Prologue

In the darkness of the lab, where the silence was only broken by the low hum of the air vents desperately trying to keep the temperature survivable, the face of Dr. Carla Sang was barely illuminated by the glow of a few monitors.

“Is it alive?” Asked her colleague, Dr. Rupesingh.

“It… is.” she replied, with some hesitation.

Dr. Sang watched the cells from the lens of her microscope, seeing what promised to be the best sample in a very long time. Dr. Rupesingh sighed in relief. “Thank the maker!” Dr. Rupesingh’s eyes went wide and he smiled, feeling relaxed for the first time in nearly 14 years. “Tell me, Carla. What does it look like?”

Dr. Sang looked closer and attempted to describe the life she saw to her blind, but brilliant, comrade in research.

“Mitosis is rapid. Consistent. Even aggressive. I’m seeing massive reactions to other cells. And, with time, this should progress into something resembling our goal.”

Dr. Rupesingh chuckled, “You mean his goal.”, he corrected. Referring to the benefactor the entire facility worked so hard for in seclusion for so long.

“His goal is our goal. The benefit of all mankind.” Dr. Sang said, almost believing it herself.

With this milestone firmly achieved, she took a step back, and rubbed her eyes very gently. She then looked at the monitors offering a larger view of the sample and all it’s glory. The computer generated various prognosis, crunching numbers, speculating on various hypotheticals all in the fraction of a second. Finally, it stopped at solution;

3,304 hours.

Dr. Sang calculated the time in her head. “Smartypants says it will gestate in about 4 years and 7 months time, give or take.” She then waited for that number to hold firm. It bounced around between 3,301 and 3,308 but never more or less. That was fine to her. Last thing she wanted was to wake up and find it had overestimated the time and the whole sample had withered and died due to some late correction to the arithmetic.

“Yes. That’s a hard figure.” she said. “Make the call.”

Dr. Rupesingh moved across the room and found the control panel. He never needed bright lights before and certainly wasn’t bothered by the dark. He pressed and held a button that chimed across the entire facility, “Prepare for sleep. Set timer for 3,250 hours. Prepare intravenous alike. Thank you.” He then walked to Dr. Sang, heels clicking as he did, “Shall we eat something before hand?” he asked.

Dr. Sang scoffed. “You enjoy that baby food?”

“Oh, yes!” Dr. Rupesingh declared. “The ginger one, especially. Maybe it’s the fact my taste sense is stronger than most from compensating, but when you can’t find some specific things to eat anymore, even the imitation will do. I used to love ginger candy as a boy!” He paused to think. “Carla, do you burn as many calories as you are now?”

She never gave it much thought. “Probably not. Would you care about your caloric intake if it meant regaining your eyesight?”

Her colleague nodded, “I suppose not. I dream, at times, of things in the world. And yet, I know this world is not the one I last saw before this Godforsaken ever night came upon me. I think I would be quite frightened, at first, to see things as they are now. Then, excited. Just imagine, I could read a book with my hand and yet watch something with my eyes! All while listening to music, just the same!”

The old man giggled, making Dr. Sang smile. “All while slurping on ginger baby food.”

“Oh! No, no. I’m going to learn how to cook real food. I might just retire and focus on the culinary arts when this is all over.”

Dr. Sang didn’t dwell on such a sunny future, “I’ll just look forward to feeling the ocean on my ankles again. The sand beneath my feet. Even a stupid crab biting me. Just once more, I want to feel at home again.” She closed her eyes and remembered when she was a girl. Swimming and playing in the waves was her whole life. Then the tingle of cold metal at her hips reminded her of the present and she stopped dwelling on what was past.

“I don’t envy you, Sunny. But, I would give you my eyes to be able to feel again.” She admitted.

“I don’t envy you, either. However, I do not share the same ambitions or appetites.” Dr. Rupesingh countered. “I cannot swim!’ he finished with a laugh.

Dr. Sang allowed herself a short laugh, too. The moment of levity was broken by the chime indicating a call. “Doctors, we’re ready now. There’s some hot and cold stuff prepared, if you want, too.”

“You can keep your ginger, but I will definitely have some tea.” Dr. Sang said, rising and preparing to leave. “We’ll keep things running here, for now. Smartypants will do the rest.” Dr. Sang looked back at the monitor once more, witnessing the birth of new life. She knew that miracles didn’t exist, but that sometimes the greatest improbabilities did occur. If they had succeeded, then she might very well feel again. She and her colleague left the room and the monitors shut off.

The facility was now cloaked in darkness, but for the low hum from the air vents which would soon shut off as soon as the researchers and staff were firmly in cryostasis. Some hours later, all was dark and silent. And then, the microscope sample began to glow and hum before rupturing it’s containment in the device with a crack. The glow turned into a brilliant light and then softened into a cascade of colors, revealing a small crystalline substance that seemed to whistle a soft lullaby to the sleeping staff while twinkling brilliantly like the light of a new dawn.