Guinea pigs

♠️No gore in this one, read in safety♠️

>Logbook. Sibling pair was injected with the gene manipulation injection for approximately 97 days. Many human structures were modified. Reptile like traits dominates and are visible to the naked eye. Another failed product. Making it ready for disposal in the coming days when no signs of regression is seen.< A white collared man in his mid twenties said into his voice recorder.

"Haaah, another failed one." He said to his college next to him with slumped shoulders, making clear his abysmal mood.

His colleague just nodded to him knowingly and pattes his shoulder. "Don't take it too hard Fred. In this lab there are many failed attempts. If every subject would be a success right of the bat, then all those poor children wouldn't have suffered from injustice. But alas this world is cruel." She finishes saying and went her way.

"...right" He whisperes under his breath.

The guy named Fred turnes around and begins preparing the next dose for his sibling pair. They were on the list noted as subject Nr.43, and Nr.44 in the 4th section.

His sector was the one working with genes from reptiles, but his last few injections was more leaning on the serpent species.

He realized his mistake after some check ups he did on the recipient subjects of these injections.

Afterwards, he readjustes the gene manipulator to a less dose of Viper-DNA and mix some warmer properties in, to counter the cold ones of the serpent species; before the serpent traits became stronger and restructures the human-DNA of the sibling pair completely, and would force him to dispose of them.

His experiment subjects grew to him, and he didn't wish to dispose of them. He knows he shouldn't have a personal bonding with those two...

But even after many failed attempts and disposals he had gone through, those two were special to him.

Maybe, it was because he tried having another approach to his subjects, and named those two sister and brother pair.

That might be the biggest reason, playing the role in breaking this rule.

Since, he hadn't had much time running many tests to find the right quantitative proportions of genes in the next dosage, he made two different vials of injections.

So he will give them both, each of the siblings, one of the injections.

Thereby, he can see which one of the vials has the higher regression rate, and will then keep working within that spectrum of dosage.

He took both vials and syringes and put them in his medic box, before making his way to their quarters.

The quarters of Nr.43 and Nr.44 had a glass wall installed, letting outsiders see what the children inside were doing.

He saw two children sitting on the bed, cuddling together with their eyes closed.

They both were like normal children looking like 8 and 12 years old. Merely, they were an unusual sight in the eyes.

Both of their hair color was of a green tone, and some shiny green scales were running up their arms and necks.

Fred knew at one glance what the reason was that plagued them.

Why those once energetic children from before, who laught and loved to spring at him with joy, when seeing him visit them; are now huddled up in the corner and quiet as a mouse.

It is, that through the dominating serpent-DNA,

the temperature sensitivity of their bodies made it hard to adjust to the temperature in the room.

That means, humans, mammals, who are warm-blooded and needed to maintain a constant warm temperature inside their bodies, are confronted with the reptiles cold-bloodness; which is taking on the temperature of their surroundings and have no way to keep in the warmth in their body.

The problem right now is that both of the children were sweating in the room. And mammals are known to sweat to cool themselves down when they are overheated, and reptiles have no such bodily functions.

So, the bodies of those two are running crazy with these two different properties, and the constant regulation between cold and warm inside their body made a mess.

Plus, they are losing more warmth then they got warmth back. Thus a constant body heat is a luxury in their now jumbled up condition.

In short, they feel coldness rushing up their bodies. It is friggin cold!!!

So they cuddle up in the bed, to keep themselves warm with their slowly escaping body heat.

Fred had to hurry and do something!

Or the incoming fear of disposing wouldn't be the only danger they would met.

Rather, the imminent death hovering over them that they will go through, due to hypothermia, that would lead to a cardiac arrest (heart stops beating); and mean the end of their life.

He opened the door with his card and went in closing the door behind him. Making these two huddled up pair raise in alert to the new incoming person.

With two serpent like eyes focused on him, he smiled. "Sera, Grace, it's me." He said with a soft voice, not to scare them.

He walked slowly next to them, and the two began to calm down from the alerted state they were in.

If it was Fred, they had no need to worry.

Sometimes, other people from different sections would come and beat them up, bully them, or do some other weird physical tests; just to still their curiosity.

They want to see how modified bodies would react when they were exposed to various outer dangers like water, sharp objects, poison and whatever notorious things they came up with.

Those b@stards!

That's why they were mostly on edge when someone stepped into their quarters.

But Fred was different. He is nice to them. He cared for them and even gave them names.

Thanks to the various injections and experiments, many of the children in this laboratory suffered from memory loss, and forgot many details entailing to their former lives, before they came here.

"Doc, can I ask you something?" came from the boy, who held his little sister in his embrace.

"Yes Grace, what is it?" Fred said without breaking his gentle smile.

Grace stared at him, not breaking down from the bitter truth he is gonna utter. "Are we going to be disposed off?" He asked, but deep down he knew the answer already.

He only had to look at the green scales going up his arm and on his sister's neck. They were piercing bright to the eyes, as if screaming 'toxic'.

Fred widened his eyes in shock. How could Grace know about the disposal?

They weren't allowed telling any subjects about the disposal! It is to keep all the subjects from mass panicking and hysteria.

But Fred didn't deny it. Since Grace asked him with a knowing tone, he must have made up his mind that it is already true.

"I will never allow that to happen to you, I promise." He said with determination to keep his word.

He gently held Grace's hand which to his dismay flinched lightly. He thought Grace rejected him and became sad about it, but noticed that was not the case.

Two of his finger nails were pulled out, and Fred grasped them in his hand. He let go fast of Grace's hand to spare him from more pain.

"Grace this!" Now he understood.

It must have been the guys from the bird section who did this heinous act, and told Grace he was going to be disposed of.

Anger rushed in him, but cooled the second he saw Sera's calm gaze on him.

Right.

This was not the time to grow angry, even those two kids kept their calm and don't complain.

He felt ashamed a little bit, by displaying such immature bearing in front of them.

Calmer now, he pulled bandage and liniment out his medic box, tending to the open flesh wound on his fingertips.

Grace winced with every light pressure, but never shed a single tear. He was a really taff boy.

After finishing up, he checked both up for other open wounds they might have, but other than some bruises everything was ok.

"I'm going to inject todays dosage, let us hope your scales are going to retreat. Afterwards you guys shouldn't be feeling so cold anymore." He said while looking at the slightly sluggish kids, which comes from the effect of the reptiles cold-bloodness.

He injected the two different vials and saw how sleepy they became.

The injection he made was fast acting, so they worked the second they came in contact with their bodies system.

"I will turn up the heater. I'll come back in an hour to check up on any improvements, until then rest well." He said, while packing his things and leaving the quarter.

"Doc" came a quiet voice, before he stepped out.

He turned around surprised, looking at Sera, who was quiet the whole time in his presence.

"Thank you" She said, giving him a small smile and closes her eyes falling asleep.

A wire smile hushed on Fred's lips.

He felt, that he didn't deserve this thank you, just how this children didn't deserve this life.

With this bitter feeling in his mouth bubbling up, he made his way back to the lab.