"I'm just going to need you to step inside this chamber." Sheila grabbed onto the handle of the metal door. As the chamber opened, it let out a long hiss along with a cloud of steam that travelled along the floor. Gurk stepped forward, poking his head inside the interior of the metal casing and eyed the steely inside. The back wall contained complex and intricate wiring and pipework encased behind a see-through panel.

"It's safe?" Gurk grunted.

"Of course! This is the latest and most up-to-date piece of bio-examination technology that money can buy! You're probably in more danger standing outside of it!"

"Oh."

"Besides, you won't be in there for too long. I just have to run a few tests for now. You know, get some of the basic information recorded first. Once that's done, we can take a little break from research." Sheila looked at Gurk's face. Despite his metal mask, it was clear that he was uneasy about the situation by the way his eyelids drooped and his breathing became deep and audible. "By the time we're finished with the preliminary research, my mother's cooking should be done. Wouldn't that be a great treat after all our hard work? A cauliflower souffle all to yourself?"

Gurk's eyes widened upon him hearing one specific word in Sheila's statement. "All right."

"The sooner we start, the sooner we get to eat!" Sheila placed both of her hands on Gurk's side and began to guide him into the chamber. "And try to stay still while you're in there. If you move and squirm a too much it will mess up the readings."

"Fine." Gurk walked inside the small metal room at Sheila's behest. He turned around so his front was facing out the open door.

"There! Perfect! Now just stand still." Sheila took hold of the metal door and closed it shut. Once closed, mechanisms began to whir, locking it tight. Only Gurk's face was visible through the window. He followed Sheila as best as he could from the angle he was refined to and the small amount of viewing space given. The young woman turned on a floating panel adjacent to the chamber and began to shift through its settings.

"I'll be getting your heartrate first, Gurk!" she exclaimed. Despite her shouting, Sheila's voice remained muffled through the thick door. He gave a thumbs up in response, indicating that he understood what she had said. The woman glanced at the gesture before returning to her screen.

"Let's see. The vital readings are standard for most people. Heartrate, standard. Brain activity is... a bit on the low side but still average. Nothing special in these areas." Sheila continued to scroll through the information presented to her, staring at it intently. Gurk continued watch through the window, growing impatient as her analysis went on.

The crocodile tapped on the glass with his claw. The clinking sound grabbed Sheila's attention. "Yes Gurk?" she asked after turning around.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Almost done?" he said, his voice muffled by the door of the chamber.

"Uh, yes. Just a bit longer, Gurk. I'll get you out of there in just a moment.” She raised two of her fingers and pinched them together. “There's a few more readings that I need to get done and then we can get you that cauliflower meal that I just know you've been dying to try!" She looked at the screen again and resumed recording her notes.

Gurk pressed against the glass once more. Sheila didn't turn around immediately this time, instead straightening out her stance and letting out a huff of air. "Yes Gurk?" she asked, keeping her yes on the projection.

"How long?"

Sheila turned around, accompanied with a stomp of her feet. Her smiling and friendly face was gone and in its place was a scowl of pure annoyance. "I'm not sure, Gurk!" she snapped. The woman walked closer to the chamber's door and stared back at the crocodile with narrowed eyes. With one arm across her chest, she pointed at an embarrassed Gurk with her other hand. "The more you interrupt, the longer it'll take! Now please, leave me to my research! It shouldn't be more than a few minutes. Then we can get back to touring our estate. Understood?"

Gurk nodded slowly.

"Good." Sheila took hold of the handle on the side of the chamber door's window and with a swift pull, slammed the metal panel shut. With the window covered, she returned to the long stream of data on her screen. "Now, some peace and quiet," she muttered underneath her breath. The next few minutes were spent in silence save for the low hum of machinery working. Once Sheila had taken her notes, she moved to the viewing device adjacent to the chamber. She placed her eyes into the goggles of the apparatus.

"X-rays show an interesting bone structure," Sheila said slowly and clearly. As she spoke, her words were transcribed on the screen beside her. "Subject appears to be more durable than humans. Internal temperature is unnaturally low with a sub-freezing average throughout the entire body. Dense muscle mass combined with advanced neuron network makes me believe that this subject... is a top-tier specimen."

Sheila took off the goggles and began to tap at the projection. With some shifting through menus, she activated one of the chamber's functions. The metal room startled to rumble, followed by a long hissing sound. Gurk's muffled grunts lasted for only a few moments before silencing. Once the machine stopped moving, the young woman slid open the metal panel that covered the window. She stood on her on toes and peered downwards into the glass. Gurk had collapsed into a pile on the chamber's floor with his head pointing upwards and resting against the wall. His breathing slow but steady, evident by the way his chest expanded.

As she slid the panel to the window closed, her innocent-looking smile returned. "Thank you, Gurk for finally being so cooperative!" she said to herself. Sheila then used her Implant to start a call. After a short wait, Mag appeared on screen.

"How are things?" he asked. He was still in his suit and in the back of the luxury carrier. "You seem happy, so I assume that everything is going to plan."

"You'd be right, father! I have the subject in the Dormancy Chamber."

"Excellent!" Mag exclaimed with a grin. "I just finished contacting the others. They'll be here tomorrow. As scheduled"

"Joy!" Sheila said as she hopped up and down in small spurts while clapping her hands. "I'll finally get to join you!"

"Sorry it took so long, sweetheart. I know we missed your birthday."

"It's all right, Father. It's the thought that counts."

"And what of the subject's friends?" Mag said before taking another sip of his wine.

"They're in the entertainment room. I told them to wait there while Gurk and I did research."

"I'll take care of them. Just stay down in the lab so they won't get suspicious."

"Understood, father."

The screen deactivated. Sheila paced around back and forth, bouncing giddily. "Tomorrow! Can't wait for tomorrow!" she whispered to herself.