Regaining consciousness, Manutaai found himself alone in an interrogation cell, his wrists visciously strung up by chains. He was trapped inside a force field where if he made a move, he would be subjected to nasty electric shocks. He did not know how long he had been there and did not remember how he got there, thanks to the drug administered to him. Unknown to him was the tiny, microscopic capsule of acid poison, complete with a detonator, implanted under the soft flesh of his upper arm.
Talokta did not want to take any risks and find the special elixir that Manutaai still had in his bloodstream might not complete its task because of the possibility his Cathexistome could successfully try protecting its host. Upon activation of the acid poison capsule, it would take about fifteen to twenty minutes for it to seep through into his bloodstream, reacting to Trimadian blood like concentrated sulphuric acid. Scientists had slowed the reaction so it could be used for torture methods, until finally the victim succumbs to an excruciatingly painful death.
But for his previous services, Talokta was planning to cut that pain short by activating the detonator remotely when the time was right. The acid poison would react with the Crytaalic residue inside the elixir and blow Manutaai into the next century along with Marone. All Manutaai would feel would be a small pinprick sensation when the poison was activated under his skin. He would not feel much when the second one was activated.
He knew his master would approve.
The Cantal the guards had extracted was just recovering after a brief operation in the infirmary. He had his face and head numbed ready for a computer surgical program literally to change his features, including eye color and hair. He was injected with a mild subduing drug to keep him quiet but conscious.
Talokta’s scientists had finished their work. They stood back and appraised their handiwork. The leader looked at Talokta for approval. He got the nod.
The man on the operating table was Sataal–at least the face and the head looked like him.
When Sataal was originally interrogated, his DNA was extrapolated, reproduced and stored.
This man’s entire DNA had been changed; cloned to match Sataal’s. Any computer scan would show that this was Sataal, the ex Trimadian scientist. Kalvich and his top scientists were responsible for this perverted ingeniousness.
Talokta took much personal pride in all his work and did not care if he was rewarded by his boss or not. He would never be able to spend all his accumulated wealth over several lifetimes.
But, he would always serve his master.
“Right,” stated Talokta. “It is time.”
***
Kate was on her expedition back to her quarters with the guards escorting her. She was so drunk, it took two of them to hold her under the arms to keep her steady.
“Hold on, hold on,” she urged. The guards stopped and allowed her to kick her heels off, she scooped them up and slurred, “Okay, lead on, fellas.”