Project Seraph
Chapter 03 - Project Seraph
The silver-haired woman introduced herself as Dr. Evelyn Shaw.
Seventeen years earlier, she had been a geneticist for Helix Dominion, a defense contractor that publicly developed battlefield medicine and privately attempted to create enhanced soldiers.
Project Seraph was its most successful program.
“Your father was not killed overseas,” Evelyn told Maya. “He died protecting you from Helix.”
Maya looked at the photograph again.
“He kidnapped me?”
“He rescued you.”
The seven Seraph children had been exposed before birth to an object recovered beneath the Greenland ice. Helix called it the Crimson Core.
It altered human cells, but the changes remained dormant until intense emotional trauma awakened them.
“Like what happened in the restroom,” Maya said.
“Yes.”
“What happened to the others?”
“Three were declared dead,” Gabriel said. “Two disappeared. One became Helix’s weapon.”
“And me?”
“Your father shut down the program and escaped with you.”
The gym door opened.
Elena Reyes entered carrying a kitchen knife.
She saw Maya and ran to her.
Then she noticed Evelyn.
The knife fell from her hand.
“You,” Elena whispered.
Maya stepped back.
“You know her?”
Evelyn answered quietly.
“I delivered Maya.”
For sixteen years, Elena had said Maya’s father died in Afghanistan. The truth was that Tomas Reyes had been Maya’s biological father and Elena’s older brother.
Elena was not Maya’s mother.
She was her aunt.
“Who was my real mother?” Maya asked.
“Her name was Ana.”
“Where is she?”
No one answered.
Evelyn opened a metal case and activated a small holographic disk.
A young woman with Maya’s eyes appeared.
“If Maya is seeing this,” the recording said, “the Core has awakened inside her.”
Maya stopped breathing.
“Your power will feel like anger. It is not anger. It is energy answering emotion. If rage controls it, Helix will turn you into exactly what they designed.”
The image flickered.
“Find the other Seraphs. One of them knows where I am.”
The recording ended.
“My mother is alive,” Maya said.
Before anyone could answer, the lights went out.
A voice came through the gym speakers.
“Hello, Seven.”
The brick wall exploded inward.
A man stepped through the dust wearing black armor. Golden energy moved beneath his skin.
Evelyn whispered his name.
“Subject One.”
May you like
The man smiled at Maya.
“Little sister.”
