HS - 359

HS-359 gave voice to one last piercing wail as it flailed its limbs madly.

“Why did I ever agree to this?”
The young intern couldn’t count the number of times she had asked herself that question.
It happened the same way every time. Months of careful calculations; hope rising high as all of the tests and theories came back positive; then abrupt and disappointing failure.

Suddenly, in mid-scream HS-359 fell silent. Everyone was still, all eyes riveted on the specimen. If the creature lived, it would mark a huge step towards their goal. HS-359 gave one clear-eyed lucid glare at the observers, then as if out of spite, went limp.

The intern stood dazed while doctors began the autopsy. Four years ago, when she started college she dreamt of being on the cutting edge of science, working with brilliant minds from around the globe towards a common goal. She was out to save the world from disease and there was no stopping her. Her dreams had never included cute little creatures writhing in pain on an operating table, or locked in cages forced to endure treatments and run mazes. She wasn’t sure how many more failures she could bear.

Someone shook her gently. “I know it’s hard for you but were getting closer to success every day.”
The intern nodded at the kindly nurse, but her eyes were still focused on the motionless specimen.

After what seemed like an eternity, doctors finally stopped poking and prying at the dead animal. On his way out the last doctor motioned towards the intern. “ You there, get rid of this body. We’re done with it now.”

She dutifully logged the time of death, bagged and labeled the remains of HS-359 and left the mess for the sanitation crew.

No one saw the intern slip out the back and into the woods behind the laboratory. Enormous tree trunks and thick underbrush swallowed her up as she scuttled down a maze of twists and turns. The dark trees opened up and sunlight filtered through the trees as she came to a small clearing. There, she opened the miniature body bag and slid HS-359 into a shallow depression she carved out in the soft loam. Carefully she used her claws to cover the hole with a small mound of dirt. Tears ran down her snout as she wrote in the dirt by the grave,
“ Homo Sapien-359
Died for a good cause”

She bade farewell to her makeshift cemetery, whispering a small prayer for each little mound. With that she shook her whiskers and turned towards the laboratory, determined to make the next experiment a success.