Free MBryO: The Escape by Dodie Townsend

into the coarse red locks of his hair.
    The elevator doors closed at the same time as the fire alarm exploded through the building. Thick smoke filled the hallways. Panicked screams echoed through the hallways.
    Havoc ensued as the sprinkling system turned on automatically. The occupants of the building were drenched within seconds. Afraid of being trapped inside, a mass exodus of humanity flocked to the stairwells as workers raced to the exits of MBryO UNIX.
    Sadly, no one privy to the existence of the captives down below, came to unlock the cages of the ‘lab rats’! They were expendable, disposable…even to the evil human father who had genetically created them.
    At present, Maxim was using his psy-talent to battle the uncontrollable fire that was pouring from a freshly installed air turbine down in the construction zone. The DOD had spent a fortune upgrading the new system. For some unexplainable reason the massive turbine had malfunctioned and was throwing smoke into the air vents inside the building.
    His attention diverted, MBryO never sensed the combined telekinetic energy emanating from the laboratories below. Nor was he conscious of Dogg and Gayla stepping out of the elevator and onto the rooftop of the building.
    For the first time ever, the two odd-looking creatures saw the outside world.
    Dogg’s psy-senses spiraled into sensory overload. His mind screamed ‘freedom’! He wanted to howl in delight, as did the empathetic psy-talented creatures sharing his elation, but still trapped down below.
    “Not yet,” the ‘Old One’ cautioned tiredly. Though still joined with the others, her energy reserves were seriously depleted.
    “You and Gayla must stowaway inside the ship. Elias Abrams is an old friend. Do not underestimate him. He is a dangerous humanoid, but not a cruel one. I have felt his distaste for the atrocities carried out against us…for many years now. I know…he has secrets of his own. You will be able to trust him,” she warned solemnly. “But, be careful!”
    Hovering on the landing zone the space-hopper’s engines were warmed up and ready to go. A dark hole yawned invitingly in the side of the ship.
    Unaware of the situation taking place inside the building Elias was unhooking the cables that anchored the ship to the landing pad. With his back turned he did not see Dogg, with Gayla straddling his shoulders; race across the rooftop to the hovering spaceship and climb inside.
    Hopping aboard the super-modern intergalactic space-hopper, Elias settled comfortably in the streamlined cockpit. Relief flooded him when the spacecraft lifted off the rooftop of MBryO UNIX and cleared the atmosphere. Once and for all, he lowered the firewall that kept his psy-senses camouflaged.
    And, that was the first inkling he had that he was not alone inside the space-hopper.
    Alarmed, he punched the autopilot and started to his feet. Only to be stopped by a warm speckled hand on his shoulder.
    “Relax Elias Abrams!” Gayla told him cheerfully in her childishly elfin voice. “There is no reason to be alarmed. We have mutual goals in mind. Like you, Dogg and I only wish to escape this evil place. It is our intent to locate and join our sister and brothers! As long as you cooperate with us, no harm will come to you.”
    Turning slowly, Elias’ gaze met those of the beautiful doll-like creature sitting on the shoulders of a huge red furry creature. His psy-senses assured him that there was nothing dangerous or sinister in either of the stow-a-ways. The simple childlike humanoid was captivating. His senses told him she was incapable of artifice or manipulation. She was… sweetness and joy.
    Not so the monster that held the elf-girl so naturally on his bare shoulders. Elias knew that one wrong move on his part and the half-canine, half-humanoid creature would not hesitate to use his massive psy-strength to tear him limb from limb.
    Unfortunately, some of MBryO’s experiments had gone sadly awry. The mutation of