Creature Comforting

                                                                  by Seven

Disclaimer:  Earth: Final Conflict and its characters are copyrighted by Tribune Entertainment Company.
 All rights reserved.
 
 

Note from Author:      This is a sequel to "Results of Experimentation". This is slightly different but it
uses the threads left at the end of "Results."
 
 

**********

Liam looked down at the corpse of the monstrosity that he had shot earlier and shuddered. Not
because of the almost-humanoid creature's appearance, or the fact that it was dead, but that he felt
guilty.

Not all hybrids, he saw now, were as lucky as he was. Liam had been born with no deformities, no
mental retardation. But in this creature's place, revulsed by Taelons and humans alike, kept like a caged
animal and treated with less respect, would he have acted differently, striking out with hate and fear at
the Taelons?

Liam didn't know. He prayed that he never would.

****

"I'm sorry, Major," the Volunteer said staunchly. "I'm afraid that this access point is for Level Gray
personnel and over."

Liam almost shouted for frustration, until a soft voice behind him said, "I have Level Gray clearance. I will
accompany Major Kincaid."

The Volunteer nodded to Da'an and opened the doors. Liam heard a whoop from inside as he and Da'an
entered. Liam felt his face go stark white.

There were more of them.

Fourteen bioengineered life-forms. All of them were deformed, hideous, locked away behind
containment fields. One of them was a twisted, snakelike creature that was prodding the walls with an
air of desperation. Another was insectile, half its legs shrivelled and useless, trying to walk through the
virtual glass and failing.

There were more humanoids, though none had the air of hatred that the escaped creature before had
possessed. They were huddled in corners, their bodies twisted and darkened.

Liam looked at Da'an, as if hoping that it weren't true. Da'an was simply looking sick and pained, though
the appearance of the creatures was obviously not what was troubling him. They were the leftovers of
Taelon bioengineering, the shattered remnents who were left behind.

Liam approached one of the fields, looking at the creature inside. For a moment, he tried to determine
whether it was male or female, and discovered that it was impossible to tell. The creature glanced at
him with frightened, totally white eyes. Liam's gaze fell on something hidden behind the creature. "Oh
man," he gasped. "He has a laser scalpel!"

As if on cue, the creature sprang towards the field, the scalpel held out in its hand. The matrix began
to destabilize as it pressed the end into the virtual glass. Liam shoved Da'an toward the door. "Get
help!" he shouted.

The virtual glass shattered outward, and the creature leapt toward Liam with an unearthly shriek. As its
hands grasped his throat, Liam felt acidic secretions burning through his skin. He screamed again, madly
shoving at the creature as his mind hurtled down into darkness...

****

And woke up in the medical lab. He could hear Lili and Sandoval talking nearby. Liam tried to look to the
side, but uttered a gasp as he became aware of his neck.

Lili came over to him, looking sympathetic. "Da'an told us that one of those creatures was escaping. He
heard you screaming, and we found you with no skin left on your neck and hands."

Liam gingerly raised his hands, encased in tight plastic gloves. He felt the thin slime of medication
underneath them. "The creature?"

"It's still on the loose. It managed to release two others before escaping," Lili stated. "Sandoval's having
it hunted down."

"No!" Liam choked, rolling onto his shoulder and managing to get into a semi-sitting position. "I need to
find it."

Lili tried to shove him back down. "You can't do anything, Liam."

"Lili, that's at least one sentient being out there. I have to find it before Sandoval does." Liam paused,
then switched tactics. "That creature won't go down without a fight. It'll take a bunch of Volunteers with
it before being subdued. At least my way, they all have a chance."

****

In the well-groomed Embassy garden, one of the humanoids was lurking. Fascinated, it dragged its
twisted fingers over a rose blossom. Then it watched as the acidic secretions burned away at the
petals.

A shout was heard, "THERE IT IS!" Sandoval raced over and vaulted over a stone bench. He fired a skrill
blast, hitting the creature. It shrieked and dropped onto all fours, scampering away. Sandoval began to
run after it, but it had vanished.

****

Liam tried very hard not to move his head as he watched Sandoval come from behind the Embassy.
"Gone," the Companion agent growled. "It just vanished.

****

The creature was angry. Very angry. Keening, it jumped at a human businessman nearby and dragged
him to the ground. The man didn't even have time to scream before he died.

****

The young woman had vomited seven times before she was able to speak. "In the alley... oh man... it
was like somebody threw acid on his face! It was like it was eaten away!" she sobbed, covering her
face.

As Sandoval slipped into the alley, Liam touched the young woman's shoulder, feeling his fingers tingle
in protest. "Don't be scared. You didn't touch him, right?"

"Right," she gasped.

"Then everything is fine. Why don't you go home, and relax for the rest of the day?" Liam asked softly.

She nodded and began to stumble away. Liam entered the alley, and felt his gag reflex begin to
convulse as he saw the dead man's face. Thin streaks of black striped his bloodied features.

Liam started to turn as he heard a strange noise behind him, but Sandoval shouted, "Get down!" Liam
ducked onto his skinned hands as Sandoval fired his skrill. There was a horrified scream, and Liam
looked up to see the creature, clutching at its chest. The whitish tint of its eyes were streaked with
black as it died.

****

Liam was breathing heavily as he approached Da'an on the bridge. "Da'an, have they found those other
two creatures yet?"

"They are blockaded in the lower levels of the mothership," Da'an said worriedly.

"Perfect," Liam gasped. "I have a plan..."

****

Liam felt as though his arms and head were going to drop off as he made his way down into the
restricted areas. With Da'an's clearance, he had gotten through all the barriers. Now all he had to do
was find it.

He saw the creature before it saw him. It was crouched in a corner, uttering sounds like a mix of a
groan and a sigh. As Liam approached it, he saw that it was cradling the insectoid life-form he had seen
before.

It looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps, hastily put down the insectoid creature, and
crouched like a cat ready to pounce. Its white eyes narrowed in its darkened, twisted face. Liam held
up his gloved hands. "I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

The creature did not back away, but neither did it pounce. Its head tilted slightly. Liam continued, "I
don't want to hurt anyone, and I don't think you do either. I can take you away, to a safe place. Far
away from the Taelons."

There was a long pause. The creature slowly pulled out the laser scalpel, and dropped it. And flicked it
away, toward Liam. Liam kicked it into a corner, and smiled with relief.

****

The property was beautiful, equal parts meadows and woods. And right near the border between the
two was a huge, ancient farmhouse. Liam smiled as he saw one of the creatures scampering down from
the trees and run in the open door. The wormlike organism was slowly inching around the garden,
snorking up dandelions. The insectoid creature was clinging to a tree, its long antennae waving.

Beside him, Da'an sighed. "We have done horrible things to other species, and these were the worst.
Our failures were suffered by other individuals."

Liam gestured at the farmhouse. "Well, at least their lives are better now. The Resistance will care for
them as long as possible. They don't want to leave here, and I plan to make sure they never have to."

Da'an smiled for the first time in what seemed like days. "That is good, Liam."

The humanoid creature who had attacked Liam scooped the insectoid creature off the tree and hugged
it to its chest. It was happy, Liam thought. Happy for the first time.