Gateway

Punotaos

Stop it, Eppy!, you don't want to do this, please, Iggy shouted while controlling the situation, while talking with Rina and Jason via hologram on her ear phones.

I can't, Iggy, help me, helllllpppppp......, Eppy, scared while slowly turning into a human tree. His arms suddenly shaped like barks and his hair leaves which is now all over his head and face. He is so scared was peeing and sweating profusely. Other scientists and doctors ran to stop him from getting out of the experiment room. They were able to get hold of Eppy and place him on top of the surgery bed.

Iggy, where's Dr. Jason, I want to speak to him, nowwww!!!!, or else.....I will kill myself with this...this....surgical knife...aahhhhhhh, Eppy now stressed out and being crazy.

I'm sorry Eppy, I can't be there with you now, but listen, please, listen to me! We are both punotaos and I understand how you feel. We'll work something out okay. Calm down and drink the meds Iggy will be handing you. Please, believe me Eppy, it'll work. I got you and we're on this together, remember the time we watched the games?, Jason cried on the phone.

Okay, okay, I'll calm down, Eppy said putting the knife down and looking at Iggy who gave her the glass of liquid medications. Here you go!, Iggy added.

Eppy drank the liquid and after that, he turned back to normal and breathed so hard in relief. Haaa....tsk! If that's what it takes for this to just go away, why didn't you tell me before, Iggy?, Eppy said and now scratching his head turning to the other scientists and doctors who began to laugh at him. Eppy in turn laughed too ...thanks doc, I'm good, see you soon!

Haaa....Eppy, next time just talk to Iggy and or me first before reacting and doing crazy things, huh?, Jason said smiling, Yeah, later, dude!

Okay, dude! Cool, alright! Stop standing there and get back to work!, Eppy said and all who were standing while he was acting up, moved and ran to their respective jobs in the lab.

Haaa...sorry about that Iggy, I owe you this one!, Eppy said and winked at Iggy who smiled and went back to her computer and started clicking buttons on the monitor and dashboard.

Eppy or Epson Carter is the head scientist for the Gateway project. He heads the experiment and laboratory section that he isn't very much into the computer or AI stuff. He had a fire accident when he was vacationing in Mt. Fiji with his family. There Jason was still young and was trying the 'punotao' transformation surgeries on animals such as bears and gorillas. They are all a success but not on humans. Not yet until Jason and Eppy decided to try it on both of them. Eppy was the first to ever try it on himself and it was a success since he lived going through several surgeries and suctions for punotao. He has been living for ten years now and five years ago, Jason was the second to try punotao surgeries until many other clinical subjects tried it. And more patients who bought and paid for the surgeries felt better and like a miracle they survived it from critical accidents or fires and illnesses, since they needed it and so on.

Jason was the first to use tree roots connecting to his veins and arteries that made him the first real live punotao or human tree. For Eppy, he used artificial roots from rare and wild plants that grow on rainforests so he can just drink or take medications which includes oxygen, magnesium and more, to sustain him in his condition. Gateway lab is still figuring out if Jason as a punotao is safe and will live longer than 10-20 years. Until now scientists including Rina is still finding solutions, ways to resolve any clinical issues and side effects, that would affect Jason and other punotaos in the future.

Haaa....I was scared for Eppy. Thank goodness he is alright now!, Rina said turning off the ear phone.

Yeah, but to be honest, I was hell lot anxious for me than for him. Rina, what if something like that happens to me, what will you do....., Jason said looking at me sadly.

Babe, don't worry, it's been five years and nothing has ever happened. But has something like that occurred with you?, Rina said and moved closer to touch my face.

Well, not really but I have everything under control! I am taking my medications and been doing my clinical sessions with Iggy, to make myself fit and healthy. So, I'm good, don't worry!, Jason added and kissed me on the lips.

Little that Rina knows, Jason have been experiencing changes in his skin and body. He suddenly wakes up in the middle of the morning, at 3 a.m. and refreshes by splashing water on his face. He then held his head like it's aching and pulled his shirt up. His skin is glowing like gold and green. His chest sometimes turns dark green but when he takes his medications it would go back to normal and he will return to his daily routine with Rina and his team.

But lately, he is getting more impatient and irritable like he wanted to finish every project or experiment all at once.

Back at the laboratory, Jason thinks that his time is limited and he needs to huryy things up before something happens. Haaa....it's crazy and maybe this vacation is really what I need more than Rina and our baby.

Jas...honey, where are you?, Rina called out from the bedroom which is Gates Family 's guestroom.

Babe, just went to the bathroom, I'm here now!, Jason said. Go back to sleep. You know while we're here, let's go to the beach. I miss it!

Okay, let's do that tomorrow then! Mwah!, Rina cried kissing me on the cheek and went back to sleep.

Haaa... I just hope that everything would really turn out fine. God, please give me this, one time. Please!, Jason added looking at his fiancée and touching their baby, Rina's tummy. He hugged them both and slept overthinking about his situation.

In order for Rina and I have fun in our time at the beach the next day, I decided to teleport from the Digital Center in Tuscany to our center in NYC. I advised Rina that I'll be back in a couple of hours and so I kissed her goodbye. I drove the rented mini-cooper to the Tuscan Digital Center and met with Dr. Demi Trio, who happens to be the head of the science and technology department there.

See you soon doctor Fort!, Demi said and touched the Port building and a door opened so I can enter it and in a matter of seconds I'm in New York Digital Center near the Gateway Laboratory?

Huh!, Gateway lab? How come it's different here, it's dark and ...aaahhhhhhh......ahhhh!, I fell on a hole and it was so deep that I couldn't remember how long I was traveling down to a pit, it was so scary I almost fainted.

Jason loves Marina so much that he is willing to give his life to protect and save her and the world, from anything including the climate changes that seem to happen now and then.

Jason though reborn from the surgeries and transformations that we did to him, is still vulnerable when it comes to aging. Since he now has roots and veins of a tree, we can't determine his life expectancy. However, trees grow old and for centuries, so I have faith that he will survive this and the many climate changes or issue that we will be facing in the future, Marina thought staring at sleeping Jason beside her on the bed. Jason didn't know Marina is always worried about him and his situation, especially now that she is expecting a baby. Marina hasn't told her fiancé yet but soon. She is very excited to tell him the good news and it's a celebratory time indeed.