Bald Eagle - Experiment 03

By Vikki

Author's notes: Written originally as a snippet to a story I will never finish, I thought this portion stood alone pretty well. For the completely confused, the speaker is a man whose genome was altered as an embryo, and now he is treated not as a human being, but as a creature for study.

* * *

"Amazing, the way he adapts to his environment."

I could hear them - which was perhaps the very worst part of standing in the blistering heat (made to simulate the Sahara Desert) with no shoes or water. It wasn't as if they were feeding me lies; on the contrary, the scientists had been brutally truthful about my existence: 'You are a lab rat. You are nothing more, nothing less, and no matter how human you may act, you are not human.'

Not human, eh? Is that because you lab pissants have fiddled with so many of my genes that I am become something somehow inferior to you?

I forced my anger to quell and shifted uneasily under the sweltering lamps of the laboratory, where the scientists were keeping track of my vitals - all of which, likely, held to my normal results, despite the maddening heat. The ability of my body to adjust to most or all climatic situations was something marveled at by the occasional visitors, but the regulars knew that my real strength was in my ability to adjust to a social environment. They and I were both aware that I could become anything at all if I was not a lab rat in a hellish lab - I could be anyone, anywhere, and no one would be the wiser.

Which probably explained why they kept such a tight leash on me. If they weren't ready to admit I was human, they did acknowledge - even revere - my intellect. Too bad they knew it was their hard work that produced this mastermind. It would have been much more satisfying to know they had nothing to do with it.

Finally the lamps snapped off and air conditioning snapped on, making the air seem downright chilly after the heat. I shivered involuntarily, sat at the edge of the room, and waited for the usual visit from psychologist Dr. Ryan, one of the regulars who wanted to know how I tick - being only a human derivative, and all. I was giving him the truth only when needed, and feeding him lies about everything else. What I wanted was answers, not more questions - why I existed, and who had thought messing with my genome when I was just a few cells in a petri dish would be fun. However, the shrink was my closest contact to the world beyond the Institute, and I drew from his existence hope that there might be a way to a better life.

"Well, hello," said Dr. Ryan as he stepped into my cell. "Good to see you again, Eagle."

Bald Eagle was the name of the experiment that had produced me. I was the successful specimen - number three - thus landing me the code name Eagle 03. Dr. Ryan had taken to calling me by it.

He was the only person who called me by a name, real or not.

"So, how are you feeling?" He asked, thumbing a pen and preparing to scribble on his clipboard.

"Cold," I said honestly, and he laughed. I didn't. "Could I have my shoes now?"

"Sure." Dr. Ryan pulled them from his shoulder bag and dropped them at my feet. I slid them on. "Anything on your mind?"

I considered lying to him and decided that the truth couldn't hurt in this situation. "Actually, yes. Do most experimental creatures have self- awareness, or is it just me?"

Dr. Ryan was obviously not expecting the question; he looked taken aback. "Well, that's something animal-rights activists like to debate ." he said, recovering.

The outside world! I seized on the opportunity. "Animal-rights activists?" I asked.

Dr. Ryan became uneasy. "I'll ask the questions, Eagle not you, okay?"

Not okay, I thought, but said nothing.

He took my silence as acquiescence. "Good." The way he said it was not unlike a master to his dog. My reaction must have shown on my face, because he added, "You seem agitated. Why?"

I held back a loud sigh and buried my face in my hands. All I want is to be considered human. Is that so much to ask? But for these men it white it was too much, so I held my peace and cried only where the security cameras couldn't see.