Chapter 7

Despite being tipsy, Elara didn't forget to head to the supermarket to buy two large jars of candy. She placed them in the car's trunk. Her experimental subjects enjoyed having something sweet, and she liked feeding them. They seemed particularly happy tasting a sweetness they couldn't get underwater. Bad news always seemed to come at night, though. Some people in this world had unknown fetishes—for instance, they coveted what others had and enjoyed the feeling of stealing what belonged to others. These people weren't a minority, especially under the oppression of a looming apocalypse. They developed an obsession with hoarding resources. Elara received a transfer order from Henry Smith, her zone supervisor. The higher-ups were taking back her right to handle Nos. 4, 11, and 17. It seemed the experimental subjects were being redistributed. Early the following day, she hurried to Zone A. A large screen about three stories high detailed the transfers—nos.4, 11, and 17 had all been placed under Eva's care. The rest of the keepers in Zone A gathered and whispered among themselves. They'd long since coveted Elara's high-grade creatures and couldn't help mocking her as their jealousy consumed them. "Ms. Stone is definitely more capable than her, if you ask me. People say she's the best, but that's all just hearsay, isn't it? Do you believe that someone can actually make the experimental subjects listen to their orders?" "Haven't you guys heard about Ms. Stone's family? She has a biotech company backing her up—her parents are both experts in bioengineering." "I heard Turner is the only one left alive in her family…" "Don't forget that she's just a slut who got to where she was because of her looks. Remember that married professor who pursued her like mad?" "That doesn't have to do with her, does it? That professor was the disgusting one for pursuing her." "She's no saint, either. The professor wouldn't have gone after her if she'd been proper, would he?" "Shh. Don't let her hear you." The baseless rumors were getting out of hand. After looking at the transfer list, Elara turned and left, not sparing the gossiping keepers another glance. The column beside her name was empty—she hadn't been assigned any experimental subjects. It seemed the higher-ups of the zone were selecting new subjects for her. She went to Henry angrily, but he only gave her a resigned look from behind his desk. "You should stop trying to fight this if you're still rational, Turner." Her request would only be denied, after all. Elara was so incensed that she let out a clipped laugh. She tried to rationalize with him. "The three experimental subjects under my care include a highly aggressive specimen, the most venomous jellyfish in the marine world, and an emotionally sensitive and fragile sea hare. Can't you imagine the consequences of relocating them without prior notice?" Henry shook his head. "That's enough." As she turned to leave, she heard him sigh. "You need to realize that there are many things I can't fight, Turner. I might be the zone supervisor, but that's only in name. I can't do much." Elara could understand that, but she didn't want to accept it. Eva had actually taken away the right to handle the three experimental subjects. Despite Elara's indignance, she had no choice but to accept reality. The higher-ups had already taken away her access to Zone A—she couldn't even step foot in there anymore. She didn't even get the chance to say her goodbyes or pack her things. Her new office was in Zone B. Someone had already set aside a desk for her in the common area when she got there. Her existing experimentation equipment had been placed on the desk. Though she'd yet to be assigned new test subjects, she still had to continue preparing nutritional fluids and feed. Unbeknownst to her, her test subjects had all gone on hunger strikes. No.11 sank to the bottom of his water chamber, refusing to surface for fresh air. No.17 also displayed a never-before-seen aggression toward anyone who tried to get close to him. As for No.4, he floated in the deepest recesses of the water, only vaguely visible. People didn't know much about him. The people behind this thought the plan was flawless. After all, the test subjects could only adhere to the research base's arrangements, and this hunger strike was merely a protest against adjusting to the new circumstances—it was a minor demonstration that they believed could be easily subdued with harsh measures. However, the situation spiraled beyond their expectations. Elara received more bad news when she was seated silently at her new desk. She received an urgent phone call telling her to get to Zone A immediately. It turned out that No.4 had injured Eva. She heard from a colleague what had happened when she arrived at Zone A. After taking over the experimental subjects, Eva had nastily told them that Elara didn't want them anymore. That had sent them into an aggravated, savage state. She had fled after being frightened by No.17's attempts to shatter the glass trapping it. While running down the underwater tunnel, No.4 had swum toward her. He looked friendly and docile, giving her the impression that he wanted to be affectionate with her. This made her want to follow Elara's example and feed the creature herself. No.4 had looked gentle and seemed to be extending a friendly hand. Eva had put on rubber gloves and opened the chamber's hatch. Everything had seemed harmonious—until those seemingly amicable tendrils had lashed out, releasing stinging cells loaded with lethal venom that could kill instantly. The security personnel with her had decisively sliced her poisoned arm off to keep her alive. However, the venom spread swiftly, leaving her life in balance. She wasn't out of danger yet. Henry was furious when he learned of this. He demanded to know why Elara hadn't reported that No.4 carried lethal venom and why she'd concealed his aggression. Elara was stunned. No.4 had always been gentle yet distant. He'd never come into contact with her or gotten close to her. He was such a low-maintenance test subject that it was easy to overlook him—she would never have expected him to be the cause of the danger. Later, she received another piece of news that shocked and sorrowed her. The research base had decided to sentence No.4 to death. She had started handling him in her first year at the research base. His venom had long since matured to the point that he could undergo testing and experiments, but she'd never reported this to the higher-ups. The reason was simple—No.4 had silently accompanied her when she'd been at her lowest after joining the research base. He'd been by her side through it all and was like family to her. She knew how cruel the tests and experiments awaiting him were—they would likely even end his life. That was why she'd kept his maturity a secret. He was such a docile creature, yet he'd tried to kill Eva. This infuriated her family, and they forced Henry to hand No.4 over to Stone Corporation. Eva's life was hanging in the balance, yet the Stone family's first reaction was to covet No.4, a massive, intelligent sea creature. To protect No.4's genetic secrets while also giving the Stone family an answer, the research base decided to sentence him to death. They would rather destroy the test subject than allow someone else to enjoy the fruits of their research. As for the dying Eva and her role in this, no one paid her any mind now that the situation had escalated thus far. Henry refused to see Elara again. He only handed her an execution notice—it was an order, and it was not up for negotiation.