_ _Head Director James Watson_ _
"Let's see here." I muttered as I glanced through the many, many documents and reports that were spread out over my desk. "Hmmm...things are coming along nicely in sectors B3 and C1 but it seems some idiot got too close to one of the specimens in sector A4."
"Looks like I'll have to remind those fools how they should be acting when around those damn things." I grumbled knowing full well that just because most of the researchers here had high intelligence doesn't mean that they can't be complete morons from time to time.
Cursing somewhat I glanced to my left at the small fancy looking mirror that was neatly placed on my desk. The reflection of a man in his mid forties with bags under his light green eyes and clear patches of gray in his messy blonde hair really said quite a lot about me.
"I'm getting too fucking old for this shit." I growled under my breath.
I was about to get back to work but a sudden knock at my door pulled my attention away. "Come in."
"Excuse me sir." My receptionist, a rather professional and beautiful looking raven haired woman said as she stepped partially into my office with a perpetual frown. "Researcher Roseanne is here with an update report on Subject Omega."
It took me a second to remember what Subject Omega was, or more specifically which one of the specimens it was but eventually an image of a violet coloured creature flashed through my mind. (Ah, that one.)
"Send her in please." My receptionist simply nodded and soon after someone entered.
The person was a red haired woman who was wearing glasses over her light sea blue eyes and a white lab coat with all blue clothes underneath. She looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties and was average in height for a woman her age.
"Miss Roseanne J Smith, correct?" I asked while jestering for her to take a seat.
"Correct sir, Project Manager Jenkins sent me." I couldn't help but sigh when I heard that name.
The man was a genius without a doubt but he could be a complete reckless idiot at times, in fact saying it like that was probably the biggest understatement of the century. The man had once attempted something so idiotic that it still baffled my mind to this very day! I mean seriously, how could that idiot possibly have thought that trying to tame one of the specimens with a rolled up newspaper and a spray bottle was a good fucking idea? In fact half the reports I was given most of the time were complaints about his...eccentric behavior.
"Very good." With practiced ease I quickly moved the papers out of the way and back into a neat pile before turning back to the task at hand. "Now then, the last report I got said that the subject was born without any problems or visible mutations."
"Correct, the only difference between it and the others is its appearance, more specifically its color. Instead of the normal black like the other subjects it's body is a dark violet." As she spoke I noticed a strange glint in her eyes, it was something that made me feel off for some reason. "Honestly, I can't help but find the creatures coloring kind of beautiful in a strange way...mesmerizing even..."
For a moment I was confused as she seemed to just trail off with that unnerving look on her face, I eventually snapped my fingers in front of her in an attempt to snap her out of it. "Miss Roseanne?"
"H-huh?" It took her a moment to realize what had happened but after a second she blushed slightly, she was clearly embarrassed but she recovered relatively quickly. "Sorry errm...I trailed off there for a second, what was I talking about?"
"You were just finishing explaining how its color is different from the other specimens."
"Oh right." I was a little puzzled by her odd behavior but I let it slide for now. "Anyway, the subject has developed further without any sign of visible mutation or sickness, as such the reason for the queen's sudden hostility towards it is still unknown."
"As for its behavior, well, the subject spends most of its time crouched or lying in the far corner of its cell. It occasionally does move around, sometimes to just get the food we give it and other times it seems to be exploring its containment but other than that it does nothing but sit and wait."
I sighed at that, the higher ups wanted answers, they wanted something new, something they could use and exploit, however I had nothing to give them. (Maybe the other specimens are just racist or something.) I joked but quickly dispelled the thought.
"I have a hypothesis if you would like to hear it sir." Roseanne mused with a look of contemplation.
Slightly interested in what exactly she had in mind I waved for her to continue. "Go on then."
"The subject has reached full maturity, at a speed that is quite alarming I might say." She said and I simply shrugged in disappointment.
"So? They grow at incredible speeds, at a visible rate even, we already knew that."
"It's still growing sir..." That made me pause for a second.
These things could still grow after they reached the drone stage but that took far more time. "What do you mean?"
"The creature is still growing, it's slowed down significantly since it reached adulthood but it's still growing at a steady paste, much faster then the other normal specimens in fact."
"What are you getting at?"
"Is it possible that..." Before she could explain she trailed off again while rubbing her forehead, thankfully she snapped out of it on her own this time. "Sorry about that...a-anyway, it's possible that the creature might have the potential to evolve into a queen."
I was about to comment on her behavior but paused when I heard her theory. "I see..."
"There's more to it than just that though." She quickly continued pulling my attention back to her.
"Go on."
"Well...considering its color and the aggression that was shown towards it, the subject might be something akin to a rogue strain." She explained, sounding somewhat unsure of herself.
"What do you mean?"
"An evolutionary offshoot, like how red and black ants are similar but different offshoots of the same evolutionary line." That was a very surprising conclusion that she had come up with and what's more surprising is that it actually made sense in a way.
"That...that is an interesting hypothesis..."
(If that is true then...then it would explain the large amount of hostility shown towards it by the other specimens, the original hive must see it as a kind of threat to the whole species, a competitor for resources.) I thought while tapping my chin.
"Well if that's truly the case then let's hope it survives what comes next..." I muttered getting the red haired woman's attention.
"What do you mean?"
"We've been offered and ordered to begin more...invasive testing." I shrugged, they were growing impatient before this thing appeared but now...now they wanted results. "The higher ups want to see the subject's capabilities in a more "hostile environment", the first tests will begin soon."
Roseanne looked rather horrified hearing this. "And what if the subject dies?!"
"It will be a waste if it ends up dying but I don't really have a choice in the matter. And as for your theory, well, the higher ups won't believe such a thing without more concrete evidence and would probably order such tests either way." I sighed knowing that my hands were tied.
"YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" She suddenly yelled which honestly surprised me a little.
Before I could say anything she seemed to snap out of it as she covered her mouth in shock. "I'm...I'm sorry sir...I didn't mean that..."
"Are you feeling alright?" I asked with narrowed eyes.
"I errm...I've been having headaches rather frequently as of late...as well as...as well as odd mood swings that seem to flare up every now and again." She admitted and I sighed in annoyance.
"Go to the med-bay and get yourself checked out then."
"But sir I'm not finished with my report."
"I said go, that's an order!" I growled before quickly adding afterwards. "You can send me an overview later, once you have your bloody head on straight that is."
"Sorry again sir."
_ _Researcher Roseanne J Smith_ _
"What is up with me today?" I muttered to myself as I made my way through the station.
(But still, putting the subject in danger like that is so...so wasteful, it's such an amazing specimen so why risk having it killed?) I thought to myself before quickly shaking that idea away. (No...no it's just a subject, a parasitic monster no less.)
For a while now I have been obsessing over it, something about the creature was so alluring to me, I just couldn't stop myself. The headaches had been a constant pain as well, in fact they seemed to get even worse the further that I got from the subject...maybe I should have noticed the connection there but for some reason I didn't.
(Let's just stop thinking about it.) I sighed as I decided to do just that but it proved a much harder task than I originally thought. And as I continued walking something happened, I was forced to abruptly stop in my tracks when a sharp, agonizing pain shot through my skull.
The pain I was feeling grew and grew before reaching a peak where it suddenly stopped. "Wh-what is happening t-to me?"
All of a sudden however something caused me to freeze in place, an unfamiliar voice seemed to echo out from every direction. <
"W-what?" I was startled but couldn't find the source of the voice, in fact there was no one else around that could have spoken.
(Was it just my imagination...?) I mused while ignoring the shiver that went down my spine.
(W-whatever, let's just get to the med-bay.)