bits of plastic breaking between his powerful stone fingers. "We should be on a range or something."
"You already know how to shoot and fight," Phillips said. "That's why you were chosen for this program. Now you need to learn how to use these stone bodies of yours."
"Why were you chosen?" Wayne Stevens asked.
Phillips looked around at the four newest stone soldiers. Beside Johnson and Stevens were Paul Briones, a quiet Filipino, and Isaac Jacobson, a formerly lanky farmboy from Wisconsin. All had been Navy SEALs until just a few days ago. Now they were petrified- turned into men of living stone like Phillips had been until very recently.
The Colonel raised a hand toward Stevens. A hot, blue-white bolt of electricity, like lightning, leapt from his fingertips and slammed squarely into Stevens' chest, flipping him over backwards.
"Because I can do that," Phillips said.
The three SEALs still seated in their chairs looked over at Stevens- who now had a large, half-melted, half-burnt hole in his black t-shirt. Stevens got up and brushed himself off.
"That didn't hurt."
"That's the point," Phillips said. "You men have completely new bodies. Until you master some basics- like picking up these toys without breaking them- you aren't touching anything dangerous."
An alarm sounded from Phillips watch.
"Captain Smith will be here shortly," he said. "Keep at it until then."
"Where you going, sir?" Johnson asked.
"I've got to get repetrified, like the rest of you."
Phillips turned and left the large training room. He followed a hallway in the office building the team was based in, finally entering an elevator that was waiting for him. Inside it was Jimmy Kane.
"Headed to the Fountain?" Kane asked. He was wearing flip flops, baggy shorts and t-shirt, and the oversized gold and silver restraint collar.
"Yep," Phillips said, stepping into the elevator. The doors closed and the elevator began descending on its own.
"Don't you miss being human?" Jimmy asked.
"I've lived one life already. Spent the past ten years in a nursing home with no feeling below the waist. Being stone isn’t so bad."
"But you could stay flesh and blood- have another life."
"I was married, raised a family and buried a wife," Phillips said. "I don't need to do that again. I've got a chance to serve my country- to make sure my grand kids and kids like you get to live a full life. I'm going to take it."
Jimmy looked at the floor, considering. "So, I should petrify too?"
Phillips reached over and pressed the stop button on the elevator. It came to a smooth halt.
"Kane, you're young. As I understand it, you had your life taken away by that giant in Arizona. You got a second chance thanks to the Fountain and the Medusa program. Now you're getting a third chance. You do what you think is right for you."
"A normal life would be nice."
Phillips laughed. "Normal? Kid, you're a werewolf now. Even if this collar stops you from changing- even if Mark can find a way to make that permanent- you'll always be cursed. You may be flesh and blood, may be able to start a family, but you're never going to be normal again."
Jimmy checked his own watch then switched off the emergency stop. The elevator resumed its descent. "We better get down to the basement."
***
Chadwick Phillips leaned back on the cold metal of the surgical table and waited for Doctor Farb to shackle him. The thick metal shackles on his feet and ankles were somehow colder than the table. Once he was locked into place, Farb tilted the table, almost to a vertical position, so Phillips' feet were next to the metal grating floor.
Phillips was ready now- his head had been shaved, he’d emptied his bladder, and he had changed into polyester athletic shorts. He'd been given a series of injections to prepare him.
Doctor Farb checked his watch, his hand hovering on the switch to lower the platform they were on, down into the warm waters of the Fountain.
The Fountain Chamber was nearly empty now. Only
"You already know how to shoot and fight," Phillips said. "That's why you were chosen for this program. Now you need to learn how to use these stone bodies of yours."
"Why were you chosen?" Wayne Stevens asked.
Phillips looked around at the four newest stone soldiers. Beside Johnson and Stevens were Paul Briones, a quiet Filipino, and Isaac Jacobson, a formerly lanky farmboy from Wisconsin. All had been Navy SEALs until just a few days ago. Now they were petrified- turned into men of living stone like Phillips had been until very recently.
The Colonel raised a hand toward Stevens. A hot, blue-white bolt of electricity, like lightning, leapt from his fingertips and slammed squarely into Stevens' chest, flipping him over backwards.
"Because I can do that," Phillips said.
The three SEALs still seated in their chairs looked over at Stevens- who now had a large, half-melted, half-burnt hole in his black t-shirt. Stevens got up and brushed himself off.
"That didn't hurt."
"That's the point," Phillips said. "You men have completely new bodies. Until you master some basics- like picking up these toys without breaking them- you aren't touching anything dangerous."
An alarm sounded from Phillips watch.
"Captain Smith will be here shortly," he said. "Keep at it until then."
"Where you going, sir?" Johnson asked.
"I've got to get repetrified, like the rest of you."
Phillips turned and left the large training room. He followed a hallway in the office building the team was based in, finally entering an elevator that was waiting for him. Inside it was Jimmy Kane.
"Headed to the Fountain?" Kane asked. He was wearing flip flops, baggy shorts and t-shirt, and the oversized gold and silver restraint collar.
"Yep," Phillips said, stepping into the elevator. The doors closed and the elevator began descending on its own.
"Don't you miss being human?" Jimmy asked.
"I've lived one life already. Spent the past ten years in a nursing home with no feeling below the waist. Being stone isn’t so bad."
"But you could stay flesh and blood- have another life."
"I was married, raised a family and buried a wife," Phillips said. "I don't need to do that again. I've got a chance to serve my country- to make sure my grand kids and kids like you get to live a full life. I'm going to take it."
Jimmy looked at the floor, considering. "So, I should petrify too?"
Phillips reached over and pressed the stop button on the elevator. It came to a smooth halt.
"Kane, you're young. As I understand it, you had your life taken away by that giant in Arizona. You got a second chance thanks to the Fountain and the Medusa program. Now you're getting a third chance. You do what you think is right for you."
"A normal life would be nice."
Phillips laughed. "Normal? Kid, you're a werewolf now. Even if this collar stops you from changing- even if Mark can find a way to make that permanent- you'll always be cursed. You may be flesh and blood, may be able to start a family, but you're never going to be normal again."
Jimmy checked his own watch then switched off the emergency stop. The elevator resumed its descent. "We better get down to the basement."
***
Chadwick Phillips leaned back on the cold metal of the surgical table and waited for Doctor Farb to shackle him. The thick metal shackles on his feet and ankles were somehow colder than the table. Once he was locked into place, Farb tilted the table, almost to a vertical position, so Phillips' feet were next to the metal grating floor.
Phillips was ready now- his head had been shaved, he’d emptied his bladder, and he had changed into polyester athletic shorts. He'd been given a series of injections to prepare him.
Doctor Farb checked his watch, his hand hovering on the switch to lower the platform they were on, down into the warm waters of the Fountain.
The Fountain Chamber was nearly empty now. Only
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