✅ Project SETI 3: Eve's Advent

Part XVII: Overwhelmed

"... I will get the facilities in Project SETI up and running for tomorrow," the Executive Director explained over a holograph. "Will you require anything, or anyone else, to perform the procedure?"

"I think Gabriel and I could manage it just fine," Julia replied. "All of the supplies are still there?"

"Yes. I haven't had the time to figure out what to do with the place or the things therein yet."

Julia nodded. "Then yes, we'll be able to do it ourselves."

"Good. Thank you for bringing this to my attention," Sam nodded at both doctors. "Please contact me again once this is over."

"Of course."

The holographic transmission ended shortly thereafter and Gabriel resumed his disgusted and angry demeanor. He stood up and began to pace back-and-forth in a short line near the couch and table. "See? What the hell is the matter with you?"

"What do you want me to do, Gabriel? Like, really?"

Gabriel suddenly stopped in his tracks. He turned to Julia and opened his mouth to say something, but all that came out was a strained guttural moan as he dropped to the floor with a loud thud. His body went rigid and his joints locked in unnatural positions, and his muscles tensed and released seemingly at random.

"Ah shit," Julia cursed, but it sounded a little more annoyed than concerned. She rushed over to him, glanced at her watch, and cupped her hands under his head. At the same time, she could hear someone rushing down the second set of stairs.

"Is everything okay?" Nova's voice called out through the thick door.

"Gabe's having a seizure," Julia replied. "The door's open."

Nova opened the door before she'd even finished speaking, and his brow creased immediately when he saw Gabriel on the floor and Julia holding his head. He kneeled down at his side, but was careful to give him ample room to move around while he was still convulsing. "What happened?"

Julia hesitated. "I'm pretty sure it was stress-induced..."

Nova frowned at that; he didn't like the unspoken implications there. He carefully reached over and held the back of his hand over Gabriel's mouth; his breathing was slight and irregular, but it was there. Then he moved to palpate his carotid pulse and felt it beating fast, but he thought it felt kind of faint for how fast it was.

"He's not breathing properly..." he said worriedly.

"What time is it? With seconds?"

"It's ten fifty three and eight seconds."

"Shit. Can you hold his head? I need to look for something," Julia said urgently.

Nova nodded and shifted to take over. "How long has he been...?"

"About a minute and a half," she replied as she dashed over to the area of the room that housed a very illegal collection of pharmaceuticals. She opened a small glass cupboard and hastily looked through them until she found what she was looking for in a small unused vial. She had hoped he had something of this class of drugs, and was thankful that he did as she drew up a syringe to administer it. It had a great recreational appeal for its sedating effects, but it also worked as an anti-convulsant in situations such as this.

When she turned around, prepared sharp in hand, she saw that he was still seizing—badly—and she was suddenly overcome with a strong sense of guilt. She thought that if she hadn't upset him as much as she had, this might not be happening.