Merrin watched the security footage as one of the Nameless escorted CX21 with a blackout bag over his head from the compound and back to his home.


    A sinking feeling was building in her gut and she tried to suppress it for the sake of her Charles. She needed to be there for him first and foremost. Her worries about the test results shouldn’t get in the way.


    “Isn’t it amazing?” Charles spoke excitedly. His enthusiasm was so adorable, “CX21 is exceeding expectations by far. Who know what’s next?”


    ”But the cognitive baseline remains a constant control for all initial subjects. It’s too soon to tell how promising CX21 is,” Merrin couldn’t stop herself from blurting out the counterpoint. She fidgeted with her clipboard, a bad habit. Luckily, Charles hadn’t figured out that it signaled her feelings of jealousy.


    Charles spoke without taking his eyes off the footage he kept replaying, ”Even so, he was able to pinpoint my location through multiple layers of lead and steel. And on the first connection!”


    Merrin gripped her clipboard tight enough for the wood to creak from her primate empowered hands. Her tail curled in frustration. It felt like a dagger had been plunged into her heart. She was supposed to be Charles’s most prized subject. His greatest success. Nobody else should be able to take that from her. She plastered on a fake smile for Charles’s sake, and said: “It’s definitely a promising start.” This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    “Not just promising, it’s pioneering,” Charles, ever oblivious of Merrin’s feelings, proceeded to twist the dagger deeper into her heart, “After the preliminary feedings next week, I’m confident he will be my most successful test subject without comparison.”


    “That’s so wonderful,” Merrin said past gritted teeth. She dug her claws into her clipboard as she tried to change the topic. She’d happily talk about anything else in an attempt to alleviate the pain, but Charles was only focused on his work, “The hypnosites from CX21 and the other subjects are developing well after exposure to the new brain activity. They should be ready for feeding by the time of the next round of tests.”


    “Good work, Merrin. I can count on you.” He still didn’t take his eyes off the screen, but it was a start.


    Merrin took a deep breath and savored the recognition. She needed that. It wasn’t that hard to appreciate her was it? She just needed to remind Charles of her value.


    “Watch this,” Charles said, “Do you see how CX21 was able to harness sound energy to such a degree even in the most infantile stage? It’s remarkable.”


    Merrin scowled as the stupid footage of CX21 that Charles was watching played on loop for the umpteenth time. Sure, it was different, but was it really all that great? Merrin had been able to reach full cooperation with her own hypnosite and that had never been done before.


    CX21 wasn’t anything special. Charles was simply excited by something new. Merrin just needed to remind Charles that she was the real testament of his achievements, not someone that wouldn’t even be able to survive the preliminary stages.


    An idea popped into Merrin’s head. A fiendishly, wonderful idea to return the status quo to it’s proper place. It truly wasn’t that difficult for Charles to appreciate her. She just needed to make sure she remained his most successful subject. That wasn’t too difficult given the proper circumstances.


    “The next round of experiments cannot come soon enough. I cannot wait to see what happens next week.” Charles said.


    “Me too, Doctor,” Merrin said, hiding a devilish grin behind her clipboard, “There’s so much to look forward to.”