The Blue Hero and the Red Rose

She was plucking a beautiful rose from the garden when he approached her. Raphael cleared his throat to let her know that he was already there. Rosemarie looked at his direction holding the red rose on her fingers close to her nose relishing it's sweetness.

Raphael suddenly remembered the lady in red who offered a fresh red rose at the tomb of Dr. Rossana Rojo when he visited it just the other day.

"If you think it was me," Rosemarie said, "then you're right."

Raphael smiled. He suddenly became speechless. Rosemarie turned to her roses. They were so bloody red.

"I miss my mom," she said. "I didn't have the chance to see her before she died. I've been away for so long ... fifteen years. I had the chance to talk to her but I didn't pick up the phone ..."

Raphael felt sorry about her loss. He also lost someone special, his father.

Rosemarie turned to Raphael again then asked, "What gift did you receive from your father?"

Raphael didn't understand the question at once. Then Rosemarie smiled and said, "My mother has given me blood red roses."

Raphael understood she was referring to the fruits of the experiments which his father and Rosemarie's mother worked on.

"I cannot put the law in my hands. But I can be an instrument of the law in fighting crimes."

Chapter XX

The video presentation showed how Dr. Azul and his team of experts were able to perfect the serum. The new formula would transform the physical properties of a human soldier into some kind of a cyborg without altering his humanity. It will strengthen the bones to give the soldier more strength and power, make the skin somewhat rubberized to withstand damages that could be caused by minor weapons, optimize the organ functioning in order to withstand pressures and poisons, and others.

The serum will make a soldier a superhuman being. Perhaps capable of living beyond the normal human life span. One thing that the new formula differed from the first one is that the second formula is a safer one, while the first formula had the tendency of damaging important tissues and cell structures especially of the brain. Hence there was the problem of controling the person who will be administered with the first formula. Probably just like what happened to Violo Viola who seems to be out of control right now. The second formula retains the human characteristics.

Actually, the first formula was the recommended formula of Dr. Viola. He envisioned the new soldier to be less human, to be more of a robot, a real cyborg who will be at the beck and call of the one controlling them. It was what the Defense Secretary wanted, a less human soldier who will have no mercy and no heart so that the fight against terror would be more effective and efficient since the super soldiers wouldn't worry about being under pain or of harming or hurting anyone.

But Dr. Azul and the other experts didn't like the idea. They wanted a soldier who has great powers but also has the heart to avoid destruction. They wanted a human supersoldier who could reflect on what is good and bad not a cyborg who could only aim for destruction.

Raphael now understood that this could be the reason why his father and Dr. Viola had differences. Perhaps it was one of the reasons why the project was also kept under strict confidentiality.

But one thing that Raphael was wondering right now is how will Violo Viola be contained? If he has to base upon the video presentation, it seems that Violo was a true war machine and is indeed uncontrollable. Who could stop him? For one, the experts seems to have not taken into consideration that while they were perfecting the serum, Violo was just under coma. He was not yet dead. They must have forgotten that when he wakes up he could become a war machine that could not be controlled by anyone.

Since they have reformulated the serum to make the Blue Hero a more human soldier than what the first formula could do, how could Violo be defeated?

The end of the video presentation showed how the Blue Hero should maximize his capabilities. And Raphael understood that since it was he who has been given the opportunity to use the perfected serum, he has the responsibility of carrying out the mission of the Blue Hero.

Raphael sat down and watched the face of his father upon the monitor. He clicked on pause and looked intently into the eyes of his father somehow hoping to get some answers about questions he dared not to ask.

Chapter XIX

The President was scheduled to deliver a speech on the anniversary of the Armed Forces that day. But he had to attend a very urgent meeting with the head of other countries at the UN Headquarters in New York and so the Defense Secretary was delegated to deliver the speech in behalf of the President.

The celebration was condcuted in the open auditorium inside the Army compound. It was wide enough to accomodate the representatives of the major branches of the armed forces. The stage was also large enough to accommodate guests and visitors.

Raphael contented himself on watching the occasion via satellite on the wide monitor in the basement of the secret Project Blue Hero Headquarters.

As the Defense Secretary was about to speak on the podium a loud explosion rocked the stage. On fifth of the stage was damaged. Fortunately there were no people sitting there but those who were nearby got wounded. Everyone was caught off guard because they didn't expect such to happen inside a military camp. Another explosion damaged the other end of the stage.

The soldiers secured the officials and the guests. But three succeeding explosions which targeted empty spaces followed. They were bewildered as to where the explosions were coming from. They were clueless as to who their enemy was or were.

Then after the smoke cleared, Violo Viola appeared on the opposite side of the field.

The Defense Secretary was so infuriated. But he didn't know what to do.

"It's just a testing," Viola said in a booming voice. And he laughed. "The next time I won't miss!"

Raphael and Mang Jose were watching everything.

Mang Jose said, "what are you thinking?"

Raphael answered, "Honestly I don't know."

Mang Jose looked at him and said, "You know what, your father has very specific plans when he decided to administer unto you that serum. Perhaps it would help you discover if you'll just watch this."

Mang Jose clicked a button and the monitor showed the words

PROJECT BLUE HERO - THE OTHER OPTION

Chapter XVIII

In a peaceful suburb just outside of the Metropolitan Area, Raphael and Mang Jose arrived one weekend from the province. It was one of the properties which belong to Raphael's mother side but which was remodelled and secured by Dr. Azul. It was still registered in the name of Raphael's maternal grandparents which somehow makes the property not a subject of the investigations regarding his father's case.

It was supposed to be a secret facility for the operations of Project Blue Hero as Dr. Azul planned and designed. Only Dr. Azul, and Mang Jose, knew about the place as the doctor wanted to keep it secret until such time that the project becomes fully operational knowing that it was not safe to divulge everything even to the government. His theory was right when his very own house was burned.

Hence since the Project failed to launch, this operations facility remained secret.

The three-storey house was constructed at the center of a 10,000 sqm lot and it occupies a floor area of 400 sqm. Though it occupies only 10,000 sqm lot, it was located adjacent to a mountainous area which is considered to be a watershed hence not subject to further development. It was a perfect location for the activities of the Blue Hero.

It has a wide basement which has a secret extension to the watershed underground. This extension basement alone could hold about a hundred people. It was a complete facility for Blue Heroes. It was really a perfect command post. Through the wide monitor which is fed by hidden cameras strategically located all over the Metropolitan Area, one could see all that takes place in the capital.

Raphael was greatly awed by what his father was able to put up. It was truly a work of lifetime and a legacy that could have made his father great among his peers. But it was also such a controversial and delicate creation which has to be secured by people who believe in goodness or it might become a tool of destruction.

Raphael wondered how he could make use of what his father has left behind when even the government seems to be not trustworthy enough to utilize Project Blue Hero.

Chapter XVII

Though the Defense Department tried so hard to keep what happened at the Military Hospital a very classified story, it somehow leaked in the media. But of course it was not as accurate as what really happened.

One newspaper said that terrorists stormed the hospital and killed tens of soldiers, mostly sick and confined, and some civilians. Another said that some rogue elements in the Arnmed Forces tried to conduct a coup d'etat but were cornered at the hospital and because they opted to fight, were killed in the ensuing firefight with loyal forces. A third paper somehow got some almost accurate news as its banner news proclaimed: Project Blue Hero continues.

The Defense Secretary called for a press conference to clarify matters.

Jules Cruz, who wrote about the Project Blue Hero article, courageously asked about the Project.

"You said that Project Blue Hero is already cancelled," he asked. "Why does it seem you are trying to hold us from knowing the full truth about it? Surely, what happened at the Military Hospital was far from what the other papers have reported. I have very reliable sources testifying about qwaht really happend."

The Defense Secretary smiled but awkwardly, "I don't know what you're saying but the other papers have accurately described what happened. It was a terrorist attack - not even a coup - and we were able to contain the situation at once."

"Then why is it that personnel of the hospital are not allowed to go home and are kept from contacting their families?" Jules followed up his question.

"They are undergoing debriefing activities," the defense secretary said. "They underwent a very unusual event and they need to be gvien the necessary support at this time. Being presumptous about secret projects or coups will never help them. As media persons, your duty now is to ensure their families that they get the necessary information and that is they are safe, they are cared for and they will soon be able to return to their families!"

Jules wanted to aks for more but the moderator said every reporter is given only a maximum of two questions because they are so many.

No other reporter followed up what Jules asked from the Secretary.

When the press con was over and Jules was on his way to his car, he noticed that one of the wheels have been blown out. Then two men he doesn't recognize approached him offering him a ride. He declined. Sensing that something is wrong, he looked for an opportunity to evade the two persons. He saw some reporters a few meters away and called for their attention. The two men seemed to have been caught off guard and bid him goodbye.

The other reporters had a van and they invited him to ride with them when they learned of what happened to his car. As they drove away from the Defense compound someone noticed that they are being followed. Jules unloaded in front of a fastfood chain though the other reporters wanted to drop him to a nearby police station.

Jules noticed that the car also stopped. He entered the fastfood restaurant and the passengers of the car followed him. Jules felt that his life was in danger. He sat down in an occupied table and tried to speak loudly hoping that the two persons following him would overhear.

"How are you," he greeted the two persons eating their snacks. The persons following him took a vacant table a few meters away.

Jules then realized who were seated in the table he occupied - Captain Lopez and Lt. Rodriguez - whom he meet sometime ago while covering a report on the burning of the Azul house.

The two thought Jules were following up on the case too so Jules attemtp to escape the persons following him was successful. The two left somehow sensing that Jules was at that moment safe from whatever they were planning to do against him.

Jules did not tell the cops about his problem but they were able to discuss about the recent fiasco at the Military Hospital connecting it with the supposedly cancelled Project Blue Hero and the continued disappearance of Raphael Azul.

Chapter XVI

The Defense Secretary called for an urgent and secret close door meeting of the National Defense Council. It was attended by the chiefs of staff of the four service commands: Army, Navy, Air Force and the Police, plus the heads of the NBI and the Intelligence Service. The only agendum was about the case of Violo Viola.

"Project Blue Hero is not over after all," said Gen Ruiz of the Army.

"Well," the Defense Secretary smiled grimly, "for those who do not know that Cadet Viola is still alive and is now back from being in a coma for a very long time, it is.

"And it is also up to this Council to maintain this secret," he continued somehow in a voice that made the other members of the Council feel they are somewhat warned. "Cadet Viola woke up from coma about ten hours ago. He seemed very unappreciative of the way we kept him at the Military Hospital. But we only wanted to be sure that we could control him before we let him go. He is a great potential asset but could also be a damning liability for us. Now we shall discuss how to handle him and to use them as we intended to: a weapon against the enemies of the state."

"I heard that he reacted very violently when he noticed that he was pinned to his metal bed with steel straps," Gen Tui of the Air Force remarked.

"Yes, he did," the Secretary said. "But as I have told you, we wanted to make sure he would be under control. We hate losing a billion dollar project, aren't we?"

Everyone agreed.

They were discussing ways of how to handle the situation when the meeting was bothered by a distress signal from the Military Hospital. They turned on a live feed from the institution and a soldier was reporting about

"Cadet Viola has escaped from his room and he is totally uncontrollable! We have secured the premises already so that no outsiders would know about what's happening in here. But I guess we are all in trou ..."

"Ble ..." finished Commodore Suarez. "I guess our weapon is proving his might, secretary. But I think he has turned out to be a liability as you were saying."

The Secretary was speechless.