Digging Up Ghosts

The legend of the "ghost" of the genetics department had sounded like pure nonsense at first. But after asking around, they’d found more than just rumors. Professors denied knowing anything, but one of the older janitors had mentioned strange noises at night, locked rooms that shouldn’t be locked, and lab equipment going missing for years.

Jess sat hunched over a dusty desk in the university archives, staring at the flickering glow of an ancient desktop computer. The room smelled of aging paper and ink, and the dim overhead lighting made everything feel just a little more eerie. Across from her, Leanna flipped through a stack of bound yearbooks, muttering under her breath as she scanned the pages.

"This is ridiculous," Jess sighed, rubbing her temples. "We’ve been at this for hours, and there’s no record of this guy anywhere." Leanna didn’t look up. "That’s what makes it interesting. If he was a normal grad student, he’d be in here somewhere. But if he’s a ‘ghost’—"

"Then he never officially existed," Jess finished, leaning back in her chair. She stared at the screen a moment longer, the weight of everything pressing in. Then she inhaled slowly, pushing the despair aside.

Maybe he’s not in here because someone wanted him gone,” Jess muttered. “Not just forgotten—erased.

"Alright, let’s go at this differently," Jess said, straightening up. "We’re looking for someone who was erased, right? Maybe he was involved in something shady. Let’s check for faculty disciplinary records or missing research projects."

Leanna nodded and started typing. After a few minutes, she made a triumphant noise. "Got something. A research project from forty years ago—classified as ‘terminated due to ethical concerns.’ It was a genetic modification study."

Jess leaned over. "Who was in charge?"

Leanna frowned. "That’s the weird thing. It just says ‘Researcher No. 24601.’ No names, just a reference number."

Jess stared at the number like it might reach out and grab her. “That’s not just secrecy. That’s hiding something. That’s some conspiracy-level nonsense."

Leanna clicked through a few more files, then suddenly sat up straight. "Wait… there’s a list of faculty who opposed the project. Some of them might still be around. Maybe one of them knows the real story."

Jess grinned. "Now we’re getting somewhere."

They copied down the names and hurried out of the archives. Their next step? Tracking down the people who had tried to stop this experiment before it disappeared into the shadows.

The ghost of the genetics department wasn’t just a rumor. And Jess was going to find him.