“It’s only the masters that matter. Those who create.” Pablo Picasso
You hear it every time someone makes a huge mistake. In every film or book when something terrible has taken place and the fear grips you a single sentence or remorse escapes your lips.
“What have I done?”
None of us have the chance to say it aloud but I know it is what we are all thinking. The guards rush into the room just as Victor frees himself. One guard dives at Victor only to be caught mid-air by the throat. Victor tosses him aside as if he were but a sheet of paper. The sound of his neck snapping on impact causes us all to jump. Timms makes a run for the door and suddenly finds himself on his stomach with Victor on his back.
“Someone stop him!” Ripley shouts. Victor puts his fist through Timms head hard enough to dent the floor. He dies instantly. Jim grabs Dr. Rivers and I and pulls us to the other side of the room.
“This is exactly what I said would happen!” Jim says.
“Does it feel good to be right?” Dr. Rivers asks him.
“No” he replies.
Five more guards enter and dive on top of Victor. The begin to hit him with batons that contain electrical charges. Victor stands and the guards fly off of him like children atop a giant. He takes on of the batons and looks at it as if he has never seen such a thing. Actually, he has not. He pokes at his hand with it and seems confused. He then pokes one of the guards with it who begins to scream. You can almost smell the pieces of the puzzle being put together in his mind. He is understanding pain.
One of the guards grabs Victor from behind. Victor begins to leave the room while dragging the guard. A moment later a head is tossed into the room. Dr. K’Malan crosses himself as sirens begin to blare throughout the building. Dr. Pruet walks over to the head and bends down, only inches from it.
“He’s dead” she says.
“You think?!” Ripley shouts. “Are there anymore guards?!” A voice booms over speakers that can not be seen.
“Do not panic. There is no need to panic. Exit in an orderly manner. Do not use the elevators. Use the stairs conveniently located on the south east corridors. Again, there is no need to panic. Thank you.”
“Fucking hell” Jim says. “Where are The Big Heads now? They’re the ones that caused this shit! They torture someone and do nothing when he loses his mind and attacks us!”
We all rush to the door just as the computer told us. Like good little lambs to the slaughter. We get there and the door will not open. We all pound on it. Nothing happens.
“Do not panic.”
“Shut up!’ Dr. Rivers shouts.
We try to pry the door open to no avail. Just then we hear a scream and turn just in time to see Victor holding a torso in one hand and an arm in the other. They do not belong to the same person.
“Do not panic.”
“Victor, there is no need for this bloodshed” I say. “You do not have to turn into a monster.”
“Monster” Victor says. “’An imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts. Giant: someone or something that is abnormally large and powerful. Freak: a person or animal that is markedly unusual or deformed. A cruel wicked and inhuman person.’” He drops the body parts and ponders for a moment. “I am not imaginary. I am strong though. Not abnormal in any sense. Cruel. Am I cruel? ‘Disposed to inflict pain or suffering.’ No, not cruel. I am just…am.”
“No, Victor” Dr. Rivers says. “You were meant for so much more than this.”
“Was I?” he asks. “I was just alive. You all brought me pain. It took a moment for me to figure out what pain was. ‘Suffering or distress.’ Yes. I was suffering. I was in distress. I had no need to feel these things. You made me. I was what you would call content. I was what I was. I was am.” He stops for a moment and looks at the blood on his hands. “Blood. Do I contain this?”
“Yes” I tell him and take a step forward. Jim grabs my arm and I pull free. “Victor, please just calm down and…”
“I am calm” he says. “’Not excited or agitated; composed.’ I am these things. What is a Victor?”
“Your name” I say.
“What does it mean?” he asks.
“Champion” Jim says.
“Champion of…?” Victor asks.
“Nothing” Ripley says. “Now just stay right there and let the guards lead you away. Everything will be fine.”
“Your heart is racing” Victor says to Ripley. “Why?”
“Because he’s afraid of you” Dr. K’Malan says.
“Why?” he asks.
“You’re covered in blood!” Jim screams. “My, God! Look at you! You shouldn’t even exist! You were created in a lab!”
“Explain” Victor says.
“I’d really rather not” Jim says. “Look. You were not born like the rest of us.”
“Explain…”
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