As the man showed her a stair, he said:
-You see little girl, we had'nt really let down our project somewhat.
If you want to follow me, this stair goes to an underground base we built beneath this cabin.
then, after that, he gave her some pills:
-Take these, they will slow your infection so that we will be able to give you the "other option" in time.
Michelle eventually followed him, some unanswered questions still in her head.
Then, as they finished going down the stairs, they arrived at some kind of steel door that seemed to be electronically locked. John then entered some kind of code and the door opened. Little had prepared Michelle for what she saw. They had entered some kind of secret millitary base. She could see soldiers walking about everywhere as some scientist. Then, the doctor spoke to her:
-Welcome to area X. It is here that we have installed our "cleaning" operation that consist of getting rid of the "wolves" and others rogues mutagenics.
-Rogue mutagenics?, asked Michelle who was still not believing what she saw. You mean there are others... people like those... those "wolves".
-I fear yes, said John, you know, we have'nt worked only on wolves genes here. And there has been some mistakes. And the problem here was that some of these mistake knew about this place. Some of them were friends of mine that had volunteered to be some of our first human test subjects and first "specials" agents. however, some them were droven mad by the experience and turned psychotics. Your friends were in some way of their number although it was after the first base was closed.
And then he stopped walking and they walked toward some kind of labs area of the base. When they arrived there, john began again to talk:
-I know what you must feel, after all I too had lost some friends through the result of those researches. But however, the friend I had lost had volunteered to endure this, compared to yours friends. And again compared to your friends, they knew what the risks were. I only hope we can someday catch them so that we may put their tortured mind to rest finnaly. Your friends were only victims of the biochimics residues that had been left there. And you too, and that's why I will offer you a chance to at least not suffer madness like they did.
Then some kind of scientist walked toward them. Upon seeing John he began to talk:
-Oh Dr John, a pleasure to meet you again today, then he saw Michalle and added:
-Ah, I seem you have brought here another on of the victims of the residue? A pity that we still have`nt finish to clean those. So, why did you brought her here? For the euthanasia?
-No, actually she wanted to know about the "other option", said John.
Then he turned to Michelle and said:
-Ok young girl, this is Dr Van Dreemen. He is the head scientist here.
He will explain it all to you. For the moment I have other matter to attend to, I heard that there were others "rogues" near our base.
Then Michelle looked to be in shock:
-What, you're not going with me, but I...
John interupted her:
-Yes, I know. But don't worry I'll be back and everything will go fine. Dr Dreemen can be thrusted.
And then he left.
-If you may follow me, dear lady, said Van Dreemen.
Then he brought her to some empty briefing room. The walls were full of some kinds of schematics about genes and others such things. then he began to talk:
-As you know, most of our first attempts at genes-splicing(that's how we call the processus to modify humans into what we call a "mutagenic") were failures. Most of them resulted in madness, extreme predetermination to anger and violence and some others. Some(a lot) of them also resulted in the death of the subject. A rare few, however, had succeded , but still the subjects was'nt left completly untouched. Some of them had a shorter lifespan or a different speed of metabolism. Others showed some of their animals caracteristcs even in human "form". Over time we were able to correct such problem such as the high rate of death from the subject, the malformation in human form, and the others metabolics problem like for the lifespan. However, the problem of the madness and overly violent and dangerous behavior were still not arranged. We were about to try to find a way to fix it when the base was closed for the first time. Then, a few more rogues were made because of the infectuous residues left here (wich we began to finnaly take away and to destroy). You have had some example of this in your EX-friends.
Michelle was still schoked, seeming unable to fully understand what she was hearing. To fully BELIEVE what she was hearing. And however she somewhat knew it was true. Then the doctor continued:
-When we re-opened the facilities, we began to thinker that problem again. then we found what was the mistake: the animals species we used. They were all mammal predator, and...
Then Michelle snapped:
-But John had said me you wanted to erase all the shit you made with this researches! And now you tell me you are continuing it! What is that madness then?, she asked half-screaming, half-crying.
Then, Dr Van Dreemen face softened and he began to talk again:
-Yes, I understand what you mean. When we had reoppened the facilities here, it was first to train people to take care of the rpgue mutangenics(or mutant if you prefer). However, it wa much to our dismay when we saw our inability to fight them correctly as human. Ever heard the proverb "You fight fire with fire"? That's what we had to do: we had to fight mutanted people with others mutants. I'm sorry to tell you that and in such condition but that is what it is. I have lost many friend when one of the mutagenic had gone rogue while free in the base. It took out 50 of the bests soldier here before we were able to take it down. that is when we found that we could'nt not get take them out with normals human soldier. Even if they were trained at the best of their limits.
Then he stooped talking. Michelle calmed herself, has she had understood the pain in the man voice. Then the doctor continued.
-All the animals species that were available for agent "realignement" were savage predatory animals. As normal animals, they were extremely wild and savage. their instinct were eventually over-riding the mutagenics and made them to turn rogue. So we began trying to find more manageable species. We found some rare animals in the mammal group, but however, most of the more manageable ones were reptiles, much to our surprise.
-Reptiles?, asked Michelle.
The scientist continued:
-Yes, reptiles. You see, reptiles are pretty cold creatures, yes? But compared to most mammals predator, it is that cold nature the make their genes so manageable for an human. They are able to control their behavior perfectly, attacking when only necessary while some mammals predator would have already jumped at someone throat. It is their calculative nature that permit them to be our greatest choice. While mammals acts with mostly uncontrolled savagery, reptiles act with a cold, calculative manner in the way they are in the hunt. It is this way of mind from the animal that determined our success. That is why most of our best agents here are reptiles mutagenics. They are able to control themselves perfectly and to change their shape to their reptile shape when the need arise.
-And John?, asked Michelle. Is he one of them?
Then Van Dreemen paused. He began to talk again after some minute, however.
-no, old John's not a mutagenic. He's a special case. We have proposed him the treatment, but he always refused it. A crafty man he is. Probably our best agent here. While most of our agents (mutans or not) rely mostly on fight and strengh to overun rogues, John always used is wits and clever strategies to take them out. The only agent here that could rivalise with him is agent Nathanson, a snake-morph that got ALMOST as much as wits than John, but who is also a lot better in a fight. The two of ...
Then Michelle inetrupted the scientist:
-A snake morph? What do you men by this?
The scientist seemed to be surprise and then he snapped out:
-Ah yeah, that's real, I had forgot you still don't know much about the place. well, a morph is simply the way we commonly refer to mutagenics. Yours ex-friends by examply were wolfs-morph. It is pretty simple. Anyway, I will continue what I was saying before. Well, John and Nathanson usually work as a team and our probably our best agents here.
But then, Michelle suddenly asked:
-But what all of this has to do with the "other option"? I'm going to turn into a wolf-morph as soon as the pills that John wear off. I currently does'nt see what is the solution to my problem. I only see that you were able to make morphs that controlled themselves more easily.
Dreemen then continued:
-Ok, I'll tell you now. Yu have been waiting long enough already. Well, we have found about a year ago that we were able to change the kind of animals someone would turn into after having being affected by the mutagenics genes. So, the "other option" would consist of changing from a possible wolf-morph to a more manegeable kind. Eventually that would mean for you to become a part-time reptile. I know this is hard, but you would at least be able to control yourself and not go into a savage rampage like your ex-friend have to now because of their wolfs instinct. That way it you could even be able to make it it into society afte we would have helped you. And if you really does'nt want that, we still have euthanasia that will permit you to die as an human.
Then Michelle lost herself in thoughts. she thoughts about wether she was ready to surrender her humanity to be able to live, or wether she would be ready to die to at least be a human a the end of her life. She was in a complete dilema until one clear thought manifested to her:
-I think I will take the "other option", did she said. I does'nt want to die.
Then the scientist said softly:
Ok, I understand you. But know that if you were ever to change opinion, we can still offer you the first option. The final one...