Home of the Anomaly
It's April 15, 2005, and Lindsey Roberts and Kayla Ridgefield are hard at work in Million Innovations Lab Enterprises (M.I.LE.), one of the top facilities in the United States for biomechanical, molecular engineering, and botanical applied sciences. They have been working tirelessly on one of the many projects that M.IL.E. undertakes as a way to give back to society for its good fortune as one of the highest-earning research-to-application companies in North America.
The project, called PROTOS, is the brainchild of Dr. Charles Lindren, a Biogenetic PhD, and the Director of the Special Projects Division at M.IL.E. PROTOS is a project that, if successful, will merge plants with electronics with the intent of eventually having plants and electronics form symbiotic relationships that lead to a more sustainable future for the planet and its inhabitants.
Kayla, known as "The Brazilian Wonder," due to an incident during a night out in Brazil when she fell asleep on what she thought was a log but turned out to be an alligator and woke up unharmed, was deeply focused on a quarterly review. She was comparing notes to determine if recent developments, reports, and some of the research from Johns Hopkins University and Stanford University could help get her passed a setback she experienced with PROTOS.
At first glance, some might take Kayla for someone of indigenous Brazilian descent and perhaps would find her nickname fitting. However, this feisty woman, adorned in a blue M.I.L.E.-issued shirt and a white lab coat, with charming features and a caramel complexion, was neither born in nor has ancestral roots in South America. Nope. Kayla was born in South Philadelphia, her father being a Black Irishman and her mother a Black American woman. It is a common misconception for people to associate her nickname with ethnicity when, in reality, it has nothing to do with her lineage and everything to do with sheer luck.
As Kayla sits at one of the lab tables on one of several overly priced adjustable stools, Lindsey puts away a shipment of new beakers and graduated cylinders that arrived a few weeks ago, and she just hadn't had a moment to put them up. Lindsey typically took liberties to wear a graphic tee under her lab coat, but she wasn't feeling it today. She was also working on PROTOS, and it was beginning to weigh on her. Every breakthrough had a catch to it that seemed to add weeks to the project. But no matter what, Lindsey and Kayla were determined to see it through, not for bragging rights or for the sake of starting what they finished, but to ensure students at their alma mater, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.IT.), received the special research stipends that MILE. awarded each year. M.I.L.E. always donated to the universities that their research personnel attended, but the stipend was an extremely significant amount of money. Funding was awarded when special projects were completed. M.I.L.E. generously gives a percentage of money from its new contracts to deserving schools.
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Lindsey finished putting away the last beaker and closed the locker--the electronic light indicator blinking blue, confirming the vault was secure. Every locker was made from reinforced steel, with windows reinforced with polycarbonate and electric and manual security locks to ensure only people with the proper credentials could access their contents. She then began working at her computer, switching between it and the table adjacent to Kayla.
Lindsey reviewed plant diagrams and system schematics while checking on recent labs for PROTOS. A few minutes into the balancing act, the electronic doors to the lab opened, and Dr. Lindren walked through them. Like Lindsey, Charles Linden liked to add his own flair to things. Perhaps his desire for flair made him so good at his job. His flair today was a mint green long-sleeved shirt with the "M.I.L.E. Blue" tie that he'd been given during a White Elephant Christmas party. He'd wear it on occasions when he had big news to share, so it was no wonder that Lindsey dropped what she was doing and stood near Kayla at the main table in the lab. Charles made his announcement after a few strokes of his scruffy, light brown beard.
"Saddle up, girls. You two are on special assignment." Charles said, trying to be cheerful and assuage what he knew would likely be an alarmed response from Kayla, Lindsey, or perhaps both.
Lindsey was the first to respond. "But we still have to finish the PROTOS project." She said, raising an eyebrow.
"PROTOS can wait. We have an urgent need for your skills elsewhere." Charles admonished, taking care not to be too firm but still making a point to make it clear that PROTOS was no longer the priority.
Lindsey and Kayla were used to being pulled off assignments for short periods to work on urgent priority requirements. Then when feasible, they would return to whatever they had previously been engaged with. Kayla could sense the tension in the room. While Lindsey was the more bubbly personality of the two, she had her moments, and when those moments came, everyone needed to steer clear.
"Well. Let's start this party! Where are we going?" Kayla exclaimed, attempting to face the tension with enthusiasm and a smile.
"Imataca," Charles said, glancing at Kayla but looking more intently at Lindsey to see if he'd spend the next few minutes speaking with Beauty or The Beast.
"Never heard of it," Lindsey said nonchalantly, signifying that The Beast had been caged for this discussion.
"Imataca. Ha-ha-ha-ha. That's a name that sounds so propa."Kayla said, attempting to add a little more humor to the discussion.
"Ok. So, you haven't heard of it. It's in the Amazon Rainforest. There are several gold-mining companies and hundreds, if not thousands, of undiscovered resources waiting for you. Charles said with Slight amusement.
Lindsey, while tamed at the moment, was still thinking about PROTOS and the numerous hours she and Kava had already spent on the project, only to be put on hold. She looked Kayla’s way, although she was directing her question to Charles.
So, what are we doing? Lindsey asked.
Charles crossed his arms, momentarily looking down at the floor before gazing back up at Lindsey and Kayla.
"We need you to discover something new and worthwhile. The fiscal year is nearly over, and if we don't come up with something, we will lose about a million in funding." Charles said gravely.
"Hmm. No pressure, huh? Kayla said sarcastically, shaking her head.
"Yeah. Yeah. Whatever. You two are the best in your field. Get it done. M.I.L.E. is counting on you! Compile your team. You leave in less than 36 hours." Charles exclaimed, turning to walk out of the lab.
"That's not short notice at all. I have all the time in the world to prepare." Kayla retorted as Charles walked out of the room.
Charles exited the lab, waving a hand of acknowledgment on his way out. He knew that Kayla and Lindsey were frustrated. but he also knew that when it mattered most, they always came through. He also felt that the completion of PROTOS, while seemingly within grasp, was still well out of reach.
Lindsey and Kayla spent the next hour making log entries and notes-to-self to ensure that when they returned to work on PROTOS, they could pick up where they left off. They made a few calls and sent several emails, assembling the staff they were accustomed to working with; some new faces here and there, but the majority would be the people who shed blood, sweat, and tears with them on multiple missions. Thus far, this composition led to a 98% success rate across 27 intricate assignments.
April 17, 2005, Lindsey, Kayla, and several engineers working for M.I.L.E. embarked on their scientific excursion to discover new plant life or something incredible in the Amazon Rainforest that would secure another round of generous funding. Their journey takes them to Imataca. Venezuela, an area with forests and land ripe with gold and home to several species of plants and animals, which M.I.L.E. considers a prime location to conduct research, especially since many areas have been closed off to non-locals for ears.
Recent elections have brought about new leadership and economic initiatives, making the visit by M.I.L.E. researchers possible. It has grown increasingly more difficult to find land that has yet to be pilfered through for research, so M.I.L.E. quickly seized the opportunity that other companies were ready to grab.
The clanging of sledgehammers driving tent stakes into the ground, diesel engines from semi-trucks hauling research equipment to their designated areas, and foreman and other staff shouting commands can be heard on the eastern edge of the once quiet municipality of Imataca. Amongst the orchestra of sounds from M.I.L.E. employees setting up their research camp, a rhythmic undertone builds towards a crescendo as locals gather to protest the arrival of the “unwelcome outsiders,” a chant that has grown louder as a group of about fifty people (mainly women) gathers on the edge or M.I.L.E. Research base Camp. The Kariña, a group devoted to conserving and preserving the forest's biodiversity, petitioned municipal leaders weeks before the arrival of M.I.L.E. personnel and resorted to peaceful protest near the camp entrance.
Although Imataca has been known to the outside world for hundreds of years, most companies have deliberately avoided conducting research there due to the numerous peaceful protests experienced by several mining companies. While non-violent, the protests encumbered the progress of many mining companies as the Kariña tied themselves to trees, held spiritual dances in roadways, and chose to chant all day and night until most companies packed up and left. However, times have changed, and the Kariña numbers are not as strong as they used to be. That was the perfect opening for M.I.L.E since new leadership is seeking to boost the economy.
While walking to one of the research vehicles to retrieve the last couple of items for her lab, Kayla notices a peculiar-looking plant growing on the ground 20 meters from the entrance to her research tent, similar in appearance to an aloe vera but with blooms like nothing she's seen before. Making haste, Kayla dropped the equipment off in the lab and headed back toward the plant, forgetting her digital camera and note-taking gear. Hoping Lindsey is within earshot, Kayla yells for Lindsey as she kneels to look closer at the plant. Its appearance left her awestruck.
"Lindsey, check this out!" Kayla exclaims in excitement.
However, no response is heard from Lindsey.
"How is it that she's never around when I need her? Better get the camera..." Kayla said to herself as she stood up and started back towards the tent.
"Are you okay? What are you yelling about now?" Lindsay shouts from the entrance of the research tent. By this time, Kayla is within a few feet of Lindsey, her back to the plant.
"Just saw a really cool plant. I've never seen it before. Kayla exclaimed, nearly shouting with excitement. "It's right over..." Kayla starts to say just as she sees one of the work trucks driving toward the plant.
In an instant, Kayla's legs were in motion as they carried her sprinting toward the plant--hands waiving in protest of the truck driver unknowingly guiding the truck on a path of new discovery destruction.
"Hey! Stop! Stop the truck! You're about to run over... Never mind. You just did." Kayla said between labored breaths.
Kayla doubled over slightly with her hands on her hips, catching her breath. As she looked down at the location where the plant had once been standing undisturbed, she saw fresh tire tracks and a trodden plant.
As Kayla examined the plant, the ground foreman nonchalantly approached her.
"What's the trouble?" the foreman asked.
"Your driver just ran over something that looked pretty unique," Kayla said.
"Oops," the foreman said, scratching his head.
“Oops," Kayla said in annoyance through nearly clenched teeth.
Lindsey placed her hand on Kayla's should, providing a fair bit of comfort before making an optimistic proclamation. "We can still study it," Lindsey said reassuringly.
Kayla tilted her head just slightly and raised an eyebrow, still enraged by the state of things.
"Always the optimist," Kayla said as she gathered what remained of the plant.
"Always the realist," Lindsey replied, giving Kayla a nudge as Kayla began to dig around in the soft dark soil carefully.
"Guess we'll dig it up and take it back to the lab," Kayla said as she carefully pulled what remained of the plant from the ground and cupped its roots in her hand.
Kayla and Lindsey returned to the research tent with the plant in hand to study it. Its leaves, stem, and base looked like someone took a weed-eater to it. Nonetheless, they wanted to learn more about it. What they discovered next would change their lives and the lives of countless others forever. They didn’t know it yet.
The research tent looked very plain from the outside, similar to a military command post or CP tent. Still, inside, the tent was outfitted with the latest technology a multi-billion-dollar research company could afford. Lindsey and Kayla were used to traveling to various remote locations worldwide. Since the lab was essentially their home away from home, they ensured they had the creature comforts they were used to at M.I.L.E. right at their fingertips when they traveled. After all, it was their lab.
As Kayla and Lindsey quickly returned to the lab, chirping from various birds and sounds from the many insects near the camp serenaded their every movement. Once inside the tent, Kayla placed the plant on one of the tables near a giant magnifying glass and a microscope. It would be nighttime soon, and Kayla was eager to take a few notes before jet lag and drowsiness overtook her. Kayla looked through the microscope at the plant, her eye appearing three times its normal size. Lindsey was nearby, also examining the plant with her naked eyes.
"This plant is in pretty bad shape," said Lindsey, shaking her head as strands of strawberry blonde bangs threatened to let gravity pull them down just enough to cover her eyes and obstruct her view of one of the shredded-up leaves from the plant.
"Yuh think!" Kayla stated, looking up from the magnifying glass and rolling her eyes. Out of the two, Kayla was the more serious one, sometimes taking things too seriously, while Lindsey possessed a more carefree attitude regarding most things.
At nearly the same time, both scientists noticed a clear substance oozing from the broken parts of the plant.
"'Look at that clear liquid permeating from the pores on the leaves. Seems like it's bleeding out." Lindsey said.
"Yeah. Looks like Goldschlager but with smaller silver flakes. Take a look." Kayla motioned for Lindsey to bring her a pea tree dish so she could take a sample and put it under the microscope.
As Lindsey makes her way toward Kayla, she breathes in heavily and takes a few short and deliberate sniffs of the once-stale air. Kayla also began sniffing in the direction of the plant.
"Can you smell that? Smells like a mixture of cinnamon and vanilla." Kayla said with an air of curiosity.
Lindsey nodded as Kayla began rubbing the liquid between her fingers and smelling it some more.
"Now, don't go tasting the plant. I know you're tempted." Lindsey said jokingly as she handed Kayla the pea tree dish.
Before long, Kayla's enthusiasm had faded. The jet lag from her red-eye flight from LAX to BWI and her short turnaround time to prepare for and take the less than 5-hour flight to Imataca finally caught up with her. By 8 p.m., she was sound asleep at the lab table. On the contrary, Lindsey was still researching and looking up plant statistics.
Kayla was dreaming about going to Egypt and visiting one of the pyramids, which she somehow was trapped in after getting separated from her group when she heard a familiar voice calling from a distance. The voice was calling her name and telling her to look at something. She started to see a way out of the pyramid.
"Wake up. Kayla! Look! Lindsey yelled excitedly as she attempted to bring Kayla back to the present.
"What? Where's the fire?" Kayla asked eyes squinted and her demeanor that of someone not amused, better yet appalled by unkind rhetoric.
"Remember how the plant looked? Torn to shreds a few hours ago, right? Now look!" Lindsey said, bursting with excitement.
"Holy crap! It's pulling itself back together!" Kayla said with elation.
Both women looked at the plant in utter astonishment as once-broken leaves reattached to the plant base. Although the discovery made it difficult for Kayla and Lindsey to get a whole night's sleep--they spent the next few hours just watching the plant and talking about potential possibilities--they both managed to drift off to slumberland close to midnight.
Kayla awoke the following day at 8:30 a.m. to find that Lindsey had already left their resting quarters. She was likely off on some mini adventure, and Kayla couldn't stand that Lindsey didn't wake her. At the same time, she figured it wasn't worth fussing about. After all, she was pretty exhausted the day before. Kayla got out of bed, freshened up, and ate breakfast. Then at 10 a.m., she headed to the lab to check on the plant and review several of the research maps she had brought. Each map had specific locations marked, signifying the likely areas that would provide promising research results. Considering her most recent accidental discovery, Kayla couldn't help but wonder what else they would find.
It was passed nightfall by the time Lindsey returned to camp Kayla and Lindsey had worked together for years, so she was used to Lindsey's impromptu excursions. However, Kayla still felt slightly uneasy until she saw Lindsey hop out of one of the research trucks. It was covered in mud that nearly reached the door handles. Kayla figured the four-vehicle caravan probably ventured somewhere off the beaten path, and since Lindsey's vehicle was the only one covered in mud, Lindsey, as adventurous as she is, directed the driver to "check "that out"- a common Lindsey phrase that often led to her needing some help later on. Seeing that Lindsey was safe, she returned to the lab to look at the plant.
"So here we are, 36 hours later, and you look better than you did when we first met," Kayla said to the plant as she admired its resilience.
A few minutes later. Lindsey burst through the lab doors, chipper as usual and itching to tell Kayla about the day's events. As Kayla suspected, it was Lindsey's call to take what she believed to be a shortcut to reach an old mine shaft that she was told had other abundant minerals than gold. Lindsey explained that as the lead vehicle, she, her driver, and two archeologists attempted to cross what they believed to be a stream. What they didn't realize was that six meters from the bank, underneath the sediment, was a large air pocket. Once the truck hit the pocket, it got sucked in, taking two hours to pull it out. Lindsey explained that this incident had occurred about an hour into the outing and that the team wanted to save the trip since the mine shaft was an hour and a half from camp. They got the vehicle unstuck, made it to the cave for a few hours of research, and returned to base.
Kayla was always intrigued by how excitable Lindsey was; she had such passion for life--for most things. That's one of the many things she loved about her. Before Kayla could get a word in edgewise in response to Lindsey's tails of adventure, Lindsey explained that this wasn't the reason she came bursting through the doors. The night before, Lindsey had plugged several searches into the M.I.L.E. and world databases to obtain more information about the plant, and the search results were in, she explained as she looked at the pristine-looking plant.
"You're not going to believe this!" Lindsey said with a huge smile.
"I’ll believe anything right about now," Kayla said, looking at Lindsey, eyeing the plant and grinning.
"You did it, babe!" Lindsey exclaimed.
"Did what?" Kayla asked with a look of confusion and curiosity on her face.
Lindsey held up a piece of paper and pointed at some of the data on the page before clearing her throat to speak. Kayla could tell that Lindsey was slightly choked up and began to mentally prepare for what Lindsey would say next.
"I checked the world database for picture recognition and cross-referenced all the data we compiled. No plant on the planet has been doc'd that matches this!" Lindsey proclaimed.
"Get the F outta here. I'm assuming I get to name it then?" Kayla said, barely believing her own words.
"Of course. So, what's it gonna be?" Lindsey asked.
The two women sat quietly for a few moments as Kayla pondered what to call the plant.
"I always wanted to name a star after you, but I figured that was cheesy. But this, how many people get to say they discovered a new plant and named it after their girlfriend? I'll call it Lindsey repleo."
Lindsey blushes a little before responding to Kayla's generous offer.
"I have to say I'm flattered, but I think your name should be on it. The repleo part is great, though. I mean, how many plants can replenish cells at such a rapid rate and completely heal themselves?
Kayla pondered for some time; her eyes squinted as she ran through names. Then her eyes widened.
"I got it! Kaylin-repleo! It's catchy, right? Has a certain air to it." Kayla said, impressed with herself while at the same time seeking Lindsey's approval.
"That's freaking awesome! I haven't been this excited since the first time we met!" Lindsey said as she placed her hands on Kayla's shoulders.
"I wonder if this could be the cure for cancer?" Kayla said, rubbing her chin in contemplation.
"Well, one thing's for sure, it probably holds the cure for something. Let's call Charles and get back to M.I.L.E.," Lindsey quipped as she walked toward the video call monitor.
The video call monitor or V.C.M. was a 60-inch T.V. screen with three built-in cameras and could be operated via command or manually. More than just a big T.V. that could send and receive real-time broadcasts, it was equipped with a cellular plus satellite transmission kit. As long as it had power, it could transmit from anywhere. In 2000, an intern from Howard University developed the proof of concept, which, a year later. M.I.L.E. implemented. The intern is now a full-time science and tech division lead for M.I.L.E.'s communication department.
Lindsey used the manual option and punched in the code to call Charles from a keyboard tethered to the monitor's base. In a few seconds, Charles' face appeared on the screen.
"We found something!" Lindsey and Kayla exclaimed joyfully.
"Already?" Charles said, taken aback. "I won't question the validity or reliability of your work, but what is it?" Charles said stoically.
"It's a plant," Kayla said.
"Does it have seven leaves?" Charles asked with a smirk." Charles was the king of corny jokes. Worse, his social awkwardness prohibited him from telling jokes at the right time. But for once, he seemed to tag the punchline smartly.
"Finally, after three months, he cracks a joke," Kayla said to Lindsey, rolling her eyes and shaking her head as she smirked.
It had been three months since a coworker told Charles that he just wasn't funny. Charles' normally stoic demeanor took a hit that day, and for the first time since Lindsey and Kayla knew him, he looked sad.
"Pack it up, girls. See yuh back at the ranch." Charles said.
"We are going to need to run a few tests. Send out a few samples before we come back." Lindsey said, stepping closer to the camera.
"Whatever you need. Good job, ladies." Charles said before the monitor went black.
After the call, Kayla and Lindsey spent the next two days searching for more Kaylin-repleo, digging them up, and sending samples to different M.I.L.E.-owned labs worldwide. It had been two weeks since Lindsey and Kayla had spoken with Charles, and they were about to start another VCM call, but this time with their counterparts who received the plants. The V.C.M. powered on, and four quadrants appeared on the screen with a person and location title in each. Dr. Royce Jones appeared in the top left quadrant titled Europe; Dr. Danielle Wilson was in the lower left quadrant titled North America: the Asia quadrant in the top right was filled with the face of Dr. Itsuki Ken-zhi Li; and in the lower right quadrant was Dr. Micah Okoye from M.I.L.E. Africa. Each of the scientists had sent documentation of their tests to Lindsey and Kayla two days before the meeting. and Kayla and Lindsey were interested to know if things had changed.
"The plant has lost animation," Royce said, ahead of the others.
"Same here," Danielle said.
"This miracle plant needs a miracle," Itsuki said.
"The plant is dead," Micah said.
While these weren't the results they hoped for, the information sparked some thought regarding the plant's stability.
"Thanks for your updates. It looks like M.I.L.E. is going to have to branch out into South America. The plant is doing fine here. We are going to run some more tests--see what we come up with." Lindsey said.
After a few verbal exchanges, Lindsey and Kayla ended the call with their distant colleagues. Then they spent several hours toiling over research documents, computer data, and the remanence of dry-erase markers on whiteboards. They ran several tests and postulated for hours. Kayla and Lindsey discussed the many possible applications the plant could be used for until they were interrupted by James Cook, a close friend and trusted technician. Cook walked into the lab and waved at Lindsey and Kayla. The two hardly noticed him as they debated plant usage. Kayla was biting the top of a pen--one of only a few brief moments that she'd stopped talking. Lindsey had stopped talking too and was staring at Kayla. Soon the moment was gone, and Kayla and Lindsey were back at it.
"I wonder if we can use the extract from this plant like Neosporin?" Kayla said thoughtfully.
"Guess we can find out. Got any ideas?" Lindsey said, turning her gaze from Kayla to James as he approached them.
"Hey. You two need to escape from the lab for a few hours and enjoy the forest." Cook said with his thick southern Alabama accent and southern charm smile.
"Tons of work to do and... Kayla tried to explain before the rest of her sentence got cut off by Lindsey.
"No. Cook's right. Maybe we need to take a break and revisit our work in a few hours." Lindsey said with a slight smile and just enough firmness that Kayla didn't argue.
James left the room and gave the ladies a few minutes to gather their things. A few minutes later. Kayla and Lindsey emerged from the tent. Ahead of them, about 20 yards away, two white Safari Land Rovers were parked. James stood by one of the vehicles and opened the door. Lindsey walked toward James, eyes wide open with a look of excitement.
"Woo-whoo! Riding in style!" Lindsey exclaimed as she reached the vehicle.
"Are these the 2012s?" Kayla gasped.
"Yep," Lindsey said matter-of-factly.
The Twenty Twelve Safari Land Rovers were prototype vehicles that Land Rover worked with M.I.L.E. to test, evaluate, and potentially upgrade and outfit. M.I.L.E.’s partnership with Land Rover was one of many lucrative partnerships that brought in steady revenue streams. 2012 meant that this was the twelfth Land Rover prototype that M.I.L.E. had been testing for Land Rover since 2000. The official title was 20 Tac 12 (20-12), but everyone simply said twenty twelve.
James held the door open to the prototype SUV and assisted Lindsey inside. As Kayla enters the car, James casts a glance checking her out as she settles in and buckles her seatbelt--
unbeknownst to him, Lindsey notices.
"You ladies ready to go?" James asks.
"Always ready for exploration," Kayla replies, not knowing that James had just been checking her out.
James raises his eyebrows slightly and smirks just a little, not realizing Lindsey has locked him in her gaze.
"Now don't go getting any ideas, Cookie. It would never work out." Lindsey said, chuckling, as she clarified that he'd been caught checking out her girlfriend.
"Who me? Now c'mon. Besides, aren't you two...?" James said, slightly embarrassed, his face turning a light tint of red.
"Yes. Yes, we are, and don't you forget it." Lindsey said, laughing a little as she buckled her seatbelt.
Moments later, the mini convoy of stylish new SUVs began a moderately paced drive through the densely populated foliage on a reasonably well-maintained but old asphalt road.
Since the weather was favorable, and Lindsey, Kayla, and James were all windows-down kinds of people, they had their arms on the window seals and a slightly cool breeze, playfully tossing hair to and fro and threatening to snag up a few loose papers and throw them out the window. As their SUV neared a bend in the road, the tranquil, sweet-smelling breeze vanished and was replaced by the stench of death. James, Lindsey, and Kayla all looked at each other in surprise.
"Driver, to that tree, "Cook said, pointing to a tree nearly 40 yards away.
"You got it, boss." The driver said, slightly turning the steering wheel and pressing on the gas more than before.
"What does this tree remind you of?" Lindsey asked Kayla as the SUV neared the base of the gigantic tree.
"Obviously, you already know the answer, but for shits and giggles. I'll say a redwood tree," Kayla said enthusiastically.
"Yep. And I bet there are some interesting data that we can gather from it." Lindsey replied in a positive matter-of-fact way.
"Probably," Kayla said, furrowing her nose as the vehicle approached the tree.
"You two smell that?" James asked, turning back to look at Lindsey and Kayla.
Of course, they smelled it. The stench would have permeated the vehicle whether the windows were up or down.
"Smells like death or at least some sort of carnage," Lindsey said as she started to cover her nose with a handkerchief.
The caravan of vehicles stopped near the base of the enormous tree. The thick roots protruded from the bottom of the tree in all directions like a sea of wooden waves that were 18 inches high. Each heart was nearly eight inches wide, and there had to have been 100 of them surrounding the tree's circumference.
"So that's where this awful smell came from!" Kayla exclaimed as she, Lindsey, and James squatted to examine a swath of mangled, dead, or partly alive rats entangled in the roots.
"Some of them are still alive. What should we do." James asked.
"Let's take the live ones with us back to the lab. Maybe we can find out what did this to them?" Lindsey said, waving some assistance over to her.
"Maybe we can save them," Kayla said as she looked down at the struggling rats.
Within moments, a swarm of technicians and assistants arrived wearing gloves that extended coverage to their biceps and with cages in hand to collect the rats. Kayla and Lindsey stood near the SUVs with their notepads and pens out, documenting various things and helping to count how many rats were collected.
Lindsey looked at Kayla briefly and asked, "30 total?"
Just then, a young black man, seemingly in his 20's, walked by with a cage in his hand.
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"Last one." He stated. "This one has six in it." He said with slightly labored breath as he loaded the cage the size of a large dog kennel into the back of one of the SUVs.
By the time the rat rescue or at least round-up was complete, it was nightfall, and the lights of the vehicles cut through the nearly palpable darkness of the rainforest. There were no streetlights or ambient lighting from buildings nearby—just the silhouettes of the trees against the midnight blue, star-studded sky. After a few hours of driving. the vehicles finally approached the entrance to the base camp. The whirring of generator-powered lights stands throughout the base camp, made for comforting white noise against the backdrop of foreign forest creatures' sounds or the dead quiet in some areas of the large base camp. Amber pockets of light gave the camp a cozy and safe feeling. The lights were placed just far enough apart that there were only small areas of complete darkness leading up to and surrounding the research lab, and the large 12-person tents were set up neatly in rows and columns to one side of it. The vehicles park as close as they can to the lab, and a frenzy of activity ensued as technicians, scientists, and assistants worked to offload the rats from the vehicles and into observation and treatment cages in the lab.
Kayla and Lindsey, wearing masks and gloves inside the lab, place the rats into incubators on the lab tables on the outskirts of the room. These incubators look similar to the ones at the hospital that are meant for newborns but are slightly smaller.
"There you go, little guy," Kayla says, gently putting one of the rats in an incubator.
Kayla and Lindsey sat impatiently, thinking about ways to save the rats who had survived whatever vicious attack had befallen them hours earlier. They shuffled in their chairs, looking at each other and then almost simultaneously at the main observation table in the middle of the room. On it sat several Kaylin-repleo plants.
"Do you think it is possible that the totipotent stem cells that allowed this plant to regenerate so rapidly could have some sort of healing effect on these rats?" Kayla asked, touching her finger to her lip, and placing her thumb on her chin.
"Weren't we just trying to figure out what tore these rats up?" Lindsey asked, tilting her head towards Kayla, and stiffening her lips.
"Uh-huh. But why can't we do both?" Kayla asked inquisitively as she got up from her chair and walked toward the observation table.
"You know, if there are results, they are either going to go extremely right or extremely wrong," Lindsey said through pursed lips.
Both Lindsey and Kayla are standing at the observation table now. Kayla drapes an arm across Lindsey's shoulder.
"Let's hope things go extremely right," Kayla said with a bright smile and a few light shoulder shakes.
With that, the two began the arduous process of developing a serum. Over the next few weeks. Kayla and Lindsey run tests on the rats using the resources available: DNA replicators, blood samples, and various technical instruments and computer programs will hopefully lead them to the desired solution. Lindsey is across the room from Kayla with both hands on her head, staring at DNA vials as they spin in one of the lab mixers.
Kayla abruptly looks up from one of the compound microscopes.
"You're gonna go cross-eyed, yuh know," Kayla said, gesturing to Lindsey to move away from the mixer.
Lindsey leans back away from the mixer and spins in her chair, pulling her knees up to her chest as she spins. She turns her head in the direction of Kayla and crosses her eyes. "What? Like this?" Lindsey asks, laughing.
After a brief moment of comic relief, the two return to work. Kayla makes some calculations and then focuses on two large computer screens. Lindsey points a finger at one of the screens. Each screen has two large strands of DNA rotating. The two on the left are glowing yellow, and the computer on the right's DNA strands are also glowing. but the one on the left is red, and the other is blue. Kayla mixes some substances together, including the Kaylin-repleo extract, and hands Lindsey a vial. Lindsey can barely keep her hands steady as she uses a dropper to add a few tiny drops of the substance to a sample of rat blood in a pea-
tree dish.
"Well, here goes!" Lindsey says, with an anxious look of anticipation on her face.
Within milliseconds a reaction starts in the pea tree dish, and Kayla stands flabbergasted with her mouth wide open in shock.
"You seeing what I'm seeing? I mean, you believing what I'm believing?" Kayla exclaimed.
​
"Yep," Lindsey said confidently.
The blood cells in the pea tree dish have begun to replicate rapidly but nonviolently. The silver flakes from the Kaylin-repleo merge with the blood cells, and Lindsey and Kayla slap five as they watch what is unfolding before their eyes. Seeing the results, Lindsey and Kayla begin running tests on the rats. They administer the Kaylin-repleo serum, also known as KR-5, to several of the rats. What they discover was that rats who receive the serum and have had flesh completely torn from the bone heal completely except for the bare-boned area. Those that received KR-5 and had severe wounds where the bone was not exposed healed completely. The scientists also discover that there are some side effects to the serum; one percent of rats exhibit extremely aggressive behavior once treated with the serum; all rats treated with KR-5 exhibit an increase in strength of no less than 20%; all rats treated with the serum lose pigment in the iris of their eyes. The researchers discovered more than what they bargained for, and after presenting their findings to Charles, M.I.L.E. receives its highest level of funding ever. Shortly after Lindsey and Kayla provide their last update to Charles, the base camp is completely broken down, and Lindsey and Kayla board a helicopter as they begin their journey back to the States. Lindsey watches Kayla board the helicopter; it looks like she's shielding something from the rotor wash.
"I see you brought Lazarus with you," Lindsey says, smiling.
"Yeah, I guess these past months I've grown more attached to him than the others," Kayla said, holding Lazarus as delicately as she'd hold a baby.
"You're one of the lucky ones," Kayla whispered to Lazarus as the helicopter rotors spin faster and the aircraft shifts a little before takeoff.
Lindsey looks out the window as the helicopter smoothly rises from the rainforest ground into the air. Turning to look at Kayla, she asks, "How much do you want to bet that our funding from now on comes straight from the Department of Defense?"
"Hmm..." Kayla grunts with a little disappointment.
As the helicopter soars ever higher into the clear blue sky, Kayla thinks to herself, "Extremely right or extremely wrong. What did we do?"
