Experiment X

CHAPTER
9

In the hushed sterility of her lab, Aria sat in a cocoon of focused silence, reviewing her notes and scanning the latest genetic sequencing results of Specimen X. The readings danced across her screen, complex streams of data that spoke in a language only she could understand, and still, they gave her nothing she didn't already know. She sighed, taking off her dark, round glasses to rub her eyes, when a soft beeping interrupted her solitude. She looked up to see a holographic notification blinking on the wall to her left—her father was calling.

After a quick glance to ensure her lab's view of Specimen X's samples was obscured, she swiped a command on her wristband. A blue-green holographic shimmer spread from the wall, creating a translucent, life-sized projection of her father. The colors coalesced, pixelating momentarily, before his familiar face appeared with all the usual sternness etched into his gaze.

"Aria," he greeted, his voice as precise as his presence. Holographic calls had revolutionized communication—far more immersive than previous methods, they allowed every expression, every pause, to be captured with pristine clarity, almost as if the person were standing right beside you. But Aria could feel the distance between them even through this lifelike display.

"Father," she replied, inclining her head. "I didn't expect you to call."

He adjusted his glasses, his eyes narrowing as he seemed to scrutinize the lab behind her, as if inspecting her setup from afar. "I trust you're putting your resources to good use."

"As always," she replied. A pause lingered between them, neither willing to fill the silence first.

Her father clasped his hands behind his back, his gaze finally settling on her. "I wanted to discuss the updates from the Genetic Morphology Journal," he said, his tone clinical, devoid of the warmth she knew most fathers showed. "The latest research from Dr. Kline posits that double-bond sequences in certain gene strands can be shifted for selective adaptations, which is something I believe you'd find relevant."

Aria nodded, her scientific mind sparking with interest, even though his approach had always felt detached, as though science were the only language he deemed worthy. "Yes, Kline's work with mutative codon insertion was fascinating. But there's a significant challenge with mutation stabilizers—achieving specific control without disrupting fundamental DNA integrity remains elusive."

Her father's gaze intensified, as though pleased by her response. "That's the challenge we face, yes. Though Kline's model indicates that by targeting non-conserved regions of the gene with catalytic enzymes, we can theoretically avoid long-term stability concerns. I'd imagine you've come across this obstacle in your work as well."

Aria hesitated, her mind flashing to Specimen X and the near-limitless adaptability encoded within his DNA. She longed to share it, to describe the specimen's genome with its impossible fluidity, each gene capable of rewriting itself to adjust to even the slightest environmental changes. But Specimen X's existence was classified, locked behind security protocols that even she wasn't fully privy to.

"Yes, I've encountered similar issues," she said carefully, choosing her words as she held back the flood of knowledge she longed to share. "The process is... arduous. But I believe that with further refinements, it could be applied on a larger scale."

Her father gave a short, approving nod. "A mind as sharp as yours will be essential to making those refinements. As you know, the risk of genomic instability—introducing irreversible mutations, cascading errors through the genetic structure—is too high for uncontrolled applications."

"Yes," she murmured. "In most cases."

She noticed his gaze lingering, as if sensing the weight of something unsaid in her response. Aria felt a pang of frustration—there was so much she couldn't tell him, so many things he wouldn't understand. While genetics was their shared language, the words she'd have chosen weren't in his vocabulary. It wasn't only about scientific achievements for her; it was about fixing her own mistakes, repairing her vision, unlocking new paths where his rigid methods saw only dead ends.