"She is learning well," the shadow remarked as he stood just behind Karl looking, out to
the beach. Both watched as the small nine year old child dodged, ducked, struck and dived
from Latro's attacks.
Three months and three weeks had passed since Diabolique's arrival on Tullan.
"She has," Karl noted as he glanced over his shoulder to the dark shadow of the leader of the 'group'.
"Although, she is not learning fast enough."
Karl found himself wincing as his throat tightened with fear.
"Then...then how shall we proceed?" he asked after clearing his throat.
The shadow was silent for a few moments before it seemed to once again look down to the child on the beach. "She has much to learn: the histories of many people and planets, languages, skills, so much knowledge…" The shadow spoke softly with a hiss as though to himself before looking sharply at Karl. "Instruct Capulatio to come to Tullan, he has work to do."
With that, the shadow seemed to just blend into the background of shadows leaving a shaken Karl in his wake.
Somehow, just somehow, the man feared for Diabolique: for the pain she would receive if she even lived after Capulatio was done with her, which would be no less than pure hell. And he doubted very much whether the child would ever trust another being again after Capulatio was through with her.
Diabolique took in a sharp breath as a large body stepped in front of her to protect her.
Latro's hand landed softy upon her shoulder, drawing her closer.
"He wants to see her," the guard barked out. It was the same guard who had 'taught' her the lessons and who had almost killed her.
"When?" Latro growled as he drew himself to his full height, making the beefy guard step back slightly.
"She has to go there soon."
Two days had passed since Karl had been ordered to bring Capulatio to Tullan, but now he was too nervous to betray the 'group' and so he had brought Capulatio here, and explained just what he needed doing.
Not that he had to, for what he needed doing to the child was the only skill Capulatio had.
Diabolique stopped as she entered the passageway that led to Karl's office, and she had counted eight hundred steps leading to the very position in which she stood.
She took a deep breath in an attempt to steady her nerves, willing herself to calm down; so far it wasn't working.
She took one more breath, then headed for the door, telling herself just to get it over and done with.
Upon tapping on the door it opened to reveal the strange, sickly looking man with pointed ear tips and slightly elevated eyebrows standing next to Karl.
She knew that something was wrong.
"Diabolique, meet Capulatio. He is a Vulcan and a kind of doctor." Diabolique frowned in fear as she took a step back, only to be stopped as two strong hands grasped her shoulders.
Looking up in fear she saw it was the very same guard that had almost killed her some weeks previous.
The fight or flight instinct kicked in and she found herself wrestling to break away.
She was slammed into the nearest wall before being lifted up and her arms forced to her side, but the extra height meant that she was able to kick said man once again in the groin!
"Oh for the love of gods!" Capulatio growled as he came towards the fighting two and injected a substance into the child's neck, causing her to go limp.
"Bring the child," Capulatio ordered as he strode into the next room.
The room was brighter then Karl's. A metal table sat in the centre with two boxes on it.
Both were open, revealing the six syringe-like cylinders that lay in them.
"Lie her down," Capulatio ordered as he took off his long robe of deep green and rolled up his sleeves.
He readied the twelve hypo guns with the twelve substances. Diabolique was laid upon the metal table awaiting Capulatio.
The guard was waved away, which he did without hesitation.
Karl stepped back until his spine met the wall. He watched with baited breath as
Capulatio set to work.
"These cylinders contain all the knowledge that the leaders the 'group' were able to retain from the past. Each holds the genetic codes of many species, therefore by injecting them into the child it will allow them to wrap around the child's own genetic code."
"Will give her a genetic memory?"
Karl spoke in a whisper as he watched in shocked awe as Capulatio injected each of the coloured cylinders, one by one, into the girl.
Diabolique's body shuddered as it was forced to take the genetic code. In her unconscious mind, images of different people's faces, histories of planets, star charts, languages, personal histories of people, places, skills of fighting and making, techniques of the word and of how to lie, famous speeches, and much more were wrapping around her mind like a blanket. If it wasn't for the drugs in her body, she would have screamed in fear and pain.
Karl winced as Diabolique's body convulsed, her limbs banging against the metal as her antibodies attempted to reject the serums, yet it was a futile effort as her genetic code was laced and blended with the unknown.
Capulatio watched with satisfaction as Diabolique's body finally came to a stop as the convulsions ceased.
He released her limbs with a sigh and began packing away the syringes.
"It could be days until she wakes, maybe even weeks with the amount of knowledge that has been placed in her body and mind. Then again she may not awaken." He spoke in a casual tone without and feeling, though it sounded even colder coming from a Vulcan.
"They will watch her, no doubt," Karl muttered as he signalled the guard. "Take her to Tolan and that bloody Hirogen. Tell them to watch her, that she's...sick," he explained half heartedly as he watched the guard pick up the small child and carry her towards the stairs leading to the lower levels of Haven and to the waiting, worried glances and caring arms of Toban, Mia, Tolan and Latro.