*She sat at her carved mahogany desk, idly tapping her fingernails against its well-polished surface. At a time when others would be spending time with family, friends, or asleep, she was here, at Biogene. Two taps on her remote, and the far wall slid down to reveal a wall of television monitors. On each screen was the output from one of Biogene's many security cameras. She could see the guards patrolling, the technicians working, and Bob in Accounting playing poker online. LaRissa growled at the monitor. He was using Biogene equipment for personal use? She could fire him and have his ass thrown out onto the street, but there were -better- ways to handle it. Still watching the monitor, she hit a key on her phone.*

~Yes, ma'am?~ *The person at the other end of the line knew exactly who was calling. Only LaRissa herself knew this number existed.*

Employee #21454 is to be placed on special assignment in sector B-12. *Section B-12 was the dark side of Biogene Pharmaceuticals, where many entered, and few left alive.* Follow the standard protocols.

~Yes, ma'am.~ *-Click.- No less than two minutes later, the door to Bob's office flew open, and in stepped two nondescript technicians in labcoats. LaRissa enjoyed the show from her office.* +What the he-?+ *Bob never got to finish his statement, because the dart fired by one technician struck him in the neck, and he slumped over in his chair, unconscious. While one technician carried Bob from the office, the other technician sat down at his computer and began typing. In under ten minutes, every trace of Bob's existence would be erased. His work history, social security number, even his Netflix queue would vanish as if they had never existed. Bob, like most Biogene employees, had no family and few friends, so there would be no one to miss him.

Meanwhile, the other technician and Bob were on another of LaRissa's screens, deep in the heart of Black Lotus. The technician removed Bob's clothes, placed a hospital gown on him, and placed him on a gurney in a bare room. Four-point restraints held his wrists and his ankles tight. The only light in the room came from a fluorescent light overhead. After checking to make sure the restraints were properly tightened, the technician left the room. In less than an hour, the sedative in the dart would wear off, and then the fun could begin. LaRissa couldn't wait...*

------

*She watched the screen intently as Bob slowly began to wake up. He blinked once, twice against the harsh glare of the fluorescent light. He tried to raise an arm to cover his eyes, but he couldn't move. He jerked from side-to-side, but he was stuck. It was only then that he noticed the restraints holding him in place as well as the fact he no longer had clothes. The cool temperature in the room was making goose pimples stand up on his arms and fear made his mouth dry. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat before he cried out.* ~Hello? Is anybody there?~ *The fear he felt was evident. He started yelling louder.* ~Hello?! Please, somebody help me!!!~ *Nobody responded, nobody would. LaRissa had left specific instructions that no one was to enter the room before she did. ~Help me, goddamnit!! Help! Help! Help! Help!!~ *He began to thrash back and forth, but the gurney was solid and did not move. He only succeeded in rubbing his wrists and ankles raw against the leather straps. After about twenty minutes, he stopped. His head sank to his chest and he screwed his eyes tightly shut, willing himself not to cry. LaRissa clicked off the monitor and set her office back to normal, hiding the monitor wall. It was finally time for her to make an appearance.

Her heels echoed on the tile floor as she strode down the hallway with purpose. She placed her feet in position, staring directly into the retinal scanner. There was a dull hum for three seconds, a light flashed green, and the door opened. She came to a stop outside Room 11, ran her keycard across the scanner, and the door opened. Bob raised his head, squinting at LaRissa's figure in the doorway.* ~Ms. Napier? What's going on?~

*She crossed the distance between them quickly, grabbing Bob's hair, and jerking his head back sharply.* What's going on, Bob, is that you were stealing from Biogene by using our equipment for your little online poker game. Now, you will pay us back by donating your body for scientific experimentation.

*Bob's eyes grew wide, and the color drained from his face.* ~What? I-I'm sorry, Ms. Napier. It won't happen again.~ *LaRissa smiled, and laughed evilly.* You're right, it won't. *She bent over so that her lips were only an inch from his ear.* As of now, you no longer exist. You will spend the rest of your life right here in this room, and I -promise- you, the rest of your life will not be pleasant or long. ~No, please God, no..~ *His words were so soft they could barely be heard, and tears began to slide soundlessly down his cheeks.* Oh, yes. The question is now, what should we test on you, biological weapons or designer drugs? We're working on a lovely compound called Scarecrow that brings your worst fears to life. *Her eyes shone like a child's at Christmas time staring at a stack of presents.* I've read your file, Bob...*She released his hair and his head slumped against his chest again as sobs wracked his body.* You're afraid of spiders and fire. Interesting combo. *Withdrawing a hypodermic needle from her pocket, she removed the cap, and stabbed it into Bob's leg. Then, she squeezed the plunger, injecting Bob with a 100cc dose of Scarecrow.* If you survive, you can test something else. *Bob could only watch in horror as a flood of spiders came pouring from LaRissa's mouth, marching toward him on spindly legs.*

*The spiders crept closer and closer to Bob. Up the side of the gurney they crawled. There were no neat and orderly lines like ants, the spiders traveled en masse. When Bob felt the first hairy legs brushing his skin, he jerked frantically, attempting to break the restraints. They held firm, and soon he could feel and see the spiders crawling over his legs, chest, and arms. Bob clenched his jaw as tight as possible and squeezed his eyes shut. He was whimpering now, like an abandoned puppy. Then, he felt the fangs. The first bite was to his crotch, closely followed by the rest of his body. The whimpering grew louder, and his body started to shake violently. Blood oozed from the corner of his mouth where his teeth had dug into his lower lip. Throughout his ordeal, LaRissa just watched. It was always fascinating to see drugs that she had worked so hard to develop being utilized to their full potential. She would write up a detailed report later. Now, she was just enjoying the show, which was also being recorded for posterity on security cameras. Bob's frame shook for ten minutes straight, before rattling to a halt. LaRissa checked Bob for a pulse, and was somewhat surprised to find one. It was weak, but he was alive. The dose of Scarecrow hadn't killed him. She slapped his face once, twice, three times, but he didn't wake up. Occasionally he twitched, and she could hear him mumbling ~no, no..stop...help me...~ With an exasperated sigh, she left the room. Another technician was waiting with a clipboard in the hallway.* Monitor him closely. Alert me when he regains consciousness.

~Yes, Ma'am.~ *He nodded briefly before noting her instruction on the clipboard. *LaRissa left Black Lotus feeling quite pleased with herself. It would be better for Bob if he never woke up, because there were always more tests for Black Lotus's unwilling subjects.*

~*~Back~*~