Prologue
“SO…THIS is the data for the recent experiment, is it? Hmm…still a long way to go. This won’t prove effective at all. I need you to make it much more precise.”
The demanding visitor put down a gold coin and left. The man sighed and muttered a curse under his breath. “Fool…you have no comprehension of this data’s quality.”
A moment later, however, the man smiled. Seeming all of a sudden to be in much better spirits, he resumed his work.
In the inky blackness of night, the red eyes of the test subjects glowed from behind the iron-wrought bars of their cage. Without care, they ate their food.
All empathy for these creatures was long lost.
Indeed…the man had lost any ability to care for the creatures since he had descended to their level. The most he could muster now was a vague feeling of pity.
His one meal a day had consisted of stale bread leftovers from the local tavern. Hunger and thirst ravaged him. Then a man with the face of a savior had given him food and promised him great power if he agreed to follow him.
So he had agreed for his own survival. And indeed, he had gained power. But it was all a sham. When he’d complained, he had been discarded, tossed aside.
But he didn’t want to return to the garbage heap. Instead, he trampled on others to gain status. That was how you got ahead in life, or so he thought, for a brief period.
Because no matter how high you ascended, there was always another, higher level. No matter how you stretched, you could never touch the sky. You just found yourself standing on top of yet another garbage heap.
How he longed for that clear, blue sky. He wanted to break through the gray clouds and reach those true heights. And he was prepared to sacrifice others for his cause.
He alone mattered. He alone should survive.
Humans have always been selfish creatures, living only for their own unquenchable desires.
Yes…my way is just. One day, I shall reach dizzying new heights.
A large glass case sat right in the center of the adjoining room. It was a sterilized workflow cabinet with an upper filter and ventilation system to protect against contamination.
The occasional puff of steam escaped from old pipes echoing through the walls. These pipes provided both heat and power for the entire building.
The red-tinged eyes glared at him with resignation. Glaring back, the man disinfected his hands before donning a mask and gloves.
Inside the cabinet, the smallest test subject trembled. Its food dish remained full. How many more operations could it endure?
The man placed his hands inside the cabinet. It was warm inside. Steam heating kept the temperature constant, but the body was quite cold. Its ability to regulate its own body temperature was failing fast.
As he stroked the bony creature, its now-colorless eyes looked back at him.
Those eyes were emotionless. Save for the vaguest hint of resignation.
Resignation to its fate as prey.
“Sorry about all this.”
But the words lacked conviction. The man held his breath and stabbed the thin needle into its half-starved flesh.