Tiger shook his head. “That can’t be good for your brain doing that.”
“Still a compuphobe, I see.”
“I just like to do some things myself. Sooner or later those things are going to be eating, shitting, and pleasuring our women.” “I’ve already heard stories,” Jocko mumbled absentmindedly.
“You’ve what?” Tiger couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Just stories. You hear all kinds of things, urban myths, something about a work-from-home mom in Atlanta … never know what’s fact and what’s fiction.”
“Now, you’re scaring me.”
“Well, if that scares you, this oughta terrify you,” Jocko remarked, a new file popping open. It was a home page with a slick, corporate look. “Ever heard of GenetX Corporation?”
“I take it they don’t specialize in rocket parts.”
“Not hardly.” A multitude of pages opened, all of which were linked to the company’s website. Most showed scientist working in labs, looking through microscopes or studying holograms of DNA samples. Others touted the medical breakthroughs the company had achieved though stem-cell research. Little kids that couldn’t run before, now ran. Stroke patients who had been drawn and trapped within their own bodies were free once more. Gene splicing produced drought and plague-resistant crops and cattle for Third World countries that required a minimum of water.
“Looks like a bunch of boy scouts to me,” Tiger observed.
“Of course, they do,” Jocko gave a sarcastic sneer. “That’s what all these evil corporate conglomerates want you to think.”
“But you know better, don’t you?” Tiger prodded his friend. He knew his old schoolmate loved to impress and was setting up for a big finish.
“You can’t hide from Ol’ Jock!” A hologram suddenly appeared, only this time it had the very daunting Space Authority seal on it. Tiger instantly took notice. He knew that they were now somewhere they didn’t need to be. He felt a tinge of fear down his spine.
“What the fuck is that?” he asked, more than just a little concerned.
“You ever heard of “Project Hellhound?”
“Well, you know I haven’t.”
“I doubt many people have.” Jocko was sifting through the file mentally. While he did, his eyes grew wide. “Many are still alive. Damn! This is some wild ass shit!”
“Well, can I see?” Tiger asked impatiently.
“Sorry, got carried away.” Jocko opened the file on the screen and both stared incredulously at the contents.
“So, this GenetX … it’s a subcontractor for the Space Authority?” Tiger asked, making sure he was reading all the data correctly.
“That’s what it looks like,” his partner-in-crime concurred. “Looks like this Project Hellhound is a smoking gun as far as your little furry girlfriend is concerned.”
Tiger stared in awe at the pictures that Jocko was now mentally opening. Images of things he would’ve never believed existed … before yesterday. “This is unbelievable. These things aren’t just for baggage checks.” He realized now Ruff was just a rent-a-cop compared to what he was seeing now. “They’re trying to create monsters to be used as soldiers!”
“Looks like they’ve tried several different animal types,” Jocko remarked, reading some of the file reports. “Rottweilers and Pit Bulls. Wolves. Like the goddamned Wizard of Oz gone bad … lions and tigers and bears! Oh my! Seems after they got shit on their face with that clusterfuck on Luna, they’ve been exploring all options.”
As Tiger read along with him, it was clear Jocko was right. These things had been created for one thing; to be used in military applications. … Things like shock troops or missions deemed too dangerous for humans. They also wanted to try them in police and security operations as well. Heavy-handed stuff like riot control and urban warfare.
There would be no more miscalculations on the part of the Space Authority. There would be no more underestimations of the will and courage of colonists with their backs against the wall. If Luna Three hadn’t been obliterated from the lunar surface, it would have been an extraterrestrial Stalingrad, with the colonists fighting the Space Guard module-to-module, room-to-room, not giving up an inch of ground without first soaking it with Authority blood. If another challenge ever did come to the Authority, whether it be on Mars, some obscure corner of the Belt, or maybe even one day on a planet circling another star, the Authority would be ready. There would be no mercy, no quarter. It would be all jackboots to the throat and rifle butts to the skull.
One picture in particular caught Tiger’s eye. It was obviously a Rottweiler hybrid, kitted out in full Guard combat gear. It was imposing enough, but that black uniform only added to its menacing pose. It was whispered that the Authority had modeled it after the Nazi SS uniform in order to evoke fear and intimidation. Most agreed it had the desired effect.
The thing had to be close to seven feet. The shoulders were unnaturally broad, twice as wide as a regular human male’s. Sitting atop them, with no visible neck was a massive head. The jaws looked as if they could fit a human’s head into its mouth. Tiger shuddered at the thought of having to face such a monster.
“This report is several years old,” he suddenly noticed. “What happened to the project?”
“It was shut down … terminated.” Jock was way ahead of him. He’d always been a faster reader. “Seems there were problems from the start. Human troops didn’t like fighting alongside them. They were intimidated
