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Authors: Natalie Wright
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she could not test in a lab. She would have to work on his temperament, but clearly he had the power to be the weapon the Makers had asked her to create. I wonder what his limits are. A part of her wanted to go after him again with a dozen soldiers, maybe twenty, just to see how many he could handle. But she had enough trouble on her hands with one scumbag lying lifeless in the desert. Bardsley would go ballistic over a dead soldier.
When she delivered her report to General Bardsley about 9’s capabilities, he’d get her all the funding she needed to begin the next phase of the project. And she’d finally get the full support of the Makers. They’d see to it that her share of the secretive black budget increased. All of them had doubted her. No doubt the fact that she was a woman played a role. I’ll show those chauvinists. I’ll show Croft. When General Bardsley saw the video of the operation shot from the helicopter … Well, he’d doubt her no more.
In less than ten minutes the helicopter set down. “Freeman and Lopez, with me. The rest of you go back to the air base. And stay put. You may be called back out before the night’s over.”
“Yes, Commander.”
Sturgis disembarked with Freeman and Lopez. The helicopter silently took off and melded into the night. They ran to a small opening in the side of the mountain, trying to avoid running into any cholla or prickly pear cactus. They arrived at what appeared to be an abandoned mine shaft complete with boards nailed across the opening with the warnings “Extreme Hazard!” and “Keep Out!” They had been effective at keeping people out. Sturgis squeezed through a small gap in the boards and into a cave the size of a small room but with a large, black hole in the middle. She stood on a ledge of rock, careful not to fall into the abandoned mine shaft. A narrow ladder made of iron rungs descended into the darkness down the old mine shaft. Commander Sturgis was glad she did not have to use the ladder and climb down into a pitch-black hole. Though she was angry beyond measure at 9 for escaping, she had to admit that she was impressed that he had the mettle to make the long, dark climb on his own.
Commander Sturgis felt along the rock wall inside the cave for a small indentation. Her fingers found the small metal disc and pushed it. A row of blue LED lights set into the ground around the hole came on and illuminated an elevator on the other side. The elevator would take them nearly a mile underground to the world’s best-kept secret: A.H.D.N.A., the home of Project H.A.L.F. Of course, her budget reports used the official name, “The Alliance for Healthy DNA,” a genetic research project overseen by the air force. That was the official story. Unofficially, Dr. Lilly Sturgis was a brilliant geneticist who had been hired by the Makers to fulfill the mission of the above top-secret H.A.L.F. project: to create human-alien hybrids.
She had done her job and done it well. And now one of her creations was out in the world, potentially being discovered by others and risking exposure of the project to the entire world. Commander Sturgis involuntarily shuddered at the thought that the high council of the Makers would learn of 9’s escape. Bardsley’s wrath was like a fleabite compared to the hammer that the leader of the Makers, William Croft, might wield on her.
Sturgis entered the elevator and pushed the only button available. The two soldiers followed behind her and were quiet the entire elevator ride. It gave Commander Sturgis time to consider how best to handle the runaway hybrid.
Her primary objective was to retrieve 9, but Bardsley would not like being kept waiting. Perhaps if I can get 9 back here tonight, General Bardsley won’t have to know that he escaped in the first place. Yes, Bardsley would have to wait. She couldn’t have 9 running around the desert or, worse, making it into a town. And there was only one weapon in her arsenal powerful enough to
When she delivered her report to General Bardsley about 9’s capabilities, he’d get her all the funding she needed to begin the next phase of the project. And she’d finally get the full support of the Makers. They’d see to it that her share of the secretive black budget increased. All of them had doubted her. No doubt the fact that she was a woman played a role. I’ll show those chauvinists. I’ll show Croft. When General Bardsley saw the video of the operation shot from the helicopter … Well, he’d doubt her no more.
In less than ten minutes the helicopter set down. “Freeman and Lopez, with me. The rest of you go back to the air base. And stay put. You may be called back out before the night’s over.”
“Yes, Commander.”
Sturgis disembarked with Freeman and Lopez. The helicopter silently took off and melded into the night. They ran to a small opening in the side of the mountain, trying to avoid running into any cholla or prickly pear cactus. They arrived at what appeared to be an abandoned mine shaft complete with boards nailed across the opening with the warnings “Extreme Hazard!” and “Keep Out!” They had been effective at keeping people out. Sturgis squeezed through a small gap in the boards and into a cave the size of a small room but with a large, black hole in the middle. She stood on a ledge of rock, careful not to fall into the abandoned mine shaft. A narrow ladder made of iron rungs descended into the darkness down the old mine shaft. Commander Sturgis was glad she did not have to use the ladder and climb down into a pitch-black hole. Though she was angry beyond measure at 9 for escaping, she had to admit that she was impressed that he had the mettle to make the long, dark climb on his own.
Commander Sturgis felt along the rock wall inside the cave for a small indentation. Her fingers found the small metal disc and pushed it. A row of blue LED lights set into the ground around the hole came on and illuminated an elevator on the other side. The elevator would take them nearly a mile underground to the world’s best-kept secret: A.H.D.N.A., the home of Project H.A.L.F. Of course, her budget reports used the official name, “The Alliance for Healthy DNA,” a genetic research project overseen by the air force. That was the official story. Unofficially, Dr. Lilly Sturgis was a brilliant geneticist who had been hired by the Makers to fulfill the mission of the above top-secret H.A.L.F. project: to create human-alien hybrids.
She had done her job and done it well. And now one of her creations was out in the world, potentially being discovered by others and risking exposure of the project to the entire world. Commander Sturgis involuntarily shuddered at the thought that the high council of the Makers would learn of 9’s escape. Bardsley’s wrath was like a fleabite compared to the hammer that the leader of the Makers, William Croft, might wield on her.
Sturgis entered the elevator and pushed the only button available. The two soldiers followed behind her and were quiet the entire elevator ride. It gave Commander Sturgis time to consider how best to handle the runaway hybrid.
Her primary objective was to retrieve 9, but Bardsley would not like being kept waiting. Perhaps if I can get 9 back here tonight, General Bardsley won’t have to know that he escaped in the first place. Yes, Bardsley would have to wait. She couldn’t have 9 running around the desert or, worse, making it into a town. And there was only one weapon in her arsenal powerful enough to
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