eugenesis-text

‘No, of course you don’t. How could you You’ve been implanted with an Inhibitor Chip,
Galvatron – a device that renders all transformation circuitry inert. You’re trapped in mono-form.’
‘At least until I break free, kill you and remove it.’
‘Oh, it cannot be removed. Disturb the roots and you die instantly: a photon pulse would fry your
brain module.’
‘You’re lying.’
‘About the trip-switch’
‘About everything. It’s very easy for you to stand there and tell me I can’t transform when I can’t
even move.’
‘I didn’t think you’d believe me. Science is built on empiricism, not blind theory.’ Xenon held up the
test tube. ‘This is aqua fortis - the liquid that covers all of Aquaria. Now - watch this.’ Xenon held the test
tube over Galvatron’s thigh and watched him struggle to escape its shadow. ‘Be still, be still,’ he purred, like
a nurse about to clean a wound. He tipped the bottle. A droplet fled the meniscus and fell onto Galvatron’s
leg.
The liquid burrowed through his armour plating, through his epidermal circuitry, through his very
endoskeleton, slicing through the layers with the ease and urgency of acid through blotting paper. He
screamed, of course; he screamed and thrashed as best he could, lost in bottle-green fumes. When the pain
finally ended he stared at a new hole in his leg, at a sizzling, black-rimmed tunnel with identical entry and
exit points. The droplet nuzzled the floor, globed and perfect.
‘Oh dear,’ said Xenon. ‘Don’t like getting wet, do we’ And then, in one fluid motion, he poured
the rest of the liquid over his own head. A second skin shaped his facemask, wet and fluent. It slipped over
his cheekbones, veined his chin and trickled to the floor. He laughed at Galvatron’s mortified expression.
‘We Quintessons are impervious, of course.’
‘So you brought me all this way just to gloat, did you To play your little games. You Quintessons
always did have an inflated sense of self-worth. Inhibitor Chips and this miraculous acid water. Do I look
impressed Because I’m not.’
‘Ah, but you miss the connection.’ The ceiling split apart to reveal a slab of plexiglass and thousands
of gallons of aqua fortis. ‘The moment I leave this room, Galvatron, your bonds will loosen. You will have
one minute to escape before this chamber is flooded. If you transform, I will not release the liquid.’
Haxian was waiting for him in the viewing gallery, back to the glass. ‘Ready, commander’
Xenon placed a single tentacle against the release pad and moved to the window. The axis-rack
retracted into the wall, forcing Galvatron onto the floor. The Decepticon jumped to his feet with demon
speed.
’40 seconds,’ said Xenon.
Galvatron lunged for the doorway and drove his fists into the hooks and hinges. He left a
constellation of dents but nothing more.
’30 seconds.’
Haxian had no taste for this. The experiment was grandiose and overblown; he’d always thought
Xenon above such self-indulgence. He concentrated on his monitor screen, waiting for the bodyscan
results, and tried to ignore his leader’s countdown.
’20 seconds.’
Galvatron dug his fingers into the wall and climbed towards the viewing gallery. Xenon held his
ground as the Decepticon appeared at the window. After all, a single increase in pressure and the robot
would be dead, stripped to a paper-thin skeleton.
’15 seconds.’
Galvatron punched the glass until his finger mechanisms split, until his knuckles were clipped, then
flattened, then concave. He was screaming, he was nudging his voxbox towards shutdown, and Xenon
could not hear a thing.
’10 seconds.’
Cracks appeared in the glass. Xenon jabbed another button, the walls became charged with electricity,
and Galvatron was thrown to the floor.
‘5 seconds.’