by gunnar » Thu Oct 06, 2011 2:32 pm
**12 December 2007, MARC-G Labs**
"... progressing rapidly, initial tests show a marked increase in nerve fiber density and a corresponding decrease in electrical impedence. Flash reaction tests show a five fold processing rate increase, reducing reaction times to under point zero five seconds. Subject reports a slight decrease in sensation across entire epidermis, further testing warranted."
***
Kyle sat in a chair watching a screen in a soundproofed, darkened booth, a small pushbutton clicker in his right hand. The instructions were simple: As soon as he saw a blue square, he was to click the button. He had noticed that his reaction times were coming down. The appearance of the square was completely randomized by the computer, so there was no pattern to memorize, no way to cheat the system, and yet, during his improcessing he had managed to make a consistant .25 second reaction time. Now? Now he didnt know how he knew when to click the button, but the images just seemed to be slowing down. Dr. Hastings assured him this was not the case, but, from Kyle's perspective, the squares would slowly fade in and as soon as he could make out the square shape, he would click the button, and then wait what began to feel like eternity for the square to dissappear and the next one to appear.
**4 January 2008**
"...Test subject has begun to show increases in muscle and bone density, measurements of total mass now exceeds two hundred pounds, without a corresponding increase in volume. Dynamic strength testing to begin on Six January twenty-oh-eight. Current estimate of total capability: above 60% projected maximum, more than 150% greater than control subject..."
***
Kyle sat on the weight bench in the tiny gym the facility had set aside for him, Initially he had assumed it was to assist him with regaining his strength after his surgery and recuperation time, now he was beginning to suspect otherwise: it was a way of measuring his development. Already he was pressing more than half again what used to be his one rep maximum, squating nearly twice his own body weight, and deadlifting nearly as much as that. In an attempt to find his own max, he decided to load four hundred pounds onto the bar, securing it with clamps and with a deep breath lay back and placed his hands on the bar. With a practiced motion, he pushed the bar off it's rests, and brought it down to his chest in a single controlled motion. Rather that being forced to slip the bar back onto the safety pins, he slowly began pushing the weight toward the ceiling, finally completing four reps before racking the bar back on the pegs....
"Well holy shit."
**23 January 2008**
"...Subject no longer responsive to minor stimulation, stimulation approaching control subject's pain tolerance. Test subject responds to this stimulation as though normal interaction. Overall sensitivity to pain, heat, cold have been reduced to below 20% of normal, subject shows no ill effect from stimulation at this level."
***
Kyle stood in the testing chamber, it was really like a large pod with doors on one side and thick observation ports along the other. It could be configured for a wide variety of situations, and today it looked like someone had gone overboard with the environmentals. Huge heating coils and cooling coils dominated the two normally bare sides of the pod. Currently, the heating coils were glowing bright red, and the digital thermometer read: 155 deg F, and was climbing higher before finally stopping at 175 when Kyle called out that he couldnt handle much more than that.
On the other side of the room, the coolant coils sprung to life as liquid nitrogen circulated through them, rapiding driving the temperature inside the pod down from its 175 peak to under 80 degrees in less than a minute, and shortly after that, reaching nearly -40, when again Kyle called it quits.
***
Nodding to the test administrator, Kyle gripped the handholds tightly. It was brutal, but it was also effective in determining his tolerance for pain... They were going to administer electroshocks to his body. Starting at a low setting, the began what would otherwise be called torture. However an unforseen wrinkle emerged, instead of causing him intense pain, it behaved more like a tazer would: involuntary muscle spasms, loss of motor control, and inability to speak for some time. This was noted, as it seemed his enhanced nervous system had one serious drawback...
***
After three exhausting hours, They were finally done. They had found the point where Kyle would black out from the pain, though they had broken a number of implements finding that level.
**3 February 2008**
"Project Rising Patriot has been declared an unqualified Success. Test Subject Alpha has been redesignated, Code Name: Minuteman. Cleared for full combat trial."
And the voice of the lord said: Whom shall go for Us? Whom shall We send?
And I heard my own voice reply: I will go. Send Me.