Page 96 of Monster. Me.

We both fill our suitcases in complete silence.

FENN DRAX

I sit against the chamber wall, staring at the naked body of the alpha lying on the table whose name I don’t even know. My senses are working at full capacity, and I see an additional layer of information over his body, his organs, blood vessels, bones, and tendons.

Of course I lied to the doctor. I told him it was the method I used on betas so he wouldn’t force me into a physical act.

So I have to deliver.

I reach into the alpha’s dormant gonads and focus on stimulating them.

In the past, I never had to do anything like that. Automatic impregnation is part of my other nature.

Dr. Lomax and Dr. Lee figured out flawlessly that what I really am wants to trigger pregnancy in everyone I have sex with. But since my second side operates completely beyond my control, now I concentrate hard to do this consciously, activating the glands.

If I succeed, Dr. Lomax will have his damned results and maybe finally close this topic, making them understand that this kind of effect can’t be achieved through the methods available to science, because all of this is fucking magic.

I’m already done with experiments anyway, and even if those two million dollars disappear, so be it. I won't betray Marlow for the two mil. There's no price on that.

Besides, I still have two healthy hands I can use to earn money; I simply won't compromise my integrity for gold.

My only hope is that if I satisfy Dr. Lomax’ scientific curiosity, he won’t send me back to prison.

I hear his voice through the speaker.

"I’m seeing a significant increase in blood flow to his gonads. How long can you keep it activated?"

"I don’t know. I don’t measure my intercourse times, but I can guess that if it’s repeated a few times, the gonads are ready to produce an ovum."

"Okay, so we’ll repeat this in two days since that was your arrangement in the previous facility. We’ll see if anything has actually changed."

Then he turns to the alpha.

"Jordi, I encourage you to have intercourse with your partner. If anything is going to happen, this is the moment."

Jordi nods.

Dr. Lomax has a vertical wrinkle on his forehead and determination in his eyes. He desperately wants visible, tangible, scientific proof that what I’m doing is not reproducible, magical, and thus he can absolve himself of responsibility for the program’s failure.

As he ends, a high-pitched screeching sound resonates in my ear.

I realize the doctor probably failed to turn off the microphone. He most likely lifted his finger too early.

Because the chamber is soundproof, I normally shouldn’t hear any of his conversations, but now I do.

Dr. Lomax seems to be super absorbed in reading something on the screen, suddenly he snaps his head up and makes a phone call, speaking in a lowered, but angry voice.

"You son of a bitch, I risked so much for you!"

Oh, wow. Strong start. I feel like something interesting might happen, so I quickly take out my phone, but do so so that Jordi doesn’t notice and start recording.

"You won't believe what I just spotted on Malden Pharmaceuticals' news page! Blue Lowen squeezed just about everything humanly possible out of his version of the Alpha Activation program. The hormone that triggers preheat, lyxin, has just been added to the official list of compounds produced under Malden's license! But you know what's even better? They're recommending it not for alphas, but for… omegas!"

A moment of silence.

"No, Flanegin! You still don't get it. Blue Lowen had pretty damn good scientific instincts. The second Drax signed off from the program, instead of stubbornly pushing ahead with those goddamn alpha fertility studies, Blue simply applied the hormone where it actually has a chance of working: with omegas who experience infrequent or weak heats. And fuck, it makes sense! Meanwhile, we're still tangled up in this damned Alpha Activation program that has no future whatsoever! Drax, from what I see now with my own eyes, activates those damn gonads through some kind of telekinesis or other magic, not some lab-measurable hormone or pheromone!"

Another stretch of silence. Lomax's breathing is fast and ragged.