The Spider Queen

(Hydra Star System- Outer Regions)

(Hidden Location- Secret Laboratory)

"Another failure… another… ANOTHER FAILURE!" Dr. Valenna shouted in rage as she slammed her slender fist against the top of the table.

It was a rare loss of composure for the lead scientist on the project who usually had an ice-cold demeanor.

Dr. Valenna let out a heavy sigh and sat down on the chair next to her. She took off her glasses and absentmindedly ran her fingers through her hair.

Two months… two months had passed since she had started the next rounds of testing using the Insectoid specimen that was captured.

Despite her best efforts… little progress had been made.

Well, there had been some progress on the research of the anatomy of that particular Insectoid species.

But that was not the main purpose of this project.

The noble sponsors who financed Project Rhat'ets wanted to breed the next generation of super soldiers for the Imperial Army.

Hybrid warriors made from crossing human DNA with various Insectoid species. Dr. Valenna placed her face in her hands as she felt as though a massive headache was coming on.

She needed results and soon.

The lead scientist stayed in her private office for around ten minutes before slowly rousing herself from her depression.

She could not afford to give up now. Not when she had bet her own life to complete this project on time.

Perhaps there was an alternative way to satisfy the noble backers.

The Human- Insectoid hybrids may not be viable yet so why not try to cross breed them with more species?

She could try to create chimeras…

Human DNA was quite unique among the species across the universe due to the fact that it was genetically compatible with almost any intelligent lifeform.

Dr. Valenna's eyes sparkled as a few ideas flashed across her mind.

With newfound determination she walked out of her office and headed for the containment center.

She wandered through a labyrinth of side-passageways and metalloid corridors until finally arriving at a heavily guarded door at the end of a hallway.

Dr. Valenna nodded at the squad of privately trained mercenaries standing outside and received short bows of respect.

She placed her hand on the scanner next to the heavy metalloid door and a green light flashed twice.

The door slowly swung open to reveal what looked to be a high-tech jail. Rows upon rows of containment cells had been placed one next to the other.

Inside each cell were the Human- Serpentinea hybrids who stared at her with a variety of expressions on their faces.

There were some who maintained traces of their former intellect and they were not fans of the woman who had imprisoned and tortured them in the name of science.

The hybrids looked like normal humans, but multiple pink eyes could be seen across different parts of their bodies.

Their mouths were massive maws with dozens of razor-sharp teeth that gleamed eerily under the artificial lighting.

Dr. Valenna raised up her hand and lightly tapped on the glass. Her movements attracted the attention of the hybrid in the cell closest to her.

The lead scientist checked the notes on her wrist communicator and quickly pulled up the history of the middle-aged hybrid in the cell.

Apparently, he used to be a famous pirate in the Hydra Star System, but he was captured by bounty hunters and sold on the black market as a human slave.

The once fearsome pirate was now little more than an animal who drooled as he approached the glass.

Dr. Valenna frowned as she saw his saliva hit the ground and the dull whimpers that left his throat made the lead scientist feel disgusted.

She could tolerate his gruesome appearance, but the lack of strength displayed by this hybrid during testing could not be accepted.

He should be immediately scheduled for termination…

Dr. Valenna turned away from the cell and made her way further inward.

She would occasionally stop to glance at the inhabitants of the other cells but moved on after failing to see anything noteworthy.

The highest level of strength that these hybrids reached was around the upper echelons of the qi spirit stage.

And that was hardly enough to warrant such a high investment by the noble backers of the project.

Dr. Valenna knew exactly what would happen to her should she fail to deliver results in the coming months.

The clock was slowly ticking, and she could feel her life slipping away with every tick as she neared the date of her death.

There was an unassuming door at the end of the containment zone. This time Dr. Valenna had to scan multiple parts of her body and enter a password in order for the door to open.

She stepped forward into the room and the door swung shut behind her with a heavy clang. The lead scientist found herself in a wide-open space with a cell in the back of the hall.

"How has your day been?" Dr. Valenna asked coldly as stared at the creature inside the reinforced glass container.

The alien inside the prison cell was a humanoid creature with elastic and stretchy skin that bore a striking resemblance to rubber.

Yellowish scales covered certain parts of its skin and tiny green spikes jutted out of its shoulder blades.

Three bright pink eyes were located along its torso and there was a mysterious orifice located near its posterior region.

Long painful scars could be observed along the alien's back and they resembled puncture wounds that were still healing.

"Don't want to answer?" Dr. Valenna slowly muttered as she pressed a button near the wall of the cell.

The alien screeched in pain as thick green gas rose up from the floor and his rubber skin began to blister and burn.

"Stop… stop… I answer… I answer…" the alien groaned painfully as he slumped to the ground and curled up in a fetal position.

"I must say… I am quite impressed that you managed to learn the common language of the Federation so quickly," Dr. Valenna muttered quietly.

"Most see insectoids as nothing more than mindless animals but you higher order species… you truly are something special…"

The insectoid in the prison cell turned away from Dr. Valenna because he was afraid that the merciless scientist would see the hatred in his eyes.

"So… tell me…" Dr. Valenna suddenly spoke, and her words echoed through the room.

"Are higher order Insectoid species capable of cross breeding?"

"No," the Insectoid whispered as his face twisted in an expression of disgust. Members of the Serpentinea race would never breed with those outside of their species.

Dr. Valenna hummed softly as she wrote down a few notes and observations on her notepad.

There was a tense moment of silence as the alien inside the cell waited to see what the scientist would ask next.