Copper Visions (10 page)

“What kind of experiments was Professor Alexander conducting on such a singular creature?” David asked.

Doctor Blue smiled. “Why, the same kind that we are, dear professor. In the course of his work, though he is very vague as to the exact circumstances, it was brought to his attention that the blood that runs through this creatures veins is unique among the creatures on this planet. A distilled form of it can be used to treat horrific injuries, provided the patient is able to survive having the wounds treated. He used it as a powder to sprinkle on knife cuts and various burns within the lab. The direct application of the powder was said to be very painful, however, and there was the feeling of the area being inflicted with very light electric shocks until it was healed.”

“How very remarkable,” David said, looking down at the creature in the cage. “And it's this creatures blood that you use to allow Sophie to wear metal arms that are many times too heavy for her?”

“The powdered formula Professor Alexander made from its blood is far too potent and painful to be used over such a large area undiluted. There was another formula found that involved the powder being dissolved into a saline solution. It works very well, as you have had the opportunity to see, but it absorbs into and is used by the body.”

“Thus necessitating the ability to re-administer the serum that is created from this creatures blood periodically. That is fascinating, doctor. And it allows you to take its blood?”

“Oh, yes. There's a little pain, of course, involved in the drawing of the blood and we have learned to wear gloves lest we drop the needle and vials before we are finished, but as you can see, it is largely a very docile creature.”

“What would cause you to drop the needle during such a procedure? Does it fight that part too much?”

“No, no, the blood is the source of the feelings of shock that were reported by the Professor's use of the powder.”

“What are its tolerances for having blood drawn? Does it appear weak for any amount of time after? I would assume you're watching for these kinds of things, not wanting to kill such a unique creature from lack of care.”

“Of course we are,” Doctor Blue snapped then settled himself. “It seems to eat what most civilized people would eat and it hasn't shown any ill effects from us taking samples, though we've been very careful to only draw samples when necessary. Honestly, once we've made enough of the powder from the creatures blood, we can dilute it enough to use it in experiments for quite some time. And, of course, we have some on hand for Miss Sophie when she is in need.”

“Does it store well? I know through most of my studies that the ability to work with blood is often hampered by how quickly it dries and decays.”

“The powder stores the best. Quite frankly, we've never had any go bad. The saline solution is bulkier and we've found it convenient to keep it stored away in crates filled with straw to keep it from getting overheated. When the bottles of the saline solution become overheated, they have a tendency to pop their tops off and start fires.”

“Indeed?”

“Oh, yes. Gave one of my assistants quite the fright. Thankfully there is little to catch on fire here and it was quickly put out.”

“And you're certain it was the saline solution with the blood in it that caused the fire? Not a lazy assistant knocking something over?”

“Oh, we thought of that but after some investigation we determined there was no way he could have started a fire there. Of course, we had to let the boy go. He became quite hysterical when he realized it was the liquids he was working with that had started the fire.”

“I can imagine. Young humans do tend to be very excitable.”

“They do at that,” Doctor Blue smirked.

“I am very interested in this powder that you say my creator devised from this creature. Do you have any you could show me?”

“I do, though there's not much. We'll have to do another blood draw soon so we can make some more.”

The creature in the cage whined slightly and it sounded very human. It backed away from the front of the cage and curled up in the back, whimpering to itself.

“Do you think it understands what you're saying, Doctor?”

“It might, to some degree. I have the idea that it's some species of dog and there are several species out there that are very intelligent. I wouldn't be surprised if we'd trained it to fear certain words with what we've done here, though not intentionally.”

“Of course, there would be no reason to teach it to fear you, if it was as docile as you say.”

“None whatever,” Doctor Blue agreed, opening a cabinet in the workshop and removing a small wooden box. There were several small crates of the kind that glass test tubes were often shipped in on the shelf next to it that were marked with an 'SS'. About a third of the box was filled with a fine green powder, that sparked slightly when Doctor Blue stirred it with a small metal rod.

“That is fascinating, Doctor Blue,” David said.

“It is,” he agreed. “What I find even more fascinating is that this is the first time you've seen this.”

“I came to the capital several years before Professor Alexander began these experiments, it would seem but as I was one of his experiments and not one of his assistants, it would not be out of the realm of possibility that he saw no reason to share things of this nature with me.”

“Perhaps,” Doctor Blue said. “Though I would think that would not be the case as there is a very large indication in the Professor's notes that he used a variation of the saline solution in powering you.”

“That's quite the claim,” David said, reaching to take the box from the doctor. “I would be most interested in seeing the documentation that would support such a claim.”

“I don't doubt that you would,” Doctor Blue said. “Unfortunately, the papers with that information are no longer in my possession.”

“Are they not?” David asked, running his fingers through the powder. When he pulled them out, small charred spots were placed randomly across the tips. “That is a truly unique sensation.”

“You didn't feel it as pain?”

“I don't feel pain, as such, doctor. What happened to the papers you had from my creator?”

“There was a theft. We suspect we know who perpetrated it but we have little actual evidence.” He bent to look at the appendage David was holding out to him to inspect. He brushed the charred places and the char fell off, leaving unblemished skin behind. “This is fascinating. Do you have any idea how this works?”

“Have you not come across that in your search to find how I was made?”

“For a man who liked to document his research, the professor left little documentation about the creation of you and your brothers.”

“Surely he kept some type of notes, seeing as he was able to successfully make three of us.”

“I will confess to hoping you could offer some kind of insight into where they may be hidden.”

“As I said, doctor, I was more experiment than lab assistant. For all I know, he took his secrets with him to the grave.”

“Excuse me, doctor?” A starched and stiff nurse opened the door to the workshop.

“What is it?” the doctor snapped. “You know better than to come in here.”

“Yes, sir, beg pardon, sir, but it's the young lady. Miss Mable ain't seen nothing like it and nobody knows what to do?”

Doctor Blue dashed to the door and shoved past the very nervous, very young nurse.

David approached the nurse, the box still in his hands. “What's wrong with the young lady?”

“I,I,I dunno, sir,” she stammered, trying not to stare at him. “Miss Mable was taking dictation and the young lady started shaking like, and that's what the straps are there for, except she started giving off lightning and the straps stopped working.”

When the nurse had said “lightning”, David started following Doctor Blue. The nurse shouted the final words after him, choosing to stay in the lab and away from danger.

When he got to Sophie's room, he could see why. The bed lay in pieces on the floor, smoke rising from the mattress and Sophie's entire body was throwing off sparks. Green light shone from her eyes and a deep voice issued from her mouth, speaking a language only one being in the room could understand.

“Sophie,” David called to her. Her head snapped around to look at him.

“Metal abomination, release me,” the voice said in a language everybody could understand.

He nodded slightly and the green light abruptly stopped. Sophie's body fell to the mattress that was starting to glow with flame. David set the box now carefully on the table closest to him and picked her up before the fire had a chance to touch her.

Sophie woke to the babble of the people in the room. “David?” she asked when she realized he was carrying her. “What happened?”

“Nothing you need to worry about, right, professor?” Doctor Blue said, shooting a quelling glance at the sobbing transcriptionist. “A slight disturbance while you recovered but nothing to do with you.

“He's right, Sophie, nothing to do with you. How do you feel? Can you walk?”

Sophie searched his immobile face then nodded. “Yes, I'm fine. I could even run if I had to.”

David set her back on her feet and she worked quickly to set her clothes to rights. “I would recommend leaving this room, at least, and Doctor, you may want to get those papers before the fire does.”

Sophie moved quickly through the door, followed by the nurses and David carrying the wooden box. Doctor Blue followed, the papers in his hand. One of the nurses ran to the front office to find a fire extinguisher and Doctor Blue closed the door firmly to keep the fire contained until she returned.

A resounding crash and a woman's scream, followed by a deep snarl, came from the laboratory David and the doctor had just toured. The captive creature came bounding down the hall, baring its teeth and letting out the most horrible sounding barks any of them had ever heard. Doctor Blue ran, dropping the papers he'd been clutching and taking off for the presumed safety of his office. The nurses cowered against the wall as the beast ran past, intent in his pursuit.

It let out a howl at the door the doctor had fled behind. Screams could be heard from behind the door as the creature began to scratch at it, the backed up and ran at it, throwing its body at the barrier at the object of its pursuit. The door cracked audibly.

David bent to pick up the papers the doctor had dropped, calmly folded them and put them in his pocket. He turned to Sophie. “Can you really run?”

“I could fly,” she grinned at him.

“That may be next,” he said and started running to the front door they'd come in. He hoped the cab would be waiting for them.

Sophie looked down the hall before running after David. Everybody but the stumbling girl at the end of the corridor was too focused on their own concerns to see the look of horror on her face when she recognized who was coming down the hall towards them.

The snarling, howling beast had chased everybody into their offices and there was nobody to stop them as they burst out the front door. Their driver looked up from the paper her was reading at the commotion. He started to clamber down and David waved at him to stay put. David opened the door to the cab and helped Sophie in then let out a piercing whistle. Sophie and George covered their ears at the sound and the doors to the hospital crashed open. The great beast was coming straight for them.

“David, get in! George, go!” Sophie shouted.

“Wait,” David said. The creature leaped and landed in the cab, skidding across the floor to stop against the other side. “Time to go, George,” David said as he climbed into the cab and shut the door.

People were boiling out of the building as George pulled away, unsure of what was going on but fairly certain he didn't want to be a part of it. When a fire erupted out of one of the windows, he was sure.

Sophie was screaming inside the cab, backing into her seat and away from the monster that had joined them inside. "You let it in, David, why did you let it in?"