Experimental Procedures

Stormwolf

Jim sat in the comfortable chair in the lounge of the underwater city

owned by Dion International. The underwater city known simply as

Atlantis was the newest self contained underwater city built by Dion

International. It was originally built to be a mining city, since it

rested on a sea cliff that had several gold and silver veins, along

with oil deposits. Then Dion had decided to build a trading center,

along with the mining colony, and Atlantis was born.

Jim was there for a job. Dion's agents had sent out feelers for

models, and mercenaries. No one knew why, but for Jim this was the

perfect in.

Now he sat in the lounge with sixteen other men. Jim could tell which

were the mercenaries and which were the models, though some of the

mercenaries could pass for models with their looks and general

condition. The door behind a secretary who wore conservative clothing

and the tattoo on her cheek opened to reveal a man in a dark suit.

The man called out names, Jim's name among them, and asked them to

follow him. Not everyone was called, and those who weren't were given

a generous amount of money and politely told to leave.

Jim and the others who were called followed the man into the back.

Jim noticed that the few mercenaries who could have passed for models

were among the group called in. In fact all of them were men, and

well built, with good looks. Jim was starting to get suspicious about

the job.

"Now gentlemen, you have all been accepted for the positions."

"What position is that exactly?" One of the mercenaries said.

The man smiled, and slipped an oxygen mask over his face while gas

poured into the sealed office.

The men had only a few minutes of lucidity and several of the

mercenaries tried to take down the man in the oxygen mask. None

succeeded and finally Jim was the last to succumb to the sleeping gas.

In the sterile environment of the clean room, twelve men lay on

medical beds attached to heart monitors, respirators, and other

machines. Larry Deon, wearing an environmental suit, walked through

through the room with two scientists also in suits by his side.

"How is it proceeding?" Deon asked.

One of the scientists answers, "Very well. Already we are seeing a

significant change in the brain chemistry of the submissives, and the

cells are dividing at an incredible rate. By this time tomorrow, the

submissives should be ready."

"Excellent, Dr. Surick. And the Dominants?"

"Will be ready within a few hours to begin trial testing in the

tanks."

Behind the faceplate, Deon smiles.

**********

Jim returned to consciousness slowly. Feeling warm salt water all

around his skin, Jim slowly opens his eyes to find that he is

underwater. Around him are faces of strange men staring down out him.

"Mr. Ellis. Do not fight, you are breathing just fine." One of the

men said.

*How can I be breathing if I am underwater?* He couldn't feel an

oxygen tube in his throat nor a mask around his face. He felt

panicked and began to thrash.

"Mr. Ellis! Calm down!"

Hands held him underwater as Jim tried to struggle his way to the

surface which was only a few feet away. Even though he didn't feel

like he was drowning, his mind had other ideas.

The hands held him until Jim felt a prick against his arm, and his

eyes began to droop as the light sedative calmed him, but did not put

him to sleep.

"Easy Mr. Ellis. You are alright. You are breathing through gills

that are located along your ribs. You are not drowning."

*Gills* Jim thought. *My god what have they done to me!*

Through the glass of the tank that he was caged in, Jim watched Larry

Deon and Dr. Surick walk through the room. The other eleven people

who had been captured with him were also in individual tanks filled

with saltwater. Like him, they had all received a set of gills. Jim

knew however that the scarring on his head, stomach and sides that

more had occurred while they had been under.

Jim raised his hearing concentrating on the mental dials he had bee

taught during his training and listened in on the conversation. As a

sentinel, one of the last of kind, Jim had extraordinary senses,

heightened beyond normal humans. Before him was the man who had

nearly made his kind extinct.

"We had a bit of a problem with Number 8, Mr. Deon." Dr. Surick was

saying.

"And that would be..." Deon prompted.

"As a mercenary he had of course been chosen to be one of the

Dominants, however, a genetic scan revealed him to be a sentinel."

Jim realised they were talking about him.

"A sentinel. You are sure?" Deon asked surprised.

"Very sure. Because of a sentinel's genetic makeup and brain

chemistry we could not effectively make him a dominant. Fortunately,

one of the models schedualed to be a submissive turned out to have

quite a history of martial arts training. We decided to make him the

dominant, and the sentinel the submissive."

"You are sure you were unable to make the sentinel a dominant?" Deon

asked.

"Yes. Sentinels are genetically programmed to be submissive, both to

their tribe and their guides. The only people they aren't submissive

to is intruders into their territory and other sentinels. We could

not effectively change him enough to make him into a dominant. So we

worked with what we had."

"Interesting. A sentinel. I thought that I had effectively wiped out

his kind five years ago."

"Perhaps he had not been aboard Neptune's Orb." Dr. Surick suggested.

*You're damn right I wasn't. Bastard. Were we that much of a threat

that you destroyed us. My father and mother were aboard. We might as

well been GELFs the way the UEO herded us aboard that shuttle. I

escaped, but so many others didn't.* Jim thought sadly. He never did

understand his need to join the UEO after that. It had been as much

the UEO's fault as well as Dion's that the ship had been destroyed.

But the UEO had been his only way to fight against Macronesia, and

Deon International. Their colony had been about to be overrun by

Macronesian troops, and the UEO had placed them on the ship known as

Neptune's Orb. Except Jim. He had escaped for only one reason. He had

contracted Tiberus Flu. Since Tiberus Flu was contagious as well as

deadly, Jim had been aboard a medical ship confined to a quarantined

room. While he had been strapped down to the bed in the throes of a

fever induced delusion, two unknown ships had quickly and efficiently

attacked the Neptune's Orb, and destroyed it, leaving the medical

ship alone. The ship filled with sentinels had been destroyed and one

lone sentinel had escaped due to fate.

"The only possible explanation." Deon continued. "Well, I guess its

good fortune for us that one of the models had some extensive

training. I like the idea of having a sentinel under my control."

Deon smiled.

The words sent a shiver up Jim's spine.

Jim watched through the glass tank as all the mercenaries excluding

Jim and including a model were helped out of their tanks and made to

stand beside them as Larry Deon came into the room. Deon walked past

each of the men looking them over as if they were prized horseflesh

at a horse auction. The mercenaries, tough men all, flinched away

from Deon. They knew a predator when they saw one.

"Gentlemen you have the distinct pleasure in being the first of an

elite unit. Hopefully, if you are successful, more will follow. You

have been genetically enhanced. You are stronger than normal humans,

but not as strong as say GELFS, you have the ability to live and

breath underwater. And by living I mean that your bodies have been

changed so that you can, forgive my crudeness, eat, piss, and shit

underwater. Raw fish, seaweed, and other raw sea food will be the

bulk of your diets. You are called Dominants, and you are under my

command. If you don't like this idea, then I have a large aquarium

that could use new specimens, if you catch my drift. You will be able

to do exactly what you have been doing, only you will do it for me

for the privilege to live. Now you may wonder about your fellow

fishmen over in the other tanks. They are what I refer to as

Submissives. Like you they are stronger than normal humans, and can

live and breathe underwater. However, they are mostly for your

benefit as you will soon see. Now, I don't care how you decide

amongst yourself, but each of you will pick one of the submissives to

be yours." Deon smiled.

One of the mercenaries stepped forward. Jim recognized him as Tyrone

Jamal Whittacker, sometime known as the Black Shark. The man stood at

six foot eight inches tall, and was heavily built with not one ounce

of fat on his dark muscular body. "I want Ellis. Anybody got an

objection." He looked at the other mercenaries who wisely kept their

protests, if any, to themselves. Eventually each of them chose one of

the submissives with only a few fights that Deon allowed.

When it was done, Deon smiled. "It is time to begin."

In a small sterile room, Jim and Tyrone stood with their backs to the

wall facing the only door waiting for whatever was to happen next.

Both of them wore the single piece wetsuit with the sides

specifically cut to allow the gills to breath. Neither of them said a

word. They had woken up from the last bit of surgery and had been

escorted to the room with its single hospital bed and locked cabinet

with medical tools inside.

The door opened and a doctor entered. The man was short and balding

and wore a labcoat. No name tag was present. The man sat down the

clipboard he had been carrying and gestured for the two men to seat

themselves in the chairs that a guard brought. When the two of them

were seated the man began.

"You are now a linked Pair. What that means is that the latest

surgery done to you was to implant a communications device which

allows you to communicate only with each other. Mr. Whittacker since

you are the Dominant, you have control over the device and can

initiate communication with your Sub, or break contact whenever you

need to. This communication cannot be monitored by anyone else."

Jim felt as if he was going to be sick.

"Now, we get to the reason you were brought in here." The doctor

continued as he unlocked and opened one of the drawers. He pulled out

a pair of surgical gloves, "Mr. Whittacker I need to ask you a

personal question. Have you ever had anal sex with a man either

giving or receiving?"

"What!" Whittacker roared coming to his feet, "You mutherfucker I

aien't no damn fag!"

The doctor pulled on the gloves and nodded, "Mmm I see. Please sit

down Mr. Whittacker before I call the guards."

Tyrone glowered, but seated himself back in his chair.

"Mr. Ellis I ask you the same question."

Jim shook his head and said simply, "No."

"Alright then. Mr. Ellis remove your wetsuit and lay down on the

table, face down."

Fear began to flow through Jim, and made his hands shake as he stood

and did as he was told. He had no wish to feel the tender mercies of

the guards and their shock sticks.

He could feel Tyrone's eyes on him as he stripped, and couldn't tell

if the man was angered or embarrassed. At that moment his sense of

smell was offline thanks in part to his emotions running high. It

didn't help that the antiseptic used in the rooms was almost

completely overwhelming.

Once he removed the wetsuit and stood naked in the room, Jim moved to

lay on the bed a he had been instructed.

Once Jim was in position the doctor continued his lecture, "As a

Submissive, Mr. Ellis' body has been changed to accomadate his new

role. Normally when two men engage in anal sex, a synthetic lube is

required, however, " the doctor inserted one of his fingers inside

Jim's anus. The sentinel grunted but did not struggle. His stomach

roiled, but he managed not to throw up. "As you can see Mr. Ellis's

body is producing its own lubricant almost identical to what a

female's vagina produces. It also serves as a cleaning system and

keeps his rectum clean of fecal matter."

Jim was shocked to feel that the doctor was right. As a sentinel, Jim

was more aware of his body, and could feel the slick lubricant

coating him inside.

The doctor removed his finger.

"Also about three to four inches into the rectum you will reach an

access to another part of the submissives body. Because of the

location and its design it can only be breeched by something coming

into the rectum not out of it. There is a thin film of skin similiar

to a hymen covering the area. Once broken the edges will scar and

will create a different barrier similiar to another anus that as I

said will only be breeched by something coming in."

"Wait a minute Doc, are you seriously tellingg me that I am supposed

to fuck Jimmy here." Tyrone said with disgust in his voice.

"Of course. That was shy submissives were created. When Dominants

were first experimented upon, it was discovered that the heightened

violence and adrenaline also causes a heightened libido. It was then

determined that it would be best to pair them with a sexual partner."

"Yeah, but a guy?!"

"Mr. Deon's orders." Was all the doctor said.

Jim had listened to the entire conversation, his stomach close to

rebelling and losing the fish and seaweed he had had earlier.

"Now before I was interrupted. We considered tearing the male hymen

ourselves and allowing the scarring to begin, but Mr. Deon wanted to

give the Dominants the honor of de-flowering their submissives. It

will cause bleeding, but nothing to worry about. It will cease being

painful after three or four times as the anal muscles will stretch

and accomadate the penis. Any questions."

No one said anything as Jim quietly vomited onto the floor.

They were taken from the small room into another room that held tanks

filled with saltwater. There were six tanks in all, and the other

Pairs were already housed. Jim's sight caught movement in one of the

tanks, and after a quick glance Jim turned his head away in fear and

disgust. The Dominant was already trying out his Submissive.

Jim tried to control his rising fear as he climbed the ladder and

slipped inside the warm salt water. He ignored Tyrone when the man

slipped into the water after him.

The salty water felt good against his skin, and Jim felt his gills

open up to begin breathing. After several days, the gills were no

longer so alien to him, and were quickly becoming a part of the

sentinel wether he liked it or not.

So intent was he on ignoring the man behind him that he flinched when

a hand touched his shoulder.

*Feeling better.* Jim heard deep inside his ear. The small microphone

they had implanted had been set low for the sentinel, and was not at

an uncomfortable volume. Jim didn't miss the tone in Tryone's voice.

Contempt, disgust.

*I'll feel even better if you quit touching me.* Jim sent over the

open link. It was fairly simple to use. Jim had only to think of what

he was going to say and make as if to say it. His throat moved, but

no air came through and the device sent his voice to the microphone

in Tyrone's ear. Almost like talking through a radio by placing it

against his throat, usually done when one was wearing a gas mask, or

other apparatus that obstructed the mouth.

Tyrone removed his hand. *Deon is a crazy SOB, and when I get a hold

of him there won't be enough left to feed to the guppies.*

Jim doubted that. Tyrone was a well trained killer, but Deon was

holding all the cards.

*Fags* Tyrone said and Jim saw his head was turned to look at the

Pair that Jim had noticed earlier. Jim noticed that the Submissive

was enjoying himself as well if the man's face was any indication.

*Why did you choose me if you are so disgusted by what's going on?*

Jim asked.

*Shit, I didn't think this was what they meant by partners. I figured

we'd be doing missions together and I didn't want some punk pretty

boy looking after my back.*

Jim nodded. That made sense. *And when the bloodlust and killing

increase your libido so to speak...?*

*Damn, my own right hand is good enough for me.* Tryone answered. Jim

laughed at that, but inside a voice whispered to him. (Would it be

enough?)

*************

A week passed. They were kept inside the tanks, fed their promised

meals of raw seafood which included fish, shrimp, seaweed, kelp, and

even some shellfish. Their bodies used the saltwater around them to

provide the water their bodies needed, and easily eliminated the salt

through their body waste. They did not wear their wetsuits while

confined to the tanks, but neither Jim nor Tyrone were self conscious

of their nakedness. The filters kept the saltwater clean and oxygen

fresh, and Jim resented their aquariums.

Every day, Tyrone was taken out of the tank and led to a gym where he

was allowed to lift weights and to train in his own style of Martial

Arts, Akido. Jim was left in the tank, and received a few comments

every so often from Tyrone about the gym, his trainers, or the other

mercenaries. Usually cutting comments, and very few compliments.

Eventually the day came that Tyrone and the others were given an

assignment. For three days, Jim and the other subs were alone in

their tanks. Like Jim, the other subs who were still virginal,

worried about the reaction the Dominants would have when they

returned. Even during the training, Jim had noticed that Tyrone's

libido had increased. The man would return to the tanks with his cock

rock hard and sometimes leaking precum. Jim would try not to look at

the heavy twelve inch cock that was as thick as Jim's wrist and would

push down the fear that always accompanied the sight of the hard

member. So far, Tyrone's right hand was enough, but Jim wondered

about the day that it wouldn't be, and feared that day was coming as

soon as Tyrone returned.

On the fifth day since Tyrone and the other Dominants left, they

returned. The Dominants were led into the room by guards, and told to

sit on the end of the six hospital beds that also occupied the room

with the tanks. Jim watched them enter and sit down wishing he could

open the link between him and Tyrone. Wondering about the man's state

of mind.

Doctors came into the room and took blood, and checked the men's

vital signs. The Dominants were then told to strip out of their blood

soaked camos, and Jim had to swallow his fear at the sight of them.

Their faces had blood streaked on them, and a few them had bullet

wounds or knife wounds that were stitched up, but that wasn't what

caught the attention of the Submissives in the tanks.

Each and everyone of the Dominants had a hard on. Their cocks were

full and some were leaking precum. There was a deadly light in the

Dominant's eyes, and it made Jim shiver.

Later, Tyrone would tell Jim about the mission, about sneaking into a

UEO labratory, killing...no slaughtering the scientists and their

families, destroying years of research, and blowing a hole in the

place big enough to sail a ship through.

Later, Tyrone would tell Jim the details, later when his mind returned

and his instincts and NEED didn't overrun his mind.

When Tyrone and the others climbed back into the tanks and the caged

ceiling slid back into place, Jim could see the fight that took place

inside Tyrone. The man's dick was hard, and Tyrone tried to stroke it

into completion, but in the end the enhanced body won out.

Jim gave a good fight unlike the other submissives who were after all

only models. Fighting only seemed to excite Tyrone more, and the big

mercenary beat Jim until the sentinel was nearly unconscious before

he turned Jim over and drove his hard twelve inch monster of a cock

violently into Jim's ass.

The penetration hurt, his ass felt as if it were on fire, and the

tearing of the psuedo hymen was excruciating. Tyrone didn't stop

until his balls rested against Jim's asscheeks, all twelve inches

deep inside the sentinel. Then Tyrone began to thrust, hard, long and

deep. Jim tried to struggle to fight off Tyrone, but the big

Mercenary didn't even pause in his thrusting as he delivered a strong

blow to Jim's head causing the sentinel to practically see stars.

The sexual lust was so strong that even when Tyrone came, spilling

his hot seed inside Jim's body, his cock deflated only a bit before

it became hard again, and Tyrone continued to thrust madly. The

mercenary leaned down over Jim's body and bit the sentinel on the

back of his neck as he came for the second time more of his seed

spilling impossibly inside Jim. The sentinel would have cried out but

could not get air to move through his throat since he was underwater.

All air went in and out of his gills when he was underwater. Instead

he wept and screamed within his mind.

Finally, Tyrone's cock began to deflate, and the mercenary pulled out

of Jim's body. Blood diluted the water before the filters did their

job and cleaned it out. No cum leaked from Jim's body since Tyrone's

dick had entered the area that the scientists had added to Jim's

body, an area that for the first time Jim wondered exactly what it

was for.

Tyrone collapsed on top of Jim pinning the sentinel to the bottom of

the tank with his greater weight. Jim's head swam, and his ass hurt,

but eventually the blow he took to the head, and the exhaustion he

felt pulled him into a deep sleep.

The lust that Tyrone and the others felt lasted for a few days. After

the first time, Jim did not offer to fight the bigger mercenary. It

was not the pain of a beating that stayed his hand, it was the

humiliation of realising that his own body got off on being beaten

and raped. When Tyrone had finished and collapsed on top of him, it

was then that Jim noticed that his own dick was hard. He had ignored

it, refusing to give in to his own need. Instead, he had collapsed

into unconsciousness.

Therefor, Jim refused to give into his own lusts, and allowed Tyrone

to fuck him, and even that submissive gesture made him half hard.

Jim still wondered what the strange new area in his body was for, and

felt that the answer was coming soon.

Four days after Tyrone returned from his fist mission, sense started

to return to the mercenary. By that time, Jim's ass was sore but it

no longer hurt for Tyrone's cock to enter the tight second anus as

the doctors had called it. Even his anus and rectum were stretched

enough to easily accomadate the twelve inch dick that hung between

Tyrone's legs.

When sense did return to Tyrone, the mercenary was disgusted to

realise that he had fucked another man's ass. Out of anger, disgust

and perhaps a little fear, he struck out at Jim who fought back at

first until he realised he himself was getting hard. The sight of

Jim's own cock filling with blood was enough to send Tyrone into a

rage. Jim took the beating rather than give in to his body's own

responses. But even by submitting, his body reacted to the endorphins

being generated by his brain due to the genetic enhancements and

changes wrought by the doctors. When Tyrone finished taking his anger

out on the sentinel, Jim's cock was rock hard. He ignored it and laid

down on the bottom of the tank face down so as to hide the evidence

of his arousal.

As he had been taught years before, Jim 'dialed' down the pain from

the severe beating, but even that wasn't enough. Eventually, one of

the doctors noticed him and had him removed from the tank and placed

on a hospital bed. The cuts were attended to and he was given

something for the pain. Strangely they drew blood from his arm.

Before he could begin to wonder about that, the sentinel succumbed to

the sedative and pain meds. The last thing he felt was being turned

on his side and something cold being inserted into his rectum before

he lost consciousness.

For the next three days, Jim drifted in and out of consciousness. The

doctors and nurses moved around him and every now and then he felt

gloved hands on his body or cold metal instruments. When he regained

full consciousness on the fourth day, Jim realised that all the

Submissives were lying on the hospital beds. Tyrone and the other

Dominants were standing at the heads of the beds next to their

submissives. Jim looked at Tyrone. The mercenary was staring straight

ahead, but he opened the link.

*You going to live?* Tyrone asked.

*Yeah,* Jim answered. *What's going on?*

*The doctors said they need to to tell us something. I have a bad

feeling about it whatever it is.*

Jim was starting to share it as well.

The doctors walked in, and one of them stepped forward of the res.

"Well it appears our experiment is a success. Despite some of the

homophobia among you, all the submissives are no longer virginal. And

since the blood tests all came back positive we are now able to tell

you the good news."

*Positive for what?* Tyrone asked not expecting an answer from the

sentinel.

"Thanks to exclusive technology and genetic manipulation we have made

an exciting breakthrough. The area beyond the so called second anus

was grown within the submissives body after injecting a few

bioengineered cells which began to multiply inside their bodies. A

bit of surgery was involved to connect what is essentially a uterus

tot he rectum, and with genetic manipulation of some of their sperm

cells, we created viable eggs. Therefor congratulations are in

order." The last was directed to the Dominants. "Your submissives are

pregnant." The doctor smiled.

Jim sat in the bottom of the salt water filled tank with his knees to

his chest staring straight ahead into nothing. He wasn't zoned since

he was periphally aware of Tyrone who was pacing the tank by swimming

like a prowling shark around the tank. Jim could almost swear he

could feel anger from the Dominant, but knew their link was only

technological not empathic.

*This is crazy!* Tyrone sent through the link for what to Jim was

perhaps the hundreth time, *Its insane!*

Jim agreed with Tyrone's sentiment wholeheartedly. The sentinel

placed a hand on his stomach. He knew it was too early for even his

sentinel senses to detect the baby. The embryo was probably still

near microscopic, but Jim could imagine hearing the tiny heartbeat,

or the small shifting of movement in his lab created womb. It made

him feel sick. And angry. Jim was now in the same boat as his

mother's sister had been. Pregnant by her rapist. But unlike his Aunt

Mary, he was forced to live with his rapist, and though Aunt Mary had

opted to carry the baby, and had raised Rucker well, Jim felt as if

he couldn't do that. He was a strong man, but not that strong.

*We need to get out of here.* Jim sent down along the open link

startling himself and Tyrone.

Tyrone stopped swimming and looked at him. *And how do you propose we

do that, Jimmy.*

Jim hated that nickname, but Tyrone insisted on calling him that and

Jim could do nothing about it.

Jim shrugged. He didn't know how they were going to escape. The tanks

had a steel mesh ceiling that could only be removed by pushing a

button on one of the consoles. Any time it was opened, guards with

tranqu guns went on alert, and it was usually opened to let Tyrone

out for his daily training sessions, or for Jim's weekly medical

check-ups. And the glass was plexiglass, strong, durable and

unbreakable.

Tyrone shook his head in disgust and continued to swim in circles.

Guards entered the room to take the Dominants to their training

Session for the day, and Jim for once was glad since Tyrone would be

able to work of his excess energy and anger in training, even if Jim

did pay for it later.

The doctors had assurred the Dominants that anal sex with their

submissives was still safe and would not harm the fetus. Most of the

Dominants had gotten over their homophobia and began to use their

submissives for what they had been created for, including Tyrone.

But Tyrone wasn't really over his homophobia, and unlike the others

he was rough and used a lot of force. Every so often he would hit Jim,

or kick him to prove his own manhood. But never in the stomach or

lower back, the two places Jim wished that Tyrone would hit him.

The steel mesh ceiling was opened up and Tyrone climbed out of the

tank. The other Dominants were climbing out of their tanks as well.

They were herded out of the room with guards escorting them.

Not more than a few minutes later, Jim was instructed to get out of

his tank. He did so and was led by one of the doctors over to an exam

table.

The doctor did a Sonogram, but it was as of yet to soon for the

doctor to see much of anything, however they did pick up the

heartbeat, the instruments being even more sensitive than Jim's ears

since the sentinel didn't want to risk a zone.

The sound of the heartbeat made Jim feel even more sick, and much to

the doctors dismay and concern, the sentinel leaned over the bed and

threw up.

*****

Twenty minutes later, Jim was cleaned up and back in his tank. The

doctor had done a full physical and determined that it was just

morning sickness. Jim was not relieved to hear that.

He sat at the bottom of the tank tearing into the raw lobster he had

been given for his lunch. There was also pieces of seaweed and kelp

floating in the tank, and shelled oysters at the bottom.

Suddenly, the tank rocked splashing seawater onto the floor as Jim

felt the vibration of an explosion of some kind.

Again the tank rocked, then tipped over all the water spilling out

onto the floor. The mesh ceiling had crashed, and crumpled leaving an

opening large enough for Jim to wedge out if he could. However, the

sentinel had hit his head against the glass, and was stunned

momentarily. Another explosion and debris fell from the ceiling.

Other tanks tipped, and spilling seawater everywhere. Doctors and

nurses were running like mad, ignoring the tanks, in fear for their

lives as the ceiling fell down around them. Water began to leak in

through cracks. Seawater from the Pacific.

and a terrorists bomb, breached the hull of the underwater city.

Submerssibles fled from death trap, and for the second time in

history, Atlantis fell to the sea.

Inside the laboratory which was now completely filled with seawater,

Tyrone swam his way through the debris, and dead bodies. Most of the

bodies were doctors, guards and nurses who had been unable to escape,

but there were two submissives that had died from the falling debris.

One had been impaled by an iron rod. Digging through the debris,

Tyrone found his tank, and the sentinel lying unconscious inside.

*I should leave you here.* Tyrone said to the sentinel knowing the

man could not hear him. Instead, the Dominant swam into the tank and

pulled Jim out. He checked to make sure the sentinel gills were

breathing, then swam out of the laboratory with the sentinel in tow.

Tyrone managed to maneuver his way through the now waterfilled city.

Several of the other Dominants had managed to rescue or find their

submissives, and all of them were trying to get out of the city while

avoiding debris. Tyrone had found a rope and had looped it beneath

Ellis's arms, and was towing the sentinel behind him. Ellis still

showed no signs of waking up.

A dolphin suddenly came out of nowhere and swum up beside Tyrone.

The Dominant try to shoo the mammal away, but the dolphin swam

alongside them.

*Stupid animal,* Tyrone said through link. He hoped that if he

continued to talk, it would help bring the sentinel to wakefullness.

Then, Tyrone saw them. UEO divers exploring the depths of the ruined

city. Tyrone, a wanted man in UEO, hid behind some debris, but the

dolphin followed.

Angered, Tyrone pulled a stolen knife from his boot and swung the

knife at the dolphin. The knife embedded itself in the dolphin's thick

hide. The dolphin in pain and possibly fear swam away and Tyrone

still had his hand on the knife. The knife carved along the dolphin's

side leaving a blood trail. The divers saw him, and swam toward him.

Tyrone let go of the rope that he used to tow Ellis, and attacked the

divers. Other Dominants did the same with the knives and shanks they

had managed to find among the debris. All the mercenaries were wanted

by the UEO, and none of them wished to be taken.

**********

Captain Hudson watched as his divers helped bring up the prisoners,

the wounded men, and the bodies. He was still surprised about the

report he had received from the divers about the men who had been

swimming through the water without any dive equipment. As a stretcher

was carried past him, Oliver Hudson noticed quickly the gills on the

man's sides, and understood how the report could be true.

"It appears Deon is experimenting on humans now." Ensign Wallanchek

said.

"Appears so." Hudson said as he watched the stretchers move passed

him. All of the men had gills on their sides.

"So far their ID's have checked out. Several of them are wanted

mercenaries, but some of them are just models that had turned up

missing." Henderson said as she walked up to them.

Lt. Brody came into the deck at the same time a stretcher carrying a

large man with short brown hair. Brody looked at the man and said in

shock, "Ellison?"

Captain Hudson turned his attention to the Lt. "What's that Lt.?"

"This man right here. I know him." Brody said. The stretcher bearers

had stopped at Brody's gesture.

"How do you know a mercenary?" Oliver asked.

"Because he's not a mercenary, sir. He's an officer, though I am not

sure of his rank. I doubt anyone under the rank of Admiral is aware

of his rank, and some of them aren't either I suspect. Ellison is an

undercover operative. One of the best. I trained him years ago before

I was stationed on Seaquest. I haven't seen him since we got back."

"Alright. Make sure he isn't put with the others. No need to let get

a chance to get revenge in case they have it in mind." Hudson

ordered, and the litter bearers left to take the man to sickbay.

*******

Jim groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. The first face he saw was

that of a young man with bright blue eyes and long curly chestnut

hair tied back from his face in a pony tail. Perched on the young

man's nose were a pair of glasses. The man smiled. Jim just stared at

him.

"Hello, Mr. Ellison, glad you're awake." The man said.

"Who are you and how did you know my name?" Ellison asked

suspiciously.

"My name is Dr. Blair Sandburg. You are on the Seaquest, and as for

your name, Lt. Brody recognized you as you were brought aboard.

Luckily for you, or you'd be in the brig right now."

"What happened?"

"I assume you mean to Atlantis. Deon, the utter fool, didn't pay

attention when his scientists told him how unstable that area was.

It was rich in oil, and iron ore, and he wasn't about to let a

scientists stop him. So when the drill hit the methane pockets, well

you can guess the rest." Dr. Sandburg said.

"How did I get here?" Jim asked.

"You were found by our rescue team. They didn't expect to find

survivors, but then they didn't expect to find mermen either. You'll

be happy to know that you check out just fine." Dr. Sandburg

hesitated, and Jim knew why.

"You know then." It wasn't a question

Dr. Sandburg nodded, "I studied all of you, and found out that an old

collegue of mine was still working on his insane experiments, now

with money to back him up. Damn fool. I don't like human

experimenting, and I've studied you enough to know that I cannot

reverse it. Nor could I remove the uterus. He may be a damn fool, but

he's still a fucking genius and knew exactly what he was doing."

"You knew this guy?" Jim asked.

"An old collegue. We studied together in bioengineering courses and

received our Doctorates at nearly the same time. Then he was found to

be experimenting on humans, but disappeared before he could be

arrested."

Jim nodded.

"The baby is alright too, just in case you wanted to know."

"I could care less. In fact, Dr. Sandburg, I want an abortion as soon

as possible."

"Abortions are illegal except in cases where the child endangers the

mother's life which is not the case here I assure you, or..."

Sandburg trailed off as he saw the man's eyes, and knew.

"Rape. Exactly, doctor. And I demand an abortion." Jim's cold, angry

blue eyes bore into Sandburg's soul.

(Well that went well,) Blair thought sarcastically to himself as he

went into his office to study the scans he had ordered.

Ellison had demanded an abortion, and Blair knew the man had good

reason, but Blair was reluctant to perform an abortion with so many

unknown factors involved. He wasn't sure that an abortion wouldn't

harm or even kill Ellison. He wasn't sure of a lot of stuff about

Ellison's condition. He had tried to explain that to the sentinel,

but the man had refused to understand or even listen. Eventually,

Blair had given up. He told Ellison point blank that as a doctor he

would not perform an abortion due to the risk of the mother's health.

Blair had not realised what he had said until Jim went ballistic.

then he could have practically slapped himself...calling the man a

mother...jeez Blair why don't you castrate the man. He had

apologized, but Ellison had ignored him.

As it was, Blair's recommendation would keep any other doctor from

performing the abortion, Blair being too highly recognized and well

regarded in his field.

The other submissives were given clean bills of health, and had been

given shuttle transport back their homes. Blair had counseled them,

and given them the names of doctor's that he recommended and that

Blair would discuss the situation with if the models wished. A few

had expressed the idea of an abortion, but had listened when Blair

told them of the danger involved.

Because he was an officer, though of what rank was anyone's guess,

Jim stayed on the SeaQuest. In fact, orders came through from a very

high ranking Admiral that Jim was now a psuedo member of the crew.

Hudson hadn't liked it one bit.

Jim walked into his newly assigned quarters. As an officer he was

allowed private quarters, which suited Jim. Lt. Henderson had shown

him where they were, and stood waiting at the door.

Jim went into sentinel mode and searched and inspected every inch of

the quarters, familiarizing himself with them. A territorial response

that sometimes made normals nervous. Lt. Henderson had been briefed

by Dr. Blair on what to expect, and she was not disappointed.

Jim finished then looked at Henderson. "These will do, Lt. You can go

now."

Henderson, like everyone else, didn't know what rank Ellison was, but

she knew a dismissal when she heard one. She nodded and left Ellison

in peace.

When Henderson left, Jim went immediately to the communications

console and typed in his personal passwords, then sent a comunique

to his commanding officer.

On the screen, an admiral with dark skin and glasses appeared.

"Jim its good to hear from you." Admiral Simon Banks said.

"You too, Simon." Jim said.

"God, Jim, I am so sorry. I had no idea that Deon had hired Dr.

Surick. If its any consulation, the doctor's body was found among the

wreckage of the Atlantis."

"Yeah, that is good news." But to Jim the best news was knowing that

Tyrone was dead. Killed by the rescue crew when he attacked

them. "But why assign me here?"

"Because Dr. Sandburg is a damn good doctor, and just the kind you

need. He's got a PHD in Bioengineering, medicine, anthropology, and

genetics. He's a damn genius, plus he knows sentinels. He scored high

in the GPE."

Jim groaned, "Come on Simon. How many times are we going to go

through this. I am not going to bond to a guide. I don't care how

high he placed in the Guide Placement exam."

"Its not just that, Jim. There's no telling what Surick's

bioengineering did to you. Blair can help with that. He's prepared to

give you all the help he can."

"Except the one thing I want."

"His report said you wanted an abortion. Shit, Jim I don't blame

you. But I'd rather not lose you, my friend. And Sandburg can damn

well make sure that doesn't happen."

"Alright." Jim said rubbing his face. "What about this assignment.

What am I supposed to do here."

"You are a member of the crew, but you are on medical leave until

further notice. Hudson didn't like the idea, but tough shit. I'm not

an admiral for nothing. Hudson may be UEO's dream captain, but he's

still only a captain. Don't let him give you any shit, Jim. I heard

he can be a asshole when he wants to be."

Jim smiled, "No problem. I plan to avoid Hudson, and most of this

crew if I can help. Except perhaps for Brody."

"Yeah, you're old training officer. I remember him. Good man. He

taught you quite a bit."

Jim nodded. "Yeah he did."

"Take care of yourself, Jim."

"Thanks Simon."

With that Jim signed off, and went to his bunk. Sandburg had given

him something for the morning sickness, and Jim was grateful for that

at least. He laid down on his bunk, kicked off his boots and before

long fell into a deep sleep.

Jim swam lazily through the tubes that ran through the magnificent

underwater vessel known as the Seaquest. Jim remembered seeing the

specs of the vessel some two years after its completion but this was

his first visit to the famous ship. To Jim, the ship represented the

old UEO, and was a reminder of life before Macronesia, and Larry

fucking Deon.

A bump on his foot had Jim looking over his shoulder in time to see

the dolphin, Ensign Darwin, swimming up along side of him. The

dolphin had been injured by Tyrone before the hated mercenary had

been killed, and the wound had been tended to and only showed minimal

scarring. The dolphin brushed against Jim's body and continued

forward through the tubes. Jim grasped the dolphin's dorsal fin as he

passed by and held on for the ride. Darwin increased speed and Jim

laughed inwardly for the first time in what seemed a long time as the

dolphin gave him a great ride.

Darwin emerged in the moonpool where Dr. Blair Sandburg waited. Jim

surfaced, looked at the doctor then looked back at Darwin. "You did

this on purpose." Jim told the dolphin.

"Jim need Blair." Darwin's electronic voice said in response to the

clicks and squeaks from the dolphin.

*No I don't*, Jim wanted to say but refused to argue with a dolphin.

Instead, the sentinel climbed out of the moonpool and accepted the

towel that Blair handed him. He murmured a thank you, and dried his

body with the towel. He was wearing a suit with the sides removed so

that his gills could breath. Seaman Piccolo, another Seaquest

crewmember, also had gills and used the same kind of suits.

It was Blair who had suggested the exercise after the fifth day that

Jim had stayed in his quarters not coming out for anything. Blair had

used his medical codes to force entry into Jim's quarters and used a

combination of his guide voice and his own authority as Jim's doctor

to bully the sentinel into exercising.

Jim, sullen, had taken the doctor's orders, and gone swimming in the

tubes only to hide out beneath the water in the hydroponics lab.

Blair had suited up and gone looking for Jim with Darwin's help, and

the sentinel had been bullied out of the hydroponics lab where he had

been sulking.

"I'm glad you finally decided to take my advice seriously, Jim."

Blair said.

"You mean orders, don't you." Jim said.

"If it soothes your ego, then yes, they were orders. Jim you have to

take care of yourself, and the baby. Just because you can't have an

abortion doesn't mean you can cause one by not taking care of

yourself." Blair seemed about to start the arguement all over again

that had occurred in Jim's quarters.

Jim raised a hand to forstall the tongue lashing, "Don't start with

me, Chief. I don't want to hear it. I'm eating and exercising, but

don't expect anymore from me. When this baby is born, he or she is

going up for adoption." Actually, Rucker and his wife, Madeline had

expressed wishes to raise the baby themselves, and Jim had agreed,

having already signed the papers. Rucker and Madeline would make good

parents, better than Jim would have been. He didn't think he could

look at the baby without anger and disgust. In everything the kid

did, he would see Tyrone, of that he was sure.

When Jim was finished drying off, he sat down on a the edge of the

moopool and splash water at the dolphin who submerged then flipped

his tail to splash Jim with water. Ellison laughed, and Blair's heart

swelled at the sound. He had feared that the sentinel would waste

away and die, but now he had hope that Ellison would survive the

trauma. Now all they had was the birth itself to contend with.

Blair looked Ellison over critically while Jim was preoccupied with

the dolphin. After about a month since Jim's rescue, there was still

little sign of the sentinel's pregnancy. The bouts of morning

sickness was continuing, but Blair had prescribed some medication

that the sentinel's body could handle that relieved the symptoms of

morning sickness. Blair had insisted on a weekly check-up, and so far

the baby was doing fine, and Jim's body was acomadating the

strangness of being pregnant.

Jim turned his head in time to see Captain Hudson walk into the room.

The sentinel bristled. Captain Hudson might be a good captain, but

Jim didn't like him since they clashed on Jim's role aboard Seaquest.

To Jim, it was downtime, but Captain Hudson didn't like the idea of

someone on board who wasn't pulling his own weight. Hudson didn't

know about the pregnancy, very few knew and those who knew were

keeping it secret since it was a private medical condition.

Eventually, they would be unable to hide it, but Jim wanted no one to

know and Blair respected his patient's wishes. Only Brody, Blair, and

Darwin knew.

"Dr. Sandburg, I was looking for you." Captain Hudson said.

"Is there a problem, Captain?" Blair asked.

Hudson ignored Ellison and said, "Yes, we've just been re-routed to

go to the Chopec Colony. Seems they are having a small epidemic and

they requested your services."

Upon hearing the words, "Chopec Colony", Ellison turned his attention

to the conversation. The Chopec colony was the colony where the

sentinel survivors had relocated. He had lived there for a few months

with his aunt and Rucker before joining the UEO. Rucker still lived

there with his wife, and his mother.

"What kind of epidemic?" Jim asked.

Hudson looked at the sentinel, "Tiberius flu. They specifically

requested your assistance, and Admiral Banks has ordered us to take

you there and help in any way."

Jim nodded to himself. Simon and Rucker were also friends. They had

all been friends together on the Sentinel Colony. Simon having been

born to one sentinel parent, and his guide, was not himself a

sentinel and had scored low on the GPE, had joined the UEO before the

colony had been overrun. Banks would make sure that Rucker, and the

people he knew were well taken care of. But Captain Hudson didn't

need to know that.

The Seaquest docked at the Chopec Colony, and Hudson went to the docking

bay to watch the medical and security team leave. He was surprised and

angered to find the sentinel waiting there as well, suited up and armed.

"I don't think so, Ellison. If you'll recall you are on medical leave."

Hudson said.

"Captain, I am going. These are my people, and my cousin and his wife are

here as well. Now I've had Tiberius flu which means I am immune to it, and

I am going."

Captain Hudson looked at the sentinel and wondered not for the first time

what rank the sentinel held. He knew the futility of ordering the sentinel

not to go, not when the man had an Admiral backing him up all the way.

"Fine." Hudson said. "But Brody's in charge."

Jim looked at Brody, "Fine with me."

The team after receiving inoculations for Tiberius flu entered the docking

tubes and walked into the Chopec colony.

They were met by a team of doctor's from the Chopec colony, one of whom

happened to be Rucker's wife.

"Thank you for coming," Madeline said to Dr. Sandburg. "Are supply of

antibiotics ran out and we've had more cases. And as you know sentinels

can't handle the inoculations for Tiberius flu."

"Yes, I do. So I am assuming the sentinels are the more serious cases."

"Yes. Mostly children since a lot of sentinels were killed during the move."

Madeline didn't elaborate but there was no need. Blair knew what she meant.

"Hello, Jim. Its good to see you again." Madeline said as she hugged the

sentinel.

"And you. Rucker?" Jim asked but he knew the answer. Rucker was a sentinel

and Madeline his guide.

"Sick. I was terrified the Seaquest wouldn't make it in time."

"We're here, Madeline. Rucker will be alright. He's too tough to die."

Madeline smiled at Jim and lead them into the sickbay which was overrun

with patients. Blair's medical team spread out and went to work. Blair

followed Madeline over to where Rucker lay unconscious. Blair went to

work, running scans and checking vitals while he gave Madeline

instructions.

Jim stood out of the way and watched the young doctor work. He was

amazed at the intelligence of the man who looked no older than

Wallencheck. And he was dedicated to his work, focused on it,

rather than amused by it like Wallencheck seemed to be. Jim guessed

that not all geniuses were alike.

Hours later, Rucker was passed the crisis point and the antibiotics

were winning the war inside rucker's body. Only two more deaths had

occurred since the Seaquest med team had arrived. The two had been

older and the disease too advanced for the antibiotic to do any good.

Two sentinels who had survived the Massacre only to die from a

curable disease. To Jim it was a pathetic waste. Had they been normal

humans they could have been inoculated against the disease. No one

had yet to figure out how to made an inoculation that sentinels didn't

react to. The only way for a sentinel to be immune to Tiberius was to

have survived it.

Madeline came to sit beside Jim where he sat at Rucker's bedside

listening to his cousins' heartbeat. "How are you doing, Jimmy?"

Madeline asked.

Jim looked at her, "I'm fine."

"Don't lie to me, Jimmy. I can always tell when a sentinel

is lying to me."

Jim smiled, "I forgot that. I've forgotten a lot of things.

I'm sorry I haven't been around much."

"The great Ellison tactic, changing the subject. Alright,

I'll let you get away with it this once. And there is no

need to be sorry. You've done good for yourself, Jimmy.

Your dad would be proud of you."

"Do you think. He didn't always agree with the UEO."

"No, but, the UEO didn't kill him and all the others."

"Sometimes, I wish I had been on that damn boat. I've tried

my damndest to get back at Larry Deon for what he did,

and now this happens." Jim growled.

Madeline layed a hand on his stomach. She was no sentinel

but as a guide she was empathic especially when it came to

sentinels. "I know that what he did was a violation of your

body, and I know you hate what has happened. But there is

life inside you now. A living breathing human who could very

well be a sentinel. A legacy of your father's people, your

father's blood. I promise, Jimmy, that we will take care of

him. But he or she ill be your child. A child of your body.

A sentinel. Let Dr. Sandburg help you to get past the

violation and to welcome the miracle. Please, Jimmy, for me,

for Rucker, for yourself."

Jim looked at Madeline who had tears in her eyes, and

realized that there were tears in his. Madeline wrapped

her arms around the sentinel and together in the quiet

corner where another sentinel rested and recovered, they

cried healing tears.

On to next part