The lab was cold, stinking of antiseptic and another peculiar smell, something like a minty oil. Lex wrinkled his nose in disgust. “Does it have to smell this bad,” he asked one of the technicians. Behind him a balding man in a military uniform nodded in agreement.
“Sorry,” the aide apologized swiftly. “We’ve been trying to keep the room free of any outside containments, there’s no telling what the specimen’s reactions to them could be.”
“He lived in the damn woods for two days,” the balding man snarled, “I don’t think a few germs are going to hurt him.”
“You never can tell,” the aide shrugged. “We’re dealing with a completely unknown specimen here. Physically, there’s nothing like him we’ve ever encountered before. His body’s more crystalline now than anything else. Yes, his increased density could make him immune to bacteria and diseases it’s true, but we’ll need time to study him. His cell structure has been completely altered beyond recognition and the computers are going to spend months unraveling his DNA strands. He could become a field in himself,” he said almost absently.
“He wasn’t immune to whatever chopped his arms,” the older man said gutturally.
“Oh, I forgot to mention that, his arms are healing themselves.”
“Excuse me?” he demanded.
“His arms,” the aide said pointing. “The tissue’s healing; he’s slowly reforming them, like I said, much like a crystal. It’s fascinating; we don’t really know where or what he’s synthesizing it from. Probably from his foods; vitamins… nutrients…” his voice trailed off.
Lex leaned in closer to the plate glass window. Through it, he could see the lone occupant of the cell, strapped down in his harness. Doctors moved freely around him, taking samples and readings. “Are they safe in there?” he asked.
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“Oh, of course.” The aide pointed to the harness that sat in the middle of the cell like a medieval pillory. The specimen’s arms and legs were encased and protected in clear containers filled with a dark green gel. “The harness is a titanium alloy and the canisters are laced with a carbon compound similar to diamonds. Plus, the gel is a special kinetic absorber; he literally can’t move an inch in it. It’s also the cause of that smell you were complaining about,” he added offhand, “but I think we can all put up with it, rather than the alternative.”
The other man grunted and stared into the cell. “I appreciate your father taking care of the set-up of this lab, Mr. Luther,” he said, “but I’d feel more comfortable if he didn’t plan on keeping him in such an… open environment.”
“You call an isolated science lab an ‘open environment’, General?” Lex asked, amused. “There’s not another town for miles, we’re surrounded by the latest in surveillance and security forces at my father’s disposal, and we have a healthy supply of your troops at our disposal. I don’t know, but I’d say this is a fairly secure location.”
“You know what I mean,” he said, glancing quickly at the specimen. “Look at those people in there, they’re not even paying attention to him. Do they know what he could do if he got loose?”
“We’re very aware of the specimen’s capabilities, General,” the aide said a bit stiffly.
“Oh really?” the General asked sarcastically. “You’ve seen the videos then, the bodies of all those people he carved up with his bare hands? I’m not talking about raw data, I’m talking about just how sick and violent that thing really is. If he got half a chance…”
“You let my father worry about that General,” Lex smiled. “It’s his facility and employees, so if everyone gets turned into cold cuts, it’s his problem.” The aide blanched and looked away. “Don’t worry,” Lex assured him. “Everything going to go just fine. You’ll see,” he promised him. He leaned forwards and let his head rest against the glass as he stared in. “I’ve got everything in hand,” he whispered.
“Don’t you mean, your father does?” the General asked. Lex’s grin grew even wider as he watched the activity around the specimen.
The scientist moved around him without care, hardly taking any notice unless one of their coats brushed too close to his skin and parted neatly. That was alright, it didn’t matter. Absently, he watched the men outside his cell talking, deciding his fate. Like they had any power over it, he wanted to laugh. He was caged, but he knew better than anyone that you can’t keep something caged forever. He had, after all, loved and watched an escape artist all his life. Strapped into the harness, Shard waited and watched, his face a mask for the swirling rushes within. He wanted to scream, to shout at them, to struggle against this harness, but with a mental strength he hadn’t known he possessed, he kept quiet. He wanted to be free, and he would be, he promised himself, his face not betraying an iota of his need. If he kept still and quiet, they would forget about him, forget who he was. Everyone had always ignored Richie, so he would be Richie now, quiet… harmless… safe. But someday soon, he’d get his chance. Shard would get his chance. Soon.