Chapter 4 - The Ghost in the RegistryThe discovery of Clara’s clipboard shattered Arthur’s professional detachment. He rushed back to the administrative wing, ignoring the security protocols, and broke into the master personnel archives that dated back to the asylum's opening.
Dust billowed from the heavy leather-bound ledgers as he flipped through the yellowed pages of 1995.
"Come on... come on..." he muttered, his fingers trembling.
There it was. A supplement file labeled: Project Genesis – Unauthorized Clinical Trials.
Arthur’s eyes scanned the fine print, and the blood drained entirely from his face. The project wasn't a myth. Decades ago, the asylum’s founding director, Dr. Heinrich Bauer, had hypothesized that human genetic adaptability could be enhanced through selective, induced gestation under extreme psychological trauma and sensory deprivation. The subjects were female psychiatric patients deemed "expendable."
When the government shut down the illegal experiments in the late 90s, the board claimed the project was terminated and all files destroyed.
But the final handwritten note at the bottom of the page—dated just three days ago—was signed with a familiar set of initials: H.B.
Heinrich Bauer wasn't dead. Or at least, his legacy was still walking the halls.
Before Arthur could process the implication, his office phone rang. The harsh, sudden sound cut through the silence like a knife. He snatched the receiver.
May you like
"Vance," he barked.
"Doctor," whispered a breathless voice on the other end—it was Nurse Higgins. "You need to come to Ward B immediately. Patient #204... Eleanor just gave birth."
