The heels of the boots tapped the highly polished white linoleum floor, announcing his presence in the hallway.The military issued fatigues and bitter bite to his voice were enough to encourage the random scientists to move out Justin’s way.“How could you possibly lose her?We’ve been sitting on that destination for months.” He rolled his eyes as he listened to the soldier make up an excuse.“No.I don’t want to hear that.That bullshit is so thick I can smell it over here.No, Conner.Find her.”

Justin pushed the end button and shoved the small cell phone into a deep cargo pant pocket.He stopped at a door that had two guards on the outside.He nodded to them casually, punched in a code on the keypad and waited for a fingerprint scan to give him access.The door unlatched and he passed into a small room with two more guards, both of which stood a bit taller when he entered.

Justin held up his credentials and another door was opened.He walked through only to have it shut immediately as his heels cleared the area.The room was rather sterile, with white walls and matching white floors.He strolled over to the bed, and stared at the pure who was securely strapped to the examination table.He could smell that she was not human, a subtle sweet difference but definitely discernable.He could hear her heart beating.It was slower than the other security guard in the room, even slower than his own.He was in awe of the gentle blonde ringlets that outlined her pale face.Her delicate features matched her thin, petite frame.A gag was fitted between her pink lips.The curvature of her bosoms and the outline of her nipples were easily seen past the thin cotton gown.Justin had not noticed how aroused he had become until Manny Ramirez rushed in with a team of scientists and interrupted his admiration of the beauty.

“Move, Justin.”The doctor cleared his throat and pushed past him coldly.The soldier straightened his back and took a single step away from the table to allow the good doctor room to maneuver.

“Kirk, I need you to set up then perform a precursory run of her vitals.Get in a cath and get me a sample, then establish an intravenous line, fluids only.No blood.Ginger, draw out four samples.One goes to DNA, another to biochem, one to our hematologist and the last sample to storage.”The two budding scientists jumped around and did as they were instructed.“Kirk?”

The man with the baldhead and clean-shaven face whipped around to look at the head of research.“Yes?”

“Get me a basal metabolic rate as quickly as possible.”

“Of course.”The man nodded to another scientist who was apparently his assistant and the two of them pulled carts across the room and began running wires and tubes to and from the exsanguis.

“Ginger, tell the geneticists that I want all known loci identified and sequenced within 72 hours.”Manny began tugging on his mustache as the chaotic yet controlled explosion of science occurred around him.“I want that additional chromosome PCRed and sequenced immediately.”

Kirk rather nonchalantly pulled open the front of her gown and firmly taped electrodes into place.Justin watched as needles were rammed into Katrina’s arms.The human/exsanguis mix couldn’t help but glance at her nude chest.He was shocked at how these scientists treated her like an object as opposed to a person.It disturbed him.

Within moments, the tell tale sign of her heartbeat was heard as an ultrasonic image on the electrocardiogram monitor. The rhythmic beating matched that which drummed in his ears.

“Pulse rate 52.Blood pressure 93 over 57.Temperature is 106 Fahrenheit, 41 Celsius.”Kirk called off the vitals as if going down a checklist.The other assistant lifted the bottom of the hospital gown and parted the pure’s thighs.With gloved hands, the scientist slowly guided in the catheter.

Justin sniffed the air lightly, picking up the strange scent again. Something about her scent changed. Katrina’s heart rate increased steadily but no one seemed to notice except Justin.He glanced toward her face and noticed her lips barely twitching around the gag.“Doctor?”

Manny simply ignored Justin.

The soldier could tell that she was coming out of her slumber.The scent grew stronger.It was almost alluring.“Doctor Ramirez?”

“What, Justin?Can’t you see we’re busy.”

“I think that…”But before he could finish, her eyelids whipped open.The monitors began beeping and buzzing as she suddenly thrashed about on the table.

Ginger was in the middle of extracting a blood sample and flew back at the sudden surge of energy from the female pure.Blood trickled from the dangling needle until the syringe pushed itself out and the hole quickly sealed up.

Katrina screamed behind the gag, though her restraints were holding firm.Her claws extended but were useless.Her strong muscles flexed violently as she tried with all of her fearsome might to break free.Her soft blue eyes became backlit as a modified form of adrenaline, produced only by the pures, raced through her body.

“Pulse rate 70,” Ginger called out.“Now 90.Holy shit, doctor.It’s now 100 bpm.105.Blood pressure is 130 over 90 and rising. Temperature 109 Fahrenheit.No. 111.I’ll get the cooling blanket.”

Manny rushed across the room and filled a syringe with a strong sedative while Ginger scrambled to find something to lower the exsanguis’ rising temperature. “Kirk, get this running into that line now!” Kirk snatched the medicine and rushed to the IV line, trying to steady his shaking hand.The small device fell out of his grip and tapped gently on the floor.

“Damnit Kirk,” Manny hissed then glanced at the temperature:114.“Ginger.Get that cooling blanket over here now.”The heart rate monitor was erratic, the lines bouncing over the screen.

Kirk plucked the meds off the ground then rammed the small needle into the port and quickly dispensed the fluid.Sweat trickled off his brow as he watched the woman.She continued thrashing about as if in a state of a seizure.

Temperature:116.“Ginger NOW!She’s hyperthermic.”

Katrina’s blue eyes darted about as she frantically tugged and fought against her captors to little avail.When she caught sight of Justin she stopped fighting and collapsed onto the table.The violent fit just ended.Her vivid eyes remained fixated on the soldier’s grey orbs.Justin felt as if she was trying to read his mind or penetrate into the depths of his soul.He wanted to look away but he couldn’t.

“It’s taking effect, Dr. Ramirez,” Kirk stated.

“Pulse rate 95,” Ginger called out, about to place a blue colored plastic blanket, that looked more like a pool float, on Katrina’s body.“Blood pressure 110 over 78.Temperature 113 and falling.Dr. Ramirez?”

“Hold off.She’s stabilizing.” Manny stepped up to the table and held a pen light toward her eyes.He flashed the small light into the eyes that remained focused on Justin.“Pupillary response is good. Heart rate and blood pressure are normalizing.Ginger?What’s the temperature?”

“107 and holding.”

They all watched her, waiting for another outburst but nothing came.Manny waved his hand in front of her face but she paid him no attention.She lay there expressionless, locked onto Justin.The soldier took a step toward the pure, unable to turn away from her blue eyes.

“You can leave now, Justin.”Manny glanced to the man who did not respond.“Justin?”He blurted out with force.

The soldier shot a steel gaze toward the doctor.

“We don’t need your services in here, soldier.You can leave.”

Justin glanced back toward Katrina who slowly rolled her head away from him, her golden locks tumbling around her timid frame.He couldn’t help but feel sorry for the doctor’s new experimental toy.