Thick layers of mangled tissue that cover his arms and his back and his legs. His face as a thick star trailing down from his left temple to the right side of his cheek.
“And the creature becomes man,” Chief says.
“Who are you?” I ask.
“I’m pretty sure my nametag is on the crate,” he says.
“You will answer me, or you will die,” I say.
“I’m not so sure you can kill me. Especially since I’m pretty sure I can fly after you,” he says.
I hear Lord Wesley chuckle behind me as I throw my hand back. I crack it against his cheek, and he growls at me, poising himself for a fight. Chief steps in front of us, and the man in the cage is laughing.
I’m losing control of the situation. Of my bird’s eye point of view of everything that is happening. I know I’m right. Evolution is the natural progression of things, no matter what kind of science wants to intervene. Skin colors on humans and aesthetically-pleasing structures within Primals. It’s all based on evolution, and the only thing science does it stunt it.
Halt it.
Prevent it from happening.
Science isn’t an aid.
It’s a crutch.
A weakness.
An abomination.
In front of my eyes, the man turns back into the creature. Almost as if his natural form is that creature. The Primal is panting like it took him effort to stay as long as he did in his human form. I furrow my brow as Lord Wesley steps up beside me. I feel Chief graze my arm as we all gaze upon the snarling animal in its cage.
“Is it possible that is his natural form now?” I ask.
“If it is, he would be the first of his kind,” Lord Wesley says.
“Another mutation by the cats,” Chief says.
“Yes, but to what end? They used Project Eden to try and create more females to mate with, but what would be the purpose of him?”
The creature’s teeth gnaw at the lead bars, buckling them slightly as saliva drips down its fangs.
“Evolution happens in stages,” Lord Wesley says. “And to both males and females. What if Project Eden was only the female side of things.”
The cage rattles, and I watch as the top of the lead encasing dents upward with the force of the creature trying to get out.
“What if this is the male side of the experiment?” Lord Wesley asks.
I close my eyes and try to process the theory as anger wells in my gut.
“We need to talk to the Council,” I say. “Reconvene under emergency circumstances.”
“I thought we were keeping this from them?” Chief asks.
“We can’t. If this is connected to Project Eden, we must keep them informed as per the rules of the Council,” I say.
“I’ll go deliver the message,” Lord Wesley says.
“I’ll go check on the rebuilding of the main room. If it’s not safe, I’ll find a room off one of the corridors for us to meet,”
Chief says.