Subject Zero: CONFIDENTIAL (Short Stories)

Adventure Book (5)

A New Concern

This morning over ham sandwiches, my ally brought up a troubling subject. Supposing we are indeed successful in opening the portal to the sounce of the Mirror World "weirdness," what if any more weirdness leaks into our dimension? Or, more tantalizingly, what if we're able to capture some new and rare creatures from this unimaginable alternate universe?

In the event of such a development, we will need somewhere to store and study these dangerous specimens where they can't endanger the mirrorfolk or interfere with our work. V has proposed that we hide out in the void. An impermeable space where we can contain and observe these specimens away from our home base and the possibilities of being witnessed by the mirrorfolk.

As much as I hate to delay construction of the portal, V is right. We will begin hiding in the void at once.

Tests

A week ago, we came across a Shade who was capable of shape-shifting. We trapped him in the void for our experiments. For the past week, I have conducted all manner of tests on the specimen (whom I named "Shifty") to get a sense of his unique biological makeup. Although I've yet to determine his origin, I've recorded countless incredible forms.

Shifty has such a delightful temperament — transforming into a tail-wagging dog when he's happy and a prickly sea urchin when he's sad. I have shown him photos of a number of different animals and he always matches them perfectly (although I am careful to only show him small herbivores. The books on large predators are strictly off limits).

We have also become careful to wear surgical masks while around him — the possible repercussions if he got a good look at our faces are somewhat unnerving.

Every day, Shifty grows bigger and bigger — I had to upgrade the small kennel box to a full-sized steel cage.

While working late in the void, I heard a high, otherworldly, parrot-like voice call out "Universe." Shifty has learned how to speak! A few words at first, but every day he's been learning longer sentences. Increasingly, he asks, "Who am I?" He is an avid learner, and has asked me on multiple occasions to see my journal, but I have declined for obvious reasons. (There are many forms in this book that I'd never want to see him take.)

V has become increasingly skeptical of the creature, reminding me every day that the only reason we're keeping him is to run a few tests on him.

An Encounter

I apologized profusely to V for another traumatic experience. I told her that once we complete the portal, all of this will have been worth it. We're almost there!

We have nearly completed the portal and will soon be ready to test it, but we have several more long nights before our work will be ready.

I recently find myself frustrated by the necessity of sleep. Think — if the average person sleeps 8 hours a day, they will spend approximately one third of their entire life asleep. What a waste! In this regard, I find myself especially jealous of World. He has discussed with me at length the freedoms afforded to him by virtue of being a non-corporeal entity. He is free — truly free — from the physical and biological restraints of our world. Sleep is a curse, and yet a curse I need to live.