Neel Dervin and the Dark Angel Read online

  NEEL DERVIN AND THE DARK ANGEL

  By Neeraj Chand

  © 2012 Neeraj Chand All Rights Reserved. This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means without the express written consent of the publisher

  CONTENTS 1. The Best Laid Plans

  2. Alpha Child

  3. Unfamiliar Territory

  4. New Limits

  5. Pushing the Limits

  6. Dangerous Games

  7. Evolution

  8. Putting on the Mask

  9. Food for thought

  10. Bombs and Kittens

  11. Running into Trouble

  12. PTSD

  13. Chasing a Lie

  14. Breakdown

  15. Recklessly, Stupidly, Completely

  16. K

  17. The Break in the Chain

  18. A Face from the Past

  19. Fall of an Angel

  PROLOGUE… The old woman sat huddled in a corner of the lavishly decorated room, an intricately woven shawl wrapped closely around her scrawny shoulders. She was in a deep trance; her eyes out of focus, her body limp. Astral projection is a phenomenon which is still greatly doubted by most of the scientific community, but the woman had practiced it her entire life.

  A respectful knock on the door broke through the silence of the room, and the haze the woman"s eyes had seemed lost in. Her lips moved. Her concentration wavered, and broke. Life returned to her body, and she awoke with a shuddering gasp.

  Opening her eyes she stared at the opposite wall, ignoring the knocking, absorbing all that she had seen and sensed. Despite the unease in her mind, an unsteady smile formed on her lips, revealing only a couple of rotting teeth.

  At last. So many fragile lives. So many destinies entwined. Fate wrought through choice, after winding long and twisting through the shifting streams of time, was bringing everything together at last. In the journey of her mind she had seen much that entranced her, but even more that disturbed her. She had caught glimpses of glorious plans and dark ambitions. She had sensed pride warring against necessity, fierce honor against hopeless despair. And at the centre of it all that wonderful, perfect light.

  Even her prodigious talents were not enough to see into the future to that extent, to know to what end these paths would take them. And yet she sensed that, one way or the other, matters were going to come to a head soon.

  The woman sighed and got up slowly, wincing as the joints creaked in her frail body. The future lacked certainty, and speculations were pointless at this time. All she could do for now was to wait and watch. She could hope, while there was still time left for that emotion.

  Events had been set in motion, and come what may, there would be no turning back the tide now. Trying to avert the deluge that was to come was no longer an option.

  And hope. Yes, that was going to be needed sorely in the coming days.

  CHAPTER 1: The Best Laid Plans

  Doctor Fahim turned away from the screen of the projector to face the two men who were watching him intently. “And so, gentlemen,” he concluded with a smile, walking towards the table on which his laptop was kept next to a steel container.“I can say with full confidence that we have at last met with success in our endeavors. The idea that had seemed little more than idle fantasy three decades ago has finally become a reality. I thank you both, as well as the government, for your invaluable support of the project.” The two men leaned forward in their chairs as Doctor Fahim opened the container and carefully drew out a test tube from its casing, holding it up for the others to see.

  His guests gazed in silence at the transparent liquid contained in the glass tube. It looked exactly like ordinary water, yet in the glow of the light coming from the projector on the screen, the liquid glistened silver. The men continued to stare spellbound at the contents of the tube for several moments. Both of DoctorFahim"s guests counted among the most powerful men in the country, experienced in matters of national importance for many years. Yet at that moment both their eyes mirrored a look of amazement and child like wonder at the marvel they beheld.

  Doctor Fahim held the tube raised in his hand for a few seconds more, sharing in the moment of collective triumph with the other two men. Then he carefully placed the tube back in its casing, leaving the lid of the container open.

  The spell of silence that had fallen over the company broke, and the Minister of Defense rose to his feet. “ Our heartiest congratulations.” he said, smiling broadly as he strode forwards to shake DoctorFahim"s hand. “We were sure that you were the only man in the country who could have succeeded in this endeavor. You have fully justified DoctorThompson"s faith in your ability.”

  The doctor returned the smile, the glow from the projector lighting up his profile. He had a very tall and lean figure, with a neatly trimmed beard and moustache. His face was lined and wrinkled with age. But there was no frailty there. The deep, alert eyes indicated the presence of a powerful mind, and the wisdom of experiences vast and numerous which only a lengthy and eventful life could provide. Experiences which today had made him into one of the world"s foremost authorities on biotechnology. Yet the exhaustively scholarly life he had led had not dimmed the twinkle in those shrewd eyes. Doctor Fahim laughed quietly as he shook the Minister"s hand. “It was indeed a formidable challenge, Mr. Rai, but it was extremely interesting working in a new field.”

  “ And the end result was certainly well worth the effort.” the Minister said, beaming.“I take it that the serum is now ready to be used on human beings, or is there still some work left to be done?”

  “The work is complete from your point of interest, gentlemen.” Doctor Fahim said, his voice becoming grave again. He turned to his laptop and selected the final slide from the presentation. “From a scientific viewpoint, however, an experiment is only considered completely successful when its applications have been tested in real world conditions.” He glanced up reassuringly at the Minister.“Nevertheless, the results we have obtained up to this point are undeniably conclusive. The effect of the serum on the physiology of the test subject is nothing short of miraculous.” Doctor Fahim turned to the image on the projector screen.

  The slide showed the bone and muscle density of a rhesus monkey and a mouse in two stages, one before intake of the serum, and one after. Doctor Fahim pointed to the images. “As you can see, the entire composition of the subject"s bodies have been radically enhanced,” Doctor Fahim turned once again to the two men. “In practical terms, the intake of this serum would turn a normal person into a being of a much higher mental and physical capacity, with all the benefits of the increased biological efficiency, not the least of which is an enhanced metabolism, and the ability to heal at increased rates. A godsend in times of war.”

  The third and final occupant of the room rose as well. In his non-descript civilian clothes, it would have been difficult to identify the man immediately as General Bakshi, the chief of army staff of the Indian military. Only the General"s erect and disciplined carriage hinted at the fact that the man was in fact the leader of the largest army in the world. The general"s stern and forbidding demeanor was for once relaxed into a smile.

  “This is a great day for the Indian Army.” General Bakshi said, coming forward to shake DoctorFahim"s hand as well. “The effect of this discovery on our armed forces can hardly be underestimated.” The General studied Doctor Fahim intently. “And considering the importance of this discovery, I must ask you again, before this business is carried over to the next stage; is there any other information, any side effects or the like, that you would like to share with us about the serum, before we begin using iton our soldiers?”

  Doctor Fahim glanced at the onl
y partially open window of the small room they were in. The meeting was taking place in a conference room in the south block of the Central Secretariat in Delhi. He remembered passing by several prominent politicians on his way to the meeting. Standing there reminded him now more than ever of the monumental nature of what they were attempting.

  The doctor turned slowly to face General Bakshi, a thoughtful expression on his face. He seemed to be debating something in his mind.“I am glad you brought up the matter.” he said finally in a quiet voice. “Gentlemen, please take your seats again. There are some concerns of mine regarding this project that I would like to share with you.”

  The Defense Minister and the General resumed their seats and turned to face Doctor Fahim, their expressions showing a mixture of curiosity and wariness at the Doctor"s grave tone. When the doctor spoke, his voice was very quiet, but it was still clearly audible across the silent room.

  “I can think of no better use of this discovery than applying its uses to the defense of our country.” He stared at the General, who was watching him with a slight frown.“And yet, sir, I cannot help but wonder whether it would be judicious to put such a vast amount of power in the hands ofone person.”

  The General"s eyes narrowed dangerously as he sat up straighter in his chair. “Doctor, we are grateful for your contribution, but kindly understand your boundaries. How we use the serum is for us to decide. Rest assured that the power of the serum will not be misused in our hands.”

  “And what will happen, General, if those who hold that power in their hands no longer feel the need to follow yourorders?” Doctor Fahim did not look away, but met the General Bakshi"s gaze squarely.

  “A soldier is taught to be responsible and logical in all his decisions.” t he General said. His voice had grown sharper. It was the voice of a man not used to having his directives questioned. “Serving the country is every soldier"s passion, Doctor Fahim, a passion that an ordinary civilian can never truly understand.”

  “I am sure that is what you teach your troops.” the doctor countered. “But you cannot deny that many people who become soldiers have other, less honorable reasons. There have been cases in history when soldiers rebelled, and their mutiny caused great damage. How can we be sure”

  “We understand your concerns, doctor.” t he Minister interrupted in a gentle voice, even as the General opened his mouth angrily. “That possibility has already occurred to us. We intend in the beginning to use the serum on an extremely select group of candidates who have excelled in every field of the defense service, and whose loyalty is beyond question. And even then we will be starting with a single test subject for now. That person will be the first agent under the project, our first Alpha Soldier.”

  “Then I have your word, gentlemen, that my work will not be misused in any way?” The doctor looked at the two men seriously.

  “You have our word.” the defense Minister replied, his eyes unwavering as they looked into DoctorFahim"s. The General said nothing, but his gaze did not falter either.

  Doctor Fahim nodded, and the lines around his eyes seemed to lighten. “Then I can rest easy in my mind. Forgive me if I offended you, General, but I needed to make sure.” “And now thatwe have assuaged your conscience,” General Bakshi said as he rose, not attempting to conceal the impatience in his voice. “Perhaps we can move onto the next phase of the project. Our work is far from over, Doctor Fahim. In fact, for all intents and purpose, it is just beginning. We can count on your total cooperation?”

  Doctor Fahim inclined his head. “Yes, General. Wecontinue on.”

  “Excellent.” Mr. Rai rose as well. “Then we will say goodbye for now. We will see you tomorrow whenwe start the next phase of Project Alpha.” Doctor Fahim nodded quietly. “You have the remainder of the day to clear out your laboratory.” the General spoke somewhat brusquely, his voice indicating that he had not forgotten their argument. “All physical evidence of the experiments you conducted for Project Alpha must be destroyed. All the chemicals removed, and the test subjects readied for transfer. A team will come to the lab at twenty two hundred hours tonight to wipe down the area and replace the memory banks from your computer. Good day.” The General turned away without another word and strode out the room. Mr. Rai shook Doctor Fahim"s hand one last time and left as well.

  The doctor let out a low sigh as he turned off the projector and switched on the lights. The meeting had been a success, all things considered. Yet he could not summon any enthusiasm for the moment. He pressed his temple, staving off the headache that had been building up since the morning. There were too many things to think about, and not enough time to deliberate upon them all. The General and the Defense Minister were both good men, each in their own way. But the three of them working side by side was not going to be an easy task. The other two were both leaders of men, and he had the distinct feeling that his role in the project from this point onwards was going to be drastically curtailed.

  Doctor Fahim left the conference room carrying the steel safe at his side. It was not very heavy, and it was not something that could be trusted to an unknown person"s care. As he came out of the conference room, his assistant Divya Nayak rose from her chair and came forward to meet him. At a height of five feet and nine inches, with fine, even features, a delicate figure and long black hair, she looked more like a model than a scientist. This was a misleading appearance, since she had proven herself to be a worthy student to the doctor, and had been working with him for three years on the project. She looked at the doctor expectantly as he came up to her.

  “The meeting was as fraught with interest as we were expecting it to be.” Doctor Fahim said with asmile. “I"m afraid my standing has gone down somewhat in General Bakshi"s estimate. But we are nearing the end of this stage of the project. They want us to tie up the loose ends of our work and finish up the research by tonight to have the serum ready for transport to the army lab. Unfortunately, if we are to have everything ready by tomorrow, I will need to have a talk with Doctor Mathur as soon as possible to prepare for the cognitive training of the subject. So I need you to get the serum to my office.”

  Divya nodded, conscious of the enormous responsibility that Doctor Fahim was entrusting her with. Aside from the doctor, she was the only civilian who was aware of the existence of Project Alpha, and his trust meant a great deal to her.“Of course,sir.” she said, “I"ll get it to the lab immediately.”

  * * * Divya sat in her car at the four way intersection, waiting for the signal to change. Traffic in Delhi is consistently rated among the worst in the world, with extremely aggressive drivers and frequent flouting of the road rules. Accidents happen frequently, and the congestion on the road means frequent delays at stop signals, something that Divya had been forced to become used to. As she waited, her mind wandered over the events of the day. She sighed, feeling like a small paper boat caught up in a tidal wave, vast and relentless in its progress. They had now reached a point of no return in their research. The project was a day away from being converted into a top secret military operation. Stepping back from the business was now impossible, as was walking away from the whole thing.

  Divya wondered what kind of a future the use of the serum would lead them to. In her mind"s eye an army of Alpha soldiers rose up before her. They would be unstoppable. Indestructible. The balance of power would shift in India"s favor at the global level, with the most powerful army in the world under its command.

  A shiver ran down Divya"s spine , even as the sun beat down mercilessly outside. She could not help but feel uneasy about the image that her mind had conjured up. So much power in the hands of a select few, with someone like General Bakshi at the helm. Divya knew the general was a decorated war hero, acknowledged to be one of the ablest generals in the history of the Indian army. But he was also known to be completely ruthless in his dealings with people, even his own troops. Friends and foes were not very different for the General, and everyone was suspect until proven innocent. A man like that le
ading an army of super soldiers…

  Divya shook her head slightly, breaking out of her dark reverie. She was being paranoid. The project was supposed to help the world. That had always been the primary motivation, right back to all those years ago in Africa, when Doctor Fahim had worked with Doctor Thompson, alone and without any sponsors. There they had laid the seeds of their work, and now it had come to fruition. The serum would make the world a better place, a safer place. She took her minds off the involvement of the army and focused on the serum instead. She glanced to her right at the container lying innocently on the seat beside her. Inside the container lay the key to more power than anything the world had seen before. She checked the lock again. Tomorrow, the serum would be in the hands of the military, and then they would see exactly what the serum could do for mankind.

  Divya looked out of the window, watching the people waiting with her at the stop. Some were on motorcycles, some were inside cars like her. There was also a young boy sitting on his bicycle, his eyes on the traffic light. He had a schoolbag strapped to his shoulders. Divya guessed he was on his way to tuitions.

  Seeing the boy opened a new train of thought, as it brought to Divya"s mind the remarkable effect the serum had on youngsters. Divya studied the boy. He had a thin frame. Not in a starved way, but in the awkward, pubescent stage way. There was a slightly childish quality to his face, with soft features that were not yet fully formed. The cycle was slightly too big for him, and he was resting the tip of one foot on the ground as he waited. She guessed his age to be around twelve or thirteen.

  The boy was staring into the distance. Divya followed his gaze to one of the buildings with a billboard on the side with some advertisement. It seemed a bland enough piece of work. For a moment, she thought she saw a flutter of dark cloth over the edge of the building, but in the time it took to blink it had disappeared. She stared at the road again, her mind back on the task at hand.

  When the light changed to green, she put her car in gear and prepared to move forward. Suddenly her phone began to ring. She took her foot off the accelerator and opened her purse. Taking out her phone, she saw that the number was an unknown one. She turned on the loudspeaker onher mobile and waited, but no sound came. “Hello?” she said into the speaker, but a sudden burst of static was all she heard before the line went dead.