Chapter 2

University of California,
Sunnydale Campus
4:00 a.m.

The insistent ringing of the telephone was punctuated by the frustrated groan of the young man on the bed. After the ninth ring, he picked up the receiver with a sigh, "Yeah?"

"Code 1, Alpha." Click!

"CRAP!!!"

Initiative Field Office
Main Briefing Room
4:28 a.m.

<"I hate waiting for a briefing. Especially after I was out all night patrolling. And I need more than 30 minutes of sleep a day."> Riley Finn groused silently. <"Maybe I should ask Buffy out tonight.">

"Mr. Finn, would you mind giving me your attention?" barked Prof. Walsh.

"Yes, ma'am."

"I apologize for rousting you this early, but we have a critical matter. If you will open the folder in front of you, please."

<"Oh, wonderful! Sealed folder, Top Secret, Special Compartmented Information, Codeword Umbra. This stuff is so hot, I'll probably be shot before I can read it."> Riley thought.

"The first page is a photo of Dr. Emil Grotanov. His bio is on the second page. As you will notice, he is a triple doctorate, with his primary field of expertise in recombinant gene splicing."

"He was working in the S-4 complex of area 51, and had made a revolutionary breakthrough using a retrovirus to modify gene structure. Specifically, he had solved the problem of physical modification."

"Physical modification?" asked Riley.

"He figured out how to perform shape shifting at will."

"Well, that's a nifty ability, but where does the Initiative come in?" Riley asked.

"It's our problem now. Three days ago, Grotanov was attacked and died as a result of a neck wound and severe blood loss," Walsh stated flatly.

"How severe is severe?"

"He didn't have a teaspoonful left in him. Now his body has disappeared." concluded Walsh.

"Okay, but why us? We're over 500 miles from area 51," said Riley.

"You were a member of the security force at 51 weren't you?" asked Walsh.

"Yes, but you know my record. I was a member of STAAR."

"And STAAR means... ?"

"Strategic Tactical Advanced Alien Response."

"How did you manage to get into that unit?" prodded Walsh.

"Ma'am, where is this line of questioning going? If you want a thumbnail sketch, I'm a graduate of Marine Recon training as well as advanced training in Delta force and Navy SEAL tactics. I was picked to go to Groome Air Force Base as part of their security team. Primarily concerned with detection and containment. That's why you requested me as part of your team here."

Prof. Walsh picks up a separate folder and starts speaking, "Mr. Finn, false modesty irritates me. You graduated high school at age 13, completed your master's degree by age 17, and completed a doctorate in xenobiology a year later. You are one of only two civilians ever to complete your 'security' training in the history of the Air Force. Mr. Finn, you are not stupid, so quit acting like an idiot!!"

In a calmer voice, she continued, "Dr. Grotanov didn't commit all his findings to paper. It appears that he kept certain key facts and conclusions from his teammates, and furthermore may have actually broke the cardinal rule of researchers..."

"He didn't try this stuff on himself, did he?" Riley asked incredulously.

"He may have. 51 has asked us for assistance, and you are the best we can offer. We can only assume by the method of his death, and the disappearance of his body that he has been turned. We believe that by using the implant that was successful with Subject 17 on Grotanov, we may be able to recover some of the knowledge that he took with him."

"You said shape shifting. Exactly what does that mean?" Riley queried.

"This is the area that he kept to himself. He may have cracked the ability to transform at will. I hope this is an exaggeration. Imagine the problems if we have a vampire with the ability to transform itself at will. Contrary to popular sci-fi reading, I don't think that it is a rapid transformation. I believe it may be more of a 'becoming' rather than shifting."

"Why a gradual change?"

"The human body on a per square inch basis already radiates as much heat as a square inch of the sun, approximately 960 BTU's of heat. If cellular reconfiguration is attempted, the amount of heat generated would be extreme. The internal organs would literally cook themselves, and the brain would boil." stated Walsh.

"But, that's only if the person is alive. If Grotanov has been turned into a vampire, he is already dead, and his body temperature is going to be very low. His death may be the key to activate the retrovirus," pointed out Riley.

"Now you know why I declared an emergency condition and called you in. If Grotanov has been successful, our greatest fear is not that he is a vampire, but that the virus may be transmittable to another being. Alive or undead. Gather the equipment you think you'll need. You leave for our station at Twenty-nine Palms, California, in 45 minutes. Good luck, Riley. Dismissed."