4

I wasn't naiive though. I knew that these men could become monsters. No woman could be without the fear of seeing that aggression in the other gender when the species known as alpha. Their body size was imposing and looking up to them had already placed their position as primal to us. These were the ones commanding the legions as we fought against the darkness that threatened to engulf from extra terresterial threats. To fight back to keep our planet safe, our society needed dominance and aggression where the fighters would keep getting up even if there was no hope for survival. It wasn't something that we talked about in the news anymore, but the tariffs and the quiet rations--were something we all accepted but refused to speak up. It was always a part of a society that it was a requirement that there be a weaker sex and that was we.

"I am not one who is often seen with the most violent species. I hope that you will not see this as more weakness. But, sir, what do you mean that you're making them more alpha?" I stuttered through my sentence as I finally crossed the threshold after Dr. Dawson. I had meant to say that more eloquently, but the automatic lock clicking behind me made me pause and look behind me at it. I felt like I was stepping into a tomb as I looked around to the lights that were turning on with timer. My vision slowly adjusted to the brightness that was growing and the laboratory was illuminated. I couldn't believe my eyes.

"I'm not sure what you mean. I think it's very straightforward once you get the chemistry of the hormones." Dr Dawson said, the smirk on his face was a bit unsettling as he turned to me. "It's all natural if you think about it. Our team has created a supplement that will make any alpha immediately rush into it's mating drive. There's nothing wrong with augmenting their existing nature."

I looked wide eyed into the space below. We were looking down into the lab as there was still a flight of stairs to get down to the main floor. But, from here we had a whole bird's eye view of the workings of the lab and the people scurrying about doing their jobs.

There were two beta males in hazmat suits who were looking from specimen to another. They were wearing gas masks as they stared up at us nodding and waving. They were noting down something and then they moved backwards into the decontamination zone.

I walked down the stairs slowly with my mentor and I held in a breath as through the glass and staff taking off their hazmat suits, I could see the contamination zone. I could see that there was row after row of cages of roaring alphas chained. I flinched with the betas with the sound increasing while Dr. Dawson stood his ground and smirked.

"Those are people in cages?" I stuttered out my sentence wiping my eyes as I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

"Cages? Don't be ridiculous, Ms. Spitz. We're civilized. There is a safe area and then a restricted area. The area is designed based on the Norweigian prison system. It's one of the humane systems in the entire world, it's completely safe for everyone involved. I wonder . . . in your university environment you would never have been able to see a full mating drive? Alphas are restrained in society."

I swallowed involuntarily as I felt myself shiver as I looked through the two layers of heavy duty glass at the foaming at the mouth straining against his choke chain collar. He was completely naked as the veins in his arms bulged in the bathroom stall like area where he was being held. He was jerked backwards as he reached the edge of the borders of his cage. The hazmat suited workers looked at him with annoyance. One of them flipped the bird at that one as he rolled his eyes. The men were like tigers being held at the zoo fighting for a chance to lick the meat which was the beta workers.

"And these, you call them the specimens, they agreed . . . to live like this for however long their study period is for. Any species in this type of environment makes me feel like I'm at a zoo."

Dr. Dawson looked in my direction with a look of almost confusion. Then his smirk came back as the realization spread across his neurons in due time. "I had forgotten. Please don't take this to heart. I have forgotten about the lesser species and how you have sympathy. My superiors always told me to remind that such sentiments are a strength, though I do feel otherwise. Of course, you would have compassion for anything in this lab that I would call a specimen, say it be a beetle or an alpha who could kill you at any moment. I'm sure with your mind you would forgive them and call it just mistaken instincts whereas I am of another mind entirely. But, remind yourself that all of the specimens you see before you are undesirables. They were scheduled for execution as they deserted the front lines. They're all traitors to our kind. Instead of a rightly deserved asphyxiation in zero gravity, they are here in our lab. They're on their backs as they are used for a higher purpose to make sure that our patriots can defeat the enemy. I can understand the idea of a compassion, but wouldn't you agree, Mrs. Spitz, that their lives have a higher purpose now? This is the best option for them now."

"Well, I can't argue with that." I said sheepishly. These were hardened veterans who had seen something terrifying and run. Worse, they had run and gotten caught. If my sympathy was a weakness, then I couldn't say that I couldn't say these were people who were not deserving of a second chance. I wish there was more of a choice for them. I'm sure there was something human left.