Testure = Test + Torture
Dr.
Grey placed the subject on the table, using the winch controls to lift
and position it on the test bed. Its struggles resurfaced the moment
the winch was retracted. But Dr.Grey was ready for this, he flipped a
switch, and immediately, the straps and reinforcing binds locked around
the subject, around its arms, legs, waist, and its jaws.
Grey nodded to the other
scientists in the room with him, Dr. Brown, and Dr.White. They nodded
back at him. The first part of this experimentation session was
complete, without a hitch. White then pressed a switch, turning on the
microphones in the room. Being in charge of progress recording, he
would provide a running commentary of the experiment.
“AEC Biotics, Lab ID -
346632B. Time, zero-five-zero-seven, local time. Experiment elapsed
time, zero minutes and zero seconds. Personnel in charge - Doctors
White, Grey, and Brown. Subject species ID - 0001. Subject status –
Live, and in full consciousness. Ideal testing conditions.”
White paused for breath, as the other two set up the equipment. He then went on.
“This session is now officially underway.”
Brown moved forward with his
scalpel, as Grey gagged the subject with a rubber apparatus. Calm,
composed, hand held steady, Brown plunged the scalpel, slowly and
determinedly, increasing pressure as he went, piercing the skin around
the subject’s left eye.
“Dr. Brown has made the initial incision. We will be proceeding with assignment one - testing batch five of the anti-CVA drug.”
The scalpel went on with its
work, guided by the experienced hand of Dr. Brown. The scalpel went
around the eye, describing out a circle around the entire orbit of the
eye. The subject’s inhuman screams of pain and horror were muted by the
rubber gag, to only a faint whimper.
“Subject will be going into shock soon, it seems. Threshold levels almost reaching limit.”
Grey quickly plugged the IV
in, ensuring a steady blood supply to the subject’s tissues. Brown had
now peeled the soft tissue around the eyes, and was working on
dislodging the left eyeball.
“Dr. Brown will now be
removing the left eyeball to get to a critical blood vessel in the
brain, which will be clamped to induce a stroke. We will then
administer the experimental anti-CVA, to possibly eliminate the stroke,
and test the accuracy of the fifth batch of the drug.”
The eyeball came off with a
quite audible ‘pop’, and Grey quickly provided Brown with a surgical
tray, on which Brown placed the eyeball, after he severed the optical
nerves attached to it. Maneuvering around, inside the now empty left
eye-socket, Brown found the blood vessel. He then took the clamps
handed over by White, and clamped them shut. Looking around, he nodded
to the other two. Their work was almost done.
“The blood vessel has been
clamped. We are now waiting for the stroke - the Cerebrovascular
Accident - or the CVA to set in, after which we will administer the
anti-CVA.”
The doctors stood around the
subject, satisfied with their work, while the subject – moaning and
whimpering, writhed around, strapped to the table, in unimaginable pain
and agony.
A while later, the monitors
flashed red, bleeping. The doctors were ready for this, and immediately
rushed forward, with Dr. White on commentary.
“The stroke has set in. We are
now into the last stages of this experiment. If the subject’s condition
stabilizes, we’ll have made a major breakthrough……a rapid
countermeasure to CVA, or heart attacks, in our species.”
For the first time, Dr. Brown spoke. “Dr. Grey, I think you should have the honour.”
“Thank you, Dr. Brown. It will certainly be a pleasure.” Grey replied, in a somber tone.
Taking the syringe from Brown, Grey plunged it into the subject’s upper thorax, in the vicinity of its heart.
“Experiment elapsed time,
forty-five minutes, and seven seconds. Batch five of the experimental
anti-CVA drug has been delivered into the subject’s system. The subject
is currently under medical surveillance.”
After seemingly an eternity of
waiting, the monitors flashed orange, remained so for about ten
seconds, and finally flashed green. The bleeping was restored to its
original, gently monotonous tune. The doctors, sighing in relief, shook
hands and congratulated each other. They’d finally made it…..after six years of painstaking work, laced with failure.
“Experiment successful.
Repeat, successful. Only side effects include complete paralysis, but
that effect is only applicable in case of the subject’s race. Our
species would not fall victim to it. In conclusion, batch five of the
anti-CVA drug must be labeled ‘approved’, and made ready for mass
manufacture. Subject to be euthanized by high-intensity microwave
irradiation of the brain.”
Later, in the recreation room,
the three doctors were celebrating their success. The atmosphere was
laced with academic joy, and alcohol.
Dr. White was speaking.
“Gentlemen, our names will be forever etched in history! Six years – it
has taken us SIX long years, but we’ve finally conquered the
purportedly unconquerable! Here’s to all of us!”
“Yes. But the animal rights boys are going to have a field day with this if they find out…”
“Oh, hogwash!” snorted Grey.
“No…think about it…Think of the creature we experimented with today. Did you see its eyes as we…continued?”
“Yes! As a matter of fact, I did!” snorted Brown. “I was the one who took it out, for heaven’s sake!”
“No. I meant…you should have seen it’s eyes…looking at you..pleading you to let it go…to spare it’s life.”
“What utter nonsense! It’s
insignificant death served a greater purpose! Finding a cure to a
near-fatal medical condition!” spat Dr Brown, with immense conviction.
“Come to your senses, my good man!”
“I know…but…couldn’t we perform our tests on some other species? I mean…”
“Nonsense again! That is just
a pathetic, emotional argument raised by animal activists…! In reality,
their species, is the best model of inherited diseases of our
species…they share 99% of our genes! Research done on their species, BEST reflects results on our species.”
“Well…….”
“Oh come off it! We treat them as humanely as possible, for god’s sakes!!”
“Anyway…let’s go home. We
deserve a good night’s sleep, eh?” chuckled the elderly Dr. White. His
suggestion was met with murmurs of approval from the rest, and off they
went.
The three rodents scurried
away, going up the sloping tunnel, and finally out of the large burrow,
and onto the earth. They then went underground again, into their
respective residential burrows, a short distance from the main AEC
Biotics complex.
Meanwhile, inside the AEC
Biotics complex, in a pristine, white room…the subject…. the human
strapped to the experiment table, senses dulled by the pain, had no way
of knowing that the red light, that he could see with his one good eye
– the light which was now blaring down on his face - would irradiate
his brain with hyper-intense micro waves, inducing death in less than a
second……..
Maybe he would have welcomed it, if he had known.
Just as they, in his place about a thousand years ago, welcomed death - as a means to end the agony inflicted on them.
.........The roles have been reversed.
NOTE: Rodents share 99% of the genes with humans. That’s why they’re used for most animal experiments.
Copyright 2008 Prithwish
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