Stones: Experiment (Stones #3) by Jacob Whaler Page A

openings, sealing them in.
    “Simple enough,” Ryzaard says. “You drop the Stones into the slots. I assume that will shield them from the Null Box technology.”
    “Exactly. You’ll have free use of your Stones, augmented by the Amplification Protocol, but the victim will be severely limited in what they can do.”
    “What happens next?”
    “That depends.” Jerek digs into the pocket of his white lab coat and comes out with a handful of glass tubes of all colors of the rainbow, each the size of his little finger. Carefully, he spreads them out on the table.
    “On what?”
    “On how you want to kill the victim. I’ve had our chemical lab working on these for the last month.” Jerek picks up a white tube and balances it between thumb and index finger. “This one has an ultrafast-acting poison. Odorless and incredibly toxic. Derived from rattlesnake venom. I wouldn’t recommend you use it unless you’re wearing a gas mask. One whiff and you’re instantly dead.”
    Ryzaard rummages through the other tubes. “What else do you have here?” He picks up a pink one.
    “That’s an interesting toxin,” Jerek says. “It’s pretty much the opposite of the last one.”
    “Slow poison?”
    “Right.” Jerek takes it and holds it up to his eye. “Smells like bubblegum. When inhaled, there’s no immediate effect. The poison goes to the brain and wreaks havoc before it completely breaks down, leaving no chemical trace. The victim goes into a deep depression that lasts for weeks. Eventually, they stop eating and drinking because of unrelenting hallucinations and just waste away until death is a welcome release.”
    “Sounds like nasty stuff. I like it.”
    Jerek drops the pink tube back into the pile. “There’s an antidote for it in case you accidentally inhale any. Just remember the bubblegum smell.”
    “What else do you have?”
    Jerek selects a yellow tube. “This one causes kidney failure. Death comes in a few hours.” He grabs a red one. “This makes the victim go into cardiac arrest. Dead in three minutes. I’ll send a Meshfile to your jax with a thorough explanation of each one.”
    Ryzaard nods. “Very good. What about this one?” His fingers curl around a clear tube that looks empty.
    “That’s my personal favorite.”
    “How does it work?” Ryzaard holds it close to his eye as if appraising a diamond.
    “Simple. It instantly binds with oxygen, effectively removing it from the air inside the sphere. The victim loses consciousness after two minutes. It takes a bit longer for them to die, eight or nine minutes. It will pose no risk to you as you deploy it.”
    Ryzaard nods. “Can we test it?”
    “Of course.” Jerek takes the clear tube and drops it into a slot in the top of the Eiffel Tower device. “There’s a built-in sensor. We’ll know if it’s working.” Jerek picks it up and walks to an open area in the middle of the office, positioning it on the floor. He walks back and pulls two plastic mouth pieces from his pocket, handing one to Ryzaard and keeping one for himself.
    “Once we begin the test, bite down on this as a precaution.”
    “Got it.” Ryzaard leans forward. “How far back should I stand?”
    “Two and a half meters should do it.” Jerek moves to his seat and picks up a slate, brushing its surface with his fingertips. “OK, ready. You can power up the Stones, like you did before. Create a bubble centered on the device large enough to engulf the victim.”
    Closing his eyes, Ryzaard exhales slowly. In his mind, he sees energy flowing out of the Stones to form a perfect sphere.
    The three Stones in the machine glow with a pinkish hue. A transparent film of white appears in the air above the device and drops to the floor like a dome, enclosing an area three meters in diameter with the device at the exact center. At first, the white sphere flickers in and out of view. After half a minute, the flickering stops.
    Ryzaard opens his eyes. “I have it now. What happens