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Description
Even in retrospect, it seems like a good idea. If we could eliminate fear, we reasoned, we could end so many of the world’s problems. No more fears means no more violence, hate, fanaticism. We could finally have a peaceful world. My three co-workers and I received a government grant. We determined what causes fear, then set to work removing it. This was the most trying aspect of the procedure. Eventually, we came upon the idea that worked. She proposed creating a natural factor which would do the work for us. We created a virus. A disease of sorts. When introduced into the system, it immobilized the portion of the brain responsible for causing fear.

Finally, it was perfected. We sent out a request for human test subjects, and our call was soon answered. A small, varied group of five volunteered. We had Mr. Smith, a worldly business tycoon who was tired of not sleeping at night, worrying about an attack from his competition. There was Daisy (that was the only name she gave us) who simply told us that in her day, she’d done every drug from alcohol to opium, so nothing was likely to harm her. Then we had Ariel and Aquila, identical twins, but as different as could be imagined. Ariel was sunny and cheerful, always wearing pink. Aquila was dark and quiet, pale and always in black. Last, there was J. When we first took down his name, we assumed it was “Jay”, and took it down as such. He quietly and calmly corrected us. When we, suspicious, did a background check, we found a perfect police record and a perfect school record. In short, we discovered that he was the most normal person on the face of the planet.

With that strange assortment of people, we began our testing. Out of fear of contamination, we kept them in a sterilized room at all times. It was perfectly comfortable, with sleeping quarters and various forms of entertainment. We explained to them that it was purely a safety precaution, and made sure to make them as happy as we could. We could push food, supplies and new forms of entertainment through sterilizing slots in the sealed metal door. We had two-way television communication systems, so we could monitor their physical, emotional and mental states. We used these screens to hold interviews with them, to find out how each of them were reacting to the virus. At first, we didn’t notice any negative side effects. But there were.

There were small changes that, in retrospect, we all should’ve seen as the first warnings of the big changes to come. The first change I can remember is when Daisy stopped coming to her interview sessions. The others told us that she was simply feeling slightly ill, so we ignored it. We shouldn’t have. Slowly, we began to notice a change in Aquila and Ariel, but we assumed that was just because of the change in living conditions. Ariel began to become more withdrawn, and less talkative, but Aquila blossomed. She became very friendly, and informative. We all enjoyed talking to her.

One day, it all changed. Before we had even realized what had begun, it was over. We were startled awake by the alarm buzzer from the sterilized room. After we had staggered over, still sleep-fogged and confused, we found a worried but smiling Aquila on the communicator screen, her charisma washing over us in waves. She sweetly explained that in the night, Daisy’s illness had gotten worse. She had woken them all up in the morning only minutes earlier gasping for air. She said she was getting very pale. There was no time for contemplation, especially not for ones such as us, just pulled from deep sleep. Entering the code into the heavy door, we all rushed in, masks and gloves intact.

It was as they had said. Daisy was lying in the far corner of the main room, pale as death. We all clustered around her, trying to find the cause of her difficulties. In taking her pulse (she was barely breathing) I noticed strange red marks all across her neck. Upon closer examination, I realized with shock that they appeared to be the marks left by a violent attack. I turned to ask the other test subjects about it. My heart stopped for a second. They were gone. Cursing our stupidity in leaving the door open, I ran over and looked out. There was no sign of them. Suddenly, I heard Daisy’s voice; so quiet it was barely audible. “J,” she whispered. “It was all his... ‘dea. H’got Smith t’do this...” When we frantically asked why, her only reply was “T’ get out, ‘course. T’ spread.” The disease was loose. Fear gripped me making me feel nauseous. It only doubled when I realized that soon, that particular emotion might be non-existent. We had created a monster, and -with our own carelessness- set it free.

Description
Even in retrospect, it seems like a good idea. If we could eliminate fear, we reasoned, we could end so many of the world’s problems. No more fears means no more violence, hate, fanaticism. We could finally have a peaceful world. My three co-workers and I received a government grant. We determined what causes fear, then set to work removing it. This was the most trying aspect of the procedure. Eventually, we came upon the idea that worked. She proposed creating a natural factor which would do the work for us. We created a virus. A disease of sorts. When introduced into the system, it immobilized the portion of the brain responsible for causing fear.

Finally, it was perfected. We sent out a request for human test subjects, and our call was soon answered. A small, varied group of five volunteered. We had Mr. Smith, a worldly business tycoon who was tired of not sleeping at night, worrying about an attack from his competition. There was Daisy (that was the only name she gave us) who simply told us that in her day, she’d done every drug from alcohol to opium, so nothing was likely to harm her. Then we had Ariel and Aquila, identical twins, but as different as could be imagined. Ariel was sunny and cheerful, always wearing pink. Aquila was dark and quiet, pale and always in black. Last, there was J. When we first took down his name, we assumed it was “Jay”, and took it down as such. He quietly and calmly corrected us. When we, suspicious, did a background check, we found a perfect police record and a perfect school record. In short, we discovered that he was the most normal person on the face of the planet.

With that strange assortment of people, we began our testing. Out of fear of contamination, we kept them in a sterilized room at all times. It was perfectly comfortable, with sleeping quarters and various forms of entertainment. We explained to them that it was purely a safety precaution, and made sure to make them as happy as we could. We could push food, supplies and new forms of entertainment through sterilizing slots in the sealed metal door. We had two-way television communication systems, so we could monitor their physical, emotional and mental states. We used these screens to hold interviews with them, to find out how each of them were reacting to the virus. At first, we didn’t notice any negative side effects. But there were.

There were small changes that, in retrospect, we all should’ve seen as the first warnings of the big changes to come. The first change I can remember is when Daisy stopped coming to her interview sessions. The others told us that she was simply feeling slightly ill, so we ignored it. We shouldn’t have. Slowly, we began to notice a change in Aquila and Ariel, but we assumed that was just because of the change in living conditions. Ariel began to become more withdrawn, and less talkative, but Aquila blossomed. She became very friendly, and informative. We all enjoyed talking to her.

One day, it all changed. Before we had even realized what had begun, it was over. We were startled awake by the alarm buzzer from the sterilized room. After we had staggered over, still sleep-fogged and confused, we found a worried but smiling Aquila on the communicator screen, her charisma washing over us in waves. She sweetly explained that in the night, Daisy’s illness had gotten worse. She had woken them all up in the morning only minutes earlier gasping for air. She said she was getting very pale. There was no time for contemplation, especially not for ones such as us, just pulled from deep sleep. Entering the code into the heavy door, we all rushed in, masks and gloves intact.

It was as they had said. Daisy was lying in the far corner of the main room, pale as death. We all clustered around her, trying to find the cause of her difficulties. In taking her pulse (she was barely breathing) I noticed strange red marks all across her neck. Upon closer examination, I realized with shock that they appeared to be the marks left by a violent attack. I turned to ask the other test subjects about it. My heart stopped for a second. They were gone. Cursing our stupidity in leaving the door open, I ran over and looked out. There was no sign of them. Suddenly, I heard Daisy’s voice; so quiet it was barely audible. “J,” she whispered. “It was all his... ‘dea. H’got Smith t’do this...” When we frantically asked why, her only reply was “T’ get out, ‘course. T’ spread.” The disease was loose. Fear gripped me making me feel nauseous. It only doubled when I realized that soon, that particular emotion might be non-existent. We had created a monster, and -with our own carelessness- set it free.