Chapter 5
It felt like ages before the car came to a stop, but according to Solomon’s Quasi Quartet digital watch, it was only about half an hour. When the twins felt the SUV’s momentum slow, they shouldered their backpacks and began putting on the blindfolds. The blindfolds were made of a thick black material that could stretch to fit different sized heads. Solomon was worried that the blindfold would slip down, but it fit him perfectly.
Once the world was reduced to pitch-blackness, Solomon heard the SUV doors open, and a hand grabbed him by the wrist, pulling him outside. He stumbled over the rocky terrain, but nothing could quell his excitement at the thought of seeing a secret government research facility, blindfolded or not. He could hear shuffling footsteps behind him and assumed that Luna was following behind. About thirty or so steps later, Solomon heard a stony rasp, felt a gust of cold air wash over him, and was led into an area with a smooth floor. He heard the rasp again – almost like a door was closing – and then someone gently removed his blindfold. Solomon blinked at the sudden light, expecting to open his eyes in some sort of high-tech lab, only to find himself in a boring white hallway.
“Pretty average place, don’t you think?” Luna commented, stepping forward to stand by her twin.
“This is just the entranceway,” stated the man holding Solomon’s blindfold. “Come. Follow me.” The man started down the hall, and the twins trailed behind him, until he reached heavily armored double doors and pushed them open. Solomon and Luna both gaped in awe and found themselves drawn to the room in front of them.
The research facility was everything Solomon had imagined. More, in fact. There were dozens of stations scattered throughout the room, each with multi-colored buttons, flashing lights, large computer screens, bubbling beakers, or any combination in between. Scientists in long white lab coats hustled around, each with their own task to complete. At one lab desk, a scientist poured a blue liquid into a test tube, causing a small puff of smoke to burst out. The scientist coughed a few times, waved away the smoke, and got out another test tube.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
“This might be the coolest place ever,” Solomon stated, his eyes sparking in excitement even though he normally didn’t find science interesting in the least. Luna smiled and gave a silent nod of agreement.
“I’m glad you like it.” A dapper businessman strode over to the twins and offered a handshake. “My name is Igor Igna, but you may call me Igor. I’m thrilled to finally make your acquaintance.”
Solomon and Luna took turns shaking his hand, then Solomon asked, “How do you know of us? Why are we so important? Do our parents know we’re here? And aren’t you the voice from the car speakers?”
Igor smiled. “You are correct, Mr. Peterson. I was the one who spoke to you on your way here. As for your other questions, they will be answered in time, alright? Good. Let’s go, shall we?”
Solomon was getting tired of playing Follow The Leader, but he obeyed anyway. Luna was slightly less discreet about her annoyance and let out a loud sigh.
Igor led the twins through a maze of lab stations until they reached the far side of the room. The entire back wall was taken up with screens and computer monitors, each displaying charts, formulas, and information. Igor stopped in front of the biggest screen and cleared his throat, startling a skinny scientist. “Oh, uh, I didn’t see you there,” the scientist stammered. He pushed on his rectangular glasses, even though they were already snug in place. Finally noticing the twins, he did a double take. “Wait, are they who I think they are? The test – uh, volunteers?”
Igor nodded stiffly. “Dr. Fischer, this is Solomon and Luna Peterson. Twins, this is Dr. Fischer, our head of Research and Development. He is in charge of the program we’re considering entering you in, so he will explain what’s going to happen today. Docter, take it away.”
“Okay.” Dr. Fischer took a deep breath. “You two have extremely high amounts of what we call DSP, or Dormant Superhuman Potential. That means that your DNA has dormant anomalies in it that we could potentially ‘turn on,’ so to speak, if the concentration was high enough. We have to conduct a number of tests to see what kind of anomalies you two have, but the preliminary examinations are promising.”
Solomon bounced from foot to foot excitedly. “You mean we could become superheroes?!? Like the Quasi Quartet?”
Dr. Fischer smiled kindly. “Yes, Solomon. That’s exactly what I mean.”
