Interstellar Foundation of Core Technologies and Sciences
Dr. Carl Fleet
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Chapter 2 - The Cure
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During the time I was still a student in the School of Science, I mostly spent my time in my laboratory, somewhere far from the other scientists, but somewhere close to my own place of ‘comfort’. Of course, it wasn’t that bad. I had Comrade by my side, my lab assistant. Or as others would say, a brown rat. Unlike the other scientists, I socially distanced myself from the majority of them as I had no relations with them other than projects that required collaboration.
No, I never did experiments on Comrade, unlike how the other biologists in the School of Science experimented plentiful with the other rats. If I really needed a test subject, I would take an albino rat or two, but only if I knew my substance wouldn’t kill the rats as I was careful with my resources and would take them if they were really needed. I cared more about the rats than I did the scientists, which says something. But after all, rats didn’t do all the things the scientists did to me.
Around this time, the albino test rats were in high demand. Over a period of weeks, it was rumoured that an epidemic had broken out within the School of Science, only confined within the school. Sooner or later, many of the sectors were affected — sectors such as the physics and chemistry, the engineering, and the majority of the science sectors. Luckily enough, the biology sector remained in the very left of the school, in the First Wing, which remained unaffected. The fact it was some sort of airborne disease didn’t give us much time, nor was the school a safe environment for any of the scientists.
The remaining sectors — the biology sector and the genetics sector, were all the school could depend on. Being in the biology sector gave us biologists a lot of pressure, as lives were on the line. After all, we specialised in DNA and the knowledge of genes and organisms. Our leading scientist Dr. Mistletoe had reached out to the genetics sector and formed a consensus; to create a cure and/or vaccine for the disease. Despite the oppression of the whole school at risk, Dr. Mistletoe remained calm and focused on our goal — to create a cure for the new airborne illness.
This meant all of the scientists were put to work.
Intensive work.
No one stopped until progress was found, or until new information was discovered on the disease.
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“ Dr. Fleet, I know this will be quite much on your shoulders, but the whole of the biology sector is looking upon you. Although it’s a lot of pressure, we are all looking upon you for a cure. Many of the students have already.. passed, and many of the other students are searching for hope. I see that hope in you. “
“ Does this mean I’m expected to find a cure? “
“ Not entirely.. though we all need to come together to find one. Everyone agrees you are the brightest scientist in this sector, and we all agree you can find a cure with all of our research combined. “
“ .. I won’t let you down, Dr. Mistletoe! “
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After careful consideration with the whole biology sector, I was given the role of the leading scientist of the entire project. The biology sector relied on me to find a cure. It felt as if everyones’ lives were at stake, and that it was all in my hands. I guess it was factually true, but it sounds more exaggerated when you put it that way. Despite the weight on my shoulders, the success of this would’ve meant something worthwhile in the long run for myself and the School of Science.
Dr. Mistletoe had rooted for me during our research for a cure, assisting me in my research and experiments. Eventually after a few days, her appearance became less and less, due to the fact she had told me about “ other arising issues. “ She left me to continue with the other remaining biologists and geneticists, wishing me the best without her ‘temporarily’.
Unlike many other projects I had completed, this one took a toll on me. Perhaps the fact that I knew people were dying every couple of days made it more anxiety-inducing. Every scientist in the biology sector had worked together, collaboratively collecting notes from each other, while different vaccines were created and tested. As the leading biologist, many of the other biologists had reported back to me progress of the cure, finding something new every now and then.
But our progress was slow, and it wasn’t enough. Not when there were lives at stake.
On most nights I would work by myself inside my own laboratory, reading over Dr. Mistletoe’s notes and my own, along with the contributions of data from the other biologists and geneticists. I was always accompanied by Comrade, who would keep me company at night when no other scientist was awake. Dr. Mistletoe would always encourage me not to over-work myself, though at this point it was either a life or death situation.
Many of the students relied on me, and I couldn’t let them down, especially that now most of them are probably dead.
When the sun rose after one night, a scientist had entered my laboratory, asking if I was awake the whole night. He wasn’t someone I recognised, though he looked almost like a teacher because of his age. Though at the same time, he looked like a student much older than me. He wore glasses, but I wasn’t familiar with anyone who wore glasses.
He stated he was a scientist who came from the genetics sector, and was assigned with the role of checking up on my welfare during the epidemic.
He briefly told me he was a botanist, but placed his projects aside to aid in the current one as the role of a geneticist. I thanked him for his effort, and he left the lab after completing his welfare check. I felt much better knowing someone else had thought of checking up on me, even if they were assigned to do so.
But sadly enough, I never got his name.
Hours after his appearance, I continued with what I was doing while Comrade watched me work.
And many hours after my hard work, I had experimented on one of my final infected albino rats, who was almost on the brink of death as the disease took over its body. Results showed that the airborne disease had vanished after my injection as the rat’s vitals were as healthy as Comrade’s, meaning it had worked.
My vaccine worked.
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