The Flavors Of Life And Death

Project: Saccharum Aeternum

The primary objective is to address two significant challenges facing Cakeverse society: controlling Fork's aggressive tendencies and harnessing Cake's biological capabilities to develop a superior resource.

Specifically:

1. Controlling Fork: Researchers are seeking methods to either eliminate or control Fork's insatiable hunger, transforming them into ideal laborers or fighters without the threat they pose to Cake. They believe that by "reprogramming" Fork's taste perception, societal stability can be enhanced, leading to fewer attacks and a decrease in capital punishment.

2. Harnessing Cake: The natural aroma and sweetness of Cake are viewed as a potential source of biological energy. The initiative aims to extract essence from Cake's blood, cells, or even bones to produce sensory enhancement drugs for the general population, or addictive biological weapons that could incapacitate enemies.

This project was kept under wraps, as it breached the “Flavor Act” and was deemed unethical, even in the harsh environment. It was carried out in a clandestine facility located in the eastern slums, where outcasts like Vita and Seele could be easily captured without drawing attention.

How the Experiment Functions

The underground facility resembles a chilly, concrete labyrinth, with winding corridors lined with metal pipes and flickering fluorescent lights. The test subjects—numerous Forks and Cakes—are confined in individual cells, separated by sturdy steel walls and bulletproof glass. Vita and Seele are located in the same experimental zone, but their conditions differ significantly:

1. Vita's (Fork) experiment: Vita is secured to a wall with electrified barbed wire, and her electronic collar has been modified to deliver shocks whenever her heart rate spikes—a clear indication of hunger. Scientists administer a substance known as “Taste Serum,” extracted from the cells of another Cake, aiming to restore her sense of taste. The hypothesis is that if Vita can experience taste without consuming Cake, she will no longer be driven by her primal instincts. However, the serum has an unintended consequence: it intensifies her hunger, leading her to growl and struggle against her restraints, her eyes wild and bloodshot. Each day, she endures the forced inhalation of an artificial scent from a nebulizer—a crude imitation of Cake's aroma—to observe her response. Unfortunately, the outcomes have been disappointing: her craving only intensifies, and the collar shocks her so frequently that her neck is now marked with burns.

2. Experiment on Seele (Cake):  Seele is confined within a sealed glass cage, with only a few openings for air to pass through. Scientists use her as a "living resource," taking blood samples and skin cells to refine serum for Fork. They inject her with a compound called "Flavour Impulse" designed to enhance her natural fragrance—honey, vanilla, and cinnamon—to test its effects on Fork. The scent of Seele becomes more potent than ever, wafting through the glass and driving Vita into a frenzy. However, the compound also weakens her: her skin turns pale, her eyes grow dim from continuous blood loss, and she often faints in the cage, clutching her trembling body.

The experimentation process stretches over several months, with scientists documenting the reactions of Vita and Seele through a monitoring screen. They intentionally allow Seele's scent to stimulate Vita, observing whether the serum can help her regain control. Yet, instead of achieving success, the experiment only pushes both to the brink: Vita is on the verge of madness, while Seele gradually becomes exhausted.

The impact on Vita and Seele

• For Vita: The experiment left lasting effects. The serum made her more sensitive to the scent of Cake, amplifying her hunger to the point where she sometimes heard growling in her head even when no Cake was nearby. However, it also strengthened her willpower: each time she overcame the surge from the collar, she learned to use the pain to gain control over herself. When she reunited with Seele, the memories of the experiment served as both motivation (to protect the one who saved her) and a challenge (to confront a hunger stronger than ever).

• For Seele: The "Flavour Impulse" permanently intensified her fragrance, making her easier to detect while hiding from the Garden. She became physically weaker—often fatigued and occasionally fainting—but her spirit grew stronger. The experiment taught her that she was not just a victim: her act of saving Vita amidst chaos proved she could defy the fate of being a Cake.

Phases

Phase 1: Preparation and Subject Selection

Timeline: This phase starts approximately six months prior to the escape of Vita and Seele, which is around three and a half years before the key event in the wildflower field.

Location: An underground facility located in the eastern slums, an area marked by dilapidated buildings above that conceal hidden underground entrances.

Selection: The scientists involved in this project, backed by a powerful faction within the government, focus on “forgotten” individuals—Forks who have been apprehended for legal violations and Cakes who lack familial protection. Vita, aged 17, finds herself arrested after her electronic collar fails, leading her to attack a regular person during a hunger episode. Seele, also 15, is taken from her family when her scent—honey, vanilla, and ocean scent—marks her as a prime candidate for testing. Both girls are transported to the facility in armored vehicles, their hands restrained and eyes covered to keep their location confidential.

Facility: The facility is an underground structure featuring robust concrete walls, narrow hallways lined with metal piping, and flickering fluorescent lights that create an eerie atmosphere.

The main laboratory consists of two distinct sections:

• Section A (designated for Fork): This area contains a series of cells constructed from steel, each equipped with electric spikes on the floor, heart rate monitors, and surveillance cameras to ensure constant observation.

• Section B (designated for Cake): This section features a lineup of bulletproof glass enclosures, each outfitted with a gas injector and a tube for collecting biological samples. A 10-cm-thick transparent glass panel separates the two sections, allowing Fork and Cake to watch each other's reactions.

Initial preparations: Vita is stripped of her usual attire and dressed in a gray bodysuit fitted with an adrenaline sensor. She also receives a new electronic collar that delivers a higher voltage than the standard model. Seele is placed in a glass enclosure, wearing a delicate white gown, with an auto-injector on her wrist for regular blood sampling. Both individuals undergo DNA testing to assess their compatibility with the experimental substances.

Phase 2: Compound Deployment and Initial Observation

Duration: The initial 3 months of confinement.

Goal: To evaluate Fork and Cake's fundamental reactions to the compounds.

Step 1: Administering the Taste Serum to Vita

• Method: The Taste Serum is a light yellow liquid that contains a protein derived from Cake cells (not Seele's at this stage) along with a neurostimulator. It is delivered via IV into Vita's arm, at a dosage of 5ml daily for the first two weeks.

• Process: Vita is securely restrained, with her limbs immobilized to prevent any self-injury. A nebulizer in the room emits an artificial fragrance—mimicking Cake's scent, like strawberry or caramel—to provoke a reaction. Scientists observe from behind glass, documenting heart rate and brain activity on monitors.

• Reaction: At first, Vita remains silent, her eyes tightly shut, but after several days, the serum intensifies her hunger. She starts growling and tugging at the chains until her wrists bleed, her eyes becoming bloodshot. The collar administers electric shocks whenever her heart rate surpasses a certain limit, leading her to scream and collapse, her body shaking. “Subject Fork-17 (Vita) exhibited heightened autonomic responses, with no indications of taste re-establishment,” the scientists recorded.

Step 2: Administer “Flavour Impulse” to Seele

• Technology: “Flavour Impulse” is an eco-friendly solution that includes an enzyme designed to activate Cake's endocrine glands. It is delivered via an automatic tube into Seele's wrist, with a daily dosage of 3ml.

• Procedure: Seele is secured inside a glass enclosure, where a nebulizer captures her scent through a small opening for chemical analysis. A thin tube is affixed to her skin to collect blood and cell samples every 12 hours, which are then preserved in a chilled test tube.

• Reaction: Seele's scent intensifies, wafting through the glass opening into Vita's space. She starts to weaken, her complexion turning pale and her vision becoming hazy due to blood loss. Often, she curls up in the corner of the cage, wrapping her arms around herself and murmuring, "I don't want to die here." Scientists noted: "Subject Cake-09 (Seele) has tripled pheromone production, with a 20% decline in physical health."

Initial observation: Vita and Seele were positioned so they could see each other through the glass. Seele's scent drove Vita to madness, causing her to bang her head against the steel wall, while Seele flinched at every roar from Vita. Scientists modified the dosage, aiming to achieve a more stable equilibrium.

Phase 3: Direct Interaction Testing

Duration: Months 4 and 5.

Goal: Assess Fork’s capability to manage interactions when in close proximity to the scented Cake.

Step 3: Encouraging Interaction

• Technology: A steel sliding door connecting the two spaces was opened for 5 minutes daily, permitting Seele’s scent to flow freely into Vita’s area without the glass barrier. Vita’s Taste Serum dosage was raised to 10ml per day, while Seele’s Flavour Impulse was increased to 6ml per day.

• Procedure: Vita was secured with a looser chain, allowing her to move within a 2-meter radius. Seele remained in her glass enclosure, but the opening was expanded to enhance the scent's release. Additionally, a second air diffuser in Vita’s room introduced an artificial scent to help divert her attention from Seele.

• Reaction:
• Vita: Vita felt an overwhelming surge of hunger. She charged toward the sliding door, the chain snapping as her nails scraped against the steel, leaving streaks of blood behind. The collar zapped her with electricity, sending her crashing to the ground, her hair drenched in sweat and her breath coming in gasps. Yet, she couldn’t help but steal glances at Seele through the door, her eyes filled with a mix of desire and anguish.

• Seele: Seele was overwhelmed by the intensity of Vita's scent, making her feel lightheaded. She fell to the floor of the cage, banging her hands against the glass and crying out for help, but silence surrounded her. She softly called out Vita’s name, hoping it would reach her above the chaos.

Initial observation: The scientists watched with disappointment as the situation unfolded. Vita was losing her grip on her instincts, while Seele was gravely weakened, having lost 40% of her stamina and teetering on the brink of death.

Phase 4: Incident and Escape

Time: 175th night of the experiment.   

Incident:

Step 4: Increase the dosage

Procedure: The researchers make a bold decision for the final test: they will inject 20ml of Flavour Impulse into Seele and 15ml of Taste Serum into Vita simultaneously to achieve a “breakthrough.” Vita is secured with tighter chains, while Seele’s glass cage is opened wider to let the maximum scent escape.

Reaction:

• Seele: Her body reacts unexpectedly. The scent bursts forth uncontrollably, impacting not only Vita but also disrupting the electrical systems. The gas injector in the glass cage becomes overloaded, resulting in an explosion that shatters the glass. Despite blood streaming from her mouth, Seele struggles to crawl toward the sliding door.

• Vita: The serum heightens her hunger to an extreme level. She lets out a roar, causing the chain to tear into her wrist, and the necklace discharges with such force that it burns out the circuit. The voltage surges, leading to an explosion in part of the lab's control panel.

Chaos:

The blast from the glass cage and collar triggers a series of events: the lights go out, alarms sound, and smoke fills the room. The prison walls partially give way, revealing a flooded tunnel that leads to the surface.

Escape:

Seele, exhausted, makes her way through the debris to reach Vita. With a jagged piece of glass, she carefully slices through the last chain binding Vita's wrist, her hands trembling yet resolute. "I won't let you perish here," she murmurs, blood trickling onto the ground. Vita, barely aware due to hunger and electric shock, grasps Seele's hand. They dash through the waterlogged tunnel, surrounded by the wails of sirens and the lifeless forms of those who didn't survive. This time, Seele's scent leads them not towards a meal, but towards survival.