Relative Strangers (Book 2) No Man Is An Island

14. Guinea Pig

After leaving the cafe, E killed the rest of the Predators in the building, aided by the high frequency sound being played through the speakers.
Becker was too shocked with what he was seeing to intervene or assist her.
Once the building was secure Abby was taken to the ARC to receive medical attention, while E double checked the building with Matt at her side.
When they returned to the anomaly room, they found that the anomaly had faded, which saved them from having to leave someone to guard it.
However, they were left with a dozen Predator corpses that they had to dispose of.

E thought she had gotten out of talking about what had happened in the cafe, as her and Connor went back to work the second she arrived.
Abby was fine as well, so she sat by Connors side while he and E worked.
However, it wasn't long before Matt and Becker approached the table with cold expressions on their faces.
"What?" Frowned E, as she folded her arms defensively.
"Although the speaker in the cafe was broken, the security camera was not" revealed Matt.
"And, I care because?" Questioned E, even though she knew the answer.
"Becker told me that there was something I needed to see, so Jess showed me footage from the cafe while you were in there"
"If you're angry at me for killing the Predators, I'd like to remind you that they aren't from the past, so I haven't messed anything up".

"Stop playing with us. You know full well what we are talking about" snapped Becker.
E sighed, "You want to know what I did to the Predators".
"Yes we do. I've seen the footage, and although there's no sound, it's hard to watch. I can't imagine what it was like to actually be in the room and hear all your screams" admitted Matt.
E removed the device she had used earlier, from her bag on the floor, and placed it onto the table.
"Inside this, is a vial that contains Predator DNA. The device around it basically causes the DNA to emit pain signals around the body of the Predator. So they feel pain, even though there is no actual reason to" she revealed.

"That is some seriously insane tech" commented Becker.
"So, you could put any DNA in there, and cause those around you pain. You could put human blood in there for example" frowned Matt.
E shook her head, "No. I mean, you could, but I doubt it would have any effect. Human DNA is so different and varied that it's not like it's original source anymore. Predators on the other hand are nowhere near as old as us".
"But would it work on other animals?" Questioned Abby.
"No. Most animals were around before humans, so have existed for too long, and have changed too much" answered E.

"But what if you took DNA from say your pet dog. Could you use that device to cause pain to that specific dog?" Asked Abby.
"I don't think so, no. Like I told Connor earlier, Predators were made in a lab, they are not naturally occurring. Their DNA was put together by scientists, making it very unique. I'm pretty sure my device only works on lab made creatures" admitted E.
"O.K, so you used this to cause pain to the Predators, did it effect every single one?" Questioned Matt.
"No, it has a small radius. It only works on those close by  with that DNA. So I doubt the other Predators in the building felt it" replied E.

"This still doesn't explain why it effected you. You're not a Predator" Becker pointed out.
"No, I'm not" agreed E.
"Then why does this cause you pain? Does it hurt those who use it?" Asked Matt.
"No. You guys could use it and be just fine. It's only me that it effects" revealed E.
"Why you?"
"Because I have Predator DNA inside me".
E's revelation stunned those around her, and no one knew what to say for several moments.

"I don't understand" said Abby eventually.
"Neither do I" added Becker.
E sighed, "I guess I'm going to have to start at the beginning".
"Please do" encouraged Matt.
"Right. Well, as I told Connor, I did everything I could to stop the Predators from being created. I even joined the ARC in the future, since they were partially responsible for the creation of those monsters. But after a while, they realised that I was trying to stop them, so they turned on me. They thought they were the good guys, trying to save humanity. So in their eyes the ends justifies the means. They would do whatever they thought was necessary to ensure the survival of the human race".

"I still don't follow" admitted Becker.
"E told me earlier that the first Predators were mixed with human DNA and not ape. The scientists were trying to find a way to enhance humanity to help it survive the apocalypse" recited Connor.
"That's sick" replied Becker.
"Yes, it is... Anyway, most of their embryos weren't surviving outside of the womb. They were growing the Predators in a lab, and they weren't surviving for very long. They needed a living host with similar DNA, to carry the child. Basically, they needed a mother to birth their monstrous creations" admitted E.

E raised her shirt slightly, revealing a scar across her belly.
"Oh my God" gasped Abby, who was the first to put the pieces together, since she was a mother herself.
E released her shirt, "I was their guinea pig. They took everything from me, blood, bone marrow, eggs. And then they implanted one of their embryos inside me".
"So our bodies are compatible with Predators?" Questioned Matt.

"No, they are not. These were early versions of the Predators remember, they aren't exactly the same as the ones we just saw. And if I had carried the embryo to term, it would've killed me. Either because we weren't compatible, or because it forced its way out of me.
Luckily a few months in,  I managed to escape. And once I was safe, I cut that thing out of me before it could rip its way out. But unfortunately the things those scientists did to me destroyed my insides, so I will never be able to bare children of my own, not that I'd want them anyway. The experiments also left some Predator DNA in me, which is why my device causes me pain as well as them" explained E.