The year was 3000 on Planet Earth. The cataclysms and the diseases inoculated to humans by cruel doctors who wanted to know the effect of the YZT bacterium had given the expected results. Some died, others developed diseases unknown to humans at the time, and those who remained alive were subjected out of fear to an elite of scientists who continued to conduct dark experiments.
All inhabitants had a treatment, mandatory, to stay alive on Planet Earth. That was what they knew from two generations before. No one knew what the treatment they had to take daily consisted of. They were only informed that the XKP substance they could not stop taking for any reason. None of them knew what it contained.
The mistress, as the highest government authority was nicknamed, did not die or grow old. She communicated with its inhabitants through a screen that only appeared to provide information to its inhabitants.
That is how they selected young John Klein, Judith Delp, Lilian Ledezma, Rafael Sosa and Omar Díaz to be part of the team that would perform experiments on wild animals. They did not know the macabre objective. They were only told that they would work with scientists to change the hereditary patterns of wild animals. To do this they would choose pairs of chimpanzees, tigers and crocodiles. They would be infected with different strains of viruses and bacteria, artificially created in the laboratory, whose hidden objective was to modify behavioral patterns. All the tests would be carried out in the Wild Transformation Laboratory. They had no idea of the results of such a risky project.... They would simply, without realizing it, play god....
All those selected met virtually with the owner. She explained the following:
-Tomorrow you will start working in the Wild Transformation Laboratory, where you will run tests to change the inheritance in different animals. The methodology for doing so will appear on the screens in due time... Your input is very valuable to science. You must be very careful with the records. You are the pioneers for such important work. I wish you luck.
At the end the virtual screen faded out. No one was able to ask any questions.
The next day everyone arrived punctually at the laboratory. When they saw the animals, they were surprised...
-Is this real? I thought they were extinct, they originated from the Barbarian Planet in the Nebula Galaxy. That's the information our grandparents passed down to us, says Lilian.
-We have to be very careful and follow the protocol they give us, says Rafael.
Omar, the most daring, decided to work with the only crocodile there was. Meanwhile, Rafael and John would work with the tigers and the ladies with the pair of chimpanzees. The experiment would last three months. Every day the different treatments were administered.
Everything was going normally, but one day Judith forgot to take her daily treatment. She noticed that she felt strange things... She decided to keep that secret. It seemed as if her senses became more acute when she was free of the XKP substance, so she decided not to take it for a while. Instinctively, he began to sense things he did not understand...
After two months Judith observes a different behavior in one of the chimpanzees. She tells Lilian about it, but she replies:
-Remember that we can't talk, just record what you see. That behavior is probably because the changes have already begun.
Judith insists:
-That behavior is strange. Moni, as she called the chimpanzee, began to say words..... She understands when I talk to her.
-It can't be. That's impossible Judith. That's one of your fantasies....Don't tell me anything else. We've finished our work for today. Let's go home. Lilian answers.
The two leave the lab but Judith stays behind.....There's no one left in the lab. She stops...someone is calling her. She goes to where the voice is coming from. She sees no one. There is only Moni there.
Moni speaks to her:
-We are from Planet Earth but our families, already inoculated, were transferred to Planet Barbarian and, to us, they left us in the laboratory to continue with their macabre trials. Thanks to you, who suspended the ingestion of the daily substance, you can hear me. The others cannot. We have to come up with a plan. Otherwise we will all die, including you. That's the last phase of the experiment. That's why they never get evidence of these savages. The elite who rule them are the real savages....I have a contact on the Blue Light Star where we could all live in peace.
Lilian's face is astonished...she turns pale before this information, her legs tremble, her heart beats rapidly. She tries to recover herself .... and she says with broken words:
-But what about my family and Harmony Village? That's all I know...
-It's all an illusion. They keep them under control with the XKP substance. When you don't take it, feelings and reasoning come to the surface. Trust me. I am a survivor of that holocaust... You are going to help me so that we both communicate with Commander AShtoris4 of Blue Star. He knows what is going on here but is waiting for someone to reveal themselves so he can help. The time has come. Tonight at 10 o'clock, when everyone is asleep, the two of us will establish contact with him. Moni answers.
-And how do you do that? Lilian asks more calmly
-Simply with the intention... but promise me that you will never take the substance again. Keep pretending as you have been doing. That's the key to be recognized and evacuated...answers Moni.
-All right, I will do so. Now I have to go so as not to arouse suspicion.
Tomorrow I will talk to you again.
The next day Lilian does her ordinary work but stays behind to talk to Moni.
-What did they tell you? asks
-There is no time. We will be rescued tomorrow night. The tigers will help us. The crocodile will guard the entrance and attack if anyone enters the Lab. We all have to be as close as possible. Moni clarifies.
What about my co-workers? Can they come with me? Lilian asks.
-Unfortunately not, because they are not prepared. Only you and the animals of the experiment.
-And how do I know it's not a trap? Lilian insists.
-Your feelings will let you know. Trust. Moni clarifies.
The agreed day arrives. Lilian shares the chores with her colleagues. She says goodbye to them but then quickly hides waiting for the night........ She made the decision...
The alarm sounds when it detects that there is a human in the laboratory. Doctor Kazadakis enters and upon seeing the crocodile shoots a beam of light at it. The crocodile writhes in pain but gets up and overpowers Kazadakis. It imbues him with the Dormitis8k scent, which will keep him in a deep amnesiac sleep; when he wakes up he will not remember what happens in the Laboratory... The animals quickly rejoin Lilian. All together they are evacuated by a powerful and beautiful beam of pink light. They arrive at the intergalactic ship QuantumLuzRose. Lilian surprised to see humans welcoming her with love....One of them catches her concerns:
-I am the Captain of the ship. My name is AkenatIllusiono. I am human like you. I went through that savage scientific process. You are safe now. We will take you to Blue Star where those who stopped taking the XKP substance and woke up are. There you will live happily and in harmony with the rest of the rescued.
Risky Decision by María del Carmen Sánchez Copyright © 2022
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
