The Stone of Madness

by Nick Baker

  ‘I believe my cryoprotectant will prevent cellular damage when the freezing process is reversed, yes … although there is one major problem,’ Nexus said guardedly.

  ‘And, er, what is that?’

  ‘The preservation of the brain.’

  ‘As I suspected,’ said Strange with a sad shake of his head, ‘but if this is unachievable, then surely the problem is insurmountable?’

  ‘Indeed, Abel, but we shall see,’ Nexus replied enigmatically. ‘Freezing is unrivalled at maintaining the structural integrity of any organ, and when thawed out, it is possible to return the organ to full functionality, but for one rather glaring exception. Just imagine the possibilities, however, if we could preserve a person’s brain without disruption to personality, thoughts, memories … emotions even. It would allow the possibility of true revivification.’

  ‘Revivification! I’m beginning to get an uneasy feeling here,’ said Lex. ‘I delivered Pearly’s body to you ten years ago, and all we’ve heard so far is talk of cryonics, and now, revivification. What does it all mean?’

  Nexus smiled nervously. ‘Perhaps Josef will answer that for you.’

  ‘All in good time, Luca, but for now, perhaps you’d be kind enough to continue.’

  ‘Very well, Josef. I’m afraid, gentlemen, that the ultimate goal of preserving the psyche following death remains tantalisingly out of reach. The brain is decidedly different to other organs. Trying to maintain a network of neurons so that intangibles such as memories and thoughts are retained has, sadly, proved beyond my grasp.’

  ‘Why?’ asked Strange. ‘If you can make it work for, er, other organs, then surely why not the brain?’

  ‘The cell that is fundamental to the function of the brain is the neuron—a cell that is decidedly different from all others in the body,’ replied Nexus. ‘A delicacy exists between neurons that make them unique. They interrelate with cells of their own kind and communicate via dendrites and synapses to create a complex neural network, thus explaining their multifaceted abilities. It is also the reason why freezing has little chance of success in preserving the brain’s functional integrity.

  ‘It is only recently that we’ve come to understand the mechanisms that allow long-term memories to be retained in the brain. The hippocampus and limbic system are critical areas for storing memories, but just how are these memories stored? Through diligent research, I have demonstrated that when precise sequences of electrical activity pass between neurons in a part of the brain known as Papez’s circuit, it creates memories by chemically encoding these patterns in discrete, spatially positioned cells. It’s hardly surprising that freezing destroys such a complicated arrangement. No, I’m afraid, gentlemen,’ Nexus concluded categorically, ‘the central nervous system is such a delicate network of cohesive circuitry that it cannot be maintained in the way that I had once envisioned.’

  ‘But surely Pearly must have believed differently? Otherwise, he’d never have invested so much time and money in your work,’ said Strange.

  Nexus shrugged his shoulders. ‘Perhaps. We shall see,’ he repeated in the same mysterious manner he had displayed before.

  ‘Let me, er, get this straight. Pearly’s body was brought to you on the night he died. So, are you, er, saying that his body is still here?’ Strange queried.

  Nexus smiled. ‘Pearly’s body is indeed still here, and I have preserved it in the exact same state as the night that Lex delivered it to me. It was the least I could do bearing in mind that Pearly died in the act of aiding my work.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ asked Strange.

  ‘Pearly understood the problems I’d experienced with manufacturing a cryoprotectant. He helped fathom out where I’d gone wrong, and with his great analytical mind, he worked out what I needed to perfect the mixture. To my dismay, it was this very chemical that Pearly was in the act of stealing on the night that he died.’

  Lex nodded. ‘I always wondered what Pearly wanted from a refrigeration plant. He wouldn’t tell us what was in the vials he took, and we never had the chance to question him.’

  ‘For obvious reasons,’ said Frankl scornfully.

  ‘So, what exactly is this chemical?’ asked Strange.

  ‘N-methylformamide, which when combined with dimethyl sulphoxide and ethylene glycol, forms the perfect solution for cryopreservation.’

  ‘So … er … what exactly have you done with Pearly’s body?’ asked Lex, sounding unsure of whether he really wanted to hear Nexus’ answer.

  ‘Nothing,’ replied Nexus casually, ‘apart from keeping it stored here all these years.

  ‘Let me explain,’ he continued. ‘The biggest problem following death is that cells begin to perish the moment breathing stops. The brain is exquisitely sensitive to a lack of oxygen. Fortunately, it was a bitterly cold night when Pearly died and it was not long before his body arrived at the hospital for refrigeration. Just a few hours after Pearly died, Lex delivered his body to me in a near-perfect state, apart from the fatal injuries, of course. Lex also brought me the final ingredient for the cryoprotectant.

  ‘We were lucky with how it all panned out. Pearly left explicit instructions outlining what I was to do should the circumstances ever arise, and so I did not deliberate.’

  ‘So, er, what exactly did you do?’ Strange enquired.

  ‘I prepared the cryoprotectant and readied the machinery for vitrification.’

  ‘Vitrification?’ repeated Lex.

  ‘Yes. It means “transformation into glass”, and describes the process of lowering the body’s temperature so that it hardens as it’s frozen. By this method, the body’s cells remain stable for thousands of years.’

  ‘And that’s what you’ve done to Pearly?’ said Lex, looking as if he was about to throw up.

  ‘When I received Pearly’s body, I dealt with the injuries then removed what remained of his blood and replaced it with the cryoprotectant before rapidly cooling his body to its glass transition point.’

  ‘What on earth is that?’ queried Lex.

  ‘Approximately minus 135 degrees Celsius, to be exact,’ replied Nexus casually. ‘The temperature at which all water solidifies.’

  ‘Such rapid cooling cannot be simple,’ said Strange, intrigued.

  ‘Indeed, but by using a vapour of liquid nitrogen, Pearly’s body has been kept safely frozen for these past ten years,’ Nexus exulted.

  ‘So what do we, er, do next?’ said Strange, squirming apprehensively in his seat.

  ‘That’s for Josef to say,’ said Nexus. ‘I’ve done all that was asked of me, and while I can thaw Pearly’s body out, his brain has no chance of recovery … unless, of course, Josef can tell me otherwise …’ he said, allowing his words to trail off enigmatically.

  Frankl eyed him uncertainly. ‘Pearly never revealed the true nature of the stone, but I believe he foresaw a time that would culminate in this meeting.’

  ‘Are you saying he, er, planned all this?’ said Strange dubiously.

  Frankl shook his head. ‘No, not exactly, Abel. Although I am convinced that Pearly knew exactly what I’d do with the information he left for me. All he did was sow the seeds.

  ‘Just think about it. He gave me barely enough information to start the ball rolling, yet he anticipated where it would all lead, which is why we’re here tonight. Now, Luca, perhaps you can tell us what you know of the stone,’ continued Frankl with a feverish anticipation shining brightly in his eyes.

  Nexus nodded. ‘Very well, Josef. Perhaps you’re right … we’ll see,’ he added pensively.

  ‘I first met Pearly a couple of years after he’d left the Academy. He came to see me one evening with a beautiful woman in tow. Her name was Saskia Schalk. She was a woman of extraordinary talent and had been working with Pearly on a strange metal alloy fused by an obscure alchemical method. Although he kept the details from me, Pearly asked me to aid him in his work. I accepted without hesitation.’

  ‘Why?’ enquired Lex.

  ‘Y
ou know how convincing Pearly could be. He offered me facilities and finance beyond my wildest dreams, and never asked anything of me in return … that is, until some years later, when he appeared here unannounced requesting my aid in a most peculiar task.’

  ‘What was this task?’ said Lex.

  ‘He brought with him a small, perfectly smooth, spherical metallic object, as red as blood, which he referred to as the stone. He asked me if I’d implant it into his brain. Naturally, I was perturbed. His request was unconventional, to say the least. I explained as best I could the grave risks that surgery of this nature would involve, but he would not be swayed. He led me to believe that the implant would boost his already considerable alchemical talent, and against my better judgement, I agreed to help. I didn’t have much choice; like I said, Pearly could be very persuasive.

  ‘Pearly had already funded a fully functioning medical facility on these premises where, it just so happened, I could conduct my work without intrusion. And so it was that I implanted the stone just as Pearly dictated. Fortunately, the surgery proved uneventful.’

  ‘When, er, exactly did you perform this surgery?’ enquired Strange.

  Nexus hesitated. ‘It was about seven or eight years before he died.’

  ‘Where’s the stone now, Josef?’ said Lex.

  ‘Safely here,’ replied Frankl, tapping his breast pocket. ‘And soon it will be back exactly where Pearly planned,’ he added mysteriously.

  Lex sighed. ‘What are you saying, Josef? Surely it’s about time we had some answers?’

  ‘Very well, Lex. Since our last meeting, I’ve been busy making the final preparations for what is now so tantalisingly close. I began by coming here some days ago to explain to Luca what we must do with the stone.’

  ‘Indeed,’ said Nexus, nodding his head. ‘I was always intrigued by the stone and found it unimaginable that Pearly, a man of such immense power, would put himself at risk for what appeared to be so little gain. In the years that followed the implantation of the stone, I got to know Pearly better, and he slowly came to trust me. Eventually, he gave me a more meaningful insight into the true nature of the stone, but I still harboured some doubts. Now, with the information that Josef has recently divulged, it goes some way to explaining why Pearly was prepared to take the risk.’

  ‘Exactly! And if Pearly was right, then we sit on the brink of immortality,’ said Frankl eagerly.

  ‘Perhaps … we’ll see,’ said Nexus, still sounding unconvinced.

  Strange sighed. ‘Why did you keep us in the dark for so long, Josef?’

  ‘Oh, Abel, you’re far too sensitive. It’s only since I met Luca that I finally realised what Pearly’s intentions were for the stone,’ replied Frankl irritably. ‘Once I’d learnt of Luca’s involvement and what he’d done with Pearly’s body, it all fell into place.’

  ‘So what do we do next?’ asked Lex uneasily.

  ‘First the body will need rewarming, and then I’ll replace the stone,’ said Nexus. ‘After that, I believe it’s down to you, Abel.’

  Strange glanced uneasily at Frankl. He nodded and bowed his head, lost in thought. The room remained eerily silent until he finally stirred. ‘There’s, er, just one thing that concerns me,’ he said, addressing Nexus. ‘You perfused Pearly’s body with a chemical mixture to prevent damage during freezing. Surely the risk will be the same when you rewarm the body?’

  ‘Very astute, Abel. Rewarming is even more problematic than freezing; this is known as the revitrification problem.’

  ‘Which is what, exactly?’ said Strange.

  ‘The cryoprotectant doesn’t prevent ice crystal formation on rewarming and so the risk of cellular damage remains.’

  ‘You don’t seem too, er, perturbed by this. How can you be so confident?’

  ‘The damage can be prevented by rapid rewarming. I’ve designed a system utilising radio frequencies that allows the body to be rewarmed in seconds without damage to the tissues.’

  ‘Is this something you’ve tested?’ asked Strange.

  ‘Of course. I’ve not been idle these past ten years,’ Nexus replied waspishly. ‘I’ve tested the machine on numerous occasions, thus allowing me to freeze and rewarm organs without detriment. I’ve no doubt it will succeed. If there are failings in what we are about to embark upon, believe me, Abel, they lie elsewhere …’ he said, staring challengingly back.

  ‘And what of the injuries Pearly sustained in the fall?’ said Strange.

  ‘That won’t be a problem,’ Nexus replied confidently. ‘I dealt with them the moment Pearly’s body was brought to me. Damage to the liver combined with multiple fractures caused massive internal haemorrhage. I evacuated the blood lying within the abdomen, repaired the lacerations to the liver and injected some stem cells for good measure. Fractures of the pelvis and lower limbs also required stabilising. It took some hours, but it was worth it. I didn’t wish to delay freezing the body, but it didn’t take long to infuse the cryoprotectant as most of the blood had already been lost.’

  A look of revulsion appeared on Lex’s face, but he passed no comment.

  ‘Now, is there anything else?’ continued Nexus, eager to press on.

  ‘Yes. There’s still more I need to know. Impressed as I am with how you dealt with the, er, injuries, if all the blood was replaced, what will happen when the body is rewarmed? Without blood, the organs will never function,’ said Strange, unconvinced by Nexus’ supreme self-confidence.

  ‘Ah, yes, now I’m glad you brought that up. Even you will be impressed by this,’ he replied patronisingly.

  Strange raised his eyebrows.

  ‘The principal function of blood,’ began Nexus as if addressing a class of students, ‘is the transportation of oxygen from the lungs to the tissues. Needless to say, carbon dioxide moves in the opposite direction. The erythrocyte, or humble red blood corpuscle, performs this function due to the haemoglobin it carries. This unique molecule binds oxygen and carries it through the bloodstream, where it releases it for cellular metabolism.

  ‘Prior to meeting Pearly, I’d been working on replicating biological gas transfer by man-made means. There were many obstacles in creating an artificial mechanism that would work just as well, but with Saskia’s help, I achieved this goal.

  ‘She could work materials in ways I could not begin to comprehend. She had alchemical skills beyond even Pearly, and with her aid, I overcame the difficulties that had plagued the project to develop a prototype of the cell.’

  ‘Why go to such bother?’ said Frankl. ‘Why not perform a blood transfusion after rewarming?’

  ‘Because it wouldn’t work,’ replied Nexus matter-of-factly. ‘A transfusion only works in a living organism. The blood would clot almost immediately and render it useless. No. I synthesised the only viable solution, and one that offers enormous benefits to the recipient—a mechanical replica of the red blood cell!’

  Strange nodded thoughtfully. ‘That sounds, er, intriguing. Please go on.’

  ‘With Saskia’s metallurgical know-how, we engineered the ultimate biocompatible cell: a spherical, hollow geometric lattice divided into three internal compartments to carry oxygen, carbon dioxide and water for ballast. Because the skeleton of the cell is composed of a strong organic geodesic matrix, it can transport gases at much higher pressures than normal, thus allowing physiological abilities far outweighing our own.’

  ‘You seem to be implying that your cells confer superhuman powers on the recipient,’ said Strange.

  ‘Exactly!’ replied Nexus jubilantly. ‘These cells are almost six times more efficient in their oxygen carrying capacity than existing red blood cells. I’ve calculated the maximum dosage Pearly’s body can tolerate based on his height and weight, and I aim to deploy one thousand trillion devices.’

  ‘So what does it mean for whoever receives these, er, cells?’

  ‘The recipient will be able to swim unprecedented distances underwater or run flat out for prolonged periods. Perhaps you now
understand why I prefer my own method to something as crude as a blood transfusion?’

  ‘Forgive me, but surely these, er, cells require an energy source to function?’ said Strange sceptically.

  ‘Again, you’re correct. The cells contain chemomechanical turbines that generate power by drawing in glucose from the blood and combining it with oxygen they’re carrying to power the various cellular subsystems. This allows the gases to be pumped in and out of the cell by mechanical sorting rotors in response to the gas saturation pressures of the tissues, and these are continuously monitored by onboard chemoreceptors situated on the cell membrane.’

  Strange nodded sagely. ‘A unique fusion of alchemy and medicine. Again, I’m impressed, but how are you so certain these cells—what do you call them?—will work?’

  ‘Lucacytes!’ replied Nexus, smiling at his play on words. ‘They won’t let me down, Abel. You’ll just have to trust me.’

  ‘Time will tell, Luca,’ said Frankl. ‘Perhaps we should see for ourselves.’

  ‘Very well, Josef, follow me. I’ll take you down to the medical facility,’ said Nexus, getting up from the chair and heading towards the door. Frankl and Strange jumped up to follow him, but Lex remained firmly seated.

  ‘I don’t think you’ll have need of my services,’ Lex said. His face had turned a sickly green hue, perfectly matching the jade vase sitting on the occasional table next to him. ‘I think I’d prefer to wait here. It was bad enough bringing Pearly’s body here the first time. I’d rather not face it again.’

  ‘Very well, Lex, you stay here, although why you’d want to miss this is beyond me,’ said Frankl, shaking his head incredulously.

  ‘Oh, you know me, Josef. I’ve always been a little squeamish. I’m happy to wait,’ he said, sitting back in the comfortable chair and helping himself to a cigar from a box on the table next to him.

  ‘That’s a Cohiba Esplendido you have there, Lex. Just make sure you don’t waste it,’ said Nexus jovially as he entered the hallway.

  Nexus walked past a triangular wood panelled space nestled beneath the stairs that ended at a small door. He fumbled for an oddly shaped key hanging on the wall, placed it in the keyhole and turned it through several rotations. The door grumbled in protest, hinting at a far more sophisticated mechanism than a simple mortise lock. The door slid open with a hydraulically-sounding hiss, and as Nexus crossed the threshold, the men peered over his shoulder, eager to see what lay beyond. Nexus led them down a flight of stairs where the air was cool and the steps slick with condensation, making for a treacherous descent despite a dull light spilling up from the chamber below. The men emerged from the cramped stairwell onto a semicircular balcony that overlooked a spacious operating theatre housing several tables variously festooned with medical paraphernalia and grisly looking surgical instruments. The men’s eyes were inexorably drawn towards a rectangular glass case prominently positioned on a conveyor belt in the centre of the space. The glass was frosted, and in the dull, throbbing light, it was impossible to make out what lay inside.