(Secret underground location)
"Tell me he's dead." Prozen said to the pilot who's face was transmitted across his desktop com-screen.
"Target has been destroyed." The pilot confirmed.
"Excellent." Prozen disconnected the message and turned his seat away from his desk, frowning. He stood and walked over to his wine cupboard, pressing a secret panel on the wall that caused a door to open. Prozen walked through the door and into an elevator. He pressed the down button, and leaned in the corner, arms crossed and eyes closed. The elevator went down, down, down... Lights flashed across his white hair as the elevator passed floors. Finally it surged to a stop and the door opened. Prozen pushed himself away from the wall with his foot and walked out into the lab. It was a large room filled with equipment and machinery... and right in the centre of it all was the master piece...
A pod of man-made origin. Glass on the front allowed observation of what was inside. Wires and tubes running to and fro from the pod to the monitoring equipment allowed the scientists to pump oxygenated fluids into the pod, and nutrients directly to what was inside. All wastes were collected and analysed.
Prozen approached the pod, scientists scattered out of his path. His hand came to rest upon the thick glass with a soft plunk, and he looked within to the young man held suspended with thick cords twisted around his outstretched arms. The young man looked so peaceful, the flow of the ever cycling oxygenated water making it appear like a wind was stirring his dark hair.
"It's a pitty you can't hear me," Prozen said quietly. "But it's just as well. I wonder how you would feel knowing that your first son was just killed? It was regrettable, but unavoidable, I'm afraid." Prozen turned away to talk to a scientist, not seeing the violet-grey eyes slowly opening behind him, and an expression of absolute agony crossing the young man's face. "How long until fertilisation can begin again?"
"Anytime now, Sir." The scientist said.
"Good. Do it." The scientists moved to do so. "The more we have of these the better. Losing the first one is unforgivable. Who was responsible for letting your former comrad escape?" Prozen looked around at the group of them.
Another scientist stepped forward, holding his head up. "I take responsibility." He said.
"Good." Prozen promptly pulled out his pistol and shot him once through the head. The other scientists shrieked and stared in horror. Prozen gave them all meaningful looks. "Any further slip up's will likewise be unforgivable." He walked out.
***
(Elsewhere)
"Va-an," Fiona called across the room breaking the zoid pilot's meeting.
"What?"
She pointed down to the baby on her bed who was cooing and looking rather pleased with himself. "He needs a nappy change."
"So change him." Van told her.
"What?"
"You're a girl, you look after him." Van went back to his meeting, not seeing the other men exchanging looks of 'that was a stupid thing to say'. Then he sniffed. So did the other men. They checked the bottom of their boots.
"What is that reek?" Irvine covered his face, then looked up to find Fiona standing next to Van holding the baby, looking rather pissed off.
"So," she said quietly. "You think that just because I'm a *woman* this is all I'm good for?"
Van looked up at her trying to think quickly and tactfully. "Nooo... I'm just busy here-"
"And I'm busy too. Besides I remember you saying we'd take turns."
"I don't remember saying that."
"Actually Van-" Irvine began.
"Shut up!" Van hissed. "Fiona-" But then he had a stinky bundle of baby in his arms and the men pushed away from the table gagging at the smell. "Fiona!" He looked around and saw her back as she left the room.
***
Fiona seated herself infront of the computer library researching nappies and other baby things. "Just because I'm a woman he thinks I know all about babies."
***
"Doctor D," Irvine said to the com screen. "How is it possible that this child is an organoid? I mean... cross-breeding like that is, um, twisted enough, but how could it possibly work?"
On screen Dr. D frowned and thought for a moment. "No idea!" He said finally. "Wht does your scientist friend say about it?" "Not much at the moment. He lost a lot of blood. He said that they combined human and organoid DNA and this is the result. I still don't understand how this could be possible." Irvine shook his head.
"Well, I think I may have to ask him in person when you get here. By the way what's his name?"
Irvine and Van looked bashful. "We haven't asked." Van replied, bouncing a clean-nappied baby on his knee. The baby gurgled with pleasure.
Dr. D leaned in close to the screen to take a better look. "How old do you think the baby is? Do you know?"
Irvine and Van shrugged. "No idea." They replied. Suddenly the baby burst out crying making Van look rather panicked.
"Hmmm.... Sounds like he's hungry." Dr. D. told the two.
"How do you know?" Van called over the noise.
Dr. D. gave him a cryptic smile. "Trust me. I'll see you all later!" The screen went black.
Fiona came running in carrying baby bottles filled with milk. "Va-an! Look what I've got!"
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