Phoenix

[Niro]

[color=#33CC00]/accessing personal log files
/searching for next file
/found dated 10-13-798 A.S.
/continue? y/n
/y
/opening file 'phnx-one


After almost a year of preparation, and countless discussions with the Council, the Phoenix Project is finally under way. The ramifications of this process are unfathomable; I can only dream of what it will bring to Maltas future.

At least, I did.

Harriet Vasquez, my faithful assistant over almost a decade of work in this project as well as in others. Its no secret that Ive a brilliant mind, but quite honestly, it would be nothing without hers. Her invaluable insight has always acted as a sort of catalyst to my own, and more than that, shes been my closest friend. I was foolish, cocky, too blinded by possibilities and outcomes to take enough precautions. I still dont know if Ill ever begin to forgive myself after what happened.

Put simply, Harriet volunteered herself to be the first testing subject. I tried to dissuade her from the decision, naturally, but her mind was already made up. While we were provided grants, a compound for our research, resources, and everything else we needed to carry out our work, there was still one thing we wouldnt have access to any time soon; a human test subject. With a process such as this, its impossible to carry out experimentation on animals. Cardamine is potent substance, even to the human body, so when introduced in such an intensive and pure form, animal bodies simply could never handle it. The human body is resilient, and has already shown advanced evolution as a result of the genetic mutation. With animals, that has not been the case, so while Maltan wildlife still possess the dependency, they do not feel the effects of enhanced lifespan and others.

Regardless, I should have pushed her harder, but the truth is that I myself wanted to see the project go forward just as much or more than she did. I was impatient; I didnt want to wait the countless months it would take to acquire a volunteer for the process. So I agreed, carelessly, and have suffered the consequences.

No, I havent suffered; she has.

On paper, the science behind the procedure was faultless. I didnt think anything could go wrong, and sadly, neither did she. Everything began without a hitch, as well. The concentrated substance was introduced to the system, and the rapid gene therapy began. The body accepted the process completely, but the integration was essentially a dead one. The catalyst, a cocktail of numerous materials, fabricated to activate the substance, was introduced.

And everything fell apart.

Her liver failed almost instantly. The development caught me off guard, but I could compensate. Once I had her liver stable, however, just about every other organ you could think of decided to reject the process. Both kidneys, her lungs, and fatally, her heart. I still cant get rid of the image in my head Her cell structure fell apart; her skin turned to paper; her bones to ash; her flesh to paste; her eyes to pools of black in her face. God damn it I dont know if I can do this anymore. I cant put anyone else through that, but then I try to think what Harriet would say; what she would want me to do. The answer is obvious, but theres more I need to decide for myself before I make a decision.

My next entry remains tentative in nature. Reflection and time will decide the future of the project.


[color=#33CC00]/entry ended

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