Page 7 of Argurma Warrior (The Argurma Chronicles #1)

T he biotech experiment, E302, hissed in its cage as it stared down Kaylar, its sleek, metallic, sapphire blue body arching as it prowled on its six limbs, its fanned tail extending and closing as it watched him. All six of its yellow eyes were fixed on him with a sort of predatory cunning that made his scales itch. He was beginning to believe that containing the creature on his ship had been a very bad idea. He was tempted to vac it out into the planet’s wide ocean and let the thing drown except that he had already informed the council of his acquisition shortly after sealing it into the containment unit. The council’s anticipation of acquiring E302 was so great that he had strict orders not to let anything happen to it. That was the sole reason he was standing there outside of its containment unit, tossing raw meat into the feeding unit extended out from its side. The wet slop of blood drew the creature’s gaze to it, but only for a moment before its vividly green eyes returned to him once more.

Few things unnerved Kaylar following his integration into the elite warrior class, but this thing did, sending a faint alarm through his processors. There was too much intelligence in that gaze as if it was examining its surroundings and working out a way to escape them. Though he never had a prisoner escape the confinement unit, a peculiar sense of dread prickled along the back of his neck. He really should just kill it and deal with the anger of the council. It had grown fast—too fast—and he did not like that either. It brought to the surface of his databases the large print he had seen near the nest. The one he could not place.

It made him question his assumptions. If the creature he killed had not been the dam but another juvenile, there was a significant probability that he had placed himself and his ship in a far more dangerous situation than he had anticipated.

As if possessing some insight into his thoughts, E302’s mouth opened, its sharp teeth and four sets of fangs gleaming as a long tubular tongue snaked out, the end flexing as if seeking to attach to something as it whipped erratically in the air. Its long body flexed, and it gave a drawn-out, high-pitched sound seconds before it flung itself forward, its claws scraping brutally against the barrier of the containment unit. Kaylar jerked back, his hand coming up from his side holding his blaster firmly in his grip as he pointed it at the thing.

The creature’s eyes dropped down to it, both sets of its ears shifting forward as it scrutinized the weapon. Its long tongue drew back into its mouth though it continued to snarl at him with its monstrous grin as if taunting him as it withdrew back further into its enclosure. He eyed it for a moment longer before lowering his weapon to step forward and slam his hand on the switch that informed the unit to draw the food in. The hatch of the receiving port for the feeding unit slid shut and was followed by a soft whirl as it was drawn through two other isolated chambers before the inner containment unit’s feeding hatch opened up, offering up the meal to the creature.

It moved fast as it assailed the feeding unit, its shrill vocalization cutting the air seconds before impact. Kaylar stared at it dispassionately, his unease growing despite himself, as it tore into the meat with a ravenousness that splattered small pieces of meat across its barrier walls in bloody streaks. Only when it was finished did it lift its head to fix its eyes on him again, its rattling, piercing hiss filled with such malevolence that he instinctively triggered his recording unit as it continued to prowl and hiss. He allowed several zecs of footage to accumulate before terminating it and turning abruptly from the enclosure to head back into the main ship from the cargo hold.

He would do a sweep for additional human samples for the next two Earth diurnals, afterward he would lay a direct course back to Argurumal. He wanted that creature off his ship. It was a pity that it meant hurrying the human to the council as well but that could not be helped. She would be better off away from that thing as well. Besides, he processed that the council was interested in keeping their human subject alive to study, which is more than what she might have trapped with that creature or on Earth. A quick return would be doing her a favor as well.

With the female in mind, he laid course for the medical unit. Sometimes new implants were rejected. He would carry a spare translator injector on his belt at all times for the next several days just in case it was required. It was better to be prepared. He greatly disliked her panic when they were unable to communicate and did not wish to experience it again.