The Phoenix-class shuttle rocked gently in the atmospheric winds, as it drifted down through the clouds towards the lush surface below. It settled down through the light rain that was falling planetside, and made its final approach towards Risand Starport.
“… don’t care what you meant. How close is the Kubris System team to completion?” asked Tim Garner, his face taut with frustration and stress over the recent developments. He eyed his datapad carefully, scanning the notes that he had been disseminated by his staff hours before.
A faint buzzing came through the speaker, before the voice spoke again: “Well, Tim, I honestly don’t know, but we had better catch up. I don’t really like the fact that they are X-7 scientifically independent now … and we still haven’t won the Confederate Military Command contract.”
“Fine. I give our sales pitch this morning; I’ll make sure production efforts double. We need the X-5s ready for shipment within 48 hours. I’ll get quarantine information … you just take care of things at your end. I’ll see ya in the office later.”
“Roger that. I’m out.” The call disconnected, the dying click from the connection being lost. Garner stood, unbuckling his lap belt, and headed towards the plush couch on the other side of the lavishly decorated cabin, and began looking at his briefing notes, checking his watch constantly.
Three minutes and forty-seven seconds later, the shuttle landed, and Garner strode across the hot asphalt and through the humid air even before the engines on the shuttle had even begun to wind down, cursing as he boarded his limousine, nodding curtly at the Chimera logo emblazoned on the side door.
***
“Mr. Garner, thank you, we appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with us here today.”
Tim Garner stood in the conference room, paneled in mahogany wood and burnt steel. At the far end of a long stained oak table, each seat was filled with a Confederate general, admiral, or other high ranking official.
“No, thank you, Senator Hargrove.” Garner paused for a moment, glancing again at his notes. “Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, I have come before you today not as the CEO of Chimera Genetic Technologies, but as a fellow citizen concerned with one thing like the rest of you.” He paused, lettign the suspend build.
“Our survival.”
Garner pressed a button on his datapad, and the lights in the conference room dimmed, as the first holo-slide appeared towards his end of the table.
“Today I bring you Chimera’s newest marvel. The X-5. No longer will humanity be threatened from within or from enemies beyond its borders. The new X-5 is light years ahead of previous programs, and within eighteen months, even better X-6s and X-7s will be available for front line combat.”
“Preliminary field testing at our compounds has indicated that an X-5 can outperform any standard colonial marine, even one sporting completely upgraded his weaponry, armor, and is stimpacked. A single X-5 could literally shred everyone apart in this room before any one of you would have time to draw your weapon and fire a shot back. Against an armored platoon sporting heavy assault rifles, the X-5 heartlessly eliminated thirteen of the eighteen members single handedly.”
Towards the far end of the table, someone muttered “Jesus.” The slide changed again, and Garner continued.
“Furthermore, the latest tests of the X-5s showed that they have the capacity to learn and think together, similar to a collective mind phenomena observed in hive insects. Working in small teams or pairs, X-5s decimated an emplaced stronghold on our range in under 30 seconds flat. One hundred percent kill ratio. Ladies and gentlemen, the X-5s take no prisoners. We at Chimera have designed them to kill relentlessly, without remorse. Men would sooner turn their guns on themselves to save them from onslaught of our warriors.
“Finally, to seal the X-5’s portfolio, recent developments in DNA extraction and recombination proceedings, our scientists at Chimera have exclusively discovered new methods of figure-form replication.” Garner waited momentarily, for the muttering to stop, before continuing.
“Yes, that’s correct ladies and gentlemen. An X-5 could be sitting here, right here, right now, as one of you. Watching you, waiting for you, preying on you. Waiting to take the opportunity to strike when you least expect it.” Garner smiled, as the slide vanished and the lights came up in the room. His smile was greeted by hushed gasps and whispers from one end of the table to the other.
At the opposite end, the senator rose, his sallow features suddenly energetic and almost scared. Garner allowed himself another coy smile.
“Mr. Garner, what guarantee can you give me that these X-5s are fully controllable? How are they created? From where?” There was fear and anxiety in the senator’s voice, and Garner suspected everyone else at the table shared his sentiments about the situation.
“Mr. Senator, please, have no fear. Each X-5 is controlled from birth by a prenatal-implanted micro computer chip. All X-5s are given this chip, which works its way into the cerebellum and the hypothalamus. All stimulus controls are sent to the X-5 via this chip through our unique transplanar-wave system and the Confederate military’s Sigma Beacon relay network. A simple upgrade to the Sigma satellites would be required, to handle the increased frequency, but have no worries. An X-5 is given real-time updates on the battlefield, so the enemy has little time to adjust to the ever-changing conditions. Furthermore, current transplanar field theories suggest that we should be able to train the X-5s, possibly so that the only necessary computers in an X-5 would be for our protection, not their control.
“In response to your second question, senator, Chimera Genetics has followed all standard colonial legislation required to obtain permits, file datapad work, or any other restrictions regarding the tampering with human lives.
“Being that the X-5 is a new hybrid and therefore unstable, it was decided that only resocialized donors would be used, so that there would be no irreparable harm to the human gene pool. Furthermore, the lack of social morals in resocialized criminals, coupled with the newfound-lack of maternal instincts in a ‘brainwashed’ convict led us at Chimera to believe that the hardened criminals would provide the most stable breeding platform … may I help you, sir?”
A general, who had been speaking intently with the senator during Garner’s brief looked up, a scowl creasing its way across his face. “Now listen here, Mr. Garner. I don’t like havin’ myself bein’ interrupted. I’m simply tryin’ ta understand our senator’s opinion on tha matter,” the general paused, leaning over to listen to the senator’s words. “I’ve got one more question fo’ ya, sir. You’s best tell us where you plan on trainin’ these buggers. Now.”
The senator chuckled, and cast his gaze upon Garner. “I’m sorry Mr. Garner, but you’ll have to excuse General Duke’s tone. He tends to … prefer things his own way, I’m afraid. Carry on, please.” The comment elicited a few other chuckles from other sitting at the table. Duke even was able to manage a wincing smile, before the omnipresent scowl returned to his face.
“Well, sirs, Chimera’s current installation only has room for three packs of X-5s; approximately sixty units. However, if Chimera is awarded this appropriations contract, X-5s could be installed at more remote Confederate outposts, and along the Fringe Worlds, as a rapid deployment attack and defense force. Our training programs also take advantage of the new Resocialization Act. Being that criminals have no rights, our X-5s are trained using live human bait - their breed-mothers, or other convicts. Also, tests have confirmed that the hardened convicts performs seventeen percent better under those given circumstances.” Garner allowed an evil, thin-lipped smile. “All X-5 training has occurred with resocialized convicts, and that training program will most likely not change.”
The senator rose, and looked down the rows of people seated on either side of him. “Thank you, Mr. Garner. My secretary, Rose, will escort you to the sitting. Please, await our decision. I’m sure it will not take long.”
“Thank you, Senator Hargrove.” Garner packed his information into his black leather attaché case, the metallic clicks echoing loudly through the room, which had become dead silent. He headed for the door to leave the conference room, and felt the unbearable weight of many pairs of eyes watching his back.
***
“Mr. Garner, the senator will see you again,” the soft, gentle voice spoke. Garner opened his eyes, looking up at Rose’s smiling face.
“Uh, whu? Oh, okay. Sorry, I must have dosed off.” Garner picked up his attaché case and tried to smooth his rumpled suit, to no avail. He walked back into the conference room, with only Senator Hargrove and Duke remaining.
“Please, Tim, come down to this end.”
Led by the beckoning hand of the senator, Garner sat down at the end of the table, across from Duke’s perpetual frown, and to the left of Senator Hargrove, who now turned attention intently towards Garner.
“Thanks for coming today, Tim. Now, what exactly again were the provisions of your end of the contract?”
“Well James,” Garner spoke to the senator, pulling out his pad again to looking at the figures. “We’ll be requiring at least a strike fleet capable of providing accurate coverage from any Kel Morian or Umojan raiders, as well as a few isolated Confederate bases where the X-5s can be trained.”
Duke’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t like ya takin’ over some of ma bases or ma fleets with those damned creatures. You best be careful … I don’t like you suit types. Always backstabbin’ people. Why’s ya got to take one of ma Confederate bases, instead of buildin’ ya own?”
“General, Chimera Genetics simply does not have the necessary resources to construct their own fleet. With the Braxian shipyards understaffed and overworked, it would take literally forever for the fleet to be built. I cannot stress that enough. It would take forever. Furthermore, Chimera is too small a company to outfit a working fleet with the necessary pilots and operators for the fleet. It would cost too much. That is, unless, our gracious senator would be willing to provide even more money.” Garner again smiled, almost a grimace.
“No I’m afraid we can’t do that, Tim. Speaking of money, what is the potential cost of this project?”
“Actually James, project costs are light for the Confederate budget. I’m looking at approximately seventeen billion credits … give or take a few.” Garner chuckled.
“Ha! My financiers said I shouldn’t be willing to give you more than twenty billion. Very nice. Would you like all twenty?”
“Sure senator. I’ll skim a billion, Duke here can get another billion, and you, gracious Senator James Hargrove, you will receive one billion credits as well. Is that equitable for us all?”
Duke’s scowl finally lifted. “Well, if ya put it that way, sure … go ‘head and use all the supplies ya need. Let me know … I’ll fix ya up with anything that you need.”
Garner’s eyes lit up. “Excellent. So the contract is ours?”
Hargrove smiled. “Yes, it’s all yours. When will the program be ready to deploy?”
“Soon. Forty eight hours, maximum to leave planet. If your staff prepares all necessary quarantine papers, Chimera can have the mothers breeding and birthing in three weeks, with the pupae fully developed eight days after that. All in all, no more than, say, six weeks from start to finish. In fact, if you’d like, I can arrange for a field test for you and your staff to see, senator.”
“Good, I’d like that. So, my good friend Mr. Garner, would you like this Confederate Defense Appropriations Contract?”
“Yes sir I would,” Garner said, a sloppy grin covering his face. “That would be very nice for you, me, and our good friend General Duke here.”
“Excellent. I’ll have my people send it over, and the credit chip will be escorted tomorrow.”
All three rose from the table, and Garner and the senator grasped each others hands in a hearty shake. Garner reached across the table, and shook Duke’s hand as well.
“It’s been a pleasure doing business again with you, gentlemen. I’ll see you both in a few days.”
With that, Garner briskly left the room, that dark smile again blessing his face.
