Another one up!
Well, well, here's another one. ^_^ I'm not posting these in chronological order, by the way. I probably should... but never mind that. Here it be!
Perfectly Normal
Status Report: Experiment HBH - 117 - LB
Chief Researcher: Doctor Connor Lextazüch Corwell
Assistant Chief: Doctor Hannah San Amandone
Objective: To Investigate Subject 02695 - CB
5th October 2006
Experiment HVH - 117 - LB has been proposed by Doctor Zachary Ferdinand and I, Doctor Connor Lextazüch Corwell, have been chosen to head it. My assistant shall be Doctor Hannah San Amandone. The experiment is to be carried out with utmost care and discretion. It is completely confidential. After the briefing, I understand why.
Subject 02695 - CB is human; a boy, to be exact. That makes it even worse. When I met the boy, I wondered if this experiment was a hoax. Doctor Ferdinand seems quite serious about it. He has a remarkable reputation. I trust him.
The subject is young, male, and seems to be a mix of Caucasian and Asian. He has dark brown hair, dark blue eyes, and fair skin that seems unfitting for him. He is small, even for a little boy. His age is unknown. He does not speak. I wonder why I am to study him. All I am told is that he is unusual.
As I look closer, I notice that he wears gloves that are made of a dark, leather-like material. I also notice that he sits on a piece of the same material. When I inquire about this, Doctor Ferdinand tells me that he must only sit on that material, and must wear the gloves no matter what. I am bewildered, but I nod. It is his project - he knows what he is doing.
At the briefing, we were told that only we are on this project and no one else - not even lab assistants. This project is getting stranger and stranger. Nevertheless, it is an amazing opportunity that I will not pass up. It seems that Hannah feels the same way. Although young, she is extremely bright and has an uncanny ability to think outside the box. I look forward to working with her.
I write this from our quarters near the lab near… well, they will not tell us. This is, indeed, a confidential project. Today I have met only my crew (if you can call both of us that), and my subject. Tomorrow, we research.
6th October 2006
The laboratory is amazing. It’s fully equipped with everything I might need, right down to the last test tube. I feel extremely lucky. As we walked inside the high-security building, I noticed Hannah felt the same way. I turned and noticed that the subject is in a large transparent cube-like structure, with air holes situated directly in the centre of the side that faces the lab. The subject was sitting in it, on his leather-like cloth, still wearing his gloves. I walked over to say hello to the subject, but if he heard it, he ignored me. Now that I was closer, I noticed that there was a small blinking button near the air holes. I pressed it, and it blinked red before a long rectangular panel of the cube that is about my height slides to the side, giving me entry to the cube. Everything there is extremely advanced.
I begin work. Firstly, since he is human (or seems to be), I am unsure of how to approach. However, I have decided to try less hostile methods, and to first get him to talk. “Hello,” I urge, smiling. He stares back at me with a blank expression. I persist, and I hear Hannah switching on the computer somewhere behind me. “I’m Connor,” I tell him, “What’s your name?”
To my surprise, he shakes his head. I blink. “Do you understand English?” I inquire. He nods, his gaze drifting to the floor. I am unsure of how to proceed. Hannah comes up to me and quietly reminds me that Doctor Ferdinand had suggested a thorough study of his DNA, to investigate the possibility of gene mutation. I look back at the subject, trying to decipher just what was so special about him. To me, he seems perfectly normal.
I nod my assent and look back at the subject. Quiet as he is, he seems intelligent. I am sure he knows what is going on, and I doubt he would appreciate being patronised. “Do you mind us swabbing you?” I ask kindly. He regards me for a long moment, dark blue eyes unfathomable. Then, very slowly, he reaches up and tentatively grabs a strand of hair before tugging it out very quickly. He then holds it out to me.
I watch him in surprise. He is… very unpredictable. I reach into my pocket and pull on my lab gloves. “Thank you,” I say, plucking it out of his hands and smiling. His mouth stretches slightly in a very small smile. “Are you hungry?” I ask hesitantly. He shakes his head, and I nod. I walk out of the cube and hand the strand to Hannah.
For the rest of the day, I try to get him to talk, but he does not waver. He simply nods or shakes his head, but he does not seem to be responsive. I notice him looking at the computer where Hannah is working on the DNA sample. There is nothing else to report for today.
I cannot deny that this is a unique project. It is only the first day, and already the subject has surprised me.
7th October 2006
There has not been much progress today. Hannah is still working on the DNA sample, and the subject is still unresponsive. I tried to coax him out of sitting on that leather cloth-like material, but he refuses to budge. There is nothing else to report.
8th October 2006
I offered him food today. I brought a plate of spaghetti and a bottle of water for him, but he refused to eat. He keeps glancing at the computer and at Hannah. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say he is nervous about the DNA testing. I assure him that it isn’t something to worry about, and his gaze snaps back to me.
I have never been an emotional person, but I recoiled from the sheer amount of emotion that was in his eyes. It seemed as if he carried the entire world on his shoulders. I think it was a glimpse into what made this boy so special.
This time, I tried to persuade him to take off his gloves. He tucked his hands under his legs and shook his head. There is nothing else to report.
9th October 2006
I brought him food again. This time, I brought some fried chicken - leftovers from the night before. He stared at it, but didn’t eat. I even offered him cutlery, but he shook his head and then refused to acknowledge the food.
Hannah is still working on the DNA test. It seems Doctor Ferdinand wants it very thorough. I talked to him again, and this time he responded a bit more. There are more small smiles and blinks. There is nothing else to report.
10th October 2006
I think he is warming up to me.
I brought an apple to the lab today. I planned to offer it to the boy. Before this, I had offered food that had had to be eaten with cutlery. I had decided to go simpler. As I walk in, I see Hannah working devotedly at the computer. I turn and I see the subject in the same position I had left him yesterday - sitting on the leather and staring ahead, expressionless.
“Hello,” I venture, entering the cube. He looks up at me and blinks. I hold out the apple. “I thought you might like this,” I say, and he looks at it. For a moment, I think he might take it, and I step closer. He looks down at his hands and hesitates. I smile encouragingly. I think that he does not eat because he does not want to take off his gloves.
“You don’t have to take them off. Just eat,” I urge. I worry for him. He has not eaten the whole time he has been here. He looks like he is considering it for a while, then he shakes his head.
There is nothing else to report.
11th October 2006
Hannah was late today. She now takes breaks while working on the DNA sample and joins me in talking to the boy. I think it is for the best. He might as well get to know the both of us. He seemed to warm up to her pretty quickly. I don’t fault him for it. Hannah is very easygoing, and sincere. We are making progress.
There is nothing else to report.
12th October 2006
Today, I finally saw for myself what makes the boy so special.
I thank Hannah, really. She came to the lab today with a small sapling in a pot. She said she thought the boy might like some company. I see her point. A child like him should not be alone all the time. Even though it is only a plant, it might help.
I stood outside the cube as she set it next to him. I watched as he peered at it curiously. It was a very young sapling, only just beginning to grow from the seeds. Hannah exited the cube and stood next to me, looking pleased that he seems to like it.
He touched it tentatively with his gloved hand, then wrapped his hands around the pot and brought it to his lap. He seemed to have forgotten we were there. As we watched, he slowly and very hesitantly tugged off the glove on his right hand and reached for the plant. The moment he touched it… it was pure magic! It was impossible, yet it happened.
The sapling, a dark khaki green, turned a healthy green before our very eyes. And then it shifted. I thought at first that my vision was blurring, but it wasn’t. The sapling seemed to shift, and then it grew. Slowly, at first, but soon it was rapidly growing. It shot up with a gentle grace, and branches poked out from its stem. Buds appeared on the branches, and then bloomed before our very eyes. It happened in seconds. As we watched the spectacle, the boy’s face lit up with a smile. He looked so wonderfully happy. Once all the flowers had bloomed, he took his hand away and the plant stopped its miraculous growth.
I exhaled. He looked up at us and his eyes were twinkling. He tugged his glove back on, giggled, and pointed at the plant. I turned to Hannah, and she looked equally awed.
And I thought he was perfectly normal. There is nothing else to report.
13th October 2006
I am unnerved by what happened yesterday, but my curiosity is piqued. Who is this boy? Where did Doctor Ferdinand find him? Why is he able to defy all the laws of nature? I must find out. I left for the lab today and found him playing with the plant, although his gloves were on. “Good morning,” I piped, feeling uncharacteristically happy - no doubt because of the day before’s breakthrough.
He looked up and smiled. He seems to be more open now that we have seen what he had done. He seems thankful that we did not scream at him or run away. However, he still does not speak. “How’s your pla-” I stop in mid-sentence.
Hannah walks in the door, and I hear her footsteps halt suddenly as well. One of the plants branches was touching the bare skin of the boy’s cheek, and he didn’t seem to notice. That wasn’t the thing that had caught my attention. What had caught my attention was that the plant was growing again. The flowers grew, and wilted. New buds popped up and bloomed. It seemed that the growth rate was even more rapid. The boy looked at us, confused. He didn’t realize that the plant was in contact with his bare skin.
I stared unashamedly as new flowers bloomed and wilted. Finally, as the last flowers wilted and fell away, the branches shrivelled up and the stem seemed drained. The plant had aged about a decade in the past ten seconds. Finally, the boy turned and he cried out, pushing the plant away from him. The pots slid away, and finally stopped aging, but it was too late. The plant was all shrivelled up; dead.
He stared at it, and then looked up at us, his eyes shining. I blinked, still in a daze. A soft sound reached my ears and I frown. What was that? The sound came again, and I strained my hearing. When I realized what it was, I froze in shock. It was him. He was looking at me, and he seemed to wilt. He seemed to be ashamed of what he had caused. “I’m sorry,” the whisper came again. I snapped out of my trance. “It’s okay,” I said firmly. “We can get you another plant. Or, if you’d like, a pet, or-”
Hannah walked over and nodded numbly. “No,” he said, shaking his head. His voice was small, like its owner. I looked at the plant. “I - I can fix it,” he added earnestly, and turned back to the plant. “What’re you-”
He tugged off his gloved hand, and hesitated for only a second before touching the plant. It seemed to shudder under his touch. The stem grew greener, and straightened, throwing out the once-wilted branches. I blinked. It just kept getting stranger and stranger. It seemed that what had happened barely a minute before was being reversed. Finally, when the plant was healthy again, he took his hand away.
“Wow,” I breathed. There was a minute of silence, and then Hannah cleared her throat. “Doctor,” she said quietly, “I have the results.”
I saw the boy’s eyes widen and I turned to her. “And?” I asked.
“Nothing. Nothing out of the ordinary.”
I heard a sharp sigh of relief, and I realized it was the boy. I smiled at him reassuringly. “How do you do this?” I asked interestedly, as if we were talking about his hobby. He shrugged, and I felt a bit put-off. He was becoming unresponsive again. “Do you know where you got it from?”
He shook his head, turning his attention to the potted plant.
“Have you always been able to do this?” Hannah chimed in.
A shake of his head.
I sighed. Looked like the day was over. So soon, too. “Well, then, see you tomorrow - um…” I didn’t know what to call him, and so opted for: “… son.”
As I walked out of the door, Hannah in the lead, I heard a small voice call out to me, “Mr. Connor?”
I paused.
“Yes?”
“My… my name’s Lysander.”
“Nice to meet you… Lysander.”
“Good night.”
“Good night.”
There is nothing else to report.
14th - 31st October 2006
We have been getting closer to the boy. He talks now, but refuses to say anything about his abilities. He is an exceptionally smart child, even if he’s extremely shy. He says that he’s here to learn control. When I ask him what kind of control, he simply shakes his head and changes the subject.
There is nothing else to report.
1st November 2006
I thought Hannah went a bit off today. I really did. She brought an egg to the lab. When I asked her why, she simply smiled and told me to watch. So, I did.
She walked into the cube, and I noticed that Lysander still refused to move from the leather-like material. Not for the first time, I wondered if only plants reacted to his seemingly magical touch. Not for the first time, I decided that I would find out in time.
“’Morning, Lys,” Hannah greeted. He looked up at her and smiled. He looked so much healthier and happier now that he agreed to eat as long as we allowed him to have his gloves on. “’Morning, Hannah,” he responded. “I want you to try something for me,” she told him, “Can you do that?”
He frowned slightly, “What is it?”
She showed him the egg. He looked at it, confused. “Why?” he wondered aloud. Hannah offered him a smile, “Trust me.”
He looked at her for a long moment. Then, he nodded slowly, “Okay.”
Pulling off a glove gently, he reached out for the egg. Hannah placed it on the floor and scooted back a bit. He paused for a moment, and then touched the egg. For what seemed like forever, nothing happened, and Hannah was beginning to look disappointed. Suddenly, a crack appeared, and Lysander jumped, startled. He kept his hand on the egg. Another crack appeared, and another, and another. Finally, the egg cracked in half and a tiny squeak issued from the remnants. Lysander took his hand away and squealed in delight.
A chick waddled out of the sticky remains of the egg, chirping indignantly at the cold floor. Quickly, Lysander tugged on his gloves and reached for the chick, cradling it. He looked up at Hannah, then at me, and then back to her. “Can I keep it?” he asked, his face shining. Hannah laughed, “Of course. You helped it live. It’s yours now.” He gave her a grateful smile.
Every time I think I understand a little more about him, he surprises me. It is the first of November today. In four days, it will have been five months since we have started this project. On the fifth or so, Doctor Ferdinand will come to visit and check our progress. I have many questions for him.
There is nothing else to report.
2nd November 2006
It is Lysander’s birthday today. I remember him mentioning something about the second of November earlier. I bought him a small cake - enough for the three of us. I find that I have begun to care about him like he was my son.
It was worth it - ordering a cake from the city and getting it delivered to the headquarters, and then finally collecting it from the office of the laboratory building - once I saw how happy he was. I wonder if Doctor Ferdinand will be angry. We did not really do any tests on Lysander; only get him to open up. I hope he does not take us off this project.
There is nothing else to report.
3rd and 4th November 2006
Lysander seems sad. I try asking him about it, but all he says is that he will miss us. It sounds ominous. I wonder what he means. Hannah is worried about it as well - I have discussed it with her. I hope he is okay.
There is nothing else to report.
5th November 2006
I am in shock.
When we entered the lab today, we found Lysander playing with the chick, but he seemed to be less energetic than usual. He barely looked up as we came in, and nodded when we said hello. I exchanged worried glances with Hannah, who shrugged and headed toward him. I followed.
She pressed the button, and it blinked green before the door slid open to admit us. “Hey, Lys,” I said softly, tentatively. Hannah sat down next to him, “You feeling alright?”
He shrugged and we both frowned at each other. “What’s wrong?” I prompted, and he shifted. He looked paler, I noticed, and smaller.
When he realized we weren’t going to go away, he muttered something under his breath. “What was that?” Hannah said automatically, leaning forward. “I had a bad dream, s’all,” he repeated, his voice louder.
We sat there for a few minutes in silence before I stood up awkwardly. “If… if you want to talk, we’ll be doing work,” I told him, stepping out of the box and heading, for the first time in a month, to a different part of the laboratory. I heard the glass door close and Hannah’s footsteps approach. “What’s wrong, you think?” she muttered as she stopped next to me. I reached for the paper holding the DNA test results, and shook my head, “I have no clue. Whatever it is, it seems to really be bothering him.”
We conferred in low voices for a while, before she wandered off to spend time doing… something more interesting. I turned to fiddle with the computer, my mind drifting. What was wrong with Lysander? He seemed so distant - so depressed, lately. It was unnerving. We had gotten used to the small boy being so innocent and, well, childlike. Suddenly, I heard a slight choked sound behind me, and a machine beeped urgently.
“Oh, ****!” I heard Hannah cry, and spun around in shock. She had always been relatively soft-spoken, and hearing her curse was something that jolted me out of my thoughts. My eyes widened. Lysander was perfectly still, lying down on the leather-thing, his eyes closed.
“What the hell happened?” I yelled, sprinting across the room and slamming my hand against the button again and again. The glass door whirred back and forth, protesting against my callous handling of the advanced technology before it slid back and allowed us to enter. I leaped inside and, hesitating, reached for him.
“Wait!”
I looked up to see Hannah handing me gloves. “You might be affected,” she said firmly, pulling on a pair. I nodded, understanding her point, and reached for his neck, pressing two fingers firmly against it. The machine continued beeping, at a faster rate. His heartbeat rate was accelerating dramatically. As I touched his skin, I felt a jolt of heat and jerked back, startled. He was burning hot!
“He’s burning up,” I told Hannah, trying to calm myself down. “He’s - oh, Goddess,” she snapped suddenly, surprising me. “What?” I blinked. “Damn it, it’s happening too soon,” she snarled, “I told Zy this was a bad idea, now we’ll have to explain and he’s going to-”
I stared at her, amazed. What in the world was she talking about? A soft grunt from Lysander jolted me back to reality, and apparently, her, too. She blinked, and then seemed to regain composure. “It’s okay, I’ll handle it,” she told me.
“What? How do you know what’s wrong with-”
“Trust me,” she interrupted, meeting my gaze with her own steady one. I looked into her eyes. I remembered something like this happening before. The memory was very vague… I remembered looking into someone’s eyes and found myself believing in that person. Who was it?
Doctor Ferdinand. I had looked into his grey eyes and he had convinced me, just like that, to trust him. And now, the same thing was happening with Hannah. As I looked into her glimmering hazel eyes, I nodded. “Go ahead.”
I stepped back, and she knelt next to Lysander. “Draevum,” she whispered, “It’s alright. You’re going home.”
As I watched, confused, she touched each of his eyelids, and pressed her lips against his forehead. “Inmitu idh Lerain, siltau idh jedyainn yvs kiyeal,” she murmured when she withdrew, and I stared with increasing alarm as Lysander suddenly arched, and then collapsed in a heap, silent and unmoving.
“Welcome home, Draevum,” Hannah said quietly, smiling as she stood up, “Redhi Illüwn.”
She seemed to realize that I was there, and, as she met my gaze, the beeps stopped, and instead, became one long, solid, depressing note. Lysander was dead.
There is nothing else to report.
*~*~*~*
Perfectly Normal
Status Report: Experiment HBH - 117 - LB
Chief Researcher: Doctor Connor Lextazüch Corwell
Assistant Chief: Doctor Hannah San Amandone
Objective: To Investigate Subject 02695 - CB
5th October 2006
Experiment HVH - 117 - LB has been proposed by Doctor Zachary Ferdinand and I, Doctor Connor Lextazüch Corwell, have been chosen to head it. My assistant shall be Doctor Hannah San Amandone. The experiment is to be carried out with utmost care and discretion. It is completely confidential. After the briefing, I understand why.
Subject 02695 - CB is human; a boy, to be exact. That makes it even worse. When I met the boy, I wondered if this experiment was a hoax. Doctor Ferdinand seems quite serious about it. He has a remarkable reputation. I trust him.
The subject is young, male, and seems to be a mix of Caucasian and Asian. He has dark brown hair, dark blue eyes, and fair skin that seems unfitting for him. He is small, even for a little boy. His age is unknown. He does not speak. I wonder why I am to study him. All I am told is that he is unusual.
As I look closer, I notice that he wears gloves that are made of a dark, leather-like material. I also notice that he sits on a piece of the same material. When I inquire about this, Doctor Ferdinand tells me that he must only sit on that material, and must wear the gloves no matter what. I am bewildered, but I nod. It is his project - he knows what he is doing.
At the briefing, we were told that only we are on this project and no one else - not even lab assistants. This project is getting stranger and stranger. Nevertheless, it is an amazing opportunity that I will not pass up. It seems that Hannah feels the same way. Although young, she is extremely bright and has an uncanny ability to think outside the box. I look forward to working with her.
I write this from our quarters near the lab near… well, they will not tell us. This is, indeed, a confidential project. Today I have met only my crew (if you can call both of us that), and my subject. Tomorrow, we research.
6th October 2006
The laboratory is amazing. It’s fully equipped with everything I might need, right down to the last test tube. I feel extremely lucky. As we walked inside the high-security building, I noticed Hannah felt the same way. I turned and noticed that the subject is in a large transparent cube-like structure, with air holes situated directly in the centre of the side that faces the lab. The subject was sitting in it, on his leather-like cloth, still wearing his gloves. I walked over to say hello to the subject, but if he heard it, he ignored me. Now that I was closer, I noticed that there was a small blinking button near the air holes. I pressed it, and it blinked red before a long rectangular panel of the cube that is about my height slides to the side, giving me entry to the cube. Everything there is extremely advanced.
I begin work. Firstly, since he is human (or seems to be), I am unsure of how to approach. However, I have decided to try less hostile methods, and to first get him to talk. “Hello,” I urge, smiling. He stares back at me with a blank expression. I persist, and I hear Hannah switching on the computer somewhere behind me. “I’m Connor,” I tell him, “What’s your name?”
To my surprise, he shakes his head. I blink. “Do you understand English?” I inquire. He nods, his gaze drifting to the floor. I am unsure of how to proceed. Hannah comes up to me and quietly reminds me that Doctor Ferdinand had suggested a thorough study of his DNA, to investigate the possibility of gene mutation. I look back at the subject, trying to decipher just what was so special about him. To me, he seems perfectly normal.
I nod my assent and look back at the subject. Quiet as he is, he seems intelligent. I am sure he knows what is going on, and I doubt he would appreciate being patronised. “Do you mind us swabbing you?” I ask kindly. He regards me for a long moment, dark blue eyes unfathomable. Then, very slowly, he reaches up and tentatively grabs a strand of hair before tugging it out very quickly. He then holds it out to me.
I watch him in surprise. He is… very unpredictable. I reach into my pocket and pull on my lab gloves. “Thank you,” I say, plucking it out of his hands and smiling. His mouth stretches slightly in a very small smile. “Are you hungry?” I ask hesitantly. He shakes his head, and I nod. I walk out of the cube and hand the strand to Hannah.
For the rest of the day, I try to get him to talk, but he does not waver. He simply nods or shakes his head, but he does not seem to be responsive. I notice him looking at the computer where Hannah is working on the DNA sample. There is nothing else to report for today.
I cannot deny that this is a unique project. It is only the first day, and already the subject has surprised me.
7th October 2006
There has not been much progress today. Hannah is still working on the DNA sample, and the subject is still unresponsive. I tried to coax him out of sitting on that leather cloth-like material, but he refuses to budge. There is nothing else to report.
8th October 2006
I offered him food today. I brought a plate of spaghetti and a bottle of water for him, but he refused to eat. He keeps glancing at the computer and at Hannah. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say he is nervous about the DNA testing. I assure him that it isn’t something to worry about, and his gaze snaps back to me.
I have never been an emotional person, but I recoiled from the sheer amount of emotion that was in his eyes. It seemed as if he carried the entire world on his shoulders. I think it was a glimpse into what made this boy so special.
This time, I tried to persuade him to take off his gloves. He tucked his hands under his legs and shook his head. There is nothing else to report.
9th October 2006
I brought him food again. This time, I brought some fried chicken - leftovers from the night before. He stared at it, but didn’t eat. I even offered him cutlery, but he shook his head and then refused to acknowledge the food.
Hannah is still working on the DNA test. It seems Doctor Ferdinand wants it very thorough. I talked to him again, and this time he responded a bit more. There are more small smiles and blinks. There is nothing else to report.
10th October 2006
I think he is warming up to me.
I brought an apple to the lab today. I planned to offer it to the boy. Before this, I had offered food that had had to be eaten with cutlery. I had decided to go simpler. As I walk in, I see Hannah working devotedly at the computer. I turn and I see the subject in the same position I had left him yesterday - sitting on the leather and staring ahead, expressionless.
“Hello,” I venture, entering the cube. He looks up at me and blinks. I hold out the apple. “I thought you might like this,” I say, and he looks at it. For a moment, I think he might take it, and I step closer. He looks down at his hands and hesitates. I smile encouragingly. I think that he does not eat because he does not want to take off his gloves.
“You don’t have to take them off. Just eat,” I urge. I worry for him. He has not eaten the whole time he has been here. He looks like he is considering it for a while, then he shakes his head.
There is nothing else to report.
11th October 2006
Hannah was late today. She now takes breaks while working on the DNA sample and joins me in talking to the boy. I think it is for the best. He might as well get to know the both of us. He seemed to warm up to her pretty quickly. I don’t fault him for it. Hannah is very easygoing, and sincere. We are making progress.
There is nothing else to report.
12th October 2006
Today, I finally saw for myself what makes the boy so special.
I thank Hannah, really. She came to the lab today with a small sapling in a pot. She said she thought the boy might like some company. I see her point. A child like him should not be alone all the time. Even though it is only a plant, it might help.
I stood outside the cube as she set it next to him. I watched as he peered at it curiously. It was a very young sapling, only just beginning to grow from the seeds. Hannah exited the cube and stood next to me, looking pleased that he seems to like it.
He touched it tentatively with his gloved hand, then wrapped his hands around the pot and brought it to his lap. He seemed to have forgotten we were there. As we watched, he slowly and very hesitantly tugged off the glove on his right hand and reached for the plant. The moment he touched it… it was pure magic! It was impossible, yet it happened.
The sapling, a dark khaki green, turned a healthy green before our very eyes. And then it shifted. I thought at first that my vision was blurring, but it wasn’t. The sapling seemed to shift, and then it grew. Slowly, at first, but soon it was rapidly growing. It shot up with a gentle grace, and branches poked out from its stem. Buds appeared on the branches, and then bloomed before our very eyes. It happened in seconds. As we watched the spectacle, the boy’s face lit up with a smile. He looked so wonderfully happy. Once all the flowers had bloomed, he took his hand away and the plant stopped its miraculous growth.
I exhaled. He looked up at us and his eyes were twinkling. He tugged his glove back on, giggled, and pointed at the plant. I turned to Hannah, and she looked equally awed.
And I thought he was perfectly normal. There is nothing else to report.
13th October 2006
I am unnerved by what happened yesterday, but my curiosity is piqued. Who is this boy? Where did Doctor Ferdinand find him? Why is he able to defy all the laws of nature? I must find out. I left for the lab today and found him playing with the plant, although his gloves were on. “Good morning,” I piped, feeling uncharacteristically happy - no doubt because of the day before’s breakthrough.
He looked up and smiled. He seems to be more open now that we have seen what he had done. He seems thankful that we did not scream at him or run away. However, he still does not speak. “How’s your pla-” I stop in mid-sentence.
Hannah walks in the door, and I hear her footsteps halt suddenly as well. One of the plants branches was touching the bare skin of the boy’s cheek, and he didn’t seem to notice. That wasn’t the thing that had caught my attention. What had caught my attention was that the plant was growing again. The flowers grew, and wilted. New buds popped up and bloomed. It seemed that the growth rate was even more rapid. The boy looked at us, confused. He didn’t realize that the plant was in contact with his bare skin.
I stared unashamedly as new flowers bloomed and wilted. Finally, as the last flowers wilted and fell away, the branches shrivelled up and the stem seemed drained. The plant had aged about a decade in the past ten seconds. Finally, the boy turned and he cried out, pushing the plant away from him. The pots slid away, and finally stopped aging, but it was too late. The plant was all shrivelled up; dead.
He stared at it, and then looked up at us, his eyes shining. I blinked, still in a daze. A soft sound reached my ears and I frown. What was that? The sound came again, and I strained my hearing. When I realized what it was, I froze in shock. It was him. He was looking at me, and he seemed to wilt. He seemed to be ashamed of what he had caused. “I’m sorry,” the whisper came again. I snapped out of my trance. “It’s okay,” I said firmly. “We can get you another plant. Or, if you’d like, a pet, or-”
Hannah walked over and nodded numbly. “No,” he said, shaking his head. His voice was small, like its owner. I looked at the plant. “I - I can fix it,” he added earnestly, and turned back to the plant. “What’re you-”
He tugged off his gloved hand, and hesitated for only a second before touching the plant. It seemed to shudder under his touch. The stem grew greener, and straightened, throwing out the once-wilted branches. I blinked. It just kept getting stranger and stranger. It seemed that what had happened barely a minute before was being reversed. Finally, when the plant was healthy again, he took his hand away.
“Wow,” I breathed. There was a minute of silence, and then Hannah cleared her throat. “Doctor,” she said quietly, “I have the results.”
I saw the boy’s eyes widen and I turned to her. “And?” I asked.
“Nothing. Nothing out of the ordinary.”
I heard a sharp sigh of relief, and I realized it was the boy. I smiled at him reassuringly. “How do you do this?” I asked interestedly, as if we were talking about his hobby. He shrugged, and I felt a bit put-off. He was becoming unresponsive again. “Do you know where you got it from?”
He shook his head, turning his attention to the potted plant.
“Have you always been able to do this?” Hannah chimed in.
A shake of his head.
I sighed. Looked like the day was over. So soon, too. “Well, then, see you tomorrow - um…” I didn’t know what to call him, and so opted for: “… son.”
As I walked out of the door, Hannah in the lead, I heard a small voice call out to me, “Mr. Connor?”
I paused.
“Yes?”
“My… my name’s Lysander.”
“Nice to meet you… Lysander.”
“Good night.”
“Good night.”
There is nothing else to report.
14th - 31st October 2006
We have been getting closer to the boy. He talks now, but refuses to say anything about his abilities. He is an exceptionally smart child, even if he’s extremely shy. He says that he’s here to learn control. When I ask him what kind of control, he simply shakes his head and changes the subject.
There is nothing else to report.
1st November 2006
I thought Hannah went a bit off today. I really did. She brought an egg to the lab. When I asked her why, she simply smiled and told me to watch. So, I did.
She walked into the cube, and I noticed that Lysander still refused to move from the leather-like material. Not for the first time, I wondered if only plants reacted to his seemingly magical touch. Not for the first time, I decided that I would find out in time.
“’Morning, Lys,” Hannah greeted. He looked up at her and smiled. He looked so much healthier and happier now that he agreed to eat as long as we allowed him to have his gloves on. “’Morning, Hannah,” he responded. “I want you to try something for me,” she told him, “Can you do that?”
He frowned slightly, “What is it?”
She showed him the egg. He looked at it, confused. “Why?” he wondered aloud. Hannah offered him a smile, “Trust me.”
He looked at her for a long moment. Then, he nodded slowly, “Okay.”
Pulling off a glove gently, he reached out for the egg. Hannah placed it on the floor and scooted back a bit. He paused for a moment, and then touched the egg. For what seemed like forever, nothing happened, and Hannah was beginning to look disappointed. Suddenly, a crack appeared, and Lysander jumped, startled. He kept his hand on the egg. Another crack appeared, and another, and another. Finally, the egg cracked in half and a tiny squeak issued from the remnants. Lysander took his hand away and squealed in delight.
A chick waddled out of the sticky remains of the egg, chirping indignantly at the cold floor. Quickly, Lysander tugged on his gloves and reached for the chick, cradling it. He looked up at Hannah, then at me, and then back to her. “Can I keep it?” he asked, his face shining. Hannah laughed, “Of course. You helped it live. It’s yours now.” He gave her a grateful smile.
Every time I think I understand a little more about him, he surprises me. It is the first of November today. In four days, it will have been five months since we have started this project. On the fifth or so, Doctor Ferdinand will come to visit and check our progress. I have many questions for him.
There is nothing else to report.
2nd November 2006
It is Lysander’s birthday today. I remember him mentioning something about the second of November earlier. I bought him a small cake - enough for the three of us. I find that I have begun to care about him like he was my son.
It was worth it - ordering a cake from the city and getting it delivered to the headquarters, and then finally collecting it from the office of the laboratory building - once I saw how happy he was. I wonder if Doctor Ferdinand will be angry. We did not really do any tests on Lysander; only get him to open up. I hope he does not take us off this project.
There is nothing else to report.
3rd and 4th November 2006
Lysander seems sad. I try asking him about it, but all he says is that he will miss us. It sounds ominous. I wonder what he means. Hannah is worried about it as well - I have discussed it with her. I hope he is okay.
There is nothing else to report.
5th November 2006
I am in shock.
When we entered the lab today, we found Lysander playing with the chick, but he seemed to be less energetic than usual. He barely looked up as we came in, and nodded when we said hello. I exchanged worried glances with Hannah, who shrugged and headed toward him. I followed.
She pressed the button, and it blinked green before the door slid open to admit us. “Hey, Lys,” I said softly, tentatively. Hannah sat down next to him, “You feeling alright?”
He shrugged and we both frowned at each other. “What’s wrong?” I prompted, and he shifted. He looked paler, I noticed, and smaller.
When he realized we weren’t going to go away, he muttered something under his breath. “What was that?” Hannah said automatically, leaning forward. “I had a bad dream, s’all,” he repeated, his voice louder.
We sat there for a few minutes in silence before I stood up awkwardly. “If… if you want to talk, we’ll be doing work,” I told him, stepping out of the box and heading, for the first time in a month, to a different part of the laboratory. I heard the glass door close and Hannah’s footsteps approach. “What’s wrong, you think?” she muttered as she stopped next to me. I reached for the paper holding the DNA test results, and shook my head, “I have no clue. Whatever it is, it seems to really be bothering him.”
We conferred in low voices for a while, before she wandered off to spend time doing… something more interesting. I turned to fiddle with the computer, my mind drifting. What was wrong with Lysander? He seemed so distant - so depressed, lately. It was unnerving. We had gotten used to the small boy being so innocent and, well, childlike. Suddenly, I heard a slight choked sound behind me, and a machine beeped urgently.
“Oh, ****!” I heard Hannah cry, and spun around in shock. She had always been relatively soft-spoken, and hearing her curse was something that jolted me out of my thoughts. My eyes widened. Lysander was perfectly still, lying down on the leather-thing, his eyes closed.
“What the hell happened?” I yelled, sprinting across the room and slamming my hand against the button again and again. The glass door whirred back and forth, protesting against my callous handling of the advanced technology before it slid back and allowed us to enter. I leaped inside and, hesitating, reached for him.
“Wait!”
I looked up to see Hannah handing me gloves. “You might be affected,” she said firmly, pulling on a pair. I nodded, understanding her point, and reached for his neck, pressing two fingers firmly against it. The machine continued beeping, at a faster rate. His heartbeat rate was accelerating dramatically. As I touched his skin, I felt a jolt of heat and jerked back, startled. He was burning hot!
“He’s burning up,” I told Hannah, trying to calm myself down. “He’s - oh, Goddess,” she snapped suddenly, surprising me. “What?” I blinked. “Damn it, it’s happening too soon,” she snarled, “I told Zy this was a bad idea, now we’ll have to explain and he’s going to-”
I stared at her, amazed. What in the world was she talking about? A soft grunt from Lysander jolted me back to reality, and apparently, her, too. She blinked, and then seemed to regain composure. “It’s okay, I’ll handle it,” she told me.
“What? How do you know what’s wrong with-”
“Trust me,” she interrupted, meeting my gaze with her own steady one. I looked into her eyes. I remembered something like this happening before. The memory was very vague… I remembered looking into someone’s eyes and found myself believing in that person. Who was it?
Doctor Ferdinand. I had looked into his grey eyes and he had convinced me, just like that, to trust him. And now, the same thing was happening with Hannah. As I looked into her glimmering hazel eyes, I nodded. “Go ahead.”
I stepped back, and she knelt next to Lysander. “Draevum,” she whispered, “It’s alright. You’re going home.”
As I watched, confused, she touched each of his eyelids, and pressed her lips against his forehead. “Inmitu idh Lerain, siltau idh jedyainn yvs kiyeal,” she murmured when she withdrew, and I stared with increasing alarm as Lysander suddenly arched, and then collapsed in a heap, silent and unmoving.
“Welcome home, Draevum,” Hannah said quietly, smiling as she stood up, “Redhi Illüwn.”
She seemed to realize that I was there, and, as she met my gaze, the beeps stopped, and instead, became one long, solid, depressing note. Lysander was dead.
There is nothing else to report.
*~*~*~*