Laboratory Lessons

We find out what it is Mister Kelly and his beautiful assistant Stag do at their job. Sort of.

"Okay, so looks like the cultures reacted pretty well to the new nutrient. Let's just add a few drops-"

"Two drops!"

"-two drops of the enhancement and just wait and see if they take to it."

"And if they don't, that's another month down the drain. Again."

"Well, Stag, let's hope for the best then, mm?"

I store the culture in a specialized controlled environment unit, and start heading over to decontamination once everything else is shutdown.

"Raise your arms up and down and turn and stay now turn again."

"And we're out."

"So do you think you want to invite Taylor over for dinner again tonight?"

"If I do it one more time this week I think she'll start suspecting we're hitting on her."

"Are we not?"

"Just remind me to pick up steak."

"Noted."

"Now, let's see what data George got for us off of his tests with our last batch... Huh, that's weird. It looks like the DNA chain came out right, but then the whole structure fell apart the next day."

"Stupid viruses, why can't we just bypass all of this and make a serum? I mean I know they transfer the coding better, but they're really annoying when they do that."

"Well if you want we can reconstruct one and try to immediately use it. Who knows, it might be what we were looking for."

"Doubtful, but why not."

"Back through decon we go."

"Alright so we need this, and this, and-"

"Also this to stabilize it. And atleast a 5% sample of one of the newer cultures. The one we gave George was probably a mutated batch."

"Do you think we'll ever find it in our lifetime Stag?"

"I guess that really depends on chance, doesn't it. For all we know we're working at the problem from the wrong direction. I mean there are so many more promising serums over in sector 10."

"Yeah, but more than 9 out of 10 of their samples cause cancer, and the ones that don't damage the brain. Those are probably the two worst results they could have."

"Especially when it comes to what we're trying to accomplish."

"Yeah."

I clean out a petridish and place a tiny sample of bacterium infected with the virus in it.

"Hey."

"Yeah?"

"Sometimes I wonder if I'm just sleeping, and you're not real."

"Would you prefer that to be true?"

"No. As much as hate to admit it, I would never want to be apart from you. You're my home and friend."

"Well when you put it like that."

"You know what I mean, James."

"Well I'm flattered. And if this is a dream, just make sure you never wake up. I prefer the company."

"Okay, now we need to stabilize the culture and wait a second. I just thought of something."

"Hm?"

"What if it fell apart, because the bacteria already took to the DNA change faster than the others?"

"That's actually pretty reasonable. Let's wait around another few minutes and just check before we go."

"Hm."

"Hm."

"Hmm. You just might be right if I'm looking at this right."

"So rat then?"

"We need clearance from the group manager though."

Stag remains silent a moment.

"Oh yeah. Right. I do that now. Alrighty, let's get this little fella here, take a small sample, and see how his body takes to it."

"Think this could be it?"

"Any of them could be it Stag. It's a matter of luck, time, and hoping that all the clues and results we've been chasing are leading to something more than a nice cure for cancer."

"Eh, yeah, and that'd put us in the spotlight. Not ideal."

"On the bright side though atleast that'd be one less variable to worry about when we're looking for her."

"Speaking of her, what do you really think of Taylor? It's so hard to read your emotions."

"It's. I don't really know. I guess my heart's been feeling. Feeling."

"Content?"

"No, uh. I guess it's been feeling whole."

"Wait, really? That's rare."

"Indeed it is. So it's best not to lose her anytime soon."

"Oh, rat's not looking too good there."

"Hell, he's vomiting all over. S**t, sorry little guy."

"Oh, oh, and there are the organs. I know it's apart of the renewal process, but I hate to think how that feels."

"You'll know soon enough man."

Cleaning the mess, I move the rat to cleaner cage as he lays limp and half dead looking.

"Well, we're just gonna have to wait till morning and see if he survives the renewal stage."

"Alright, now decon, drive over and get steak, and invite Taylor over somewhere in there."

"Sounds like a plan. Oh, by the way, I've been meaning to ask you but it keeps escaping me."

"Yeah?"

"What happens to you when I sleep and dream and stuff?"

"Um, I sleep and dream and stuff too?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean, your higher functions are shutting down, what else am I supposed to do, count sheep till you wake up?"

"Fair enough. But are they my dreams or do you make your own?"

"Um, a mix of both I think. Sometimes I make my own lucid ones, but those are boring because I'm not the most creative for a being of my intelligence."

"Our intelligence, but yeah, fair enough. And up."

"And down, and turn."

"Stay. Turn again."

"Out. Alright, locking up, saying good bye to everyone."

"See ya George! Night Jill!"

"Bye James!"
"See you tomorrow Jamie, have a good night!"

"And car."

"What kind of steak?"

"How about the store-closed-two-hours-ago steak. Damn it, how'd treating one rat take so long?"

"Who knows, we're not good time keepers."

Welp, time to just go home, eat crappy left overs, and rest up for tomorrow."

"Yeah. Night."

"Night."

"...how many dates should we go on with her before making it serious?"

"Good question. Just look at how she acts around you, figure out some key questions to ask her and I'll check her reactions for you, and by then I can give you a better estimate."

"We're really, really nerdy. And slightly cold hearted."

"Maybe I am, but you're certainly not. I can feel everytime your heart feels empty, and whether you like it or not, I can never go deep enough away when you cry yourself to sleep, Jamie. I just want to make all the pain away, and I'll do that anyway I can."

"Thanks Stag. I love you man."

"Hey, hey, I'm cold hearted remember?"

"I know you love me too."

"Just sleep already."

Author's Note

So, plot stuff. It's threaded with poorly written dialogue and such. I'd love any and all feedback on it.