Tick Tock 

Tick Tock

Can you hear that?

Tick Tock

Tick Tock

The hands of time continues to move.

Tick Tock

Tick Tock

When will it stop? Will it ever stop?

Tick Tock

Tick To-

Our eyes meet for the first time.
 

I have never been a deep sleeper, since I was a young boy little things that went bump in the night never really scared me , but annoyed me to the fullest. It is however an advantage to me when it comes to waking up in ridiculously early hours and keeping with my schedule. It is days like this that I thank those who have in control upstairs of my sensitive problem, having been tossing and turning last night before finally downing a pill and finally falling in to triumphant sleep has somewhat  almost detered my bubbling will to go to my first day at the laboratory. Almost.

I opened my eyes to a some would argue to be an altitude sickness inducing view, I had purposedly rearranged my bed perfectly parellel to the glass windows, or should I say glass walls that divides me from a thousand feet tumble down from my newly bought pent house condominium. I reached over the alarm clock that I programmed to wake me up at precisely 5am and turned the offending device off. I stretched and decided to do a few push ups  --just for the hell of it. After the 8th push up I immediately trashed that notion already feeling the burn settling on my arms making it flush and sweaty from the uncalled for strain that I had it put upon. 

"One of this days Kyuhyun, you are gonna regret this unhealthy lifestyle..." I mumbled to myself as I trudged on with my towel slung over my shouder towards the bathroom. I stripped down and went towards the shower. Before I opened the tap I took a moment to appreciate the multiple nozzles arranged all around the shower area in order to spray water from all sides as I stand in the center. I began searching for the faucet, a lever, a switch? -- hell I even tried clapping my hands just to get it to open. After a few more minutes of cursing, fumbling and embrassingly enough pleading for the damn showers to open I finally found a small panel, a touch panel mind you, to turn on the showers. As I push the button triumphantly with a wicked grin in place I was immediately bombarded with ice cold water. Great. Just great.

Just the universe's way to say Good Bloody Morning Kyuhyun.

I stepped out of the shower just as chipper and enthusiastic as the next guy going in for an early morning ice cold bath. I suited up and prepared my breakfast. Poached eggs and buttered toast, the typical english breakfast, coupled with my favorite brew of earl gray and all the earlier mishaps are forgotten. I could never go on without my tea anymore, it has now been instilled as a habit by my brain, bloody englishmen with their bloody tea and their bloody tea times.  I took a few packs of my favourite brew and placed it on my bag just for the sole purpose of my inevitable tea breaks during work. I check all my work paraphernalias making sure to double check if I left something and made my way to the elevator located on the sitting room of my condominium. 

I arrived at the facility 10 minutes early even with the mishaps that delayed me earlier that morning. The fruits of my early morning habits paying off, I strut down the parking lot and made my way towards the building. I was met by two men dressed in suits and matching ear pieces at the door.  One guard steps forward and asks me to swipe my ID on the panel, I fumbled for my ID and does as he says. The doors open and the guard motions me to enter. What greeted me was a lavishly decorated foyer that would humble any 5 star hotel. THe floors were covered with a thick red carpet, the walls were the color of ivory and the furnitures adoring the lobby were painted gold. Judging by the buildings outside appearance you wouldn't think such a building could hold something this grand inside of it. After a few moments in awe I finally snap myself out of the stupor and closed my slack jaw. I turned around to possibly ask directions from the two guards only to find myself talking to a closed set of doors. I saw no handle that would enable me to push or pull them so I decided to look around. In the distance I saw a receptions desk with a lady behind it.

"Well good morning..." I greeted the receptionist, unsure whether I was in the right place. I could just imagine the look on her face when I tell her that I am looking for my workplace which was supposed to be a laboratory.

"Good Morning, you must be Cho Kyuhyun the geneticist, am I right?" she chirped overly to cheerful for my taste behind the counter. Glad to know that i'm in the right place then.

"Yes I am, I seem to find myself a bit lost though. You see I thought i would be working in a laboratory not a 5 star hotel." I said dryly earning a giggle from the receptionist.

"Im sure sir that you must have probably overlooked your access points to the laboratories that were clearly written in the employee's manual that we have sent you..." she answers yet again with that sickenigly sweet voice that'll surely rot anyone's teeth with a hint of reprimand. I focused on what she says as she starts pointing me to the right direction.Grateful for the directions and for the conversation to be over, I thanked her and made my way towards the lab. I looked back to find her smiling - no, beaming at me, she then waves which I reluctantly returned with a nod and a small smile. Once I turned around, I mentally shuddered.

"Definately too damn happy.'

Two elevator rides later I was finally on a floor that would suit my purpose of employment. Gone was the lavish decorations to be replaced by white washed walls and florescent lighting. As I step out of the elevator I saw three of what I would assume employees like me in lab gowns walk past me. One of them stops and takes one look at me. 

"New guy huh?" he asks.

"Yes, uhhh... Do you know where im supposed to go?" I asked him.

"A meeting with the rest of the specialists ofcourse." he says in a matter-of-factly tone.

"Come on. Introductions can be done later during the meeting." he then makes his way to where I pressume to be the meeting room is. I silently followed him and his colleagues to the room.

Inside the room was a large round wooden table with 5 seats around it. In the table were 5 computers and a projector. He motions me to a seat with a small placard that has my name on it. I gingerly sat down trying not to make a fool of myself by staring all around the room like a 5 year old in a toy shop when a man entered the room. From what I can deduce by looking at the nuber of chairs and computer, he has now completed the gathering. After everyone got settled comfortably on their seats, the last man to come in abruptly stood up and angles his body towards me.

"Welcome Professor Cho to the team." he smiles at me and motions to his colleagues to do the same. After a few welcoming murmurs I decided to stand up and speak.

"As he has said my Name is Cho Kyuhyun a geneticist- "

"Not just a geneticists" he cuts me off.

"The leading geneticist when it comes to mutations." he continues.

"I am sorry for not introducing everyone to you first. Let me correct that, I will start." he then clears his throat.

"I am Choi Minho, I will be the team leader." he then motions to the on on his right.

"I am Taeyon, psychologist." she nods and sits down.

"I am Taefung, resident biologist "

and last was the man who is sitting next to me, that one that I followed to the room.

"and I am Zhoumi a Medical Doctor, pleased to meet you."

Minho then cuts back in  "Now introductions are done lets procede with the meeting. It seems that their has been a recent development ladies and gentlement. Zhoumi care to elaborate on that?"

"I will be handing out the recent specimen's medical charts." before he could give out the charts the projector came to life.

The image flickered and focused. Projected on the wall was the face of the man that recruited me. 

"Goodmorning my esteemed colleagues, sorry for being late. I see that the newest addition to the team has arrived. Let's get started shall we?" as he looks at Zhoumi.

"Here you go." Zhoumi said as he gave me a copy of the chart.

Subject's Name: 김희철 / Kim Hee Chul (Kim Hui Cheol)

Gender: Male

Birthdate:

Age:

Height: 179cm

Weight: 60kg

Blood Type: AB

Skin Color: White

Eye Color: Purple

Nationality: 

Remarks:

The said subject was found on a korean fishing ship coming from China in a state of comatose, wearing a doctor's lab gown and a patient's smock underneath. The writtings on the doctor's lab gown indicate its chinese origins. After two months of comatosed sleep the subject woke up. The subject panicked and began lashing out on the medical staff present. It took almost 5 times the normal amount of sedatives to finaly sedate the subject, the dose equal to tranquilizing a full grown elephant..

The subject seems to have extensive knowledge not only with the subject's native language that we assumed would be chinese(see above reference) but also, korean, english and french, still the subject refuses to engage in lenghty conversations with our annalysts. After conducting a few I.Q. tests we find out his quotient to be 170! Furthermore, the subject remains to be quite elusive when it comes to his age and origins.

The subject's blood tests continues to baffle and amaze us. After injecting common viruses to his blood stream, his health remains to be unaffected. Further studies conducted showed that the subject is immune to all kinds of diseases even cancer. This subject so far has the highest chances of having Alexandria's Genesis.

My mouth suddenly felt dry, these symptomps. These symptomps are a geneticist's gold mine. 

All my life I have speculated, formulated and even guessed that these kind of mutations have occured or will occur on some living specimen but to actually see medical charts to confirm them was mind blowing. To see them manifesting on a plant genus or even an animal specie was a gold mine in itself but for it to appear on a human being?

"The specimen has been with us for 2 months now in a catatonic state. There were no recorded physical trigger that could have woken him from his state. It just happened." Zhoumi said as he sat down flabergasted. 

"Where you able to get a more accurate information on his origins then?" the man on the projector asked.

"The subject seems to be hostile and very uncooperative. Basing on my clinical experience he must have been subjected to some kind of maltreatment that's why he has built walls upon walls over himself which has made him very untrusting. I am trying to build connections to gain his trust but he remains to be guarded and calculating. As you can see from the chart he has a genius I.Q. level I doubt psychoannalysis would work on him." Taeyon the psychologist said.

"Pffft,  not with this whole emotional and mental stability again." Taefung interjected earning him a glare from Taeyon.

"Let's continue doing it your way Taefung, remember when you forced yourself to get a few samples from him? That kick to the groin must really hurt huh?" Taeyon smiled sweetly at Taefung who immediately winced as if in pain as he was forced to remember the incident.

"Now, now. We are all professionals here. What is your take on this Professor Cho?" Minho asked.

"Well this is just remarkable, granting that these data are accurate. I do however need to conduct my own tests in order to confirm that he is a level 3 mutation or not."

"Excuse me but, Level 3? I wasn't aware that there are different levels of mutations." Taeyon asked daring Taefung with a glare to answer her if he knew the answer to her question.

"Oh I am sorry I got a bit carried away. Well there are 4 levels. Level 0 mutants are those who are born with specific genetic quirks such as being immune to getting the colds, some toxins or venoms. No matter how the specimen is introduced to various and evolving cold virus, the specimen remains to be imune. Some specimens are immune to headache, dizziness and other minor sickness no matter how much they are introduced to pathogens that'll trigger it."

The team remains silent and motions for me to go on.

"Level 1 mutants are those who have mutations for a short time span, the most common level 1 mutants are babies. Some babies grow extra organs that would enable them to survive, as they grow up and grow stronger though, these extra organs becomes inactive and begin to slowly shrivel and finaly disintegrate."

"I have heard theories regarding that." Taefung mulled.

"I believe I have read several case files of the same." Zhomi added.

"Level 2 mutations are those who have permanent mutations that are based on their living conditions. Some are found to have a more developed digestive system that will allow them to eat food only once a month, we normally find these mutations on developing countries or any specimen that have been subjected to a life with little or no food. There is this one case of a man in the carribean, the man has a third lung in order to hold his breath longer while spearfishing. He is able to hold his breath for 15minutes on one breathing."

"The 3rd level is what we COULD have now" clearly impressing on the word "could." I really don't want to keep anyone's, including my own hopes up. "3rd level mutants are--"

"I don't get it, our specimen does not have any organ that can help him extend his life just an overall immunity to disease, well, diseases that we have tested on him. Why would his level be considered higher than level 2 which is even more extreme when deviating from the norm? Also, to grow extra organs to adapt and survive? What kind of mutation could trump that? X-men mutations?" Lee Minho asked clearly intrigued.

"Good question, I was just getting to that part" I looked at him with a small smile which he returns with an apologetic look.

"What is the ultimate goal of these mutations?"

"Survival?" Taeyon answered.

"Correct! Level 3 mutations are those who have mutations that will exponentially increase their life span. Immunity to disease - to cancer. That in itself is already a huge advantage. Now, do you know how these level 3 mutants are immune to such disease? It lies on their cells. Dr. Zhoumi what happens when we breathe what happens to the Red Blood Cells?"

"Well... as we breath oxygen, the RBC carries the oxygen all around the body up to the heart where it is deoxygenized. The red blood cell then dies after 100 days."

"What causes aging then Dr?" I asked him wondering if the others get my point already.

"It's when the body no longer produce cells and hormones that would replenish the body making the skin sag amongst other things. I don't see how this--" Zhoumi's eyes widen.

"Don't tell me that their body can produce cells forever?!" Zhoumi stands up.

"That- that will inhibit -- no, that will stop the aging process altogether..." Zhoumi continued and paced around his seat. I saw the faces of my colleagues. All ranging from wide eyes, to slack jaws but one facial expression baffled me. The man on the projection, for a second I could have sworn, a flash of anger.

"No not forever Doctor, just exponentialy longer than the average. Now that leaves you with why he probably does not want to answer how old he is." The man on the projection suprised me by answering.

"Now you all have your assignments, I trust that I can leave this to you then ladies and gentlemen. Good day. " the man on the projection said as his projection flickers and promptly turns off.

After the meeting I suddenly remembered that I still do not know who the man on the projector was, so I decided to ask my colleagues.

"I must have blanked out and missed that man's introductions may I know who that man is? From what I could remember he also didn't introduce himself to me when he recruited me in London" 

"No you didn't miss his introduction." Minho said.

Seeing the puzzled look on my face he added " We also do not know who he is we have asked him on several occasion but he deemed it unimportant." he shrugged.

"So let met get things straight here, we are working for an annonymous man on a project that would require us to sign stacks among stacks of confidentiality papers? Doesn't that sound a bit shady for you guys?" I looked around.

"I don't really care, as long as he pays me." Taefung added and went out of the room.

"I just know that this project would be monumental, so for right now im willing to bear with all these formalities." Taeyon said as she strutted out of the room.

"For me, it's for my patients. His blood chemistry is literally the cure for disease. I won't let any more of my patients suffer when the solution is already in the palm of my hands." Zhoumi added.

This just leaves me with Minho on the same room, so naturally I looked at him.

"Don't look at me im just here to oversee the whole project. How about you professor?"

"What about me?" I asked

"Are you in it for...

the money,

the recognition, or

to actually help the advancement of science?"

Minho left me alone to my thoughts.

I never really got to answer the question, even to myself. Sure at first it was the ever scientific curiosity that got to me, but i'm gonna be honest with myself. I also thought about the recognition not to mention the cheque that was given to me. I quickly compressed everything and placed it on a neat file at the back of my mind for later viewing. It is no use for me to tackle all these things right now and besides, I still have a specimen to visit. 

After finaly making it to my office I began to work. I scanned all the case files regarding the specimen. I wasn't gonna go in there half-cocked. For years on end I have relied on my preparedness in tackling with the most baffling cases that have been presented to me and now would most definately not be an exemption.

I made my way through the long narrow corridors and finaly reach the holding area. The somewhat blank walls were now replaced by thick transparent glass walls overlooking a huge laboratory. You can see people in lab gowns conducting tests, people on full hazmat suits while interacting with some type of plants that looks foreign to me. Definately a huge scale operation, heavily funded by the government? I don't see anything that would indicate that it's a government facility, I see no government seals decorating the walls or even the hazmats. Odd, how can a private spearhead such revolutionary discovery? Normaly the government would have a hand at this.

From afar I saw Dr. Taeyon step out of the room clearly irritated. I stepped towards her and jokingly asked,

"Taefung bullying you again?"

"If only, Taefung I can handle. It's him that I can't" as she jerks her thumb towards the door.

"He's all yours now, good luck. Have patience, god know's what could have happened if I didn't have any." she steps away from the door and goes on her way.
 

I decided to compose myself because of her warning. I smoothed down my hair and my lab gown.

"You can do this Kyuhyun" I mumbled to myself as I grab the door handle and twisted it.

The door opened and what I found inside unsettled me, what awaitied for me behind the closed door were huge feline eyes that I can feel deeply boring in to my soul.
 

Tick Tock

Tick To-

Our eyes meet for the first time.

Sorry for the cliffhanger everbody! (God, why do I keep apologizing on my A/N?) 

So here it is, I do hope you like it.  I think I need a BETA. So.. anybody wan't to applyu send me links to the stories that you have BETA'd kay?

I really hope that having a BETA would ensure weekly updates, im just having too much fun going out with my friends while eagerly waiting for graduation. SUE ME.

:P

As usual leave your comments below they make me feel tingly inside. 

WHEN I HAVE JUST POSTED A RECENT UPDATE:

WHEN I SEE NEW SUBSCRIBERS AND COMMENTS:

FIRST I WAS LIKE

THEN IMMA BE LIKE

THEN THIS HAPPENS

BUT THEN IT TURNS LIKE THIS

WHEN I SEE VIEWS INCREASING BUT NO NEW COMMENTS OR SUBSCRIBERS:

FIRST I WAS LIKE

THEN IMMA BE LIKE