Tales of Light

ANNIHILATOR

ANNIHILATOR

2 Sam.1:27
How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!

~~~

Coordinates: 32° 12' 34'', Crystal Cove, Bermuda
Time Stamp: 1:23 am, 2752 AD

A high-pitched siren filled the submarine laboratory. The flashing red lights of alarm reflected off the glistening faces of the five biotech scientists.

"High-level risk detected," Locus's monotonous voice droned.

"What the heck is going on?" Saph barked, his voice drowning out the monotonous voice of the AGI. He grabbed the lead biotech scientist by his collar.

The bespectacled man, trembling in his boots, stammered an incoherent response.

Saph's irritation was evident in his voice.
"Would you quit blabbering?! We don't have time to waste!"

"There was a minor glitch with the prototype, sir. When we tried to test the cybernetic armour we created for the clone, it malfunctioned, sir."

"Minor? You call that minor?" Saph growled, narrowing his eyes.

"I assure you, sir, my team and I will take care of this."

"I said we don't have time!" Saph screeched as he forcefully flung the poor scientist who crashed into a shelf stacked high with laboratory paraphernalia.

Suddenly, Saph's eyes transformed into an obsidian black, reptilian-like orb. The trembling biotech scientists stiffened as the atmosphere turned chilly.

"Leave," came the one-word order from Saph's mouth in a low growl.

"But, sir..."

"Your work here is done. You'll get your remuneration as agreed." He paused for effect and glared at each of the cowering scientists. "Do not let me repeat myself."

They all shuffled out the door. It was better to leave unscathed than to irk Saph when his alternate personality took over. They'd heard of how, when a previous scientist tried to oppose him, he snapped off the man's head from his neck.

What they didn't realise was that, just like countless other scientists that preceded them, there would be no returning to the surface world for them. Once they shuffled through the passageway, they would be locked in from both entrances. The poisonous gases would be unleashed. Within three minutes in the Void Chamber, their bodies would shrivel up, the death throes excruciating but quick.

Saph calmly walked to the glass encasement where the hibernating monstrosity lay.

"Locus, grant me access to the incubation chamber," he said to the AGI.

"The subject is still highly unstable."

"Do as I say."

"Affirmative."

The door slid open and bluish-grey cryogenic vapour poured out as Saph stepped in.

The subject, a ten-foot tall androgynoid giant, lay stark naked, strapped to a metal table with metal chains, jerking from spasming. The table appeared as though it would snap in two from the intensity of its seizure.

Saph slowly ran his jewelled fingers over the chiselled eight-packs of the massive creature. Its sporadic jerking ceased.
Saph's keen eyes appraised the high-tech cybernetic implants inserted as additions to every limb sporting six digits each.

This 'experimental' but intelligent creature, a Nephil, was a fascination to all the best scientists that had been covertly recruited and silenced over the years. None would be able to comprehend how Saph's ancestral spirit guide, during one of his out-of-body experiences, had handed over the missing link to complete the mutation procedure.