Disclaimer: The characters and universe of Star Trek: DS9 do not belong to me. I am using them without the permission of their owner. I am in no way gaining profit by writing this story.

Summery: The life of Julian Bashir from the 'Through the Looking Glass' episode. Rated Mature for violence and sexual content. Scenes not explicit. Some Homosexuality involved.

Turned out the treatment the man had spoken of was an experiment in genetic enhancements. Most of their other subjects had died, or come out with mental problems so extensive they were useless. I was the first and only test subject to come out perfectly and live. After the surgery, when I was in recovery, I was showered with affection and gifts and given anything I wanted. I was so happy, I was comfortable, in a real bed, people liked me, and I could think! It was the most amazing feeling ever, being able to think. It was like waking up from a hazy and confusing dream and seeing everything in terrifying clarity. It didn't last.

As soon as I was up and about the test's started. Teaching me, seeing how fast I could learn a language or how far I could run before I threw up and collapsed. I had a complete strip physical at the end of every week and brainwave scans once a month. When I was eight they wouldn't let me sleep for two and a half weeks, quizzing me every hour to see when my performance started to decrease. When I was almost ten they sent virus after virus at my immune system, to see when it would fail. At ten they read me eight full length novels and wouldn't give me anything to eat until I had copied them all down from memory. Later that year I spent twelve days in the wilderness of a holoprogram with only a knife. The doctors threw everything they could at me, and I survived it all.

I tried to escape when I was thirteen. I was caught by a guard that was on his way back from the bathroom. I would have succeeded if he had been at his post. I got under the Light and six days in solitary for that. I never tried it again. When I was fourteen they brought a prisoner in, a smart man, a serial killer. He was Vulcan, a rouge who'd been exiled. I knew about Vulcans, knew every race, all crammed into my head; strong points, weak points, and how to kill them. Sometimes I wondered if I really was just a science experiment, or if they planned to make me an assassin.

They handed the entire case over to me, told me what they wanted, what resources I had, and the consequence if I failed. After trying to escape the year before they made perfectly clear my stay was not optional, under threat of pain. So I spent three weeks and two days breaking the Vulcan, and break him I did. The scientists approached me afterwards, and informed me I was to receive punishment for taking so long. And that was it, the thing that set me off. I had withstood everything so far, but I would not stand and be punished if I didn't do anything wrong. So as he led me away I swiped a sharp metal instrument and hid it up my sleeve. Once we had started down the hall my two guards could no longer stand on either side, it was only wide enough for two abreast. Then I moved, going for the thought of the one beside me, then the heart of the one in front.

I turned around then, to face the doctor that had tagged along. His expression when I killed him will forever be etched in my memory. I'd have to say that was the happiest moment of my life. I went back to the lab then, and put a leak in the plasma conduit, just the right size to explode in a certain amount of time. Then I ran, and stood outside and watched my prison burn.

I was free from hell, and I was glad to see it go up in flames.

Okay, so I couldn't wait. I'm home sick from school today and have nothing better to do. It's not like I can get my keyboard sick by coughing on it.

TS