28-04-2019, 02:14 PM
Contessa Helena de San Finzione walked through the halls of the newly renovated San Finzione Ministry of Science. Dr. Miguel Rocco, Minister of Science, walked alongside her as they proceeded to the lab.
"So, you have not tested it, Contessa?" Dr. Rocco asked.
"Well," Helen thought. "I let Jeanne try it on for a little bit. For safety's sake, we didn't press any of the buttons or try any jumping; she just walked around in it. Damn good thing I commanded her to take it off when I said time was up before putting it on. No telling where she might be now. I got her something to make up for it. What about the other things?"
"They are being disposed of, and we are analyzing the items that La Contessa gave us leave to before doing it."
"But not this one?" She asked as they approached a door with a retinal scanner.
"As per your orders, Contessa," Dr. Rocco answered, putting his face up to the device. It scanned his eye and allowed them access. "No one has even looked at the manual."
"Good." Helen answered, as they entered the airlock room.
The laboratory that they were about to enter was normally used for viral and bacteriological research. They put on clean suits before continuing the journey through the other side of the airlock.
"No one else has been here to see it?" She asked through the little speaker on the front of the plastic Nuclear/Biological/Chemical protection helmet that she wore.
"Also, per your orders. This lab is closed. Disposal of the anthrax is taking place elsewhere."
Helena nodded as they continued to their destination. They finally stood at a wall with a clear ballistic plastic window that looked into a smaller sealed room, where live viruses were normally handled. Something that looked like a control panel that slid open was below the window. It had a key lock.
"Nobody's going to panic?" Helen asked Dr. Rocco.
"A drill has been scheduled for this time. They are expecting it."
She peered into the room, staring at the Springheel suit, standing in the middle of it. The manual lay at it's feet.
Helen stared at it for a good while. She thought about the nightmare she'd been having since she first saw the video, about all the people who had died over it already. About the things she'd told Troy about what they could learn from it. Even the manual might give some insights into the suit's creation, some more details about how it was able to do the things in the video. And possibly give an intelligent enough person sufficient insight to make another Springheel. She turned to Dr. Rocco and nodded.
The doctor produced a key and put it in the lock. When he turned it, the panel slid open, revealing a large red button with black-and-yellow warning stripes surrounding it that was embedded into the panel. It was behind a small panel of glass, and a tiny metal hammer on a chain was next to it. Dr. Rocco picked up the hammer and was about to break the glass, when he remembered his manners and offered the hammer to La Contessa. She accepted it and smashed the glass.
Lights began flashing and alarms blared. An announcement played, warning of a bio-containment breach in the lab and advising everyone to evacuate to the nearest decontamination area.
Helen pressed the red button, never taking her eyes off the suit. Holes in the walls, floor, and ceiling of the room opened, and jets of flame shot out from them to burn the room, and anything inside it.
For almost a minute, the suit stood in the middle of it all, being burned from all directions by fire hot enough to insure any living thing that was in the room with it would have been incinerated. She saw the plastic parts of the suit begin to bubble and melt, and then finally the metal. Sparks flew from the electronics and whatever powered it inside. They'd never know what, exactly, as the manual had been vaporized instantly. Helen continued to watch as the suit melted and burned into an unrecognizable lump of metal once the plastic had liquefied and boiled away. Whatever it was now, it was no longer the thing that beheaded her in her nightmares. She watched a while longer, until she felt satisfied. She wanted to smoke and watch it burn some more, but that wasn't possible in the protective gear.
"So, you have not tested it, Contessa?" Dr. Rocco asked.
"Well," Helen thought. "I let Jeanne try it on for a little bit. For safety's sake, we didn't press any of the buttons or try any jumping; she just walked around in it. Damn good thing I commanded her to take it off when I said time was up before putting it on. No telling where she might be now. I got her something to make up for it. What about the other things?"
"They are being disposed of, and we are analyzing the items that La Contessa gave us leave to before doing it."
"But not this one?" She asked as they approached a door with a retinal scanner.
"As per your orders, Contessa," Dr. Rocco answered, putting his face up to the device. It scanned his eye and allowed them access. "No one has even looked at the manual."
"Good." Helen answered, as they entered the airlock room.
The laboratory that they were about to enter was normally used for viral and bacteriological research. They put on clean suits before continuing the journey through the other side of the airlock.
"No one else has been here to see it?" She asked through the little speaker on the front of the plastic Nuclear/Biological/Chemical protection helmet that she wore.
"Also, per your orders. This lab is closed. Disposal of the anthrax is taking place elsewhere."
Helena nodded as they continued to their destination. They finally stood at a wall with a clear ballistic plastic window that looked into a smaller sealed room, where live viruses were normally handled. Something that looked like a control panel that slid open was below the window. It had a key lock.
"Nobody's going to panic?" Helen asked Dr. Rocco.
"A drill has been scheduled for this time. They are expecting it."
She peered into the room, staring at the Springheel suit, standing in the middle of it. The manual lay at it's feet.
Helen stared at it for a good while. She thought about the nightmare she'd been having since she first saw the video, about all the people who had died over it already. About the things she'd told Troy about what they could learn from it. Even the manual might give some insights into the suit's creation, some more details about how it was able to do the things in the video. And possibly give an intelligent enough person sufficient insight to make another Springheel. She turned to Dr. Rocco and nodded.
The doctor produced a key and put it in the lock. When he turned it, the panel slid open, revealing a large red button with black-and-yellow warning stripes surrounding it that was embedded into the panel. It was behind a small panel of glass, and a tiny metal hammer on a chain was next to it. Dr. Rocco picked up the hammer and was about to break the glass, when he remembered his manners and offered the hammer to La Contessa. She accepted it and smashed the glass.
Lights began flashing and alarms blared. An announcement played, warning of a bio-containment breach in the lab and advising everyone to evacuate to the nearest decontamination area.
Helen pressed the red button, never taking her eyes off the suit. Holes in the walls, floor, and ceiling of the room opened, and jets of flame shot out from them to burn the room, and anything inside it.
For almost a minute, the suit stood in the middle of it all, being burned from all directions by fire hot enough to insure any living thing that was in the room with it would have been incinerated. She saw the plastic parts of the suit begin to bubble and melt, and then finally the metal. Sparks flew from the electronics and whatever powered it inside. They'd never know what, exactly, as the manual had been vaporized instantly. Helen continued to watch as the suit melted and burned into an unrecognizable lump of metal once the plastic had liquefied and boiled away. Whatever it was now, it was no longer the thing that beheaded her in her nightmares. She watched a while longer, until she felt satisfied. She wanted to smoke and watch it burn some more, but that wasn't possible in the protective gear.
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