Page 71 of Salvation for the Alien Mercenary
"A project," Ryke said, his voice like a whip. "And none of your business."
"Fascinating," K’ell murmured, twisting to look over his shoulder as he was all but marched down the corridor toward the medbay. "It appears to have bonded with you. This shouldn't be possible without neural integration training."
Mira ignored him, studying Davis's profile as they walked. His jaw seemed sharper, and were his cheekbones more defined?
The medbay's clinical white lights hit her as they entered, triggering unwelcome memories of Rettnor's clinic. She moved closer to Davis without thinking, his heat steadying her against the sterile environment.
"The equipment here is... adequate," K’ell said, examining the scanners critically.
Ryke's mouth twitched. "Sorry that our humble mercenary vessel doesn't meet your exacting standards."
"It will suffice," K’ell conceded, shifting to professional mode.
"Let's get to it," Davis said, his patience visibly thinning. "You know what's happening to me. Start explaining, or I start shooting."
K’ell pointed to the examination table. "I'll need to perform a full scan first. Remove your shirt."
Davis stalked across the small space, pulling his shirt off as he walked. Her breath caught. She'd seen him naked before, but this was like looking at a different man. His body had changed, his muscles more defined, and his frame larger than before. The scar from the energy weapon had faded to a silver line across his chest.
Heat pooled low in her belly, desire mixing uncomfortably with worry as K’ell circled Davis. The Latharian looked at him with detached scientific interest.
"Remarkable integration," K’ell murmured, fingers hovering just above Davis's skin. "Much more complete than I would have thought possible."
Davis's face was blank, but anger burned in his eyes. K’ell was oblivious, muttering to himself while taking blood samples and running scans.
"You are a third-generation genetic carrier," he said, looking up from the scans. "This is unprecedented."
Confusion filled the room. She leaned forward, trying to understand the genetic readouts swirling in blue light.
"What does that mean?" Ryke demanded, arms folded over his massive chest.
K’ell tapped the display, enlarging a genetic code sequence so they could see it. "His DNA matches directly with Subject L-47. She was one of only four subjects who disappeared when the facility was exposed."
Davis went utterly still, a muscle pulsing in the corner of his jaw.
"Her name was Jenny," he growled, fists clenched. "Not 'Subject L-47.' She was my grandmother, not your lab rat."
Oh shit. His grandmother… the one who came back from deep space pregnant.
"Fascinating," K’ell murmured. "So the lineage continued outside the laboratory."
"Explain," Ryke ordered, stepping closer. "In terms that we can all understand."
K’ell swiped through more data, showing them different DNA patterns. "The genetic modifications must have gone dormant in your grandmother's DNA and were passed down through generations. We theorized it was possible, but a stable integration was something that we never achieved in the lab."
"The M'Suun weapons," Mira said, frowning as she read through the charts. "They're triggering these dormant genes?"
"That! Exactly!" K’ell nodded as he turned to point at her, approval flashing across his face. "It was an unexpected side effect rather than an intentional design. The radiation signature is similar to the one we used in the initial activation trials. Due to genetic drift, it's close enough to have activated… what was your name again?" he asked.
"Davis," he ground out, hands braced on either side of him on the examination bed.
"My twin brother," he said suddenly, looking up. "Would he have the same modifications?"
K’ell looked at him sharply. "You have alitaan? A twin? Identical?"
Davis nodded, his shoulders tight with tension.
"Then yes," the scientist said, "he would carry identical modifications and would undergo the same transformation if exposed to the same energy signature."
