The Perfection Experiment
By Arpinicl
The sound of the dryer halted, and Dr. Mikhail Yeager bent over to pull out his newly cleaned white lab coat. But, as he began to don it, a frown spread across his face. The sleeves, in particular, were slightly wrinkled, despite Yeager’s efforts. Frustrated, Yeager threw the coat on the ironing table, and began. As he ironed, his eyes scanned across the room, checking that everything was where it should be, in the right orientation, and clean. But, one picture was slightly shifted towards the right. Yeager sat down the iron and walked over, moving the picture back to its perfect orientation. He returned back to his work, perfectly ironing the sleeves, and threw the lab coat back on himself, adjusting the name tag to its correct position.
These few obstacles slowed down Yeager in his perfectly timed morning routine, so he had to rush over to the laboratory, even running stop signs and traffic lights to make it there at the exact time he always arrived. Yeager sped into the parking space and jumped out of his car, pushing his hair back with his hand and wiping sweat off of his brow.
Mikhail ran into the building, straight towards the Human Experimental Room, frantically checking his watch as he went. As he entered, he was met by Disarray and another scientist whom he had not seen before.
“You’re one minute late,” Disarray said in a joking manner.
Yeager glared at him and moved over to the control console, “How are the enhancements going on the test subjects?”
Disarray walked over, pressing a button on the console to bring up cameras of the multiple subject rooms, “So far, two of the four have died, one has gone crazy, and the other one seems to be holding out”
“Those are not the results I had hoped for.” Yeager said, filling a cup of coffee.
“Likewise,” Disarray turned back, “Perhaps our experiments to enhance and perfect the human body have gone too far, or perhaps we have failed. Either case, I believe we should end our tests and focus upon new endeavors?”
Yeager slammed his fist upon the table, spinning around to face Disarray, “No! I will complete this experiment, whether you wish to aid or not. There is a perfect human, and I will be the one to foster it.”
The other scientist, unknown, hurried out of the room after Yeager’s outburst, carefully closing the door behind them to avoid any further anger.
Just as he was about to respond, Disarray’s phone rang, suspending the conversation. Yeager glared at him through his glasses, malicious thoughts running rampant through his mind. He focused back upon the cameras, seeing the last test subject who seemed to have held out being dragged out by guards, their body limp.
Disarray ended the call, and slid his phone back into his lab coat pocket, “The last test subject has died, and Dr. Ward is manually ending our experiment and assigning us to new tests.”
Mikhail strongly gripped the console, his breathing intensifying. A tense silence hung in the air, its presence overbearing upon the scientists.
“What if I became the new test subject? Then our experiments could continue.” Yeager said, still facing the screens.
A shocked look was displayed upon Disarray’s face, “But you would be putting yourself at risk! You would likely die just as the others did!”
“That would be a risk I would be willing to take,” Yeager ran his hands through his hair again.
Disarray approached Yeager, “I would not allow that. Dr. Ward would not allow that. She assigned us to new tests and we must listen to her,”
“Then I shall do it on my own if you will not help me,” Yeager grabbed his lab coat and burst out of the room, silence and Disarray left behind.
He rushed over from the Human Experimental Room control center and onto an open testing room for the Perfection Experiment. He laid himself down upon the machine, tightening the straps while mummering to himself.
“They say it can’t be done, they think it is impossible. I will prove them all wrong.”
Yeager reached out and activated the command console next to him, sending signals to the machines in front of him. His test has begun. He laid back and smiled, as the machine, with its various blades and robotic parts, approached his body. His dream might finally come true.
The pain was much worse than Yeager anticipated, causing him to scream out in agony. The various blades dug into his flesh, ripping him apart, making room for the enhancements to be put in. He felt as the cold, hard steel dug into his body, and soon placing more steel and other pieces within his opened self. Mikhail faded in and out of consciousness, each time waking up to immense waves of pain, only to pass out once again. Each time he awoke, more and more of the procedure was completed, and yet, he had still not died.
At last, the steel arms of the machines retracted, leaving Yeager and his new body to heal. The metal straps popped open, and he attempted to stand up, only to fall over, his body filled with agony. Yeager grit his teeth and pushed upon the table next to him to stand, despite almost having passed out in the process. A mirror hung upon the wall, and Yeager limped over to admire his new self, a mix of man and machine.
His flesh was now almost all replaced by robotic parts and armor, his body at its perfection. Yeager grinned, admiring himself, trying to twist in different angles to see different sides but being greeted with further pain. Yeager gingerly walked out of the room, pushing open the door. The building was now very empty, and the sun had begun to set.
Except one scientist remained, Disarray.
“Disarray!” Yeager called out, standing outside of the room.
Disarray turned around, another look of shock, this one much greater than the previous, upon his face, “What have you done?”
“I am now perfect, I am both man and machine. I have completed The Perfection Experiment” Yeager raised his hands into the air. “I am now unstoppable.”