A Tragic Experiment

A woman in her early thirties sat by the window on the 400th floor of a magnificent skyscraper. She was enclosed in a futuristic, temperature-controlled high-rise, with numerous living spaces similar to mine. From her elevated position, she gazed out at the awe-inspiring views, which stretched over half a mile above the ground.

She looks out with her eyes, and all that remains of a civilized society is covered with glass. The highways stretch like ribbons, carrying the high-speed trains that surround the sprawling megacities. In these cities, millions of people crowd into towering skyscrapers that reach hundreds of stories into the sky. There are also extensive areas filled with greenhouses, where chemically enhanced farms cultivate fruits and vegetables, and livestock graze. Even the underground villages are bustling and brightly lit, trying to recreate the sensation of walking outdoors on a beautiful spring day.

She sighed, got up from the couch, and walked over to the study desk in her dimly lit living room. She discovered an old ink pen while rummaging through the jumbled items in a drawer. She carefully retrieved a notebook, a luxury that nowadays only a select few could afford.

A single tear trickled down her cold, vacant eyes as she was writing.

Date- 11th, April 2200

She rises from her bitter bed,

With thoughts of sadness in her head,

She idolizes being dead.

Facing the day with never ending dread

With a sudden gesture, she slammed shut her notebook, casting one final look at her modest yet chilling house, before dashing out the door, her mind filled with uncertainty and curiosity.

At Research Lab

"Dr. Lopez, are you certain that this is safe?" Inquired a cautious young lady dressed in white. Her face displayed a evident expression of panic.

"What are you scared of?" Dr. Lopez responded without even diverting his attention from the computer screen he was engrossed in. "Have you contemplated that, if we achieve success, we could become visionaries of a new era?" At last, his gaze shifted to the woman standing before him.

His eyes were filled with weariness and insomnia, evident by the presence of deep hollows and puffy bags under them. He was Dr. Lopez, a renowned researcher within the country, and his expertise was so highly regarded that he was even respected beyond national boundaries. He is often regarded as having the ability to accomplish anything imaginable, making him a figure of immense power and influence in the eyes of people worldwide.

"But, Dr, this is evidently against the law. The higher authorities have already declined any human experimentation on this device, and now.."

"Stop, Lizi. I didn't force Serene to become a scapegoat for my experiment, she willingly offered herself. We have already obtained her signature on the agreement, so now any negative consequences fall on her." Despite being guilty, he managed to conceal it from showing on his face. Despite being aware of the potentially fatal nature of the experiment, he is willing to take the risk as he has already dedicated his entire youth to this invention, indicating that there is no possibility of retracting from his decision. "Lizi, try to focus on the bright side. If this endeavor proves successful, we could potentially create an exceptional human brain. I understand that the odds may be low, but what if we do succeed?"

Lizi expressed her hesitation by questioning, "What would happen if we didn't succeed? What if she... died?"

Dr. Lopez replied firmly to Lizi, "I am not an immortal that has everything handed with swap, so there is no 'if.' Moreover, it is not unreasonable for someone to give up their life for the sake of mankind." He continued, "If she is deceased, it implies that she never actually existed."

In the meantime, the woman stood outside and caught every word of the conversation. Her cold expression remained unchanged, devoid of any emotion as she maintained her unwavering gaze and gently tapped on the door..

Knock… knock…

Dr. Lopez stood up right away, glared at Lizi to tell her to stay quiet, and then walked up to the door and opened it while grinning widely. Serene turned to face the man who had been both her boss and father figure for nine years. Every time he used to grin at her, her orphan heart would warm. But today, all she experienced was cold.

Despite always being aware that she was being used as a scapegoat, she never let go of Dr. Lopez because of her trust. She was contemplating whether he would once more contemplate using her as a human test subject when she left her house, but as she approached the doors, she heard everythinevery.

Serene was certain that there would be no turning back. Despite the fact that the building was vacant from top to bottom and it was now 2:30AM in the middle of the night, she could feel the beast's eyes on her.

Dr. Lopez tenderly addressed her as "Serene, my dear." To say he wasn't excited would be an understatement.

"Serene.." Lizi made an airy call as well and smiled remorsefully.

Dr. Lopez, Dr. Lizi," Serene softly exclaimed. Then, suddenly stating, "Let's not delay Dr. Lopez, let's get started," she spun around to avoid their eyes. She ignored her current situation and forced a strong smile.

"You look excited, Serene, so let's get started. There's no need to worry, Serene. Let me assure you that everything is safe; it may be a bit unpleasant, but I'm confident you can handle it." Dr. Lopez attempted to appear tranquil on the surface, despite the hectic scenario in his head. "If you feel you can't take it any longer, just let me know and I'll retreat."

"Sure, Dr"

Until Dr. Lopez activated the gadget, his fingers were moving across the screen as he continued to repeat the instructions. Lizi tried to maintain her composure while making a few jokes here and there.

Serene, however, felt nothing; all she did was clasp her hands together and smile ironically.

The device emitted a loud noise, indicating that it was already in action mode. It felt nothing at first, until she sensed movement around her spinal cord and brain. She was sweating profusely, and snot and tears were streaming from her nose and eyes. She shouted as the pain intensified.

"Ah..." she attempted to extricate herself from the device; her nerves were fraying and her blood was running cold; unconsciously, she saw Lizi terrified and yelling as Dr. Lopez hurried towards the controller.

Suddenly she felt her body burning and she said "That's it…"