Part 21: Crisis

ACT 2: Crisis

Josh’s Perspective:

“So you came alone, right?” A voice came from one of the utility rooms in the basement. The sign outside said “Staff Only”, as Josh approached it with caution.

“Now that I am here, there is no way for you to run.” Josh said. “Don’t think that I cannot handle you.”

“Heh. I know about what you’ve done, Josh.” The voice laughed, as he swung the door open. But he wasn’t there.

“Where are you hiding?” Josh asked, opening up another door but to see that he wasn’t there either.

“To think you have ties with one of the Underground Secret Society leaders…” He said, “You obediently came down to meet me alone… so you can hide that fact.”

“You are in the process of the revival of a girl named Zi Ming using the adaptation of a Dozer. After the incident with Parc Sunshine, Zi Ming was pronounced brain dead on the spot after being hit in the head by rubble.”

“Tch.” Josh opened another carpark door that led up a stairway. He noticed that all the doors were planted with some sort of speaker.

“Through your boss Keaton, you asked if it was possible for her to be revived through the adaptation of a Dozer. Keaton felt like you were asking a rather ridiculous question and found that you were dancing on a dangerous line. Zi Ming had no parents or relatives, so it was easy for her to be used as a subject. But the moral right to possibly create a monster through illegal means is definitely prohibited.”

Josh climbed up the stairs to the second floor of the car park. There was an extension to an outside area where cars could be parked. It overlooked the surrounding area as he finally saw a man dressed in a polo T-shirt and a wolf mask.

“Keaton knew how much Zi Ming meant to you, and said he knew someone who was an expert on dealing with biotechnology involving Dozers. He was one of the leaders in the Secret Society, but under cover on the surface as a brain surgeon. Keaton told you that the procedure could be done and justified since letting her die off without trying would be a waste. However, he warned you firmly that if the Dozer that adapted her goes wrong, or even if it was a success, Zi Ming would hate you for the rest of her life.”

“How the hell do you know all of this?” Josh asked, as he knew that this secret could not be let out to anyone.

“When you are one of the top leaders in the Underground Secret Society, words get past really quickly.” The Wolf Tamer had a Dozer beside him that was frozen in an ice box. “But with a few sacrifices of course…”

“What did you do to Dr Leonas?” Josh asked, as the Wolf Tamer smirked.

“I didn’t come here to extort you of your secrets.” The Wolf Tamer said. “I am a guy that is good at keeping secrets.”

Josh activated the acid on his glove as the Wolf Tamer was not even budging. He wasn’t afraid that he would get caught, like he was planning something even at that very moment.

“Are you sure about that? I mean, you do know what is beside me… inside this very box.” The Wolf Tamer smirked. “This is a Birthdozer, a special type of Dozer that can duplicate itself.”

“I planted a chip into this Birthdozer, which forces them to follow my orders.”

“A type 2 Dozer…” Josh thought. “If he let it out of that frozen box, it would start to make copies of itself.”

“What are you even planning?” Josh asked. “I can destroy that Birthdozer quickly and end you. The police would also figure out I’m gone for a while, and surround you immediately.”

“Two goals.” The Wolf Tamer said. “I freed the Flexidozer and used it to my advantage. Since a Flexidozer can retain and adapt to many objects, I could use it to fulfill my goals. I was a dealer in the Underground Market, and I could track all the Corrupted Weapons that were being bought through the links and market I set up online.”

“The links…” Josh thought. “Wait, he is revealing all of his crimes?”

“I could even track who bought them and where the items were. Ring any bells?” He started to sit down and stared at the ground.

“My main objective is to create Human-Dozers that could be absorbed into the Flexidozer, giving it a conscience and extreme power. If a Dozer only absorbs the Corrupted Dozer Weapons, they cannot use the power to its fullest as it relies on a conscious mind. The adaptations that the Dozer copies from a human mind is usually from what their heart truly desires.”

“So he tracked down the Corrupted Weapons that were supplied to his victims, just to adapt them once they have fused with these Dozers?” Josh thought. “But…”

“Li Peng, that boy was not part of my plans.” The Wolf Tamer admitted. “All of my Corrupted Dozer Weapons were planted with the same chip that I have created on my own. This data chip is adapted by the Dozer, forcing them to obey my commands.”

“When a human is adapted by a Dozer, their personalities will change according to the human. The chip forces them to obey his orders, but does not work if the personality of that person it adapted to has too much willpower. The lack of willpower like Wilbert and Randall made it easier for the Dozer to control, as it fed on their negative emotions and actions.” The Wolf Tamer yawned, as he looked at the frozen box.

“However, because of Li Peng's strong willpower and bright personality, the Dozer ended up not being as effective and difficult to control. Its will to keep living made it a failure in my eyes.”

“How are you sending instructions to these Dozers?” Josh asked.

“Adaptations are a frightening yet fascinating thing.” The Wolf Tamer said, as he got up. “Well, the ice is melting, that means it is almost time.”

“Yeah, time for you to be arrested, that is.” A voice came from behind Josh, as Carlos held out his phone, that showed that he had recorded the whole conversation. The Wolf Tamer was not even scared, as he wore a mask with a voice changer. He was in fact, not surprised that a whole entire team of policemen surrounded him in a tight spot.

“Your acid was weaker than I expected.” Carlos said, adjusting his neck. “I did throw down one of my lightning rods after you hit me with it to shock myself.”

“This guy…” Josh thought, hoping that he did not hear about his secrets.

“Why did you knock me out?” Carlos said. “If you really wanted to go alone, you could have just said it. Geez.”

“He is denser than I thought.” Josh thought to himself.

“And you… Wolf Tamer guy…” Carlos said, swinging his bat in a circle. “I don’t know why you did all of this goose chase just to trap yourself in here…”

“But that was a pretty stupid idea, don’t you think?”

“Hmm… the Birthdozer is behind me-” Carlos swung his electrified bat at it, shocking the Dozer in the tank immediately. It instantly fried it to a crisp, as the Wolf Tamer was in awe at what just happened.

“The people in the malls are being escorted out after I sent the recording to Peng Goh upstairs.” Carlos said. “Now… how about we have a friendly chat after I knock you out?”