The Eagle #10 - Enter the Abyss pt. 2

                The research bay was in turmoil, and Dr. Arjan Muahitl was fuming. Alexander Jackson had just left, and everyone was scrambling to get things in order to comply with his newest demands. Everyone on the Eagle had felt the fall, and though nothing major had come of the loss of altitude, it was still a concerning event. Alex had entered the research bay amidst a whirlwind of messengers, reporters, and even a council member. He managed to shake the crowd at the door, but he was visibly flustered. Immediately he began issuing orders to pull every scientist off whatever they were working on and put all minds on the anti-gravity engine project.

                Dr. Muahitl had stood amongst his peers, all of who were clearly irritated by this turn of events. Not every scientist was qualified to work on the engine project, which was something Alex should have known. Yet against the comments of those who pointed that out, Alex insisted on everyone pitching in whatever they could. Once again questioned why he wouldn’t just give everyone his original blueprints, Alex sighed, and confessed to the scientists that the original anti-gravity engine blueprints had been destroyed some years ago. He didn’t want to worry anyone however, since he has the utmost confidence that the engines could be reproduced, and even improved upon.

During the meeting, Arjan stayed quiet, something that was completely out of character for this brilliant man. He had never shied away from speaking his mind in front of Alex, and the two men had butted heads before. However Arjan felt that, if he even opened his mouth to speak, he would not stop condemning Alex until they had to physically restrain him. A dark anger was boiling inside him, and it was, almost, completely directed towards the Eagle himself.

                At one point during the brief emergency meeting, someone pointed out that the instruments recorded the fall happening after the engine was back online and working. When others confirmed that, Alex waved it aside, acting like either the instruments were incorrectly calibrated, or that the engine hadn’t fully started working again. The answer was nonsense, and showed Arjan, among others, that Alex clearly did not know what he was talking about. How could someone who didn’t understand basic physics have the intellectual ability to create the anti-gravity engines in the first place? Arjan was always suspicious that Alex hadn’t actually devised the machines, and over the past few weeks, that thought had planted and flourished in his mind. Arjan was nearly fed up with Alex’s incompetence and interference in the research onboard the Eagle.

                After the meeting ended and Alex left, Arjan went back to his private office and locked the door. Opening a panel in the wall, Arjan took out the vial of shadow energy he had kept secret and placed it on his desk. The vial was nearly empty, which scared him. He was no closer to understanding this new form of energy, and despite not destroying any of it during the experiments, it seemed every time he opened the vial, a little escaped into the air of his office.

                So far, Arjan had discovered that the energy sought out light, and it consumed the photons, destroying them to create more of the shadow energy. It behaved unlike anything he had ever seen, and was almost alien in attributes. No form of energy on Earth came close to this shadow energy, but Arjan was determined to unlock its secrets. Unfortunately, thanks to Alex, the larger sample was released and presumably destroyed by the metahuman Echo.

                Arjan slammed his fist on his desk, surprising himself with the sudden feeling of rage. Every time he thought of Echo, he lost control and flew into a rage. Arjan had no idea why, since up until a few weeks ago he had never met the metahuman. Even now, he had no reason to hate the young man. It was Alex’s fault the shadow energy was released! But the rage was still there and growing stronger every day. The only thing Arjan hated more than Echo was Alex himself.

                “He’ll get what’s coming to him,” Arjan whispered as he looked over the spread out notes detailing his research on the shadow energy. “First, I’ll unlock your secret,” Arjan said caressing the vial, “and then I’ll expose that fraud.” Arjan was seized by a fit of laughter at the thought of bringing shame to Alex. “It’s almost time for the Eagle to have his wings clipped.”

                Damien heard his father come home, and went to ask him what had happened. John wouldn’t tell Damien anything other than there was an emergency that his father needed to handle. Damien went to the office and found the door slightly open. He pushed it open, but the office was empty. The door to the garden was halfway open however, and Damien walked towards it to go outside. Suddenly he heard hushed voices, and stopped where he was, not sure if he should continue. If his father and John were talking in private, it would be impolite for him to listen in. But as he turned to go, he heard a name that made him stop. He snuck back towards the door, making sure to hide behind the curtain so as not to be seen. He could have sworn he just heard his father say his mother’s name, which never happened unless Damien asked for a pleasant memory. Why would they be talking about his mother?

                “What is the worst that can happen?” Damien heard John ask.

                “I don’t even want to think about that, John.” Alex replied, clearly irritated John would ask such a thing.

                “Maybe you need to. This will not cover up easily, my friend. And even if it does, eventually you might need to tell your people the truth. You need to seriously consider the consequences. Perhaps this is a good enough reason to come clean.”

                Alex was quiet for a few moments. Damien was scared he had been discovered, but breathed a sigh of relief when Alex continued. “Do you think they would understand?”

                “Perhaps. I know most will, if you explain it in full to them. Of course some will disagree, but they will eventually come around. You did what was best not only for her, but also for the Eagle as a whole. Sacrifices needed to be made, and no one was more affected than you. They will understand.”

                Alex was quiet in thought for a bit again. “What about Damien? How do you think he’ll take it?”

                When he heard his name, Damien’s heart jumped and he strained to hear. Take what? What secret was his father hiding from him? From everyone? The fact that his father could keep someone secret from every single person he knew was almost too shocking for Damien.

                “He will be devastated, and feel betrayed. The same as you would feel, in his situation. And he might not understand until he is older, but he will eventually. It will just take time.”

                “Our relationship would never be the same,” Alex said, and Damien could heard the pain in his voice. What did Damien not know? He almost felt like jumping out of hiding spot and asking, but he knew they wouldn’t tell him.

                John sighed. “You’re right, Alex. And right now, he needs you. He lost his mother before he even knew her. He can’t lose his father too.”

                “Then it remains our secret. Damien isn’t ready for the truth.”

                “What about the guard detail? Aren’t they getting suspicious that you continue going into the main generator’s broom closet?”

                Alex chuckled, the stress in his voice slowly dissolving into relief. “I relieved them of duty. Only the normal door guards remain, so no one sees me go in or out of her room. I am careful, John. No one but us will ever know she’s in there.”

                Alex stopped and turned his head. He got up from where him and John were sitting and walked into the office. John followed him, asking, “Is everything alright?”

                Alex looked around, but the office was empty. “It’s nothing. I just thought I heard something.” Alex shook his head and checked the door, finding it closed shut. “Must just be my nerves getting to me.”