Species II by Yvonne Navarro Read Free Book Online

like anything but the uncontrollable life-form she had the potential to become. Staring around her at the lab and the workers beyond the unbreakable quartz-glass panels—no stupid mistakes this time—Eve gave the impression of nothing more than a terrified, captive victim.
    But Laura Baker knew better. God, how she knew.
    “The test capsule is mirrored on the inside, and she cannot see the technicians in the lab while inside it, nor can she see you. As you’ve all probably noticed, Eve’s enclosure is in the upper part of a larger living arrangement, a sort of human ‘habitrail.’ The environment has been specifically designed so that all areas of it, including a small garden on the Upper level, are in full view. The creature can hide nothing from us.” She raised her hand so that her small audience could see it, then gestured toward the floor below. “We have a fully staffed testing laboratory, complete with technicians, biologists, and heavily armed guards—all, of course, female.”
    When there was no comment from the men secluded above her, Laura continued. “Our goal is to discover a means to defend ourselves against this species should it, in its natural and purest form, ever find its way to Earth. What you see here is of necessity a genetically modified version of what we speculate that form would be, half alien and half human. She appears to be human in every respect, but I assure you that she can still be quite deadly.” Laura glanced upward, but none of the men in the viewing booth were looking at her; their gazes were riveted on the woman in the cylinder, and Laura was far too intelligent to think it was for sexual reasons.
    “One of the things we’ve developed here in the lab is a hydrochlorine-based toxin. In a moment, you will witness the effects of this chemical agent on the alien.” More commands into the keyboard, a firm stroke of the enter key, and suddenly a blue-tinted mist spewed from nozzles set at regular intervals around the inside of the glass cage. Within the tube, Eve gasped and her chest began to hitch in humanlike sobs as she twisted and turned in a vain attempt to avoid the haze.
    “As you can see,” Laura said grimly, “Eve is not only repulsed by the hydrochlorine toxin, but it results in distinct physical injuries. If you’ll turn your attention to the monitors across the room, you’ll be able to view close-up images from two perspectives. One is a magnetic-resonance pattern of Eve’s body, the other is a real-time video feed that shows the damage being done as we speak.” One of the screens flicked to a close-up and showed Eve writhing in agony, her formerly smooth skin covered with ugly, raised welts. Laura gave her audience a few moments to register what they were seeing as she checked the biological information scrolling beneath the film views, then she leaned forward.
    “Unfortunately, it’s far too early in our experiments to celebrate. Watch very closely, gentlemen. What you are about to witness will shatter any notion that you might have that the young woman below you is a member of humankind.” Laura almost felt their interest elevate as she thumbed the switch that brought her voice down to the technician in charge on the main floor. “Clear the tube.”
    Somewhere out of sight, a reverse fan whirred to life and the air in the glass capsule began to reverse, the noxious blue mist spiraling down to thin ribbons as it was sucked out via the same nozzles it had entered. In a few seconds, the glass was once again unobstructed, this time giving them a view of a different Eve—swollen, red, and crying like a child.
    Laura didn’t say anything more—she didn’t have time to—before Eve’s healing began.
    It was like watching a layer of sand shift and bubble across the woman-form’s skin—a vibration of cells rearranging, regenerating, right in front of their eyes. Two seconds, then three . . . and every indication of physical harm was just . . .
    Gone.
    Eve