“Good, very good. Now, lets introduce some mutations...here.” He activated a beam of green light that shot down into the top of the machine.
The readings went wild as the blood changed and mutated. Data raced across the screen. A psychotic smile grew on his face. Then a red warning sign interrupted the process and the words, “experiment failure detected.”
He slapped the desk and huffed. “Two hundred failures in a row. How am I supposed to make any progress if everything I try fails?”
Another computer beeped at him, and he let out an annoyed sigh. Shoving against the desk, he wheeled across the room and turned himself toward the screen. All it had on it was “Daily update required.”
Putting in a code, he activated a recording, “Doctor Jason Osteen, day two of work. Just beginning the process of attempted forced evolution. It is my theory that with the right balance of mutations we could introduce extra information into the DNA. And, under controlled conditions, I can force those mutations to produce the desired evolved creature. However, at this time, all attempts at introducing mutations have only produced a loss of genetic information and ultimately self destruction of the DNA. My next project will include splicing DNA to create specimens with genetic combinations. That is all for now, end log.” The log transmitted, then the computer wiped its memory.
Dr. Osteen wheeled himself back to his former workstation. “Okay. Let me check over the results before the failure. I want to see what I can glean from this.”
***
The BADGE shuttle landed in a parking lot. It was night, but the light of this city was more than enough to illuminate their arrival. Fortunately, they were still invisible.
Chase and Hotwings were the first out. Both squinted at the bright lights. Hotwings stretched out his wings and shook them.
“I hate riding in shuttles when I can fly.”
“This was faster.” Chase stated.
Furious Squirrel came out next, his eyes glued to a device he had designed. “I’m picking up a trace reading of that metal. It’s near here.”
Gar was the last out. He smiled brightly as he took in the sights. “Wow! What a beautiful place!”
Chase snarled, “on the surface. Las Vegas has a slick veneer over a seedy town. Though, they have a lot of vaults stuffed with cash and other valuables.”
Hotwings laughed, “and I’m sure you’ve perused each one in your time.”
“Just a few. Like these idiots will miss a few million. Now, I want to... where’s Gar?”
Gar had wandered off, mesmerized by the sights. Several people stopped and took pictures with him. He had been on the news enough times to become a spectacle.
“Gar!” Chase yelled. “Come on!”
Gar bid farewell to a man in a purple outfit and rushed back over. In his hands he held a pamphlet. “Sorry.”
“What is that?” Chase asked.
Gar held it out. The front picture was not suitable for civil settings. “That nice man invited me to a special viewing where they will be stripping something. Why would people want to watch stripping?”
Chase snatched it and tore it up. “I’ll explain later. Now, focus.”
Furious came over. “I can’t pinpoint its location. Something is scattering the readings.”
“What do you mean?” Hotwings asked.
Furious said, “someone is purposefully blocking these readings. It looks like a general scattering field, but this kind of field is only used by high-level government security agencies and dangerous people. Whoever this is, he is close and doesn’t want to be found.”
Chase asked, “if we get closer to it, will the sensor cut through the scattering field?”
“Probably. We will have to be on the ground to make this work, the higher up we are, the less this sensor will get through the scattering field.”
“Good enough for me. Let’s do a good ole fashioned search.” She signaled the shuttle to leave.
***
Dr. Osteen rubbed his eyes as he leaned back. The computer ran a series of calculations. A buzzer sounded and he let out a groan. Sitting up, he saw that same warning symbol.
“This is ridiculous. They expect me to play god.” He pressed a button and flushed the materials out of the system. “I think I will work on these other theories for a moment.”
He got up from his chair and opened the main doors to the zoo. He extracted a sample from the horse and another from the lion. Placing these samples in a different system, he ran it through a series of tests.
“Let’s see. If I splice this segment and... yes, I can add this. I will need to introduce at least two more DNA samples to combine these. However… the intelligence is off. Not good. Can’t have this creature only have the brain of a lion or a horse. Now, if I...”
“Warning!” The whole lab called out.
He ran over to the same computer he used to communicate with the people paying him. A sensor system displayed a map of the region and several dots on it.
“No, no, no! Capes! How the hell did they find me already!” He punched in the code for the emergency relay, “this is Dr. Osteen. I have heroes nearby. I’m showing them using a scanner of some nature and executing a search pattern. I can only assume they are looking for me. Be ready for an extraction. I will try to hold them off... or kill them if I can.” he sent the signal and hoped they were listening.
Pressing a new button, the wall lifted to the special bay. He walked in and put a code into a command console. “Okay, time to shine. Your target, heroes. Location, Las Vegas. Level the town if you have to, kill any hero you can. Do not lead them back to this location. Authorization, Dr. Osteen, Omega nine one eight.”
Lights flickered, and the ceiling parted. A lift carried his precious creation up to be deployed.
***
Hotwings ate a hot dog while Gar took another picture with a local. Chase sat on a bench and tried not to fall asleep.
“Are we even close?” Chase asked.
Furious, still walking around almost like a dog sniffing out his buried bone, answered. “I do not know. The signal is still scattered the same here as it has been for the last six hours.”
Chase said, “it’s three in the morning and I’ve been up for more than a day now. I think we should split up and some of us get some sleep. Gar can go forever without sleeping, maybe he can keep running the scanner.”
Gar came back over. “I can... what?”
Furious said, “I don’t know. This is advanced. Gar isn’t... um... all that...”
Gar snatched it away, “I know how to use computers!”
Furious let out a sigh and then turned the device over in Gar’s hands. “At least hold it upright.”
Chase said, “he can hold it and you can tell him what to look for. He doesn’t need to know how it’s built.”
“Fine, I can... wait, it’s picking up something.” He grabbed it back from Gar. “Yes...it’s definitely picking up something. Wow, and it’s quickly getting stronger. This way.” Furious ran down the street.
The others followed close.
“Where?” Hotwings asked.
“I think it’s moving. Wait, this can’t be right, it’s...”
Just then a small pawn shop exploded in a fireball. People ran down the road screaming. Cars scrambled to turn around and run away, regardless of which lane they were in. The sound of giant steps crunching through the road came just before an orange blast of energy picked off a truck and blew it up.
“What the!” Hotwings jumped back.
Just then, a giant, barrel shaped robot came around the corner. It looked like something out of a cheap 1950s sci-fi movie. Lifting a thick arm, it shot a beam of orange energy and blew a hole right through another building.
“YAH!” Gar launched himself into the air and raced toward the robot. He met it in the chest and shoved it back nearly a full block. It fell over and stopped moving.
Chase said, “that was easy.”
“Too easy, it’s moving!” Hotwings took off as well.
The robot pushed itself back up and shot a beam of light right into Gar. He was blasted backward and crashed into the ground, digging a massive trench right down five blocks of the road.
Chase yelled, “Furious, help me get the people to safety, NOW! Hotwings, you and Gar, keep it occupied.”
“OCCUPIED!?” Hotwings dodged its swinging arms.
“Just try!” Chase used a blade to cut open the door of a damaged car. She pulled the driver out and helped him to his feet. She then flipped open her BADGE comm. “Nova! Get heroes to Las Vegas now! As many as you can find! We’ve gone a big problem!”
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