Frenzy & Torch

Chapter 8: Ethics Are Barriers

Everywhere he went, he made sure his spurs were sharpened and his feathers were not the least bit ruffled. His golden and phallic shaped scepter was polished until he could see his own reflection on its shining surface.

Wait a minute, Xitanker lifted the scepter to his face and examined it carefully with a wide eye. There was a significantly minuscule stain that was virtually invisible to the naked eye. He whipped aside his purple robe and called his personal executioner.

"Yes, my lord?" said the gravely voice on the other end.

"This scepter was not polished to perfection. Execute the person who cleaned it."

There was the sound of someone getting off a couch, footsteps, loud voices, then a blast. "It is done, my lord."

"Good job. Tell my personal assistant to find another scepter cleaner."

Xitanker put the phone away and adjusted his crown. It was him and his two armored bodyguards in the elevator, equipped with high end blasters that could transform into missile launchers. He was paying a visit to Special Unit 732, his top secret research lab for biological experimentation. It was a remote facility located on one of several moons orbiting a distant gas giant.

The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. Standing on the other side was Lieutenant General Itshii, the appointed commander of this unit. He was a koi fish who wore a brown dress uniform. The left breast pocket was no longer visible from the absurd number of medals that were plastered there.

"Greetings, King Drook! I hope your journey was pleasurable!" he said as he bowed.

Of course the journey was pleasurable. The ship he came here on had reclining leather seats, champagne, and freshly prepared gourmet meals consisting of tofu and mayonnaise. If no part of it was splendid, the people responsible would meet the same fate as his scepter cleaner.

"Indeed it was, General Itshii. Anywho, let's get down to business. How has progress been with the super soldier experiments?"

"It's a work in progress, your majesty, but I can tell you for certain that we're on the verge of a breakthrough. If you follow me, I can give you a tour."

The rooster followed the fish to the deep freeze testing chambers in Wing A. They peered through the window of one of the cells. Standing on the other side was a barely nourished villager, a bald and pink woman with yellow eyes. Her home world, Kiktan, was the sight of a vicious campaign against Galactic Alliance forces. She was accused of assisting the Americans and was taken captive by the Kiktan military. She was sold off to the Shriktans for a Y-Box Live membership card.

Itshii cleared this throat. "We injected this woman with a cold proof agent, then proceeded to dump ice water on her hands for hours in freezing weather. If this agent works, she should still be able to feel her hands and use them like nothing even happened."

A scientist in a hazmat suit entered the chamber. He forced the woman's arms up. They were paler than the rest of her body. He poked her hands with a stick. He spoke into the translator, "Do you feel that?"

The woman shook her head. The scientist turned to the glass. "She doesn't feel it."

"Fuck," said Itshii. "Gonna have to write that one off, then."

Hazmat Man grabbed the dead flesh and ripped it from the woman's bones. She could not feel it, but she still screamed at witnessing her own degloving.

Xitanker was not the least bit phased. If anything, he was mildly disappointed at this experiment's outcome. "General Itshii, if there are any further failures with this particular testing, I request that you cease and divert the rest of your resources to more fruitful experimentation."