Author's note for the chapter: this is from Aldus's point of view
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A few minutes before my specimen woke up...
I focused on the data flowing on the screen in front of me. Everything looks good, but then… so did the other countless experiments.
I refuse to give up. One day, I will be able to revive a person, even if it's only for a few minutes. I could see people flocking to buy this product, something that can give them a chance to exchange the last words with their loved ones. I would be rich and famous! I scoffed at this last thought. It's easy to get carried away, but the truth is that I already have more money than I can spend, and I can't allow myself to be too famous because the more people know about me it gets increasingly difficult to explain the non-aging part.
A sigh left my lips. Why am I doing this? Because of my love for science and achieving the impossible, I reminded myself. And also, I need to keep busy in order not to lose my sanity.
Sometimes even the most brilliant mind needs a simple morale boost, and I need to encourage myself occasionally because countless trials and failures will take a toll on the most enthusiastic person.
I don't want to lift my hopes too much, but this body of the girl I picked up on the street three days ago is promising. Other specimens failed at the various stages of organs recovering their functions and the biggest success was when my specimen's body functioned fully for one hour three minutes and seven seconds. Of course, those were only reflex functions, but it was the most I achieved so far.
This specimen is different… I started addressing her as 'the girl' in my mind because she is so special.
This is the third day, and the data shows that her body is working fine, actually, more than fine. Her metabolism is perfect, all her organs are at their peak without any sign of cell degradation, and her healing ability is something not-documented in the written history. Is it because I doubled the phoenix's blood or because I reinforced runes that contain life essence on her upper abdomen? Who knows? For my next specimen, I will do one of the two, and compare the outcome. I will start with runes because phoenix's blood is almost impossible to buy in the underground market.
My ears perked up when the heart rate monitor changed its rhythm. It was very subtle, but I picked it up. Is this another failure?
My eyes moved to the body of the girl on the table. It might look like a simple metal table, but it's full of sensors that can detect the slightest changes in one's body.
I stood up from the chair as possessed and approached my current specimen, unable to contain my excitement. She is waking up! Did I succeed this time?
Calm down, Aldus, and make sure not to forget a single moment of this monumental achievement.
I took two deep breaths, to calm myself down. This is too big to be ruined because my hands are shaky.
Her forehead is warm, and her cheeks are soft and bouncy… what about the temperature? I opened her mouth and put a thermometer inside. Other than temperature, this detects the Ph levels and also the bacteria. It is one of my inventions.
Why is she not waking up?
"Hey, girl… Are you awake?", I tried calling out to her.
I removed the thermometer and saw that all the readings are normal. There is no sign of decomposing. I felt the anticipation bubbling inside me, and I couldn't stop myself from calling again: "Girl… can you hear me?"
Why are her eyes closed? I decided to give her a hand.
I nearly exploded from excitement when she groaned after I opened her left eyelid and she even moved her arm a little.
Unable to control myself, I burst into a laugh. "It's a success!"
I observed her as she slowly came around, like someone waking up with a hangover. I decided to give her time, there is no need to rush this.
"Where am I? Who are you?"
I inhaled sharply. Oh, my… she can talk!
"Venice. Aldus.", I responded shortly because all other words were choked in my throat. She is alive! I revived a person! And not only revived but I made her better! How better? I will need to do tests and plenty of them!
I reminded myself to play it cool. The last thing I want is to freak out my specimen and deteriorate her bodily functions due to fear. After all, waking up after a violent death, can't be an easy experience. Should I tell her that she was assaulted and choked to death? Probably not. With her regeneration abilities, her body is perfect, without a single scar or a bruise and there is no need to tell her gory things that are not relevant. I have that much sensibility.
I decided to focus on the state of her body. The first thing I need to confirm is the level of control she has. I poked her toes with the needle and to my delight, she reacted! And then she asked me to be covered up with something. I rolled my eyes internally… Girl, I've seen your insides. Is there a need to cover up the skin? It is just one more organ. But it seems that garments are important to her, so I gave her one of the old tablecloths I have handy for wiping off the mess that occasionally happens in my lab.
I noticed that she is anxious, and I tried to answer her questions vaguely without dumping too much at once her way. The brain is a mysterious and delicate organ, and I was curious about her memory. That is why I hid her purse and the documents (other than to avoid implicating myself in her disappearance and murder). I don't want to tell her who she is, I want her to remember it… if possible. And if she does not remember, it does not matter because that person died three days ago.
"Do you remember your name, girl? Who are you? From where you are coming from?", I asked while keenly observing her expression.
Does she really not remember? She does not seem to be lying, so maybe it will come back to her.
But why is she still lying stiffly on the table? Oh, right! I forgot the last step! My personal concoction that is able to shake up every cell in one's body. She frowned, indicating that she does not approve of the flavor, and that is a good thing. Her taste buds are working.
I tidied up the place around her, these candles are infused with dragon scales and I don't want her knocking them by accident. Also, it will help her move if I detach the feeding tubes from her body.
Ah, this is a good day and I need to document so much! I decided to start on it right away as I sat in front of my computer.
My work was interrupted by her silly questions, and she inevitably asked about how she got here and why I revived her. Should I tell her that she is just a specimen and that I didn't have hopes that she will achieve more than reflex functions for an hour? Probably not.
But how should I respond? The story where I am an alchemist in the need of an apprentice is almost-truth and I will go with it. I know alchemy, as I practice it for more than five hundred years, but my skills are much more than that. For centuries, I am traveling the Earth and collecting knowledge. And if I found anyone worthy, I would accept that person as an apprentice, probably. So… it's almost-truth.
The more I spoke to her, the more I noticed that she does not believe me. How is it possible that this young one looks down on me? She is mocking me and my work by not believing how unique she is!?
My temper flared and I pulled my dagger, slicing her right forearm open, all the way to the bone. I enjoyed the horror in her eyes that was replaced with disbelief and awe. Her face is very expressive, I should take note of that.
Well, I got my point across and maybe she will shut up for some time so that I can continue documenting what I have so far. My memory is impeccable, and the computer saves all the readings automatically, but hand-written notes help me stay organized. You can call me old-fashioned if you want.
She sat on the table like a statue, staring blankly at the concrete floor. Did I overdo it? Doesn't she know that her stable mental state is important for the success of my experiment? Ah, I hope she does not snap because I have no use for a mindless zombie.
I exhaled in frustration. At this rate, my work will self-destruct. It seems that I need to treat her as a person, at least temporarily until she stabilizes her emotions.
I scoffed while thinking about humans and their emotions. Always getting in the way of great achievements but it seems that I need to give in. After all, this is much more than I expected from this specimen, so… I will give her a treat.
"Come… I will get a maid to prepare a room for you. I'm sure you would like a bath. Are you hungry?"
In response, she scooted off the table and tried covering herself up with a cloth that is too small to reach all three points she was trying to hide: her chest, crotch area, and bottom. I gave her another tablecloth which she tied around her waist while clutching the other cloth over her chest.
"Can we go now?", I asked, unable to hide my impatience.
She nodded and followed after me. Well, at least she stopped asking questions and acted obediently, and I was not sure if that was a good thing or not.
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