Chapter 20: by Owen

I stared at the files inside the security box for a long minute before I finally gathered the courage to pick them up and read them. It was dark in the room despite the eerie glow cast from the full moon in the windows, so I sat in front of the computer again, and bent over the documents and squinted at them in the dim light coming from the screen.


1/14 Year Five of Testing:

Subjects seem to be reacting well to the synthetic womb. The insertion process heals smoothly, and the encoding of DNA of the host into the womb is flawless. So far there are no adverse reactions, and the feeding tube port functions smoothly.

Production of the synthetic egg is slightly more troublesome. While biologically very similar to a natural egg, the process of encoding DNA of the host is not working as well as planned. Synthetic eggs also seem to be rejecting sperm samples. Further testing required.


I stopped reading for a moment. The reports sounded like we were making far more progress than I figured. I didn't understand why such information would be kept from me. The section about the synthetic eggs was what concerned me most. The way they were rejecting the sperm samples sounded ominous.

3/20 Year Five of Testing:

We've finally been able to produce a synthetic egg that accepts the sperm sample! The insertion process into the synthetic womb was also equally successful. After a week, the subject has had no complaints or adverse effects from the synthetic womb or egg. While we wait for the miracle to happen, we will further improve the synthetic egg in the hopes of a higher success rate.

5/27 Year Five of Testing:

There have been slight... complications with the test subjects hosting fertilized synthetic eggs. Subjects experience severe drops in blood sugar levels as well as spells of faintness, most likely related. It is almost as if the developing embryo is drawing nutrients from the host, but that can't be possible! We did not want to perform an ultrasound so soon into the pregnancy, but we must see what's going on inside the synthetic womb.

It was almost as if I was reading one of those horrible Science Fiction Horror stories that got turned into even more horrible movies. Subjects? Hosting? Why did my Project Miracle sound more and more like a nightmare the more I read? There was an uncommonly large gap between the next files, which raised a flag in my mind. I could tell that none of the sequence were missing, but it was very unlike any of my researchers to go so long without recording anything into the master file.

7/05 Year Five of Testing

Again and again, we continuously have issues with strange nearly parasitic placenta developing between the embryo and the test subject. We've been unable to go in and sever the cord, but we've managed to keep the host healthy enough that they can supply the embryo with what it needs to develop. None of our current research can explain why the chords are created or how, but we must find a way to develop synthetic eggs that do not develop this chord. I'm worried that if the embryo pulls too much from the subject, the pregnancy will have to be terminated, or risk endangering the subject's life.

The next entry was rather short, but it was also the hardest of them all to read.

7/15 Year Five of Testing

Subject came to lab unscheduled today. They claimed that something was wrong with the embryo. When check, we confirmed that it had died. The extraction process was as smooth as planned, nothing was wrong with the synthetic womb.

I read on with growing horror as the lab reports detailed similar results with the other fertilized test subjects. None of the embryos survived. Many of the subjects also had numerous physical and emotional side effects. It seemed like Project Miracle would never work if all those months of research couldn't solve the problems the synthetic eggs were having.

“No wonder they had to create them from scratch,” I said aloud to the empty room. I suddenly felt ten times more sober than I had ever been in my life after reading those files. I wasn't sure if I was angry that they had kept all that information from me, or strangely relieved that I hadn't had to deal with that information first hand, as it happened.

“You probably would have had a mental and emotional break down if you'd known what was happening to those test subjects.” I didn't even have to swivel my office chair around to know that it was TruPaul standing behind me. Even though her tone was sympathetic, her words were sharp. I knew I wouldn't have handled the situation well, even though I should have been able to throw my problem solving skills in to help out the researchers.

“Now you know what you were doing wrong,” TruPaul said, responding to my thoughts. “You've finally learned most of your lesson. You're almost ready to wake up. Now you just need to fix your hair, look stunning, and go back to that ball. It's still your dream, and it's still your party, no matter who planned it and who was invited against your will.”

TruPaul smiled, her eyes glittering despite the lack of light in the room. “After all, this is your dream. Nothing happens that your subconscious disagrees with.” And with those final words, TruPaul disappeared. I felt like that would be the last time I got to see the crazy bitch, and I felt almost sad. Our relationship was only rough because she cared enough to tell me the uncomfortable truths I didn't want to hear.

In any event, I'd left my smoking hot date hanging on long enough. I pulled out my phone and told him that I'd only be another few minutes, I'd gotten held up by a long line in the ladies room after checking up on something in my office. He replied with something about being able to wait forever on such a beauty, and I had to wonder at the sincerity of such strong words used after such a brief meeting. I shrugged after making a flirtatious reply. I didn't need to find true love right this moment. I just had to enjoy what I had.

I went to the women's room in lab one, which was of course empty. I had no doubt there was actually a huge line in the one on the ball floor. I was an expert at pulling my disheveled self together, and I have to say I looked even more fabulous afterwards than I had when I went in. It was almost as if my whole body was glowing. Hopefully it wasn't just in a dream world that I could live up to my namesake. I'd chosen it after reading about a man pining after some unobtainable beauty. The name almost seemed to call out to me, as if to say that I could be just as beautiful, if not more human and loving.

Charlie was sitting at a table, looking lonesome when I entered the dining hall. Many people were in the dancing area, doing all sorts of things. There were even several pretty girls batting their hoochie fake eyelashes at him, but he didn't even seem to notice. He's either actually smitten with me, or a good actor, I thought as I marched my way towards him.

“Charlie, I'm so sorry you've had to sit by yourself so long,” I said, kissing him on the cheek. I shot a withering look at the cow eyed girls that had been eying my date. Tonight, he's mine, bitches!

“No problem at all, love,” he said, kissing my hand. Like a gentleman, he rose to take the seat out for me, but I stopped him with a hand on his arm.

“I'm not very hungry tonight, how about we just go dance for a while.” The look on his face reminded me of an over energetic puppy finally getting to see it's master after they'd been gone all day. Strike that, a super hot, super ripped, British puppy.

“I'll be the best dance partner you've ever had in your life,” he said with such passion combined with his accent, I thought my legs would melt.

He took my hand, and led me to the dance floor. The band began playing one of my favorite songs to dance to, and then another, and another. I don't know how long we spent dancing, but it felt like an eternity. I looked out across the dance floor, and saw various people from my life. Many of them shouldn't have even been at the party, like my fourth grade Science teacher, the one that'd started my love for Science and researching the natural world. He was dancing with his partner of thirty years. Seeing them, along with other people that had influenced my life in some small way or another filled me with so much happiness that I thought I'd fly up into the sky and burst into a million little stars. That was the last thing I remembered before everything went dark, like the curtains of a stage being drawn.