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No Chance Chapter 18 copyright 2017 comidacomida

Daryl was used to working at a desk for hours upon hours. It was, in fact, far more befitting his job description than filling the field agent position that took him to the Division Six installation he was forced to inhabit as a panther-man. What was different, however, was that Daryl was used to being the agent responsible for filling out and filing reports, not the one who had to comb through them for any specific piece of information that was so obtuse and subtle that it would be easy to overlook. As it turned out, however, well into the evening he didn't miss it, and something interesting was finally uncovered.

It wasn't a smoking gun, so to speak, or even a direct answer to the dilemma in which the FDA agents had found themselves, but it was something and Daryl had spent so long coming up with nothing that he felt compelled to follow it up. The item he had discovered was one of several dozen purchase orders but, unlike the rest in the series it was not labeled as a Division Six project; it was from Division Five. Daryl was not as well-educated in the various clandestine scientific programs as a field agent but he had come to understand that Division Six was responsible for the mutagenic effect that had turned him, his colleagues, and the survivors of the installation into animal people; Division Five was... something else.

The program header on the requisition form was specifically earmarked for the 'Replication TG' project, and that helped him to connect the dots. The men who had been sent to collect Courtney after Daryl had sent her the parcel were not 'real' men, per se; they were copies-- clones. The specific blueprint or, as David put it 'schematic' used was Thomas Grant. As the senior agent of the team David knew far more about the various Divisions than Fred or himself and so what information Daryl had received up until that point had come directly from the Ferret.

The requisition form for Division Five indicated that there was more going on at the installation than just Division Six research. That meant that the paperwork they had been reviewing may have had elements in it that were leading them in the wrong direction; red herrings would slow them down significantly, as if they were trying to piece together two jigsaw puzzles into one. What Daryl needed, he realized, was to find a way to separate the documentation so he could focus on the picture he wanted and put the unneeded pieces back in their respective box.

There was more information required before he could accomplish that. Daryl needed to consult with David, but there was a good chance that the Ferret was asleep since it was his job to look after Courtney next; David had the habit of working himself to exhaustion and then passing out for a half a day. Fred had ventured that it was something to do with David's new metabolism but Daryl was of the mind that the senior agent was just that kind of obsessive. Either way, the Panther still needed answers and if David was unavailable that meant he'd have to look at a much less traditional source.

Selecting the three forms he'd discovered related to the 'Replication TG' project, Daryl put them in a file folder and tucked it under an arm; his information resource required he take a trip down the stairs. The agents from the FDA had learned quickly that Sub-Level Four had housed the laboratories doing the tests related to the Division Six mutagenic program and had presumed that Sub-Level Five was more of the same but the Panther was starting to have his doubts.

If the installation had scientists from Division Five as well as Division Six it would make sense for the fragmented organization to create some separation between projects; would it then be reasonable to assume that the people in Sub-Level Five weren't working on the mutagenic program that had changed them after the accident in Sub-Level 4? Daryl was interested in finding an answer to that very question. Although David had often suggested against creating any undue stress or interacting with the Division employees stuck down below the senior agent hadn't expressly forbidden entry into Sub-Level 5, and so the Panther decided that it was time to do some exploring... and ask some questions.

Whenever David had questions one of his major contacts had been Dr. Keller. Rebecca Keller was, as far as Daryl understood, one of Division Six's senior researchers. While there was almost no likelihood that she would have helped the FDA had she remained a human, Dr. Keller had numerous reasons to cooperate-- not the least of which being that she was a camel. The senior researcher wasn't a Camel like Daryl was a Panther, no; she was a camel like Fred was a bear. Aside from the obvious "Don't you want to be a human again?" argument, there was one other very important factor of how Daryl knew he could trust her: their new communication method didn't allow lies.

The Panther had no idea precisely how it worked, but, based on David's assessment of the combination of non-verbal cues, body language, and tonal inflection of sounds, the slightly modified speech patterns were processed differently inside their brains. The end result was that anyone affected by the strange mutagenic serum couldn't keep secrets from the others who were similarly afflicted-- at least, not when they were in line of sight, hearing, and scent. All of those put together meant that a lie simply wasn't the same as the truth and it took literally no training at all to tell the difference.

Back before the start of all the insanity Daryl might have considered the moral implications of such an interrogation. On one hand, it was like using a lie detector test without someone's permission, but on the other PAW, it was a matter of asking a question and getting an honest answer. With that mindset, Daryl headed down the hallway to the stairs leading to Sub-Level 4; past that he would need a new staircase, as anything lower had its own access points.

The majority of Sub-Level 4 consisted of long hallways and the west hall was the one that would take him to the stairs he desired. The Panther slowed as he passed the open door leading to Dr. Rajh Singh's office; only a few days ago there had been a struggle that had very nearly led to the death of his fiancé. The aftermath mess had been cleaned up immediately and Abe had done an expert job of it but no matter how excellent his work it wasn't enough to completely disguise what Daryl knew he smelled, and it told the story of the event he had missed.

Abe had used a combination of several sterilizing agents and a variety of chemicals but trying to erase the signs of violence was a fool's errand; the lingering ambrosia of fear tinged his nose; he could scent the heady aroma of rage; there was an overpowering odor of blood that got his heart beating faster with the promise of the hunt-- it was all in his mind, he realized. Yes, there were persistent hints of what had transpired but the predator in him wanted to be able to envision it despite the prey having been Courtney and that left him even more ill-at-ease. Tip-toeing through the hallway he quickly proceeded down the next set of stairs into the part of the base he rarely visited.

unlike Sub-Level 4, Sub-Level 5 had a large open room at the bottom of the steps. A metal desk faced him from the opposite side of the space like a silent sentinel, two indents still showing where bullets had impacted it without going through. The agents had been one level higher when the accident occurred and whatever comprised the mutagenic agent that had changed them, it was definitely heavier than air; the Division employees on Sub-Level 5 had all undergone gross changes, some even more extreme than what Fred had faced. Although Daryl had never figured out the full story regarding the violence that followed, he had always thought that the indication of shots fired meant that there was more to it than he would ever know.

The temperature control for Sub-Level 5 had been turned off to reduce the power usage for the base and that meant the area was stuffy. Despite the disuse of the area there were the lingering scents of David's presence recently and, much less common, Abe and Rex. The surviving employees from the Division still needed to be fed and watered and that was a task to which Abe had taken responsibility. Fred had often indicated that he had some concern over the Fox's prior affiliation with them as an intern but David had quickly overruled him, repeatedly supporting Abe's willingness to help them and take an active role in their investigation. Indeed, everything Daryl had seen indicated that Abraham Christensen truly wanted to do what was right.

His reminiscing came to a halt when his nose picked up the strong, acrid stench of ash. He didn't remember anything catching fire during the chaos. "What's burning?"

The silence of Sub-Level 5 was broken by his question of nobody in particular and was further disturbed by the sounds of large bodies moving in response to his voice. There were three hallways extending in various directions out from the central 'reception area' and every one of them had offices that served as what David referred to as 'holding pens' for the various animalized employees of the Division. Although there were almost two dozen offices total only about half of them had 'residents' and most of those were to the right-- which also happened to be where Daryl knew he'd find Dr. Keller.

The Panther chose the correct corridor and made his way slowly down the thirty-something feet to the next central room. The entirety of Sub-Level 5 was more than sixty feet below the surface of the earth and that meant the structure must have been cost prohibitive to build and yet, somehow, the Division had the funding. He paused both physically and mentally, realizing that it was his analytical, paperwork-driven mind at work again and set the thought to the side; Daryl had a specific goal for visiting Sub-Level 5 and he needed to keep that his priority.

The Panther's path took him through a staging area that looked to serve as a storage site for lab equipment; all around him were collections of shelves and boxes, most of which had obviously suffered during the chaos of the event that had caused the change in everyone at the installation. It looked as though a tornado had passed through with very few items still on the shelves where they belonged. Unlike the levels closer to the surface, Sub-Level 5 still had blood, excrement, and other bodily fluids splattered where they had fallen during the event that had changed the personnel.

Unwilling to spend any time dwelling on that chaos, Daryl pushed through the room, pausing only when he reached the door he was seeking and saw that it was open. Directly to its right was a counter with several file folders open and empty; a heavy aluminum trash can was seated on the floor with smoke still rising from it. The Panther's fur puffed up slightly as he assessed the climate of Sub-Level 5. It was strangely stuffy but also cool; the structure was based on geothermal heating and cooling and without any air flow or regulation the room felt somewhere around sixty degrees.

Considering the numerous hours David spent doing research in Sub-Level 5 the Panther found it surprising that he hadn't used more fuel in that time. Then again, Daryl reasoned, it was possible that David's temperature needs had changed since becoming a Ferret as the Panther knew his own had. Shrugging off yet another difference between man and beast, Daryl pressed onward, passing through the door and into the hallway that held the office he sought.

Once he had stepped into the relatively short passage, Daryl called out. "This is Agent Daryl Rogers of the Federal Drug Administration. I'm coming down the hallway."

The declaration was made with an even tone but at the volume of a proper announcement. Although he knew that the afflicted doctors locked up in Sub-Level 5 might have been able to understand English he knew more from experience that tone and purpose was more important than words in the new, strange, common-language they shared. The sound of a firm thump against the first door to the panther's right indicated that its owner, Stuart Tin, had heard him. The man was a boar in the way that Fred was a bear and Daryl had no doubt that if the impact was anything other than an acknowledgement it would have been much more pronounced, likely with the sound of some wood cracking.

The door to Daryl's left had a plastic name plate on it that indicated it had belonged to Gillian Clark; it was left unoccupied since Dr. Clark had died. In addition to injuries sustained in the chaos, the woman had become a seal and the installation had no facility for storing a sea mammal. While David had indicated at the time that a lack of water wouldn't cause the death of a seal Daryl was convinced it certainly hadn't helped with her survival. In the end, as with many of the other casualties, Dr. Clark's remains had been purged in the Sub-Level 4 incinerator.

The next door on the left was labeled as being that of Frederick Pax. Daryl hadn't recalled meeting the man but according to David he had died in the chaos of the transformations, being one of the three individuals who had received such a virulent dosage of the mutagen that his body became what the Ferret referred to as 'one big tumor'. Pushing that thought out of his mind, the Panther nodded to the sound of the insistent scratching that came from the office's new resident, James Burrows. It was ironic in a way that Dr. Borrows had been turned into a meer cat, and transferred down to Sub-Level 5 from his original office which, if Daryl recalled, was the one that David had taken as his own.

One more office down the hallway was Daryl's objective. The door was made of a different material than the rest, appearing to be made of a dark, rich, reddish hued wood. The name plate was bronze, and proudly declared the occupant as Dr. Rebecca Keller, Lead Researcher. Although he wasn't absolutely certain that she'd have all the answers he was confident that she'd be able to clear up enough for him to get some forward momentum.

Checking the door knob, Daryl confirmed that it was unlocked; it would make access easy, and it wasn't like a camel would be able to handle a door knob. The Panther declared his presence. "Dr Keller, this is Agent Daryl Rogers. I am coming in."

Caring for the numerous "animal-ized" staff from the installation had not been part of Daryl's daily activities but he'd helped Abe occasionally during their first few weeks during the adjustment period so he knew what to expect when it came to an office-made-animal-pen; what he encountered when it came to Dr Kessler's room however was something entirely different. Rather than seeing mounds of broken furniture pushed up against the wall along with bits of personal effects torn, destroyed, and strewn about the floor, everything was perfectly kept and in meticulous position where it had been carefully pushed against the wall to create space in the center of the room, which is where Daryl encountered Dr. Keller.

The camel was laying down with her legs beneath her in the way that her species were prone to do but, rather than being directly on the floor she had what looked like six sofa cushions covered with a towel. From what Daryl knew, Dr. Keller still had most of her mental faculties despite becoming an animal, which put her on similar ground as Fred. Unlike Fred, however, Dr. Keller didn't have anything resembling hands or fingers, being stuck with her very simple foot-pads at the end of all four legs. Oddly, that didn't seem to keep her from reading; as he entered, the camel used her mouth to manipulate what looked like a back-scratcher to close a book she'd had open on the floor in front of her.

A moment later their eyes locked and, for just a moment, he wondered if she was going to spit at him; he'd heard that camels did spit and he had no doubt that the expression on Dr. Keller's muzzle suggested that she might have wanted to. Instead, the woman-turned-camel greeted him curtly. "Agent Rogers."

It was a fairly cold greeting but it wasn't dismissive in the way the Panther had expected from what could have been labeled as 'opposition'. She worked for the Division, and the Division was doubtlessly going to be declared a criminal organization based on what the agents had observed-- Dr. Keller had to have known that, but she maintained a certain professional cordial sense in her greeting and so he made it a point to return in the same. "I understand that you've been speaking with Agent David Graham, and I was hoping you'd be willing to speak with me as well."

The camel remained quiet for several seconds, her jaw moving as though chewing her cud in thought; it was possible, in fact, that she was. When she finally did speak it was straight forward and to the point. "Agent Graham respects my work and we have been discussing the mutagen that has affected this facility."

Feeling that he had passed a hurdle in getting her to answer a question he hadn't actually asked, Daryl calmed a little, starting to hope that their interaction would be far more a question-and-answer than an interrogation. "I wanted to ask you some questions about that. What part did you play with the research?"

Shifting her bulk slightly, Dr. Keller raised her head up enough on her long neck that she could look Daryl in the eye. "I did not take part in that research project."

The answer was evasive, but it still provided Daryl direction with his next question. "What was Division Six doing at this installation?"

The camel went back to chewing, and her eventual answer still didn't help. "I will tell you what I told Agent Graham: I did not work on the mutagen."

He realized that she had evaded the question and so he zeroed in on a way he could work the discussion around to what he eventually wanted to know. "Is that what Division Six was working on here?"

"Yes."

More progress. He felt his whiskers vibrate and he knew that she would be able to read in his response that she had given away something significant. Oddly, she didn't respond with any kind of cue that it concerned her, so he pressed forward. "Were you working on the cloning program then?"

Her response was instant and, although she didn't say a word, the reaction of widened eyes, raised ears, and a faint twitch in all four of her legs was just as telling as if she'd shouted "HOW DID YOU KNOW?". Instead, her actual response was much calmer and much more direct in every way he could read it. "I was unaware that the FDA knew anything about Division Five's cloning program."

Rather than provide her any information he chose instead to continue pressing forward. "Were you working as part of Division Five? Were you involved in the cloning program?"

Dr. Keller's response was a simple "Yes."

He changed directions, looking for more than a yes or no. "Tell me about Thomas Grant."

Her answer was evasive, and he could tell. "Why would you want to know about Division Five's cloning program? That has almost nothing to do with Division Six's mutagenic serum."

Daryl called her on her non-answer. "ALMOST nothing isn't NOTHING. Tell me about Thomas Grant please, Dr. Keller."

Strangely, rather than attempting to outmaneuver him, she began to offer him some solid insight. "All of the early clones in the program were Thomas Grant."

The Panther cocked his head to the side, ears plainly accentuating his statement as a question. "Different clones with the same name?"

The camel clarified. "They all came from the same genetic sample and, in essence, are identical twins of the same age; same appearance; same thought processes... right until their experiences begin to differ after activating."

Daryl took a moment to assess what he thought he was coming to understand. "So... the program that created the clones was entitled 'Thomas Grant'?"

If camels were able to smile, Daryl assumed that's what Dr. Keller had done. "The 'program', if you're calling it such is 'Division Five'. The trial run of the cloning project focusing on altering DNA of clones to customize the end result was 'Thomas Grant'."

The Panther was starting to realize that Dr. Keller was perfectly willing to discuss the topic as he hadn't caught any part of the exchange where she was being evasive; if anything else, the camel appeared to be reveling in the attention on her work. "What do you mean a 'trial run'? If there are Thomas Grant clones wandering around then it had to have gone past its preliminary research phase."

Daryl was certain that the sound he heard from Dr. Keller was a camel laughing; it wasn't entirely a pleasant sound. The woman leveled her gaze at him. "Well of course we're past the preliminary research... we've been using clone technology since 1982."

Out of everything the camel could have disclosed, the aptitude of the Division's research and development being so far ahead of common science was a surprise. "When you say you've been 'using cloning technology'..."

Dr. Keller stared straight at him. "I should correct myself-- the first HUMAN clone was made in 1982. The Thomas Grant project was Division Five's sixth iteration, and was an experiment in isolating and modifying genetic coding in clones."

The hint at messing with genetic structure struck Daryl prominently. "To what end?"

The camel's stare continued. "You know to what end, Agent Rogers; it brought about the creation of Division Six, just like Division Four's work with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus led to the advances that helped us create Division Five."

Daryl was stunned by what he had heard; while there were rumors that the Division had been involved with numerous crimes against humanity he hadn't ever connected the dots in such a fashion and he was even more surprised that Dr. Keller would so freely divulge that information. Was it a symptom of their new communication method? No, he realized; every bit of their discussion had been presented with the pride of a parent showing off their genius child. He wanted to attest his disgust at the idea but he was forced to control himself, preferring information over a few moments of righteous indignation. "Why? Why would the Division bring about so much suffering for humanity?"

Dr. Keller's expression was hard to read on a camel's muzzle but he was given the impression that she felt a strong inkling of superiority. "You dream of things and you say 'Why?', but I dream things that never were and I say 'Why not?'."

The Panther recognized the quote because his father had repeated it often enough and cited its source. "John F Kennedy?"

Dr. Keller huffed, turning up her muzzle at the assertion. "George Bernard Shaw. It was a line of dialogue belonging to the Serpent from the Garden of Eden in one of his plays. Information is often misattributed, you know."

Daryl's lips pulled back reflexively in a snarl but he managed to keep the sound from manifesting; she was trying to redirect the discussion again. She apparently picked up on that thought and addressed it directly. "Agent Rogers, humanity has done enough to cause its own suffering-- it is its own snake in the Garden of Eden. The Division has been around since the Industrial Age and has sought to help humanity get over itself."

"By creating AIDS?"

The camel's smile reappeared. "A stepping stone, Agent Rogers, just like the cure for small pox in 1977 developed by Division Three... but I suppose we are getting off topic. You wanted to know about Division Five copying people."

The Panther snorted. "Copying people? Is that what you call it?"

Dr. Keller flexed her legs, slowly standing up. "What I call it is 'a stepping stone', just like all of the previous Divisions. What it is, Agent Rogers, is the ability to separate and recombine genetic information-- it was the first step in translating the language of creation."

He felt his fur stand on end. "To play God?"

The camel visibly rolled her eyes. "To replace God. God has been dead for ages, Agent Rogers. It is humanity's responsibly to chart its own course and it has done a remarkably poor job of it. That is the entire reason for the Division since Division One."

He remained mindful of Dr. Keller as she padded languidly to the side of the room where a large desk had been pushed. She used the back scratcher in her lips to sift through the papers and he questioned her as she did so. "So making and curing diseases... making clones... mixing people with animals... how does that--"

She interrupted the Panther, letting go of the back scratcher before addressing him. "Copying someone is one thing, but changing them without changing them is even better."

Daryl lost the fight to keep the growl from his voice. "I don't consider myself better, Dr. Keller."

The camel returned to standing over her place on the floor leaving the desk empty aside from a folder still open next to the abandoned back scratcher. "I was not referring to the mutagen, Agent Rogers. My reference was with regard to the cloning process."

He managed to get the snarl under control as he demanded "How can a clone be improved and still be considered a clone?"

She stared right at him. "People fail to care for their bodies. They do not exercise; they eat poorly; they partake of alcohol and other drugs; they do not bother to use their brains. The greatest loss in this world, Agent Rogers is the difference between a person's potential and the limited successes they achieve."

Daryl challenged the association. "That is a matter of will, laziness, and lifestyle choices. That has nothing to do with genet--"

Dr. Keller interrupted him. "Only in part."

Although her statement was simple its meaning was much greater than three words; it was an unspoken invitation to view the folder she had opened. Keeping one eye on the camel, Daryl moved to stand beside the desk, glancing down at the papers. There was a picture paper clipped to the first page; although it had to have been at least 20 years old he could still recognize the subject. "It's Thomas Grant."

She inclined her head. "That was the original Thomas Grant. He was fat, somewhat lazy, and didn't bother achieving his goals. We used his original genetic coding exactly and managed to create exact clones. It took nearly a decade, but we eventually managed to unlock hidden potential in his DNA by activating recumbent chromosomes and accentuating positive traits... which led to the exploration into mutagenic properties in the proteins that we share with animals-- such as a camel, or a panther."

The discussion was hitting close to home, but Daryl found himself disquieted by it. He chose to keep his question focused more on the clones than the mutagen until he could find his emotional balance. "So there's a 'better version' of Thomas Grant out there?

"Of course. We've recreated the experiment a half dozen times, but Mr. Grant's perfected clone is still Division Five's greatest achievement."

He pushed the emotion out of his thoughts and attempted to dig deeper with a logical next question. "And what happens to the clones when you're done with them?"

The camel laughed, flopping back down onto her makeshift bed. "They are people, Agent Rogers, and they, like their donors, are loyal to the Division. They're given new names and new identities and many are placed in positions of power and influence to further our goals."

Daryl wanted to challenge her statement; he wanted to call her a liar and to say that she was just trying to mess with him. The one thing that kept him from being able to do so was the fact that she couldn't lie. Regardless, he contested her assertion. "I find that hard to believe, Dr. Keller."

Her newest laugh chilled him to the bone. "Turn the page, Agent Rogers-- believe it or not, you've already met one."

The Panther continued staring at the camel even as he slowly reached out and flipped to the next page of the folder, and froze. "What?"

Dr. Keller remained silent for several seconds, returning to chewing on something-or-nothing until her words finally interrupted his stunned mind. "You didn't know that the inspection of this facility wasn't actually sanctioned, did you? Or that the FDA doesn't even know this location exists?"

"...no."

She continued speaking, her voice carrying the severity of truth to it. "You didn't know that you were hand-picked, not only because you weren't a field agent, but because of your relationship with a secondary candidate?"

He couldn't believe what he was hearing despite knowing that it had to be true. "NO!"

"And you didn't know that he was working for Division Six all along?"

Unwilling and unable to stand by without acting any longer, Daryl fled the room, the folder still open with a picture of David Graham standing as a prominent challenge on the top page. He fled down the hall without bothering to close the door to Dr. Keller's office and ignored the various sounds calling out to him from the other doors. The only thing that managed to work its way through the plethora of questions barraging his mind was the thought of Courtney; if they were following the schedule then she'd be with David.