Post by plasmis on Jun 3, 2011 21:56:47 GMT -5
Greetings! I've decided to share a story composed by my friend (Rahath) and I for the AP Biology end of the year project. We are not exactly done since we need to add some more 'spice' into the story. If you may please give some feedback, I will be very grateful. Enjoy!
Synopsis: What has become of humanity? Is this all, but a dream of a tragedy that has yet to unfold? Rief Korral, a 23 year-old psychologist, has witnessed the growing conflict between the humans and the coordinators. Faced by internal pain and external tragedy of his loved ones, Rief discovers the evil and damned custom of Dr. E. Coli, an insane professor sworn to end the human race through his army of the 'perfect clones'. Is Rief up to the challenge as he meets new allies and opponents that continue to swarm his way?
[/i]
Prologue[/center]
A cell is all we need to initiate the conflict—a war that would last for years. A conflict that is far beyond our reach and control are on the tips of our hands; our bloody, tainted hands. The one who started
it all is saturated with madness and a soul of the devil. His evil mind is always baffled by the thoughts of creating something that can benefit us all. The thoughts of an evil, mad scientist are naught but a danger to mankind.
His intentions of creating something beyond religion began fifty years ago when he was just about sane as any other man. He is highly regarded as a ‘Brilliant Scientist’ by his colleagues. But this brilliant scientist, has taken the wrong path; a path of which no man shall ever escape until he realizes the wrongdoings of his actions. Maybe, just maybe, a little sparkle of light still remains in that soul of his once purified heart.
The perfect being. A genetically altered life; that is the foundation of my greatest creation. This creation, so prestige and complicated, can only be established by a sane scientist such as, myself. Of course, only I am capable of dominating this tedious task! Most dwellers identify most scientists as crazy and insane. Those pathetic humans are naïve and gullible to believe that we are mad. In fact, I am not among those scientists. I am unique. I am literate. I am as intelligent as Albert Einstein, himself, and my knowledge is beyond the combinations of Stephen Hawking and Benjamin Franklin, yet I am not accepted into the human society.
The Human Society was the center of the ‘Intellectuals’. The ‘Intellectuals’ control this totalitarian government. They inspire the youth and the wise to work and study together in the fields of mathematics and science. It was considered the second Scientific Revolution, but I criticize its efforts to bring back traditional standards. The Scientific Revolution is nothing, but a time of learning and peace. However, people’s ideology and beliefs are rejected by the higher authorities, and those people are deemed as the ‘Unacceptables’. I call them rejects. And inspirers. I was considered one of them.
For someone like me, I really don’t have a purpose to live except for one thing: to believe that I am right without logic and reasoning. And just because half of the time my experiments turn out to be failures, I am still light years away from falling beneath my knees. Even when I attended middle school, I have a strong urge to keep on pacing myself to success. I guess I am classified as faithful since I am a person who strives for a perfect outcome.
College and Graduate school aren’t considered a time for fun and games. Unlike most students my age, I am able to graduate from an Undergraduate school within two years. I am also able to complete my Graduate school within two years as well. I earn a Bachelor Degree, Master’s Degree in Computer Engineering, Molecular Engineering, and Biochemistry, and a P.H.D. in the field of medical practice. All of these achievements are accomplished within those four years of my life. Was it a challenge? To others, this long, intricate journey can either become a burden, or an award. But to me, this journey is just the beginning, and I laugh at those, who complain and cry about the hardships of education. Seriously, get a grip…
A dark and cold room is all he recalls. The lamp by the round ivy table is in a broken state. The chandelier lacks the energy to provide the coziness to revive the once, prospered room. The wall is covered by streaks of brown and black colors, probably drawn by the utensils of a child’s play. The television displays a constant image of static. On the center of the room, a sofa, a wooden chair, and a damaged glass table can be seen from the eyes of the night sky. A man of his early thirties with black hair sits on the wooden chair in an upright position. He wears a face of an angry beast. His eyes are as cool as ice. He wears a black t-shirt that seems to be ripped to shreds from a dangerous poacher. He has on a belt that says, “Edwin”. It is probably the company’s logo. His pants are damped, and his pair of brown leather shoes seems to be untouched. Across the room, a woman of her late twenties sits on the sofa with a six year-old boy. Her dashing appearance is ever so glamorous even in the dark. Her brown soft layer of hair is as delicate as a princess. Her eyes are as green as water lilies. Her figure is fit and lean to perfection. She is simply the spotlight, who lightens up every soul.
But, today is the day when the spotlight dims and closes off from the stage. The atmosphere of the room is heavy and lifeless. Nobody speaks. Nobody moves. Nobody bothers to escape from the realm of depression and disappointment. The three of them continue to sit in silence. The boy looks around the room, and then, to his mother. The sad look on her face makes the boy want to cry out her name and ask, “What’s wrong?”, but he knows that something is about to happen. That something will impact his mother and him.
Across from his pupils, his father takes out a cigarette and a lighter. He slowly ignites the cigarette. He takes a big whiff and exhales the intoxicated air from his sickened lungs. He coughs a couple of times before he begins to speak. “What are we going to do about the kiddo?” the father said, while staring at the little boy. “Kiddo?” the mother said. “He’s your son, your biological son!” The boy looks at his mother, feeling the temper rising in the room. He sits closer to his mother and tugs onto her right arm. He feels safer this way. “My son?” the father said with emphasis. “He is not my son. A true successor of the Korral family line requires pure athleticism and skills of a warrior, yet he has no prerequisites of it!” The father stops momentarily and takes another inhale of his cigarette. He exhales and says, “Look what you’ve done to him!” the father said pointing at the boy. “You’ve taught him to become soft and sympathetic to others around him. A Korral must be taught to become strong and ruthless, so that he can survive humanity, yet my ‘son’ has been chosen another path determined by your stupid beliefs! I am petrified by your actions, May!” The mother stands up and walks over to the round ivy table. She grabs the lifeless lamp and chucks it at the father. His reactions are too slow. The lamp makes in contact with his left arm. The impact of the crash is severe enough to leave a bloody, scarred arm. The boy stares in horror at the sight of his left arm, which is covered in pools of blood. The drops of blood continue to stream down the father’s left arm. He clutches his left arm with his right arm, easing the pain.
“Are you mad, woman?!” the father shouted. “I’m not as mad as you!” the mother shouted back. “He’s your son, and you’re defying his existence?!” Losing his temper and coolness, the father gets up from his throne. He scurries across the room to where the mother is. Using his malicious force, he slaps the mother. Instantly, the mother crashes to the floor. The father walks to the sofa and grabs his son by the neck. The boy is too frightened to look at his father’s eyes. He turns his head away from his father’s view. The father ignored his son’s foolishness and carries the boy like a toy. He walks back to where the mother is and flings the boy to the mother, who lies in weakness on the cold, bare floor. The boy lands painfully next to his mother. He begins to cry silently with his face on the floor.
The father takes his cigarette and throws it on the floor. He steps on it until the flame disappears. “Hmph” the father said calmly. “You and I are always in disagreement. We’re always fighting over this issue. I feel that I lost trust and faith in you as my wife”. The father looks at the boy in vain and says, “And as my son…” The mother regains consciousness and slowly arises from the floor. She takes her child’s body and cradles him in her arms. She slowly walks toward the doorway of the room with her child. She turns around to the father and says, “My son and I will no longer stay with you”, she said quietly. “I will make sure that he will grow up as a man of dignity and confidence; unlike you, a man of cruelty and damned faith. I shall bid you a life of solitary…” The mother turns the knob on the door. A bright light is on the other side of the doorway.
“Then, so be it”, the father said. The mother begins to walk to the other side. The stream of light revives the cradled boy. The boy moves his head over to his mother’s shoulders and watches his father fade away slowly and slowly away from his sight. Suddenly, a great, monstrous hand of shadow overwhelms his father, and the mirror of the dream world shatters apart.
Suddenly, he wakes up gasping for air as if he’d been strapped down on a psychiatric bed for mental patients. He looks around like a rabid dog searching for any changes in the environment, faithfully there is none. The loud obnoxious music pours from the radio of his alarm clock, as he twists head to view the clock. He realizes he is late for an appointment at the Genesisium. He grabs a warm yet crispy French toast from the kitchen counter made prior and rushes out the front door. Sprinting towards the bus stop, he catches a glimpse of a tall yet suspicious looking man in a grey overcoat. It didn’t make sense—clearly the weather suggested otherwise; it was 74 degrees with cloudy skies and some sunshine in the afternoon. He shrugged it off as he caught the bus at the stop and boarded it knowing he hadn’t been as late as expected; the next destination: work. But to his amazement, the shady character joined him. An unhealthy atmosphere filled with perplexity and disbelief roamed. It wasn’t an ordinary bus ride that could be recalled from his previous observations, no, this one in particular was a time bomb. Minutes felt like hours and hours turned into days. Perhaps he was overcomplicating the simple fact that another worker may be going in the same direction as him but whatever the case, he couldn’t shake his eyes. Where ever this fellow looked, his eyes were glued on Rief.
Suddenly the bus halts. A sigh of relief—Rief rushes out of the bus towards the Genesisium. It’s a massive building with intricate designs of marvelous brain shaped windows and arched doors. Reif reaches for the door and just as he touches the cold surface of the handle he peers behind him only to notice that the peculiar man had disappeared. Baffled, he walks into the elevator to the 9th floor where he is startled by his assistant, Ms. Evergreen. She slaps her hand on his back and screams a subtle yet comforting “hello”. Rief cracks a smile and nudges her to come into his office; she agrees. Jittery as always, she wears a green shirt accompanied by a flower petal lime green skirt to match. Her hair appears cinnamon brown as her amber eyes follow Dr. Rief into the room where he discusses the situation carefully. It seems like ages since she has entered his office—plain white as always with papers lying around everywhere loaded with case files as if his printer regurgitated it all.
Rief walks toward his sanctuary. He fetches toward his black leather chair. He flops down on his comfy chair and turns on his computer with voice recognition mode. “Log, DRK”, he said. Instantly, the monitor turns on, and the desktop is lit up to life. “Welcome back, Dr. Rief”, the computer responded. “And welcome back to you as well!” he replied back. “What will you like to do today?” the computer asked. “For now, just put on my favorite music playlist at the volume of 23%”, he said with a smile. “Action confirmed and initiated”, the computer replies. Then, a pair of speakers begins to rotate out of the table sockets next to the slim monitor. The music begins to play at the specified volume. Rief laid back on his chair and says, “Don’t you just love the sound of music, Felicia?” he asked. “Why, yes of course!” she said. “Especially techno music!”
She appears to be in a daze, but manages to pull out the words. “Heeyyyyy, I was wondering when you’re done with work we could grab a bite to eat….you know…..together.” Dr. Rief grins and consoles her—he accepts after pondering a bit. She says in a satirical voice, “Organized as always, but only when it comes to your contraptions.”
The earth beneath them begins to tremble as if a cosmic collision had happened. Everything in the office flung towards the floor where the mess continued to pile. Dr. Rief and Felicia escape the ruins of their office and rush towards the stairs. Evidently the elevator wasn’t the most reliable source of transportation at the moment. They pursue the exit down the stairs vigorously as coworkers frantically run in the same path. Clumps of the ceiling collapse on the stairs, it seems as if people were dancing tango but with their lives at stake, desperately trying to leave. Finally, Felicia and Dr. Rief depart from the building only to grasp reality. It was as if someone had taken their building and flipped it on its side. Everywhere debris, rocks, and death is prevalent—nearly everything is in chaos.
“W-What’s happening, Rief?” she said with a shaky voice, while running away from the destruction site. Rief follows her and hopes for the best. “This has never happened before!” he shouted. “Someone or something must be the cause of this! We must get to the source before the entire Centrium Park is destroyed along with our beloved Genesisium!”
Animals scurried in the same direction leaving their once cozy homes. The park became an empty ghost town; the absence of children’s laughter and wild screams of enjoyment no longer remained. Rief spun into nostalgia, remembering when his parents use to bring him to Centrium Park. How he’d spend hours running in the open field with his mother. Now Centrium was far from his dream—holistically shattered at best. The swing set trampled, the slides broken in half, and the trees fallen on seesaws. Memories buried in ashes as Felicia held Dr. Rief’s hand as they walked deeper into Centrium Park.
“Heh. Well, well, well”, the doppelganger said with a chuckle. “Why, if it isn’t my pathetic reflection, Dr. Korral” Disturbed by its conversation, Rief gives him a short snout and says, “Who are you, and why are you here?” Rief stops abruptly and examines the specimen. “That’s absurd!” he thought loudly. “His eyes, his hair, and his posture resemble exactly me! What in the wor-” Before he can finish his thoughts, the doppelganger starts laughing like a hyena. “What’s so funny?!” Rief shouted. “Answer my question!” The doppelganger stops laughing, and picks up a nearby rock and crushes it, leaving no signs of sediments. “You know, you should really pay attention to what’s happening around you”, the doppelganger said. With a smirk on his face, the doppelganger says, “If you know what I mean.” Suddenly, the sound of bursting metal can be heard in a distance. Rief turns around and sees a giant cloud of smoke erupt near Genesisium. The screams of agony and horror echoed through the intensified atmosphere of the ruptured peace. Smoke continues to rise. Fire furiously burns and disintegrates the once crystallized park. The trees of life begin to wither into deformed organisms. The clear, purified water turns dark and corrupted. The grassy plains transform into a barren wasteland. Realizing the terrifying effects of the mushroom cloud, Rief fastens his fists. “My home. My life. My inspiration”, he thought. “Everything has been blown to smithereens!”
The doppelganger laughs maniacally. Aware of its presence, Rief turns back and faces his foe, but this time, with rage and heated fury in his eyes. The doppelganger stops laughing and looks straight into Rief’s eyes. The doppelganger senses a sudden change in Rief. “Come on!” the doppelganger thought loudly. “Come and get me! If you dare…” Rief clenches his fists tightly than ever before and says to the doppelganger, “You will pay for this!” he yelled. “I will annihilate you!” The doppelganger displays an evil grin. Without hesitation, Rief begins to make his move.
Rief lunges toward the doppelganger with full force. Taking this as a challenge, the doppelganger lunges and grabs Rief’s arm and seismic tossed him. Rief plunges head first onto the green, lush ground. His glasses are flung away from his face when he landed his fall. Spots of dirt, grass, and sand are allocated all over his torn body. “Damn it!” he thought loudly. “Why did I make such a stupid move?” Rief turns around and sees no one in sight. It seems that the doppelganger is nowhere to be seen. Rief drags his body and attempts to recover his glasses. When he is about to, the doppelganger stands in front of him, shaking his head in disappointment. Rief is in shock. The doppelganger kneels down toward Rief and picks up his glasses. “Is this what you’re looking for?” the doppelganger questioned. Rief stares in fury. He swiftly pounces for his glasses, but he was too slow for the doppelganger. The doppelganger jumps over Rief and turns his head to the left. “If you wanted your glasses, you could’ve just asked!!!” the doppelganger shouted. The doppelganger pounds Rief’s right foot with his left elbow. Rief screams in pain. “You know, I despise humans”, the doppelganger said. He continues to crush Rief’s right foot. The screams of pain end up to be squeals of death. “Humans, like you, should be demolished from the face of the Earth.” The doppelganger stops and grabs Rief by his head. Rief yelps in more pain. The doppelganger faces Rief with an emotionless expression. “If I have a penny every time I said that, then the entire race of humans shall be erased by my own hands!” The doppelganger punches Rief’s head, which immediately knocks him out. Rief isn’t completely unconscious. Instead, he is dazed and confused of his surroundings.
The doppelganger hurls Rief’s weak body. He lands softly on the remains of the grassy plain. The doppelganger begins to walk away on the opposite direction until Rief stops him shortly. “W-Why?” he said weakly. “W-Why are you doing this? Are you not a human as well?” The doppelganger smirks and says, “Me? A human?” The doppelganger stomps his right foot. “Only a fool will identify me as a human being. In all honesty, a being like me should only be regarded as a block of nature that exists only in a reflection of the human mind.” Rief tilts his head up slowly and stares closely into the doppelganger’s eyes. The doppelganger continues. “I am naught, for naught is defined as a pile of dust without life and death attached to its property. Neglecting and rejecting from reality are the keys to keeping a weak flame alive. I am merely an imitation of a torch of which it burns under its own demise.”
While the doppelganger continues to speak, Rief’s eyelids begin to shutter as if his life is coming to an end. “I…am…tired…and…cold“, he thought to himself. “Is my time at its expiration? Time isn’t on my hands, unfortunately…” His eyelids continue to shutter a few times. “Time is maneuverable, yet I am able to control it... Time continues to run and spin on the cordial of the sun until alas; it is sealed away within death’s reach… I won’t be able to synchronize with time; thus I am ready to meet with eternal sleep…” Without the strength to sustain himself, his eyelids automatically shut down. His head lays rested on its side with no purpose.
“True humanity is forgotten by the loss of true identity. You call yourself a human, yet you and I are practically the same. You and I are no different than a fierce lion, struggling to survive in a world of terror and evil. We serve to survive, and yes that is our purpose. But, remember this and only this time!” The doppelganger stares at the lifeless Rief. He sighs and begins to walk away again. “Compared to you, I am a nobody…” the doppelganger said quietly. “A nobody that roams across time in order to seek a better future…” Within moments after he finished talking, he disappears in a flash, leaving no trace of himself.
“That damned embryo!” He screams as he throws another failed experiment in the garbage bin. “It’s been what? Five, Ten, Fifteen years that I have been working on this method.”
Boy it’s stuffy down here, but that’s what I get for working underground. It’s a curse I tell you, spending hours on end figuring out which gene goes where, what gene will be expressed, how the genetic code can be improved by translocations in position. Granted, under such a specialized facility I would not get the necessary materials needed to conduct my research. Corpus Leviathes, a complex system of underground tunnels that connect to larger buildings called “hives” that house testing offices for scientists wishing to help society. I remember the first time I entered this place—I was in awe. Yes, I was astonished by the brilliant minds and creative innovators with capabilities that match Sir Isaac Newton, Nicolaus Copernicus, and Galileo Galiliei. All that changed when I decided to explore the true potential of the human race and connecting it to a simple cell. Yes! Their cell would aid me in pursuit of making a biological weapon, no, a perfect race. Something that matches perfection and exceeds normalcy, far beyond the standard of human society; flaws would become a thing of the past. Genetically altered humans would have sub-leveled intelligence, perform better, excel at nearly everything, and all the while do what they are told by their creators. Corpus Leviathes is filled with genius minds alike, though I don’t see the problem in spreading the wealth. If every human could train their mind to be superior then life would not be so problematic, reducing the chances of error and ultimately reaching impeccable quality. Essentially I would make the world into a Utopia.
With that in mind I continue to build my final creation. Using a little boy’s skin sample, I am able to isolate his genetic code and insert it into a fertilized zygote which I cultivate in a petri-dish. This creation is not a clone; it’s something much more livelily and engineered—a super human. He is the perfect candidate because he expresses some of the unique qualities that make him all the more valuable. This specimen has always had a special genetic characteristic that makes him unique—essentially different from the rest of the human race. I have chosen him because unlike most humans, he can fully utilize majority of his brain and not temporarily shut off another part but exhibits the same physical characteristics and emotional response as any other person.
“A Petri dish, microscope, and-”, the professor stops shortly. “Do you have the list of the rest of the equipment, Madison?” Madison, a 23 year-old Intel science researcher, applied to become an assistant geneticist in Corpus Leviathes under the supervision of Professor E. Coli. She wore a long lab coat that covered her skinny legs and pale skin. Her eyes were royal purple with hint of red on the iris. She always kept her burgundy hair in a bund while her metallic rectangular glasses were kept glued to her face during experiments. Observant as always, Madison rarely spoke but when she did, it was as direct as information straight out of a textbook. She fetches the brown parchment of notes from the untidy lab desk. It is filled with various lab equipment and broken containers. Madison walks over to him and reads over the list of equipment. “S-Sir, we need a test tube, Desiccator, pipette, wire gauze, and u-um” she said timidly. Professor E. Coli sighs and says, “Striker, right?” Professor E. Coli looks at her. Madison looks away and says, “Why, yes!”
I was once chosen as well. But rather, I was chosen among a group of intellects such as myself. These intellects were simply my role models. They operated on their own level. They conducted crazy experiments on their own time, and they spend hours after hours figuring out a solution for their own resolution.
I was chosen to practice in one of the most prestigious facility in Europe. The DNA Laboratory of Wittenberg chose me to become an assistant of one the greatest scientists in the world, Professor Mesiah. I spent most of my time in the laboratory, studying and observing his experimentation process. I wrote down notes and kept a tidy notepad. I was simply amazed by his genius. Surely, he was a scientist that should be regarded as ‘God of Science’. But of course, that never occurred. In fact, he was shunned by the public and locked away into an asylum.
I was furious. I was shocked. I was depressed. I was tormented by shuns of my role model. It’s as if I was the one being shunned. Professor Mesiah was a genius, yet why was he put away to rest? Should I be put to rest?
No.
I shall not let his efforts put to waste. I shall be his successor and guarantee that his and my ideologies shall be acknowledged by true Intellectuals, who appreciate the beauty and logic of it. And on that day of his arrest, I swore an oath to him. Disdainfully, he entrusted this oath, and he marked my fate as the head of the DNA Laboratory of Wittenberg. From there on out, let the process of my reign begin…
Dr. E Coli had extracted the skin cell’s DNA with a micro pipette. Then quickly he rushes to the frozen cabinet where a zygote is pulled out. He places it on a slide and examines it with a microscope prior to inserting the genetic sequence. If all goes well, the cell will begin to replicate as planned and eventually develop into a fully functional embryo within a four to seven month time span. The zygote will begin to cultivate within a temperature controlled environment that mimics a female’s uterus. This organism will be the successor of Dr. E Coli’s previous failed attempts, because the DNA seems to easily combine with the cell thus speeding up the normal process of human development. The twenty third chromosome indicates that the offspring will be a humanoid male.
The zygote will attach to the artificial uterus lining and will be supplied with a yolk from the amniotic sac that protects the embryo. This way, the genetically altered clone will have a supplementary birth and not have a genetic malfunction in phenotypic expression during developmental stages of normal pregnancy. After a few months of parental development, Dr. E Coli concludes the third trimester and his creation is finally born.
Dr. E. Coli unlocks the heavy door of the guardian. He walks to the center of the warm room. He opens the encasement, which contains the offspring. At a glance, the cry of a new beginning pierces through his ears. Dr. E. Coli starts to laugh. He holds the offspring high above his arms. He begins to laugh hysterically. Madison enters the room and gives a nervous, yet happy smile as she watches Dr. E. Coli, laughing maniacally. “P-Professor, you’re t-truly full of damned custom!” she trembled. “Yes. Yes!!!” he screamed. “Our experiment was a success!!! We have created the first genetically altered clone!” Madison rushes toward Dr. E. Coli and examines the newly life form that E. Coli is holding. The baby coos at Madison. Touched with love and happiness, Madison smiles back affectionately. “Aww!” she said. “Aren’t you just cute?” Madison nudges on the baby’s nose. The baby giggles. Dr. E. Coli looks at Madison and asks, “Now that we’ve completely succeeded the first step of our goal, we should move onto our next step!” Both Dr. E. Coli and Madison hold the baby together in their arms.
“We should give him a name!” Madison said. “That’s a splendid idea!” Dr. E. Coli said. “Let’s name him Saturos!” she shouted. “Saturos isn’t a bad name”, he said. “But it’s missing something.” Dr. E. Coli ponders for a bit. “I know!” Dr. E. Coli carries the baby and sets it on the floor. He kneels down and bows. “For now on, you shall be called, Saturos XY!!” Immediately, the baby crackles and smiles.
Synopsis: What has become of humanity? Is this all, but a dream of a tragedy that has yet to unfold? Rief Korral, a 23 year-old psychologist, has witnessed the growing conflict between the humans and the coordinators. Faced by internal pain and external tragedy of his loved ones, Rief discovers the evil and damned custom of Dr. E. Coli, an insane professor sworn to end the human race through his army of the 'perfect clones'. Is Rief up to the challenge as he meets new allies and opponents that continue to swarm his way?
How long have we been fighting to restore peace?
How many people have sacrificed themselves for the selfish maniacal leaders?
How much strength will we have to fight against colossus?
It seems, no matter what we do nothing seems to ease the tension.
With so many questions left unanswered, I slowly begin to drift away into a dark dream; an unfortunate reality where it all begins…
[/font]How many people have sacrificed themselves for the selfish maniacal leaders?
How much strength will we have to fight against colossus?
It seems, no matter what we do nothing seems to ease the tension.
With so many questions left unanswered, I slowly begin to drift away into a dark dream; an unfortunate reality where it all begins…
[/i]
Prologue[/center]
A cell is all we need to initiate the conflict—a war that would last for years. A conflict that is far beyond our reach and control are on the tips of our hands; our bloody, tainted hands. The one who started
it all is saturated with madness and a soul of the devil. His evil mind is always baffled by the thoughts of creating something that can benefit us all. The thoughts of an evil, mad scientist are naught but a danger to mankind.
His intentions of creating something beyond religion began fifty years ago when he was just about sane as any other man. He is highly regarded as a ‘Brilliant Scientist’ by his colleagues. But this brilliant scientist, has taken the wrong path; a path of which no man shall ever escape until he realizes the wrongdoings of his actions. Maybe, just maybe, a little sparkle of light still remains in that soul of his once purified heart.
__________
The perfect being. A genetically altered life; that is the foundation of my greatest creation. This creation, so prestige and complicated, can only be established by a sane scientist such as, myself. Of course, only I am capable of dominating this tedious task! Most dwellers identify most scientists as crazy and insane. Those pathetic humans are naïve and gullible to believe that we are mad. In fact, I am not among those scientists. I am unique. I am literate. I am as intelligent as Albert Einstein, himself, and my knowledge is beyond the combinations of Stephen Hawking and Benjamin Franklin, yet I am not accepted into the human society.
The Human Society was the center of the ‘Intellectuals’. The ‘Intellectuals’ control this totalitarian government. They inspire the youth and the wise to work and study together in the fields of mathematics and science. It was considered the second Scientific Revolution, but I criticize its efforts to bring back traditional standards. The Scientific Revolution is nothing, but a time of learning and peace. However, people’s ideology and beliefs are rejected by the higher authorities, and those people are deemed as the ‘Unacceptables’. I call them rejects. And inspirers. I was considered one of them.
For someone like me, I really don’t have a purpose to live except for one thing: to believe that I am right without logic and reasoning. And just because half of the time my experiments turn out to be failures, I am still light years away from falling beneath my knees. Even when I attended middle school, I have a strong urge to keep on pacing myself to success. I guess I am classified as faithful since I am a person who strives for a perfect outcome.
College and Graduate school aren’t considered a time for fun and games. Unlike most students my age, I am able to graduate from an Undergraduate school within two years. I am also able to complete my Graduate school within two years as well. I earn a Bachelor Degree, Master’s Degree in Computer Engineering, Molecular Engineering, and Biochemistry, and a P.H.D. in the field of medical practice. All of these achievements are accomplished within those four years of my life. Was it a challenge? To others, this long, intricate journey can either become a burden, or an award. But to me, this journey is just the beginning, and I laugh at those, who complain and cry about the hardships of education. Seriously, get a grip…
Chapter 1: The Encounter
A dark and cold room is all he recalls. The lamp by the round ivy table is in a broken state. The chandelier lacks the energy to provide the coziness to revive the once, prospered room. The wall is covered by streaks of brown and black colors, probably drawn by the utensils of a child’s play. The television displays a constant image of static. On the center of the room, a sofa, a wooden chair, and a damaged glass table can be seen from the eyes of the night sky. A man of his early thirties with black hair sits on the wooden chair in an upright position. He wears a face of an angry beast. His eyes are as cool as ice. He wears a black t-shirt that seems to be ripped to shreds from a dangerous poacher. He has on a belt that says, “Edwin”. It is probably the company’s logo. His pants are damped, and his pair of brown leather shoes seems to be untouched. Across the room, a woman of her late twenties sits on the sofa with a six year-old boy. Her dashing appearance is ever so glamorous even in the dark. Her brown soft layer of hair is as delicate as a princess. Her eyes are as green as water lilies. Her figure is fit and lean to perfection. She is simply the spotlight, who lightens up every soul.
But, today is the day when the spotlight dims and closes off from the stage. The atmosphere of the room is heavy and lifeless. Nobody speaks. Nobody moves. Nobody bothers to escape from the realm of depression and disappointment. The three of them continue to sit in silence. The boy looks around the room, and then, to his mother. The sad look on her face makes the boy want to cry out her name and ask, “What’s wrong?”, but he knows that something is about to happen. That something will impact his mother and him.
Across from his pupils, his father takes out a cigarette and a lighter. He slowly ignites the cigarette. He takes a big whiff and exhales the intoxicated air from his sickened lungs. He coughs a couple of times before he begins to speak. “What are we going to do about the kiddo?” the father said, while staring at the little boy. “Kiddo?” the mother said. “He’s your son, your biological son!” The boy looks at his mother, feeling the temper rising in the room. He sits closer to his mother and tugs onto her right arm. He feels safer this way. “My son?” the father said with emphasis. “He is not my son. A true successor of the Korral family line requires pure athleticism and skills of a warrior, yet he has no prerequisites of it!” The father stops momentarily and takes another inhale of his cigarette. He exhales and says, “Look what you’ve done to him!” the father said pointing at the boy. “You’ve taught him to become soft and sympathetic to others around him. A Korral must be taught to become strong and ruthless, so that he can survive humanity, yet my ‘son’ has been chosen another path determined by your stupid beliefs! I am petrified by your actions, May!” The mother stands up and walks over to the round ivy table. She grabs the lifeless lamp and chucks it at the father. His reactions are too slow. The lamp makes in contact with his left arm. The impact of the crash is severe enough to leave a bloody, scarred arm. The boy stares in horror at the sight of his left arm, which is covered in pools of blood. The drops of blood continue to stream down the father’s left arm. He clutches his left arm with his right arm, easing the pain.
“Are you mad, woman?!” the father shouted. “I’m not as mad as you!” the mother shouted back. “He’s your son, and you’re defying his existence?!” Losing his temper and coolness, the father gets up from his throne. He scurries across the room to where the mother is. Using his malicious force, he slaps the mother. Instantly, the mother crashes to the floor. The father walks to the sofa and grabs his son by the neck. The boy is too frightened to look at his father’s eyes. He turns his head away from his father’s view. The father ignored his son’s foolishness and carries the boy like a toy. He walks back to where the mother is and flings the boy to the mother, who lies in weakness on the cold, bare floor. The boy lands painfully next to his mother. He begins to cry silently with his face on the floor.
The father takes his cigarette and throws it on the floor. He steps on it until the flame disappears. “Hmph” the father said calmly. “You and I are always in disagreement. We’re always fighting over this issue. I feel that I lost trust and faith in you as my wife”. The father looks at the boy in vain and says, “And as my son…” The mother regains consciousness and slowly arises from the floor. She takes her child’s body and cradles him in her arms. She slowly walks toward the doorway of the room with her child. She turns around to the father and says, “My son and I will no longer stay with you”, she said quietly. “I will make sure that he will grow up as a man of dignity and confidence; unlike you, a man of cruelty and damned faith. I shall bid you a life of solitary…” The mother turns the knob on the door. A bright light is on the other side of the doorway.
“Then, so be it”, the father said. The mother begins to walk to the other side. The stream of light revives the cradled boy. The boy moves his head over to his mother’s shoulders and watches his father fade away slowly and slowly away from his sight. Suddenly, a great, monstrous hand of shadow overwhelms his father, and the mirror of the dream world shatters apart.
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Suddenly, he wakes up gasping for air as if he’d been strapped down on a psychiatric bed for mental patients. He looks around like a rabid dog searching for any changes in the environment, faithfully there is none. The loud obnoxious music pours from the radio of his alarm clock, as he twists head to view the clock. He realizes he is late for an appointment at the Genesisium. He grabs a warm yet crispy French toast from the kitchen counter made prior and rushes out the front door. Sprinting towards the bus stop, he catches a glimpse of a tall yet suspicious looking man in a grey overcoat. It didn’t make sense—clearly the weather suggested otherwise; it was 74 degrees with cloudy skies and some sunshine in the afternoon. He shrugged it off as he caught the bus at the stop and boarded it knowing he hadn’t been as late as expected; the next destination: work. But to his amazement, the shady character joined him. An unhealthy atmosphere filled with perplexity and disbelief roamed. It wasn’t an ordinary bus ride that could be recalled from his previous observations, no, this one in particular was a time bomb. Minutes felt like hours and hours turned into days. Perhaps he was overcomplicating the simple fact that another worker may be going in the same direction as him but whatever the case, he couldn’t shake his eyes. Where ever this fellow looked, his eyes were glued on Rief.
Suddenly the bus halts. A sigh of relief—Rief rushes out of the bus towards the Genesisium. It’s a massive building with intricate designs of marvelous brain shaped windows and arched doors. Reif reaches for the door and just as he touches the cold surface of the handle he peers behind him only to notice that the peculiar man had disappeared. Baffled, he walks into the elevator to the 9th floor where he is startled by his assistant, Ms. Evergreen. She slaps her hand on his back and screams a subtle yet comforting “hello”. Rief cracks a smile and nudges her to come into his office; she agrees. Jittery as always, she wears a green shirt accompanied by a flower petal lime green skirt to match. Her hair appears cinnamon brown as her amber eyes follow Dr. Rief into the room where he discusses the situation carefully. It seems like ages since she has entered his office—plain white as always with papers lying around everywhere loaded with case files as if his printer regurgitated it all.
Rief walks toward his sanctuary. He fetches toward his black leather chair. He flops down on his comfy chair and turns on his computer with voice recognition mode. “Log, DRK”, he said. Instantly, the monitor turns on, and the desktop is lit up to life. “Welcome back, Dr. Rief”, the computer responded. “And welcome back to you as well!” he replied back. “What will you like to do today?” the computer asked. “For now, just put on my favorite music playlist at the volume of 23%”, he said with a smile. “Action confirmed and initiated”, the computer replies. Then, a pair of speakers begins to rotate out of the table sockets next to the slim monitor. The music begins to play at the specified volume. Rief laid back on his chair and says, “Don’t you just love the sound of music, Felicia?” he asked. “Why, yes of course!” she said. “Especially techno music!”
She appears to be in a daze, but manages to pull out the words. “Heeyyyyy, I was wondering when you’re done with work we could grab a bite to eat….you know…..together.” Dr. Rief grins and consoles her—he accepts after pondering a bit. She says in a satirical voice, “Organized as always, but only when it comes to your contraptions.”
The earth beneath them begins to tremble as if a cosmic collision had happened. Everything in the office flung towards the floor where the mess continued to pile. Dr. Rief and Felicia escape the ruins of their office and rush towards the stairs. Evidently the elevator wasn’t the most reliable source of transportation at the moment. They pursue the exit down the stairs vigorously as coworkers frantically run in the same path. Clumps of the ceiling collapse on the stairs, it seems as if people were dancing tango but with their lives at stake, desperately trying to leave. Finally, Felicia and Dr. Rief depart from the building only to grasp reality. It was as if someone had taken their building and flipped it on its side. Everywhere debris, rocks, and death is prevalent—nearly everything is in chaos.
“W-What’s happening, Rief?” she said with a shaky voice, while running away from the destruction site. Rief follows her and hopes for the best. “This has never happened before!” he shouted. “Someone or something must be the cause of this! We must get to the source before the entire Centrium Park is destroyed along with our beloved Genesisium!”
Animals scurried in the same direction leaving their once cozy homes. The park became an empty ghost town; the absence of children’s laughter and wild screams of enjoyment no longer remained. Rief spun into nostalgia, remembering when his parents use to bring him to Centrium Park. How he’d spend hours running in the open field with his mother. Now Centrium was far from his dream—holistically shattered at best. The swing set trampled, the slides broken in half, and the trees fallen on seesaws. Memories buried in ashes as Felicia held Dr. Rief’s hand as they walked deeper into Centrium Park.
“Heh. Well, well, well”, the doppelganger said with a chuckle. “Why, if it isn’t my pathetic reflection, Dr. Korral” Disturbed by its conversation, Rief gives him a short snout and says, “Who are you, and why are you here?” Rief stops abruptly and examines the specimen. “That’s absurd!” he thought loudly. “His eyes, his hair, and his posture resemble exactly me! What in the wor-” Before he can finish his thoughts, the doppelganger starts laughing like a hyena. “What’s so funny?!” Rief shouted. “Answer my question!” The doppelganger stops laughing, and picks up a nearby rock and crushes it, leaving no signs of sediments. “You know, you should really pay attention to what’s happening around you”, the doppelganger said. With a smirk on his face, the doppelganger says, “If you know what I mean.” Suddenly, the sound of bursting metal can be heard in a distance. Rief turns around and sees a giant cloud of smoke erupt near Genesisium. The screams of agony and horror echoed through the intensified atmosphere of the ruptured peace. Smoke continues to rise. Fire furiously burns and disintegrates the once crystallized park. The trees of life begin to wither into deformed organisms. The clear, purified water turns dark and corrupted. The grassy plains transform into a barren wasteland. Realizing the terrifying effects of the mushroom cloud, Rief fastens his fists. “My home. My life. My inspiration”, he thought. “Everything has been blown to smithereens!”
The doppelganger laughs maniacally. Aware of its presence, Rief turns back and faces his foe, but this time, with rage and heated fury in his eyes. The doppelganger stops laughing and looks straight into Rief’s eyes. The doppelganger senses a sudden change in Rief. “Come on!” the doppelganger thought loudly. “Come and get me! If you dare…” Rief clenches his fists tightly than ever before and says to the doppelganger, “You will pay for this!” he yelled. “I will annihilate you!” The doppelganger displays an evil grin. Without hesitation, Rief begins to make his move.
Rief lunges toward the doppelganger with full force. Taking this as a challenge, the doppelganger lunges and grabs Rief’s arm and seismic tossed him. Rief plunges head first onto the green, lush ground. His glasses are flung away from his face when he landed his fall. Spots of dirt, grass, and sand are allocated all over his torn body. “Damn it!” he thought loudly. “Why did I make such a stupid move?” Rief turns around and sees no one in sight. It seems that the doppelganger is nowhere to be seen. Rief drags his body and attempts to recover his glasses. When he is about to, the doppelganger stands in front of him, shaking his head in disappointment. Rief is in shock. The doppelganger kneels down toward Rief and picks up his glasses. “Is this what you’re looking for?” the doppelganger questioned. Rief stares in fury. He swiftly pounces for his glasses, but he was too slow for the doppelganger. The doppelganger jumps over Rief and turns his head to the left. “If you wanted your glasses, you could’ve just asked!!!” the doppelganger shouted. The doppelganger pounds Rief’s right foot with his left elbow. Rief screams in pain. “You know, I despise humans”, the doppelganger said. He continues to crush Rief’s right foot. The screams of pain end up to be squeals of death. “Humans, like you, should be demolished from the face of the Earth.” The doppelganger stops and grabs Rief by his head. Rief yelps in more pain. The doppelganger faces Rief with an emotionless expression. “If I have a penny every time I said that, then the entire race of humans shall be erased by my own hands!” The doppelganger punches Rief’s head, which immediately knocks him out. Rief isn’t completely unconscious. Instead, he is dazed and confused of his surroundings.
The doppelganger hurls Rief’s weak body. He lands softly on the remains of the grassy plain. The doppelganger begins to walk away on the opposite direction until Rief stops him shortly. “W-Why?” he said weakly. “W-Why are you doing this? Are you not a human as well?” The doppelganger smirks and says, “Me? A human?” The doppelganger stomps his right foot. “Only a fool will identify me as a human being. In all honesty, a being like me should only be regarded as a block of nature that exists only in a reflection of the human mind.” Rief tilts his head up slowly and stares closely into the doppelganger’s eyes. The doppelganger continues. “I am naught, for naught is defined as a pile of dust without life and death attached to its property. Neglecting and rejecting from reality are the keys to keeping a weak flame alive. I am merely an imitation of a torch of which it burns under its own demise.”
While the doppelganger continues to speak, Rief’s eyelids begin to shutter as if his life is coming to an end. “I…am…tired…and…cold“, he thought to himself. “Is my time at its expiration? Time isn’t on my hands, unfortunately…” His eyelids continue to shutter a few times. “Time is maneuverable, yet I am able to control it... Time continues to run and spin on the cordial of the sun until alas; it is sealed away within death’s reach… I won’t be able to synchronize with time; thus I am ready to meet with eternal sleep…” Without the strength to sustain himself, his eyelids automatically shut down. His head lays rested on its side with no purpose.
“True humanity is forgotten by the loss of true identity. You call yourself a human, yet you and I are practically the same. You and I are no different than a fierce lion, struggling to survive in a world of terror and evil. We serve to survive, and yes that is our purpose. But, remember this and only this time!” The doppelganger stares at the lifeless Rief. He sighs and begins to walk away again. “Compared to you, I am a nobody…” the doppelganger said quietly. “A nobody that roams across time in order to seek a better future…” Within moments after he finished talking, he disappears in a flash, leaving no trace of himself.
Chapter 2: Creation of a Celestial Warrior
“That damned embryo!” He screams as he throws another failed experiment in the garbage bin. “It’s been what? Five, Ten, Fifteen years that I have been working on this method.”
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Boy it’s stuffy down here, but that’s what I get for working underground. It’s a curse I tell you, spending hours on end figuring out which gene goes where, what gene will be expressed, how the genetic code can be improved by translocations in position. Granted, under such a specialized facility I would not get the necessary materials needed to conduct my research. Corpus Leviathes, a complex system of underground tunnels that connect to larger buildings called “hives” that house testing offices for scientists wishing to help society. I remember the first time I entered this place—I was in awe. Yes, I was astonished by the brilliant minds and creative innovators with capabilities that match Sir Isaac Newton, Nicolaus Copernicus, and Galileo Galiliei. All that changed when I decided to explore the true potential of the human race and connecting it to a simple cell. Yes! Their cell would aid me in pursuit of making a biological weapon, no, a perfect race. Something that matches perfection and exceeds normalcy, far beyond the standard of human society; flaws would become a thing of the past. Genetically altered humans would have sub-leveled intelligence, perform better, excel at nearly everything, and all the while do what they are told by their creators. Corpus Leviathes is filled with genius minds alike, though I don’t see the problem in spreading the wealth. If every human could train their mind to be superior then life would not be so problematic, reducing the chances of error and ultimately reaching impeccable quality. Essentially I would make the world into a Utopia.
With that in mind I continue to build my final creation. Using a little boy’s skin sample, I am able to isolate his genetic code and insert it into a fertilized zygote which I cultivate in a petri-dish. This creation is not a clone; it’s something much more livelily and engineered—a super human. He is the perfect candidate because he expresses some of the unique qualities that make him all the more valuable. This specimen has always had a special genetic characteristic that makes him unique—essentially different from the rest of the human race. I have chosen him because unlike most humans, he can fully utilize majority of his brain and not temporarily shut off another part but exhibits the same physical characteristics and emotional response as any other person.
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“A Petri dish, microscope, and-”, the professor stops shortly. “Do you have the list of the rest of the equipment, Madison?” Madison, a 23 year-old Intel science researcher, applied to become an assistant geneticist in Corpus Leviathes under the supervision of Professor E. Coli. She wore a long lab coat that covered her skinny legs and pale skin. Her eyes were royal purple with hint of red on the iris. She always kept her burgundy hair in a bund while her metallic rectangular glasses were kept glued to her face during experiments. Observant as always, Madison rarely spoke but when she did, it was as direct as information straight out of a textbook. She fetches the brown parchment of notes from the untidy lab desk. It is filled with various lab equipment and broken containers. Madison walks over to him and reads over the list of equipment. “S-Sir, we need a test tube, Desiccator, pipette, wire gauze, and u-um” she said timidly. Professor E. Coli sighs and says, “Striker, right?” Professor E. Coli looks at her. Madison looks away and says, “Why, yes!”
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I was once chosen as well. But rather, I was chosen among a group of intellects such as myself. These intellects were simply my role models. They operated on their own level. They conducted crazy experiments on their own time, and they spend hours after hours figuring out a solution for their own resolution.
I was chosen to practice in one of the most prestigious facility in Europe. The DNA Laboratory of Wittenberg chose me to become an assistant of one the greatest scientists in the world, Professor Mesiah. I spent most of my time in the laboratory, studying and observing his experimentation process. I wrote down notes and kept a tidy notepad. I was simply amazed by his genius. Surely, he was a scientist that should be regarded as ‘God of Science’. But of course, that never occurred. In fact, he was shunned by the public and locked away into an asylum.
I was furious. I was shocked. I was depressed. I was tormented by shuns of my role model. It’s as if I was the one being shunned. Professor Mesiah was a genius, yet why was he put away to rest? Should I be put to rest?
No.
I shall not let his efforts put to waste. I shall be his successor and guarantee that his and my ideologies shall be acknowledged by true Intellectuals, who appreciate the beauty and logic of it. And on that day of his arrest, I swore an oath to him. Disdainfully, he entrusted this oath, and he marked my fate as the head of the DNA Laboratory of Wittenberg. From there on out, let the process of my reign begin…
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Dr. E Coli had extracted the skin cell’s DNA with a micro pipette. Then quickly he rushes to the frozen cabinet where a zygote is pulled out. He places it on a slide and examines it with a microscope prior to inserting the genetic sequence. If all goes well, the cell will begin to replicate as planned and eventually develop into a fully functional embryo within a four to seven month time span. The zygote will begin to cultivate within a temperature controlled environment that mimics a female’s uterus. This organism will be the successor of Dr. E Coli’s previous failed attempts, because the DNA seems to easily combine with the cell thus speeding up the normal process of human development. The twenty third chromosome indicates that the offspring will be a humanoid male.
The zygote will attach to the artificial uterus lining and will be supplied with a yolk from the amniotic sac that protects the embryo. This way, the genetically altered clone will have a supplementary birth and not have a genetic malfunction in phenotypic expression during developmental stages of normal pregnancy. After a few months of parental development, Dr. E Coli concludes the third trimester and his creation is finally born.
Dr. E. Coli unlocks the heavy door of the guardian. He walks to the center of the warm room. He opens the encasement, which contains the offspring. At a glance, the cry of a new beginning pierces through his ears. Dr. E. Coli starts to laugh. He holds the offspring high above his arms. He begins to laugh hysterically. Madison enters the room and gives a nervous, yet happy smile as she watches Dr. E. Coli, laughing maniacally. “P-Professor, you’re t-truly full of damned custom!” she trembled. “Yes. Yes!!!” he screamed. “Our experiment was a success!!! We have created the first genetically altered clone!” Madison rushes toward Dr. E. Coli and examines the newly life form that E. Coli is holding. The baby coos at Madison. Touched with love and happiness, Madison smiles back affectionately. “Aww!” she said. “Aren’t you just cute?” Madison nudges on the baby’s nose. The baby giggles. Dr. E. Coli looks at Madison and asks, “Now that we’ve completely succeeded the first step of our goal, we should move onto our next step!” Both Dr. E. Coli and Madison hold the baby together in their arms.
“We should give him a name!” Madison said. “That’s a splendid idea!” Dr. E. Coli said. “Let’s name him Saturos!” she shouted. “Saturos isn’t a bad name”, he said. “But it’s missing something.” Dr. E. Coli ponders for a bit. “I know!” Dr. E. Coli carries the baby and sets it on the floor. He kneels down and bows. “For now on, you shall be called, Saturos XY!!” Immediately, the baby crackles and smiles.
