CHAPTER NINE
The three men spent hours with the experts learning the terminology, focusing on the correct techniques in the gym, and showing their teachers that they could indeed lift weight beyond what seemed natural.
“I’ll be damned,” muttered Tailor. “All these years of them watching us workout, I never once thought they were actually paying attention or could do what we were doing.”
“It’s hard to comprehend that something without mass, can lift mass,” frowned Rory.
“I guess we just think of them as ghosts,” said Luke. “We forget that they’ve been given an extraordinary gift to be with us. Maybe this is what they’re here for. To help us.”
“Maybe,” shrugged Cam, “but either way I want our tech boys in that gym tonight putting cameras and devices everywhere and anywhere.”
“Cam, we can’t put cameras in the locker rooms, you know that,” said Luke.
“We can if we don’t tell anyone. I don’t necessarily want visual of the locker room but I want audio. If we hear something we know is wrong, we’ll activate the cameras.”
“I can agree with that,” said Hex. “We’re talking about lives here.”
“Okay. Send Hiro, Tanner, and AJ in tonight with support. I want to make sure that crazy bastard doesn’t have his own cameras.”
“They should be able to gain entry from Cammy’s Place, the restaurant next door. Those old buildings are all connected by air ducts and catwalks. It shouldn’t be any different there unless he’s modified the structure,” said Eric.
“We would have found something in the city building permits if he had,” said Cam. “Besides, he hasn’t been down here long enough to make that happen. One thing we still don’t know is where and how he’s getting these drugs. Also, what’s making them undetectable in testing?”
“That’s the million-dollar question,” said Suzette walking into the room with Thomas and Riley.
“Gee, to what do we owe the pleasure of the senior brainiacs,” smirked Luke.
“Don’t make me spank you, nephew,” smiled Suzette. “We have examined all of the tissue and blood samples from Julius and I have to tell you, I’ve never seen anything like this before. Whatever they are feeding these kids is causing massive mutations in their cell structure.”
“Isn’t that what steroids do?” asked Cam.
“We’ve come across issues with steroids before,” said Riley, “but this is on an entirely different scale. Anabolic-androgenic steroids, which is what this is, are made in a lab. They are derivatives of the male hormone testosterone but what’s interesting here is that we found traces of female hormones as well.
“The use of testosterone is primarily designed to promote muscle growth and the development of male sexual characteristics.”
“You mean making young men look older, more mature?” asked Hex.
“Yes, that and often making women look very masculine. Their jaws will often begin to square off. They develop abnormal features around their genitalia, even facial or body hair.”
“Damn,” muttered Eric.
“Listen, we know that steroids can have legitimate, medically approved uses. But we also know that they are frequently misused by athletes to enhance physical appearance or performance.”
“What would be the reasons for medical use?” asked Cam.
“As a doctor,” said Riley, “I might prescribe anabolic steroids to treat specific health conditions, like delayed puberty and low testosterone levels in men. Sometimes we give them to patients when their muscle mass, body mass in general is deteriorated by diseases like cancer or HIV.
“In women, we might give it to combat effects from breast cancer, anemia, or osteoporosis. But we cannot ignore the non-medical misuse of these drugs. It often involves doses 10 to 100 times higher than prescribed medical doses.”
“As you guys are aware, they are taken orally, injected into muscles, or applied as gels/creams,” said Suzette.
“Athletes have figured out ways around the use of these drugs by doing things like cycling, which is taking multiple doses for a period, stopping for a time, then restarting. Sometimes, they’ll use a technique called stacking, which combines two or more different steroids.
Or something called pyramiding where they slowly increase the dose, then decrease it. ”
“Thomas? What are we likely to see when it comes to side effects?” asked Luke.
“It’s pretty wide,” said Thomas. “Suzette and Riley are the experts but misuse can lead to irreversible health problems. Things like high blood pressure, increased risk of blood clots, heart attack, and stroke. For men, shrinking testicles, reduced sperm count, infertility, and breast development.”
“Well, that’s enough of a reason for me to say no,” frowned Eric.
“That’s because you have genetics on your side,” said Thomas.
“You’re going to be a big man no matter what.
Most of these men and women don’t have what they want naturally.
For women, you’ll find a deepened voice, increased facial/body hair, menstrual changes, and clitoral enlargement.
” The men all winced, wondering why anyone would consider doing this to their bodies.
“How can we tell the difference between those that are truly gifted athletes who have worked hard and those that are using the drugs?” asked Hex.
“It’s a great question,” said Suzette. “Look for things like severe acne, oily skin, and premature baldness, even in women. People also frequently identify something known as ‘Roid rage’. It manifests as aggressive, sometimes violent behavior, strange mood swings, mania, and delusions.”
“Jesus, what’s happening to these kids? Are they experiencing all of that as well?” asked Luke.
“They can but usually we see premature stopping of bone growth, where they have stunted height. If people become addicted to the drugs, they’ll see the same withdrawal symptoms as any other drug. Fatigue, depression, loss of appetite, all of it.”
“Listen, in the United States, anabolic steroids are controlled substances, which means they are legal only with a prescription. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always mean that they are being used legally.
They are banned in major sports in this country as well,” said Thomas.
“What you have to remember is that these kids aren’t professionals.
Not yet. Their bodies are going to literally explode at some point if they don’t stop.
” Cam stared at their experts and shook his head.
“So, what you’re saying is that this is going to be a piece of cake.”
“I wish I could tell you it will be,” said Suzette. “What I can promise is that our team is analyzing everything over and over again to see what’s in this stuff. If our plants can get samples of this stuff, that’s what we really need.” Luke nodded.
“Then that’s what we’ll do.”