Return to the cave

Unlike Rita, I had recovered in only a matter of a couple days, and as considering our window of time before needing to return to earth was only a couple of weeks, I managed to convince Bree, our captain to let me return back to the cave and collect tissue samples from the thing with caution, and this time Mars would be in the cave with me for added protection, which she could do now that the hole was opened up much wider in the cave.

I had different plans for this research trip, however. As Mars and I returned to the spot where the incident happened, I explained to Mars that I was going to begin some testing on the creatures to see how they react. This was all with the captain's approval of course, or at least I had told Mars it was.

I first measured the temperature of the creature. It was a cool 40 degrees, similar to the cave temperature. This of course made sense as no warm blooded creature could live this deep in a cave and still remain warm blooded. I then rolled a rock across the floor, and it bumped into the ‘tongue’ of the creature. Just as I had theorized in my infirmary bed the day prior, movement had ‘woken’ the creature from its hibernation state, and it began to move its tongue around and try to feel for what had caused the movement. It waved its tongue in small circles, searching while lighting up the ceiling with its orange bioluminescence.

I stared at the light from the ceiling. All of the memories flooded back to me. As well as my desire from the past two days.

I quickly shook my head trying to concentrate. I wasn’t here to play, I was here to work. And I needed to find out more about how this thing worked. How it worked.

Mars stepped forward, positioning herself in between m and the tongue, keeping her aim trained on it.

“Stay behind me. We don’t know what this thing could do.”

The tongue was using its momentum from swinging in circles to swing itself in gradually wider and wider circles. Its muscles were contracting up and down like a kid kicking their legs on a swing set, and it was clear this was making Mars more and more concerned.

“Don’t shoot it Mars. We need it for research.” I urged her

“That’s my decision to make Lily.”

I had a harder time getting Mars to listen, but I needed her to listen now more than ever. If she shot it, our sample size would be cut in half. It would be detrimental to our research. I needed to do whatever it took to keep her from shooting it. I couldn’t let my master die.

My research, I mean my research.

As I continued to assess the situation, I thought back to what Rita had said in the cave when arguing with Mars the other day. She had called her cannon fodder.

That’s all Mars was, was stupid cannon fodder to be used by the government to stop good progress. In a couple of years, Mars would most likely be dead in some stupid war back on earth with a purple heart, even after ruining decades worth of valuable research like she was about to do. But what if her life had more meaning than just cannon fodder? What if it had a purpose? What if instead of setting us decades back in research, she sent us decades forwards? I could do that right now. I could give her life meaning. It was the final test I needed to conduct. I needed to see what it would do to a person left undisturbed. Mars could be that person. She could be the perfect test subject.

The next decision I made would change the course of humanity, for better or for worse.