by Francis Tint
“He’s still unconscious. I’d expect all his responses to be slower.”
Rachael proceeded to lift his leg off the bed, and took a pen to lightly hit his knee. “His knee-jerk response is completely normal.”
“What does this mean?”
“It means we can rule out any damage to sensory neurons and to the spinal cord.”
“But not the brain?”
“This sort of reflex is completely controlled by the spinal cord. But since there’s a delay in his pupillary response, there might be some damage to his midbrain. It could explain his current state. Beyond that, I don’t really know what else we can do.”
“Wow, you’re like a walking encyclopedia: quantum physics, medicines, exact measure of the speed of light.”
“I love to read, and I have a good memory.” She spoke as she poured herself a glass of water, and took a pill with it.
“Like photographic memory?”
“That’s a myth. Some people claim they can maintain an eidetic imagery, but no one has truly passed a test to showcase perfect photographic memory. I’m just better with visual details and at remembering things.” She held Tylor’s hand tightly. “But what does it matter anyway?” Her voice started to break. “I just want to know how we can get him back.”
“We haven’t lost him, Rachael,” Zach consoled her. “We… we will find a way.”
“Stop giving me false hope,” she disputed. “Even with top medical care, many unconscious patients never come back.”
“Well… what if we have something even the best hospitals don’t?”
Wiping off the tears with her sleeves, she said, “What do you mean?”
“I… I came across with…” His words failed him. How much detail should he give? Dylan, the Typhon, and the whole trade were really just some inconsequential aspects of the story. Omission technically would not count as lying. “A certain erstwhile friend of mine…”
“Erstwhile friend?”
“You know, like, a former friend.”
“I know what erstwhile means. Remember? Loves to read and very good memory here. So you’re talking to a person who’s no longer your friend? Why are you talking to them?”
“That’s not the important part of the story. Can I finish? So this aforesaid person offered me something that might cure Ty.”
“Might? What is it?”
“It’s a neon-green solution,” he said as he took out the bottle. “It’s the stuff that gave me my abilities back at Hermes. As you know, it alters isotopic makeup. As a positive side effect, it can exhibit curing abilities.”
“It can also kill him.”
“Well, you can get a sample from Ty and test out the interaction to ensure it’s safe. And that way, you can also make sure this is not just some sports drink.”
“So this erstwhile friend just gave this to you for free.”
“In exchange for some nonessential information.”
“You know, when we tell the group, you need to come up with a better cover.”
Out of curiosity, Blake decided to ground up more samples and mix them together in a beaker. The resultant mixture wouldn’t blend so she decided to apply some heat. As the mixture was heating up, she walked around the lab and arrived at a computer. It must’ve been the computer her dad had used to record all the results. She pulled out the keyboard tray, and noted a photo pendant on the keyboard. She opened the pendant and saw her dad with a younger version of herself. Her dad must have inadvertently dropped it there. She decided to wear it on her necklace to remember her dad by.
She returned to the heating plate and noticed some reaction had started to occur. The mixture slowly turned into a neon-green solution. Somehow, the starch-like derivative wasn’t just an inert carbohydrate. The two chemicals worked together to form a third compound. C05I was specifically administered to patients taking Imperiall, but were their systems capable of synthesizing this foreign compound from the two drugs?
She proceeded to identify the chemical in the spectrometer. She examined the result printout and could not immediately recognize the structure. However, it oddly resembled something she had seen before.
She flipped through her dad’s notebook. On a page with mostly scratched-out texts, she saw the chemical structure. The exact same one as the one on the printout.
“I think Ashlea has worked with my dad before,” said Blake, as she entered Zach’s place with Corey already present, and Tylor still lying in the bed.
“How did you find out?” asked Zach.
“I was at my dad’s place,” replied Blake. “It turns out he has his own private lab. I mixed the pills that Ashlea Edwards prescribed to Ellen, the victim who exploded. It created a chemical that’s exactly the same as the one drawn in my dad’s notebook.” She took it out and flipped to the bookmarked page.
“Are you saying this is the missing link with all the victims? And Ashlea is behind all this?” Zach extrapolated.
“It wouldn’t connect all the victims. One of the pills Ellen took was an experimental drug, but Rachael said she wasn’t on any clinical-trial program,” Blake rationalized. Although she had just fired her, Blake did not hate Ashlea. That had all been Victor’s doing. Ashlea’s an aspiring philanthropist. There’s no way she was behind an evil scheme that’s killing people. “Wait,” Blake addressed Zach, thinking back to his initial reaction. “Did you know Ashlea has worked with my dad before?”
“Yeah,” Zach responded, “Rachael and I just found out the other night when we decrypted your dad’s folder. It turns out Dmitri, Ashlea, and your dad were working together on the Synchronizer, back at Beryl University. It’s quite strange Ashlea's never told you about working with your dad before.”
“Well, she doesn’t know I’m Dr. Po’s daughter,” Blake said.
“But this is getting suspicious,” Corey added. “Your dad’s research is in theoretical physics, on multiverse. Why is Ashlea using one of his chemicals on HMID patients?”
“Maybe it’s a coincidence finding,” Blake speculated. “Just like how sildenafil was intended for lowering high blood pressure, but now it’s commonly used in the bedroom,” she said matter-of-factly.
“You’re talking about the blue pill,” chuckled Zach. Blake nodded, and Corey looked slightly uneasy.
“What did you find out about the Synchronizer?” inquired Blake.
“It looks like, under the right conditions, it can be used to somehow connect to the other universes. To maintain multidimensional energy balance,” Zach answered.
“What’s the right conditions?” Blake asked.
“After hundreds of trials, they still don’t know. There’s a P.S. note on linking to the limbic system.”
“That’s the area of the brain that controls desires and memories,” Blake confirmed. “But what about it?”
“Not sure,” Zach said nonchalantly. “Who knows if this thing actually works. They’ve never hit a home run with any of their tests.”
“Is there any mention of where this device would be? Or how to build it?”
“In your dad’s file, he says it consists of three parts. I’m assuming the encrypted folder we stole from Hermes contains one of them.”
“So let’s look for the other two!” Blake exclaimed.
“Hold on,” Corey interrupted. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? Why are we trying to build a device that could mess with multiple universes?”
“We don’t have to build the device. But we should still know where the missing pieces are,” Blake argued. “That way we could get ahead of whoever’s behind this scheme.”
“If they took this much effort to hide the instructions in separate places, then it’s best to keep them hidden.”
As the tension built up in the room, Julia and Rachael made their untimely entrance. “Uh-oh… trouble in paradise?” Julia said.
Corey and Blake stayed silent from the remark. Zach jumped in to explain, “They’re arguing if we should locate all the pieces tha
t make up the Synchronizer.”
“Why not?” Rachael chimed in. “Isn’t this what we’ve been trying to do all along? Decrypt the folders and learn about the Synchronizer!”
“We can learn about it,” Corey said. “But what’s hidden should stay hidden. What if it falls into the wrong hands?”
“We can safeguard it,” Blake said assertively. “It’s my dad’s work. I have the responsibility to see it through!”
Julia approached Blake and gave her a hug. “I agree, sweetie. If that’s what you want to do, we will help you all the way.”
Corey bit his tongue. He was still very much convinced that uncovering the missing pieces was a bad idea. From what they’d learned so far, the secret organization behind all this experimentation was undeniably powerful. It was quite wishful to think they could safeguard the instructions. However, it was an uphill battle to change the group’s mind.
“Ok,” Zach interjected, breaking the tension. “One of them is very likely the other encrypted folder, but we’re still missing the decryption key.”
“Blake’s dad would likely have kept the second piece,” Julia added.
“There was nothing obvious from my dad’s place, and we looked through his files on the computer,” said Blake. “But we’ve never really checked my dad’s private lab. It could also be at Beryl University. We should check it out.”
“So where would the third piece be?” Julia inquired.
“Blake’s dad was working with Dmitri and Ashlea on the Synchronizer. I’m thinking Ashlea probably kept a piece,” Rachael deduced.
“If I want to hide a piece that can quite literally change what everyone knows about the universe, I’ll probably keep it in some place super hidden,” Zach added. “Or, I might just keep it in plain sight, like with something personal where no one will normally suspect a thing.”
“I think I know where it is,” Blake said. “Ashlea keeps an old lab notebook on one of her bookshelves in her office.”
Zach showed up in an empty basketball court. Dressed in his best outfit, he waited anxiously for his date to show up. This was his first time trying to meet someone in the virtual world. His social interaction at Hermes had been extremely limited, and he hadn’t quite considered expanding his social reach since Corey had freed him from the Capacify program two years ago. All the recent adventures had been quite taxing. They definitely weren’t out of the woods yet, especially with Tylor still lying unconscious. However, he could use a good distraction.
A shadowy figure appeared under a far lamp post. He walked up to the person. They didn’t look quite like the profile picture. Was this what they called catfishing?
The figure stepped out of the shadow, and Zach immediately recognized the person in front of him.
“There are easier ways to get me to meet you, Dyl,” Zach yelled at a distance. Sensing a likely antagonistic encounter, he slyly put his hand in his pocket, looking for the speed dial button.
“How can I trust you anymore?” Dylan roared. “You betrayed me. I came with good intentions, but you chose to work with those freaks.”
“They’re my friends.”
“And so was I, but you gave me this bogus file. Why did you do that?” Dylan threw the flash drive on the floor.
“I… I didn’t. I never cracked open the encrypted folders. I didn’t know they contained a virus.”
“I never said virus.” Damn it. Dylan had always been so good at fishing for the truth. “So you admit it. You deliberately wanted to compromise our system.”
“Yes, I want to crash the Typhon. It’s an extremist cult. They’re irrational. And I know you’re not them.”
“I am them. I created them. And now, I need you to answer for what you’ve done.” With that said, he lowered his head and tried to summon his teleportation power, but nothing happened.
Zach held up his superpower-dampening device. “Good thing I came prepared.”
Like a bull in a china shop, Dylan raged toward a defenseless Zach. He tried to escape in his leg braces.
Slam! Dylan caught up to Zach and crushed him down to the ground. His device fell on the floor. Dylan stepped on it hard, destroying it to pieces.
“Even without superpowers, we can defeat you easily,” Dylan announced as an army of the Typhon appeared. “But now, we can do it in style.”
With his back on the ground, Zach crawled backwards against the rough pavement, looking for an escape. His foes wickedly circled him, blocking the weak street lights. He reached in his pocket, hoping to give it another try on the phone.
“What’s in your pocket there?” Dylan teased. Snap! A purple-haired woman magnetically snatched his phone from his possession. Dylan materialized behind him and whispered in his ears eerily, “Trying to call for backup?”
Woosh! Another darted a knife toward Zach. He closed his eyes and concentrated. The weapon froze a millimeter before him. He opened his eyes with relief.
“Looks like someone’s been practicing his telekinetic power.”
With that comment, Zach fired the knife back at Dylan with his mind, only to have it instantly vaporized not even halfway to the intended target.
“Nice try, but we don’t need child’s play.” Dylan stood up and started to walk away. Before vanishing, he said, “Enough fun for the night, guys. Let’s pack it up.”
Zach closed his eyes as he prepared himself for his ultimate doom. He started to hear trees rustling and water splashing. A draft of wind sent chills to his bones. He dared not open his eyes, preferring not to witness his own demise.
For a long moment, it was silent. What was taking so long? He opened his eyes and saw the Typhon backing away.
Julia flared her torch gun in the air dramatically, “Better run before turning to toast.”
They returned to Zach’s home. “You’re lucky your call went through, Zach,” Corey castigated, “and that Rachael saw you were meeting someone at the basketball court. Who were those people?”
“Were they the ones you made a trade with? Why were they still after you?” Rachael asked.
“They looked like they were all candidates from the Capacify program,” Blake extrapolated.
“Were they your old friends back at Hermes?” Julia added.
“Don’t ask your questions all at once,” Zach said. “I will tell you everything.” And he did. He came clean about Dylan, the Typhon, the trade, and the fake files.
“You tried to hoax a cult with deadly powers?” Julia said. “You got guts.”
“Never,” Corey berated, “do that again.”
“Stop yelling at him like he’s a kid,” Blake said. “I think he understands his mistakes.”
“Anyhow, so what are we going to do with the cure?” Julia asked.
“We obviously cannot trust them,” Corey said plainly. “We have no way of knowing what it is.”
Rachael took out the neon-green solution. “Well, I’ve tested it with samples I got from Ty. It looks like it might work.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Zach said. “You suspected there’s damage in his midbrain. This is the magical cure we need.”
“It’s worth a shot,” Julia concurred. “If Ty develops some superpower, that’ll be a bonus for us against the Typhon and whoever’s after the Synchronizer.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Blake said. “The results might look promising in the lab, but we don’t know what it would actually do to Tylor. It might do more harm than good. We should find another way.”
“There’s no other way,” Zach said. “His system is quite frozen. Luckily, you got him here in time otherwise he’d be dead already. People aren’t meant to be cryogenically frozen and thawed.”
His remark was met with immediate silence. “Well, Rach,” Julia concluded, “what do you think? We’re two to two. It’s up to you.”
Rachael walked up to Tylor who was lying unconsciously. She held his hands tightly and tears started to fall. Could she ever forgive herself if this me
ssed him up? But how could she live with herself if she didn’t try to fix him?
The lab result showed no harmful interactions between the cure and Tylor. The unknown was the superpower Tylor might manifest after taking the cure. Would it be too much for him to handle?
“This is the best way forward,” Rachael made up her mind. “If we do nothing, then we’re giving up. This will at least give us some hope.”
She started to inject Tylor with the neon-green solution intravenously. Blake could almost see a glow running down his vein, tracing the action of the cure. The glow dissipated, and for a moment, it looked like the cure did nothing.
Tylor’s finger started to twitch. Rachael also felt a tighter squeeze from Tylor’s hand. The group gathered with excitement hoping to see Tylor wake from his slumber.
However, instead of the much-anticipated moment, his entire body started to shake violently. His vitals were spiking, causing all the alarms on the machines to go off. “What’s going on?” Rachael asked desperately. “Someone, do something.”
The group hovered over and tightly held Tylor down, in fear he would hop out of the bed. “It looks like he’s overdosed,” Blake suggested.
“Let’s get him on some saline to dilute the effect,” Rachael ordered. Zach heeded the command and administered the brine solution without delay.
With the new injection, the convulsion slowed down, and the vitals returned to normal. Everyone took a breath and started to relax. After a short instant, the machine started to go haywire again, flagging his plummeting vitals.
“He’s crashing!” Zach yelled. “Quick, Corey!”
Corey placed his hands over Tylor’s chest, and summoned a slight jolt, hoping to resuscitate his system.
“It’s not working!” Rachael cried.
“Maybe a little stronger,” Blake suggested. Corey followed the recommendation and jolted Tylor again. The machine continued to beep alarmingly.
“Give me some space,” Julia ordered. “Let’s pump his heart.” She applied quick chest compression, while muttering to Tylor, “Don’t you dare give up on me.”
On her twentieth count, Tylor jerked up without warning, pushing Julia away, and threw up dark green slimy fluid.
