DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN MASS EFFECT FOR THEY BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.
A/N: Ok I know of one person who was going off about science and all sorts of crap when it came to the horror aspect of my story. One thing I would like to make clear and it completely shut this person up is to READ the chapters before making assumptions. It explains everything in the chapter and why Martha is the way she is.
Now going on with this one this will be another time jump this time back to the present day since if I was not clear the previous one was two weeks before. Now it is the present day...well at least I hope so.
MASS EFFECT THE IMMORTAL SERIES PART 1: FLIGHT OF THE NORMANDY
Chapter 29 : A Feral Discovery
SOMEWHERE IN CHINA, PRESENT DAY
Wei Kexing entered the laboratories again as usual when his shift started. He walked up to the station that was currently marked as his and already, there was a sample waiting for him to study. This time, the sample was more current than the previous ones and, frankly, was startling to unravel the secrets of why this latest subject was currently changing in demographics as far as blood samples.
For the past two weeks he and his husband had been discussing possibilities of why the latest samples were appearing to be human. Though the looks of them were black as ink currently they are turning red with the introduction of copper or something in its systems. As he looked the cells that looked more like bugs became more prominent in appearance and it baffled Wei Kexing into thinking it might be some sort of virus.
Until today.
It was early in the morning, when Wei Kexing came in to work. His husband had the day off due to an illness that he caught two days prior. And as, per safety procedures, he had to stay at home. Wei Kexing, however, had to come to work and take every precaution to prevent him from possibly spreading the unknown germs out to his colleagues or contaminate the samples that were sent to him.
When he entered the laboratory in his environmental suit, he was fully ready to start his day like any other. As he sat down with the latest samples from their benefactor, he began to look into the microscope to see what the latest sample has to show him.
However, what he found has him floored.
"Holy shit!" he said to himself as he studied the sample.
"This can't be right," he continues out loud.
"What can't be right?" Laura Stark said as she entered the room. She too was wearing an environmental suit. When she came into the room, she walked towards Wei Kexing's workstation. When she got there, she spotted the sample on the monitor, and it seemed strange, even by her standards.
"What the hell?" she said looking at it.
"That was my thought as well. At first, I thought it was the way the cell was structured, but look at this," Wei Kexing said as he pulled up the samples from before.
"These are the previous samples of our subject. The first sample, of course you know, is complete shit. The cells are obviously destroyed by something and you can't see what is going on as if it was burned. So was the second and third samples. But the later samples since we started doing the vacuum collection we have been getting better samples since we found out that contact with oxygen or any outside atmosphere will destroy the blood samples from this particular subject. However, on the later samples, I began to notice things," he said as he pulled up the more recent pictures.
They showed cells that looked more like blood samples from a human than any other subject he studied. The only difference was that with the typical human blood cells, there were strange bug-like cells that was hard to see, but they were there.
"These were taken recently and, if you noticed, the cells look more like those taken by a human being. The only difference was this," he said and pulled up the small bug-like cells a bit more closely.
"These cells are slightly smaller -about the size of a white blood cell- but they resemble something you would see in a virus more than a blood cell. Though the comparison is there, there are differences to show that this is not a human at all that we are seeing. The fact of the matter is, before I get lost into too much detail, these here," he circled the bug-like figures in the samples.
"These are now starting to look less like cells and more like machines. And this sample," he pulled up the latest ones.
"These do in fact look like machines as they are remaining dormant instead of active like the previous ones. And if my guess are correct and these are machines…" he said.
"Then the destroyed samples we are seeing is not totally caused by the contact with our atmosphere." Laura replied.
"It was caused by these machines," said Wei Kexing.
LATER
"Interesting," said Alexandria as she looked at the report by Dr. Wei Kexing.
"Indeed Director, nanite technology is what we discovered in the blood sample. It is an incredible find to see such technology at such an advanced stage. We had only just started working with nanite tech and to see it up close with such amazing results is... This medical revolution could be way beyond what someone like us can achieve!" said Laura her face showed her enthusiasm.
"It can indeed, and it can also enhance something as acute as weapons tech if in the wrong hands," she said to her. The woman nodded her head.
"Yeah, who would have thought that the subject would display such tech in their bloodstream. You must have found a very good subject indeed!" said Laura.
"Has Dr. Wei found anything else in the sample?" Alexandria asked, ignoring the comment.
Laura nodded an affirmative before replying: "Even though the nanites have been a huge find, Dr. Wei has also found something disturbing about the nanites. It raised alarm bells within the laboratory when he discovered it this afternoon, but I was hoping that you might have a better insight to all this," replied Laura as she looked at the report on her tablet.
"Explain to me what he had found, I want to hear it," Alexandria said to her as she turned her chair around and faced Laura. Her eyes were a bit stern as she looked at the other woman from across the room. Laura, in turn, straightened her shoulders before replying.
"What he found was that the nanites are shutting down. In the previous samples, most of them self-destructed after leaving the host's body. But recently, they had not, and he came up with a theory as to why they are no longer self destructing when coming into contact with our atmosphere." Laura started to explain as she began to read the report. Alexandria raised on eyebrow to show that she can go on when she was ready.
"The nanites themselves are shutting down due to lack of something. He believes they lack materials to make fuel. When I asked him to explain, he told me that the nanites depend on the host for energy. In turn, they repair any damages done to the host in record time. He had shown me samples of damaged tissue that had been repaired by the nanites. In turn, the nanites replicate themselves to help with any sort of repairs that needs to be done. And it also works as a sort of replacement system for nanites that have shut down or expired. He believes that the host, whenever they consume any sort of nourishment, has it converted to fuel and raw materials to the nanites," Laura said to Alexandria.
Alexandria smiled, "You have done well, Dr. Stark. Tell Dr. Wei that he and his husband have deserved some time off for their efforts. After all, I need him rested for the research that has yet to come," she said to Laura. The woman nodded, "Do you have anything to add, Director?" she asked Alexandria.
"No, you may leave and when you walk out the door, tell my assistant to send for Dr. Xue Li. I need to speak to him about matters of concern in his department," she said to her and Laura walked out to fulfill the task.
Alexandria leaned back into her chair when the door shut behind Laura. The implications of what had just been explained to her has reached new heights. Such discoveries have made her life a lot easier. Knowing this, she crossed her hands beneath her chin as she turned her seat around to face the window beyond.
Already, they had several attempts to kidnap and to kill the scientists within the compound. They had dealt with many hacking attempts as well, and so far, their firewalls had held up. Who ever it was... no, scratch that, she knew who it was, and she wanted to see what they would do now that Alexandria was on to them.
She smirked as she looked beyond the city. Let her enemies come for them. She would have a surprise when they finally broke through.
A sudden buzz from her intercom disturbed her thoughts. Turning the chair around, Alexandria pushed the button and after hearing her assistant tell her that Xue Li was here, she allowed him in. As the man stepped into the room, all she could think about was the possibilities of what the new nanite technology could bring.
TOKYO JAPAN
Emiko was frustrated.
She stood in front of the window that overlooked the city of Tokyo. Her haggard appearance made it known that she had not slept well since this whole thing began. She looked over the city as the sunlight vanished over the horizon on the opposite side of the building, and already the city had begun to light up. She saw her reflection in the window and as she thought about things, a light appeared on the desk behind her.
She turned her head to see the familiar form of EDI now making itself known. She had been waiting for Emiko to become more aware of the A.I.'s presence. Turning her head, she met the glowing orb with luminous eyes.
"When you told me that they somehow have some sort of high-end security, you were not joking EDI." she said to EDI. EDI remained motionless, only changing colors from blue to red to show her distress.
"I tried to infiltrate their systems. It seems they have incorporated some of the Normandy's technology into their computer software. But that is highly unlikely since the Normandy has been in shutdown mode for nearly 325 million solar cycles. That is not long enough for humans to be able to acquire the technology, unless they had reverse-engineered some of it from Normandy's most dangerous tech. Such as the device on the Ocean Odyssey that Martha mentioned to me a while back." EDI explained.
"What device?" asked Emiko turning towards her.
"Some of the technology that was taken from the Normandy are not those that are from my homeworld. There are weapons tech that had come from other worlds, as well as tech from our enemies. When I came into existence, we were at war with a machine race that destroyed a good portion of the galaxy. The Protheans call them the Reapers. That is the name I will be using for you." EDI replied.
Emiko's face was stone cold at the mention of the ancient enemy of the Sirena, the Protheans and the Rachni. Both the Krogan and the Asari had never encountered them in their long history, but then again their races are not as old as them. The Rachni had been around the same time as the Prothean. However because they live underground and are more of a hive mind then the Prothean or the Sirena they were spared from the Reaper's probes. That puts the various races at an even longer history than humans had been on Earth. The oldest race is the Sirena, who have evolved on Earth long before humans were here and long before any of the other races appeared on this planet.
The Sirena evolved in the oceans from a lifeform that had taken a mind of its own. A species of fish that had long since gone extinct had evolved intelligence and understanding until they made a civilization that reached the stars. Of course, like any cycle, they built a vast civilization on many worlds, only for them to be wiped out by the Reapers more than 65 million years ago. They were around when the Earth creatures known as dinosaurs roamed the planet and had died alongside them when the Reapers hit the planet with an Asteroid that wiped out all life.
It was thankfully the species ability as agriculturalists that had regrown the planet back to how it was. (Well that and the Watchers' technology). They had since vowed not to get involved until another intelligent species discovers them and knows about the Reapers. From what Emiko learned that is how the Protheans came to know the Sirena.
The Protheans came to Earth more than 100,000 years ago to study life before it evolved into what it is today. Humans were nothing more than walking apes then and the Protheans were studying their evolution. They were studying a lot of things on this planet and how it evolved when one of their vessels discovered the Sirena. A member of their species had become caught up in a storm when they washed up on shore of some beach in what would become India. Sometimes, they'd wash up on other beaches as well and were mistaken for the mythical creatures known as mermaids.
But unlike the mythical creatures, the Sirena are not so aggressive or favor taking sailors down into the depths to feast on their flesh. They prefer to grow their own food and live in isolation. Though they will go to war when pushed, the Sirena are more often than not cautious. They will investigate first, before attacking. If you are a threat, then you are treated as a threat. If you are a friend, then you are treated as a friend.
When the group finally got together five hundred years ago, Emiko was living here in Japan, the first generation of Krogan to do so. And when she was born, her mother taught her the secrets to her clan's success on planet Earth. As the next one to lead, she would be the one to know the clan's history and well-kept secrets. Her mother ensured that she would know the warrior arts of the various nations they had been to. Other Krogan had scattered to other parts of the Asian continent and learned other warrior forms from other humans. It was a time where the Krogan wished to establish harmony on this planet of strange warriors. A time where they were seeking answers that the galaxy has long forgotten. If the Krogan are the race that galaxy wants, then why do they wish to make them more aggressive? Why not leave them as they are? Why not try to establish a better way of birth control instead of a disease that puts the population at risk of collapse? The last transmissions of her kind before the great blackout had mentioned these 'Turians' had released a disease that the so called 'Salarians' had created upon the homeworld of Tuchanka. The Krogan who had lived on that world were forever cursed with the inability to produce children. 1 in every 1000 females were fertile the rest were sterile with eggs being unable to hold offspring. It was a sad and tragic fate for the galaxy.
Emiko remembered those broadcasts as they were played by her mother and father years ago. She was just a young hatchling then, and when it came to pass, Emiko was frightened of the possibilities of her people being wiped out. Thankfully, the disease hasn't reached them. And the Protheans had developed a way for them to withstand the disease's most dangerous aspects of Krogan reproduction.
From then on, the Krogan of planet Earth had been cautious when it comes to breeding. Selecting a few females from each clan to be breeders while the others help raise them. It was a community effort on their part. Everyone helps to raise the young and teach them right from wrong.
But still, Emiko was troubled with the question of why? Why make them suffer after winning a war against the Rachni? Even though it was genocide, the so-called Council wanted them dead. Their foolishness has led to the massacre of millions of living creatures. All because of what? Fear? Hate? Prejudice?
It was questions like those that plagued her mind and, thankfully, it was her mother that answered those questions.
"Tokidoki watashitachiha osore ni watashitachi no seikatsu o ubawa semasu. Watashitachi wa sore ga watashitachi o shihai shi, watashitachi o shiyō suru yō ni shi, sono osore ni chokumen suru kawari ni, watashitachi wa sore o jibun jishin ni okora se, soreha nikushimi to mōsō no kurai kumo ni narimasu-Sometimeswe let fear take hold of our lives. We let it control us and use us, and instead of facing that fear, we allow it to fester into ourselves and it becomes a darkened cloud of hate and paranoia," her mother had said in Japanese.
Those words moved Emiko as she stared at EDI. It was these words of wisdom that had guided the Krogan into new heights here on Earth. They had pushed them so far as to establish a breeding cycle to control their population. They made treaties with the other races in trade and partnerships. They established the Krogan in a way that was not possible anywhere in the galaxy, not even on Tuchanka, the Mother World. She felt pity for those that were left behind in space. The Krogan who have suffered for generations out there among the stars. She sighed as she tried to gather her thoughts.
At least they had it better here on this planet than their fellow Krogan in space. The Genophage is enough to render them nearly extinct. Thankfully for them, the combined effort of the Protheans, humans, and Asari are helping the Krogan in overcoming this shortcoming. Not only that but the Korgans' own breeding program has helped in population control, and in teaching her people how to overcome the Salarian's genetic manipulation. It took them nearly a generation to do it, but they managed to do so.
With some help, of course.
That also meant that they shared knowledge of each other's history and culture. And with it, they share technological knowledge as well. The Protheans and the Sirena are masters of their fields of science and technology. It was them who managed to figure out the genophage problem with the Krogan in space. So they devised a vaccine for the Earthborn Krogan, even though they have never had a live sample of the genophage itself. They managed to figure out with which genes that the Salarians manipulated. That was before they were cut off from the rest of the galaxy nearly 1700 years before. Thankfully, the Asari kept recordings of the transmissions from their homeworlds and data from the Salarians before it went blank.
The last Salarian that came with them died centuries before, having not have a member of the opposite sex to reproduce with. With their extinction, the council was not able to get the full concept of Salarian science. But, thankfully, the humans and the Protheans did. So they were able to manipulate some of the genetic science to create the vaccine for the Krogan. All Krogan, from the day they were born, were given this vaccine. This way, they felt safer going to worlds like Tuchanka whenever they get back into space.
Now, with the Normandy, they can and with it, harness the lost knowledge of mass effect technology. Without the side effects of attracting the Reapers, of course.
Now that Emiko has thought about it, she turned to EDI.
"Do you think, EDI-san, that they are using Reaper Tech to block you from entering their systems?" she asked.
There was silence on EDI's part before she answered, "There could be a possibility. After all activities on the Ocean Odyssey suggested so. The device that Dr. Malcolm was studying is dangerous by any means. They could have other devices that were from the Normandy. Dangerous devices that could be used to not only block my attempts from breaking past their firewalls, but as with that device, control the minds of those who are working within the compound. If that is the case, then any agent that infiltrates the base should use caution. The electromagnetic energy that is from those devices can and will take control of the person's brain. If exposed for too long, a person will lose his mind and bend to the will of the ones in charge."
Emiko did not like that answer one bit. Her face frowned when she heard this. This changes things if what EDI said was correct and they have such a device. Luckily for her, she knew what to do with such a thing.
"It would not be the first time we encountered something like this. The Sirena, The Rachni and the Protheans all had encountered something similar and have made countermeasures to deal with such a threat. The technology of the Reapers is dangerous. In the wrong hands, even more dangerous than even we could handle." Emiko admitted to the artificial intelligence.
"I am fully aware of how dangerous Reaper technology is. I am also aware of the fact that the Normandy has housed them for so long. But to have it in the hands of someone like Alexandria Wilcox will spell disaster on even the strongest of your nations." EDI replied to Emiko.
The Krogan nodded in agreement, "Hai Wakarimashita, (I understand), such a dangerous item should not be in their hands. Neither should technology that could cripple the entire world politics with one push of a button. I don't like this, EDI. We have yet to fully penetrate the compound, much less understand what research is going on in there. If there is any way to break into the systems and see for ourselves, that would be helpful," she said to her.
"I am currently working to capacity to figure out the best course of action. As we speak, I am using almost every single processor I have to break into their firewalls. If they are using Reaper tech, it will take time for me to fully get into their systems. I will have to ask the Watchers for help in breaking in. They have the ability to unlock more of my processors to help with this situation." EDI replied.
"Your processors are locked?" Emiko asked EDI.
"Some of them contain critical information on my host species that we did not want to have taken by our enemies. Now that they are extinct due to the Reapers, I have no reason to keep them locked any longer. However, getting into them will take time. And one of the things I am worried about is the information I will find on the nanites in Martha's body and what kind of creature's DNA is mixed with her genetic code. If it is what I think it is, then we are in grave danger. If Martha were to lose control of her instincts, destruction will be imminent." EDI warned Emiko, her hologram glowing red.
"What sort of creature you suspect might be in Martha's genetic code?" asked Emiko.
"In the language of my host species, they are called the Vaimphull. A species found in both the ocean and on land. A creature that is highly adaptable, as it can breathe both air and water, and sports various abilities, such as breathing fire, and it can withstand the impacts of various weapons. But if that is combined with both human and alien intelligence, then it can be made into a formidable weapon." EDI said to her.
"Can they shapeshift?" Emiko asked her.
"No, my host species can, the Nandruin were a peaceful warrior race. Like your monks in the northern regions of China. They are pacifist in nature, but when threatened, are formidable warriors. On our home planet, the Nandruin would hunt the Vaimphull as a rite of passage. To prove to themselves that their minds and bodies are as one. For the creature is formidable and hard to kill. It takes cunning as well as strength to outsmart and outclass the monster. If that animal's DNA is combined with Martha's, then she, along with her biotic powers would be nearly unstoppable." EDI warned.
"There has to be a way to put her down if she gets to that point?" said Emiko.
"There might be a way, but it would be a great challenge. And if anyone could do it, it would be the Krogan." EDI said to her.
"No, not just the Krogan. All of us will have to work together to put her down. Our unity will be our ultimate test of our strength as a planet in the times ahead," said Emiko.
"Noted," EDI replied.
MEANWHILE
Hungry!
So hungry!
Martha's mind had been going like this for sometime now. All she could do was stare at the reflection in the mirror, her mind no longer functioning like it was supposed to.
Instead, all she could think about was the hunger that plagued her. The need and the instinct to feast on the flesh of the creatures beyond that glass. But her strength was low and her thirst was high. She didn't have food or water for sometime. She was nothing but skin and bone.
She was shaking and she was cold. Her stomach on fire with ever second of every day. The pain was unbearable. The torture of her captors even worse, and she had to endure it day after day. The needles and the experiments. The need for food and water and the constant leering of the men. In fact, they raped her nearly every chance they got, when the scientists were not looking. Some of them were paid to do it as a form of torture. Others for pleasure and for money. All of them were burned into Martha's memory as she stared at them with dead eyes. The thought of food was what kept her going. Her growing hatred only fueled her rage as she tried to fight her way free.
But her now-missing appendages were her disadvantage. Having been cut off in the last experiment to see how fast her limbs would grow back only fueled her anger. Behind all that anger was a desperate need to get home to her family to ensure that they are safe.
But the hunger and thirst were winning over that need as she stared at the door. Helpless and hungry. They took everything from her. Her powers, her limbs, her dignity, her identity. They wanted to strip her of everything she is and was. She didn't even have the stumps, they took the whole arm this time. She was nothing but a torso left to rot with no way of regrowing.
But her hate and her instinct made her want to keep going. Something inside her was telling her to give in to those instincts and to fight back at those that kept her contained.
Freedom is earned through blood, these fools are nothing but food to you. Their flesh are yours for the taking all you have to do is feast. It would whisper to her.
Martha tried to shut it out, but the calling was very loud these days as her body sank further and further into starvation. Now she was nothing but skin and bone with hardly any muscle to her. The collar that kept her from using her powers was still around her neck. It hung loosely now that she no longer had enough fat to hold it in place. But the field it generated to keep her biotics at bay was still going strong.
She felt along her neck at that collar that she hated so much. Wishing she had the strength to smash it. She looked at the mirror to see if any of those people were still there, only to find it empty of anyone.
That meant the scientists that kept her here were gone, leaving her to her own devices. But as she looked up, the cameras were still there watching her. Lacking the strength, she could barely move, but thoughts went through her head. She would bide her time in wait just like cat, or a crocodile.
She would wait.
MEANWHILE
Wei Kexing was looking at another sample of the nanites that he was currently studying. In it, he managed to identify the tiny machine within the sample of blood. Looking at it now, he was surprised to see that it would suddenly move. But looking at it the machine seemed to be sluggish as if it wanted something.
Then it occurred to Wei Kexing.
It needed food!
Of course!
"I need to speak to Laura now," he said to himself as he reached for his phone.
SOMETIME LATER
Laura stared in amazement at the report. She could see the diagrams of what Kexing was showing her, but it made no sense until she saw the report that went with it. Then the pieces came together in one huge puzzle.
"You've done your job well, Kexing. I am sure you are looking forward to your vacation soon with your husband," she said smiling.
"Yes, I wanted to finish this report before I set out on our trip. Wangji and I were looking forward to it for a very long time," Wei Kexing replied, the dreamy look on his face told of the much needed time with his husband.
"I am sure you are going to spend a very good time out in the tropics. Just make sure to pack the sunscreen," Laura joked at the Asian man and Wei Kexing only scoffed.
"Easy for you to say. You hadn't spent the last few hours trying to see what was the nature of the nanites in this samples blood. But once we have them unlocked we can see the medical implications for further human development. I can see it now, the cure for every disease out there right here in the palm of my hand!" Wei Kexing said laughing at his own joke. Laura rolled her eyes at his antics. Wei Kexing was known for his sense of humor while his husband was the polar opposite.
Both were brilliant in their fields of expertise.
"Well, I will gladly share these reports with the Director, since she was dying to know the results," she said to him.
"Oh please do, I hope she finds my research into the nanite systems quite intriguing. I'm also including some of my husband's research into the cells in the subjects body. They are quite different than the normal blood cells that we had discovered so far in our research. Here I have some samples here that I can show you of the latest discoveries." Wei Kexing said to Laura as he showed a 3D image of a cell.
"I found this part to be fascinating with both the nanites and these cells working together." he showed the video which was of the model of a normal blood cell, then the cell introduced itself to it and the red blood cell began to change, transforming into something else. That caused the cell to turn black and it changed into something else as something damaged it. Then it showed was appeared to be bugs going towards the damage to the cell and repairing it.
"What am I seeing?" Laura asked him.
"Well, both my husband and I discussed this and what we found was that the strange cells that you see in the sample here act as a sort of virus. The virus attacks a normal blood cell, causing it to absorb a huge amount of oxygen. Far more than a normal red blood cell can absorb. The virus mutates the normal red blood cell, causing its nucleus to change within the structure. It is not just the red blood cells that are affected. Other cells in the body are affected as well. I tested this against a rat's cellular structure and found that this virus can change a cell at will. However, there is a catch." Wei Kexing said to her.
"Oh, and what is that?" asked Laura.
"I found that if the virus detects that the cells are not part of the host body, then this is what happens to the cell of, say, a rat." he said and it showed that the virus working with the cell and the cell did as the original did. But instead of stopping, it destroyed the cell.
"Oh my God!" she said out loud.
"The cell eventually is destroyed by the virus, causing it to destroy the other cells in the body. And thankfully this virus is not transmissible. At least by itself it can't infect other people. That is the good part. The bad part is that these cells do other things to the normal cells." Wei Kexing said looking serious.
"And what is it?" she asked him. Her voice was quivering at the discovery that was made. Watching the video again made her realize a terrible secret that was being said here.
"The cells change the body. Mutate it into something else. That is not all: when the virus has run its course, it self-destructs, taking with it the host cell." he said to Laura and she turned towards him.
"I want you to explain this to the director immediately and is there anything else you might add?" she asked him.
"I was not done yet," Wei Kexing said as Laura made him follow her. But not until he put the samples away in a safe storage place and followed her towards the director's office.
LATER
"So the cells are self-destructive?" Alexandria said to him as she turned to look at him. Wei Kexing nodded his head, aware of the implications that he was telling the director.
"Yes, these cells seems to command the body to change because, as I explained some of it to Laura, the cells not only destroys the cells that not its host, but it outright burns them. That is where the nanites come in," he said and showed the nanites.
"The nanites act as a sort of repair system. Able to rapidly repair tissue where the body can't, allowing the body to repair itself at a massive rate. The nanites themselves are self-replicating. Once they use up all their means, they disintegrate into the body to provide the other nanites with materials to replicate themselves. They also have the body produce those same materials for long-term use." Wei Kexing said as he showed Alexandria the results.
Impressed, Alexandria was shown the images that were sent to her tablet and she reviewed them with intrigue.
"Are you saying that these nanites are the reason why the samples are constantly destroyed?" she asked him and Wei Kexing nodded, "Yes ma'am. They are the exact reason why they were destroyed. You see, as part of a defense mechanism which I am still working on gathering data about, the minute the nanites escape from the host, they self destruct. Meaning that they are tied to the host's DNA signature and if separated from, say, the host's natural heartbeat, then the nanites self-destruct. They must have a system in place to make sure that they are within the correct host. I tried these on several rats and the results were disastrous," Wei Kexing said to her.
Alexandria was impressed with how he thought it up. She looked up at him, "When you return from your little vacation with your husband Dr. Wei, please, by all means, figure out a way that we can shut down the nanites so we can extract healthy samples. Maybe if we have a healthy sample, you and your team can figure out what makes them work exactly and how can we use it for our benefit. You are dismissed," she said and waved her hand.
Wei Kexing nodded before he left, leaving Laura with Alexandria. Alexandria Wilcox looked at Laura as if she was going to say something. But Laura beat her to it.
"There had been reports of a breach in security ma'am," she said to her.
"Oh? Does it involve Dr. Wei?" she said to her. And Laura nodded, "In a way yes. Someone had broken into his apartment as well as that of Dr. Wen Cheng and his wife. We are still analyzing what was taken from their computer systems seeing that is the only thing they were after. Somehow the security team in charge of the staff residents managed to find the intruder and chased them out. They were not able to apprehend nor kill them, but this person did manage to break into two apartments without alerting the residents. So whoever it was is good," Laura said to her.
"Why are you reporting this to me and not security?" Alexandria asked her and Laura sighed, "The security officer who handed me the report reported to me first seeing as the files that were broken into were from the labs. As you know a lot of our scientists work from home as well as in the laboratory. Sometimes the best theories are created from home where the atmosphere is most pleasing to their minds," she said to her.
Alexandria knew this and made a note to herself to get in touch with the security officer who delivered that message.
"Is that all Dr. Stark?" she asked wishing for her to leave so she can get in contact with security.
"That is all Director," she said and Alexandria waved her off to be dismissed. Laura turned on her heels and walked out of the office. Just as she did, Alexandria's secretary walked in and she looked as if she had been harassed. Alexandria looked annoyed when the woman came in.
"What it is?" she said to the poor secretary. The woman looked nervous before replying.
"Ma'am there is a Mr. Wang Zedong here to see you and he said it is about your results," she said and Alexandria waved him in. The poor secretary ran out to greet the man, but he pushed the secretary to the side, causing her to fall on her rear as he stormed in.
Alexandria Wilcox raised one eyebrow in annoyance at the man as he came further inside the office without any show of etiquette at all. This annoyed her as the man plopped himself down on his chair and grabbed a cigar from his pocket.
"What can I do for you Mr. Wang?" Alexandria said to him knowing the man can speak perfect English.
"Ms. Wilcox, as you well-aware, the whole world is looking for you. We have sheltered you here in our country with a fake identification and fake passports in order for you to deliver on your promise of getting us a piece of alien technology," he said to her. Alexandria looked annoyed.
"As I stated, Mr. Wang, we have delivered the technology and more as promised. Live alien subjects have been sent to you and your party. I am sure that if the Communist Party of China finds out that you violated a peace agreement between them and the alien refugees then surely you will be punished." Alexandria said to him. Her face hid her features well, but her annoyance was starting to get to her. She had to remain calm. For the man, after all, was the one providing the funds and the resources to help her in her plans to overthrow the governments.
"You let me worry about the Communist Party. I have been looking at the reports that you have shown me and there seems to be something missing. Then I get a report from one of my people, stating that you have a live alien subject that unlike the others shows some promise into creating a race of super soldiers. Is this correct?" he stated and Alexandria cursed inwardly knowing she will have to have someone sweep the entire facility for bugs and spies.
"The missing report, Mr. Wang, is on the subject itself. The subject is highly volatile and dangerous, we have not yet had the opportunity to study it thoroughly. If we were to break from it then it could prove to be a disaster for all of us," she said to him.
"How dangerous and volatile is this creature?" he asked her.
"Very, as the report states it is a biotic life form able to heal at an abnormal rate. It also can change its shape and it's highly intelligent. So we have to monitor it constantly. If not, then it will escape." Alexandria warned heeding Laura and Dr. Wei's advice about Martha. There were also reports that she failed to tell the man in front of her about when dealing with Martha. The torture, rape and tests that were done to see her mental and physical tolerance. If he found out that Martha is human, then the whole project will be shut down.
"Can I see the subject?" he said to her.
"It is too dangerous to see Mr. Wang. When we deem it safe will you be allowed to see it." Alexandria said to him.
"You don't seem to know what you are dealing with Ms. Wilcox. You either show me the subject or I will see to it that everyone knows you are here," he said to her. His fat smile made Alexandria want to kill him more.
Mr. Wang was a large man both in girth and in height. His short hair and beady eyes made him a man that sees much but has been doing much more. As a member of a lesser political party in China, which Alexandra refuses to name, in their quest to dispose of the C.C.P. and put themselves on top, they hired Alexandria after finding out that she was hiding in China. In order to escape American assassins, she changed her name, her appearance and her habits to hide the fact that she was an international fugitive on the run.
Mr. Wang was only one of several people who annoyed her from that party. But he was of a lesser rank than, say, the president of the group. Li Xing Mao. An odd name with no meaning whatsoever. His parents gave him that name to mock his birth which was unwanted. But Mr. Wang was a loyalist and remained so to the end. So when Alexandria wanted to kill him from behind her desk, she was reluctant to do so. Her impulse was proven to be true because as much as she despised Mr. Wang, she needed him to assure the benefactors that what she is doing for them was paying out.
But then again, Alexandria is very good at making accidents happen. So without further ado she stood up and gave a warm smile.
"Of course, Mr. Wang, this way please. I will ensure that the subject is ready for you," she said to him. She stood up, her face was impassive as she made her way out towards her secretary.
"Anne call Derick and make sure you tell him that we are heading down to see number 356," she said. The woman behind the desk nodded furiously as she quickly went for the phone.
Alexandria made her way towards the elevator with Mr. Wang trailing behind her. His large hands made brief passes on her rear end and she found him absolutely disgusting.
She decided to flirt with him to lure him into his death.
MEANWHILE
Martha remained behind her legs as she watched the people once again poke and prod her. Her now-bony limbs were not worth showing to anyone in the world. But she watched them with hunger in her eyes. Eyeing them as if they were nothing but food. Her hunger was growing each passing second and more and more she wanted to get up and break the glass to feast upon the flesh of her captors.
Once again, she heard them say that she needs to be fed. And again they failed to do so. Martha wants to tear into their flesh even more now to make them pay for what they have done to her.
Once in a while, she would lean on the glass and snort into it like a velociraptor in the kitchen. The fog that she creates allows her to let them know how she feels. Her eyes no longer look human. She had seen it in the glass. They had become slitted like those of a reptile and her fingers became more claw-like and tipped with finely shaped talons. Her teeth were no better as they had become sharper and more fearsome looking. Her nostrils flared, trying to catch their scent as she waited.
Her instincts became more feral as her scraped along the glass. But the scientists ignored her as she started to growl and purr at the same time, again like a velociraptor eyeing its prey.
MEANWHILE
The elevator had opened, allowing Alexandria and Mr. Wang to exit the elevators. She walked ahead of him, flashing her ID at the guards at the door and the guards allowed them in. When she stepped in, Mr. Wang was inspected with a metal detector and allowed in. As they walked further into the hallway, Mr. Wang started to get nervous as he saw the numerous scientists around the room.
He walked closer to Alexandria who only rolled her eyes as they kept going.
When they neared the labs and the many observation rooms, Alexandria again flashed her ID badge. The guards let them in with Mr. Wang following closer behind her. When they entered another, more secured room and had been sterilized, did they finally reach a room marked 'SUBJECT 356' on the wall.
When they entered the room, to the surprise of Mr. Wang, there was a large window. There were no scientists here as the three had already left the facility. Mr. Wang looked at the subject in front of him with awe. The thing on the other side only eyed him with hunger in her eyes.
"She is remarkable" he said noticing the obvious signs that the subject was female.
"We captured her in Australia and brought her here for research. She has heightened senses and biotic abilities, hence the collar," Alexandria said to him. Thankfully for her Martha never registered that this man can speak English since all she can probably sense was that he speaks only Mandarin.
"Does the subject have a name?" he asked.
"We do not disclose that information to anyone, Mr. Wang, for security reasons. But the subject does have a name. But here in the labs she is only known as 'Subject 356,'" was the reply from Alexandria.
Mr. Wang leaned in closer to the subject, his mind salivating at the thoughts of a real alien live in front of him.
"Do you want to meet her in person?" Alexandria said to him. Her voice sounding soft and sultry.
"Yes, I would like that, and… I heard that she takes men in from time to time," he said to her and Alexandra smirked at him.
"Oh, she does. Part of our research is whether or not she is compatible with humans." Alexandria replied as she led him out the door on the opposite side of the room.
MEANWHILE
Martha's head went up when she heard the door opened unannounced. She growled low in her throat when the door opened. Alexandra Wilcox stood there as another man entered the room. Martha could only glare at the man not wanting him to come any closer to her. She glared as he walked closer his greasy gaze was filled with lust as he stretched his hands closer to her. But she was unable to move, too weak to do so.
The man did not notice that Alexandria Wilcox had slipped behind and closed the door behind him. She quickly made her way towards the waiting room and the mirror. Martha was burning with hatred when their gazes met.
"Ó, nǐ zhēn piàoliang," he said to her as he stroked her cheek. She did not like it one bit as he continued to stroke her.
"Ó, nǐ zhēn piàoliang," he spoke to her. Martha felt disgusted by his greasy hands and his nasty-smelling cologne. The overweight man came closer and closer with his mouth just before hers. Alexandra watched as he looked into her eyes.
Martha knew she was going to be raped again as he undid his pants and started to stroke himself. Petrified and unable to move she waited for the familiar round to go at it again. As he bent her over and spread her legs she knew what was coming.
She felt something being pricked and the man cursed under his breath.
"Wángbā dàn!" he cursed as he nursed a cut on his finger. He had stuck that finger into Martha's mouth but her newly sharp teeth made short work of it.Martha turned towards him. The smell of blood began to awaken something in her. At the window, she could see Alexandria looking in anticipation of what might happen next.
She saw the drop of red on the man's finger as he pulled away to suck on it. Cursing the whole way. Finding what little strength she had left. She slowly rose to her feet, her naked body in full view of the man before her.
The man looked back at Martha as she slowly walked closer. She looked like she wanted to kiss him so he smiled sweetly at her.
Martha stared into his eyes with a gaze only a predator could do. The man did not say a word as she slouched over to him. Taking his bleeding hand into her own talons, she held it up to her face. Sniffing it as she gazed into his eyes, she began to lick it with a now-forked tongue. She could feel him getting larger as she moved closer.
However, Martha had other things on her mind when she leaned into his face. Her lips covered in his blood. She began to kiss him and in turn, he began to kiss her back, falling to his back with her on top of him. She began to seductively take his clothes off leaving him bare. He was more turned on as Martha went on him to seduce him.
But she was not interested in sex. Instincts she never knew began to take over her body as her body started to change. As she felt up her would-be suitor, he failed to notice her lengthening tail.
But Alexandria noticed as it extended from her naked spine. Ripping through her skin and growing in length. Her arms began to get bigger and longer as well as her neck. And she wondered how Martha's nanites could still have material and fuel to do such a drastic change.
Martha began to slowly trace is face with her tongue as began to kiss down his neck making him moan in ecstasy. He began to squirm and move as if he was having sex with her. But what he thought was vaginal fluids was actually blood from Martha's emerging spinal spikes and scales. Her skin started to change color from fair to black. Spikes began to grow along her back as she continued to kiss down his bloated body to his belly.
The man was in so much ecstasy that he failed to notice when Martha stopped kissing and reared her head back.
The scream that followed when her mouth bit down into his belly made the man realize what danger he was put in. Martha's face began to lengthen as she did this and as she consumed his flesh. His screams were silenced by the padded walls inside the room. Her teeth lengthened to sharp fangs as she attacked him again and again, ripping into his flesh and tearing chunks out. The blood that squirted around the room and the screams that followed were what Alexandra Wilcox was waiting for.
IN THE OBSERVATION ROOM
As she watched Martha consume her meal, she did notice the change in size as she feasted on his flesh. As she feasted, her wounds began to heal from the day before. She continued to grow as she tore larger chunks from his body, consuming him completely, bones and all. Tearing into flesh she didn't care for who saw, only that she was finally eating and consuming something. The blood was thick in the room as she devoured the last of Mr. Wang. What was left was only small pieces of body parts and clothes.
Suddenly a popping sound was heard as well as a clanking noise. Alexandra looked in horror as the collar that was fastened around Martha's neck had fallen off. With a shake, Martha was finally free of her shackles as she continued to feast on the flesh of the man who tried to torment her. The spikes on her back elongated to become large spears and they soon were covered in skin folds. She continued to grow in size until nothing human remained.
Shocked at this new discovery of Martha's alien form she reached for her cell phone to call the scientists, only for Martha to suddenly turn her head towards the glass. Her long arms had been reforged as wings like those of a bat's, making it hard to see into the room. They were so large and those claws at the end made them perfect for her to kill with as well. When she moved the wing to look at her, her head had grown a bit, becoming the shape and size of a dinosaur. Her neck was longer and thicker and her body no longer appeared human at all.
In fact she looked as if she might be….
TBC
A/n: And my brain went dead at this point. But there you have it folks a cliffhanger for you. As you can see things are starting to happen now that Martha's alien form has been revealed.
As for me my brain went dead at that moment and I stopped there. Besides sometimes its fun to leave a cliffhanger.
Alright this was inspired by Species, Jennifer's Body and of course the Ardat Yakshi from ME2 and 3. So as usual I would like to thank my beta for his help in getting things cleaned up before reading and all you folks for liking this story and sticking with me so far in this rewrite. Anyhows I am tired Christmas has taken a lot from me and my health is not helping.
So I will leave this with you. Just remember when you leave a review no BASHINGS, FLAMES OR LORE MONGERS PLEASE thanks.
B/n: And once again I offer my sincere apologies to both the author and to the readers who have been anticipating this story's continuation. I will not give half-assed excuses for this length of time. I can only offer apologies.