1 The Last Experiment
"Experiment log 256:
Date: 10/03/2118
Time: 3:30 PM
Researcher: Dr. Daniel Peterson
Subject: Zed (White mouse)
Procedure:
- Administered a new batch of genetically modified food pellets to the subject. Monitored subject's activity levels and energy consumption over a 90-minute period.
- Recorded observations on the subject's behavior, including movement, feeding habits, and vocalizations.
- Conducted blood tests to analyze the subject's blood glucose, hormone levels, and other relevant markers. Used specialized imaging equipment to observe nanobots' activity within the subject's body.
Observations:
- Subject's activity levels were elevated compared to previous experiments, possibly indicating an increase in energy conversion efficiency.
- Blood glucose levels remained stable throughout the experiment, suggesting that the modified food was being processed efficiently.
- Imaging equipment revealed increased nanobot activity in the subject's liver, possibly indicating greater energy conversion and storage capacity.
Conclusion:
The results of this experiment suggest that the new batch of genetically modified food may be having a positive impact on the subject's energy conversion and storage capacity.
Further experiments will be conducted to confirm these results and to analyze any potential long-term effects of the modified diet on the subject's overall health and longevity."
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As Dr. Daniel Peterson ended the voice recording, a heavy knock came from the door. Without looking up, he shouted, "Come in."
As the door creaked open, a young man waddled into the lab, his white lab coat straining to contain his ample frame. He was so portly that his belly appeared to have its own gravitational pull, and his thick thighs rubbed together as he walked. Alan's short, dark hair was neatly combed, but his face was a sweaty mess, and his glasses kept sliding down his nose. His eyes darted around the lab, revealing his anxiousness, as if he were a rabbit caught in a trap.
"Hello, Dr. Peterson, I'm Alan, your new assistant. I was told to look for you here..." he stammered, his voice barely audible above the hum of the lab equipment.
Dr. Daniel Peterson waved his hands impatiently, barely looking up from his notes. "Did you bring the virus?" he interrupted, his tone curt. Dr. Daniel Peterson's blue eyes, behind his thick-rimmed glasses, darted up from his work with impatient fervor.
His gaze paused on Alan's ample waist before settling on his face. His sharp, angular features softened ever so slightly into a frown as his thin lips formed an expression of contempt under his bristly beard.
Alan coughed uncomfortably and nodded. His thick fingers fumbled clumsily over the locks as he struggled to open the metal case as fast as possible. With a faint click, the mechanism finally snapped open. He wiped the sweat off his brows, retrieved the vial of purple serum inside, and held it out to Dr. Peterson with a smile that could only be described as 'sheepish'.
"Come and stand over here. We'll start the experiment immediately," Dr. Peterson barked, pointing to a spot next to a large cage. With a quick motion, he pulled out a long syringe and started donning his protective suit, his movements confident and practiced.
Alan followed his cue, picking up a piece of stretchy protective suit and hurriedly pulling it over his legs. After much tussling, he successfully slid it on and rushed over to stand beside the aged professor.
Inside the cage, the white lab mouse shifted uncomfortably, its tiny eyes following the movements of the two men intently. "Is this him? Zed, I mean," Alan peered curiously into the cage, trying to take in as much of the miniature creature as possible.
Dr. Daniel Peterson unleashed a rare smile, his gaze never leaving the rodent. "Yes, that's our beloved miracle mouse, Zed," he responded joyfully, an unmistakable glimmer of satisfaction evident in his voice.
Dr. Peterson's eyes twinkled as he talked, like a pageant queen full of pride talking about her crown-winning pet rock.
Meanwhile, the little white mouse in the cage seemed to be staring imperiously at them, blinking its beady black eyes and twitching its nose with pompous indifference. Zed's fur was so shiny it could've been mistaken for a pristine white carpet.
Alan leaned closer, looking impressed. "I've heard a lot about Zed. They say it has a very long lifespan?"
Dr. Daniel Peterson snorted, "Zed has been through some incredible genetic modifications. It's one of a kind."
"Professor, may I ask what kind of modifications it has undergone?" Alan's face was filled with curiosity.
Dr. Daniel Peterson hesitated for a moment, considering whether or not to divulge the information. Instead of answering, he asked, "Do you know what the average lifespan of a mouse is?"
"Shouldn't it be 5 years?" Alan guessed awkwardly.
"It's 3-4 years to be precise. However, some strains of laboratory mice have been selectively bred to have longer lifespans." Dr. Daniel Peterson swiftly corrected him. "How old do you think Zed is?"
Without waiting for Alan's reply, he continued in a strange tone, "I inherited Zed from another research team about 30 years ago. The researchers who were involved in Zed's breeding are all dead, but Zed is still in the prime of its youth."
Alan's jaw dropped in disbelief. He knew the research team before Dr. Peterson had gained some fame for their work on gene research, and so he was familiar with their stories. With the exception of a few unfortunate deaths due to accidents or illness, they'd mostly lived to a ripe old age.
But this mouse before him, Zed, had outlasted them all?
"Wait... Could it be that Zed is over 50 years old?! How is that possible!" he babbled in shock. That was over 10 times the average lifespan of a white mouse. And this was also under the assumption that the previous team of researchers had taken care of Zed for at least 20 years.
"Zed is over a century years old." Dr. Daniel Peterson shook his head and smiled. "It's old enough to be your grandfather. In terms of human age, it's equivalent to a thousand-year-old monster." He was very pleased with the expression on Alan's face. The only excitement and rare moments of reprise he could get from his boring lab life was when he bragged about his miracle mouse.
Seeing that Alan was too astonished to speak, he asked, "Are you familiar with epigenetic modifications?"
"I know a little bit about the subject, but I've not studied it extensively. I only know that epigenetic changes are modifications to the DNA." Alan nodded at first, but quickly switched to shaking his head.
"Epigenetic marks are chemical modifications that affect the expression of genes, and changes to these marks can influence the aging process." Dr. Daniel Peterson began in an overly theatrical voice, as if he was trying to impress a group of preschoolers. "The epigenetic marks in Zed's cells had been modified to prevent age-related changes, and the telomere cap on its genes had been removed. In theory, Zed can live indefinitely." He said with a wild grin. There was a sort of madness in the way he described the mouse, as if he couldn't help but want to brag more about it.
"We've also done some stem-cell experiments on him, allowing Zed to regenerate damaged tissue almost limitlessly and prevent age-related decline. It'd even survived through a series of gene therapy that enhanced its immune system, allowing it to fight off infections and other age-related illnesses."
"So, as long as no one kills it, it can live for-EVER?!?" Alan gulped.
"It's essentially an immortal being. If nothing goes wrong, it'll outlive the both of us" Dr. Daniel Peterson nodded as he skillfully loaded the purple serum into the syringe and attached it to a robotic arm.
"Pass the voice recorder on the table to me." In an instant, his voice became stern, as if the patient old man previously was not him.
Alan did not dare to delay and quickly passed him the button-sized device on the table.
A blue hue lit up the room as he pressed it once.
"Experiment log 257:
Date: 10/03/2118
Time: 3:50 PM
Researchers: Dr. Daniel Peterson, Acolyte Alan Lee
Subject: Lab rat (Zed)
Procedure:
- Subcutaneous injection of virus sample [NMV36] into the subject.
- Conduct blood tests to analyze the subject's blood glucose, hormone levels, and other relevant markers.
- Observe the subject's brain activity with the use of specialized imaging equipment over 90 minutes.
- Observe the subject's reactions visually and through specialized imaging equipment over 90 minutes.
Objectives:
- Determine the subject's resistance to the Neural Mutagenic Virus (NMV).
- Obtain data on the subject's reaction to the virus to understand the biomechanics of the subject's immune system against the virus.
- Observe the usage of nanobots as a defense against the virus."
Dr. Peterson finished his recording and pressed the button once to stop the recording. He turned to face Alan, his expression serious.
"We are dealing with a highly infectious and deadly virus here. Remember to be extremely cautious and precise in our procedures later on. Follow my instructions to the letter. Am I clear?"
The copious layers of fat under Alan's chin wobbled heavily as he nodded.
Dr. Daniel Peterson stepped forward and fixed his eyes on the complex mechanical ball floating above the cage. "Iris, initiate the following monitoring devices: Mind Scope, Emotion Viewer, Neurometric Scanner, and Thermal Tracker," he commanded, his voice low and measured.
As soon as the command was given, a complex mechanical ball sprang to life, its intricate lines lighting up as it flew over the cage, casting a blanket of light that illuminated every corner of the space. A robotic female voice responded, "Instructions received. Initiating Mind Scope, Emotion Viewer, Neurometric Scanner, and Thermal Tracker."
Several other instruments whizzed over and surrounded the cage, humming and buzzing as they began to scan and record every detail of Zed's physiology.
Inside the cage, Zed looked up at the A.I robot and the instruments and furrowed slightly in annoyance. As the mechanical arm with the syringe approached, it angled its plump butt towards it. Having lived its entire life in the lab, it was already very used to such disturbances.
"Can I continue eating while you do this?"
Zed inquired in a mousy voice, its tone that of a grand master who'd seen it all.
"No." Dr. Daniel Peterson rejected tersely.
"AHH!" Alan screamed and leaped backwards in shock, crashing into the table and nearly flattening it. "It speaks! The rat speaks!" He cried out in astonishment.
"I'm a mouse, not a rat! Learn the difference." Zed snorted as it rolled its eyes and then proceeded to ignore him. These human younglings were always so dramatic and loud.
Dr. Daniel Peterson gave Alan a swift smack on the back of his head and stared sternly at him. "Settle down! We're in the middle of an experiment-"
*BANG*
Just as they were about to resume the experiment, a loud sound suddenly rang out beyond the door, reverberating through the room with violent tremors. A series of loud popping sounds rose in a cacophony.
Gunfire!
The mechanical ball floating above the cage started flashing with a red light.
"Warning! Warning! The laboratory is under attack! Commencing emergency lock down measures in 5, 4 ,3..."
