The Seven by Sean Patrick Little Read Free Book Online Page B

incredible."
    General Tucker nodded. "Excellent," he said again. "Doctor Cormair, I believe this development may save you from...unpleasantness. I don't have to tell you that the investors in this project have become extremely...impatient...waiting for you to finally produce some results."
    "Thank you, General."
    "However," the general continued, "once I bring them this result, they are going to be extremely hungry for more. Do we have an understanding between us?"
    "Of course, General," said Cormair.
    "If this bath is going to speed up their...changes...why aren't they all in the baths?"
    "It's not like that, General," said Sebbins. "If they are subjected to the serum without confirmed change to their structures, the steroids and enzymes in the serum will tear the flesh from their bones and destroy their muscles. They have to go into their changes on their own, and I don't believe any of them will be undergoing as dramatic a physical shift as Posey. Perhaps Andy, but none of the others will require the serum to survive their shifts. At the most, they will experience some discomfort, some soreness."
    "Why haven't you figured out something different then? Why haven't you been figuring out some way to speed the rest of them through it, then?"
"Are you some sort of sadist who--" Sebbins began. Cormair grabbed her by her shoulders and spun her away from the general.
"General," said Cormair, "you have children, don't you?"
Tucker's eyes darted from Cormair to Sebbins and back. "Why?"
"If you have children you understand how difficult they can be to deal with, am I correct?"
Tucker hesitated. "Affirmative."
    "That is because their brains are basically like a chilling pudding. There are some bits that are solid and some bits that are still trying to become solid. Their brains are trying to determine who they are, what they are, and what they can do and cannot do. I have made this whole proposition even more difficult for these seven subjects because I transplanted DNA, tampered with their muscles and skeletons, spliced their genes, stripped out their immune systems and implanted systems that I customized to each of them, and I added bits and pieces to their brains! If I tried to expedite that before I knew where their heads were going to be, I would essentially be sentencing them to death. Their brains would attempt to solidify at such a rate that the necessary components that control their new skills and their bodies would be forced into places that they don't belong. They would become brain-damaged. They would lock down into a vegetative state and all the billions of dollars that has been invested in this project would be wasted. That is also why I have tried to make them live as normal a teenage life as I could in these surroundings. I encouraged them to find hobbies, watch movies, watch TV, and think for themselves, despite your desires. I was attempting not to ruin this entire project by having the research subjects become unresponsive, dead tissue." Cormair finished his speech with a dominance posture, crossing his arms and staring hard at the general. He hoped the general would blink first.
    General Tucker's mustache twitched. "Very well. I will give you an extension. However, I want to have facts on Subject Six's abilities---documented with digital video as soon as it is removed from this tank. Your investors will be expecting it as well."
    He nodded at Cormair and Sebbins and turned on his heel, military fashion, and strode to the door. He turned back. "Now that this project of yours is bearing fruit, Dr. Cormair, I will be increasing security on this base. We do have...enemies...that might wish to intervene on this project. They may know of its location. You can expect to see an increase immediately. I would prepare the experiments for this, of course. A swift-attack vehicle parked on the lawn may disturb them." He nodded again and walked out of the room. The pneumatic door hissed shut behind him.
    Cormair blew out a long,