Free Dawn of the Mad by Brandon Huckabay

on the gurney. After strapping the arms and legs down, they backed off. The older technician proceeded to inject a large syringe filled with a pink liquid into the body on the gurney. Within seconds it began to thrash and strain against its bonds. The video stopped abruptly.
    “I don’t have any words for this,” the colonel said as his voice trailed off.

    Eventually, the transport cart emerged into a vast cavern, carved from within the plateau itself and leading deep underground. Hundreds of rectangular storage containers were stacked along the walls; in addition, the cavern held construction equipment planned for use in the expansion of the base, which now was not very likely to occur. An open double door at the far end of cavern was manned by a squad of six heavily armed security officers. As the transport carts came to a halt, the elderly scientist got out, and the security leader approached him.
    The pale, slime-coated figure had ceased its screaming, and it appeared it was no longer losing chunks of its fragile flesh. The figure was approximately six feet, four inches in height and appeared to weigh a bit more than two hundred pounds. The hairless body lacked visible reproductive organs. Numerous incisions across the chest cavity and the head had been stitched up, evidence of recent surgery. The facial features were unmistakably that of a human male. Chunks of flesh that had fallen off seemed to be regenerating, but in the commotion, no one noticed. Solid black eyes squinted at the bright lights in the cavern.
    “Your shuttle is ready, Dr. Keitel. The pilots are already on board,” the security leader said in a quiet tone, so the others could not overhear.
    “Of course, I understand,” Dr. Keitel replied. “I must go, do what you can to defend the base. I thought out here in fringe space we would have enough time, but I see I was wrong. No one must get out. Understand?” Dr. Keitel spoke rapidly, anxious to depart. The scientist got back into the transport cart, putting it in motion approaching a set of double doors.
    Beyond the double doors, a long tunnel led upward to the surface, in a small clearing in the jungle. In the middle of the clearing sat a small, sleek silver craft capable of pulse-speed travel. The craft was camouflaged to be nearly invisible from the air.
    Dr. Keitel supervised the loading of the hairless figure as it was helped inside by two technicians. Dr. Keitel noticed that he appeared to be moving mostly under its own power, with a minimal need for assistance, something he thought it would not be capable of this early. So far, this specimen had responded well to the solution and procedure. Dead tissue had been regenerated effectively. Most important was the brain. Most of the internal organs had been replaced with simpler, synthetic versions, the brain was the original. Parts of the body not deemed necessary were removed, such as the genitals. The two technicians came back out of the ship after getting the specimen inside. Dr. Keitel walked up behind them and brandished a small caliber pistol from within his white lab coat. He raised the pistol. Before either technician could react, Dr. Keitel shot them both with a pair of well- placed shots in the back of each one’s head, fired less two seconds apart. They died instantly. Another transport cart suddenly emerged from the depths of the complex, stopping just inside the entrance to the cavern. Dr.
    Keitel’s young assistant saw the technicians’ bodies fall to the ground and cried out, “What are you doing?”
    Dr. Keitel spun around, aiming his pistol at his assistant. “What is the meaning of this?” the young assistant cried out once more.
    Dr. Keitel approached his assistant. “I am very sorry and deeply saddened by this, Seth, but I have no choice. We must protect our research, whatever the cost. This is much bigger than you or I could have imagined, and this solution we have now is the key.” Dr. Keitel now stood in front of