The ship slowly entered the docks of the base. It took almost two week's but they finally made it to their destination. It was dangerous sailing to the island, mostly because of all the fog that concealed dangerous reef's that were all over the place, also if they didn't have an Eternal Pose they would have had to wait twenty years until the normal Log Pose adjusted itself on Banaro Island. Unlike Banaro, this island's name was never mentioned, since it didn't even exist on maps.
For on this island the World Government had one of it's researching facilities, and the projects and experiments that were conducted here were off-limits to the public...even most of the military didn't know anything about it. It was one of many such islands scattered throughout the world, this specific facility specialized in bio-research, there were others, also specialized in their own field's ranging from cybernetics and energy weapon R&D labs to the more obscure ones like Devil Fruit creation. And nobody knew them all...with the possible exception of Doctor Vegapunk probably.
Vice-Admiral Kirag watched as the Pacifista carried the metal containers inside the large structure. Although he wasn't present at the meeting, he did get all the important information in a file folder.
It was sickening to think that the things in those containers were once human, people with family's, feeling's and dream's.
It was no secret that the Marines hated pirates, hunted, killed or imprisoned them...what ever worked. But this...this was different. This Hunter was like a malignant disease that had to be cut out and burned as fast as possible, else he destroyed the world and all in it.
„Vice-Admiral how nice of you to drop by" said a woman dressed in a typical lab coat.
Kirag frowned „Doctor Asul" he greeted her giving a curt nod.
She glanced at the cargo that was being carried inside by the Government's human weapons „It seems I'm getting more supplies than usual, what sparked this generosity?" she asked in a cheerful voice.
„Those are not only supplies. I presume you are aware what happened with the Headquarters?" he inquired. Though doctor Brigid E. Asul was a brilliant scientist, and one of Vegapunks top prodigies, Kirag couldn't muster any goodwill towards the woman. Behind her pretty face was nothing beside the thirst for knowledge...she didn't care for money, power or acknowledgment - all she wanted is to KNOW. And that was the problem, she was so fixated on her pursuit of knowledge that everything else was trivial for her – including morality. More than once she suggested unethical experiments on human's, she even had the nerve to defend that lunatic Caesar in his actions - she was utterly without remorse or pity.
And that disgusted him.
She tilted her head thinking „You mean the attack from that Hunter person?"
„The same" he pointed at the crates „those are the remains of the mutated soldiers...or rather those are the corpses of the beasts we fought. They were distributed through the research facilities with hope that some weapon could be made against the Hunter, naturally you get the lion's share seeing as how you specialize in this field."
Kirag felt a shudder run down his spine when he looked at the woman's cold blue eyes. Her face had that little amused smile as she watched the containers with interest.
„Oh what a nice present you brought me Vice-Admiral" she said in a sing-song voice „I can't wait to star the experiments, It intrigued me how a person can take abilities and memories, but now I can finally begin solving that mystery."
He nodded „All the pieces were retrieved by Pacifista's, so they were not contaminated in any way. The Fleet Admiral is expecting results soon, don't disappoint" having said his part, he saluted to the woman and returned to his ship, happy to sail as far away as he could from here.
Doctor Asul didn't even register as he left her company, her mind working furiously what to do with the given samples. Now then...lets get started.
Team's of scientist moved through the facility with determination. Already the received samples were being examined in the various laboratories in the complex.
One after another the people took their hazmat suit's and entered the laboratories after going through the basic procedures. No mistakes were allowed in this...
Everything was tested and probed. The samples and experiments were so complex that Vegapunk's special devices had to be rolled in.
The real surprises started when they placed a sample under one of the microscopes. The genetic structure of the beast was unbelievable complex, exceeding any organism they ever encountered before.
Doctor Asul watched how the sample acted under different outside stimulus. And it didn't disappoint, in a second genes could change their roles to adapt to the new environment. And there were 50,000 of them! Far more than a human had.
One of the doctors entered the lab carrying a small container. Far smaller than the ones that contained the corpses of the beasts.
„Doctor Asul, you might want to see this" he said.
She looked up from the microscope „What is it?"
He placed the container on the desk. „The label said it's the Hunter's hand" came his response, he carefully opened the small box and they saw an armored hand and forearm, it was cleanly burned of by a laser on the top.
„Marvelous!" she said, grabbing a pair of long pincers she extracted a sample from the burned and unarmored part of the hand.
Placing it under the microscope she took a glance.
„It looks like the cells are inactive" she said with a frown, taking one of the laser scalpels, newly introduced by Dr. Vegapunk himself, she split the sample in two...in that instant she saw that the cells were in fact operational, but as soon as they came in contact with air they became dormant...like they were programmed to deactivate when exposed to oxygen or something else.
But the moment was enough to see the active cells in their full glory.
If she thought that the beasts genetic structure was complex, than this was overkill. „Charles would you be a dear and run this through the computer?"
He nodded and using the best equipment that could be found in the world analyzed the sample.
His eyes went wide when the results were displayed „T-this is impossible!" for on the monitor was a multitude of different data including how many genes the sample possessed, and it was twenty times more than that of the beasts.
She smiled „Do you know what this means? The Hunter isn't human, not in a long shot...in fact looking over this...it looks suspiciously like a virus..." she taped her chin.
Charles frowned „But that makes no sense, from what we see here this Hunter doesn't suffer from any viral pathogen...it can't be a virus."
She smiled „I never said he is suffering from a virus...I'm saying that he is the virus, a living, talking, thinking virus!" she said with joy „oh the potential! Charles do you know what this means?!"
The man nodded, not really happy with the revelation „It means we are neck-deep, that's what it means."
„Oh don't be so melodramatic! Don't you see what a gift this is?! This creature has limitless potential for growth! Its evolution personified!" For many a virus is simply a unwanted guest in their body, but in nature it is an important keystone to evolution. They not only weed out the weak from the gene-pool but also contributed by adding and changing gene development.
It was through viruses that humans, and in fact all other life gained new genes incorporated in their very cells, changing and improving the base structure. As a virus takes genes from one host it travels to another, irrelevant of the hosts race. That way humans gained genes that could never developed on their own.
A gene found in only one sort of animal that had no 'natural' way to give its genes to a completely separate species could do that with the help of a virus. Hell, a virus can act as a gene mailman across the universe considering that they weren't technically alive and could exist indefinitely in their dormant state.
And if she was correct, a fully sentient virus was running over the world collecting genes that could be easily passed to anyone it wanted.
He grunted „Forgive me if I withhold my elation"
She was about to scold his unscientific behavior when a thought came to her, she slowly walked to the severed hand „Charles, would you kindly help me with an experiment?"
„That's what I'm here for" was his response „What do you need?"
„Get me some lab-rat's here" said Asul as she prepared multiple syringes „as many as you can get your hands on."
That surprised the man but he said nothing, he went diligently with the given task hoping that they wont burn through their share of the thing's very quickly...the new supply shipment was a month away...
A/N:
Yes, I know I took my sweet time, next chapter's should be faster since I will reuse some parts from the failed prototypes.
Normally before I update chapters I ask people for opinions, is it entertaining, is it rubbish etc...for these chapters I failed to get any opinion's so...if its sucks, let me know. I will delete and replace them with chapters that are hopefully better.
Brigit E. Asul was designed by Fanboy316