The Dark Remains - Mark Anthony [171]
“You mean E-1?”
“Yes. The nonhuman.”
“He’s already on the same truck.”
The female doctor turned slightly, and Beltan realized that he recognized the shape of her profile. It was her, the woman in his room, the one he had frightened when he spoke to her. He remembered the words she had spoken as he listened.
This is Dr. Ananda M. Larsen. End recording.
“Do you know why the order came down to evacuate?” Larsen said, her shoulders hunched against the chill.
The man shrugged. “Who can say? We’re just the brains, remember. It’s the brawn that calls the shots here. But I’ve heard it’s because they discovered our location and are planning a strike.”
“Who?”
“You know very well who.”
Larsen nodded. She seemed to murmur something, but the word was lost amid the roaring.
Beltan swore under his breath. He wanted to know who it was that planned an assault. Perhaps Beltan could befriend these people and use them to escape.
“Damn, it’s cold.” Larsen stamped her feet.
“It’s not just the wind that makes me cold. There—do you see? Over by the truck.”
Dr. Larsen muttered something Beltan did not understand, but which could only be a curse. “I thought he was gone. Wasn’t he supposed to be searching for them?”
“That’s what I thought. He must have come back for the mobilization.”
At last Beltan understood. The activity, the words of the guard, the empty rooms. They had been discovered, they feared an attack, and now they were abandoning their fortress. But where were they going?
It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that he got out of there before they discovered he was missing. In the chaos of the mobilization, he just might have a chance.
Larsen grimaced. “He gives me the creeps.”
“To say the least. What do you think is behind that mask of his?”
“God, don’t even say that. I don’t know where they dredged him up, but I wish they’d send him back.”
“I agree, but we needed him. He was the one who showed us we could perform gene therapy using the non-human’s blood serum as a delivery vector. And he was the one who brought us the nonhuman in the first place.”
“Fine. I won’t argue with you there. But we don’t need him anymore. We’ve advanced our techniques ten centuries beyond his crude methods. Have you seen some of the hybrids he created? Thank God they destroyed them all. They were monsters. Nothing like Ellie.”
“You mean your chimp?”
“You wouldn’t believe the results I’ve been getting. Basic manual dexterity skills up seventy-eight percent. Abstract reasoning test scores up one hundred fifty-three percent. It’s incredible. I think she’s on the verge of achieving language. I don’t mean mimicking a few hand signals, but real, complex language.”
The male doctor wasn’t listening. “You know, I’ve heard he can’t stand it.”
“Can’t stand what?”
“E-1. I’ve heard he doesn’t like to be near it.”
“But he’s the one who brought it through.”
The man shrugged. “Well, sometimes we have to associate with things we hate in order to get what we want.”
Larsen looked away. Again her words were lost in the droning sound. They might have been, Yes, we do.
“So, do you think it’s going to help us?”
Larsen turned back. “What?”
“The nonhuman. I’ve heard they think it understands how to activate the artifact. Do you think it will help us?”
“I don’t know.” Larsen sighed. “I’ve heard it’s in constant agony.”
“Well, that’s to be expected. We’ve seen what hybrids go through here. Logic dictates it would be worse for a homogenetic specimen. That’s why the lab at headquarters synthesized Electria in the first place, to control their pain.” A soft laugh. “The international drug trade is just gravy to help fund interesting little side operations like yours and mine, Ananda.”
She took a step back, body curving inward, as if repulsed.
“I’ve got to go,” she said. “I think they’re moving on to Gamma Section.”
“They won’t let you touch anything yourself.”
“I know. I just … I just want to make sure they treat Ellie and E-2 all right.”
The man nodded. “See you