Broken Dreams & Black Wings
Chapter 1: New Home
-Prologue-
During the dark age of genetics the G.E.L.F. project was divided into two types. The Daggers who were land fighters and only needed 8% oxygen to survive. The other were called Daemons for their resemblance to demonic legends of old, while the Daggers were mixed human types the Daemon were different. Daemons were crossed with animal DNA, they barely looked human at all they had been bred for deep underwater combat. But problems arose early on in the process the Daggers and Daemons wouldn't work together, in fact most of the partnered pairs never returned at all. So the project was divided and the Daemon research went into a hidden colony on the sea floor, while the Daggers stayed above. The scientists continued to experiment including stealing children from nearby colonies to continue their cruelty, the UEO was determined to stop the people responsible for creating these monsters. It had taken the UEO almost twenty-two years to find the lost laboratory, but the effects of what they would find in that purgatory would alter some people forever.
-Now-
Admiral Noyce was sitting in his office, enjoying his morning when a knock was heard. "Enter" He called and a lithe man in uniform opened the door and stuck his head in. "Sir the reports from the reconnaissance team are in, they say they've found something." Noyce looked up and dismissed the young man before, turning around and poking his vid-link. He punched in McGath's code and waited for it to connect, when the screen cleared General Arthur McGath sat there looking at him. "Good morning Bill"Arthur said, but his tone was weary. "Morning Arthur. What did the Re-con team find?"The man in the vid-link looked so much older then he had yesterday, when Bill asked him that their eyes met. "Its horrendous Bill we found the lab, but it appears it was worse then we feared." The words were out of Bill's mouth before he could stop them. "What do you mean Arthur?" the man's brown eyes seemed wet as he looked at him. "They hadn't stopped experimenting on them Bill, some were savage monsters that the scientists kept for guard dogs. Others were in tube's being studied and kept alive for genetic material. But it gets worse....." William Noyce was disgusted by the pictures Arthur showed him, but he had to know. "What could be worse then that Arthur?" Then several pictures appeared on his screen. "There are living beings Bill, Like the Daggers some were strong enough to survive, and we have to find something to do with the survivors."
Admiral Noyce put his head down and thought, he had no idea how long before he lifted his head. "How many survived Arthur?" the man looked down flipping through his papers until he found the one he wanted. "Five. But there were hints to suggest more survived but were sold off." His mind started spinning before it clicked. "Are they capable of understanding orders?" The other man nodded after a moment. "Yes why?"Bill's eyes took on a gleam of hope. "We can put one on each of the UEO's greatest ships. The Sea Quest, The Excalibur, The Imperial, The Dragon and The Leonhart." Arthur's eyes lit up with delight. "Their captains will have a fit but it may be the only way to keep the creatures alive." They began to run the personality profiles of the captains against the data the scientists had compiled on the surviving Daemons. It took them hours but they were finally done. They had come up with names for all but one of the Daemon, it was Arthur who spoke with the final decision. "So we are putting Rinoa on The Leonhart, Zaber on The Imperial, Seth on The Dragon, Riki on The Excalibur." Bill spoke up a moment later. "I feel bad that we couldn't come up with a name for the other female of the five, I guess Bridger will have to give her a name. But for now she will have to be referred to by the handle the scientists gave her, Seawolf. So do we bring them to the ships or have the ships com get them?" Arthur thought for a moment while he checked the ships positions around the world. "Well all but the Sea-Quest can come get their own so Seawolf will have to be delivered." They exchanged farewells and set their plans into motion.
The Sea-Quest had been commanded to await the admiral's shuttle that would arrive in about ninety-six hours, Bridger had been told that they were bringing him a new crew member. Nathan didn't like the sound of his voice when he said crew member, it worried him through out the time it took for the man to arrive. He waited eagerly as the call for docking clearance came in, he looked at Tim and nodded. "Aye-Sir." was the reply and a few keystrokes later he left the bridge for the docking bay. As he strode through the corridors he wondered who the admiral had brought with him, maybe it was another parolee like Piccolo. He arrived in the bay in time to see the doors open and Admiral Noyce climb up the ladder. "Nathan! Good to see you."He saluted and before being told at ease, he relaxed and smiled at his old friend. "OK Bill who did you bring me? Another parolee?"Bill smiled wryly before shaking his head. "Sorry Nathan its a bit more complicated then that." They heard clicking and tapping followed by a noise that could be called a yip. " Easy now your almost to your new home." A male voice soothed, Nathan turned and saw what had made the noise. The creature was startling to look at, it looked like a deformed human. It had large paw-like feet and its legs looked like a wolf's though there was no fur, it wore spandex shorts that hugged its wide hips and muscled thighs. Its top half was covered by something resembling a sports-bra and it was definitely female, he noticed the large black wings that were folded against her back with ridged precision. Her arms were long with slim hands and long claw-tipped fingers, he was startled yet again when a snake like thing reached out and slapped the hand of one of the men who had reached out to touch the creature. The snake thing turned out to be a long but extremely prehensile tail.
"What is she?"Nathan asked, and the creature's eyes met his. Her eyes were emerald green with silver along the outer rims, besides the color they looked like normal human eyes. "She is a Daemon, A G.E.L.F. Sub-Breed like the Daggers." One of the other officers accompanying the Admiral said. "I can fill you in once we are in privet Nathan, But first I want you to meet her." Bill all but dragged him before the creature and spoke slowly to it as if it was to a child. "This is Captain Bridger. He is your new commander this ship is called Sea-Quest it will be you're home now." Nathan saw the Daemons dislike of the admiral for speaking so slowly, But Bill had turned towards him. "Nathan this is Seawolf, Sea-Quest's new Daemon." Nathan held his right hand out in habit, but before he could pull it back her left hand landed on his lightly. He saw her nose twitch and looked at the Admiral. "She is memorizing your scent, so she will always know you." A moment or so later Seawolf dropped her hand back to her side and she stood still, as if waiting. They were about to leave when Bridger noticed her eyes darting everywhere in the docking bay, the Admiral called out to the Daemon but she ignored him. "Seawolf" Her eyes snapped to his, and she took up her former stance. Bridger realized she was awaiting his orders. "Come, this concerns you so you may as well hear it." The Daemon nodded and followed him, always three steps behind him. Luckily for them they didn't encounter anyone on the way to the ward room, Bridger motioned for her to take a seat in a chair and she did the one farthest from the Admiral. It took them over three hours to for Bridger to get the entire story including where the other survivors were. When the whole tale was done he had a question.
"Bill you said she has no name, why is she called Seawolf?" Bill sighed and told him that was the name on the file they'd taken from the scientists, so they called her that. It was a short while later during which the admiral left, that Seawolf seemed to relax somewhat. Bridger turned to her and she gave him a questioning look. "Can you speak?" She shook her head and then nodded yes also. "No and Yes....Can you use words?"She shook her head and growled at him. "They did something to your vocal cords!" She nodded and the sound changed to a pleased tone. "Can you speak any other ways?" She shook her head, and he understood. "Are you hungry?" Her eyes widened before her stomach growled to answer him, he chuckled. "OK we will get you something to eat but first we need to find you something to wear, those aren't enough." She made an inquisitive noise at him and he led her out of the office and down to the uniform room. It took them a while to find out what she would tolerate wearing and was appropriate. Seawolf plucked a deep blue vest out of a pile and tried it on, her tail tapped his hand he realized she did that when she wanted his attention. He saw her wearing the vest and she wiggled in it and made a rumbling noise. "You like the vest?" he nodded but took it off and shifted her shoulders. "Hmm does it bother your shoulders?" She shook her head before moving next to the door and extending one wing, it was like a bats wing including the talons on the tips of the spines. "Oh it bothers your wings" She nodded before refolding her wing and set the vest off to the side and dug out five more, three in black another in blue and one in white. They couldn't find anything of uniform that she could tolerate on her legs because of their structure, Bridger was digging through a pile of old things when he found something useful. There were a few pairs of black cargo shorts that had been confiscated from a crew-member, he showed them to her and she slipped them over her spandex shorts but they were a little big on her. "well a belt will fix that" He handed her a belt and showed her how to work the buckle, it surprised him how quickly she mastered the belt and when she was finished playing with the fit she showed him. "That looks very appropriate."
She smiled and he saw that her teeth were sharp and pointed, it was like looking at a wolf's fanged smile. She turned and started digging in a drawer before pulling out a small sewing kit, She pointed to it before pointed to the vest. "Oh you want to fix it so that the vest so it doesn't bother your wings?" She nodded at him again and rummaged through the sewing drawer again until she found some buttons. She gave him and inquisitive noise as she held the buttons out to him, He explained them to her and her eyes lit up when he used one of the buttons on his shirt to teach her how to open and close them. "Ah I see, Bring your clothes with you and we will get you settled into a room, I think there is a small room thats free." She kept the sewing stuff in her hands and gathered her clothes in her tail before following him. She was right down the hall from the moon pool so the room was a little cold to most people but it didn't seam to bother Seawolf, she dropped her clothing pile on a small desk that occupied the corner before turning to him. She made scrubbing motions against her skin before sniffing her arm and making a disgusted face. "you want to be clean?" She nodded and made a happy noise in her throat. "Most of the crew are in the showers at this moment and I promised to feed you so after you eat do you want to bathe then?" She nodded happily before turning and setting the sewing stuff down, while she altered the vests he explained rules about people and behavior on the ship. When she was finished with all the vests he saw that she had sewn three buttons on the bottom of each side, she put one on and gently buttoned them before twisting this way and that. After a few spine bending twists she let out a happy noise and took the vest off. She set a vest, shorts and her new belt in a pile before wrapping her tail around it.
Bridger led her into the mess hall and after a few misfires finally figured out she liked red meat and iron rich foods including the small mountain of broccoli she was currently devouring. Though she ate about as much as two fully grown men she was rather clean at it, she used her claws like knives and forks. Slicing and spearing she chewed with her mouth closed, that was a relief as she finished she made an appreciative noise deep in her throat. As they walked he noticed that despite the grating on the ships floor she seemed to have no trouble walking, He showed her the female showers and told her how to work them before handing her a small plastic card and a map. "Type the numbers on the card on the key pad in the shower to start the water. When your finished do you think you will be able to find your way to the bridge?" She nodded and disappeared into the room her tail gently holding the small pile of clothes behind her. It took about half an hour for Seawolf to get clean to her satisfaction, she had found towels and soap in a cabinet near the showers. As she dried herself she noticed how long her mane had gotten, the thick blood-red mass was drying quickly so she used her claws to comb it before tying it back with the hair things the odd old man gave her.
She got dressed admiring the way the ships crest sat between her wings nicely, she still wore her spandex under her new clothes because it was easier to swim with stuff that molded to your shape. Seawolf read the map carefully noticing something called Mag-Lev that would take her almost to where she was going, her ear twitched and she looked down the hall to read a sign. It said 'Mag-Lev →' Seawolf trotted forward and stood next to the door until the thing arrived. The automated voice told her to sit and she did careful not to bang her knees on the seat. When the voice said 'Bridge' She got off and looked to the left to see the huge doors that were open at this moment. She saw Bridger's back as he sat in a chair, Seawolf approached his left side gently and stood still. When the link closed Bridger noticed the shadow and turned to see the Daemon standing there calmly despite the looks she was now beginning to get. "Seawolf was finding your way here difficult?" She shook her head and gave an amused sound before tapping something on her map, he looked to see she was tapping the Mag-Lev tubes. "you took the Mag-Lev?" She nodded still making the amused sound.
"Commander Ford. This is Seawolf. She was just assigned to us by the UEO." She noticed the dark male's scent and realized he was beta and answered only to Bridger, so she scented him and memorized his scent. She held her hand out like Bridger had done earlier, she was surprised when he shook it, she cocked her head to the side and gave an inquisitive noise. While Bridger gave a little bit of an explanation to the bridge crew about her Seawolf noticed the male sitting on the other side of Bridger. He had a brown mane and skin a few shades lighter then her tanned hide, his fingers were lithe and quick across his letter board. She studied him for a few minutes while Bridger and Ford talked, he turned and she got a good look at his face. "Seawolf" Her head turned back to Bridger and she gave another inquisitive noise. "This is Lieutenant Tim O'Neil, Tim this is Seawolf she is a Daemon." They shook paws again though the gesture still bewildered the Daemon she memorized his scent with pleasure, he smelled like thunderstorms, old books and something unique to him.