The Gardener
Chapter 1. The Creator's Error The laboratory smelled of ozone and burnt copper . This scent always appeared when the fuses blew, unable to withstand the load on the life support systems. But beneath this technical stench lay another, far heavier one—the sickly-sweet, nauseating smell of decaying flesh. Doctor Arthur Vance took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. His hands trembled, not from fear, but from the Parkinson's he had been unsuccessfully suppressing with medication for the last two years. Behind the armored glass of the isolation unit lay what had been, just this morning, Sergeant Michael Kovach. The sergeant was the ideal volunteer: thirty years old, excellent health, patriotism bordering on fanaticism. He wanted to become a super-soldier . He wanted to serve. Now, he served as a visual aid for biological incompatibility . "Vitals," Arthur threw hoarsely into the intercom microphone. "Heartbeat zero," the dispassionate voice of ...