Chapter 5: The Deal

The hum of the transport unit echoed through the comms as the retrieval team secured the unconscious alien inside the reinforced chamber, locking the latches with practiced precision.

Dr. Mercer’s voice came through cold and clear. “Bring the spacecraft as well. Secure the perimeter and transport both assets back to Lab 4. No damage. No questions.”

“Acknowledged,” Cross replied, already coordinating with the machinery crew to lift the strange, glimmering vessel from where it sat nestled in the clearing.

Then, without another word, Mercer cut the feed.

In the quiet of her private office, the glow of the monitors faded into darkness, and the only remaining light came from a flickering holographic panel in front of her. The angular lines of her face were cast in sharp contrast, the tension finally lifting from her shoulders—but only slightly.

“Leave me,” she said curtly, not turning to look at her assistant.

“Yes, Doctor,” the young man replied, bowing his head and stepping out swiftly, the door hissing shut behind him.

A beat of silence passed.

Then, Mercer reached beneath her desk and pressed a biometric scanner.

The wall across from her shimmered—like a mirage breaking—and revealed a hidden screen already active.

Five shadowy figures stood on the other end of the secure connection, their identities masked in shifting static, but their presence carried weight—powerful, unyielding, and watching.

One of them stepped forward, the voice deep and dripping with smug satisfaction.

“Well done, Dr. Mercer. A clean extraction. Just as promised.”

Mercer nodded once, her voice cool but firm. “He’s en route. No casualties. No leaks.”

“Excellent,” another chimed in, this one older, with a slight rasp. “Let the tests begin as soon as he's stabilized. I want blood samples, neurological scans, reflex data—everything.”

“He won’t survive long if you push too fast,” Mercer warned, though there was no warmth in her tone—just clinical concern.

“He doesn't have to survive long,” the first voice said coldly.

Mercer didn’t blink. “Understood.”

Then, a third figure spoke, with a smooth, oily tone. “And the ship?”

She glanced to the side, lips twitching faintly. “Being transported now. We’ll begin dismantling and reverse-engineering as soon as it's inside.”

“Good,” the voice purred. “I want the propulsion core analyzed. That kind of energy could revolutionize my division.”

“You’ll have full access to the tech division once our internal assessment is complete,” Mercer replied. “No delay.”

Silence fell for a moment.

Then the fourth voice, softer, more composed than the others, issued the final word.

“You understand, Dr. Mercer, the success of this project depends on secrecy. Not just from the world—but from your own staff.”

Mercer gave a curt nod. “No one outside the Tier-One clearance even knows what we retrieved. Everything—files, footage, personnel—will be compartmentalized under Level Black protocol.”

“Good,” the fifth figure said, finally speaking, their voice a smooth whisper that sent a chill even through the secure line. “Because if this leaks... it won’t just be your career on the line. It will be your life.”

Mercer didn’t flinch. She had made her peace with danger long ago.

“Understood,” she said simply.

The screen flickered once—then vanished, leaving only silence and shadows.

She leaned back in her chair, gaze drifting to the now-dark monitors.

Let the games begin, she thought.

The low hum of the data review room was oddly comforting. Rows of glowing screens cast a pale blue hue over the space as Rose typed rapidly, fingers dancing across the keyboard. Lisa sat beside her, munching on the remnants of a vending machine protein bar, eyes scanning the monitors in front of them.

They had prepped the interface to receive every feed from the upcoming examinations—biometric data, neural scans, chemical readings, anything the med team would extract during the initial phase. Protocols dictated that everything be logged and reviewed in real time. No room for error. Not with a specimen like this.

Lisa swiveled in her chair with a soft groan, her legs stretched out lazily. “You know, I thought you were joking earlier,” she said, voice half in disbelief. “But now... I’m scared and excited.”

Rose let out a small laugh. “Welcome to my world. This is uncharted territory, Lisa. Nothing in our training prepared us for this.”

Lisa leaned closer, eyes wide with mischief. “What do you think he is? Alien-human hybrid? Time traveler? Dimensional anomaly?”

“Keep your theories to yourself until we see the data,” Rose replied, though a smile tugged at her lips. Despite everything, Lisa’s energy helped calm the nerves crackling beneath her skin.

The door slid open with a soft hiss.

Both women turned.

Dr. Mercer’s assistant, the quiet man with neatly combed hair and a permanent scowl of professionalism, stepped inside. He carried a tablet in his left hand and a practiced sense of urgency.

“Dr. Cross and the retrieval team have arrived,” he announced, his voice clipped and efficient. “The subject has been secured in Containment Room 3-B. The medical team is beginning their initial assessment now.”

Rose stood immediately. Lisa shot upright with less grace, knocking over her chair.

“Sorry,” she muttered, righting it quickly.

The assistant didn’t react.

“You are to remain here,” he continued, “until the first round of examination is complete. Dr. Mercer has requested that you begin data review as soon as the live feeds go active. She also advised you remain alert. If anything unusual occurs, she wants it flagged immediately.”

“Understood,” Rose said with a nod.

Lisa glanced at Rose, then the assistant. “How... unusual are we talking?”

His cold stare didn’t waver. “You’ll know when you see it.”

With that, he turned and exited, leaving behind a silence far heavier than before.

Lisa exhaled slowly. “Okay... I feel like we’re in one of those sci-fi horror movies where someone always opens the wrong door first.”

Rose didn’t answer. She returned to her station, her fingers already syncing the interface with the medical lab's internal systems. The screen flickered for a moment, then lit up—multiple feeds starting to queue.

In one, the alien lay unconscious, his silver hair spread like silk across the sterile metal table. A group of med specialists in sealed suits hovered around him, scanning his vitals, inserting micro-probes into his skin with precision. Machines beeped softly, displaying biometric patterns that were... off the charts.

Another feed showed Dr. Cross briefing two staff members, his face tight with restrained urgency.

“Rose...” Lisa whispered. “He looks... human.”

“I know,” Rose murmured, eyes locked on the screen. “But everything about him says otherwise.”

A fresh line of data streamed across the console—brain activity levels far exceeding human norms.

Rose’s stomach tightened.

This was just the beginning.

And whatever he was… he was about to change everything.

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