GENESIS PRotocol

​“Got nori?”

​ “Fresh hydracol.”
 
“Crispy cricket protein packs inside.”
 
The digital display pulsed, glowing through Carlyle Conner’s palm as she leaned to steady herself against the recharging post. Even the thick blood pooling on the display surface was not enough to block the barrage of programmed ads. “Legacy credit omega,” she spoke through clenched teeth.
 
“Unrecognized. Please use credit scan pad or voice command.”
 
Carlyle grabbed the heavy charging cord in both hands and gave it a tug. “Legacy post alpha.”
 
“Unrecognized. Please use—”
 
“You stupid machine!” she swung a heavily booted foot at the base of the post, wedging a spike in its weather worn edge. “Zeta protocol! Connor Seven! Activate override!”
 
“Please initiate recharge sequence by—”
 
“Oh, shut the hell up!” Carlyle yanked her foot from its booted prison, spun around, and shoved the recharge mechanism into the auto hover’s receiver. As pain shot through her body, she lifted her hand to her face. Her gut twisted reflexively as she studied the pencil-sized hole punched through her palm.  Unhooking the charger, she stumbled around to the driver door and dragged her traumatized frame inside. The beast had given her a real trouncing, but this time Cthulu’s bastard spawn wasn’t walking away. It’s severed head, and most of what Carlyle hoped was spinal cord, rested in the passenger’s seat, its heart and reproductive organs glistening in the artificial light cast by the recharging station lamps. Her stomach heaved and Carlyle fought back a mouthful of vomit. “Ignition sequence.”
 
“Please position face for orbital scan.”
 
Carlyle clenched her teeth as she attempted to open her swollen eyelids wide enough for the onboard scanner.
 
“Unrecognized. Please reposition or use digit interface.”
 
Her hands now shaking uncontrollably, she placed a lacerated finger on the secondary scanner unit.
 
“Unrecognized. Please identify or exit craft.”
 
Carlyle slammed her fists against the operation panel, firing off a volley of curses and unintelligible noise.
“Theft activity detected, initiating destruct sequence phi—”
 
“Oh my God no! Alpha protocol! Legacy station sequence Adam! Alpha protocol!”
 
“Welcome, Commander Conner. Commencing sequence Adam.” The auto hover whirred to life, accelerating skyward as Carlyle Conner felt consciousness slipping away.
 
A massive jolt threw her heavily injured body into the command panel of the auto hover as the machine forcibly impacted on the ground. Carlyle struggled to regain control of her mind as an ululating scream tore its way down her ear canal and into her brain. Her victim’s death stench must have attracted its mates. She fought her way into a sitting position a second before the first of the beast’s swarm mates hurled itself against the auto hover’s windshield, splintering the protective glass into a thousand shards that pierced Carlyle’s bio armor in a deadly spray of spines. She screamed in pain and terror as she
realized the beast was too close for her to get off a kill shot. As its venomous fangs engulfed her cranium she heard the auto hover’s mechanical voice response system.
 
“Theft detected. Self-destruct sequence phi beta omega activated.”
 
“Commander Conner, wake up. Commander, can you hear me?”
 
Carlyle bolted upright, every muscle taut as she screamed. “Alpha protocol!”
 
“Conner! You’re in Helio station,” a soothing voice respond ed. “Everything is going to be all right. You need to calm down. Conner, are you conscious?” Bio tech lead Corazon spoke evenly while two orderlies grappled the commander back to a supine position on her bed.
 
Conner took a deep breath, surveying the sterile surroundings before fixing her eyes on the tech lead. Depth perception. Her hand touched her face reflexively as she realized she could see clearly through both eyes. “It’s, gone.” She flipped her hand back and forth in front of her face.
 
“Your hand was fully repaired, as was your eye socket. That was a touchy bit.” She chuckled. “How are you feeling?” Corazon leaned over the commander, adjusting the sheet around Conner’s exposed skin.
 
“I don’t, I’m not, wait. The beast. I had it but the craft, wait, what?” Conner took another deep breath.
 
“You took one hell of a beating, but you’re healing nicely,” Corazon spoke softly.
 
“I had one. Before the crash. I had one.”
 
“Your confusion will abate. Your mission was successful. The beast. Well, he is in the genesis module.”
 
“He? So it was male. I wasn’t sure.”
 
“Yes, Commander. He is male. Would you like to see? I’ll get a chair.”
 
Minutes later, Carlyle gazed intently at the inert creature before her. “What, uh, who, is this?”
 
“This, Conner, is who we’ve been waiting for. A viable male. His healing has been impressive and is almost complete. Just a few residual tissues, thanks to your bravery. Go ahead, you can touch him.”
 
The male’s once reptilian flesh was now soft and supple beneath her fingers. A crown of dark curls framed his face, and his clawless hands were clasped against his chest, which rose and fell with each breath.
 
Carlyle’s vision blurred. He was exquisitely formed. Something deep within her stirred, a fluttering life independent of her own made its presence known, and a warmth she’d never felt spread through her body. “A viable male?” Her voice was a whisper.
 
Corazon bent down beside her patient, her hand lightly brushing the commander’s stomach. “Yes, Carlyle. The genesis protocol has commenced.”