The
A
Cordelia Delacourt Adventure
Chapter
3 The
Laboratory
Cordelia slept well in spite of the raging storm. The room she and Liz shared was large and drafty, but had windows that were shuttered against the wind and rain, and a huge four-poster bed with thick curtains that could be drawn to keep out the draft. There was a smaller cot in one corner of the room for Liz, but Cordelia had no intention of having her companion treated like the servant she was supposed to be. They slept together on the soft goose feather mattress.
It was a platonic relationship. Cordelia and Liz had shared many trials, and had developed a deep affection for one another. However, it stopped at anything sexual, even when they were sharing the same bed. In this particular instance the bed was so large that they could have slept five feet apart, however they did not. Instead they slept close enough to hold one another’s hands, but it went no farther than that.
Cordelia woke before Liz, which was a bit unusual since she was a notoriously late sleeper. This morning, however, she was wide awake well before dawn. She tingled with anticipation. Today she would be given a tour of the castle and she was looking forward to viewing the Baron’s scientific works. Without bothering to disturb Liz she headed first to the well-appointed bathroom. Although she was in a medieval castle the Baron had spared no expense in modernizing its facilities. A large mirror took up the wall over the large bathtub making the already spacious room seem even larger, and large Grecian pillars gave the room a classical appearance. But it was the flush toilets and hot and cold running water that really made the room remarkable. Cordelia had yet to encounter such modern amenities in any of her other European travels, and she decided to make full use of this luxury.
She turned on the taps and then slipped out of her nightgown while she waited for the tub to fill. This was going to be pure luxury, all the more so as this sort of opulence was the last thing she had expected when she had accepted the Baron’s invitation. There was a glass jar containing perfumed bath salts and she sprinkled these in and tied up her long, auburn tresses to keep them out of the water while she bathed. Then she stepped into the steaming water.
Just a few feet away Baron von Thorstenburg watched with intense interest as the young woman prepared to step into the water. She was everything he had hoped for and more. As she raised her arms to pin up her red-brown hair, her perfect breasts were raised, the upturned rose nipples beautifully displayed, as was her tiny waist, flaring hips, and long tapering legs. Gracefully she stepped into the water, slowly immersing herself until the water lapped at her nipples and then lay back with a moan of pleasure, arching her back slightly.
“Incredible,” the Baron muttered. He had known the girl was beautiful, but to see her like this… He took a deep breath, his plans for her changing, as his body responded to her astonishing sexuality. “To have a body like that,” he thought “and so young.” There was just one thing that puzzled him. Just above the nipple of her left breast was a strange red mark like that of a cat’s paw. It almost appeared as if it had been burned into her breast. It was something to find out about.
At that moment the bathroom door opened and the girl’s chestnut-haired companion entered. She was dressed only in a light robe and that soon dropped around her ankles. “Here,” she laughed. “What do you mean by hogging that bathtub? Anyone would think that I’m your servant.”
Miss Delacourt laughed in return. It was a clear, rich sound that sent shivers down the Baron’s spine. To possess such a woman… He must have her.
“Find something interesting, brother dear?”
The Baron whirled. “I really wish you wouldn’t do that, Messalina. One of these days I might do something rash.”
Messalina ignored him and peered through the mirror. “They are both scrumptious. Which one do you want?”
The Baron turned his attention to the second girl who was in the act of stepping into the bathtub. She was within a year or so Miss Delacourt in age and she rivaled her in her physical beauty. Her breasts were round and so firm they hardly swayed as she moved. The biggest difference between them was in their height. Miss Delacourt stood a hand taller. There was little to choose between them, but he had already made his choice. “You may have the companion,” he said, “but what about the aunt?”
“That sour bitch?” Messalina asked. “She would probably be pretty enough if I stripped off her outer shell. And it would be fun to hear her scream. I have an idea. Why don’t we play for her? I’m sure the young ladies would enjoy a game of whist.”
The Baron smiled. “Yes I expect they might.”
Their bath finished Cordelia and Liz joined Aunt Priscilla for breakfast with the Baron and Baroness. As before it was an elaborate affair with several courses of rich German food, and the three Englishwomen were careful not to eat too much as each course was laid before them.
The Baron stood as the meal ended. “Now Miss Knotworth,” he said, addressing Cordelia’s aunt. “Would you and your charming niece care for a tour of my workshops?”
“I would be delighted,” Aunt Priscilla replied. It was the polite thing to say. Aunt Priscilla found anything technical to be about as entertaining as a trip to the dentist.
“This way then if you please,” The Baron said motioning for the women to follow him. They trooped out of the dining hall obediently, following the Baron as he led them to the main staircase.
Cordelia expected the Baron to lead them to the upper floors, but instead he led them behind the staircase to what appeared to be a dead end corridor.
“One can’t be too careful, Miss Knotworth,” the Baron explained. “I have made discoveries that many a rival would like to get his hands on.” He touched what appeared to be a part of the elaborately carved walls and a panel slid open, revealing dark space. The Baron steps inside, took out a pack of sulphur matches, struck one and lit a gas lamp. “This way,” said. “I assure you it is quite safe.”
He stepped through the doorway and when her aunt hesitated Cordelia ducked in front. Before her stretched a well lit landing off which a set of stairs went upward and another down. Cordelia looked toward the upper staircase, noting that there was a glow from a lamp reflecting down the spiral stairwell.
“Oh not that way,” the Baron said, taking her arm. “No one goes up there.”
“Someone does. Otherwise why is there a light up there?” But she did not question the Baron who had already started down the other stairway. Picking up her skirts she followed.
“Really,” Aunt Priscilla said. “This is most irregular.” However, she pushed ahead of Liz and followed Cordelia down the stairs.
The stairway wound around in a spiral and took them down more than thirty steps before leveling out. Aunt Priscilla could be heard grumbling about having to climb back up, but Cordelia was too interested in what the Baron was saying. “The main laboratory is just ahead. It contains a number of prototypes that I have been working on for the last few years. I am very close to success, and ready to move ahead with my final experiment.”
As he finished speaking Zardov opened a heavy door at the end of a short corridor. Inside gas lights glowed. Apparently the Baron kept them burning at all times. The doorway led into a large room lined with electrical apparatus. Some of it Cordelia immediately recognized, but others were a mystery. A loud electrical hum filled the room testifying to the fact that there was a dynamo close by and the air was charged with the smell of ozone.
“This is just the outer room,” the Baron explained. “It used to be my original laboratory, but became too small. As you will see my real work is just ahead.” He moved forward through the maze of electrical equipment, the three women following and led them into an even larger room.
Cordelia gasped in astonishment. Occupying the far side of the room was a dynamo, the largest she had ever seen. The room was brightly lit, not with gas lighting as in the other parts of the castle but with the incandescent glow of electric arcs. The lights crackled and hissed, filling the room with sound.
“I intend to eventually light the entire castle with electric light,” the Baron explained. “But so far this is the only room. I’m afraid that Messalina doesn’t like the noise they make. However, I think I can make them operate more efficiently with a bit of experimentation.”
“This is amazing Herr Baron,” Cordelia said, breathlessly. “I haven’t seen such an array of scientific equipment since the Great Exhibition.”
“Thank you, Miss Delacourt, but this is but the mechanics of my scientific creativity. You have yet to see the fruits of my labour.” The Baron moved ahead, leading the three women across the vast expanse of the laboratory floor. Against a wall were what appeared to be several cages. As they neared the cages Cordelia sensed a strong animal odour. It seemed strange that amongst all of the electrical and mechanical apparatus the Baron would also have a private zoo, but she soon saw what the zoo was all about.
Aunt Priscilla screamed and Liz gasped. Even Cordelia put her hand to her mouth. “Oh my, Herr Baron, what have you done?”
“These are the products of my brilliantly creative mind, Miss Delacourt. Are you not impressed?”
Cordelia stared at the creatures in the cage, suddenly realizing that she was in the presence of a madman. In front of her were four cages, but they contained creatures straight out of her worst nightmares.
One appeared to be a gorilla, but it appeared to have been patchworked together out of several gorillas of different sizes. Another appeared to be a donkey with horse’s head. The most bizarre was a dog with the head of a large cat, probably a leopard. The creature closest to normal was a cow, but even that was strange, as it seemed to have a trapdoor in its side.
Cordelia was horrified, but she hid her revulsion long enough to reply to the Baron’s question. “Herr Baron, these are abominations. You have perverted nature.”
The Baron turned, emotions flickering across his face, beginning with disappointment and ending with anger. “Abominations? I would have thought that you, Miss Delacourt would have been able to recognize the brilliance of my work. Instead you have completely missed the point.”
“But they are horrible,” shrilled Aunt Priscilla. “An abomination before God.” She was clutching her stomach and looked as if she were about to faint.
“I see I have erred in bringing you down here,” the Baron replied. “I will take you back to your rooms.”
“No, wait, Herr Baron,” Cordelia pleaded, attempting to salvage the situation. “Please do not do that. It was just the shock at seeing something I never expected. I would like to learn more about what you have done.”
Her words seemed to mollify von Thorstenburg. “Perhaps Miss Knotworth would prefer to wait in the other room while I continue with you and Miss Brown. There is a comfortable chair there and we will not be too long.”
Aunt Priscilla was all too eager to retire to the room they had entered when the Baron had first brought them down the stairs. Liz, who had not commented on the bizarre creatures in the cages, stayed with Cordelia, but her face was pale and she was careful not to look at the caged beasts.
“Come over here,” the Barron said, motioning toward another part of the lab. “There is something that will make what is in the cages more clear.”
Cordelia went, steeling herself against another horror and was relied to find that this section of the room contained only complex mechanical apparatus. Von Thorstenburg drew her attention to what appeared to be an intricate clockwork mechanism. However, as Cordelia looked more closely she saw that it had wires coming out of it. The Baron noted the direction of her gaze. “What do you make of this, Miss Delacourt?’
“It appears to be an electrical-mechanical device,” Cordelia answered.
“Exactly,” von Thorstenburg smiled. “A very finely constructed device. But it is more than electrical-mechanical, it is also bio-mechanical.”
“I am not familiar with that term,” Cordelia said.
“I have spent years of my life perfecting this device,” the Baron said, excitedly. “It is a mechanical apparatus that can operate as an interface between animal and machine, combining elements of the two.”
“I don’t understand,” Cordelia said.
“It is a device capable of being placed inside a living creature and becoming part of that creature,” the Baron explained.
“To what purpose?” Cordelia asked. She was still somewhat shocked by the strange caged beasts the Baron had shown her, and wondered at why the Baron seemed so excited by the machine he was showing her.
“For the purpose of bestowing eternal life, Miss Delacourt. Once such a device is correctly implanted in an animal host it becomes a part of that animal, but a part that can be repaired or replaced when necessary. It can take over the normal bodily functions of the animal’s internal organs giving it a never-ending lifespan.”
“That…that sounds…incredible,” Cordelia stammered. She took a step back. As the Baron spoke he had become increasingly animated, gesticulating wildly and moving toward her and Liz.
“It is incredible. The greatest discovery of all time. And that is what is so impressive about those animals I showed you. Each of them contains bio-mechanical implants allowing them to operate as entirely new organisms. And there is more. Come let me show you.”
Without waiting for permission the Baron grabbed Cordelia’s wrist and pulled her across the room. Twisting her arm, Cordelia adroitly disengaged herself. “Herr Baron,” she protested. “You forget yourself.”
“Ah yes,” the Baron panted, adjusting his monocle. In my eagerness I got carried away. Please accept my apologies.”
Cordelia acknowledged the apology with a nod of her head. However she was now realizing that the accepting the Baron’s invitation to visit him in his castle had been a mistake. Although fascinated by the scientific equipment around her, the fanatical gleam in the Baron’s eye and the bizarre nature of his experiments had put her off. However, she wanted to excuse herself with as much grace as she could and so she allowed him to usher her into still a third room.
She immediately wished she had not. The caged animal monstrosities had been bad enough. This room contained people.
In a neat row were the nude bodies of three men and two women. They were lying on thick slabs at an angle of forty-five degrees and they were held where they were by straps around their necks and waists. Other straps held their legs and arms. They all appeared to be sleeping and a number of tubes and wires were attached to their bodies and connected to some sort of console at the foot of each of them. Just below the women’s breasts and the men’s nipples was a square piece of metal that appeared to be bonded to their flesh. Set into it was what appeared to be a keyhole, almost as if the metal square was some ort of hatch opening into their bodies.
Cordelia paled. “What is this, Herr Baron? Are they dead?”
“In a way, yes,” the Baron replied. “But it was none of my doing. You see these people were dead when I acquired them. The two women died during an outbreak of cholera and the three men were killed in a mining accident. I acquired their bodies from the morgue.”
“Acquired them?” Cordelia gasped.
“Yes, as part of medical science. Their families were more than adequately compensated for donating the bodies of their loved ones to science.”
At that moment the rest of what the Baron had said sank in. “What do you mean they are dead in a way?” Cordelia asked, almost dreading the answer.
“Why,” the Baron answered with a smile, “that is what I brought you in here to show you.” He moved to the console at the foot of the closest man and began to fiddle with a number of switches and dials. There was an immediate electronic hum and fluid began to move through the tubes.
“These are my sleepers,” said the Baron as he continued to play with the controls, “and I can bring them to life at any time.”
As he finished speaking the eyes of the sleeping man suddenly opened. He looked around in a most confused manner and then began to strain at the straps that held him. He did so in complete silence despite the fact that his manner was of someone who was extremely agitated.
“Calm down, Heinz,” von Thorstenburg ordered, “or I shall have to put you back to sleep.”
Cordelia watched in horror as ‘Heinz’ did as he was told. But his frightened expression never changed. The man was clearly terrified and only behaving himself because he had no other choice. Her horror deepened as she slowly realized what the Baron had done to the five individuals that were strapped to slabs in his laboratory.
“These…’people’ were all dead,” Cordelia gasped. “You brought them back to life.”
“Yes,” the Baron said proudly. “They are all bio-mechanical beings. They will live forever.”
“But why are they so quiet?” Cordelia asked. “Why doesn’t the man speak? He looks terrified.”
“I am still working on that,” the Baron said. “You see the bio-mechanical implant occupies most of his thoracic region. I took out his internal organs to make room and since that included his lungs, he has no air to power his vocal cords. It is a temporary problem that I will soon overcome.”
“That’s horrible. Cordelia said. “You have condemned all of these people to a living death.”
The Baron slowly turned toward her, his eyes gleaming fanatically. “It is eternal life, Miss Delacourt. Something that mankind has sought for countless generations. And I have achieved it. It is my gift to the world.”
Cordelia shuddered, but said no more. She recognized fanaticism bordering on madness when she saw it. During her lifetime she had met four men who might be regarded as geniuses and the Baron now appeared to be a fifth. Unfortunately, three of the previous four had been completely mad.
Suddenly realizing that she was at the complete mercy of the Baron. It was best if she kept her opinions to herself until she could get herself, her aunt, and Liz out of the castle. She had seen numerous servants in the castle and had no doubt that they would carry out every order the Baron gave them.
She decided that diplomacy and flattery might be the best approach. “What you have done is incredible, Herr Baron. I doubt that anyone else has come close to your achievement.”
“You speak correctly, Miss Delacourt. But what you have seen so far are mere prototypes. The crudest – my first attempts – were, of course, the animals. I used them to determine if I was on the right track. The two women and three men were my next step. The one that I awoke is my most advanced experiment. I am now ready to proceed with the final step, the implantation of my most advanced bio-mechanical device into a worthy subject.”
“Worthy subject?” Cordelia asked. She didn’t like the way the conversation was going or the way von Thorstenburg’s eyes were fixed upon her. She had seen that look just before just before a leopard had leaped upon its prey.
“Yes, worthy subject,” von Thorstenburg replied, the madness suddenly leaving his eyes. “But we will speak of that later. Perhaps during dinner. In the meantime I think you have seen enough. I will escort you back to your rooms.”
The Baron led the way to the outer room, Cordelia and Liz following. “Where is Aunt Priscilla?” Cordelia asked.
The Baron did not answer. “Perhaps she returned to the upstairs,” Liz volunteered.
“Perhaps,” Cordelia agreed. She hurried up the stairs, hoping to catch her aunt.
They were met at the bottom of the staircase by Messalina. “Miss Knotworth asked me if I would inform you that she was not feeling well and has retired to her room. Apparently something in my brother’s laboratory upset her. She requested that she be left alone as she wished to rest.”
Cordelia was not surprised. Aunt Priscilla was easily upset. She would not be surprised if her aunt did not come out of her room for the remainder of the stay in the castle. However, for once Cordelia was in agreement with her aunt. It was best that they get out of the castle as soon as possible. “I’ll just have a cup of tea,” she thought. “And then I’ll speak with Aunt Priscilla. Tomorrow we get out of here.”
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