Surprisingly enough, they didn't head home immediately afterward. Justin raised an eyebrow as they drove towards the outskirts of town instead.
"Um, mom? Where are we going exactly?"
"Change of plans, dear. Let's go to the base first." Responded his mother. She looked rather happy all of a sudden. "I reckon we should do a test with that serum of yours, in order to see if it's safe. Don't worry; there's a team of professionals that will help us."
Justin blinked in surprise. "Oh. Well, if you say so."
"So, tell me about your serum some more. I know you've been trying to stabilize your formula, but you haven't kept me informed."
That's because he was too busy refining the formula, while she'd been busy with work. Not that he blamed her. Margaret Smith was many things, but she wasn't a bad mother. Just preoccupied with her job. She hadn't reached the rank of major without working her ass off. Besides, the fact that she'd done so, while divorced and taking care of her son as a single mother, spoke volumes of her dedication.
So he began explaining the differences between each serum; blue, yellow, and red. What sort of process was needed to synthesize the formulas. The materials necessary for production. His mom listened attentively, keeping her ears open as they drove down the road. Sometimes she asked a question to clarify something. Of course, Justin had to tone it down a little, as his intellect was far greater than hers. He'd been born a genius, after all. Even if people didn't realize it, or acknowledged his academic smarts.
It was, admittedly, a bit weird how interested his mom was. She'd never shown such excitement for one of his projects before.
"Oh, it's rather simple." She answered when he asked about it. Margaret gladly explained her reasoning. "You see, dear; mommy is the head of a research and development department. I've been working with several scientists and professionals to increase the potential of our soldiers."
"Wow! For real?"
Margaret nodded. "You bet. It might sound like science fiction, but we've been looking into biological means rather than mechanical. The country already produces advances drones, gear, and vehicles. Save for actual robotic soldiers. But I believe we should focus on our people instead. If we can give our recruits the best training possible, followed by a procedure that enhances them genetically, we could give birth to a new generation of warfare. A new means to defend our nation."
That sounded impressive. And Justin was all for it. Whatever helped their troops out there in the field. That being said, though.
"But what does that have to do with me?" He inquired. "I mean, the formula is still experimental. And it's also my invention. I'm not sure I'd appreciate it if the military just took it away."
"No worries, dear. I'll make sure they won't. If I can prove the potential of your serums to my superior-- that is the base commander --then we can come up with a contract or patent. We'll get compensated, and our soldiers get a much needed boost."
Justin hummed. "Okay. That doesn't sound too bad."
"I'm glad to hear it. Just trust me to take care of everything." Margaret said with a smile.
The car made its way past the forest, before finally reaching the local military base. It wasn't a big complex, but wasn't tiny either. Justin figured it made sense to perform research out here. It was still heavily guarded, of course, with walls and guard towers. They drove towards the gate house where the security forces inspected them.
Upon confirming it was his mother, the men and women allowed them to go ahead. Even Justin's presence was logged into the books. Margaret knew where she was headed, as the car moved toward a large building in the middle of the base.
They passed several patrols and empty vehicles. Justin even got to see a few tanks, and a helipad up ahead. But they weren't here for sightseeing. His mom parked the car next to the building in a reserved slot for officers.
"We're here. Bring your gear along." Said Margaret.
Justin complied by grabbing his backpack. He'd brought along samples of his serum, as well as some notes. Not everything was written down, however, as he suspected someone might otherwise try to steal his invention.
They went inside, passing by another guard sat behind a desk. The man stood at attention when Margaret passed by. Justin felt a bit awkward. He'd never been to his mom's workplace before, and only recently discovered what she did. It was also weird to follow her from behind when she was all business. Margaret was strict, so this wasn't all that different in that regard, but she now strutted around with a confidence that he wasn't used to. It helped that she wasn't exactly a frail flower; his mom was in excellent shape, with a robust physique.
That her son was rather weak and skinny kind of sucked. Maybe he should do something about that soon.
Mother and son then went up a few floors, stopping once they reached an office. There was a person working behind a desk that acted like a reception. Justin blinked when he saw how pretty the secretary was.
She had to be, because she didn't really look like a soldier. The woman was relatively young, seemingly fresh out of school, and quite attractive. Her blonde hair was cut short in a bob style, framing her blue eyes and cute visage. She wasn't very tall, more like average of height, and her build was slim. Her blouse displayed her generous bosom, and the skirt she wore accentuated her slender legs.
"Good evening, major Smith." Greeted the woman. Wow! Even her voice sounded pretty. "Doctor Abrams is inside if you need her. Also, colonel Cooper was here earlier today."
"Let me guess," His mom said in irritation, "He wanted to know if we've made any progress yet? After all, our department is sucking up all the funding, so we'd better show some damn results."
The secretary giggled. "Something like that. Oh, and is this Justin? Hi there! My name is Tiffany. A pleasure to meet you. Your mother has told us all about you."
"Thanks. Nice to meet you, too." Justin answered, cheeks flushed. His voice was a bit quieter.
"He's a shy one." Said Tiffany, winking towards Margaret.
"That's because he's a decent young man. One that treats women with respect." Margaret proclaimed proudly. She smiled at him, ruffling his hair.
"Mom!"
The two women laughed, to his annoyance.
"Regardless, we'll be going inside. Justin has made quite the discovery that I wish to share with doctor Abrams."
"Of course." Tiffany nodded. "Don't let me keep you. It was nice seeing you, Justin!"
The two of them went inside, passing by the reception. Justin was immediately awestruck as he saw the advanced equipment of his mom's laboratory. Most of the gear was something he could only wish to use one day. Imagine all the scientific work done in here!
Standing next to a table was another woman. She was of middle age, with long brown hair tied into a bun, and glasses framing her hazel eyes. She was of average height and build, but looked a bit taller thanks to her heels. She also wore a labcoat.
"Doctor Abrams!"
The woman looked up. "Mhm? Ah! Welcome, major. I wasn't sure you'd still be coming. And I see you brought someone?"
Margaret placed her hand on Justin's shoulder. "This is my son, Justin."
"The teenage genius that you speak so highly of?" Doctor Abrams smiled brightly. She shook Justin's hand eagerly. "It's good to finally meet you in person. I've been hoping to see you for some time now. Your mother told me all about your projects, and I have to say I'm impressed. In a few more years you could easily apply to one of the top universities."
"Thanks. Didn't know mom liked to talk about me so much." He said, smiling in an embarrassed manner.
Abrams chuckled. "Definitely. She talks about you all the time, really."
"Anyway," Interrupted Margaret with a cough. "Justin is here because he's finally finished his formula. The one I told you about, remember?"
"The muscle growth serum? My goodness! That's wonderful news. Should we test it, then?"
"That would be for the best. Any recommendations, doctor?"
The female scientist tapped her chin. "I can think of a few..."
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