Caged Alpha: Project Chimera

Chapter 3

She was silent for a while before she managed to ask, "Project Chimera?" The General nodded, that familiar smirk growing on his lips once more. "That's right, Peterson. The geothermal energy research is a cover. What we're actually researching here is human augmentation."

General Armstrong watched her, waiting to see how she would react, but she remained composed, shock and confusion momentarily paralyzing her body and mind. He took that to mean that she was coping well and taking in the information without difficulty. Perhaps she was simply one of those very open-minded individuals, he considered. As a result, he continued. "We're essentially making Frankenstein's monster, Specialist Peterson. A super soldier. The most elite soldier this world has ever seen. Imagine an organic biological weapon that cannot be detected by any normal means, a soldier who can camouflage his own skin flawlessly, whose weaponry comes in the form of teeth, claws, mind control, vocalizations and brute strength that is unmatched by anything we've ever seen in the military since the dawn of time. A soldier who can resurrect himself from the brink of death within a matter of days, who can regenerate lost limbs and who can survive with minimal provisions. We're talking about a soldier who is practically immortal, can move with a stealth and silence no human could ever even dream of, and, if we get it right, can fly without the need for any kind of external physical propulsion. The world will be ours for the taking," he finished with a broad smile that caused a shiver to creep up Casey's spine.

"And if Subject 5 here doesn't start talking soon, I'm afraid we'll have no choice but to simply start our physical analysis," he stated loudly, making certain that the man in the cage would undoubtedly hear him. "Physical analysis?" Casey asked with a nervous gulp, feeling like she already knew what that would entail. "Correct. Vivisection, Specialist Peterson," he clarified with an underlying hint of enthusiasm that frightened Casey, shaking her to her core.

She had to work hard to keep her expression neutral. She'd never been a fan of animal testing, feeling it was often unnecessarily cruel. But this was something else entirely. This was a man. This was a human being. Or was he? He certainly looked like a human being, but based on what Casey had been told now, there was more to him than what met the eye. Even so, she felt that there was something deeply wrong with this, both morally and ethically, and she could not imagine a scenario where she could condone such acts, regardless of the circumstances.

In spite of her reservations, she felt she should press on and try to gain a better understanding of Subject 5, if for no other reason, perhaps she could at the very least advocate for him in a situation where no one else seemed to be on his side. "Has he spoken at all?" she asked curiously, watching the man as he sat motionless behind the unyielding metal bars. "No. Not since we put him in the cage," the General stated with a sneer. "We thought the interrogation might prove fruitful, but the bastard is strong. He seems to have the ability to regenerate himself, which is a trait we would certainly want to harness for our super soldier, but the vampire regenerates too, so Subject 5 here finds himself in a predicament where he proves to be less and less useful to us. Meaning that the need to keep him here, alive, appears to be diminishing daily," he all but spat, his disdain for the man etched clearly on his face. Then his expression changed as a memory seemed to grip him and a smile bloomed over his face, "You wouldn't believe how he looked two days ago. Any normal man would have died..." the General said with a chuckle as he looked over at the caged man. "You mean you tortured him?!" Casey gasped, unable to disguise her horror at the thought. "Well now, Specialist Peterson, we've been instructed to gain the information we need by any means necessary. So we've tried everything in our book. That's where you come in. You are not in our book and, as such, we're hoping you might be able to offer us some assistance by attacking this from a different angle. By picking up on his non-verbal cues, and in so doing, offering us better insight."

Casey nodded reflexively, but internally she wasn't feeling so certain. She didn't think she was equipped to handle this. She wasn't an expert in non-verbal communication. She had some experience in the field, sure, but that certainly didn't make her an authority on the subject.

"What's his name?" Casey suddenly asked, surprising herself. "Subject 5," General Armstrong replied with a shrug. "So you'll help us then?" he pressed, anticipating her confirmation. She couldn't see any way to say no now. She'd been looped in on a project that violated so many moral and ethical codes, she did not doubt for a second that they would have any reservations ensuring that she never spoke about it to anyone... ever. She considered the future and how she would ever get out of this, but that wasn't a problem for right now. "Yes, sir," Casey eventually managed to say with a nod. "Excellent," the General exclaimed with a pleased look as he clapped his hands which echoed through the sparsely furnished room.