Sprinters (In Progress)

Observation

    Newlin Biological Research Center.

    The colonel shut the folders on his desktop. Leaning back in his leather office chair, he shut out the world for the little comfort he so desperately atempted to gain, mentally freezing while going over unwanted thoughts all in the same time. It was a daily routine at that point, working as Head Director for seven months now. No one was ready for fictional monsters to begin running rampant in parts of New England. Nether was the rest of the States to go on transportation lockdown. And neither did Newlin have the time to cope with the changes of his research center. Before he had been running a foundation on the science of the human body. But now it was only the one virus, and the haunting things spawned from it that the scientists insisted on studying like apes.

    But it wasn't his world changing so damn much that got his skin crawling and making him suck down more tobacco than usual. Scientists have found an anomaly within their own research, sending over results that could rule the Sprinters out of being mutated people with mental illness and categorizing them as rather a separate species all together. And then there was the one fucker that has grabbed all of his scientist's free time.

    Closing the digital file on his desktop, he braced himself to make his way down to the enclosure wing to see what was so damn interesting up close. If Head Scientist, Chaz hadn't convinced him to bite the bullet and try shadowing for a few observations, he would have never went down there.

    He swiped his key card and hastily swung open the door, almost smacking someone in the back of the head. It was a crowded room, the dark and stuffy observatory to the testing enclosure. About six white coats were all cramming around a two-way mirror, watching intensively at an old battered cell with an open door and a contraption locking something inside. One scientist in particular greeted him as the others locked their eyes eagerly at the other side of the glass. "Hey Colonel."

    "What do we have, Chaz.” Newlin said, hiding his existential nerves behind a cynical tone.

    “We're uh more or less redoing another test right now. With different variables. Its to test sequencing and memory, as well as patience.”

    Chaz began to explain more as Newlin took his files from him and began looking through them.

    The contraption was a simple slider puzzle box with a key inside. The key going to the container with the real reword inside, though this time the container was empty. It was a show off test to newer employees, giving better up close examples of the subject's mental qualities.

    Newlin skimmed the files a little more. It was getting harder to believe these things were their own little breed of primeape. “So if this guy is just a separate species from us, why don't they form social relationships?” It was a perfectly good debunking question for his own comfort.

    “They don't need to, sur. They have their own way to form more population.”

    Newlin’s skin crawled. “And why is this one our club mascot?” He said sarcastically, hoping for a less creepy answer.

    “He has a few abnormalities. One being a heightened amount of patience compared to others in his previous horde. Not social patience though. Ripley even seems fine contained out side of…”

    “Ripley?” They were even naming the thing now?

    “It's what Gracie from medical assistance calls him. We think his Isolation might be from…”

    Several people hushed as another several were catching attention to the two-way mirror. A tall burly figure was slowly making his way through the open doorway to the enclosure, moving his alert gaze around, inspecting the new unfamiliar area in an almost intimated and offensive like nature. But still far too human in body language. Newlin found it so unnerving. This is the closest he's ever gotten  to one of these things. Without the pale red eyes, the man in the door could pass as a human being. They all could. It wasn't right.

    People where already taking notes.

    It at first observed the locked container and then the puzzle box, immediately interacting with that first. It took some time for the Sprinter to get it open the way it was supposed to, sliding the plates around, stopping to look at it intensely, and then repeating the same actions a few times while occasionally snarling back its lips in a way to vent.

    “Now why is he cooperating?” asked Newlin. He didn't know fully what to ask, but was hoping this was all a bad prank.

    “He's done this before. Every subject has.” Answered Chaz.

    “Some just end up breaking the box though.” Commented a student close by.

    The puzzle box opened finally, dropping a small key to the table. Immediately the figure picked it up and began fussing with a large safe like container. As it opened, it looked through the container, first confused and then agitated, then quickly picking up the small wooden puzzle box and then chucking it at the two-way mirror at full force. The scientists and students jumped back to the wall in quick shock. Some scooting towards the door, some ducking down. Luckily the mirror was too thick to be affected, and soon the situation became more humorous amongst some of the group.

    With frustration and outburst, the subject went its way out of the testing enclosure, and out of sight. Just as quick the box landed on the floor.

    Newlin had enough. He handed Chaz back his files in all motivation to leave. “Thank you.” But before Chaz could respond, he had left.

    Newlin clumsily fiddled for his lighter as he speed walked back to his office, deciding to forget about everything for a short while till the existential repetition of his job resumed.