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| Chapter 1 �So, Ashton. What have you got for us today?� Sonny Corinthos sat across from Ned Ashton at the large wooden table that occupied over half of the General Hospital Board Room. Waiting impatiently with him for the purpose of this meeting were his fellow board members: Chief of Staff, Dr. Alan Quartermaine, and his wife, Dr. Monica Quartermaine; Head of ER, Dr. Jeff Webber; Sonny�s business partner, Jason Morgan; wealthy business tycoon, Jasper �Jax� Jacks; and Lorenzo Alcazar, local crime lord whom was left hospital stock by his late brother, Luis. Everyone assumed Lorenzo would sell off the stock, but when he didn�t, Sonny concluded it was just another way for him to harrass the good people of Port Charles. �I...um...� Ned cleared his throat, nervously, before continuing. �I called this meeting to introduce a research idea to the board.� He knew this was a stupid idea. His heart beat began to increase, pounding harder and harder inside his chest, as all eyes fixed on him with disgusted irritation. The hospital board rarely ever funded outside research projects, and Ned knew that. Yet, he still felt it necessary---putting himself through such miserable anguish---to help a dear friend. �Now, everyone here knows Dr. Ric Lansing.� As Ric entered the room, a low, aggrivated rumbling could be heard amongst it�s sitting occupants. However, he did not let their resistance crumble his determination. He�d dedicated a large portion of the last six years trying to correct the human condition that killed his father. But now, after all this time, he needed the hospital�s permission to continue his vital work. �Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I promise not to take up too much of your time. I realize you must have plenty of other things you�d love to be doing right now.� �Yes. Like not looking at your smarmy face.� Ric heard Morgan mumble under his breath, which set the entire table into a quiet giggle. Ric considered clubbering him for his nasty remark---the prick deserved just that---but he decided against it. Morgan had a lot of pull with the board, and he would need all of the support he could procure from this group of people. A group who generally perceived Ric as something of a quack. �As you are all aware, for the past several years I�ve been working on a private project. Up until this point, I�ve been able to carry out my research with little help from the outside world. However, I�ve reached a place in my investigation where I require...� ---Ric searched for a sugar-coated way of announcing his request--- �...extra assistance.� Alan stood, flapping his pointer finger accusingly toward Ric. �If it�s money you�re after...� �No no no no...� Ric assured the company. He lifted his hands and lowered them toward the table, easing the irate doctor back into his seat. �I assure you, I don�t need your money. Trevor, my father, left all of his wealth to me when he past away. I haven�t managed to blunder away a dent in it.� �So, what...assistance...will you be requiring from us, Dr. Lansing.� A chuckle threatened to escape Ric�s lips at the sound of Jax�s thick Aussie accent. He managed to contain his amusement for the moment. �I�ll need...a volunteer.� �A volunteer for what, exactly?� Dr. Jeff Webber inquired, sliding his glasses from his face. He massaged the bridge of his nose with his thumb and first finger, let out a puff of hot breath to steam his glasses, and cleaned them against his tie. He put them back on, before glancing at the mad scientist. Ric flinched when Jeff�s penetrating stare bore into him. Dr. Webber hated him. Apparently dating his daughter---unless you were Jason Morgan---was a crime. A crime Ric was very guilty of. He�d been seeing Elizabeth Webber for six months to the day, and tonight he planned to turn that into a lifetime. �Well,� Ric glanced around the table. �A volunteer to ingest a serum I�ve been developing.� Monica probed, �And what kind of serum are you speaking of?� �Dr. Quartermaine,� Ric leaned toward her, his eyes filled with wonder. �...it is a serum that will save millions of lives.� �If it works.� Jason stood and began to pace around the table. �However, you still have yet to explain what exactly this serum will do if it reacts the way you hope.� �Well, Mr. Morgan.� Ric went to stand in front of his nemisis, blocking his path and forcing him into a stare-down. �Inside every one of us is a battle.� When Morgan tried to comment, Ric merely raised a hand and continued. �It�s a battle between good and evil. Now the majority of us, the majority of the time, let the good win. The good convinces us to go to church every Sunday. The good persuades us to help that little old lady across the street. The good urges us to stop for small animals that pass in front of our cars. �But then there�s the evil.� Ric turned to address the rest of the board. �The evil tells us to just take that candy bar you can�t afford---no one will know. The evil wants us to cheat on that big test so our grade doesn�t drop.� Ric looked at Ned, then down, before continuing. �The evil goads some into stabbing an innocent man to death.� Silence enveloped the room. All eyes landed on Ric. He could feel his body heat with embarrassment. He hated being the object of pity, but if it secured him the support he needed to insure what happened to his father wouldn�t happen again, it was worth the torture. Alan cleared his throat. �Trevor Lansing was a good man, Ric. He was a fine doctor.� �I agree with my husband, Ric.� Monica paused. �And I mean no disrespect, but where are you going with this? I mean, if evil is in all of us like you say, and this is the reason some kill, then the only way to stop the problem would be getting rid of the evil.� �Exactly, Monica.� Ric leaned against the back wall and crossed his arms across his chest. �The only way to stop the killing is to extinguish the evil.� Jax�s chest rumbled slightly with laughter. �Yes, Ric. That�s good in theory, but the only way to extinguish evil is to extinguish it�s host. The only way to do this is if we were able to separate the two.� Ric leaped to the table and slammed his fisted hand against its wooden top. �Exactly, Mr. Jax. We have to separate the two. And lucky for us, my serum does just that.� The room fell silent again. A moment later, Sonny spoke. �And how can you be sure this works?� Ric took a deep breath before answering. �That�s where the volunteer would come in. Up until this point, I�ve done preliminary tests on my lab rats, and everything seems in working order, but animals are very different than humans. They act on instinct. They don�t have a conscience. I need a human to test my serum.� �You want us to give you a human guinea pig?� Jason broke in. �Are you insane? You don�t even know if this will work. We could be killing an innocent person.� Ric tried to reason with them. �Mr. Morgan, one innocent person for millions. And I�m very certain my serum will be a success. Testing on a human is just the logical next step.� �A step that will never be taken.� Jason started for the door. �I believe this meeting is ajourned.� �Excuse me, Mr. Morgan.� Lorenzo spoke for the first time. �I don�t believe this is for you to decide alone. And I for one don�t see a problem with granting the doctor�s request.� �Did anyone ask for your opinion, Alcazar?� Jason shot back. Lorenzo laughed. �No. No one asked for my opinion.� He set his stare on Jason. And if looks could kill, he would be a goner. �However, people who don�t listen when I give it anyway usually wind up disappearing. So I suggest you pay attention.� Jason returned to his seat in silence. Lorenzo addressed the entire room. �I see no harm in giving one life.� �Well, that�s easy for you to say, Mr. Alcazar.� Jax leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. �You decide everyday who gets to live and who gets to die. However, the rest of us---you know, the ones who actually value life---we see a problem in just sending some innocent person to their early grave.� �But, Jax. Please. They won�t die.� Ric insisted. �It is a possibility, but I could also get hit by a car on my way home today.� �Yes.� Alan agreed, but added. �So with all of these other risks in life, why add one more?� �But I will use a volunteer. They�ll know exactly what they�re getting into. They�ll know that they may lose their life.� �And who would volunteer to die?� Sonny asked, smugly. �You don�t understand, Mr. Corinthos.� Ric rested his hands on the table. �It�s not volunteering to die. It�s volunteering to live, and to possibly save millions of lives.� Ned hesitantly rejoined the conversation. �Perhaps we put it to a vote.� �Great idea.� Jason rose and went to stand behind Sonny at the head of the table. �All in favor of Dr. Lansing�s absurd request, say yay.� �Yay,� Lorenzo and Ned said in unison. �Against, say nay.� �Nay,� the rest of the room said. �I guess that�s all. This meeting is now ajourned.� Jason left in hurry. As the rest of the room followed Morgan---with the exception of Ned who remained in his seat---Lorenzo stood slowly and went to Ric�s side. �You know, Doctor, you don�t need their volunteer. I mean, who�ll really know what you do in the privacy of your own lab?� Ric looked up at him. �But it�s illegal to conduct experiments on humans without the boards approval. I�ll go to prison.� Lorenzo just smiled, before leaving through the back door of the room. �I�m sorry, Ric.� Ned approached his best friend. �But I told you they�d never go for it. You�re idea is great, but there�s no way to test it without endangering a life.� �Do you think Alcazar was right?� �You mean about going behind the board�s back?� Ric just nodded. �No, Ric. You can�t. And why would you listen to Lorenzo. It�s his type that you are trying to change.� �I know, Ned, but really. I have to do this. You believe in my work, don�t you? You trust that when I say no one will die, I mean it, right?� His friend didn�t respond, but Ric could see his resolve crumbling. �Please, Ned. I need you on my side. I have to do this for my father.� Ned shook his head in surrender. �You know I loved your father as my own.� �So you�re with me?� �Of course I�m with you, Ric.� �Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you.� Ric hugged Ned. �You are the best friend a guy could ever have.� �Yes, well. I�ll do you one even better. I�ll go with you to find your volunteer.� �You�re right,� Ric scratched his forehead, while deep in thought. �I need to find a volunteer. Someone who wants to help save the world. Someone who knows it needs saving.� Ric began to plan in his head where he�d find such a person, when he remembered where he had to be. �Oh, but not tonight. Tonight is all about Elizabeth.� �That�s right. It�s your six month anniversary. You�re going to do it tonight, right?� �Yes, Ned. Tonight, I�m going to ask Elizabeth Webber to become my wife.� TBC |