The Next #1

[Spider-Man Beyond]

The Next #1
Next Genesis

Written by Luke Nester (Pyrceval)
Edited by Daniel Dyer (Spider-Man Beyond)

Now:

Water splashed across the asphalt from booted feet rushing through. The streetlights cast eerie reflections across the unstill surface of the puddles. The young woman was running, darting this way and that through the city streets to avoid the five dark suited figures chasing her. Her long coat trailed behind her as she rushed through the misty rain.

They called for her to stop time and again. But, just as they thought they had her in their sights, she would dart somewhere else. A glimpse of flowing coat or a moist, disheveled blonde ponytail was all they saw. Then the woman ran into a dead end… a fence at the end of an alleyway between two buildings. She stopped then with her deceivingly warm brown eyes locked on the offending metal construct in front of her. The young woman stood there, impassive. She was almost calm as the men stumbled towards her, their labored breathing as noticeable as the clomping of their boots. She heard guns being drawn from leather holsters and one lone man approaching.

“Hands… on your head!” he yelled between labored breaths. She did as she was told. He put one hand on her shoulder and went to turn her about to face him. She spun quickly, knocking his hand away with her own then striking him with an open palm dead center of his chest. The breath was blasted from his lungs and he went flying backwards to crash into several of his companions.

The woman pulled forth a metal chain whip from her coat. Continuously moving, she sent it into the sensitive hands of two of the other men, forcing them to release their grips on their guns. She cart wheeled to the side behind a large dumpster just as the other two regained their composure and opened fire. The bullets ricocheted off the dumpster. She frowned and glanced around for any advantage. Spotting one, she took a few steps back and threw every ounce of strength at the dumpster, sliding across the asphalt. She continued to push it, knocking it into her assailants… and resting it in the massive puddle on the ground. She closed her eyes and focused with her hands on the metal container. From deep within she felt the spark and pulled it forth. Exercising great concentration, electricity arced from her fingertips into the metal container, into the water below, and through the men attempting to capture her. It was not very strong; roughly the strength of a strong tazer… but it was strong enough. The men fell to the ground, jerking in convulsions.

She turned and ran, meeting an old white van that had clearly seen better days, as it screeched to a halt at the end of the alleyway. She jumped in the passenger seat as the driver, an older man with long gray hair and glasses, hit the gas pedal and sped off.

“Are you hurt?” he asked her.

“I’ll live, Doc. What was that about?” she replied.

“They were government. Not good. Means someone is trying to locate the remnants of the project.” He let the words sink into her.

“We were careful. They couldn’t possibly locate us.”

“Really?” he raised his eyebrows at her as he took the ramp to the highway. “You’re a girl that, what, weighs about a buck twenty five? And you can bench press as much as Mr. Universe and you can shoot electricity out of your hands… tell me what’s not possible again?”

She rolled her eyes and looked out into the rain soaked night. “What do we do?”

He sighed deeply. “The only thing we can do, Bala. This is the day we prepared for but hoped would never come… we have to find them first.”

X

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Then:

It was a hot summer afternoon; hotter still in the tightly packed auditorium with so many bodies packed in close. None paid any attention to the two dark suited figures that entered and stood quietly at the rear, listening intently to portions of the Valedictorian’s speech at the podium.

The young man stood straight and spoke intently, his blue eyes flashing from behind his glasses, his wavy blonde hair hanging low past his ears. “So, you see, ladies and gentleman…” he continued. “We are on the cusp of something great here! Through science we can eradicate the gene that leads to cancer and other illnesses. We can add a gene that fends off the common cold! We can even reach past the vastness of human potential… all with a simple tweak of the genetic code! It is an amazing time to be alive… and to be a scientist…”

The two men in the back nodded to one another and then made their way back out of the auditorium. As the ceremony broke up, they stood calmly, waiting. The young scientist soon exited the building himself, cap and gown in hand, and made his way towards the parking garage.

“Excuse me…” one of the dark suited men began, his thin figure moving to intercept the young man. “Mister Jasper… excuse me… it’s Doctor Jasper now, right?”

The new young doctor stopped and turned a quizzical eye to the tall, thin man. “Can I help you?”

The man attempted to smile; on his gaunt, drawn features the effect was… unsettling. “I do hope that we can help one another, actually. I am Director Marsh, this is my assistant Mr. Hyde. We have been fascinated by your research for some time, Doctor, and are greatly pleased with your efforts. We may be able to offer you a… position… that would allow you nearly limitless funding, the best equipment possible, and all the time in the world to develop your research… as you see fit.”

Dr. Jasper’s eyes went wide and he discovered he was having difficulty forming words. “What? I... um… really? I mean... um... thank-thank you but um… you’re a director of what, exactly?”

Marsh smiled again, causing Jasper to shudder. “Come, my boy, take a ride with us and we will discuss further the future of mankind and what science can do for it.”

The young doctor felt no small amount of apprehension… but allowed himself to be ushered into the back seat of the long black Lincoln.

X

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Now:

“Are you sure this is the right place, Doc?” Bala asked as she kicked some loose papers around the floor of the abandoned warehouse.

“Granted, it has been many years… but yes, this is it. Now, where did I put that…” he wandered off, whispering to himself and looking closely at the floor of the place. Bala sighed deeply and rolled her eyes again.

“Here! It’s here!” he yelled, and she rushed to his side. “Help me open it.”

She grinned, then reached down and pulled on the barely visible wire on the ground. In a moment a slab of concrete came open revealing a stairway leading down.

“See,” he said, flashing a smile and a wink of his still bright blue eyes, “told you. Never doubt a man of science, my dear.”

Bala grinned a little back at him, then followed him into the darkness below. He fumbled at the base of the stairs for the switch, and in short order the florescent bulbs ahead perked to flickering life. The area beneath the warehouse was quite different than the one up top. Below were banks of computer systems, several rooms and many filing cabinets. The Doctor made his way to one such cabinet and rifled through the mess of papers there. Soon, he found what he was searching for. He pulled a file and handed it to the young woman. “This should be your first visit. Even among all of the projects participants, he is special… and I have the most information on where to find him so he’s also the easiest to locate… and he lives about twenty miles from here too… so he’s also the closest… and…”

She cut him off, “I get the point… just give me the file.” After all these years, she had become used to his rambling and knew she had to stop him sometimes or he would continue on indefinitely.

He pushed his glasses up then handed it to her. The tab read ‘A. Marcus’.

X

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Then:

True to their word, Director Marsh and his companion had set Doctor Jasper up with the greatest lab he could imagine. They even provided constant access to additional research they developed elsewhere. It was a dream come true for the young doctor. For his part, he did make remarkable progress regularly, showing flaws in other researcher’s genetic code that he was able to fix. One such breakthrough just recently warranted a rare visit by Director Marsh and Assistant Director Hyde.

The two men, in their requisite black suits, entered the shiny lab. Doctor Jasper, unkempt hair pulled back in a ponytail, blue eyes rimmed in red from fatigue and constant use staring at monitors and microscopes, turned to them and forced a smile.

“Doctor, might we have a moment of your time?” Director Marsh began, far too cordially for the Doctor’s comfort.

“You guys pay the bills around here. Of course you can.”

The three made their way to a small lounge area and Jasper poured them all some coffee. “Coffee; a researcher’s best friend,” he joked. Neither of the other men smiled.

“Doctor Jasp… Max…”said Marsh, switching the uncommon use of the Doctor’s first name. “You have done excellent work the past several years. And the department appreciates you greatly; however, of late your theories appear to have… hit a wall.”

Jasper sipped his hot beverage and sighed. “There is only so much that can be done with theoretical models, Director.” Jasper stressed the last word so as to remind the Director that they were merely business associates; acquaintances at the most. “Without some actual hands on work with genetic code, which will never happen, I am afraid I may have come as far as possible.”

The Director nodded and then sipped his own coffee. “Good point. So… what say we get you that ‘hands on’ work?”

Jasper’s eyes went wide again. “What are you saying?”

Marsh smiled, then stood. “Come, Max, let me show you what you have helped create.”

X

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Nearly two hours later, the long black Lincoln slid into a parking garage in suburban D.C. next to a nondescript office building. The three entered an elevator and Director Marsh pressed a series of buttons on the box. Instead of all of them lighting up as expected, they all lit for a moment, and then went dark and the elevator began descending.

As they exited the doors, Jasper was met with bright fluorescent lights and a steel hallway. A massive steel door blocked their progress. The Director produced a keycard and used it on the box on the door, keyed in a code sequence then provided a retinal scan as the device asked. The door opened and the three entered.

Jasper was speechless. This was a fantastic place, unlike any other. Lab equipment was everywhere, scientists form all over the world went here and there and computers and monitors beeped and whirred. Doctor Jasper believed he may vary well be in Heaven.

“I have someone I want you to meet, Doctor,” Director Marsh said as he led them through the massive facility. They entered a small drab room with a door on the opposite side, a few chairs, and a table in the center. There was a computer monitor hanging in the corner… and a young girl sitting at the table.

Doctor Jasper eyed her curiously… not what he expected. She was maybe four or five years old with shoulder length blonde hair and deep brown eyes. She seemed almost sad, though she smiled at Jasper as he entered.

“Doctor Jasper, this is P.S.C. 1-0002,” Director Marsh said by means of introduction.

Jasper looked quizzically at him. “PSC… what?”

“Come now, Doctor, surely you recognize your own term? Post-Sapien Class 1.”

Jasper was in shock as he looked at the girl.

“I know…” she said, “not a very good name for a little girl. You can call me Bala.”

Jasper grinned at her. “Bala? Sanskrit, right? ‘Child like spirit’, I believe.”

She smiled widely. “Wow, you are smart.”

Jasper shrugged. “So they tell me.”

“Well, Doctor, now that the two of you are acquainted… how about a demonstration?”

“Demonstration of what?” Jasper asked.

X

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Ten minutes later found them at the start of a training course of sorts. It appeared to consist of a long hallway that wound its way around the monitoring room they were in. The walls were a drab gray and the floor was large white tiles. Bala was in nondescript gray sweats at the entrance.

“Doctor, we will watch from the monitor here. It’s safer that way.”

Jasper, Marsh, and Hyde watched the monitor. The bell sounded and the young girl ran… fast. Jasper watched as a section of the floor rose quickly to a height taller than the girl. She easily jumped it, legs to either side, and landed still in a sprint. Next, a section of the floor fell away and again the girl leapt the chasm easily, legs still churning as she landed.

As she rounded a corner, poles began jutting at her from either side. Jasper almost screamed. Again, the girl surprised him. Easily, she dodged around them all, leaping, tumbling, rolling, even throwing herself into a sidelong spin between two of them, but she made it gracefully.

By this point, the Doctor’s jaw was to the floor. “I don’t believe this…”

Marsh, smiling his odd smile once more, responded, “It gets better.”

The girl entered a room with a padded floor. There, four men, well-muscled and armed with staff’s, surrounded her. They attacked her without hesitation. Jasper again called out in horror. Bala blocked the first with her arm then grabbed, twisted and struck it with the other hand cleanly breaking the staff. She spun around with her weapon and deflected a blow from another assailant then back around and swiped the makeshift baton hard into the side of the first attacker’s knee. He fell to the ground.

She followed with a backwards handspring and landed both of her diminutive feet hard against the chest of the assailant coming behind her. He flew back hard into the wall. With rapid speed, she deflected blow after blow from the remaining assailants. Once her back was to the wall she kicked off from it, flipped between the two men, turning as she did so that she landed facing their backsides. She leveled a punch to the kidney with her left and shattered the makeshift baton of hers over the other one’s head. Both dropped. She turned to the exit and ran into the first of her assailants, limping but standing. She pulled her hands close to her body, clearly concentrating, and then shot them forward to his chest. Jasper nearly fainted when he witnessed the tendrils of electricity arcing from her fingertips into the man’s body. He fell away, twitching from time to time.

Continuing through the door she was met with another series of environmental hazards. More floor shifts, poles from the walls and false floors. With ease and grace she traversed the rest of the course. As she crossed the finish line, Jasper noted the timer. It had taken the girl less than four minutes to traverse the nearly mile long course, even with the many dangers she fought off.

“That…” he said, “was unbelievable!”

“Is it, Doctor? Or is it validation of your work?” asked Marsh. “Come with me, I have more to show.”

X

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Some time later, Doctor Jasper and Director Marsh sat at a round table in a cold, metallic conference room pouring through research data. Things were clicking in Jasper’s head as he read the reports.

“So, the key, as I posited, lies within increased cellular activity. The body burns fuel faster. Communicates with its parts faster. Neurotransmitters and bioelectric current fire faster and more intently. The problem is… or the side affect… is that these… P.S.’s… have a reservoir of bio-current inside them that must be taken care of in some fashion. Such as Bala’s electrical discharge I noticed.”

“Precisely,” nodded the Director. “Please, continue.”

Jasper nodded. “If one could then further harness this current… design genes to take more advantage of it, one could theoretically push that current, that bio-energy, into a variety of uses. I never dreamed! We are talking real life super humans here, aren’t we?”

To that, the Director opened his briefcase and tossed a number of files on the table in front of the Doctor. “Say hello to the P.S.C. 2 project, Doctor. These subjects have had their genes further modified to make more specific use of that bio-energy you mentioned. We are talking men and women that should have the ability to act as living tanks or artillery on the battlefield. Those that can be the perfect assassins and more… the possibility here is limited only by their bodies ability to produce this… bio current.”

Jasper pored over the files… “My God! We are playing God here! Director, I never imagined... Wait… the most recent research you’ve had me doing…”

Marsh smiled his first genuine smile. “Thanks to you, we have been able to modify the genes to produce a nearly limitless amount of bio-energy… and to have the ability to draw further energy from around them. Your semi-photosynthetic cells that you theorized, your internal cellular batteries… all of the work you have done has made this possible…” Marsh then produced another file… P.S.C. 3-0002.

X

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Now:

The young man walked down the dark road alone, gym bag dangling from his shoulder. He was tall and lean but in very good shape. His dark eyes were kept down to the ground. His dark hair held the moisture of the misty evening.

He turned up a side road on his way to his semi rural, semi suburban home. He had such misfortune with cars that he just found it easier to walk these days. He could use the stretch anyway, having just been in another tournament. Tomorrow, he had his advanced placement exams for MIT. He knew many people that envied his fortune. After all he was good at everything, athletic and academic, yet still he felt uncertain of his place in the world… as though something were lacking. Perhaps it was just the dark and the weather. He was always in a funk whenever it was dark and cloudy all day like today.

Sighing deeply as he began down the next road, he didn’t notice that he had company until she spoke.

“Alexander Marcus.”

He jumped and turned to face her. She was a few years older than him, an attractive athletic blonde with deep but sorrowful eyes.

“That’s me, Miss, what can I do for you?” he asked in his quiet, yet resonating tone.

“You can come with me to meet someone.”

His eyes narrowed. “Miss… whoever you are, I’m sorry… I just had a competition and I have a major exam tomorrow, and no matter how attractive you might be, I’m not about to run off into the night with some stranger to meet someone I don’t know. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” He turned to leave.

Bala wasn’t sure what to do. “Mr. Marcus… Alex… let me tell you about yourself! Things come easy for you… sports and education, right? You were the fastest on your track team and the star of your football, soccer, and baseball teams. You are a world-class martial artist, a member of the national honors society and MENSA… your eyesight is better than good, as is your hearing, you’ve never even had a cold in your entire life, need I continue?”

“Lady, I’m flattered you’re such a fan but…”

Her eyes grew darker and in the blink of an eye she rushed him, an open palm strike to his chest landing him several feet away on his rear. “I am not a fan… I work with a doctor that knows a thing or two about… about people like us.”

He rubbed his chest for a moment as he slowly rose to his feet. “I’ve fought guys twice your size at tournament that couldn’t land a blow on me like that… how did you…?”

She cocked her head to the side. “Simple, Alex, I am like you… special… with abilities others do not have.” As she spoke she allowed electricity to flicker between her fingertips.

Alex gazed in wonder. “I’ve always felt like… I had something even more to offer than I do. Like my… purpose… wasn’t being filled. Are you telling me I can make electricity with my fingertips?”

She half smiled. “Not at all… from what I understand you are capable of a great deal more… but you will never know just how much more unless you come here.” She handed him a piece of paper with an address on it. As he looked at it, she raised her hand to his face and released an electrical discharge right before his eyes, temporarily blinding him.

He groaned and pulled back. When the spots cleared, she was gone.

X

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Then:

Doctor Jasper was deeply troubled. He was in his little room in the underground facility. It was little more than a closet with a single small table near one wall, a small low bed and a bookshelf. He had allowed himself to be drawn in by the science… by his passion for it. But now… he had grown so fond of Bala and the other, younger children in the time he had been here. He had hardly shaved, slept, or eaten in weeks. He was certain Director Marsh had noticed. And now, a mysterious message from the Director that he was coming to visit? Very odd.

Just then his door opened and the Director entered. “Ah, Doctor, glad you are awake.”

“Of-of course, Director, what can I do for you?” he said sheepishly.

“We have a problem, Doctor. A very serious, unfortunate problem.”

“Oh?”

“Some of the more… colorful politicians have begun to catch wind of our project here As you can imagine, that would be disastrous. The order has been given. All assets of the project are to be terminated immediately.”

It took several moments, and lots of blinks for it to sink in to Doctor Jasper. “Assets? Terminated? You’re talking about killing the children!” Jasper was on his feet. “We can’t do that! That’s insane!”

“Calm yourself, Doctor. You and I and the other researchers as well as our findings will be relocated, however, despite how promising our first several test subjects are here… they must be liquidated immediately. The structure is already primed with explosives. We have but to vacate ourselves and… well…”

Jasper’s breathing was coming hard and his heart was racing. He couldn’t allow this… Bala… the other kids… No, he had to do something! Without realizing it, Jasper’s hands closed over his laptop and then he saw himself smashing it into the Director’s face. Marsh fell to the ground in a heap. Jasper pounced on him and smashed his head into the ground multiple times… then he fumbled through the man’s coat and found his gun and key cards. Then, Jasper was moving.

To Bala’s room first, he opened the door and released her. She was about to ask a question when he silenced her with, “I need you to trust me… can you do that?” She didn’t even hesitate, just followed him.

A moment later, they sprung the other P.S.C. 1 from his adjacent cell, then on to the younger kids, the class 2’s. Then the babies… the class 3’s.

As the whole lot of them rushed down the hallway, Marsh’s voice came over the loudspeaker. “Doctor… I am truly sorry that our long working relationship must come to an end here, but I cannot allow you to risk the safety of the project. Our work is far too important. The explosives will be detonating momentarily. Doctor, I do hope it is quick and painless for you.”

Jasper looked into Bala’s eyes. He had lost… there wasn’t enough time and besides he couldn’t reach the top without the Director seeing them and stopping them. His mind raced. Come on, Doctor, come on! You’re supposed to be so damned smart! Think of something! Suddenly he smiled; he knew how they would make it.

Doctor Jasper led the group into the dining hall, and then paced off several steps to a particular tile on the floor. He quickly pointed to several of the class 2's. “You, you and you, come here quick.” The little toddlers came over, as did Bala and the other class 1. “I need all of you to hit this tile hard.”

Bala and her companion focused and struck blow after blow, the toddlers thought it was just a game and hit and jumped on the tile… but in mere moments, the floor shattered and gave way to a cover to the sewer below.

Quickly, the Doctor got Bala to the sewer floor and began handing the smaller children down to her. He jumped down, carrying the two babies himself and they all began running down the shaft as quickly as possible. Scant moments later, the corridor shook with a thunderous boom and fiery brick and steel came collapsing down around them.

Half an hour later, he found the exit to the parking garage, and there, his van. It was more than a tight fit for all those bodies crammed in together, but the Doctor made it work.

X

[Spider-Man Beyond]

They drove in silence for some time when Bal finally asked, “What now?”

The Doctor sighed and did not answer for a while. “I suppose we find homes for these kids… churches… orphanages… we will divide them up between them so as to make it harder for anyone to find them.”

Bala was quiet again for a moment and then, “What about me? Can… can I stay with you?”

Jasper turned and looked at the girl… her eyes full of water and he smiled warmly. “Of course… I think I will need your help anyway, my dear.”

X

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Now:

The door creaked open to the warehouse. It was just an hours worth of walking and buses to reach it for Alex. The room was cavernous but held little. Some old crates covered in plastic were piled up in the middle, making almost a wall there. A small table sat just before it, holding a small television with foil covered bunny ears on it. A handful of chairs sat here and there and a number of cots lines the wall to his left. Trash and old papers floated around the concrete floor of them almost of its own accord.

“Hello? Anyone here?” he called out to the empty air.

He wandered for a few more minutes. Then sighed. “Well, this was stupid… I canceled my exam for this bullsh…”

The floor near the table creaked and opened, and as Alex went to leave the building “Ah, young Mr. Marcus, there you are… let me look at you!”

Alex turned to see an older man, perhaps in his late fifties, with glasses and a loose shock of gray hair. But his eyes still shone a bright blue.

Alex took an instinctive step back. “Who are you?”

“I am Doctor Maxwell Jasper… and in a way, one might say I am your father.”

Next Issue: Next Steps!