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GEMINI
BY TROG
CHAPTER
4



Chapter 4


Chuck and Mike looked around before entering the empty cafeteria. They tiptoed toward the kitchen and headed toward the shiny, steel refrigerator at the end of the room.

“STOP!”

They jumped, then froze.

“What the hell do you two think you’re doing? The cafeteria is closed.”

“Tukluk, my man...you scared the fucking shit out of us. Hey we were just looking for something to eat. We’re starving. Don’t you have any real food in here? How about some meat that came on a foam tray covered with clear plastic wrapping that’s USDA certified?”

Tukluk shook his head.

“You quallunaat, you white boys, don’t like the sight of blood, of real meat...of life. You spend too much time in laboratories,” he said, stepping by them and digging in the refrigerator. He pulled out a package of fresh, ground beef.

Chuck smiled.

“If I wasn’t dangerously heterosexual, I’d kiss you, Tukluk. I’d give you one of those nose kisses your people are so fond of...a kinuk, is it?”

“It’s a kunik. And if you tried that on me I’d be forced to kick your white ass. Now sit down, I’ll make you that American homage to the culinary world known as: the hamburger.”

“Bless you, Tukluk, you are a god among men,” said Chuck, taking a seat beside Mike as they watched Tukluk forming two large patties and turning on the grill. “And just to show our generosity and good will we will share our bounty with yours as is customary among your people,” he said, removing a bottle of Chivas Regal Scotch from his lab coat.

Tukluk smiled.

“Ah, my favorite. How did you know?”

“You mentioned it to me 37 times.”

Tukluk smiled, salting the meat and placing the patties on the sizzling grill, the burgers hissing as they hit the hot metal, releasing the delicious, carnal aroma of cooking meat. Grabbing three glasses from behind him, he lined them up along the counter and Chuck filled them to a third. The men all raised their glasses and took a drink.

“Good shit. So, Michael, how are you liking The Droll?” asked Tukluk.

“Well, so far I’m not doing much. Just feeding growth hormones to mice and recording their progress. What brought me here was an interest in discovering a cure for Progeria. Do you know what that is?”

“Yes...a very rare disease that advances the aging process.” said Chuck, refilling his glass.

“Yes. Persons afflicted with it age 4 to 7 times faster than normal. I was told it was being studied here and that they were conducting experiments on humans using growth hormones to reverse the process of aging, but so far I haven’t seen any.”

Tukluk and Chuck looked at one another.

“That’s strange, it seems my cloned rabbits and mice are aging prematurely...their vital organs seem to prosper then, suddenly, they just age and fail. Coincidence? Maybe the answer is in the basement. It seems everything happens in the basement. Tukluk here is one of the few allowed down there. Why don’t you tell us what you’ve seen, my friend?”

Tukluk turned away and flipped the burgers quickly. Reaching above him he pulled out a bag of fresh buns and removed two large ones.

“What do you boys want on these burgers?”

“The works,” they both said.

Tukluk sliced open the buns and slathered them with condiments as Chuck and Mike looked on silently. Once more, Chuck filled their glasses as Tukluk placed the broiled patties on the buns, topped them with their remaining half. Placing them on plates, he slid them across to his hungry companions.

They ate like starving men as Tukluk took a long swallow of scotch and watched them with amusement.

“This is fucking heaven, fucking great burger, Tukluk. But...you never answered my question. What have you seen down there?” asked Chuck.

Tukluk looked around, though the place was clearly empty.

“Offices, labs, beds, computers...lots of files. I don’t have access to the whole place but there is something...someone, interesting down there.”

“What do you mean, someone. A doctor?”

“No...a patient. A prisoner, actually. His name is Todd.”

Chuck stopped eating.

“What the fuck do you mean a prisoner? This isn’t a locked facility. Is it?”

“Not as far as I know,” said Mike. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’ve seen him...talked to him. He’s been here for three years.”

“Three years! Why is he here? Perhaps he’s a patient. Is he being quarantined? Is he ill?”

“That’s what I thought at first. I was told he was insane as were all the others who worked in the private lab. But, I’ve gotten to know him and he’s as healthy as any of you far as I can tell. He’s...unusual...intelligent and handsome with the eyes of the amaruit...the wolf. But, there are armed guards down there and he hasn’t been out of that cell in three years.”

“What the fuck is going on in this place? It sure as hell doesn’t sound legal.”

Tukluk took another drink, his tongue loosening with every sip.

“And another thing. They brought in a new patient last week and the place has been sealed tight ever since. They been drawing blood from Todd and giving blood transfusions to that strange new patient. Dr. Reese and Dr. Crespo have been down there around the clock, shut in that room with the new patient. I saw them come out this morning when I had trash detail, and they looked very worried. They were arguing all the way down the hall but I couldn’t hear what they said.”

“So now there are two mysterious patients in the place. Tukluk...you’ve got to get us in there. Come on, there must be a way.”

“The last person who snuck down there disappeared remember?”

“Bullshit! Wanda just got sick of the place and split. Come on, Tukluk, you said yourself the funding for this place is gone. We probably won’t be here more than a few weeks so what the fuck? Let’s solve the mystery of ‘The Man In The Basement’ why don’t we?” Chuck swallowed another drink and watched Tukluk.

“How did Wanda get past the guard?” asked Mike, chewing the last of his burger.

Tukluk smiled.

“I’m afraid she took the guard a bowl of my famous Inuit chili, with a special ingredient provided by Wanda. Apparently it didn’t agree with him and he was...indisposed for a while.”

“That’s fucking brilliant, Tukluk. We can put something in their food and they can sleep for a while. Sounds like a plan. How about tomorrow night? I hear all the bigwigs will be going to Richard’s Island for a powwow so the place will be quiet for a few hours and there are only a few guards at night.”

“I’m in. I’m curious as hell about this,” said Mike, kicking back another scotch.

Tukluk shook his head.

“I don’t know. This place is more dangerous than either of you realize, but...I’ll help you get down there on one condition.”

“What?” asked Chuck, putting his glass down.

“That you’ll help me free that young man. He’s being held here against his will, away from his family. He’s strong but, he’s losing hope...I don’t think he can take much more.”

Chuck and Mike looked at one another.

“Why us? Why haven’t you helped him break out?” asked Chuck.

Tukluk stiffened.

“I’m finishing up a 5 year prison sentence, man. I’m on work release here and can’t leave the premises...only one more month and I’m a free man. All the help here is from the prison over in Tuktoyaktuk...free labor. There’s no way for me to get help for him. Also, you may not be aware of this but, all your phone calls to the outside are monitored...so, be careful what you say to anyone.”

Chuck Springer stared at Tukluk and weighed the situation.

“Oh, hell, why not? But, I think we need to talk to him first, make sure he’s not a psychopath or something.”

Tukluk nodded.

“Okay. Bring me something during the day to put in the guards’ evening meal, I take them their dinner at seven. Meet me here at eight.”

Chuck poured them all another drink. They raised their glasses, clinked them together and drank to their adventure.

*****

2003 Copyright by Trog







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