Ken watched as the light mist came more and more through the vent. He pointed toward it as if the other's might see, but not a one looked up. At last he stood up as the smell of something toasty warm reached his nose.
"Something's burning!" Ken stated out loud.
This caught the other's attention and they got very upset. One quickly headed for the door only to find it locked from outside. Another began to scream for help as Ken looked the room over for some other possible way out.
Ken stood looking at the plastered wall till he raised a leg and gave the wall a kick. Crack went the plaster as it was only a thin covering of plasterboard painted white. The others stood and watched as Ken ripped the boarding away which soon offered a place to escape.
One by one they each went through the hole Ken made. As they exited into the main hallway each was met by a Security Guard.
"Hey what's wrong the place is on fire, let me go!" yelled Ken as he was dragged away.
Soon Ken found himself before a tall man wearing a white lab coat and a comforting smile.
"Good work Ken, you passed the test rather well!" said the man.
"Test?" questioned Ken back.
"Test, we needed to know which of you was strong willed a ready to preserve life, himself and others, you did well! siad the man to Ken.
"What of the other guys?" asked Ken.
"Oh they will get to join our testing, but in a more basic sort of way. I know you will get to see them later, I know they will be please to see you then too!" explained the man.
"OK, then what am I to do here?" asked Ken.
"I'm Doctor Doucter, and i hope you don't mind me calling you just Ken, it will keep things a bit more simple later." said the Doc.
Ken agreed and stood there as the guards left leaving him alone with the Doctor. "What is my part in the testing and what amount of pay do I recieve?" asked Ken.
"I'm working on a intense beam of radiant protons which when focused on a test animal creates a pattern simular to that animals D.N.A. structure. The beam is then collected by a pattern enhancer and stored on computer for later use. The plan is that in time we can used the D.N.A. patterns more freely making our soldiers or security people a way to enter a country undetected. Then with a small reprocessor they can again return to total human form. Now think for a moment how easy an operative would slip past a checkpoint as in a guise of some common animal!" told the Doctor.
"I don't see what you need me for, like what?' asked Ken.
"We would hope that you might agree to be one of our first short term test cases. The term of containment should be not more than 24 hours. Then once returned to your previous self a payment of $5,000. will be presented." explained a bit more by the Doc.
Ken thought of $5,000. and how it could heal his problems rather well. "So when do we start?" asked Ken.
An arm over Ken's shoulder the Doctor seemed a little too friendly. The two walked down the long white hall to a pair of bright red doors. Ken watched as the Doc swiped his security card over a green lighted plate making a horn sound and the doors opened.
Inside the white wall now had a very red stripe running along toward a lab. The Dco opened the door and those inside began to applaude.
"This is our prime test subject, his name is to be Ken! Please take him for prep and ready to proton ray!" ordered the Doc not wasting any time.
Ken was ushered into a small but warmly heated room and asked to strip naked. Then a white plastic coat was placed over him offering some cover for those private parts. A nice faced woman came to the dressing room asking for Ken to come out and follow her along.
All seemed so easy till Ken heard some screaming coming from one side room. The sound was of Raymond who could only scream his fears back in the smoke filled room.
"Is that Raymond?" asked Ken showing some concern.
The lady turned round and smiled, "He did not do as asked and got trapped in the proton ray for more than seven minutes. The ray transfixed his D.N.A. pattern so thaat it can't be reversed. He was offered a special package to reimburse his parents while the Organization will tend to his long term needs." replied the Lady.
"Please can I see him a minute?" asked Ken.
"NO!' came the response.
The lady turned to continue their walk down the hallway as Ken stood for a second, then grabbing the door handle he opened the door.
"No Ken!" yelled the Lady.
Too late, Ken opened the door to see what was left of Raymond. There hunched over an exam table was a stranger than strange creature looking to be an American Burro from the waist up and a man below.
"Raymond?" asked Ken as the Security Guard raced toward the open door.
"That was a foolish move Ken!' said the Lady as the guard pushed Ken back into the hallway closing the door with a bang.
Standing in the hall Ken looked at the Lady. "He's part animal and still part human, what's going to happen?" asked Ken in a concerned voice.
The Lady gave a sigh, "He'll continue to change till only the Burro form will be what he shall remain. His foolish nature led him into bigger and very permanent trouble. Even though his Parents will recieve the Millon dollar benefit Ray shall be placed with a farm as one young and verile male Burro. In a short space of time his new D.N.A. pattern will effect the brain thus removing all human memories. The pattern will continue till he is a normal instinct driven animal. A Burro he will be and live out his life as if born in the form, so when your test begins, remain calm!" explained the Lady.
Once inside the test cubical Ken was told to stand on a small yellow "x" and be very still. The Lady informed Doc of Ken's find and Raymonds viewing, it seemed to make him dsigusted. None-the-less Ken's own test began.