Chapter Text
Weeks ago, Lionel Luthor came to Bryce Lynn with a proposition.
They shook hands, and later that very day, she saw the first installation of payments deposited into her account.
She began preparations immediately.
The first thing to do was create an organizational system. A project such as this would live on long after she was gone, therefore it had to be organized. It must have the capability of imparting information in the best, most efficient way possible.
Obviously, there had never been a subject quite like this one. It was the first of its kind, and thus, should be labeled as such.
But no, that was too obvious. This project must be kept under wraps. She couldn’t be too careful.
She decided to label it in reference to its location, its holding cell.
Luthor had walked her through the lab’s blueprints and schematics earlier in the day, and she was proud to be working in such a high-tech facility. She had originally worried that it'd be a small, dirty, sketchy facility due to the secretive nature of the project, so Luthor really blew her away with the pictures and descriptions of the lab.
So, she named the file, and subsequently, the future subject, U-427. “Unknown” in room 27 on floor -4 --below the basement.
The parent folder and the decoy folder were both encrypted, as was every file that so much as mentioned the subject, the equipment used, or location--or anything at all related to the project. Better safe than sorry.
The holding cell was room 27, but the main laboratories were labs 8 and 9. One for Lynn’s research and studies and one for Doctor Strong--whom Luthor hired before her.
She was on staff to study and research the subject’s physical being. Dr. Strong was on staff to study and research the subject’s mental and psychological abilities.
She and Dr. Strong were required to file under separate nomenclatures, so she’d reserved for him the file name of E-427--“E” for “extra.”
The separation of files and nomenclature was purely for security reasons. Lionel Luthor trusted no one, and if word of this project got out, he’d have probably the entire government down his throat--and, he informed her, probably the entire town of Smallville.
He cautioned her against an intrepid, high school reporter who snoops around everything and was proficient in hacking into classified databases. The extra security should ensure that she finds nothing.
Perhaps she should consult Lionel about adopting a cipher for their files.
~
When the subject was finally brought in, it was strapped to a gurney and unconscious, sweating profusely.
The doctors were both briefed on the subject’s appearance beforehand, being told that it resembled a young Caucasian male as part of its disguise techniques, but Dr. Lynn was taken aback by how gaunt the face was, and how sickly it appeared.
Was this how it usually appeared, or did something go wrong in the retrieval?
The gurney came to a stop beside the examination table while Lionel Luthor himself closed and locked the door behind them.
The three men accompanying the gurney unloaded the alien.
The two doctors stood by, clipboards clutched eagerly to their chests as they watched and examined and studied--noticing at the same time the glowing green rock in the bracelet wrapped tightly around its wrist.
They exchanged identical looks of understanding.
Both had been briefed on the effects of the meteor rocks on the alien, so the conclusion came naturally.
They needed to remove the rock so that the alien could return to peak health--otherwise, the studies and results might be skewed.
Dr. Strong reached forward to retrieve the item, but Luthor cut in, “Remember the briefings,” he started, and Dr. Strong’s hand retracted as the doctors both turned to Lionel. He continued, “It’s extremely formidable at peak health. I’d advise to keep a piece of that rock handy at all times.”
Neither the doctors knew what to say, but it seemed Luthor didn’t need confirmation or a reply. He turned to leave, throwing over his shoulder, “Keep me updated daily.”
They agreed to leave the meteor rock in place for now, but the clothing needed to be removed.
Since the subject was to remain unconscious, Dr. Strong removed himself to give Dr. Lynn more breathing room.
The decision to burn the articles to eliminate evidence was a bold suggestion from one of the assistants, but upon inquiry, Luthor supported the action. The subject would, of course, no longer need clothing.
Then commenced the surface-level examinations. Dr. Lynn couldn’t have been more excited!
The meteor rock kept the subject unconscious throughout the examination but was quickly attributed as the cause of its deterioration—deterioration specifically meaning the rapid onset of arrhythmia, gradual increase in temperature, and strange, green bulging to the veins.
When the subject’s respirations turned shallow enough to require an oxygen mask and its blood pressure dropped dangerously low, Dr. Lynn removed the meteor rock, but by then, the exam was fundamentally complete.
By all means, its outward disguise was spot-on that of a normal human. She couldn’t wait to wake the alien and study the superhuman abilities Luthor gushed about, but that research wasn’t scheduled for a couple of days. She’d just have to be patient.
The tissue exam hadn’t gone quite as smoothly. Once the meteor rock was removed, nothing seemed to be able to pierce the skin, which was a rather fascinating side effect--but one that Dr. Lynn was brief on and prepared for. Still, seeing it in action in person was amazing .
This also, however, meant that she couldn’t administer any drugs.
The subject remained unconscious for an additional half-hour before stirring, at which, Dr Lynn kind of freaked out a little, not yet prepared for it to regain consciousness.
She brought the meteor rock, once again, into proximity in order to maintain the unconscious state; along with unconsciousness came breathing difficulties and arrhythmia but also came the ability to pierce the skin.
Dr. Lynn temporarily excused herself to celebrate in the hall. Being the first person chosen to examine a real alien from outer space was an honor, but actually examining the alien was a rush like no other.
Drawing blood was the first thing she did, and watching the cold boiling of said blood in the test tube was mesmerizing. Though she was a biologist instead of a chemist, she wanted to liken the blood to an entirely new element--she made a mental note to speak to Luthor about bringing a chemist onboard to examine the extraterrestrial elements.
It also explained the strange vein bulges. If the blood reacted in such a way outside its host, then it must also be reacting in such a way inside its host as well, which explained the arrhythmia, breathing difficulties, and weakened state.
This was, obviously, not a pleasing revelation. The subject’s brain might be experiencing irreparable brain damage when exposed to the meteor rocks, let alone the prolonged exposure Dr. Lynn has naively allowed.
Her conclusion was that the subject was lethally allergic to the foreign substance, and that, to preserve the subject’s health and wellbeing, the meteor rocks should be kept away.
But that was the conundrum and challenge!
Lionel Luthor had strongly cautioned against removing all meteor rocks due to the invulnerability of the subject.
What was its temperament?
Would it resort to violence once conscious?
Was it safe for her and the assistants to remove the mineral?
Separate from the radioactivity of the meteor rock, the subject was invulnerable, and she could not work when needles and scalpels would not pierce the skin. But reintroduce the radioactivity and the subject’s health declined rapidly.
Continuous exposure could potentially damage the samples and prospected tests and thus, could not continue.
She had been successful in collecting the basic samples for examination, so her job for today was complete. The subject could be moved to his holding cell while alternative means of subjugation were explored.
Once secure in room 27, the meteor rocks were removed, and the subject regained consciousness as predicted.
The doctors and staff had been briefed on the subject’s uniqueness and abilities , but the briefing neglected quantifiers, so the doctors were without the necessary information.
Upon awakening, the subject appeared confused and in pain, rolling onto its side to remain resting for approximately ten more minutes. Once it felt well enough, it sat up and gazed around its room.
Dr. Strong designed it for optimal comfort and was quite proud of it, admitting that it was very minimalist for a holding cell. The bed the subject rested upon was against the west wall and the toilet was against the east wall.
The subject then stood up and began speaking. Dr. Strong was especially happy and scribbled quite a few notes in his notebook.
After spending fifteen minutes demanding release, asking for answers, and studying the interior of the room--the walls of which were all padded--the subject sighed and glanced at the camera, which immediately went offline, before breaking through the south wall.
Dr. Lynn and Dr. Strong exchanged concerned glances with wide eyes.
It broke through the wall--the wall that was supposed to be two feet thick of solid concrete.
The subject was found in the electronics development lab on level -1, crouching and hiding from both the orderlies in pursuit and the meteor rocks being studied in the lab.
Lynn wasn't happy about the subject being exposed to yet more radioactivity; nevertheless, the orderlies found, apprehended, and returned the subject to a new cell.
Instead of changing the file name, the room number changed.
The new cell was now room 27.
To prevent another incident, the subject’s new room was to be coated in a very thin layer of paint mixed with refined meteor rocks, in hopes that the low radioactivity level wouldn’t be lethal.
To do so, however, the subject must be contained somehow. It was inevitable, and the doctors didn’t like it, but the meteor rocks had to be used to quell the subject; otherwise, another escape attempt was imminent.
It was transferred to the labs for two days until the remodeling was complete.
At first, the subject seemed unaffected; however, upon closer inspection, it did not approach the walls, dragging its bed into the center of the room.
It appeared that the deterrent worked.
In a similar subjugation method for the labs, the scalpels, needles, and other associated tools were recreated with refined and diluted meteor rock. Their radiation spheres were reduced to .5mm. From the same pool was made eight bands to encompass the restraints; four for lab 8 and four for lab 9.
Furthermore, whilst the doctors and staff were engaged in the labs, the technicians and orderlies on standby wiled away the hours by planning, blueprinting, and creating various other tools and weapons from the meteor rock’s radiation.
Dr. Lynn was aware and concerned, reporting the suspicious behavior to Mr. Luthor, but Dr. Strong reassured Lynn that it was common for people to feel scared around an extraterrestrial entity.
Their violence was only a threat, not a guarantee.