#A.Jinn

[airborn-potato]

Golden Eye's

Chapter 3

“What have I told you about drinking in here!” 

With a deep sigh, Alder finished his long sip of vodka and put the cap back on his flask. He got up from his seat on the break room sofa and stood to face his colleague. Short red afro complimented by dark skin and light makeup Ada Keita, the supervisor for the section of the lab he worked in, currently glaring at him with almost murderous intent. 

“You're supposed to be testing with the subjects!”

With another sigh Alder stepped up and towered over her 5’6 with his own 6’2.

“You can relax Mrs. Keita, there was an incident in my block and I was excused until the health and safety of myself and the specimens could be guaranteed” Was his reply with a bright smile to compliment it.

She shuddered at the sight of his smile. Anyone who didnt know him wouldn’t see any malicious intent, but she knew him so she did. Luckily a beep from his phone drew his attention away from her poorly hidden discomfort.

“Well that's my cue, I’ll bring you my report later Mrs. Keita” He punctuated his sentence with another long swig of his flask. As he made his exit.

Making his way down the hall, he could barely contain the excitement building within him with every step he took. Before the Bat attacked the Lupus, he had gotten a good look at the files of her specimen. 6 in total and 1 apprentice there for a close-up observation. A Golden Bat, the twin white mice, a koala bear, a greenish gecko, and the Nighthawk. His favorite little Nighthawk.

There used to be another one, a feline, but it was too small and frail and its deformity didn’t help its case. A minor spine deformity caused a permanent hunch in its posture that made moving around a visible and amusing struggle for it and it was put down a few years after. Fault could be partially put on the doctor who made it, but in the end it couldn’t adapt, so it died. That’s just the way things work in the real world. Maybe that's why he likes this Eagle so much.

This one was always changing, always adapting to the environment. It was entertaining watching it overcome every challenge that came its way, but he just couldn’t see why it bothered. Despite how wellmade it was compared to the other ones, its lifespan wasn't a guarantee. Even if it survived the tests, there was no promise that the Lupi wouldn’t kill it for fun, that the guards wouldn’t pull their triggers, that they wouldn’t just drop dead.

Alder’s internal monologue was cut short by the familiar door. With a smile breaking through the neutral expression he’d tried to maintain, he swiped his card and proceeded into the room for a second time. Shuffling was the first noise he’d heard upon entering, watching the creatures in the Six steel cages only widened his already present smile. After making his selection he crouched down and unlocked the door to one of the cages, and he was almost immediately lunged at. One of the mice had attempted to break free of its bonds and attack. Unfortunately for it, he had handled this exact situation more times than he can be bothered to remember, and a quick syringe to its leg was enough to pacify it.

“Lesson number one, you hesitate you die” he’d finally turned to address the final occupant of the room, who was cowering in the corner.

A pale and pinkish toned boy with pale vitiligo spots, light brown hair, and fern green eyes. His nametag read Caleb. He had his hands over his head and was quaking like a leaf in a hurricane. With a shake of the doctor's head, long brown hair waving over his shoulders, he checked the pulse of the mouse he had shot down. He rarely messed up sedative injections but he couldn't be too careful with his favorite play things.

“Grab the Bat, I’ll Grab the other Mouse and we'll begin the first round of pre-checks.”

“D-” The doctor turned and raised a thin brow at the frightened boy “Do I have to?”

A malicious smile graced the doctors face yet again, “No, by all means Caleb show these things some compassion” He stepped closer, towering over him “Just remember that I’ll thoroughly enjoy myself when you're strapped down, tested to your genetic limitations, and disposed just like the rest of them” His tone was so cheerful that chills raced down the boys spine. “The weak minded don’t survive around here, you should be grateful that your aptitude test deemed you capable of stem work down here Caleb, Are these things really worth your chance at a better life?” A vigorous head shake from the boy was the only answer he needed “Good! Now that that's settled, be a dear and grab the Bat.”

With a tremble in his gait Caleb began to examine the cages for the one labeled "Brown Fruit-Eating Bat", He finally stopped in front of the tightly restrained bat. He stared at it for a long moment. For every animal feature, he saw a human one, he didn't want to do this. But he was out of options, he wasn’t ready to die. A nudge on his hand revealed a tranquilizer gun being offered to him. With a deep breath he began to approach the cage, carefully reaching out towards the door. Red eyes bore deep into him, sh- it didn’t want this, neither did he, but he knew the truth. In this world you either adapt or die. And with that final thought he tightened his grip on his gun and pulled the trigger.

#Winged People #Bird People #A.Jinn #Sci Fi #Creature #Golden Eyes