Chapter 58: CH 058: Leaving the lab? (MR 12)
White stood at the edge of his office, his gaze fixed on the rows of empty cages that once housed his prized hybrids. The sterile scent of antiseptic and metal filled the air, but it did little to mask the underlying stench of loss that seemed to permeate the room. His fingers drummed absently on the cold surface of his desk as he mentally tallied the numbers.
He had called them in, every last one of them, but the faces that had gathered before him were fewer than he had hoped. His eyes scanned the room, noting the absence of many familiar faces. The attack had taken its toll, and the cost was evident in the diminished numbers before him.
Fifty! Fifty hybrids had bedn lost to the savage jaws of the beasts. Fifty successful experiments, fifty lives, extinguished in a single, brutal onslaught. White clenched his jaw, the weight of the loss settling heavily on his shoulders. If anyone had told him this would happen today, he would have dismissed it as paranoia. Yet here he stood, facing the harsh reality of their vulnerability.
His fingers hovered over the console, inputting the final count. Thirty. Thirty hybrids remained. The number was a stark contrast to what he had before the beast attack. Now, it felt like a fragile thread holding together a fractured dream.
A sigh escaped his lips, a sound that seemed to carry the burden of unspoken regrets. He turned away from the console, pacing the length of the room as he mulled over his next steps. The silence around him was oppressive, broken only by the soft hum of machinery and the occasional shuffle of footsteps from his men.
"I guess I’m going to be really busy in the next few weeks," he muttered to himself, the words carrying a hint of resignation. His mind raced through the logistics, the experiments, the preparations. There was no time to waste; the work had to continue.
His thoughts shifted to the other labs, to the leaders scattered across the country. "I should also call the others in the other labs to start with the experiment," he mused aloud. The urgency was palpable in his voice. "It seems I won’t be able to head to the city anytime soon."
He paused, his gaze drifting to the window before turning back to the console.
"That being said," White continued, his voice softening as he speak, "I should start preparing those kids for the experiment. Sorry, kids, but the experiment will be happening today."