on the first subject?” Justice asked as he threw his lab coat on. He followed Jack out of the office and the two headed towards the main lab.
“No, we’re on 103 now.”
“What happened?”
“The first and second ones failed. We suspect it was an issue with the gamma stimulation process but we’ve recalibrated everything so it should be back on track,” Jack explained as they reached the lab doors.
“You did one without me?”
“Boss’ orders,” Jack sighed.
“Right, heaven forbid a couple days pass without any work in a lab taking place,” Justice said as he sat down behind the main console. Jack did not respond to this, instead he awkwardly avoided looking at Justice. “Okay people, let’s do this,” Justice said to the room at large. “Bring in subject zero five - wait, what’s the day?” Everybody looked around at each other at a complete loss on how to respond. “Nobody knows the date?” Justice asked bemused.
“Oh,” Jack said, “it’s the 20th. Come on guys, let’s pay attention,” he added in an attempt to reprimand the other employees.
“The 20th?” Justice asked doing the math in his head. “Was I really out six days?” Jack nodded slowly. Justice thought for a couple more moments, “Wow,” he finally said, “that must’ve been a helluva head wound!”
Jack laughed nervously, “Indeed it was Justice.”
“Well, no point in dwelling,” Justice said as he booted up his workstation. “Bring in subject 05202100-103.” A gurney topped with an elderly man was rolled into the lab and placed under the gamma sequencing array. “Subject is male, aged 114 years. Subject’s life ceased due to natural causes. We are recording this, right?” Justice asked as an afterthought. Jack nodded. “Good. This is much easier without an audience.”
“There’s an audience,” Jack said and when Justice looked at him he pointed up. Sure enough, there was a small crowd gathered in the observation deck looking down upon the proceedings.
Justice did not recognize any of them, “So there are. Sorry, you’ll have to excuse me, my mind’s a little fuzzy. Head wound,” he joked, pointing to his head. The people in the observation deck laughed. “Okay, let’s get back to it. Subject, natural causes,” Justice muttered, “ah yes. Body once again donated willingly as noted in the deceased’s last will and testament. No major disease during life and organs, bones, et cetera are reportedly in good condition. Everything seems to be in order here and we should be able to proceed. Now Jack, you did say everything was sorted out with the gamma array?”
“Yes, I have been assured that the sequence will run smoothly this time.”
“Great,” Justice said and he began to manipulate the screen in front of him. “Commencing in five, four, three, two, one.” Justice hit a big red “Execute” button on his screen. That same low hum from before started up again but this time it remained much more controlled. Suddenly walls emerged from the floor and enclosed the subject within them. “That’s new,” Justice commented.
“One of the engineers found that it would help keep everything contained within the sequencing stage,” Jack supplied.
“Give that guy a raise,” Justice said absentmindedly, his concentration still on his console. “Initiating gamma sequencing now,” and he hit an execute button on his screen. Again small jolts of electricity shot into the dead man’s body causing muscles to twitch at random. Then the lights above the body flash on and
“No, we’re on 103 now.”
“What happened?”
“The first and second ones failed. We suspect it was an issue with the gamma stimulation process but we’ve recalibrated everything so it should be back on track,” Jack explained as they reached the lab doors.
“You did one without me?”
“Boss’ orders,” Jack sighed.
“Right, heaven forbid a couple days pass without any work in a lab taking place,” Justice said as he sat down behind the main console. Jack did not respond to this, instead he awkwardly avoided looking at Justice. “Okay people, let’s do this,” Justice said to the room at large. “Bring in subject zero five - wait, what’s the day?” Everybody looked around at each other at a complete loss on how to respond. “Nobody knows the date?” Justice asked bemused.
“Oh,” Jack said, “it’s the 20th. Come on guys, let’s pay attention,” he added in an attempt to reprimand the other employees.
“The 20th?” Justice asked doing the math in his head. “Was I really out six days?” Jack nodded slowly. Justice thought for a couple more moments, “Wow,” he finally said, “that must’ve been a helluva head wound!”
Jack laughed nervously, “Indeed it was Justice.”
“Well, no point in dwelling,” Justice said as he booted up his workstation. “Bring in subject 05202100-103.” A gurney topped with an elderly man was rolled into the lab and placed under the gamma sequencing array. “Subject is male, aged 114 years. Subject’s life ceased due to natural causes. We are recording this, right?” Justice asked as an afterthought. Jack nodded. “Good. This is much easier without an audience.”
“There’s an audience,” Jack said and when Justice looked at him he pointed up. Sure enough, there was a small crowd gathered in the observation deck looking down upon the proceedings.
Justice did not recognize any of them, “So there are. Sorry, you’ll have to excuse me, my mind’s a little fuzzy. Head wound,” he joked, pointing to his head. The people in the observation deck laughed. “Okay, let’s get back to it. Subject, natural causes,” Justice muttered, “ah yes. Body once again donated willingly as noted in the deceased’s last will and testament. No major disease during life and organs, bones, et cetera are reportedly in good condition. Everything seems to be in order here and we should be able to proceed. Now Jack, you did say everything was sorted out with the gamma array?”
“Yes, I have been assured that the sequence will run smoothly this time.”
“Great,” Justice said and he began to manipulate the screen in front of him. “Commencing in five, four, three, two, one.” Justice hit a big red “Execute” button on his screen. That same low hum from before started up again but this time it remained much more controlled. Suddenly walls emerged from the floor and enclosed the subject within them. “That’s new,” Justice commented.
“One of the engineers found that it would help keep everything contained within the sequencing stage,” Jack supplied.
“Give that guy a raise,” Justice said absentmindedly, his concentration still on his console. “Initiating gamma sequencing now,” and he hit an execute button on his screen. Again small jolts of electricity shot into the dead man’s body causing muscles to twitch at random. Then the lights above the body flash on and
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