Chapter 8. We evolve to survive

"I told you bringing this so-called curator here was wrong! And I got another proof of that."

Damian had no idea how they could've approved a project like that. What happened to the absolute secrecy of Ceres? Even the teachers who worked here got some of their memories deleted before they were allowed to return to Earth. And the students weren't even permitted to talk to their parents before their education was over!

In the light of all this, a visit of a curator was a mistake. However, Lady Laura didn't share that opinion; she was listening to the hybrid calmly, with that slight aura of supremacy she always had around her.

"It's the decision of our leaders, and you're not the one to argue it. Besides, Arriz is adapting well from what I see."

"It's not about how he's adapting, it's about him!" Damian tried to explain. "Have you read my report? About the fire mission?"

"I have. You think he helped Norman."

"I'm sure about it! Norman Reeze is just not smart enough to create a strategy like that."

"Perhaps," the headmistress nodded. "It is possible that Arriz helped him. But that's great. That's the main idea of this project – to improve the communication between them. Back on Earth more people are becoming antagonistic towards hybrids. Our goal is to show them that the Second Breed are not enemies or outcasts, not even some separate species. They're humans who happen to be a little different."

"But this curator is different himself! It's all in my report… I'm not bothered by his help to Norman, I'm bothered by how he did this! It's as if Arriz knew where to go! And he couldn't know and couldn't see. I don't get it!"

"There's a chance he was just lucky."

"I don't believe in this kind of luck," Damian cringed in frustration.

"So what are you suggestions then? How can you explain his success?"

"I don't know. But I'd rather not let a human I don't understand contact the new generation of hybrids! You know what the time is."

She understood him without any further words. Hybrids were dying on missions more often than ever, even the ones with high levels. Terroristic organizations that used to be taken as mild annoyance were gaining more power. In their desire to destroy the Second Breed they didn't spare anyone, people were dying and their relatives spread their hatred between terrorists and hybrids in equal shares. At such rate hybrids could become their enemies without even breaking the law!

Furthermore, the terrorists weren't relying on brutal strength only. The attacks of such organizations as One Breed were getting more successful, complicated and technologically advanced. It was clear that they were improving not only their weapons, but their intelligence as well.

"We must always think about peace," Laura reminded him. "This is the hybrid way."

"You're too optimistic about it! Let's not talk about the world and concentrate on our case only. This human, Arriz, is going to return to Earth with priceless data in his memory. Is the boy going to be smart enough to keep his mouth shut? What if the terrorists find a way to make him talk? What if they have already done that? It's clear that they want to know more about Ceres, since it's one of the most valuable and vulnerable places in the Second Breed's possession. They tried to send spies here in the past, but we intercepted them. What if we have let new ones in unintentionally?"

Damian was making things sound darker than he actually believed they were. He didn't believe that a young boy such as Arriz could've been entrusted with a spying mission. Even the terrorists were not that mad! But the very tendency of letting strangers on Ceres was disturbing.

Laura didn't have to talk to him about it. She could've reminded him that he was only on the sixth level, not strong enough for his opinion to be heard. He was brought here to teach those kids and nothing more. She did that in the past – but didn't use her authority now.

Because they were discussing a very important topic. In considered the safety of students that he had sworn to protect. Damian couldn't relax as long as he through they were in danger! Laura understood that and didn't send him off.

She got up and headed for the exit.

"Walk with me," she called him. "I want us to observe something together."

The hallways were empty at this time of the day. Some teams had classes, while others were busy training. Hybrids couldn't afford being idle since they knew not everyone would continue the education. They had to show they were the best, or lose their powers and return to Earth.

"I understand your concern," Laura was saying along the way. The absence of students meant they could discuss anything without the fear of being overheard. "I get reports from Earth often, and I know that the number of hybrid haters is growing at alarming rate. I believe myself to be part of the Second Breed, so it hurts me. Lack of hybrid powers doesn't mean anything to me, my life is dedicated to teaching new hybrids, because I believe they should exist. They can do more good for this world than most people."

"Pity not everyone thinks so."

"There's no such thing as unity of opinions, not on important matters. Hatred leads to horrible acts. Remember the attack on the hospital, or the hotel shooting, or the New Year's Eve explosion… there are many tragic examples. Even if we were completely naïve, life would make us consider such threats as One Breed. But we're not naïve, Damian."

They reached the tunnel leading to the training halls. Laura was the first to step on the platform, and the hybrid followed her.

"I still don't understand what does all of this have to do with Arriz Fox," Damian admitted.

"Nothing. We're discussing the thing that made you wary of his behavior – the constant danger we're facing. And I want to show you that this danger makes the Second Breed evolve."

They reached the hall number seven, but didn't go through the main gates. Instead they used a hidden narrow staircase to reach the second floor of the hall, where the observation platform made of bullet-proof glass was waiting for them.

Most halls had such platforms, though not all of them. They were designed to watch the training process without any risk. The hall was occupied at the moment: Rokko was working with the Black Team.

This hall was a strikingly realistic imitation of a battlefield. Burned ground covered in holes and pits, and bloody red mannequins wearing military uniforms… it was hard to believe that those were not real corpses. Other decorations included the remains of brick walls, burned cars and trenches. But the center of attention was undoubtedly a large tank. It was a real thing, not some pathetic model! It had barrels on two sides that fired energy blasts and machine guns above them to protect the crew. A perfect weapon of attack and defense.

Naturally, it was fixed in such a way that it couldn't kill the students on the spot. There was no-one inside, and the power of blasts was minimal. But they were still real, and a direct hit could harm young hybrids or even knock them out. None of them dared to go for a breakthrough because of that. They just spread across the battlefield, moving from time to time so the tank wouldn't be able to get too close.

"I've seen this before," Damian noted. "My team had this script too."

"No need to remind me. You were part of the previous generation, and I'm not ancient enough to forget this."

At that moment the Silver twins decided to take a risk. They attacked together, as always; one of them was distracting the opponent while the other was trying to deliver a strong blow. That tactic worked against other hybrids, but not against a computer. The tank fired from two barrels, and a moment later Light and Dark had to move back.

"When did you do this script?" Laura asked.

"When we reached the forth level. I know they're still level two. So what? If that's your idea of evolution, I'm not impressed. My team succeeded on that mission, and the fact you threw them here a year earlier doesn't make their chances of winning any better. Just look at them!"

Coris tried attacking the tank while Damian was speaking. He took the gun lying by one of the "corpses" and dashed forward. He was a good shot and even disabled a couple of machine guns on top of the tank. But that was where his luck ran out: a blast that flew out of the barrel hit him square in the chest, throwing the hybrid back. Coris didn't black out, which was impressive, but he was disoriented and couldn't move normally. A second hit could've seriously hurt him, but Red, who was close to the place of his fall, managed to pull his classmate into a trench.

"They're strong," Damian said. "But the Black Team is always strong, they're to become special forces! Their predecessors weren't any worse, so I think it's too early to talk about evolution."

"Damian, but I wasn't talking about them. Look over there."

He shifted his gaze to the direction she was pointing at and whistled quietly. He had only just noticed that on top of one of the burned cars sat a slim figure.

Damian had seen this child before – it was hard not to notice him! The boy was covered in bandages from head to toe with only his amber eyes left open to the world. This student had always acted weird, and today wasn't an exception. He wasn't hiding like the rest of his team. But his bravery wasn't blind or stupid either: the blasts couldn't reach this far, and there were no chances of the tank getting closer. The war machine was reacting to movement only, and other students were unknowingly covering their bandaged comrade who remained unmoving.

"Is that the one who I think it is?" Damian inquired, watching the child carefully. "Your notorious experiment?"

"That's Karajo," Laura specified. "Someone you should be very careful about."

"Not too impressive, I can sit like that all day!"

"Karajo's characteristics are unique so far. Top rates at everything – intelligence, stamina and even aggression control. What looks like sitting to you is actually strategic analysis. It precedes the quickest and most effective way to deal with the problem at hand."

There was an impression that Karajo could hear them, because at that very moment the bandaged figure left its spot and slid forward gracefully. The tank reacted rapidly, shooting at the new target. But the hybrid used his small size and speed to avoid the blasts. And when the guns got into action, their bullets weren't even close to him.

Damian expected the young hybrid to attack from above, it seemed like the only option possible! But Karajo moved under the machine without a second's delay, passing the chain tracks in a perfectly calculated motion. Only a child could do that… And Karajo used that advantage to its fullest. The bottom of the tank was made of thin metal that hid computer schemes. This part wasn't protected by any weapons, so if the hybrid managed to get to the computer's control center, the battle would be over in a minute!

And that's exactly what happened. The tank fired both barrels for the last time and froze like a shot animal. Shortly after that the upper hatch, hidden between the machine guns, opened to let out Karajo, who was brushing the mud off his bandaged hands.

"Fifty more points for that," Laura commented. "But that doesn't matter. We're already looking at the best warrior of this generation with record amount of points."

"Isn't that also the youngest of students?"

"True. Only twelve – and already such supreme results."

"That can't be level two," Damian shook his head in doubt. "There has to be some cheating here! They've probably added extra matter back at the lab…"

"No," the headmistress interrupted him. "That would've been a violation of law! Karajo was given the same amount of power as the others. I can guarantee that."

"Then what's the experiment about? I haven't been given all the details…"

"That means you don't have to know. What's important now is that the likes of Karajo are the future of the Second Breed. This is our answer to the threat that scares you. A warrior of unique skill even now, at this primitive level! We can only guess what is yet to come."

The training was over. The hybrids were looking at the broken tank, discussing something among themselves. Karajo paid no attention to them, going straight to the gates. Damian saw the body of a child – and felt the hurricane of energy hidden inside.

That combination freaked him out.

"Just one…" he whispered.

"One today, but that's only the beginning. That's why I'm not too concerned about the situation with the terrorists. I don't believe you're right about Arriz. But let's consider such option for a second – him being a spy."

"I didn't say he was a spy!"

"Then let's just consider that," she repeated. "If that was true, his destiny would be a sad one. Sooner or later Karajo would find and destroy him, just like any other representative of One Breed. Their hatred granted us the power that will crush them one day."

The white figure in black uniform left the hall. Damian turned to the headmistress.

"I want to talk to him!"

"Talk to him?" Laura echoed, smiling softly. "My dear, you have no idea what a mistake you've just made!"