My name is James Phoenix; and I was born in 1992. The current year is 5743. In the year 2000 scientists found a new, incredibly rare, blood type that would speed up the body’s natural healing ability and cure most illnesses; this blood was known as ABZ type and only seven people in the world had it. This new blood type was compatible with all other blood types, besides another with the same blood, as one scientist found out. When mixed with the same blood ABZ becomes volatile and deadly; the blood boils and becomes a gas. It's more potent than sulfuric acid and turns dead and useless flesh into ash, as I've learned when I had my arm cut off.
My brother Isaac and I were diagnosed with an advanced version of it. Our blood was used in 2008 to cure all diseases. After that, Isaac joined the army where he was accepted into a very ‘special’ program; three years later he stopped all contact completely.
The year is now 2013, and the army had come to me asking if I wanted to join my brother. I stupidly agreed. They had taken me to a secret facility where they were testing to see if they could enhance the power of our blood, they had all seven of the ones with this blood type. After asking to be taken to my brother, and being denied every single time, I snuck out of my ‘room’-it was more like a cell really- and explored the base.
After searching through what seemed like the whole base, I heard the general walking towards me. I searched and hid in a dark corner. He walked right by me and up to a wall where he looked around before pressing a hidden button on the flat surface, which opened up into a corridor. I stared from my hiding place until he walked in and the wall closed behind him. Several hours later he came back out and looked around again before heading back to his quarters.
A few seconds of decision making later, curiosity had gotten the better of me and I checked around before searching for the hidden button-finding it quickly. The wall slides open with a slight hiss, the interior of the corridor it hid was very dark and I had a nagging sense that I should just leave and forget that was there. I disregarded it as some silly paranoia and proceeded through the dark hall, lit only by the light from behind.
The wall closed shut leaving me in total darkness before a few lights dimly flickered on. I looked up at the ceiling and saw the aged fluorescent lights and I thought to myself: You’d think they’d be those energy saving bulbs. I continued down the hall that had gone from a straight path to a set of stairs. That nagging feeling made me want to turn back but I kept going, moving deeper and deeper into the bowels of the base.
When I had reached the end nothing could’ve prepared me for what lay beyond a door at the base of the steps. I pressed a button next to a door and it silently slid open revealing Isaac, my older brother, strapped to a large machine with several tubes sucking blood from his bone thin body. His gaze slowly looked me over before he uttered words that would haunt me for the rest of my life, “Kill... me.” his voice had changed from a very upbeat, cocky, and carefree tone to the tortured raspy voice he now held. I stood in the doorway in horror staring at the sight, Isaac pointed to a table next to him with his thin arms.
I slowly walked over to the table and saw a few straps and some tubes that connected to the machine Isaac was in, “What are they doing to you?” I asked him
“They are like vampires.” He answered.
“What is the table for?” I asked already knowing what he was going to say.
“It's their fangs.” I knew what he wanted me to do.
“I can’t do it Isaac, I can’t kill you.” I said being torn apart, I wanted to stop his suffering but I didn't want to kill him. Tears began falling from his eyes.
“Please… This hurts.” He said bringing tears to my eyes.
I walked over to him and leaned on his bare chest gingerly, thinking the bones were brittle and would break on contact, "Why are they doing this?" I asked to no one in particular. He patted my back before repeating his request.
“Please… Do it for me.” I looked into his eyes and nodded before walking back to the table and there was a single button on the left side under one of the straps. I hoisted myself onto the table and lay down, putting my hands over the straps. I put my finger over the button and stopped.
“I-I can’t do it.” I looked at my brother’s tear stained face and I couldn’t bear letting him continue hurting, so I pressed the button and immediately the straps wrapped around my wrists, thighs, chest, and ankles. I was shocked and began trying to fight my way off, but the straps held me down firmly.
I was beginning to hyperventilate when the tubes connected to the table rose quickly from their resting place, stabbing into several veins. I grunted from the pain and turned to Isaac, I watched as the blood was being drawn out of his body through clear tubes, into the machine, and finally into my own bloodstream. From what I heard I had thought I would melt from the inside out by my own blood.
I passed out; the last words I heard were Isaac’s, “Thank you.” I awoke a few hours later; my body was aching all over. I sat up from the table and remembered, “Isaac!” I turned to the machine next to the table, Isaac had stopped moving and the blood in the tubes had dried. I checked his pulse, nothing.
I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing, but I did what he would’ve done here: I stood up straight and saluted "Rest in peace." The door opens up yet again, to the one scientist who was supposed to be supervising me. His eyes widened with shock upon seeing me, but that quickly changed into anger when he saw Isaac. “What did you do!?” He ran to Isaac, pushing me to the floor in the process, and went straight to a terminal next to the machine. He quickly pressed buttons and finished by looking back at me with a very fierce gaze, “You killed him didn’t you?” he said, his tone matching his gaze. I stood up and he grabbed my shirt and lifted me up, “You just ruined years of research!” He shook me as he spoke, “How did you do it?” he said before he saw the table and threw me to the ground, making me see spots.
He ran to the table and saw dried blood on the tubes, “You transfused his blood with your own? How are you still alive?” he looked over his shoulder at me with amazement for a second before it returned to the anger. He walked over to me and put me back on the table, strapping me down. “I don’t care how you survived; I’m going to end you.” He said before walking over to a panel on the wall and opening it to reveal a plethora of tools. The scientist grabbed a bone saw and returned to the table I was on while dragging his finger across the serrated edge. “I’m going to cut your limbs off then leave you somewhere in the forest.”
He did what he said he was going to; first he cut my legs off then the arms. He then put my torso in a bag and took me to the general, “This man here destroyed our little project. His limbs were destroyed in the process. I say we leave him in the middle of the forest.” The general looks at the bag the scientist was carrying.
He nodded, “So be it. Make sure none see you.” The scientist smirks and nods before leaving his quarters and walking through the base.
Several hours later he finally tossed me to the floor next to a tree, spat on me and left. I lay there next to the tree, unable to say anything due to the pain I was still feeling. I lay there occasionally hearing growling, howling, and twigs snapping. The sun had set by the time I felt my newly acquired stumps begin to burn. At first it was a warm sensation that steadily grew until it felt like there was lava on them. I was only able to scream from the pain. I looked at my left arm and saw a bone growing, tendons and ligaments growing next, muscle, fat, and skin growing last. Meanwhile the scientist had returned to Isaac to dispose of the body, and saw there were ash piles where he left my limbs. He disregarded this and continued to unhook Isaac.
This excruciating pain was indescribable. I had no idea how long it had been going on before my limbs had regrown. I hesitantly tested out my arms and legs before I picked myself up, it felt like they were never cut off. I smiled and wiped the dried blood off my arms, my smile disappeared quicker than it arrived when I remembered Isaac. I then began to panic when I heard growling and saw several glowing eyes.
I had gotten away from the wolf pack without too many injuries, and found myself on the roadway leading towards the base. I saw lights coming towards me, a large car stopped when it came into view and the same scientist who severed my limbs appeared from the inside. “You’re still alive!” he yelled. I turned and ran away. I looked over my shoulder to see him aiming at me with a large gun. I heard the bang and I felt the bullet go through my knee before I collapsed from stepping on them. He walked over to my body and I noticed his shocked gaze.
At the moment I didn't know what happened, I now know what he was surprised about, my blood was bubbling but instead of burning through my leg it closed the wound and left ash from burnt skin on it. He smiled and reached down for me, I quickly grabbed his arm and pulled it towards me before raising my other hand and punching him in the face as hard as I could which sent him sprawling to the side, bleeding from his broken nose. I stood up and looked at a guard that came out before running again.
That day the scientist, named John Stratton, when on live television that was broadcasted worldwide saying that he had found a new blood that could cure anything and regrow limbs, he said, “I have discovered a new blood type that was created by putting two subjects with the ABZ blood together. Of the two subjects only one survived, James Phoenix. I will name this new type Phoenix blood on behalf of the other subject Isaac Phoenix.” The day he said this was the day everyone was after me. Those who are after my blood I called them vampires because they were going to drain my blood like vampires.
I had gone into hiding half a year later, and I kept in touch with my family. That was a horrible idea; my Uncle Darren had found my letters and told the government I had been contacting them, for a large sum of money. The general and John then kidnapped my family and sent out a message directed at me. “James, if you want to see your family alive then come to the base so we can start mass producing your blood.” The general said while John was in the background holding a pistol. “Don’t do it James! Stay hidden we’ll be okay.” My younger sister said before John shot her in the back of the head, “The clock’s ticking.” He said before putting the gun to my father’s head.
I had gone back to the base and they tied me down to kill the rest of my family in person. They put me in a cell and I was sitting on the floor, my parent’s blood still on my body, unable to sleep. After a few days a guard came in to bring me to the same machine Isaac was put in, I walked up to him and head-butted him as hard as I could which had knocked him out, I picked up his gun and left the cell. A guard had warned me to drop the gun; instead I just raised the gun and shot twice, the bullets going through his neck and between his eyes.
I began running through the base killing everyone that tried to stop me. When I reached the exit I turned back and saw the splatters from guards along with their dead corpses. I reached for the button that opened the door when I heard John, “Stop! I’m not going to let you leave with your blood.” He said from behind. I slowly turned and got a bullet to my left shoulder, he was holding the same pistol. I looked at my shoulder and watched the hole close before I looked back at John. We stared at each other in silence, the only noise coming from the blaring alarm, “Now come quietly.” John said, lowering the barrel slightly. Immediately I raised my gun, and he pulled the trigger. I dove to the side, getting shot by a few stray bullets, and fired. John stood there bleeding from the holes I had put in him. I stood up, feeling the same burn from my blood healing me, and tossed the gun aside.
I left the base only to be met with more guards. I had gotten away and hid in the forest for a few days before they stopped looking and I left to the nearest town. When I arrived I saw a broadcast with the general he was saying that I had killed everyone in the base including my own family and that I was to be killed on sight. Everyone I met tried to be nice but they all had a ‘plan’ to take my blood. I wasn’t able to trust anyone. After twenty years, I should’ve looked old but instead I just look 23. I think my blood is the cause, I had also met a man with no name, he was the only trustworthy man I had met since the ‘incident’ until now, I had met an ex doctor turned inventor, his name is Jordan Andres and he has been an aid to my running.
“Here try this out.” He said handing me a very large rectangular watch.
“What is it?” I asked holding the watch at arm’s length, “It’s not like your smoke grenades is it?” Jordan rolled his eyes.
“No it’s not, but come on my smoke bombs weren’t that bad.” I stared at him.
“It blew my arm off.” I said remembering the first time I used them, most of the smoke it made came from burning rubble.
“Well it grew back didn’t it?” he said spinning in his chair.
I sighed and reluctantly put the watch on. “So what does this do?” I asked and John grabbed my arm with the watch,
“Okay, this button should turn you invisible.” He said pointing to a large button, “This one can teleport you.” He pointed to the button next to it. “When you teleport you have to put in some coordinates then push the button again.” He explained, “And this last button tells you the current time.” I lift the watch close to my eyes.
“So no lasers?” He shook his head, “No weapons of any kind?” again he shook his head, “Good, nothing can blow me up now.” His face dropped as he added.
“Well then I guess you don’t want the antidote.” He said turning away in his spinning chair.
My eyes widen and I turn him around, “You found one!?” he smiles in response.
“Yes I did, it took a while but here it is.” He said passing me a syringe filled with an orange substance.
“So this can kill me? Are you sure it won’t make this worse?” I asked still looking at the syringe. He nods slowly.
“It destroys cells completely. But you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.” He said, but I couldn’t hear him past my own thoughts, I can’t believe this ends.
I raise my sleeve and look at Jordan. “Thank you Jordan, now I hope this works.” I raise the syringe and stick it in my arm and press the plunger, injecting the serum. When all the serum was gone, I pulled the syringe out and tossed it to the floor. I began to feel the same warm sensation from my body healing, the heat and pain increased to that of re-growing a limb and kept getting worse.
I fell to the floor and blacked out from the unspeakable pain with a smile on my face from a single thought: It's finally over.