drinde
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Chapter One: Lab Rat
Where am I?
A shout… footsteps… alarms sounding…
Who am I?
Bladed feet… sharp claws… serrated fangs….
What am I?
***
Mirion glared out of the containment chamber, flexing his claws. A scuttling sound caused him to turn his head, looking around for the source of the noise. He slowly took in the sharp legs, huge orb of an eye and irregularly-shaped body of the creature. What was the creature’s name...? Xraal.
“Greetings,Hazard. I trust you are comfortable?” A sibilant sound emerged from the creature, which Mirion took to be laughter. “You should be able to reason relatively well, since the… experiment… was a success.”
“Whar… Wherg… Wha…” Mirion fumbled as he tried to speak. “W-Where am I? What did you do to me?”
A gleam appeared in Xraal’s eye as he scuttled forward.
In a silky yet menacing voice, Xraal spoke. “You are in no position to demand answers, as you can see.”
Lifting a claw, he jabbed downward at a panel on the floor. Mirion screamed in pain as electricity arced all over his body, sending his nervous system into shock. He fell forward, driven to his knees by sudden fatigue. Flinching involuntarily, Mirion raised his head to meet the creature’s gaze.
Mirion struggled to his feet with difficulty. Mind still fogged with pain, he barely registered the fact that Xraal had left the room. After the creature left, Mirion began to glance at his surroundings. He was in some kind of laboratory, with a long, rectangular panel of glass serving as a window. On his left were more containment chambers, containing other unfortunate creatures that Xraal had collected. The entire right wall was covered by a vivarium. A flash of movement inside it caught his eye.
It looked to be a small rectangular unit filled with various plants and insectoids mostly found native on Delta V, some of which he had never seen before. Mirion could make out centipedes as large as small snakes, beetles with horns that looked like antlers, and all manners of other insectoids crawling inside it. Caught up in watching the insects, he did not detect the hissing sound of gas escaping into the containment unit. Soon, he was unconscious.
***
Mirion leaned against the wall, exhausted. Xraal had conducted various tests to gauge his ability to perform both physical and intellectual tasks, and the strenuous exercises had drained him.
Flash! Flash! Flash! The lights on the ceiling began to switch on one by one, indicating an arrival to the laboratory. Mirion glanced out, expecting Xraal to scuttle in to perform yet more ghastly experiments on his creatures. He remembered the horrific incident in which Xraal had tried to forcibly change the physiology of another Hazard through surgery. Mirion shuddered at the memory. The tortured shrieks of the Hazard had filled the chamber as Xraal conducted the operation, as sedation was deemed unnecessary. Mirion dreaded the day in which Xraal decided to try the experiment once again.
Sssst. The laboratory doors slid open. Rain whipped through the door as a cloaked figure strode in. There was a malevolent air around the man, who cut an intimidating figure. Xraal entered shortly after, looking drenched. The man ignored Xraal as the creature went about, flicking switches and jabbing at control panels. With a whoosh, heat rushed into the room, drying them instantly.
"Bring in the Hazard," the man commanded.
"You heard the Overlord! Bring it in!" cried Xraal, nervously shifting his balance between his legs.
A Hazard aboard a levitating cage entered the Lab, flanked by a couple of Bio-Guards. They bowed before leaving, no doubt returning to their quarters for a night of debauchery. Mirion looked at the Hazard without much interest, thinking it was another one that Xraal had captured, but was shocked at what he saw. This was no ordinary Hazard. The creature had a mechanized torso and limbs, with dark crimson shading the cords that made up its muscular structure. It seemed to be lit from within, eyes and claws glowing with a strange light. Jolts of electricity arced over its body, yet the cyborg displayed no sign of discomfort.
"This is the most recent prototype of the Electro-Hazard. It has finally been perfected by my scientists in Fortune City," said Baelius.
“We live to obey. We live to serve. Long live the Legion!” the cyborg rasped.
"And they are completely loyal to our cause, which is more than you can say about your creatures," sneered the Overlord. "I want these abominations terminated within the month. They are a waste of our resources."
"But... but..." Stuttered Xraal. "T-These experiments a-"
"Silence!" The Overlord cut him off angrily. "You dare question me? You would do well to remember the fate of Ulysess, scientist."
"I... It shall be done, master," Xraal answered with an edge of fear. He knew that Baelius would not hesitate to him thrown to the mercies of his Imperial Torturers.
"See that it is," Baelius snarled. Throwing back his cloak, Baelius strode out into the dark, where his transport waited.
Xraal sank to the floor wearily. "My experiments… All these years… Wasted…"
***
After observing the incident, Mirion knew he would have to escape soon. He knew Xraal would not dare to retain any of his creatures after what the Overlord had said. They would be terminated. All of them.
< Message edited by drinde -- 12/1/2012 2:33:53 >
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