I'm back, and quite relieved to finally be rid of this chapter.

Turning 18 today, which make me wonder how many other authors are kids, or started out as such.

Kyrano, Lucy and William arrived at General X's base by plane, touching down in the middle of the African jungle during the most humid part of the day.

Stepping off the plane, they were immediately greeted by guards who escorted them into a dilapidated old building. There, they were ushered through a door leading underground, and entered the far better looked after storage facility that was to be their home for the next little while.

The trio were led to General X's office where his secretary greeted them and examined their files.

"So," she said to Kyrano. "You were CIA agent 79 for 10 years, working to protect their interests in Asian companies. Particularly tech companies and banks, you also ran a saboteur ring responsible for many major 'Allied' victories. Known to your enemies as the Hood.

General X has checked you out and selected you to organize the gathering of resources. You'll be working closely with his Treasurer, but I'll let you meet him for yourself." The Hood wondered what she was snickering at, but she'd already turned her attention away from him.

"You," she addressed William. "Are Indian scientist and engineer William Hackenbacker, brother to the world renowned Hiram. You're being placed in charge of Engineering and Design, replacing our previous guy, a Langstrom Fischler."

Interesting story there, you see, General X had originally approached Hiram to serve in that position. However, Hiram refused, and when they threatened him he went into hiding and simply disappeared with no trace or leads.

It frustrated X to no end that there was someone out there capable of outwitting him (and undoubtedly he had help), but Hiram's brother William was just as good for the job, if less moral, so he called off the search for the elusive scientist.

X's secretary turned to Lucy. "So you're the wife to reclusive billionaire Jeff Tracy, and a famous doctor and geneticist in you're own right?"

"That's correct," Lucy smiled. "I understand your boss is running projects that he wants my consultation and assistance on."

"Correct, you'll be working with a Dr. Orchard on X's genetic projects," she was informed. "Honestly, the Doctor has some clever ideas, but they're so far ahead of our time that he can't make them work properly. And Fischler's disappointing tech has only made the situation worse."

The Hood was told to wait where he was, while William and Lucy were shown to separate labs. Lucy entered hers full of admiration, the lab was the most advanced she'd ever seen.

I may have mentioned in the last chapter that the government had sent her and her two colleagues to infiltrate and expose their enemies, but what I didn't mention was the the trio were already in league with General X, and that it was one of his spies that had arranged for them to be assigned to the job.

They would delay giving any vital information (names, locations and specific designs) for as long as possible. Then when they could delay no further, they would simply disappear, and the World Council would be left floundering far behind.

Jeff would be furious if he knew what I was really doing, Lucy giggled to herself. He would melt down into another one of his moralistic speeches that would be technically true but cliched and not particularly smart. Not that she'd ever tell him that.

Her reverie didn't last long however, as there was a huge commotion on the other side of one of the doors in the lab. A moment later it was flung open, and several workers raced out, followed by Dr. Orchard himself.

Lucy had met him before. "Something gone wrong, doctor?" she called out as he pushed past her.

Orchard didn't answer her, but one his underlings stopped. "IT'S ALIVE!" She screamed before continuing on.

Unsatisfied and offended at being given such an answer, Lucy turned and marched haughtily towards whatever the others were fleeing from. She walked through the door, and stopped in her tracks.

A living, breathing, Minotaur had just smashed its way out of its enclosure. Something gross speared on one of its horns, it straightened up, twice Lucy's height, and surveyed the cell block it was being kept in.

A number of other genetic mutations were being held there, none of them manufactured particularly well. The minotaur had some startling deformities himself, then his gaze fell on the woman standing a few feet in front of him.

Recovering from her shock, Lucy gave her most disarming smile. "I'm Lucy Tracy, do they call you anything? Or should I make up a name for you."

The Minotaur grunted, then leveled his horns at her. Taking this as her cue, Lucy stepped forward and pulled the giant rat (some kind of intended meal?) off of his horn and began polishing it with her handkerchief (the horn that is, not the rat).

"I think I'll call you Minos, how does that sound?"

The Minotaur was part human, and therefore had a basic understanding of what was being said. Also capable of speech, he was able to give a response.

"Aright' " Minos grunted with only minor difficulty and a voice laced in suspicion.

Lucy beamed. "Splendid. So, what happened here?" She gestured to the broken bars behind them. Minos turned and growled.

"I hate rats," he said more clearly, taking care to enunciate correctly.

"So do I," Lucy nodded wisely. "They taste like chicken. What do you normally eat?"

"Rats."

"Ah, that explains it. Can I get you something to eat? Or drink for that matter?"

"I'll get it myself," Minos turned and pushed through the wall with Lucy trailing along behind him. "And besides, some people came rushing by me just a few minutes ago. I think they were running from something, and I don't want to find out what?"

Lucy looked behind her, but couldn't see anything. "Well then, I'd better make sure it doesn't get out. I don't know where they keep the food here anyway, but if you make it out of the building there are alot of plants and wild animals."

"Thanks."

Upon reentering the cell-block, Lucy's attention was immediately taken by a man in some sort of ridiculous suit stumbling along towards her. It was Fischler.

"Help," he called out to her. Then he looked up and screamed, Lucy following his gaze to rest on a gigantic spider on the ceiling.

This looked slightly better made than the other experiments (Lucy made a note of several imprisoned persons and animals awaiting experimentation. It also had an intelligent light in its eyes, and was eyeing her somewhat maliciously.

"Is it cybernetic?" Lucy asked in wonder.

"We were just about to implant it, when it discovered the glass surrounding it wasn't acid-proof. It can spit venom you know, but how was I to know it was that acidic.

A moment later, the spider had dropped to the ground and charged at them. Darting over to a nearby switchboard, Lucy scanned the controls and hit a bit red button (what? The controls weren't in English, and it stood out).

An alarm wailed as the doors to all the other cells slid open releasing all the creatures inside. The spider was caught by surprise and nearly crushed in the stampede as they all rushed to escape, but managed to jump onto the wall at the last second. Fischler was more unlucky as a green skinned man with fists too heavy for his arms leapt on him before being trampled himself.

"Oh G**," Lucy shrieked. Stay calm, don't panic, don't panic, facade of innocence. Pressing the next button turned on several water jets built into the walls, sweeping many of the creatures off their feet, including Lucy.

"Boiling water Fischler. Seriously?" Smacking away a grossly oversized wasp, Lucy grabbed a lever and used it to haul herself to her feet, releasing chloroform into the air.

What did they do to deserve me, She thought as she coughed and blacked out.