Unclassified; Zero and Still Standing

Far above the ground, in the penthouse that looked less like a house and more like a laboratory...

Doctor Heckman sat before the monitors displaying Yesu’s neural readings.

For once, there wasn’t the slightest hint of amusement on his face.

Only concentration.

The system continued its work.

Calculating.

Comparing.

Analysing.

Across the room, the black cat circled one of the cages containing the dead rats.

Its nose pressed against the tiny breathing holes.

Yesu’s dried blood still stained the metal around one of them.

The cat scratched frantically at the glass.

Scratch.

Scratch.

Scratch.

Doctor Heckman’s eyes flicked toward it.

"Careful now," he said flatly. "Or you might be next."

The cat answered with a loud meow.

Silence returned.

A soft chime sounded from the computer.

The final neural readings arrived.

Doctor Heckman leaned forward. His eyes darted rapidly across the figures.

Then a slow smile spread across his face.

"Excellent."

He immediately struck the print command.

Across the laboratory, the printer whirred to life.

He pushed his chair back and crossed the room before the first page had fully emerged.

He snatched it free midway.

His eyes raced over every line. Every graph. Every number.

The inner door clicked open.

Footsteps echoed softly across the laboratory.

Josephine emerged.

She stopped a few feet behind him. Her tired eyes swept across the room.

The cages.

The scattered tapes.

The overturned chair.

Then him.

"Where’s the girl?" she asked quietly.

Doctor Heckman never looked up from the paper.

"Downstairs."

Josephine froze. Her eyes widened.

"You actually did it?"

"Of course."

His tone was casual. Satisfied.

He carried the printout toward a wall of overflowing shelves.

"How could you?" Josephine whispered.

Doctor Heckman began rifling through folders, tossing one after another onto the floor.

"Simple."

Another file landed with a thud.

"There was a question."

Another.

"It required an answer."

Another.

"And answers come from experiments."

A folder slid beneath a desk.

"Trials."

Another followed.

"And errors."

Josephine stared at him then slowly turned around.

The black cat had become frantic.

It clawed desperately at the cage containing the dead rats.

Her gaze drifted from one cage to another and another.

Dead.

Every one of them.

She noticed the cabinet hanging open.

The cassette tapes littered the floor.

The syringe lay abandoned beside the keyboard. Blue liquid had seeped across the desk, staining the keys.

Meanwhile Doctor Heckman continued emptying an entire shelf onto the floor without a second thought.

Creating yet another disaster she would eventually be expected to clean.

Her hands slowly curled into fists.

Without looking back, Doctor Heckman spoke.

"Good thing with the cat, though." He smiled to himself. "I honestly wasn’t convinced it would work."

He pulled another file free.

"But as usual..." His smile widened. "...the subject refused to disappoint."

Something inside Josephine snapped. Her eyes narrowed in contempt.

"You are sick."

The room fell silent.

Only the constant humming of machines remained.

Doctor Heckman stopped moving.

Very slowly, he turned.

His gaze was sharp enough to cut.

Until he truly looked at her and his anger eased.

Only slightly.

"Dear me," his eyes travelled over her whole body. "You’re the one who looks sick, Josie."

Most of her hair had escaped its ponytail. Dark circles hung beneath her glasses.

Her skin had become frighteningly pale.

She looked as though she might collapse where she stood.

Josephine said nothing. She walked across the room instead to the animal section.

She bent down and scooped the black cat gently into her arms, cradling it against her chest.

Then turned toward the exit.

Her foot landed on one of the scattered tapes.

It slid.

She stumbled violently.

One hand shot out, catching the edge of a nearby table before she crashed to the floor.

The cat hissed and leapt free.

Josephine’s chest rose sharply.

"I’ve had it."

Her voice trembled with rage.

"Working with you has been nothing but a complete nightmare—"

"Are you quitting?"

Doctor Heckman interrupted without emotion.

"If you are then..." He gestured lazily toward the door. "You know the way out."

Josephine was growing angrier. Her skin getting even more pale by the minute.

"After all the stupid things you’ve made me do, you’re just going to fire me without reason?" She thundered. "This is exactly why no one ever wants to work with you. What the hell is your problem?"

Doctor Heckman tossed the file he was holding.

It flew so hard it hit the shelve behind with a loud tear.

"What the hell is my problem?" He asked, incredulous. "It’s as clear as daylight if you ask me. But I shall humour that small mind of yours and elaborate."

He took a step forward.

"Firstly," he began. "I never requested an assistant. This employment was forced upon me."

He took a few more steps.

"Secondly, I am well aware of the fact that the State planted you here to spy on my research."

Another few steps.

"Thirdly—and this one irritates me the most—they couldn’t even station someone smart. Instead, they bring in a birdbrain who does absolutely nothing but type, clean and complain."

He was right in front of her now. His eyes had grown dark, angry.

"And that ’observation’ of yours is painfully dull and incorrect. People beg to spend an afternoon of work with me. And I decline. Do you have any idea why?"

Josephine said nothing. Her chest heaved as she glared hard at him.

Doctor Heckman leaned closer.

"I’ll tell you."

His voice was dangerously low.

"I work alone. Always have, always will."

Silence.

They held each other’s intense gaze. The sounds of their fast-paced breathing flowed together with the machine humming.

Josephine’s breathing had become shallow.

Doctor Heckman took a step back.

"So go ahead. Quit." He gestured towards the door once again. "You would be doing me an immense favour."

A moment or two passed.

Then Josephine turned and immediately located the cat who had wandered back to the cages.

She hurried over and scooped it up again.

Then began walking back to Doctor Heckman.

Her footsteps were shaky, eyes blurry. She steadied herself on the wall for a few seconds.

Then stubbornly forced her legs to move.

She brushed past him and made her way to the metallic door.

"And maybe," Doctor Heckman called without looking back. "Take some medication while you’re at it."

The retreating footsteps continued.

Doctor Heckman gave a small snort. He turned back to resume his file search.

Thud.

Josephine collapsed to the floor. Unconscious.

The cat scurried away from her limp body.

Doctor Heckman paused for a moment. Then brought a hand to his face with a sigh.

"Seriously?"

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!