The Spider Queen

(Hydra Star System)

(Unknown Location- Secret Laboratory)

The disposal field or as some nicknamed it… 'The Butcher's Pen'.

That was the name for a wide-open field where failed experiments would be released in order to get some final data on their physical and combat capabilities.

At the opposite end of the field was an enormous crate over twenty feet in height and around the size of a small bedroom.

The walls of the crate were covered in reinforced metalloid steel, but cracks could already be seen spreading out from a certain area.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Someone… or rather something kept frantically knocking against the walls of the crate and those heavy thumps could easily be heard even from some distance away.

For make no mistake, the thing inside that crate was an angry monster.

A thing that was once a human but now had lost any semblance of their former humanity. A twisted abomination created from the genetic manipulation of both Human and Insectoid DNA.

And most importantly…

A Failure.

Doctor Valenna stood patiently on a raised platform that provided a bird's eye view over the entire field.

The lead scientist wore a simple white lab coat with multiple pockets that were filled to the brim with various strange devices and surgical knives.

Below the platform stood dozens of guards lined up at attention in neat rows with their blaster rifles at the ready.

The dark circles under the lead scientist's eyes had only gotten more pronounced over the last few days.

Scientific research took decades if not centuries in certain fields in order to get results but there was no more time left.

The investors would be holding a call tomorrow and Doctor Valenna knew that her time was probably up.

Perhaps that was why she felt the urge to visit the disposal field personally instead of reviewing the footage after the extermination.

There was enough blood left for one more chimera fusion but at this point Doctor Valenna knew that it was going to be a waste of time.

Without a doubt, hybrids between the Human and the Insectoid race were viable…

But Doctor Valenna speculated that the Insectoid species chosen for the splicing process needed to be a high-level lifeform.

Well, there was no use thinking about what was going to happen next.

Doctor Valenna knew that she wasn't a good person in fact her biggest regret was not that she had partaken in these monstrous experiments but rather the fact that her work would not be completed.

The ends always justified the means.

The subjects chosen for these experiments deserved their fates, it was only right for them to serve the empire one final time.

Hopefully the next person chosen to lead the project would have a fraction of her intelligence and research skills.

Doctor Valenna would hate for all of her hard work to go to waste. Although that may be the fate once the nobles investing in the project finally decided to pull the funding.

"Test Subject Beta-007 will be released shortly," Doctor Valenna spoke coldly.

The guards did not verbally acknowledge her words, but the scientist could see their fingers tighten ever so slightly on the triggers.

Doctor Valenna reached for the console in the middle of the raised platform and entered a series of commands into the device.

A harsh siren noise began to blare out from the other side of the field as the walls of the crate fell apart to reveal the creature hidden inside.

This abomination was vaguely humanoid, but its skin was covered in thick reptile-like scales that hid its features.

Its arms and hands had somehow been transformed into two bone-like scythes that gleamed under the bright sunlight.

As the monster opened its mouth a muffled screeching noise could be heard coming from its throat.

It was all it could muster since its vocal cords had been surgically removed during the twisted operation.

The guards adjusted their blaster rifles in the direction of the creature and prepared for the upcoming engagement.

Doctor Valenna sighed with disinterest as she gazed at the scene below. Subject Beta-007 was initially a promising lead but its organs proved to be too unstable.

She estimated that the hybrid only had around one week left until it suffered from a complete organ failure.

The lead scientist figured that she might as well get a combat test out of it before the hybrid died.

"Ur…gr…re…ereee…" the hybrid groaned as it shook its head from side to side almost like a dog.

Suddenly it turned its face directly towards the guards at the opposite side of the field and its body froze in place.

Its pupils dilated with hatred.

Although the creature had long forgotten its name, its identity and even its sense of self…

It remembered its anger and pain.

Doctor Valenna saw the look in its eyes and her expression of boredom soon turned to casual interest.

It was always amusing to see a bit of fire left.

Those specimens tended to give the best results when subjected to combat scenarios.

The scientist pulled a tablet out of her storage ring and began to write down some notes while keeping a close eye on the battlefield.

"Ur…gr…re…" the hybrid hoarsely panted as it began to stumble towards the guards. It kneeled down in pain as its body began to shiver uncontrollably.

What was happening? Were its organs failing already?

Doctor Valenna stared in disbelief as the skin on the hybrid's back started to bubble. The guards began to panic but the lead scientist refused to give the order to shoot.

The hybrid thrashed on the ground in agonizing pain with an unholy screech constantly coming out of its mouth.

Two translucent wings burst out of its back which sent blood and fleshy chunks of meat high into the air.

The hybrid growled darkly with its eyes firmly fixed at the position of the guards. There was a hint of hunger in its inhuman expression.

Its figure blurred and then vanished from the spot as it flew towards the guards at a breakneck pace.

Somehow the creature was able to use its newly acquired wings with ease despite no prior experience or knowledge of flying.

"This is… it… THIS IS IT!" Doctor Valenna cried out in shock as she ran towards the edge of the raised platform.

It was hard to describe what Doctor Valenna felt at this moment, but it was a mix of happiness, surprise and sadistic glee.

Still the lead scientist did not fully lose her composure and made sure to activate the barrier around the raised platform.

When dealing with unknown abilities, it was important to keep her safety in mind. As for the guards below…

Doctor Valenna looked forward to their performance against the rapidly evolving hybrid.