Chapter Text
I sat in my lab reviewing my recent notes. I still wasn't sure if I was going in the right direction with my research. Anyway, as always. But that's how it was when I was doing research that no one had ever done before. I could never be 100% sure of the results of my research and experiments.
Genetic engineering was something beautiful, it was the future. Genetic engineering solved the problems of humanity and the errors of the human body. It was a way to balance the world and the ecosystem.
However, not everyone saw this as a beauty. Most people considered it as a threat.
But as for me, I lost the fight against the ethicality of what I do a long time ago. So nothing limited me. My employer gave me unlimited resources. Of course, I didn't work alone. There were a lot of great scientists working with me.
Although it seemed to me that I have been sitting in this institution for too long. I haven't had a break in a long time. I almost forgot about the normal world. It was unhealthy.
But it still seemed to me that I was getting closer. Over and over and over again, I couldn't free myself from this circle.
I was slowly losing faith in my abilities. And I couldn't afford it. My work was important to the people who employed me. I wasn't even sure anymore why, but it was important and they still reminded me of it.
Maybe I should at least change the field of my research to a less crazy one. Do something less controversial. Certainly, there would be many willing to take my place…
I glanced at my wristwatch. Fuck. It was already morning. I sat here all night again. I looked out the window, it was getting brighter already. It was another bad habit of mine as if there were not enough of them.
Suddenly I heard an alarm at once. An unpleasant shiver went through me. I listened to the sound. It was not a threat of contamination or fire...
Someone has escaped.
I rubbed my tired eyes and left the laboratory. The corridors were completely empty. I went down quickly to the lobby. The alarm sounded even louder here.
In the lobby, I found one of the younger assistants, who sometimes worked for me. I ran to her. She looked completely scared.
I took her gently by the arm.
"What happened?" I asked as calmly as possible.
The girl opened her mouth but then she closed it again, she looked like she was about to cry.
"Who escaped?" I asked again.
"Sorry, I'm so sorry. I followed the protocol... They have already run after him, they need to found him." she said in a shaky voice.
"Who?" I said firmly.
"Our new object, for research, for a new experiment. The one they recently brought."
I sighed heavily.
"Object MB-077?"
"Yes, I'm soo sorry..." she cried.
But I didn't listen to her anymore. Her apologies are useless. I ran to the nearest storage depot, opened the door with my pass. Then I opened the stash with the weapon again with the pass. I clipped the holster with the weapon to my belt and grabbed the first better winter jacket. On the run, I zipped up my jacket.
I came back to the lobby the girl was still standing in the same place where I left her. She stared at the screen of her tablet.
I pulled it out of her hand.
"Where are they?" I asked dryly.
"They're in the woods, they still haven't found him."
I looked at the tablet and the red pulsing points coming out of our facility.
"If I were you, I'd do something and not stand still because they'll fire you," I said dispassionately.
She looked at me in horror but it didn't touch me, I left through the main entrance. It was cold outside. But I quickly stopped caring.
It wasn't my fault, but I felt full responsibility to find him. On the run, I pulled out my phone and turned on the application tracking all objects of this institution. I chose the object MB-077 and turned on navigation.
A moment later I was at the edge of the forest. Only now I noticed the space around me. The sun has not risen yet. Heavy fog still hung above the ground and mixed with snow. The conifers were completely covered with silvery frost. And everything was sinking in the blue air.
I shook my head and moved on. After several meters, I encountered one of the guards. He looked around constantly and kept the heavy weapon ready. At the sight of me, he lowered his weapon gently.
"Dr. Howard, I didn't expect you to appear so soon."
"I was in the lab when I heard the alarm. What is the situation?"
"We still haven't found him, he has removed his transmitter. Everyone has dispersed, we are searching the forest."
"Fuck."
"Don't worry, the situation is completely under control. He won't run away. In the worst case, he'll die of hypothermia or bleed out."
I swallowed nervously. For some time, the secrecy of our research had the highest priority. The rest was quite flexible…
But I felt a strong prick in my heart that prevented me from abandoning our new object to certain death.
"Well, we have to find him anyway. Which way should I go now?" I asked.
"You can follow in the footsteps. Snow is almost everywhere. But honestly, you can also come back, we can handle it." he shrugged.
"That’s fine since I'm here I can help," I answered, giving him a forced smile.
I sighed and followed the first footsteps I came across. When the guard disappeared from my field of view, I pulled the phone out again. I traced the route the object had taken before removing his transmitter. He was heading east. But I felt that he probably changed his direction completely afterward.
I looked at my watch, twenty minutes had passed since his escape. Nobody seemed to be in a hurry to find him.
Contrary to the advice I received, I went where there were no footsteps.
I felt completely out of reality. The whole night without sleep began to bother me. I thought I heard things I shouldn't hear, but in the end, I was in the woods.
After another ten minutes, I began to really stress, too much time passed. I checked the phone, still, nobody found him. I started running. I came across another guard but he also found nothing.
I had no hope.
I checked the transmitter's point once again and headed north. Something moved behind a small rock in front of me. I don't even know why I went there. And suddenly my eyes met the eyes of the real huge wolf. I stopped breathing. The animal stared into my eyes for a few seconds, I already wanted to reach for a gun but suddenly the wolf runs away. I was completely stunned.
I took a few deep breaths and then noticed something red on the rock. It was blood.
My heart rate increased. I started looking around nervously. I saw my footsteps. But are they really only mine?
I started to look behind the bushes and other rocks. I heard more wolves howling. I shivered.
I saw only white snow everywhere. I thought I went crazy, but I ran towards the howling wolves. Suddenly I tripped over a root. I landed on my stomach and hands. I looked up and then I saw him…
He lay unconscious on the icy white surface. He was only wearing a stolen lab coat. And his skin was pale as snow.
I got up quickly and ran to him. I automatically brushed his hair off his face. His lips were blue and his left arm was all smudged with frozen blood. He looked like a porcelain doll.
I took off my jacket automatically and threw it at him.
I quickly reached for my phone and dialed the number.
"I found him, I need help, I'm sending my location." I gave short information.
I checked the pulse on his neck. I could feel very poor blood flow, he was completely cold. He must get to the facility as quickly as possible.
I couldn't wait for the others. I wanted to wrap him in my jacket better, but it was pointless. I put the jacket back on and awkwardly picked him up from the snow, he was surprisingly light. I hugged him to let him get some warmth from me. His head fell on my neck and his coldness frightened me even more. I moved quickly towards the facility.
After a few minutes, I heard movement. Seven guards emerged from behind the trees aiming their weapons straight at me. I stopped for a moment, shocked.
But when they realized who I was, they quickly lowered their weapons and ran to me.
"We'll take him." someone shouted.
"Okay, but quickly, he's really frozen," I answered uptightly.
One of the men easily took him from me and trotted with the rest of the guards.
I breathed a sigh. Fuck I was exhausted.
"Are you all right, Doctor?"Asked the men who stayed with me.
"Yes, I'm fine, I'm just a little tired."
"Let's go back, it's over."
I nodded my agreement. However, I knew finding him didn't mean he would survive.
But I was really dazed and equally frozen.
We slowly returned to the facility. The sun had already risen.
I quickly returned the weapon to the depot along with the jacket. I went to the lobby, at this time, the main manager was already at the station.
I went to her desk. She was busy typing on the computer, so she didn't notice me until I cleared my throat.
"Oh, Dr. Howard. Hello. What a morning. What do you need?"
"Yes yes, what a morning. But honestly, I'm tired I sat in the lab all night and I want to go to sleep at last. I know that I have a few things to do in my schedule but I'll take care of everything later or tomorrow. Notify my assistant when he comes to work."
The woman noted my request and looked at me again. It was kind of funny because she looked exactly like Diane from Twin Peaks and her name was also Diane.
"All right, this can be sorted out. Anything else?" she asked kindly.
"Can you already give me some information about MB-077?"
She nodded and began typing again on the computer. After a moment she looked up again.
"For now, it has only been registered that he has arrived at the emergency department and Dr. Nicholls is looking after him.
There is no death information yet, but for now, I don't know anything more. The incident report will be at the earliest in the afternoon."
"Thank you, see you later."
Diane nodded and went back to work.
I headed towards the residential wing. Most employees were on their way to work. They gave me curious looks, but I ignored it.
Finally, I took the elevator to my apartment. I put my pass in the safe.
I untied my tie and took off my white shirt. I went to the living room and poured myself a whiskey in a glass. I went to the huge window and started drinking. Today the frost was not about to leave the trees. Everything was still shining like crystals. It was shining so bright, but everything seemed to be so dark anyway. Maybe because we were in a remote area. But did it matter? I don't usually pay attention to such things anyway, I rarely go outside. So whatever.
I put the empty glass on the coffee table and went to the bedroom. I took off the rest of my clothes and fell asleep immediately.
I felt cold. I felt a piercing cold affecting every cell of my body. Everything was white again. I wandered in the woods and searched for something, but I couldn't find it. I heard the howling of wolves, but I didn't see them.
I knew it was important, but I was powerless. I was looking for him, but this time I didn't find him. He was nowhere to be found no matter how hard I tried. I was all alone and although there were so many trees around me, I felt like I was standing on a blank sheet of paper. I was completely isolated. And without a purpose. And it haunted me like the howling of those wolves, which perhaps were not even real.