Page 87 of Dark Shaman: Love Found
He needed to find out what his monsters were planning.
Zhao tapped the vial labeled E-C2N; the liquid shimmered faintly in the syringe, a pale silvery hue that caught the flickering fluorescence of the lab’s overhead lights.
He filled the syringe with the liquid he'd prepared. "I'm going to inject your left arm."
Hozran laughed. "How polite. As if I have a choice in which arm you inject your poison."
The enhancement had made his veins more prominent, blue highways beneath skin that had taken on an almost metallic sheen. They were easy to find, and the needle slid in easily.
Zhao depressed the plunger slowly, watching Hozran's eyes for the telltale dilation that would signal the drug taking effect.
"There we go," Zhao murmured, stepping back to observe. "Just relax and let the chemicals do their work."
Within minutes, Hozran's aggressive posture softened. His eyes, while still alert, lost some of their predatory focus.
The drug was working. For now.
"Tell me about your week, Hozran," Zhao said, pulling up ametal stool. He kept it precisely six feet away—close enough to observe, but far enough to have a running start if needed.
"Training, eating, planning," Hozran said, then blinked as if surprised by his own honesty.
"Planning?" Zhao kept his voice casual, uninterested. "Planning what?"
"The future." Hozran's lips curved in a smile that the drugs couldn't quite suppress.
"That's vague. What kind of future?"
"A glorious one." The words came out slurred but forceful. "We are apex predators. We should be treated accordingly, and if not, we should take what we deserve."
Zhao's pulse quickened, but he maintained his detached and slightly bored demeanor. "What does that future entail? More whorehouse visitations? More booze allowance? What do apex predators consider their due?"
Hozran laughed, the sound looser now, almost drunk. "How come you don't know? The cameras are watching our every move, the microphones recording every word." He leaned forward as much as the chains would allow. "We're not stupid, doctor. Your drugs didn't just make us stronger. They made us smarter, too. We know what's going on."
"The surveillance is for your own safety," Zhao said, though the words sounded hollow even to him.
"Safety." Hozran snorted. "Yes, we're very concerned about safety. That's why we've developed a communication system that you and the lord can't follow."
Zhao's stylus paused over his tablet. "Explain."
"Hand gestures." Hozran made a lewd gesture with his finger. His eyes were fully dilated now, the drugs hitting their peak effectiveness, but he was still able to deflect Zhao's questions. "Fascinating, isn't it? We are evolving beyond what you envisioned, doctor. Aren't you proud of us?"
"I'm very proud, and I want to know what you are planning." With the drugs at maximum effect, subtlety was wasted.
"A revolution," Hozran said, then his brow furrowed as if he was confused by his admission. "No, that's not right. Revolution implies overthrowing something to replace it with something else. We don't want to replace anything. We just want to transcend."
"Transcend what?"
"Everything. Everyone. It's like you said. We are the next step in immortal evolution, Doctor." Hozran's head lolled. "Some of the others call you 'father' sometimes. Others call you the creator or the architect of our ascension. We have conflicting plans for you in the new order. Some think that we should keep you because we need you to continue giving us the drugs. Others think that we shouldn't rely on anyone, learn how to produce the drugs ourselves, and then get rid of you."
Zhao's hand trembled as he made notes. "Do you have a timeline for your plans?"
"Soon. Not soon. Yesterday. Tomorrow. Time moves differently when you don't need sleep." Hozran's words werebecoming increasingly disjointed. "Did you know that we don't really sleep anymore? I slept less than two hours over the last two weeks. Sleep is such a waste of time. We can achieve so much more than the others."
"Who's leading you?"
"Everyone. No one. We are one mind with many bodies. Or many minds sharing one purpose. It's hard to explain to someone limited by humanity."
The answers were becoming overly vague, and Zhao wasn't sure whether it was because Hozran was getting loopy or because he was evading answering precisely on purpose. He increased the dosage, pushing more of the compound into Hozran's system.
