By RedPrincess {{~_~}}
The lab technician finished his latest dissection assignment following the doctor's instructions exactly. Yes, this one was like all the rest, every one of the rat's organs were reversed. As he tossed the body into the pail with the others he felt a great disgust for what he was doing. The bloody bucket was placed on top of a counter next to the red plastic bag where the tiny bodies would be stored until they could be sent to the crematory later that afternoon. He glanced up at the clock and suddenly realized that it was past the time for the next experiment. Fearing the doctor's biting admonishment, he hurriedly scurried about the room collecting the necessary equipment. One by one he placed them all on the countertop while thoughtfully contemplating his chosen line of work. His feelings were full of mixed emotions and his thoughts drifted as he arranged each of the items precisely. First the small wire cage was opened and grabbing the large white rat by its tail, he expertly removed it from its housing.
"Sorry fella, looks like its your turn today."
Shaking his head wistfully, he realized that to date over one hundred rats had met their fate through his hands during this one project alone. How many thousands had he sent to their deaths during the course of his employment with the doctor? He felt bad that he was the one to do it but it was his job, and it was for a good cause. The unfortunate casualties of science were necessary to bring about a better world. At least that was how he justified it to himself.
And this project was something extremely special. If the doctor was successful it could completely alter people's lives in a way that they had never dreamed of! Interdimensional teleportation was something which heretofore had only been written about in science fiction stories and he had helped that fiction become reality. It was both scary and exciting. And the the doctor had found the gateway to what he believed to be a twin dimension...a place where there existed duplicates of every living being on earth!
Picking up the small syringe which laid next to the cage, he poked the sharp needle into a rubber topped vial and withdrew exactly 2 CC's of the colorless liquid it contained.
"At least this will make your journey comfortable, boy. You'll sleep right through it."
Holding the creature down with one hand he deftly used the other to inject the serum into its tiny shoulder. Counting silently to himself, he watched as finally the rat became still and flopped limply onto its side. The technician picked up the sleeping rat and placed him gently on a small metal tray. Carrying the tray across the room, he put it on the floor, directly beneath the teleportation device. It was a strange looking machine with many dials, buttons and electrical pulses. Shaped like a backwards telescope it emitted a ray which banished the subject from this realm to an unknown dimension. He had no idea how it worked since his employer alone had entirely constructed the teleportation device purposely keeping him completely in the dark. The doctor was an extremely secretive researcher who guarded the important details of his projects with an almost paranoid kind of passion. The technician was only permitted to handle the animals and set up the equipment for the experiment, but what he did know was that Dr. Jonathan Boswell was a relentless worker who had become compulsively obsessed with his own project. Time and time again the lab technician had prepared rats for their trip into the unknown void beyond, and over and over he had witnessed them either come back dead or deformed. For although the doctor had invented a way into the dimension, he had yet to devise a working plan to bring any of them back in a normal state. So for this poor lowly life form it was going to be a brief adventure, then to the guillotine to be euthanized and finally to eventually be dissected.
"See ya little guy. Good luck."
He picked up the receiver of the telephone and dialed a four digit number. After two rings the call was answered.
"Yes?"
"He's ready sir."
"You're late. You screwed up again jerkbrain!"
"Sorry sir."
The doctor hung up without replying and the technician then busied himself turning on the equipment and making everything ready for the impending experiment. A few minutes later the lab door opened and a rather small man with a slight build rushed in, his open lab coat was drawn behind him by the breeze his own speed had generated. He was a nervous looking man with sandy colored hair and a mustache and goatee to match. The horned rimmed glasses which framed bright blue eyes, marred the boyishly handsome face behind them. Although in his mid thirties, the Professor looked barely twenty years of age. Approaching the sleeping rat he bent down, scooped it up and placed it back inside of its cage all the while talking animatedly.
"Davis, I've changed my mind. I'm not sending any more rats into the other dimension."
"Sir?"
"Its time to progress to the next step."
The lab technician cocked his head in confusion becoming quite alarmed.
"Dr. Boswell, I'm not quite sure what it is you are saying to me. We can't progress to the next step until we've perfected this one. We first must bring the test subjects back safely and we haven't accomplished that yet.
"That is correct but last night I made some major adjustments to the teleportation device and it will now function properly."
"So you are saying that it now has the capabilities to not only transport to the other dimension but also back again without causing any type of deformity?"
"Correct."
"All right, if you aren't sending a rat through, what animal shall I prepare? We have a cat which has been unused for experimentation of any kind as yet."
"No more animals."
"Sir?"
"Simply put Davis, I've decided that it's time to send a human through the dimensional portal!"
The Professor's eyes gleamed peculiarly behind the glaring lenses covering them.
"But Dr. Boswell, we aren't approved for human testing. Besides, you don't even know where the rats end up! You can't send a human through that portal! You haven't even tested the new adjustments with an animal subject!"
"No I haven't. But there is no need, I am absolutely positive of my calculations. The two way trip WILL work!"
"But Doc, the protocol states..."
"Popycock! When did I ever follow protocol Davis?"
He smiled wickedly.
"Dr. Boswell, I am only a lab technician but I must protest! This is not only dangerous, it is foolish! And where will you find a human subject? You can't exactly go out on the street and find someone to take this kind of risk!"
"I have a human subject right here."
Davis gulped nervously and pointed to himself with a shaking finger.
"Me sir?"
The doctor laughed.
"No, no. You're too stupid to pull it off jerkbrain. No, I myself will go through the portal."
"Oh sir, you can't! What if something goes wrong? I don't know what to do!"
"Relax Davis, you need do nothing, I've adjusted the device so it will send me through the portal and then precisely sixty seconds later it will return me automatically."
"Dr. Boswell, please don't take that chance. If I may be so bold I must say your zeal for this project has obscured your scientific logic!"
"Nonsense Davis. I'm going, and that's final. I MUST know what lies on the other side! Prepare the device.
"Sir, at least send the rat through first."
"Oh all right, if it will ease your mind put the creature back beneath the device and we'll test my theory out on it first."
"Yes sir!"
Davis returned the still sleeping rat to its former position and turned to the doctor awaiting further instruction. Moving rapidly back and forth around the teleportation device the doctor began to execute a series of precise programming codes which enabled the machine to explode into life. An almost comforting whirring noise progressed into a slow pulsing as the beam finally became ready. Dr. Boswell touched the last button and a bright blue-white ray shot from the machine, and the pulse progressed and until it became a loud whining squeal. For a split second the rat glowed eerily, then his form blurred and vanished. The seconds ticked with agonizing slowness. Finally a blurry form appeared on the tray, gleaming brightly. When the flash subsided the two men could see that the rat had made it back safely.
Davis walked over to the rat, picked it up and handed the unconscious creature to the doctor. Wasting no time Dr. Boswell positioned the tiny neck under the blade and unloosed the guillotine. The sharply honed metal cut severed the head from the body quickly but with a sickening thud which made Davis wince. He then deftly sliced it open with a scalpel and peeled back the skin to reveal the rodent's vital organs.
"Hmmm...normal except for the heart. Its still on the wrong side. I need to make one more adjustment."
The doctor programmed a series of codes into the tiny keypad on the side of the device and then adjusted the height to accommodate a human. Once again the machine roared back to life. He then quickly took his place on the teleportation mark, anticipating his pioneering adventure hungrily. Shouting over the din of the device he gave the technician his instruction.
"I'm ready Davis. All you have to do is push that green button. In case of malfunction there is a red switch which will manually reverse the procedure. Do you think you can handle that jerkbrain?"
"Yes sir."
"Good. If I don't return in sixty seconds hit that toggle switch!"
"Are you sure you're going to be all right sir?"
"Yes yes...stop wasting time jerkbrain! Do it NOW!"
The lab technician depressed the button and the beam shot out once again. The doctors eyes grew wide as he glowed momentarily and then disappeared from sight. Bright neon colors swirled about Boswell as he passed through the dimensional portal. Finally he reached his destination. The lab was identical to his own, or was it? What were those rats doing to that human? He rubbed his eyes. No it couldn't be. And why were his arms strapped down and his head in a vise? Straining his head, he managed to turn it sideways. A large bucket sat beside him and ten pairs of eyes stared lifelessly back at him. Gazing up he saw a human head being lowered slowly into the pail. A familiar snapping noise caused him to turn away from the horrible sight and look upward just as the sharp pointed edge of the blade descended.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Davis checked his watch and finally the beam returned. A small white flash scurried across the lab floor and stopped at Davis' feet. The spectacled rodent in the white lab coat looked up at him. As Davis bent down to grab its tail he heard a small voice cry out with disgust.....
"You just can't do anything right, can you jerkbrain?"
The End
©1999 RedPrincess {{~_~}}