Hunting Project: ZONE (Book 9)

Hunting Project Zone

"Catherine, what's this?" tanong ni Josef na nagsisimula nang kabahan sa nakikita.

Itinuro ni Laby ang chamber na may lamang baby. "Hindi na kakayanin ng gamot ang case ni Armida."

"And . . . ?" nag-aalala niyang tanong habang palipat-lipat ang tingin niya sa baby at kay Laby.

"I'm trying to create an artifical regenerator."

"But . . ." Naituro ni Josef ang baby. "This is artificial?"

"Actually, it's a yes and a no. It's a living regenerator. The whole project evolves in making a perfect artifical regenerator from joint oocytes."

Napataas ng kilay si Josef para magtanong kung ano ang sinasabi ni Laby.

"Oocyte is a premature egg cell. Ito yung cell na kinuha ko sa asawa mo three months after she gave birth to your son. Then I took another mature egg cell from a healthy woman for fertilization. Kinain ng premature egg cell ng asawa mo ang mature egg cell ng ibang babae. And I removed its nucleus."

"But did you kill—"

"The egg cells were donated. I didn't kill anybody. I injected it to a surrogate mother na healthy naman. Gusto mong kausapin ngayon?"

"And who's the father?" takang tanong ni Josef.

"I need the same genetic structure ng sa asawa mo kaya kumuha ako ng kaunting tissue sa binti ni Crimson."

Napapamaywang agad si Josef at kitang-kita sa mukha niya na may ginawa nga si Laby na hindi niya ikatutuwa.

"So, si Crimson ang tatay ng batang 'yan," may inis sa tinig niya nang sabihin iyon.

"Nooot . . . really. Yes and no."

"Ugh," napahawak tuloy sa noo si Josef at napailing. "Paanong yes and no? That's a baby!"

"Actually . . . kaya yes na artificial siya kasi clone lang siya ng asawa mo. So . . . hindi siya normal na tao, genetically speaking."

"But that's unethical!" singhal agad ni Josef habang nakalahad pa ang mga palad. "That's forbidden!"

"Gusto mo bang mabuhay ang asawa mo o hindi?" panakot ni Laby.

"Pero kasi—" Akma pang may sasabihin si Josef pero hindi talaga niya alam kung paano sasabihin ang hindi niya masabi-sabi.

"I'll release ARJO soon after she survives the first year. For sure, after ng agreement ng Citadel at ni Armida, makakakuha na 'ko ng dugo sa bata."

"Catherine, nakakatulog ka pa ba nang maayos sa ginagawa mo?" dismayadong tanong ni Josef. "Ilang beses kang nag-conduct ng experiment?"

"398."

"And you dispose that 398 fetuses for this?"

"At least, mabubuhay naman ang asawa mo, di ba?" nakangisi nitong sagot. "And besides, nasa Citadel naman tayo. Funded ang lahat ng experiments ko. Three years ko na kaya 'tong ginagawa!"

"You're a psychopath." Napatingin naman siya sa iba pang chamber. "What about the other . . . experiments?"

"Well . . ."

"Please tell me, they're not reserves."

Lalong tumipid ang ngiti ni Laby habang dahan-dahang tumatango. "I need to make as many of these as possible. This is a trial-and-error project, okay? Hindi 'to madali, Josef."

Nagpamaywang agad si Josef habang napapailing. "I really don't want to tolerate you regarding this insanity, Laby, trust me."

"I'm trying to help your wife!"