The Experiment

Journalist Lyra Watkins arrives at the isolated home of the infamous Dr. Rhys Cavanaugh to conduct an exclusive interview about his disappearance from public life and what he has been working on since. Inside his sleek home the Doctor presents himself as calm, intelligent, and misunderstood. He speaks passionately about his theories on consciousness, memory, and the possibility of rewriting the human mind like software. As Lyra questions the morality of his ideas Rhys becomes increasingly intense and revealing, explaining his belief that emotions, trauma, and even identity itself can be controlled and perfected through technology. Though unsettled by his rhetoric, Lyra remains focused on getting the story, asking about what the upcoming demonstration entails.

Rhys leads Lyra into the basement of the house, promising to show her a demonstration of his groundbreaking work. He showcases a tiny neural microchip that he claims can regulate emotions and reshape the human brain. As Lyra attempts to understand the device, Rhys suddenly attacks her with a chemical soaked rag, overpowering her despite her desperate struggle. She writhes and kicks on the floor, screaming into the rag and trying to break free but Rhys maintains his vice-like grip. Lyra’s eyes roll back and she passes out completely from the fumes. He drags her unconscious body onto a table and ties her down with multiple restraints, ready to make her the unwilling subject of his experiment. He puts on a protective mask, goggles, and gloves and preps his tools on a surgical cart nearby.

When Lyra regains consciousness she realizes she is trapped and completely at Rhys’s mercy. The Doctor calmly explains that he intends to kill her long enough to implant the chip into her brain before reviving her as an obedient and perfected version of herself. Terrified, Lyra pleads for her life while Rhys treats the entire ordeal like a scientific breakthrough. He gags her with a scarf wrapped around her mouth, and begins attempting to kill her without leaving obvious damage to her body. He wraps both hands around her neck and squeezes its all his strength. Lyra fights desperately against the restraints while Rhys strangles her, her arms and legs straining hard against the ropes binding her to the table. She pleads with her eyes at her attacker standing over her with his hands clamped tight on her neck. The hold becomes too much for the Doctor to maintain and he lets go, tired and cramped from the manual attempt. Dr. Rhys removes the scarf from her mouth and pulls it down to her neck. Lyra begs for mercy, crying and pleading to be let go. Dr. Rhys tells her this fear and struggle is just the final flaws leaving her body.

The Doctor pulls up with the scarf and begins the pressure again. Lyra’s face gets red from the pressure as she gags and sputters. She fights hard against the bindings while the scarf digs deeply into her neck. After much struggle she manages to get one of her hands loose from the binds. She strikes out at Rhys and grabs at his mask so he ducks out of the way and kneels down while continuously pulling the scarf tightly. She reaches out toward the surgical tools, desperate to grab a weapon. As her fingers brush against the cart to bring it closer, Dr Rhys kicks his leg out and sends the cart tumbling to the floor. Lyra is distraught at her last hope being dashed away as her eyes roll back and she gives in to the pressure. Her face grows red from the pressure as her eyes roll and her tongue sticks out. Dr. Rhys goes supine on the floor under the operating table pulling the scarf tight with all his weight. Lyra’s struggle continues as she loses all hope of escape and the unrelenting pressure takes over. Eventually the fight leaves her body and she twitches on the table before going completely limp with her mouth hanging open and eyes frozen in a stare.

The Doctor stands up and looks at his freshly deceased patient. He removes the scarf and examines the dark bruising on her neck. Then he picks up the surgical table and puts his tools back in their place. He sets about cleaning a scalpel and carefully placing the microchip in the back of Lyra’s neck at the base of her skull. He tapes a bandage over the incision and takes off his operating gear. He picks up a remote control and prepares himself for the moment of truth, whether or not his first human experiment was a success. He presses a button on the remote and waits a long moment. Lyra’s body convulses on the table as she is jolted back to life. The spasms stop and she looks over at Dr Rhys standing over her and greets him with a warm smile. The Doctor introduces himself and welcomes Lyra back into the world. He uses a pair of scissors to cut her free from the bindings, then guides her through basic speech and movement. She stands up and he looks deeply into her blank eyes. Celebrating his success, Rhys becomes affectionate and possessive over Lyra, calling himself her creator and imagining a future where she belongs entirely to him. He leans in and kisses her on the cheek, the lips, then the neck. As he kisses her something short circuits in her programing and Lyra relives the horror of her murder in brief flashes.

The experiment quickly spirals out of control. Lyra glares at Dr Rhys and he notices the dramatic shift in demeanor. As memories flood back, Lyra revolts and attacks him. Dr Rhys desperately attempts to command her to shut down while she suffers agonizing spasms caused by the malfunctioning implant. Lyra stops Rhys from grabbing the remote and tackles him to the floor, swinging her arms and smacking him repeatedly while he commands her to power down. Lyra accuses Rhys of murder while he insists he has improved her. Enraged at losing control, Rhys punches Lyra hard in the face and reverses the hold to pin her down on the ground. She continues to struggle so he wraps his hands tightly around her neck, squeezing with rage. She fights back pushing against him and kicking her legs into the air. She gasps for air as her face grows red from the pressure again. Dr Rhys squeezes with all his strength, pushing too hard and cracking her neck with the intense force. Lyra’s limbs flop to the ground as spasms and twitches run through her body. He lets go and realizes he has gone to far to recover her this time.

Exhausted and furious over his failed experiment, Rhys blames Lyra for resisting him. He rants about how she was supposed to ascend and become his perfect creation. He kicks the surgical table over himself as he vents his anger. He leaves the room with Lyra splayed out on the floor, then he returns with a clear plastic tarp that he lays out on the floor. He flips her on to the tarp and wraps her up, ready to dispose of her like garbage. He mutters to himself the hope that the next subject will survive the process and then drags Lyra’s body out of the room on the plastic.