Terms (The Experiments Book 3)

by Jacqueline Druga

“It has been a fascinating year. Fascinating. And we do have documentation and videos should anyone care to view them.” Rob began his explanation. “When Martha came to us, we were under the understanding that she was as volatile as the others. However, she did something the first week with us that we had never seen. She wept. Martha cried every night.”

  Greg grimaced. “Great. Great. What the hell are you doing to our stasis over in habitat?”

  Ron halted him. “Dr. Haynes, make no mistake, she may have cried, but she is vicious. Turns and snaps at the snap of a finger. As soon as she sees any human being she goes ballistic. Especially males. Which goes along great with her background murdering males. Anyhow, our story begins with Charlie.”

  Ron turned on the monitor showing a still picture of a wiry man, not too tall; it was a freeze frame of a video. With another click, the picture widened. Charlie wore a maintenance uniform and pushed a bucket. He moved down the corridor and past the glass wall where Martha was being housed. The glass was plexi, unbreakable. Martha was in chain, but still had some freedom to move about.

  A bed was in the glass room, but Martha preferred the floor. Huddled, sobbing.

  “This is day four.” Ron explained. “Now watch.”

  Charlie pushed the bucked and stopped at the wall.

  “Usually,” Ron we explained. “Whenever Charlie passes a stasis hub, the stasis goes wild. He is used to it. He always stops, looks, watches, and moves on. Not this night.”

  A sobbing Martha lifted her head then slowly stood.

  “See, she isn’t in attack mode.” Ron pointed. “She walks to the glass and …. stops. Just stands there.” Ron zoomed in. “She is still crying.”

  Another roll of Greg’s eyes.

  Ron returned to full screen. “Now, we believe this is the moment Charlie discovered that Martha was actually a female. Martha stands there.”

  Charlie rested the mop against the wall.

  “Watch,” Ron instructed.

  They did.

  Greg sat up some. “What is he doing? Is he … is he masturbating?”

  Joanna closed her eyes. “This is how it started.”

  “He’s masturbating?” Greg asked with near hysterics. “What the fuck? Why am I watching some guy jerk off?

  “Don’t watch the guy jerk off,” Suggested Joanna. “Watch Martha.”

  Martha just stared at Charlie.

  It didn’t seem to matter to Greg, “Is he the one?”

  Ron nodded. “He is the one. We believe he is also the one that got her to stop crying. He did this every night that he worked. Walked to the cage, Martha would stand and he’d proceed to do a one minute number on himself, mop up the floor and move on as if nothing happened.”

  Everyone cringed.

  “We approached him after we discovered this and after Dr. Chance came up with what he believed would be a great experiment. See, for a while Caldwell has been wanting us to see if we could get the stasis to mate. But, no matter what we did, we could not get the stasis sexually interested in one another. We’d put them together, male and female, nothing. Not even nature kicked in.”

  Sarcastically, Greg said. “Have you tried porno’s?”

  “Yep. Not a thing,” Ron replied.

  Joanna suggested, “Retroactive memory and stimuli. They can’t be stimulated because in their minds they still find the human body stimulating.”

  Ron snapped his finger “Bingo. That was it. And that is what Dr. Chance thought as well. So we approached Charlie. We asked him why he felt the need to masturbate in front of Martha. Through an interview we discovered that Charlie was into bestiality. He confessed his list of lovers included a few dogs, a cow, a goat at the zoo, and occasionally he allows a little oral manipulation from the neighbor’s cat.”

  Jud smirked and muttered. “Can never have enough pussy.”

  The men laughed.

  Joanna did not.

  Ron cleared his throat. “So we presented Charlie with the idea. Would he, could he be interested in copulating with the stasis. To which he sounded off with a strong yes. Stating he was ready when we were. We told him he would have to be videotaped. He was fine with that. Said he wouldn’t suffer from stage fright.”

  “And it was a go?” Greg asked.

  “Almost immediately. We set it up, and heavily sedated Martha. We retrained her …”

  Joanna spoke up. “Rape. You had the stasis raped.”

  “No,” Ron was adamant. “No. Charlie is not a well minded individual when it comes to being sexual. He talked gently to her, caressed her and when he began to copulate, Martha didn’t fight. She responded. Actually, her body was responding in a desiring manner, fighting the chains for more rather than not. In fact, at one point we believe she cried out in orgasm.”

  A slight cough, and Greg stood up. “Excuse me while I vomit.” He spoke the words calmly and left the room.

  Ron looked around confused, “Was he serious?”

  Joanna shrugged. “He left. I guess so.”

  A few minutes later Greg returned, apologizing for his quick departure and adding, “If we can just cut to the chase of it all, and leave out the sordid sexual details, I’d appreciate it.”

  “Oh, sure.” Ron nodded. “Not a problem. Anyhow. The one act was all that was given. We allowed for Charlie to walk by the cage, but asked him not to masturbate for her to see what her reactions were. It was calm, and she didn’t get violent. She’d stand when he walked by, and then sit when he left. Which left us to wonder what would happen if we had a male stasis copulate with a woman. We had Matthew who was a known sex offender and figured if any stasis could be aroused it would be him.”

  “No,” Greg held up his hand. “You had a female staff member who was into bestiality?”

  “Heavens, no. We had to rent pornography, find the models, and contact them. We found one … Ron flipped through his notes. “Mary Heath, Columbus, Ohio, crack addict. She was quite taken with the idea. An interesting fact is that the male sex organs of the stasis are buried beneath the fur. When aroused they emerge …they emerge clearly. The male sex organs of a stasis are very similar to that of a normal man only much … much bigger. Anyhow, we restrained Matthew, and sent in Mary. Mary undressed, and began to fondle herself, and within moment, Mathew was obviously aroused. Mary at that point saw no violent tendencies and orally pleased Matthew until he started showing signs of plateau arousal.” Ron looked at Greg. “You OK?”

  Greg nodded. “Did ... Mary eventually have intercourse with Matthew?”

  “Yes. We placed her in a position where the first time, she had to guide him inside, after that, she was just open and it was up to him. He had sex with her five times.”

  Greg looked up.

  “In the same hour?”

  “What?” Was the response from everyone in the room.

  Ron nodded. “He finished, paused, didn’t give Mary a chance to move and he did it again. Mary didn’t mind. The sexual drive of the stasis seems more pronounced in the man … at first.”

  Everyone’s attention was caught.

  “We were able to obtain a sperm sample,” Ron said. “From Mary. The sperm count in the stasis is ten times higher than that of a human male. And we believe that the female stasis will ovulate at will. If that makes sense. Because both Mary and Martha got pregnant.”

  Joanna muttered out. “A new species. Like rabbits they can reproduce after one sex act.”

  Ron agreed. “That’s what we believe. Unfortunately as you have read, Martha’s child was still born and never regenerated. Mary died during child birth. Regenerated. But committed suicide shortly after. Her child …. was without a doubt a stasis.”

  Burt questioned, “Was?”

  ‘Is.” Ron stated. “My fault. We have a chance to see how they develop and can be trained from birth on. The capabilities they have. He’s two months old. Normal size, needs nursery care. We’re still studying that. We would like to have more stasis children, but at this time, we don’t.
Possibly in the future?” He looked at Greg with question.

  Jud asked. “The pregnancies were reported normal. What is this behavior you suggested in the report?”

  Ron replied, “This is what I believe to be the most fascinating part. Something happens with the pheromones in the expectant stasis carrying mother. It happens in the third trimester. Every day we exposed Charlie to Martha. Mary to Matthew. No bad reactions, but no real reactions either. Until Martha hit her third trimester. Then she started to strongly desire Charlie. Flinging herself at the wall, crying, rubbing if you will against the wall. Finally, we looked at the signals after two weeks and sent Charlie in. Sure enough, she was desiring him sexually. And Charlie reported that he was more attracted to Martha when he was in the same room. That immediately he was turned on. He claimed.” Ron cleared his throat. “He was falling in love. Of course, we couldn’t go strictly by his word he was into bestiality. However, Mary was a better source.”

  “Same?” Greg asked.

  “Yes. Mary was able to tell us, she physically longed for Matthew. He consumed her every thought. Her body ached. And Matthew, once Mary hit the third trimester, would grow aroused at the sight of her, calling out and slamming into the wall until we let him have her. Mary reported an overwhelming sexual desire and urgency like she had never experienced before.”

  Burt questioned, “Did you check the pheromone levels?”

  “Absolutely,” Ron replied. “Our studies show Martha and Mary would both release exuberant amounts of pheromones, and in response, Mathew and Charlie automatically reacted. But this only occurred in the presence of each other. When Mary’s levels were up, we put her with human male to see if he would react. Nothing. Her levels decreased. After childbirth. Neither had the reaction.”

  Joanna said, “So they definitely share more than a child rearing bond. There is something scientific, a connection, chemical between mother and father during gestation.”

  Ron nodded. “A phenomenon if you would. The parents of a stasis gain a monogamous connection when near each other. But, this is only two cases. Further studies, further cases will prove this.”

  Burt turned to Joanna. “You have to admit. As bizarre and absurd as this is, and even unethical, it is highly interesting.”

  Joanna briefly closed in a facial agreement. “You’re right. It is interesting. However is it important to Caldwell? Is it as vital, and compelling to Dr. Haynes as Ron suggested? Was it all worth it? Is it useful? I wonder. To me it was a waste of time.”

  The lack of comment at that moment would have bred a totally silent room had Greg not been steadily tapping the tip of his pen against his folder. His outward sigh was his call to attention that he was about to speak. “You ask if it’s vital. Important. Compelling. Worth it? More than you all realize …” he clicked his pen loudly to retract the point. “Yes.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Dr. Myers looked as if he were getting ready to tune up a car rather than test the results of his surgery.

  He wheeled a cart into Billy’s room, and placed it next to the couch, where Billy had his leg propped on the table.

  He apologized for being late, and normally Billy wouldn’t care, but he wanted to see Cal. He had heard she was there visiting, but was asked to stay put and have no more visitors until after the testing.

  Billy felt great. Better than great. He showered, did his hair, loved his new haircut, ate, even though he hoped to have lunch with Cal. Billy also was able to write three pages.

  He didn’t feel like he had surgery at all.

  “Really, you didn’t in the normal sense,” Dr. Myers explained. “It was laser and implanting.”

  Billy didn’t understand.

  “I know you have a visitor outside waiting, so we can test this. Then Dr. Haynes wants us to call him when we’re done. OK?”

  “Is it Cal?”

  “Who?”

  “My visitor, is it a woman?.”

  Dr. Myers shook his head. “No. A man. Let’s continue. The implantations were nerve conductors. The reason we react to pain, to pressure, is because the brain tells us to. Follow?”

  Billy nodded.

  “The nerves send messages to the brain and the brain reactions. I do this …” Dr. Myers pinched Billy.

  “Ow,”

  “You do that, because the brain told you to do it. If you didn’t have any nerves in your arm, you wouldn’t react.”

  “I understand. I don’t need a science lesson.”

  Dr. Myers smile passively. “I think you do. The reason people have a hard time with prosthetics, and walking, is because it is just that. A prosthetic. The body doesn’t have any real connection. There is no nerve connection and therefore the brain cannot tell the limb to move. It is moved by another. In bionic, the concept is for the body to believe the limb is part of the body. The brain controls the bionic, because the brain receives nerve messages. And that’s what we did today. Hopefully, it was successful, and we won’t have to repeat. We placed nerve conductors in your leg, so when we attached the bionic. Your brain will recognize it as a real leg. Feel an itch, a kick, a step.”

  “Wow.” Billy blinked. “Is that really possible?”

  “Agnes, your nurse, did she take your blood pressure?”

  “Um, yeah, why?”

  “She used her hands to do so. Agnes lost both of her hands in a fire. Bionics.”

  “Oh my God.” Billy said in awe. “When do I get my leg.”

  “It is being constructed, they take about a month. But we can attach a temporary bionic to you. It won’t be perfect, there will be a slight limp, and they don’t look exactly like your own leg. They look miles better than the everyday prosthetic though. Walking on it usually takes only an hour to get used to. Because it is just latched to the body, and the nerve conductors connected. Nothing major. The real bionic takes eight hours of surgery and is there for good.”

  “When can I have one of those?”

  “If you weren’t in such a hurry, we could do it when we are done but …”

  “I can delay my plans,” Billy said excitedly. “I can. A few hours, right?”

  Dr. Myers nodded, with a smile. “It’s three o’clock now. By eight PM, after attachment and some walking around to get used to it, you should be fine.”

  “I’ll do it. I’m ready. I am.” Billy said excitedly. “Test away.”

  Dr. Myers pulled the cart forward. He removed the bandage from Billy’s leg, and for the first time Billy got to see what had been done to him. It was a little sore, not much. Sort of like when he twisted his knee in Volley Ball. But when he looked down he saw the two inch metal plate at the base of the stump. It appeared from his point of view, the plate had tiny inward connections that something would plug into. And that’s exactly what they were. Dr. Myers pulled wires from his machine, and began to attach them.

  ***

  Billy cried. Tears of joy. Not an abundance, but he got misty eyed every time he thought of it.

  The tickle. He felt a tickle in his foot. A foot that was long gone. When his eyes were closed he swore he felt it. He told Dr. Myers exactly what he was doing. Pinch. Prick. Kick. Tickle. All done on a leg that wasn’t there. But Billy felt it. He felt everything Dr. Myers typed into his computer.

  Dr. Myers deemed the test a success but told Billy there could be setbacks. During the first year, even after he received his permanent limb, he could have conductor problems. But whatever problems he encountered, Dr. Myers assured him others have waded through and overcome.

  Myers called Greg, told him of the positive results, and handed the phone to Billy while he wrapped up the machine.

  “Unreal. Amazing. Oh my God.” Billy said. “Dr. Haynes, I haven’t had my leg for a while. This is unreal. I don’t know what to say.”

  “Thank you maybe.”

  “Thank you.”

  Greg chuckled. “You have someone waiting to see you.”

  “I know,” Billy said. “Is it Stan? If it is he has to
wait. Dr. Myers and I are going to attach the temporary limb. I will walk and see Cal tonight. Right, Dr. Myers?”

  Dr. Myers gave a thumbs up.

  Greg said, “It’s not Stan, and it’s important. While Dr. Myers prepares to take you to the clinic, you can take a moment for this.”

  “Sure. I will.”

  “I thought so. Hold on …” Greg said.

  No sooner did Greg put the conversation on pause, Dr. Myers was walking out at the same time a man in a black suit entered, Billy’s room.

  “Jason Williams,” He extended his hand to Billy and laid a briefcase on the table. “May I sit?”

  Billy nodded.

  Greg spoke, “This is an attorney, Billy. He has some important papers for you to sign. Now I know we need your silence on the Iso Stasis, the leg should without a doubt over compensate for that. Don’t you agree?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “We also have papers for you to look at. The leg. The best bionics we have. Life time care. Along with … the reality show, the book deal. The news hour spot. Billy these are your dreams, aren’t they?”

  “Yes,” Billy answered hesitantly. “Yeah they are. I have worked very hard to be recognized in the writing community.”

  “Billy we want you to have all these things. All of them. The world will be yours. Would you like all these things?”

  Billy chuckled. “Um, yeah, I would. But all this for my silence. The leg bought that.”

  “True. The leg did buy that. We are also offering you these other items. But before you agree to take them,” Greg said. “There’s something else we want from you. Look it over. Read it carefully. Think about it. Get back to me.”

  Billy drew silent, and glanced to the papers Jason extended his way.

  ***

  “Rickie had a date,” Jake said, drinking beers on the back deck with Chuck. The front door had opened, and he heard the footsteps. “Must not have gone well. It’s only ….” He checked at his watch. “Fuck it’s not even nine.”

  “Who did he have the date with?” Chuck asked.

  “Who knows. I think she works at Burger King. He usually gets his dates from Wal-Mart.”