LESP Offices
Dani watched the car pull up to the curb only moments from her arriving there. With only a moment's hesitation, the lithe cosmopolitan athlete stepped into the door that swung open; her eyes betraying that she seemed to recognize the occupants of the vehicle.
The car pulled away from the curb.[Private to SSOGM: "Sir," Tyger acknowledged Flagg without (much) ceremony, as she sat down and opened the proffered dossier. Dani quickly perused the contents, noting dates and trying to commit summary data to memory. Her lips pressed into a deepening frown the more she read. "Viral." she summarized, "Targeting musculature and nerve endings, but also infiltrating the spinal fluid and crossing the blood-brain barrier." She whistled slightly which summarized the results of muscle enhancements studied, as well as brain degeneration effect, "heightened aggression and psychotic episodes..." And then as the file said, death within 96 hours of psychosis onset. She placed the folder back on the seat, making no move to take the file with her.
"Is the degenerative onset really this variable?" she prompted, point to the studies assessment of some subjects lasting weeks before succumbing. Before adding, "And just how many samples were 'on hand' to be taken?"
Chandani shook her head to the Colonel's query about any interaction with Major Harris. But from the description, she began to form a better picture as to why the stringent battery of physical and psychological tests continued for months at a time in the program. Only a single eyebrow was raised when Harris' duty status came up, obviously he couldn't be strictly discharged in his condition; he wasn't a danger to himself necessarily, but he wasn't fit for civilian life either. "Yes, sir." is all she said curtly, when ordered to report back any contact with the Major.
Tyger took in the rest of the 'official' part of the briefing rather stoically. Harris sounded like a piece of work. And it sounded like he wasn't necessarily alone. Nor was he necessarily the leader. Both of which seemed salient, important points that she mentally catalogued. It sounded like 'The Force' could be Harris' baby (even if the name was uninspired), but wouldn't have to be.
She recognized that the driver was taking them in a fairly large circle, but that was coming to an end as well. Dani nodded slowly as Flagg spoke off the record; giving her the unofficial part of the briefing. She could hear the tinge of regret in his voice; beyond the words that were spoken. Those words were important, too; so, they were catalogued as well. "You have my word, sir." Chandani assured the Colonel, "I will give the Major your regards and make sure that he understands and pays for his transgressions."
Tyg saluted him and thanked the driver before opening the door and stepping out of the vehicle.] Only to appear, perhaps ten or fifteen minutes later, to deposit Chandani on the same curb near the LESP offices. The thin brunette brushed a piece of lint from her pants and reset her ponytail before taking in a quick breath and trotting up the two stairs to the front stoop of the refurbished firehouse.
Glancing down the road, she gave Volt a quick tilt of the head. Then a gesture for him to come quick as Tyger held the door open for him so they could make their way into the building. With a finger, Dani pointed to lounge area where she hoped that the others were still gathered to direct her alien acquaintance.
Once in the lounge, Dani addressed everyone that was there. "Okay," she started tentatively, but gain steam as she spoke, "I have it on good authority that one of players in the Force is an USArmy Major Harris. He was a member of the same Special Operations unit that I was, though our tours did not overlap. He can be assumed to have similar physical enhancements to myself." which the group knew she could bench at least press three metric tonnes or so, "but, he is also has a keen tactical sense and is quite driven, having served for a number of years as a ranger before Special Ops." She couldn't put it any other way, the Major had served with distinction (even if he was a violent SoB). Plus, Dani had to concede, "He may have manifested other powers that are not directly related to physical or pure combat stature ..." Same as Tyger had; her uncanny ability to climb (actually to adhere to many surfaces) had not been on the cocktail menu of the enhancement program she went through, and yet it had somehow been ordered for her anyways. Experiment was as much an art as a science it seemed.
And though she couldn't and didn't reveal her information source naturally, Dani tried to speak with enough genuine confidence that she hoped it would carry enough authority. Yet, she had to conclude, "The US Army has no additional information on any other Force members." If they even existed.
In any case, the lithe army veteran continued, "I was also given redacted information on the viral agent, S-97." She pursed her lips slightly, giving an executive summary, "It's a piece of work." A slight rueful smile touched her lips, "I am not entirely sure how much was taken, but this agent originally targets the muscles and nerve endings - allowing a subject enhanced strength and pain endurance. However, it crosses the blood-brain barrier through the spinal fluid it seems and once there causes massive degeneration of frontal cortex while over stimulating the basal ganglia, reptilian brain stem. Initially, the army thought this okay, as it made subjects more compliant and more aggressive." She shook her head, "Eventually, ruptured brain chemistry led to psychotic episodes, excruciating pain, and death..."
She looked down for a moment, unable to say more for a pregnant while. And when her voice returned, Dani summarized rather lifelessly, "S-97 makes people into mindless monsters, that lash out and do unspeakable damage... before destroying themselves. And the brutally violent and sociopathic Major Harris intends to unleash this biochemical agent on an unsuspecting populace. Those in the initial blast radius will get off easy by dying immediately, since everyone infected by S-97, it seems is going to die anyways."