The Experiment Begins
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The Experiment Begins

By George Gordon the Lord Byron

Professor Leonard Caanes was elated.

All professionalism kept his elation in check, but his mind was reeling nonetheless.

Professor Washu, his department head, had consented to hear his proposal.

He had started the process of approval for this project ten years ago, submitting all research data in triplicate to eight different sub-departments of his branch of the Universal Science Academy. He had begun and finished, literally, hundreds of projects before the summons from Professor Washu had come to his laboratory.

He had let his professional manner slip then. He was chemically duplicating a highly corrosive acid, when the courier arrived. After breaking open the seal on the message and reading the contents, he had just stood there. A stunned look on his face. The courier had tried to shake him out of it but to no avail, Caanes was too much in euphoric shock.

Only when the courier screamed and the smell of burning chemicals registered did he snap out of his shock.

He quickly turned off the burners heating the acid mixtures and treated the (thankfully) small burns on the young man’s arm. He then quickly typed up a response to Professor Washu and sent the courier away, with the admonition to see a campus doctor and replace the half disintegrated courier’s jacket after he had delivered his missive.

After that he had re-read Washu’s message:

Caanes looked at his clock, it was 11:30. Time enough to wash up and rush over to Washu’s offices. He glanced at a picture, which hung above his work desk. A picture which had accumulated a thin layer of dust. Wiping the dust away he looked at the images on the photograph, he stared for nearly a full minute. Then he turned and walked away, he had to get ready fast if what he had wished for was going to come to fruition.

Professor Washu looked at Professor Caanes across her desk, noting the excitement in his amber colored eyes. She observed him as he ate his meal, noting his short blonde hair and lean six foot eight frame. He was in shape for a man of sixty-five, no doubt about that. His mannerisms were usually quiet and studious, even when eating he seemed to be analyzing every bite he took, calculating ratios of calories and proteins. However, now he seemed preoccupied. Even excited. This aroused Washu’s curiosity, for Caanes had become notorious for his stoicism.

Ever since . . .

Washu took a sip of her tea, which was bittersweet and hot. Normally, she would have savored it. This time, however, she was deeply interested in Professor Caanes state of mind and did not relish the taste.

Professor Caanes finished his beef teriyaki. Wiping his mouth and setting his chopsticks aside, Professor Caanes sipped his own tea. Then, setting the cup down, he cleared his throat. "Thank you for inviting me here today, Professor Washu. You don’t know what this means to me."

Washu smiled. "No problem, I enjoy spending time with a college." Washu responded in her nasal, yet pleasant voice. Her expression turned serious. "Professor Caanes, I have read your proposal, I must say I am intrigued. However there are questions that must be asked and answers that must be given, I hope you are prepared to answer the easy along with the difficult." Professor Caanes nodded, his stoicism dropping over him like a lead curtain. "Good. Now, explain to me your proposal, just so I’m clear on it.

Washu noted the excitement in his eyes being replaced by logic. Caanes held out his hands in a typing position, an semi-opaque screen and keyboard materialized in front of him. This device was standard for all staff of the Universal Science Academy, the screen was generated by two microchips implanted in the hands of a professor. A handy device for scientists on field studies, which professors of the Academy were often on, it acted as a link to a professor’s personal mainframe computer and the central data banks of the Science Academy. It also included a replicator unit and matter- teleporting device.

Caanes typed rapidly, beeps and clicks emanated from the unit. He quickly brought up his notes on his proposed project. "Professor, as you know, the field of genetic cloning is a very mercurial and fickle science. Even our advanced scientific studies haven’t been able to create an exact clone, that is until now."

He looked up from his notes at Washu, she nodded for him to continue.

"I have been experimenting with the genetics of simple life forms, trying to duplicate the structure of their genetic code down to the last double-helix. As a note, I have not cloned any life forms, yet, I have simply taken DNA samples and studied them. I finally unraveled the apparent complexities of the . . ."

Washu held up her hand, "Hold on. I’ve read all this already. I want your findings in your own words. No more techno-babble, just what you discovered and what you felt."

He looked at her questioningly, "My feelings, Professor? What do those have to do . . ."

She cut him off. "Everything!" Washu exclaimed. "Your persistence about this project, not to mention your patience, intrigue me. I want to know why."

"Alright, Professor." Caanes conceded. "My persistence, well . . . I . . . I don’t want to bore you with the details of that." Washu, observing him intently, noted the shell of stoicism almost crack. "My patience, well . . . that almost did not hold. My experiment seemed to be going nowhere, until one day. I was becoming very frustrated with the apparent lack of progress in my calculations, when I noted something in my computations. I could not put my finger on what, exactly. I nearly destroyed my main computer unit, I was getting so angry with myself.

"I decided to go throw some cold water on my face, take some deep breaths and calm down before I demolished any of my equipment. I stepped into my bathroom, splashed the water on my face and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked at my face, then looked at my lab coat. I had some calculations in my breast pocket, I looked at them in the mirror. It was at that moment, that the realization of what I had been doing wrong dawned upon me.

"So simple. So unobtrusive. But it had to be it.

"I rushed out of the bathroom, my fingers began working the calculations before I had sat down in front of my computer. I reversed this pole, turned around that equation and viola! I had an exact match up, a perfect genetic strain! No flaws, no mutations of any kind. I had discovered a way to make a mirror image, down to the exact brain wave data, of a DNA specimen." Cannes rubbed his eyes. "Joy does not even describe what I felt, that single word does no justice to the euphoria I felt."

Washu leaned forward, "So, now you can generate a perfect clone of DNA. That much I knew, though the back story is rather interesting. Your proposal also states that you wish to begin your cloning experimentations." She leaned forward more, standing up and placing her hands on her desk. "Are you sure you know the risks as well as the rewards? Are you willing to accept the limits and rules the Academy places with this project?"

Caanes nodded. "I am. If I hadn’t I would not have submitted any research data."

Washu sat back down in her chair. "You began this genetics research fourteen years ago, did you not?" He nodded, she continued. "Now, for the difficult part. It was sixteen years ago that you took a trip to Jurai, wasn’t it?" Washu looked intently at Caanes, seeing the shell of emotional control crack slightly. Again there were no words, just a confirming nod. "Forgive me, Professor, but I must know." She probed softly with her words. "That trip was the last you took with your family wasn’t it?"

That question, though put very gently, caused a crack in the tight cover Caanes kept over his emotions. Tears glimmered in his eyes, as he whispered. "It was sixteen years ago that I lost them, yes."

Rubbing her chin, Washu continued. "Tell me what happened." Looking at her hard, Caanes veil of emotionless logic dropped over him. Washu, however, noted that it could be breached if pressure was applied in the right place.

He cleared his throat. "Professor, what my loss has to do with my . . ."

She cut him off. "Professor Caanes . . .oh, formalities be damned! Leonard, this is most important! The answer to that question will determine whether you are allowed to proceed or not!"

That, Washu noticed, widened the crack in Caanes’ shield.

He rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his vision of sudden blurring. "I-" His voice broke, he cleared his throat and continued. "I have thought about it every waking moment of my life, for sixteen years. I remember every detail, vividly. Awake or asleep, I see it clearly. My wife sitting next to me in the promenade deck of a cruise ship, sitting under the clear dome of the small café, at a table getting ready to eat." Caanes looked at Washu. "Our daughter, our only beloved child, sitting across the table. Smiling. Laughing, we are all laughing." Tears began gathering in his eyes. "I can still hear her beautiful, little voice as she points upward. ‘Look at all the stars, daddy! It’s like an ocean!’"

Tears began rolling down his cheeks, his voice trembled slightly. "Then comes the rumbling. The deck plates rattling, glasses shaking. Then the muffled sound of an explosion, alarms blaring, voices from nowhere urging the passengers to be calm and exit to emergency stations calmly. Calmly! How can you be calm, when you see terror etched on the faces of your wife and daughter?!" His voice broke again, choked with tears and grief-filled rage. "I gathered my family to me and ran as fast as I could towards the exit, already jammed by the other panicked passengers.

"Then comes the horrifying sound of a crack! At the same time, the most terrifying sound a parent can hear. The cry of terror from your child. I looked to her, she was looking up and pointing, not at stars but at the giant crack forming in the clear dome over the deck. We ran towards the mass of people at the exit, I practically carried my wife and child. I tried to reach the exit, but in vain. For the steel exit doors slammed shut before we could reach them

"There came another crack, a deafening boom and the sound of rushing wind. The dome had given way, we were all being sucked into the vacuum of space!

"I grabbed my wife and my child by their hands, I can still see their faces," Caanes stopped, two body racking sobs escaped his lips. Washu wanted so badly to comfort him, but he needed to finish his story.

Caanes continued, tears streaming constantly from his eyes. "The ship began to pitch, the deck nearly stood vertical. We slid down the deck, until I was able to brace my feet against a table built into the bulkhead of the ship. I tried to pull them to me, to hold them until the emergency breach shield could be generated. But the harder I pulled, the more they kept slipping from my hands. I thought if I gave one last great heave, I could pull them to me. I tried and . . . they slipped from my grasp . . ." More sobs came out, his entire body shook. His voice began to shake uncontrollably. "I can still hear my wife scream my name, my daughter scream for daddy . . . I couldn’t save them, so I determined not to let them die alone. I leapt from the table, letting the vacuum take me.

"I nearly reached them, when the breach shield activated. Leaving them outside. I slammed against the shield, the electrical fields generating the breach shields ripped through my body, sending me swirling into unconsciousness. I awoke later in a hospital unit on Jurai, my back, both arms and legs and several ribs were broken. I, however, felt nothing. Not due to the anesthetic, but to the fact that I knew I should be with my wife and my daughter.

"I knew I should be dead. It was my fondest wish at the time."

Caanes shuddered, he dried his eyes. "Forgive me, Professor. I cannot control myself when talking about . . ."

Washu cut him off. "Don’t apologize, dammit!" She shouted. "You may be a scientist, but you still have a heart! That is exactly what I needed to see." She cleared her throat, formality entered into her voice again. "Professor Caanes, on behalf of the President of the Universal Space Academy, it is my duty to inform you that your request for your cloning projects has been accepted."

Caanes nodded, his stoicism dropping over him once again. "Thank you, professor."

She nodded, "Not at all. However, there will be conditions to this experiment. You have heard the rumors, no doubt, about the secret experiments the Academy is conducting on the Jurai power?"

Caanes nodded. "From some students and a few Professors. I dismissed it as just nonsensical banter. Why do you ask?"

"It is no rumor." Washu stated. "Nor is it nonsense. We began the rumor to dispel curiosity, to make it seem completely unplausible. As you can imagine, such experiments are very dangerous."

Caanes nodded, his mouth hanging slightly open. "Does the Royal Family know anything about this?"

Washu laughed. "Yes and no. They know we’ve wanted to try and duplicate the power, but they haven’t allowed it. Anyways, the condition is we want you to infuse this clone with the results of the Jurai project."

Caanes paled slightly. "Will there be any adverse affects?"

Washu shook her head. "No. The results of this particular project are quite stable, they should mesh well with your clone."

He nodded. "Very well, transfer the data to my main frame. I will begin my work presently."

Washu gave a single nod. "It will come in two heavily encrypted files," She picked up a piece of paper from her desk, filled with complex calculations. "Here is the key to them. Oh, by the way, who will you be cloning."

Caanes pulled a small locket from under his shirt, he opened it carefully into his hand. He then held up a small curl of silver blue hair. "My daughter. Hers was the only body recovered from the accident. I clipped this from her head before we buried her."

Washu nodded. "I thought so. That’s why I asked about the accident. I thought either her or your wife."

He shook his head. "My wife asked me never to try and replace her. I will honor that wish. I will, however, be content to have my daughter again."

Washu smiled. "Go to work, and good luck Leonard." He turned to leave, when she stopped him again. "What was your daughter’s name?"

Caanes turned, smiling wistfully. "Ryoko. My daughters name was Ryoko.

To be Continued.

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