Chapter 4: Field day
Suraci met Hyde out in a temporary shelter. Hyde laughed riotously upon seeing him. Suraci's suit had these loose flaps hanging off the back for a species with wings. "What have they got you in there, mothman?" Hyde mocked.
Suraci, annoyed, blurted out "Nothing your girlfriend wouldn't try to take off, Thumbilina."
Hyde was shocked. He'd heard Suraci was a humorless stiff who would be a hermit if he didn't need a lab to do his research. He was momentarily dumbfounded, but quickly recovered himself. "The guys back at your old lab say you go by Siracha.."
Whatever Hyde thought he could snap back with was quickly interrupted by sirens blaring a reaper warning. "Shit, we need to get under ground fast." Hyde transported himself to an underground bunker then locked on to Suraci's signal and transported him.
Before Suraci was beamed out he saw what looked like a fierce storm of light approaching on the horizon. "What was that?" He asked as soon as he was in front of Hyde again.
"It's a creature native to this planet made of energy. They can cause radiation storms which scramble our technology. I'm sure you've already noticed the whole damn planet is blooming with radiation, hence all the phosphorescence, but reapers manage to concentrate the stuff. They're like little nuclear reactors almost on par with a mini star if a star was a sentient and social being. This is a tablet I just finished loading up for you." Hyde handed Suraci a clear tablet that could change size and shape and be wrapped around his wrist. "It's not connected to anything. All this information is top secret so we can't risk it having any connection that would allow it to be remotely hacked. In it is all the current information on all the species we've researched and catalogued. What do you nerds call that again, a beastiary?" Hyde laughed as he got his dig in. "Try not to lose it because I don't have many back ups. Interestingly enough, you're actually going to be working with the reaper hybrid."
"You made a hybrid of that thing?" Suraci couldn't contain his shock.
"Uh, yeah, that's what I just said. Why are you even surprised? You have a PhD in theoretical physics and extraterrestrial genetics." Hyde was confused wasn't this guy a genius?
"What did you hybridize it with?" Suraci sounded almost angry.
"Well, I mean, the answer to that is more what didn't we TRY to hybridize it with and the answer is not much. But the only surviving test subject was spliced with a human. You should have seen those other ones though, hehehe every time one of those little lab rats would fail it was like another Churnoble." Hyde chuckled.
Suraci decided to contain his anger. Everything he had just heard was illegal to attempt in his home galaxy, not to mention it was completely unethical. It was clear the reason this research was going on interstellar was intentionally to subvert these things. For perhaps the first time in his life, Suraci felt stupid. How could he not have realized this before? People don't want to explore the galaxy out of curiosity, they want to exploit it, and now his naivety had landed him in a position where he was simply a tool. He had to find his way out of this, but it wasn't going to happen if he let his anger get the best of him.
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For the past 2 days Suraci had to listen to Hyde blather on about his excitement with torturing test subjects. Only occasionally could any useful information be gleaned from his grotesque, one sided conversation. For instance, Suraci had learned that the only surviving test subject had escaped many times and was currently on the loose. It had a very severe medical condition that was lethal if not treated, and each time they had found ways to force its return through controlling its resources. This time however, it seemed even more resilient so they had targeted a poison to its DNA that they had sprayed all over a certain radius weeks ago and had expected it to have already returned by now, but they hadn't seen a single trace of it. The concern was that it hadn't survived. Not for the creature's sake, but the lost research.
Hyde had set up camp for the night. With Suraci now familiar enough with the terrain and the technology they decided to split up and cover more ground. Suraci was utterly relieved by this and decided to explore a little more.
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The grove was normally full of singing and moonlight. Tucked inside the trees was a tiny oasis fed by a stream that connected to the ocean.The water shimmered in the moonlight. Sumas's best friend had sent her most eligible buddies to meet with Sumas a little early and avoid the crowds that would gather at midnight.
It was too quiet, the air felt thin, something was off. Sumas, in their cloak which they had finally cleaned after the rain had gotten it all muddy, could sense eyes on them. They picked a glowing mushroom off one of the trees and tossed it at the ground. A plume of glowing spores kicked up as the mushroom exploded. They flickered and changed color as they hit the water. It was poisoned. While the ocean fed the water in the grove, it would take some time before the poison was dilute enough to be safe. 'Fuckers', Sumas thought and started calculating then disappeared for a while upstream to a damp and trickling rock formation slowly spilling water. They hiked even further upstream and destroyed the dam that had stopped the waterfall. The stream began to swell with water. They tested the grove water again with a mushroom. It was fine. Tossing off their cloak they waded into the water.
Their iridescent striped skin faintly glowed in the moon light. Their hair trailed behind them in the water like stands of holographic silk.
Suraci was impressed that the test subject had managed to detect the poison in the water and knew to destroy the dam, the way it moved was so fluid and graceful, but he was not prepared to see it naked. He didn't know they'd given it such an attractive body. So curvy, smooth and colorful.. his suit felt tight again. He swallowed hard then shifted his gaze to a sound behind him. A glowing squirrel- like creature scampered off. He looked back into the grove, but the beautiful hybrid was gone. Suddenly he felt something sharp against his neck. A voice that was both bewitching and terrifying spoke next to his ear as its hand and claw-like nails gripped his throat.
"Don't talk and don't move." It said softly. "I know you're not the normal creepazoid who tracks me out here, but I also know you've been working with him."
Suraci, who had geeked out on martial arts and body mechanics while getting in shape quickly reversed the hold and thrust the specimen off him.
Sumas smiled holding his badge which they then tossed to Womby. "That suit will last you about 6 hours without the badge before the radiation from this planet cooks you like a microwave. The closest shelter for you to be safe from the radiation will take you at least 12 hours to get to. I'd highly suggest you start listening to me if you want to continue living."
"They're going to know something is up when they can't track my vitals." Suraci said.
Womby jumped on to Sumas's shoulder and handed the badge back to them. They fiddled with the badge a little bit then patted it back on Suraci's chest. "Not anymore." They smiled and jumped back into the trees. Then, from a high up branch they dangled several canisters of meds Hyde had given Suraci to field treat Sumas so they could bring the subject back alive. "I got what I wanted." Sumas smirked.
Womby climbed up into the tree further leaving Sumas's shoulder while Sumas waved and jumped back into the water and disappeared. Suraci, without a thought, jumped in after them.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone