Chapter 38: Test Day
In the cult underground city, it appeared Orcilla had managed to create a serum very similar to 19CE. She was confident that it would significantly boost Angelo’s immune system with no serious side effects. Julio wanted it to be tested before it was to be administered to Angelo. Demadrian agreed that should be the case, but the testing needed to be limited because they only had one egg, and he needed more Sentray DNA for the serum he was working on.
One of Angelo’s guards had volunteered to test the serum. He was sitting on an examination table in Julio’s laboratory.
‘What’s your name, sir?’ Demadrian asked the guard.
The guard looked at Julio. Julio responded by nodding.
‘My name is Razor; I’m a senior guard for the High Philosopher and a lieutenant in the flying division,’ replied Razor.
‘Excellent,’ said Demadrian as he patted him on the back.
‘Razor, are you a willing volunteer for this procedure?’ asked Orcilla.
‘I would do anything for our High Philosopher,’ replied Razor.
‘Even if it involves turning into a hideous monster,’ chuckled Demadrian.
‘That’s not going to happen,’ said Orcilla in a slightly agitated tone. ‘You might feel ill for a while and possibly lose consciousness. After that, you’ll feel fine.’
‘I’m willing to accept whatever happens,’ replied Razor in a confident tone.
‘You might get a full head of hair,’ chuckled Demadrian.
‘How would injecting him with DNA from the hairless Sentray cause him to grow hair?’ asked Orcilla, shaking her head.
‘He’s bald; he must have something seriously wrong with him,’ replied Demadrian. ‘If your serum works, it’ll cure him.’
Razor rubbed his bald hair and frowned.
‘He’s fine,’ said Julio, shaking his head. ‘None of us have hair.’
‘Okay, let’s begin,’ said Orcilla.
Razor held out his arm. Orcilla jabbed him with a large syringe and then slowly pushed the serum into his body.
‘How are you feeling, Razor?’ asked Orcilla in a calm tone.
‘Hehe, I feel funny,’ chuckled Razor. Then his eyes turned in, and he fainted.
‘Argh, you killed him!’ shouted Demadrian.
‘Shut up!’ said Orcilla angrily. ‘This is expected.’
Julio checked Razor’s pulse.
‘He seems fine,’ replied Julio.
‘How do you dispose of your dead down here?’ chuckled Demadrian.
‘Could you be any more disrespectful?’ asked Orcilla in an angry tone.
‘Only if you ask politely,’ said Demadrian, raising his eyebrows slightly.
‘It’s okay,’ said Julio. ‘We love our jokes down here.’
‘I have noticed,’ replied Orcilla, smiling slightly. ‘Would it be okay to miss lunch today? I would like to monitor Razor in person.’
‘I’ll have some food brought down to you here,’ said Julio.
‘Thank you,’ replied Orcilla.
‘I’d like to stay with her,’ said Demadrian. ‘I don’t trust her with my good friend Razor.’
‘No problem,’ replied Julio. ‘I’ll leave you both to it.’ He then left the laboratory to meet with Angelo.
Demadrian winked at Orcilla. She sighed and shook her head.
Julio entered Angelo’s temple room. Angelo was sitting at the table facing the glass divide. He looked concerned.
‘We’ve got some news from Volo and the flyers,’ said Angelo as he looked at Julio, who was walking towards him. ‘Demadrian was sort of right.’
‘Have they taken back the camp?’ asked Julio.
‘Yes, but a conflict was avoided,’ replied Angelo. ‘Our friend Octavius left without a fight.’
‘Considering the numbers they have, that was the only thing he could do,’ replied Julio. ‘I’m surprised they did not try to pursue him after he left.’
‘I have more news,’ said Angelo, shaking his head. ‘The resistance in the Downs Region has been defeated. They were found and executed.’
Angelo turned his computer around so that Julio could see the photograph of the dead.
‘That’s interesting,’ remarked Julio as he looked carefully at the bodies.
‘We’ll have to tell Orcilla,’ said Angelo.
‘She needs to see the photograph for herself,’ replied Julio.
‘The photograph was planted for us to find and for her to see,’ said Angelo. ‘They want an impulsive response.’
‘Despite how upsetting this photograph is,’ said Julio. ‘Orcilla will not insist we act impulsively.’
Meanwhile, at the laboratory, Demadrian continued to work on his serum, and Orcilla was still monitoring Razor, who remained unconscious.
‘With the quantities you’re using, you won’t have the luxury of being able to test it,’ said Orcilla as she looked over at Demadrian.
‘I won’t need to,’ replied Demadrian. ‘It’ll be perfect.’
‘With my approach, we can make dozens of vials of the serum,’ said Orcilla. ‘Surely that’ll be as effective as whatever you’re going to make, and it’ll be safer.’
‘No, it won’t,’ replied Demadrian. ‘I’m making something far more powerful. I won’t fail.’
‘I don’t doubt you will,’ said Orcilla as she scrunched her face slightly. ‘I’m more afraid that you won’t be able to control yourself after the transformation. You’ll be as much Sentray as you are Linap.’
‘I’ve told you before,’ said Demadrian in a frustrated tone. ‘I’m going all out to stop Tiberius. If it ends me too, so be it.’
‘Once you’ve taken it, there is no going back,’ said Orcilla.
Julio entered the laboratory carrying a tray with three pasties on it.
‘They look alright,’ said Orcilla as she looked at the tray.
‘This time you get leftover follower food,’ chuckled Julio.
‘I thought they only got baked potatoes,’ said Orcilla.
‘We have access to a greater variety of food and ingredients,’ responded Julio as he placed the tray down on a counter. ‘Just one of the advantages of access to the surface.’
‘I’m greatly impressed,’ remarked Demadrian. ‘You act quickly.’
‘I have some bad news,’ said Julio as he looked at Orcilla. ‘The enforcers have taken back the West Camp, and the resistance has been defeated.
Julio handed Orcilla a printout of the photograph.
Orcilla stared at the photograph, a tear formed in one of her eyes, but she did not say anything. Demadrian walked over to her. He stood next to her and looked at the photograph.
‘We need to discuss our next steps,’ said Julio.
‘I told you he was unimaginably evil,’ said Demadrian as he rubbed Orcilla’s arm.
Orcilla rubbed her right index finger over Daily’s body.
‘I understand if you need some time to process this,’ said Julio.
‘Do you know how many enforcers they have at the camp?’ asked Demadrian.
‘Several hundred thousand,’ said Julio. ‘They’re heavily armed and well equipped.’
‘Do they know we’re observing them?’ asked Demadrian.
‘They would have discovered that Octavius hacked into the communications with the West Camp,’ replied Julio. ‘I think it’s unlikely they are aware of our flyers.’
‘We need to draw them out of the camp,’ said Demadrian. ‘Then we hit them hard. They won’t know what hit them.’
‘Until we hit them; then they will,’ said Orcilla forcefully. ‘They’ll just overwhelm us with firepower.'
‘What do you suggest we do then?’ chuckled Demadrian as he shook his head.
‘We move on the Downs Region,’ said Orcilla.
‘Wait, I actually like that idea,’ said Demadrian. ‘They won’t see that coming.’
‘Then we should let them see it,’ said Orcilla as she handed the photograph back to Julio.
Demadrian frowned, then he smiled.
‘I’m back,’ said Razor as he sat up suddenly.
Orcilla walked over to Razor and then punched him hard in the face. Razor fell off the examination table and landed on the floor.
‘I know you need to let out your anger, but why Razor?’ asked Demadrian as he slumped forward and held his arms out in front of him with his palms facing upwards.
‘Just a simple efficacy test,’ said Orcilla as she held her hand out to Razor to help him up. ‘How do you feel now?’
‘Betrayed and violated,’ said Razor angrily as he stood up.
‘I mean physically,’ said Orcilla as she looked at his bloody nose. ‘Are you in pain?
‘After the initial impact, the pain just went away,’ said Razor as he wiped the blood from his face.
‘That’s great,’ said Demadrian as he rolled up his sleeves. ‘I’d love to conduct a few more tests just to be sure.’
‘Go ahead,’ said Julio. ‘We want to be sure before we inject the High Philosopher.’
Demadrian leapt on top of Razor and began frantically punching him in the head.
After three minutes, Demadrian had to stop hitting Razor. His fists were bruised and swollen. Julio handed him an ice pack to help with pain.
Razor had climbed back onto the examination table. His face had stopped bleeding, and the swelling was beginning to subside. He was staring at Demadrian, and his nostrils were flaring in rage.
‘After my dosage, you can smash me as hard as you can,’ said Demadrian as he winked at Razor.
‘It’ll be my pleasure,’ said Razor as he clenched his fists.
‘Enough!’ said Julio angrily. ‘You do not speak to our guests in this manner.’
‘The serum can cause more aggressive emotions, but they will subside once he fully adjusts,’ said Orcilla as she patted Razor on the shoulder.
‘I want him observed for a few more days before we proceed to inject the High Philosopher,’ said Julio. He turned and left the laboratory.
‘I need some time to myself,’ said Orcilla as she walked towards the door. ‘Would you be okay keeping an eye on Razor for a bit?’
‘No problem,’ chuckled Demadrian. ’Razor and I are great friends.’
Razor raised his eyebrows up and down and beckoned Demadrian with both his hands.
‘Lovely,’ sighed Orcilla as she walked out of the room.
Julio had gone to visit Maskameera. She was sitting at the back of her cell eating a pasty.
‘This is actually pretty good,’ remarked Maskameera. ‘You’re getting better with your food.’
‘Everything you said has been accurate,’ said Julio as he peered through the cell door window. ‘A serum has been made from the egg and is currently being tested.’
‘Then you owe me my freedom,’ said Maskameera as she put the last piece of pasty into her mouth.
‘That was the deal,’ sighed Julio. ‘I’ll honour my word. You’ll be released to the surface once the High Philosopher has been given his dose of the serum.’
‘I could still be of help,’ said Maskameera as she stood up. ‘I know a lot about your enemy.’
‘Thanks, but no thanks,’ replied Julio. Then he walked away from her prison cell.
Maskameera pressed her face against the extra-thick glass in the door window. She sneered as she watched Julio walk away.
Sapien Loop: Worlds Collide
Sapien Loop: Worlds Collide is the final book in the Sapien Loop trilogy. It continues directly after the events of the second book. The world above and the world below merge into one world. The conflicts in the underground world are brought to the surface. The new ruling elite attempt to crush any resistance from above and below in an attempt to create a new global empire.
Currently, three books from the series have been published on Amazon; see the links below:
All individual chapters can be found on my @captainhive account.
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