Post by Admin on Oct 23, 2023 3:59:13 GMT
Strader Inc. Bio Sciences R&D
Jungles of Panama
October 25th 2023
Tamika Strader had been out of the public eye except to promote the reemergence of Pioneer Wrestling Association as a community of sorts, sponsoring the three OCWs (Online, Outsiders and Outcasts), which was getting close to their first show. Texas Chainsaw Massacre was not only for the Halloween timing of the show, but was also dedicated to the memory of her late sister, the former Matriarch of the Strader Family, Meghan Strader-Kelser. It had only been nine months since Tamika watched her sister “die” in her arms, in the bloody mess left by the beast that murdered Meghan under the orders of their cousin, Kristopholis Strader, the son of their Uncle Ryan “Black Angel” Strader.
Tamika could still smell the coppery smell of blood sitting heavy in the air as she watched her big sister take her last breaths, or so one had thought.
The current Matriarch of the Family walked the hall of the far advanced research facility under the Strader Incorporated umbrella that specializes in medical sciences and the clicking sound of her snakeskin cowgirl boots on the tiles stops as she reaches her destination. She looks at the frosted glass door that bares a name.
Doctor Wilheim Rolf
Knock-knock-knock
“Doc?”
She can see the silhouette of the tall and slender mad scientist that is the head of the secret Biological Sciences Laboratory in Panama come towards the door. The slightly balding man with a silver-haired ponytail greets his boss.
“Ahh, Miss Strader. Welcome! Please come in, yes?” The doctor welcomes Tamika into his laboratory with a wave of his right hand. His German accent is unmistakable.
“Dr. Rolf, thank you.” Tamika’s eyes walk the room, eyeing the medical research equipment scattered about, and the giant white board with scientific formulas. She couldn’t even pretend to understand what it meant.
“I assume you are here for a status update, yes?”
“That I am, Doc. How is she doing?”
He motions for Tamika to follow him, and they walk on down the hall, exiting his lab.
February 5th, 2023
London, Ontario
Tamika sits on the floor of the kitchen in the East End home that Victoria Strader was raised in, the house she allowed her biological mother to fight the cancer that was bound to take her. Meghan laid lifeless in the lap of her baby sister, her best friend, and her tag team partner of a decade and a half. Her raven hair was wet with the blood spilled by the lifeless body of The Stalker, the hand hired by Kristopholis Strader. Tears are flowing down the cheeks of the last remaining Cowgirl From Hell.
“Megz… I’m so sorry… I wish I had been here.”
Tamika had taken the twins, little Lizzie and little Clay, out for the day. When she returned, she found Meghan leaning against the cabinet doors under the sink, covered in her own blood and The Stalker’s. Her last words to Tamika would sit with her forever.
“I wasn’t supportive of you when you were Craze champ. I was jealous you achieved something that I never could. That wasn’t fair to you at all. Deep down, I hope you know how proud of you I was and still am. You had a lot put a lot on you, having you take over at S.I., tasking you with raising my little ones and putting the proverbial crown on your head making you the Matriarch but I want you to promise me three things….”
“First, you are gonna get the company back. As strained as my relationship with dad was, he built that company for grandpa’s memory and you need to get it back from that half-blooded prick Kristopholis. It’s ours, not the bastard son of the bastard ‘Black Angel’ Ryan Strader.”
“Second, you are gonna get a hold of Marcus and get your gig back in OCW and you are going to do what I failed at, and be a successful singles competitor that I never was. We all believe in you. And last, I need you to always believe in yourself all the time, not just the 87.2% like you enjoy saying. Understand me?”
The words echo through her ears. Tamika pulls her phone out of her jeans back pocket, dialling an unknown number.
“I need R&D to the house now! I mean yesterday, damnit! It’s a Code: Matriarch!”
Present Day….
“We have made excellent strides in restoring life to your sister, Ms. Strader.”
Tamika takes a step forward. Her right hand reaches towards the cold cryogenic chamber, her palm feeling the coldness from inside. She wipes away the condensation and reveals the “sleeping beauty” face of Meghan Strader.
“She looks so… peaceful.”
“Ah, yes. Mrs. Strader-Kelser is still very much in a deep cryogenic sleep. But I believe we know how to revive her and for her to be cancer free.”
Pulling her hand back, she looks to her right at the head scientist with her emerald green eyes, telling him to continue.
“Through my research and looking at ancient texts, there is a key to saving your sister. You have heard of the Triad, yes?”
“What, that Amazing Race meets wrestling promotion?”
“Yes. When the pieces are united, a source of power will be brought back together that could very well heal your sister and bring her back amongst the living.”
Tamika’s squint as she tries to process what the mad scientist/doctor was saying to her. She gives her head a shake.
“Wait, what? How can some championship belt be the key to saving my sister?”
“Well, Ms. Strader, the Triad has properties about it. When the pieces are united, it can either be a world of good filled with miracles, but in the wrong hands, it could be used destructively. Some say magic doesn’t exist, but they are wrong, you see. Magic is what we call science today.”
“So, what you are saying is that it’s like the Infinity Stones and the gauntlet that brings them together could be used like Thanos or like Iron Man?”
The doctor is confused, as he isn’t a comic book or even a movie fan.
“I’m not sure what you mean, but I presume the first is bad, and the second is good, yes?”
Tamika nods.
“Ms. Strader, with the united Triad pieces, not only can we save your sister, but we could even possibly rid the world of cancer and other major diseases. We could change the world.”
Tamika looks back at the resting face of her sister behind the glass of the cryogenic chamber she is protected in. She looks over to Dr. Rolf.
“For whatever reason, I don’t think Veronica will get the chance to be drafted by one of the coaches in the Triad. Which means… it has to be me, but I had to retire because of my neck.”
“When will you be able to get inside the organization?”
“Draft would be in the new year I am gathering, as the Strength Trials are starting pretty much now.”
“Ah ha! Well, do not fret, Ms. Strader, we can begin a series of stem cell injections in your neck, and we can repair the damage to your upper spine and neck.”
Tamika sighs and looks back at her sister. She responds to Dr. Rolf without taking her eyes off the cryogenic chamber.
“Well, I’m not getting any younger. Will the stem cells help get rid of these crows' feet?” Tamika points to the side of her eye with a weak chuckle.
“Simple botox will take care of that. Please, follow me and we begin your rehabilitation.”
“Megz… I will move mountains if it means you are back in our lives. I love you.”
OCW Arena
Key West, FL
Tamika walked the halls of the arena that had become a second home to not just the Cowgirls From Hell, but for her niece, Veronica, as well. She comes to the door that once had the name Marcus Welsh on it, as well as temporary Commissioner Victoria Strader, but it bears her name now. She sits at her desk, going through the paperwork that will allow to hold her big return event at her family’s estate. The phone on her desk rings, and she hits the speaker button.
“Ghostbusters, whadda ya want?”
“Umm, Meeks? It is Harold.”
“Harold, what’s up? I’m drowning in paperwork for the Texas Chainsaw Massacre event.”
“I have the documents notarized and Mr. Zybala will have 12.8% of the PWA ownership shares.”
“Fantastic. Thank you for getting that done, Harold. There will be your favourite Escort waiting for you at your hotel.”
“No worries, Meeks, and mucho gracias!!!! But can I ask you a question?”
“I don’t know. Do I actually shit with the door open?”
Silence. Tamika chuckles.
“What’s your question, Harold?”
“Why are you just giving this to Zybala?”
“Mike has been loyal since day one of me taking majority ownership and he’s building a family for himself. So, he’ll have ten percent of Online Championship Wrestling along with 12.8% of the PWA. He’ll be able to provide for a long time, especially with the percentage of merchandising royalties.”
“You really are the nice Strader.”
“Sometimes. Is there anything else, Harold?”
“A package from Panama has arrived at the Whitehouse at the estate.”
“Ok, thanks for letting me know. I’ll be back in Houston tonight.”
The long-time employee and loyalist to the Strader clan says goodbye and Tamika continues signing documents, when her door opens, and a Texan accent fills her ears.
“Tamika Anne Strader! What’s this I hear about you trying to wrestle again?!”
“Aunt Nessa, come on in, take a load off!”
“I received a call from The Triad that your application has been received. You know you can’t get back in the ring, not with your neck.”
Tamika smiles at Vanessa. She truly admired her aunt, and the strength that radiates from her.
“I can’t explain everything. Just yet, anyway. But I have started a stem cell treatment in my neck and I promise, when the time is right, I will let you know what’s going on. Ok?”
Vanessa smiles warmly at her niece and shakes her head.
“You know, Scott had his issues, but I really loved my big brother and just when I really start missing his pain in the ass, one of you reminds me of him, in this case, that shared stubbornness among all you kids.”
“Heh, I know, Aunt ‘Nessa. I miss him too. I’m almost done here. We’ll grab some food and we can eat on the jet back to Houston, ok?”
Vanessa nods and stands up. As she heads to the door, she stops and turns to look back at her niece.
“I’m going to take a walk around the arena. It’s been a while since I was at ringside.”
“Ok, I’ll come find you.”
Vanessa leaves and Tamika looks back down at her paperwork. The Matriarch signs a few more documents and walks over to the fax machine. As she sends through the signed documents, she sighs and a tear rolls down her cheek. She wipes it away with her sleeve.
“Don’t worry, Megz… I’m gonna bring you home to Aunt ‘Nessa, the girls, me… everyone.”
