Deathstalker 07 - Deathstalker Return

man himself was unnaturally tall, unhealthily slender, and was never seen out of one of his severely stained white lab coats. He wore protective gloves at all times, and never touched his own stock.
    Probably because he didn't need to; he was born wired. He had a long thin face with a wide toothy grin, bulging eyes, and a shock of frizzy white hair that stuck out like a halo. His hair always looked like he tugged at it a lot, and his eyes changed color according to his mood. He giggled more than was acceptable, darted agitatedly around, and bit his fingernails savagely when he got excited. His eyeballs were yellow as urine, and his teeth weren't much better. He smelled of something antiseptic.
    Finn brought him along in the hopes the good doctor would be able to come up with some extreme new drug to calm and/or control the twelve survivors—or failing that, the human scientists working with them.
    Finn felt very strongly that he didn't want any more surprises coming out of Haden. His alliance with the robots of Shub gave him some measure of control, but that wasn't enough. He wanted to slam the lid down hard on Haden and the Maze, and for that he needed Dr. Happy. That meant he had to spend some time discussing matters with the good doctor—a man so lacking in moral and ethical principles, or any form of restraint, that even Finn felt uncomfortable around him.
    So he sat in his comfortable chair in his comfortable cabin, and sighed inwardly as Dr. Happy capered around him, examining everything with disquieting enthusiasm, giggling loudly and clutching his bony hands to his sunken chest. He hadn't wanted to leave his precious underground laboratory on Haden, but Finn had tempted him out with thoughts of the amazing new drugs he might be able to derive from the altered biochemistry of the twelve survivors. Plus, he would be allowed to treat the survivors with any drug he fancied, in doses that would undoubtedly kill a normal human—just to see what happened. Finn believed in experimentation, particularly on other people. And, Finn said that if Dr. Happy didn't come with him, he would kill the good doctor—right there and then. Dr. Happy believed him. People tended to believe Finn when he said things like that.
    Dr. Happy spun round several times, gurgled loudly, and fixed Finn with goggling eyes. "Are we nearly there yet? No? Hey ho… I am so excited at the possibilities before us! I am! Such potential! Yes. I have always believed that esper abilities have their basis in biochemical patterns in the brain, but the oversoul would never allow me to experiment on any of their bodies… All right, I wanted to do it while the bodies were still alive, but… Wimps. Some people just don't appreciate the miracles of science. Oh, just let me at those twelve survivors with my scalpels and my genetic sequencers! Yes! From the deepest secrets of their various vitals I will concoct such potions as will push Humanity up the evolutionary ladder so fast it'll blow away all the rungs!"
    "I hear you've been running experiments in the ship's med bay again," said Finn. "I thought we'd agreed that you were not to test any of your concoctions on members of the crew? And particularly not on anyone in navigation."
    Dr. Happy stuck out his lower lip sulkily. "I have to keep my hand in, Sir Durandal. No one's died yet, have they? And I'm sure that nice young lieutenant will stop screaming any day now. I must practice my art, I must! Oh, my word, yes. I must be at my very best when I come face-to-face with the Madness Maze, and begin my greatest work." His eyes became dreamy as his long bony fingers tangled together, and his toothy grin became actually wistful. "Such miracles I shall work in the twisted minds and altered flesh of the Maze survivors! I shall change and transform the very nature of human consciousness, stretching it in undreamed-of directions. I shall warp consensual reality and storm the very barricades of Heaven and Hell! Yes!" He stopped abruptly and studied Finn with his head cocked to one side. "I do wish I could persuade you to try some small part of my inventory. Only the very broadest of perceptions will allow you to appreciate the probabilities inherent in the Maze and its creations. We must never allow our humanity to hold us back from what our ambition can conceive. Are you sure I can't tempt you to try a little something?"
    "Quite sure," said Finn. "And if you try slipping something into my coffee again, I will