S A F E H A V E N : Summer

CHAPTER IV

Xirxine Labs.

Chairman Harris spewed out his coffee and promptly burst into a laughing fit.

Dr. Abidan Derschwitz, renowned geneticist and bioengineer (renowned in Xirxine circles, at least), sighed and lowered his head, somewhat embarrassed and extremely irritated by the chairman's reaction.

"Vacation time? Are you serious?" Harris guffawed, almost spilling his coffee. "In what world does Xirxine give vacation time?!"

"Sir, it's the summer!" Dr. Derschwitz protested. "All I wanted was a few days—a weekend! To wind down, to relax! Is that too much to ask?"

"Yes," Harris said, abruptly transitioning into a more serious demeanour. He straightened up and put his mug down on his desk before leaning forward with his hands clasped together. "I don't know if you noticed, Derschenheiser, but we're on a bit of a time crunch," he growled.

"Derschwitz," the doctor mumbled.

"Project 'OverSITE' is in full swing, and you expect us to let you take time off?" Harris narrowed his eyes and cocked his head. "Exactly how committed to this organization are you, Doctor?"

"Extremely so, sir," Dr. Derschwitz replied wearily. "I've dedicated my entire life to Xirxine since joining its ranks. My commitment isn't in question, I can assure you of that."

"Then don't put it in question," Harris snapped. "Quit whining about the hours and get back to work."

"I wasn't whining about—"

"You're dismissed, Doctor," Harris interrupted coldly.

Dr. Derschwitz set his jaw, his lips pressed together in a thin line, and he gave a stiff nod. "Yes, sir."

-

As Derschwitz exited the office, the three techies who'd been waiting inconspicuously outside—Delvis Billiard, Alice Jenkins, and Nancy Orville—gave him identical eager looks. "Well? What'd he say?" Billiard asked excitedly.

Dr. Derschwitz gave the three of them a look.

The trio let out a chorus of disappointed groans. "Come on, man!" Billiard cried.

-

Chairman Harris chuckled as he leaned back in his chair. "Music to my ears."

-

The lowest level of Xirxine Labs was home to the S.A.F.E. (which stood for "Storage Accommodations for Failed Experiments"), in which many creatures possessing spliced DNA resided. The cacophony of their distorted cries would give any inexperienced intern nightmares, but for Dr. Derschwitz, it was just another day at the office.

The doctor sighed wearily as he crouched in front of one of the cells, sliding a plate of food under the door. "Dinner time, dear," he murmured to the cell's lone occupant. "Hungry?"

A brief moment of silence passed.

Then something shuffled toward the cell door, its "claws" scraping along the ground as it felt around for the meal. Then the food was snatched into the darker recesses of the cell, where the telltale sounds of a rabid feast began.

Dr. Derschwitz straightened up, staring expressionlessly at the cell door. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, his voice cracking. "I should've gotten us out of here. If you'd only given me a bit more time to plan, I—"