THE MYSTERY OF LIFE

Back in his office, Tempéra asks the assistants for the video recordings of all the surveillance cameras in the laboratory. He watches them one by one in accelerated speed. His eyes fixed on the six screens, he sees his days paraded identically: he and his team busying around like ants while the couple sits still in front of the tube like two stone statues. He knows there must be an explanation other than his client's. There may have been an anomaly with the fluid. A mutation of the fluid that would have caused the mutation of the embryo. It would be unheard of, but this hypothesis is indeed possible. Tempéra grabs a pipette before walking purposefully towards the tube.

The liquid Is tested and checked every day by the team. Did one of the assistants allegedly put something into the liquid during these tests? This couple may be using him to conduct their own experiment. Tempéra pours the drop of liquid he collected in the pipette onto the microscope, then he waits for the results, standing in front of the screen. The liquid is the same, and perfectly normal. He reads through the data on display on one screen to compare it to the initial data on another screen. His face closes as his eyes move from one screen to another until he finally stops in shock, and speechless.

How is it possible that this child has the Babel gene now?

Tempéra turns around to stare at the other members of the team who are bustling around him as if nothing had happened. The professor is amazed. Is he really the only one to have fully realised what has happened before their eyes? The Babel gene has just been successfully artificially implanted into an incompatible human being. Amazing! Indeed, but the question remains who attempted the procedure and how? The professor struggles to contain his astonishment and anger. He goes to sit down at his desk without saying a word. He stays for a long time thinking, holding his head low between his hands.

A member of the team walks towards Tempéra's to ask him gently, placing a light hand on his shoulder:

"Are you okay Professor Akheeli?"

The latter jumps, surprised by the gesture. He barely turns to the young woman to respond, looking anxious with a grumpy tone:

"I'm ok thanks."

As the woman moves away from him to join the other members of the team and continue her task, Tempéra observes them, pursing his lips, his gaze dark and suspicious. Suddenly, the professor jumps out of his seat before rushing towards the exit of the laboratory.

"I've had enough for today. See you tomorrow!" He mutters on his way out.

The members of the team watch with amusement as the professor hurries away, then they return to their work.

***

Lying on his bed, Tempéra stares at the ceiling unable to fall asleep. He still doesn't believe it; They have finally managed to artificially recreate the Babel gene, but he doesn't know how. The professor broke down and put back the stages of the experiment step by step, but he still can't understand how it happened. This weird and annoying couple may really have something to do with it, but how can we explain it, and especially how can we reproduce the operation?

It is obvious that they aren't telling him everything about the reason for their presence around the tube. The day after tomorrow he is already leaving for Togo to return in seven months. He can never wait until then. He must solve this mystery before he leaves. Surely the team members must know something, but if they've been in the secret all this time, why would they tell him now?

The next day, Tempéra was the first to arrive at the laboratory. Sitting at his desk, printouts in hand, he watches the members of the team who enter one after the other, greeting him. Once the team is complete, Tempéra gets up to address them. As he suspected, everyone admits to having noticed the sudden transformation of the foetus, but no one seems to have an explanation other than that given by the couple. Each assistant claims to have followed the professor's instructions to the letter without the slightest deviation.

"Why does Mr and Mrs Karim's explanation surprise you so much? Do you really believe this can't be possible?" An assistant asks calmly.

"You don't like their answer, do you?" another member of the team says seriously.

"Change matter through thought? Are you kidding?" Tempéra retorts with a smirk before noticing the change in expression on everyone's faces. The professor remains for a long moment looking at them one after the other, hesitant and fearful. They are involved, he has no doubt about it now.

"Let's get back to work; We'll see in eight months what comes out of this tube," he finally exclaims, shrugging his shoulders. He turns his back on them to head towards his desk.