“How are you holding up Doctor?” Devon asked as he slumped down into his chair, dark circles around his eyes. Doctor Rester snorted as he took his own seat next to him, resisting the urge to rest his head against the table in front of them.

“About as well as you look.” He replied, and Devon smiled tiredly.

“So not that great, then.” He grumbled, while more people streamed into the conference room. They both sat in silence, idle chatter filling the room around them while people took their own respective seats. They both watched on listlessly, before Devon spoke again. “To think, just three months ago my biggest worry was how I was going to complete my thesis. Now…”

Doctor Rester patted him on the shoulder. “Have you been seeing the counselor I recommended?” He asked, and Devon nodded.

“Everyone else on the team was cleared for work by her a few weeks ago. Don’t know how much good it’s been doing me though.” He muttered darkly. Then, shifting in his seat, he leaned towards the Doctor. “Do you still have them? The nightmares?”

Flashes of that night played through Rester’s mind. The smell of gunpowder, the feeling of the recoil. Bodies dropping, blood splattering onto walls as shell casings clattered against the floor. “Yes, Devon. I still have them.”

“Counselor says that they’ll go away soon. Sooner, if... if we take the memory cleanser.”

Rester sharply turned his head to Devon. For a moment, just a moment, he thought about dissuading him. About reminding him that if he took it, he’d have his SCI revoked. That cleansing three months of memories carried severe risks. That if he relapsed, there was nearly a 70% chance that his psyche would break. But one look at the haunted look in his eyes, and the defeated posture he’d had for the past few months, caused the arguments to die in his mind before he could voice them. Instead, he gave Devon’s shoulder what he hoped was a comforting squeeze.

“I won’t tell you take it or not.” He began gently. “Just know that no matter what you decide, it won’t make you any less or better of a person. And I’ll always think of you as a friend.”

Devon stared at him for a few moments, before smiling. “I never said I would take it, Doctor.” He replied, turning back to the front. Then, very quietly, “But thank you.”

They sat in silence once more, even while the rest of the room chattered away. But it isn’t long before Doctor Rester speaks up.

“You said that the rest of our team was cleared for work again?” He asks, and Devon nods.

“Yes. Rose has been assigned to Androtech HQ, while Carl is actually working here in Sacison.” He murmurs, but a sadness soon overtakes his expression. “But Hunt… he’s been admitted to a psychiatric ward.”

I wish I could say I was surprised, with how he was acting in his interview. Doctor Rester thinks bitterly. If only I...

“Room, tench hut!” A voice at the door called, and everyone hurriedly stood up, postures straightening as the Colonel walked into the room. He looked around, his piercing black eyes surveying everyone present, before he nodded.

“As you were.” He ordered, and everyone sat back down as he walked to the head of the table. Following after him were the thirteen personnel who were assigned to the containment squad, who stood at parade rest in front of the table as the Colonel took his seat. Or at least, there should have been thirteen of them. Four were missing.

Casualties. The Doctor thought bitterly

“Agent Broker, call-sign Reaper, you may begin your report.” The Colonel said once he had seated himself, and all heads turned to the group as a man with a buzzcut and multiple scars stood at attention.

“Yes sir. Now, I’m going to begin this briefing with the understanding that everyone present is aware of the mission we were assigned, as well as the secondary objective of that mission.” Broker said, tapping on the high-end circlet around his neck. A holographic screen sprang into existence in front of him, and he swiped his hand, manipulating the interface until a video was put on display. In the video was a surprisingly large tree, with a hollowed out center in front of it. The Doctor immediately recognized it as the wolf den X1 had last been sighted at.

“Our squad was split into two teams. Six of them, including myself, were the first to encounter the target in quadrant two. We made first contact at 0936.” He pressed play, and the group watched as the base of the tree splintered inwards with a deafening crack from the force of the round that pierced through it. Which was shocking, considering that the round itself was completely soundless.

That’s Androtech for you.

“It is unclear how the target,” Broker continues, “managed to detect the first tranquilizer. But heat signatures on all of our sensors indicated that it did just that, as it quickly dodged the first,” the video goes on as another tranquilizer round pierces the den, before an absurdly large, black wolf charged out of it, “and the second, and all rounds after that.”

Tentacles waved in the air, each one covered in eyes, scanning the area. All the while, X1 continues to move with almost blinding speed to Doctor Rester, evading every shot. Finally, the feed blurs a bit, before quickly returning to normal. X1 appears rather rattled when the video focuses on it again.

“We believe that X1 activated some sort of electrical pulse ability here, likely category 3.” Broker says, pausing the video.

“That’s not possible!” Doctor Rester exclaims, his chair scraping backwards as he bursts to his feet, and all heads turn to him. The Colonel regards him coolly.

“Explain, Doctor Rester.”

“The biomap and Core design we gave X1 has no capabilities for Core abilities other than Category 1 and Category 2.”

Devon also hesitantly stands up. “It’s true. All lab personnel assigned to the development of X1 can attest that its biomap had no such capabilities.”

At this, everyone present began muttering amongst themselves, while Agent Broker simply narrowed his eyes.

“I am only giving a report of what me and my team experienced during our contact with the target.” He says, and the din of voices quiet once more. Shaking his head in disbelief, Doctor Rester sits back down, followed quickly by Devon.

“You may resume your report.” The Colonel gestures with a hand, and Broker nods.

“The reason we presumed it to have a category 3 ability, is that the visual feedback from our helmets were also interfered with, though for a fraction of the time that our circlets were.” Broker resumes the video, and tentacles practically explode out from X1. Doctor Rester is shocked at the speed at which they move, which completely eclipsed the speed, length, and number that were observed just two and a half months prior to the video’s date. They quickly wrap around an invisible figure, but are just as quickly severed by a compressed blade of wind, presumably one of the team’s Core abilities.

“After discerning that it was able to react to the tranquilizer rounds, and the threat it possessed, our team deemed it necessary to switch to subsonic static rounds.” He says, and the group watches as parts of X1’s main body are ripped out, charred by the electricity in each bullet. Despite the murders X1 had committed, Doctor Rester still can’t help but wince at the damage his creation sustained.

His greatest creation. He realizes, as a twisted sense of pride fills him. In just a little over two months it went from barely killing rats to requiring a class 4 response team.

“After sustaining damage, the target began its retreat.” X1 blurs as it leaps into the air, latching onto a tree and jumping to the side of another one in a blinding display of speed.

“The target is running away!” One of them exclaims, and Doctor Rester notices the barest hint of a wince from Broker at the break in the strict psionic comm order. The video blurs as the rest of them move just as fast as X1 had, to which Broker slows the video down for the rest of the non-Cored or low-class Cored in the room to follow. They watch as X1’s tentacles wrap around a branch and flings itself into the air, wings forming in record shattering pace compared to its last observed formation speed.

The squadron doesn’t miss the chance to fire at X1 now that it’s mobility had been reduced, and quickly brings it down. Doctor Rester winces again as he sees it crashing through the treeline, momentarily stunned.

“Here, the rest of our squad attempts to pincer the target.” Broker explains, as more rounds are fired. X1 slings itself from a branch, just barely dodging out of the way again, and resumes running. And…

For a moment the Doctor can’t believe his eyes. Did X1 just get faster!?

It gets farther and farther away, and then…

“And here is where X1 displays another Core ability that wasn’t registered on his biomap.” Broker says almost spitefully, as X1 vanishes. The team rushes past its last sighted location, slowing down and scanning the area for a few minutes, but X1 is nowhere to be seen.

Doctor Rester is slack jawed, and he turns to look at Devon who is similarly stunned.

“That shouldn’t be possible.” He whispers again. But already his mind was rapidly analyzing what he had seen.

What if… What if X1’s ability wasn’t just being able to replicate biological structures, but also… Core abilities!

“It is at this point that we declare that there was a containment failure.” Broker says, and the video resumes to normal speed. “Except, for reasons unbeknownst to us… one of the officers that escorted us had entered the forest.”

The squad returns to the location they had last seen X1, and a few of them mutter curses at what they see. The area is painted with blood, where a police woman has been savagely ripped apart, her body lying in pieces all over the ground.

But Doctor Rester’s mind is still reeling from his realization. A light feeling bubbles up within him, then. He chuckles, at first just a few dry coughs that quickly evolves into cackling.

“Is something funny, Doctor?” The Colonel asks, but all he can do is laugh harder.

X1… you have exceeded all expectations! An unprecedented success!

“Doctor, any more laughter and I’ll have you escorted out.” The Colonel snaps, and instantly the laughter stops. But Devon recognizes the mad gleam in the Doctor’s eyes.

Pride.

He was proud of X1. Of everything it had done.

And to his shock… Devon found he was proud too.

Have I gone mad?

“But wait, Agent Broker.” One of the agents sitting at the table says, and he turns to look at him. “There were casualties among you, but the video doesn’t display anything of the sort.”

Broker regards the agent who spoke coldly, before he fast forwards through the video. Until a familiar looking bunker greets them all.

“That brings me to the secondary objective of the mission.” He says, his tone clipped. “Recovery of the materials inside of the labs.”

Unease fills Doctor Rester, and he can hear Devon’s breath beginning to speed up. He knew neither of them were ready to see this place again. To revisit the memories that haunted them in their sleep, even if they were but fragments of emotion and flashes of sensation while they were conscious.

“Doctor Rester, Senior Researcher Grandhall,” a voice says quietly behind them, and they both wheel around in their chairs to see a familiar female inquisitor, “if you both wouldn’t mind following me.”

Almost too hurriedly they stand up from their chairs. The rest of the room doesn’t spare them a glance as the video resumes, and Agent Broker continues his report. They follow the inquisitor out of the door, and into a brightly lit hallway. She continues to lead them until they arrive at a metal door. She places a hand on the scanner next to it, and the door clicks open, swinging inwards.

They enter, and see a team of nearly forty researchers in white lab coats sitting at another long table in a very large room. The group all stand and offer a chorus of greetings. The pair turns to look at her inquisitively, and she stares at them both.

“The Colonel has relieved you of his command.” She says quietly, and Doctor Rester feels shock run through his system.

“But-” His protest stops when he notices her head bow politely to someone behind them.

“He didn’t appreciate either of your talents anyways. I always thought Doctor Grant was a tool, honestly have no idea what he saw in him.” A mirthful voice says from behind them, and the spin back around to see…

A handsome, well built man dressed in a bright pink floral shirt, blue khakis and yellow sandals. His blonde hair looks almost windblown back, natural waves flowing in locks down his shoulders, while his skin has the healthy bronze glow that suggested he enjoyed his time outside. But the most striking feature about him are his eyes, the sclera a dark black while his irises were bright green and glowing.

“President Satez.” Doctor Rester respectfully greets the president of Androtech, bowing his own head, while Devon’s eyes widen in shock.

“P-presi-” He sputters, his grey skin paling to an almost white, to which President Satez waves his hand with a laugh.

“Just call me Satez, thankyouverymuch. You must be Rester’s protege, he speaks highly of you in his reports. And yes, I do read those by the way. The lab head ones, at least.” He says, offering a hand, which Devon takes hesitantly. After a few well-mannered pumps from Satez, he pulls back his hand and chuckles at Doctor Rester, while Devon stares at his own in reverence.

“I’m never washing this hand again.” He whispers.

“Rester, you’re losing your mad doctor charm. Stop looking down.”

Doctor Rester raises his head, frowning. “I’m not a mad doctor. And your fashion is as terrible as ever.” He retorts, and Devon looks at him in horror. To his shock, however, Satez only rolls his eyes.

“Right, right. Don’t think I forgot what you were like in college. We all placed bets on who would be the first to end a world with their crazy inventions, and you were number one. And my fashion is stellar, thankyouverymuch! Oh, and thank you Gralia, you can go now.” He calls to the inquisitor, who bows one more time and steps out of the room, closing the door behind her.

“Why did you call us here?” Doctor Rester asks, his tone still respectful even if his words weren’t.

“Ah, right. I’m here to introduce you to your new team!” Satez says, wrapping an arm around Rester’s shoulders and dragging him to the front. Much to his annoyance. “Everyone, I’m sure you’ve all heard of Doctor Rester here. He’ll be taking over the lab in HQ.”

He turns to Satez, eyebrows raised. “I’ll be what?”

“Oh, right. Yeah, you’re being promoted.” Satez says, and Rester coughs awkwardly.

“President Satez, with all due respect… why, exactly?”

The President leans in until his lips are almost touching Rester’s ears. “X1, you called your first specimen?” Doctor Rester nods, and Satez continues. “Good. I've seen the footage. What it can do. It's the most promising specimen that's been created in Androtech yet. A 'possible solution to the Rifts' I believe were your exact words? I want you to make more of them. X2, X3, and X4.”

Devon makes a choking sound, and the Doctor stares at Satez, who stares back. With bright, gleaming lunacy in both of their eyes.

Finally, Doctor Rester smiles.

“I’ll let my granddaughter know that I’ll be able to attend her Induction ceremony after all."