Chapter 24

Amelia rushed to the kitchen grabbing the cage in which the rat was kept. She looked around to see if Gianna was there but was no where to be seen. "Maybe Mom is in her room," Amelia thought. "How are you little one?" she gazed at the trapped creature and smiled. It jumped and squealed in surprise as it saw Amelia holding the cage. "Don't be over excited. I ain't letting you go soon." she whispered bringing it closer to her eyes. The rat stood on its hind legs and curled its front paws and began moving it in cyclical motion. It moved its head from side to side staring at Amelia who was quietly watching and enjoying the scene. "We got to go. It's time to leave." she muttered as she hurried to the main door.

"Have you found out a safest way to carry out your experiment?" Just as she was about to leave she heard Gianna's voice from behind. She froze in her way and gently turned around to face her. " Mom I have already told you that I won't upset you rather I'll make you proud. You should trust me." She plead to her mother. Gianna who was wearing glasses to read a newspaper that she was holding in her hand put them aside and came closer to Amelia. "Sometimes we risk our lives to help others but for them that sacrifice is worthless. They don't see how much have we lost. They only see how less they have gained." Amelia did not comprehend what her mother was trying to tell her.

She knew that they had too little to lose and if they were succeeded there would be so much to gain. "But here it might be the opposite," she convinced her. "We have run the tests and found nothing besides the normal things. So we are sure there is no harm and we are ready to proceed." Gianna nodded her head. "I would speak of the truth and would only say to be careful nothing else." She exhaled tiredly. "I have a feeling that you are into something dangerous sweetie. You have to keep your eyes open while taking further steps," She asserted. "Don't worry mom. I'll take care of everything." she whispered. "We are just letting it drink the water that we brought from there, nothing else." She announced politely. Gianna stared at her.

"We are sure it won't develop those symptoms. But for safety reasons we are taking it to the lab. To keep it in a suitable environment." Gianna looked at the rat and felt sorry for it. Though she was convinced that Amelia was not lying. She was never really fond of rats but the thought of experimenting on them chuckled her. And the reason was merely the selfish nature of humans who have used so many poor lives for their own benefits. Now that her own daughter was doing the same made her unhappy, however, the purpose was much bigger than she thought.

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Amelia went straight to the lab avoiding the eyes of students looking at the rat scurrying in the trap. David, Peter and Olivia were already waiting for her. Her lab teacher Sir John was there too. He was a short, bald man with thick round glasses. "I have made arrangements for your experiment," he pointed at a corner without looking up as he was busy in adjusting slides beneath the microscope. "But be careful." he cautioned.

There was a huge rectangular shaped glass container sealed from all sides. White plastic pipes were attached from behind which in turn were connected to oxygen cylinders. She came closer to the container and peeked through it. The environment inside was made suitable for the rat to survive. It was as natural as possible. The air, water and food were provided with no possible contamination from the outside.

"This is from the Stans supply." David pointed at a dish which contained water. He had marked it with red paint. The other dishes carried normal water and grains. The floor was supplied with mud and grass with lights adjusted in the upper corners. There was enough space for the animal to run around and feel safe. "We have to keep it hidden under light grey parachute cover to avoid distraction." Amelia said looking at David. He nodded his head because he too was of the view that too much attention from the outside might create distraction inside the container.

Peter slowly unclipped the edge of the container and opened the door. "Just let it enter quickly or it would run away." he signaled at Amelia who was holding the cage in front of the glass container. She put her hand inside and caught the rat who was trying to avoid her grasp. "Don't worry we are putting you in a nicer place." She grinned at the sight of the squeaking rat and immediately pushed it inside the glass closing the door behind it. Initially the animal was skeptical and was jumping madly but once it felt the surroundings it calmed down and began staring at the glass walls. Olivia smiled and waved her hand. The rat ignored them as it sniffed the grass and moved with its grubby little paws to seek food. "I think it is happy inside," David smiled as he saw the rat enjoying its new home. Amelia put the parachute cover on the glass to hide the view.

"We will check it after three days, just in case there are symptoms." David told Sir John. "I'll keep watching it. Don't worry." He replied. They left the lab silently.

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Amelia and David got to their class together the next day when they were met by Olivia. Her eyes were filled with fear and surprise. They could not tell whether she was trying to say something or was there to be comforted. They could only feel she was horrified. "What happened... Olivia?" Amelia knitted her eyebrows as she shook her petrified body. She did not blink her eyes as she began walking without saying a word. "Where are you going? What happened? Why ain't you saying anything?" David asked incessantly. They inadvertently followed her. "You should see it yourself," She could only manage to say and led them to the lab. Sir John and Peter were already standing at the corner so silently that doubted their presence. Both of them had put their glasses on their heads looking at the container with penetrating eyes. David and Amelia looked at each other incredulously as the view of the container was hidden from their sight. Olivia held her hand and pulled her gently towards the corner. It was't the sight she had expected in the last 16 hours. "Whaattt...?" She whispered. The rat had turned into something utterly unrecognizable. It was helplessly gasping for life with agonal breaths. Its body was covered with blood and its eyes were closed. Amelia saw that the water dish with red marks was empty clearly showing that the rat had drunk from it. "How's that possible?" She asked herself unbelievably. "How could the results lie to us?" She rubbed her forehead as she walked to and fro in the lab. David immediately put the cover on the container and turned around. "It's not good. It's definitely not good." he said terrified. "It has disregarded all our assumptions. What are we gona do now?" Olivia asked. They could only stare at each other blankly and whatever came next was a real big challenge.