His return.

THIRD CHAPTER

In the days that followed, nothing particularly interesting happened, neither with Luke nor with the man in the ice. Mom said they had decided to test melting the ice, but at low temperatures, because they were afraid of using high heat.

I thought it was stupid because if the man was actually alive, they should act quickly to bring him back to life. Mom didn't want to take me to work until everything was sorted out, but I managed to persuade her to take me one Saturday.

Even though it was the weekend, the day was busy. Mom was occupied with meetings and analyses, so I wandered around, trying not to get in the way. Yet, my thoughts kept returning to the room where they were keeping the body they found in the ice. The scientists were strict about not letting anyone in without permission, but I knew where the keys were kept and when the room would be empty. I knew it was risky, but my curiosity was too strong.

When I was sure no one was watching, I approached the door to the room where they kept the subject. He was in a special chamber, surrounded by ice, and the temperature was kept low to maintain a stable condition. Another stupid idea, I'll say it again.

His heart was beating, but slowly, almost as if he were in hibernation. It was incredible that someone could survive in the ice for so long, and I wanted to understand more.

I quietly opened the door and stepped inside. The chamber was cold, with an air filled with the scent of antiseptic and metal surfaces. I felt a slight chill, but there wasn't much time to waste. I had to be quick before someone caught me.

Looking through the glass panel that separated the chamber from the rest of the laboratory, I saw the body in the ice. He looked almost peaceful, as if he were asleep. I felt betrayed and frustrated that they were keeping him in that state.

Why wouldn't they try to speed up the thawing process? Why hadn't they removed him from the ice? What if increasing the temperature could help him wake up and tell his story?

I approached the control panel and looked around to make sure no one was watching. I was nervous but also determined. If raising the temperature could help Jack wake up, then it was worth the risk. I gently raised the temperature, just a few degrees, enough to start the thawing process but not so much as to cause sudden changes.

After increasing the temperature, I quickly exited the room and returned the keys to their place. My heart was racing as I left, trying to look normal. What if someone noticed the change? What if I did something that would cause problems?

When I returned to the main part of the laboratory, the scientists were going about their work, but I noticed that Mom looked worried. It was as if she sensed something was off. But no one said anything, so I tried to act as though I was just passing by.

I couldn't stop thinking about what I'd done. I'd raised the temperature in the chamber where they kept the body, but I wasn't sure if it would have the desired effect. The scientists were engrossed in their work, and I pretended to be interested in all the other things happening in the lab. But the truth was, I was anxious about what I had done, and I couldn't resist returning to check on the thawing process.

While Mom was talking to some colleagues, I snuck back to the room where the subject was. I knew there weren't supposed to be any unplanned visits, but the feeling that I'd already made a change was too strong to ignore.

I quietly opened the door and slipped inside, careful not to draw attention. The chamber was cold but not as cold as before. When I looked through the glass, I saw that the ice was melting, but not fast enough. 

It seemed the temperature was still too low to cause a significant change. Jack's body was barely visible through the layers of ice, and his heart was beating, but very slowly. It was disappointing. What if I had only slowed down the process instead of speeding it up?