The Zyne Project

by Sara Brooke

  Despite his arguments, he’d been overruled by other scientists who felt that studies on humans would be fine. After all, gene therapy was different than other types of pills or solutions given orally or intravenously. There were few deaths or complications for most similar-type studies and given that the gene was “hair” related and not tied to tumors or other more dangerous conditions, there was an assumption that it would either work or not work…and at very little risk to the participants.

  But now, a pang of fear shot through his skull. What if the infusion doesn’t work? he thought. What if nothing happens?

  “Dr. Johns, how are you?” chirped one of the nurses, interrupting his thoughts. He walked over to Jennifer and watched as the infusion dripped down the clear tubing into her arm.

  “I’m doing fine. Hi, Jennifer. How are you feeling?”

  He watched as she managed a small smile. The overhead lights glinted off her bald head. She had cried when medical personnel shaved her head, but now seemed a bit better.

  “I’m ok. It just feels weird to be bald and my arm stings a bit.”

  He reached down and touched her shoulder gently. “Don’t worry, this infusion causes hair to grow back more quickly. From what I understand, you’re getting the ‘redhead’ formula and that one does seem to encourage hair growth.” She nodded. “Yeah, don’t worry. In a few days, you’ll start to see those red sprouts come in and you’ll be very happy…trust me.”

  Jennifer smiled at him and seemed to relax.

  Walking over to some of the other subjects, he was relieved to see that they all appeared calm and content. Rosa and Teresa were discussing the latest national politics while they both received their therapy. From what he understood, both brunettes were receiving ‘blonde’ infusions. He smiled at them and walked over to check on the men.

  The male subjects all seemed relaxed with the exception of the hair products tycoon, Rick, who fidgeted anxiously and took annoyed deep breaths every once in a while. Thinking back, Dan remembered that Rick had been invited to join the study because he was one of the largest distributors of off-label Zyne products. He had created some of his own brands over the years, but was a close “friend” of Zyne’s CEO and continued to provide global outlets for cheaper brands…some literally made out of perfumed soap and water.

  “Hey, doctor…” Rick said in his thick New York accent, “When is this gonna start working? I mean, how long does it take for the genes to kick in?”

  Smiling politely, Dan attempted to explain that once hair grew back in, it would grow in with the color and consistency of the formula being infused. Rick, who was balding, could expect to see dark brown hair emerge within a week or so and would hopefully see a fuller head of hair as well. This was part of the benefits of the trial.

  Rick nodded in agreement and leaned back in his chair. He turned away from the doctor and concentrated on the sports event unfolding on one of the TVs that hung overhead.

  Satisfied that Rick was more comfortable, Dan looked around and saw that his two athletes, Tim and Bryan were talking about sports, while the gene therapy dripped into their arms.

  Confident that everyone was stable, Dan headed for his makeshift office when his cell phone rang.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi Dan…” the voice on the phone sounded concerned. It was his assistant April.

  “Hey, what’s up April? How are our smaller subjects doing?” he asked jokingly. April was aware of the type of clientele Zyne had recruited and often commented that she was happy he was the one handling the trial.

  But now, she sounded concerned. “Dan, there’s something wrong with the twins.”

  The “twins” were two mice that spent an inordinate amount of time together. Despite being in a testing environment with a number of other creatures, the furry companions were constantly together. The scientists at the laboratory had affectionately named them “the twins”, despite one now being a brunette and the other a blonde. The mice had been infused several weeks back and now proudly displayed their new fur colors. Unfortunately, they would be destroyed in a few weeks, but some of the technicians had discussed possibly taking them home as pets.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Well, they seem to be changing…” April hesitated, “For starters, they’re losing their fur. We’re not sure how that happened, but it could just be that they’re nervous or have an infection. But, their faces are contorting. It seems as if their muscular structure is altered somehow.”

  Dan’s heart was beating fast. “How are the other mice?”

  “The other mice are fine,” she answered, “No problems other than the fact that some of them have been displaying aggression, but nothing vastly different than before. Dan, do you think maybe we should stop the trial? These recent changes are worrisome. At least to me. What do you think?”

  Dan turned and looked back at the subjects who were already receiving their first infusions.

  “Not sure we can stop now. Let me see what the people at Zyne say.”

  ***

  The discussion with Zyne representatives did not go well. They demanded to know how many animals had been affected and when Dan reported that only two mice out of several hundred were experiencing hair loss and personality changes, their reaction wasn’t what he’d hoped for.

  “Let’s see how our folks do,” he was told. “It’s a trial after all. They know the risks. If things start getting out of hand, we’ll shut it down. But for now, let’s stay the course. We’ve just started and need to see how things go.”

  When the phone call ended, Dan felt uneasy and he wondered about how much of a risk the Zyne Corporation was willing to take.

  ***

  The massage was invigorating. Teresa couldn’t remember the last time she had been so relaxed. The masseuse manipulated her muscles, and expertly worked out the tension. Warm oils were lathered all over her body and as the world continued to melt away, she thought about her life.

  Things had been rough lately. The breakup with Jean-Paul had been tough enough, but to top it off, her business was struggling due to issues with the airlines and inconsistencies with listed rates. The past few quarters the site had posted large losses and her accountants were starting to get nervous.

  Doctors said her alopecia was a result of this stress and lack of sleep.

  But Teresa knew better. She simply had to stop pulling her hair out during times of stress.

  Sometimes she forgot about it. She’d be sitting at her desk at work, and while thinking about how much there was to do, start gently yanking on strands of her long black hair. If no one noticed, she might be pulling on it for hours. Over time however, the constant yanking and tugging created bald spots that she could not hide. So, when her business partner mentioned a study that could change the consistency and color of her hair, Teresa thought it would be a great idea. What better way to end her nervous habit than to first shave her head and then allow new, more beautiful hair to grow in.

  Since her head had been shaved that morning, she’d felt the addictive impulse to once again pull on her hair. But without any tufts protruding from her scalp, it was just an unsatisfied burning urge…an invisible itch that she could not scratch. So, instead of thinking about it, she succumbed to the massage and tried to focus on thoughts that were pleasant.

  Teresa was just starting to relax, when a sharp pang of pain suddenly hit her, like a spike being shoved directly through her skull.

  Sitting up quickly, she sent the masseuse spiraling backwards. “Oh!” she apologized, “I’m so sorry. My head just started hurting all of a sudden.”

  The masseuse asked if she wanted to call for help or assistance, but Teresa declined. “No, that’s ok. Let’s just finish the massage. It feels so good, I would hate for you to have to stop.”

  Lying back down on the table, Teresa took a few deep breaths but the pain lingered. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about it.

  ***

  At the same time,
the others in the group decided to take a swim in the outdoor heated pool. Sporting bald heads and towels, Tim joked that they looked like a bunch of “cone heads” from another planet. The group chuckled, but everyone was secretly relieved to be done with the first infusion.

  The pool, located on the east wing of the building was kidney shaped and surrounded by tables and chairs. Colorful foliage encapsulated the entire area, giving the impression of being transported to a tropical paradise. Bright blue water reflected the glowing orb of the sun and gently rippled from the jets of water shooting out underneath the surface.

  Tim and Bryan immediately jumped into the pool, while Rosa and Jennifer sprawled out on the lounge chairs. Rick was pacing the deck, looking irritated.

  “Yo Rick. What’s wrong dude?” Tim asked casually, throwing his head back and looking into the warmth of the sun. He didn’t mind being bald. It felt kind of cool and he was looking forward to having sun-kissed blonde hair that didn’t have to come from a bottle. Tim had been secretly bleaching his hair for years, but the media and his fans always talked about his golden locks as a birthright. His hair was actually a mousey brown and despite the sun’s bleaching effects, it took many regular visits to the salon to keep the public’s distorted perception alive. In addition, he was approaching 35 and knew that his years in the spotlight were finite. This was his one chance to look good again, and change history…at least for a little while.

  He was also thinking about his financial situation. A hidden, but growing gambling problem had drained his bank accounts. Too many underground poker games were taking their toll on his nest egg and most of the money he’d made from sponsors as he tackled the waves was slowly draining out of a sieve held in a viselike grip by people who were rumored to be connected to the mafia. The problem was they made it very easy for him to drop-in on a running poker or blackjack game that never ended. It was easy access to an addiction that held him firmly by the balls.

  And they know it too, he thought grimly.

  After months and months of losses, Tim owed quite a bit of money. And he knew that time was running out. If he could emerge from all of this as a bigger star than before, it might lead to some extra cash.

  Maybe even a movie deal…

  It might save my life…

  Tim shook off his fears and plunged his head into the water again. When he emerged, he shook his skull back and forth to shake off the droplets of water and howled like a deranged wolf.

  Several members of the group laughed, but Rick glared at the surfer from the other end of the pool deck and closed his eyes in annoyance.

  Rick had barely ever heard of Tim before this ordeal and was an elitist who didn’t mind being a snob. He felt like he was classier than his fellow subjects and the idea that he could not communicate via a cell phone was driving him nuts.

  As patiently as he could, he answered, “I’m fine. Just have a lot going on with the business, so kind of irritated that we can’t use our phones. Don’t see what the big deal is.”

  Tim laughed, “Man, you just need to chill. Why don’t you grab a chair and some drinks and we’ll all wait for our crazy hair to grow in.”

  Rick huffed in irritation and strode back inside, leaving the group laughing at his departure.

  Needing a break from the hot sun, Rosa stood up from the lounge chair and walked over to the deep end of the pool, diving straight in. When her body hit the water, she felt a sharp pain in her head and for a split second thought she saw something strange. It looked like a dark mass by the shallow end. She immediately backed up and lifted her head quickly out of the water. From the surface everything looked fine, so she ducked her head under again and squinted to see.

  There was nothing there.

  As she lifted her head again, she tried to re-engage in the discussion, but was frightened by her hallucination. Her headache wasn’t powerful, but it was definitely lingering. Dan and the others in charge of the trial mentioned that there would be some side effects from the mild virus used in the infusion such as headache, dizziness, and nausea. But he hadn’t said anything about hallucinations. Stepping out of the pool and grabbing a towel, she looked over at the shallow end one final time, gazing at the glittering rays of sunlight glinting off the water.

  ***

  The group met up for dinner that evening, a few hours after their second infusion. Everyone was now feeling fatigued and a little sick, which had been expected. The meal was intentionally light; consisting of pasta, thinly sliced deli meat, and salads. Plates were filled halfway and most of the discussions centered on fatigue and the continual, though somewhat muted excitement over how their hair would grow in.

  Jennifer pushed her pasta around the plate and yawned without covering her mouth. She was bored, and wanted to be out with her friends. Not having her cell phone was irritating and her body felt weird. She wasn’t sure she could stand weeks and weeks of this torture and for the first time since she’d arrived, thought about leaving.

  But that wasn’t an option. The group had been surprised and slightly frightened to discover that the Illusions building was locked up each night…from the outside. There was no way out as the doors locked automatically at 10pm and the entire perimeter was now filled with guards on patrol to ensure that the media could not get in. Word had already leaked that the high profile group was involved in something top-secret and media was camped by the entrance of the compound doing live shots and waiting for some word about what was happening. Where else could you find such power players all together and kept hidden for so long?

  Rosa knew that the formula was working its way through their bodies and wondered what the side effects would be. She’d caught the scientist, Dan, staring at all of them carefully throughout the day as if to see if anything was awry. Clearly that was part of the observation, but he seemed a bit high strung. She tried to engage him in conversation.

  “So, Dr. Johns, how do you think we’re doing so far?” she asked casually, spooning a ream of spaghetti into her mouth. He seemed pensive but smiled back at her.

  “Rosa, I think you guys are doing great. But you must be missing your family...” he hesitated, realizing his mistake. All subjects had been chosen because of their single or divorced status and none of them had children. This was done on purpose to reduce possible security breaches. He also knew that Rosa was divorced, lived alone, and worked for the CDC, so he would need to be careful when dealing with her.

  She didn’t seem to care that he’d asked a sensitive question and smiled back, “Not really. My parents don’t live nearby and I work so much that relationships have to take a back seat. But, you know that already Dr. Johns, don’t you?” she winked.

  Dan was trying to return with a clever rebuttal, but their conversation was cut short because Rick was now standing up and swaying back and forth. He looked positively green.

  “Uhhh…I don’t feel so good…” he muttered and lurched forward, vomiting his salad all over the table. The green liquid shot out in all directions, drenching the table in a smelly, oily mess. The others gagged and pushed their chairs back to avoid suffering the same fate, but Teresa failed and ended up vomiting up her dinner as well.

  Dan jumped up and quickly motioned for nurses to help Rick and Teresa back to their rooms. Ushering the others into a common area that contained sofas and a large screen TV, he waited a moment before speaking. Meanwhile, the remaining members of the group chattered amongst themselves, disgusted by what they’d just seen.

  “Dude, that was nasty!” Tim was saying, “I mean, I don’t feel all that great either, but you don’t see me barfing all over everything. It’s like, find a bathroom or something man…don’t make the rest of us sick.”

  Jennifer agreed. “Yeah, it’s bad enough they have us locked up in here, but to have to smell and see that? Totally gross.”

  Dan sighed and addressed the group once they’d all quieted down. “Look,” he started, “I know you’re all feeling pretty rough right now. It’s a side effect
of the infusion and the viruses we’ve had to inject you with to carry the hair genes to your cells, but you will start to feel better in a few days. I think it might be best if you all go to bed early tonight and get some rest. It’s been a long first day.”

  Everyone agreed and the bald subjects dispersed, each heading to their own room. Once inside his room, Tim ran to the bathroom and vomited up his dinner into the toilet. He’d hidden it from the others, but felt really bad. Almost as if someone was pulling his skull apart in two different directions.

  Lying down on his bed, he closed his eyes and fell asleep. While he slept, a small bulge formed on his neck and a trickle of blood seeped out of his right ear.

  ***

  Back in her room, Rosa sat on a chair near the window and stared out at the darkening sky. She listened to the wind whistle through the branches as the trees surrounding the compound swayed back and forth in a hypnotic fashion. Putting her head to the cool glass, she thought about what Dan had said to her earlier in the evening.

  Rosa’s immediate family lived in San Antonio, Texas. Her father had died when she was very young, leaving her mother to fend for three children. Rosa’s childhood had been a mixture of constant hunger, embarrassment, and poverty. When opportunities in life came calling, she couldn’t wait to leave it all behind.

  She’d stood fully packed at the front door, waiting to step out into a new future. Her mother had given her a strong hug, and wept silently. It had been painful and once Rosa left…she never looked back.

  But now, sitting alone, she reflected on the price she was paying for her solid, unwavering desire to succeed. She’d only had two serious relationships in the past, and both had lasted only one year before her relentless drive and career determination destroyed the path to love.

  She knew what it was like to be alone. And normally it didn’t bother her.