Jade stood over the lab table, watching a pink line merge into the shard. At first, nothing happened. She waited around, ten minutes ticking by. Gradually, the shard started to glow with a pink light. But that was all—just a hint of color. Jade yawned, feeling the day's efforts weigh on her.
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"Maybe it needs more time," she thought, deciding to end her experiments for the night.
"Letting it sit overnight might help," Jade mused, heading off to bed, hopeful for a breakthrough by morning.
The next day, she returned to the lab early. What she found left her stunned. The shard had transformed; it was now a vibrant deep pink. When Jade tried to pick it up, it suddenly distorted and teleported a few inches away.
Jade paused, thoughtfully touching her chin. "This is similar to what happened with the mafia crowd. It seems the trigger has been removed, yet it still retains its properties. Surprising, considering everything else I've tried ran dry so quickly." She stated outloud in the empty lab room
Over the ensuing days, Jade dedicated herself to a series of experiments with the shard. Her objective was clear: to either revert its state or unlock any hidden capabilities it might possess.
Working with the shard proved challenging. Each time Jade attempted to pick it up, it teleported away, eluding her grasp. It was only after she devised a containment strategy using metal barriers on the table that she managed to halt its evasive maneuvers.
Having successfully restrained the shard, Jade managed to chip off a piece for further examination. Under the microscope, she observed its extraordinary properties. The shard's molecular structure had the remarkable ability to regenerate, healing itself whenever it sustained damage. This was especially true for the pink fragments, which seemed to possess a life force of their own.
With determination, Jade prepared for the procedure. She retrieved a large knife and, after donning a mask and gloves for safety, she sliced off a small portion of zombified skin. She then carefully placed it atop the shard. Initially, there was no reaction, leading to a moment of suspense and doubt.
A few minutes passed, and the Director pondered aloud, "I wonder if it only works on non-living organic objects?" Jade, sharing a look of disappointment, could only nod in agreement—until the shard suddenly shimmered. The pink crystal began to merge with the flesh, slowly covering the surface of the skin.
Seeing this, Jade's spirits lifted. "Well, at least it's doing something, right?" she said, a hint of excitement in her voice.
The Director, while acknowledging the progress, noted the slow pace of the reaction as he glanced at his watch. Then, as they watched, the pink tendrils wrapping around the piece of flesh began to transform it. The once deadly grey color shifted to a healthy, solid flesh tone. A mist of black started to rise from the shard, prompting the Director to express his astonishment, "Well, I'll be damned.
Maybe we do have some unique people helping us out."
"This should be enough for now," he advised, "go ahead and take some time off. Ashaiki should be back in a few days, so take this time to visit your family or something."
The mention of family stirred a complex mix of feelings within Jade. Her immediate thought was her family—or rather, the facade she had maintained about them. "My family... oh yeah," she mused, a hint of realization in her tone, "she lied about that. I suppose I can do that... but so suddenly, I'm not sure if I would even know where to find a flight..."
The Director, seemingly anticipating her concerns, reassured her, "Don't worry about it. I spoke with Rosa a bit and stated how much you've been pushing yourself. So, go ahead and report to the debrief room, and you'll have a private jet ready to take you to the nearby airport."
His words offered not just logistical support but also an acknowledgment of her hard work and the importance of taking a moment to breathe. "You'll have the day off with your family, so that should buy you some time to relax. And I can't say how the future will unfold, so do make sure you cherish the time you have with them."