Lucian Barnes' EL-204

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.