The scientist stood and gazed upon his creation. If only he had more time. He created the biosphere in just a week, rushing to complete it against all odds. First he set up the lighting needed, then the land and water, the plant life and eventually the animals. Animals that were, for the most part, a bizarre form of self expression for the geneticists on his team.
And bizarre it was, but that was not what bothered the scientist as he stood on the platform above the biosphere, observing from above. His thoughts were with the creature sleeping in the next room - the highest of his achievements - the artificial lifeform capable of self-awareness and holding in it endless potential. Adam was the result of many years of research and experimentation, so it was no wonder the scientist chose to give Adam some of his own external features. He was like a son to him, a newborn with a world to discover.
The scientist smiled to himself and glanced at the display before him. According to the readings, his little boy was dreaming. What could he possibly be dreaming of?
"Sir?" the assistant's voice interrupted the scientist's thoughts. "We're ready," he said.
"Were the predators sedated?" the scientist checked.
"Of course."
"Then proceed as planned. I will observe from here," the scientist said and the assistant hurried away.
The scientist leaned forward to get a better look into the biosphere, to observe as his miraculous creation materialized on the green glass.
Adam was nude, hairy and generally more animal than person by design. His esthetics hardly mattered as his genetic makeup held the potential for physical mutation.
He woke, opening his eyes only to be blinded by the bright sun-like lamp illuminating the biosphere. He looked for a place to hide, like a beast would, but the curiosity embedded into his genetic code force him to want to know. Adam rose to his feet, carefully exploring his surroundings with the curiosity of a child.
The scientist smiled watching his little boy make his first steps in his little world. He finished his daily report and left the observation platform.
It wasn't long before trouble started. The research executives gathered the scientists working on the Adam project and displayed the rather obvious challenge: Adam's reproductive urges. Like all other needs, these too demanded to be filled. In just a few short years, Adam understood his desires and needs, and observed the animals around him mate and reproduce. So it was really no wonder that he reached the selfish conclusion: "I want this too".
"I foresaw this," the scientist said with some arrogance in his tone. "Which is why I've already created a female," he added, and the other experts seemed to accept this spontaneous decision on his behalf. All except one.
The researcher was a prominent figure in the scientific community on his world. A specialist in the evolution and genetics of his own reptile species, it was he who proposed the Adam project in an attempt to get a better understanding of the genetics and evolution of mammalian species in the galaxy. But the scientist had to take over. His kind always do. The researcher hated and resented him for it, turning some of his frustrations into venomous reptiles to add to the biosphere. But he still desired revenge, and the female was his perfect oportunity to execute it.
The male and female adjusted quickly to one another, perhaps because of their shared genetics. They would gather food together, share it, and spend time enjoying one another's company in fascinating ways like making up names for plants and animals. Adam learned to laugh and the research executives began to feel it was time to move forward with the project.
The scientist's goal was always to create an independent sentient mammal species and populate a compatible planet with these creatures so their development could be observed. The goal was always clear to the scientist, but having spent years observing Adam in his habitat, he's grown close to the little fellow who wasn't even aware of his presence or role in his creation. All the scientist wanted now was to keep Adam around a bit longer, rather than dump him on some rock and hope he survives.
So the scientist altered records, faked tests and did all he could to postpone the inevitable - the next step of evolution for his little pets. The research executives ordered it. The evolutional stimulants were hidden in the fruit of a tree that was transported into the biosphere while Adam and his female, now nicknamed Eve slept. As soon as they would consume the fruit, their genetic makeup would mutate at an accelerated pace, giving them a significant boost in intelligence, allowing them to develop complex language, learning and tool-making skills.
The scientist had his mind set on postponing that for as long as he could. He waited patiently until the observation deck was empty and all other scientists and researchers were done for the day. He activated the telepathic transmitter and aimed it at Adam.
"Listen to me," he thought at him. "I created you, and I..." He hesitated. "I am GOD and I order you not to eat from the fruit free by the lake. If you eat from it, Adam, you will die."
Adam looked frightened and hesitant. The scientist smiled. Fear was what he was going for.
*
The biosphere was quiet at the time of night the reptilian researcher chose to execute his plan. He sneaked into the biosphere, with the telepathic transmitter in hand. He was looking for Eve, and found her curled under a tree.
"Wake up," he thought in her direction.
Her eyes opened and she was about to scream at the sight of the alien before her when he tried to soothe her.
"Shhhh," he hissed, much like a snake. Eve stared at him, her lips shaking. "I have an offer for you," he thought at her. "The fruit of the tree near the lake is not poison. The man who spoke to Adam lied. If you eat it, you will be stronger and wiser than him."
Eve smiled at the reptile and nodded. That was enough. He would not have to kill her, and by morning, their IQ will have doubled, and they'll be gone, making room for a new project. HIS project.
It all happened just as he had predicted. Eve fed Adam the fruits from the tree, and by noon that day, the two were wearing makeshift clothes, hunting and cooking animals, and speaking in sentences with more than two or three words.
The scientist was furious. His anger boiled in him, but he kept it in check, saving it for later and for the reptilian research who seemed to have forgotten about the backup security cameras in the biosphere. By the evening, the scientist's creations were fully dressed, sitting in the lab and hearing their creation story from the scientist. Or a simplified version of it, anyway.
He told them that since they've eaten from the fruit, he would have to banish them from paradise, the biosphere he created for them. He tried to teach them a bit about the world they were about to inhabit, but they could sense his sadness and frustration through the care and fatherly love.
"But why?" Adam asked. The typical question of a child who did not understand that he was little more than a lab rat.
"What else would you ask?" the scientist inquired. "To have eternal life, or perhaps to be a God like me?"
Adam did not have an answer to that question.
Yet.
-=-=-=-=-
Notes: I've always had a special relationship with religion - I've used to fuel my writing, but that's about it. I wrote this story in 2001 in Hebrew (right around my finals in mandatory bible studies), and totally forgot about it. Today, I remembered it and decided to find it and translate it for my readers on steemit (that's you!).
Give me your critiques and comments!
Images via Pixabay.com
Had fun? Want more? Check out my previous posts:
- What is ASO and why every mobile app needs it
- Off the Grid [Short Science Fiction Story] [Steemit Exclusive]
