lips as he considered how to approach it. “Imagine a man who feels no pain. Imagine a man who is immune to extreme temperatures. A man who doesn’t need to eat or drink. A man who doesn’t need to sleep. Imagine a man given access to the full potential of his brain, giving him superior intelligence, decision-making skills and the ability to process and use information in real time at an almost computer processor like level. A man with unlimited stamina, a man who barely ages."
"You make it sound like they are invulnerable," Marcus said, feeling his stomach tighten.
"Essentially, they are. Stab him and the wound will heal itself. Cut off a limb and within three months it will grow back. They are physically and mentally superior to the rest of us in every single way. They are us, but with the flaws removed and the positives enhanced. If there is a god, this is surely the design he intended."
"How is any of this relevant?" Harding said. "Has someone discovered this technology and plans to steal it? If other countries were aware of the potential of this, it could be a disaster."
"It's entirely relevant," Genaro said. “You all need to understand, this isn’t some kind of glimpse into what could be possible. This has been implemented already. We have Apex soldiers stationed in small units all over the globe."
"Wait, you're telling me there are people - genetically modified people out there right now?" Marcus said.
"Yes, which is why we called you all here today. It seems our testing was rushed, and there may be a significant problem with the programme."
"Not may be," Robbins snapped, speaking for the first time. "I've seen this first hand. Those bastards are out of control."
Genaro frowned and stammered, thrown off by the commander’s interjection.
"This is Commander James Robbins from Camp Blanding down in Florida,” Genaro said. “He was privy to an incident a fortnight ago which alerted us to a potential issue, one which I’m afraid to say has escalated enough for us to bring you all into this meeting today."
Marcus straightened in his chair. He had the feeling things were about to get interesting. The perpetually grumpy Genaro went on.
"Commander Robbins was on site when an argument at a basketball game at his base got out of hand between three Apex soldiers and several regular forces personnel. There was an.... incident which led to some unfortunate deaths."
"Let me jump right in there," Robbins grunted, shooting a glare at Genaro. "Let’s not coat this in bullshit. It wasn’t just an incident. Some of our guys got into an argument with your super soldiers and were butchered. Sixty-seven dead. Sixty-seven. Good men. Good soldiers trying to enjoy their downtime before your supermen came in and cut them to shreds."
"Butchered?” Susan said, flashing a worried glance at Harding.
"Yeah. It was a damn bloodbath." Robbins grunted.
"Did nobody restrain them?" Marcus said "All those people against three?"
"Who the hell are you?" Robbins snapped, glaring at Marcus, then continuing on before he could reply. "Of course, they tried. The base is a wreck. It looks like a fucking war zone. Thanks to these super soldiers this idiot created, we didn’t stand a chance."
"The time for pushing the blame is long gone," Genaro said, trying to regain control of the meeting. "We need to find a solution to this problem."
"Can’t you just call them back in?" Marcus said.
"You think we would have called this meeting if that was an option?" Genaro snapped. "We have over seventy Apex operatives stationed all over the globe. Days after the incident at Camp Blanding, as one they stopped following orders. It was some kind of coordinated mass decision which we don’t yet understand. A few days after that, they went dark. They have gone off the grid."
"So they've gone rogue?" Marcus asked.
"Yes, that seems to be the case. We have no idea where any of the Apex teams are, what they might be doing or why they have become so
"You make it sound like they are invulnerable," Marcus said, feeling his stomach tighten.
"Essentially, they are. Stab him and the wound will heal itself. Cut off a limb and within three months it will grow back. They are physically and mentally superior to the rest of us in every single way. They are us, but with the flaws removed and the positives enhanced. If there is a god, this is surely the design he intended."
"How is any of this relevant?" Harding said. "Has someone discovered this technology and plans to steal it? If other countries were aware of the potential of this, it could be a disaster."
"It's entirely relevant," Genaro said. “You all need to understand, this isn’t some kind of glimpse into what could be possible. This has been implemented already. We have Apex soldiers stationed in small units all over the globe."
"Wait, you're telling me there are people - genetically modified people out there right now?" Marcus said.
"Yes, which is why we called you all here today. It seems our testing was rushed, and there may be a significant problem with the programme."
"Not may be," Robbins snapped, speaking for the first time. "I've seen this first hand. Those bastards are out of control."
Genaro frowned and stammered, thrown off by the commander’s interjection.
"This is Commander James Robbins from Camp Blanding down in Florida,” Genaro said. “He was privy to an incident a fortnight ago which alerted us to a potential issue, one which I’m afraid to say has escalated enough for us to bring you all into this meeting today."
Marcus straightened in his chair. He had the feeling things were about to get interesting. The perpetually grumpy Genaro went on.
"Commander Robbins was on site when an argument at a basketball game at his base got out of hand between three Apex soldiers and several regular forces personnel. There was an.... incident which led to some unfortunate deaths."
"Let me jump right in there," Robbins grunted, shooting a glare at Genaro. "Let’s not coat this in bullshit. It wasn’t just an incident. Some of our guys got into an argument with your super soldiers and were butchered. Sixty-seven dead. Sixty-seven. Good men. Good soldiers trying to enjoy their downtime before your supermen came in and cut them to shreds."
"Butchered?” Susan said, flashing a worried glance at Harding.
"Yeah. It was a damn bloodbath." Robbins grunted.
"Did nobody restrain them?" Marcus said "All those people against three?"
"Who the hell are you?" Robbins snapped, glaring at Marcus, then continuing on before he could reply. "Of course, they tried. The base is a wreck. It looks like a fucking war zone. Thanks to these super soldiers this idiot created, we didn’t stand a chance."
"The time for pushing the blame is long gone," Genaro said, trying to regain control of the meeting. "We need to find a solution to this problem."
"Can’t you just call them back in?" Marcus said.
"You think we would have called this meeting if that was an option?" Genaro snapped. "We have over seventy Apex operatives stationed all over the globe. Days after the incident at Camp Blanding, as one they stopped following orders. It was some kind of coordinated mass decision which we don’t yet understand. A few days after that, they went dark. They have gone off the grid."
"So they've gone rogue?" Marcus asked.
"Yes, that seems to be the case. We have no idea where any of the Apex teams are, what they might be doing or why they have become so
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