Tape #12 - Paradox

Dr. Walsh peeked through the small circular window, scanning the deserted hallways. -"Silence,"- she muttered, her eyes narrowing. -"Not a sign of it anywhere."-

-"So we're in the clear?"- Ava inquired.

-"Maybe,"- Dr. Walsh's heart raced as she finally managed to unlock the door. -"But we should go before it comes looking for us."-

A chilling breeze whispered through the empty corridors as Ava led the way, her footsteps light in the cold concrete. Dr. Walsh took a moment to follow, taking a blanket from the medical bay's bed for good measure before following her apprentice closely.

In the elevators, everything was as quiet as usual. An oppressive silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the low hum of the ancient machinery. Yet, in the cramped space, they both felt a little safer than outside in the tunnels.

-"Doc..."- Ava began, her voice laced with a hesitant humor. -"Please, no more 'harmless' what-if experiments. I don't think my heart can handle another near-death experience this week."- She turned to Dr. Walsh, a teasing smile playing on her lips; but the geneticist's gaze was elsewhere, her expression grim. She draped the stolen blanket over her shoulders, the fabric stark and vaguely comforting against the white gown. A heavy sigh escaped her.

-"No, don't... That's not what I meant..."- Shame tinged her cheeks as she realized the sting of her words. -"I'm sorry, Doc."-

Dr. Walsh remained silent, her back to Ava as she adjusted the blanket, the fabric whispering against her chilled skin. -"It's okay,"- she finally said, her voice muffled by the wool. -"You're not wrong."-

Ava ached for her mentor, the unspoken shame heavy in the air. She longed to close the distance between them, offer a word of comfort, a reassuring touch. But instead, she settled for a gentle hand on Dr. Walsh's shoulder, a silent gesture of solidarity. -"You couldn't have known. You just wanted to experiment, see where it took you, like you always do."-

A flicker of a smile, sad and weary, touched Dr. Walsh's lips. -"I distinctly recall you saying you weren't going to help pick up the pieces when it all went wrong."-

-"Sorry, Doc."- Ava chuckled, a humorless sound that echoed in the confined space. -"I was angry. And wrong."-

The old elevator came to a rough halt, the sudden jolt breaking the fragile spell of connection. The two hurried through the decontamination stage before reaching the dim, cluttered lab. It was messier than usual, with equipment strewn about like discarded toys, benches overturned, and papers scattered.

The sight gave Dr. Walsh the creeps as she traded her blanket for a lab coat, cold air chilling her to the very core.

-"And I thought upstairs was cold,"- Ava grumbled, tugging on her own lab coat.

-"The heating systems must be failing."- Dr. Walsh muttered, pulling her clothes tighter. -"How long has it been like that?"-

-"Two days, maybe."-

-"That checks."- The geneticist set the perfume bottle beside a tall microscope with a thud.

-"What's the plan, Doc?"- Ava reached for it, her nimble fingers a stark contrast to Dr. Walsh's controlled grip. -"Let us spill the secrets of the mystery goo."-

Dr. Walsh's eyes gleamed with scientific curiosity as she carefully opened the bottle, as if wanting to recognize the secrets within. She reached for a swab and scooped a small sample into a petri dish. -"I want to take a look under the scope first. Could you run a genetic scan while I do?"-

-"On it,"- Ava nodded as she reached for the bottle. The acrid scent of the viscous liquid reached her as she poured it into a glass dish and laced it with a drop of purple stain. -"Let's see what you're made of, big guy..."- She whispers under her breath as she places the dish in the humming scanner and closes the door with a satisfying click.

While the scanner worked its magic she scooted closer, peering over Dr. Walsh's shoulder at the magnified sample under the sizable microscope.

-"Look at this, Ava..."- The geneticist marvels at the image under the scope. -"Not a single white cell in this blood. Our mystery guest is immune to disease."-

Student and teacher took turns looking at the blood sample under the microscope until a sudden chime shattered the silence, jolting Ava back to reality. -"Sample's done!"- She crowed, eager to unveil the data's secrets. But as she stared at the monitor, her grin faltered. The screen was a blur of senseless letters, a cryptic message from the unknown.

-"Uh... Doc?"- Ava stammered, her voice tinged with alarm. -"Scanner's gone rogue!"-

-"Hardly,"- Dr. Walsh's brow furrows in concentration as she turns to investigate the results that seemed so puzzling to her assistant.

-"What the..."-