". . . successful. Vital signs present. Colouration normal. Power present . . ."

". . . process complete. Subject TYH-1027 moving to cradle 18. Monitoring of vitals maintained . . ."

The wail of infants taking their first breaths of life punctuated the air, nearly drowning out the white noise humming, beeping, and hissing of machinery at work and the murmurs of the many white-clad figures. On a catwalk above, a man with calculating eyes and combed back salt-and-pepper hair watched them work. For minutes he said nothing. Then, without turning to look, he spoke to the younger man beside him.

"Liu-Shen . . . How are the figures looking?"

The man, Second-in-Chief Liu-Shen Feng, shook his head as he gazed at the holo-panel in his hand. "Not good, I'm afraid, Teiji . . . We've lost over 90% of our subjects already. Dmitri estimates that we'll only manage to keep about 2% of the total alive . . . If we're lucky, 5%."

Chief Yamanagi Teiji sighed, his eyes turning back to his many employees that shuffled quietly amongst the rows of artificial wombs that filled the laboratory.

"And the chances for successful exposure?"

"Dmitri is more optimistic about this one, but . . . frankly, I think the success rate won't change. We might not even get a success."

Meanwhile, a bear of a scientist strode amongst the others, his grey eyes riveted on the holo-panel that fed him live information of each and every softly-glowing membranous pod that surrounded him and his subordinates. His heart sank lower with each oval that flickered red on the glowing blue screen. Another failed experiment, another young, innocent life lost. As the last oval changed colour, the panel blipped and flashed the word "COMPLETE". Turning on his heel, Second-in-Chief Dmitri Alleron Curtis made his way to the incubation chamber, aware of the two scientists following on the catwalk.

They met him at the doors. Though Teiji's expression was impassive as ever, Liu-Shen's was more concerned, perhaps enough for the two of them.

"Well, Dmitri?" were the first words out of Teiji's mouth.

Dmitri hesitated, but tapped his holo-panel to bring up the statistics. ". . . A 2% survival rate. Twenty-five are confirmed alive and healthy, Yamanagi-taichou."

"Only that little . . . ?" That quiet question came from Liu-Shen, and sounded more like he was asking himself than them.

Teiji simply nodded and gestured to the doors. "I will see you two after you've debriefed Liu-Shen."

"Yessir."

The doors hissed open and the two Second-in-Chiefs stepped through into the warmth of the incubation chamber. There were about a dozen other scientists, all checking to make sure the infants' vitals were stable. One saw them and approached them.

"What are the numbers?" Dmitri asked, putting on his Second-in-Chief voice.

"They're all over the charts, sir," the scientist reported. "Subjects TYH-0109, 0124, 0203, 0304, 0318, 0330, 0402, 0417, 0419, 0425, 0505, 0613, 0630, 0720, 0814, 0904, 1022, 1027, 1103, 1116, 1121, 1129, 1204, and 1220."

"And current status?"

"All stable and healthy, sir."

"Very good. We'll move straight to exposure. Yamanagi-taichou is anxious to see this through."

"Yessir."

The observation and control room of the incubation chamber was alive with activity when they joined Teiji. Once the scientists had left the infants and the doors slid shut, the chief scientist signaled for the process to begin.

"Sequence commencing . . . Status green. Revealing demonic spiritual source now . . ."

A hole opened up in the centre of the circular room's floor, and from the bowels of the laboratory complex, a slender, sheathed weapon rose on a podium. Sealing scrolls were plastered helter-skelter on its length, and several rings of symbols surrounded it.

"Releasing initial barrier."

One of the rings flickered and died, and the layers of blue energy that surrounded it grew a little thinner. The scientists monitoring the infants' status began reporting on the feedback.

"TYH-0109 terminated. TYH-1103 terminated."

"Releasing second level barrier."

"TYH-0304 terminated. TYH-0419 terminated. TYH-1116, 0425, 0330 terminated."

"Releasing third level barrier . . ."

As the numbers rattled off, Liu-Shen looked to Dmitri, his gaze going behind Teiji. The other man had been watching his fellow Second-in-Chief, and the two knew the other was thing the same thing. But one thing they'd learned of Teiji over the years was that he was like his father, who had founded Tenyakuryou: once he made up his mind, no one could change it.

"Barriers replaced. Source retracting. Survival rate, 8%."

"Eight?" Dmitri parroted, his mind quickly doing the math.

Liu-Shen's mind was faster. "Only two . . ."

"Yessir. Subjects TYH-0613 and 1022."

"Thank you," Teiji said. "After cleaning up, you are all dismissed. Well done, all of you."

The three heads strode into the incubation chamber. The dead experiments had all been removed, and there was no one but them. Teiji turned to his subordinates.

"Well, you know the deal."

"Yessir."

"You'll take care of them, I trust."

"Of course." Dmitri's response was sincere.

"We won't disappoint you, Teiji," Liu-Shen agreed.

"Good. I'll leave you to get acquainted with the subjects, then."

With that he turned and left. The two men waited for the doors to close before turning to each other. Dmitri sighed.

"Ah, I wish there'd been more . . ."

"I'd hate to see a child raised by him," Liu-Shen admitted.

"Ha ha! That's true, Teiji doesn't seem the loving father type, does he?"

"Which one will you take then, Dmitri?"

"This one right here," the big man replied, placing his hand on the plastic crib labeled 17. "I'd my eye on 1022 since she came out. I'm glad she made it through."

"Then that works out." Liu-Shen went to the crib labeled 12. "0613 was one of my choices. 0417 and 0720 didn't make it . . . so she'll be mine."

The two men's expressions were a whirl of emotions as they gazed at the bundle of blanket and infant in the cribs. Neither had been married; for them, this would be the first time outside their careers that they would have to look after. The first time they would have someone else in their life. The first time they could look at someone and call them family. Dmitri's features broke out into a smile, while Liu-Shen looked a little debated until he seemed to settle on a satisfactory answer. Bending down, they picked up the child from the crib.

"Anastasia," Dmitri said, fondly.

"Aleyn," Liu-Shen murmured with a loving smile.

"My precious daughter."