A Touch of Hope

Chapter 23 - Jack

Turning to the 2nd station, Flipsey cast his eyes across the workbench. This one was owned by the rebel's medical researcher. The things that Jack could do to the body would make even the most hardy people wince. His bench was filled mainly with glassware in an amusing series of intricate patterns and shapes. Rows of test tubes, beakers and flasks were lined carefully up on the desk. Most were filled with an unusually translucent, pale green solution that almost seemed to glow in the dim emergency lighting. Amongst the green glasses, there was a splattering of red, yellow and blue liquids, placed seemingly at random. Perfectly in the middle of the desk, a wire pyramid presented 4 icy blue syringes, a gentle red smoke wafting eerily off them. They were displayed proudly on the table, akin to that of a set of swords, ready to be taken at a moments notice. These were Jack's focus, each syringe containing a number of nanoparticles that when injected would enhance the user to levels beyond that of a normal human. They would experience enhanced healing, speed, strength, reactions, night vision, immunity to poisons, the list was endless. Jack was constantly adding to their abilities at every opportunity.

Discarded on the floor of the workstation, a webbed mess of spiked spinners lay, having fallen from the bench. Each one gave off the same eerie glow that came from the beakers on the table. The centre of each spinner glowed a red button that clashed badly with the green glow. This was one of Jack's more imaginative and admittedly useless inventions. Having joked about Jack's mastery of the human body one day after one too many beers, Flipsey had come in the next day with a number of these little devices. As he'd walked into the lab that day, he'd been met with one flying towards his leg. Despite some swift reflexes it had still grazed his thigh. Looking around to find the assailant, he'd seen the wicked glint in Jack's eyes as he watched with intent. Flipsey considered it very much lesson learnt from that point and a day he very much wanted to wipe from history. His eyes had bulged as he crippled over in agonising pain as his stomach writhed and twisted, forcing its contents explosively out in both directions. The rest of the day had then been spent in the bathroom.

Shuddering at the memory, he examined the exoskeleton that hung from a hook dangling down from the ceiling. Flipsey had always coveted owning one of these. It was based upon his very own police issue boots, designed to mimic many of its effects, not just to the feet. Still just a prototype, it was capable of allowing extremely swift movement, extreme strength and could throw the users many feet in the air. It was beyond even the capabilities of Jack's serum.