Vigo's Lament: A Dystopian Thriller (Age of End Book 3) by Chris Yee

tissue, we have created a specimen that appears to be growing and exhibits signs of life. It stands at approximately one inch in length and is growing at a surprising rate. We detect a steady heart beat and minimal brain activity. We are storing the specimen in a small glass chamber, submerged in nutrient-rich fluids. We hope this will promote growth. We will continue to monitor all developments closely. I am excited about the potential for this project, but until it yields more stable results, I will continue to keep it hidden from both the public and the rest of my employees.
     
    Day 12
Weight: 2 pounds
Length: 4 inches
    The specimen continues to grow. It now measures four inches in length. Its heart rate remains steady, and its brain activity has increased. Arms and legs have started to form, and I think I see a small pair of eyes. The nutrients from the fluids seem to be working. The specimen remains healthy.
     
    Day 30
Weight: 6 pounds
Length: 10 inches
    The specimen is developing quite well. It resembles the shape of a human baby, though it is still very small. I am surprised with how fast the body is maturing. We have moved it to a larger chamber to accommodate for future growth. After close analysis, we have determined that it is a girl. Very exciting and quite surprising! I did not expect a female specimen. I don’t even know how it’s possible. Perhaps I should name her. Given the name of the project, I suppose I could name her Monika, although that seems too easy. Maybe Laura.
     
    Day 31
Weight: 6 pounds
Length: 10 inches
    Not Laura. Isabella.
     
    Day 53
Weight: 13 pounds
Length: 22 inches
    Isabella has developed enough to survive outside of her chamber. She no longer needs the fluids to sustain herself. We will continue to care for her as we would a normal child.
     
    Day 54
Weight: 13 pounds
Length: 22 inches
    I held her for the first time today. The labbies say she is finally healthy enough to have outside contact, so I asked them to bring her to my office. She looked up at me with her adorable eyes and swung her little arms around. Her laugh is the most precious laugh I’ve ever heard. I think I’m ready to share her with the rest of The City. It is a big moment. I’m curious to see how people will react. The creation of life right here in our labs. It could mean big things for the future. I will make the announcement tomorrow.
     
    Day 55
Weight: 13 pounds
Length: 22 inches
    Today a group of workers were killed by the Crowns in a terrorist attack. It was a suicide bomber. Simon immediately took responsibility, although I never doubt it was him in the first place. He’s a monster. In light of the tragedy, I have canceled my plans to introduce Isabella. After the incident this morning, I question if I ever will. Simon says our experiments are unnatural. He preaches that we shouldn’t mess with biology, but my experiments have helped people in so many ways. I’ve made people happier. We are healthier and live longer, all because of the work we do in these labs. He will never appreciate that. If I reveal Isabella’s existence, she will surely become a target.
     
    Day 77
Weight: 17 pounds
Length: 26 inches
    There was a bit of a scare today. This morning Isabella had a violent seizure. It lasted approximately thirty seconds. It was the longest thirty seconds of my life. Fortunately, we handled the situation in a timely manner, and she is now healthy. We believe it may be a result of her rapid growth. She has the anatomy of a normal baby girl, but she continues to grow significantly faster than normal. We did a full body scan, and it seems the brain is struggling to keep up with the rest of the body. We will monitor this issue closely to see if it persists. In any case, the incident has helped me realize how much I care about her. She is like the daughter I never had. She was conceived from my tissue samples, so I guess technically she is my daughter. After learning that I was sterile, I gave up on the