TESTS

Stanley walked down the halls of the complex briskly, nearly jogging back toward his quarters. His eyes stayed alert, looking around the corners, staying cautious of others. He used this route to avoid detection every night. There were few cameras along this path and the security guard seldom checked this area. He continued his walk, pushing open then door that read: ULQ. He inhaled to recover his composure and stepped through.

Contact. He had made contact. Just that single twitch of response put him beyond all of the lab's scientists. They spent years working on the T-Virus. In just months Stanley Morris was gaining an emotional response from a different being. It was amazing, after forty-seven years, Stanley finally had found a friend. Only more surprising was where he found it.

Stanley walked towards the end of the corridor, reaching for the door on the left marked: Employee Beds. He touched the doorknob, then heard the voice.

"Hold there."

Stanley held his breath and paused. He turned around after a five second silence, facing Alan McCormick, the head scientist.

"It's eleven-thirty eight, Stan. You aren't in your bed. Where have you been?"

Stanley didn't miss a beat. "Denny's." McCormick's reaction was of total shock and resentment. "Gotta love their hotcakes."

"You know what your problem is Morris? You got no respect for authority."

"Can't hear ya," Stanley said.

"You got no brains and no will. You think that this respectable installation is some damn playground and you can play hide and seek in the boardroom. Overseer Brant won't do his job, but mark my words, I will undermine his authority just to fire your sorry ass."

"Sounds like something you would do."

"I don't like you Stanley. Now, either you got a great big set of balls . . . or you're crazy." Stanley inhaled sharply. McCormick smiled. "It isn't difficult to discover which."

"Well, I'd love to tell ya, Al. But I can't. Too tired. Lugging my balls around gets tiring. Time to turn in." Stan turned around and pushed the door open. "Ciao." Stanley entered the dorm rooms, leaving Alan alone to scowl at nothing.

Alan McCormick hissed as he sucked in his breath. That bastard. Who the fuck did he think he was? Did he think that a simple janitor got away with this shit? Alan vowed that he would get Morris fired, but for now he had more important things to do. He glanced around one final time before looking to the wall.

"Lloyd. Delaney. Out here now," McCormick ordered. Two young scientists spilled out of the adjacent closet.

"Aw feck," Wesley Delaney griped. "Tell me, Alan. What is this shite? I'm tired, can't it wait?"

"No, it can't." Alan growled. "I'm the lead scientist. You're pathetic and Lloyd's new. You don't have any grounds to question me on. If you'd stop whining, we could be out by one." Lloyd yawned, his mouth stretching open as his body fully extended. McCormick slapped Lloyd's jaw shut. "That's very rude, Lloyd. Cover your mouth."

"Yes sir," Gary Lloyd groaned.

McCormick waved the two forward. "Let's go."

Lloyd turned to Delaney. "You Brits talk so cool."

"Thanks," Delaney said.

McCormick spun around, "I said now!" Alan's eyelids flickered with rage. Hips tight lips forced his clenched jaws even tighter. A MA-121 cried out in the distance. Lloyd looked to Delaney. They hurried after McCormick.

"Tighter! I said lock him down tighter!" McCormick growled to Lloyd. He waved his hand to gesture at the Tyrant.  "Look at the size of the damn thing! You want him loose? You want those talons shoving into your chest? I'm certain nothing will survive that!"

"I'm wrapping him as tight as I can!" Lloyd pulled at the leather strap around Coeus's wrist, but it budged no further. Alan sneered.

"As 'tight as you can'," Alan whined sardonically, "Isn't going to be good enough. Tighter!"

"Then you do it!"

McCormick took the strap from Lloyd and tugged on it with all of his body. Lloyd smiled as he watched the man struggle. "Not as easy as it looks, huh?"

Alan McCormick whirled around to Lloyd, jabbing his index finger into his face. "Look, you little cock-sucking piece of shit, I'm writing you up. Cross me again and I'll see you fired."

Lloyd took a step back. "Sir, I only meant – "

Their altercation was cut short by Delaney. "Aw hossshite."

"Come again?" Lloyd asked.

Delaney continued, "You chaps may want to take a gander at this." Alan moved away from Lloyd, turning to Wesley. "The things alive."

Coeus rolled his head to the side, then moved it opposite. The maw of the beast opened and shut in a rhythm.

"It's moving," Delaney said.