"Report," The female admiral said as she entered a science lab onboard the capital ship.
"Ma'am," The TISF officers turned and saluted as they heard her.
"Enough of that and get on with the report," The Admiral said while waving her hand dismissively.
"Yes, ma'am," one of the officers replied before beginning. "The preliminary scan of the information on the consoles and data drives was accurate. There are detailed logs and scientific reports pertaining to experiments conducted on Terran individuals and their DNA."
"They actually experimented on people?"
"The earlier logs show that at first all they did was collect samples of blood and DNA from slaves and those who lived on the streets of Trillion.
In fact, there are transfer records of slaves being brought in from off-world over several years, as well as records as recent as a few months ago of them being transferred off-world to a research station."
"Wait, transferred to a research station? Do we know which one or have the coordinates?" The admiral asked.
The science officer used the console for a moment before a new holographic screen featuring a star map of the Sandanar Galaxy appeared, and then zoomed in on a planet near an asteroid belt.
"The coordinates place it within the asteroid belt near Thuaria."
The admiral quickly sent a message on her uniband that included the coordinates before saying, "Good work, carry on with your report."
"Thank you, ma'am. After doing tests and experiments on the DNA and blood samples, they moved on to live experiments."
"Live experiments?" What sort?"
"Human tests. Whoever these individuals are, they seem to have developed some kind of serum or drug that they were administering to the slaves before performing tests.
The tests started out as normal fitness tests like the kind we TISF officers undertake as part of our health and fitness checkup.
However, it quickly progressed to tests far more brutal and inhuman. The test subjects were forced to survive in conditions like you would find within a volcano, or in a blizzard or a thunderstorm. All while naked and without any form of protection.
Those that survived were then injected with lethal poisons in an attempt to see if they could survive.
Those that did were forced to fight barehanded against armed personnel."
"What on Terrana were they testing for? What were they even trying to do?" The admiral asked in disgust.
"Evidence points to them attempting to create a type of super Terran by genetically altering the test subject's blood and DNA."
"Oh fucking great, that only goes against every law set by the Universal Senate regarding body enhancement." The admiral said in frustration as she ran her hand over her face.
"That's correct, ma'am, while cybernetic enhancement is allowed within the known universe. Genetic alteration is strictly forbidden and has been since the founding of the Universal Senate because of the Genetic Wars."
"Balisner, are you listening?" The admiral suddenly asked.
"Always admiral, what can I do for you?" A slightly robotic feminine voice said through the room's comm."
"Classify everything you have just heard as well as everything recovered from the labs on Trillion under Admiral-level clearance and restrict access to this room to only those presently within it."
"Understood, clearance level Admiral has been established, and access to science lab five has been restricted."
"Good," The admiral replied before turning to the TISF science officers and ordering, "You are hereby ordered to keep quiet about everything you have learned here. Understood?"
Understood, ma'am."
"Good, keep me informed of any further developments."
💫💫💫
"So what the fuck are we supposed to do with this information?" Emperor Daniel sighed as he read the classified report the Admiral of the Capital ship Balisner had just sent him.
"First off, we dispatch a contingent of TISF ships to the location of this secret research station in the asteroid belt near Thuaria." Empress Victoria said with an annoyed tone.
"That's already been taken care of," Daniel replied before saying, "Our issue now is the fallout we're going to receive once the universe finds out that illegal genetic experiments have been taking place in our space."
"Well, we can either come out with it and suffer the feedback, or cover it up and hope it never comes out.
The issue with the second option, though, is that, 'if' it does come out, we will be in even deeper shit."
"I know, we are better off just coming out with it. Is there any way we can lessen the blowback, though?"
"Why not claim a terrorist organisation is responsible for both the genetic experiments as well as the bombing of Trillion's neutron reactor, which they did in an attempt to cover up the experiments," Victoria suggested.
"That's plausible, after all, there is some truth in that." Michael Ororis commented.
"Exactly, experiments on this level would require access to a large amount of both credits and scientific equipment. Not to mention being capable of bombing a neutron reactor and plant spies within the TISF.
There is definitely some sort of criminal organisation behind all this." Victoria added.
"If what you say is true, how have we never heard even a whisper of such a criminal organisation?" Daniel asked.
"That's the million credit question," Michael remarked.
💫💫💫
"Ugh," Adam groaned as he regained consciousness to discover that he still lay on one of the medical beds in the med bay.
"Report," he asked groggily.
"Artificial gills installation complete, you are now capable of both breathing and talking underwater without a breather," Spector replied through the med bays' comm system.
"Great, what's our current position?"
"We are presently in orbit around Oceana Six. We arrived here a few hours ago, and clearance to land has already been provided."
"Any issues while I was undergoing surgery?"
"Negative."
"Alright, begin the landing procedure and inform the others. I'm going to go grab a shower." Adam said as he climbed off the medical bed and headed towards a room of the med bay that housed a shower.
💫💫💫
"I hope he's doing ok," Lorelie remarked with obvious concern as the group of women waited for Adam to awaken.
"He's fine, Spector already confirmed that the surgery was a success, and we now just have to wait for him to awaken," Stacey replied calmly.
"How can you be so calm?" Lorelie asked.
"Well, unlike you, I've had enhancement surgery, so I know there's nothing to worry about," Stacey replied while shrugging.
"Really? What did you have done?" Rowena asked curiously, as she never knew her granddaughter had any cybernetic implants.
"Nothing amazing, when I was younger, Susan persuaded me to get a hacking chip installed in my head. I'm nowhere near her level, but I can hack basic systems." Stacey replied.
"Wow, can I get some kind of cybernetic upgrade?" Tephe asked curiously.
"While it is possible, it's not recommended for dragons unless it is to replace a limb that they have lost," Rowena replied.
"Why?" Tephe asked as she tilted her head in curiosity.
"A dragon's body is very resistant to cybernetic implants; any dragons that have tried to get them in the past have had their body reject them. The only exceptions are external additions like a prosthetic limb; however, a dragon's scales are much more durable than anything the prosthetic is made out of, making it pointless, most of the time, unless it's to replace a lost limb like I said."
"Ohhh, ok," Tephe replied, losing interest since she now knew that her body was already better than any upgrade available.
"ATTENTION, We have begun our descent to Oceana Six spaceport and will be landing momentarily." Spector suddenly said through the mess hall comm.
"Oh, he must be awake," Lorelie said with a smile before asking. "How is he, Spector, and what's he doing?"
"Adam is fine and asked me to inform you that he is currently taking a shower before he joins you all," Spector replied.
"A shower? Maybe I should go join him," Stacey said as her eyes lit up before she stood up and tried to head towards the doorway.
"Hold it," Lorelie said as she grabbed hold of the hood on Stacey's hoodie, a new piece of clothing Stacey had discovered since they departed a few hours ago and really liked.
"Wha!" Stacey said in surprise as Lorelie pulled her back down onto the couch before saying.
"Let's let him have this shower in peace since he just woke up."
"Aww, but I haven't done anything with him in the shower since before we arrived on Terrana Five," Stacey complained with a pout.
"While that sounds interesting and everything, how about we save this conversation until we are alone," Lorelie suggested.
"I don't mind," Rowena said with her signature smirk.
"Nor me," Tephe said as she listened in with interest.
"Rowena, I can understand since she likes chaos," Lorelie commented while ignoring Rowena's "Hey!" of complaint before asking.
"But why are you so interested, Tephe?"
"I want to learn the best ways and places to mate with Adam for the future," Tephe replied brightly.