EL-204
by Lucian Barnes
Genre: Horror
Release Date: October 24, 2014
For
Jason Lambert, a prominent M.I.T. geneticist, fear of natural death has become
a thing of distant memories. His latest concoction has, in a sense, increased
his longevity and made him nearly immortal.
Over the past one hundred years, the technological advances of medical science
have rendered the deadliest diseases of the twentieth century insignificant.
Cancer, heart disease, and AIDS are no longer a death sentence. Serums have
been developed to eradicate the problematic cells and their growth.
When he meets a beautiful woman, his world is turned upside down. Add to this
the government's sudden interest in his research, and things begin to spiral
out of control. We all know what happens when the military gets involved. Greed
takes over, and ethics are pushed to their boundaries. Will Jason be able to
juggle his responsibilities without compromising his integrity, or will his
experiments lead to the evolution of a new breed of monster?
What is your name? Heaven
Lambert
How do you feel about being the center of
attention? Honestly, I used to hate it. For
much of my life, I considered it to be a curse I was forced to endure because
I'm beautiful. However, since meeting Jason, I no longer mind it as much.
What do you do for a living? For the last few years I've been a secretary for an established law
firm in downtown Cambridge, Massachusetts. That is, until I met Jason on a
rainy afternoon. Shortly thereafter, he surprisingly introduced me to General
Weber as his assistant. Now I work in a secret underground laboratory with
Jason, tending to the animals housed in the facility.
How would you spend an unexpected day off? When I was still single, I spent my time off in my condo ... usually
sitting on the couch in my comfy clothes, watching television. After moving in
with Jason, however, it seems like days off are a thing of the past. Often, the
only time I spend away from the lab is to sleep. Well, when I'm not trying to
break Jason's bed, if you know what I mean.
Do you consider yourself to be a moral,
ethical person? At one time, perhaps. Even
though some people might have considered my morals a little on the loose side.
Since I began working in the lab with Jason, however, I can sense a shift in my
priorities. It comes with the job I would imagine. It's a little hard to be
ethical when you work in secret for the government.
How do you think your past lovers would
describe you? (laughs) I suppose that would
depend on how the relationship ended. I'm sure there are some who only viewed
me as a sex object, but by the same token there are probably others that
considered me a neurotic mess. Although, there was one guy that I remember who
called me a psycho bitch. I'm not sure what ever became of him though.
What, if anything, do you do to keep fit and
healthy? Well, I walk down the long
corridors of the underground facility every day. Does that count? Other than
that, the only thing I really do to maintain my health is take the EL-204.
Originally I was sneaking doses from Jason's nightstand, but once we began
experimenting on human subjects at the lab deception was no longer required to
obtain the drug.
Have you undergone any dramatic physical
transformations from taking EL-204? The
changes were subtle at first. My skin seemed to get tighter and more youthful
in appearance, and parts of me that had begun to sag with age gradually became
firmer. It was almost like getting plastic surgery in pill form. The more
radical changes came when I started to secretly inject myself with STR, which
was the newest compound Jason created. It was developed to regenerate damaged
tissue, supplementing the anti-aging effects of EL-204. Jason discovered I was
taking this without his consent, and the consequences I endured because of my
actions left me in a state I would rather not discuss.
What do you believe happens when you die? Seems like an irrelevant question. (laughs with a wicked twinkle in
her eyes) The EL-204 has stopped the aging process, and when added in with the
STR ... let's just say that death is the last thing on my mind. After what
Jason did to me, however, sometimes I wish I could. I can't stand to look at
myself in a mirror anymore, the sight is too grotesque to bear, but I'm doomed
to live out my life in this hideous, new body. I suppose, one day I'll exact my
revenge. Once I figure out how to get out of this laboratory, which for now has
become my tomb.
I spent most of my youth in
rural Ohio and began writing stories at an early age. Many of these early
attempts at story-telling were inspired by mysteries, such as those found in
the old Hardy Boys books and the
cartoon antics of Scooby Doo. As I entered my teenage years I began to drift
away from writing stories, instead picking up my pencil to compose lyrics for
heavy metal songs because my new dream was to become a musician. That vision
remained hopeful for many years after my high school graduation, but like most
dreams of this nature it died out as I became older.
After working several menial
jobs through the years that followed, my thoughts again began to turn toward
writing books. Inspired by my favorite author, Stephen King, I took an online
creative writing course and slowly began to develop my skills. In late 2010 I
was given a violent shove, both by the job market (which was horrible to say
the least, and still is) and by the persistent encouragement of close friends,
to pick up my pen and begin writing again.
In early 2012, I gave birth
(that's almost what it felt like) to my very first published book, Desolace.
Finally having a completed novel in my hand was the best feeling in the world
for me, giving me a sense of accomplishment I had waited a lifetime for. Things
have grown easier for me with each book I have published. Since the initial
release of Desolace, I have released four more novels in the series. My latest
work is a futuristic horror book titled, EL-204.
