Chapter 4
August, 9th, 2006
Jenni put down the small vial of bright red liquid carefully. She sat down and looked at it. It almost looked like blood. It wasn’t blood though. It was a mixture of genetically modified DNA, which was programmed to attack the core building blocks of a living thing. She figured that if the dragon DNA in its body was being attacked, then it would be forced to shift to stop the attack. She hadn’t tried it yet, but was sure it was going to work. She could feel it in her gut. She was standing on the pinnacle of discovery. She reached out for her phone and called the guy who manned the reception on her floor. “Hi,” she said when a crackling noise filled the line. “It’s Jenni; I need you to get me a couple of guards down for room thirty-two.”
“What is it that you’re wanting them to do?”
“I need the occupant of the room strapped down so I can administer some medication.”
“Okay, I’ll send for them now,” he hung up.
Jenni picked up the small vial and headed out to room thirty-two. The guards that she’d ordered were already there when she arrived. She greeted them quickly and explained the situation, before opening the door, so they could see what they would be up against.
“Are you sure we can’t just use a tranquilizer dart on it?” one them asked her with concern taking its home on his brow. “I think it would make the job a lot easier.”
“You’re right,” Jenni nodded. “It would make the job easier, but I can’t risk it. I need the body to be clean of drugs, before I start.”
The guy sighed. “Whatever you say,” he looked unhappy, as he walked over to the steel bars.
It took them a while, but they did it. Jenni walked into the room without fear of being attacked. The dragon kept it’s black, beady eyes on her. She could feel its intense stare burning into the skin on her cheek as she got closer. She stopped when she was close to its mouth. Its neck had been strapped back to the wall, so it couldn’t move.
She had to climb a small set of ladders to properly reach its mouth. The small glass vial looked like nothing compared to the majestic beast. Instant doubt crept into her mind. Was it going to be enough? If it didn’t work, should she try again with a bigger quantity? She pulled off the cork stopped and poured the liquid into the dragon’s mouth.
She jumped from the ladders and walked a safe distance away. The face of the dragon was twisting unpleasantly. It looked as though, it was it pain. The chains that were being use to keep it contained started to get tested. Jenni watched as the dragon pulled away from the wall in furious bursts.
It was awful. She’d been so focused on the getting the result she’d needed, that she’d totally been blindsided by the fact that she’d need to watch the creature endure pain. The chains around its body started to loosen, as the furious bursts stopped and a sickening crunching noise filled the room.
Jenni wasn’t quite sure how long it had taken in total. She wasn’t even sure whether she believed what she’d just seen. “Hi,” she walked up to the guy sitting in a pool of chains, where the dragon had once been. “I’m Jenni,” she tried to sound confident, but her voice was shaky. “I’m sorry about what that did to you, but I was asked to find a way to shift you out of your dragon state. I hope you can understand?”
He raised his big, ocean deep, auburn eyes to her. “Do you not think that I would have changed, had I have wanted to?” he asked her with a thick, implacable that rolled off his tongue in sexy waves. “You humans,” he gave her a look of disgust. “You’re all so quick to jump to pain and torture to get your way.”
“What do you mean us humans?” Jenni asked him.
He chuckled to himself. “Wow,” he shook his head. “So, you think that I’m one of you?”
“Well,” she paused. She didn’t like the way he was laughing at her. “I don’t know. I don’t know what you are. I’ve never seen anything like you in my entire life.”
“Well, I’m not human,” he told her in a snooty way. “I’m more than that. I’m more than any of you could ever be.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Jenni said dryly. She could understand that he might be upset over what she’d just done to him, but there was no need for the level of rudeness that he was displaying. “If you’re ready, I’m going to need to ask you a few questions?”
“I’m sure you are,” he pushed himself up. Jenni watched as his 6ft body unfurled from the ground. The green scales he’d been wearing were all gone. In their place was perfect, olive toned skin. He reminded Jenni of the ancient statues she’d seen from a Rome exhibit at the museum. He was just so, perfectly sculpted.
The chains stayed on the floor. Jenni looked at them and then back the man standing in front of her. “You’re going to try and attack me, are you?” she asked. “I’ve got two guys outside who will happily put you back in chains, before we go to the interview room.”
“That’s real cute,” the guy rolled his eyes. “You’re fine. I’ll go quietly.”
“Okay,” Jenni nodded. “We should get moving then.”
“I can hardly wait,” he told her sarcastically, as she led him out of the room and into the corridor, which would take them down to the interview rooms.
“I’m going to need to call my boss down,” she turned to him, when they’d reached the room. “He’s going to want to sit in on this.”
********
Chapter 5
August, 19th, 2006
Jenni sat in her boss’ office. It was a dark room that felt smaller than it actually was. Mr. Rogers had filled it with dark leather furniture and floor-to-ceiling bookcases. She was sitting on a small chair, which was pushed up to the desk. It was the most uncomfortable chair she’d ever sat on. It was no mystery how the thing had survived to be an antique. It was quite clear that anybody who knew of the chair would avoid sitting on it.
Mr. Rogers looked over the frame of his glasses. “So, you can see the problem?” he asked her.
“Yes, I guess,” she nodded. “I’m not sure what you want me to do though?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” he seemed surprised. “You’re going to have to go and talk to him. It’s the only way.”
“But, I’m not trained to deal with that side of things sir. I’m just a scientist.”
He shrugged. “He says that he’ll only talk to you. So, you’re going to talk to him,” he told her firmly. There was no room in his tone for arguments to be made.
“Okay,” she sighed. She couldn’t argue with him. He was her boss above anything else. “What would you like me to find out?”
“We need to know everything.”
Jenni walked out of Mr. Rogers’ office. Her stomach had turned into a bag of nerves. Anxiety bubbled through her veins, as she made her way over to the interview rooms. The shifter was already in room one, waiting for her. She stopped outside the door and closed her eyes. She said a silent prayer in her mind for things to go well, before she pushed open the door. “Hello, again,” she tried to smile, as she walked over to the empty chair that was pushed underneath the table he was sitting at. “How have you been?”
He laughed. “Really, that’s what you’re going with?”
“What?” Jenni asked surprised by his hostility.
“How have I been?” he mocked her. “Oh, just great, you know. I’ve only been locked up in this bunker for the last few months being tortured by the same people who are trying to play nice now.”
“I never tortured you,” Jenni told him firmly. “I would never do something like that.”
“But, you’re willing to work for people who would,” he told her harshly. “I’m pretty sure that makes you just as bad.”
“Maybe,” Jenni didn’t want to admit it, but it was true. “That doesn’t explain why you wanted to talk to me though. If I’m just as bad as the others, then why bother asking for me?”
He shrugged. “Who says I’m going to tell you anything?”
“Well,” she stood up and walked back over to the door. “This isn’t even my job. I should be and quite frankly, want to be down in my lab. So, if you’re not going to talk, then I’m not going to let you waste my time.”
“Oh, fine,” he sighed. “Sit back down. I’ll answer your questions.”
“Okay,” Jenni said uncertainly, as she walked back over to her chair. “So, how are you?”
“Considering the surroundings, I’m not too bad.”
“Have the effects of the medication I gave you worn off yet?” she asked him curiously.
“I can still feel it in my system, but it’s dying down,” he nodded. “It was some pretty strong stuff.”
Jenni nodded. “Well, you were a dragon, I had to plan accordingly.” She paused for a second, thinking about what to ask yet. “So, do you have a name?”
“Sure,” he nodded.
“Are you going to tell me it?”
“It’s Ethan,” he smiled at her frustrated look.
“Ethan?” she didn’t believe him. “That’s, um,” she wasn’t sure how to say it. “Surprisingly normal, I guess.”
“What were you expecting me to be called?” he asked her curiously.
She shrugged. “Where are you from Ethan?”
“Well, that’s not fair is it?” he leant back on his chair.
“What isn’t?”
“I’m answering your questions, but you’re not answering mine.”
She blinked at him slowly. There was a light in his eyes, which told her that he was enjoying their little back and forth. “I’m not the one who changes into a deadly beast though; am I?”
“Who said I was deadly?” he leant forward again.
Jenni felt a whoosh of air from his sudden movement hit her. “I don’t think that’s something that really needs saying,” she frowned at him. “You’re a giant dragon in your other form. You could kill people just from standing on them.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I guess I could.” He kind of looked proud of himself. “You know; I forget how big I am in my other form.”
“So,” she said trying to get the questions to move forward. “Where are you from?”
“Well, I’m not from here,” he grinned.
“You don’t say,” Jenni said sarcastically with her eyes meeting his. “So, if you’re not from around here, then where are you from?”
He shrugged. “I don’t have a birth planet.”
“A birth planet, what’s that?”
“You know, like you’re from earth,” he sighed at her falling behind. “Well, I wasn’t born on a planet. My kind isn’t born on solid ground. We’re born flying.”
“You’re born flying?” she asked. “So, does that mean your dragon form is your true form?”
He shook his head. “My true form is whichever form I chose to take.”
“So, you don’t think of yourself as a dragon or a person?”
“No,” he shook his head. “I’m a shifter. I’m two-natured and I’m fine with that.”
“Does it hurt to change?”
“Yes,” he took a sudden look of seriousness. “It feels like my entire body is being ripped apart and then rebuilt.”
“Is that why you didn’t shift when you were caught?”
“No,” he shook his head. “That was for a different reason.”
“What reason?” she pushed him.
He smiled. “You really do what to know everything don’t you?”
“It’s my job,” Jenni nodded.
“I thought you said this wasn’t your job?” a look of defeat shone in his eyes and a gloating smile spread across his lips. “Was somebody telling me a little white lie?”
“No,” Jenni said sharply. “I’ve been asked to talk to you, but this isn’t my normal job.”
“Well, I’ve got a feeling that all the information you’re wanting is going to take some time to get. So, I’d get used to your new role, if I were you.”
********