DMs: MacFluffers

This is to show the development of the zombie outbreak. I'll let you guys know when the outbreak happens.))

The Neurological Anatomical/Physiological Research Compound of Ultropolis, abbreviated NAPRCoU, or Napper as it was commonly reffered to, was a well equipped center. It had a state-of-the-art surveillance and alarm system, a well stocked lab, and most importantly, some of the brightest minds in the world.

The largest project was on the subject of a bacteria engineered to imitate spinal stem cells. Unlike true stem cells, they could be cultured more easily, and removed from critical structures if needed. In other words, this bacteria could replace portions of a brain while true neurons were being cultured. The bacteria has been named, "Sanctus restituo."

The bacteria does not yet have a complete genetic structure, but its prototypes have saved several lives already. Research is continuous, diligent, and promising.

The leader of the project was the famed Xavier Solum. His chief assistant was Xiao Jhong.

They were working on the project for two years and a decade.

During that period of time, they never realized the monstrosity they were creating.

"Same to you, Xiao," responded the older man. He stood by a stone-top table, studying a S. restituo sample through a microscope. He pointed to a large, silver-colored, metal appliance in the corner of the lab and said, "Do me a favor, please. Yesterday's petri dishes should be ready, and I want them set out for examination before the aides arrive."

Xiao silently nodded and went over to the incubator. He opened it up and almost started coughing from the thick, warm air that fell out. He reached in and pulled out a stack of dishes labeled "S.r (1) AB test". As he walked back to the table where Solum was standing, he shuffled through them with peaked interest.

"Professor...they're all dead," Xiao revealed quietly.

Solum's head pulled up, and for a moment he simply stared into space. He turned to Xiao and inquired, "All of them? Even the ones with the super-bug recombinant plasmids?"

Xiao looked at the professor straight in the eye and said, "All of them. There isn't even any evidence that any mode of transformation is superior. All transduction, conjugation, electroporation, and heat-shocking failed with no evidence of minimal success."

Solum sighed at this news. "Take out the stage two series. Let's hope they did something appreciable."

The chief assistant complied. He laid down the petri dishes in his hand and returned to the incubator. He took out a different stack, labeled "S.r (2) AB test", and returned to the table. He shuffled through these dishes faster than the previous ones.

"Xiao, what is it?" asked Solum.

Xiao paused and looked up. "These ones survived. All of the transformed samples are alive. What's more...the untransformed ones lived too."

Solum stared at the dishes, wide-eyed, as he saw the phenomenon for itself. He gaped at the biological impossibility that lived inside those plastic agar plates.

((If you don't know anyting about biology...just know that the second series lived through heavy doses of antibiotics, even the ones that were not supposed to have antibiotic resistance.))

"Yeah, but S. restituo is normally fragile. If it can live through antibiotics, people using the bacterial/neural therapy can take antibiotics without hindering the therapy," answered another aide.

"Be quiet, the lot of you," ordered Xiao. "The professor is about to speak."

They were in a small lecture hall in Napper. In the front stood Professor Solum, shuffling through some notes he wrote down earlier. In the back were Solum's five assistants, including Xiao. In the seats between the professor and the assistants were three of Solum's superiors; the Napper coordinators.

Solum dimmed the lights and turned on a projection, all with a remote, signaling the beginning of his presentation. The projection was hastily made; the discovery happened only this morning, and Solum wanted to release it as quickly as he could. It showed the agar plate with the stage two un-transformed bacteria.

"Thank you for coming so soon," greeted the professor. "I know this is sudden, but this morning, I found the most incredible thing I could imagine. It can and will change the--"

"Don't bother with the pleasantries," said one of the coordinators. He was Nobel Epee, the oldest and roughest coordinator at Napper. Ever since the conception of the S. restituo program, he had been fighting the professor in a cold war, trying to cut off funding. Thankfully, the other coordinators did not hold his opinions, and were willing to suppress him enough to allow the develoment of the research. "We're all busy, and I'm sure you should get back to your lab as soon as you can. What is it that you're so enthusiastic about?"

Solum cleared his throat and continued. "The project is complete."

"Why do you say that?" asked Xiao.

"Epee practically attacked me when I tried to explain the results, for starters. If it weren't for Foley, it would have been worse."

"True," said Xiao. "However, you couldn't have expected him to cooperate. And as you said, Foley settled him down."

"I suppose you're right. I just need a break from all this. I became a researcher to develop rehabilitation treatments, not enter verbal sparring matches."

"With the completion of the project, I believe that break may come soon."

The two of them were preparing samples of S. restituo in the lab, alongside several aides. The samples were to be sent to a culturing facility, where they would be grown into greater amounts that could be used in practical testing. The new strain still had to go through rigorous screenings before they could be used in a widespread fashion.

A few hours later, they stood at the front of Napper. "You have been an excellent assisstant, Xiao. I am glad to have been able to work with you," said the professor.

"I feel the same way about working with you, sir. I hope the next project project we are assigned to is the same one again," responded Xiao.

The professor looked off to the side before answering. "I don't know if I want to continue here. It's a little to rigorous for me. I think I will go back to the university and see if they will take me back."

"B-but sir...! Your mind was meant for research. I can tell by how you work in the lab."

"That may be so, but it's too much for me. I need a steady paycheck and friendly environment; two things that this place cannot provide me. I appreciate your thoughts, Xiao...but I'm afraid this may be the last time we see each other. Goodbye." Solum then walked away to the parking lot of Napper.

Xiao sighed and called out, "Fine, then. So long, Xavier." He then turned and went off in the other direction.

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