The Breakthrough

Humans did it... They cracked the code for genetic engineering. Now they can mix whatever they wish. You can now mix a cat and a dog to make the perfect pet. You can mix a cow with a goat, you can mix whatever you wish. I looked at it more than I should have. I was about 6 when it all started. My mother made the breakthrough of a lifetime and mastered genetic engineering. Now they could clone whatever they wished, as well as mix whatever they desired. They could now bring back all the species that they lost over the years. It started with a simple bird. They cloned that bird into an exact copy of itself. Then they brought back extinct animals, such as the Western Black Rhino and the Pinta Giant Tortoise. Then they began working to increase the numbers of Siberian Tigers and Pangolin and all different creatures that were bound to be extinct in less than two or three years, but then they started mixing human DNA into it. That’s when it took a turn for the worse. One day, mother got a notification from NASA that they had found terrestrial life but it was deceased. It crashed one night when a meteor was thought to hit Earth only to find it. We were surprised that it was a new species of star. The remains of beings were scattered. Now, with genetic engineering, they could easily clone it, but they didn’t know what it looked like since its body was mangled and scattered across the site, nor did they know what its behavior was like or its intentions, to begin with. When mother brought it into her lab, she took the sample, but then she did something unexpected: she started mixing and matching DNA into it. It created some pink thing that looked like a blob, but as time went on, it started growing features, starting with the face and then arms and then legs and a weird tail. It looked like a human with a head. But as it grew, it had more human-like features. Soon enough, she introduced me to it. Once she had taught it to speak and interact with the morphed humanoid, I didn’t know what it was. It was new as time went along and we were raised side-by-side. I had no idea what was happening in front of me. The humanoid I called Milo, mother called 194 -12. I didn’t know why it always confused me. It was not until I grew older I understood what she meant. The day they introduced me to Milo started with my mother taking me from the schooling facility built into the genetic research center where all the parents could put their children and pick them up at the end of their shift and head home, but mother picked up early and took me to the back where I spent most of my time. Mother said nothing to silence. That's all the way to the back. She then turned all the way around to face me with a dead face, “You will tell not a soul what lies beyond this door or you will face the consequences. Do you understand?” She commanded more than questioned her soulless eye-piercing mine, but nonetheless, asked my head and said, “Yes Mother.” “Good,” she responded sharply. She turns back to the door, where she types in various codes and voice recognition along with face recognition before the door finally opens, only to be met with yet another door. The process repeats several times before finally meeting at an end. Whatever is here must be important or dangerous to have this much security or they don’t want it found. We entered a hall and went forward as I trailed away behind her, trying to keep my distance. We finally made it to the top door. She stops a foot away with one eye trailing to the doorknob before snapping her whole body around on making me jump and look her in the eye again. Her cold orbs drill holes in mine. I could never tell her emotions if she was mad, sad, pleased, anything. She felt nothing. I wouldn’t be surprised she was never really one to care.  “You understand the consequence if you tell someone what you see beyond this door?” she questions once more. I once again nodded “Yes mother, I understand”, I replied. She finally opens the door and leads me to a smaller lady. We enclosure in and I glance around but then see a big encloser where a humanoid entity sits eating it was small and pink with strange legs. We walked further, stopped and stopped in front of it. I looked through the glass as it continued to eat, not knowing the eyes peering at it as it ate. “I will conduct experiments on its interactions with humans. You are the second person to come in contact with 194-12 I’ve already concluded they can understand us. But it is hard to understand 194-12. less, you will be introduced to 194-12,” mother commanded, “You wish for me to go in there with that!?” I said, shaking clearly in my tone “Yes, you will be in there but I must introduce you to 194-12 since I am the only one 194-12 knows,” she replied. Unaffected by my tone or response as she typed on her tablet, recording data and information as we spoke, she then proceeded to walk to a door and we walked into the enclosure. The creature’s head looked towards us and just stood there. “Hello 194-12 this is my son. I told you about James. I came to introduce someone around your age to you”, mother calmly stated, then walked out the door. I looked at the door in shock, then looked back at the creature tilting its head and walked forward. I stepped back. “Wₕₒ ₐᵣₑ yₒᵤ?” It asked, startling me slightly “My name is James, remember?” The creature jumped up and down, excited. It walked forward again and placed its head on my arm and nudged it and ran like a game of tag. She glanced at me again. “Wait, do you have a name?” I questioned.     “ₜₕₑ wₒₘₐₙ cₐₗₗₛ ₘₑ ₁₉₄₋₁₂,” It responded “That’s not a name, they are just numbers hmm... oh how about I name you? How does the name Milo sound?” “ₘᵢₗₒ?... ₒₖ ₘᵢₗₒ ᵢₜ ᵢₛ,” Milo concluded Before jumping up and down once more and running around in a circle around me ‘laughing’ or what sounded like laughter from him, we played together for a good 30 minutes before mother walked in and took me to my living quarters, which were in the facility. It makes it easier mother to be in the labs, anyway. The next day, I walked to the hall that led to the schooling facility connected to the rest and arrived at my homeroom, where I sat at my desk and got my notebook out and started at work. It was up on the board, then more kids flowed in from the door. Most seats do the same as I once most of them were reactively done the teacher walk in and started to lesson for the day ¨Good Morning Good you will do your habitat project and you will build the habitat. I will write an essay for you and answer the question about the habitat on the sheet. You fill out the questions then and build your habitat with the supplies upfront. In the class for the project, I will essay a partner for each of you Mile and Sven Savannah and Craig Roxanne and Nicholas Hayden and Samuels Clare and Dianna James and Kai Dianna and Simon Bishop and Gregory Jeffrey and Autumn Alright, if you have questions concerning the project and questions about it, then don’t hesitate to ask. I will be grading your quizzes from yesterday now, find your partners and get to work¨ the teacher stated. The class started pairing up with the partners that were essayed by the teacher. I stood to find my partner, then a ball of pure energy hopped right in front of me meters away from my face, startling me and making me stumble back a bit. ¨Hi the name is Kia. You must be James¨ the boy exclaimed loudly. I nodded slowly, not sure about the boy. I then sat back down and started filling out the paper. Our habitat was the jungle, which was a simple one. Kai kept glancing my way, which I ignored to finish the sheet so we could move on. ¨So we’re building the jungle, right? ¨ Kia questioned ¨, Yes, the teacher told you twice¨ I replied, shifting my gaze to Kia, who looked away slightly in shame while rubbing his neck nervelessly ¨Sorry, it’s hard for me to pay attention most of the time, anyway. Let’s go get the supplies and start building, ¨ Kai said We walked up to the front of the class where the supplies were and gathered what we needed. We walked back to our desks. I glanced at Kai, who had gone silent, which was not normal for the ball of energy I met at the beginning of class. ¨You alright Kai? ¨ I asked He froze in his tracks and looked at me and spoke ¨Yeah it’s just people find me annoying, so I thought if I didn’t bug you would be my friend. I don’t have many friends, is all¨ ¨Oh well, I don’t find you annoying. You don’t have to fear being yourself. It would be very unfair to you to have to pretend to be someone you're not, so would you like to be my friend? ¨ ¨YES I would love to be your friend! ¨ Kai exclaims loudly, once again reverting back to the playful ball of energy from the beginning of class. I smiled slightly as Kai's smile took over his face. ¨Ok ok, let’s get this project done before lunch, alright? ¨ I said to Kai. ¨Yeah ok¨  Kai responded We finished the project with a B+, then went to lunch. ¨Wait, wait, wait. Your mom is the one to start it all, really? ¨ Kai jumps up and down in his spot after hearing the news about my mother.   ¨Yeah, but it’s not as great as it sounds, you know. ¨ I stated coldly, thinking of mother's pricing eyes boring into mine. ¨Well, that means you have access to the lads and experiments, right? ¨ Kai questioned eagerly ¨Not exactly, but I know of an override key that can allow us to get into the labs. ¨ I answered Kai. ¨Yeah, my mother has one of her ID passes glitches and doesn’t let her in¨  Kai revels ¨If we can get the override key, then yeah we can get into the labs¨ I responded to Kai. ¨Yeah, we have a full proof plan. How about after school we break into the lab? ¨ Kai questioned ¨Umm, I’m not too sure about that. What if we’re caught? ¨ I look away just thinking of the things mother would do if she caught me in the lab without her permission and with another person. ¨Chill. We can just take a quick peek inside, then leave before anyone finds us, plus no one stays after besides your mom and my mom and they stay in their offices¨ Kai reassures me. ¨Ok you get the override key and meet me at the lab door¨ I agree and Kai nods with a look of determination. We throw away our trash and go our separate ways. Mother was standing there with her tablet, waiting to pick me up. I walk to her. She turns before I could get to her and she walks down the hall. I went down to get to the schooling facility. ¨You will go to the housing facility and study for your upcoming exam. Am I clear I expect no better than 100% of it to understand? ¨ Mother snapped as soon as I caught up to her. ¨Yes mother¨ I nodded. Even though she couldn’t see it, she soon walked to her office expecting me to go to the housing facility, but once she was gone from my field of vision, I darted to the lab door where Kai was standing with the override key in hand. ¨There you are. I have the key, but I don’t know how to use it¨ Kai looks at me with glee. ¨I do¨ I declared I took the override key from Kai, crouched down, and opened the bottom of the pad with all the wires and found where to plug it into. Then the doors hissed, revealing a different lab from the one I went to meet Milo at. Kai takes the lead and walks onto the lad. I followed his lead as we walked. There were the blue hues on the computer screens and the tubes that illuminated light on weirdly formed embryos. ¨Wow, freaky¨ Kai gasped ¨Yes, strange indeed¨ I walked beside him. Kai then gets bored and goes to find entertainment elsewhere in the lab. I walked to the clipboard and looked at the information. I looked over the data in the results section, then a part of the data found that the DNA came from a specimen called 23-2. I go to one of the various computers and type in the password, then go to the specimens’ data on the computer and search for the information on specimens 23-2. The information pulls up, and I jump back when a picture of me is pulled up. I’m specimen 23-2. Then there were what looked like identical profiles of specimens. I kept scrolling and scrolling with the look of horror of the word Project Fail Specimen Deceased on all the specimens files. I couldn’t believe it. They know we are all clones, thousands of them before me failed. They were being experimented on. I go further into their files, trying to find out what happened to them. I scroll down to Cause of Death on the documents Acid, Terminated, Mauled, Still Born, Incomplete Growth. The list was endless. I kept going through it and the deaths got worse and worse till I had to look away when something in the tube moved, catching my eye. I slowly made my way to the enormous tube that looked like it could hold 2 cows in it. The small embryo wiggles back and forth. I tilted my head, watching the small, soon-to-be creature float around the tube. I grabbed the clipboard next to the tube to read what it was. It listed DNA from 78.2-5, 376-0, and 23-2 my DNA. I walked back to the computer and soon looked at the security cameras and saw someone in the hall.  ¨Kai we got to get one coming¨ I loudly said to Kai Kai’s head pops up from the desk. He then darts to the door. I followed his lead and made it to the door. I grabbed the override key from the pad and closed the back, then we both hurried down the hall, not even seeing the labs door hiss shut. We soon made our way to the housing facility. We come to a halt and try to catch our breath. Kai puts his hands on his knees and pants out. ¨Well, that was close. I should get going. My mom will notice if I’m gone for too long, so you keep the key. You seem to be really fascinated there, plus there is no school tomorrow. It’s a free day. You can go back into the lab after everyone’s gone home tomorrow as well, if you’d like, but I hope to see you at school next time. Bye, ¨ Kai sprints off once more to go find his mom. I walk to my living space and open the door and my thoughts go back to the lab. All this needs to be stopped and I may know how to put an end to all this once and for all. The halls were empty. I go with the override key to the lab with flammable chemicals in mass amounts. I took the chemical and spread it everywhere I could. I glanced at my mother’s office. She did that. She started it all. I continued my main objective and spread the chemical till it was everywhere I came to the lab. I met Milo and used the override key to get in. After taking a deep breath, I entered the dark hall. When I open the door, I see the enclosure again, then Milo plays with a ball I gave him so he doesn't get bored all by himself in the cage all day and night. I walk to the glass and place my hand on it, then turn and pour the chemical around the small lab. ¨I’m sorry Milo, but this has to end¨ I apologize to Milo. Even if he can’t hear me, my mind flashes all the time and the bonding we had shared together. He was like a brother, but there should be nothing left of this place. Once I walked out of the lab, glancing back once more at the creature I came to see as a brother. ¨I wish it were different, Milo. I truly am sorry brother¨ I apologize once more for letting the tears fall freely. I walk out to end this once and for all.