Chapter Text
There was a hum.
The sound was almost lost within the cavernous space of the room. Soft lights played on the surfaces of new machinery, green glass, and pale flesh that had been barred from the sun for too long. Two men stood in the room, speaking in hushed tones while examining the readout on a display at the foot of a long cylinder, approximately chest high and beaded with water droplets. The shorter of the two men leaned against the device, unconcerned about the moisture that soaked through the heavy cloth of his suit.
“Any reaction in the beta group?”
The taller man shook his head. “Nothing. Like I told you before, the samples are useless in that state. If we had a viable batch…”
“We don't, at least not yet. Look, I thought you said you had some results for me. Mr. Caulder will be very unhappy if I don't bring him something.”
Tugging at the collar of his shirt, the taller man tapped at the screen of his display, pulling up a strange set of images. “I didn't have time to fully analyze this before you arrived, but I did notice something a bit unusual in sample B. I wanted to examine it further but…”
“Show me.”
Bending to his task, the tall man tapped away for a moment again before stepping away from the screen. Sighing, he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Well, as you know, sample B was injected with a culture taken from the alpha subject. In this instance, I chose to stimulate the culture with a small electrical pulse. I set it for three-second intervals. The other samples in the series were placed under steady current. We already know that heat no longer seems to trigger a response. I think this is due, in part, to the fact that the alpha subject is deceased. Apparently when the body entered into rigor it caused the devices to revert into an inactive state, effectively deactivating…”
“This is irrelevant, please tell me about sample B.”
Clearing his throat, the other man rubbed his neck again. “The, ah, the subject, sample…. sample B, it seems, is showing a reaction to the intermittent electrical pulse. It…. well, see for yourself.” The taller man led his companion to a stout microscope. The entire device was enclosed in a sealed environment; the dials were operated by typing commands into a computer relay system. Once the system was adjusted, the shorter man leaned toward the microscope, holding back his tie with one hand to avoid obstructing his view. What he saw caused a small gasp to escape him.
“They're dividing.”