"ADAM: The Horrors Beneath"
Chapter 1. Amazing Discoveries
Dr. Bridgette Tenenbaum stared tentatively at the strange sea slug floating within the jar of ocean water, her brain processing the recent events leading up to her procurement of this specimen. The dockworker she had met that day had seemed quite eager to hand it over to her, and Bridgette had to admit that she herself was eager to study it. What a fascinating specimen, this sea slug was. No bigger than a grown man's hand, yet it's biology was the true source of her interest. This strange creature, whose bite had somehow healed the dockworker's crippled hand, could reveal untold secrets. But something tugged at the back of Dr. Tenenbaum's mind, an uneasy feeling about the city of Rapture, and where such secrets could lead it. No more than a week into her research of the sea slug, Bridgette made a discovery that both excited and astounded her. It's biology allowed it to secrete pure stem cells, which could not only heal damaged cells, but replace them altogether. She knew from the moment she had made this discovery that she would need funding for further research. But who? Surely a scientific discovery such as this would easily snag the funding of any of Rapture's respectable laboratories. She had no choice but to try her luck.
Nearly 3 weeks later, Dr. Tenenbaum had been turned down by every one of the labs in Rapture. How could they be so blind as to not want to further delve into such an amazing prospect as this? Who knows what could be achieved with this sea slug? With these stem cells, that Tenenbaum had dubbed "ADAM"? But it would not be long before one man would see the potential of this research. That man was Frank Fontaine, a businessman in Rapture who also happened to have his fingers in some less-than-savory soups,so to speak. He saw the financial and economical potential of the things such research could reap. With his more-than-adequate funding of "Fontaine Futuristics" behind her, Dr. Bridgette Tenenbaum dove headfirst into her research of ADAM.
"This is Dr. Tenenbaum, recording testing of Subject #6. The subject has remained paralyzed from the waist down since the age of 24, following a very unfortunate...accident. We will be injecting this subject with Substance 19,code named "Rejuvenation."
Dr. Tenenbaum worked efficiently, making sure to sterilize and prepare everything as the subject sat rather nervously in the chair. Each and every test had been documented via an Accu-Vox as well as by a research camera within the test chamber, for Tenenbaum and her colleagues to go over at any later date. "Are you sure this won't hurt me?" Subject #6 asked? Bridgette responded very curtly, "We anticipate no truly negative side effects for this substance." The man nodded unsurely, and Tenenbaum went back to addressing the Accu-Vox. "I have prepped the syringe, and am now cleaning the injection site. Okay, please to be holding very still for this,sir. Count of three. One.."
The man was now sweating slightly,watching the doctor with wary eyes.
"Two..."
He tensed a bit as he prepared for the needle to break the skin."
"Three."
As the needle slid into the skin of the subject's arm, breaching the vein, he shut his eyes and clenched his teeth. It was unpleasant, to say the least, as the doctor injected the test substance into his bloodstream. "Subject has been injected with Substance 19, and now we are to be waiting for results." Dr. Tenenbaum spoke to the Accu-Vox as she withdrew the needle. Stepping back and disposing of the empty syringe into a biowaste container, Bridgette watched the subject carefully, looking for any signs of adverse reactions. After about a minute, the relatively young man began to sweat profusely, as his heart rate shot up.
"Approximately one minute after injection, subject is showing excessive perspiration and rapid increase of heart rate."
Clutching the arms of the chair, Subject #6 clenched his teeth, wailing in pain through them. It was apparent to Tenenbaum that things may be going very wrong.
"Subject #6 appears to be having a negative reaction to Substance 19."
"OH GOD! WHAT IS THIS?!AAGGGGHHHHH!!!!", the subject screamed at the doctor, his eyes going wide as his body was wrecked with pain and various other strange sensations. Finally, after about 2 minutes and as Dr. Tenenbaum was about to signal an alarm, the man began to relax in the chair. He breathed heavily, his heart trying desperately to gain the oxygen it needed to regain a regular pulse rate. As his vitals approached healthy levels again, Bridgette Tenenbaum watched with curiosity as the man's foot began to move. Noticing the movement himself, Subject #6 began to shake, his eyes full of disbelief. Without a word, he rose slowly and unsurely at first,before gaining his certainty in his footing.
"Subject appears to have regained full use of his legs. Substance 19 test appears to show initial success. We will be holding this one for observation...just to be sure."
Tears streaming down his eyes now at the apparent gift Dr. Tenenbaum had given him, he grasped her slender hand between both of his. "Thank you!Oh god..oh..oh god,thank you,doctor! This is nothing short of a miracle!" the man exclaimed to her, shaking her hand profusely. She spoke very calmly to him in response, telling him that it was science, not a miracle that had allowed this. Bridgette led the man out of the test chamber, having one of the research assistants guide him to an observation room. These tests were truly showing the signs of amazing things to Dr. Tenenbaum as she clicked her Accu-Vox off.