Note to readers, you do not have to read the entire post. This is just to get you to have a stronger feeling towards the subjects, the species, to further understand how instincts would make them react, to acknowledge adaptations and 'super powers'. This is also for your enjoyment, and I loved writing this too. This is just to give you a sense of awe, fear and sympathy towards these characters. I hope you feel the adrenaline and intensity while reading, just like I did. Also, if you just want to read a specific paragraph, I have titled each one, so you can read the certain descriptions. Also, it is an entire description, just split up into different blocks, so you'd be reading the full and entire scene of the Lab and Subjects. Again, enjoy. A smaller post noting down specific details about each alien can be found on the next post.
The Lab: The Scientist and The Lieutenant
Sounds were bouncing off the walls, echoing down the hallways, along with the soft muffles of footfalls. Faint words were carried through the still air, but the thick deadness of the atmosphere would silence any sound.
“Well, so far, Lieutenant, it’s been a month since we’ve recorded the first symptoms for each subject… We don’t really know if this is accurate though, whether they’re stable enough for physical interaction, so we’re just keeping them secure and continuing with experiments until further notice.” The first voice, a small, inferior tone, spoken quickly and sharp, in small bursts of choppy facts and opinions. This was obviously a scientist, guiding a lieutenant through the labs.
The lab was like a rabbit burrow, underground, with many halls branching off from the main route, eventually reconnecting with the pathways, overall forming a circle. Each corridor was like a tube, the walls arching into a curved ceiling, several feet high. A scientist would have to spend their lifetime to remember each turn, and many did, all twists in this lab stained into their memory.
“I don’t care if they’re safe or not. I want to know if they have a possible future for being used as army property.” This voice was rough, harsh tongued, but rich with a strong American accent. The voices were growing louder as each footstep became more clear, more defined. They were coming closer.
“Army property? They are purely for scientific research, Sir, and they can’t be used just for... America.”
“You say that in Area 51, when you’re standing in America, Doctor Darabek?”
“This is an international facility, Sir, a global HQ. Oh...”
Both men stood at the end of the corridor, silent. One stood tall, muscles bared, feet shoulder-width apart, head held high; the other slouched behind, a large folder shielding his frame, white lab coat swaying against the back of his knees. In front of the men stood dense, glass doors, a small doorway to enter the hallway; two pairs of yellow suits, helmets, gloves; everything which would completely seal flesh from the air in that room.
Both had slipped into the costumes, like a new layer of skin, armour. Pressing a button to enter, a purifying gas had been injected into the small chamber, before they could pass through to the other side. Now, they were locked in a room with monsters. Aliens. “Meet the freaks, huh?” A little joke, but it was only regarded with a grunt. “Don’t... Stick your hands out...” The scientist had said slowly, eyeing the gaps in between the bars of many of the enclosures. A small pace and they stood in front of the first creature.
Subject 1: Shark Teeth
This creature was pacing back and forth, hands clenched into tight, compact fists, even though it had no intentions to use its hands; oh, no, after a month’s studying this creature, scientists have grown wary of its... cannibalistic behaviour. Cannibalism: the act or practice of humans eating the flesh or internal organs of other human beings. This creature was not human, even if its physique was similar, but it wasn't; it's a predator, as many scientists had learnt. It had a humane appearance, deceiving, but if you were to look closer, note down all of its flaws, you could see the animal; those mere seconds of an aggressive glint in its eyes, the hungry grin carved into its face. Those teeth. “Shark Teeth, I named it myself. After the never-ending amount of teeth. Brittle, they fall out easily, but during that time, a unique acid fills their mouths, calcium is formed, and a new tooth, stronger and bigger than the previous, grows. Quite interesting. Like sharks, they always have teeth to replace one another. Peculiar…” The scientist was skimming through sheets, occupied by reporting facts to the Lieutenant. “Sir!” He had called out; reaching for an electric rod, the only form of protection if the two ever had a collision with the subjects, like this, for example. The Lieutenant, however, remained calm, and had yanked the creature out, crushing it between the bars as he smashed his free fist into its skull, tearing its head away. Shark Teeth had flicked its hand through the bars, pulling in the Lieutenant, and attempting to bite into the arm; losing a mouthful of teeth in the process, the majority of its jaws left clinging to the suit. Such a bloody mouth, no pain in its dull eyes.
They had quickly moved to the next cell.
Subject 2: Rat
Another cage, but a layer of glass was wrapped around like cling film, only a shimmer, vaguely marked with scratches, keeping anything inside. It was dimly lit inside this small cell, but a shift of shadows would prove the existence of life. A pest. The creature had forced its body against the glass, trying to smash it, while raking its claws against the wall; there wasn’t a clear view of this creature, but hands had started to form into claws, teeth sharper, eyes cloudy. This was a feral creature, a heartless monster, eyes frenzied and red with burst capillaries. This was humane in appearance, but so many marks had ruined its human aspects, and its scream - a screech, wild, untameable - had proven the insanity of genetic engineering. Once a human, now a beast of the shadows, monarch of the sewers, just like the pest plaguing the world beneath our feet. A small resemblance to the animal had earned its name. “Rat. Like the animal, it is immune to many diseases, and we’ve reported that it’s been carrying several lethal diseases. Though, its immune system is completely different to ours, and the average rat, assuming that there are different diseases from different planets, undiscovered. But... Well... Rat is smart, cunning. It can appear violent, but sometimes... we just see it sitting there, staring at nothing. Is that instinct? Conscience? This one is playing with us... On with the next, yes?” The scientist had felt uncomfortable describing Rat, eyes narrowed as he examined the creature’s actions, but he had decided to rip his eyes away, walking to the next.
Subject 3: Chameleon
An anguished whimper had emanated from inside the third closure and the Lieutenant cleared his throat, clearly unimpressed. Weak: to cry. Pathetic: to feel pain. A single light hung above the creature, casting an unnatural illumination, shadows always shifting as the lamp swung to either side at an unbalanced rhythm. The creature was sat on a stool, so short it barely hovered above the ground, and its knees were brought close up to its chest; it was curled up in a ball, its back to the viewers. Its skin was stretched, twisting ugly colours into each other, flesh gnarled and unrecognisable. Strips of flesh were different colours, blues and reds and greens, too many shades and tones to label it as one colour, flaky skin, bruises, scars and open wounds; skin stretched tightly into an ugly thing, something unmentionable. The Lieutenant was stone-skinned, but something rushed across his eyes, a mere glance of shock. Awe? This creature was pitiful; don’t make that mistake. Ever. It would appear to be weak, but its capabilities were wide, it could fight, it could survive. “Chameleon, even though it isn’t exactly a reptile. We’re unsure. Like chameleons, it changes a lot, but not just in appearance; in the inside, its organs will shape themselves to suit the environment. The... Skin... Is a slight problem though, but we’re working on it. It sheds skin to get rid of wounds, or so that it can shift to suit a new condition, maybe extreme changes in temperatures, or from dry to moist climates, but it is a very slow process. Not as quick as the blink of an eye, but we are hoping to make it have the abilities to change at will, or at least shift in a small period of time. The other scientists believe it’s like elastic; you can't stretch it to its full maximum length and not expect it to snap. We’re practising with Chameleon’s system. It’s extraordinary, living in so many habitats; I’m guessing the species had evolved to be a survivor, maybe a scavenger... We’re not too sure, Sir, as things have only been happening so recently...” So uncertain, Dr Darabek seemed unsatisfied by this work, disappointed by the amount of records and new findings. He tapped a bar, causing a metallic click to ring across the room. The creature inside froze, stopping its slow rocking for comfort, holding its breath as it turned around, head over shoulder, face horrific, layers of skins peeling away, so many bruised colours; eyes so glassy, an inhumane colour had poisoned them, and bloodstained hands were cradled in its chest. “I think... If you like lizards, the next two will be remarkable.”
Subject 4: Snake
The next enclosure was gapless, no possible openings, the creature inside completely sealed off inside a glass box. This cell had the decency of decorations, like an animal habitat found in a zoo, reptile settings. Thick branches – adorned with an abundance of lush leaves, ever so green - sprayed across the insides of the box, some twisting around each other, some isolated as they hung over different corners. “Why is this one not in a cage?” A simple question, quite idiotic, and the scientist had to hold in a snicker, but this was the chance to explain the biology of this specie. “It could simply escape. Poof. It would slither out,” a knock on the side of the box, and whatever hid inside revealed itself, a cold grin on its face. “Not too happy today, Snake? Sir, this one is quite similar to the average reptile found on Earth, but we believe that these species came from a different galaxy, from a habitable planet with a much hotter climate than ours. It is cold-blooded; although a human subject, its body temperature is decreasing as the weeks go by. We’re assuming that this specie has dominant genes, a DNA stronger than ours, which is why you can't recognise many human features on this subject. Snake is one of the most successful trials, with many more symptoms, as you can see.” This alien was green in colour, matching the shades of green leaves, with scales dotted across its palms and cheeks, human flesh speckled here and there, but its bright yellow eyes -neon, so radiant- stood out. A flick of its neck, a little twitch, and a forked tongue ran over its cracked lips before tasting the air. Long fangs slipped out of its mouth, replacing the canines on both jaws, and it had a malevolent grin. “Don’t be worried, Sir, they all pull faces at-”
“You still haven’t answered my question. How can it slither out?”
“Well... Snake has a unique bone structure. It has changed dramatically, its hyper-extendable bone structure allows it to stretch and twist into immense sizes, its bone structure can literally change underneath its scaly skin. It can fold itself in half if it wanted to, and easily slide through the gaps of a cage... Uh...” Dr Darabek sent a nervous glance towards Snake. It had leaned closer to the wall, a deep breath forming condensation, and raising a rough hand to the glass, it wrote: I CAN SMELL FEAR. A sneer marked its face, sly eyes peering through the glass, into the two humans. Humans.
Subject 5: Gator
“Let’s go to the next, Sir...” Darabek had murmured, dragging the Lieutenant along. It was rude to even consider contacting a member of authority, but Dr Darabek had sensed a disturbing touch in the air, pulsing off of Snake’s malicious message. It seemed that as they moved further along, the creatures, alien species, became more... complex, different, and more mysterious. Darabek had to force himself to continue, even though he doubted it all since the incident with Shark Teeth. The next enclosure was a tank, and anyone would think this creature was purely aquatic. The water was a deep grey-blue colour, so murky, until a cloud of crimson flooded into the liquid, a thrashing body stirring the pool. A large fist pressed up against the wall, a flailing fish squirming in between the gaps of its clawed fingers. Then, the hand pulled away, and the water thickened in colour; more blood poured into the tank. “Gator,” The scientist had called out, pressing a button which stood beside this particular cell. A glowing navy tinted button stood beside the enclosure, and as soon as he pressed it, it flashed a green colour; the water in the tank began to slip away, draining, and the next creature appeared before their eyes. Mould had clung to the corners of the tank, bits of unfamiliar substances caught in the drains, and there stood Gator. Blood trickled down its chin, pieces of fish skin stuck in its teeth -oh, those jaws, ragged teeth, large fangs, so painful, daggers of their own- and a transparent layer of eyelids rolled over its eyes, blinking the water away. It had its arms crossed over its broad chest, head tilted down at the two below; it was much more taller, its frame layered with muscle, pure bulk which could crush steel. “It’s like a crocodile. Aligator. It can survive in both water and land. Uhh... A little like Snake, but its skin is terribly leathery, and we are concerned that it might stiffen so much that Gator cannot move, so we make it spend an hour in water every day. See the jaws? We believe that it could have a stronger bite than the actual crocodile, and, well, we’ve had a few accidents with Gator. As in, a few employees lose limbs. It also has stumps growing down its spine, like spikes? These could be dangerous, so we’re watching closely...”
“Is it better in water?”
“Well, Sir, it can swim. Some are expecting a tail to pop out, but I’m not too sure. Maybe the stumps on its back are just like a shield, like porcupines, but Gator is definitely a predator... And a rebel,” A mutter, and they watched the animal turn around, showing its back, two large stumps pinched between its fingernails, where it crushed its own bone. Its back was covered in scars, and the sides of its arms were speckled with flaming bruises. It was self-harm, suicidal, a death wish, a plea for escape from its own fate, but that was the most stupid thing to do here; to science, your blood was worth a fortune. Gator opposed it all, even though layers of scars piled onto its flesh, after every night coughing up blood, curled up into a shrivelled ball. A loud cry, a roar, and the creature fell to the floor... so much pain. A cruel smile was plastered on the Lieutenant’s face. “Of course. They all are. Maybe scientists aren’t strict enough around here. If there are no rules, then these animals will think they can take charge,” The Lieutenant’s words were harsh, acidic. A simple cut, a slash through the air, and the taste of murder stained his tone.
Subject 6: Bat
“Nevermind, Sir, you should see the next one.” Of course, this next one was a fine specimen, quite horrific in all abstracts, abhorrence leaking through its every feature, but it was somewhat beautiful, if you saw it in some kind of light. This creature stood in the corner of the room, a cloak of shadows protecting it from eyes, but it had turned around, slowly walking to the front, sensing the two individuals. A red band was wrapped over its eyes, cutting of its vision, but it had stopped in front of the wall, just an inch between its nose and the glass. Darabek had placed a hand on the wall, and the creature cocked its head so that its left ear had faced in his direction; until satisfied by listening for something, it had raised its own arm, laying its palm perfectly in line with the scientist’s. Before the Lieutenant could ask any questions, Darabek had begun talking. “It’s using echolocation, right now. This specie has disregarded its sight, and focused on hearing, therefor its sense of sound is so acute, we still don’t understand how. The thing is... It has this... ability. Something in its brain, maybe, but it has telekinesis and telepathic skills of some sorts. Just like interpreting echoes, Bat, this creature, captures the sound waves and can change them, the frequency and wavelength, and makes its own message; even though we can’t hear it, it’s subconsciously translated in our brains. We don’t know how this creature can do it, maybe it’s a radioactive occurrence, but it can also solidify these invisible waves, and push or pull objects. We can’t see it happening, or the connections between Bat and these skills, but we are intrigued. I hope you are too, Sir...” Of course, the Lieutenant was, and he had taken a step closer. “It’s not human. It’s not a gifted person, or a super power. It’s just alien,” A small scowl formed on his face as he noticed all the features of Bat. Tipped ears, pointed canines, and the greying flesh near its arms. Slabs of bone were sprouting from its shoulder blades, a thin leathery material of grey flesh webbing between the stubs and its body, like small wings. Clawed fingertips, instead of nails, black talons developed, and its claws were pointed right against the glass, hoping to break through and slice across the scientist’s palm; oh, if only it could smash the glass and break free. Its jaw dropped down low ever so slowly, baring its teeth, and it had tugged its headband free, showing the scars across its eyes, just a layer of fleshed healed over hollowed eye sockets; it had spent hours of the nights, weeping, scratching at its eyes, a useless feature which it had lost, never to gain again. Never to see the world, colours, smiles, happiness, tears, fear. It was a curse and a blessing, to have nothing, and in this life, it was yearned for. However, Bat had seen the world with its ears, and it could hear all those pleas, dying whispers, cursed tongues. So many secrets hid behind voices, and Bat knew.
Subject 7: Arachnid
All would be disregarded as they peered into the seventh cell, a smoke polluting the air, a sour stench, a painful stab to the lungs. Darabek had a hand over his face, a bellowing cough into his palm, eyes becoming teary. The cell was completely dark; a vessel full of shadow, but it was obvious there was a light somewhere, ready to shine down upon another mystery. “I am not too fond of this one,” He had explained, being replied with a simple shrug. “As you’ve heard, we had a UFO incident in the late nineteen-forties, the Maury Island incident... If you’ve heard of our nickname, the men in black, but that’s just absurd. Six UFOs were reported to be sighted, and we found one near the coast of the island, and a body. It was dead, but we had preserved it, and created replicas of tissue to work with... Sort of like cloning. Except this body was dead, so there would be no reproduction of cells, no life, just a lump of rotting flesh. We managed to store some samples, of course, so that it would mingle with living human cells, but we didn’t know these genes would be dominant over the human genetic code. Well, here’s our alien...” He had pressed down on a switch, and a single light cast away shadows in the enclosure, exposing all its contents. Pressed up against the wall was a being, small movements as breaths would be taken and lost; it had its claws dug in deeply into the brick wall, holding up its body so that it could curl up against the wall, protected by the solidness of it. But, as soon as the light came on... A simple twitch, which became a jerk, as the creature tore away from the wall, and spun around. Its fingers were dried with blackened blood, dust and stone under hooked fingernails, and it had twisted its neck to face directly up. It had shrieked, a high pitched wail that was almost out of range for the human hearing, and it had reached up into the air, smashing the light bulb in one clean swipe. Though the time it spent revealed beneath the shimmer of light, too much had been seen. The creature had a defined jawline, where small pincers had developed, curving out from each cheek. Its eyes were bleak and inky, lifeless and senseless, unblinking, forever staring; when you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares into you. A yellowish substance had drooled through its teeth, seeping through its pincers, down its chin, and it formed into droplets, falling down to the ground; the concrete, the cold stone floor, had sizzled, a fog rising into the air as a chalk-colored foam bubbled around the patch on the ground. Its shoulder blades had broken through its back, piercing through its skin, bone and muscle beginning to form; it would shudder occasionally, but for now it was pointed outwards, tense. And then the light broke, and the last second of light had washed across the cell, before the creature was once again bathed in darkness. “Arachnid. It looks like spider, hmm? It isn’t fond of me, either; maybe that’s why it always kills the light, so it can't see me?” A small series of laughter, before it was cut off by a glare. “Oh, yes, well, it has sensitive eyes, but it has superb night vision. A predator of the shadows, moving at night, scary. It has special saliva, and it uses it to melt many things, often carcasses to eat. As you can see at the state of the walls, this isn’t a good thing for us. But, we are seeing how many materials this acid can dissolve. It seems to not harm Arachnid at all, whatsoever, so we are trying to find the gene which allows this. Did you see the pincers? They pack a strong bite, similar to Gator’s, but it’s not used as an offense, but to help break down the food, maybe? Arachnid still confuses us, with all its differences compared to others, but, Sir, all of these subjects are unique in their own strengths and weaknesses.”
Subject 8: Virus
“What about the eighth subject? I haven’t seen it yet.” A simple reply, hasty but significant. It would summon the conclusion to this collection of monsters; little nightmares taken from the universe and put in a jar, for all to see.
“Oh, yes, that...”
Dr Darabek had scurried down the remaining lengths of the hallway, haulting directly in front of a yellow line. So bold, it said one thing: DO NOT PASS. Darabek had hesitated, glancing back to the Lieutenant, before taking a step over the mark. The entire enclosure was a metallic box, no openings anyway; this creature was locked inside, imprisoned in a little space, its own air. The scientist had activated a camera, as a nearby screen flashed white, booting up. “We do not know how this organism functions, but it isn’t in a... stable condition. A virus can mutate rapidly, go airborne, waterborne and even blood borne, random and significant improvements to its own system, that we can’t even predict its next alteration. So... It stays locked up, where we can watch it with a barrier between us. It’s in there, see?” A gesture to the screen, and you could see the creature inside. The eighth subject, the last one, had a more enhanced containment, everything proceeded with caution - like the others, but with a fear of the unknown - and this creature had no category to suit. “So, we call it Virus. Well, we have detected many diseases, so maybe it is a giant life form of a virus, a single cell latching onto a human body, growing stronger... This is different compared to the others. It never stops changing... But it takes time for each mutation, varying between weeks and months.” The Lieutenant disregarded Darabek’s words, leaning in closer to the screen; pupils dilating, face tense, but a small grin had eased his lips. This creature was curled up into a ball, knees drawn into the chest, nestled in the furthest corner of the cage, staring directly into the camera. It stood up slowly, walking towards the camera, its movements sluggish and heavy - or, was the camera slow? - and it had cocked its head, eyes gleaning with curiosity. What was on the outside of this box? It could’ve said, but its eyes said otherwise. Oh, its smile. This creature had areas of its skin covered in a black gel, its skin becoming soft so that it could form a new limb or change into a different shape; whatever was happening, nobody understood. Its face was in front of the screen, eyes flared with wrath, madness at its purest, and its jaw dropped low... A black liquid was pooled in its mouth, flowing down its chin, pouring into its cupped hands, where it had smudged the camera lenses with the inky substance. You can’t see me. A simple response, but a malicious laughter crackled through the surveillance, the radio.
Good Luck, Little Freak Show.
The Lieutenant had cleared his throat, hands behind his back as he started a slow pace back down the aisle. “So you think you’re scary, huh? You think you got me paranoid?” A sharp glance to Snake’s cell, its message still doodled against the glass, and the Lieutenant had simply grunted, shrugging it off his shoulders. The Virus's laughter still gurgled through the radio, and with a swift movement, the Lieutenant had grabbed the electric rod from Darabek, hurling it into the radio, and silence flooded the air. His only reply was a synchrony of chuckles, rough growls, a cruel laughter which came in the form of hisses and snarls. “I’m not the one who needs to be scared,” A laughter roared from the back of his throat, and his eyes were sly, his pupils a burning pool of coal, his smile as sharp as a knife, and it was painful to be touched by his wandering eyes. “So, you think they’re all a phenomenon, Dr Darabek?”
“Well... Yes, Sir, they are extraordinary –”
Again, cut off by one of the Lieutenants ravenous glares. “We’ll see, hmm?” A sigh, a casual tone, like a bedroom purr, too confident, and he continued to walk down the passageway.
“We’ll see their survival skills, then. See what they’re made of. I want to watch them, see if they’re really that gifted. This isn’t a talent show, it’s reality, this is Area 51 and creatures like you are lab rats, and if you have no value to us...” He froze, spinning on his heels to face the scientist. “I want them ready to fight in twenty minutes. Though, I see no potential in any of them. They’ll kill themselves...” He had chuckled, walking out of the lab, leaving Darabek standing motionless, his mouth gapping open.
“Good luck, then, my little freak show,” the German scientist had muttered under his breath, before setting off to complete the Lieutenant’s request.
