Mutation: Parables From The Apocalypse - Dystopian Fiction Read Online Free

little problem."
    "We should really deal with that.  I think the colonel would like to make some new friends.  Enemies of enemies, so to speak.  I think we could use a little more help with that breach problem on the west wall.  That sounds like something the colonel would be a prime candidate for.  I'm thinking we let him stew a little longer down there.  Let him pace around, and see what else he comes up with.  Then, we'll recruit him to help out with things upstairs.  The fresh air will do him some good.  Once he gets a little reminder of what we're up against, he may feel better.  Maybe that's all it'll take to fix the little problem.  What do you think, Sergeant?"
    "I think that's a great idea.  We could definitely use some help upstairs, and I'm sure the colonel would be superb in that capacity."
     
     
     
     
     
     

Stealth Mission
    Chaz continued pacing around in front of Alex’s window. He’d look through the glass, squinting to see the monitors flashing numbers on Alex’s vitals. The numbers never changed. Alex continued unchanged. Chaz continued pacing back and forth down the hall, always stopping to check on Alex. Everytime he moved down the hall he went a little further. Eventually, he was wandering all the way back to where the researchers could be seen through their windows in their labs. Nothing much seemed to change in there. Sure, there was more motion going on inside, but it was just lab geeks going through the motions. The first few times wandering past, Chaz barely noticed them. He just needed to stretch his legs out a little. As long as Alex looked good on his return loop, Chaz kept pushing further down the hall.
     
    The first few times, the researchers in the lab noticed him, and motioned to each other pointing at Chaz. The second time past the labs, one of the researchers came out towards Chaz shaking both hands trying to explain to Chaz, that he wasn’t allowed in the area. Chaz just brushed past him them like insignificant peons and continued a little further down the hall. The next couple of times past, more researchers came out to dissuade Chaz from the area, but met with the same results. It was like they weren’t even there. Deep in his thoughts, Chaz never spoke or made eye contact with the researchers.
     
    Eventually, the researches gave up, and paid no heed to the pacing inattentive soldier wandering their halls. After an hour or so of this, Chaz just kept walking, and never returned to Alex’s room. The researchers now deep in their work, considered Chaz nothing but white noise, and none of them even noticed he had stopped walking by their labs.
     
    Chaz made his way down a different set of halls past the elevators that had brought both himself and Dr. Montgomery down to this level. Traffic around the elevator was light and steady. It was mostly a stream of researchers coming and going, with the occasional soldier coming down and heading off down a hallway marked administration. None of them seemed interested in the research labs.
     
    While Chaz casually wandered the halls, he listen to the conversations going on around him. Given some of the looks he got from the soldiers and researchers, it was obvious he stood out as someone new. New, but not enough of a worry to be concerned with. In spite of the ever present threat outside the walls of their facility, those on the inside seemed relaxed enough. No one on the inside was considered a threat. For Chaz, this created the perfect environment for a simple reconnaissance mission. While no one may be willing to tell the new guy much, a lot that can be learned from just observing and listening.
     
    Three researchers dressed in lab coats came towards the elevators from the same labs near Alex’s room. Chaz recognized the one in the middle as the first one that had tried to stop him from wandering the halls. He looked up briefly at Chaz, but then looked quickly away as Chaz made eye contact. The three of them were talking