The Spinal Cord

Raymond was sleeping by himself in his tiny apartment in the city of Sakurashi on a November night when the doorbell rang. Since he never got visits from friends, relatives, or coworkers, he pondered who it might be. He was so tired at that late hour that he woke up groggy and walked slowly to the door.

"Who is it?" Struggling to open his eyes and identify the person outside, Raymond muttered. He tried, but was unable to locate him. The man wore a scientist's uniform, but with the badges Raymond knew belonged to the highest military levels.

The man said, "Hello, Raymond," "From the Sakurashi research team, I'm Dr. Kaito. I have wonderful news, and we have been told that you are among the soldiers that volunteered for human experimentation." Photographs of Raymond and other males that Raymond didn't bother to look at were among the documents that Dr. Kaito took out of his folder. "You have been chosen to take part in an innovative new experiment alongside dozens of warriors from around the globe. You'll accompany us as we start the testing process."

Raymond was ecstatic at the news at that precise moment. It was much better to be a human test subject than to fight in the wars of the day. Only twenty of every ten thousand troops who were sent to fight returned, and the majority of them were in terminal illness or missing arms or limbs, leaving only one in perfect condition. Dr. Kaito had arranged for transportation, so Raymond hurriedly packed a suitcase with a few pairs of pants and shirts, got his favorite jacket, put on his boots, put on his lucky necklace, and got into the vehicle.

There was silence as the voyage started. With the exception of the occasional streetlight flashing outside the window, Raymond was still half asleep and could hardly tell which routes they were traveling. A few minutes later, when he was conscious again, he started talking to Dr. Kaito.

Raymond started, "So, you said I was chosen for an experiment," to which Dr. Kaito gave a composed nod. "But you haven’t provided any details about this experiment, or who selected the participants."

Before Raymond could finish, Dr. Kaito responded, foreseeing his query. "Hyper Human Design is the name of the experiment in which you are about to take part. Our goals may be implied by the name, but since you're so interested, I'll go into more depth. Some of the most powerful nations in the world are working together on this initiative to address death, which is a persistent issue for humanity. Humans live an average of 100 years, even in this wonderful world of ours, and the last years are frequently seen as the worst since we fight pointlessly against illness and just manage to survive. Our goal is to slow down aging, increase disease resistance, and prolong human life on a global scale. It will be a significant technical advancement that will raise everyone's standard of living.

The notion seemed ridiculous to Raymond. In a world this filthy, depressing, and perilous, who would want to live longer? He persisted in asking Dr. Kaito for further information. Dr. Kaito then started talking about scientific ideas that Raymond was unable to understand because of his then-limited educational background.

"Don’t worry," Dr. Kaito remarked, observing Raymond’s expression of confusion. "Once we get there, you'll understand everything. About five minutes should pass.

For the remainder of the trip, they said nothing. They reached a big, immaculate white structure in a vast, remote location after the five minutes that had been promised. The complex was surrounded by wired walls, and Raymond could not see any other buildings in the area. Raymond and two other troops were gathered by Dr. Kaito and two other scientists in the testing room, which he took him to once he entered. The room was addressed by one of the scientists.

"Good morning, soldiers and scientists," he said. "Caleb is my name. The "Hyper Human Design" is a ground-breaking project that my colleagues and I are starting to revive the globe. Despite his rather modest dress, his authoritative tone suggested that he was a senior scientist on the project. He didn't wear any insignia like Dr. Kaito did, just a symbol Raymond surmised stood for the HHD, which is short for "Hyper Human Design."

Caleb went on with his remarks. "You have been selected from thousands of volunteers worldwide to be the first to test this substance in our state-of-the-art facility." He produced a blue liquid in a syringe. "This drug will improve your physical and mental abilities, lengthen your life, and strengthen your resistance to infections and viruses. Additionally, it will increase your natural metabolism, which will help you recover from wounds, burns, and even limb loss. To perform more tests, we only need to inject it into your spinal cord, where it will disperse throughout your body.

Before Raymond realized it, one of the soldiers got up from a seat. Although he was not malnourished, Raymond was particularly drawn to the tattoo of the number "33" on his neck. The soldier cleared his throat and spoke to Caleb. "Excuse me, you’re offering us immunity, extended lifespans, and abilities previously confined to dreams, but you haven’t mentioned the risks of this experiment we’re about to undertake."

"The main risks of this experiment are death, constant pain, and other... rather unpleasant side effects," Caleb retorted. Your bodies should be sufficiently conditioned to counteract these impacts, which is why we selected soldiers. Are there any further inquiries?

Raymond decided to say nothing. He had to choose between dying instantly as an experimental subject or risking an eternity of agony as a soldier fighting in battle after war. Both routes, in his opinion, lead to damnation. He wasn't sure if the other test subject believed the same thing, but that soldier also kept quiet. The soldier who had spoken was the only one who appeared unhappy with the explanation.

"Very well," reply Caleb. "We will now take you to your individual rooms, where you will receive the HHD injection."

They were led to three different rooms, each manned by a figure like a doctor with a syringe loaded with that accursed drug. Uncertain of what awaited them, they went into their rooms. The injection and the subsequent severe, agonizing agony were the last things Raymond could recall.

Raymond awoke after what seemed like hours of unconsciousness. He discovered himself in a larger, more pleasant room with a desk full of different kinds of food and a bed. A man in a suit, whom he later identified as Caleb, entered his room as the memories of participating in the HHD experiment came flooding back.

"Raymond," came the man. "Well done. You're an effective test subject.