The Hybrid Project

Chapter 2: A Fateful Encounter

CHAPTER 2: A FATEFUL ENCOUNTER

"Good afternoon hybrids. You are all probably wondering why there have been journalists here all morning."

Silence was heard throughout the mess hall. The crowd of hybrids sat impatiently, not responding to the Headmaster's address. This gathering was taking minutes out of their Recreational Time. They weren't very thrilled. It was so silent that one would be able to hear a pin drop. The Headmaster blinked with surprise and furrowed his eyebrows, irritated that not one soul seemed remotely interested in his announcement.

Ace smirked as he saw the beads of sweat appearing on the man's forehead. News flash: you're not as interesting as you think you are, he thought, ruffling his wings with amusement. The Headmaster began once more, straightening his suit and clearing his throat, his dark eyes glaring intently at the audience before him.

"Today, Quadrant 8 will be welcoming a new hybrid to the Camp. She was hand chosen by the King himself to be given to his son on the day of his coronation. The King also decided to let her train here, until she is 16 and ready to go out into the world."

Ace raised an eyebrow, surprised. The last thing he expected was for the King to take any interest in this Quadrant. The Kingdom was split up into 10 Quadrants, each with a Camp of hybrids located somewhere inside. Quadrant 1 held the castle, as well as the most efficient Hybrid Camp known to man. The rest were fairly popular, but according to Ace, Quadrant 8 was the most boring one there was. Nothing exciting happened; even though hybrids were locked inside all day, they could sometimes watch the holo-screens and catch up on the news of the towns and cities of their home-land. But Ace and the rest of the hybrids looked to one another incredulously, all sharing the same thought: Quadrant 8 had to be the most uninteresting out of all 10 Quadrants. How could they ever receive a hybrid so important?

Their thoughts were broken as the sound of footsteps coming from the lab hallway began getting closer and closer. The Headmaster smiled knowingly, gesturing his hand towards the pristine white doors, "Presenting Wolf Hybrid number 11426, Heather." Just as he finished saying the words, the doors were opened by two guards, the bulky men in uniform letting the girl step through.

Ace blinked and stared, as did the others. She was 12 years old, the age that all hybrids came out as after they were created, and not very tall. He began to wonder if he looked that terrified when he first came out of the tubes...

Her hazel eyes darted around nervously, her fluffy brown wolf ears pinned back to her head. She wore the same uniform that all hybrids wore: a black and red shirt with a matching black skirt (males wore pants), a white band around her waist with her number printed on it: 11426. She looked to the Headmaster nervously, twiddling with a strand of her long brown hair.

The Headmaster smiled, turning to the crowd once again, "She will be here until the Prince turns 18 and is ready to inherit his father's crown and throne. By then, she will be 16 and ready to leave the camp anyways."

4 years in this jail... sucks to be her, Ace thought, eyeing her curiously. What makes her so special anyways?

The Headmaster motioned for Heather to speak and the wolf obeyed, clearing her throat, "I-I'm very excited to be here... and I can't wait to see what this Camp has to offer, and make new friends." Her eyes scanned over the crowd, as silent as it was. They locked with Ace's for a brief second, the Headmaster speaking once again.

"Heather is very important, and cannot be hurt or damaged in any way. She is under the King's eye, so I advise all of you to be wise with your decisions. You are dismissed."

Immediately, the guards in the room had their guns at the ready while the hybrids of the camp began to stir, trying to look as professional as possible while the journalists became active once more. They were snapping pictures of almost everything it seemed. Heather smiled and waved at a bear hybrid looking to walk past her, but he simply looked away, not bothering. She frowned, her ears drooping. She had to have greeted everyone that came close to her and they all reacted the same way: turning their backs and not saying a word.