*All characters copyrighted to Poseidon Simons

Chapter 3

Confusion

 

                Don watched Griffin leave, confusion clouding his thoughts.  It had barely registered that he had seen someone who looked like himself.  A moment after Griffin was gone, James appeared.  That was another strange thing.  For all Griffin's strength, he'd been so quiet that, not only had Don not heard Grffin arrive, he had barely heard Griffin leave.  He couldn't do much other than wait while James came closer.  He called out once more, but he was feeling too sick for much more than a soft shout, "James, over here..."

                "Don?"  James appeared around a tree, "What happened?"

                Don wanted to protest when James picked him up, but he was rapidly losing what strength he had, so James had his way.

                James gave Don a smile, "Well, wait 'till you see what Christina got me!"

 

                James, after dumping Don onto a couch, brought out the tiny guitar figurine, "Look at the detail on this!"  He shoved it close to Don's face.  The guitar, though small, really looked like it was playable.  Oh, it wasn't.  Everything on the guitar was stiff plastic, but the detail on it was unbelievable!  You could almost see what would have been the insignia had it been full size.  Player had even found that if you were careful, you could turn the small knobs on the guitar.

                This was impressive, considering the guitar itself was smaller than the palm of his hand.  Don nodded, but he looked uninterested.  His eyes drooped heavily.  Soon, he was asleep.  Johnny crawled from Poseidon's backpack, which had been placed on the floor by the couch, "Uh..."  He flew to Don and landed lightly on his chest, "Don doesn't look so good...shouldn't we get a doctor?.."

                Don's eyes shot open when Johnny suggested that, "NOT HUMAN!!!!!"  He screamed.  He made a grab for Johnny, but Johnny ducked before Don could find him.  Poseidon settled for James instead, "PLEASE!!!!!  No humans!!!!!!!!.. ...oh..."  Don passed out again.

 

                Griffin sat in his training room, unable to understand what he'd done wrong.  When he had returned from his meeting with Poseidon, his father had looked ready to kill him!  Why?  Wasn't Poseidon like him?  Didn't that mean the two of them could be allowed to see each other?  What had he done wrong?.."Well...I DID disobey a direct order...I was supposed to exterminate him.  Instead, I got to know him, think of him as a friend..."  Griffin began pedaling on his bike.  He was unable to concentrate on the book in front of him though, "Father said I wouldn't be allowed outside at all today...I ruined my chance to look for Poseidon again.  I hope he can wait until tomorrow..."  But then there was that problem about Poseidon's health.  He looked like he'd been poisoned or something.  Depending on how heavily Poseidon had been poisoned, he might not even be there tomorrow!  It should have been okay...after all, Poseidon was supposed to be the enemy.

                ...so why did he feel so sad?  What was this strange emotion coming over him?  He...he longed for...for what?  All he knew was that he had never seen anything else like him before Poseidon, and that now, after meeting this fellow creature, he couldn't take his mind away.  He wanted to know more about Poseidon, wanted to find out if there were MORE of him somewhere...if he might have more of a family besides Father...

                How could that be so bad?  What HAD he done wrong?

 

                Over the course of the day, David found himself the unwilling caretaker of Poseidon.  He knew more, it seemed, about medicine than James did.  It was somewhat obvious that he knew more than Christina.  The problem was, being so close to these strange creatures made him nervous.  He wanted to be AWAY from these things once and for all, but Christina's closest friend was one of these creatures!  How could he do that to her?  He sighed and placed a fresh washcloth on Poseidon's head.  At least this creature was nicely quiet...not as active as James.  He could be a little more at ease with Poseidon than James...not much, but more.  The fact that Poseidon was sick and asleep made things much more bearable.

                He took the cloth away and felt Poseidon's forehead.  There was still no change in his temperature.  It seemed worse, in fact.  Poseidon kept squirming in his sleep, taunted by some strange dream...or nightmare.  Sweat sprang up and slid quickly down his forehead and face, creating the way for an almost steady stream of sweat.  Whatever had made him sick had gotten him fairly well.  Unable to do much else, David took to placing an icepack on Poseidon's forehead instead.  He had wrapped it in a towel...actually, he had wrapped several up and placed them at various parts of the body.  They heated up quickly while near Poseidon, his fever melting the ice much faster than anything David had ever seen.

                Not good.  If this dangerous fever kept up, Poseidon wouldn't have much longer left.  He needed hospital help, and needed it SOON.  David debated over what to do: reveal Poseidon to the world, and help him get better, or leave him unnoticed and probably have him die.  There was NO way news of Poseidon wouldn't get out.  He had his hand on the phone.  He could call the same doctor they'd had when James had been shot.  David was sure he would have to pay a LOT extra to keep the man quiet again, but it was Poseidon's best chance..."Yes, hello?  This is David...do you remember the last time I called you?..I thought so...we have a new patient that desperately needs attention...yes, yes, I KNOW what I'll have to pay...TRIPLE THAT?!!!!  It'll take my whole year's SALARY to pay that off!!!!  But I thought...Yes!  I know you're the only one who's willing to help!  I'll pay!  I'll pay!  Just get over here!!"  David hung up the phone.  A whole year's salary...damn.

                He looked at Poseidon.  He'd started thrashing a little.  Much longer and Poseidon would NOT live...David could always break into his savings.  He'd kept those aside in case they might ever have to spend an enormous amount.  This qualified.  He sadly picked up the phone once more, called his bank, and prepared to close his account.

 

                Christina made James hide while the doctor worked on Don.  It was simple to keep him amused, but he kept trying to go back, and it became increasingly harder to hold his attention, "James, do you want to go for a walk?"

                James looked back at her, then suddenly he yipped happily and bounded back.  Christian sighed gratefully and took him away from the house.  Keeping him close to her proved just as hard as it had been keeping him away from the doctor.  She DID manage to do it though...

 

                "Sir, two people are on the radar."

                Beremin sighed, "Send the drones this time."  He had WANTED to send Griffin again, but Griffin hadn't come through the last time.  He might not be able to attck these two, either.  If Griffin was beginning to have his second thoughts ALREADY, things could be getting dangerously out of hand.

                As the man sent out the drones, Beremin checked the moniter in Griffin's room.  He was thinking about something, turning it over in his mind...yes, Griffin was beginning to have a mind of his own.  They were in the final stage of development.

                This would be the deciding factor.

 

                A strange scent had been bugging James this entire time.  He had WANTED to go investigate, but Christina had kept him firmly by her side.  Distractions from her were always fun...but this smell kept coming back, stronger than before.  What was the smell?..James turned and sniffed the air a few times.  He started off in the direction of the smell, but Christina held him back once again.

                "No James...don't.  If the doctor saw you, he might not help Don."  James could see it in Christina's eyes that she didn't want to see anything bad happen.

                But he wasn't TRYING to see Don, he was trying to find out what that wierd smell was!  With a sudden jerk, he freed himself from her hands and, after barking at her to follow, went off in the direction the smell was coming from.  About half-way, he came back to himself..."Christina?.."

                "James!"  She shouted, "Stop running off like that!  You KNOW that the doctor shouldn't see you!!"

                James waited for her then smiled, "I wasn't trying to go back there...I smelled something.  I've been wanting to--"

                CRASH!!!!

                James jumped back, grabbing Christina and taking her with him.  Something was coming toward them!  He put Christina behind him and looked around furiously for whatever it was.

                CRASH!!!!

                It was getting closer!  For a split second, James saw something metallic gleam in the distance.  From then on, if he looked hard enough, he saw similar flashes.  These things, whatever they were, had formed a semi-circle around himself and Christina.  The two of them backed up, but the metallic things kept coming closer.

 

                Griffin gazed longingly up at the closed skylight.  For a second, he thought about breaking the glass above him and flying away, knowing he could easily do so...but that would make Father even more angry...what if, by doing this, Griffin was never again let outside?  He didn't want to chance it, and yet...to clear his mind, he flew up, getting as close to the glass as he could, even going so far as pressing his face on the glass in hopes of seeing some trees.  Just seeing them again would make him feel better...right?

                No, that wasn't it.  He wanted to talk with Poseidon.  He knew that much.  It fascinated him that he wasn't the only creature like himself on the planet.  He wanted to know where this one had come from, where...if...if there were any others like him.  As he gazed up at the sky, face now off the glass, he sighed, wishing he could be out there again, feeling REAL wind on his face, smelling the strange scents that accompanied the trees and wildlife.  He wanted, he realized, freedom.  Freedom?  He'd never wanted that before.  He'd always felt perfectly fine in this building.  His entire life, save earlier that morning, had been spent inside.  Why then..."What?  What are you doing?!!!"  He shouted out.  A metal wall was covering the glass, slowly cutting him off from his last hope of seeing the outside. 

                His father spoke over the intercom, "I'm sorry Griffin, but this is the penalty for disobeying.  You are not even allowed to view outside until tomorrow."

                "What?  But Father--"

                "Silence!  Continue your training, and stay at peace, or I will be forced to discover an even WORSE punishment!"

                Griffin, eyes beginning to moisten with tears, accepted his punishment.  He waited as the darkness was taken away by the building's lights...weeping.  He couldn not remember ever crying before...it felt so strange, so new...more healing than what his micro-chip could do...and with the tears came thoughts.  Things he had, previously, thought insane for him to think, sprang up, sounding more reasonable than anything else.  He would run away.  When no one was watching, he would leave.  He'd FIND Poseidon, and see if there were any others like him...he didn't want to stay in this place, his home, any longer.  He'd KILL to get out if he had to...

 

                Beremin gazed at Griffin's reaction.  It was exactly like he'd predicted.  With that ONE move, Griffin was now sure he had better ideas.  NOW would be the time to crush his defiance, or risk it resurfacing later.  They had to move while he still felt he could do what HE wished, "Begin the obedience program!  NOW!!!!"

                One of the many people at the computers nodded and typed in a coded program.  Seconds later, on Griffin's moniter, it began.

 

                "What?!  NO!!!  NO NO NO!!!!!!!!"  Griffin wanted to shout, but he couldn't open his mouth.  He couldn't do anything!  It just kept coming closer and closer...it seemed that, the more he struggled, the worse off he was.  What had happened?!  At first, he'd been calmly riding the stationary bike.  The next second it had, in the strangest way, attacked him!  EVERYTHING was against him!  The weight lifting machines were blocking the exit.  One was even shooting it's weights out AT Griffin!  Those oh-so-innocent punching bags he was used to breaking had begun swinging around in wild arcs.  How did the chains HOLD them?!  Somehow, he'd gotten tangled in the climbing ropes.  These ropes were continuous...normally.  They had somehow broken and were HOLDING him there!  The stationary bike was speeding toward him...he braced himself for impact, or so it seemed.  He was, in fact, preparing to jump up, for his legs, though they dangled and barely touched the floor, were still strong enough.  At the last second, he managed to spring up, out of harms way...but then his legs got tangled in the ropes as well.  At least he was out of the way of that bike..."WHAT?!!!!"  He shouted, unbelieving.  A chain, one he'd never seen before, and a large one at that, dropped from where the ropes dangled.  It struck him hard on his exposed back, throwing him out of the ropes and into the bike's path.  He scrambled to his feet and grabbed the bike when it got close enough.  His immense strength actually held it back.  A few quick punches broke the bike beyond movement.

                Now all he had to worry about was that machine still shooting those weights at him.  Speaking of which...Griffin whirled, catching a weight in one hand before it could hit him.  He threw the weight back at the machine, smiling grimly when it jammed the machine up.  He rushed in and broke the machine before it could repair itself...but that didn't stop the other two machines from beginning THEIR attack.  One machine, a specifically HEAVY one, now blocked the door, while the other began firing off ITS ballistic weights.  He had to drop back more and more, as this machine seemed to know right where he was.  It shoved him back against the ropes...he TRIED to duck away from those, but they somehow managed to snare him again.  this time he couldn't get away...the wieghts hit him again and again, causing, on more than one occasion, his skin to tear, making bloody cuts all over his chest.  He grimaced and heaved, trying desperately to get out, but this time the chain that had hit him so hard was also holding him...he couldn't break that with the position he was in...

                By the time all was quiet, he had given up.  Eyes closed, he waited where he was trapped, hoping that someone would come free him.

                "Get up, Griffin."

                Griffin did not move except to open his eyes, "Father?.."  He panted, "What are...what...why did you let this happen?.."

                His father stayed where he was, "You know quite well why, Griffin."

                "But I've ALWAYS obeyed you...never questioned your authority...I trusted you..."

                His father shook his head, "No you haven't.  Stop lying.  You're terrible at it."

                "BUT I DID TRUST YOU!  I'VE OBEYED YOU SINCE MY BIRTH!  I TOOK YOUR WORD FOR TRUTH!!!!  WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME?!!!!!!"  He shouted, on the verge of sobbing again.

                His father approached him, gently lifted his head so their eyes met, then said, "Because you wanted to break out.  I saw the look on your face when we cut the daylight from you.  Rebellion.  If I'm going to trust YOU, I need to know you will always obey me without question.  If EVER, I see the sort of behavior I witnessed earlier, this will seem pleasant compared to what I have planned.  Probably hilarious.  I do not tolerate disobedience.  You already knew this.  Why must you continue to make the lessons so harsh?"

                Griffin was suddenly let lose from the ropes.  He collapsed on the floor, but answered, "Because Poseidon didn't look harmful."

                "Who?"

                "When I was sent out to eradicate the intruders, the only one I found was weak, sick.  He'd been badly poisoned.  I didn't mention anything, but I recognized the poison.  Father, you told me that ALL of the defenses had been taken out by this single man.  He had been poisoned by that plant you have around the base!  The FIRST defense had been the one to take care of him!  I don't know if he's even alive!  I tried to heal him, but I can't remove poisons without draining myself.  You had lied to me..."  He gazed up at his father, pleading, "I was curious!  He--I had never even known there were more like me!  Father, he was ME!"

                A look of shock passed over his father, but it left as soon as it had come, "I see...tell you what, Griffin.  I'll let you in on what's really happening if you'll start listening and STOP going against orders."

                "But I barely did!  It happened only twice!  I--"  Griffin shut his mouth.  Twice had not been the number he'd wanted to say.  It implied he had disobeyed before this...

                "Twice, Griffin?"

                "I..."  Griffin didn't want to say it...but it was too late now, "I had been thinking of running away...before this."

                His father nodded, as if he had been expecting as much, "Just don't do that again.  Do we have a deal?"

                Griffin slowly nodded.

                "Good."  His father smiled again...why was he smiling so much?

                Poseidon's true story shocked him.