Kingdom: The Complete Series by Steven William Hannah Read Free Book Online Page B

teacher.
    “ Hold
on, I've nearly got the scan up...” says the timid assistant.
    The voices stop, and
Mark tries to calm himself. He is bound tight by some cold metal encasing his
arms at the elbow, wrist and shoulder. Around his neck is a tightly fastened
steel collar, keeping him bolted to the trembling floor of the helicopter. As
the vehicle shifts in flight, he feels his stomach lurch with a grey sickness
that spreads from his chest throughout his body.
    “ Is
that the scan?” the soldier asks. “Is this in real time?”
    Only now does Mark
realise just how thirsty he is. It's a dry scratching in his throat, a
deep seated urge to quench some burning fire in his chest. He wonders if he can
break the bonds holding him, but his arms have lost their unexplainable
strength: his limbs feel like limp lengths of wet cardboard.
    “ Are
you seeing what I am, doctor?” asks the shy voice.
    “ I've
never seen cells behave like this before. In all my years...” the all-knowing
commanding voice now carries a wavering uncertainty.
    “ That's
going to be happening a lot, doctor,” says the soldier. “Can you save him?”
    There's a long silence
again, and finally she says:
    “ Shit,
maybe?”
    “ Maybe?”
    “ Something
is metabolising his own body, breaking it down into alcohol: don't even get me
started on how, this should be impossible without creating lethal doses
of radiation.”
    “ Alcohol?”
the soldier asks her in disbelief.
    “ Yes,
Trespasser, alcohol. His body is destroying itself: digesting itself, in
essence. And I have absolutely no idea how or why.”
    “ Can
we stop it?”
    “ Maybe
not, but we can certainly try to stall it. Klein,” she orders the assistant,
“give the subject an intravenous injection of alcohol.”
    “ Ma'am,
that's utterly ridiculous -” he is cut off by her thundering orders.
    “ Were
we even remotely aware of what was going on here I would take the time to do
this properly Klein, however I am doing what I can from the back of a bloody
helicopter, to a man who is defying the laws of nature before my eyes. I would
quite like this man to survive so that I can find out what the hell is
happening, now give him the alcohol before I do it myself. If we can give his
body the alcohol it's trying to create then maybe we can slow the process.”
    “ Can
I do anything to help?” asks the soldier.
    “ Keep
an eye on his heart rate and tell me if it changes significantly.”
    Mark feels a dull ache
blossom in his lower forearm, as though somebody were trying to bite through
his skin. He fights the urge to squirm and move away.
    “ His
heart rate just sky-rocketed,” says the soldier.
    “ I
can't break the skin,” the assistant whines.
    “ Well
if a helicopter's guns couldn't do it, your needle won't be able to,” says the
soldier. “Can't you just pour it into his mouth?”
    “ You've
already neutralised him once with suffocation,” the older doctor tells them,
“so I don't want to risk him drowning.”
    Mark feels a tickling
sensation in his nostril and tries not to screw his face up – he tastes
metallic blood on his lips and fights the rising bile in his stomach.
    “ His
vitals are off the chart, doc.”
    “ Then
pour it in, we're going to lose him either way,” he can hear the female doctor
tearing a packet open, flustered.
    “ Wait,
stop. I think he's awake -” the soldier begins.
    Mark doesn't hear the
rest – his throat is suddenly burning with the pure alcohol being poured down
it. He should be choking and spluttering, but his body welcomes the warming
fire. Before he can control himself he is quenching that incredible thirst,
gulping it down. Where it should be extinguishing the heat in his belly, it
seems only to stoke the flames until his entire body is tingling.
    He has felt this
strength before: just after the fire hit him.
    He feels strong.
Powerful.
    Mark opens his eyes and
sees the soldier running downhill towards the cargo-helicopter's cockpit.