LOVE
EIGHTEEN
Jack opened his eyes only to see Iserliss – for some reason he couldn't bear to think of the monster as the doctor, or even a doctor – standing above him.
"How do you feel Captain Harkness?" There were no breath sounds accompanying the measured, toneless words. Creepy. Really creepy.
Jack's voice cracked as he lied, "Fine."
That's when he realized he couldn't move his head. He tried to reach up with his hands to investigate but they were immotile as well. Damn, this sucks.
In fact it seemed he pretty much was totally unable to move – that is except for his eyes. Where before he had been only lightly restrained, now he was totally immobilized. Jack glanced around and concluded he'd been put in a different room. The room he now occupied was larger; it had a lot more stuff in it – medical looking stuff but also equipment that frankly appeared to belong more properly in a physics lab. Had he actually been transferred to a different location? It was hard to tell. But he suspected that was probably the case. Eventually his beloved Doctor would come back looking for him, if he hadn't already, and it was unlikely Iserliss would willingly tolerate such an encounter.
"Ah, you have no doubt realized you've been more firmly secured. It's for your own good, really, my dear Captain Harkness." Iserliss reached out and put a hand on Jack's bare chest; his touch was ice cold and not in the least bit comforting. Jack felt a wintry shiver move up and down his spine. "You see, the last time you were, uh, dead… and isn't that just the most amazing thing to say? I took the liberty of performing a small procedure on you. It was done without your consent, I realize, but all in the name of science, for the good of our research, to be sure. I used a procedure that you no doubt know of as a brain biopsy, and to be more precise an incisional biopsy, to remove a small piece of your brain tissue – a tiny bit of your gray matter – so that I might further investigate this amazing ability of yours to revive. I was very careful not to overly endanger any of your cognitive or basic functions – even though I suspect such a mishap would have been repaired in the rejuvenation process.
"What I discovered in my examination is fascinating, Captain. Now… we must take into account that the sample I extracted was of your deceased brain, pre-rejuvenation, and for this reason it was less optimal than the removal of tissue from a living subject. Nonetheless, what I saw in my transmission electron microscope, and which was confirmed by subsequent chemical analysis, is quite unusual, to say the least. Your brain is atypical, Captain Harkness, and I wonder if you know of any good reason for this to be the case?"
Although he felt like shit and was increasingly put off by Iserliss' monotone cadence, the Captain managed a devilish grin, "Well… I'm an atypical kind of guy, aren't I?"
"That you are. But if you have no other explanation for the abnormalities I'm finding in your brain physiology, then it is logical to presume they may have something to do with your amazing propensity to not stay dead. Do you not agree, Captain Harkness?"
Despite the situation Jack couldn't help but be interested. Yet he felt a need for caution and suspected it would not be wise to display too much overt curiosity. So he dissembled creatively. "I don't know; I'm not a scientist. I've been in a lot of strange places, been exposed to a lot of unpleasant juju. Any abnormalities you find might be related to something irrelevant which happened to me in the past. Like an old scar that never healed, or a bone break that malunioned. I could unknowingly be carrying around all kinds of weird crap inside of me which I picked up on any one of the thousands of planets I've visited during my life, or that I caught from any one of the thousands of people I've had, um, relations with. I could've gotten infected with something and no one would've known. It's not like I spend a lot of time in doctors' offices." And now I know why…
The hand on his chest shifted, became ever so slightly heavier. "But have you any reason to suspect your brain physiology would be anomalous?"
Jack tried to shake his head and found that he couldn't. The situation was starting to get on his nerves, big-time. "Like I said. I don't know. Maybe. Can you be more specific?"
"Oh you are clever aren't you? But I'm not quite ready yet to disclose even to you what I'm just now beginning to learn. It isn't wise to reveal too early the results of one's research, you know, and besides, things are by no means conclusive. There is more work to be done."
Iserliss walked away from Jack, disappeared from the Captain's limited field of vision, but continued to talk nonetheless. "What I can tell you is that my findings are potentially groundbreaking. A world-shattering discovery. And without a doubt career-changing. I am not ashamed to tell you that I have not been respected in my profession. It may come as a surprise, but I have been ostracized for my work. The Time Lords appreciated me, but since they disappeared I've been made an intergalactic pariah. But now… now I have a feeling that is all about to change. All thanks to you, my dear Captain Harkness. The secrets of immortality will be revealed. Perhaps made available – for a significant price, of course – to others who wish to live forever. But as I said… we have much more work to do first."
Jack was liking the sound of this less and less.
"Yes, I will need to confirm the results of my initial analysis. That will take some time. And then we will have to do trials. Every step must be meticulously conducted and documented. We mustn't let this opportunity go awry." Iserliss soundlessly came back into view; he was holding what Jack could only presume was some sort of medical device. It looked like a small rotary tool with a tiny circular saw on one end. "We have no time to waste and yet everything must be done with the utmost precision, care and caution. There is no room for mistakes. Our next order of business is another biopsy, but this time it must be done while you are alive and conscious, Captain. It's the only way. I must obtain more of your gray matter but I also need some of your more deeply embedded white matter tissue as well. I have no doubt it is going to be painful – excruciatingly painful – but unfortunately there's nothing for it. I am quite confident you'll survive, however there is some question if your mind will remain viable or not. But don't worry; I will take care of you, no matter what.
"My dear Captain Harkness, I'm sure you agree we might as well get the procedure over with, yes? Afterward I'll make sure you get some rest."
The tiny little saw began to sing.
-00-
"Take away love, and our earth is a tomb."
Robert Browning