Kayden groaned in frustration.  His legs and thighs hurt ferociously, and his left arm was aching in a very uncomfortable way.  I wonder if it’s going to ache every time it rains, or something?  He thought to himself.  At least I survived.  Poor Mr. Sheldon!   He lay there resting a while – he’d just finished his physio and had dinner, and had some quiet time to himself.  Most of his quiet time lately had been wasting time on the internet and keeping up on the news - but the rest had been spent sleeping.  Sleep was probably going to help him heal faster than anything else, anyway, but sleep was hard in coming. 

 

What am I going to do with all that money? I could afford to move somewhere a little larger, a little nicer.  I could pay all my friends back for the money I’ve borrowed.  That would feel nice...  Kayden imagined handing $500 bucks to Robert Ramsay, one of his pals, for all the computer work he’d done to keep his five year old laptop functional, or giving Yvonne back the $200 dollars he’d had to borrow for groceries - and yes, the $150 dollars he owed Darryl, too.  It would feel really, really good.  And this time it’s not my pride talking, he thought.  I really needed those loans - and I was ashamed to ask for them, but damn, I know Rob and Yvonne and Darryl could have used that money too.  I’ve been more ashamed I haven’t been able to pay them back.  It’ll feel good to clear those debts off my ledger.   Maybe I could pay off their Student Loans with the money I get?  I think that would be a great way to show them how much those guys mean to me!   I’ll have way more than I need, once the medicine Justine makes hits the market.

 

Kayden was shaken from his light slumber and reverie by the door to the clinic opening, and the arrival of Justin Pierce.  Justin looked distraught, and resolved.   I wonder what’s wrong?   “Hey, Justin.  What’s wrong.”

 

“Mr. Chips is dying...  I need to you try the experimental medicine to see if it will save him.  1I brought a dose of it with me and...”

 

“What?!  Look, Justin, I’m really sorry your dog is dying but no one ever mentioned taking experimental drugs!  What if it hurts me or even kills me? What then?”

 

“That’s a risk I’m willing to take!”

 

“Well I’m not, you pyscho!  Fuck this place – I’m leaving, now!”  Kayden’s anger was fuelling him.  Over the past few days he’d been able to walk well enough with a cane, and if the alternative was being some nutjob’s guinea pig, he’d crawl out of here if he had to do it.  He tried to stand, and reached for his cane.

 

Justin pulled out a handgun, and levelled it at Kayden’s chest.   “I don’t recall asking, Kayden.  Sit down.”  The gun shone ominously in the clinic light, and Kayden halted.  He’d been shot before and wasn’t eager to have it happen again.

 

“You’re going to shoot me?  I thought my blood and marrow were important?”  Kayden felt an icy touch of fear as he stared at the barrel of the gun pointing at him.  The idea of being shot again terrified him somehow - like a memory of the pain he suffered before.  Oh shit, what am I going to do?

 

“It is...  And a sample of both blood and marrow are stored in frozen storage for posterity and science.  We can grow more of it anytime - so your uniqueness is a little overrated at the moment.  Trust me, Kayden - I wouldn’t be doing this for anyone other than Mr. Chips.  I just can’t lose him.”

 

 

“Yeah, we forgive me if I’m a little less than sympathetic.”  Kayden muttered.  “I don’t want your dog to die, but I don’t want to be a science experiment either.  How will injecting me with that stuff you’ve got help Mr. Chips?”

 

“It will provide valuable data...  Like if injecting it into a host is fatal or not.”

 

“The FUCK!?”  Kayden tried to get up, and reach his cane - but his wrist was strapped to the call button for the nurse, and he fell to the floor with a painful crash.  He’s nuts!  I’ve gotta get out of here.  Kayden pressed the call button for the nurse a few times, and yanked his hands free of it.  “Help!”  His scream was loud and hoarse.

 

His screams seemed to have no effect at first, but a moment later, David rushed in - only to be shot in the face by Justin. David’s brains splattered onto the wall behind him, and his limp body fell the ground amid a growing pool of blood.   “See what you’ve done, Kayden?  Your lack of cooperation cost David his life.   I’m sorry, but you brought this upon yourself.”   He aimed the pistol at Kayden, and pulled the trigger twice.

 

“Aaaaggh!”  Kayden felt a burning, searing pain again, and it was even more painful than when he was shot the first time.  Oddly enough, his legs didn’t hurt anymore - just his stomach and higher.  On a subconscious level, Kayden realized he had probably just been paralyzed - but right now all his mind could comprehend was intense pain.   He nearly blacked out, and lay in a pool of his own blood.  The warmth of it spread out underneath him, soaking his clothes, and seeped into his eye and mouth.  I’m going to die, aren’t I?  I don’t want to die... please, god!

 

Justin looked at Kayden on the floor, and shook his head.  “I didn’t want to have to do that, Kayden...  In the time we’ve had together I’ve come to the conclusion you’re a pretty nice guy.  I like you - and I think we could have been friends.  I’m sorry I had to do this, but I can’t let my dog die.  I won’t allow it.  I’m sure you’ll understand eventually.”  He put way the gun, and pulled out his syringe, knelt and injected it deep into Kayden’s right thigh, repeating it with his left thigh.   Kayden screamed - and no wonder; what Justin was doing was incredibly painful.

 

“I don’t want to die!  Please! Somebody save me!  Oh jesus!” Kayden couldn’t take the pain anymore, and blacked out.

 

The injections done, Justin pulled out a digital stopwatch, and began to take notes. 

 

...One minute.  Subject looks flushed, which considering the blood loss from the gunshot wound, is unusual.  Possibly evidence of advanced fever....

 

...One minute, 28 seconds.  Subject’s skin is taking on a waxy appearance, and the bullet wounds seem to be covering over with the same waxy substance.  Skin feels soft and pliable to touch, but doesn’t feel like skin – it’s hard, like leather.

 

...Two minutes, 23 seconds.  Subject begins what can only be described as ‘melting.’  Subject appears to have transformed into a humanoid shaped blob of waxy bioplasm.  Subject has no heart rate, no brain activity; Subject is obviously deceased.  Plan A is a failure.

 

Justin sighed, took off his glasses, and pinched his nose to relieve some stress.  Failure.  I have to go with Plan B.  “Dammit.”  He turned and left the clinic, figuring he could clean up the mess in the morning.  Mr. Chips came first and foremost.

 

 

*              *              *

 

 

All Kayden could feel was pain, like liquid fire running through his veins.   The pain consumed him, and clouded everything else around him, until he blacked out...  For a time, there was blackness - but then, Kayden awoke.

 

The first thing he realized is that he felt no pain.  None.  No aching, no weakeness, no lingering sore spots - and definitely no gunshots.  He was lying in a pool of something wet and slimy, and he could hear a buzz around him that sounded like a bunch of insects talking.  He could feel something dormant nearby - but he couldn’t identify what it was.  He opened his eyes.  Not two feet from his was his nurse David’s corpse, his face staring with glassy eyes back into Kaydens. 

 

“Oh Shit!”  Kayden recoiled in fear - and started to panic.  His body wasn’t right!  His voice was off - bland, neutral - like it could be anyones.  It didn’t sound either male or female, and it was extremely disconcerting - but what was worse is that his arms and body had become some sort of waxy protoplasm...  The wet stuff he had been lying in was a mixture of his own blood and apparently his own melted bodily tissue...

 

 

Kayden felt his gorge rising, and unbidden the contents of his stomach came hurling up.  What has he done to me!?  What’s happened to me?  Oh my god!  Kayden kept vomiting, unable to control his reflex actions at seeing what he had become.  What disgusted him more was that the contents of his stomach looked much like he did - formless white biomass.  I’m a monster!  Oh god!

 

Kayden fell to his knees and wept.  His life was effectively over...  He called David, and now David was dead.   Justin basically killed us both.  He killed us both.  “What am I going to do?  Oh god!”

 

“Don’t cry.”  Someone said.  “Don’t cry.”     

 

Kayden looked about in panic...  I don’t want to be seen like this!  “Who’s there?!”  There was no one in the room.  Aside from himself and David’s body, there was no one there. 

 

“Right here.  I’m the cardiac monitor you’re hooked up to.  Please don’t cry.”  The voice sounded small and tinny.

 

Kayden looked around.  There was no one there - but there was a cardiac monitor.  “You’re the machine?”

 

“Yup.”

 

“How can I talk to you?”  Kayden asked.

 

“I have no clue.  I don’t know how you can talk at all.”  The cardiac monitor replied.

 

“What happened here?” 

 

“Doctor Pierce shot you, and you turned into goop.  He timed it for about two minutes, said something about Plan B, and left the room.  Your heart stopped, and you lay there for about 4 hours, and your heart started up again.  You got up, and threw up that white goopy stuff.  That’s all.”

 

“What.  The.  Fuck?”  He turned me into some sort of mutant!  That bastard!  I’ll find him, and I’ll make him pay!  Kayden let the anger take him for a moment, then fought to get himself under control.  “Wait,” he said to himself.  “If I go off the deep end, I will be a monster.  I need someplace to hide, to take stock of what’s happened.  Damn.”   Kayden normally wasn’t one to talk to himself, and even with his voice sounding odd, he felt better hearing another human-like voice.  

 

Kayden heard a door open, and heard a shriek!  It was Susan!  Oh god, don’t let her see me like this!  He thought.  “Susan, please don’t scream!”

 

Susan screamed again, and ran, hitting the panic button as she fled. 

 

Oh crap!  Security will be here in a few moments, I’ll bet...  And odds are they’ll think the waxy monster killed David and dissolved me - or worse, think I became the waxy monster.  I’ll be wanted.  “Oh shit, I’m totally screwed.”  Kayden said.  “I’ve gotta get out of here.”

 

He looked down at himself, and saw that his entire body was made of waxy white drippy stuff.  It wasn’t wet - it was more like silly putty - soft and malleable.  He wasn’t anatomically correct - between his legs was just smooth waxen surface with no orifices or anything to differentiate him from a fucking Ken doll in the stores.  Great, he thought.  I finally get rid of that piece of meat and I get turned into a freaking monster.  Fuck my life.  At least I don’t need to worry about clothes.  He went to the door of the clinic, and pushed it open.  Behind him, he thought he heard the cardiac monitor saying “Good luck!” and sighed.  What the hell has my life come to?

 

He made it to the stairwell, and down a few steps.  My legs are working better...  There’s no pain at all.  Amazing.  Whatever messed me up must have healed me too.  I hope there’s some way to turn me back.   He kept going down the stairs, hoping to find an exit to the ground floor soon. One floor went by, and then another.

 

“Yes!  Here it is!”  He exclaimed.  He reached for the door - and suddenly, it opened of its own accord - and Kayden came face to face with two armed security men, both of whom had their guns drawn. 

 

“Holy shit!  What is that?”  One called out.

 

 

The other just started shooting.  Kayden felt one, two, then three bullets hit his torso...  But this time, instead of feeling burning pain and being incapacitated, they hurt a lot - but not so much he couldn’t function.  Kayden screamed in panic - and the security officer who shot him screamed in panic too when it was obvious the bullets hadn’t floored him.

 

Kayden looked down at his torso, and saw three bullet wounds - but the bullet wounds were shrinking, and the bullets were forcing themselves out of the holes, as if in reverse.  He was healing!  And fast, too!   As the two guards watched, the bullets edged out of the holes, the holes sealed, and the waxy surface smoothed over.  In about 10 seconds he had gone from being shot three times to being in perfect health - aside from the goop issue.

 

“What are you?  What the hell are you?”  The security guard was freaking out - and his partner was pointing his gun at Kayden too.  “Get down on the ground!  Or I’ll shoot.”

 

“So shoot, for all the good it will do you.”  Kayden made a break for it, shouldering past the two guards.  I can’t let myself be caught, he thought.  I’ll become an experiment - a guinea pig!  That’s already happened once.  It’s not going to happen again!  Kayden ran, and felt the impact of two more bullets into his back.  Once again, they stung like hell, but by the time he reached the main lobby, the gunshots didn’t hurt anymore.  The lobby was full of shimmering lights in the air, like little lines of glowy stuff Kayden couldn’t identify.  They seemed to originate from some phones and some computers - but some were just going through the air.  It was surreal and magical - but it made Kayden question whether he was going mad.

 

Kayden opened the door and stepped out into the streets of Empire city.  What do I do now?  Those guys are definitely going to call the police.  Oh hell!   I’ve got to find somewhere to lay low.  Kayden ran to an alley, to try and think.  What were those odd lights I was seeing?  Oh hell - am I crazy?   He paused in the dark alley and looked around.  There were thousands of the glowy light trails in the sky - tens of thousands - although some didn’t extend very far - maybe 30 feet from a building - while others descended from what looked like space itself.  He reached out to one and tried to touch it with his mind...

 

“... so then the stupid cow took my phone and car keys, and she grounded me?  Can you believe it?  She’s so unfair!”

The girls voice Kayden was hearing sounded young - maybe a teenager - and more than a bit petulant.  He felt his mind filling with information... numbers, co-ordinates, codes - and he boggled for a moment.

 

Another voice continued the conversation.  “That is SO unfair!  It’s not like you were drinking again!  It was only marijuana, for god’s sakes.  It’s not like it’s the dark ages!  It’s practically legal now!  Your mom’s a bitch, Jenifer.”

 

“Tell me about it!”  Jenifer replied.

 

Kayden was confused. “What the fuck is going on?”

 

“Huh?!  Who was that?”  Jenifer said.  “Is there someone on the line?”

 

“Not at my end.”  Said the other female voice.  “Who’s there?  Maybe our phone is being tapped?”

 

Kayden, realizing the two girls had somehow heard him, let go of the glowing light trail - and the conversation stopped, instantly.  He still had the information in his head - including two sets of coordinates...  Then it hit him!  “I’m seeing wireless signals.   I tapped into one - probably from two cell phones.  The co-ordinates are where they were talking from.  Holy crap!”

 

He looked around in awe...  All these lights are wireless signals - and I can tap into them.  I can talk to machines - or the electronic ones at least, too.  Can I do anything else?

 

Kayden tried to jump - but didn’t have any greater effect than before, and for a few minutes he tried to do a bunch of different things in order to see if he could, and he apparently couldn’t climb walls, shoot energy blasts, fly or teleport.  “Well that sucks.”  He muttered.  “If I have to look like this goopy crap, at least having a power other than being a living wiretap would be nice!”

 

Kayden headed deeper into the alleys.  The cops would be arriving soon, and might search the area - and he didn’t want to be caught.  As he headed deeper into the alleys of Empire City, he moved from the downtown core towards an industrial area called Jamestown.  He found an empty street, and sat on a stone ledge to think.

 

 

If I’m some sort of living wiretap, the government is never going to let me stay free.  I’ll get locked up - either for David’s murder, which I didn’t do - or because of national security.  On the plus side, I don’t look like Kayden - so even if he becomes a ‘person of interest’ no one will ever find him - but on the minus side, I look like a walking glob of Elmer’s glue.  What am I going to do?

 

With powers like what I seem to have, I could probably be useful in intelligence - but I’d be a pet monster.  They’d never let me go.  I need some way to hide...  I wonder if I can assume a human form, or even something close?   Kayden concentrated, and tried to think about what he used to look like.  The average but fit body, and the charming face.  The build of his body and the feel of his skin, how he smelled and how he sounded to himself when he talked.   He felt something *click* inside him... and he was back in the moment...as Kayden - not pasty-goop Kayden.  He was also buck-naked.   He heard a gasp of fear behind him.

 

Kayden whirled, and saw an older man - he looked maybe 50, but weathered beyond measure by the streets.  He was wearing ratty clothes that stunk to high heaven, and was unshaven and dirty. 

 

“You... You’re not a monster are you?  Some sort of villain?”  The man asked.  “You aren’t going to kill me, are you?”

 

“What?”  Kayden asked.  “Oh - you think I’m going to hurt you?  No way – I’m as confused about this as you are.  I’m not going to hurt anyone.  I just want to get home.”

 

“Where do you live?”  The bum asked.

 

“East city.”

 

“Long way to go without any pants, mister.”  He commented.  “I’m Hank.  I might got a spare pair of pants you can have.”

 

Kayden look surprised.  “Thanks, Hank - but why help me?”

 

“I been in a position like yours once or twice - not with the changing power, mind you - but waking naked in an alley isn’t a first for me.  I hadda pretty good life once, till I lost my home in aught-twelve.  Bankers raised interest rates, my wife left me, I lost the house and soon I was out on the street.  It’s pretty shitty. Soon, I was drinking to forget.  Been here ever since.”

 

Kayden nodded.  “Thanks.  If I can find some way to pay you back, I will.”

 

“Thanks, kid.”  Hank replied, and crawled back into the shadowy corner he’d been hiding in. 

 

Kayden was amazed at how well hidden Hank’s sleeping nook was concealed.  There but for the grace of god, go I, he thought. 

 

Hank emerged with a pair of dirty trackpants - mens large - and handed them to Kayden.  When their hands touched,

Kayden felt more information fill his head, stunning him for a moment.  His head was spinning, filled with images of double helixes and RNA, genomes and chromasomes.  The moment passed, and Kayden realized Hank was dying...  Cirrhosis of the liver, and a heart condition that would kill him sooner than later.  He also realized he could fix it.  Kayden didn’t know exactly how he could fix it, but he could.  He was sure of it.

 

“Thanks, Hank.  I think I have some kind of power.  You’re sick... It’s your liver. I can save you. Will you let me?”

 

“Your power can heal, huh?  Nah.  Thanks kid, but I don’t know if it’s worth the effort.  I’m old and spent, and I got no one that cares about me.  Maybe it’s better if I’m gone, and leave everyone else to go about their business.”

 

“What if I could heal you so that you had a second chance?  Make you younger, so you get a do-over?”

 

Hank smiled sadly.  “If you gotta power like that, then people are going to kill to find you.  You might want to keep that a secret - but if you think you can do it, I think I’d like a second chance.  Maybe I won’t fuck up so badly this go around?”

 

Kayden nodded, and placed his hand on Hank’s shoulder...  As he did, he felt information about his health and genetics fill his mind - and he could see easily what he had to change to ‘fix’ him.  He concentrated, and fixed Hank’s liver and his heart, and started reversing the aging of his body...   Hank’s form flowed and shifted - and the wear and tear of years and hard living fell away as he shifted.  A few moments later, Hank was a young looking 21 and healthy again.  Both Kayden and Hank stood there, totally amazed.

 

 

“Holy shit!  I’m young again!”  Hank could see the difference on his hands, arms - and feel it in his now no longer frail body.

 

“Tell me about it!  I didn’t know I could do that, until just now!”  Kayden looked stunned.

 

Hank got a pensive look on his now younger, more handsome face.  “I don’t know if a gift like yours is a blessing, or a curse kid.  I had a pal who worked in intelligence, and we talked a lot about stuff before I started living on the street.  If you want some advice, keep this shifting ability secret from anyone you don’t trust completely - and the healing power too.  People have been killed for less, trust me.  The government will make you disappear - and they’ll justify it by saying they’re doing it to keep people safe from you.”

 

“Safe from me?  How?”

 

“You could become the President of the United States - or turn me into him.  You could heal people the government might prefer dead - and even if the government didn’t care, what are you going to do when a thousand people - or ten thousand people - show up to be healed at your front door?  You can become anyone, which means you can infiltrate anything.  You’re the ultimate spy, kid - and spy agencies will either have you working for them, or they’ll have you dead.  Trust me on this.  You need to keep this quiet for your own safety.  Your identity being a secret is your greatest possession.”

 

“But if I can change into anyone, how can they catch me?”  Kayden asked.

 

“Do you still need to sleep, eat or drink water?  Do you have to go to the bathroom?  Who’s going to watch your back if the entire worlds worth of spy agencies are on your tail?  They could drug the water supply - or if they needed to, blow up the entire city block you’re hiding inside.  You might be hard to find - but unless you’re invulnerable too, you’re going to need to keep a low profile.”

 

Kayden thought about that a minute.  “Thanks Hank.  For the pants, and for the advice.  I kind of felt the same way.”

 

“No worries, Kid.  As for me, I think I’m heading to the local mission and seeing if the offer of a meal and a shower I got yesterday is still standing.  Maybe it’s time I got off the streets?   What’s up with you?”

 

“I think I’ll get dressed, and head to a friends house.  It might not be safe to go home.”

 

“Fair enough.  Good luck to you, kid.”   Hank grabbed his stuff - a sleeping roll and several garbage bags of possessions, and made his way from the concealed nook towards downtown. 

 

Kayden watched him go, and put on the filthy pants.  I wonder if I can change clothes too?   He concentrated, and a few seconds later, the grimy track pants were changed to clean, new bluejeans.  Levi’s actually - and they fit well too.  He concentrated a bit more, and the pants changed, and flowed - and became shoes, socks, and a light wool sweater covered with a light jacket.  Holy crap, this is totally amazing!  Can I make clothes from nothing?

 

He tried to make a sock appear in his hand, but nothing happened.  I guess I can only change what already exists - not what doesn’t.  Can I make it disappear too?  He concentrated, and his light jacket vanished.  Huh, neat.   I hope Hank is going to be okay.   Now I need to figure out what I’m going to do for me.

 

Kayden mulled over at least a half dozen ideas, but kept coming back to the same one - which seemed a little risky, but he didn’t have any other ideas.   Darryl will know what to do... and even if he doesn’t, I might be able to just chill and think for a few hours until I know what to do. 

 

Kayden looked about.  I’m near Jamestown...  I’m going to have a long walk.  I’d better get going.   As he headed towards his friends house, the dawn, which had been threatening for some time, broke, and the first gentle rays of sunlight swept over the city.  Kayden made a hoodie to conceal his features, and started walking.

 

 

*              *              *

 

 

 

Justin prepared the Mechalus device, working with both haste and precision.  Tears fell from his eyes, and he found it hard to concentrate.  Mr. Chips was in so much pain!   “Don’t worry, buddy.  Daddy will make it better.”   He attached the electrodes to Mr. Chips chest and neck - but Mr. Chips was too weak to do anything but moan and whimper.  A few moments later, the device was ready.  Normally it would be lowered over the head of a man-sized creature, but Justin had crafted a smaller helmet designed for his dog - and wired it together with the primary helm.  He lowered it onto Mr. Chips’s head.

 

The device began to talk.  “10 seconds to data initiation...  9... 8... 7...”

 

“I love you, buddy.”  Justin put his hand on Mr. Chips flank for one last time.  “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.  I really tried.  I love you.  I’ll see you soon.”

 

“...3 ....2 ...1 ... Data assimilation beginning.”  The device began to hum, and parts of it started glowing.  Mr. Chips body warmed up - and began spasming, and suddenly went still.

 

“Data assimilation at 100%.  Subject 001 is converted to Digital Data.  Would you like to continue?”

 

Justin smiled.  Mr. Chips would be saved.  “Yes.”  He said.  “Yes I would.”