The Source (9 page)

I look at Rick.  His
jaw is clenched as he watches the television screen.  I turn back toward Ms.
Montgomery and ask, “What went on in this video?  Do we have any information on
the circumstances surrounding these deaths?”

Without looking away
from her computer she says, “I have no information on the circumstances or how
the videos were obtained.”

Rick seemingly clears
his throat, “It’s just a theory, but it appears that the video was taken before
vampires were accepted into society.  During that time whenever one of us was
‘found out,’ sometimes it was easier to commit suicide than withstand human
torture.”

I look back at him,
my brow furrows. “Human torture?  If vampires were not known to the general
population, what would have been the reason for torture?”

“Torture in the sense
of scientific experimentation.  Humans didn’t know about us, that we were more
than just legend.  So when one of us was discovered, there was an urge to study
us...scientifically.”

I stand there looking
at the screen when he turns to me, his face completely blank. “For some, the
sun was a more attractive option than being cut up on a table.”

“Yet, aren’t we here
to do the same thing? I mean, study vampires scientifically?”

“Not the same
context,” he responds. “Vampires are known. With knowledge erases the
probability of secret experiments with no regulation, so system in place to
prevent gross misconduct by those performing the studies.” He lifts one of his
shoulders, “At least, that’s the belief amongst vampires. I hope we’re not
wrong.”

I nod solemnly and
gesture toward the television so we could begin the next piece of video.  Rick
points the remote toward the DVD player and pushes play. 

The next piece of
footage was just as dated and showed several vampires tied together in a pile
with a bunch of rabid-acting humans circling around them.  It appears that they
were in a clearing, surrounded by woods.  The sky was light, but the sun was
not yet visible.  The humans were screaming obscenities and calling the vampires
such things as bloodsuckers, demons, leeches, freaks, animals and monsters. 
Not very creative, but frightening to say the least.  Their actions are what is
more disturbing. The fact that they had these vampires tied up in a pile
hurling insults is one thing.  It made it exceedingly worse to see some of the
humans spitting on them and throwing what appeared to be excrement on them to
"make them smell better."

As we continue to
watch the events play out, the sky began to get lighter and the sun started to
peak over the tops of the trees.  As the first rays began to heat the vampires'
shit-covered flesh, smoke began to rise as agonizing screams overcame the
hateful taunts of the humans who had begun chanting "vamp barbecue." 

The ultimate end is
the same as the previous footage.  The vampires appeared to melt en masse
before exploding into millions of bits like wet death confetti raining down on
the celebrating perpetrators. What appeared to be a few flakes of dried, ashen
flesh floated up with the wind current leaving nothing but a puddle of gore.

Rick pauses the video
and stands silently while staring at the screen.  I again don’t know what to do
with myself.  Should I say something?  Will that just be more aggravating? 
Will staying quiet make it seem like I'm an unfeeling bitch?  I just don't know
what to do in these situations.  But like Rick told me before, discomfort is no
a reason to NOT do something.

I start simple.
"Do we need to watch more or do we have an idea of what we need?"

Rick forces a caustic
laugh. "Oh, I have plenty of ideas.  It's just that none of them will help
the project."

Without saying
another word he pushes the play button.  The next footage appears to be more
recent.  The video is clearer and the color is more vivid.  There was a solitary
vampire in a white room.  She appears dazed, looking around as if she had no
idea where she was or how she got there.  She began walking around the room,
feeling the walls as if she were willing a door to appear. 

Suddenly there is a
sound as if a large door was sliding open, only it wasn't a door - it was the
ceiling parting in the center, slowly letting sunlight into the room.  The
vampire began to scramble, trying to meld into a corner before she began
scratching at the walls desperately trying to create a way out. Unfortunately
the structure was reinforced and all she managed to do was rake bloodied hands
up and down the white wall, a ghastly request for help written in the corner of
her own personal execution chamber.  As the sunlight began to hit, she started
screaming before melting to nothing but pieces of what appeared to be scorched
tissue, bone and bloody tangles. 

Rick stops the video,
slams the remote on the island and stalks over to Ms. Montgomery, "Who in
this facility has more information on these videos?"

She glances up at him
without a quiver in her voice, "I honestly do not know, but Mr. Caulfield
might be able to answer your questions."

Rick storms out of
the room slamming the suite door.

Ms. Montgomery looks
up at me.  I wring my hands as the corner of my mouth twitches.  

"Um, I guess
it's time to take a break," I stammer, "I'm going to go get something
to drink."

Without saying a
word, Ms. Montgomery looks back at her laptop screen and returns to her work. 
I slowly walk past her, nervously glancing at her as if she might jump out at
me and say, "Boo!"  Things have suddenly gotten so tense that if we
didn't get a reprieve, air itself will strangle me. 

Feeling like I’m
ungracefully walking through a pool of water, I make it to the suite door and
slip out into the hallway.  No one is lurking around, so I cautiously make my
way toward the pop machine near the cafeteria.  I keep trying to figure out how
things went so badly, so quickly.  I realize that watching the footage must have
been difficult for Rick.  That was pretty damn obvious from his reaction.  But
I'll admit that I don't understand it.  I've seen horrible things happen to
humans, and I haven't stormed away from everything because I couldn't handle
it.  Maybe women really are the stronger sex. Or maybe not. If I’m honest, in
these situations I might smile pretty, but later I would be in the shower
crying uncontrollably.

I arrive at the pop
machine and get the appropriate amount of change from my pocket.  Sugar and
caffeine would be the perfect antidote right now.  At least that's what I told
myself.  I bend to get the bottle from the machine, and then suddenly jerk
around to face the wall.  I'm freaking myself out now.  I could have sworn someone
was behind me.  No one here except for me and my trusty Coke. 

Shaking my head, I
take a deep breath and make my way back to the suite.  I walk only about a
quarter of the way back when I see Tucker walking in my direction.  I
consciously make myself slow down, if only to figure out what will I say if he
tries to talk to me.  It seems that his pace actually picks up and before I
know it he is only a couple of yards in front of me.

"Emma, thank God
I ran into you."

I slowly continue to
walk with full intentions of continuing right past him.  "I really messed
up," he says, "what I did was reprehensible, an invasion of privacy. 
Just because I like you gives me no right to abuse my position to track you
down to try to convince you to spend some time with me."

I continue walking
around him, "Tucker, you scared me.  Everything you have done has made me
uncomfortable.  I feel weird just being around you."

"I'm sorry.  I
never wanted you to feel that way about me.  I’m not very good with people in
general, much less women."  He continues to walk beside me, retracing his
steps.  "Women usually overlook me, as if I don't exist.  I didn't want to
take the chance that the same thing would happen with you."

I look at him as he
eagerly searches my face to see if I would accept his apology.  His entire
appearance is absolutely pathetic.  His clothes are disheveled and I question
whether or not he has bathed.  The hair that used to neatly lie in a ponytail
at the base of his neck now looks like a home for wayward rats.  I can’t
believe it, but I actually start to feel badly for him.  He obviously had a
rough night and from what he said, what he had done did really bother him.

I slowly come to a
halt, "I appreciate your apology.  I can't help feeling weird though.  I'm
not used to this kind of thing.  It will take some time for me to get back to
normal.  I'll come talk to you when I'm ready." 

I begin to walk
toward the suite again when he rushes up beside me, practically begging,
"How long do you think it will take you to get back to normal?"

I take a deep breath,
hanging my head as I try to think of the best thing to say.  I look back up
into his face. "A few days...maybe a little longer.  I promise, I will
find you when I'm ready.  Now I need to get back to work."

I walk away from
him.  I fight the urge to look over my shoulder back at him.  I’m afraid of
what I might see - either him already being gone or still watching me.  I don't
know which scares me most.

I open the door to
the suite to see that Rick still hasn’t returned, and Ms. Montgomery is still
tirelessly working.  I slowly walk in, wrapping my hands around my bottle of
Coke.  I don’t really want to just sit around waiting on Rick to get back.  I
need to do something to feel useful.  I don’t really want to watch more of the
videos because I’m not really getting what I need from them.  I need to be able
to look closer, to have an almost telescopic view of how the vampires’ skin
reacted to the sunlight.  What I need was to be able to zoom into the footage. 
This may prove futile given the quality of the video, but it’s worth a try and
will keep me from just standing around like an idiot.

“Um, Ms. Montgomery?”
I stammer.

“Yes?” she replies
without turning from her laptop.

I smile in my
nervousness, trying not to trip into a giggle fit. “I was wondering, would
there be a way...some equipment in the facility that we could use to zoom in on
the footage that you obtained for us?”  Although feeling foolish, I’m proud of
the fact that I actually asked instead of just looking around the room like a
robber who doesn’t even know what she’s looking to steal.

She looks over her
shoulder, “That computer in the corner,” she nods her head toward the machine,
“it has movie editing software that will allow you to zoom in, cut footage, and
save what you need.”

Not wanting to press
my luck in asking her to show me how to use the program, I just nod a thank you
then walk to the television to retrieve the disc.  The clickety-clack of her
keyboard lets me know that she has promptly returned to her work.  What is it
that she’s recording when we’re not even really doing anything?  Is she writing
about more than just her observations of the project?  Is she critiquing us as
individuals?  Best not to think about it right now or it will drive myself
crazy.

I sit at the computer
and turn it on.  Thankfully no username or password is needed for access, so I
don’t have to bother Ms. Montgomery again.  Weird.  Doesn’t seem like
information or technology security is a concern.  I would have thought
otherwise for a government research facility. 

I take a long drink
of my Coke then set it aside before placing the disc into the computer tray. 
The screen prompts me to play the footage, which I promptly x-out of.  I find
the movie editing software, open it and begin reading through some of the Help
pages on how the program works.  Sure it might have been quicker just to have
Ms. Montgomery show me, but given she isn’t exactly the chatty type, making
that request might put me on her bad side.  I definitely don’t want to do that
especially if she’s typing up a personal report on me.  Last thing I need on my
record is a report stating “don’t hire this scientist, she’s too needy.”  We
may get that fifty thousand dollars, but I still need a job after this project
is completed. 

As I am reading
through the introduction, the door opens and Rick walks in.  Walking with a
purpose, he goes to the center island and picks up the remote as if he is going
to watch more footage.  He is so focused that he doesn’t even see me sitting at
the computer.  I turn in my chair and watch him for a moment before clearing my
throat and saying, “Rick?”

He turns to me and
his rigid hard frame relaxes just a little.  He puts the remote back on the
island and walks back to the computer area.  Pulling a chair up beside me, he
sits and just looks at the computer without saying a word.

I whisper, “Are you
okay?”

He looks at me and
says rather sarcastically, “I’m peachy.  Why are you whispering?”

I look over his
shoulder at Ms. Montgomery before looking at him again. “We might want to be
careful about talking about certain things in here,” I whisper again.  “I think
Ms. Montgomery is recording more than just her observations of our work.”

“I’m fine.  What are
you doing now?”

Sighing I say, “I’m
reading about this movie editing software because I want to zoom in on the
footage to get a better look of exactly how the skin responds to sunlight.”