Regrowth

Prologue

    I grew up with loving parents, and my dad was always my favorite. He always had a smile on his face that was clearly visible through his bushy beard. I found his old collection of strange rocks. That's all he left for me. No special message, no note, no goodbye. No trace that he was ever in my life. He just... left. I hated him for that.

    My alarm woke me up. The sound always annoyed me. I turned it off and prepared for the day. I've never been a morning person, especially when a long day was ahead. I work for a company called "Regrowth" acting as an intern in one of the facilities. Working there has its perks: a company vehicle, a discount on the medicine I need and a livable wage. But it can be exhausting at times. The company car is compatible with the new high-speed highways, so even though the facility is 200 miles away, it only takes me 15 minutes to get there.
   
    When I arrived at the facility, I could see my other friends waiting for me, so I pressed the car horn, something I always do. I parked the car and locked my door. I usually show up earlier than them, but there was some traffic on the way.

     "Hey guys." I said.

     "Sup Ridick."

    "Any news on your d-" my best friend, Logan, stopped Erick before he could finnish his sentence.

    "Dude, don't ask about that. I don't think he wants to talk yet." Logan said with an annoyed tone. I looked at him gratefully.

    "It's ok, I don't mind. I haven't heard anything about him yet." I've known Logan since 7th grade. He helped me with just about everything from grades to emotional support. He's like a brother to me. Jason and Erick are good friends too, but I don't connect with them as much as I do with Logan.
   
    We all entered the facility together. The doors made the familiar sound I hear just about everyday. When we entered, Dr. Cane greeted us.

    "How's everybody doing?" He said with a friendly face.

    "Good." we all said in unison without any hint of excitement.

    "Why's everybody so glum? Did something happen?" Dr. Cane asked. My friends all looked at me, concerned.

    "I'm ok guys. Really." I said, and I actually convinced myself that I was. "I'll tell you later How- I mean, Dr. Cane." Dr. Cane is a nice man. I've known him since I was born so I usually address him by his first name, Howard. He's the main reason I'm at the facility. He stands about six feet tall and he looks to be about fifty or sixty, even though he's only 40. Dr. Cane knew my father, he went to the same college as him but I just couldn't tell him one of his best friends was missing or possibly....

    "Ok, we've got a lot of work to do today, as I'm sure you know, so be prepared." Howard announced. My friends and I were given a notice that we'd be using one of the testing chambers which could only mean we're working with live animals.

    The facility looks small on the outside, but it has sections that are underground for safety reasons. We all took the elevator down to the main testing floor.

    As we were walking to our assigned testing chamber, Erick said, "I hope we actually have results today. I'm so tired of looking at absolutely nothing happening to the animals. It's like watching paint dry." I agreed with him. Our unit specialised in Enhancements to muscle strength which meant we also had to monitor the animals for adverse side effects. The unit before us was mauled to death by an enhanced rat, which is why I had to sign a waiver to intern here.

    I've always been more cautious than my friends. If I feel like something's wrong, I'll tell my friends to wear protective gear. Luckily, we haven't had any accidents. The testing chambers are equipped with different tools for decontamination, the most used one being an incinerator for dead or uncontrollable enhanced animals. The other decontamination units are in the entrance to keep the rooms clean. Howard closed the door behind us while we stood in the observation room.