Their newest addition? Asterion, the minotaur from the legendary Labyrinth. Unlike the others, he didn’t keep to himself. Blame his long isolation for wanting to be social. He clomped over and sat down across from Leila.
“Dr. Leila, what a pleasure to see you.”
“Good evening, Asterion.”
“Working on anything interesting?” Of all the people there, he was the first to show an actual interest in her work.
“Tower has me analyzing some blood and tissue samples from an unknown species.”
His nostrils flared. “From the alien attack?”
“Who says they’re aliens?”
“Aries. I’ve heard they’ve been popping up all over the world in the last twenty-four hours. Aquarius says all the sightings have been in areas where chunks of the asteroid fell to Earth.”
“Alien beings would explain their unique nature,” she mused aloud.
“Unique how?”
“The tissue sample I have isn’t dead and seems to be trying to repair itself.”
“That is fascinating. Do you think it could regenerate an entire body?”
Her lips pursed, and she took a moment to reply. “I don’t know. It might be interesting to test, though. I should bring some meat back with me to the lab.”
“Going to feed it?”
“To continue feeding it, yes.”
“Is that wise?”
“I doubt very much the wee sample will turn into something I can’t handle,” she said with a laugh.
“Don’t be so sure. I saw a movie calledThe Blobrecently, and the more it consumed, the more it grew and hungered.”
“A fictional tale of horror.”
“Perhaps, but I would advise caution. An alien species might not react as expected or follow the usual rules of biology.”
“Point taken.”
And Leila did ponder it. Asterion did raise a valid concern. How big would this thing get if she kept feeding it? Would it grow recognizable limbs? What of consciousness? Despite the warning, she wanted to find out.
A return to the lab showed only a tiny blob sitting on the glass slide. Hardly dangerous. Still, she chose to give it only a small piece of the chicken tender she’d brought back. In the midst of typing up some initial notes and thoughts, her chair vibrated.
“What is it, Tower?” She’d been around long enough to know when it sought her attention.
An image appeared of a warrior lying on a bed, covered in the mud that healed. The door to her lab swung open, a clear indication Tower expected her to go see him.
She frowned. “Since when are my services needed with the star men?” The dust usually provided everything they needed to repair their bodies.
Tower rattled her computer, and she logged in to the warrior bulletin board to see a notice posted.All warriors with the exception of Aquarius are to proceed to Toronto. Come armed and ready to kick alien ass.
“You need me to go see the star man because everyone’s out dealing with the current situation,” she surmised. “Does it have to be me?”
The lights flashed once. Tower’s version of yes.
She sighed. “You know I don’t like dealing with strangers.”
