Chapter 1.2.39 — The Nonlethal Window

“Explain.”

Dr. Venture stood beside Emmett, staring at the wall monitors of the biolab expectantly. Clara stood just behind Emmett, peering over his shoulder. Both were waiting to hear his idea for taking down the Mutagen-X super.

Emmett said, “Unless we can bring military-grade hardware with us, we won’t be able to overpower this guy. Even if we could somehow harm him, his healing factor can keep him alive, even with catastrophic damage. He’s also immune to most poisons—again, unless we start breaking international war treaties, those are out too.”

Emmett held up a metal finger for emphasis. “But what about nanomachines? They’re small enough to attack his body from the inside, but they’re also able to fight off his white blood cells.”

Venture rubbed the stubbed on his chin. “What’s the end goal?”

“This is where I need your help. The data says that the subject can heal from most injuries within two days, including deep tissue injuries… But it doesn’t say anything about nerve damage.”

TINA’s voice came over the intercom. “Nerve damage is notoriously difficult for the body to heal, even one suffused with Gnosis Mutagens.”

Venture grunted noncommittally. “That’s a solid start, in theory, and I do have nanomachines that can be repurposed to do just that. However, they would require close application to deploy. A single injection in the torso won’t be enough. You would need to target specific limbs to disrupt them. The spinal column would be ideal, but good luck getting through the bone.” Venture looked to Emmett expectantly, as if he already knew Emmett had one more option prepared.

Emmett took a deep breath. “Then we target the bloodstream… TINA, can you run a simulation for us?”

“Yes.”

As Emmett described his theory, TINA brought up a simulated view of the super’s circulatory system.

“We deliver nanomachines close to the heart or major arteries. They cause damage inside the main arteries, causing clotting and slowing the flow of blood around the body. The nanites spread throughout the body, causing roadblocks behind them—preventing white blood cells from following and cleaning up the mess.”

From behind him, Clara said, “But they can keep fighting in an anaerobic state, right?”

Emmett added, “Yeah, this probably wouldn’t kill the guy, but it will take him out of the fight. His body will go into something like rigor mortis, making it harder and harder to move. If he struggles enough, he’ll become completely immobile until his white blood cells can completely clear the blockage.”

Dr. Venture nodded, a hint of a smile creeping onto his face. “Now that is a strategy. We’ll need to make some modifications, but I have nanites that will work. Good job, Emmett.”

Emmett sighed. It felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

This meant they had a chance at pulling this off. They could do it.

Clara clapped a hand on his shoulder, then did a fist pump in celebration.

Emmett turned back to the doctor. “Now, will you tell me about the solutions you and TINA already had?”

Venture let out a hoarse laugh. “Our solutions were more for emergencies or for open warfare. Armor-piercing rounds, satellite drone strikes, high-heat phosphorus rounds—that sort of thing. Although we also worked on Grey Goo nanites. Those were promising, but troublesome. They’re similar to your idea in the bloodstream, except that the chain reaction turns all organic matter into more nanites or something inert. In tests, we had to default to inert-matter-conversion because it was hard to stop the reaction… But I digress.”

It felt like the air in the room had gotten heavier while Venture spoke. Emmett felt like he knew the doctor well enough, even if the man still had secrets. But listening to him know—how cavalier he was about that kind of violence—it was clear that Venture still had some hidden depths to him.

Emmett swallowed dryly. “What about international arms treaties and rules of engagement?”

Venture’s smile went cold. “Emmett, if it gets to the point where I am in open war with Gnosis and their soldiers, something has gone terribly wrong with the world, and there are either few people that will care or few that will stop me.”

He couldn’t disagree with that. Instead, Emmett glanced at Clara and almost laughed.

She was staring at both of them like they were crazy.

“What?” Emmett asked.

“Oh, nothing. I’m just trying to ignore you both talking about murdering this guy with tiny robots.”

~

The three wrapped up work for the rest of the night. Dr. Venture went off to another part of the lab to work alone, while Clara and Emmett watched an episode of Full Throttle Heart in the living room of section 001—

While also trying to explain how they totally weren’t going to murder their enemy with tiny robots. They sat across from each other on the couch, talking over the show. Both barely staying awake.

“It’s not going to kill him,” Emmett muttered, rubbing his temples.

“How do you know?” Clara asked. She’d taken off her hoodie and had it draped across her chest like a blanket.

Which Emmett thought was silly and defeated the purpose.

“The guy can survive anything, except for a, like, a headshot.”

Clara added, “Maybe not even that. I saw the readouts. Mutagen-X turns people into zombies. They’re horror movie antagonist-level resilient.”

“See,” Emmett said. “That guy will be perfectly fine.”

Clara stared at him for a moment, like she wanted to say something, but didn’t.

“What?” Emmett asked.

“Nothing.” Then a moment later, she added, “You know it could happen though, right?”

Emmett shook his head, not following her. “What are you saying? You just said this guy is horror-movie resilient.”

“That’s the problem.” Clara sat forward on the couch, like she was drawing herself up to say something important. Emmett tried to focus, except that her hoodie-blanket also slipped down, revealing her shoulders and arms.

Emmett cleared his throat and met her eyes.

“That’s the problem with supers,” Clara said. “Sometimes growing too powerful is the problem. If someone normal breaks a leg or gets punched hard enough, they go down for the fight. But that doesn’t work with someone like… Well, like this guy. He’s got super strength and resilience and healing, and that window of damage that can take him out of the fight is way smaller than for someone else.

“You have to hit someone like him really fucking hard to knock them down. The problem is, that nonlethal window starts getting really close to becoming lethal.”

Emmett saw that same darkness in Clara that he’d seen in Dr. Venture, except that Clara didn’t have the years of superheroics to deaden her senses.

As new as he was to this life, Emmett thought he understood.

“You’re saying that we might kill this guy. You’re saying that I will probably kill someone eventually.”

Clara sighed. “Yeah.”

Emmett understood that fact as much as anyone could. It felt like one of those intangible truths, like knowing he would die someday. He knew it—even if he couldn’t fully comprehend the weight of it.

He thought back to Clara’s accident on the surface. Emmett’s throat felt hoarse, and he almost couldn’t get the question out.

“Have you ever killed someone?”

Clara nodded. “I was outside Belport, in a warehouse that was supposed to be abandoned. When I lost control, the fire collapsed the building and the old tunnels beneath it. There were people down there that we didn’t know about. Just homeless people down on their luck, you know?

“I didn’t even find out until later. Until the Summit came to investigate. Dad didn’t want to tell me, at first. I made him.

“Officially: Five people. But it’s not like we check on every super or henchman that winds up in the hospital.”

As Clara spoke, her expression changed. At first, it was solemn or regretful. Then it was just flat. Like part of her had grown numb to what had happened.

Or maybe it was just too hard to talk about.

Emmett wished there was something he could say, but it all felt pitifully insufficient or contrived. Clara had been working on controlling her powers and processing everything that had happened. She’d probably heard it all and tried it all.

Still, Emmett didn’t need enhanced vision to see that it still hurt for Clara to bring it up.

Maybe it always would…

But Emmett wanted to help, even if he didn’t know how. Or at least let Clara know that he was there if she needed it. His mom had always been good at that, and Emmett heard his mother’s words coming out of his mouth.

“I’m here if you ever want to talk about it,” he said. “I might not know what to say, but I can listen.”

Clara smiled. It felt like the warmth of it cut through the room, like ice between them had cracked.

“I know,” she replied. “Thanks.”

~ ~ ~