Shield - A New Species Fanfiction (Wild at Heart Chronicles, Book 1)

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The longer Paige took in her surroundings as she followed Dr. Malcolm down a corridor, the more it became apparent to her the research facility was inside some kind of industrial warehouse. Metal beams protruded from the high ceiling, and the small rooms they passed were divided by cement walls. These, they'd occupied with medical equipment and people in lab coats. Paige tried to keep a mental tab of the Mercile employees she caught sight of. If any of the personnel—lab or military—walked by them, she made sure to remember their faces as well.

"A pity, isn't it?" Dr. Malcolm glanced back at Paige over her shoulder and sighed, gesturing to the interior of the building. "To think Mercile has been reduced to this¸ after all we'd contributed to the world with our research. And more we could've discovered, had the government not shut down our program. And for what?"

Unable to resist, Paige lifted an incredulous brow at the question. Was she serious? In what universe did the woman think it was morally acceptable to torture and imprison people in cages against their will?

Dr. Malcolm's nose wrinkled with disgust when she caught the look. "Oh, dear. You're a—what's that term they're calling it these days? Pro-Species?"

"I believe they call it having a heart," Paige replied in a soft voice. She ignored the chuckle from the guard walking behind them, though Dr. Malcolm did not share his amusement.

"Your altruism does not surprise me judging by the kind of education you pursue, but I can assure you it's misplaced. These are not people, Ms. Evans. They were designed by Mercile, not created by nature nor were they meant to live outside of their cages. To see this so-called 'Justice North' strut about on the news like some kind of celebrity is absurd."

"Don't forget about the women who married those animals," the guard supplied to the conversation, shaking his head. "Now there's a taboo if I ever saw one."

"That our society validates their marriage is disturbing," Dr. Malcolm agreed. "The idea of having one them touch me intimately—" She shuddered. "Clearly those women suffer from some type of mental disorder. Still, it would benefit the company if we were to capture a mated couple. Perhaps their chances of breeding successfully could surpass the trials from our failed experiments."

But... New Species can't have babies, Paige thought, recalling that snippet of information when she'd caught a late talk show host interview on Justice North. Without the ability to procreate, their race would die out within the span of a single generation.

The less tolerant of humans counted that as a blessing.

Yet, it seemed Mercile had other ideas on the matter. Paige tried to imagine Dr. Malcolm's hands on a defenseless Species child, poking and prodding it with a needle, and she inwardly cringed at the horrific image in her head. She sincerely hoped Mercile never figured out a way to breed them.

Reaching the end of the corridor, Paige felt a sudden drop in temperature and shivered. The air was much colder as they entered a spacious hall, where a metal door stood guarded by two officers stationed on either side. They held their weapons facing down in a relaxed stance, but their eyes remained alert as Paige and her escorts approached. Without sparing them a glance, Dr. Malcolm unclasped an ID badge from her breast pocket and pressed it against a metal box hung on the wall. The small light embedded on its surface turned from red to green, then the door unlocked and slid open.

Paige's steps faltered when she entered the large room.

An overhead light flickered on, revealing four massive cages lined by the concrete wall. The two to her left were occupied by New Species women, their size and exotic features unmistakable even to the untrained eye. They each appeared to have been resting on a cot similar to the one from Paige's holding cell, but now stood alert and pressed to the farthest corner of their enclosure. A growl escaped their lips as they locked their eyes on the doctor. The third cage beside them was empty, this one much smaller than the first two.