The squall wind was howling in the darkness of the yard as we crossed toward the door to the Doc Wagon Hospital (formerly Children’s Hospital). Suddenly, we were beset upon by those damned dirty apes we’d been seeing so much about in the news. Well, baboons, actually. 
Fierce things with glowing blue teeth and eyes. Some geneticist or biomage has apparently been very busy as they had companions in the form of fierce mega-hyenas. Not that we didn’t expect resistance, but this was like some sort of nightmare scene. So we went to work on them. First, I smashed the closest baboon with a wave of lightning. It turned tail shortly after and I was set upon by its steroidal hyena. With a quick dodge and taste of shock-laden steel hidden in my cane I deftly dropped the cur.
After a couple of volleys and fumbles on our side the “alpha” baboon spoke (!) asking our troll tank, Sarge, for parley. I guess he assumed the big lug was our alpha. No matter, he brokered a peace deal with the apes and we parted ways. I’m sure we’ll see them again.
Fortuitously, the back door was ajar. Probably a maintenance thing as this wing of the hospital looked like it hadn’t been used in some time. I crept in all quiet-like until I got down the hall and slipped in a puddle. Yes, even I, Mr. Manufactured Megacorp Security can be as graceless as that nerd H.C. sometimes. Fortunately, I didn’t raise the alarm. The gang joined me closing the door behind us as the lights flickered back to life and we started to make our way to an empty terminal to get the lay of the land. That’s when two candy stripers rounded the corner. They were so caught up in the gabbing about the Electric Elves or whatever it is kids talk about this week that they didn’t even see us. H.C. found a John Doe admitted in the nanomorgue (?) in subbasement 2 so that’s where we headed just as the candy stripers were coming out of the room they’d entered with towels and drugs ignoring us again. The drugs we thought we’d come back for after we successfully pulled the run and got Anushia’s family friend, Raymond Garrison, out of the hospital. Alas, those plans would be thwarted.
I spotted a cop at the entrance to the basement. In our coverall disguises we approached him with a bullshit story about how a silent alarm had been tripped in the subbasements and we were a maintenance crew there to repair it. After making up some technical terms and work order numbers as well as convincing him it wouldn’t take longer than two shakes of a lambs tail, my savvy lies convinced him that he should let us pass. He took us through the basement where one of the generators had just kicked on. Then he opened a secret subbasement security door telling us just to pound on it when we got back.
In subbasement 2 H.C. deftly cracked the palm coded lock. Three doors were in the hallway beyond, maternity ward, ICU, and nanomorgue. Bingo! A weird combo-plate but what the hell do I know about megacorp/military operations?! H.C. cracked the lock, I snuck in to find two lab techs making bets while watching a console. I had a sneaking suspicion I knew who the guys were but that couldn’t be. On my way out I saw seven bacta tanks against the wall, three of which were occupied. I relayed this info to the gang.
Shit nearly hit the fan when Sarge got hasty pulling a “I’ve got some intruders here” scheme and pounded on the door instead of just taking us in. So I improvised and cast a shocking grasp on the tech who stuck his head out, stunning him. We barged in and Taki clocked the other with his baton from across the room. Sarge went all epic and choked the poor minion until he passed out delivering the action hero quip “I told you there was a security breach.”
H.C. got us the readouts while I read the minds in the tanks:
Tank #1 – Weird alien thing with four arms, rectangular pupils, and nothing but blood rage on the brain.
Tank #3 – Human with his face blown mostly off. Thinking of a run on some compound interspersed with 1950s domestic life. Probably our guy. The records confirmed that Project Rising Spirit was paying for the procedure and that Mr. Doe had some dealings with Worthington Munitions (either before or after it exploded).
Tank #6 – Dead alien starfish thing.
Suddenly, our guy’s tank started to complete whatever process it was up to and drain. Perfect timing it would seem. We formulated a plan for escape.
When he was out we dressed him in one of the subdued lab tech’s clothes. We stuck the naked tech in the tank and restarted whatever process was running before. Sarge grabbed John Doe and the other tech and slung them over his shoulders. H.C. initiated the release sequence for the alien monstrosity and I bolted up the stairs with him. We pounded on the door sounding terrified until the cop came and opened it. My lies served me again as I convinced him that there was something evil and wrong in the lab just as Sarge and Taki arrived with the two “techs.” We high-tailed it out of there. Sarge slowed the cop by “accidentally” knocking his phone-deck out of his hand. Out of the basement we closed the door, Sarge dropped the real tech and broke the handle buying time. Out the back door Taki had to tinker with the mechanical release but there was a mag lock as well. I quickly flipped the fire alarm releasing the lock, activating the sprinklers, and causing general chaos. Across the yard I charged the gate for H.C. to open, we jumped on our horses and were gone!
On the way back to Anushia’s in the midst of Hurricane Gaston making landfall we observed widespread looting, panic, and curiously the Archdiocese of New Orleans armed like a fortress waiting for an invasion. But we got back safe and sound.
Mission, very successfully, accomplished! No doubt we’ll be hearing about the monster we released sometime very soon.
