Only Human

When I woke this morning, it never dawned on me that today would be the day my life changed forever. Come to think of it, the only thing that dawned on me when I woke was the fact that I really can’t handle all-night binge drinking the way I used to.

My head hurt, my eyes felt like someone had dumped sand in my face, my mouth was dry, and my stomach--oh dear God, please let me make it to the toilet before I spew.

The party was to celebrate our latest breakthrough in the lab. For the past 10 years, we have been working on a synthesized hormone to stimulate rapid healing at the cellular level. The project was our baby. We ate, drank, slept, and basically lived in the lab for the last six months. Life was stressful, and several of us were prescribed anti-depressants to cope with the stress and anxiety. Luckily, all of that was over. We had cause to celebrate. The last piece of the puzzle had dropped into place, and the lab had been approved for a substantial financial grant that would carry us into the next phase: human testing.

The plan was to formulate a drug to promote healing in burn patients and reduce the risk of infection. Infection is the leading cause of death in cases of severe burns. The skin is a barrier that keeps the causes for infection out of our systems. When that barrier is compromised, all sorts of nasty things begin to happen. Virii, bacteria, fungi--you name it; any of them can kill in a matter of days.

Initial testing was done on laboratory grown skin cells, and the results were far beyond what any of us could have hoped for. Not only had the cells been healed, but the growth rate had more than doubled in hours, before leveling off.

The second phase of testing was performed on injured animals that might not have otherwise lived. Once again, the results were, for lack of a better word, miraculous. However, with the animals, we noticed something that had not been evident in the basic skin cells. The healing process was not only accelerated, it was thorough. The healing was not limited to merely the skin.

One dog we treated had been almost totally blinded by cataracts before the house fire that nearly claimed her life. Within hours of being given an injection of Serum-413, not only was the dog’s skin a nice healthy pink color, but the cataracts seemed to be clearing. Her owner reported the dog to be 13 years old, yet 6 hours after the first treatment; it was as if we had a 13-month-old puppy on our hands.

There were 21 animals enrolled in the trials, and of them, 20 had so far, shown similar results. Only one cat was lost, and this was, in no way, due to the treatment. He simply stopped breathing, before he could be given the injection.

What we witnessed in the lab could only be described as a miracle. The results far surpassed any of our expectations. No one wanted to say the words aloud, but the same thought was in everyone’s mind: Had we discovered a cure for aging, as well as injury?

The results were published, and in less than a week, we had our financial sponsor. FDA approval had been granted for further testing, and this time, we were given the green light for human clinical trials. Testing would be done only on patients with a prognosis of less than 30% chance of recovery.

The first 12 patients were chosen from a list of possible subjects, and the testing was begun. The results were just as impressive as they had been in the animal trials. Every patient in the program recovered within a day of treatment. Had it not been for the bandages, I believe we may have been able to actually see the skin regenerate.

One patient--for privacy’s sake, I will call him George--was 54 years old. He had been involved in an industrial accident that left him burned over 60% of his body. He was not only healed, but his vital readings were those of a mere boy, maybe 18 years old, instead of a man three times that age.

Our corporate sponsor was pleased with our findings. The FDA was about to give us approval for marketing. It seemed that we might be mankind’s saviors. As I said before, we had plenty of reasons to celebrate, and celebrate we did.

I drank more than my share of alcohol, and finally succumbed at around 4 a.m. Needless to say, hung over is not the way one should start the day in a lab. Perhaps the serum could help with that. After a quick shower, I headed downstairs to the lab, and drew 3 CCs of the miracle cure. I felt the effects immediately, and although I felt strange, I can’t say it was unpleasant. Only moments after the injection, my headache was gone. My vision cleared, and the flip-flopping my stomach had done earlier was just a memory.

I must stress, at this point, that although testing had been extensive, it had not been complete. We had neglected to test the effects of the serum in conjunction with other medications and/or substances. I could not have known that the alcohol and anti-depressants in my system would react adversely, or at all, with the serum.

It wasn’t long before I realized something was wrong. I could feel the connections being re-wired in my brain. I suddenly knew that I was no longer simply a reasonably intelligent, albeit normal, human being. I was becoming… I did not know what I was becoming. I only knew that I was changing at an alarming rate, and in ways I would never have believed. I could hear things that I didn’t hear before. I could see colors I had never seen before. The smells in the lab were almost over powering.

At first, these changes were acceptable. Super hero powers… who hasn’t wished for something like this before? Then, I felt my joints begin to shift. My muscles seemed to constrict, and then relax, with each new change. I felt stronger than ever before. I felt ravenous. One side effect of the rapid molecular healing had been evident in every patient, thus far. The body burned massive amounts of calories during the primary stages of regeneration.

I left the lab, in search of caloric fuel. I ate everything I could find in the kitchen center, and was about to raid the pantry when I felt the hunger beginning to abate.

Suddenly, I could feel my core temperature rising, and my skin started to tingle. Ripping my lab coat off, I saw the reason for the tingling sensation. My skin was changing. It was no longer flesh colored, nor was it soft and pliable, as it had been only minutes before. My skin was taking on an opaque metallic sheen. Although it was flexible enough to allow me to move with ease, it appeared almost fluid-like. My skin shimmered and seemed to ripple like quicksilver. I somehow knew that what had previously been dangerous to me would no longer be a problem. Bullets would not penetrate my skin. Knives could not slice my flesh.

I remembered a line from an old TV show . . . stronger, faster, better. Yes, I know it sounds corny, but that is how I felt at that moment. Then, I heard the scream. One of the female scientists, with whom I had danced at last night’s celebratory party, had entered the kitchen area, and she could see the changes taking place before her eyes.

I didn’t mean to hurt her. I only wanted her to stop screaming. I reached her in an instant, and in the process of putting my hand to her mouth; I felt something crackle like dried eggshells. She was dead before she hit the floor; her neck snapped like a twig. I rushed to get a syringe of the serum, and injected her, but it was no use. It was too late.

I heard running footsteps, and saw people rushing into the lab, through the open entryway. I heard the shouts, and saw the confusion on the faces of my former colleagues. I saw the accusation in their faces. I didn’t know what to do or say. I only knew that I wanted to be elsewhere, and instantly I was.

I stood, and looked around at my surroundings. I was in a field full of prairie grasses and wild flowers. I had thought of being far away from the underground laboratory in rural upstate New York, and here I was, hundreds of miles away, in the middle of a prairie in… I have no idea where I was, only that I was no longer anywhere near the lab facilities. It’s the middle of January. There is snow outside the laboratory, yet this feels like summer.

That is not important. The only thing that matters now is that they saw me. They will discover the missing dose of the serum and know I took it. I will be hunted like an animal. It’s no matter. Even if they could find me, they can’t harm me, and they can’t catch me.

Three hours have passed since I arrived in that field. I have had time to experiment with my new brain. I can see the fabric of reality. With just a pinch and a twist, I can open a doorway to anywhere and anytime. Did you know that, using 100% of the brain, anything that can be imagined can be made reality? Did you also know that, just by thinking it, I can step outside this universe and into another?

How inconsiderate of me. Of course, you didn’t dear reader. You are, after all, only human.