War Dog

Chapter 3

Sitting at the table, my elbows leaning against the edge, fingers steepled and my chin resting on my hands, I watch and listen to the argument that had been unfolding for the last two hours between scientists and Lieutenant. I had started to develop a migraine from the excessive yelling in the small and confined space, my sensitive hearing amplifying the sounds dramatically until I was left rubbing my temples to try and find some measure of relief. 

"You have pushed the boundaries too far!" The Lieutenant exclaimed once again, circling around and around like a whirlpool dragging the last of my sanity down to the depths of the ocean. "When has the military ever used wolves for anything? She is unpredictable. The military approved for you to be using German shepherd and Malinois DNA for a reason. Using wolf DNA without any previous testing could cause disastrous results. We don't even know how long she has before she starts to turn feral. She could turn quicker than anything we've see before." The. Lieutenant practically growls out. The team of scientists who had been refuting everything circled back to their original argument. 

"Our initial testing results show that the wolf DNA is just as strong of a candidate or even better than the German or Malinois strands. Stronger, faster and just all round better than the dog breeds." 

Dr. Cooper interrupts at this point. "Regardless of your own misgivings Lieutenant, we received the approval and have followed all correct protocols and procedures in regards to this particular operation. We have been waiting for some time to proceed with the wolf DNA in order to find the right candidate with the right temperament. Cerianis was the best candidate that we received to perform this testing on. If she exceeds expectations in her training as we suspect she will we are planning on integrating more wolf DNA into the War Dog program. As it stands, we are currently in the process of trying to mix strands of DNA across the three breeds. Taking the best of everything and attempting to splice them together. We have done hundreds of hours of testing and researching to ensure success." He pauses to take a deep breath calming himself down before he proceeds. "Your personal preference in this matter holds no sway as the surgeries and experimentation has already been done. Your job now is to ensure that Cerianis receives the training she is owed. If you have a problem with that, you can take it up with the Regimental Sergeant Major. He is the one who approved the experimentation to proceed." Dr. Cooper leans back in his chair, arms crossed against his chest as he stares down the Lieutenant. 

With a scoff the Lieutenant backs down, but still looks angry enough to cause problems. "Fine. But when it all goes to shit, don't say I didn't warn you." He stands up and proceeds out the door without further consideration. 

"Did I really need to be here for that conversation?" I ask tiredly, my ears pinned back against my head. Dr. Cooper gives me a small apologetic smile. 

"Sorry Ceri, but yes. You need to know what obstacles you'll be facing while you're here, and you need to be able to change the Lieutenant's mind on this. Using wolf DNA was not a popular choice given the militarys history with preferring very specific breeds of dog. We wanted to test that wolf DNA would encourage the host to be stronger faster and better suited to cold climates compared to the dog strands that we have previously used. We believe by having different DNA strands added into the War Dog program, we can start to divide by specialities." He sighs deeply before standing up. "You will begin your training tomorrow. Be ready for your induction in the morning at 0600. I'm sure Private Caldwell has informed you that you are required to be up at 0500. One of your designated scientists will be in and out through out the day to keep an eye on you and run some standard tests to ensure your well being in this new environment." He pats my shoulder before heading out with the rest of the team waiting in the hallway. "Get some rest. It'll be a while before you truly get to relax again."