Ark

Nyo suddenly found himself standing in front of a large dingy looking building on a narrow street. It had three floors and at one point may have been painted yellow but it was now a very dirty brown and the top floor looked like it was coming down.

"Where are we?" asked Nyo.

< This is the orphanage where Dr. Waltkins works as well as where the children went missing from. You said you wanted to talk to him so here we are. >

Nyo looked at the building and sighed, "Lets see if this gets us anywhere."

< How do you intend on talking to him? >

"Like this," said Nyo as he started punching in commands on his cloaking device.

Moments later Nyo became visible; not as him self though but as a much older looking Moscow police officer.

"There, I think that'll work," said Nyo as he headed for the front door of the orphanage.

< I did not know that device could do that >

Nyo smiled, "You'd be surprised how easy it is to make this device do other things."

Nyo entered the orphanage but immediately stopped in his tracks, he expected the inside to resemble the outside but it was quite the opposite; the place was spotless.

"Can I help you," someone said in Russian.

Nyo looked around to find a gray haired old woman standing off to the left of the front door. She had a well worn face and gray, cold eyes that gave her a stern almost creepy look. And her steel gray hair just added to that as it was wrapped up into a tight bun on the back of her head with not a hair out of place.

Despite the cold feeling he got from her Nyo smiled and replied in perfect Russian, "Yes, I believe you can. I am looking for Dr. Tomas Waltkins."

"And why do you need to see our good doctor?" said the woman.

"I just need to ask him a few questions," said Nyo. "Just for the record, who might you be?"

The woman took a few steps forward, "I am Madam Karla Celica, director of this facility."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Madam Celica, I am Officer Valadimir," Nyo lied.

"Well Officer, I am very sorry to inform you of this but today is Dr. Waltkins day off and he will not be in," Madam Celica said sternly. "If you come back in a few days then perhaps you will catch him."

Nyo frowned, "Does he normally take days off in the middle of the week?"

"Actually, he does," replied Madam Celica. "We have been having problems with him over the last few months; he seems to only come in when it is convenient for him. If we could find another doctor then we would replace him but the government is unwilling to send us another doctor until Dr. Waltkins decides to leave. They save money that way; or so they say."

"You mean that Dr. Waltkins isn't paid?" asked Nyo.

"Oh no, he pays all of his own expenses out of his pocket, he says that he is an artist in his spare time although I am not sure what kind of art a doctor could be into," said Madam Celica.

"You wouldn't you happen to know where the good doctor lives, would you? It's very important that I speak with him today," said Nyo as he digested what Madam Celica had just told him.

"Why of course. He lives rather close by actually; just four buildings down from us on the right side of the road, he rents the entire building. The one with the big metal door, it is very hard to miss," said Madam Celica.

"Thank you very much for you help Madam, you have been most helpful," said Nyo as he turned to leave.

"You are quite welcome Officer," replied Madam Celica.

Nyo turned back for a moment, "One more thing Madam, why did you not come claim the body of the young boy a few months ago?"

"Because we do not have the money for a funeral," replied Madam Celica.

Nyo nodded his head, "Thank you for your time."

Nyo then left the orphanage and started walking in the direction that Madam Celica had mentioned. As he walked he punched in another command on the cloaking device and he once again vanished from sight.

< I do not think that Madam Celica cares for Dr. Waltkins. >

"I'm inclined to agree with you," said Nyo. "But I don't think she really liked me either, I felt like I was making her go out of her way just for a few answered questions. Anyway enough about the creepy Madam Celica I'm looking for that house."

< What do you think was Madam Celica's purpose for bringing up Dr. Waltkins like for art? >

"She probably has some idea about what kind of art," said Nyo.

< I am not following what you are saying. >

"An American doctor who claims to like children and wants to help children comes to a country with far fewer laws about children then his own and makes a living not as a doctor but as some kind of artist," said Nyo. "Does that say anything?"

< Possibly >

Nyo stopped for a moment and looked up the street. One more house away there stood the house that Madam Celica had mentioned. It looked some what dirty on the outside but upon looking at it closer Nyo could see that the house was practically air tight. All the windows where sealed and blackened and the front door looked to be new and made of steel.

"Nice place he's got here," said Nyo as he walked up to the front door.

< Nyo I want you to be extra careful, I have no idea what to expect out of this man. >

"Hopefully Phil here will protect me," replied Nyo.

< Phil? >

"I named the Phasenmorph," said Nyo as he tried to turn the door knob. "It's locked; do you think you can get me inside?"

< Of course >

Suddenly Nyo found himself standing just inside the door. The inside of the house was dimly lit and all that Nyo could really see before him was a long hallway lined with doors. The hall looked to be padded with some kind of special padding and all the doors lining the hall were closed except for the one to his immediate right.

Nyo pulled out his hand held computer, switched it into scanning mode and held it up to one of the walls, "Ark what kind of padding is on the walls in here."

< According to the information your hand held is giving me it is a special kind of sound proof padding used to keep sound in, it is very expensive. >

"Can you tell me if there is anyone else in the house?" asked Nyo as he headed for the open door.

< The outside of the house is lined with steel, it is not just the door, so I can not get a clear reading other then I know something other then you is alive in there. Be careful Nyo. >

Nyo poked his head in the open room and looked around. It was a small bedroom containing a bed, a desk, a computer, and a dresser. On the far side of the room was the entrance to a small bathroom. As Nyo walked over to check the bathroom he noticed that the computer screen was on and something was up on the screen.

After Nyo got a closer looked he just shook his head, "I think our good doctor is making child pornography."

< If any of the other children even remotely have a chance to end up like little Maxim then him using them for that is of no importance >

Nyo frowned, "Not good Ark, I'm already scared enough."

< Sorry >

Nyo quickly left the room and headed for the next door down the hallway; the door seemed to be locked from the outside but the lock was only a latch. Nyo lifted the latch and slowly opened the door.

The inside of the room was dark at first and Nyo couldn't see anything. He reached around for the light switch just inside the door and then flipped it on but as soon as he did he wished he hadn't.

Nyo gasped at what he saw before him; across the room, nailed to the wall was the body of a young boy.

< Nyo are you alright? What do you see? >

Nyo didn't reply other then to hold his hand held out towards the wall. A few seconds later he heard the Ark gasp.

< Oh my God, this boy's body is filled with roofing nails! What kind of a monster... >

"Who is he," Nyo whispered as he got closer to the boy.

< This is Alexey Vladei, age 11; he has been dead for about a week... >

"I...I...I don't understand why...why someone would do something like this," asked Nyo as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

Nyo quickly turned away and left the room; once he shut the door again he leaned against it and silently cried.

< Nyo, I know this is a lot for you to take in but you are in here now. You have no time to stop. >

Nyo nodded his head, wiped his eyes and moved to the next door. He was somewhat afraid to open the next door but he did anyway. Surprisingly enough the light was already on in this room. Nyo looked in and there on a bed on the other side of the room was a boy; he looked to be covered from head to toe is large purple and black bruises.

Nyo closed his eyes and held out his hand held towards the boy.

< This is Stepan D'iak, age 15; he is alive Nyo! >

Nyo's eyes shot open in surprise, "What is his condition?!?"

< His body is 90 percent covered in bruises, he seems to be missing about three pints of blood, he has an infection of some kind from a wound near his stomach and his kidney's are on the verge of failing. >

Nyo rushed over to the boy and quickly surveyed the situation, "Do you think I can move him?"

< Just point your hand held at him so I can get a lock on him, I will teleport him to the medical bay and bring the Medbots online. >

Nyo quickly pointed his hand held at the boy and moments later the boy vanished.

< For the moment the Medbots will take care of young Stepan, you must keep going Nyo. >

Nyo, now little more hopeful hurried out of the room and moved on to the next. He quickly unlatched the door and threw it open but this room was dark. Nyo found the light switch but as the lights came on Nyo let out a scream. Tacked to the walls of the room, hung like animal skins were the remains of four more children; and what was not tacked to the walls was laying in the middle of the room in a heap of rotting flesh.

Nyo lifted his hand held towards the skins on the wall and tried to keep his hand steady.

< Anton Davikt, age 8; Viktor Zakkhei, age 16; Ivan Izbygnev, age 10; and Danil Lachek, age 12. My God Nyo, from what this information is telling me he skinned them alive! >

"I think I'm going to be sick," whimpered Nyo. "This is too much Ark."

Nyo slid to the ground and closed his eyes, "Ark, I think this is what he thinks of as art. These poor boys, he probably made them watch as he would skin the others...they didn't deserve this."

He slowly got back up and left the room; there was only one door left now, the last one at the end of the hallway. Nyo immediately noticed that the latch was undone; the doctor was in.

Nyo reached up and punched a few commands into his cloaking device.

< Nyo what are you doing! > the Ark said as Nyo became visible, but Nyo didn't reply.

He stared at the unlatched door for a moment, letting what he had seen run through his mind. He tried to reason with the facts; he tried to figure out the why but the more he thought about it the more he hated the man that he knew was on the other side of that door. Finally Nyo yelled at the top of his lungs and ran for the door, throwing all his weight against it. The door gave way and instantly he heard not his own voice but the sound of a scream that the door had been holding back.

Nyo quickly searched the room and was appalled at what he saw; the good doctor had his next victim hung from the ceiling and it looked as if he had skinned the boy to up just past his knees. But then there he was, standing next to his victim looking like a deer caught in the headlights was Dr. Tomas Waltkins.

Seizing the opportunity Nyo reached out his left arm and instantly a blast of white electricity shot from his hand. It made contact with its intended target and threw Dr. Waltkins back against the wall. Nyo grabbed the scalpel that the man had dropped as he ran over to him at the wall. He grabbed the man and pinned him.

"Hello doctor," said Nyo.

"Who the hell are you," shouted Dr. Waltkins.

"As far as you're concerned I'm the devil and I'm here to collect."

Dr. Waltkins laughed, "You're not the devil boy, I've met the devil."

"Right Dr. Waltkins, but today I decide who lives or dies." And with that Nyo thrust the scalpel into Dr. Waltkins stomach.

Nyo let the man fall and then turned back to the boy hanging from the ceiling. He held his hand held out towards the boy and seconds later the boy vanished.

< Dmitry Odolen, age 10; all seven boys are accounted for. >

Nyo looked back over at the dying man against the wall, "Ark, is this part of your fuzzy logic, your skewed right and wrong? This man can't hurt any more children now."

< Yes >

"But Ark, I...I'm responsible for this man's death," said Nyo realizing what he had just done. "I know I was angry but..."

< Nyo, killing another human being will always feel wrong on some level but if this man is allowed to live then he will get away with what he has done and he will do it again. >

Nyo knew that the Ark was right but he knew he shouldn't make the man suffer, even if he deserved it, if he did then Nyo would never be able to live with what he had done. He reached his arm out one last time and in a blaze of light Dr. Tomas Waltkins was dead. Nyo looked at the man and then looked around the room.

"Ark will Dmitry and Stepan make it?" asked Nyo.

< Yes but the Medbots need your help >

Nyo nodded his head and then vanished.