The scientists who ambled around the facility were ecstatic. Today, was the day a new Subject would be added to the Vats.
The head geneticist, Dr. Traubert had completed all of the preliminary adjustments and edits to the Subject Embryo.
He leaned into a large microscope and carefully collected the embryo into a microscopic, bio-engineered, cylindrical container.
Using specialised micro-forceps, he then moved the container into a thick liquid medium within a glass beaker. Thereafter sealing it with a nozzled lid.
With that final act done, he begun to chuckle. "It's done. Sample Group-3, Nautillus-20 has survived transcription!"
The scientists around him erupted into cheers. And more than a few began crying and hugging one another.
These scientists had struggled the most with Sample Group-3 than any other Sample Group before it. Sample Group-3, or S-3 as it was termed, was incredibly experimental.
It sought to mix the Bayne Clan's Patriarch's DNA with exotic DNA from specimens sourced from across the cosmos.
This differed from S-1 which sought to create simple clones of the Patriarch and the mysterious S-2, which no scientist was known to have survived participating in.
So far, S-3 had yielded moderate successes. Numerous Specimens had been successfully combined with the Patriarch's DNA and had resulted in many Sample Embryos and foetuses.
But the greatest failures stemmed from the Nautilus Specimen, which had produced 19 failures before this final result. Hence the last embryo being termed Nautilus 20 or N-20.
The DNA itself had dubious origins, supposedly having been found within a large impact crater in the Poffer Mountain territory of Clan Bayne.
The Bayne Clan's scientists had spent months decrypting the strangely familiar sample of DNA, eventually destroying most of the already scarce source cells —all but one, which they could not coerce into replicating.
Eventually it was an external expert, Dr. Vambis of the Yamato Clan, who successfully decrypted the strange sample and concluded; Specimen Nautilus was a human, just not... Human.
The Patriarch spurred the scientists on after this, accepting many delays and even the complete destruction of the last cell of the Specimen, in the hopes of success.
His bet had paid off.
(S-3) N-20 , the last chance of the Clan's geneticists, had finally been converted into a viable embryo.
One of Dr. Traubert's assistants spoke excitedly. "Professor, we should begin gestation. We already have the correct nutrient formulae from the prior Nautilus subjects."
"Yes," another averred, "Once gestation is done, we can report to the higher-ups of our success. The Patriarch is likely to personally visit the Vats if he hears of our breakthrough!"
Dr. Traubert shook his head. "We'll start gestation ASAP, but we won't report our achievement yet. There will be an inspection in two months from the main branch, we'll show them N-20 and the rest of the S-3 Subjects then."
The scientist who had proposed a report appeared confused. "Why would we hide the breakthrough from the Clan?"
"We're not hiding anything." Dr. Traubert said, "We just need to make sure that N-20 has really succeeded. This is our last chance: there are no more Specimen Nautilus cells for us to clone. When the inspection proceeds, N-20 will have been gestating for 8 weeks, by then it will have stabilised and we can definitively say we have won."
The scientists still looked unsure, as if feeling that they were betraying the clan.
Dr. Traubert felt the need to reassure them. "If we make our report now, we have nothing to show for it but an inactive clump of cells, but in 8 weeks the embryo will have developed enough for us to proudly exhibit to the Patriarch. The rewards themselves will likely be greater."
Dr. Traubert's words caused a hubbub amongst the assembled scientists. Some of them began speculating on the possible rewards they would receive.
"You're right! If we get to choose our next assignments, I definitely want to be assigned to S-4. I hear it's already underway due to the delays in S-3. My clearance is high enough that I'll definitely be accepted!" One scientist proclaimed.
"Are you kidding?" Another answered, "I want to stay on with S-3. Subject N-20 is just one of many Subjects, and I think all of them will end up becoming legendary Geno-Soldiers, at least one Valoured. If we just keep cloning them when they die, it's a guaranteed cash cow and guaranteed job security. We could even licence their gene templates if the Clan agrees!"
Dr. Traubert turned to the scientist who had spoken with a smile on his face. "You can definitely stake your retirement on cloning the others, but I wouldn't put that much confidence on N-20."
All of the scientists looked puzzled. One of them, a red-haired female biologist raised her eyebrow. "Why not, Professor?".
"There are two reasons." Raising his middle finger and forefinger, Dr. Traubert spoke. "Firstly, N-20 is just a human. He might be a fundamentally altered variant of human that we have never encountered before, but compared to the other Subjects of S-3, he is depressingly... normal. We already know that base humans do not make the best Geno-Soldiers. Maybe the Patriarch's added ascended DNA will have some difference, but it will be minor."
Each of the scientists nodded in understanding.
"Secondly," continued Dr. Traubert, "N-20 is a mess –I mean genetically. In the middle of my correspondence with Dr. Vambis of the Yamato Clan, we discovered advanced encryption on each and every single cell of his body. It was so advanced, it makes what we've been doing here look like neolithic farmers manually placing a ram on top of a ewe to breed them."
Traubert smiled as he watched his assistants digest his words. Then he continued;
"Despite our best efforts, we failed to unlock Specimen Nautilus' full sequence till the end. We managed to unlock some segments, enough to make targeted adjustments and careful edits to mix enough of the Patriarch's DNA, but without the key it's been like trying to paint the interior of a house from the outside -while blindfolded."
"All of this has resulted in what I can call a motley of genetic transcription. The blind nature of our work is partly what caused us to fail both in cloning new source cells and resulted in the 19 failed attempts. In truth, this accomplishment can only be attributed to luck and chance. With the assistance of Dr. Vambis, I managed to make just the right editions at just the right segments so that the encryption absorbed the changes into itself instead of rejecting them. Succeeding, yes, but making N-20 just as encrypted as its Source Specimen in the process."
The biologist pondered for a moment. "Does that mean any attempt at cloning N-20,will have to be started from scratch."
"Exactly. The future geneticists will have to use N-20 as a base sample because no Specimen Nautilus cells still exist. And with the blind adjustments made, no one, not even I, is sure of how to even begin cloning him. Like I said, it's a mess."
Every scientist in the lab seemed enlightened. They looked at the transparent liquid in the glass beaker with new appreciation for the embryo inheld.
Despite the low value of N-20 as a Geno-Soldier, its rarity coupled with its mysterious origin made it all the more precious, and served a beautiful conclusion to The S-3 Initiative.
Dr. Traubert clapped his hands together as an act of finality. "Now, let's begin the gestation process. Sooner we're done, the sooner everyone can clock see the sun."
Though the statement was lightly delivered, it held a dire truth: to ensure complete secrecy, the Clan had separated the scientists from their families and held them in a secure facility deep underground.
Except for monitored video calls once a month and controlled visits twice a year, the scientists were truly isolated during the course of their work.
If not for the handsome pay and their own fierce loyalty to the Bayne Clan, more than a few scientists would have already quit; even before N-20's months long delay.
That is why at the prospect of going home, the scientists gave a subdued cheer and diligently set to their various tasks.
Traubert led several of his assistants out of the lab with the beaker containing N-20 carefully cradled in his arms. Even though the beaker was nearly indestructible, and concussive shock was unlikely to damage the embryo through the thick liquid medium and advanced bio-container.
Despite these assurances, Dr. Traubert's mind refused to leave anything to chance. If he could, he would have entrusted this part of the operation to carefully calibrated robots, but even his neuroticism had clear limits.
Finally, after less than fifty steps, Traubert and his assistants reached the gestation room.
Massive transparent tanks filled with turbid red liquid lined every wall of the enormous gestation chamber that abutted the Genetics Lab.
The doctor hurried through the hall. His footsteps and those of his assistants echoed as they passed the tanks.
Through the opaque liquid filling the Vats, small dark shapes could be discerned.
Dr. Traubert ignored each Subject and instead rushed to an empty space between two small-room sized vats.
Walking to a platform in front of the empty space, Dr. Traubert began pressing a long sequence of numbers and letters before gently placing the beaker with (S-3) N-20 onto a divet outlined for it.
He inhaled deeply and then pressed his palm onto a blinking green screen. The blinking screen flashed a final time before going dark.
Dr. Traubert sighed and stepped back towards his assistants.
He was smiling.
Soon machines led a large transparent alloy vat roughly the size of an automobile into the priorly empty space.
The vat was completely sealed except for six small hatches connected thick hollow cables.
Automated sterilisation processes activated, spraying thick dark liquid onto the every surface of the vat.
The liquid bubbled and evaporated, leaving a filmy grey residue covering the inner walls of the vat.
Following this, each of the six cables connected to the large tank began filling it with numerous substances.
Two cables pumped in purified water, one pumped in a powdery substance that clung to the inner tank's ceiling, and another pumped in several solid objects that promptly dissolved into the pure water.
The last two pipes did not produce any visible substances, but the roiling of the powdery substance hinted at gasses being ejected into the tank.
One of Dr. Traubert's assistants, the red-haired biologist, looked awed at the sight. She kept her wonder to herself, however, and contented herself with observing the fanfare from the back of the small group.
If one were closely observant, they would have noted her tapping foot and fidgety demeanour.
Soon, the six cables ceased their pumping.
A creaking and clicking noise brought the scientists' attention to the platform where the beaker containing N-20 had been placed.
"Gestation Process commencing!" An assistant gleefully supplied when the platform tilted, letting the beaker's sealed lip face the growingly reddish, opaque gestation vat.
The head geneticist, Traubert, simply nodded.
With a final CLANK and a sharp hiss, a thin pipe attached itself to the beaker and quick suction pulled the liquid medium containing N-20 into the tank.
A large green line of text appeared on the digital screen above the tank.
{Subject Nautilus-20: Gestating}
{00 Hours, 00 Minutes, 04 Seconds}
... 05 Seconds
... 06 Seconds
... 07 Seconds
The anti-climatic ending elicited mad cheers from the assembled scientists.
A look of fierce pride came upon Dr. Traubert's expression.
He finally allowed himself to relax and he chuckled with the assistants around him.
While a few of the more familiar ones clapped his back or took his hand in congratulations, Traubert surveyed the gestation room.
His eyes took in the 90 or so surviving Subjects of Sample Group 3.
These embryos and foetuses, at varying stages of development, represented billions of dollars' worth of investment from the Bayne Clan.
The great weight of this investment had been an unconscious weight on Dr. Traubert's shoulders, now, with the completion of this final Subject Embryo, he had removed the brunt of this heavenly weight.
All that remained was to wait until more than 70% of the embryos reached maturity.
He slowly divested from the chittering assistants and began a slow stroll, surveying the gestation chamber. With much of his thoughts dulled, he mindlessly recalled each Subject.
He paused only at three tanks that interested him the most.
Subject Darimon-4 contained DNA from a deviant fox Beast and would likely exhibit some of the Specimen's propensity for illusions and mischief. Observation showed that the subject had only recently formed eyes, with a third pseudo eye apparently poised to appear.
Subjects Hazur-1 to 8 were a set of quadruplets who had become telepathically linked as soon as they had formed brains. The four female Subjects had each seemingly gained partial control over one of their male siblings, with each pairing needing close proximity or else brain activity rapidly decreased for both. These Subjects had been formed with DNA from a Hive Queen of the exo-world Paraxx.
Subject Vagash-12 was contained in the largest tank of the gestation chamber. Larger than four swimming pools and taking up a whole wall for itself, the tank contained no distinct shapes beyond a dark blob at the centre.
Had Nautilus-20 not taken so much work to decipher, V-12 would have been Dr. Traubert's crowning achievement. Even then, some part of him was proud of the distinctly alien DNA he had personally engineered.
He did not understand too much about Vagash-12's source Specimen. He understood it was a female draconic existence, but beyond that, it's DNA had failed to disclose. Maybe the data had been obvious, but Traubert was too ignorant on Dragon DNA to comprehend it.
He snickered privately when he recalled the similarity he had highlighted between his work and a farmer forcing two sheep to breed.
"Really proud of this one, aren't you."
Dr. Traubert spun to face the person who had spoken. The red-haired biologist stood behind him, smiling.
Dr. Traubert nervously glanced at the distant scientists. In his fugue he had walked quite a ways from them.
"Diana," he whispered, "Is it okay for you to speak to me? I thought you were undercover."
The biologist, Diana, laughed. "Relax, old man, it's not too strange for an assistant to talk to her supervisor. Anyways, you've finally completed S-3 today, I'll be leaving as well."
Traubert tried to hide his excitement. Despite her calling him his superior, the fact remained that she had been placed amongst the scientists of Sample Group 3 as a watchdog for Clan Bayne.
"You're leaving today, you say?" he said, in a measured voice.
"Don't sound too broken up on my part," Diana jibed. "And yes, I am leaving today. Matter of fact, I'll be gone in a second. With every Subject sealed in a vat, the other observers of the clan can keep watch from here."
Dr. Traubert nodded. He knew that Diana was not the only one sent by the clan to... observe.
" So I just came to say goodbye, old man. These last few years have been interesting. "
Diana turned away from Dr. Traubert with obvious haste. That act seemed out of character, so much so that the doctor could not help but call out to her.
"Diana! Wait, is anything wrong?"
The red-haired woman turned towards Traubert and paused, as if contemplating to answer.
Finally, she did. "Azure's Army was successful. The Demon-King is dead."
Dr. Traubert froze, had his knees not locked as well, he would have tumbled over. "S-Since when?" he asked.
"I've only known for two days, but Azure likely slew Him a month ago. That's apparently when the sky-" Diana came to a stop.
She added coldly. "I would have told all of you sooner, but you were close to a breakthrough and father forbade me from interrupting. He was right, we'll need these Subjects as soon as possible."
Traubert's mind was suddenly thrown into turmoil by rapid shocks. He knew he could barely stomach any more revelations, but his mind was slower than his mouth.
"Why would we need soldiers? The Demon king is dead."
Diana stepped further away from Traubert and turned once more to face the exit. "This was supposed to be an email."
Diana sighed. "Once your team's access to the Internet is re-established, you need to look at images of the night sky.
"The Demon King's death must have done something to the Heavens. Nine new worlds have appeared. Preliminary scout ships are being built to explore them."
Diana abruptly left the gestation chamber with that parthian shot.
Her steps echoed until they disappeared into the Genetics Lab. Dr. Traubert was tempted to chase after her, it was insane that anyone could deliver such world altering news so casually and then skip off into the distance.
Before he could choose, Dr. Traubert's knees shook and finally collapsed under him. Falling to the ground, he clutched his heart as his breathing grew laboured.
«God, what is this? How can so few words change my whole world! She can't be lying, what would she gain from that? It must be true. I need to verify it. »
One of Dr. Traubert's assistants noticed his distress and ran to his aid, followed by the previously chattering group. Traubert brushed the assistant away and crawled to his feet.
His gaze lingered on the doorway where Diana Bayne, daughter of Silverod Bayne, the clan Patriarch, had passed.
"Philips! Philips!" Dr. Traubert's frenzied shouting startled the assistants who were used to his quiet nature.
A curly haired assistant, the one named Philips, rushed to Dr. Traubert's side. "Professor, are you oka—"
"Quickly, compile and submit the report on Nautilus-20 and apply for unrestricted Internet access for my personal computer. Immediately!"
"Professor, didn't yo—"
"That was then, this is now. Do as I say."
Confused but still obedient, Philips ran towards the entrance to the Genetics Lab, where computers connected into the internal system resided.
Traubert entered the Lab with the concerned assistants hovering around him. Upon entering the lab, he went directly to the terminal that he had designated as his own.
It was the only computer in the entire facility that connected them to the outside. It did not offer unrestricted Internet access, instead it only communicated with it twin terninal in East Asia.
It belonged to Dr. Fan Vambis of the Yamato Clan.
Dr. Traubert typed in three brief messages.
[DEMON-KING DEAD: verify]
[AZURE ARMY VICTORIOUS: verify]
[NINE NEW WORLDS: verify]
He tapped his fingers on the terminal while he awaited a response.
After three minutes, the terminal flashed on, and upon reading the message, Dr. Traubert sat down heavily.
[TRUE]
[SUBJECTIVE, BUT TRUE]
[TRUE]
Traubert did not bother to further communicate. He stayed on the floor of the lab while his cluttered mind began organising itself.
Dr. Traubert realised it now, the value of the S-3 Subjects had just skyrocketed.
Why? The subjugation of the solar system had barely begun when humanity encountered the Demon-King and his army. With their victory over this monstrosity, the two worlds he controlled, Darxon and Heilryf became the wards of mankind.
It would have taken humanity decades to digest these two planets into the three worlds already in human control.
Now nine more had entered the fray.
The likelihood that at least one of the nine worlds was inhabited by a sentient species was high, and those natives were not likely to lay down as the Earth's Armies rolled over them.
The conclusion was easy to arrive at.
Humanity, across three planets, was going to war.