Morbquest - Road to Hell

[] Others. Perhaps I am brilliant, but I am but one man. I truly did mean it when I tried reaching out to the public. I want people to thrive. I want to give people a chance I might have never gotten.

"Michael, I know you spoke from your heart, but didn't..." Martine cups a hand over her chin, in thought.

Emil rubs his hands together. "Well, I mean, we've gotten pretty far together, yeah? The three of us. With Lucien's help, of course."

"Oh, expecting me, eh?"

You all turn in surprise, apparently not noticing the slouching figure of Lucien leaning on his crutches, just beyond a table of monitors and glass cases. His stance is shaky but his dress is impeccable as always, in one of his sleek black suits, tie and all.

You clear your throat. "Lucien, come to regale us? It's been a while since you've visited."

Lucien snorts. "Ah, Michael, you're in that state again, completely focused on your work, burying yourself in that..." He tilts his head towards you. "Science. Barely responding with more than reports and 'hello'. I just wanted to check in on Michael the Man, not Michael the Doctor. Is that so wrong?"

"Well, ah..." You lean against your crutch, scratching your head with your right hand. "No, I suppose not. The days just seem so short now."

"I suppose our time is short." Lucien gazes at you, then lifts himself towards you, until he can rest next to your desk.

"Would you like a seat, Boss?" Emil pulls over a rolling chair with a grin on his face.

Lucien chuckles and sits down. "That'll do, Emil, that'll do."

"Lucien." The edge of Martine's lips curls up. "Nice of you to drop by. I suppose you're up to date on what we're up to?"

"You've all been wonderful in keeping me in the know, yes. It's... a concerning prospect, moving this quickly, but I believe we may be... out of time." Lucien says while his eyes trace over the three of you, catching your gaze and giving a knowing wink. "Michael and I, in particular."

You nod, clearing your throat with more force than you normally do. "I-We need to move forward with the next stage, if possible. Time is running out, and if I can buy a little longer for me, I can make it perfect--"

"Wait." Martine flips through her notebook, a stern look in her eyes. "You mean, skip straight to human trials?"

"I had a feeling it'd come to this." Emil paces around, leaving more space for the rest of you.

You whirl your hand in the air, hand trembling as you pull nonexistent weeds out of the air. "The animal trials have gone with a... limited success. But success nonetheless. It also doesn't translate perfectly to human trials, which are where we want to focus on. The earlier we get to this, the earlier we can perfect--"

"And what do you propose, exactly, Michael?" Martine snaps, eyebrow raised as if holding up the answer.

"I, um, well..." You can just tell her, it's easy. Why all the dragging out? She knows already...

"I will be the test subject." Lucien, grinning, taps the ground with the crutches in his hands.

You blink, trying to get your thoughts in a bundle. Probably should have rehearsed this beforehand. No, nothing really goes as planned. But you could have gone with better preparation than just agreeing on "human trials" with Lucien. Idiots, the two of you.

"W-Well, actually, I thought we agreed that I would be the one." You, breathing shallowly, respond to the three looking at you expectantly. "Y'know, ethics, and I'm the expert, after all."

"Okay, first, let's just take a deep breath here and assess the situation." Martine clasps her hands together. "Lucien? Want to go first?"

He finishes his breath, keeping his smile on. "We had some discussion on how things were progressing, and the timeline for something like this is very... long. Like, years long."

You chime in at Lucien holding his hands out in demonstration. "Years we don't have."

"And what's your plan, then?" Martine finally drops down into a chair and rolls it slightly closer.

"As we said, human trials." You reply with a sturdier tone than before. "But it will have to be on me, I'm afraid. I've tracked my condition over the months and it's not getting better. Blood pressure's at an all-time low and hemoglobin count is the same. If anything, I'm the patient I'd know best."

"And the legal issues." Martine reminds you.

"Those might exist, but I've got a team behind me, if worse comes to worse, I pay a little more to have it brushed under the rug." Lucien says nonchalantly.

"That would be the least of our worries if Michael pumps bat goop into his veins." Emil pipes up from the side, the rest of you glaring at him.

"I'm not made up in my mind about this, but if Michael is really adamant about this, I'll make sure everything is accounted for. No bullshit, no leaks. We get one shot at this." Martine sighs. "Dense as a neutron star... what about discretion?"

"Right. Uh, Lucien?" You turn to the man, who is almost as pale as you, now that you're both close and not in flattering lighting.

He curls his lips up. "I know of a nice ship we could rent out, with armed men ready to take orders for the right price. Not too pricey, either."

You and Martine exchange worrying glances.

"Kidding. Mostly. I've got this, don't worry. Plenty of ways to cover our tracks. The lab should be fine for use either way. I'll make sure you can use it without any unwelcome eyes by the next week, get special doors installed with all the bells and whistles." Lucien's hands shake as he gets up on his crutches and to his feet. "I need to get going soon, meetings to get to. Anything you need, just call or message."

"Thank you Lucien." You move to help Lucien's slightly trembling form, prompting the others to do the same.

"I'm fine, you lot. Just make sure that you get it right, so you don't wind up like me, yeah?" Lucien winks at you.

"You'll be better than ever, Luce." You pat him on the shoulder.

Martine shakes her head with a smile. "We'll mull over the details later."

"Was nice to see you again!" Emil waves.

Stillness follows in the wake of Lucien's leave, as you are all consumed by the thoughts of what could happen when continuing this experiment. Success? Or a grizzly fate? Either way, you would be free of this at last, is the least bit of comfort you can think of as work buries those thoughts down, down, down...

<><><>

Steady beeping fills the familiar halls of the clinic. Attached to the laboratory wing of the complex, Horizon Hospital was a stroke of brilliance by Lucien to get support and supplies while having a partnership and sponsorship with the city didn't hurt his and his company's popularity.

It was a necessary evil to get the things needed as your plans got more desperate and Lucien was more and more willing to spoil you on various items for your experiments. You still worked in the hospital wing, but took increasingly lengthier self-imposed internments into the labs. The other understood, of course, but you had work to do. It would help them finally get out instead of being stuck there for who knows how long... right?

Today was as good a day as any to take the calls for check ups and updates in treatment regimens for your patients, from various parts of the world, with your condition.

"Hello, Anna." You knock on the open door with your right hand, holding several documents.

"Doctor Morbius!" Anna, a young girl with short curly hair and a bright smile welcomes you as you walk in. She lies on a bed of extra pillows for comfort and stability, an overbed table with a food tray and a storybook nested on it. Beside her is a monitor detailing her heart rate, blood pressure, and other measurements of her vitals. You make a note of the values, jotting them down after sitting down bedside before turning to her.

"How is our best patient today?" You do your best smile, feeling a bit gaunt in the face as the skin stretches.

"Tim gave me a cookie with my lunch! It's great." Anna shows you the tray, you noticing the crumbs that remained of the cookie.

"Oh? What kind?"

"Chocolate chip."

"Oh, those are scrumptious." You note 'choc chip' down in your notes as an otherwise illegible scribble. "So, did the nurses come by and help you with the machine?"

"Yeah." She pats her side, where the patch for blood cycling is. "Was fast."

"Good. We'll need to do some tests for your legs later, and hopefully be able to get you up and at 'em soon."

"Really? How soon?" Her eyes widen, rays of hope stinging your taut skin.

"No guarantees, but the hope is starting some physical therapy in a week or so. Big event, either way!" You try to keep a smile, but you feel a bit winded.

Anna pats her table, humming to herself. "Mm-mm-mm, gon-na walk again..."

Was it you, or was it getting colder? You bring your hands up to your upper arms, but suddenly can't feel anything but pinpricks in them. Breathing becomes shallow, and attempts to control and take deeper breaths only force you to cough.

"Doctor?" Anna's voice sounds out, but the shape of her figure fades out with your vision. Consciousness swirls, the floor and the ceiling becoming interchangeable. "Morbius?"

Against all rationality, you stand up, and promptly collapse onto your knees.

"Michael!" The familiar voices of Tim, the other nurses, and Anna reach out to you as you drop down. Darkness welcomes you.

<><>

Darkness.

Usually, one's eyes adjust ever so slightly in a dark environment, the rod cells adjusting themselves to the new environment. You've felt a strange unease in darkness before, not least of which was due to the trouble in walking around being compounded by the lack of sight.

When you open your eyes, however, darkness continues to envelop you. Turning around doesn't do anything, and the sensation disorients you further, causing you to lose track of up and down. Gravity might as well not exist for you in this state. Struggling, you let out a cry of frustration.

Then, it all opens up.

Curves. Edges. Points. Shapes and forms. Cave walls, hollow and encompassing. Moisture, gentle and clinging. The chilling stillness of air, biting at the void of this cavernous maw.

You hung, suspended in the air. Unable to reach the floor, ceiling, or wall, you 'see' each of them growing further and further with each grunt of effort you make towards them.

Where was this? How did... oh right.

"Morbius." A figure. Human shaped. Glass shapes, cowled, and hunched on a stool. The crackling of electronics makes it clear who it is.

"N?"

"The very one."

"What is this?"

"A visit."

"You're not going to make a habit of visiting me whenever I'm unconscious, are you?"

"It is merely an opportunity." Their figure is eerie, unmoving. "You are the one in control here, I am but a guest. However, it seems you have not yet grown into your true role yet. You are quite close, I can see it."

"Not an asymptote, I hope."

"You will cross the threshold, as I see how your interactions have gone."

"How longer will we need to do this? Can I wake up whenever?"

"That is not for me to decide. Your time is running out, Morbius. But we all know that. What remains is all procedure, so have faith."

"I don't really..."

"Believe in yourself. As trite as it is, your confidence will undoubtedly affect not just your results, but your acceptance of who you are and might be."

"Medicine doesn't work like that. This isn't some placebo, it's literally gene-altering."

"That may be so, but your sense of self? You must know and remind yourself of who you are."

"What do you mean?"

"You. Your values. Your experiences. Your goals. They are all you have, when everything falls away. Beyond the Doctor, who are you?"

"My life's been all about committing to be a doctor. Someone who saves lives. Research disease, find cures. What would I be without that?"

"Start with your name."

"... Morbius."

"Yes. Names have power, see."

"It's my family name, don't see what the deal is. From my father's side. My dad wasn't even a great man. He left us when I was young. Probably found the whole 'raising a diseased kid' thing too much. Mom did amazingly for what a shit position she was in. But you already know that, yeah?"

"You sound... worked up."

"Of course I am, you start asking who I am when you already know it all, like some fucking snooper. I don't even know if I'm dead or alive and here I am, talking to... THIS!" You try breathing, but the air doesn't move.

"I know. You know. However, we as humans tend to forget the most important things. The things we take for granted. Do not forget who you are, Morbius."

"Angry, sour, irritated?"

"Currently, yes."

"Why did I have to bring that up?"

"Ghosts of our past cling on to our thoughts like moss to a forgotten tree. It is only when we remember that they reveal themselves all over again."

"You're implying that I'm angry at him? Trying to prove a point with my research?"

"I do not imply anything, you have the conclusion all on your own."

"Perhaps I'm angry at myself, then. At the idiots I've met. At the people I can't save. Not with this." You look at your nonexistent hands, the sensation being enough to let you know that things were normal.

Then, a pulling sensation. Upwards, not through the ceiling, but through your skull. Your eyes turn upwards to search for unseeable hands, grasping and tugging towards a higher calling.

Then you wake.

Steady beeping fills the familiar halls of the clinic. Bright luminescent lights buzz overhead, forcing your eyes closed once again as your senses readjust to the world in the familiar, sterile environment.

A tube connects down your throat, gripping the outside of your mouth. You feel numb and dull in that area while the ventilator pumps away with the beeping of the monitor. IV tubes flash in and out of your blinking eyes, connected from your right wrist to a solution hung near the bed. The only comfort is the knowledge that you could manage to wiggle your toes and legs, however painful it was to expend energy to do so.

Your activity notifies a nearby nurse, Rose, who rushes over and explains that you've been out for a whole day. She gets the other personnel's attention to get you evaluated before you can be allowed off the ventilator and back to moving about.

Over the next few days, you met Martine, and Emil, who visited, and Lucien, who did a video chat. Though his condition was visibly deteriorating similarly to yours, just not as quickly. It was a miracle that you didn't hurt anything vital, though the few days you had to spend in the bed made you restless, more than your previous visit did. The days you had, you spent time scribbling out formulas and combinations on your notepad. Every bit had to be perfect, and the thought consumed your stream of consciousness when you were left alone in there. You had one chance at this, and you likely weren't going to come out of it again if it goes wrong.

By the time you were let out, you practically sprinted to your lab way before the scheduled time, looking around at the samples that had arrived and stocked by Martine in the shelves and storage. Your muscles complained, but they did what you asked them to, forcing the containers open and getting to work on the serum.

The base, formed from the rat trials, seemed to glow faintly orange, enticing your appetite. You realize you haven't eaten in a while, and haven't had good food for even longer. You dial up the local pizza chain, getting a few large pizzas for the others as well.

With your mind on the formula, not half an hour passed before you saw it.

Of course.

"The secret's in the inherent mutability of the artificial blood. Just need to bind the matching genomes from the specialized DNA to it and it'll work. Perhaps a steady use of electric impulses will allow it to speed up, but I'll have to talk with Emil, and take into consideration the effects of that on the body. My body, I mean. I- uh, have the reports on that on the rats here, but will need to translate that into effects on human bodies. He probably has those, I'll call him after this and-"

"Okay, lots of words, cowboy." Lucien grunts from the other end. "Good to hear you're doing well. Was scared you were going away."

"The cure's not going anywhere." You reassure him.

"Not the cure, you." Lucien sighs and he starts muttering quieter. "I could honestly give less of a shit if I pass. Would have been a slow and dragged out execution without you for company. I'd miss this."

A drop from a beaker is all you can hear while stewing in the silence.

"I-I didn't think of it that way..." You stare at your notes strewn about the table. They stare back, numbers and diagrams. Judging your judgment of them.

"Just like Martine says, take a breath. Step back and see the forest for a bit, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"We're the original Spartans, mate."

"Never give up, never surrender." You grin along with him.

<>

So, where to do this? Not many choices at this point, but you'll need to make a choice soon, anyways...

Choose 1:
[] International waters.
Pros: Low chance of being caught doing illegal stuff.
Cons: Those armed guys sound dangerous. Also far from land, and you'll need to rely on these strangers.
[] The lab.
Pros: Familiar and has everything you need. Close to other facilities in case the worst happens.
Cons: Good chance of being caught with your experiments, despite Lucien's reassurances.
[] Write-in?
Every place would have its own pros and cons...

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Happy voting week! Will be slightly busy with Election Battle Royale this week as voting goes on and I make nominees fight for entertainment! (note: Plaus's Battle Royale is not affiliated with Sufficient Velocity and its electoral systems. It is not an accurate representation of actual users and any resemblance to actual users are completely coincidental.)

Voting is OPEN here: Community Council 2022-2023 Election Voting (NOW OPEN!) Announcement
Battle Royale HERE: 2022 Community Council Election Match Off!

Feel free to come up with a location to do the experiment for morbin' time if you want; I'll discuss and come up with pros and cons for it. Or choose one of the other two options. Those are good too!