Purple Scent

Ch. 9: A Piece Of Memory

Kahee went inside the lab with a smile and congratulated us, "Congratulations! It seems like your experiment was successful.", she said and sat down on a chair. I watched as my Dad left and went back to his lab.

"Ah, thank you.", I thanked her and helped Heeshik organize the things we need. Now, we need to write the manuscript about the process we had on this research. We still also needed to document it and then send it to the Science Lab of Access or (SLA) which is the company we're under. Since we're just fresh researchers and chemists, this needs to be inspected, and critiqued by professional scientists.

Kahee then left after that, saying she needs to do her own research. Heeshik and I divided the work so we could finish it soon. That day came, and I was shocked what we got when we went to pass the manuscript and samples at the main office.

"Ah, I'm sorry. But another group of researchers had just passed the same thing two days ago. When we finish evaluating the research they did and found that their research is not feasible, you could submit your research of the same subject.", the middle-aged staff lady said. I looked at Heeshik then back at her.

"That's impossible. I checked here last time and you said you haven't received anything yet!", I protested, Heeshik holding my arm.

She just apologized and said, "I'm really sorry. The other researchers also applied five days after you went here, then submitted their manuscript two days ago.", she said with an apologetic tone.

I was about to talk but Heeshik stopped me, and held both my arm, "Let's go for now.", he said but I brushed his hand off of my arm.

"Wait. May I know who was it?", I asked her, tried not to yell.

She shook her head no, "Sorry, but we aren't allowed to disclose any information, for they are confidential.", she said and then apologized again. I sighed in defeat and walked past Heeshik as he followed close behind. I'm eager to know, but I think I don't need to figure that out.

"Kahee and Soobok! Congratulations, you registered your project for application. I hope it gets verified as feasible.", I heard my dad when I came back to the facility. They are talking on the lounge. "I thought it's my daughter and Heeshik who'll be able to register first, but I think you made it first to pass it.", disappointment can be traced from his face but he lit up a bright smile on his face.

I walked inside, "What did I just hear? You passed the same thing?", I interrupted their talk and Kahee smiled at me.

"Yes. I thought it would be a surprise to tell you later. I just waited for any of us to pass it first. But I think I already did.", she sounded apologetic and then slightly bowed. Lies. I know it was a lie, but it’s just me believing she lied.

I sighed and kept my cool. I smiled forcefully and said shortly, "Congrats.", then left the scene and went home.

Few weeks later, I heard from the staffs around the facility that Soobok and Kahee was verified as the one who discovered it and their experiment will be applied for further experiment and use it on modern medicine, in regrowing body parts, and such. I was in rage that time, I was furious that no one even tried to talk to me. It lasted for almost two weeks.

Two weeks that I just locked myself inside my own lab at our house for almost everyday, experimenting random things in hopes of another serendipity. I was hopeless back then. I hated it when people try and steal something from me, especially if it’s something I worked hard about.

I wasn’t sure if what I believed was correct, but it was more like a way to sympathize myself.

Then one day when I came back to the facility, I heard Kahee and Soobok talking, and the first thing I heard from their on-going conversation had made me feel worst. Like they said, truth hurts. But it was a whole new level.

"I stole the idea from Geuhan's project.", after hearing that, I burst through the doors and was furious more than I already was.

I couldn't help my hand but to hit it across her face. My breathing was uneven, and my eyes were fiery. "You don't know—you all don't know—how much this project meant to me. You’re so stupid I had to find the truth this way, coming straight from your filthy bratty mouth. You should’ve kept it better.", I said and left the scene like that and decided to quit being a chemist or scientist.

I knew how much filthier the real world of science would be, but I just felt the worst days of my life.

That’s when I decided to study martial arts and archery. I knew I couldn't make money from it, but I'll find better work someday. I channelled my emotions to improve my focus.

Almost three months had past, and news had spread around the world. Soobok's father, used their experiment and had attempted to apply it for human experiment, but of course the government went against it since it is risky and might be dangerous to people without steady and strong proof that it will not fail.

Then another month had passed, and Soobok's father was reported to the FBI for illegally conducting experiments on people around the world with other known scientists.

My father was devastated that time, his best friend was arrested for doing it. But he was more disappointed, he also decided to quit at being scientist and became a highly paid teacher at one of the most famous school in this country.

I thought it'll go well, but then only a week later there had been an outbreak. That's the start of the apocalypse. Apparently the experiment had failed, and the samples they injected on their subjects had affected their brains, to mutate but without their cognitive abilities. It also mutated to regrow wings, and eagle-like claws that had replaced their feet. Simply put, they just developed physically but their ability to understand, comprehend and communicate was gone, as if they were new creatures.

The creatures that looked much like a Harpy—a mythical creature from Greek mythology—weren’t rabid, so it wasn’t zombie-like spreading. But what made them many was the improper disposal of the samples. Since the human testing was illegal, they—Soobok’s father and other scientists—renamed it as an anti-rabies vaccine, to decrease the suspicion in the eyes of the authority.

They hadn’t disposed it properly, so the remaining bottles of the fake vaccine was accidentally distributed to the hospitals. That’s how I heard from my Dad.

Soobok’s Dad was exposed that the sole purpose of the experiment he led was to know if people could adapt to grow wings, but the fake vaccine turned out to be a virus and had a lot of defect and fault.

Right now, I still hated the fact that I was snaked like that. And had gone apart from my parents—who went to Jeju to handle important things that time. I always wondered how they were doing. I know Dad will always had his way to survive. I always hoped and prayed he was with Mom.

I hugged my knees and watched the fire sparked while the scrap woods—from tables and mop sticks the others collected from the storage room—was burnt and turned from brown to charcoal black. We're inside the Jangchung gymnasium. The plastic seats were still unmoved and undestroyed.

The stage and roof lights were hanging loose, threatening to fall anytime. The whole place was dusty and dirty, since it has been two years when it was last cleaned. I could  hardly tell if it was still the same gymnasium.

Since it's all closed and the heater was all broken, we decided to create fire inside using the seats on the stadium to lessen the coldness because of the weather.

"Why are you still awake?", I was startled when someone had spoken behind me.