Specimen 54559

Chapter 4

  I sit on a cold and slightly damp rock, listening to the distant drip of water from somewhere deep in the underground cave. I rotate my head around and take in the beauty of the cave along with its smell. Candles are lit in clusters around the edge of the cave, giving off a slight yellow that reflects off the damp walls. The candles are strategically placed out of the way of the spikes that grow from the ceiling and drip water onto the already slippery floor, increasing the chances of falling. The small lagoon at the far side of the cave is the only direct connection to the outside, leading out to the Pacific. Many people do not venture in the ocean much anymore, besides the Mermaids, for the war has most people terrified to leave beyond the city's wall that protects them from the outside. With the war between East and West it has become increasingly difficult to do much without being searched or having to drop and hide because a plane is going over, on our side or not. Why is the world such a mess? I thought.

  "It is because of the Scientists. I thought you already knew that better than anyone Lilly," I hear a robotic voice creak out from behind me. I rotate my body around to come face to face with a pair of massive, red eyes staring me down. Red. I can never seem to escape such a haunting color.

  "You were thinking aloud again Lilly," the voice said, breaking me out of my thoughts.

  "I'm sorry. I did not mean to have awaken you. I know you have trouble sleeping well these days," I apologize, gazing at the giant beast as he emerges from the dark depths of the cave of which he stays.

  His large, reptilian head comes from the darkness first, his one robotic eye glinting off the new found light onto one of the cave's walls. The body comes next, large and scaled. The dark, forest green scales clash with his metal eye and his two metal wings. His one robotic leg makes a clinking noise as it makes contact with the cave floor. The great beast opens his maw to release a giant yawn, the mechanical teeth whirring in a circular motion to loosen up the gears, stiff from lack of use.

  "It is quite alright dear," he responds as he walks over to where I sit. "Is the Plan ready Lilly?"

  "Almost, Colossus. We first must wait for the others to return."

  "They must hurry," Colossus says with his creaking robotic voice. "The longer that we take, the more time we give the Scientists to create and learn more things and the war is not helping. The facility is constantly on High Alert nowadays."

  "And it doesn't help that our corrupt Government keeps whispering sweet nothings into President Savon Peterson's ear to tell our side of the country," added in a new voice.

  Our heads rotate up near the door at the top of the cave twenty feet up in search of the new, feminine voice. There was a flash of gold and a soft thump as the unknown figure jumps from the ledge down to us. It slowly stands up, revealing the face of that of a girl.

  I let out a breath that I did not realize I was holding. "Quinn, you can't just pop out of nowhere and speak without saying that it is you," I scold as she juts out a hip and crosses her arms, blowing a strand of gold out of her face. "We thought that you were the twins," I finish out.

  She lets out an outraged scoff, placing a hand over her heart in offense. "You dare associate me with those two?! My hair is obviously gold, not that gaudy black, and I have a wondrous tail and not some oversized spider legs and creepy little pinchers, okay?"

  I roll my eyes at her childish antics, "Yes, Quinn, my most sincerest apologizes."

  "Great! The team is all here!" boomed yet another voice, this one, however, I know very well.

  "Hello, Jason," I say, giving him a warm smile as he lands, his large black wings flutter ever so slightly as he makes his way to me for a small hug.

  "Not everyone is here though," I say as I pull away, trying to ignore the stupid butterflies that erupted in the pit of my stomach as our wings brushed together. No, no time for silly little girl feelings, we have a job to get done and a war to deal with.

  "No, Ariel is here," Jason said, pointing to the small, shimmering blue lagoon surrounded by many of our candles.

  There was a small little plip as her head broke through the surface of the water. "Hello!" she cheered, waving a small, petite hand in the air in greeting. We all saunter over to the lagoon, careful to avoid the candles littering the ground, accompanied by the scraping of Colossus' back metal leg making contact with cave floor.

  "Were you followed?" I ask as I crouch by the side of the pool of water, my tail resting in the sand and my wings moving slightly out for balance.

  "Swam around twice to make sure I wasn't," she says with a proud smile gracing her delicate features, her turquoise tail lightly splashing the surface of the crystal water.

  I nod, "Good that. Any updates on what moves the Government is planning on to do in the war, Quinn?"

  She shakes her head, "None so far, Chief. They are trying to keep whatever allies they have left to help out and they are still attempting to track down the nomad Rebel camps."

  I nod once again, my tail swaying gently over the sand as I think of what to do now. "What is it you're thinking, Lilly?" Jason asked. I ponder my response, flipping it over and around in my head, analyzing every possibility the Plan could take depending on my next move. A small blue crab scuttling in the sand catches my attention. The little creature is slowly making his way to the edge of the lagoon, heading for the water, his home. I reach over and gently pluck up the crustacean by his shell and set him carefully into the water.

  "I think," I start as I continue to watch the crab swim away in the water, "that it is time."