Project Guardian
Chapter 02 - Project Guardian
Margaret ordered the room sealed.
Two military police officers guarded the door while Dr. Wells was questioned beside Emily’s bed. At first, he refused to speak, claiming the information was classified above Margaret’s authority.
She placed her command badge on the table.
“I am the highest-ranking officer on this base,” she said. “Try again.”
Dr. Wells finally explained that the bruise came from an experimental transdermal delivery patch. It had released microscopic sensors and medication into Emily’s bloodstream. The device was part of Project Guardian, a secret military research program designed to monitor pregnancies exposed to chemical agents in combat zones.
Emily had never served in combat.
She was not a soldier.
She had never consented to any experiment.
According to Wells, Nathan had volunteered her.
The revelation struck Margaret harder than Emily expected. Nathan had presented Guardian to military officials as a harmless monitoring system. He claimed civilian trials had already passed safety review. Margaret had signed an early funding recommendation based on her son’s report.
But the project had no approved civilian trials.
Nathan had forged the results.
Emily’s pregnancy was the first real test.
Dr. Wells insisted he only discovered the truth after Emily was brought to the hospital under the false name “Eleanor Price.” Nathan ordered the staff to treat her privately and transfer her to an off-base research facility before morning.
“Why didn’t you call the police?” Emily asked.
Wells looked ashamed. “He threatened my medical license and my family.”
Margaret demanded access to Guardian’s records.
The files showed that the patch was not simply collecting data. It was altering blood pressure, hormone levels, and fetal responses to simulate battlefield stress. If the dosage continued, both mother and baby could suffer permanent damage.
The device needed to be removed immediately.
But there was another problem.
Its control signal came from a secure transmitter somewhere inside the hospital. If anyone attempted to disable the sensors without shutting down the transmitter first, the patch would release its remaining medication all at once.
Margaret contacted base security.
The transmitter’s signal led to the maternity wing.
Then the pager vibrated again.
“TRANSFER TEAM DELAYED. ACTIVATE FAILSAFE IF COLLINS INTERFERES.”
Emily looked at Margaret. “They know you’re here.”
A nurse suddenly collapsed outside the room. The lights flickered, and every electronic lock on the floor sealed at once.
Dr. Wells checked the monitor.
Emily’s blood pressure was rising rapidly.
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Someone had activated the failsafe.
And the person controlling it was standing less than fifty feet away.
