Chapter 16 #2
“What is that? Is it poison?”
“Don’t panic. It’s sleeping gas,” Scorpio stated just as her eyelids began to flutter.
She woke to find herself still in the cage, lying on the floor, no longer in her clothes but a set of light blue scrubs. In good news, her tethers were gone and the door to her cage was left open. In the bad… Scorpio appeared to have disappeared from his prison.
It took a moment to realize they’d moved him to a hospital bed, one with built-in restraints that held him starfish style.
“Oh no,” Rebecca huffed as she stumbled to her feet, still woozy from the drug.
She tottered from her cage and passed machines that hummed as they processed whatever samples had been inserted.
Judging by the tray of tools beside a strapped Scorpio, she could easily imagine what some of those samples were.
The needles and bloodied scalpel told a story, as did the oozing wound on his forearm.
His eyes were closed, but as she neared, they flashed open, full of rage that tempered to concern as he saw her.
“Hey, Doc. You okay?”
“I’m the one who should be asking that,” she chided softly as she reached for some gauze and began patting the spot where they’d taken a chunk of his flesh.
“Bah. It was just a few needles,” he scoffed. “The most traumatizing thing thus far was having some dude holding my dick and telling me to pee in a bottle.”
“Have you found out what they want?”
“Other than a lab rat?”
Before she could reply, a voice boomed, “You are much more than a rat. Your kind are so very interesting. Born human—your genetics don’t lie—and yet there are differences that go beyond chromosomes.
DNA changes the likes of which we’ve never seen but suspected since we discovered the existence of the Zodiac Warriors. ”
Rebecca whirled to see the same older man she’d met in Antarctica. “You again.”
“Yes, me. Dr. Augustus Monroe. We never had a chance for a proper introduction since you abruptly left our last meeting. Luckily, you were drawn from your hidey-hole so we could continue with the project.”
“This is kidnapping. I demand you release us at once!”
“You are in no place to ask anything,” snapped Monroe. “On the contrary, either you cooperate, or face the consequences.”
“What could be worse than being held prisoner?”
“I can think of a few things. How attached are you to your limbs?”
Her heart stuttered. “You’d maim me?”
“I would do a great many things in my pursuit of science. So either you aid us, or suffer.”
“Help you with what? I know nothing.”
“You found the orb,” reminded the doctor.
“By accident. And only because you sent me to that location. You could have located it yourself.”
“Do you think we didn’t try? Years we’ve been searching. Our donors were beginning to grow impatient. Luckily, it was brought to our attention that we needed a specific set of people. A human bonded to a Zodiac, which turned out to be you, and the fellow who calls himself Scorpio.”
“What do you mean bonded? I barely know Scorpio. We’d only just met when you found us.”
“While your meeting was recent, the bond formed immediately, even if neither of you yet recognize it. A strange quirk unique to his kind. Hence why fate acted to bring you together, or perhaps, in this case, you could blame the stars. Whatever the case, you found each other, a link between you formed, and that is why you could access the relic.”
“You have the orb. I don’t see why you need us.”
“The Zodiac is needed so we might research what makes him a star warrior. If we can reproduce the change in others, the applications will be endless and financially lucrative.”
“Test all you want, dumb fuck,” Scorpio spat. “Being a Zodiac isn’t something you can inject into someone.”
“I’m sure you think so, but I have some of the best scientists working with me. If there is a way to mimic the process that changed you, we will find it.”
“You have me. Why take Rebecca?”
“One, because her well-being will depend on your cooperation. My understanding is that bonded pairs don’t like to see their other half suffer. But the main reason we needed Dr. Guthrie is because she is the one who will open the orb.”
At his statement, she blinked and blurted out, “Excuse me?”
“Don’t play hard of hearing. I have it on good authority you will open it.”
“And exactly how do you expect me to do that?” She flexed her fingers. “Pretty sure my blunt nails won’t even scratch the surface.”
“Don’t be so sure of that. The orb isn’t behaving like an object of this world would.
Despite repeated attempts while you napped overnight, we’ve not managed to penetrate it, and not for a lack of trying.
It cannot be x-rayed or scanned. We’ve tried cutting it with a metal-toothed saw, a diamond blade, a drill bit, even a laser.
Acid just rolls off. We tried crushing it in a compacter, but it broke the machine.
It neither heats nor cools, even though we submerged it in liquid nitrogen.
Nothing we’ve tried even marred its surface. ”
“Maybe it’s not meant to open.”
“Don’t be pedantic. It is merely a protective shell for what’s inside, which you will retrieve, or else.”
“If you couldn’t do it, what makes you think I can?”
“Because it’s been foretold,” Monroe stated bluntly.
“You’re insane.”
“I like to call it determined. I am also impatient, so let’s get to it.”
“I don’t know what you expect me to do,” Rebecca grumbled, stalking for the orb.
“Touch it, rub it, spit on it, pee on it. I don’t know, but do something!” Monroe snapped.
“And if nothing works?”
“Then you’ll try again. And again. Oh, but each time you whine about failing, your bonded Zodiac over here will lose a finger. Or a toe. I wonder if there’s ever been a one-eyed warrior,” Monroe mused aloud.
“You’re a sick bastard.” A rare expletive slipped from her lips.
“No, I’m a man who’s been waiting a long time to find this relic, and I am out of patience.”
“What’s it supposed to hold anyhow?” she muttered as she reached for the orb. It vibrated faintly in her grip.
“As if you don’t know.”
“Would I be asking if I did?”
“What’s your mate have to say?” Monroe glanced at Scorpio.
“Don’t ask me. First, I heard of this thing was a few days ago when I was told to find it.”
“Surely your seer had more to say,” Monroe stated.
“Yeah, she said if we didn’t get our hands on it, the world was fucked.”
The reply punched Monroe’s lips. “That’s not what our seer has told us.”
“Oh, and what exactly did yours say?” Scorpio asked.
“That it was one of three objects of immense power.”
“Did you ever stop to wonder what kind of power?” Rebecca interjected. “Doesn’t seem like the good kind to me. Why else would someone have gone through the trouble of hiding them so thoroughly?”
“Because the Zodiacs think themselves superior to humans.” Monroe sneered. “And yet, I look at this one, and I don’t see it.”
“Let me out of this contraption, and I will impress you with my special skills,” Scorpio taunted.
“How about you be quiet, or I’ll put you down for another nap,” threatened Monroe before turning to Rebecca. “Open the orb.”
She bit her lip, rather than asking how. She had no doubt Monroe would enjoy punishing Scorpio if she didn’t at least try.
But try what?
The orb in her grip no longer vibrated, nor did it feel warm or cold for that matter.
Her lips pursed as she lifted it to eye level.
It definitely did not weigh as much as expected, nor did its metallic surface reflect anything.
She shook it and heard nothing, no sloshing or rattling, making her wonder if it was even hollow.
“Would you stop screwing around?” huffed Monroe.
She paused. “How about you calm down? You asked me to open it. Since I haven’t the slightest clue how, I need to study it first, see if I can figure out its puzzle.”
“How long?”
“However long it takes,” she growled. “Longer if you won’t shut up about it.”
Scorpio snickered, causing Monroe to glare.
“You know what would help? Food? I’m starved.” Not entirely false but not true either. While she knew she should eat, Rebecca had no appetite. What she really wanted was for Monroe to leave.
“You’re not in a position to make demands,” the piqued doctor huffed.
“Maybe not, but I’m also useless if I’m hangry,” she quipped.
Before Monroe could retort again, an alarm sounded; a strident blare that startled.
“Now what?” the doctor grumbled. He glanced at Rebecca. “Hands on the counter.”
“Why?”
“Do as you’re told.”
She placed them on the flat surface.
It shouldn’t have surprised her when Monroe pulled out a flex cuff and used it to attach her left hand to a ring bolted to the table’s front edge—a ring that she now understood. How often did they take people prisoner?
“Wouldn’t want you getting into trouble while I go check things out. Feel free to play with the orb while I’m gone, but keep in mind, you are on camera, so if you find anything, I will know. Meaning, don’t bother hiding it.”
With that final warning, Monroe left, and Rebecca glanced at Scorpio.
“What do you think is happening?”
His lips curved, and he sounded pleased as he stated, “Cetus is about to face the wrath of the Zodiacs.”