His Reign's Twilight Part 2

Central Command Headquarters, Government Office Section

Autarch's Office

14-3-2100

1600 Hours, Terran Time

-----------------------------------------------------

The smell of burnt fabric and human flesh mixed together and lingered in the air, presenting a foul odour to those who were unwary. A team of paramedics rushed into the room and took no heed of the smell, since their task were of more urgency. They brought with them a fold-able metal stretcher so they can transport the victim to the medical bay as fast as they can.

"Hurry!" an urgent cry went out. The paramedics dashed to the lifeless, self-combusting body lying on the floor. They laid the stretcher on the floor near the body and then one of them attempted to lift his body.

Let us just say his hand got terribly burnt. So the paramedics tried to slip the stretcher underneath the body and then carry it to the infirmary.

They were successful. For a while. The metal of it melted and gave way to the weight of the burning body, which crash-landed on the floor. 

"Out of the way! I'll carry him myself!" yelled the Autarchess. She rested her hand on the body, using her powers of thermal manipulation to decrease the body's temperature to acceptable levels. Then she carried the body on her own out of the room en route to the medical bay for treatment.

"Medics! Tell the lab they need to prepare the freezing liquid! I'll be there in around fifteen minutes!" shouted Michelle. The team of paramedics nodded in acknowledgement and radioed the doctors at the bay.

She then ran as fast as her superhuman legs could carry her, zooming through the crowds of clerks and military personnel in the hallway with the lifeless burnt body of her husband in her hands.

He was not pleased.

"Nothing? What the hell it can't be... Jose no cancer, no genetic mutation no nothing?" 

"Affirmative sir, the only problem is third-degree burns, nothing else that tells us what caused them," Joseph replied. Victor frowned.

Ayman's body glowed brightly again as it burned up again. Groans of pain was heard. Michelle immediately rushed to her husband's side and clasped his hands, absorbing as much heat as she can to stabilize his temperature to normal levels again. "Doctors, you better hurry up and come up with something! I'll keep him stable!" she shouted. 

"Uhhh...I dunno but if we take out his Elemental Core we might be able to stop the effects," suggested Victor. Michelle looked at him.

"Then do it!"

"Get ready for surgery Level 5! Wear your bio-hazard suits and make sure it's fully sealed! Tina, prep up the Laser Cutter! Felisha, get the tools! Joseph, you stay on that scanner," 

"Aye sir," answered Joseph. 

"Ma'am given his condition, our tools may not be able to remove the Core. We may need your help to do that,"

"I can," Michelle said. Victor nodded and rushed to don his bio-hazard suit. 

A few minutes later, a team of surgeons gathered, all clad in fully-sealed suits, and began work on removing Ayman's Elemental Core, which may have been producing the heat and burning him from within. Tina, mounted the Laser Cutter onto a tripod near the body and hooked the device to a power source. Victor gave the 'all go' signal to Tina. With a flick of the switch, the device hummed and whined as it charged up its capacitors. Victor marked the location of the Core. 

Tina aimed the Cutter and pressed the trigger, producing a steady beam of laser that burned through the flesh. She moved the device clockwise, effectively making a hole for the surgeons to take out the Core deep within Ayman's body. Victor removed the circular piece of burnt flesh and disposed of it. He then looked inside the body and was flabbergasted at what he had just witnessed. Instead of the red fleshy viral biomass, blood tissue and the organs modified by the Lucifer Virus, a smoking pile of yellowish-orange magma-like liquid was found. The Core was located in the middle of all that, glowing bright red as it was attempting to conduct a Hydrogen Fusion process. 

"His core is malfunctioning, it must have caused all of this," Michelle said. Victor looked at her and returned his gaze on his patient. He reached out his hand for the pair of thongs and tried to remove the Core. 

The thongs merely melted away. Victor cursed. 

"I knew it! Ma'am, I guess you have to help us," Victor turned to the Autarchess. She sighed and nodded. 

Michelle directed some of her thermal energy around her hands until they matched those of Ayman. She grabbed the Core and pulled it out, and then her hands crushed it to prevent anymore further Fusion Processes. Bits of the casing, turbines and the components dropped on the floor. 

"We've did it sir! His temperature stopped-" 

Ayman's body unexpectedly flared again, this time with a bright haunting purple glow. His body temperature began to rise again and the unconscious Autarch screamed in pain. Michelle quickly tried to absorb the heat and direct it away from him. Victor and his team of surgeons jumped back, surprised by their setback. The Autarchess turned to them, frowning in frustration.

"Victor, fill the vat with the freezing liquid. We have no choice," 

---------------------------------------------