8I9Q5 Part 1

Dr. Bennett carefully examined the creature pacing back and forth in the container, which was made of a special glass-diamond material. Gesturing to the animal, he asked, "Did you give it extremely sharp senses, as I requested?"

"Oh yes, yes, of course," Dr. Ricks earnestly assured him. "With its sense of smell, 8I9Q5 can distinguish between individual cells, and can see the tiniest object from five miles away, if there are no barriers."

Bennett's nostrils flared. "No barriers," he repeated, his piercing blue eyes boring into the man in front of him. "No barriers. Do you suppose this...this whatever-you-call-it will be working on a flat, open Kansan field?"

Chuckling weakly, Ricks replied, "No, no, of course not; 8I9Q5 can still see rather far in an ordinary setting. Right now, for instance, he could see microscopic blemishes on your face!"

"I should hope so," he growled in return. "Now, tell me of its other senses. Hearing - how's that?"

"Excellent. A baby can cry halfway across the state and it will know of it."

8I9Q5 tossed its head suddenly, letting out an icy, bone-chilling cry. Rows of small but sharp teeth, occasionally punctuated by large, fearsome fangs, were revealed. As it continued to pace back and forth, sinewy muscles rippled beneath its sleek, glossy black fur. "What's the matter with it?" Bennett demanded.

"It's thirsty," Ricks answered. "Here's a chance for you to see its hunting skills!" Rubbing his hands together, he laughed softly. "This will, without a doubt, astonish you." He turned to his lab assistant, a young, ambitious woman, and said, "Jennifer, release him into GYE 56."

She nodded and pushed a few buttons on a panel. Bennett studied his perfectly manicured nails, a practiced expression of boredom on his face. "You're about to see Adi at his best," Ricks gloated.

"Adi?" Bennett said, raising an eyebrow.

Ricks's face colored. "A little nickname for 8I9Q5. 8I sounds like Adi."

Snorting in contempt, Bennett turned to the container marked GYE 56, where Adi prowled. It was filled with large amounts of plants and undergrowth, almost like a forest. An ordinary looking horse was pushed inside, eyes rolling wildly with fear.

Faster than their eyes could track, Adi streaked across and, in one smooth, swift motion, brought the horse down. There was a flash of claws and fangs, and then the horse fell to the ground, mangled and blood-soaked. Letting out a roar of triumph, Adi bent its head and began to feast.

Wrinkling his nose, Bennett sniffed, "Can't it kill any cleaner?"

"It can, but it never does," Ricks replied darkly. "That thing...it loves to kill."

"A true killing machine, then."

Ricks shifted his position. "No. Not a machine. Machines can't think, but Adi can. This only makes him all the more dangerous."

"I would hate to see it prematurely released, before we could program it to fulfill our needs, and our needs alone."

"Well! That's why we have so many precautions, eh?" Ricks chortled. "But no, don't worry. Adi will never escape. How is it possible?"

Pausing briefly from its meal, the creature looked up, golden eyes glinting.