by Piper Stone
Get out. Get out...
The warning my inner psyche issued wasn’t shocking. The fact I refused to heed to Emily’s advice was.
As the formidable group led me toward an elevator, every part of me wanted to bolt out of their clutches. Nothing felt right or safe. Once inside the cold steel box, I felt instantly suffocated, my throat closing as the men hovered around me. I caught glimpses of their weapons, the realization only adding to my trepidation. My instinct told me that we were going to the top floor, a place that was hallowed as well as feared in the ranks. When the doors opened, I held my head high. I was a fighter as well as a leader. Whatever I had to face I’d do so without ripping out the commander’s eyeballs.
The thought allowed some of the tension to ease.
Some.
However, the bad feeling remained, as if I was being dragged to the gallows.
As I was led down another hallway, I couldn’t help but notice the chill in the air, as if the thermostat had been set particularly low. I dared not ask any questions. I’d already noticed the suits were carrying more weapons than normal, as if prepared for an attack. I suddenly felt very small as I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling solid steel door.
My instructor wasted no time pressing his hand on the all black console until his secure credentials were identified, exhaling until the door slid open. He ushered me inside without saying a word. While I expected both him and his sidekicks to follow, when they backed away, the door immediately closing, I fisted my hands. After taking a deep breath, I studied the location. Everything inside was sterile and cold, the bright LED lighting and plain metal furniture creating a chilly atmosphere. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was what the various prison environments in our world looked like.
There was no art on the walls, not a single pillow to encourage resting on the hard, cold surfaces. There also wasn’t a single window in the expansive space, as if fearing those interrogated inside such a bleak atmosphere would jump to their deaths.
Swallowing, I tried not to fidget as I scanned the area, unable to see even a speck of dust. The ultra-clean room indicated a safe space for those with limited or no immune systems. But what did I know? I certainly wasn’t a bio-genetic scientist, just a lowly officer of the law.
The wait was infuriating, my inability to know just how much time had passed yanking at my last bits of patience. Just when I was ready to toss furniture around the room, a door opened, the frame hidden in the sleek walls.
“Recruit Bastille. Thank you for waiting and I apologize for the delay.” The man’s voice held a regal quality, yet the deep baritone created a slice of fear for no apparent reason. He was well dressed, held no weapon that I could see, and even wore a smile on his face. “Please, come into my office. I was looking forward to meeting you.” He held out his hand, waiting until I shook it. “I’m Commander Carlton Martin.”
“Yes, Commander. Good to meet you.”
There was no choice. I was required to follow him.
His office was entirely different, the plush leather furniture and beautiful view of the courtyard highlighted by the most exquisite sculptures. Even around the attractive atmosphere and his pleasant attitude, I’d never felt so uncomfortable in my life.
“Come and sit down,” he instructed in the kind of voice that meant I was required to obey his command.
My stomach continued to churn as I moved to ease onto the chair while he sat on the edge of his desk, able to peer down at me. I hated men who lorded their power and authority over women. I could already tell he was a real prick, his heated gaze shifting all the way to my polished shoes and back up. The sick fuck was actually undressing me with his eyes. I resisted giving him a piece of my normal rebellious self, knowing that with the stroke of his pen, he could assign me to the prisons deep in the heart of the mountains. I’d be required to guard the worst of humanity, enduring the brutal conditions no one gave a shit about. The thought made my mouth dry.
No one ever returned from those horrible assignments.
“Recruit Bastille, your work at the academy was truly outstanding. You received top honors in every single course, including besting the majority of men who performed the same tasks. In addition, you volunteered to take higher level courses than required. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were bucking for a sergeant’s position within the first year.” His smile seemed genuine, but his eyes told a different story. He didn’t like me any more than I liked him.
That was just fine and dandy.
“Thank you, sir. I enjoyed taking the extra classes and I do hope they will help me achieve great success within the organization.” I knew the practiced lines, what was required for me to say.
“Excellent. I am very happy to hear you say that. I am quite frankly thrilled to be able to present your assignment personally.” The commander waited, as if I’d beg him to find out what he had in mind.
I remained quiet. Was I going to be shoved in hallucinogenics? Or perhaps working in the petty crime unit? We all had to serve our time in the dregs of assignments, no matter our test scores.
“After seeing your record, I was determined to have you on my team.”
Narrowing my eyes, I studied his, waiting for the punchline. No one was ever assigned to the DCIS immediately. Not a single person, and I’d researched the option on two occasions.
“I’m sorry, sir?”
He laughed, leaning forward until I was able to gather the scent of liquor on his breath. My God, it was only eleven in the morning. “I’ve spent the last few months building what I like to call an empire. My work is very important to me and I only select the best. That being said, I’m assigning you to work with the behavioral training division of the DSIC, which means you will be working closely with a team of scientists.”
“Behavioral training?” I couldn’t be more shocked. “And scientists? I don’t understand.” Yes, while growing up, I’d spent time with a mentor, savoring every moment of learning about the Breeds, but what he was talking about usually took years of formal training.
“It would seem that you are quite the expert when it comes to working with the various Breeds.”
What in the hell was he talking about? My thoughts drifted to the night before. It was entirely possible the experience had been manufactured by the government, placing me in a realm-scape dream state. The entire bullshit could have been nothing but a game to see how I’d react. I was well aware the higher level realm-scape games were interactive, some actions causing permanent scars. I’d thought the ones labeled dangerous, even perverted had been removed. Why was it that beads of perspiration trickled down the back of my neck?
Don’t let on. Breathe.
“I wouldn’t say the work I’ve done pushes me into expert status, sir, but thank you.” There was something very odd going on here. I was by no means qualified for working directly with the Breeds and if scientists were involved, that screamed of something else entirely. What were they experimenting on? I’d only been allowed to talk to a few of the creatures, the conversations very limited. While they worked amongst us, the Breeds weren’t particularly fond of humans, choosing to live in their own environments.
However, the Breeds fascinated me. They’d become like humans in every way, although they were a taller, stronger, faster, and more resilient.
Beast. Beast. Beast.
The single word whispered over and over again filtered into my mind, yanking at my anxiety.
“Nonsense, recruit. You have an innate ability that is very rare and quite frankly, your skills are sorely in need.”
Why did I have the feeling he wasn’t telling me everything? While I knew I had no choice, I wasn’t going into this blindly. “Is there a problem with the Breeds, sir?” I couldn’t wait to hear his answer since he loathed all of them.
He took a deep breath before answering. “I am authorized to provide certain details, recruit, but you are to keep everything I’m prepared to share with you in this office confidentia
l. To do otherwise would be considered treason.”
“Absolutely, sir.”
“The Breeds are very important to us as humans. They’ve allowed us the opportunity to explore scientific and medical breakthroughs over the last decade that have a good chance of perpetuating our survival as a species.”
Jesus Christ. They had been experimenting on the Breeds. They’d guided and prolonged their ungodly existence with the promise of peace and freedom then they’d stuck needles into them. No wonder some of them were pissed off. I would be too. “I didn’t know that, sir.”
“Of course you didn’t. Our scientists have been working diligently and in private for years in an effort to keep our great planet alive. They deserve our utmost respect.”
“What does that mean for the Breeds?” I dared to ask, a question he seemed to want to ignore. Even the way his eyes shifted away from me was telling.
He was hiding something.
When he finally tipped his head in my direction, he wore a plastered-on smile.
“While the Breeds are highly intelligent, even capable of performing the highest level of tasks, they are still animals. Vile. Wretched. Animals.” The commander smirked after saying the words, pissing me off. “Sadly, many of the specimens have grown... antsy. Some have even become a serious problem. To that end, we must find a way to harmonize with them in order to complete our tests and that’s where we think you’re going to be an excellent fit.”
I realized not only was he holding something back, perhaps even terrible abuse, but that this had been a plan in the making for some time. I honestly had no idea what to say. Why did I have the horrible feeling some of the Breeds were being terminated? I couldn’t take it, my bitchy side coming out. “What aren’t you telling me? What have you done to the Breeds, creatures who were promised their rights, assured they could enjoy their life without fear of retribution? They’ve given their word to follow our rules, regulations inhibiting enjoying the same life we do. They’ve been productive members of our society. They had no choice in becoming what they are, and I assure you, they aren’t thrilled with being forced to live as humans. So, what are you doing for them?”
The chill in the air was palpable.
The commander laughed, shaking his head. “I was told you were formidable. An interesting quality. Here’s the truth, recruit, and I assure you that I say this with sadness in my heart. Everyone originally wanted the Breeds to co-exist with mainstream society, enjoying life as humans even though so many of them wanted nothing to do with their evolution. As you’ve heard, there have been escalations in levels of violence over the past few months. Sadly, there’s also been a loss of life in one of the facilities. Human lives. A very important man, as well as two others, were murdered in cold blood by one of the Breeds and there is a call from the president to shut down our experiments. That can’t happen. We are making excellent progress, so you can imagine how distraught every single member of the team is.”
My God. The Breeds were nothing but lab rats.
“Calculated murder doesn’t sound like something they’d do,” I countered. “Unless provoked. Or unless protecting one of their own.”
His smile instantly faded away, replaced with a threatening sneer. “While true, I suggest that you observe more than comment, recruit. You have much to learn. Things aren’t what the glossy brochures tell the rest of the world. We make certain the human population believes that the Breeds are safe, capable of performing in society as if... well, mostly human. I know differently. They are... monsters. They have zero regard for life, other than their own. They will kill without question, reverting to their animalistic qualities.”
The hatred he felt had consumed him.
“I’m sorry, sir, but as you said, I do know something about the Breeds and their behavior. Whatever happened to them all those decades ago has indeed forever changed them, altered their DNA, but they are quite capable of adapting to their human form. Yes, they are struggling with their identity. Experimentations could only prove to be disorienting at best. Whatever you’re trying to achieve is likely scaring them to death.”
By the way his chest rose and fell, I could tell I’d pissed him off. What was he hiding? His hard stare lasted for almost a full minute.
“Yes, I understand everything that you’ve said, recruit. The scientists’ intentions weren’t to harm them, only to improve our way of life. However, several of the beasts have proven to be difficult, refusing to obey their handlers and becoming abusive. Some even refusing to return to their natural state, which inhibits our testing abilities. The bottom line is that the Breeds must abide by our rules, or we will have no choice but...”
Ten seconds ticked by, the longest seconds of my life.
“But? But what?” I glared at him, my mind reeling. “Oh, God. You’re going to kill them. Aren’t you?” If they didn’t perform like good little lab rats, they’d be killed. Calm down. Don’t rip out his throat.
But God, I wanted to.
He furrowed his brow, the kind of venom in his eyes indicating his patience was all but gone. “That is not our intent, but we will have no problem if necessary. They will not take human life.”
Way to go, Bastille. Piss off your new boss.
I took a deep breath, thinking about what to say. Could I help the situation? Would I be capable of even controlling the Breeds? Jesus. I was no scientist, just a girl trying to help provide control.
“Handlers? From what I understand, the Breeds are now considered people and as such required to be treated as if entirely human. Did something change within the laws that I wasn’t made aware of? Did the president of our great country suddenly deem them worthy of killing?” I demanded, struggling to keep my voice from tremoring. “Sir?”
“Let me make this very clear to you, recruit. The creatures that were created not by the hand of God but by some twisted chemical reaction are savage animals. Period. While they might look, talk, and even fuck like humans, they are in fact predatory killers, their natural instincts taking over the majority of the time. Do you understand what that means, Recruit Bastille?” He spit out the words with vehemence.
He’d leaned further over until I could feel the heat reverberating from his body. “No, sir. I do not,” I lied, realizing I’d crossed the line, allowing my dislike of him to interfere with my chances of even surviving the meeting.
Sucking in his breath, he reined in his anger, but I could still see his mind reeling. Processing. “That means they are brutal killers without the capability of embracing humanity. It is likely they will return to their natural state permanently at some point when the chemical reaction is no longer prevalent in their bodies, which may be what is occurring right now. If that is the case, they will consider every human on earth their prey. And they will hunt. Us. Down.”
Because you tortured them.
I bit back any kind of retort, refusing to believe almost anything that he said, my gut telling me that he was part of a world attempting to exterminate them.
He moved to a standing position, instantly yanking a plexi-drive from his desk, fingering it as he glared at me. “Here is what you need to know. One of the top scientists in the field of animal genetics was murdered during a bloody battle within the science ward. And I assure you that Dr. Franklin Porter wasn’t the kind of man who provoked anyone. Then again, you already knew that, didn’t you?”
Hearing the scientist’s name, I froze, my mind struggling to process what I was hearing. “Dr. Porter?” He’d been a mentor, even someone I’d considered a friend, allowing me as a small child to hear stories about how the Breeds came to be, nurturing my desire to learn more. I’d taken three classes with him during my days at the university, two more at the academy early on. How could he be dead? “I... He never mentioned that he was working in any scientific experiments with the Breeds, just that he’d had the opportunity to observe and learn from them.”
I racked my brain, trying to remember the dozens of conversations I’d had
with Dr. Porter. Maybe I’d missed something.
“No, recruit. He wouldn’t say anything to anyone as his work is or was highly confidential.”
What wasn’t I being told? “What Breeds are the issue? All of them?”
“Every Breed within the facility has become agitated, requiring certain disciplinary elements to be used. While I certainly want to calm their fears, we are also hoping to locate another Breed.”
“Why?” Whatever experiments they were doing wasn’t working.
He took his time in answering. “Are you aware that there are scientists in every one of our great cities attempting to find the answer as to why the Breeds were forced to shift? The chemical compound that provides the answers to this DNA question is precious, more valuable than any gem.”
“I did not, sir.”
“Yes, and as you can imagine, the group of scientists who find that answer will be exalted, hailed as heroes.”
“I don’t understand. I honestly didn’t think the human civilization gave a damn.” I knew my retort was terse, but the gleam in his eyes meant he was reaching for more power, hungry to be the top dog. And to take those accolades as his own.
“We do care very much. Very much indeed. However, there are difficulties in accomplishing our task, a true enemy of our work.”
“One of the Breeds.”
He laughed softly, his gaze once again traveling down to my shoes. “Yes. One Breed in particular, recruit.”
He hesitated, a ridiculous smile crossing his face.
I’d never felt so uncomfortable in my life. “Which one?”
When he snickered, his entire body shifting to an even more dominant state, I knew all this was about some secret he couldn’t wait to spout off. In my mind, I went through the various Breeds, knowing some were more dangerous than others, but the nightmares I’d experienced, the images would not leave my psyche alone.