CENTER 82 (RATION)

by Christina J Thompson

  “The dose doesn’t matter,” the ration scoffed. “Trust me, I know what I’m talking about. My body won’t react to it regardless of how much you give me.”

  “That doesn’t eliminate the possibility of an overdose, ration. Your other organs could fail if I give you too much―”

  “David overdosed me more than once, Andreas, that’s why I suggested it in the first place. I’m obviously still alive.”

  She cocked her head.

  “You’re telling me that he isolated the pain control compound just like I did? He administered a lethal dose of compound five?”

  “No, he gave me a lethal dose of the full supplement mixture. It contained just as much of the pain control as what I’m telling you to give me.”

  Andreas clenched her teeth.

  “This would be much easier if you’d just speak to the board. I wouldn’t have to risk overdosing you if―”

  “I’m not talking,” the ration stated bluntly, crossing its arms over its chest. “There’s no way to know how the board would react to that.”

  “They would be excited,” she countered. “This is a new phenomenon, they would want to study you―”

  “Or they could panic and order immediate resolution. These people killed David, Andreas, do you really want to take that kind of risk?”

  “It’s less risky than this!”

  “No, it’s not,” the ration said, leaning back in its chair. “I know for a fact that I’ll be fine with the dose, but I have no idea what will happen if I open my mouth during your hearing.”

  She hesitated, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

  “And you’re not just trying to make me look like a fool in front of the board? To get revenge?”

  The ration chuckled.

  “If you really think tricking you into killing me is revenge, you’re already a fool. Just trust me, I wouldn’t tell you that I’ll be okay if I wasn’t sure.”

  Andreas shook her head in frustration, then reached out and grabbed two of the vials.

  “I hope you’re right,” she muttered, slipping them into the pocket of her labcoat before picking up a syringe. “Come on, let’s go.”

  Andreas headed for the lab’s back exit, her stomach churning with anxiety as she hurried through the halls that led to the boardroom. The ration limped along at her heels, and she gulped, ignoring the strange looks she was getting. Even though they were walking through the back corridors out of view of the facility’s general population, it still felt odd to have the ration with her. The researchers never brought test subjects out like this.

  She stopped in front of the boardroom door, pausing to steel her nerves.

  “Here goes,” she breathed.

  The fifteen board members were already assembled at the front of the small room, and Andreas felt her palms begin to sweat as she walked forward.

  “Dr. Andreas, have a seat,” Brenda Hanson called out, motioning to the chair that had been placed in front of the long table everyone else was sitting behind. “I see you’ve brought a ration, I assume this is the one that was sent back to us as defective?”

  “Yes, ma’am, it is,” Andreas answered.

  “And why is it here?”

  “To aid in my defense.”

  Brenda waved dismissively.

  “Whatever you say. If the rest of the board is ready, we can begin with the case summary.”

  Andreas sat down as Brenda began reading.

  “On or about July 30th of last year, Dr. Monica Andreas and Dr. David Sipp were brought before the board on charges of conspiring to manufacture data for the sole purpose of ending the ration program. This data was filed as ‘Project Nine’. According to Dr. Sipp’s claims, he had discovered a defect present in his primary test subject that caused said subject to become resistant to supplement compounds three through twelve. Dr. Sipp went on to claim that the ration program could no longer continue in a humane manner. He stated, quote—‘the ration program has failed and we are left with no choice but to immediately implement the full-scale harvest of algae’, end quote. He further stated that the defect he had located could not be corrected in a timely manner, and that the defect’s presence rendered the ration program morally and ethically reprehensible. Dr. Andreas, do you recall these events as I’ve recounted?”

  Andreas cleared her throat.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Brenda nodded as she continued.

  “The board asked Dr. Sipp to submit evidence of his test results, which he was unable to produce. He then claimed that Dr. Andreas had been aware of some of his findings and requested that she be permitted to give testimony in his defense. When asked to do so, Dr. Andreas refused. By unanimous vote, it was the board’s decision that Dr. Sipp be classified as a sympathizer and removed from the facility. The board further voted to resolve Project Nine, at which time the primary test subject was placed in queue for assignment to the settlements for harvest. Again, Dr. Andreas, do you recall these events?”

  Andreas hung her head, staring down at her hands as she fought back tears. She remembered every single moment.

  “Yes, ma’am, I do.”

  “Before the board moved to address Dr. Andreas’ charges, she presented a statement signed by Executive Jeremy Smith that indicated that she had reported Dr. Sipp’s activities to the administration. The statement claimed that Dr. Andreas had immediately informed Executive Smith that Dr. Sipp was engaging in behavior consistent with that of a sympathizer, and her intention was to ensure that he was stopped. Based solely on this statement, the board found that there was reasonable doubt as to Dr. Andreas’ involvement in Dr. Sipp’s conspiracy, and therefore voted against her removal. Is this an accurate recounting of those events to the best of your recollection, Dr. Andreas?”

  “Yes.”

  Brenda leaned forward.

  “I’m sorry, what was that?”

  Andreas clenched her fists.

  “Yes, that is correct.”

  “That concludes the summary statement,” Brenda said, setting the page aside and reaching for another. “Now, for the current charge. As of yesterday morning, the statement submitted by Executive Smith during the original hearing has been amended. Contrary to what Dr. Andreas just confirmed to be correct from the case summary, the new report states that she approached Executive Smith only after learning that she had been included in the charges brought against Dr. Sipp. Executive Smith was initially unaware of this fact and believed that Dr. Andreas had been forthcoming in claiming that she had immediately come forward with the information about Dr. Sipp. Upon recently learning of Dr. Andreas’ deceit, Executive Smith completed an amended report and submitted it to the board for review. Based on this amendment, the board has decided to recharge Dr. Andreas as a sympathizer and co-conspirator with Dr. Sipp, subject to the same consequences. The board has also learned that approximately twenty days ago, Dr. Andreas received a defective ration from Settlement 109 and began conducting tests on said ration in an attempt to continue Project Nine despite the fact that said project was resolved. Therefore, she is also charged with violating a resolution order.”

  Brenda glanced up from the page.

  “Dr. Andreas, Edict 7601-G establishes the board as the sole governing authority over the scientific community, and the vote we take today will be final. Do you understand?”

  Andreas nodded.

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Edict 7601-G also mandates that prior to our vote, you are entitled to submit evidence in your defense. Do you have anything to provide to us today?”

  Andreas set her jaw as she stood to her feet.

  “Yes, ma’am, I do.”

  Brenda’s eyes narrowed, and she scowled as she nodded.

  “Proceed.”

  Andreas gulped.

  “Dr. Sipp’s charge was unfounded,” she began. “He was not manufacturing data to undermine the ration program, and I was wrong to deny him my support―” />
  “I’m going to stop you there,” Brenda said, her voice edged with bored impatience. “We have already ruled that Dr. Sipp was a sympathizer, we’re not revisiting the topic―”

  “Excuse me, but I believe this is my opportunity to speak,” Andreas snapped indignantly. Brenda fell silent, giving an exaggerated wave, and Andreas took a deep breath as she continued. “As I said, Dr. Sipp’s charge was unfounded. The board’s vote to remove him was wrong, and I have proof of that.”

  She turned around and grabbed the ration’s arm.

  “This ration has exhibited a number of questionable characteristics that support Dr. Sipp’s findings. I’ve verified through my tests―”

  “We’ve already been made aware of the ration’s pain response despite the supplements,” Dr. Oliver Burks called out. “That doesn’t count as verification―”

  “Please, just allow me to demonstrate,” Andreas interrupted. She took a deep breath as she reached into her pocket and withdrew the two vials. “These contain a twenty percent solution of compound five,” she explained, holding the vials up. “For a ration of this size, would anyone like to confirm how much of that compound would be considered a lethal dose?”

  Dr. Burks raised a brow.

  “I’d say around fifteen cc’s,” he replied, glancing at the other board members. They nodded in agreement, and Andreas swallowed hard as she pulled out the syringe.

  “Each vial holds twice that amount,” she said as she began to fill the syringe. “For this demonstration, I’m administering ten cc’s per injection.”

  She turned and jabbed the ration’s arm, then quickly drew up another dose.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Dr. Burks protested as Andreas injected the ration again. “You’re overdosing it! You can’t euthanize a test subject like this, the ethics code mandates that only resolution doses are to be used for that purpose!”

  “I’m not euthanizing it, sir,” she answered, finishing off the last of the first vial. “The ration has now been given thirty cc’s of compound five.”

  She set the empty vial aside and moved on to the second one, ignoring the gasps of dismay that went up from the board members as she gave the ration another dose. When she was finished, she placed the syringe on the table.

  “Sixty cc’s,” Andreas stated, gesturing at the ration. “Even if Dr. Burks’ estimate was slightly incorrect, there is no doubt that this ration has received an amount that far exceeds the threshold of survivability for this compound.”

  “Congratulations, you’ve killed a ration,” Brenda scoffed. “I’m not sure what you’re trying to prove―”

  “Within approximately five minutes, the ration should be rendered completely paralyzed,” Andreas said, ignoring the woman. “By my count, we have about one minute left before the ration can no longer stand on its own.”

  “And two minutes until it dies and loses control of its bowels,” Brenda snapped. “You’ll be spending your last hours prior to removal cleaning up the mess!”

  Andreas didn’t answer, holding her breath as she waited for the seconds to tick by. She studied the ration’s face for any sign that it was succumbing to the effects of the compound, but just as it had said, it remained unfazed. She sighed with relief and smiled.

  “As you can see, the ration is completely unaffected by the overdose,” she said triumphantly as she motioned for the ration to spin around. It obeyed, slowly turning in place. “I’m sure you will all agree that it is highly questionable that the ration is still alive despite the amount―”

  “How do we know that you actually administered compound five?” Dr. Jessica Bint called out suspiciously. “We have no way of knowing what was actually in those vials, it could have been saline.”

  Andreas pointed at the used syringe.

  “I’d be happy to draw you a blood sample right now,” she offered. “You can test it yourself if you don’t believe me.”

  “I think I will,” Dr. Bint replied. “I move to suspend this hearing until we can verify that the ration’s blood does in fact contain―”

  “That’s not necessary,” Brenda interjected, her voice strangely tense. Andreas glanced at the woman—her face had gone pale, almost as if she had seen a ghost. “I can’t imagine why Dr. Andreas would blatantly lie to the board.”

  “She’s here because she lied to Smith!” Dr. Burks pointed out. “What’s to say she wouldn’t do the same to us?”

  “She just volunteered a blood sample that would seal her fate,” Brenda said. “Liar or not, no one is that foolish.”

  “Which doesn’t change the fact that she just openly ignored protocol by overdosing a ration,” Dr. Bint countered. “We can’t allow―”

  “I agree that it is unusual,” Brenda stammered, shifting in her chair. “However, it is clear that this matter is not as simple as I initially believed when I refiled the charges. Dr. Andreas, I think that’s all we need right now. You can go.”

  “I still have questions,” Dr. Bint protested. “I thought I saw a strain number on the ration’s arm when it turned, I assume it was marked because it’s the first of―”

  “We can address those details later!” Brenda bellowed, slamming her fist on the table in front of her. “Dr. Andreas seems far from having an official report ready on this project, we need to allow time for her to prepare a presentation before we evaluate the situation!”

  Andreas raised a brow; despite the angry outburst, Brenda looked almost terrified. She shrugged, dismissing the thought as her focus shifted back to her work.

  “I’d like to request full power for my lab,” she said. “I need to determine the cause of the defect―”

  “Fine, fine, that’s not a problem,” Brenda huffed. “Just go.”

  “What about the vote? The charges?”

  The woman seemed flustered, and she rolled her eyes.

  “I move to dismiss all charges in light of this new evidence, those in favor?”

  Every hand in the room went up.

  “You’re free to go, Dr. Andreas.”

  “Thank you, ma’am,” Andreas said. She grabbed the ration’s arm and marched out.

  Brenda whispered a curse the moment the door shut, ignoring the excited murmurs of the rest of the board members.

  “This meeting is adjourned,” she announced as she shoved her chair back. “I’ll reconvene if there are any additional issues―”

  “I’d say we already have an additional issue,” Dr. Bint mused, turning in her chair. “We just witnessed that ration survive a massive overdose! This is unbelievable!”

  “Yes, yes, I agree,” Brenda answered hurriedly. She headed for the door. “I have another meeting scheduled, I’ll leave you all to it.”

  “We can’t discuss it without the board’s presiding scientist,” Dr. Burks called after her. “Where are you going?”

  Brenda didn’t answer. She ran from the boardroom and burst into her office, racing towards her desk and throwing the top drawer open.

  “It can’t be,” she whispered, tearing through a folder marked ‘Project Nine’. Her eyes scanned the pages, finally coming to rest on the last few lines of text near the bottom of the resolution order.

  Classification of Testing: Low-Toxicity

  Disposition of Test Subject(s): Class LT Standard Procedure, queue for immediate settlement assignment.

  Quantity – 1.

  Right below that, scribbled in her own handwriting, was a detail that wasn’t included in typical project resolution orders. Her heart stopped.

  Strain Designation – 27680.

  She collapsed into a chair, cursing under her breath as the number on the ration’s arm flashed through her mind.

  “We have a very serious problem, Brenda,” she muttered to herself. “A very serious problem, indeed.”

  †‡†

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Andreas held the lab’s door open, motioning for the ration to step
inside. It hobbled past her and sat down on a chair.

  “The hearing’s over,” it said, crossing its arms over its chest. “Sound the alarm if you want, I know Amber’s already far enough away by now.”

  She pushed the door shut and turned around, placing her hands on her hips as she eyed the ration. It seemed so quietly resigned to its fate now that it believed Amber was safe, and she couldn’t help feeling awestruck by its dedication. Unlike her own selfish sacrifice of David out of self-preservation, the creature didn’t hesitate to choose Amber over itself.

  “We need to discuss David’s work,” she said, grabbing a second chair and pulling it closer. “You said you would tell me everything once the hearing was over.”

  Ayn made a face, glaring at her as she sat down and reached for another notebook.

  “And then what?” he asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “What happens to me after I’ve told you everything?”

  Andreas shrugged.

  “You’ll likely become a permanent test subject for the facility.”

  “That’s not true,” Ayn sighed, rolling his eyes. “I know how this works, I’ve seen it enough times. I’ll be euthanized and dissected once you’re done with the living study.”

  “That won’t be for a quite a while, ration. It could take months if not years―”

  “My name is Ayn.”

  “No, it isn’t. Your designation is Strain 27680, you are a ration. People have names, you have a number.”

  He scoffed.

  “And that’s what set David apart from the rest of you—he was willing to face the facts rather than deny them.”

  “David was a fool,” Andreas shot back. “He was brilliant, but he couldn’t separate his pursuit of science from his emotions―”

  “Like you?”

  “Yes, as a matter of fact,” she snapped. “That’s what scientists are required to do.”

  Ayn watched her lean back in her chair, and he couldn’t help chuckling sarcastically at the self-righteous glint in her eye.

  “Right, because that’s what you’ve been doing this whole time, pure scientific pursuit untainted by emotion. It’s all about the research, that’s what you’re saying? It has nothing to do with you trying to absolve yourself for betraying David in the first place?”