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Experiment v. 1361
An additional chapter, now included at the end of Elements (Book One from The Taj and Song Trilogy).
Timeline: 70 ACD: the two days before Taj jumps from the building and the start of Bridges (Book Two).
Written from the POV of the scientist who ordered him kidnapped. Taj is referred to as Experiment throughout.
Content warning: unethical experimentation, captivity, body horror, clinical dehumanization.
Lab notes by LPM: 70 ACD-7-1 and 70 ACD-7-2.
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[DAY ONE 1:00 a.m.]
The team of Crystalers had been sent on their mission. I received a report that our Experiment set off to the Deserts alone. We have waited for weeks for it to happen.
Communication devices will be destroyed. The camp can be annihilated. It should not take long to persuade him to come or to knock him unconscious and bring him here to the lab.
I have not informed the funding board or the City board of the plan. I hope we will manage to merge the two energies and finish the experiment. The funding board will be pleased, and we need this knowledge.
I have tried with other Experiments, but they were too weak. The one I chose is full of energy; he is Elder with Ability. But also, the one that was Crystaler, he still has embedding. Our informant was right; this one is the best candidate. It was worth it to pay for this information. Waiting for news.
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[DAY ONE 5:00 a.m.]
They still didn’t manage. Ten of them are dead, and Experiment is still free. We can’t abandon the plan. If we don’t catch him, the Sect would investigate anyway.
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[DAY ONE 9:30 a.m.]
He didn’t give up. More Crystalers from my team are dead. Experiment’s body will be exhausted, and I am angry. He should be in a perfect state, but it has been hours of fighting. What if he killed himself? I will be furious.
I decided to send the next team to support. The costs for all of this have now exceeded the budget. They need to do it fast. Soon someone might visit; it is just a normal working day.
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[DAY ONE 4:23 p.m.]
Experiment’s body was delivered in a horrible state. I had been informed, while they were on their route, that he was in critical condition. It was surprising. I hired thirty-five high energy Crystalers and later twenty supporters, plus a medical team of Healers. I expected losses in hired Crystalers; they were paid well for the risk. But nobody expected Elder to fight so fiercely.
They lost fifty-one Crystalers. Medics were untouched. They had been healing him during the transport. It took five hours for them to arrive. What I noticed when they opened the energy cage was drastic. His body was crushed. His hands—why did they do it to him?
He was washed. Then proper healing started immediately here at the lab. All my hopes for a chat with Elder dashed. I won’t have a chance to discuss peacefully what Crystal extractions looked like from his perspective and how it was to be someone who mastered two energies, artificial first and then natural.
I am angry. Experiment’s body should not have been in this state, even if he was defending himself. I need to investigate what happened.
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[DAY ONE 10:00 p.m.]
Healing is still in progress. Experiment’s body remains in a weak state. I am unable to measure the embedding to be sure that Crystal v.1361 will fit. I observe the healing process.
Notably, his body is healing rapidly despite the severity of the injuries, which would normally take longer to heal. It turned out the capture team had beaten him excessively after he became unconscious. He had not been in that bad of a state, but they took revenge for those he had killed while defending himself. There was a possibility of receiving Experiment’s body in good condition.
I ordered the execution of those Crystalers who came back and who had massacred Experiment’s body. All those who did it and the medics. They should have prevented what happened.
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[DAY TWO 2:20 a.m.]
I measured and fixed his embedding. It is an old one, though it needed just a slight repair. Old embeddings, as well as old Crystals, are astonishing. Somehow, it’s a pity we don’t produce them anymore.
Crystal v.1361 should fit after I crush two of his ribs, three if he isn’t lucky. I will do it right after Experiment’s body is ready. The artificial veins are ready; I measured them all.
It is interesting to see what Elders can look like. He was healed to his natural form. He was not beautified; he is beautiful without any energy added.
I watched him lying in the energy cage. Experiment’s body looks almost healed.
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[DAY TWO 5:13 a.m.]
Experiment’s body was fully healed. I inserted Crystal v.1361 into his embedding. I needed to destroy parts of his body, as I had noted. Furthermore, I injected new artificial-energy veins to hasten our Crystal energy distribution. I cannot heal his body; Experiment has to endure the pain.
I am waiting for our Crystal v.1361 to awaken. Its energy is still not working. It looks like Experiment’s body’s Ability is rejecting our artificial energy. Why?
We powered the whole operation by the mix of energies (powering machine scheme attached, v3); it worked fine. Our Crystal should activate, yet it is still inactive.
Experiment is not conscious. That’s worrying me. I received the information that the Sect Leader and his supporters are in the City, looking for their missing Elder. Somehow, they found out and are closer. I was previously informed that there were talks between their board and us.
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[DAY TWO 7:15 a.m.]
The entire experiment is spoiled. Crystal v.1361 finally started to work. I measured the energy. It is flowing in his body as expected. But the natural energy is also still flowing there, and both started to collide in a way I didn’t anticipate.
It would help me to talk to Experiment. Experiment is in the energy cage and remains unconscious. The news is that the Sect has arrived in the City, and their warriors are close. One person, especially, scared my team. Their Army Commander is involved. He is famous for being brutal. People fear meeting him.
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[DAY TWO 8:20 a.m.]
Whoever started to panic, I killed on the spot. The lab is messy.
I am observing Experiment lying in the energy cage. Energy is colliding.
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[DAY TWO 8:55 a.m.]
I eliminated my research team. The panic was growing; some wanted to escape and confess to the Sect what was happening here and where the missing Elder was. I had to eliminate the risk. Only guards are left outside.
Experiment’s body is slowly awakening. I saw slight movements of his fingers, and finally, his eyes also moved. It still could turn out to be a success.
Not a full success. I am aware I will be punished. But my name will stay in science forever. I have compiled all the detailed notes and data from what I did here to share with other scientists (attached are only the final docs). It must succeed.
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[DAY TWO 9:15 a.m.]
It is calm. There is nobody in the lab except me and Experiment. Outside, there are no signs that the Sect is close. Guards are not panicking. I assume I have at least a few hours.
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[DAY TWO 9:18 a.m.]
Experiment had awoken just a moment before, then had fallen unconscious again. But he looked at me. He also touched Crystal.
Elders. How fascinating it is to watch one of them, lying here, with all the energy flowing in his body. He’s almost glowing. It is beautiful. He must be old, yet he doesn’t look it.
How did Elders achieve this level of body regulation? From what I know, some of them don’t need to eat. Almost like gods. We all should have the opportunity to be like them. We all should be able to transform.
This is why I received the funding. The board wanted to find out how to achieve it. I hope I will still succeed. If I do, there is a slight chance that I won’t be executed.
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[DAY TWO 9:29 a.m.]
Experiment moved. On 7-2 at 9:26 a.m., he awoke. I am observing him constantly.
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