exited the elevator, peering anxiously through thick glasses. “The guard said it was an emergency?”
“Not so much. But we do have questions.” I leaned close to read the man’s plastic name badge. “Dr. Henke.”
“Call me Morton.” He glanced from me to Blaise and back to me. “Do I need to speak to our corporate attorney first?”
“I don’t know, do you feel the need?” Blaise asked.
“I just don’t know how much I can reveal about the experiments I’m handling.”
I laid a hand on Henke’s arm and gave him my best trust me smile. “We want to ask you questions about Mr. Felding and the people he came into contact with.”
“Oh, okay.” The man sighed. “Not that I know much. Mr. Felding, God rest his soul, was very involved in the status of our experiments. I don’t know much more than what I saw in the lab. He spent the majority of his time in the corporate offices upstairs.”
“Based on what you knew or saw, did Mr. Felding appear to have any enemies who’d want to see him or his company fail? Did he make anyone angry?”
Morton frowned, his eyes blurry behind the thick glasses. “No. Well, there was the argument he had with Victor Stewart over the time it was taking to complete a barrage of tests needed to validate a particular experiment. Victor didn’t like that he was being pushed to finish a test that needed a specific amount of time to validate. He and Mr. Felding had words in front of the staff. Then Mr. Felding took him aside. When Victor came back, he wasn’t happy. But he’s been a scientist at F&L for at least ten years. I don’t think he’d have done anything to jeopardize the company or Mr. Felding.”
“Where can we find Dr. Stewart?”
“He works the day shift. He’s probably at his home, sleeping.”
“Anyone else that you know of who might have a beef with the company or Mr. Felding?”
“Do you think someone killed Mr. Felding? I thought he died of a heart attack. His body has been preserved in the cryogenic deep freeze here on the premises at his own request.”
I blinked. “Mr. Felding’s body is in a cryogenic stasis? Here?”
“Why, yes.” Mr. Henke’s eyes widened. “Oh, dear. I don’t think I was supposed to disclose that information. We do offer cryogenic preservation to many of our clients, though it’s quite costly and a client has to be carefully monitored in death to make the transition. In effect, the brain is infused with a special chemical combination to preserve the brain for later reanimation with all neural functionality and memories intact, should medical technology advance to such a state as to make it plausible.”
“Reanimation?” I stepped forward. “Have any of your scientists been working on experiments in reanimation?”
“But of course. It has been one of our main focuses…” Henke sighed. “Until recently.”
“What do you mean?”
“All work stopped when Mr. Felding died. And after the company’s recent financial problems, the board of directors decided it would be best to continue with the more reliable revenue stream of new drug research and development, instead of spending time and money on dead people. They just couldn’t understand the amazing advancements we have made and could make, if they’d allowed us to proceed.”
“What kind of advancements?”
The scientist’s eyes opened wide and he smiled. “Why, in reviving dead people.”
A cold flicker of dread inched down my spine, sending shivers rippling across my skin. Was this the source of the zombies roaming New York? “Dr. Henke, are you currently experimenting on human bodies?” I held my breath, awaiting the answer.
Morton laughed. “No, of course not. We haven’t brought the research that far along. So far we’ve only been able to revive rats. We’d hoped to move on to cats, then pigs within the next couple of weeks. Until…”
“The board shut you down.” I nodded.
Blaise spoke up. “Are there any other scientists with
“Not so much. But we do have questions.” I leaned close to read the man’s plastic name badge. “Dr. Henke.”
“Call me Morton.” He glanced from me to Blaise and back to me. “Do I need to speak to our corporate attorney first?”
“I don’t know, do you feel the need?” Blaise asked.
“I just don’t know how much I can reveal about the experiments I’m handling.”
I laid a hand on Henke’s arm and gave him my best trust me smile. “We want to ask you questions about Mr. Felding and the people he came into contact with.”
“Oh, okay.” The man sighed. “Not that I know much. Mr. Felding, God rest his soul, was very involved in the status of our experiments. I don’t know much more than what I saw in the lab. He spent the majority of his time in the corporate offices upstairs.”
“Based on what you knew or saw, did Mr. Felding appear to have any enemies who’d want to see him or his company fail? Did he make anyone angry?”
Morton frowned, his eyes blurry behind the thick glasses. “No. Well, there was the argument he had with Victor Stewart over the time it was taking to complete a barrage of tests needed to validate a particular experiment. Victor didn’t like that he was being pushed to finish a test that needed a specific amount of time to validate. He and Mr. Felding had words in front of the staff. Then Mr. Felding took him aside. When Victor came back, he wasn’t happy. But he’s been a scientist at F&L for at least ten years. I don’t think he’d have done anything to jeopardize the company or Mr. Felding.”
“Where can we find Dr. Stewart?”
“He works the day shift. He’s probably at his home, sleeping.”
“Anyone else that you know of who might have a beef with the company or Mr. Felding?”
“Do you think someone killed Mr. Felding? I thought he died of a heart attack. His body has been preserved in the cryogenic deep freeze here on the premises at his own request.”
I blinked. “Mr. Felding’s body is in a cryogenic stasis? Here?”
“Why, yes.” Mr. Henke’s eyes widened. “Oh, dear. I don’t think I was supposed to disclose that information. We do offer cryogenic preservation to many of our clients, though it’s quite costly and a client has to be carefully monitored in death to make the transition. In effect, the brain is infused with a special chemical combination to preserve the brain for later reanimation with all neural functionality and memories intact, should medical technology advance to such a state as to make it plausible.”
“Reanimation?” I stepped forward. “Have any of your scientists been working on experiments in reanimation?”
“But of course. It has been one of our main focuses…” Henke sighed. “Until recently.”
“What do you mean?”
“All work stopped when Mr. Felding died. And after the company’s recent financial problems, the board of directors decided it would be best to continue with the more reliable revenue stream of new drug research and development, instead of spending time and money on dead people. They just couldn’t understand the amazing advancements we have made and could make, if they’d allowed us to proceed.”
“What kind of advancements?”
The scientist’s eyes opened wide and he smiled. “Why, in reviving dead people.”
A cold flicker of dread inched down my spine, sending shivers rippling across my skin. Was this the source of the zombies roaming New York? “Dr. Henke, are you currently experimenting on human bodies?” I held my breath, awaiting the answer.
Morton laughed. “No, of course not. We haven’t brought the research that far along. So far we’ve only been able to revive rats. We’d hoped to move on to cats, then pigs within the next couple of weeks. Until…”
“The board shut you down.” I nodded.
Blaise spoke up. “Are there any other scientists with
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