Chương 7: Chapter 7
M-estrogen, m-generation, hormonal generation, the last generation... These words and concepts accompanied Tau for as far back as he could remember. According to publicly available data, his father began to develop the idea of the M-project, and later on, both of his parents were actively involved in the launch and implementation of it.
In his youth, Tau was enrolled in the aerospace training center, and, as befits every Zirkaazte, he studied the basics of space exploration, so the preparatory work with participating mothers of the soon-to-be m-generation has bypassed him. However, after graduation, Tau returned to Biosphere II and began to deepen his knowledge on genetics, including modifications, surgery with all his zeal, and was soon able to accept the position of the head project manager in connection with the departure of his parents to their home planet. Since then, he has worked hard to bring the project, launched by his father, to the next level, to ensure that what was entrusted to him will be realized and that the efforts of their entire race are not wasted.
Every day of Tau's routine as a scientific coordinator and lecturer began with obtaining and analyzing the daily indicators of the experiment participants' health state, who at that time were ten to fourteen years old, and studying the dynamics of the hormone manifestation in their bodies. Most of the boys had already entered puberty, and this was evident from the incipient surges of estrogen. At first, it was chaotic, but over the course of several years, almost all of the subjects established a cyclical functioning of the humoral system in the case of this particular hormone and its effect on the organisms. So far, everything has indicated the fact that the experiment was going well, and all will ultimately depend on the second phase, or rather, on how the result of the first phase will superimpose on the result of the second. This will be the culmination of their work, but until then... until then, all that remains is to work hard on preparation and keep collecting data.
Erzketau did not attach much importance to the responsibility with which the subjects behaved in terms of data for research. For Tau, this was expected and natural. Although it was truly amazing, that everyone who was born under the experiment continued to devote themselves to the mission for so many years, since the very birth. Until a certain point, the reported data was only the research material for Erzketau, the basis on which the project coordinators built their forecasts, sequences, and correlations, conducted new studies, and tested them. The parameters of the subjects from the very first – m-0001 to m-2569 were never more than the lines in reports and points on curves until he first met one of them in real life. Tau then was helping in the medical center, supervising surgeries, and was summoned to the unscheduled one, to observe the interns' work – a schoolboy had to be stitched, the child had severely injured his hand when falling from a bicycle. The case didn't require his sharp attention really, and Tau wanted to leave right after encouraging the future surgeon, but livid whispers of that very surgeon and his assistant on the way to the examination room, aroused Tau's curiosity. As it turned out, the twelve-year-old boy was one of the m-generation; in particular, subject m-1254 came to their center. It was strange to see him alive and in-flesh, through the glass doors of the waiting room; fragile, pale, with a bloody bandage, barely reaching his father's chest while tightly clinging to him. Probably only then a truth reached Erzketau – the subjects of research are children, small babies. The thought seemed to glue the zirka to the floor. Children that were under constant supervision and the constant burden of testing. Children who, even before birth, were aimed to be test material and were so dexterous with this that even he did not think of them other than as a material. He knew a lot about their bodies and the processes taking place in them, but he had never encountered any of the subjects in real life. He never tried to imagine what they might look like, what they are interested in, who is taking care of them, where do they study, how they lived all this time, and what future awaits them. Still, these were living human beings. Half-orphans left without mothers through the fault of Mark Junkers, a human, who independently admitted his guilt in public and immediately after that took a lethal dose of poison. Everything turned out to be sadly stupid. Unborn children were his target. The attempt failed, but he was destined to learn about it only when absolutely healthy boys began to come to this world, while each birth was overshadowed by the death of a woman in labor, each without an exception. After the trend could no longer be ignored, he recorded his confession on video and posted it on the network. Unfortunately, even his detailed explanations of the actions he took, could not help reverse the process and none of the women who took part in the experiment could be saved.
Many years earlier, before the project launch, the activity of several religious organizations that violently protested against the project was detected. These were expressing dissatisfaction, first publicly, and then, when the Coalition had to forcibly suppress the growing unrest and take the activists into custody, – silently. They were driven by the idea of the unnaturalness of this experiment, both races decided to go against God's will. They believed that the earthlings were destined to perish, even before the intervention of Zirkaazte, before the evacuation of the planet, and that all further actions only aggravated everything, and mankind was doomed anyway. All members of these organizations were tracked down, and the Coalition hoped that this would be the end of it. Mark did not admit this directly, but it was believed that one of those organizations, or a central idea of which, was perhaps behind his actions.
Tau then approached the father and the boy, who was waiting in the admission room, greeted them, said that he would observe the work of the interns, and assured them that there was no reason to worry. The father eagerly shook his hand and urged the son to Tau's trust. The boy, Terence, was a little shy at first, but while Tau helped him prepare for the stitching procedure, showed himself to be a well-mannered, serious, and gentle young man. Slightly lisping, he told that he had come with his father on vacation to the Bay and wanted to show off to the local older boys the tricks he knew, but it was on the descent, he did not consider this, for which he paid with a wrecked arm. He also said that he was engaged in painting and dreamed of entering the Institute of Oceanology.
A short conversation with Terence changed a lot for Tau, and since then, in addition to reporting on the blood composition of subjects and hormonal distribution, short notes about their personalities, current social status, location, academic success, and later career have been added. He did not set himself the goal of knowing everything about all of the subjects but tried to get to know them in absentia, at least briefly. After a certain time, this even helped in the research, since Tau was able to add complementary indicators to the comparative factor analysis, which in one way or another influenced the course of the experiment. In addition, of course, he shared his observations and impressions with colleagues who worked with him on the project. As it turned out, Professor Shirokawa also thought of this and, perhaps, it was this so-called discovery of "social influence factor" that became the catalyst for their friendly relations. Tau's Zirkaazte subordinates agreed that the environment can and will play a role in the experiment, so the whole team was engaged in familiarization with the subjects' profiles. And how strange and exciting it was to meet them at the center after many years, one after another, or even immediately in pairs and groups; subjects of such a detailed study, but not as fleeting patients of the center, but in the position of students and, possibly, future employees of the research institute. After graduating from the second stage of education, many of the m-generation rushed to this place, to the center, where the project was set up and embarked on the path of implementation. They were looking for answers to questions inherent in themselves many years ago and wanted to work on the solution. It was written with bold capitals in their eyes, in their persistence and dedication, which they never lost, in the way they calmly reacted to the additional tests, the increase in frequency and intensity with which scientists studied them now that the young men were right at arm's length. They were not embarrassed by such attention, constant monitoring, video surveillance in living studios, GPS trackers, and so on; they knew why they came here and were ready for anything. Their personal lives did not matter as much as the survival of the race.
The teaching team was very happy about the enrollment of each new m-student. Their imminent appearance was enthusiastically discussed in laboratories, staff rooms, at departments. This generation brought an exciting adventure for everyone involved in the experiment. And yes, there were those whom they especially wanted to see at the center and waited with impatience and special agitation, looking forward to more and more research and data that could help accelerate the implantation process.
There was a small group of subjects with very high compatibility with the modules still being developed. That is, in theory, almost every subject was considered compatible at that time. However, these few beat every other way ahead, and according to a number of criteria, they would be especially suitable for the role of a carrier with the greatest probability of successful synchronization of the hormones with the module. There were at most two dozen of them and they were mainly located – living, working, or studying – in the Western Hemisphere, so the pleasure of working with them was about to fall onto scientists of the First and Third Biospheres. Here, in the Eurasian-African zone, which is closer to Biosphere II, only five persons had been detected, including subject m-0523 or Christopher Newman, as the community knew him. He was the most valuable example, the most compatible, overtaking even the rest four by several points, and very stable, functioning marvelously well, given the resources obtained, and coping perfectly with hormonal manifestations in his body since he turned eighteen years old. All executives involved in the development and testing of the uterus module noted his impressive records. As the reports showed, the subject led an extremely measured quiet life, brought up by his father's parents. He attracted no excessive attention to himself, except for good grades both in school and after. In 3710 (840AR), he entered not just any random college, but in a New-London Technical University, and this fact shocked the brightest minds of the Biosphere Research Complex. Nobody claimed that he was obliged to study here and nowhere else, but to miss this particular specimen was extremely disappointing. It was just so curious to get to know him better, not only for the sake of the research. However, they had no choice but to observe, use his data in research, and hope that someday they will be able to work with him closely and properly.
Erzketau expected this no less than the others did, he followed the young man's progress as closely as other scientific instructors. Or the tiniest bit closer? Yes, Tau could admit to himself that he looked into this guy's profile quite often, sometimes went searching for his articles and thesis on robotics, provided by the university network in the section of the best students' works, who received some kind of grant for their research or achievements. Or tracked him on the map of the Earth, noting temporary long and short movements relative to the main point of activity, trying to imagine where he was going and what he was going to do reaching the destination. Sometimes Tau wondered if he could somehow influence the guy to change his specialization. He even suggested this once out loud in a conversation with Kazuaki, to which the leading geneticist only said: "Why? It's not up to us to decide. In the end, he did not abandon the experiment and his data are sufficient even in the regular mode." Tau then simply nodded, but made a note to himself to think why "regular mode" was not enough for him.
Years passed, students from the m-generation, who entered the research complex, completed their studies, went on to graduate school, and received directions for practice. From time to time, after that first wave of admissions, estrogen people joined the student ranks, deciding, albeit late, to get higher education. However, it was extremely rare that someone would apply for the second high-ed. Therefore, no one would have thought that almost ten years after the discovery of the phenomenal test subject, he would, in the end, wind up at the research center as a fresher!
The young man managed to intrigue almost everyone who had to deal with him, even if not for long. The teachers were mostly happy with him; Chris was an adult, not only by his age, non-conflict, executive, a quick learner. He showed very high results in all subjects and individual laboratory research. If we talk about the attitude of students towards him, then, being a rather reserved young man, he did not bully anyone, he wasn't fooled by provocations, and it was obvious that anyone was pleased communicating with him.
Erzketau met him a year later than all other scientific coordinators, who were also employed at the institute and taught their subjects. Thus, his opinion of Chris was slightly clouded by the opinion of those who had already worked with the young man. Shirokawa, with whom Tau already had a very strong friendship, and the others, could not stop praising Mr. Newman. Great bloke, a rare fossil nowadays, talented, and with an awesome personality. This resulted in the fact that the transplantology teacher was unable to look at him objectively for a long time. For the reasons unknown, Tau was annoyed as hell by this admiration for the young man. He constantly caught himself trying to find flaws in everyone's favourite and refute such a high opinion that the student was able to earn among the teaching staff. He only could needle, pry, and pester the student, trying to show his true colors, loaded him up with a lot more tasks, problems, and questionings. He snorted, pursed his lips, and nervously twitched an eyebrow when once again it was not possible to prove to everyone and himself that Chris was just an ordinary student – not the most diligent, not the most attentive, not the whatever of 'the most'. In general, not someone who needs to be extolled, someone to admire, and gossip about in every corner. Nevertheless, when the first exam session was closed, there was no point in self-deluding – Newman-kri was indeed an outstanding student in his year of study. He was serious about every subject, every class, and his studies in general. Chris entered the center after he had already obtained one higher education; he came on his own, and not urged on by his relatives, no one asked him to apply, and he did not need a scientific qualification to find a job or something. He was one of those who came to gain knowledge just for his own sake, and even Tau could not help but appreciate it eventually. Although he did not stop getting annoyed, having heard enthusiastic speeches about Newman from anyone. Also, a couple of months later, few other sides of the young man's character were revealed to zirka.
Newman loved sports almost as much as he loved science. For Chris, it was equally interesting to spend half a day reading or doing university assignments, as well as in the gym. One way or another, either by chance or by the will of fate, Erzketau happened to meet subject m-0523 on the tatami. Chris came to the sports building to recall a couple of techniques, looked into the sparring room, and, not finding any familiar fellow student there, approached a familiar teacher and asked him if zirka wouldn't mind warming up a bit together. Although Tau had already warmed up enough and was ready to leave, for some reason he decided to accept. This was his first training fight with a human and the first time the warm-up was so exciting for Tau. The young man moved well, obviously having many years of experience in martial arts under his belt, although he was hardly engaged in them professionally. He was quite agile and physically strong. But what interested Tau most of all was that Chris seemed completely unconscious to whoever was in front of him. The friendly race on Earth has long been well received by everyone. Yet, living and working among earthlings, zirks could often notice the awkwardness that surfaced during conversations, in a constrained posture, in some other small manifestations characteristic of humans when they were lost, did not know how to behave and where to look. In particular, this was characteristic of young people, who, even in the presence of their fellows, were not averse to blushing and embarrassment. There was no tension in conversations with adults, but sometimes it was difficult to work with students precisely because for some of them the proximity of the zirka caused, if not awe, then sacred fear, and sometimes even all together, which made it difficult to communicate study material effectively to the young minds. Although Tau was almost used to it, he immediately noticed that something was wrong when Chris showed no bashfulness or unease when he came up with a request to practice. Later, zirka noted that in class, the boy also behaves in an adult way, adequately and somehow... indifferent. After reflecting on this, Tau wanted to reconsider his attitude towards Newman. He still saved his mocking manner, but, seeing high results of his work as a teacher and being able to relieve tension with the student on the tatami, Erzketau began to soften. Chris's coldness began to look more like an extreme degree of inner calmness and balance, which Erzketau had been greatly lacking lately. So zirka directed his irritability bursts inwards, he fervently plunged into meditation and regular strolls in the fresh air, work on a project, and for a while, he stopped getting himself worked up by the incomprehensible behavioral reactions of the young man.
This all changed in June 854AR when the second phase of the experiment was launched. It had been about a week to the start of the second phase when everyone was busy with applying and carefully scheduling surgeries with the registry panel. On that day, Erzketau, together with Rangira, worked in the laboratory on fertilization. The whole process has been fine-tuned and automated. Besides the two of them, only a couple of graduates were present in the room. The job of the supervisors was only to observe; here it was almost impossible to screw it up, the robot hands were doing their work, so kaia was a little taken aback when she heard an elaborate curse whispered by the zirka beside her.
"Kri, are you all right?" She asked.
"Forgive me, kaia, I… forgot that I was not alone here, I was spacing out," Tau confessed regretfully.
"Is there anything wrong with the settings?" Rangira glanced across the monitors, expecting to see the cause of the superior's frustration.
"What?" Tau looked at her, trying to grasp the core of her question. "Oh, no, it's okay. It wasn't about work."
"No?" Rangira narrowed her eyes. This was something new. "Family? Kri, if it's serious, you know you can always share. You should not deal with problems on your own, no matter what you're dealing with."
Erzketau gave a long sigh. Kaia frowned even more – it has to be the family. A couple of months ago, he said that his father underwent surgery, for which he had been preparing for a long time. Could something go wrong? It was hard to believe, although the age is no longer quite suitable for new experiments.
"Tell me, is it just me or is he really acting thoughtlessly? Is he really…? Maybe we misread the formula?" Tau began from afar. "Maybe he does not suppress it or control or whatever, but simply does not produce enough? Maybe we shouldn't have bet on him. Why did we decide at all that it was possible to bet on some of them, and why did he become that someone?" Gushing his confused thoughts on Rangira, zirka tried to weigh every word, but in the end, it all resulted in some nonsense blabbing. His mask of universal calmness fell from him. No, he did not shake his fists roaring in rage, tearing his throat apart, but his whole appearance spoke of extreme agitation that the race is capable of. "He is the most disinterested, even though everyone is interested in him, the whole project, the whole outcome, ultimately, is based on his reactions and indicators! But in fact, he is just some kind of insensitive brat..."
Rangira stood and stared as the wings of his slender nose fluttered angrily, the tips of his ears quivered. For the first time, she saw a planetary mate so edgy, so non-indifferent. All adult zirks are very good at coping with their own emotions. Age and upbringing also affect. Yes, they tell jokes, they can be ironic, but they rarely come to any semblance of a breakdown. Anger and other strong feelings in representatives of a friendly colony are nipped in the bud without the slightest effort by breathing and other practices that are taught from childhood. Also, what is he talking about at all?
Obviously, her inner monologue was reflected on her face very eloquently, because Tau abruptly fell silent, realizing that he had said more than he should. Kaia smiled stiffly, trying to smooth out the awkwardness and show that she does not blame him for this impulse.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have..."
"On the contrary! How much has it accumulated in you? And who is this unfortunate person whom you have been so maliciously affectionate towards?"
Tau glared in response, but the dangerous light in his eyes died out sooner than kaia could notice and worry again.
"It's M…" He pursed his lips, clenched his jaw tightly as if trying to keep new curses from breaking through his teeth.
"Um… 'em'?"
"M-0523."
"Oh... ah..." Yes, that explained a lot. Not only Tau was surprised that the young man was delaying the implantation if he planned to participate in that phase at all. But why..., "why does it annoy you to this extent?"
"What?"
"What?" She chuckled. Is it possible that kri..? Hmm... "Well, it's not only you who got upset, but I don't think that the whole experiment depends on him so much," kaia expressed her thought peacefully.
Erzketau looked at her as if a horn had grown in the middle of Rangira's forehead right before his eyes. Kaia laughed loudly.
"I will repeat my question and I want you to think and answer – out loud or just acknowledge to yourself. Why do you find this so much annoying, that a third-year student Newman does not go for implantation?"
Kri inhaled full lungs for an answer but just froze there with his mouth opened. Kaia did not rush and then stepped aside altogether. Yes, it was not so important for her to get an answer, but it would be nice to push a colleague to give a proper thought.
***
Easily said, but how to put those thoughts together, when the problem is localized but does not want to wrap itself in the context of one's understanding. Where did it come from, and how did he end up with the problem worse than the singularity equation, Tau could not understand. With a fellow student Leone, subject m-0785, Chris maintained a very long relationship, but according to several indicators and, so to speak, from the outside, it looked as if Chris started it just for the sake of experiment, or out of boredom. Before this relationship, it could be concluded that student Newman dealt perfectly fine with no partner at all. How did it happen that, without noticing it himself, Tau began to experience feelings, unusual for him, towards someone for whom these feelings were of no use and need? What bullshit unrequited crap is this?
Erzketau could understand him; he himself was not interested in any involvement. He was the lead project manager; the project was all he lived and loved. He had a lot of stuff to waste time and energy on without all this emotional nonsense. The Zirkaazte race was generally distinguished by a tendency towards single and even reclusive livelihood; as Chris will later express himself in Shirokawa's office, "he is not interested"; the same can be said about the entire alien race. They were up for relationships and coupling at a young age, while young individuals were just learning to restrain emotional impulses and comprehend their own physiology. Families were created much later, when their mind, not hormones, prompted that it was worth taking care of the next generation, that someone should continue the work of parents' life or start their own.
Nevertheless, the event had already happened, no matter how hard he tried before to blame everything on professional interest towards the subject, now he saw everything crystal clear. He definitely treated the subject m-0523 differently from a whole lot of students. Besides, what particularly unsettled him, he did it unconsciously and openly. Perhaps Chris himself noticed that the teacher distinguishes him from the rest, and maybe not just Chris. Well, it is worth treating this as a new task set before him, which has to be solved. He had to realize all the absurdity of the situation, to return to the starting point, to focus on work, and continue to live in peace.
However, it turned out to be more difficult to do than to plan. After speaking with Rangira, not a day had passed without Tau thinking of Chris. When he did not see him, pictures of the past rose before his inner gaze. Tau recalled how happy he was when he heard that Newman had applied, and when he appeared directly before his eyes in the audience. During his first acquaintance with his new group of students, he was looking for faces, familiar from the dossiers of the participants of the experiment, and, in particular, for one face. He recalled how he reacted to the student, to his answers at seminars; he remembered a smooth transition from skeptical condescension to the emergence of a sense of respect for Chris, for his sharp mind and no less sharp tongue, for his dedication to education, Tau's subject, and M-project. He also remembered the unreasonable irritation that enveloped him in the moments when he happened to observe how Chris cooed and fondled with his partner. Or that little fluffy blonde one cooed with Chris and Chris allowed that. Be that as it may, these manifestations of closeness and intimacy did not please Tau, and now, he finally found out why! When Erzketau did see Chris at his lectures and seminars, in the gym, the problem only worsened, he got involved deeper and deeper with every look and every word. This truth hit Tau so suddenly that he did not even understand how he could fixate on Chris so much, on his gestures, catching every smile thrown at his interlocutors, and every displeased face. The way he frowned, shook his head, got surprised... Tau watched him every moment when he could, whether it was close or from afar – he always searched Chris with his eyes and then could not take them away without an effort, – absorbing, memorizing as if he had forgotten the promise he had given himself to leave it and move on.
And there he was, in the middle of June, but the student in question was still in no hurry with the adoption of the fateful decision. This could be interpreted in different ways. Most of Erzketau's colleagues were inclined to believe that the boy was simply not in a mood, because he had recently broken off a long-term relationship, and such an event never goes without consequences, even if the one in question does not show any emotions about this. At the same time, Tau could not fathom why it was so important for him that Chris went for surgery. Was this, as he had previously thought, professional interest and concern for the entire project, or was it something else? Having set himself a mental task to think about it at his leisure, he prepared for the first implantation surgeries, set up the equipment, rechecked the formulas, parameters of the subjects to be operated on, gave comments on the schedule drawn up taking into account new statements, consulted graduates and consulted with colleagues.
The fact that Shirokawa, allegedly impartial in this matter, called Newman for a conversation, in which Tau took part himself, which, however, came as a surprise to him. Whether their joint arguments helped to persuade Chris to take a decisive step, Tau found out only a couple of days later, and this was the second surprise for him in such a short time. Chris accepted the facts and was ready to participate in the second phase of the experiment, but on his own terms. His temper, until then, broke through only on the tatami when it was necessary when he let go of instincts and reflexes. Seeing such pressure, which the student threw to convince the teacher, was unusual, and Tau was literally taken aback, slightly confused, and therefore, for unknown reasons, immediately refused the young man. It was like peaking for a second inside the treasure chest, which had previously stood in the office, always in sight, but always closed – a beautiful handmade product that attracted the eye, and one could watch for hours, tracing every line of ornate carving, admiring the talent of the creator. But the only thing that was inaccessible was to find out what was inside. Not because the casket was locked, but because the beholder felt that it was wrong doing so, that it was enough just to enjoy the outside, despite the fact that he wanted to open the lid so much, to the point that it hurt. That moment, when Chris came up and asked for inclusion in the group of assistants, holding his gaze and made it clear with his whole posture that he would not let go and would not abandon this idea, Erzketau seemed to see what he so strongly desired. It was as if the lid had opened, just a little slit, but this was enough to see the inside of the chest – this energy that filled it, the spirit that burned like a desert wind, the pressure and determination bordering on obsession. All this poured into zirka so completely and unexpectedly that he blurted out without thinking and retreated as quickly as he could until the youth made new attempts to shower him with his hidden charm. Later, he thought about it for a long time and regretted that he had acted so rashly, but what was done was done. Chris then acted quiet and thoughtful, but a few days later, he seemed to switch to become a different person. Even in classes, he did not show so much passion for science and persistence. He waited for Tau before classes, after classes, used all his ingenuity. Tau was especially touched by that desperate attempt when Newman simply "inked" the whole projection board with pleas for consent... without specifying the addressee, the author, or the object of the "petition", but Tau, of course, understood.
(I would like to hear him speak Sirka, – Tau thought then.)
The same day he checked the point on knowledge of languages in the young man's profile, and after reading there the "elementary" for the language of a friendly colony, wanted to hear the clumsy speech even more.
Erzketau almost gave up and was going to make Chris happy and give the go-ahead for his and Shirokawa's affair, but on that very day the young man, apparently in some way desperate, offered a kind of a "deal". The strongest wins, or, which is more suitable for this particular bet, the loser will have to yield.
Life threw the project manager more and more pleasant surprises, because of which he received new opportunities to discover Chris's nature more than he could previously have hoped.
Tau understood that he was stronger and that Chris also understood that, but he took this desperate step anyway. If Chris's preparation, Erzketau was sure of this, touched on the physical side of the issue, then zirka himself prepared mentally for the fight. He wanted to let the boy win because that would be a good way to give indirect consent. At the same time, he was well aware that giving him to win meant giving in, and Chris would understand that. It will be all too obvious, not to mention that the student might interpret such a maneuver as an insult. In general, he had something to think about on the eve of the fight.
Ironically, all plans went to the dogs as soon as the opponents stepped on the tatami. Although Tau tried to keep his mind clear, in the heat of the battle, fueled by adrenaline, he got aggravated, carried away, as he had done before, while training with Chris or colleagues, and even more. At first, he just fought back the lunges playfully, but after a while, he realized that Chris was very, very serious, he put in much more effort than during regular training sparrings. Perhaps zirka was worried in vain, no matter how it looked, that he would have to give in. Newman clearly did not intend to retreat, attacking at the limit, he was able to exhaust the teacher, and this played into the hands of the young man because, after a turn of recession, a second wind blew new strength. Erzketau distracted from his idea of keeping the defensive, overplayed, forgetting that this was no ordinary training and that he was facing a representative of Homo sapiens. Chris kept pushing, instincts woke up before Tau realized what had happened, and his body had already reacted, for which he paid. But how contented, happy, incredibly beautiful Chris seemed to him that moment. Crumpled, disheveled, and only miraculously escaped a fracture, he lay stretched out on the floor in a starfish pose with a blooming hematoma on his arm, but glowing with the joy of victory, and Tau could not help smiling back. Another fraction of the unknown depths of the casket has opened slightly for him. And he was able, without remorse, without any suspicion or other inconvenience, to get Chris to his operating table according to all the rules of their "deal". He wanted to do the implantation surgery for Chris. Not just for an experiment, not only for Chris but also for himself. Just to be on the safe side, although the alien himself did not fully understand which side was that.
***
Immersed in his own memories, Erzketau waited. Looking at the measured heart rate graph drawn by the monitor beside one of the subjects' beds, he waited for the students to start waking up. The surgery went without complications for all three of them; now everything depended on the properties and reserves of their bodies. According to the instructions, after a week, they should recover enough so that they could be sent home to their private rooms. The ward was immersed in silence, broken only by the whisper of supervisors and assistants, and the barely audible beeps of the equipment.
"Erzketau-kri, subject m-0523 is regaining consciousness, his brain activity has changed," commented Marshalls-kri. "The pulse is growing."
(Well, welcome back, – Tau thought and hurried to the bed of the awakening student, hiding his smile.)
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