(first story)
(flashback)
Logan walks from a bar to his Lotus Seven sports car. As he climbs in and attempts to start it up, a man’s voice behind him causes him to turn. “Mr. Logan,” the man says. Logan sees a pistol aimed right at him and is shot before he can respond. Two other men help haul Logan out of the car but he’s heavy for a small guy.
As they lift him he wakes up again and smashes one in the face with his fist. He proceeds to pummel the man, and one agent asks the shooter if he got him with the stun gun. He replies that he was shot at point blank range. They pitch in and Logan is pistol whipped, which takes him out. They don’t think the Professor will like this, as he said no body damage. The man with the pistol replies that he didn’t say what a tough son-of-a-gun he’d be. They carry Logan into their van and take him to the Experiment X facility.
(present)
Logan is unconscious. Feed tubes are sticking out of every part of his body. An air tube is over his mouth and needles stick into his skin at several points. He was shaved only twenty minutes ago and was as smooth as an 8-ball. His hair is already beginning to grow back.
His body is immersed within the tank in a red liquid. Dr. Cornelius tells Carol Hines and two technicians that the Professor has arrived. The Professor says good morning and asks if they’re set to begin. Cornelius replies that it’ll be ready in a few minutes as soon as the tank is filled. The Professor asks how their patient is. Cornelius feels he could be better. He put up some resistance when the boys picked him up and they had to jostle him a bit. “Is he damaged?” asks the Professor. “Any deep cuts? They can’t afford any leakage.” Cornelius assures him that the subject is okay. They plugged him up tight. Hines informs them that they can begin.
The innovative surgery is started. Logan’s vitals are monitored very carefully as adamantium is slowly fed into Logan’s body. The process causes Logan’s body to convulse, as the shock of so many alien things happening to it take their toll. His heartbeat climbs higher than expected, but it steadies out. The Professor is pleased with how things are going. Cornelius tells him that it’s an extraordinary experiment, which he is proud to be a part of. “Of course you are, Cornelius,” replies the Professor.
They are wary of affecting Logan’s brain too much. Cornelius doesn’t think he will suffer much. Their subject was chosen for his remarkable stamina. What they’re picking up is his autonomic nervous system kicking in. He’s a hard fella, even when unconscious. As chelation begins, Logan’s body resists it and he convulses once again. It is compensated for and Logan calms down. However, his cardiotach, monitored by Carol Hines, is rising rapidly. A technician steadies that out.
Dr. Cornelius asks Carol to access Logan’s medical profile and history. He feels that, although he’s studied it long enough, he might have missed something. The results are displayed on screen. He asks if there is any cardio-abnormality. None is found. The Professor points out that Cornelius is really letting him down here. Why didn’t he prepare for this in advance?
Logan’s feeds are made to equalize themselves. Cornelius replies that he thought he’d prepared for everything. Who could foresee this? “It seems that Logan’s highly accelerated heart-rate is draining the adamantium reservoir at a rate of…” He asks Carol for the adamantium rate. She replies that it should be twenty-four in one, but it’s now at fifty-three in one. Cornelius says that he didn’t program for that! Actually, he adds, it doesn’t seem credible, but he thinks he can assure the Professor that there’ll be no further problems. Logan’s heartrate can’t possibly go any higher. He’d have to be Superman or something.
One of the technicians informs them that they’re passing the equalization point. They’ll have to compensate on every channel. Cornelius finds this astonishing. He orders the re-feed on all channels. The Professor asks what’s causing this, but Cornelius doesn’t know for sure. They’ve enough thorazine in Logan to drop a bullock. So, the problem is obviously more than auto-nervous system or a cast-iron constitution. The technician maintains his feeds at level two.
Carol informs Cornelius that she has some interesting information for him. She informs him that, according to Medfax, Logan has been shot at least five times and survived each attack. Four to the trunk and once in the leg. Cornelius replies that they know this. Hines then adds that the bio-scans show nothing in epidermal nor internal scar tissue. The Professor reminds Cornelius that he mentioned that Logan was injured the previous night. Where are his wounds?
Dr. Cornelius asks Carol if she has the readings. Hines replies that she has a trace, but no show. An hour ago, he had a dislocated jaw, cuts and abrasions. Now there is nothing. On the board, there’s a definite linear equation between this phenomenon and the intense cardio-activity. She adds that it seems silly, but Mr. Logan’s hair has almost grown entirely grown back in just twenty minutes. Cornelius feels they are in the midst of something unprecedented. Their Mister Logan is somewhat more than human.
Cornelius feels he must rethink things. If the patient’s wounds are now healed, his heart rate could drop. The technicians should be prepared to de-escalate at a second’s notice. That’s plan one. Plan two: if the rate continues to rise, they should pump equivalent norepenephrine to its ratio, but they should keep him informed of any changes. He asks Miss Hines if the adamantium reservoir is sufficient for all this. She taps her keyboard and replies that it’s sufficient at the current rate. Cornelius doesn’t think it’s good enough. They should go to reserve adamantium. He assures Hines she will have the authorization for that. Cornelius then turns to the Professor for some advice, but finds he has vanished. “Howdjalikethat? We’re in the middle of a crisis and he walks out!” The two technicians continue with the feed.
