I am niente… niente.”

Randall pulled Lethon into a hug, holding the younger teenager. “It’ll be ok Lethe. It’ll be ok.” Randall gently stroked the boy’s white hair and back, “You’re not nothing, you’re my friend. If you were nothing I’d have never brought you here.” He held Lethon to him. “You’re stronger than you think, and stronger than all of us.”

Lethon looked up into Randall’s green eyes, leaning into Randall’s hand. “Could you love someone like me Rad?”

Randall blushed then shrugged grinning. “Yeah well… Could you love a wack-job punk like me?”

Lethon smiled, sadly sniffing a little his tears starting to dry. “Yes.”

Randall grinned. “Good then you know my answer.”

Lethon smiled sadly and nodded, hugging the slightly bigger teen fiercely.

The two sat down on the cushions, and Randall turned on the television as he held his new friend.

CNN News came on…

“The Congress of the United States has created a Fade Registration Act, and a plan to place them in camps. It is thought that the disease can be further studied and a cure can be found, before it begins to become more widely spread.” The television announcer smiled, “The President is expected to sign it into law by tomorrow at noon.”

Randall just frowned and stroked his friends shoulder.

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