Lucas sat beside Vance as he faced Stinton and other people who he didn't know. He was meeting them for the first time.
While some sneaked a glance at him a few times, there were a few who stared at him blatantly, making him apprehensive. Lucas fidgeted in his spot uneasily until it caught Vance's attention.
"Is your butt on fire? Why are you wriggling like a worm?" he whispered, admonishing him through his eyes.
Lucas stopped moving instantly and let out a deep breath. 'What do you know? Can't you see how some of them are looking at me? They are just short of dissecting me to see what I'm made of.'
Lucas was close to shedding tears, especially when he met a woman's intense, scrutinizing gaze. She was studying him with her eyes narrowed, and Lucas felt as if he was an artifact in a museum.
"You must be Lucas Everett," Stinton started, and Lucas raised his head to look at the man who he had only seen once in the canteen.
"I am," he answered, gathering his courage. He didn't know why he was so apprehensive. The woman especially gave him an uneasy feeling, as if she could see right through him.
"Was it you who suggested the idea of going to Aslan?" Stinton continued, his eyes twinkling with interest. There was an odd glint in his eyes, which Lucas couldn't comprehend.
"Yes."
"Would you mind explaining why?"
"Stinton, I..."
Stinton raised his palm and interrupted Vance. "I want to hear his reply, Vance."
Lucas gulped when he sensed the power radiating off him. Stinton was surely worthy of being a leader. What an aura! What might!
Lucas had never met anyone so powerful in his life. So, he didn't have experience handling situations like these. But that didn't mean he was dumb. He wasn't a scaredy-cat by any means. Since he didn't commit any crime, there wasn't a need for him to be afraid.
Sitting straight, he looked at Stinton directly. "How do I address you?" Lucas asked, giving Stinton a straight-forward attitude, making the man quirk his brows in surprise.
Even the woman was taken aback by his brazenness.
"You may call me Stinton."
"Well, then, Stinton, I'm a biochemical scientist by profession. During our rescue mission at Novastra, I noticed the monsters had mutated. They were stronger and faster. From Vance and the others, I learned that we never stayed after rescuing the humans. So, we didn't know what happened after the rescue mission."
"So, you asked them to wait for some time and watch the situation," the woman intervened suddenly, robbing Lucas of his words.
Lucas nodded. "It was then we noticed the monsters were under some sort of control. Their only motive was to kill. Since there weren't any humans to kill, they attacked each other until the last one killed itself."
Lucas's tone turned somber, and he looked at Stinton. "If the monsters were killing themselves, how were they appearing in other cities and attacking humans later? What is actually happening?"
Stinton nodded, persuaded by his reasoning. Previously, when Vance and Ryker had approached him, they hadn't given him much details. They had only said that they'd find answers in Aslan. Though doubtful, he had permitted them to go to Aslan and had even requested the other cities to cooperate.
Now, he was glad he hadn't stopped them. From Lucas' words, he could perceive that there was a lot more to what it seemed.
"After returning from Novastra, I looked for Patrick. From him, I discovered Wren and Jackson, who were residents of Aslan, were involved in researching mutagens and human cloning. Isn't it suspicious that the first attack happened in Aslan as well?"
Again, Stinton nodded, now utterly convinced. Not just him, the others too were convinced by Lucas's reasons. The woman, however, remained unfathomable. But the slight nod gave her thoughts away.
"It can't be coincidental. So, I wanted to visit Aslan, more specifically, Wren and Jackson's laboratory, to see if we can find something."
"Did you find anything?" Stinton asked, leaning forward on his desk with his hands clasped.
"We did actually. We found a lot and it ain't good."
From Lucas's dark expression, they could make out that whatever they'd be hearing next wouldn't be just bad. So, they held their breaths, waiting for the man to continue.
However, Lucas passed the buck to Vance, who started speaking instantly after receiving his cue.
"Stinton, we found fresh blood and mutilated bodies of both monsters and humans in the laboratory basement. Moreover, there were a lot of equipment and devices that seemed to be used for human experimentation."
Stinton frowned to himself. Why did Vance take over? I rather prefer Lucas's style of speaking.
Lucas' speech was detailed and continuous, leaving nothing important. So, it was easy to comprehend a lot just by listening to him.
Not knowing that he was being despised for being a terrible speaker, Vance continued, "Also, there is an entire room filled with gadgets and devices that resemble what Elli has created."
"You're joking, right?" Stinton's irritation vanished, and he looked at Vance incredulously.
"Nope. There was even a chamber from where four robots appeared and attacked us."
Now, even Patrick was horrified, and he stared at his brother as if he had seen a ghost.
"Attacked you? How?"
Vance then went on to explain all that happened and how they had escaped from Aslan.
"Are these the rifles?" Stinton was in awe. Though he was frightened, he was still amazed to learn what the rifles were capable of.
"Yes, Stinton."
Stinton nodded. Although he wanted to test how effective the rifles were, it wasn't the time for it. So, he gave up on the idea for the time being.
"So, what did you find out about humans being experimented?" he turned to Lucas again.
"Stinton, Wren and Jackson and everyone who worked in the lab made a report of the experiment. They must have tested the effect of the mutagen on the humans in their lab before planning the attack."
"You told that the monsters kill themselves after killing the humans. Are humans still being experimented at Wren and Jackson's laboratory?" Stinton's brows contorted into a deep frown.
"I can't say for sure if humans are still being experimented on. But that's not how the attacks are happening."
"What do you mean?" the woman asked suddenly, her tone filled with barely concealed shock.
"Umm... well, the mutagen they have created is potential enough to affect humans just by inhaling," Lucas revealed, watching the people's faces go pale in horror. "10 minutes of inhaling and the humans aren't themselves anymore."
Lucas then picked up the file that had details about CRX-21, the final compound and pushed it towards Stinton, who read it with his lips pursed.
"This is bad."
"Yes, it is. Patrick and I will try to find an antidote as soon as possible. But I'd recommend everyone to start wearing masks soon. You can't always wear masks for sure, but at least try to wear them whenever outside."
Lucas was instantly reminded of the pandemic era back on Earth. Were they going to return to those days?
"I have one question though," the man beside Stinton said suddenly. "Who is releasing the mutagen in the air?"
Now Lucas went silent. He had no answer this time.
Even Vance and Ryker remained quiet. However, Dave's eyes narrowed for a second before a possibility sprang into his mind.
"Don't tell me," he uttered, baffled by his own thoughts.
"What are you thinking, Dave?" Vance asked, giving the man a confused look.
"Vance, do you think the robots are somehow involved in this matter?"
"Huh?" Vance couldn't comprehend what he was getting at.
"Could they have released the mutagen in the air?"