She helped me walk the last ten yards before helping me off my feet. My head was hurting so badly, and I was in a daze. The two assistants rushed over to me, removing Dr. Warren from my side. The following image I saw was the figure of Dr. King standing beside me, looking down at me from the spot where he stood.
"Hmm, I see. No human could walk this far in the physical resistance exoskeleton, yet you did," Dr. King exclaimed with his widest grin yet.
"I had no choice, and you know it," I said weakly.
"Of course, she had no choice," a female voice said from behind Dr. King.
Seconds later, she came into view, looking down at me. Her face was familiar, but her black glasses brought the memory back to me.
The woman is the DNA Lab staffer that came to our home the day this nightmare began. She said little, but somehow she stood out more than her male counterpart. She wears her blonde hair in a high ponytail slung over her shoulders and reaching her waist. Her thin dark glasses hide her eyes, but several blonde strands of her hair fall around her oval face. Checkmark blonde eyebrows, high cheekbones, and a robust feminine jawline distinguish her. Her glasses highlight her thin, dainty snub nose, which seems to fit her personality. Red lipstick adorns her full, plump lips.
The woman is as tall as Dr. King. She wore a black suit with a white tie that clung to every curve of her curvaceous physique. Her thin waist enhances her bounteous bust and prominently wide hips. In addition, the woman has long, shapely legs that account for most of her height. The woman radiated an aura of danger I had never sensed in a person. I couldn't help but wonder why Kristonia and I would ever get into a vehicle with someone with such an intimidating presence. A pair of tall black ankle boots complete her look.
"Remarkable. You never fail to impress. No matter how hard the odds are against you, somehow, you persist. Like a fucking cockroach," the woman said in a Scottish yet British accent.
"Now, now. There is no need for that...," the blonde woman interrupted Dr. King.
"Shut up, give me your report. I don't have time to have a conversation with you. I am only here for your report, and when I have it, I am visiting your boss," she said harshly.
He studies the woman for a few seconds and frowns. He then turned his attention to me, kneeling in front of me and looking directly in the eyes with an expression that sent chills down my neck. In the corner of my eye, I can see Dr. Warren is speechless. None of us even noticed the blonde woman's presence. I watch helplessly as Dr. King wipes the sweat from my forehead. Excitement flushed across his face as he took out a handkerchief and rubbed his fingers on it before placing it back into his pocket.
"Do come on, Doctor. Your habits are annoying. Your report, now," the blonde woman commanded.
He gave her a passing glance as if her authority meant nothing. The Doctor then spoke his following words carefully as if contemplating what his facial expressions portrayed.
"Of course you did, my dear. You could have quit and let me take over, but you didn't. I must say, I am overjoyed you did not give up. We can continue our test with you tomorrow. I am thrilled you completed the test and am eager to continue our sessions," Dr. King said, grinning as he stood up and walked away with his assistants following him.
He stood up and began typing something on his glass pad.
"Here is the report you requested, Executive Assistant Manager. Now, excuse me; I have real work to do," Dr. King said, but he gave me one glance before he left. The look he gave me sent a fear so primal in me I wanted to crawl away screaming. Dr. Warren rushed to my side, but a glance from that DNA staffer stopped her.
"Who-Who are you?" Dr. Warren questioned.
She put her hands on her glasses, revealing her eyes to Dr. Warren, but I could not see them from my angle.
"Zero Zero Four... Stop talking," the woman said.
Dr. Warren's expression went blank as if something inside her shut off. The woman with blonde hair and thin dark glasses leaned over me for several moments before speaking.
"You know... I always thought you were trash. Every one of you damned Howels is trash. Animals that allow themselves to fall into a predator's trap have nothing special about them. You and those other two failures are weak. But you know what, I'm not. I'll still be around while all your lineages get fucked into hell. Because that's all you are good for, fucked like whores. Those damn Howling ones. What a joke. Get fucked by your masters. I'm through cleaning up after trash," the blonde woman said before stomping her foot into my abdomen.
I screamed in pain, and she smiled before turning her attention back to Dr. Warren.
"Oh... I should probably turn that trash back on. Zero Zero Four, resume operation. As for you, forget this conversation Zero Zero Two!" the blonde woman said before leaving.
For a moment, it feels as if I am about to black out, but the moment never comes. I try to lift my head, but it feels heavy. It takes a few seconds to realize that the blonde woman has left the testing room. When she does, Dr. Warren grasps as if she were holding her breath. She immediately runs to my side, falling to her knees beside me.
Dr. Warren fell to her knees beside me. Clearly, the two male assistants would not help her remove the physical resistance exoskeleton as they were nowhere in sight. The woman's words brought more questions than answers, but I couldn't think about that now. The pain of the physical test has taken a toll on my body, and my vision fades to black.