Free Spiderman 1 by Peter David Page A

in cybernetic breakthroughs, the only scientist who had better chops than Stromm was probably Dr. Henry Pym, and Pym simply wasn't for sale.

    "Individual Personnel Transports are moving along splendidly," Stromm was saying, clearly about to go into de tail on the program's progress.
    "I've seen your glider," General Slocum said, pausing momentarily over the word "glider" with such faint disdain that Osborn wanted to throttle him. "That's not why I'm here."
    Osborn forced pleasantries. "General Slocum," he said convivially. "Good to see you again. Mr. Balkan, Mr. Far- gas," he continued, acknowledging each of them in turn. They didn't respond. Just glowered.
    "Always a pleasure to have our board of directors pay us a visit."
    Slocum didn't seem impressed by Osborn's greetings. "I want a progress report on Human Performance Enhancers."
    Doctor Stromm paused a moment, glancing at Osborn, who simply nodded. Gesturing toward a glass-walled isola tion chamber on the other side of the lab, Stromm started toward it, speaking as he went. "We tried vapor inhalation with rodent subjects. They showed an eight hundred percent increase in strength."
    Fargas rolled his chair forward. "Eight hundred percent. That's excellent."
    That gave Osborn a momentary surprise; he didn't think Fargas was capable of praising anyone or anything. Slocum, however, was naturally looking for the downside. "Any side effects?" he asked.
    "In one trial," Stromm began to reply, "yes, the—"
    Osborn quickly interrupted. "It was an aberration. All the tests since then have been successful."
    But Slocum continued to pointedly ignore Osborn as he addressed Stromm. "In the test that went wrong, what hap pened? What were the side effects?"
    Stromm didn't hesitate. It was clear that he was extremely concerned about the situation, and was welcoming the op-
    portunity to make that concern known. "Violence. Aggres sion. And eventually, insanity."
    A silence fell over the group for a moment, and then Slocum said, "What's your recommendation?"
    Before Stromm could say anything else that could possibly sink OsCorp lower than the R&D level, Osborn stepped in, physically interposing himself between Stromm and Slocum. Meeting the general's gaze, he assured him, "With the exception of Dr. Stromm, our entire staff has certified the product ready for human testing."
    And then the human submarine known as Dr. Stromm fired his torpedo, striking the good ship OsCorp across the bow. "We need to take the whole line back to formula."
    Feeling betrayed, Osborn whirled to face Stromm. "Back to formula? "
    "Mr. Osborn," Slocum said stiffly, "this department has missed seven consecutive delivery dates. After five-and-a- half years of R&D, the United States government has a right to expect the supersoldier you were contracted to deliver."
    This was madness! The formula was safe! Stromm was just being paranoid!
    Trying to sound reasonable and assured, Osborn said, "These are quantum leaps in science, gentlemen. We are unlocking the secrets of human evolution. I never said it would be cheap or fast, only groundbreaking."
    Slocum drew himself up so that he towered over Osborn, and fixed a cold stare upon him. "I'll be frank with you. I never supported your program. We have my predecessor to thank for that." There was another word that he spoke with dripping contempt: predecessor.
    Osborn sensed that the other shoe was going to drop, and it was Balkan who dropped it. "The General has given the go-ahead to Quest Aerospace to build a prototype of their exoskeleton design. They test in two weeks."
    My God . . . they 're that far along? Osborn fought to
    keep any look of panic off his face, even as General Slocum, twisting the knife, said, "If your so-called performance enhancers haven't had a successful human trial by that time, I will pull your funding and give it to them."
    "Norman," Fargas said, very slowly and very danger ously, "we are not going to lose this contract."
    All eyes were now on