"This is so embarrassing," muttered Willow. She was leaning up against the registration counter, her arms were crossed in front of her chest, her head hanging in disappointment.

"I need to fix it," I demanded, as my voice sounded muffled from my head being knee deep in a cabinet drawer. I was looking for an article that was written years ago that helped explain why my patient had gone into a comatose-like state after receiving the virus.

Willow circled around the desk, her shadow looming over my backside, "Akira, it's just a rat." I felt the pressure of her warm hand place itself along my shoulder blade.

"Look, don't get all sensitive. Yes, were are trying to find a cure, but it all won't be fixed overnight." Willow glanced up towards the clock and hissed at the time that showed.

I ignored her comment, and finally reached the article, " Ha! Success," I yank the paper up in the air, it was a miracle I still remembered where it was kept.

Willow sighed with frustration, as she yanked the article from my hands, "Akira, can you be a normal eighteen-year-old for once?" She pleaded.

"Fine," I grinned, taking the paper out of her hands and resting it on my desk, placing my laboratory coat atop my chair. "Only tonight, then I'm heading straight back here," I pointed a finger to the chair.

Willow closed her eyes and groaned in annoyance, "Sure, after tonight I don't care what you do. But, you'll be attending your own birthday party whether you like it or not."

She continued on wrinkling her nose and looking down at my choice of clothing, "What in the world are you even wearing, Akira?"

"Clothes?" I responded with a question.

"Akira, you look like, well like you don't care about tonight."

"Really?" I grinned, proud at her statement. "Because I think I look cool." I was wearing a red sweater, which had horizontal stripes running up the sleeves, a pair of lightly tapered jeans.

"Cool? Cool, was used in the 20th century, we are now in the 24th century." Willow irritation began to climb, and sometimes I loved getting a rise out of her.

"Honestly, Akira as your best friend. I authorize you to go change and at least look like you care about tonight, it's not every day you turn eighteen."

I shrugged, "Alright, fashion queen I'll meet you there. I just need to shut everything down."

Willow nodded slowly, "Ten minutes, that's all I'm given you." She rolls her shoulder off the wall and disappears down the hall.

I glance around at the beautiful scene laid out before me; the dimly lit laboratory nothing but the machines there is no movement besides the slow hum caressing my ears. The lights are like stars in the night sky, I only know by pictures what the night sky looks like, but I don't think it could beat the beauty of the active hardware. Plasma screens placed in every empty space you could find, I knew I was in heaven my own high tech cave with a white marble roof and sheer grey floors. You could hear the echoing of my footsteps but, during the day the sounds seem muffled with excitement from all the young recruits.

You wouldn't know that we have lived underground, this was the stuff we would watch in science fiction movies that were made four centuries ago.

I turn my head to look down at the baby incubator before me, see Matilda's neck in metal shackle and the same are fastened around all legs while her tiny belly pointed upwards. Her fur was albino with her skin being pinkish. I tube placed in her mouth to keep her breathing, her eyes closed with pain, casting my eyes upward there are more than forty tanks, to match every other member in the laboratory's hard work.

It wasn't what I wanted, but this virus seems to keep beating everything I worked for, and Matilda was the best rat that we've ever had. I placed my fingers to lightly brushed against her pink belly. She showed signs that could possibly make her live again, to help us find a cure, and to repopulate the earth. If she recovers, that means the serum can be used to deactivate the Beast and return the world to us.

"One small step," I whisper to her, cheering my little girl on. We aren't supposed to grow an attachment to them, that's what I taught the younger recruits but my Matilda is a fighter and together we can save the world.

But so can forty other scientists.

I go to the main light switch and shut it down, allowing my starry night to show in its beauty before dashing towards my room. Our room's here aren't the best, but the shared enough room for a single bed, a nightstand, closet, and bathroom.

Once we turned ten, we get separated from our parents and start living on our own and gaining a four-year bachelor degree in biology by the age of fourteen. We were forced to take classes such as biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and computer science. After we took that we take two-year graduate program taking advanced classes at the graduate level which covered topics like biochemistry, neurobiology, ecology, evolution and molecular, developmental and cell biology.

I took it a step further and decided to take the doctoral program which involved conducting original research, writing a thesis and defending the thesis to a council of scholars, and earning the degree allowed me to seek advanced positions in independent research. Which allowed me by age of sixteen, to apply to more research with neurobiology, molecular biology, developmental and cell biology or behavior, evolution and ecology.

I glanced at the mirror quicking, heavy bags set under my eyes from endless work, my eyes like clouds of grey and blue, almost like murky water. My face long and narrow, a snub of a nose and raising my hand to let the ponytail release waist length allowing my light brown hair, to drape across my shoulders

Hurrying to the closet I throw on a simple black dress, that flowed out just below the hips with a cut off at the knees, Willow had to approve of this dress she was the one who got it for me. I smile at the mirror once again before darting to my celebrate my birth date.

Honestly, all I want to see the world above us.