Experiment Bandicoot
Chapter 2:
Birth
Year X, Day X
I didn't sleep a wink. All I did was stare at the marvelous creature there before me. A tiny embryo in a liquid filled glass tube. The same liquid found in the womb of the mother. It wasn't so hard to make, some chemicals here and there could do the trick. There was even a make shift umbilical cord attach to the machine where it would feed the little one until it was safe for it to come out. For it, it was hard to distinguish at that point, I thought, but I dialed the machine so it'll have more chance to be a boy. 75 at least. It needs a full set of XY chromosomes for him to be one. If things go wrong, he'd be a she or even a mixed gender. Well, whatever the gender was, I was proud the machine actually worked. During this point, dawn had broken out and my colleagues have awoken.
"Neo, you're up already?" N. Gin spoke, rubbing his right eye.
"NEO! What did you do?" Brio cried out, immediately snapping to and staring at the giant tube. I smiled weakly and answered in a whispered tone, "I created life."
My two friends came and saw the tiny embryo growing in there and muttered a gasp or two.
"The machine worked?" N. Gin cried out. I nodded and the two cheered.
"What is it?" Brio asked, "A kangaroo? A wallaby? Koala!"
"A bandicoot!" I smiled proudly as I answered.
"A bandicoot?" The two seemed rather disappointed. I guess they were expecting a better known animal.
"It has some dingo blood, so he might develop some large teeth." I spoke, "But he's a bandicoot."
"A "he?" Gin came, "Are you sure?"
"If all works well, then yes." I smiled, pressing my face to the screen. It was at that moment where I explained to them that I gave the small creature some of my blood and as a result, he was more or less, my son. The two were shocked because this creature was made on the image of my late son. I admit it was, but I refuse to say anything on that matter. Out of respect, my cohorts didn't either and instead, helped me to keep an eye on the growing embryo and research it further. I merely pointed out it was still all for experiments, although secretly in my head, it was far from the truth.
"You look like crap." Gin pointed. I stared at a mirror and saw my face could scare the undead. Messy hair sticking out in all places, massive blue/violet bags underneath my eyes, yellow skin turning a pale white color, and eyes bloodshot. My clothes looked as though I slept on it…twice, and I was pretty sure I smelled something nasty, but I didn't care. I succeeded.
Year X, Day X
I decided to keep the dates unknown for the time being. Perhaps until the embryo form into a baby. The 9 months were going to be grueling. My fellow cohorts joked about how they wouldn't have to deal with a pregnant woman. It was a pathetic joke at best. The embryo would go through three trimesters similar if it were inside of a woman's womb. I kept papers and a clipboard handle, keeping an eye on its growth.
Year X, Day X
Placenta is now starting to grow around the baby as it grows along with it. Blood vessels are showing evident signs. Over the months, the fetus will undergo gastrulation where three layers would form around it: ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm. During these stages will the real changes be. Each of the three layers will form what we see in the final product, lungs, hearts, teeth, eyes, pituary glands, nose, mouth, tongue, digestive system, etc. My cohorts loved to joke about the growing of my son. Hmph! They've never been married, what do they know of proper child care?
Year X, Day X
Months passed and the baby was looking more like an anthro. The fur was a fresh orange color and he's shown with pointy ears with black inners. I could barely make out the eyebrows which was also black. Already he had a trait from me. I grew excited.
Year X, Day X
After a near 40 weeks of observation, it was time for the baby to exit it's sleep in the glass tube and enter the real world. We had to literally open the top of the glass tube he was in and fish him out. Unscrewing the top was no problem; it was the reluctance from my cohorts who refuse to help me fish him out.
"Oh, you've dissected small pigs and touched slime from your chemistry, fishing a baby out of liquid seen in a mother's womb is NO different!" I cried, "Now hurry before he suffocates in the liquid!"
It took about a grand 15 minutes or so to slip the baby out. I immediately knew I officially had a son when I heard him cry. While N. Gin and Brio rushed to the bathroom to wash their hands (among others…I wondered if I had more then just one baby in this castle), I held the infant in my arms. I was a father again.
Year 198X, Day 1
With the baby out, I suppose I should make official dates. I decided to keep the year unknown for the time being, just for safety's sake.
Hours afterwards the baby was pulled out (meaning Gin and Brio were done hogging the nearest bathroom); my cohorts helped me take the baby for checking. We needed to see if he was healthy (he was), and check his blood and DNA (which showed the same match as I). It was official; I had a healthy, bouncing baby boy. Difference stem from the fact that he was completely furry.
"Hey, Neo, he has your eyes." Gin pointed out. Small green eyes, matched well with his fur.
"I gu-gu-gu-guess we name him." Brio had a stuttering problem which was a bit annoying, but what can I do? I've tried to help him scientifically, but Brio provided his voice be left alone.
"Don't stand there, get me some blanket or something warm." I commanded.
"Where?" Gin cried, "I'm still trying to get use to this huge place!" I sighed and immediately had a grand idea. I took off my lab coat and wrapped him around with it. Ahh, it was Akio all over again.
An hour of plain staring at the little miracle, we finally moved out asses and took him to Akio's old baby room. There, he managed to fit into my old son's baby clothes and we gently placed him in the crib where he immediately fell asleep. The three of us stared for a long time.
"T-t-t-t-the machined worked!" Brio cried, "We'll be m-m-m-m-m-illionaires!"
"I'm already rich." I scoffed, spreading my arms to indicate that I owned this castle and the three islands, "Right now, I don't care for selling the Evolve-O-Ray, besides, it still needs more testing. This is the product of the machine, we need to test it and make sure he is successful." God Lord, I was lying through my teeth to my friends.
"Successful? He's right here!" Gin cried.
"No, we have research him further. See if he interacts like an anthro, his growth, etc." I smiled, "We have lots to do before we even consider using this machine any further." The two showed signs of disappointment. In my head, I was merely stalling.
"You do realize we'll be up all night feeding and changing this guy, right?" Gin spoke.
"I know, I'm used to it." I adjusted the blanket.
"What do we n-n-n-n-name him?" Brio asked.
"Are you going to name him Akio after your son?" Gin asked.
I would have done that, but I do not want to replace Akio. Not to mention I didn't need the pain of my first son's death to get over me. I would need full attention on the little one. A different name would be in order. I stared at the white ceiling, then at the wallpaper walls, covered in light blue filled with dancing teddy bears. I smiled softly, then looked down at the small infant.
"Hiroki…he's name is Hiroki." I spoke, "Not Akio. My Hiroki."
To Be Continued…
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Changes:
-Some description of Cortex after he created Crash
-Cortex's thought on denial of the real reason he made his son, and lying to his friends.
