by Wyatt Kane
And the noise! Blaring music from speakers pointed to the road. A never-ending orchestra of car horns hooting with no purpose. And paid ‘marketers’ standing in front of the stores, shouting at people in an effort to gain their attention in the hope of enticing people in through the doors.
It was one of Ty’s least favorite part of the city, but this was where he needed to go. So he did his best to ignore the grimness and desperation that hung over everyone like a pall, and worried that he might have already gone past his target.
But just before he reached the end of the block, he saw a glass window that seemed out of place. There were no gaudy displays, no bright lights or loud invitations. Instead, the glass window boasted a simple, painted sign.
OmniTec Industries – Clinic 104.
It was what he was looking for. Without further thought, Ty bumped up onto the pavement and kicked the Ducati’s stand in place. For a moment, he contemplated what he was about to do. Tempest had said there were too many superpowered people about, and that it felt like there was a change starting to happen. It was her job, and Ty’s as well, to keep the lid on that change as best they could.
And yet, there he was, outside Clinic 104.
He hadn’t mentioned the drug trial to Dinah or Tempest. He knew he should have, but at the same time, he was desperate. He needed money, and couldn’t see any other options to get it.
And besides, he thought, justifying it to himself, he didn’t know for sure what these people were trying to do. He didn’t know how close they might be to success. So, perhaps this little excursion of his could be described as a fact-finding mission.
Ty didn’t consider that Dinah was far better placed to conduct this sort of research than him. She could have found out for sure if the drug trial was something they should be watching, or if it was harmless, all without leaving the mansion.
He told himself that maybe this drug would do as Brad said. Help people lose a little weight, or develop more muscles. Become the best they could be.
But finding superpowers buried deep within them? Maybe that was no more than wishful thinking.
The only way Ty would know for sure was to get off Dinah’s bike, activate the antitheft device, and go in and see for himself.
33: The Dotted Line
Inside, Clinic 104 looked much like a doctor’s office. Clean and sterile, there was a small waiting area just inside the door and an oversized reception desk in front of him. Yet, where most such offices Ty had seen separated the waiting area from everything else with solid walls, this one used glass. Ty could clearly see two rooms from where he stood next to the reception desk.
One of the rooms was empty. In the other, a random patient lay back in what looked like a dentist’s chair, hooked up to various monitoring devices, with a man in a white lab coat talking to him.
Ty wanted to watch what was happening, but the receptionist looked up at his arrival.
“Good morning, and welcome to OmniTec Industries,” she said. She was a young woman with modified eyes that were disproportionately huge compared to the rest of her face. “How can I help you?”
“I’m here to find out some more about the drug trial you have running,” Ty said. “AZT-407, I think it’s called.” Brad had given him the name of the drug at the same time as he’d supplied the address.
The receptionist nodded. She was pretty, Ty thought, but only if she wasn’t compared to Tempest, Dinah, or Lilith. Idly, he looked at the name badge she wore high up on her chest. Melita, it said.
Melita’s expression didn’t look favorable. “That one is fairly exclusive,” she said. “We’re only accepting candidates for it if they meet strict criteria. But if you qualify, it comes with significant compensation.”
Ty couldn’t help himself. “How much?” he asked.
The receptionist named a figure that would solve all of Ty’s immediate problems and then some.
He tried not to show any reaction. He swallowed. “And, uh, what are the criteria you’re looking for?” he asked.
The receptionist nodded, reached for a tablet computer on her desk and handed it to Ty. “Swipe to start. It’s a questionnaire we use to determine if you’re eligible. Take a seat, fill it out, and then we’ll see.” The perfect receptionist, Ty thought. Efficient, informative, and polite.
He took the tablet. “And if I am? Then what happens?”
“If you’re able to fill out the form in the next ten minutes, we can slot you in right away. One of the technicians will administer the drug, and that’s it.” Melita gave him a quick smile he was sure Dinah and Tempest wouldn’t like. “You’re in luck. Normally, there would be a wait of at least a week.”
A week? Despite himself, Ty found that he was anxious to get started. If he did qualify, he didn’t want to lose his window.
Then he silently questioned what he was doing. Did he really want to go through with this?
No, he didn’t. But the money made it very enticing.
He started to turn toward the waiting area, then paused. “One more question,” he said. “I haven’t done any drug trials before, but do they all pay like that?”
The receptionist shook her head. “No. This one is special.”
“What makes it special? Is it dangerous?”
“All drug trials have risks associated with them. But as far as I can see, and remember, I am not medically trained, this one has fewer than most.”
“Do you have a list of those risks?” Ty asked.
The receptionist nodded. This time, she handed over a printed brochure. “This has all the information you need,” she said.
“Thank you,” Ty said. He turned to one of the seats, sat down, and start started to read.
<<<>>>
The brochure mostly just reiterated what Brad had already told him of the benefits of AZT-407. Increased clarity of thought, increased immunity to a variety of diseases, as well as building various muscles and tissues. It claimed to “create the body your genetic base could have produced under ideal conditions” and that he could expect to become “taller, stronger, and healthier than ever before.”
It read like a brochure for the device Ty wore on his wrist, and he was at once both intrigued and concerned.
Nor was that the limit of the brochure’s boasts. “Not only will you become the best version of yourself, but you may also gain something extra,” it said.
It didn’t go so far as to claim that users of the drug would be able to fly or walk through walls like comic book characters. Instead, it hinted at “unnamed potential” to be found locked away in his genetic code.
Even more interesting than the rest, however, was the final claim in the benefits section. “Even those with no innate recessive potential for unusual abilities might find that, because of the way AZT-407 acts, they might still gain an ability beyond that which is considered normal.”
That was something the Architect’s device couldn’t do. The potential for technological manipulation that formed Ty’s skill had always been there, locked away within him. Same for Tempest, Dinah, and Lilith. Even Bain, the Master, Massive, and Steam. The monstrous strength, talent for heat, and solidity was already there, buried beneath the surface.
But this drug, this AZT-407, promised more. If it proved true, then it could make someone like Rubio even more dangerous. The man was ruthless in his search for followers with hidden talents. He’d cut the arms off his men if they failed to show the sort of strengths he was searching for. But this!
With AZT-407, a man or woman with no talent at all could become a powerhouse capable of leveling an entire city with nothing more than a word.
This drug could be a gamechanger beyond even what the Architect’s device had proved to be.
Ty couldn’t help but be concerned by the claims. Yet there was something that gave him hope. A single line in italics, in a font size that was almost too hard to read.
“Results not typical. Your results may vary,” it read.
A standard
disclaimer that Ty interpreted as, ‘For most people, this doesn’t work.’
Even so, his caution and worry remained. What if the drug could do what it promised?
As well as the benefits, the brochure listed a number of potential side-effects, none of which sounded particularly serious. These included headaches, nausea, a sense of dizziness, and tremors in the extremities. Then there was another disclaimer:
“AZT-407 is an experimental drug. There may be additional side-effects not listed above. OmniTec Industries takes your health and well-being seriously. If you have any concerns, our friendly staff will be happy to help you.”
Standard stuff, Ty thought. He took a moment to consider and decided that AZT-407 sounded like an amazing substance. He probably would have been tempted to try it even without the financial bonus. But the money was the clincher. There were no two ways about it. Ty needed the cash.
He turned to the questionnaire on the tablet.
Name, age, address, next of kin. Again, standard stuff, but from there, the questionnaire went into details about his health. Ty answered as best as he could, even though he no longer really knew how tall or heavy he was. For those fields, he guessed based on how much he’d grown, and moved on to the next. After that came a series of questions that seemed to be aimed at assessing his personality profile. He wondered what that might have to do with AZT-407’s potential effects, but he shrugged and filled it in as best as he could. After all, the Architect himself had included psychological profiling as part of his criteria. Why should OmniTec Industries be any different from that?
The personality section was by far the most extensive, and it took Ty more time than he wanted to finish. Finally, he came to a legal declaration, which absolved OmniTec Industries of all legal responsibility, should he be selected, for anything that might go wrong, as well as stating that he, Ty Wilcox, understood it was OmniTec Industries’ sole discretion as to whether or not he would be selected.
Ty hesitated for only a moment, then gave another mental shrug. The odds were slim that they would choose him anyway. And if they did, what was the worst that could happen? The side-effects didn’t seem that bad, and really, the device coming into his life was the best thing to have happened to him. Why would this be any different?
Knowing in his heart that Tempest and Dinah wouldn’t approve, Ty signed on the dotted line, then stood to return the tablet to the large-eyed receptionist.
34: AZT-407
Melita took the electronic form from him with a pleasant “Thank you,” and told him that he would know the results in a moment.
Then she did something with the screen Ty couldn’t see, and her overly-large eyes grew even bigger.
She looked back up back at Ty with an expression close to surprise. “Congratulations,” she said. “You meet our criteria.”
Ty couldn’t believe it. He didn’t know what to think. He had been mostly convinced that he wouldn’t be who they were looking for, and couldn’t really tell by the questions what OmniTec Industries was after. He’d been prepared to ride back to the mansion having gained nothing but the knowledge that this drug wasn’t for him.
Instead, he faced a massive decision.
“The window for administering the trial drug is still open. Would you like to go ahead with that now, or would you prefer to make an appointment?” Melita said.
Perhaps he should make an appointment, Ty thought. That would at least give him time to think. He opened in mouth to start to speak, but was stopped by an image that had come unbidden to his mind, dominating all other thoughts.
The image was of a gaping hole in the wall of his apartment that could only be fixed if he had the money to do so.
All of a sudden, his throat closed up. He couldn’t breathe, and his heart started to hammer in his chest like it did just before a fight. He closed his eyes and strove to steady himself.
“Sir? Are you okay?” the receptionist asked.
Ty opened his eyes again. He strove for a smile, but couldn’t get there. “Now is good,” Ty managed.
“Excellent,” the receptionist said. “Take a seat, and we’ll call you through in a minute.”
Ty turned away robotically. What had he done? he wondered.
Was it too late to back out?
He thought that at the least, he should let Tempest and Dinah know where he was. He didn’t want them to wonder where he had gone. But he didn’t even get the chance to sit down before a masculine voice caught his attention.
“Ty Wilcox,” the voice said.
Ty spun about. He felt like he was in shock. He was sure much of the blood had drained from his face. What the hell was he doing?
What he needed to do to survive, he told himself.
The speaker was a tall, dark-skinned man in a white lab coat that displayed OmniTec Industries’ logo emblazoned on the front. He was bald and had replaced his eyebrows with a series of metallic spikes. Other than that and a grafted communication device visible above his left ear, the man was devoid of body modifications.
He smiled pleasantly at Ty’s expression. “We are ready for you now, if you’d like to come through,” the man said.
Ty took a deep breath. He’d made his decision, and, for better or worse, now it was time to see it through. Ignoring his doubts and hesitations as best he could, he followed the tall man through to one of the rooms at the back.
“My name is Darien Cort. Please take a seat,” the tall man said, “and could you roll your sleeve up past your elbow?”
Ty did as he was asked, and Darien maneuvered the monitoring equipment closer. “Now, you’re here for the AZT-407 trial, correct?”
Ty didn’t trust himself to speak. His mouth was still dry and he was unaccountably anxious. He nodded.
“Good, good. You know, you’re very lucky. I do believe you’ve taken the last spot in the trial.”
Ty wondered if that meant there wasn’t any space for Brad. Or had his roommate gone through this process already?
“How many people are in the trial?” he managed.
Darien gave him a reassuring smile. “I’m sorry, but that information is classified. What I can tell you is that it isn’t a big number. Now, I’m just going to attach these sensors to different parts of your body. They’re just to monitor your heart rate, the oxygen levels in your blood, things like that. Is that okay?”
Ty didn’t see that he had much of a choice. He nodded, and the tall man got to work, placing sticky, plastic discs here and there. But he hesitated when he saw the projection discs Ty already wore.
“What are these?” he asked.
“New type of body modification,” Ty said, thinking quickly. “Are they in your way?”
The man shook his head. “I shouldn’t think so,” he said, and continued with what he was doing.
He was done in less than a minute. “Now, has the procedure been explained to you?”
Ty wondered if the brief explanation Melita had given him counted. “No,” he said.
“Okay. Well, we’re going to put one of these needles in your arm,” he said, holding the device up for Ty to see, “and connect it to a saline drip. The saline will help keep you hydrated, and hopefully that will lessen any unpleasant side effects. When you are ready, we’ll add the AZT-407 to the saline solution. And that’s it. You’re done.”
Ty nodded. It sounded simple. “How long will it take?”
Darien made a dismissive gesture. “Ten minutes, maybe fifteen.”
“And then what?” Ty asked.
“You probably won’t notice much of a change right away,” he said. “But over the next few hours, pay attention to how you feel. See if you notice anything different.” Darien smiled again. “Anything unusual. We would like you to return to us here in the next couple of days, and at that point we will ask a series of questions to determine the effectiveness of the drug. And there might be a physical test or two as well. Nothing too strenuous, and maybe a cognitive test or two as well.”
; Ty nodded. He wondered why they hadn’t put him through those physical tests already, to give them something with which to compare. But there was a more important question he had to ask.
“And the money?” he said. “When do I get paid?”
Darien smiled again. Ty wondered if he sounded as desperate as he felt, but when the man spoke, there was no judgment in his tone at all.
“The first installment will be transferred into your account when you leave us today, with the final installment due when you come back for the questions and tests.”
Ty nodded. He couldn’t really ask for anything better than that.
“Are you ready? Make a fist with your left hand and hold still. This will sting a bit.”
Ty didn’t feel ready. He felt like he was making a huge mistake. But he had a history of stubbornly adhering to his decisions even if he regretted them.
That was one of the reasons he’d spent so long working at the Concubine Club.
So he did as Darien asked, looking away as the needle slid into his arm. Quickly and efficiently, the man secured the needle in place and hooked it up to the bag. That done, he turned back to Ty.
“Last chance to change your mind,” he said. “Are you ready?”
Ty hesitated for several seconds. “Do it,” he finally said.
Darien man accepted Ty at his word. From a surgical table, he plucked a large syringe filled with an orange liquid that seemed to sparkle.
“The magic ingredient,” he said, and injected it into the IV bag via a valve at the top.
Ty watched as the orange liquid mixed with the saline solution. When the syringe was empty, the man took it away and popped it back on the surgical tray.
“Now, we’ll just give that a little while to make sure you don’t have any adverse reaction,” he said.
35: An Adverse Reaction
