Chapter 3
Tristanius was angry. His whole plan had been foiled. And how? because some of the young of the worms were immune to the virus, through some joke or some freak of nature, which didn't surprise them because the worms were freaks of nature in the first place. he had been told so by War Commander Vorak, who knew everything to know about them.
"They originated from us, and they have not observed our ways. By and by they shall be overthrown, and we shall be victorious," Vorak said one day out of the blue when tristanius was busy collecting samples from pietrie dishes in his sloppily kept lab. "Your assignment is but one of the ways we shall bring them down. But as I informed you on the previous sevenday on the instance you erred in your judgment concerning the correct dosage of the virus to transmit, you can be disposed of, and another sent in your place to do this."
Tristanius had humbly agreed, and applied himself more diligently to the samples he was collecting of the newer and more powerful strain, which was coined ultratristanizine. He had replicated the sample, expanding its quantity, and put it into a more concentrated form, in a more airtight bottle with an attachment that looked to be the cross of a power sprayer and shower head. that ought to hit the worms where they live, he thought, satisfied with himself. He would then receive all the credits necessary to build his own base, taking on a variety of projects which could result in his personal elevation and protection for himself from certain undesirables. Like the Worms, he thought. they didn't look any different from the Shalka unless you counted the fact that the Shalka looked more twisted from the various mutations, mental and otherwise, it had been their choice to take onto themselves. But the shalka had been definite with what they wanted done with the worms. Since his last attempt hadn't done all that it was meant to, and a search party had found the "wormlings" that very morning, Tristanius had been solidly placed on the hot seat, as it were.
The fact that they had escaped had earned him seven hours of torture until he told Commander Vorak that he was in the process of creating a new strain of Tristanizine which could override root thought processes in the brain that controlled inhibition. When Vorak had asked if any of the inferior reptiloid race would be immune to it, he pointed up the factor which would make it impossible for that to happen. Vorak had been somewhat satisfied with that, but tristanius noticed he was being watched more carefully by the High Command, who, as War Commander Vorak pointed out, Were present for "the express purpose of watching your movements, not just to ensure your safety so that you are free to implement our plan"
It was that wild look in his eyes and his savage air that gave tristanius the willy-wams and sent the cold sweat running down his back. this amused Vorak, and Tristanius knew it, but hell if he could stifle his response to the towering commander. His compatriots were not any better, and Tristan, after seeing them handle an operative or two from some race or other rather gruesomely had all he could do not to lose his lunch. It was a tight spot he was in, but once he had perfected this new virus, it would be smooth sailing for him. Now just a few more tests with is last sample, and this one would be good, before he made the final killing, which would be a stellar success.