SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Nine
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Major turned toward the cafeteria and paused in its threshold looking at Commander Fox who did not notice him. Major did not know how involved Fox was in creating a race of beings to be used solely to mine asteroids for a Chinese-owned corporation. But she was part of it somehow he was sure, and right now this is all that mattered to Major. He also knew what might be in that laboratory at the end of the corridor and she could get him in whether she liked it or not. He slowly and deliberately walked into the cafeteria. He wanted to catch Fox off guard. She did not notice his approach as she continued her conversation with her colleague. Major approached the right side of the circular table, hovered over her, and declared to her with authority, “Get up and come with me.”
“Why Major you did not get enough of me?” she responded. Pointing to her colleague, Fox continued, “Let me introduce …”
Cutting her off, Major said, “I’m not interested in him.”
“Major, you’ve turned rude. I’d never had thought you capable,” and the Commander waived her colleague away.
“Let’s go,” Major again commanded. Fox stood up and followed Major. This was all familiar to Major and Commander Fox. Fox remembered being led down the corridor of the Excelsior at their last encounter where she genuinely thought Major was going to force her out of Excelsior’s cargo bay into the cold of space. That time she had real terror that her life would end. But now was different.
Major had shown mercy last time, so she did not have the same fear this time. But she knew from Major’s countenance that he was on a mission; a serious mission that would not be stopped. They proceeded down the corridor without a word passing between them. The antiseptic lighting of the lab washed out the features of the passing scientists in the corridor. They gave questioning looks to Major and Fox who made an odd pair.
They clearly did not belong together in this space.
They were approaching the end of the corridor. Major noticed the heavy security door blocking the entrance to the lab. Its purpose was imposing and cold. Strangers were not allowed beyond its barrier and secrets were contained within. An electronic security panel was to the right of the door. He would need Fox to provide access. And she would give Major access whether she wanted to or not. Major lead Fox right in front of the security panel. “Open the door,” Major asserted curtly.
“What do you think is inside Major?”
“We’ll find out when we get inside won’t we Ms. Fox. Open the door now!”
Fox knew Major’s patience would not last long. She entered a security code and placed her eye close to an eye scanner. There was a great vacuumed hiss as the door slid to the side providing access to the lab. What immediately struck Major was the activity. There was a lot.
There were workstations everywhere. Lab techs were hunched over keyboards punching numbers and looking at screens with charts and graphs.
They were carrying flasks, test tubes, and vials of
mysterious substances. They were so busy they did not notice the entrance of Major and Fox.
There were hermetically sealed doors to the left and right toward the back of the main lab floor. Major surveyed the lab looking for the source of the evil. “Where are they?” Major asked Fox.
“Who are you talking about Major? There are many scientists working here. Which ones are you looking for?” Fox responded.
“That’s not what I mean. I mean where are THEY?” emphasizing the group connotation of the word.
Fox slyly leaned back against the threshold of the lab, folded her arms, and arched an eyebrow indicating that she knew what Major was talking about, but she would not give him the answer.
She would be no help. Major knew he could not use physical force upon her to extract an answer. Major’s expression assured Fox of this. But the lab techs, they were fair game. Major’s expression changed to indicate this to Fox. He saw a solid silver pipe next to a nearby still not fully assembled work station. He walked over and grabbed it with his strong hands. He walked over to a lab scientist who was dressed in a manner
suggesting a higher status in the center of the lab. He interposed his body in front of this individual and announced unexpectedly, “Where are they?”
“Huh, who are you?” the scientist answered. “The question is not who I am, but where are they?”
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” and the scientist looked around at his oblivious colleagues for some type of help.
To direct his attention back to him, Major slammed the pipe down hard on a work table and raised his voice in a menacing manner, “Where are they? I know you create beings in this lab for the mining company. And you are going to take me to them. Where are the embryos?”
The scientist stammered, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. We don’t do any work with embryos.”
“No? What’s behind those doors?” Major pointed to the sealed doors to the rear.
Again the scientist stammered and moved his body between the doors and Major blocking any path to them. Without warning, Major took the pipe in his hand and thrust it straight through a computer screen nearby completely shattering its glass into shards. “I don’t believe you. Open those doors!” Seeing the angered determination in Major’s eyes, the scientist had to retreat. By this time all the scientists in the lab dropped their attention from their work and directed it toward Major. But they were powerless. Major being the imposing, powerful specimen he was, they knew that any threat they would attempt against him would be futile given their weak, pathetic bodies.
The main scientist walked sheepishly toward the left door. He opened its vault-like mechanism with a combination of a digital code, eye scanner, and a physical key he kept on a chain. Major stepped into the interior and despite its antiseptic surfaces and equipment, Major felt instantly ill. What evil, heinous experiments were carried out in this room attempting to alter the fundamental nature of man? How many nascent lives were aborted when the parameters of expected outcomes were not achieved? Major’s attention was drawn to a cabinet attached to various equipment. Monitors
showed rates of cell division, electrolyte balances, oxygen usage, and more. It showed these levels for twelve separate organisms. Inside the cabinet was a single container holding the organisms.
Major did not know how he would remove this container or how to care for the lives of the beings inside. But he was sure that his care would be much better than if he left their fate to the monsters running the lab or the exploitive mining company. He had to get those embryos out of there and hope for the best. He opened the cabinet and gently lifted the container from a plugged-in receptacle. Once loose, he noticed that a battery indicator came on reassuring him that the unit would be powered at least for some time. He gently cradled the container in his arms. Getting the container out of the lab, however, would not be enough. He had more work to do.
Setting down the precious container, he picked up his silver pipe and began a furious campaign of destruction. He swung and jabbed at every piece of equipment and tool that could possibly be used to create this race of slaves. Glass and electronic fragments flew in every direction littering every horizontal surface with smashed debris. Using nothing but his brute hands, furniture was upended, and computers were obliterated. The
destruction was total both in the sealed room and the outer main lab. The lab scientists stood back in frozen terror. Who was this madman capable of such annihilation? They made no attempt to stop or even slow his movements fearing their own limbs or skulls would be crushed just as easily as everything around them. They were clearly in the presence of a possessed demon incapable of restraint. Commander Fox looked on with a better knowledge of the man. Major was not a demonic mad man, but a purpose-directed individual enforcing his principled code. To Fox, this was something to be admired though they were opponents.
When his fury had been exhausted, and when he was satisfied that there were no longer any instruments capable of use, he picked up the embryo container and walked toward Commander Fox. “Don’t follow me,” he warned her.
“I can’t promise that Major,” Fox replied.
Major spoke no more. He calmly walked away from her with the container safely under his arm. Fox watched his V-shaped frame recede and she wondered when she would see him again.