“This,” Richfield explained, “basically states that if you breathe a word to anyone about what you are about to hear in this room today, you will be in a lot of trouble.”
Richfield took a deep breath as he removed his hand from the form.
“Not to mention,” he added, “really have me pissed off.” Then he gave Daniel an intimidating ex-CIA killer glare.
Daniel wasn’t too concerned. He wasn’t going to tell anyone. He truthfully didn’t care to tell anyone about all of this. He could just imagine telling the story to his co-workers—they would think he had gone insane. The only person he could see himself possibly wanting to tell was Jordan, but he could keep it from her. God knows she had kept enough from him over the years.
“Even if I wanted to,” Daniel thought aloud as he began signing on the dotted line, “I wouldn’t have any clue who to tell.”
“You might change your mind after you hear this kid,” Richfield said as he took the NDA back and inspected it to make sure everything was in order.
Daniel had only lightly skimmed the agreement, actually digesting maybe an eight of it. He pretty much understood the concept of “non-disclosure.” He figured if he didn’t tell, he didn’t have anything to worry about.
Richfield completed his examination of the document and seemed satisfied.
“Okay Doc,” he said as he looked up at the doctor, “go ahead.”
“Yes,” Daniel agreed, turning his attention to the man to his left. “You were saying something about a super scary medical procedure you’d like to perform on me.”
Richfield smirked as he sat upright and folded his arms, waiting for Doctor Horchoff to continue with his lecture. Horchoff glanced back down at the paperwork that he had sitting in front of him, adjusted his glasses, and looked back at Daniel.
“Daniel,” he said with a curious expression, “how familiar are you with the way the brain operates?”
Daniel stared blankly, not sure how to respond. He was no neurologist, but he remembered a few things from biology classes he had taken in the past.
“Uhh…” he replied, “the basics, I guess.”
“Well I’ll just go over some of the basic functions with you which will help better explain to you what we are trying to accomplish with this procedure,” Horchoff responded. It was obvious that he had planned on giving Daniel a lesson on brain functionality ahead of time. In fact, Daniel was pretty sure that the doctor was excited to showcase some of his knowledge of neuroscience.
“Now the brain is broken into three main parts,” he explained, “The hindbrain in the back, the midbrain, and the forebrain in the front of our skulls.”
He paused for a short moment as if to decide how to best continue with his explanation.
“What we are going to be most concerned with today are the front and back sections. Now…” he swallowed and continued, “the back part of the brain, which is made up largely of the Cerebellum, as well as the Brain Stem, is where most of our involuntary actions are controlled. For example, respiration and heart beat, digestion, and things of that nature.
“The front section of the brain – primarily the cerebrum – now that’s where all the good stuff happens.”
“The Frontal Lobe,” Daniel interrupted, showing some understanding.
“Well, yes, that’s a large part of it,” Horchoff acknowledged. “See, the front part of the brain, as you probably know, is broken up into two hemispheres – the left and the right. Each of those hemispheres is then divided into sections, or lobes. The frontal, as you said, which allows us to plan, reason, and is also home to our imagination. The rear most portion of our frontal lobe is also quite important as this is the ‘motor area’ of our brains.”
“So voluntary movement,” Daniel jumped in again.
Daniel always made it a point to try and absorb knowledge wherever he could, and he for some reason felt an obligation to let Doctor Horchoff know that his words were not lost on him.
“Exactly, very good,” Horchoff replied. Daniel couldn’t tell if he appreciated his input, or was annoyed by the fact that Daniel had once again interrupted his train of thought.
“Anyway,” he continued, “from there we also have the parietal lobes which are your sensory areas—so taste, touch, those sorts of things—the occipital lobe which processes images to memory and whatnot—and finally the temporal lobe which deals much with the ears and their related functions.”
Horchoff seemed pleased to have gotten through that bit of his lecture without incident.
He continued, “The highly-developed human forebrain is truly a marvel in its own right.”
“It’s what separates us from the animals, kid,” Blank suddenly contributed from up against the wall.
Daniel looked up and over at Blank who was looking back at him with a reassuring smile on his face.
“Precisely,” Doctor Horchoff said, trying to put the focus back on his educational monologue. “Then of course we have the Inner Brain, and this is also very important because this is where the hypothalamus is located.”
The pace of the doctor’s speech was beginning to increase greatly. Apparently he was growing bored with this little biology lesson and wanted to move on as quickly as possible to the good part.
“The hypothalamus is very important because this is where you feel emotions, and emotional responses. It is also home to the adrenal glands. Then we have the Thalamus which handles a lot of traffic going to and from the spinal cord as well as the cerebrum.”
He stopped to take a breath and allow his brain to catch up to itself. Something, Daniel knew, was not uncommon in people with an abundance of intelligence.
This time Daniel did not contribute his own commentary. He simply sat in silence, and waited for the doctor to continue.
And he did.
“Now—the brain communicates with itself as well as the rest of the body using neurons. These neurons are made up of axons, which send messages, and neurons to receive them. They communicate with a series of synapses, which allow for signals to be passed from neuron to cell. I’m sure you’ve heard of synapses before. And then of course this is all done with the help of neurotransmitters, which are essentially chemicals that are released across a synapse.”
He let out another abnormally large exhale, and took another moment to gather his thoughts. Once again, the other three men in the room remained silent.
“Now what I want you to remember for my explanation of this procedure,” Horchoff said, turning toward Daniel, “is the basic functions of these areas—cognitive thought and voluntary movements in the front, involuntary movements in the back, and the emotional and chemical functions in the inner brain, as well as the way the brain communicates with itself in the body.
“In the nineteen-forties, while Hitler was trying to create the perfect race of humans, one of his biological scientists developed a theory on how to connect every section of the brain so that it could communicate with every other section.”
Horchoff paused and stared at Daniel as if waiting for a reaction. Here, however, Horchoff had lost him.
When satisfied that Daniel was not fully grasping the concept, Horchoff decided to clarify. “Essentially what he theorized this would do, would be to allow the subject to control every aspect of his bodily functions. Everything. From physical attributes, to mental acuity. Even increase and shut down sensory perception. There would be nothing going on in the subject’s body that they could not control through cognitive thought.”
This time Daniel gave him the reaction he was looking for.
Total control of one’s body. That was some super human stuff right there.
He took a look over at Richfield to his right. He was still upright with his arms folded and facing the doctor, but Daniel could see that he was looking at him out of the corner of his eye.
“Wow,” Daniel finally said to break the silence. “That sounds pretty intense. What ever happened to him? Did he ever try it?”
“No,” Horchoff answered immediately, as if expecting the question. “Unfortunately the war ended with the Germans losing.”
Horchoff froze.
He looked up at Richfield with regret on his face. Richfield just let his head fall to the side. Daniel imagined he was probably rolling his eyes as well. Despite the way he had phrased it, no one in the room suspected the doctor of believing that it was unfortunate that the Nazis lost the war.
Once he was certain he wasn’t about to be chastised, he continued. “That is to say, his work was cut short, and when the Allies stumbled upon his research, they immediately discredited and locked it away, particularly because it represented the terrible things that Hitler stood for at the time. In fact, no one even knows the name of this scientist.”
Horchoff nodded to himself as if he were satisfied that he had covered up his earlier slip-up. Daniel thought that the doctor probably supported a lot of the research the Nazis were doing during World War II. Not that he agreed with their mantra, he just found their ideas fascinating. They no longer represented the evil that they did over 70 years ago.
“Besides,” he went on, “he was limited by the technology of his time. There was no way he could have actually put his ideas to practice. In fact, the technology, not to mention a well-enough understanding of the human brain which would have led to a feasible medical procedure, hasn’t existed – Ever – Until now.”
And then the doctor got this big giddy look about him, as if he were a kid about to open the biggest present under the tree on Christmas morning.
“In my research I’ve been able to learn enough about how the brain communicates that I was able to design my own cutting-edge equipment that can be used to perform a first-of-its-kind surgical procedure that will make that German scientist’s dream a reality.”
Daniel did not share in Doctor Horchoff’s excitement. In fact, he felt as though he had just been told a science-fiction tale as opposed to a proposal.
“How did you get ahold of his research?” Daniel asked.
“That’s not important,” Richfield cut in before the doctor could answer. “What’s important is that this is a ground-breaking, once-in-a-lifetime procedure that could change the world, and change your life.”
All of a sudden, the understanding of what was going on hit Daniel like a brick. He wasn’t sure how he had missed it. Horchoff’s long lecture on brains must have sent his into an almost comatose state. But now he understood just what it was Richfield, Doctor Horchoff and Mr. Blank were asking of him.
“You want to do experimental brain surgery on me?!” Daniel blurted.
It didn’t even sound real as he heard the words came out of his mouth. This was insane. Suddenly he felt so out of place. The absurdity of everything around him was finally coming to light. It felt as though an alien race had landed and begun taking over the planet and he had been the last to realize it.
Richfield decided now was the time to go for the hard sell. “We want to offer you the chance to change your life – To better yourself. You could be the perfect human specimen. There would literally be nothing you couldn’t do.”
“I…I’m sorry,” Daniel managed. “It…it just all seems so ridiculous. I mean…you do realize what you’re asking me don’t you?”
Just then he felt a hand on his shoulder.
“Yeah, I know how it sounds kid,” Blank spoke softly. “But I promise you, I wouldn’t have put you in this spot if I didn’t think you were the right man for the job. Doc, explain to Danny Boy the benefits.”
“Well…” the doctor began, “the potential is truly limitless. First off, you would have total control of your muscle movements. Meaning you could be as strong as you wanted to.”
This did catch Daniel’s attention. “Like, I could get ripped?”
“Well…” the doctor replied, “Yes. Much easier than any other human, that’s for sure. But more than appearance, you could use your muscles to their fullest potential whenever you wanted. You’ve heard about when people are able to lift 3,000 pound cars to save a loved one? Well you could do that whenever you wanted. You would be able to control the amount of adrenaline and testosterone flowing through your body by increasing production in the brain, increasing your heart rate and expanding your blood vessels for increased blood flow, and sending increased contraction signals from the brain to your muscles.
“As I said, the possibilities are limitless.”
Daniel did think that sound pretty cool, but also unrealistic. Not to mention the fact that it would require this creepy looking doctor experimenting with his brain. No – it was not worth the risk. Not to mention…
“I would control my heart rate just by thinking? Does that mean I would have to think every heart beat?” Daniel asked.
“No, actually,” Horchoff explained. “I was initially worried about that as well, but I found in my research that the procedure would not limit the current functions of the cerebellum, but merely allow you the option of tapping into them if you so desire. The connection between the cognizant thought of the forebrain, and the involuntary actions associated with the hindbrain can be shut down and turned back on at any time. As I said, you will have total control of body and mind.”
Wow. Daniel thought to himself. It was a truly amazing concept. And to be the one chosen to receive this gift—to have a power no one else on Earth would possess…
NO! He stopped himself. This is insane. They want to do brain surgery. EXPERIMENTAL brain surgery.
“I’m sorry, I don’t think I can take the risk,” he said plainly.
Blank took his hand off of Daniels shoulder and sauntered away with his head down in partial defeat.
“I promise you, the risk is lower than you think,” Doctor Horchoff said. “What I am doing should have absolutely no effect on your current brain function. I am not closing off any of your current pathways, I am simply attempting to open up more. Theoretically, the worst that should happen is that it proves unsuccessful and you’re left exactly the same.”
“Theoretically,” Daniel repeated with a sarcastic edge.
“And if that’s the case I’ll pay you a million dollars,” Richfield added.
Daniel’s ears perked up as he shifted his attention to Richfield. He had often thought about the things he would do for a million dollars. It was a long list, but this was never on it.
Was it worth putting his life on the line?
He contemplated the idea a bit longer. Put his life on the line. He had known all along that coming to work for Elite would mean putting his life on the line. Whether he was out in the field working against the world’s most skilled killers or under the knife, what was the difference?
Because in this instance whether I live or die is completely out of my control, he thought to himself. He wasn’t comfortable putting his life into someone else’s hands.
Then again, his chances in survival would be greatly increased if he had the abilities Doctor Horchoff was talking about giving him. He had expected Elite to put him through some revolutionary diet and workout routine, never in a million years had he prepared himself for this.
Richfield could see the inner torment Daniel was struggling with, so he decided to give him some options.
“So this is it. I have no more information to give you. You know now what I’m asking you. If you agree to the procedure and it doesn’t work, I’ll give you a million dollars just for letting us try. If it does work – well I don’t think I need to tell you how you’ll benefit then. But remember, you can’t tell anyone about this.”
Daniel ran his hands up his face and threw his hair before giving Richfield a disenchanted look. “No one would ever believe me if I did.”
“Yeah, well—there are some folks in the government who would be storming through my front door in a matter of minutes if they got wind of this thing,” Richfield retorted.
“I’ll tell you what kid,” he continued, “I’ll give you a month to think it over. Think about everything Docto
r Horchoff has told you today. Digest all of that information, and if I don’t hear from you in a month, I’ll have Mister Blank start looking for somebody else.”
Daniel dropped his head into his arms which were now folded on the table. Just what he needed – more thinking.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It was going to be another sleepless month.
Chapter 6
The month to follow was not nearly as restless as the previous. Daniel knew that there was no way he was going to go through with the procedure. Yes, the money made the offer very tempting, as did the thought of being the “perfect physical specimen,” but it was not worth agreeing to experimental brain surgery. He didn’t care how good of a surgeon Doctor Horchoff may be, or about his claims of limited risk – Daniel wasn’t about to let anyone alter his brain chemistry when there was absolutely nothing wrong with it in the first place.
He had a better understanding now of why Mister Blank had chosen him as the candidate for the procedure. They needed an average Joe – someone to showcase that this revolutionary procedure could change any ordinary guy on the street into Super Man.
They also needed someone desperate enough to agree to such a thing. Blank must have seen the desperation in Daniel’s eyes as Jordan drove off in the cab that night, having just broke the news to Daniel of her affair with Gordon Demérs back in Indiana. Yes, Daniel was desperate to become something better, but not that desperate.
Blank and Richfield had chosen the wrong man.
Jordan was now living in her new high-rise apartment with Gordon Demérs, and Daniel tried his damndest not to think about it. He had met up with her on a number of occasions, usually for a quick lunch or nice dinner. The setting was never too intimate however, or at least not as intimate as Daniel would have preferred.
He was not sure whether or not she was sleeping with Demérs, and he could never muster up the courage to ask her. He figured it didn’t make much difference either way and would only lead to a long, dramatic conversation, which Daniel did not want to have. He wanted to enjoy his time with Jordan as much as possible, even if it wasn’t how he had dreamed it up in the past. All he knew for sure was that she was sharing an apartment with Demérs, which meant she was seeing a lot more of him than she was Daniel.
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