HisHumanCow by Unknown Read Free Book Online

His Experiment
    Mallory Gibbs was out of luck when the advert in the newspaper caught her eye:
    Female candidate needed, 20-30 years old, for one year experiment testing revolutionary new drug.
    This ground breaking research is meant to increase human milk production. Contact Doctor Hughes Clarke for details. Payment: $50,000, disbursed quarterly for each stage of completion.
    The eye popping pay was more than twice what she had earned all of last year as a temp, working in run down offices where the bosses had high demands and little forgiveness. She chewed the pencil she was using to work the puzzle next to the classifieds.
    Mallory had always liked science. Now, she kicked herself for not pursuing the hard disciplines earlier, when she had the fire and the student loans to pursue a degree. She had opted for Anthropology instead of Organic Chemistry. It was the biggest mistake of her life, one she continued to pay for nearly five years after graduating.
    The idea of serving as a human experiment only caused a tiny sting of apprehension. Contrary to most people, Mallory understood that the researchers took enormous precautions to ensure the safety of their patients.
    “Fifty thousand dollars.” She said it out loud, letting the ghostly numbers dance through her head.
    “That's enough to cover months of rent and get rid of the student loans. Maybe enough to go back to school.”
    She bit the eraser tip again, a nasty habit she just couldn't seem to shake. With her eyes gleaming, she circled the ad and tore it from the paper.
    The initial screening over the phone only took ten minutes – much easier than she thought. The mousy voiced woman on the other end of the line scheduled her for a physical and an interview with the lead researcher, Doctor Hughes Clarke.
    The autumn wind tore at her back as she arrived on campus the following morning. As she watched a
    new crop of students bustling to and fro between buildings, a note of sadness struck her heart.
    It wasn't so long ago that she was one of them, her heart brimming with passion and possibilities. Then it all ended as she took her degree in hand. The struggle for solid jobs, late bills, scrimping and saving for holiday trips back to see her family...all of it had worn her down.
    “Enjoy the freedom while it lasts, kiddos,” she whispered to the swarming masses. “It only gets harder from here, and you can't remake yourself by changing your major.”
    A short walk toward the towering concrete medical center brought her to the right place. A young
    receptionist gave her some paperwork to fill out. When she had finished, there was another short wait, and at last a summons to go up to the fourth floor, where the lead researcher waited.
    “My, what a wonderful specimen!” Hughes Clarke rose as soon as she entered his office. He was
    several years older than her, touching his mid-thirties. Beneath his thin spectacles, he had a handsome face with a harsh jawline coated in stubble, capping a lean body that looked more like a mountain
    climber than an office bound scientist.
    Mallory stood in place, shuffling her feet back and forth. He can't mean me? Not with these love handles and hair that's been rinsed by the cheapest shampoo I could find...
    “Completely kidding, my dear,” the Doctor said as he clapped her shoulder with his strong hand.
    “About the specimen part, that is. Let me show you my research.”
    Hughes gestured toward an empty chair. She sat down and rolled toward his computer screen, which
    displayed a slide show Hughes had pulled up. The first few slides showed equations that looked like some alien language, complete with molecular diagrams Mallory couldn't even begin to decipher.
    “Sir, I'm fascinated by science, just like I said in the phone interview. But I think all of this is a little beyond me...” Mallory said, blushing with embarrassment.
    They don't call them hard sciences for nothing, she told herself.
    Hughes only laughed. “Of course, of