Transformation

By Aaron Lowe

With the debut of Induction we discovered that Stephen came to college in the hopes of learning the skills needed to fuel a lucrative career. Never did he imagine he would make such good friends. However he discovers all wasn’t as it seemed and his new friends weren’t quite as human as they appeared to be. After his near fatal introduction to the hidden supernatural world of the Shroud, Stephen struggles with this new knowledge as well as the new abilities within himself.

Even while Stephen faces these new challenges his friends continue their vigil over of the college campus as an eerie peace settles in. A mysterious warning message, a sinister yet hidden enemy, and the sense that this is just the calm before the storm. All are signs that point to something deadly just over the horizon.

Join Stephen and his friends as they continue their struggles within a shrouded world...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aaron Lowe
• Release date: Feb 27, 2015
• ISBN: 9780991474332

Aaron Lowe

Aaron Lowe grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and considers the Midwest his home. He joined the U.S. Navy at 26 and finished one six year tour. During his service and after he lived in and visited many places. After leaving the service, he continued to do similar work as a civilian. He hopes to make writing a lifelong career and return home someday.

Book preview

Agent Thorpe stopped at the unassuming office door and waited while one of the armed guards radioed in to ensure that he was supposed to be there. The Shroud Enforcement and Intelligence Agency, SEIA or just the Agency to most people, took no chances when it came to the security of its information and its people. Some might think it was strange to have such a high level of protection even in the heart of the facility, but those people were not aware of the potential threat posed by the various Shroud species. In fact, the armed guards were only the most visible security measure guarding the Director’s office. Thorpe was aware of some of the other precautions but did not doubt there were more. The Director is a wily bastard after all. The thought almost made him smile. Almost. The guard on the radio looked back up at Thorpe after speaking quietly into his wrist radio and motioned him in.

Thorpe stepped inside as the other guard opened the door for him then shut it tightly after he was inside. Even though this wasn’t the first time Thorpe had been to the Director’s office he couldn’t help looking around. The room he was in was actually just the foyer with a rather large and imposing desk manned by the Director’s personal assistant. The female agent sitting by the desk seemed to pay Thorpe no mind but Thorpe knew better. One of the responsibilities of the Director’s assistant was to clear each and every visitor. It was also the assistant’s responsibility to ensure the safety of the Director while she was in her office. What might normally have been a cushy position was in fact one of the single most demanding responsibilities in the Agency. Only the most trusted and skilled agents were given a turn acting as the Director’s assistant.

Thorpe walked up to Agent Heagle’s desk and waited while she finished whatever task she was working on. After a moment she looked up at him.

Agent Thorpe. She nodded in greeting. Thorpe didn’t know Agent Heagle personally but gave her the polite and professional nod an agent in her position demanded.

Agent Heagle, he said.

Agent Macintosh is already inside with the Director. They are expecting you.

She motioned him to the door directly behind her. Thorpe nodded again and walked purposefully to the door. Its position was yet another security precaution. Agent Heagle’s desk, much like all of the doors in the office, appeared to be made of highly polished mahogany but they were all heavily armored against both firearms and other more… exotic dangers. He stopped at the door and waited for Heagle to buzz him in.

He stepped through the door and let it swing shut behind him with an audible swoosh and click. The Director’s office was hermetically sealed and had a separate air supply from the rest of the facility. The office itself was very comfortable and spacious, with a small but complete bathroom, a kitchenette and a rather large and well-stocked pantry. The office was actually one of several bunkers within the facility and was thus designed to be self-sufficient for up to a month. At the sound of a clearing throat Thorpe was startled out of his reverie and only just managed to suppress the accompanying jump. Keep your mind on the task at hand, Agent.

The Director was seated at her desk with an appraising look on her face. An appraising look that was directed at him. Agent Macintosh, seated in one of the plush chairs placed in front of the Director’s desk, was giving him an angry and insistent look. Thorpe coughed uncomfortably to break the awkward silence and came to attention.

Agent Thorpe reporting as ordered, ma’am. He was relieved to find his voice was steady and firm. The Director nodded to him politely and motioned to one of the empty chairs in front of her.

Have a seat, Agent Thorpe. She said.

He quickly seated himself as indicated and waited.

Agent Macintosh has been updating me on the situation. I’ve also reviewed your report brief. She paused for a moment, looking at him in confirmation. He nodded but kept silent. Speak when asked was the watchword when meeting with the Director. She continued. I understand you found the boy? Again he nodded. And from what I’ve read, he is still alive. This time she looked to Agent Macintosh for confirmation who nodded in return. The Director sat back with a sigh, closing her eyes and rubbing the bridge of her nose. This is a problem. Her voice was tired as she opened her eyes and looked at the agents in front of her. What are we doing about it? She looked pointedly at Macintosh.

Ma’am, given the… unusual situation, we’ve been forced to improvise. The boy will be transferred to a local hospital in Carbondale where we have some of the staff on our payroll. The Director looked thoughtful but nodded for Macintosh to continue. The cover story will be that he was the victim of another animal attack: a rabid dog in this case. That should calm down the media situation somewhat with the recent events in the area. As for the boy himself, our medical personnel are not sure how much he will remember given the severe trauma he’s endured. He didn’t sustain much in the way of injuries to his head though so it is possible he will clearly recall the entire incident. Again, we will have some of our people on hand for either eventuality. If he does remember what happened, we will get as much information from him as we can before we adjust his memory. The Director frowned in thought for a moment before slowly shaking her head. We’ll have to hold any action regarding the boy’s memory until I can clear it with Chief of Staff. Thorpe’s eyes widened in surprise but Macintosh just nodded grudgingly. He is still a citizen of this country and therefore falls under the protection of its laws. The Director continued, then gave Macintosh a significant look. I don’t know how likely it is we will get approval for memory adjustment given how unreliable it is. We should be prepared to make the boy a citizen inductee. This way we have all of our bases covered. Both of the agents sitting in front of the Director started in surprise.

An inductee? Macintosh said. Is that really a good idea? We know nothing about the boy’s reliability!

The Director looked at Thorpe. What do we know about the boy?

Thorpe was thoughtful for a moment before replying. Very little I’m afraid, ma’am. We were aware that he was rooming with the Berengati Uradel. We did a cursory background check of course, but there’s not much to tell. The boy grew up in a pinprick of a town in central Illinois. His father is a common laborer while the mother died when he was very young. He has an older sister who runs an animal shelter out of their home. He has no criminal record and very little in his medical record. Barring any kind of personality conflict, he was deemed to be a suitable roommate for the Uradel. Thorpe paused for a moment, then shook his head with a sigh. There was one thing of note though: the boy was in possession of an amulet that he acquired from Mr. Moore.

Macintosh sat up straight with shock. Evidently she’d missed that bit of information in his brief. The Director was not surprised though and was idly toying with a pen on her desk. I’m assuming we do not know why he was involved. She said it as a statement rather than a question. The Agency had long since given up trying to keep tabs on that one. Thorpe nodded. Correct ma’am. His involvement with the boy was unknown until he notified us of the situation himself.

Very well. The Director said, coming to a decision. We will move forward as planned, minus the memory adjustment for now. Macintosh. She looked sharply at the woman sitting across from her. Make sure we’re prepared for all of the eventualities discussed. Macintosh nodded, and the Director continued. Thorpe, I’m assigning you as the lead agent for this case. We need more information about what led to the attack. There is far too much Shroud activity in one small college town for my liking. Thorpe nodded as well. I want this handled quickly and quietly. I am making this a Level 2 priority so you should have any resource you need.

Thorpe’s eyes widened in shock. Level 2 priority meant the case posed a serious threat to national security. It was never assigned lightly. He had to clear his throat twice before he could answer. Yes, ma’am. Thank you ma’am. It was all Thorpe could do not to jump and shout for joy. Lead agent on a Level 2 case!! Holy shit, if I knock this one out of the park I’ll finally have a shot at the lead agent position! He managed to keep his face blank and professional though and nodded in acceptance to the Director.

Very well. She said. Let’s get this done people.

The dismissal was clear and both Macintosh and Thorpe stood, saluted the Director, and quickly left the room.

Chapter 1

It was noisy. That was the first thing Stephen’s tired mind registered. He could hear the voices of many people talking around him. Some were loud and very obnoxious, others were hushed whispers that he could barely make out. Behind it all there was something else as well. A steady beeping noise. It reminded him of his alarm clock, but that wasn’t quite right either. His alarm clock started out with one beep. Just a steady beep, beep, beep; but it quickly proceeded to a double and then triple beep before finally settling into a non-stop and irritating stream of beeps. This was just the single beep. Is my alarm clock broken? The thought was distant and hazy though, as if his mind was wrapped in a layer gauze that muffled everything. He couldn’t quite make out what the people around him were saying either. It was frustrating but he felt to exhausted he couldn’t bring himself to concentrate any harder. I wish they would all be quiet. All Stephen really wanted to do was sleep.

A sudden sharp pain on the back of his right hand jolted him out of his haze. He opened his eyes enough to see someone pinching him. The pain was less sharp now, but it still burned. Is he ever going to wake up? The voice was both sharp and concerned. A woman’s voice. Who… who it that? He will. When he is ready. A man’s voice, steady and calming. As his eyes slowly focused, he saw Shara pinching his hand, an irritated frown on her face as she stared down at him. Stephen blinked slowly and tried to ask her why she was hurting his hand, but the words wouldn’t form. His body felt almost completely paralyzed and it was all he could do to keep his eyes open. Even breathing was a struggle. What’s wrong with me?! The thought had an edge of panic not quite subdued by the strange lethargy that held him. His heart sped up as he tried to look around.

He couldn’t move his head, but his eyes were moving more easily now. Past Shara he could see a strange man he didn’t recognize standing on the other side of the room. From the desk Stephen found himself hunched over with his head on his arms, he guessed they were in some sort classroom. He wasn’t sure though since the rest of the room was hazy. He could just make out the shapes of what must have been the other people he heard talking. This group seemed to be quietly discussing something anyway. Wait, do I even have a class with Shara? The thought didn’t seem quite right, but he was too tired to figure it out. His eyes slid shut of their own volition, his exhaustion crashing over him with the implacability of a tidal wave.

He was awakened some unknown amount of time later by another sharp, burning pain. This time it was in the crook of his right elbow. He swam up from his unconsciousness slowly despite the pain, an inarticulate and barely audible groan escaping his lips. His body still felt heavy, though not quite as much as last time. He realized he was laying down on something soft and comfortable. There was a solid weight on his body from his chest on down. I’m… in bed? He tried to move his right hand and only managed to make it twitch. Still, he could feel the smooth softness of sheets on his fingertips. How did I get back to my room? He vaguely remembered falling asleep in some strange classroom. And before that there was something else. Something important. If he’d been able to, Stephen would have shaken his head in confusion. He knew there was something he should remember. Why is it so hard to think? This strange lethargy was maddening.

Oh my god! What happened?! The sudden yell made his heart skip a beat, though the jolt was only temporary. It was also achingly familiar. Theo? He struggled to open his eyes again and could just make out the figure of someone standing next to him. Please keep your voice down. It was the calming voice of the unknown man again. Why are they both in my room? His eyes slid shut again as he tried to focus on the murmur of their voices. It was a lost cause though as their voices receded into the distance and oblivion took him once again.

…

When Stephen opened eyes heavy with fatigue once again, he found himself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. He could feel that he was still laying in bed, but based on the ceiling alone he knew it wasn’t his bed. The ceiling itself was painted an unremarkable tan color. He was never very good at naming the minutely different shades of a particular color like his sister was. Tan was tan, whether it was light, dark, or somewhere in between. If Theo was there, she would probably have a fancy name for it. Windsor tan or some such. Still, it wasn’t the same shade of tan as the walls and ceiling in his dorm room. It also wasn’t made of sectioned slabs of cement. Instead it was a typical example of a drop ceiling with support bars outlining the ceiling tiles in a darker shade of tan. There was also a fluorescent light fixture with a pebbled clear plastic face. The only lights in his room were the ones he and Alex brought with them when they moved in. Stephen stared at the ceiling in confusion for what might have been a long time before an incessant beeping noise broke in on his awareness.

The noise reminded him if something. A dream maybe, but he couldn't quite recall it. Still, the beep was constant and obnoxious. He was trying to figure out where he was, but the shrill noise of the beep seemed to grow louder the harder he tried to concentrate. It even seemed to bring with it awareness of other irritations. For instance his toes felt cramped by the pressure of the blankets on his feet. That same pressure was forcing his feet to point away from each other, causing some discomfort in his ankles and knees. He also noticed that his whole body felt sore and not quite right. He tried to shift his body a little to ease some of the discomfort and had to bite back a sudden yell at the sharp pains that shot through his body. He panted in pain for a moment with his eyes squeezed shut until it passed. What happened? What’s wrong with me? The thought held an edge of panic and he felt his pulse speed up.

Stephen opened his eyes again and tried to see more of where he was without moving much. Turning his head slightly to the right didn’t hurt much and gave him a good look at a large number of strange machines and screens that were next to his bed. His thoughts were still sluggish and confused so he didn’t understand just what he was looking at right away. It was the beeping that finally gave him the clue he needed. On one of the screens there was a bright dot constantly drawing a spiky line across the screen. It seemed to follow a regular rhythm. Oh my god. He knew where he was now and exactly what he was looking at. He’d never personally experienced it, but he’d seen the setting often enough in movies and TV shows. I’m in the hospital. The realization only increased his panic and the beeping dot followed along by speeding up. There were other screens with other lines and numbers, no doubt measuring any number of his vital statistics. Right now though all he wanted to know was why he was lying hurt in a hospital. Come on, think! THINK! But panic chased away any coherence within his mind.

He tried to move his hand, but another sharp stab of pain stopped him. He managed to turn his head a little further and look down at his hand and arm. While most of his body was covered in a hospital blanket, his right arm and hand was sitting out. This was necessary because of the IV lines and other wires running from it. When he tried to move his hand again, Stephen could feel the IV needle in his hand shifting his vein if he bent his wrist too much. Fear and pain brought tears to his eyes and he felt his breath catch. Through the blur he could just make out one of the other screens that had a series of multi-colored lines on it. They spiked higher and higher as he held his breath in panic. For some reason this both distracted and entertained him. He focused on the lines and alternately held his breath, then breathed normally. He made a game of seeing just how high he could make the lines go by holding his breath as long as possible. In this way he managed to work through his panic and fear until he felt something like calm acceptance settle in. With one last deep breath, he looked away from the monitor and around the room.

The first thing he noticed, now that he was calm enough to notice anything, was the room was fairly small. His was the only bed in it so he had it to himself. To the left of his bed and almost in reach if he stretched was a large window looking out on a dark night. The curtains, very ugly curtains, were pulled back. His bed was lower than the window sill though so all he could see was a clouded night, lit in yellow relief by the city lights. In the corner of the room on his left was an empty chair with a blanket in it. Who? He turned his head too fast trying to look for the owner of the blanket, but pain stopped him with a sharp intake of breath. He paused to let it pass then looked past the monitors and machines on his right. He could see an open door leading to a dark room. Probably the bathroom. Beyond that was a closed door. He could see in the gap under the door from the probable hallway behind it. Turning his head back, he noticed a TV hanging on the wall across the foot of his bed. It was an old tube TV like the one sitting back home and with it off he could make out his fuzzy reflection from the light over his bed. The room was otherwise plain and empty.

Stephen laid back in his bed and tried to gather his thoughts. He knew he was in the hospital but had no idea how he managed to get there. The last thing I remember is… something about a bookstore? He thought about it for a moment until a vague recollection of a trip to the Barnes & Noble on the strip came back to him. That’s right, it was snowing. We were on winter break! Still, no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t remember anything after that. After a time it became too frustrating trying and failing to remember anything, so he decided to see just how hurt he was. He started with his arms. His right arm hurt of course but he couldn’t tell if that was just because of all of the damn tubes and wires or if there were other injuries as well. His left arm though was definitely tender. Even small movements brought pain. Not a good sign. Next up were his legs. Left then right. He noticed some stiffness in his right knee, but it wasn’t too bad. Well that’s not so bad. Then it was time for the rest.

Stephen shrugged his shoulders experimentally but immediately regretted it. Even that slight movement pulled the muscles and skin on his back. He held his breath again at the incredible pain washed over him from his back. After it finally passed he was sweating and exhausted with reaction. Tears of pain and fear welled up in his eyes as he stared at his blank ceiling. What the fuck happened to me? Where is everyone? Why am I alone in here? That last thought almost made him laugh. Almost. He, who couldn’t stand being around most people, was afraid of being alone. A voice of reason in the back of his mind told him it was perfectly natural to be lonely and afraid waking up in such a situation. It’s not like I have a whole lot of experience with hospitals…

Unbidden came a wash of memories he’d almost managed to forget. Memories of far too much time spent in one hospital room in particular. No, no, no! His whole body reacted to the flood of memories by tensing completely rigid. Stephen welcomed the accompanying pain as it gave him a focus to help push the unwelcome recollections back to the recesses of his mind where they belonged. He lay there as his pulse slowly returned to normal and stared at the ceiling, thinking of nothing much in particular. He was careful not to let his mind wander too much and instead followed the random patterns in the ceiling tiles, trying to make sense of the shapes. How long he lay there staring at the ceiling he wasn’t sure, but at some point sleep took him. Real sleep this time rather than the near-coma he must have been in previously. It was thankfully free of dreams of any sort. Sometime later he was awakened by a slight rustling noise.

He yawned a little, mindful of his injuries and careful not to move too much or too quickly. He looked to see what woke him up and found his sister Theo dozing in the chair in the corner of the room. The blanket that had occupied the chair earlier was now bunched up on the floor. Stephen figured that was probably the noise that woke him and couldn’t help smiling at the figure of his sleeping sister. She must have been getting food or something when I woke up last time. He felt pretty silly for panicking so much when he’d woken up earlier. He should have known either she or their father would have been here as soon as they heard something happened to him. Hell, at this point I bet they know more about what happened to me than I do! The thought made him chuckle. Or it would have if his throat and mouth weren’t as dry as old paper. The chuckle turned into a bit of a coughing fit which did nothing to help his injuries. The agony that the coughs brought on stole his breath with a gasp and he clenched his eyes shut again until the pain passed. When he opened them again, he found Theo staring at him wide-eyed astonishment.

Stephen? She said, her voice both incredulous and uncertain. She had one hand covering her mouth and her eyes were suddenly shining with unshed tears.

He tried to speak and almost had another coughing fit. He worked his tongue to get some moisture back into his mouth and tried again. Hey Kissy Pants. He managed a weak smile.

Theo looked like she couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing. She stood slowly, not taking her eyes off of him. She made her way to the side of his bed, impatiently kicking the blanket at her feet out of the way. Stephen was afraid she was going to jump in the bed and hug him, but she just touched his face with one hand softly.

Don’t… you… ever… DO that again! She choked out before she dropped her head to the pillow next to him and started sobbing. Stephen felt tears of his own trickling down his face as he watched her cry helplessly. He tried to move his hand to comfort her but the pain stopped him.

I’m sorry. It was all he could say though he had no idea what he was apologizing for.

When Theo looked up again she was smiling through her tears. She sniffed loudly before rubbing his head gently and shaking her head.

No, no. I’m sorry. I was just… we were just so scared. The doctors wouldn’t tell us anything at first. And then when we finally saw you… Her eyes looked far away at something else for a moment and she shuddered, closing her eyes tight for a moment. "You looked horrible. It was horrible. You had so many tubes and wires coming out of you… She trailed off as more tears trickled down her face. Stephen tried to move his hand to touch her, to reassure her, but the pain of the needles in his arm and hand stopped him with a wince. No, don’t try to move Little Fox." All he could do was nod slightly. His throat was suddenly too tight to speak. He took a deep, shuddering breath and nodded again.

I’m sorry. He said again, his voice hoarse with unshed tears. Theo just shook her head and smiled at him, wiping the wetness from her cheeks.

Don’t be stupid. It’s not like you got up that morning and decided it would be great to be attacked by an animal… She trailed off at the confused look on his face. The animal that almost… that really hurt you? Her lips pressed together in distress as a mix of emotions flashed across her face too fast for his dazed mind to follow. She took a deep breath and found his left hand under the blanket. Her touch was light but firm. You were attacked, little fox. The doctors think it was probably a dog. A rabid dog. They even gave you the whole series of rabies shots as a precaution.

Stephen looked at her, his face incredulous. He had to clear his throat twice to speak it was so dry. A rabid dog? He rasped. Theo nodded, then stood and walked back to the chair. She was back at his side in moments with a half empty bottle of water. She held it to his lips and he drank gratefully, polishing off what was left. I don’t remember anything about a dog. He said, his voice stronger now. He still couldn’t remember anything beyond the bookstore. It was all lost in a grey fog that he couldn’t seem to find a way through. No dog, no attack. Nothing! His voice was rising in panic, accompanied by the faster beeping of the heart monitor.

Shhhhh. It’s okay. She said, rubbing his hand in a soothing manner. The doctors told us this might happen. They said trauma can lead to memory loss.

That isn’t making me feel any better! What the hell happened to me? Stephen’s voice was angry, and panic brought a new rush adrenaline and endorphins. They coursed through Stephen’s veins, masking his pain enough for him to try to sit up.

Stephen! Theo said with alarm and put a hand on his chest to hold him down. What do you think you’re doing? Even in his panicked state he was too weak to resist his sister’s light push and thumped back onto the bed with a pained groan. Just calm down! Her hand stayed on his chest in case he tried to sit up again. You’re not supposed to move around too much or you could tear some of your stitches. After panting through the pain for a moment, Stephen opened his eyes and looked at his sister pleadingly.

Then just tell me what happened! He said, anxiety and fear making his voice tight and rough. Theo took a deep breath and patted his chest before standing back up.

We don’t know exactly what happened, little fox. The only person who was there was… you. She held up her hand before he could speak. What we do know is that some random guy found you in the street and called for help.

In the street? Stephen was thoroughly confused. None of this made any sense to him. Where was I exactly?

He found you laying in the middle of Main Street. It was a miracle no one ran you over. It was snowing you know. She looked at him a little accusingly and Stephen shook his head.

I remember the snow. I think… He tried to remember a more then made a frustrated sigh when his memory remained stubbornly blank. How did I get in the middle of the damn street!? Theo just shrugged.

No one knows how you got there or what you were doing out so late at night. Your roommate Alex mentioned that you wanted to go to the bookstore, but that’s over a mile away from where you were. He also said you left just after lunch.

How… how bad is it? Stephen looked his sister in the eyes as he spoke. She’d said it was bad, but hadn’t given him any specifics. She looked back at him with an expression on the verge of crumbling into tears.

It was… we didn’t know if you were going to make it, little fox. She said, and fresh tears started to trickle down her cheeks. She gripped his hand again as she took a deep breath. You lost a lot of blood, but the doctors were more worried about infection.

More than worried, but you’re well enough now. The sudden and oddly familiar voice from the doorway to his hospital room startled them both. Theo looked up in surprise at the newcomer. Stephen tried to do the same but stopped with a wince and then slowly turned his head to look.

Doctor Hanson! He’s awake! Theo said. The doctor smiled and nodded.

So I see. And how is our patient feeling? He said, coming to stand next to Stephen’s bed and peer closely