Mila's Men

The Weekend

Fukuro fell into the glass chamber of the synthrifuge. He could hear the footsteps of Doctor Snively creeping into the lab.

"Where am I? What is this place?" Fukuro demanded - pounding on the glass.

Snively walk closer to the synthrifuge. "That is none of your concern. What you should know is that I lied - lied to the public."

"What do you mean, Jarod?" Fukuro asked with twinge of panic in his voice.

Snively gathered supplies from around the musky lab. He fashioned a long hose to a port in the side of the synthrifuge and ran it down to what appeared to be a pottery kiln.

Snively grabbed a plastic bucket full of orange goop. "Look at this." He said - holding it up for Fukuro to see.

"It looks like your Obela vaccine." Fukuro responded.

"This is just the base. I don't actually have a vaccine - yet - but I know how to make it." Snively explained.

Snively took a petri dish of feathers and loaded them into the synthrifuge. He then proceeded to pour the bucket of goop into the kiln-like vessel.

Snively smiled with pride. "In just a few seconds your DNA will be scrambled with the DNA from the feathers. This will release fused particles that will, in turn, be collected and ran to the Trait Extractor. The Trait Extractor will infuse the base with the merged DNA - creating the vaccine."

"You're insane!" Fukuro snapped.

"You'll be saving millions of people." Snively insisted.

"At the expense of childhood friend's life - why not use some drugee or something?" Fukuro interrupted.

Snively started the synthrifuge. Fukuro screamed in agony as feathers sprouted from every pore on his body.

"No, my friend - you won't die. You'll become an owl!"

***

Disclaimer: The attitudes and feelings of Tomo do not always reflect those of the author.

Quite some time had passed since the day Kage saw Daylow beat up the two agents. It was only a few month until Mila's 18th birthday. They had been fighting off the same Arabian pirates for almost two years. During this time, Kage grew very curious about these assassins. Who are they working for?Why are they the only ones trying to kill Mila? They can't be the only criminals to know about her fortune? Tomo didn't seem to notice these details. He seemed to live in his own world. Mila lost her fascination with Kage and now had a crush on Jake Roe. He was a popular singer and a heartthrob to teenage girls. In fact, she and Kage developed a very close platonic relationship.

One day, Daylow called them all into his office one Friday morning.

"All those gala appearances are paying off!" He exclaimed with enthusiasm. "Mila, the investments I made for you sky-rocketed. Your charitable contributions have attracted the attention of corporate sage and billionaire, Doctor Graham Wheatman. He is one of the highest respected business men in The City. Your investment in the Usagie Group's Obela vaccine has inspired him to invest in their new Occular department. Doctor Snively is hosting yet another gala ball next Saturday to celebrate the department opening."

"I'm sick of going to these fancy dinners with a bunch of snobby lushes. I need some down" Mila griped.

"Fortunately, I developed a solution that will kill two birds with one stone." Daylow spoke up. "I arranged for the three of you to go camping at Doctor Wheatman's summer house in Falcon's Thorn this weekend. It will not only give you a chance to meet with Wheatman before the gala, but it will also give you a chance to relax for a change.