Ronnie had been getting out of the shower when Nina walked into the bathroom, he saw the woman's face turn red as she spun around, stammering that she was sorry then heading out the door quickly. Ronnie could tell it seemed like something else was going on with the doctor as well, as if she seemed distracted or something.
Ronnie got changed and walked back into the living room where Dr. Jamieson was sitting, still watching the various news stories about the happenings in Chicago. Due to the fact that the terrorists had pretty much seemingly sealed off Chicago, there seemed to be sparse reports, and the reports that did filter through didn't seem to have a lot of information."I still don't get why the army hasn't stepped in yet, they have protocol in place, Spec Ops has been training a response team for a crisis like this for years, I don't get what the issue is" Ronnie said, obviously frustrated. "Maybe they just need somebody to get the ball rolling" Ronnie said, already thinking of the different ways he could try and begin to help out. "They seem to be split up between these three locations, the Sears Tower, Solider Field and the United Center. My guess is Sears Tower is what they're using as their command center, with all those trucks right there I'm guessing United Center is where all the prisoners are being held...and then see...there's a whole bunch at the stadium there as well, maybe acting as some sort of temporary barracks or something" Ronnie said watching the different clips of video footage taken from passing planes and helicopters.
"Mr.Cage, it would seem to me that right now, engaging in any altercation with these men would be ill-advised. I mean you are a very incredible man....but you're still only one man....numbers would eventually catch up to you. Yes you can re-generate yourself, but even at the rapid rate your body regenerates it doesn't mean you're invinceable...if you sustained enough continual damage your body eventually would not be able to keep up, and eventually it would become fatal" Dr. Jamieson stated in a calm manner.
"Doc, when I joined the army I volunteered to give my life for my country and for the people of this country, if it came to that and it's a vow I still hold. If it's going to take me making that sacrifice to stop these guys, then so be it. Better one less freak in the world then losing hundreds or even thousands of innocent people" Ronnie said, still seeing red.
"But you aren't...a freak...as you put it. You are an incredible specimen, you could hold the key to untold advances in human technology, you have the ability to re-generate. Imagine if scientists could determine why and how your body is able to do that, we could apply that new found information to soldiers, police officers, cancer patients, what scientists could learn from your DNA could save millions. Imagine never losing another soldier in combat? Imagine what that would do globally, if no army could lose soldiers, it could lead to the end of wars as we know them...what would be the point if it would just result in a stalemate?" Dr. Jamieson's voice elevated as he seemed to be getting excited at the possibilities he mentioned.
"So you want me to become some sort of lab rat? Getting poked and prodded, kept in a cage with some spinning wheel? Putting me under a microscope to see if I choose the cheese or the electric shock? No fucking way!" Ronnie snapped.
"Not at all Mr. Cage, simply a handful of blood samples could tell us an untold amount more about the human body and it's ability to evolve. You wouldn't be some lab rat...one time giving blood samples and that'd be all we need, perhaps somewhere down the road do a skin swab for skin cells, but that would be it, no tests needed, no poking or prodding...it could change the world as we know it Mr.Cage" Jamieson implored.
Ronnie looked at Jamieson, "Did you say 'we'?" he said, turning towards the doctor. "Is this why you saved me...so you could preserve me as your little experiment, maybe I'm your key to some fucking Nobel Prize or something is that it?" Ronnie asked angrily. He then looked outside, seeing the carnage left behind by the terrorists on the streets outside, then looked back at Jamieson. "This has to be the only building in the entire block that terrorists never entered...you keep saying 'We', and talking me out of going out to fight these guys...what the fuck is the deal Jamieson?" Ronnie asked.
Jamieson looked away for a moment, clearly uncomfortable, shifting in his chair for a moment before looking back at Ronnie with an annoyed look on his face, as if somebody had just discovered some secret he had been hiding. "It's not what it seems Mr.Cage." Jamieson said plainly. "This isn't mass murder or some act of terrorism...it's the beginning of the next evoloution. I may have not told you the entire truth, you see Dr. Kolzig wasn't a friend of mine, in fact Dr. Kolzig never existed....I was one of the scientits. I saw how the governments were planning to use Xynex, and it was horrible. So myself and my colleague, Dr. Thaddeus Auclair, decided we would take action, secure a batch of Xynex for ourselves and be ready when the time came. Thaddeus is the one leading these men, and trust me Mr.Cage, it's not what it seems" Jamieson said.
"You're PART OF THIS?" Ronnie said, his hands starting to glow as he realized Jamieson had been a part of this mess all along. "Give me one good reason why I don't just fry you right here and now" Ronnie said glaring at Jamieson.
"Mr.Cage listen to me, eventually the time will come where human beings as we know them today will cease to exist, things like SARS, and H1N1, there are more and more lethal viruses being formed out there, some of them entirely by nature it's self, in the inner circles of science, researchers have speculated for years that the human race will begin to decline to do the increase in these lethal viruses, the Doom's Day Meteor astronomers talk about is nothing, there is a Doom's Day Pandemic on it's way much sooner that will do far more damage to the Global population, only those with these abilities, your abilities, people treated and successfully carrying Xynex will be able to survive, it could lead to a new age of humanity. You're the first one we know of who has these abilities...people trust you, you're a hero...if you stand together with the NEP we won't need to keep on with the violence. The government will listen to us...to you, people need a leader, and when people start forming their new abilities they will need a leader, somebody to follow, somebody they can trust....somebody like you. Help us save those we can, help us preserve the human race...join us Mr. Cage" Jamieson said, laying out his sell job in front of Ronnie. Despite his anger, if what Jamieson said was true...it was a convincing sales pitch.
"I....I....I dunno what to think right now" Ronnie said, debating the decision sitting right in front of him. That's when he noticed Nina standing in the entrance to the hallway.