Experiment Zero: Part 1- The Lab
Waking up after what feels like an eternity of sleep to find all you have ever known is rough. Can Zero overcome the shock and trauma of awakening to live on?
Time: Present
I am an experiment, something made of two entities morphed together in a lab, the body of a wolf and the mind of a human. I think I have other parts too, but I don't know for sure. I have no name, only a number. But a number can be a name, right? So I guess that I am Zero, Experiment Zero.
Suddenly, doors once keeping me asleep and safe have now parted, and I now feel the sting of light brush over my body. I groan and try to move, but can't. I begin to panic. My heart beats fast and my breathing picks up. I struggle to stand, open my eyes. But it doesn't happen, and I am forced to lay unwillingly. My panicked cries wither into whimpers, and I lay paralyzed on my bed, trying to regain composure.
As my heart returns to a normal pace, and my emotions quell, I feel my feet tingle. I open my eyes and perk up a bit. I try to move them, and they respond. Excitement overcomes me again, but I don't scramble like before. Instead, I tentatively test myself for movement. I flex my legs to see if they move, and they do. My heart rate again increases, and I try to stand. I manage it, though shaikly upon my legs. I begin to gently stretch my weary muscles, restoring blood long lost to them.
My whole body relaxes, and in the faint light I am able to make out my appearance. My legs are long, sleek and strong. My torso, despite being unconscious for so long, remains as muscular as the last time I had seen it. My gray fur is surprisingly well kept and ordered, still maintaining its sheen. For a wolf only three years of age, I'm pretty mature. Honestly, if not for my lupine features, I could pass for a show dog.
I blink a few times to whisk away the sleepiness, and take in my surroundings, expecting to see the world as it was when I was last awake, but I am stopped almost immediately. Tables and shelves, once cleaned and polished, are covered with filth. Chairs, once in pristine condition, lay ruined before me. Even my bed, once perfect in function is barely held together, on the verge of collapse. I feel my body again go numb, and I find myself unable to move. My breathing slows to a stop. I stand in silence, frozen by the scene before me. The place I was raised is nothing but rubble. The laboratory that created me has been destroyed.
I take a sharp breath, followed by soft cries. Tears run down my cheeks. I slump onto the ground, grief overwhelming me, but I don't resist. Tears leave stains across my fur as they fall into small puddles at my paws. I try to hold back loud sobs, but they escape, leaving me whining pitifully on the floor of a ruined lab.
Eventually, my emotions subside, and I stand up. I shake, just as before, though less this time. My chest has lightened, and I don't feel as sad anymore. I breathe deeply for a few moments, then sigh. I am calm again, and I return to observing my surroundings. Much of what I remember has become rusted. I step towards them to get a closer look, stop as a reflection of light on the floor catches my eye. All across the ground, chunks of broken glass are strewn randomly, beakers that once contained my food and vitamins. I work my way around them and move forward, shrugging them off as nothing more than another remnant of the past.
I trot down through the ruined halls, observing. Memories drift in and out of my head, some clear, some muddled, all bringing back the sadness I thought left me earlier. I go further, but then stop, freeze. An acrid smell rips its way through my nose, and I gag. I look to find the source of the odor, pull away almost immediately. A few feet ahead lays a body, strewn out across the floor, dead, rotten. It dons a lab coat, and the name tag is still in tact. "Chris", it reads, the name of the doctor who created me. My father. My best friend.
Time: Three Years ago
Scientists litter the lab floor, scrambling back and forth. All are working feverishly. The time was now, the first ever integration of human DNA into a nonhuman organism. They had managed to retrieve egg and sperm from wolves specifically raised in the lab to be the healthiest and strongest they could be. They combined them in vitro, and now they had a perfectly forming gamete before them.
Time was short now. They had only a small time-frame to integrate the human genes into it before it was too late. They prepared their instruments, and began the process. It took no time at all, a simple poke of the thin needle into the rapidly growing cell, a press of a button to release the DNA, and another press to release their specially synthesized DNA altering compound. Then, they waited.
They watched their monitors, silently praying to the gods they didn't believe in that they would finally be successful. Suddenly, a light flashed upon the screen, and text came scrolling across at a rapid pace. They all took a collective breath, then began to celebrate. They had done it. The DNA took. The integration was a success. Cheers, hugs and excited chatter filled the room.
In the midst of the celebration stood the lead scientist, Chris. Off all of those here who had worked on this project, he had put forth the most effort. Yet, he did not cheer, nor jump for joy. He merely smiled. Stood there and smiled, wordlessly. He knew what they had done with this success, understood the greater consequences of doing what they had more than any other scientist did. But that didn't matter, so he smiled.
Time: A few months later
I was only a pup, born and fresh from the test tube. Playful, happy, full of boundless energy, like any other pup. Except I had a human brain, one integrated into my genes through the magic of science. The brainchild of Chris, my dad, and the scientist who orchestrated and slaved over my creation. Of course I didn't understand or care about that, all I cared about was playing, exploring everything I could and getting affection. The world was fascinating to me. How it all worked and the way things were, I loved it. Chris told me that was what happened when human and wolf met, and that made me feel special.
Everyday since the day I was made, I was taught things about the world and trained on how to do things. Sometimes I was apart of experiments, where I had to use what I learned. Other times, I had to do things I had never before experienced. Most people hate those kinds of activities, but I loved them. Solving the puzzles and figuring out the tasks satisfied my urge to learn. I was advanced at everything I did, and Chris was thrilled. After I finish a task, he would come up to me, pet my head, scratch behind my ear, hug me, and tell me I was the best child anyone could ever ask for.
But I always found that strange. He seemed to care for me so much, that he loved me like I was his actual child, yet he never gave me a name, except for Experiment Zero. He gave me so much praise for doing things right, yet he never took real care of me. Other people always gave me my food and vitamins, helped me when I got sick or hurt, but never Chris. I never paid too much mind to it, but it was something that always bugged me a little.
Time: Two Year Ago
It was a normal day. I was in a maze, blindfolded and trying to figure the way out by smell alone. I was almost to the maze's end when suddenly Chris told me to stop. I did, and soon after my blindfold was removed by a lab assistant. I looked up, curious as to what was happening, and uttered a questioning growl. The assistant said nothing, instead, pointing for me to go to the door. Slightly annoyed, I obliged and did as I was told. Chris was waiting for me, and I got excited as I always did, and usually Chris was happy to see me too.
But he wasn't this time, in fact, he seemed rather upset. His face was twisted into a frown, littered with confusion and despair. My own happiness faded quickly, and I whimpered up at him, concerned for him. He sighed and rubbed his face, then gave my head a gentle rub. He told me he was okay, but there was a problem with some funding and ethics. I didn't know what exactly that pertained to, but I listened in typical curious fashion. He was shaking a little now, but continued, telling me now that the problem with ethics and funding was because of me, because I existed, the lab was shutting down.
Those words hit me hard. I felt numb, a creeping cold working its way through my body. I began to whimper loudly, barking a few times in protest. Chris stopped and kneeled down, coming to eye level with me, and clasped his hands around my muzzle. I stopped and gazed at him, silent. He was silent for a moment as well, then smiled softly and touched his head to mine. He whispered to me, telling me that it wasn't my fault, that the people in charge didn't understand anything, and that everything would still be okay. I wouldn't be able to solve puzzles and participate in lab experiments, but I'd still be okay.
Chris sighed and stood up, looking down at me once more. He told me that I seemed tired and stressed, that I could use some sleep. He began walking down the hall towards my room, gesturing for me to follow, but I hesitated. I didn't feel tired, and sleep was the last thing on my mind. But that was a sign of stress, and since Chris knew what was best for me, I decided he was right and followed him.
I followed him to my room, both of us quiet, accompanied only by the sound of shoes and paws on the cool tile floor. We came to my room, which was actually a laboratory with a cage-like bed in the middle. Chris went in first and opened up the doors for me. I padded over to it and began hoisting myself up into it, getting some help from Chris. I laid down onto the plush cushion immediately, with a heavy sigh, then looked to Chris. He was smiling still, though something was tainting its purity. He reached over me and gave my head another pet and scratch, then sighed. He looked me in the eyes again, his smile growing more genuine, and told me that he loved me, that I should never forget that. He had never said that before, and my heart swelled up with happiness. My tail began to wag and I perked up, licking his cheek with loving affection. He chuckled and gently pushed me away. telling me to calm down and rest. I nodded and reluctantly stopped, resting myself down again with a soft sigh. Chris smiled, told me goodnight, then quietly shut the doors.
That was the last time I would ever see his smile.
Time: Present
The smell and the image of him there won't leave my head. I resist the urge to vomit and turn around, body shaking with distress. The sadness now wells up over me once more, and my control is lost. I fall to the floor, weeping and whimpering pathetically, like a newborn pup. I realize now that everything in my world is gone. I am alone, damned to solitude, and I cry.
But something is different this time. My mind is wandering as my tears cascade, and thoughts pervade my mind, telling me that the end is not here with Chris's corpse. Something begins to well up within me, a feeling I have never before felt. Something warm, fiery even, and it's burning away all the sadness I have left inside of me. Waves of energy begin to flood all parts of my body, forcing me to rise suddenly with confidence. I blink away the tears, heart beats fast, breathing speeds up. This new feeling, I don't know what it is, but it feels good.
I take a breath in, then slowly let go. I turn once more to Chris's corpse and push back the feelings of grief. Instead, I raise my head up high and loose a long, sorrowful howl. It echoes through the halls, ringing out in memorial for my father. I sustain the howl for what seems like hours before stopping. I look one last time at the corpse, utter a soft, thankful whimper, then turn and once again begin my exploration.
It occurs to me that I have no idea where I am going. I know most of the facility, but I don't know all of it, and I'm still fuzzy from sleeping for who knows how long. Worse yet, what lies outside of this place? I was taught that there was a world outside of the labs, but that it was a scary and dangerous place to be. I don't know anything more about it. Regardless, that leaves me with two options: Stay here and likely die in the facility, or risk the outside world. Both end in death, but one comes more swiftly than the other. I think it over for a bit, then choose. I decide it's best to try and leave this place. It holds too many memories for me, and I'm not ready to break down for the umpteenth time. So, I begin to search the halls for a way out.
Surprisingly, it takes me almost no time to find my way out of the labs. Soon after I start to search, I find a corridor I have never before seen. Traveling down it, through a few twists, and turns leads me to a large, vault-like door. I gaze in awe at it. Across the very top, it reads, "Animayus Labs: Emergency exit to above ground." That must mean the outside world. Excited, I look around for a way to open it. A switch is on the left hand side of it, but it's rusted over. Still, I go to it and try my hardest to yank it down. It doesn't budge at first, but after a few tugs and some angry growling, it comes loose and falls straight down into the open position. The vault door rumbles to life, and through the sound of creaking, it begins to open.
I take a few steps back and watch in amazement as the behemoth slowly drifts right. Streams of light seep in from the crevices, and new smells begin to drift down and into my nose. They smell unlike anything I have ever smelled, yet seem oddly familiar. They draw me through the opening, before the door had even finished opening. As I follow them, the tile floor below me begins to grow softer, and my paws sink slightly down into the ground beneath them. I look down to find that the floor is now made of something soft and loose. I remember being taught this is soil.
I slowly traverse up and out of the labs on a slow incline. The labs where underground, hidden away in a cave-like area. I can see, but not well, aided only by a few stray beams of light. It takes me awhile, but soon I am free of the pseudo-dark, and now I stand in the middle of a cave opening, overlooking a small courtyard. In it, a decomposing mass of machines and man made structures lie in ruin. Much of it is covered in some sort of foliage, hiding most of the rusted over junk.
I hold my breath and gaze out in silence at the scene before me, amazed. This must have been the aboveground part of the lab; now it looks just like its underground counterpart, lost to the ages. Yet, in the midst of the ruins, I hear faint noises. I flinch and go still. I don't know what they are, but they seem faintly familiar. Movement catches my eyes and I look to it quickly, tensing up further. I see small animals, flitting about in the sky: Birds, if I remember right. I remember that they make noises like chirps and tweets. That must be whats making the noise. I smile and sigh in relief. I find their presence grimly amusing, that they are here, of all places. Angels singing in a graveyard.
As the birds fly off, I again look out at the courtyard. I gaze beyond it, see a plain with what appears to be long stands of grass flowing in the wind. I tilt my head curiously, wondering what could be out there. I feel something bubble up in me, something I haven't felt in ages. Its the same puppy-like urge to explore I had once upon a time, and even though I am older now, I can't help but give into it. I feel my body begin to move as my mind flutters in excitement. Who knows what I'll find, and who knows what will happen. The only way to find out, is to go out and see for myself.