Lab Rats

Welcome to One

CONVERSATION BETWEEN DR. GALIEN and the FIRST COUNCIL OF ONE (Recorded by Olyvia Nolan on 13 AUGUST 2474)

"In the country of One, we are One. We are the last Ones, the only Ones. Therefore everything we do, all that we believe in, is for the wellbeing of One. We must keep One alive, for there is nothing beyond it. The world we knew before is gone. There is no point in trying to bring it back. There's a reason the Spree wreaked the havoc it did. It would be best for us, for all the people who survived, if we took the Spree as a sign that things need to change."

"Dr. Galien, what kind of changes are you proposing?"

"My colleagues and I have been discussing ways to prevent overpopulation from making us so vulnerable again."

"And what has your team come up with?"

"We get rid of the expendables."

"I'm sorry. The expendables?"

"We all know someone who doesn't contribute to society, who is more of a hindrance than a help. We all know an expendable."

"How do you plan to determine who's expendable and who's worth keeping?"

"They'll be called the Relocation in Population Evals. There will be a series of tests that everyone in One will have to take at one point or another. These evaluations will test every individual's physical, emotional, and social strengths."

"And what will you do with the expendables once they've been singled out?"

"We'll use them for scientific research."

"..."

"The animals are gone. Every last one of them. We killed them. If we wish to continue our scientific endeavors, we need to have some type of guinea pig to test on, don't we?"

"Well, yes, Doctor, but people aren't guinea pigs. There are morals and ethics involved here."

"And there weren't any involved before? The animals had rights too, but we still used them. If these people don't serve a purpose anywhere else, then why not send them to a lab? Why not give them a purpose? It's like organ donors, but we'll get to assign who has to donate. And it's not like they won't have a chance to prove their worth; if the individual performs well on his or her Evals, then the labs won't even be considered."

"How will you determine when to administer the tests?"

"Evals will be considered a graduation requirement, and will be administered to every student the week before graduation. If they passed their Evals and met all their school requirements, they would be allowed to remain a citizen of One; however, if they didn't pass the Evals or meet the original graduation requirements, they would be sent to a lab."

"And the Spree survivors who graduated in the old world? Do they just get a free pass?"

"No. They will have to go through the Evals as soon as we are able to set them up. We expect them to score poorly on the physical Eval, therefore their results will be slightly curved. Nevertheless, we will most likely have new subjects in the labs by the end of the week."

"And what if we don't agree with this plan of yours, Dr. Galien? Then what?"

"Then you'll be sent to the labs. You elected me to be the Head Patron. You follow my rules. That is your purpose. If you don't like it, then you can find your only other purpose underneath the blade of a scalpel. Any questions?"

"..."

"That's what I thought. One last thing. There will be no further mention of animals. They no longer exist. There's no point in bringing them up. The memories of the survivors who are not in this room have been swiped; all they can remember are their names and their ages. I am letting you all keep your memories for one reason and one reason only: I want all of you to remember the hell that arises when you try to destroy something that's bigger than you. I want the Spree to be burned into each of your minds for as long as you live. And don't think for a second that I won't find out if you betray me. As of now, your actions are being constantly monitored. Several of my colleagues and I mixed an anesthetic solution into the water distributions last night and while every one of you was asleep, microscopic cameras were injected behind both of your pupils and a microphone was implanted in the roof of your mouth. No need to feel around for it; it's expertly concealed."

"This breaks so many laws!"

"Laws? Darling, we live in a new world now. There aren't any laws. Not until I say there are."

"This is an outrage!"

"No. This is your purpose! Anyone who doesn't like it can go get in the truck that's waiting outside. We'll take the cameras and mic out, along with whatever else we feel like because once you're in the labs, you're nothing but an experiment."