“Well, there are some side effects,” Leah said uncomfortably.
Heinrich laughed. “There certainly are, which I see two of you have already experienced first-hand.”
Noah narrowed his eyes as the doctor’s gaze drifted to him and Elias. “Are we just here for you to tell us how sick we are? Because we’re aware.”
Heinrich shook his head with a light smile. “I simply wished to personally greet my new patients. Seeing as we’ll be spending some time together in the coming days, I figured it would only be right to get to know you all a little and perhaps satisfy any questions you may be harboring. I would hate for our relationship to start off on anything but a solid foundation of trust.”
“Oh man, if I had known that’s what we were doing, I would’ve compiled a list,” Brian complained.
“I have a question,” Noah announced loudly. “What’s happening with all the dust you’re taking out of us?”
Out of the corner of his eyes he saw at least two of his fellow students glance questioningly at him, but he just gazed at the doctor, patiently awaiting his response.
Heinrich’s smile widened. “I’m glad you asked. We are actively disposing of the vast majority of the ‘dust’, as you call it, by means of incineration, though a very small amount is being kept strictly for research purposes. Even with what little time we have had so far with it, we have found that it is a highly efficient source of energy, with several very interesting properties that allow it to convert biological material into energy and back. There are, as I’m sure you can imagine, innumerable uses for such a fascinating substance.”
So much for trust, Noah thought to himself, flashing a smile of his own at the doctor. “I wouldn’t know about that, but it’s good to hear that you’re being so diligent about destroying the dust. It would be dangerous to keep such a volatile substance just lying around in a room somewhere, don’t you think?”
The doctor’s eye twitched and his expression became slightly fixed. “I completely agree. Safety is our highest priority.”
Noah briefly wondered if he should just call the man out on his bullshit, but he knew it would be pointless. Heinrich clearly didn’t know it, but thanks to Noah’s investigative efforts, everyone in the room was well aware that he was lying through his teeth. Pointing it out would only anger the man as well as bring suspicion upon himself. A quick search through his pockets would reveal his newly acquired keycard upon which the dead doctor’s name and face was clearly printed, and from there it would only be a matter of time before the body was discovered and Noah was inevitably charged with murder.
Looking like he was already regretting his offer to answer their questions, Heinrich glanced wearily at the rest of them. “If that’s all, we can move on to-”
“Why did you bother hooking us up to the vacuum, if not to cure us?” Brian asked, his face a picture of innocent curiosity. His gaze darted to Phil, who shifted uncomfortably.
Heinrich blinked. Noah could practically see him assembling a convincing reply in real time. “We believe that limiting the quantity of the substance within your lungs can help mitigate the worst of the symptoms and prepare you to more smoothly receive the full treatment when you are ready.”
Noah exchanged an impressed look with Brian. That was a pretty damn good response, for having been fabricated on the fly.
“I don’t feel any different, though,” Brian said uncertainly.
“Oh, the difference is completely internal, and likely won’t create any noticeable difference,” Heinrich assured him, leaning back in his seat. Something about his body language signified to Noah that he was perhaps transitioning into the realm of truth. “If we are not intending to fully cure you, we have to be careful not to remove too much, as that would trigger your hunger response. You are currently operating completely off of the power the dust-like substance provides. It is what fuels your rapid regeneration, though in doing so, it is directly repurposing your own flesh. Fortunately for you, the body mass you lose in this manner is capable of being restored by means of consuming the flesh of others. The material you acquire in this way is entirely converted into ‘dust’, which is then used to fuel your healing. As your reserves of the substance are diminished, you will find yourself growing hungry, instinctually wishing to replenish your supply. After all, it is not only fueling your healing, but every other biological process supporting your very life. I’m sure you can understand how your body might react poorly if we suddenly removed too much of this substance from your system.”
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“So you just killed every student you fully removed the dust from,” Leah said flatly.
Heinrich smiled. “Far from that. Just as your body seamlessly converted to accept the dust as a source of energy, when a sufficient threshold of the dust is removed, it will simply revert back to its usual state, using the remaining particles to aid in the transition process. It may take as much as a day, and you may feel some amount of weakness in that time, but you will certainly not die.”
“Well, that’s a relief, I guess,” she muttered. “So, what, these guys here just weren’t able to reach that supposed threshold?”
“Precisely.” The doctor inclined his head. “It may take some time to produce a treatment that is capable of fully curing them. It is a small miracle that none of them succumbed to their hunger, having been brought so close to empty.”
He switches between truths and lies as easily as breathing, Noah marveled.
“How come the sickness takes away our sense of touch?” May asked quietly.
“We have found that any bodily processes deemed unnecessary to your survival are simply halted, in essence transforming you into the ideal host. It is quite the efficient use of energy.”
May seemed uncomfortable with that answer, but she nodded. “I guess I kind of assumed that was the case.”
“Alright,” Dr. Heinrich said, clapping his hands together before anyone could raise any more questions. “Part of why I brought you here was to inform you of the accommodations we will be providing for you. The fourth floor has quite a few rooms, most of which are generally occupied by our long-term patients. This is where you will be staying. You will find they feel much the same as regular hotel rooms.” He picked a small stack of keycards off his desk and handed it to the assistant at his side, who began distributing them to the students.
“I’m gonna get whiplash if we keep being sent around to different lodgings like this,” Brian muttered to Noah.
“Hey, you’ll never see me complaining about free stuff,” Noah replied. Suddenly feeling anxious, he looked up at the doctor. “Uh, we’re not going to have to pay for any of this, are we?”
Heinrich clasped his hands benevolently. “Of course not. Your accommodations are being provided free of charge.”
“Are meals included?” Noah asked cheekily.
To his shock, the doctor didn’t immediately shoot him down. “Contact an employee if you are feeling desperate. We’ll see what we can do for you.”
“Wait, you mean-”
Heinrich put his hands up with a laugh. “Apologies, I should have been more clear. We are developing a device that should act as a sort of antidote to your hunger that will, in theory, function by sending a concentrated jet of ‘dust’ directly into your airways. We are encountering some setbacks in the form of our subjects’ bodies failing to fully accept the foreign dust as an acceptable energy source. Initial testing seemed successful, but unfortunately the subjects’ hunger was merely delayed and ultimately exacerbated.”
“Okay, it’s good to know you’re working on that, but who exactly are you using as subjects?” Leah asked warily.
Heinrich waved a hand. “They have entrusted us with their confidentiality, but rest assured they are willing volunteers.”
“Who the hell would volunteer to become a zombie?” Violet muttered.
“That’s what I want to know,” Leah agreed, but Heinrich just smiled vaguely at them.
“It was a pleasure to meet all of you. I will be seeing you tomorrow morning for your first scheduled treatment appointment. We will be continuing to use the vacuum method until another design has been approved, or until it effectively cleanses you of dust.”
Brian raised a hand, and the doctor chuckled and nodded for him to speak.
“What about me and my friends?” he asked, gesturing to Leah and May. “Since we volunteered to be here, we were never given the full treatment. We’ll probably get cured on the first try, right?”
An uncomfortable expression passed over Heinrich’s face. “Hmm, I suppose so. You’re free to stay if you wish, though,” he added brightly. “You would be contributing to the exploration of an incredible new avenue of study.”
“We’ll see,” Brian said flatly.
Heinrich simply smiled and tapped his desk, opening the door behind them. Phil and the assistant came forward to lead them out of the office, and the students obediently filed after them. As Noah brought up the rear he sent Dr. Heinrich one final glance.
In the moment before he stepped out of view, he caught a glimpse of an eager smile, one that would be better suited on the face of someone infected gazing at a healthy person than on a doctor looking upon his patient. Shuddering, Noah hurried away after his friends and tried to shake off the feeling that they were being led into the lion’s mouth.