Chapter 3

“Archetype Research & Military Security, this is Lilly, How may I help you.”

“Lilly, hey, it’s Ben. Listen I need you to tell Mr. Richards that I will be in a little late, family emergency. I’ll be in before the 11:30 with the Hanzo group.”

“Are you kidding me, the old man is going to have a fit.”

“Have you seen him yet, is he already on the war path.”

“No, I haven’t seen him, but his door is locked, which means he is pissed about something. I’m sorry but I don’t want to put myself in front of the firing squad this early. You’ll have to just bite that bullet when you get here.”

“Lilly please, come one. Remember when I covered for you because you got drunk at the Forbes banquet and couldn’t get up for work in time. And I’ll owe you one on top of that.”

“I knew you were going to hold on to that…fine I’ll let him know. Where are you anyway?”

“Don’t worry about that, I’ll be in as soon as I can though. And Lilly.”

“What?”

“You’re the best! See you later.”

“Yea, yea. Just get here soon.”

Thinking to herself that she needs to stop drinking, she hung up the phone and let out a nervous sigh. She fixed her hair in the computer screen in front of her and stood up. As she walked towards a large black door she smoothed out her dress and cursed Bens’ name the whole way there. Holding her breath she quietly tapped at the door.

“Um…Mr. Richards.”

She pressed her ear against the door and listened for any sort of movement or sound. For two minutes she stood there motionless, silently hoping that he would get up and walk out of his office on his own accord. Working up a bit more nerve she tapped at the door again with her fingernail just a little louder.

“Mr. Richards…I have an important message for you from Ben. He said he….”

The door flew open suddenly and knocked her to the ground. From the floor she looked up and saw a very upset looking Mr. Richards looking down on her.
Immediately she got up and dusted herself off. Trying to keep and very calm and professional face she turned towards Mr. Richards.
“Excuse me sir, good morning.”

Disregarding the fact that he had just knocked his secretary to the ground, Richards responded to Lilly in a very aggravated voice.

“Now Lilly, might I ask you why you felt it necessary to wake me from my very much need sleep.”

“I…um...I…have a message for you from Ben sir.”

Richards took a quick glance around the room. Realizing that his assistant Ben wasn’t there, he turned back to Lilly with a displeased look chiseled into his already stone face.

“Where Is Benjamin?

“That’s just it sir, I don’t know where he is exactly, he called and asked me to tell you he would be late.”

“He asked you to wake me up and tell me something that I would have already gathered on my own.”

“I’m sorry sir, I…I didn’t know you were sleeping, I just…”

“Don’t worry about it Lilly, by now I realize you can’t help but be a disappointment. Have today’s schedule on my desk within the hour. Also I need a fresh suit ready for me before the Hanzo meeting. I am going to meet with the good Dr. Coues. When I return I expect all of the tasks I have given you to be completed. “

He quickly looked her up and down and then let out a very unimpressed sigh as he walked past her. Before he left the room he turned back toward her.

“And Lilly, one more thing, wipe those silly tears from your eyes. I don’t want your running makeup to displease my guest.”

“…yes sir.”

As she watched the door close behind him she let herself fall to the floor. Not being able to hold it in any longer she released a well of tears. She held herself and sobbed quietly.


Ethan placed his clipboard on the table in front of him. He then pushed a button on a box which was on the wall next to the window. He leaned forward and began speaking into the intercom.

“Good morning Kaz, how are you today, fine I hope. If you would get ready for me, we will be starting with a stress test this morning. The doctor and I will be done shortly. Hopefully it won’t be so bad today. I know last time you were pushed kind of hard. You know how the doctor gets sometime.”

As Ethan released the intercom button he felt a cold breath on the back of his neck.

“Tell me Ethan, how is it that I get exactly.”

Biting his own tongue, Ethan turned around slowly only to find himself at a very uncomfortable distance to Dr. Coeus. He took a quick step back and cleared his throat.

“Doctor…I only meant that you are dedicated to your work and refuse to stop until you achieve desired results. A very admiral quality sir that I hope to instill in myself while working with you.”

“Very well Ethan. Now once you have removed yourself from my buttocks I want you to go administer theophylline, isobutylmethylxanthine, rolipram, and caffeine into the subject. Once you have completed this, escort him to the test chamber then meet me in the observation room.”

“Yes doctor.”

As Coeus watched his test subject intently Ethan walked past him and to the chemical table. Placing several vials and syringes onto a cart, Ethan left the lab and headed down the hall towards the observation room. Coeus stroked his chin and lost himself in thought. Staring in quiet amazement at his latest plaything, he allowed a smile to creep across his face. A serpentine tongue licked thin dry lips as he imagined the potential of his experiment. He inhaled deeply and composed himself. He quietly left the lab and headed for the observation room.
Ethan waved a security card in front of a glowing panel on a door marked subject holding 1. The door slid open and he pushed his cart into the room. He stopped right behind Kaz who was changing into a black spandex body suit in which he wore for the purpose of Coues’ regular testing. Kaz looked down at the cart Ethan was pushing and then back up to Ethan.

“What’s all that for?”

Ethan smiled at Kaz while measuring chemicals and filling syringes.
“These are called phosphodiesterase inhibitors.”

“Phospho what? “

“Phosphodiesterase inhibitors, they are going to block the slow wave frequencies in your cells and hopefully cause membrane hyperpolarization. We are hoping that it will increase your output.”

Kaz stared at Ethan blankly with mouth agape. He started looking around the room thinking maybe Ethan was talking to someone else who knew what he was talking about.

“I have no Idea what you just said to me, just tell me one thing, is it safe?”

“Well, um…I don’t know, but that’s the exciting part right?”

“You’re kidding right.”

“Of course…for the most part. Anyway give me your arm. We don’t want to keep the doctor waiting too long. This should be the only test for today because the doctor is very busy, meetings and all that. Hold still.”

Ethan emptied several syringes into Kaz’s arm. The two then left the room and began heading toward the test chamber. They arrived at a large lead door with caution and warning signs all over it. Even though this was not his first time here, Kaz took a deep breath and sighed nervously. Ethan entered several numbers into the panel on the door. The door slowly opened and revealed a room with lead walls, floor, and ceiling. The only area that was free of lead was a window made of a modified glass fiber reinforced polymer. From behind the window Ethan and Kaz could see Dr. Coeus and another man standing in the observation room. Ethan and Kaz entered the room. Kaz stopped in the very center of the room on a small circular platform. Ethan stood at the door and opened a control panel against the wall on the inside of the chamber. He flipped a few switches and the room began to shake. Four holes opened on the floor around Kaz. From each hole rose a tesla coil. Ethan then pulled another lever and the platform on which Kaz stood lowered slightly. Inside this depression; braces fastened themselves onto Kaz’s legs. Ethan looked Kaz in the eyes and tried to smile sympathetically.

“Hopefully this will be over soon buddy.”

“Thanks E. Okay, let’s get started.”

Ethan nodded his head and exited the test chamber. The door shut behind him. He entered the observation chamber where the Dr. Coeus and a guest were waiting for him. Coeus turned toward Ethan and looked at him sternly.

“It is about time. Had you kept our guest waiting any longer I would have been very displeased. At any rate we are ready to begin.”

Coeus turned to his guest.

“Mr. Richards this is my assistant Ethan Masters. Ethan, this is Gregory Richards, you however will address him as Mr. Richards. Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, if you would be so kind Ethan to set the coils at 15 megawatts each with the apropos amperage.”

Ethan stood dazed for a moment. He couldn’t believe what Coeus was asking him to do. He hesitated for a moment but was reminded his place with a cold glance by the doctor. He quietly set the machine to the specified settings. He mumbled a quite prayer to himself as he turned the machine on. His prayers were soon drowned out by the screams coming from the test chamber.