Ostania.
22 Years ago.
"What are you saying? You won't continue the trials?"
"I mean Sir, that I'm done. I didn't sign up to serve children as experimental fodder!" He could hear his own voice cracking, yet he stood his ground. Standing, he was just a few inches taller than the man before him. Physically he could probably outmatch him but in rank…that's where the issue lay. He was merely just a scientist, he didn't have any right to voice his personal opinions, let alone disobey orders to a superior officer. Even so, he didn't waver. His lips were pressed in a thin line, and even under the scruffy beard he had let grown, it held his show of defiance.
God, when had been the last time he shaved? He couldn't remember. Hell, when was the last time he went home? Seen his own family? He had buried himself so deep into this project that everything else become second fiddle. In the beginning he was content, believing that his work would bring peace for the future of Ostania. That was until…He jut out his chin once more determined to get his point across.
"I—I didn't expect these…type of side effects. Sir! We have to stop!"
The Officer coughed into his hand, before clasping them together behind his back. Slowly, he began to pace a circle around him. "You are a man of science are you not?"
He didn't answer. Eyes forward, he followed the Officer by listening only to his voice and the sounds of his leather boots crunching against pavement.
"And, in your personal experience, how often have you found an experiment to succeed on the first try?"
Still, he remained silent.
The Officer stopped directly in front of him. His eyes were orbs of black. Cold and menacing. "I asked you a question, now answer."
"Most likely never, but I don't know why that—"
The man beamed. "Ah, I see! So would you say then that it is perfectly normal for something to fail before we should see progress?"
This was more than failure. This was…Trying not to stammer like a fool he responded, "Sir, but…"
He trailed off as he apprehensively watched the Officer make way to his desk and begin flipping through his journal. All the notes from the past year. Names, dates. Every dosage, every change in behavior, every success, and every…death. The thought of anymore children dying rattled him to his core and he found his voice again.
"I won't continue these experiments! They're immoral! Throw me in a cell for all I care, I won't have any more of it!"
"Immoral?" The man let out a hearty laugh, "You didn't seem to mind when you began our little project." He turned around then, eyes closed with a smirk beaming across his face. "Besides, their families have been fully compensated have they not?"
The scientist looked away in disgust. Most of the parents were offered hush money to remain quiet. Others who refused, met an "untimely" death. When he was first propositioned to oversee Project X, he jumped at the opportunity. What respectable scientist wouldn't? He would have all the financing he needed, grade-A equipment, his very own lab and the full support from one of the country's most up and coming government officials. He longed to unlock the answers to life's questions. Willing to push all boundaries, ethical or not in the name of science. Perhaps in his own naivety he was ignorant to consider what type of failures might occur along the way.
The Officer's back was facing him once again, casually shifting through books and files as if they weren't just talking about experiments done on children. "In your notes here, you talk about one test subject without suffering any side effects, where is this child now?"
He began to wring his hands together nervously but caught himself, immediately bringing them back to his sides. "It…it was a fluke. Test subject 16 showed signs of failure early this morning."
The Officer looked back over his shoulder with a raised brow. "Oh? That's too bad." With a sigh he turned on his heel, an optimistic smile plastered on his face. Walking towards him, he placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and pat. "No matter. As it sounds, it seems that we're getting closer. I'll send in a new batch of subjects ready for you by the end of the week."
No…he didn't listen to a single thing I said! I won't! I can't!Before he could get in another word the Officer stopped at the edge of the room. His smile replaced with a threatening glare. His eyes void of any emotion, and he appeared as if he were nothing but a husk of a man. Soulless.
"Unless you want your next test subject to be your son, I would highly suggest you do as you're told…" the Officer tilted his head and looked up thoughtfully. "I hear your wife is expected to give birth as well. Perhaps you wish to volunteer it too?"
The man dropped to his knees. This was it. He had struck a deal with the devil under false pretenses of glory and scientific discovery. He made his choice, and now he was forced to suffer the consequences. He listened to the sound of those godforsaken stomping boots until he could no longer hear anything but his own heartbeat, pounding away in his chest.
Tonight. It has to be tonight!Gathering his strength, he picked himself off of the floor and rushed towards his desk, hastily reaching for all of his books, papers, reports, everything —and tossed them angrily onto the floor. An entire year's worth of work would be lost forever, and he wished nothing more than to pretend as if it never happened. He ran towards the shelves next and violently tossed each book. Ripping out pages from journals, shredding them into pieces for good measure. The next half hour was a complete whirlwind of destruction, he had to make sure not to miss a single item. He was practically out of breath when he reached for the last and final piece of his documents. A picture of a child, age 5. Smiling, happy…alive.
And you will remain alive as long as they never find you. The only survivor…
Tossing the picture into the giant pile he lit a match. Without so much as another thought he tossed it and watched with satisfaction as the fire began to grow. Slowly he felt the heavy burden of weight begin to lift from his shoulders. Although, it would never truly be gone. Not when the faces of all those children were burned into his memory. Their skin beginning to discolor, organs deteriorating from the inside, pleading eyes that begged for the pain to end. Fifteen.Fifteen corpses that would haunt him until the end of watched for a while entranced by the flames. Specks of amber floating about like fireflies in the night. The orange and red flames flickering back and forth brought calmness to his soul. It was done. With one last volatile look at the work he created he spit with disgust.
To hell with peace if this is the cost.Lifting the hood of his cloak he turned and never looked back.