Chapter 7
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File: Personal Observations and Records of Adam Kane, PhD
Subfile: Mutant X
Subject: Jesse Lawrence Kilmartin, KSP-13584
Category: Molecular
I'm pleased to be able to say that Jesse has almost fully recovered from his period of captivity with Genomex. He is still under the normal weight for a now 18 year old with his height and body type, but he has made significant progress. Physical tests indicate that his pulse and blood pressure have also recovered, though they are lower than average. I attribute this, however, to his mutation. Surviving moleculars have all demonstrated excellent cardiovascular health, likely due to their to ability to actively modify their complete physical makeup at the molecular level. Jesse's speed, agility, reaction times and intelligence have also been tested and found to be exceptional. Additionally, Jesse's circulatory and internal systems seem to have suffered no long-term ill effects from the numerous medical, chemical and physical tests performed on them.
While his physical health is progressing nicely, I must admit that I have lingering concerns regarding his emotional health. After Shalimar and I were able to free him from Genomex, the boy was reserved and quiet. He startled easily and flinched away from any and all potential physical contact. When I first took him to the medbay for an examination I could see him become tense and make an effort to flee. He was extremely defensive. Had he been stronger and Shalimar not been beside him, I have no doubt that he would have been able to. He would have found it difficult to escape, though, as we had blinded him once we had him in the Helix. It is ironic and sad to say that we were lucky he was in such poor condition. I can only imagine the damage that may have been done to Sanctuary had he been able to run.
In his 34 days at Sanctuary Jesse spent the first 9 days in medbay simply recovering physically. Apparently, adrenaline had been sustaining him for the past day or two, because once he relaxed and fell asleep, his numerous medical problems took command of his body. He must have been exposed to a high-density radon beam containing benzene at some point recently, because the dermis layer of his skin seemed to have been burnt. It also managed to affect the melanocytes – he's going to be very pale for a while and will be sensitive to sunlight until they have a chance to heal. Furthermore, he was so exhausted and malnourished that his body was starting to eat away at his muscles. There was simply no other source of nourishment.
All his medical conditions are listed in his active file, but suffice to say that I am amazed at his determination to recover. By the time his body had healed, he was sufficiently comfortable with Shalimar, who is only a year or so older than he, to allow her to show him the rest of the facility. Later Shalimar told me that he was quiet about most things at first, but after he had taken a nap, was asking intelligent questions about the equipment and location. Naturally she held back in her answers, because she didn't know how much I was wanted her to reveal. Jesse has spent most of his time since then reading anything he can get his hands on. He seems especially fascinated by any specifications I give him about our computer systems. I make sure he exercises, though; his body still hasn't healed itself completely, and, as scientists have been saying for years, exercise is a great way for the body to heal itself.
I specifically remember asking her what she thought of Jesse. She said that she liked him, and that he was someone she could trust once she got to know him more. She also said that he seemed a little shy about himself and never talked about his past. I told her that it was okay, that he probably didn't want to associate himself with anything from his past. I told her that I liked him too, and that he was welcome to stay with us as long as he wished.
What I didn't tell her was that I actually knew quite a bit about Jesse's past, and I wasn't going to force him to go back to it if he didn't want to. I remember when I was working with Jesse's genetic structure. His case was rather unique in the scope of the entire genetic project – he was one of the last cases I worked on. Furthermore, he was one of the oldest subjects. While most mutants had their structure manipulated before birth, Jesse was already three, almost four years old when he came to me. He had been diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia and his parents' wealth had connections had led them to me. Fortunately, I was able to help him. It had taken two months – but I was up to the challenge. I wanted to see if my techniques would be successful when applied to post-natal conditions.
I didn't think anything of it at the time, but I remember that his parents never visited him during that time. The company had offered them accommodations, but they had refused, insisting they had go back to Philadelphia. What's even stranger is that Jesse didn't seem to miss them. At the time I thought that he was simply familiar with – and fascinated by – medical equipment and doctors by then. While that was true, I now realize that he was also used to being left with strangers.
When the program collapsed and the children began to show physical manifestation of their genetic manipulation I went back through every file – and there were thousands – trying to figure out what was happening. I never did find out what caused the mutation, but I did find that those patients whose genetic structure had been manipulated after birth, especially the older children, had a 98% chance of falling into the molecular category. Again, I never figured out why this was so. But in my efforts, I met with as many mutants as I could – taking new samples and performing evaluations. However, Jesse was one that I was never able to contact again. His parents' money and influence at the time managed to prevent it. Maybe that was why I remembered Jesse Kilmartin so well. I remember the sadness and surprise when I found his name on a list of Genomex detainees I received from an informant.
After Jesse had arrived and was recovering, I was curious as to how Genomex had managed to capture him. He had obviously been at the facility for months – why hadn't his parents exerted their power to liberate him? I was sickened to uncover the reason: his parents weren't trying to free him because they had put him there. It took quite a bit of effort, but I managed to discover that his parents had surrendered him to Eckhart's care 17 months before. Jesse had been in and out of other medical facilities and boarding schools since he was 6 years old. He had seemed to adjust well to each location, but his parents always withdrew him within a year. My guess was that Jesse had manifested his abilities early and he had been removed to prevent further questioning when something went wrong. After we first rescued him from Genomex, I had wondered how such an easygoing, adaptable child like Jesse had become so withdrawn. After having dinner and returning to the research I figured it out. All I had to look at was the dates. He had never been in one location for more than a year – the average was 10 months. When his parents failed to collect him from Genomex after a year, he had finally given up on them.
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I just returned from watching Jesse's first training session with Shalimar. While she did, in fact, 'kick his butt,' I was impressed with the results, and could see that Shalimar was too. His agility, flexibility and intelligence will make him a superb fighter. He also has an aptitude for computers that may rival my own. He may not be familiar with the shady underworld dealings that I must now work with, but he does have an understanding of the ruthlessness of the corporate world, and will easily prove to be an asset. He shows an eagerness to learn, as well as determination. But he also shows control. I could see him thinking before he made his next move. Unfortunately he took too long and Shalimar took advantage – but that will get better with time. He'll get better with time. While Jesse may never confide in anyone about his past, I think he'll have a good future. And if he feels so inclined, that future can be here with us at Sanctuary.
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