Chapter Three - Future Perfect
Her passage through time left her just as befuddled as before, despite her extensive modifications. She was in the same lab room she had just left, the large, one way glass panel of the conference room above. The organic matrix was as before, broodmother's bulk hidden behind a computer rack.
However, she was alone. There were no broodlings, no scientists, and most importantly, no other wardens. Just her.
No wonder she had been sent back with so many eggs and broodlings! They would be necessary to jump start Mother's invasion of this world. *
The humans had no idea what pleasures they would soon face!*
She frowned. If only she could solve the puzzle on what she should call her new self. She didn't feel that it made sense to call herself 'Kate' any more. That was her old self, and she was something much
more
now. 'Katy' wasn't good either, as that name was simply borrowed, though the other woman's memories were just as familiar to her as her own.
Perhaps she should compromise and choose something in between. 'Kay' had a nice ring to it. She waited a beat, but her broodmaster didn't respond. Either it didn't care, or it thought that human names were beneath it. Very well, Kay was it.
That sorted, she realized that she felt awfully exposed. Maybe she had better hide herself away? She had no idea what was going on outside the lab. She could be under observation at this very moment!
Feeding these thoughts through to her broodmaster, she received a cool assent in milliseconds. They were in agreement. Very well, then, it wouldn't do to stand in the middle of the organic carpet like a deer in the headlights.
Crouching down, she ran lightly across the carpet, her reshaped feet pressing gently against the surface. She headed for the broodmother, using her sexmaster's tail for balance, making a great leap to slide herself behind the monster's bulk.
The jump wasn't necessary, but it made her feel good. She might as well enjoy the abilities Mother had given to her. *
Bless Mother
.*
A whooshing sound echoed throughout the lab, the faint murmur of voices bouncing from the walls. She had hidden herself in the nick of time, but who could be coming into the lab?
From her past experience with this room, it was easy enough to hide herself behind the series of white tanks as she worked her way towards the entrance. The voices were coming louder now, audible to her enhanced ears.
"I just don't think this is a good idea," stated a woman's voice. "We're engineers. What do we know about biological organisms?"
A man's breath hissed, a thick voice coming angrily. "That's irrelevant, Katy. We've been told to do this job, or
else
. Our jobs are at stake. Besides, this experiment has been designed by top biologists. Don't you trust
them
?"
"Fine," sighed the woman, hefting a box in her hands. "Let's get this done and get out of here, I really feel bad about this."
Kay peered around the corner of the tank, spotting a small group of scientists that were walking up onto the organic carpet. A short woman wearing a lab coat was out front, gesticulating with frustration at a balding fat man. Kay recognized her immediately - she was the scientist whose memories were floating around in her head!
If the woman hadn't yet been captured, that meant one thing - time had been rewound far enough back that the group of scientists hadn't yet been trapped inside the organic matrix. That must be
her
job. *
Capture, infest, transform,*
agreed the broodmaster.
That idea was all well and good, but she needed a plan. She doubted she could get away with assaulting all five of them alone. One of them was bound to escape her grasp, ruining Mother's attack. *
Not alone
.*
That was just the reminder she needed. She sent a pulse of gratitude to her broodmaster, crouching until her butt touched the floor. Pushing down with all her strength, she flung her body upwards, wrapping her clawed hands around the railing welded to the top of the tank.
Flipping over silently, she got on her knees, watching the intruders hungrily. They didn't know it yet, but they were in her crosshairs. Her broodlings would soon make them understand.
Grabbing the railing, she leaned over, mentally urging her brood to take them as she stroked the sensitive flesh around the cavernous holes surrounding her breasts. *
Fly, my beauties. Seize their brains and turn them into servants of Mother!*
The bobbing green bodies of the beetles dropped from her chest, the creatures reorienting themselves as their legs touched the metal body of the tank. They leaped onto the organic mat with a dull rustle.
One of the male scientists turned and screamed. "What the hell is that?" he squeaked, falling on his ass.
Katy dropped the box she was holding and ran for the exit. A sense of self preservation, or utter cowardice must be driving her. Either way, she couldn't allow the woman to leave. She was necessary to run the Gate.
Climbing onto the tank's rail, Kay looked for her opportunity, her butt lifted high. The sexmaster raised its tail to counterbalance her posture, helping in its own way. Her mouth drew into a soundless growl as the scientist stumbled over the boundary between the organic carpet and the floor, but she managed to avoid falling.
This was her opportunity! Muscles tensing, she leapt like a cat, timing her fall perfectly to intersect with the scrambling scientist.
Her claws tore at the scientist's back, and she yelped in pain, falling forward as Kay's body slammed into her. Her knee hit the edge of the exit ramp and she cried out, her ankle twisting as she attempted to climb back to her feet.
Kay grabbed her side and slammed her against the floor, climbing on top of her chest to pin her down. The woman stared at her, wild eyed, her hands curling into fists. She drummed them against Kay's bulging chest, but her flesh absorbed the blows handily without any damage.
A blob of green chirped from her chest, and she grinned. Not
all