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The AdvAnTAGE Project

By

Mantrid Brizon

Episode 14: Gold Digger

“I can't believe they're really going to do it."

“Why not? They passed legislation making them legal almost two years ago."

“I don't know."

“I mean, they've been showing them on TV and the internet for over a decade. How old is Harriet now? Seventeen? Eighteen?"

“I guess I just thought I wouldn't still be a young man by the time they allowed people to bring AdvAnimals into their homes."

“Well, a young-ish man."

“Asshole... What about you? ... Hey, new guy!"

Glancing over his shoulder, the thirty-three-year-old man stares at the two technicians for a moment, his icy blue eyes bouncing back and forth between them. He turns to face the men, pointing a finger at his chest and raising his brow.

“Yeah, you. What do you think about all of this?"

“I think... This was inevitable, and if they think it's time, then it's time." The black-haired man replies.

“Spoken like a true company man."

“Yeah, well, I don't get paid to think, just do my job." He retorts.

With a dismissive wave of his hand, the older technician turns toward his companion. As they continue to debate the ethics of the impending changes, the younger technician takes his leave, collecting a clipboard before walking past the two men. He has work to do. Walking the halls, the technician routinely checks his clipboard, looking at the many scribbled numbers as he passes beneath the surveillance cameras. He turns a corner and finds a room, entering very casually and checking his watch. The door closes to the storeroom and Donnie takes a moment to gasp for air.

His heart beats nearly out of his chest. He can hardly believe how far they've come. The debacle at White Base almost ten years ago nearly ruined them, but the near-miss reminded Donnie why proper intel is of the utmost importance, and caution cannot be thrown to the wind. Years of preparation, stockpiling money, soft hacks by his friends, Louis and Connor, and several months of field work done by Jack and Donnie himself, have taken him all the way inside of 'Gold Base'. According to the soft hacks, what data they could find reveals Gold Base to be some sort of housing facility. Specifically, Gold Base is supposed to store the control groups.

After six months of soft hacks and conventional spying, they could not discover what these tests are, only that the untested AdvAnimals were being held here. With the clock ticking, they knew they had to take the next step. They could deny it no longer; someone has to infiltrate Gold Base and see if proper data could be found. The first batch of AdvAnimals are due to be made available to the public by the end of the month, and after a little less than twenty years of desensitization, an astounding number of people are now eager to see the creatures, up close and personal.

Checking his clipboard, the scribblings are, in fact, a simple code. Mathematical equations are actually steps to and from designated labs, and seemingly random numbers, roughly the length of ID badge numbers, something a technician might need, are a code for which way to turn. A small thumb drive holds the most powerful hacking tools available, some of which being hand-coded by Connor, modified from stolen NSA software. All Donnie has to do is collect the data from a handful of computers and leave.

He's already proven that his false badge, properly coded with a card printer and a brief hack on NSA security, was good enough to get him through the door without question. So long as he can control his nerves, everything will be fine. Closing his eyes and taking a few more breaths, Donnie moves fast. He collects the tools needed to perform his “job" and leaves the storeroom. Checking his clipboard, he follows the numeric directions and enters a lab. A few staff members seem to be expecting him. Clearly, Louis' skills have greatly improved, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to pull the maintenance tickets.

“I hear you have a computer down?" He asks.

“Yeah. About time you showed up!"

“Sorry. Been busy."

“Clearly..."

Heading for a private office at the end of the lab, Donnie takes a seat at the defective computer. Using his own talents as a hacker, he boots up the computer through BIOS, running in safe mode. It's very clear what's wrong with the computer.

“When will people learn? Stop looking up porn on company property." Donnie shakes his head. “I'm amazed this thing even has access to outside lines."

His fingers type away with blistering speed. Inserting the thumb drive into the USB port, Donnie begins an untraceable copy of every last file, automatically compressed and stored as a .zip, as per Connor's new program. By the time he cleans the computer of the virus, so as not to arouse suspicion, Connor's program has finished its job. He pulls the thumb drive and slips it into his pocket, before casually collecting his clipboard and leaving the office.

“Is it working?!" An older man asks.

“Yeah. And for future reference, watch your porn at home. The Asian sites tend to have the most malware."

The scientist's face flushes as several of his associates struggle to hold their laughter. Donnie leaves the lab and checks his clipboard, making his way toward the next destination. He enters another lab, this one populated entirely by empty chairs and unattended computers. He takes a seat and begins his work, clandestinely copying more files in a matter of minutes. With two stops out of six, he returns to the main corridor and follows the instructions. As he turns a corner, he glances up to count the doors, only to see three figures in the hall.

With her swaying tail and tightly fitting bodysuit, made of what appears to be spandex, Donnie stops in his tracks. He blinks, his eyes growing wide as an AdvAnimal girl, feline in appearance and wearing a holster and a small pistol, walks past him. She's accompanied by a human, a woman wearing a distinctive guard uniform, though her patch is somewhat different. It reads 'Handler', in place of 'Security Officer'. The feline AdvAnimal stops and turns, her bright blue, almost teal colored eyes, narrowing as she scans his form. She takes a step closer, drawing the attention of her handler.

With a decidedly feminine form, the busty woman with broad hips and a slender waist is only distinguishable from a human by her head, tail, paw-like feet, and the soft coat of shiny black, almost blue fur that covers her body. She hardly makes a sound as her feet bring her closer and closer to Donnie. By now, her handler has noticed and turns back to watch.

“Samara..."

The cat woman in the bodysuit turns her head.

“Samara! We're on patrol. Let him do his job."

Samara turns her head, looking back at Donnie and glaring. Does she somehow know that he doesn't belong? The handler approaches, and the lab worker, who stands a few meters away, watches the unfamiliar technician.

“I don't think she likes you... Why is that?"

The handler rests her hand on her tazer, which is confirmation enough for Samara. She rests her hand over the crimson colored, polymer framed pistol, her thumb pushing the retention strap forward so that she can draw her weapon. She doesn't, however, waiting for her handler to make a move.

“Relax. I'm new. I just came from Lab Three, where I fixed a computer. Check the work order and ask the staff!" Donnie replies.

Reaching out her free hand, the handler motions with her fingers, demanding his badge. Donnie doesn't hesitate.

“I called him down here." The lab worker suddenly speaks up, drawing the handler's attention. “We've been having issues with our monitors."

Returning her attention to his badge, the increasingly suspicious handler examines it very carefully. Soon, however, she returns it to Donnie and taps Samara on the right bicep.

“He's clean. Let's go."

Samara shakes her head.

“Let's go, Samara! I don't want to write you up!"

With a silent snarl, Samara reluctantly takes a step back. She continues to glare at Donnie, who is promptly led away from the scene by the lab worker, who literally pulls him by the arm. Samara pulls the retention strap back over the matte black slide of her pistol and follows her handler. Pushing open a door for a nearby room, a seemingly decommissioned lab, the worker quickly leads Donnie inside before yanking it shut.

“Who the hell are you?!" The lab worker asks in a loud whisper.

“What do you mean?"

“Don't bullshit me. Trainees are paired with an AdvAnimal, so they're comfortable with them before they arrive. If your clearance is legit, you wouldn't have froze up like that when you saw her. Who the hell are you?"

Realizing that he's been caught, Donnie lets out a heavy sigh, running his fingers through his hair as he stares at the floor.

“Does it matter?"

“Yeah, it does... Are you a Puritan?"

“No. I'm just trying to find the truth." Donnie admits.

To his shock, the lab worker looks back at the door. Is she deciding what to do about him?

“I wondered how long it would be before someone tried to do this. It took you long enough..."

“Excuse me?" His brow raises in surprise.

“Look, we're all uneasy about our work, to some extent." She finally continues.

“If you have a problem with this, then why are you still here?! Why not speak up?!"

“Shh!"

“There's thousands, maybe tens of thousands of people working at all of these bases and all it takes is one of you to blow the whistle!"

“Shut up, you idiot!" She loudly whispers. “Do you want to get us killed?! ... You don't understand... You don't know how powerful these people are. Most of us have families, and for those who don't, they dig up dirt on them."

“Who has dirt? Who the hell do you work for?" Donnie asks, speaking in a hushed voice.

“Sovereign Six..."

“Who? I don't know who that is." Donnie replies.

Feigning his ignorance, Donnie has seen mentions of the mysterious group in the files that Louis and Connor managed to acquire.

“That's the point. None of us here do. All we know is that they have serious weight in D.C., and they pull the strings on those creeps in the black suits and sunglasses..."

“And the experiments?"

The lab worker stares into Donnie's eyes for a moment, before turning her back on him and walking toward a corner. She crosses her arms beneath her bust, her hands gripping tightly to her elbows as if she's fighting a shiver, like a winter breeze has just blown over her.

“I've read reports from other bases... Things that have given me nightmares... Things these girls don't ever have to experience."

“Medical research?"

“Huh? No." She looks back. “They have strict orders; not a single AdvAnimal is to be harmed. It's just... Certain things they do that... Never mind. No matter how badly we'd like people to know about what's really going on here, at the end of the day, our families and self-preservation are more important than getting the truth out there. I'm sorry, but if you want the truth so damn bad, it's going to have to be you who finds it. Now get the hell out of here and try to avoid more AdvAnimals. They're great at reading body language; they have a sixth sense or something. Stand around too long and they might make you, like Samara almost did."

“What's with that thing, anyway? They give those creatures guns?!"

“She's a trustee. She passed the trials, so she gets to work with the security crew."

“The trials? What trials?"

“We're out of time, now get out of here."

Before he can ask her another question, the lab worker races for the door and pushes it open, only to casually walk down the hall, her heels clicking softly on the tile floor as she leaves him behind. Donnie steps out of the empty lab and into the hall, looking to the left and to the right. He struggles to remember where he left off as walks down the hall, periodically glancing at his instructions. To his surprise, the lab worker he'd spoken too is making her way toward the very same lab on his list. She looks back and appears surprised, then picks up her pace as she enters the lab.

“What are you doing?" She whispers to him, as he enters the room behind her.

“My crew mapped out computers with repair tickets. I need to 'fix' them." He whispers back.

With a frustrated sigh, the increasingly nervous lab worker points toward a computer at the far end of the room. Donnie heads for the workstation, passing a few other employees who pay him little attention. He sits at the computer chair and begins his work, secretly copying the files while repairing the computer's damaged registry. Once his work is done, Donnie's curiosity gets the better of him. To his surprise, this computer contains a selection of downloaded video files, labeled as being from a location called 'Red Base'.

With a few clicks of the mouse, he deactivates the speakers before opening the last video file copied to the computer. Windows Media Player pops up, and his eyes widen in shock and horror. Lying on her back, a human woman is stripped naked, strapped to a strange, custom-built table with her legs spread wide. She wriggles and writhes, her mouth covered with a strange mask. An AdvAnimal stands between her legs, the horse man enjoying her feminine splendor as if he owned it.

He appears to have started some time ago, as the short video shows the horse man's copious amount of semen spurting from the woman's loins. The file is labeled 'BT-142'. He opens the source folder and finds 141 more files. Picking another video at random, he's equally shocked to see an AdvAnimal girl housed in what appears to be some sort of artificial habitat. With trees and a small pond all planted inside of a hangar, she lives in what appears to be a primitive campsite, complete with a large, round hut made of harvested brush. Of her two companions, both are male and one is a human.

She sits upon the human's lap, riding him vigorously and with visible elation. Her partner seems equally pleased by the interspecies copulation. The AdvAnimal male, however, appears disinterested in the carnal act unfolding a few feet behind him, merely standing guard for the mixed couple, who mate as if their lives depended on it. Donnie cannot believe it. He turns his eyes away from the screen and focuses them on the shaken lab worker who'd confronted him. Is this what she was having nightmares about? Rape? Natural hybridization?

Breaking protocol, Donnie opens Connor's program and attempts to add the video files to the list. Unfortunately, Connor's software gives him an error, stating that his storage device is too small. Unfamiliar with the inner workings of Connor's software, and with little choice in the matter, Donnie is forced to abandon all of the video files. He instead settles for the documents he'd already copied. Pulling the thumb drive and slipping it into his pocket, he rises from his seat and attempts to calmly leave the lab. As turns his head as he passes the woman who'd aided him in the hall and confided her own dissatisfaction with her work.

“Thank you." He whispers to her, without ever slowing or stopping.

He steps into the hallway and glances at his clipboard. He's already halfway through the list. As he turns to head back the way he came, his heart sinks. Donnie finds himself staring at Samara, the cat woman from before. Her handler draws her tazer and points with her free hand.

“I want to see those hands in the air, and then I want you to step over here!" She sternly instructs.

The handler points toward the wall, well away from any other labs. He glances back, looking through a round window in the door of the lab he's just left. The woman who helped him stands on the other side.

“I'm not going to tell you again!" The handler shouts.

Samara draws her compact pistol from her holster, a sinister gleam in her eye. With nothing left to lose but his life, Donnie takes his chances. He turns and bolts. Samara and her handler give chase. Samara is surprisingly fast, nearly catching up to him in a matter of seconds. She flies by the door to the lab, but just as her handler passes the door, it flies open, right in her face. The hook shaped handle slams into the woman's sternum and the edge of the door breaks her nose, dropping her to the floor like a ton of bricks. Samara stops, her feet sliding so gracefully on the floor.

She turns and races back to her handler, who screams in agony, the blood pooling beneath her head. Tearing open her shirt, Samara exposes a massive bruise on the woman's belly, likely caused by internal bleeding. Using this opportunity to escape, Donnie slows his pace and swipes his card, entering any room he can to evade the guards. His pulse rises, however, as he passes camera after camera. The alarm sounds. If his heart could sink any lower, it would. He turns another corner, and then another, trying to worm his way around and back to the main corridor.

He swipes his badge and opens a door, nearly walking into someone. With only a base code programmed into the badge, it should be nearly impossible for security to deactivate his card, without also deactivating every other card in the system. Jumping back, he finds himself in a room, surrounded by AdvAnimals. Entirely female and with a rodent-like appearance, they wear matching white jumpsuits. The creature he'd nearly shoved over stands inches away from him, all of five-foot-nothing and very petite.

She narrows her eyes with the same suspicion that Samara showed, but her brow softens. She looks over the stranger and stares at his clipboard. Her eyes widen and she points toward the door. Is she telling him to leave? Donnie is perplexed as she taps a claw against his clipboard, then points at the door once more.

“I don't understand." He finally replies.

The other girls appear nervous, looking around the large room, which appears to be a form of lounge area, while the woman standing before him appears frustrated. She grabs his wrist, startling Donnie, who tries to pull away. She taps on his clipboard with a claw, her nail over the numeric directions to the exit. Has she deciphered the code?!

“You... You know the way out?!" He gasps.

With a look of gratification on her face, the mouse girl nods her head. She motions for him to follow then darts out of the room. Her steps are just as graceful as Samara's. Donnie chases after the girl, who promptly leads him back to the main corridor. As they run through the halls, Donnie can hear the shouts of distant guards, who follow him through instructions given by people watching the security cameras. He glances over his shoulder to see more human handlers and several AdvAnimals racing around a corner at the far end of the hall.

So fast are the creatures that he begins to panic. He needs to make them stop. Reaching for the small of his back, Donnie retrieves the small, thirty-two caliber Beretta that he'd brought with him, thankful that he didn't pass through any metal detectors as he infiltrated Gold Base. He flips off the safety and pulls the trigger, a round already in the chamber. Bang!

“Eee!" The mouse girl shrieks and covers her ears.

He nearly falls over the girl, but grabs her by the arm and pulls her along, until she's ready to keep running. It doesn't take long, as the AdvAnimals all draw their firearms and begin to shoot back. With bullets whizzing by, Donnie and his new companion take a quick right, nearly breaking the hinges of the door as they barrel through it. Racing past what appear to be holding cells, the mouse girl suddenly stops. She turns back and approaches a terminal.

“Hey, we don't have time for this!" Donnie yells at her.

The mouse girl holds up a finger, telling him to wait a moment. She types away at the terminal, looking at the doorway with increasing impatience.

“... Come on!"

A red light flashes and a buzzer echoes throughout the hall. The cell doors begin to open. The mouse girl has just released scores of other AdvAnimals. A voice comes through the intercom, struggling to be heard over the sirens and the recently added buzzer.

“Containment breach! Repeat! Containment breach! Switch to less-lethal! Do not harm the subjects!"

Rejoining her companion, the mouse motions for him to follow and continues to run down the hall. Donnie looks back to see AdvAnimals of various species emerging. Reaching the cell at the end of the hall, an amazon of a woman emerges. At six-foot-four, the horse girl steps out on hooves which clop loudly on the white tiles. Wearing the same white jumpsuit, she looks around the hall before setting her eyes on Donnie. Her jaw drops and she stares quite intently, her head following him as he passes by with the mouse girl. As he tries to turn a corner, still distracted by the unnerving stares of the horse woman, he feels a jolt and screams.

“I got him!" A guard shouts over the radio. “Tazer deployed! Get over here before-"

Donnie can hear the guard struggling to breathe, only for the officer to scream as he flies several feet down the hall. Landing with a bone-crunching thud, he rolls and groans. Turning his head, he sees the legs of the mouse girl. She takes a step back, and the clopping continues. Tilting his head down, the horse girl holds out her hand, a rather innocent smile spread across her broad snout. He's in no position to argue. He reaches out and takes her hand, only for her to nearly pull his arm from the socket as she yanks him up from the floor.

“Ooowww-I mean, thanks." He rotates his arm.

Seeing the probes of the tazer stuck into his flesh, the mouse girl leans closer and prepares to carefully remove them. The horse girl pushes her aside and grabs the probes.

“No! Wait, wait, wai-AAHHH!"

She rips out the probes, and small chunks of his skin, without hesitation. He looks up at the horse girl, who bats her eyelashes. His eyes scan her voluptuous form, spotting a small, embroidered name on her jumpsuit, just over her left breast.

“Thanks, 'Victoria'... You're a real help." He sarcastically remarks.

After picking up his Beretta, Donnie turns to the mouse girl, looking for her name tag.

“Lead the way... 'Mackenzie'."

They wrap around the cell blocks, stopping periodically so that Mackenzie can release more AdvAnimals. With so many of their subjects running free, the few security they run into seem thoroughly preoccupied, and the odd guard who turns their attention toward Donnie and his companions is swiftly dispatched by Victoria's incredible strength. After throwing a man through a supposedly shatterproof window, she brushes the dust from her hands before darting to catch up to Donnie and Mackenzie.

They aren't stopping for anything, though she can't blame them for that. As they near the end of the cell block, Mackenzie stops one more time. A cell, kept away from the others, draws her attention. So far, she's released every AdvAnimal they've come across, but now she seems hesitant. Looking toward Victoria, the horse girl appears to silently plead with her, her brow softened with sorrow. Mackenzie relents and approaches the terminal. The door opens and she takes a step back, visibly afraid of whatever is inside.

The room glows from a faint, red light, like the kind used in a film developing room or a snake's cage. A lone AdvAnimal emerges, also female but drastically different from the others. She does not have fur, but a rather shiny, crimson hide dotted with black spots. Long ears remind Donnie of an elf. She looks down at the diminutive Mackenzie, before turning her attention toward Donnie and Victoria. With a long, tapering tail, the voluptuous woman steps closer on lizard-like feet. They almost remind Donnie of talons. He looks over her jumpsuit, which is black. Her name, embroidered in red, says 'Alessandra'.

“Well... Come on if you're coming." He says to her.

Alessandra looks the human over, then flashes a strange grin, her lips curling around her blocky snout. Following Mackenzie's lead, she soon takes them back to main corridor, which is a cacophony of shrieks, yells and the occasional gunfire. Hundreds, if not thousands of AdvAnimals roam free, eager to escape the prison that is Gold Base. Though they aren't being used for experiments or trials, that doesn't make them any less hopeful for escape.

Following the stream of other AdvAnimals, Donnie, Mackenzie, Victoria and Alessandra find themselves at the back of the line. With their black bodysuits distinguishing them from the others, the trustees help subdue the others. Seeing Donnie and the girls, however, Samara snarls and dashes toward them. She holds out her pistol, a SCCY CPX-2, and fires at them.

“Stop shooting, damn it!" A handler shouts.

Donnie takes cover behind a square pillar that juts from the wall. He leans over and fires back, causing Samara to drop to the ground. Realizing that Donnie is more than willing to kill them, the handler gives the other.

“Alright, that's it! Shoot that son of a bitch!"

“But what about the trustee?!"

“Collateral damage..."

Samara turns her head back, her eyes wide with horror. She scrambles to her feet and runs as fast as she can. Donnie watches as the human handlers and several other trustees open fire, nearly striking Samara, who dives behind the pillar that sits across from Donnie's. He looks to the AdvAnimal, who glares at him.

“Hey, this is your fault! All you had to do was let me go!"

With a snarl, Samara leans over the pillar and aims her red and black pistol at her former handlers and fellow trustees. Donnie pulls the trigger, shooting down the hall. Samara joins him, emptying her weapon and causing everyone to scatter. Mackenzie and Victoria watch from a distance. Donnie motions for them to run, something that surprises him. He didn't care about them before and he isn't sure that he cares about them now. He's already forgotten that they aren't human. Donnie, however, is more shocked by the fact that they stay put. Are they waiting for him? Just beyond the girls, at the far end of the corridor, a blast door begins to close.

“They're getting outside! Seal the base!"

“Shit!"

Leaning over the pillar, Donnie fires his weapon empty, then jumps to his feet and begins to sprint as fast as he can. He looks to his right as Samara darts past him, easily outpacing the human. With a considerable lead, Victoria and Mackenzie are already beyond the door. Donnie looks over and sees Alessandra cowering, holding her clawed hands over her ears to block out the deafening noise of the gunfire. He reaches out a hand and grabs her arm, pulling her along. Whatever she is, she's different from the others. Perhaps Alessandra herself is an experiment?

She might be the proof he needs, to show the world that the people making these AdvAnimals aren't the saints the media says they are. Alessandra stumbles, slowing him down, but Donnie needs his evidence. The heavy door continues to close, and like Indiana Jones escaping from the crumbling temple, he and Alessandra dive through the shrinking gap to safety. The blast door closes behind them with a loud thud.

“AHH!"

Donnie jolts and looks over, horrified to see that the tip of Alessandra's tail has become crushed by the door. The rest of her tail wriggles about like an overgrown worm trying to escape a hot plate. Victoria approaches and gives it a yank, tearing her flesh and causing her pain. Bang, bang, bang, bang! Alessandra covers her ears and trembles, from the noise as much as the pain. Samara stands beside her, the slide of her pistol locked back as smoke billows from the barrel. She's just emptied her weapon in Alessandra's tail.

Samara nods and a nervous Victoria gives it another yank, the bones popping as she pulls Alessandra free, at the cost of six-inches of her tail. Mackenzie hastily covers her tail with a cover from a nearby chair, binding it with a plastic vine taken from a fake, decorative plant. Slipping a loaded magazine into his pistol, Donnie presses the slide stop lever and readies his weapon, which he promptly points at Samara. The feline woman looks quite surprised, looking back at the door before lifting up her empty firearm and motioning toward him.

“Thanks for that, but we've got to be going, and I'd rather you stay here."

Walking backwards, Victoria helps the wounded Alessandra toward the stairs, which leads to an above ground facility. Mackenzie looks between Donnie and Samara, who now looks rather pitifully at him. She has nowhere to go, and she knows it. Darting up to the feline woman, Mackenzie reaches out a hand to her.

“You can't be serious!"

The mouse girl turns back and looks at Donnie with melancholy eyes. She points to Donnie, then draws a thumb across her throat. With a finger pointed at Samara, she pantomimes with her hands, patting them to her chest.

“We're not friends. I don't trust her..."

Thoroughly fed up with him, Mackenzie rolls her eyes, grabs Samara by the wrist and pulls her past Donnie, who stands there, dumbfounded. Shaking himself out of it, he darts up the stairs and past the two women.

“Fine, but she's your responsibility."

Reaching the ground floor, they discover that dozens, perhaps hundreds of AdvAnimals have found their way inside. They distract the guards, many of whom they're busy fighting, allowing Donnie and the four women to slip outside, into the dead of night. Racing toward the fence, Donnie takes out a pocket-sized transmitter.

“The eagle needs to strike!"

“What?" Jack responds.

“Scoop me up, damn it! I'll flag you!" Donnie yells.

Racing toward the nearest spot on the fence, which has a dirt road wrapping around it, an olive drab Humvee drives along. The girls stop in their tracks, turning to Donnie with fear in their eyes. Taking out a pen light, Donnie flickers the light several times. The vehicle stops and turns around, ready to take off. Jumping out of the Humvee, Jack races toward the fence, powerful bolt cutters in his hands. He clips links on the electrified fence, before grabbing hold of it with thick gloves. His eyes widen as four extra figures scramble through the opening.

“What the hell?! Who are they?!" Jack gasps.

“Never mind that! Get us to the safe house!" Donnie barks.

Jumping into the Humvee, Jack slams his foot down on the accelerator. He looks back at the girls, who breathe a collective sigh of relief. Even the wounded Alessandra seems far less concerned about her injury and more interested in fleeing from Gold Base. They reach a windowless van that's disguised as a DHL vehicle, promptly abandoning the Humvee along the side of the road. Piling into the van, Donnie drives toward the safe house, while Jack sits with the girls in the back. He sees Alessandra holding tightly to the cloth covering her tail and collects shop towels and wire.

“Here. Let me see that."

Alessandra looks him over, her worry fading and a little smile spreading across her snout. She leans back and extends her tail. Jack carefully removes the cloth.

“Huh! It's already stopped bleeding. Well, we'll bandage it anyway, okay?"

He carefully covers her wound and ties the shop towels over it. However, her skin is very smooth, and the towels easily slide off. After a moment of thought, Jack's eyes light up. Retrieving a roll of duct tape, he pulls off a long strip, tearing it with his teeth.

“This stuff fixes everything!" He chirps, to the amusement of the girls.

After a thirty-minute drive, the van pulls into the yard of a desolate cabin. Ushering the girls from the vehicle, Donnie and Jack lead them toward the front door. Mackenzie grabs Donnie's arm and points to the girls.

“Relax. We're safe here. No one knows about this place."

Shaking her head, she points at the girls and then to the back of her neck.

“Uh... Okay? Let's get inside and figure this out."

Pushing open the door, Louis and Connor sit at their computer terminals, portable versions of the computers they keep at their main base.

“It's about time you got... What the?!"

“Who are they?!"

The two men rise from their seats at the sight of the four AdvAnimal women. Connor blinks in amazement and Louis rests his hands atop his head.

“What happened?! We sent you to get data, not these!" Connor gripes.

“This is bad..." Louis murmurs.

“This one seems special for some reason." Donnie points to Alessandra. “And this one helped me escape."

“Her name's Mackenzie." Jack remarks.

“This is really bad." Louis whimpers, as he begins to hyperventilate.

“Just relax, buddy. Alessandra is already hurt. We don't need another medical emergency." Jack says, racing for a well-stocked medical kit.

“What's wrong with her?" Connor asks.

“A door cut off the tip of her tail." Donnie answers.

“... Ouch."

Mackenzie reaches out and grabs Louis' bicep, only for him to swiftly pull away, startling the both of them. Bringing her the medical kit, Jack prepares himself with gloves, gauze and proper medical tape. As Alessandra presents her tail, however, he notices a rip in the shop towels. Peeling them away, he's amazed to see a strange nub forming in the center of the wound.

“Huh... Is that some kind of scab?" He thinks aloud.

Mackenzie pokes Connor's arm to gain his attention. He looks at her as she points repeatedly to the back of her neck and the other girls. He furls his brow.

“What does she want?" He asks.

“Who the hell knows. If they were so smart, they could talk." Donnie retorts.

Mackenzie turns to Donnie and glares, visibly offended by his remark. She approaches Louis, who looks quite terrified of her, though she's nearly seven-inches shorter. She leans over and begins to use Connor's computer.

“Hey! Don't touch that!" He races up to her. “That's seriously expensive! ... Stuff... Guys?"

“What?"

Connor stares at them, frozen in place by what he's seen. Jack and Donnie walk across the room as Mackenzie stands beside the computer, her arms crossed beneath her modest bust as she glares at Donnie. Turning his attention toward his computer monitor, Connor points to the top left corner. Mackenzie created a .txt file, and in it left them a typed message.

“Implants..." Jack murmurs.

They turn their attention toward Mackenzie, who points at the back of her neck.

“You're being tracked?!"

She nods her head. Looking toward the other girls, they also nod their heads, confirming Mackenzie's claims. They're well aware of the implants.

“I guess we shouldn't be too surprised." Jack remarks.

“That could explain their lax security." Donnie chimes in.

“What now?!" Louis asks.

“What else?" Jack smirks.

Returning to the medical kit, he retrieves a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a scalpel. Samara steps forward, volunteering herself to go first.

“I guess you're the brave one." Jack scans her form.

Bending over the back of the couch, Samara moves her hair aside and shows him where to cut. He works quickly but carefully, cleaning the area, making a small incision and then using a pair of forceps to pull a pill-shaped piece of metal that's less than the length of a small finger's nail from the back of her neck. Samara winces from the pain, though she manages it well. He presses gauze onto the small wound, but Samara pushes his hand away. She'd rather hold it herself.

“Alright, sorry! Just trying to be helpful."

Samara eyes his form, then flashes a little grin, as if thanking him for removing the device. Mackenzie is the next to volunteer, and though she whimpers, she also bears the pain quite well. Victoria is pushed along by both Samara and Alessandra, and visibly shivers. She bends over for Jack, but whimpers and whines before he even touches her. When the scalpel brushes her fur, she shrieks and jolts, nearly knocking it from his hand.

“Relax! This will be quick!" Jack exclaims, gripping tightly to the scalpel.

“Rrrr!" Samara growls, placing a hand on the back of Victoria's head.

Making the incision and pulling out the implant is quite the chore, and Victoria cries incessantly, whimpering even as she walks away, holding a piece of gauze against the tiny wound. Jack sighs and shakes his head, then motions to Alessandra. Her eyes scan Jack's form repeatedly as she approaches him, her little smile growing wider.

“Okay, now just lean over so I can cut it-"

Leaning far forward, Alessandra's smile transforms as she reveals the tops of her breasts, having partially unzipping her jumpsuit. Jack blinks, looking upon her rather impressive bust, shocked not only by their perfection in size and shape, but by her eagerness to flash him. With his eyes fixated on her crimson flesh, he clears his throat.

“Ahem... Uhm, the implant... Please." He murmurs.

Turning so that her side faces him, she wriggles her body slightly as he leans over her. She looks up at him as she brushes the hair away from the back of her neck. Resting his hands on her upper back, she coos as he touches her. Making the incision causes her to wince, but she hardly complains the way that Victoria did.

“See? That's all." He says, setting the implant with the others. “Now let's just clean this up and... Woah..."

“Jack?" Donnie steps closer.

“Jesus Christ..." Jack takes a step back.

“What?! What is it?!"

Donnie and Connor race up to Jack, who stares at Alessandra's neck. Following his gaze, they're amazed to see her wound closing before their very eyes. After about thirty seconds, it doesn't even leave a scar.

“That nub on her tail... I think she's growing it back." Jack theorizes.

“She really is special." Connor remarks.

Alessandra shyly turns her head away, a wide, flattered smile on her face.

“That's great and all, but shouldn't we be leaving now?!" Louis exclaims.

Looking amongst each other, the men all share a confirming head nod. They have work to do, and very little time to do it. Approaching the home in their blacked-out Trailblazer, the glow of the burning cabin lights up the night like the morning sun. Stepping out of the SUV, an Agent furls his brow.

“The signal?"

“According to these readings, all four are inside, sir."

“That's unfortunate..."

“Orders, sir?"

“Contact Gold Base and request a Chinook. We need to put this fire out and look for their bodies. Confirmation is required."

“Yes, sir."

“It's time to contact Agent Sharpe..."

Standing in the lobby and waiting patiently, Agent Sharpe contemplates his next assignment. After his confrontation with Dr. Chavez, he found it increasingly difficult to work at White Base. At first, he refused to contact Dr. Chavez directly, using other Agents as middle-men, but when the situation reached The Old Man, he began transferring Agent Sharpe. Every six months, like clockwork, he found himself at a new post, alternating between field operations and running security for the various bases or even guarding the Burnhearts.

Now he's been called for a new assignment, though he's been given no hint of what that might be. It's not as though he cares, however. His life is a blur of missions and paperwork. His cold and dreary persona has now become him; he no longer merely acts emotionless. He slowly turns his head, focusing his attention on a man wearing business casual and carrying a clipboard.

“I'm Mr. Clark! Are you ready for your new assignment?!" The man asks in a surprisingly chipper voice.

“Of course."

“Alright, then! Your new partner is ready for you!" Mr. Clark chirps.

“... Excuse me?" Agent Sharpe subtly raises a brow.

“You're all being assigned AdvAnimals who have been deemed ready to enter service. Yours will be Subject #33858, “Krystal". She's been chosen for you based on her personality traits, which we've been recording since her birth." Mr. Clark replies.

“I see... So, a matchmaker has paired me with this AdvAnimal?"

“For all intents and purposes... Yes! Yes, they have! Eighteen years of age. Her breed is-"

“Hold on a moment." Agent Sharpe interrupts.

“Yes?"

“Her number is very low. Isn't she part of the first batch, from MiLab?"

“Yes."

“Weren't the first batch used in experiments?" Agent Sharpe persists.

“Yes, but they made it clear that they didn't want any harm to come to the AdvAnimals; the experiments were all quite benign! ... More or less." Mr. Clark replies as he flips through some papers. “According to this, she was one of two-thousand females used in combat trials, from that batch, anyway."

“I see... How did she perform?"

“She outperformed in every way!"

“Well, at least there's that..." Agent Sharpe murmurs.

“Sign here."

Mr. Clark passes him the clipboard and a pen, and Agent Sharpe begrudgingly signs. Taking the clipboard, Mr. Clark lifts up a small, hand-held radio.

“Bring her in."

“When should I return her?" Agent Sharpe asks.

“I'm sorry?" Mr. Clark raises a brow.

“When do you need me to bring her back here?" Agent Sharpe reiterates. “Is she on loan, so to speak, for my next mission? Or will she shadow me throughout my day-to-day for some period of time? What's her curfew?"

“Oh! I'm sorry, I should have been more specific. She's assigned to you... Permanently. You're supposed to take her home!"

“... What?"

“Keep her with you 24/7. Orders from the top: every Agent should always have their assigned AdvAnimal partner with them, even off-duty!" Mr. Clark explains.

“..."

Footfalls echo from the long hallway beyond Mr. Clark. He turns and looks back, watching with a strange little smile. Emerging from around the corner, Agent Sharpe's brow raises. He's seen AdvAnimals before, but something about this one is very different. She moves with a confidence he isn't used to seeing in the creatures. She looks between the Agents who escort her, only to turn her attention toward Sharpe and flash a little smile. The humanoid creature wears a tightly fitting, black bodysuit, and has the appearance of a Siberian Husky.

The portions of her fur that are exposed is the purest of white, the tips of which glisten like freshly fallen snow. Behind her large breasts, broad hips and perfect buttocks, her bushy tail sways from side to side. Stepping up to Agent Sharpe, she scans him with the bluest eyes he's ever see. They're like pale sapphires, or polished chips of ice. Her black hair hangs over her brow, with the long strands pulled into an odd, high ponytail, and a clip that spreads the strands out like an oriental fan.

“Here you are, Krystal! This is your new partner!" Mr. Clark chirps.

“Hmm!" She seems to coo, looking him up and down.

“He'll show you the ropes, give you a place to stay and outfit you with the equipment and weapons you'll need!"

Agent Sharpe turns his head and stares at Mr. Clark, somewhat perturbed as he learns all of this at the last possible moment.

“Indeed, I will. Are you ready to go?"

Holding out a hand to her, Krystal reaches out and places her hand in his. Mr. Clark's smile widens.

“She likes to be called, 'Kris'." He remarks.

Krystal looks back with surprise, only to direct her attention back to Agent Sharpe.

“That's fine. Let's go, Kris."

As they walk toward the door, Kris looks back at Mr. Clark. She flashes a little smile and then waves goodbye with her fingertips. As he pulls open the door, Agent Sharpe takes his hand away from hers, answering his ringing cellular phone. After disappearing through the door with his new partner, Mr. Clark pulls his phone from his pocket. Pressing a single button, he brings the phone to his ear.

“Hello, sir. Yes, sir, I did... Well, he didn't look too happy, but then again, he always looks like that... Yes, she's with him. He's following orders. It's up to her, now..."