Evolution # 5

Rings and Revelations

XVI- Rings and Revelations

Evan could see that the figure approaching them was easily six and a half feet tall- possibly more. His body was just one bulging muscle after another and appeared as if his skin was pulled tight and cinched at his back. As he got closer, Evan could also see that although his body was that of a Greek god, his hair was showing early signs of thinning in the front.

Stefan spoke first, "Ahh. The famous Evan I've been hearing so much about. We finally meet." As he finished, he reached out his right hand with the fist clenched towards Evan.

Evan pushed his right fist out and "fist bumped" this hulking man that stood in front of him. When he opened his hand, Evan thought to himself that Stefan could easily palm a basketball with those hands or more darkly, someone's face and skull. If this was the future of the human race, Evan knew his genetic line officially had an expiration date.

Evan responded, "Same here. I've heard a lot about you and your brother." Evan could still hear Mercurio alternately singing and doing vocal exercises.

"Of course, you've heard of the singing strongman. His audience continues to grow daily. HA!" Stefan joked and then quickly turned serious again. "I'm not a fan of the frivolous activities that Mercurio takes part in. He thinks he's some sort of renaissance man, a modern Charles Robert Thatcher, if you are familiar with his work. I remind him often of how it ended for the esteemed artist Oscar Wilde and that he should be more cautious with all of his choices. They will have consequences and I may not be there every time he needs help. "

"Well, I don't think I am familiar with Thatcher but I certainly know Wilde. His life definitely didn't end the way he envisioned. He certainly was well ahead of his time in terms of his thoughts on human sexuality but as you intimated, those choices certainly had consequences for him, indeed. Mercurio is.........he lives an alternative lifestyle then?" Evan asked cautiously.

"Alternative lifestyle? You ask? Is that what you "up toppers" call it? He prefers men, that's the short answer, yes. But we all get a little lonely down here with nothing but the sharks and the fish and the "fish men." I'm not sure why that's any of your concern," Stefan retorted.

"Oh not my concern at all, "Evan stumbled for the right words, "just that you used Wilde to compare him and my limited knowledge of Wilde includes his sexual orientation and subsequent prosecution because of it. He was also quite vain, I've read."

"Yes, I've read the same. Anyhow, I hear that you are missing a girlfriend?" Stefan asked and then he purposely moved his right hand to his left and started twisting what appeared to be a wedding band on his third finger. "I'm also missing my wife......." Stefan trailed off.

The ring. "Oh shit. Oh fuck," Evan shouted as he suddenly remembered that his engagement ring for Lily had been in the pocket of his swim trunks on the night that he arrived here. "Lilywhite- Fuck! Who has my ring? Where is my ring?" Evan was suddenly panicked and stepped toward Lilywhite aggressively.

Stefan quickly inserted himself between Evan and Lilywhite. "Easy there buddy. In case you didn't know, my first priority is protecting Slezak and his staff, so please take a step back and calm yourself down or you won't like the next part so much, " Stefan smirked as he made his chest muscles dance, "but I will."

Although Evan knew that he could handle himself, he had never encountered a mountain of a man like that which stood before him in this moment. "Just so you and I are on the same page, you don't scare me with your genetically enhanced human form. However......I'm also a realist and do not currently have the stamina or the proper body weight to challenge you one on one. But I"m not afraid of you or any of these other freaks that are down here."

"Freaks? Down here?" Stefan asked. "Lilywhite, I thought you said he was a smart guy. Yet, he hasn't even realized that down here, down here in our little Utopia, it is he who is the freak. He is the outcast, he is the germ. When will you join us, young Schreiner?" Stefan continued as he folded his arms in front of his chest and waited for Evan to respond.

Lilywhite beat Evan to the punch.

"Ok, Stefan, we get it. You are the big tough guy, you are the "muscle" of the operation. Now settle down. Evan was just excited for a moment. He's had ample opportunity prior to this to punch me if he wanted. I'm not offended, in the least. But Evan, to answer your question, all of your personal belongings would be documented and safely stored with Rudy. He's in charge of personal property. Well, him and his team, anyway. They would have anything you had on you when you arrived. But why did you not ask about this ring before tonight?" asked Lilywhite.

Evan had to take a minute to reflect on both the questions that he had just been asked. "I'm not sure. Perhaps my memory has been more affected than I had imagined. It wasn't until I saw Stefan and his ring, him playing with his ring that the memory struck me. My father used to do the same thing, he had a similar habit when he spoke, to "twist" his ring back and forth with his left hand. So that took me back "up top" and that's when I remembered that I was getting ready to ask Lily to marry me when the explosions struck. My life was about to be completely different. But instead, I'm down here in this godforsaken frankenstenian human aquarium. And you ask me when I'm to join you? When am I going to join this nightmare of a place? I'll tell you when, Stefan. I'll give you an exact date, you can write this on a calendar. The fucking 11th of never!!" Evan shouted as his anger had risen past the point of his control. "That's when I'll be joining you freaks!"

Suddenly, Evan was being lifted off the ground by Stefan's two giant hands wrapped around his neck. The grip was tight like nothing Evan had ever felt before.

Lilywhite shouted, "Stefan put him down, put him down. This is not what Slezak wants! This action is not authorized!"

Stefan smiled for a moment but then quickly frowned when he heard Lilywhite's last sentence. He instantly released his vice-like grip and dropped Evan to the ground. Evan crumpled down to the floor and stayed there, working to get his breath back in his chest.

"Schreiner, you are lucky Lilywhite was here to save you. This time......" Stefan turned and walked back through the dark of the hallway.

In the distance, Evan could still hear Mercurio's voice singing with the fierceness and passion of the most accomplished tenor.

Lilywhite quickly hunched down and grabbed Evan's wrist and started checking his pulse.

Evan retorted, "I'm fine.........well I'm fine now. Thanks for stopping that monster."

"Sure. But, Evan, you have to  understand that as soon as Slezak decides that he has no use for you-I won't be able to do anything for you. If you don't want to volunteer to join the project, I suggest you talk to Slezak about your options. Of course, assuming that you have options, that is," Lilywhite finished. "Stefan only stopped because if he violates his contract, he'll lose everything he's built. Everything he's earned. All it takes is Slezak to make one call and then nobody can save you. Not from that." Lilywhite motioned towards the end of the hallway where Stefan had disappeared. 

"Lilywhite, your words make me think that I don't really have a choice but to join the project. Is that your intent? " Evan asked already knowing the answer.

"Give me a chance to walk you through the entire process. I promise I won't spare any details, no risks will be swept under the rug. I'll provide you with full disclosure. But, yes, based on what I know right now as we sit crouched in this hallway. I do believe your best option to get back to Lily, hell, your best option to survive the next 2 weeks, is to join the project. Why else would Slezak keep spending resources and money on your recovery? Have you ever asked yourself that? Why were you saved at all? "

"You call this saved? Evan asked as his head dropped back to the floor.