Day 0

As the sun peeked through her bedroom window, Lily closed her book and sat up in bed. She had been awake for hours, as she always was on the mornings before a big field trip. Today, her class was visiting a research facility that she had been eager to see for years, and she had spent the early hours of the morning reading every article she could find about it.

Lily took school seriously, knowing that good grades were crucial for getting into a good college. But lately, she had noticed that many of her classmates seemed to be prioritizing social activities over their studies. Lily, on the other hand, was laser-focused on her goal of being the best student she could be.

With her unremarkable, mousy brown hair cut into a plain, unassuming style and her oversized glasses constantly slipping down her nose, Lily looked every bit the stereotypical nerd. Her freckles were scattered across her face in irregular clusters like constellations. They were noticeable, but not in a cute way. She had no discernible curves to speak of save for a slightly rounded belly. But she didn't care about her appearance - she was smart, and that was all that mattered to her. It showed in her wardrobe, too, which consisted of five identical t-shirts and five pairs of identical jeans, all chosen for their practicality and ease of use.

As she made her way downstairs, Lily could smell her mother, Anna, cooking breakfast. Lily lived with her mother and older sister, Lisa. Her father, a police officer, had died of cancer a few years ago. This field trip was especially meaningful to Lily, as the research facility they were visiting was known for its cutting-edge cancer treatments. One day, she dreamed of working at a place like that, helping to prevent others from suffering the same fate as her father.

"Good morning, darling," Anna greeted her warmly. "Did you sleep well?"

As Lily told her mother about how excited she was and they had shared a light-hearted laugh, Anna asked, "What would you like for lunch today? I could make it for you while you get ready for school."

Lily shook her head, "No thank you, that's fine. I've already made lunch for both Lisa and me. I thought you could use a break." She knew her mother was always taking care of everyone else, and she wanted to do something kind in return. Lily often marveled at how her mother managed to keep everything in order and still maintain her youthful, stunning appearance. Despite being well into her forties, she could easily pass for someone fifteen years younger. And nobody would ever have guessed that Lily was the daughter of this extremely attractive woman.

But not everyone was as pleased with Lily's lunch choice as she was. "Ugh," Lisa groaned a little louder than necessary. "You know I don't eat salami, it's not good for my weight." Lily apologized profusely, having completely forgotten about her sister's diet.

Unlike Lily, Lisa was the epitome of beauty, with generous curves and a tiny waist. But Lily wasn't envious of her sister's looks - in fact, she wasn't particularly interested in looks at all, male or female. She had tried watching porn a couple of years ago, but it didn't stimulate her mind and quickly bored her. Unlike most 18-year-old virgins, Lily had no burning desire to lose her virginity.

"Bye mom, bye Lisa!" she called out cheerfully as she headed out the door to catch the school bus.

As the school bus pulled up to the stop, Lily sat nervously in the back, alone as always. She wasn't interested in romance or sexual encounters, but she still wished she had at least one friend. It would make these moments a little less overwhelming.

The door opened and in stepped Olivia, the most beautiful and popular girl in school - and Lily's tormentor. With her flowing blonde hair, smoky eyes, and perfectly applied makeup, Olivia commanded attention and respect from everyone around her. She could wear anything and make it look stunning, whether it was a tight turtleneck or a low-cut top that showed off her ample C-cup cleavage. Her long legs and toned figure were the envy of the school, and her pert, round butt was the cherry on top. Yet she took a special interest in tearing Lily down at every opportunity.

Lily didn't know why Olivia hated her so much, but she suspected it had something to do with her own insecurities. Lily was smart and successful in school, and perhaps that made Olivia jealous.

"Nice t-shirt, Lily," Olivia sneered as the other girls laughed along. "Did your mom give it to you for your 10th birthday?"

Lily forced a smile, "Hehe, I guess you're right. It is kind of childish." She was used to these daily insults and knew better than to let them get to her. She just had to make it through the bus ride without breaking down in tears.

Lily looked forward to escape the constant ridicule and focus on what she loved - learning and expanding her knowledge. She was determined to one day work at a facility like this, where she could make a real difference in the world.

As the school bus pulled up to the research facility, Lily's heart was pounding with excitement. She had been looking forward to this field trip for weeks, and now it was finally here. Outside, Professor Smith was waiting to greet the class.

"Hello, everyone! I am Professor Smith, one of the head researchers here at this groundbreaking facility. Today, we will be taking a special tour of the lab where all the magic happens. Confidentiality forms will need to be signed before entering."

Lily couldn't believe her ears. She had been expecting a standard museum-like tour, complete with an overpriced gift shop at the end. But now she would get to see the actual lab where the research was being conducted. She was ecstatic.

As they entered the large lab, Professor Smith began his presentation on their revolutionary medical research. Lily was all ears, but she couldn't help feeling a little disappointed that most of what he was talking about was stuff she had already seen in hospitals. Where was the groundbreaking part?

Just as she was starting to lose interest, the professor mentioned the word "symbiote". Lily's ears perked up, and she leaned in closer to listen.

"Yes, Mike," the professor said, addressing Olivia's boyfriend. "I can understand why you might think this thing looks like an alien."

Mike was a handsome guy, but to Lily he was just another face in the crowd. She wasn't interested in boys, and she had more important things on her mind.

"This is actually something we are fairly certain will revolutionize the entire field of medicine," the professor continued, holding up a cylinder containing a black fluid. To everyone's amazement, the fluid began to move like it was alive – like it wanted out.

"While this isn't alien," the professor continued, "it might as well could be. This cylinder contains 300ml of a synthetic fluid, a symbiotic material that is capable of regenerating entire organs from a damaged state to their original state by being injected directly into the failing organ. It is a synthetic living organism, and its purpose in life is to improve the part of the body where it's injected. In some of the cases from the animal trials, the failing organs have been not only restored, but even improved from their original state!"

Lily was in awe. She had never seen anything like this before, and she couldn't wait to learn more. This research had the potential to change the world, and she was determined to be a part of it.

As the professor finished his presentation, Mike asked, "So no aliens then?" He seemed unimpressed, but Lily was blown away by what she had just heard. She couldn't believe the potential impact this research could have on saving lives, and she was filled with a warm and fuzzy feeling thinking about how many families wouldn't have to go through what she did.

Suddenly, Olivia pushed Lily from behind, snapping her out of her daydream. "Hey freak, are you in a weird nerd trance or something? Didn't you hear, we're moving on to the next room."

Lily was so captivated by the research that she had completely forgotten about her surroundings. Her lack of athletic ability combined with the push from Olivia sent her stumbling forward. She fell onto a table full of the symbiote-containing cylinders that the professor had just been talking about.

The entire class gasped, and the professor feared for his life's work as the table broke in half under the weight of Lily and the cylinders. The cylinders rolled everywhere, and lab members began to panic. Nobody had time to think about Lily's wellbeing, as they rushed to collect the rolling cylinders. Thankfully, none of them had broken.

As the class was ushered out of the research facility, Professor Smith scolded Lily for her clumsy mishap. "Did you not see where you were going?" he asked sternly.

Lily couldn't bring herself to blame Olivia for the incident, despite the fact that she had pushed her hard enough to cause her to lose her balance. Instead, she took the blame herself. "I-I'm so sorry, Professor," she said in a defeated voice.

Olivia probably hadn’t meant to push her so hard so it would be wrong to blame her, Lily thought. After all, she did lose her balance quite easily – in a way it was my own fault, she rationalized. Now she would never, ever be able to get a job here after college. A tear ran down her cheek.

As the class made their way back to the bus, Lily could hear everyone talking about her and blaming her for the excursion being cut short. She sat alone on the bus ride home, and when she arrived at her house she ran up to her room and locked the door behind her. She threw her backpack in the corner and lay down on her bed. She sent a text to her mom, saying she had a mild fever and would go to bed early. She didn't want to worry her with how devastated she was.

Lily lay in bed, trying to fall asleep and forget about the embarrassing incident at the research facility. She didn't hear the cracking noise when her backpack hit the wall after she threw it. If she had, she would've wondered what caused it, since she didn't have anything in her backpack that could've possibly made that sound.

Inside the backpack, the black symbiotic ooze had escaped from the cracked glass cylinder and was now on the hunt for a host. It slithered quietly across the floor, drawn to the only source of life in the room - Lily. Instinctively, it knew it needed a host in order to survive and thrive. It crept closer and closer, preparing to make its move.