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

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

                  

NICOLAI TESTING FACILITY- SECTOR 7: RESTRICTED LEVEL—LIMITED PERSONNEL ACCESS.

The stubborn creature observed Ladon with impish yellow eyes and flicked a slick purple tongue, registering his thermal signature. It cocked its head and bared miniature jagged teeth in a semblance of a smile, emitting a chirping sound of amusement as it shifted to a more comfortable position and waited. Adhesive toe pads allowed the thing to remain attached to the ceiling and out of his reach.

For now.

"Do not test my patience," Ladon warned, slapping his tail to the cement floor. He snapped his fingers and pointed to the ground in front of him. "Down."

It chirped again, the foolish creature unperturbed by his master's command as it twisted its head and used the dexterity of its tongue to moisten an eye.

Mother hadn't been impressed with Ladon's most recent creation during the last evaluation of his work. She'd deemed GC-4 a failure, incapable of retaining a scrap of decorum during training exercises, and had expected him to discard the animal at once. At the moment, euthanizing the little beast was a tempting notion. Ladon never imagined incorporating the Terrier breed into the fourth Gekko-Canis batch would result in spending additional hours within the training room. Yet, despite the behavioral flaw of the creature, he couldn't help but admire the end result of its design. 

GC-4 was larger than his mammalian counterpart, weighing in at an impressive bulk of one hundred and fifteen pounds. Of course, it was still a runt compared to the other subjects—the purpose of its design made primarily for stealth, rather than combat— but its development had progressed with pleasing results. The formation of its hind legs, quadruped motion, and triangular shape of its head, not to mention the tenacious personality, denoted the canine traits in its blood.

And notwithstanding its foolish antics, it was a clever little thing.

EEG scans revealed high levels of brain activity since the moment of its birth. It was capable of complex thoughts, and during aptitude trials it demonstrated the ability to problem solve systematically in a short timeframe to achieve the most efficient result.

Ladon surmised GC-4's intelligence originated from its cold-blooded nature.

The playful demeanor was all dog. 

With the addition of its ridged tail and pointed snout, splicing GC-4 with reptilian DNA had given it a streamline silhouette which measured it at a formidable four and a half meters in length. Sharp, curved claws protruded from bow-legged forearms and the alteration to its elongated fingers allowed it to grasp objects with precision. Its scales had hardened like the dermal bone plates of an armadillo as it matured, a defense mechanism Ladon thought essential for his project. The skin had darkened from a smoky gray to black over the past month, allowing it to blend in the dark and remain undetected, but it was the shifting surface modification in its genetic makeup that made GC-4... special.

If only the insolent beast would cooperate.

"I see you haven't put that thing out of its misery," Mother's voice echoed within the room. The sound projected from the intercom above the reinforced door, her tone laced with reproach.

Movement from beyond the thick glass panel drew GC-4's attention, as Dr. Meredith Malcolm stepped into view. She crossed her arms over her chest, likely tapping her foot with impatience while she regarded them with pursed lips. The creature peered at her with interest, flicked its tongue once, and then turned hopeful yellow eyes back to Ladon as it tilted its head to the side and chirped.