Pincer Move

The guide researcher stepped aside to let the bright minds head in, yet no one from the first line moved. Seeing for the first time so close to them the specimen they have been studying their whole life, it froze them in shock. The guide soon realized so and he broke the silence by asking the people staying still "Would you like me to go first?" They nodded silently. He walked in, quietly dragging his feet into the enormous hangar. Everyone shortly followed him, some pushed by their safeguards.

Camilla held Destrulus's hand as they walked in. Destrulus put Camilla's costume helmet on and before locking the safety trigger on he whispered, "Don't be afraid, I'm always by your side." Camilla nodded shyly.

The researcher leading the scientist rose a panel which instructions were written "BE QUIET! You are allowed to move around it as you please. DO NOT TOUCH IT! If you need samples from a specific organism, notify us. For communication use the tablet that you have received at the entrance."

Some of the braver scientist already started moving around the alien form. Others just stood still and ran different analysis from afar, until required for a closer approach they kept their distance.

Despite all of this Camilla was fascinated by the alien form, she expected it to be somewhat bigger. It might be bigger during combat, who knows. She only accounted for what was in front of her. She circled the being, her desire to touch it only increased. Destrulus quietly followed her, keeping his distance from her knowing she'd like her privacy during her research.

Lastly Camilla did a heat scan of the form. She couldn't understand how the military managed to make this unique being stand still, not move an inch. Everything was dark blue, except for the centre of it. It was the darkest red of heat she ever saw.

Destrulus during this time was struggling to avoid eye contact with his colleagues. He did not like to socialize for the sake of the chit chat. But all of this became harder as all the safeguards had their own chat during this event. And they were spamming it like mad, mostly comments about the scientist and their looks, smell etc. Someone pointed out Camilla that she behaved like a monkey and who would date such woman. This made Destrulus instant reply 'I would'. The chat went silent. Shortly after he wrote, 'We'll meet during the upcoming training after this event. Hope all of you are prepared." Destrulus was never brave enough to speak up regarding his relationship with Camilla. Not only because of her status as a princess, but also because of the higher-ups monitoring his behaviour as he was strong, not only as a pilot, but as a New Human as well.

Camilla seeing Destrulus getting somewhat distracted by his notepad, she looked left and right. She quickly walked to a small table near her, grabbed it and threw it as high as she could to reach the upper part of the alien form. The impact made no sound, but with its contact with the alien form the table bounced back making a loud small as it reached ground. Destrulus instantly reacted as soon as he saw Camilla throw the table, he grabbed her and moved her to the wall of the hangar. In anger Camilla took her helmet off and threw it at the alien form, as soon as it touched the alien it disappeared.

Everyone stood still in awe as the colour of the alien from bright red, died out and the flesh turned grey. Slowly starting to fall off as if burned paper.

Camilla exclaimed "Look!" she pointed happily, panting as she had to wrestle with Destrulus to get it her way, even if she knew she had no chance of winning.

Destrulus grit his teeth at the sight of the alien turning grey as it started to shed its skin. He immediately wrote in the safeguards chat to evacuate everyone out. Then called his friend Nyokes. He didn't answer the first call, he called again.

Nyokes answered half asleep "Hello, how is your lovely date going?"

Destrulus yelled at his phone "Why is there a hibernating Ephea here? Wasn't it supposed to be alive?"

Nyokes threw his phone on the bed, while Destrulus all he could hear was 'fuck, fuck' and another woman's voice asking what was wrong. Nyokes shouted at the woman 'Don't call me, we never met' then held his phone as he shut the door "I am on my way. I have sent the alert to the emergency crew. Is the kind oke?"

Destrulus walked to Camilla making sure, she wouldn't approach the alien or do anything reckless again. As he heard Nyokes speaking again "Good. The King is fine. The problem is Camilla might've gotten infected."

Nyokes didn't reply for a moment, knowing the consequences of the infection. "You shouldn't stay next to it for too long either. I'll call you when I am on site." And hung up leaving Destrulus in awe.

Meanwhile as the safeguards escorted all the scientists out to a quarantine zone the upper level, where all the financers and supporters were sitting was in uproar. Each person important to its own was immediately escorted to safety, yet the king stood still. The king request he'd stay, he knew he was safe behind the reinforced glass, he wished to look at the form, slowly falling apart. During his gaze he saw a scientist and a sole safeguard standing still after everyone on the ground was evacuated.

The king pointed "Why are they not leaving? Did something happen to them" he didn't address anyone in specific, he just wanted answers. Someone from the guards approached him "Sir, we believe she" corrected himself "the scientist might be infected, and the safeguard doesn't seem to be leaving her side." The king sighed "Poor souls, dying so young." Then stopped midsentence knowing the protocol of the safeguards, they are to leave site, if their protectee is infected. The king instantly jolted up "What the scientist name!" he shouted at the guard hoping he was wrong in every aspect of his deduction, of that scientist being her daughter.

The staff were taken aback by the King's change of character, someone ran quickly through the data they had on the scientist going in and handed Camilla's ID. She used a pseudonym but kept the same picture.

The king slammed the tablet with Camilla's fake ID then threw himself back onto the chair. He himself being aware of the infection's effects. The guard leaned in once again and asked "Sir, is there a problem." He yelled back, not being able to contain his worry anymore "In fact there is!" then he remembered when his aide tapped his shoulder that as a ruler he cannot behave as such in front of his subject. He lowered his tone as he sighed "That's my daughter."