Page 51 of Eight of Swords, Part Two

‘I have been experimenting with an oxygenated liquid medium, electrostabilised, of course, designed to suppress metabolism while preserving cellular integrity.’

‘Would the presence of water not accelerate decay?’

‘Both water and host would be housed within a sealed cylindrical chamber. Paired field generators at the top and bottom maintain a continuous bioelectric gradient that suppresses decay at the cellular level.’

‘Current suspension technology preserves viable tissue for several months at best. Beyond that, cellular degradation becomes irreversible.’

‘True innovation often exists long before money discovers it.’

‘At what stage is your testing?’

‘I don’t have the funding for tests yet, but in the future—’

‘What could you do with unlimited funding?’

She smiles at him, radiant and engaging. ‘Anything.’

‘Why don’t we take lunch together? Lachlan, leave us.’

Lachlan doesn’t want to leave.

Jolene Mercer is his friend, and Penhalyx is the fucking devil.

He starts forward, but Jolene gives a small, reassuring wink that reminds him of Blaire and says, ‘I’ll catch up with you later.’

✴

Lachlan trains.

He beats the punchbag half to death, splits his knuckles. Good.

Pain is good, blood is good, grounding and solid. He sees faces when he lands his blows. All kinds of faces. He hasn’t eaten yet today, so he downs a power bar, a handful of painkillers and a bottle of water.

Jolene meets him at the main doors around two in the afternoon. He scans her all over, irrationally afraid of seeing injuries, bruises, marks.

She’s pristine, hale and whole.

‘Are you all right?’

She cocks her head, red hair glinting. ‘Are you?’

‘Yeah, I’m fine, of course I’m fine. He was… it went well?’

‘Very well. Thank you for inviting me here.’

‘I… yeah. OK.’ It feels strange having someone he brought in actually leave in one piece. ‘I’ll call you in a few days.’

She grins at him. ‘Why?’

‘To check in.’

‘I don’t need you to check in with me, Lachlan,’ she reminds him, her tone just a hair patronising. ‘I never have.’ He doesn’t know how to say that her meeting Penhalyx has filled him with new dread that she’ll become embroiled in this too, just like Blaire and Danya.

‘Yeah.’

‘You look like you need a good night’s sleep.’

‘One day, maybe.’