Project Suicide

Chapter 2

I watched in utter horror as papers were strewn about and binders were scattered all over the floor. My mother was rushing from her office and into the kitchen where her work bag was resting on top of the table. She stuffed in random papers and mumbled quietly to herself. I looked around and saw my father rushing to put on his work jacket.

"Um..Mom...Dad? What's going on?"

They both froze in place and slowly turned their heads towards me. I felt a pang of worry hit my chest as I could clearly tell that they both didn't get any sleep at all. My mother had dark bags under her brown eyes and her face seemed worn and sagging and my father wasn't much different aside from the fact that he was sweating and shaking.

"Vivi...." my mother whispered.

Taking a small step forward, I slowly reached out and touched her shoulder.

"Momma...what's going on..what's wrong? Why are you both going to work on a Saturday?"

I turned as I heard my dad walk up to me. He looked down at me and sighed.

"I'm sorry, pulcher flos mues."

I froze as my father looked into my eyes.

Pulcher flos mues.

That's Latin for "My beautiful flower..."

My mother and him both speak Latin but my father also speaks English, while my mom can understand it but she can't speak it. I speak both like my father and Pulcher flos mues was the first phrase that I ever understood in Latin. He would only ever say this when he's in trouble or something is wrong.

I quickly ran to him and threw my hands around his neck and hugged him close.

"Papa. Quid causae habes? Please. Tell me what is troubling you."

He hugged me back tightly and softly pulled away.

"I wish I could but we don't have time for explanations...there is a problem at the lab and we have been called in..." He gently kissed my forehead.

Pulling back hastily, I looked at both my father and my mother.

"But I don't understand what the big deal is...you're going to work. You were just called in. I am not sure why you guys are acting like it's the end of the world." I said quietly.

My mother stood up from the table and looked at my dad.

"Mel. Dic ergo illi, ut me non credo."

Honey. I think we should tell her

He first looked at my mom and then turned his attention to me.

"Veni huc." He whispered.

Come here.

He sat at the table, next to mom and I sat across from them.

At first, it was silent, then my father cleared his throat.

"As you know Vivi, we work in the Pentium Infinitum Laboratory."

I nodded slowly and clenched my hands together.

"We work in segment 32-993 AC. There, we try to create cells that can fight off certain diseases, like Cancer, Ebola and AIDS. When we think we have created the perfect cell, we use it on test subjects," as he said this, his eyes connected with mine, "and we see how the cell affects the functioning body. But something has gone wrong, and these things happen, and it seems that the person with the cell has...reacted differently than we had thought he would."

I nodded and chewed on the inside of my cheek.

"Okay..I understand all that but what's the big problem?"

"Vivi.." my mother reached out and touched my hands. When I looked up at her, she seemed to be struggling with the words to say.

"Qui habet in cellulam quam sibi principio habuerunt AIDS. Primo videbatur laborare cellam ergo coepit caro et cutis inaequaliter verrucis frigido querebatur."

The man with the cell had AIDS. At first, the cell seemed to work, then he grew patches of warts all over his body and then complained of being cold. No sooner had he said that, the next morning we found him dead.

I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

"Still don't see the problem."

My father ran his hand through his coarse black hair and looked at me again.

"The call we received this morning was from a man named Raymond. He works in the same containment field that we work in. He had called to say that patient 325 was asking for a blanket and at first I thought he was joking but then I heard patient 325 in the background of the call. He seemed to be saying 'blanket....I need..'. As you could imagine I was frightened and very confused. What was worse was that when I told him that patient 325 had died, I could hear the sound of a lock opening and then the phone line went dead."

I looked up at them both.

"So..you believe that this once dead man is roaming P.I.L?"

Mama nodded.

"Etiam si non credimus Lab fugam impedire possumus omnes periclitarentur."

Yes, and we believe that if we don't stop him from escaping the lab, we may all be in danger.

Danger..?

"In danger? Of what? I mean, he's still in the lab right?...right?"

They both looked at me....

"Nescimus." my mother whispered.

I went cold as soon as that word left her mouth.

We don't know...

(Just wanted to note that P.I.L is The Pentium Infinitium Labratory shortened.)