When the capsule revealed the monster, Maria took a step back in shock. Inside the tank was a small bright-red monster, no bigger than a puppy, suspended in a clear viscous liquid.
"He's quite the specimen of science. Wouldn't you agree lieutenant?"
Maria jumped. The scientist had crept up behind her without her noticing and was staring at the monster in the tank with unabashed glee at his creation.
"What is that thing sir?" She asked. The monster looked like a skin-less dog with a ridge of bony spines protruding from its back and along its tail. On closer inspection, what Maria thought was muscle tissue and sinew was actually blood-red scales that imitated the appearance of exposed muscle.
"He is the culmination of years of research and development into the creation of artificial beings," the scientist explained. He then twisted the monitor around for Maria to see but she couldn't make heads or tail of the graphic display.
"What am I looking at sir?" Maria asked.
"You are looking the genetic code of your new partner." He begin pointing at one of the displays but stopped when he saw Maria with a puzzled expression. "Sorry," he laughed, "we don't get many people outside of our field down here."
He indicated a strip of violet on the display, "This entire monitor indicates the different species that your partner was created from." As the scientist began to reveal the characteristics of the creature in the tank, Maria held up her hand to stop him.
"Isn't this entire operation illegal according to The Treaty sir?" She asked, feeling that all she's been doing since she was escorted down here has been asking questions.
He paused for a moment, mulling over it before answering.
"Technically...no." He opened another window on a different monitor showing a roster of monsters. "Each of the monsters you see here were volunteers that agreed to donate their remains for research in exchange for benefits from the government to their families. So, by the rules of The Treaty, we haven't violated any terms."
Maria scrolled through the roster, settling on the last two monsters displayed at the end of the list. One of them was a dragon and the other a hellhound. Monsters that would normally view the act of accepting charity from the government as contemptible and utterly humiliating. She could only guess at what her government had offered for such prideful monsters to volunteer their remains for this project.
Just as she was about to ask, the capsule let out a loud thump and the viscous liquid inside began to drain. The scientist had disappeared behind a wall of monitors with him shouting over the cacophony of noise.
"Lieutenant Lancelot. Would you please stand in front of the capsule. I'm starting the awakening process, so I need to stand direct in front of the capsule."
With reluctance, she stood in front of the draining capsule as the creature inside began to stir. As the fluid drained away, the young creature awoke from its slumber and started to thrash about inside. When it laid its eyes on Maria, the creature went completely still with its eyes locked onto hers. She noted that the monsters eyes were a colorless, shifting gray that she was unable to look away from.
The glass wall separating them slid open and the creature took its first wobbly steps out of the capsule. It ambled towards her on trembling legs and she knelt down as it approached. As the creature approached on ungainly legs, it tripped over its own feet and Maria thrust out out her arms to catch.
The moment she touched the creature's scaly hide, she was assaulted by a severe headache. She clutched her head like something was burying its way into her mind but the pain had already starting subside and just a intense feeling of worry remained. After a few moments, the feeling remained just as strong as before and she realized with trepidation that the feeling wasn't coming from her.
Looking down at the creature mewling worriedly in her arms, she noticed that the creature's eyes had changed. Instead of the colorless gray, its eyes were now a deep blue, a mirror image of her own. She began to stroke its soft scales unconsciously and a wave of bliss rolled through her mind.
The scientist reappeared from behind the monitors, watching the interaction with gleeful satisfaction.
"I'm happy to see that bond between you two was established without any complications." He clapped happily then began recording the results on one the other monitors.
"Wh-what happened sir?" Maria asked, as she continued to stroke the creature in her arms.
"A meta-psychological bond lieutenant," he explained. "We designed him to bond with the first person that he sees, similar to how a baby duck will imprint the first thing it sees as its parent. But unlike a duck, your bond with him goes beyond that with both of you becoming psychically linked. Among the applicants, your test results showed that you were compatible for bonding. That the main reason you were chosen amongst the application pool."
"So what am I suppose to do now?" Again, she heard that little voice in the back of her head telling I told you so. The creature in her arms squirmed as it felt her discomfort and tried to comfort her. Maria couldn't help but giggle at its attempts and soothed the creature by stroking its underbelly. It mewled contently and settled back down in her arms.
The scientist approached with a small communicator in his hands. The creature twisted in her arms, growling menacingly at the scientist. The scientist just chuckled at his behavior and handed the communicator to her, "For now, your orders are observe and report his growth. He's a new species of monster that we have very little data on. All you have to do is raise him and send us daily reports via this device. All housing and accommodations will be provided by the military should your current residence be inadequate to his needs."
"I see. Thank you sir." she said, standing up with the creature in her arms. The scientist led her back through the labyrinth of equipment and rooms till they arrived back at the large steel doors.
Just as she was about to walk through and return to the surface, the scientist coughed pointedly and she turned towards him.
"Anything else sir?" she asked
"Your required to give him a moniker or name which is to be included in all of your daily reports." He pulled out a tablet, "Do you have a name for him?"
Marie thought for a moment, looking down at the creature contently nestled against her ample bosom. "Yes." she said, "I think I'll call him Geryon sir."   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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