Experiment S20-9C

Chapter 1

Commotion could be heard everywhere in the military facility. One figure, in particular, hurried down the halls, navigating his way through the unfamiliar building before he found the door he was searching for. It took no time at all to crack the opening password, and the automatic doors slid shut behind him with a swish. The alarm that went off was merely one among many as the staff battled against his robots elsewhere on the grounds of the facility.

The man, tall and thin wearing a white lab coat, gazed around the room covered with a noticeable layer of dust. No one had entered this room in quite a while—no one had been able to crack the code, but he could; he'd been given the keys.

He approached the large cylindrical tank in the center of the room, connected to a huge generator behind it and other large tubes and cables running from it. A control panel was to one side, and he blew the dust off before beginning to tap the keys. When he'd finished satisfying the computer, a small panel opened up to reveal an empty space that was meant to be filled with a specific object—one which he had, as well.

The man reached a pale hand into his lab coat and pulled out a large, beautifully marquise-cut crystal about the size of a lemon, with a good thickness to the body for a nice grip around its curved middle, granted one was mindful of its twin tapered points. The gem was a translucent indigo color which gave way to an iridescence at its center. It was one of seven, but one was enough to activate the machine to awaken what lay within the tank.

Sliding the crystal into place, the man closed the hatch and watched in silent amazement as the generator whirred to life with as much volume as it was big in size. Lights flashed, sounds became deafening before slowly subsiding, and the clouded glass finally moved as the substance inside was thawed and turned to vapor. A few pipelines sprung minor leaks, and chilly fog covered the floor before the main hatch of the clear tank opened and the creature awoke at last.

The man couldn't help but grin, eager to see what his late uncle had left in his care. Never could he imagine that those old diaries he'd received would lead him to this breakthrough in biotechnical science—his uncle's words, not his. It was thanks to one of his few Elite underlings that he'd stumbled upon it, and he felt like a young child at the holidays waiting to see the present that lay wrapped in paper.

A figure rose from the fog spilling into the room, and it was hard to see clearly as it slowly rose to stand in front of the man who had woken it. When the mist finally cleared, crimson eyes behind the dark glasses he wore widened in shock and slight fear.

It had a human-based female frame, pale skin under dark scales that reflected a dim turquoise and lighter-colored tiger stripes on its arms. Cat ears rose from free-flowing shoulder-length ebony hair swiveling to pinpoint the noises around it. Overall, it was shorter than him (a little under average height for humans, he estimated) and a slender build. But it wasn't those things that startled him the most—oh no, it was those fierce silver octopus-like eyes staring up at him that freaked him out. Unreadable as they were unusual, he couldn't tell what this creation of his uncle was planning until it sank onto one knee with a hand over its heart.

"My name is Cybertel S20-9C," it said in a steady tone which was subtly huskier than some women. "In order to thank you for awakening me from cryostasis, I am at your command."

It looked up at him with those unnerving eyes, and the scientist froze for a split second before realizing what it had said. He managed to grin before the doors opened unexpectedly, showing one of the government's automatic guards armed to the teeth. He grunted in annoyance.

"I thought I told them to keep these piles of junk busy," he grumbled, going for a device in his pocket.

Cybertel was suddenly standing, an arm held out to stop him and facing the robot, "Wait, I will show you my power, Doctor."