Ron Donaldo: Rise Of The Apex Don

Chapter 34

Dr. Aris smiled a sad, gentle smile. He pressed his thumb down hard on the glowing red button of the detonator. 

BEEP.

A loud, terrible alarm began to scream inside the underground laboratory. 

WARNING. WARNING. CORE OVERLOAD IMMINENT.

The massive Sterling Core in the center of the room changed completely. The beautiful, calm blue light turned into a harsh, blinding, angry white light. The machine began to shake so violently that the solid concrete floor under Ron’s feet vibrated. 

"It is done, Ronald," Dr. Aris whispered. He dropped the small black detonator onto the floor. "The safety valves are open. The natural gas is flowing into the ignition chamber. In exactly sixty seconds, the Core will reach one million degrees. The fire will travel through the gas lines. The city will be cleansed."

Ron did not scream. He did not freeze in fear. His core struggle—the battle between his anger and his logic—was instantly won by logic. He was not a helpless prisoner anymore. He was the Apex, and he was the greatest engineer in the world. 

"Zero!" Ron roared, his voice cutting through the loud alarm. "Watch the door! Shoot anyone who comes inside!"

Ron did not run away. He ran directly toward the shaking, glowing bomb. 

The heat coming from the Sterling Core was incredible. It felt like standing directly in front of an open oven. Ron’s wet black suit began to dry instantly in the extreme heat. Sweat poured down his face. 

He ran to the thick, heavy black pipes connected to the bottom of the machine. These were the pipes feeding the highly explosive natural gas from the city into the Core. 

"You cannot stop it, my boy!" Dr. Aris yelled over the loud alarm. "The electronic locks on the gas valves are permanently sealed! The Director’s hackers locked them from the outside! You cannot hack them in time!"

Ron ignored the old man. He knew the electronic locks were sealed. He knew a computer could not save them now. 

But Ron had built this machine with his own two hands five years ago. He knew every single piece of metal in it. He knew that every electronic valve always had a manual, physical backup wheel, just in case of a power failure. 

Ron dropped to his knees on the hot metal floor. He looked under the massive glass cylinder. 

There it was. A large, red, iron wheel attached to the main gas pipe. It was the manual shut-off valve. 

Ron reached out and grabbed the red iron wheel with both hands. 

The metal was incredibly hot. It burned the skin on his palms instantly. Ron gritted his teeth, ignoring the terrible pain. He pulled the wheel to the right. He pulled with all his strength. 

The wheel did not move. 

It was completely rusted in place. It had not been turned in five long years. 

WARNING. FORTY SECONDS TO IGNITION. The computer voice announced calmly. 

The blinding white light from the Core grew even brighter. The shaking grew worse. Glass vials and computer monitors around the lab began to shatter and explode from the vibration. 

"It is rusted!" Dr. Aris yelled. "Let it go, Ronald! Make peace with your end!"

Ron closed his eyes for one second. He thought about his time in Sector 4 of The Pit. He thought about the heavy iron weights he lifted every single day in the dark, dirty prison yard. He thought about the pain of being locked in a cage. He took all that pain, all that anger, and all that dark energy, and he pushed it into his arms. 

Ron opened his eyes. They burned with a fierce, terrifying blue fire. 

He gripped the hot red wheel tighter. His muscles bulged under his suit. The fabric of his expensive jacket ripped at the shoulders. He planted his boots flat on the floor. 

He let out a loud, animal roar from the very bottom of his chest. 

He pulled the wheel. 

The muscles in his back screamed in pain. The hot metal burned deep into his hands. 

SCREEEEEECH.

The sound of breaking rust echoed loudly. 

The heavy iron wheel moved one inch. Then two inches. 

"Impossible," Dr. Aris whispered, his eyes wide behind his round glasses. "No normal man has that kind of strength..."

Ron kept pulling. The wheel began to turn faster. He spun it around and around. The burning pain in his hands was agonizing, but he did not stop. 

WARNING. TWENTY SECONDS TO IGNITION. 

Ron spun the wheel one last time until it locked completely into place. 

CLUNK.

The heavy steel gate inside the pipe slammed shut. The flow of natural gas was completely cut off. 

Instantly, the violent shaking of the Sterling Core began to slow down. The blinding white light flickered, turned back to a deep purple, and then slowly faded to a dull, safe blue. 

The loud alarm stopped. 

SYSTEM STABILIZED. CRITICAL ERROR AVERTED, the computer voice said. 

The laboratory became perfectly quiet, except for the sound of Ron breathing heavily. 

Ron let go of the wheel. He looked at his hands. The palms were burned bright red, covered in painful blisters. He did not care. He had saved the city. He had beaten the bomb. 

Ron slowly stood up. He turned around and looked at Dr. Aris. 

The old man looked small and weak. His shoulders were slumped. His grand plan to burn the city for The Director was a total failure. 

"You always were the strongest," Dr. Aris said softly. A single tear rolled down his wrinkled cheek. "I am sorry, Ronald. I was weak. The Director offered me unlimited money to finish your research. I traded my soul for a laboratory."

Ron walked slowly toward his old teacher. The anger in his heart was completely gone. Now, there was only a deep, cold sadness. 

"You did not finish my research, Aris," Ron said, his voice quiet and rough. "You built a bomb. You are not a scientist anymore. You are just a killer in a sweater."

Ron reached out and grabbed Dr. Aris by the arm. He did not hurt him, but his grip was firm. 

"Zero!" Ron called out. 

Zero ran into the room, holding his small tablet. "I am here, Apex! The hallway is secure!"

"Take the hard drive from the main terminal," Ron ordered, pointing with his burned hand. "We have the data. The Director failed. We are leaving."

Zero quickly grabbed the silver hard drive. He stuffed it into his heavy metal backpack. 

Ron pulled Dr. Aris toward the door. They walked back through the white hallway, stepping over the unconscious bodies of the elite mercenaries. They climbed the long concrete stairs back to the dark, flooded parking garage. 

The Iron Legion soldiers were waiting for them in the dark. 

"We have the package," Ron told his men. "Move out."

They slipped back through the broken iron grate, into the freezing, dirty water of the city sewers. They walked in the pitch black for twenty minutes until they reached the hidden manhole in the alley. 

When Ron pushed the heavy iron cover open and climbed up to the street, he saw the sky was changing color. 

The sun was rising over Oakhaven. 

The heavy rain had stopped. The sky was a pale, cold gray. The city was still completely without power. The tall skyscrapers looked like dead gray teeth reaching into the clouds. Sirens still cried in the distance. 

But a new day had begun. 

General Silas Vance was waiting in the alley with a massive black armored truck. 

"My King!" the General said, saluting sharply. He looked at Dr. Aris. "Who is this old man?"

"He is a prisoner," Ron said coldly. "Put him in the back with Marcus Thorne. Make sure they do not speak to each other."