Poisoned, no doubt. Alarms rang as I walked away from my fallen friend, around whom a crowd was now gathering. Not one of them could help him. Out of the corner of my eye, I sighted two uniformed Kerzids. Lab guard Kerzids. They lifted the corpse and began to haul it away. This was my one chance. I walked back into the laboratory. And instead of walking left for the guided tour, I took the turn right. It was time to uncover whatever secret this place was hiding.
The first thing I noticed about the laboratory was that...it was entirely similiar to the guided tour. Something was hidden somewhere. The laboratory seemed a replice of the fake laboratory. This was some serious security. As I wondered on my next course of action, the doors opened. In walked the security guards.
"Mr. Bard, we know you are in here. Come out now and this will be resolved effectively."
What was he saying? The voice, the accent, the tone - none of it sounded Kerzid. Should I take a chance? Desperation began to set in. I checked the status of my guns. Locked and loaded. I sneaked back to the main hall of the bogus laboratory. From behind the doorway, I could see one man waiting there. Another friend of mine who had opted to pursue his research here. Was it a trap? Even if it was, the only thing I could do was to spring it. So be it, I thought. I walked into the hall.
He turned towards me, and spoke nonchalantly, as though he did not recognise me, "Mr. Bard, I'm sorry but I must ask you to leave. The guided tour is on the opposite side."
This was such a pathetic attempt at a trap. I sighed.
"Dayn, do you mind just springing your trap?"
"I am surprised you know my name, Mr. Bard. Perhaps we have met before. I cannot recall. In any case, I'll walk you-"
"Walk me to your lab, Dr. Dayn Zellar. I'm not in a good mood, humour me," I growled, my guns pointed at him.
He seemed lost for words. What had happened to him? He seemed so...different; he never forgot any person he met, for instance. Guns made almost everyone compliant. Worked like magic. There were exceptions of course but since it worked on the majority, I didn't mind the occasional resistance. Dayn led me through the phony lab, finally stopping at a blank wall. He raised his hand and pressed it to it. The wall glowed around his hand, and with a low rumble, began to move apart. A secret entrance!
"This is the laboratory entrance, which as you noticed is quite well secured. It can only be opened from outside by any of the research team leaders."
Dull, monotonous now. What had come over him all of a sudden? I sniffed. The air here was definitely different. I drew a breather from my jacket and put it on my face. Fresher air. There was some kind of toxin in the air. Was this a lab or a graveyard? I set my guns to stun. Dayn led me through the corridors, swiftly, and paused in front of his office. He put his hand out to the door. A display panel lighted up. He typed in a pass code. The door opened noiselessly. It was a small room, with a table, a chair and a few plants. There was a computer at the table.
It wasn't the room settings that struck me. It was the two armed Kerzids behind the table that did. They both had their heavy looking guns trained on me. And to my dismay, they were armored. My guns would be about as effective as peashooters. I silently cursed myself for my overconfidence. I thought I had avoided the trap when in reality, I had acted exactly as they wanted me to. One of the Kerzids spoke rapidly to Dayn. He nodded and went out, apparently on some errand. Great, now humans were the servants here? Either that or the whole laboratory was under a rogue Kerzid occupation, which I doubted.
"We have been expecting you, Dr. Hales. We didn't expect you to trace us here. But now that you have, let's make it worth your while. We are here to guide you around this laboratory, the birthplace of the the greatest genetic engineering discovery in recent times."
I didn't have a choice any longer. I would have to dance to their tunes till they slacked and let down their guard. But right now, I was beaten.
"Arms are not allowed in the laboratory, Dr. Hales."
Ugh! I took out my guns and handed them to the second Kerzid.
"Very good. Now follow Myui'thal," commanded the first, indicating the second. Myui'thal walked out. I followed him. As I did, many questions popped into my head. None of which I could answer now. It was much like the laboratory tour that was provided to visitors. My unnamed Kerzid captor kept commenting occasionally as we saw various equipment or people. I came across multiple Kerzids, but very few humans. All seemed to be busy working on the current project. Which was...I drew in a deep breath.
We had reached the end of the free tour. In front of me now was a storage facility, whose door which was flung open. Rows upon rows of liquid canisters were arranged neatly, each bearing a "FATAL" symbol. It was no laboratory, it was a war machine that I had walked into.
"Do you like it, Dr. Hales?" gloated the Kerzid, "It is the doom of your species, the doom of any who crosses paths with us."
To be continued
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