Angel of Darkness: Resurrection
.... and upon the Earth bred a curse, an abomination of shadow.
by Roger Pederson

this story takes place after the events in "Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness"
Part 1
Chapter One - Intuition

Lara: "What's all this about, Werner?' 

Werner: "Help me, Lara. I need you to get something for me." 

Lara: "Go on."

Werner: "I'm tracking five Obscura paintings for a client called Eckhardt. But he's a psycopath."

Lara: "Why should I care?"

Werner: "Because I'm being stalked! I can't go into the streets. People are dying out there!"

Lara: "Handle it yourself, Werner."

Werner: "Lara, please. Look, go and see this woman, Carvier. She can help."

Lara: "Sort out your own mess. I'm going."

Werner: "No! Wait!"

Lara: "Egypt, Werner. You walked away and left me. There was no pity then."

Werner: "Get out! Get out of the way!"

A gunshot. Screams. Then blackness .............

Lara awoke suddenly, lurching up from a deep sleep. She was drenched in sweat from the nightmare she'd just had. It was one she had been having ever since her return from Prague and Eckhardt's lab. She slid out of bed, catching her breath, and made her way into the bathroom to throw some cold water on her face. Grabbing a towel from the rack, she dried off. She slowly walked back into her room and sat on the edge of the bed, dropping her head into her hands.

Of all the terrors in the world today the thing that still haunted her was Prague, ..... and Werner's death. No one deserved to die like that! She remembered reading Werner's notebook .... "Tried contacting Lara again in London. Still not forgiven me for Egypt." 

It bothered her that Von Croy had died believing she'd felt he had abandoned her. Yes, he did walk away as the tomb was collapsing, .... but that was only so it wouldn't fall on him. She later learned that he had immediately started excavating the tomb in search of her! 

She crawled back into bed and lay there thinking. Did I really destroy the one and ONLY Nephilim? Or, .... God forbid, were there more of them? Yes, Eckhardt is dead now. He paid for his part in the killings, .... especially for the death of Von Croy. And the Paris authorities had been unable to convict her of any wrong doing. Yet, something deeply troubled her. 

What if, perhaps, through cloning the Nephilim still lives?! It was a thought that bothered her even more than the loss of Kurtis. At least Kurtis had died a hero's death. But then, ...... so had Werner! Finally she fell asleep again.

Lara awoke later to the peaceful sounds of birds chirping outside her bedroom window. She sat up in bed, stretched and yawned. First things first, .... a quick shower to wake up. Lara then dressed and headed down the hallway. At the bottom of the stairs she was met by the butler.

Henry: "Good morning, madam." [handing her the morning newspaper]

Lara: "Good morning, Henry. ...... Where's Bryce?"

Henry: "It's only eight o'clock, if I know him he's probably still sound asleep."

Lara: "Undoubtably." [reading the paper as she walks toward the dining room]

Henry: "Would you like me to wake him?"

Lara: "No, let him sleep."

Henry: "Oh, please madam, .... it would be no trouble at all." 

Lara: "What's for breakfast?"

Henry: "The usual. .... I trust madam had a restful night's sleep?"

Lara: "No, 'MADAM' [raising one eyebrow] did not." 

Henry: "Bad dreams again?"

Lara: "Yes." [sitting down at the table, still reading the paper]

Henry pours Lara a cup of tea, then goes to the kitchen to get her breakfast. A small article in the foreign news section catches her eye. Some people in the eastern part of Chechnya have been reported missing within the last few weeks. She shakes off the very thought of what took place in Paris and Prague. Lara then spots an article in the paper that states that a Professor Heimlingger will be giving a guest lecture on cloning to the British Medical Association that evening at seven.

Bryce enters the mansion and walks into the dining room. He sits down at the table, yawning. 

Bryce: [stretches] "All right Lara, what's up?"

Lara: [not even looking up] "Good morning to you too, Bryce." [taking a sip of tea]

Bryce: "What's good about it?"

Lara: [still reading the paper] "My feelings precisely." 

Henry enters with Lara's breakfast.

Henry: [putting Lara's breakfast in front of her] "Good morning, Bryce."

Bryce looks up at him, smiling sarcastically.

Lara: "Henry, is my evening open?"

Henry: "You were to attend the opera with Mr. Simmons this evening."

Bryce: "That sounds bloody exciting."

Lara: "Call him, tell him I'm feeling under the weather. Then call Dr. Malcom Pendleton. Tell him I need to attend a lecture that a Professor Heimlingger is giving this evening. Ask him if he could use an escort."

Bryce: "Oh, much better." [muttering sarcastically]

Henry: "I'll ring him at his office, madam."

Bryce: "I don't have to go to this thing do I?"

Lara gives him a dirty look.

Bryce: [speaking to Henry] "Could I at least have a cup of tea?"

Later that evening, Lara decended the staircase at Croft Manor dressed in an exquisite evening gown. She walked to the front door, where Henry and Dr. Pendleton waited for her.

Pendleton: "Lady Croft," [kissing her hand] " ... you look ravishing."

Lara: "Thank you Doctor, and thank you so much for helping me out on such short notice. I really wanted to attend this lecture."

Pendleton: "Not at all. It's not every day that a sixty year-old man gets a call asking him to escort a beautiful young woman such as yourself. I have no idea why you would want to attend an event like this ..... but, I really don't care."

Lara smiles, and the two walk outside and enter his Rolls for the drive into London. The car pulled up in front of the auditorium where the lecture was being held. She exited the car and walked in on the arm of the doctor.

Everyone was dressed in their finest. They made their way to the assigned seats. After some rather boring opening remarks, the master of ceremonies introduced the guest speaker.

"Our guest this evening is well known and brings impeccable credentials to the medical profession and the topic of cloning. So ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, ...... may I present our guest speaker for the evening, Professor Alex Heimlingger."

The professor stepped up to the podium as the people applauded and began his speech. 

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. A major point in the success of any debate on cloning is making certain that the terms used are clearly understood by everyone involved. Sadly, people frequently fail on this very basic point. Ever since the birth of Dolly the sheep, consideration of many issues have been hurt by the use of the very term 'cloning' in reference to a wide range of activities. We must attempt to clarify the fundamental differences that exist between the various techniques which have been included under this broad heading." 

"We need to distinguish between human reproductive cloning, where the intention is to create genetically identical human beings and therapeutic cloning which includes other uses of the same techniques for medical or scientific purposes. Given the difficulties in terminology, it would seem desirable, if at all possible, to avoid the term cloning altogether. Unfortunately, this is likely to be interpreted as an attempt to simply sanitize the subject matter in order to manipulate opinion."

"First we must try to develop a more conventional understanding of cloning and those techniques which are intended to bring into existence genetically identical individuals, be it by embryo splitting or cell replacement. We must also look at the use of cloning with fundamentally different objectives, such as the development of tissue for transplantation, genetic diagnosis and even some forms of basic biological research. There are, unfortunately, other uses of this technology, which have been referred to as cloning, but which have been misused for different aims." 

"Much of the debate about cloning in popular media is been based upon the mistaken premise that a human clone would be an exact replica of the original person. The scientific technique used to create Dolly did not result in a clone and the 'donor' having exactly the same genetic make-up. Even if the two were genetically identical, the very idea that the clone would be a 'copy' or 'replica' of the nucleus donor is based upon extreme genetic determinism." 

"Another common misperception is that a clone would be the same age as the donor, so that if the person to be cloned was an adult, the clone would also appear as an adult. That, ladies and genmtlemen, is science fiction, .... not fact. Even though the clone would have the same nuclear DNA as the donor, he or she would first start out as an embryo, then develop into a fetus , a baby .... and years later, an adult ............................"

Lara listened intently. Later, she approached the professor at a reception following the lecture. Classical violins played in the background.

Lara: [walking over to Heimlingger and extending her hand] "Professor, that was a wonderful presentation."

Professor Heimlingger: "Thank you, Miss ..... "

Lara: "Croft, .... Lara Croft."

Professor Heimlingger: "Lady Croft ? ..... "

Lara: "Yes, well, ..... that's a title I don't use very often. ...... Do you know me?"

Professor Heimlingger: [smiles] "I recognize the name. I knew of your father. You've developed quite a reputation yourself, I hear."

Lara: [she nods in appreciation] "Professor, you mentioned a possible misuse of the cloning process. I'm doing some research on the subject of cloning for a writer friend of mine. Could you tell me, would it be possible to clone something that had essentially been dead for hundreds of years?"

Professor Heimlingger: "Well, if the genetic material existed and were still viable, .... it could conceivably be cloned. Theoretically speaking, of course."

Lara: "Yes, ... and .... theoretically, ..... how would one go about destroying a particular clone, before it had a chance to fully develop?"

Professor Heimlingger: "Well, I suppose the most effective method would be to introduce a substance into the cloning enviornment that would result in the entire breakdown of the subject's genetic material."

Lara: "But how would you develop such a substance?"

Professor Heimlingger: "If you can introduce a restrictive endonuclease to induce a chromosomal aberration in the cells, you stand an excellant chance of destroying the DNA material in question. Some restriction endonucleases have been used to study the involvement of specific types of DNA damage in the production of chromosomal aberrations. Some enzymes such as Msp I and Sau2A I, along with Alu and Rsa have been effective at inducing aberrations. Of course, cutting frequency rather than cut end-structure may be more important in determining the efficiency of aberration induction."

Lara: [sarcastically whispers to herself] "Of course."

Professor Heimlingger: "And it goes without saying that the timing of the entry of the enzyme into a cell nucleus and for the induction of aberrations once the enzyme has entered a cell nucleus is critical. There are, of course, variations in sensitivity with the specific cycle stage, and changes in the proportions of different aberration classes for chromatid-type aberrations. Naturally, one needs to determine the sensitivity of cells to aberration induction in these different stages of the cell cycle. The embyonic, or even fetal, stage of the cycle can be especially sensitive for the induction of chromosomal aberrations. One has to remember that the capacity to induce chromosomal aberrations is sometimes correlated with the number of recognition sites in the specific genome, so you would need to know a great deal about the bio material."

Lara: [interupting him] "Professor, ..... let's simplify this. My friend said that the creature in his science-fiction novel is part human."

Professor Heimlingger: "Well in that case, all you would have to do is introduce an enzyme that would be toxic enough to induce a chromosomal aberration in the human genome itself. That, then, would cascade through to the remainder of the related genetic material, thereby causing the needed destruction you said your friend requires."

Lara: [smiles] "Of course. Thank you so much for your time, Professor. ...... Excuse me."

She shakes his hand and slowly walks away, sipping her champagne as Dr. Pendleton approaches.

Pendleton: "Enjoying yourself?"

Lara: "Yes, actually. ...... Quite illuminating."

Lara continued to play the part of the patient young lady and waited until the doctor asked if she wished to leave. When she arrived back at Croft manor, she again thanked him for his trouble and kissed him good night on the cheek. It was more than he could have hoped for!

Chapter Two - Eckhardt and Lux Veritatis

Lara awoke early the next morning, as she had much work to do. She showered, dressed and descended the staircase at the manor. Henry, as usual, was waiting for her.

Henry: "Breakfast, madam?"

Lara: "Toast only, .... and some juice. I'll be in the study. Tell Bryce I'll be needing him."

Henry: [smiling broadly] "With pleasure, madam!"

Lara headed directly for her desk in the study and sat down in front of her computer. She opened up a file on her notes concerning Eckhardt and Lux Veritatis. 

At the top it read: "Historia est testis temporum, lux veritatis, vita memoria, magistra vitae, nuntia vetustatis." (M. Tullius Cicero, De Oratore 2.36) 

Lara translated the verse out loud .... "History is the witness of the times, the light of truth, the life of memory, the teacher of life, and the messenger of antiquity."

She continued reading ..... "Pieter Van Eckhardt was a 15th century alchemist who created a powerful weapon called the Sanglyph or 'blood-stone'. To keep the Sanglyph safe, Eckhardt split it into five pieces and hid each piece behind five paintings he created, depicting evil imagery. History about this man was difficult to pinpoint. But, early European texts mention an insane genius known as the Black Alchemist, who seemed to share many of Eckhardt's characteristics.

Eckhardt had grown ever more powerful .... and evil, over time. Eventually he created an order known as The Cabal, a secret organization of individuals who all shared the same desire for immortality and global domination. To attain this immortality, the Cabal prepared to resurrect an extinct race known as the Nephilim." 

She continued reading from her own notes, ...."Believed to have been exterminated in biblical times, the Nephilim were the cursed hybrid offspring of fallen angels and humans.

Eckhardt believed that by using the Nephilim he could attain immortality and, in the end, dominate all. However, an order that splintered off of the Knights Templar called the "Lux Veritatis" (latin for 'Light of Truth') were able to put a stop to Eckhardt's plans. Lux Veritatis was a secret, 12th century, order of warrior monks who hid the Obscura paintings in the 1400's. The Obscura paintings were five works of Black alchemic magic.

Inscribed in her notes, in Latin, were the words ...... "Deus Veritatis, Lux Veritatis, Demitto me in Sempiternitas". 

Meaning, ..... "Darkness shall be cast from me, for my soul resides in the sun" 

The Lux Veritatis had acquired three ancient weapons of light called the Periapt Shards and, led by Brother Obscura, used them to seal Eckhardt in a deep pit. The Lux Veritatis used the Shards to keep the Black alchemist locked away for over 500 years. They knew the seal on Eckhardt would last only if the three Periapt shards were combined. The Periapt Shards had been the only thing that could harm or weaken Eckhardt, .... that is until I came along. And Echardt had thought of me as nothing more than a minor distraction! 

Brother Obscura confiscated the five paintings that contained the pieces of the Sanglyph, and painted over the previous images of evil with new religious images. These paintings were then hidden throughout Europe, in locations known only to the Lux Veritatis. They were christened the "Obscura Paintings". A copy was made of each, referred to as the Obscura Engravings, with each engraving containing an encrypted map to the location of the original painting. I used these engravings, drawn copies, to ascertain the location of the paintings.

In 1945, however, something happened that released one of the shards from the other two. Eckhardt escaped the pit and vowed his revenge against the Lux Veritatis. He then revived the Cabal, basing it out of Prague. The new Cabal became devoted to hunting down any members of the Lux Veritatis. Eckhardt had somehow managed to obtain the Periapt from the Lux Veritatis. He hid the shards in his old laboratory, deep underground beneath the Strahov, the headquarters of the Cabal. Eckhardt and the Cabal set out to reclaim the five Obscura paintings, in order to acquire the Sanglyph. 

By the time I became involved in all of this, the Cabal had already attained three of the five paintings. Eckhardt then hired Werner to find the last two. Von Croy had learned of the location of the fourth painting beneath the Louvre from the Obscura engravings, but he never informed Eckhardt. I asked myself. What had Werner gotten himself into? Von Croy asked me to assist him in finding the paintings, but I refused ..... just before he was killed! His death was only one in a series of murders plaguing Paris at the time; ..... the pattern suggested a serial killer. Accused of the death of my one-time mentor, I became a fugitive. I was on the run.

I located the two remaining paintings in Paris and Prague, though Eckhardt reclaimed them before retreating to his old laboratory. There he started reviving the Nephilim race. The Cabal had retrieved the last known Nephilim specimen from Turkey. It was a Nephilim body which had been named "the Sleeper". 

Kurtis Trent was my only ally in all this. He had been trained by his father, Konstantin, as an initiate of Lux Veritatis. The ancient order was being ruthlessly hunted by Eckhardt and the Cabal. Kurtis said that he had remained hidden within the foreign legion for five years, constantly assaulted by bizarre events linked to the occult. He had heard from his father at times, but said that he never saw him alive again. Konstantin was murdered by Eckhardt. 

Kurtis was the last remaining member of the group. He was bent on the destruction of his father's murderer. He received two talismanic items, the Periapt Shards, and the Chirugai blade. In a rage of vengeance, he went after Eckhardt. Kurtis and I crossed paths in Paris. We teamed up in Prague to combat the Cabal and Eckhardt. We met often during my time there, but it wasn't until later that I truly learned whether Kurtis was friend or foe. 

During my final confrontation with Eckhardt, he had started the process of reviving the Sleeper. Eckhardt used the Sanglyph, but he was eventually killed by Karel, .... who I believed to be his right-hand man. He stabbed Eckhardt with the third Periapt Shard. Karel then revealed himself to be the last surviving/living Nephilim. 

It was then that I learned that all those who had helped me had died at his hands, only to avoid the destruction of the Sleeper. I was offered a chance to join him in his resurrection. Of course, I refused. I then decided to put an end to it all right there, by using the Sanglyph on the Sleeper ....... thus destroying both it and Karel. I was later arrested by the local authorities, but then released, as there was insufficient evidence against me."

Bryce: "Lara?"

Lara: [startled] "Hmmm? .... Oh, yes?"

Bryce: "You wanted to see me?"

Lara: "Yes, .... I need you to find as much information as you can on the recent disappearances that have been taking place in the eastern part of Chechnya. Then see if you can contact any associates of Thomas Luddick. He was a journalist in Prague who had information there about the Cabal. He was killed by Eckhardt. Luddick may have kept notes that could be useful."

Bryce: "Thomas Luddick, ... Prague. Right." He starts to walk away.

Lara: "Bryce! ...... [he stops and turns] ... "one more thing, didn't you once tell me that you were working on a special computer virus or 'worm', I believe you called it, .... that would infect and destroy all information on a particular computer and its network? I'm going to need it."

Bryce: "It's finished. ..... But what do you need it for?"

Lara: "Let's just say there are some very bad people out there, and I just want to make certain they can't replicate what they're currently working on."

Bryce leaves for his lab, as Henry enters with Lara's "breakfast".

Henry: "Your toast and juice, madam."

Lara: "Thank you, Henry."

She continued reading her notes ..... 

"Prophecy states that: "Through the Golden Lion the Nephilim will enslave the sons of man and inherit the Earth". The Sleeper was thought to be the last intact specimen of the Nephilim race. Supposedly buried in Anatolia, Turkey. Cubiculum Nephili, means "sleeping cask" or "chamber". I still remember Ekhardt's words, the anger in his voice ........ 

"In revenge for 500 years of pain, I swore an oath of malice against my Lux Veritatis jailors. Over the decades I hunted them down. None escaped. And all tasted the agony I had endured in the pit. But the cursed Shards they had used to bind me vanished beyond my reach. I must own them and render them safe. Wherever they lie, I will have the Shards, as well as the Obscura Paintings. Never again will mortals be armed against me and my sacred quest. Nothing will stop me closing on the last Obscura Painting." 

In Genesis 6:4 it is stated that the Nephilim were on the Earth in those days, and also later. This seems to clearly imply that the Nephilim were also on the Earth after the Bible's account of the flood of Noah. Although the Nephilim are only mentioned one other time in scripture after Genesis 6.

At the bottom of her notes was a quotation from the Enochian Gospels .... Lara recited it aloud. "Expelled from heaven the Watchers walked amongst men, and upon the Earth bred a curse, an abomination of shadow. In the darkest recess of every human soul slumbers the shadow of evil. Cast from darkness and formed of night fears, the horror approaches. Fallen from light. Reborn in shadow. Haunted by memories. ......... Confronted by evil. "

Henry: "Tea, madam?"

Lara: "Yes, .... thank you. ..... Henry?"

Henry: "Yes, madam?"

Lara: "I need you to contact an old friend of my father's, ....... Dr. Michael Lamberton."

Henry: "Of Croft Enterprises?" 

Lara: "Tell him I need to speak with him as soon as possible."

Henry: "Madam, he's an employee. I'm sure he'll find the time to see you."

He left the room. Lara sat back, sipped her tea and wondered what horror may still lie in wait, .... out there. She decided to get away from her studies, if only for a couple of hours or so and retired to the stables. There, she went horseback riding, then worked out in the gymnasium, followed by target practice on the weapons range. When she returned, Bryce was already waiting for her.

Lara: "So soon? From the look on your face, I'd say you found something."

Bryce: "I have. It's about your friend, Thomas Luddick ...."

Lara: "Hardly a friend, .... a very brief aquaintance."

Bryce: "Yes, well, it seems you were right. He kept extensive notes on the Cabal. His niece had them."

Lara: "HAD them?!"

Bryce: "I'm afraid she's dead now, ... but she left copies of them with a lawyer before she was killed. He said that he's willing to share them with you on one condition."

Lara: "Which is ..... ?"

Bryce: "He simply wants to know if it has anything to do with the missing people in eastern Chechnya. He said that he's read the notes and that they make no sense to him, and they certainly wouldn't help the local authorities there."

Lara: "What did you tell him?"

Bryce: "That it could, indeed, have somthing to do with the disappearances. And that you would be there shortly. I also asked him not to speak with anyone else concerning this until you see him."

Lara: "Did you also tell him he would be well compensated for his troubles?"

Bryce: [shrugging his shoulders sheepishly] "He's a lawyer, .... I thought it might help."

Lara smiled and walked inside the main foyer of the manor.

Lara: "Henry, call the airport and have the jet ready to leave tomorrow."

Henry: "Destination, madam?"

Lara: "Paris, Prague, .... then Chechnya."

Henry: "We''ll start packing your things."

Chapter Three - The Quest 

Unfortunately, Lara had another bad dream that night ....

Eckhardt: "Still alive Ms. Croft. You are resilient. But over the decades I've killed more mortals like you than I can remember." 

Lara: "And stole their body parts like a cheap grave robber." 

Eckhardt: "As I will now take yours."

Lara: "To wake this thing! You're mad!"

Eckhardt: "Only my great arts can cause the higher race to flourish again." 

Lara: "So, I guess it's up to me to stop you then?" 

Eckhardt: "I hunted down and killed the last of the Lux Veritatis. I am immortal!" 

Lara: "Scary! For you." 

Eckhardt: "It is my destiny to breed Hell on earth. You are nothing to me!" ................... 

She awoke. Catching her breath again, ... her heart racing, she sat up. This has to stop, she thought. But she knew there was only one way to end the nightmares! She showered, dressed and headed downstairs to the lab. There, Bryce was already there. 

Lara: "Good morning, Bryce."

Bryce: "Morning, Lara." 

Lara: "Do you have the computer virus, specifically a worm, that will attack and infect a computer and its entire network?" 

Bryce: "I assume you're not talking about an email virus?"

Lara: "No, .... I'll be there. I was hoping that you could talk me through hacking into their system, and then I could upload the virus to their computer via a floppy disk or USB."

Thomas: "You're not talking about illegally hacking into someone's computer again?"

Lara: "Bryce, .... trust me, ..... this isn't anything illegal. I need to destroy any and all information on their systems. I need a worm."

Henry: [just walking into the room] "Did someone say worm?" 

Bryce: "A worm virus, ..... a computer virus. It's a parasitic self-replicating program that can run independently and travel across network connections at a very rapid pace."

Henry: [sarcastic tone] "Ahh ... of course." 

Lara: "The people I'm going after are certain to have secure systems and networks that protect them from any threat to their computers."

Bryce: "I think I have just what you need."

Bryce turns, graps a 3.5 floppy and a small USB flashdrive from his desk. He hands them to Lara. 

Bryce: "You can use either one. I call it Bryce VII." 

Henry: "Bryce VII?" 

Bryce: [shrugs] "It took me a few tries. Once you upload it, this worm will infiltrate, duplicate and destroy every bit of information on a system and any computer that's hooked up to it's network. The best part is, there's also a special password decoding matrix written into the program that will allow it to burrow deep inside the computer's memory, regardless of the amount of security measures or encryption that it has. Basically, all you'll have to do is load the floppy or USB drive and punch a few keys. The program on the drive will do the rest." 

Lara: "Excellant. Henry, .... has Dr. Lamberton called?" 

Henry: "He's stopping by this morning, madam."

Lara: "Good."

The front doorbell rings.

Henry: "That's probably him now." 

He turns to go to the front door. 

Lara: "Show him to the library." 

Henry opens the door to find an elderly gentleman, seventy-ish with gray hair. 

Dr. Lamberton: "Thomas Lamberton ...... to see Lady Croft."

Henry: "Right this way sir."

Henry shows him to the library and opens the door. At the far end is Lara, standing at a desk. 

Lara: [smiles] "Good morning, Doctor. Thank you so much for coming by." 

Dr. Lamberton: "Good morning, Lady Croft. Always a pleasure. What can I do for you?"

Lara: "I can count on your discretion, of course." 

Dr. Lamberton: "Of course."

Lara: " ............ I need a favor. And I realize it's an extremely ..... unusual request." 

Dr. Lamberton: "Whatever I can do for you. Your father was a good friend of mine."

Lara: [smiles] "Doctor, .... I believe that some people I know of are using techniques in bio-engineering to clone a certain species. I need to stop them before they succeed. And I need your help." 

Dr. Lamberton: "Are you talking about human cloning??"

Lara: "They're part human, .... yes. I need some type of enzyme or toxin that I can inject to destroy the cloning process. Could you come up with something like that?" 

Dr. Lamberton: "Actually, a colleague of mine, ..... who is very much against the possible cloning of human beings, ..... may already have what you need. He claims to have a toxin, that once administered into the clones enviornment, would arrest the process and destroy all genetic material. ...... But, why would you need this?"

Lara: "Trust me doctor, .... you don't want to know the details." 

Dr. Lamberton: "I trust you, Lara. I'll contact him right away and see if I can get what you need." 

Lara: "Thank you." 

Dr. Lamberton: "I'll be in touch." 

He leaves. Lara makes her way back to the lab. Lara: "Bryce, I need you to show me how to load the virus into the computer." 

Bryce: "It's relatively simple. First, you need to load the 3.5 floppy into it's drive, or load the USB into any USB port on the computer. Next, you have to hack into the DOS system of the computer. That's the tricky part. Once you've done that, all you have to do is designate the proper drive letter and enter the word: 'TERMINATE'. My program takes over from there." 

He then shows Lara how to access the DOS system of another computer. 

[fade out] 

The next morning, Lamberton calls to tell Lara that he has aquired what she needs. She travels to London to meet the doctor at his office. After pulling up to the building she enters the lobby and takes the lift to the third floor. She approaches the desk of his receptionist.

Lara: "Lara Croft to see Dr. Lamberton." 

Receptionist: "Of course, ... The doctor said to expect you. Go right in." 

She enters his office. 

Lara: "Doctor, .... you said you have what I need?" 

Dr. Lamberton: "Yes." 

He pulls a small box from his desk drawer. But before he hands it over .......

Dr. Lamberton: "Some people have an innate suspicion of we scientists. It leads them to suppose that if something is possible, the temptation to resist will be too great. We must, Lara, be certain that the line is not crossed and that all scientists are able to resist the temptation of human cloning. That is why we are helping you." 
He hands her the box. 

Dr. Lamberton: "Inject this into the clone's enviornment. It will destroy any bio-genetic material that includes the human genome." 

Lara takes the box and lifts the lid to see a syringe and two vials. She closes the box and places it in her purse. 
Lara: "Thank you Doctor."  
Now, Lara heads for Paris, ...... where much more daunting tasks lie in wait.

end of Part 1 .....

This story may not be published, or re-created. All rights reserved. 
Story by Roger Pederson

Lara Croft and Tomb Raider are trademarks 
or registered trademarks of Square Enix Ltd. All rights reserved.