"What's that?" Augustus ignored Kerrigan and others trying to stop him and directly walked toward that dissection table, asking that researcher who had just holstered sidearm.
"Marshal Augustus, it is truly my honor to meet you. This is one type of alien parasite."
That researcher gave Augustus a precise standard military salute. Just like the majority of researchers in this base, he also once, before Korhal War, joined Korhal Revolutionary Army as voluntary soldier.
"Zerg can directly inject their eggs into Terran bodies, and these eggs will hatch in several days or even in shorter time. After that, the Zerg inside the eggs will burst out and kill their host."
"But with sufficient preparation, these Zerg that hatch will not produce great danger. They are like swift six-legged beetles, with long and sharp bone spikes at ends of their limbs, sharp like fast knives used for cutting meat. Against Terrans without weapons, these small bugs are still lethal killers." The researcher calmly explained to Augustus.
"You are saying Zerg will inject eggs into human bodies." Raynor beside Augustus felt a wave of disgust.
"Yes, they are injecting eggs." The Zerg-specimen researcher's tone did not have any fluctuation. "They pierce ovipositor into Terran body and lay eggs and cocoons that breed alien forms. Same as Umojan parasitic hornets. They lay eggs inside victim's body, use host as nourishment, and when mature and bursting out, that moment is end of host."
"So disgusting." Sarah Kerrigan unconsciously tugged the lock of red hair hanging beside her forehead.
"When I first saw these monsters, I was so disgusted I could not eat." The researcher said indifferently. "You get used to it. Now we even have people here who can eat while looking at them."
"This is not right." Kerrigan said.
"Is it useful to remove eggs? Can it save those Terrans who were injected with eggs?" Augustus asked.
"We already tried, but without exception it will cause hatching process to advance. Once eggs inside infected person detect our action, they will immediately accelerate hatching and burst out in advance." the researcher said.
"It is both efficient and lethal. Most important, for infected ones who know all of this, it will be extremely cruel torment."
"I understand." Augustus nodded. "Thank you for contribution you made for Revolutionary Army and for Terrans. Your names and merits will never be buried."
"Continue completing what you are doing. Every task you do is adding bricks for us to overthrow Confederacy tyranny and restore Korhal."
"This is responsibility and mission of every Korhal-born, Marshal." The other immediately showed excited expression.
When this researcher prepared to continue work, Augustus again looked toward Revolutionary Army xenobiologist Flanx walking over.
"What happened to that kid Egon? Looks like fright he received is not light." Then he asked with concern.
"Egon insisted on coming to 'see' alien organisms, but unexpectedly was scared badly."
Doctor Flanx was wearing protective goggles reflecting orange light under lamps, with white simple bandage patches stuck on his forehead and right cheek.
"How is that kid performing?" Augustus casually asked. "I thought you would complain to me about why I stuffed a child under ten to you."
"I have no dissatisfaction, Marshal, I am very satisfied." Flanx did not dare say he was dissatisfied.
As xenobiologist who once served Confederacy Zerg research projects, now Confederacy, in order to guard their secrets, must be trying every method to keep people like Flanx silent forever. He had already been completely tied onto Revolutionary Army's chariot.
Either this revolution would eventually sweep Terran Confederacy and even entire Koprulu Sector, with Flanx's status rising together with tide, or Augustus Mengsk would ultimately fail to escape Confederacy Army's encirclement, and at moment of being executed by firing squad he, Flanx, could only try hard to fight for a dignified death.
"Egon is actually very intelligent child. Not only in biology, in engineering machinery field he can also be called true genius." Doctor Flanx said. "Current only difficulty is he is truly too young. And this child talks somewhat too much."
"You mean he is chatterbox." Raynor, who had been listening beside them, at this moment reached conclusion. "I understand this feeling of being bothered."
"No, that is not what I mean." Doctor explained. "This child is kinder than all people I have ever seen. Whenever he does something, starting point is always for others instead of himself."
"I like this child very much, and I also think this is his trait. If God used same mold when creating Terrans, then when He kneaded Egon Stetmann, without doubt He used gold to make heart."
"This seems unrelated to him being chatterbox. In the end, he still talks too much. He always talks and then immerses into his own world." Raynor spread his hands.
"Egon's heart is much purer than many people. He is just easily nervous. True geniuses are always different. I always tell him this." Augustus smiled.
"Alright, Doctor Flanx, explain in detail to me progress of your research." He asked Flanx.
"How much do we understand about Zerg species infecting these people? Are there effective countermeasures?"
"Combining research data of Vyctor V and Chau Sara Base, infection should come from Zerg creep that covered entire Chau Sara and one Zerg organism called Zerg Queen. Latter is higher-level Zerg life individual."
Doctor Flanx walked close before Augustus and took out personal portable data template in his hand.
"This organism is similar to ant queens and bee queens. In vast branches of Zerg groups, this type mainly takes responsibility for spreading plague and releasing parasites to infect hosts of swarm. Infected ones, while still alive, will already become staggering living corpses — like zombies." He said.
"The Queen will also lay eggs. Of course, currently there is no direct evidence proving Zerglings and Hydralisks are produced by Queen Zerg. All Zerg groups should come from metamorphosis after larva cocoons."
Several images of Zerg Queen slid across Doctor Flanx's data template. It was a hideous monster, mixture of spider, starfish, and arthropod insect. It had huge mouthparts and sharp teeth, its swollen abdomen seeming filled with deadly parasites numbering tens of billions.
"These monsters can fly, and their speed is not inferior to our Avenger fighter jets. My suggestion is—" Doctor adjusted his goggles. "To deal with this monster, missiles and anti-air guns must be used, and at same time offensive fighter jets are enough to easily eliminate them."
"Oh ah. I thought you had some immediate solution or good idea only biologists could propose." Raynor shrieked.
"Anything valuable discovered?"
"Latest discovery, Zerg Zerglings are allergic to lemon juice. They really hate lemon juice." Flanx shrugged.
"Why don't you say mutated blood-sucking infected people fear garlic." Raynor complained.
"I have not tested it. Scientific experimentation is rigorous." Doctor Flanx knew Raynor thought he was joking.
But he truly was not joking.
"Maybe something in lemon juice can make Zerglings feel displeased." What surprised both Flanx and Raynor was that Augustus clearly accepted this statement.
"Continue researching in this direction. Zerg are not flawless perfect organisms. They certainly have weaknesses."
"Even if this is true, they cannot possibly drop dead or flee in panic the moment they see lemon juice. That would be the effect we want." Raynor said.
"I will start arranging this project." Doctor Flanx at this moment led Augustus deeper into research laboratory: "Next I will show you monsters warriors brought back from Los Andares. Some monsters are ones our warriors must pay extra attention to when fighting Zerg. In addition, I must show you new-type weapon discovered inside Chau Sara Confederacy base."
"Terran possess heavy artillery capable of penetrating Zerg chitin armor and powered armor strong enough to withstand sharp fangs and claws, but infection and mutation are true unseen enemies."
As they continued going deeper, some creatures far more terrifying than those dead ones earlier immediately came into view:
A dog-like monster being kept inside electrified iron cage—this clearly was not Zergling. Faintly visible golden hair on its body surface and pair of drooping ears on its head all showed it originally had been pet of Los Andares residents, a golden retriever that once watched over farm owner's home.
Now, this pitiful beast had undergone horrifying mutations all over its body. It had become larger and stronger, with arched back already exceeding six feet. On its unnaturally raised high back grew paired barbs and protruding bone spikes.
This strange creature's body was covered with carapace full of cracks and wildly growing sharp spikes. Inside its originally furry paws were now wrapped multiple pairs of contracting bone claws. These claws were all far longer and sharper than before, to extent that protruding parts even stabbed into tissues of its limbs.
Such pain was enough to render a sentient creature unable to move, but it still stood there like lion lifting head to survey territory, occasionally letting out distorted angry barks.
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