Promotions!

Wong Enterprises was a premiere multi-industry in America, the unification of many related companies under the umbrella of administration of the enigmatic Ellie Wong. Its Medical R&D Division was one of the smaller, though no less innovative branches of the powerful financial group, with hands in pharmaceuticals, hospitals and research into medicine.

The building housing the vast laboratories was typical of Wong Enterprises structures- unusually heavy, low-rise structures possessed of brutalist architectural character. Its perimeter walls were high, the compound riddled with visible and hidden security cameras. The security of highest standard, with most of the security personnel being local hires managed by the Enterprise’s All-Female Security experts hired from private military contractors. Even the lowliest guard boasted Israeli-manufactured submachine guns, while every now and then heavily armed security team leaders did morale patrols. There was also a fair amount of guard dogs and automated patrol drones.

The Staff who worked at the R&D department were a fairly serious lot when at work. Chatting and horsing around was done strictly in lounges or offices, never in the lab proper. More than a few came from former government positions, and everyone remained fairly quiet about themselves aside from the basics.

Perhaps because Ellie’s main industry appeared to be in computers, the laboratories benefited from extremely powerful supercomputers, equipment and software. If it had a screen, it was cutting edge and reliable. Data was being compiled and transferred with servers real time, and no progress that was made went unnoticed for long. For all the presence of computers though, there was also an emphasis on minimizing automation of work; Wong Enterprises ferociously hired personnel, and said personnel were well taken care of by the Human Resources department.

Ellie of course, has no time to screen every single one of her thousands of employees, and only takes notice when someone or something remarkable has been achieved, or someone shows great potential.

7:30 am. The Employee Entrance Lobby was opened to receive employees arriving for their shifts for the day, the brunette Security Guard Melanie (says so on her name tag) uses her key to roll up the automated doors. She remains standing at her station and greets scientists and bioengineers arriving in pairs, groups or solo.
The lobby was ceiling, had polished dark marble floors, and the air conditioning was just starting up.

The receptionists also greet the employees, the HR rep at the table notifying each employee of any mail or change to their affairs, and then it was off to the employee cafeteria for a generous free breakfast, as well as a brisk cup of brewed coffee- the pay at Wong Enterprises was fair enough to draw people in, but the perks were what kept people there. There was also the very clear policy people who showed up tired at work were quickly sent to the clinic for ‘fitness evaluation’... The pancakes and bacon at the cafeteria were particularly popular.

The HR Girl, Lana, a pretty young blonde in a business suit, had on file today Dr. Morire’s file, with an envelope from Ellie Wong’s office. It was a big thing to be noticed by the ‘big boss’ and she awaited the doctor’s arrival.

The doctor smiles as he sees the building, it was quite a defensible fortress of architectural industrialism, specially designed to keep things out... and hopefully in, quite easily, lots of guards and cameras, highest security possible. Wong Enterprises. When they requested me to come and work at a higher level, I nearly didn't accept... But access to these laboratories and the secrets inside of the inpenitrable firewalls and hardcopies of scientific documents of intrest weighed against the possibility of discovery... the doctor decided the risk was worth the reward. Wearing his simple black slacks and shiny black shoes, with a silky grey and white striped tie, and a white and blue dress shirt under his white labcoat. His left hand holds a suitcase, which surprisingly does not hold his satchel, it holds only Emmanuel's paperwork and some nessicary business equipment. He arrived fifteen minutes before he needed to be there, waiting calmly to enter to the lobby.

The doctor was the first man in through the door, greeting the lovely security guared who is named Melanie. He smiles and introduces himself to Melanie, "I am Doctor Emmanuel Wess. It is quite a pleasure to meet you. I am here to see Doctor Olga Van Hurrs, I was told that she is the Chief Geneticist in the Research and Development Division."

The security officer smiles and directs Emmanuel to the cafeteria, where he gets a small cup of jasmine tea with a touch of honey. He sits quietly at a corner table, opening his briefcase and taking out a clipboard and silver pen. Then he waits, while Melanie goes to inform Lana that the Doctor had arrived.

As "Dr. Emmanuel Wess" passed by the reception table, Lana handed him his promotion folder before he went to the cafeteria. By himself.  

"Congratulations Dr. Wess. You've been re-assigned to Dr. Hurrs's team. Your ID clearance is now upgraded, and you can access the high-security labs as of today."

The high security labs were accessible by a secure elevator guarded by Heavy Troopers, at the far end of a corridor just a left turn from the main laboratories. The Heavy Troopers, like most of the 'elite' security staff, were humorous gals, but once messed with didn't hesitate to aim their laser rifles at troublemakers.

The elevator itself had biometric, retinal and voice security features. It was air-conditioned, and was currently playing Classical Music for the full minute it took to descend the several hundred feet down into the Secure Lab. The elevator shaft was glass and steel, lit with white LED, would lead to a secure marbled floored, aluminum clad walled lobby. Much like the entrance lobby above, except the entire drop ceiling gave off faint illumination.

Heavy Troopers awaited Dr. Wess at the bottom, four of them -one per corner of the lobby- and Dr.Hurrs standing by the Secure Lab's own reception table, waiting impatiently for his arrival. Dr. Van Hurrs was gracefully aging German scientist, streaks of grey showing through her short, silky smooth blonde hair. She was leafing through the day's businesses to tend to.

The doctor takes the folder from the lovely young lady,

"I will report shortly, miss, Thank you so much." He says and takes it to the cafeteria. Reading it while casually sipping his tea, then deposits the teacup in the appropriate place on his way to the elevator.

Riding down the extremely complex elevator, the Doctor's mind is racing, and in the background Hungarian Classical is playing All of the knowledge, So close, and I am going to have it all at my fingertips in mere minutes... With a soft ding, the heavy doors slide open and the doctor emerges. Looking at the Heavy Troopers in the four corners of the large room the doctor gives a single shrug of the shoulder. Walking over to meet Dr. Van Hurrs, the doctor's dark hair shimmers slightly in the light from the cieling.

"Hello, Doctor Hurrs. I am Doctor Emmanuel Wess, though I assume you know this... It is always a smart idea to be on ones best behavior when greeting ones new boss." Mor lightly jokes

Dr. Van Hurrs did not seem amused. She had a reputation among the research staff of being quite anti-social. The Heavy Troopers remained vigilant and unmoving, the power lines in their weapons and armor pulsing with subtle energies.

"Well, let us not waste any more time. You've been brought down here to be given a chance to participate in the Enterprise's deep security project. Before we accept you, we want you to fully realize that from here on out, security requirements and surveillance are much higher. Anything and everything you see and do here is top secret; should you compromise the trust being bestowed upon you, by going public or by selling secrets, these four fine ladies are under Miss Wong's direct orders to vaporize you on the spot. The pertinent terms and conditions are all on your file. And of course, working down here will result in a 40% increase in your present salary. Well then, do you accept? or would you like to return to coding genomes for human eye color?"

"I accept." Mor answers, not even a second after the last word leaves Van Hurrs mouth.

"I accept that all of my work will be under absolute scrutiny and observation at all times." The doctor smiles at the corner of his mouth...

If I get discovered... These ladies are going to have to die... all five of them. Pity though... I kind of like Miss Van Hurr. The black doctor thinks involuntarily.

“Very good. This way then.” The blast doors opened for Dr. Hurrs, leading into a long, glass hallway supported by steel frames. Two of the heavy troopers escort the doctors, and down there on the laboratory floor were a large number of enclosed cubicles with glass ceilings, allowing one to witness the experiments and studies being conducted... on what seemed to be large, humanoid lobsters... lobstermen. Aliens. Or at least, alien cadavers. A far wall of the lab featured special holding cells, like giant freezers that kept the creatures on ice. A dozen heavy troopers patrolled the lab floor, a few sporting semi-automatic grenade launchers.

Taking stairs down to the lab floor, Dr. Hurrs assigns More a cubicle and a file Tablet. He was joined by an middle-aged male Indian scientist, and a younger Korean female assistant. “This is Dr.Kumar, and this is Dr. Ju Lee Seong. They are geneticists like yourself. Do get along.” The research head departs, leaving More to the company of the asian scientists.

The two scientists wave and greet More into the lab. On their table was an alien lobsterman with its chest cavity opened for autopsy. The stench was overpowering, which explained the face masks. Up close, the creature seemed even larger, sporting a massive anatomy to support a pair arms ending in massive claws, and another pair of arms with fingers and thumbs. The creature’s thick carapace was completely riddled with bullet holes, its head partially cave in. One could only imagine the immense amount of punishment it endured.

“You’re just in time Doctor. We’ve heard about your work in genetics upstairs. Welcome to the freak house.” Dr.Kumar displays a sense of humor by extending his hand to shake, but holding a piece of slimy lobster brain matter in it. The brain matter was something lobsters aren’t supposed to have, suggesting extensive genetic engineering.

The doctor works late into the night nearly every day for two weeks, sometimes not even going to sleep, piling up hours and hours of overtime, hardly eating, not stopping as he dissects the monstrous creatures and studying every piece of data compiled on the creatures...

A bead of sweat drips from Mor's nose, landing softly on the paper and forming a dot next to a complex diagram of the DNA strands of the lobsterman. His eyes flick over to the picture, and then widen. The doctor stands and wipes off his glasses, then looks again. A grin appears on his face as he rushes to the storage area assigned to himself and gathers six or seven vials and catalysts and enzymes that break down the different chemicals that compose the genetic strands. Dropping samples of the organic material from the alien creation into the test tubes, there is a soft bubbling and then the Doctor removes each sample and studies it, making a crude sketch of what he sees on a few pieces of paper.

"Nothing is made like this, I can isolate the method...this was not natural..." the doctor says in disbelief.

The doctor fills out a report quickly and sends it off with a messenger, as well as sending a request for 16 lobsters and 64 rats for him to test upon.

It was not uncommon to see staff devoting much overtime towards their work, and The Doctor's behavior was not out of place. The director herself often did much research on live specimens as well, though very few would deign to pull her from her work, interrogating and extracting information from their subjects.

Dr. Van Hurrs responded to the report by showing up in person. Upon seeing the Doctor's personal state, the director rolled her eyes and sniffled a bit.

"I trust you've prepared a more thorough report on your findings? Gene mapping? bio-chemistry? neural behavior? perhaps their cybernetic enhancements?... I want to see the results of your report firsthand, Doctor. After you go take a shower." She points out the door and towards the lockers.

The doctor, though disheveled and looking exhausted still smells faintly of almonds, below the more dominant smells of sweat, blood, and alien guts...

"I have yet to create a full report, I was still studying the codes that created these. I have yet to work on the neural pathways or behavior. Cybernetic enhancements are not really my field of expertise, however while I await my tests to bear fruit, I can certainly look into those areas." The doctor quickly explains as he nods his head, and heads to the showers.

The head of research may notice that half of the notes that he has left strewn about his desk are baffling  in their complexity, and the other half look to be in some sort of code, or language that she cannot understand.

In the shower the doctor quickly strips and scrubs himself. Though the doctor is by supernatural terms very weak and frail, in normal terms he is actually very well muscled and physically fit, Something that not many doctors in his field can boast.

Doctor Mor returns to the lab wearing a dress shirt and slacks, his labcoat hanging on a hook by the door, and attempts to explain why the coding on the DNA is unique and possibly able to be replicated...

Director Van Hurrs listens to the reports intently, making no comment until Mor finished.

"I see... and exactly what sort of applications are we looking at? This could revolutionize medicine... or gene engineering." She asked, looking around the laboratory, ensuring the sound proof booth was closed.

"...Let me remind you, that our official research is into developing a counter-measure against these alien supersoldiers, Doctor. However, whatever scientific knowledge we can glean should not be... overlooked..." She takes up a tablet and makes orders. "I cannot approve your request; however, I will have you moved to my laboratory, where your request can be done. Also, I will monitor whatever applications you can show me. Good day, doctor."

As another week passes, the scientific staff who've spent time down in the Alien Labs begin to exhibit illnesses and fatigue. Scientific progress is slowed by some strange anxiety growing among the staff. It was also in this week that... accidents... started to happen, and the lab suffered its first casualty. A researcher had cut himself, by mistake, and his wound was exposed to alien pathogens. He immediately fell into fever and started experiences boils. He was quickly evacuated from the laboratory. All research was suspended for a day, and safety procedures were doubled.

Word of this mishap reached higher ups above Dr.Van Hurrs. Everyone in the Lab was required to take a second day off, mandatory, and no one was allowed to overtime. Except of course, for the director, who was in control of the facility, and the people in her Lab...

"Using the genetic pathways and the ability to splice creatures together we can create rhino hided attack dogs, and any other type of creature that you can think up... I just have to figure out the limitations of this sequence... But that will take time."

"I would be honored to join your team, Ma'am" the doctor says as he bows.



The doctors experiments are much less than fruitful, after a week of experimentation all the doctor had managed to accomplish was nearly three hundred dead rats, two hundred normal rats, and a single red haired rat. Though the red rat was progress, it was nowhere near satisfactory to the doctors bloated ego.

His colleagues are begining to understand that the doctor is much more intelligent than he let on at first, sometimes writing out a complex formula in languages none of them can understand, nor decypher.

The only time the doctor leaves his work is when he goes upstairs to eat a small meal and drink his tea. Though he heard and understood about all of the muss and fuss of the alien infections, other than mild desire to study the victims is completely nonplussed at the fact.

Sadly, time was not something the Laboratory would have much of. Dark forces conspired against the human race, and a terrible shadow would fall upon the facility as the sun plunged below the horizon. Three more days pass, and the laboratory staff are under duress; ten researchers are sent to the infirmary, and progress in the laboratory was grinding to a standstill, save for a few handful with strong wills and stronger commitments to research.

Night time, a mere half hour before the mandated time to end work and go home, and the laboratories fall quiet. Even one with as a resilient mind as Dr.Mori would feel some of the effects of this miasma gripping the sterile facility; headaches, muscle pain, fatigue, migraines... some suffered more than others, and even Dr. Van Hurrs had to cease her work with the doctor to take a coffee break at her station.

massaging her temple, she approached Dr.Mori. "This is becoming unbearable... Dr.Weiss, are you feeling alright? Sigh... something is happening with our personnel. Perhaps its time we all took a break... the research can wait." She said, absently watching another lab assistant trundle out of the director's cubicle. The director sits in her office chair and leans back, slowly closing her eyes from exhaustion...

...Unaware to most, the researcher who was dragging his feet along made his way to the live specimens holding cells. The two guards there noted his approach, and one asked for authorization for a specimen release. "...Hold it right there, egghead. I don't see a release form from higher up."

"...Uhhnn... urhhnnn..." The man was drooling and his gaze unfocused. The guard tilted her head.

"Hey! Are you alright? Man, you should go up to the infir- AAAAH!" the woman guard didn't finish her sentence; she let out a pained scream as her fellow sentry released a point blank laser beam at her exposed neck, causing flesh and blood to boil in a flash, and spurting all over the wall, her head splattering the insides of her armored helmet. The distraction researcher picked up the fallen guard's rifle, and he and the traitor break open the cells, using the lasers to start melting out the Lobstermen.

Chaos erupted in the lab as Roughly half of the Guard turned their weapons on unsuspecting comrades, reducing the loyalists to low strength. Quiet researchers violently attack their colleagues with cutting tools, improvised weapons, or even bare hands.

One unfortunate soul had once inert Lobstermen parasites dumped on him, only to have them come to life and bury themselves under his skin and begin eating away at his spine. Another, just in Dr. Morie's sight in the adjacent cubicle, was pulling a female colleague's head by her long hair. She pleaded for him to stop, but he smashed her face against the stainless steel table, and would do so until she died... or someone saved her.

"NO! VAT ARE YOU DOINGK?!" Dr.Van Hurrs cried out, quickly trying to open the glass cubicle door... only to find that her codes had been changed.

Dr. Mori found himself trapped in the middle of a nightmare.

Doctor Mor is suddenly faced with stupid people, unleashed parasites, and Alien monstrosities... This is not how he wanted his research to start but since it was doing so, it is over. For them all. The aliens had infected the people somehow, and it must have something to do with these abysmal headaches.

The doctor reaches into his coat, pulling forth an orb of green liquid from his satchel. "Get away from the door and you may stand a chance at getting out alive." When the woman gets away from the door, the doctor dissolves the glass, and steps through, "If you stay behind me and don't panic, you may survive..." His hands raise, glowing with eldrich green light. He sets his hands as if pushing against an invisible wall, and as the crazed scientists rush toward the black doctor he sends a shockwave of poisonous repulsion ahead of himself, blowing the scientists off of their feet and destroying their cardiovascular muscles with specialized toxins.

"DON'T ASK" the doctor shouts as she begins to stutter in confusion, killing her would take effort, and if he hopes to excape from the labs, he may have to use every resource at his disposal. The tattoo on his chest itched, because Mor knew he could escape at any time... but he would be damned if he learned all of this without gain, besides he wouldn't get paid if he left records showing a flight back to Washington when he is supposed to be working.

It was a testament to the Enterprise's investment in materials that the acid took slightly longer than normal to eat through the laminated, reinforced glass. The hard plastic lamination bubbled and boiled slowly, revealing the glass layer and causing cracks to appear on it- the glass door stayed standing.
With her face impacting the edge of the table, the woman in the adjacent laboratory was no longer pretty. But as a Wong Enterprises female employee, she fights off her assailant with uncharacteristic ferocity, for precious seconds more of life as she struggles to escape.

It was with a regretful reluctance that Dr. Van Hurrs took so long to recall there was a pistol beneath her desk. She quickly retrieves it from the hidden drawer. The acid having weakened and fractured the glass, she shoots it down. She steps through the cubicle’s flashing decontamination booth in a few strides, opening the outer door and shoots down the errant employee assaulting the woman researcher. All around the facility computers were undergoing data purges, after having sent what they could to off-site servers. The director rushed to the poor girl’s aid, barely conscious but alive.

The air sizzled with the terrifying sound of laser beams. Any exposed flesh struck by these devastating weapons is flash boiled and explodes, and is quickly capable of removing limbs and blowing holes in humans. The Heavy troopers’ armor, designed to deal with the claws of lobstermen and needle fussilades of dark elves, proved only of minimal protection against their own weapons; a hole is quickly punched in its composition, and the wearer is incapacitated from shock, if not outright killed.

"...mein God... we could not have anticipated zis..." She muttered. The loyal guards were falling back and protecting the sane employees, taking cover behind cubicles and rallying the surviving scientists with their own data. The loyalists, despite being outnumbered, were still a coherent fighting force; the ones who turned against the company seemed slowed, chaotic; possessed by an outside force.

"We must escape this place with ze data... quick, to the escape route!" The survivors dash from cover to cover, as the freed Lobstermen let loose monstrous roars, as they smashed down cubicles with their massive claws, rending cubicles apart like carton. They hungered for the blood of these scientists.

The main elevator, so very inconveniently located near the holding cells was already taken; dark armored figures of evil warriors marched in squadrons and began to descend into the labs, resistance on the surface having been minimal, thanks to the surprise turncoats. Leading the dark warriors was a tall, pale woman in a revealing dark dress, her long ivory hair extending down below her half-exposed buttocks. She carried a long, serrated whip, a weapon that seemed downright impractical to use. The Elevator guards remained true to their duty, but as the laser beam escaped the weapon it seemed to visibly deflect off a forcefield on this leader, and in the next moment the guard was being strangled by an invisible force them stemmed from the witch leader's outstretched hand, until she collapsed onto the floor, in a pool of her own blood.

The remaining guards formed defensive perimeters and prepared for their demise. "We'll cover your escape. The aliens can’t get their hands on what we’ve learned already." The squad sergeant said.

“Wait... there’s one more thing. Dr Wess, we cannot leave without Subject 023. He is critical to our efforts. Prepare the escape tram and I will join you. I swear it.” Dr. Van Hurrs sped past several cubicles and accessed a hidden lift that brought her downstairs to another hidden level of the lab.

“Doc!” The soldier called after the directress. Sighing, she turns to Mori. “Doc, go take the remaining scientists to the far wall behind the coffee table. Press 6-2-5 into the microwave and press the yellow icon under the green button. We cannot let them leave take this place. Hurry!”

The coffee table was a straight bee line, past three blocks of cubicles. If he took the shortest path though, a horrific Lobsterman awaited right at the end for Mori, a living monster which he’d previously studied the cadavers of. Its body trembled with such fury that steam rose from its joints, and its hot, foul breath washed over him, right before it brought its massive rending claw down in an attempt to avenge the defilement of their dead comrades by taking the head of these scientists.