Bruce had a deeper understanding of the pharmaceutical industry. Generally speaking, pharmaceutical companies don't want to cause trouble. If it's too excessive, and people start dying like crazy just after introducing a new drug, they'll definitely get sued by the families. When the jury sees so many death cases, they might very well rule against them.
Therefore, the new drugs might have reduced efficacy or contain trace amounts of harmful substances, but they won't be like poison, where you keel over dead with one bite. At least it takes a year to half a year of consumption. Moreover, some patients with less severe conditions and stronger constitutions might have no problems with it, at most enduring more suffering, which makes it harder to lose the lawsuit.
The few pills he held were like this. They are certainly harmful, but they don't take effect that quickly. Unless the person is already at death's door, with a heart that can't beat autonomously, then taking two pills might kill them. If previously maintained well, symptoms would only appear after at least half a year of medication.
Ron thought that this surely didn't match. The Doctor indeed died shortly after switching medication. So, the drug wasn't the main issue?
Ron found his mind a bit chaotic and couldn't analyze it, so he told Bruce everything. After thinking for a while, Bruce said, "The drug might have played an auxiliary role, but it wasn't the culprit. Think carefully about what happened that day."
Ron squinted at him. Bruce said, "I don't know what your friend's situation was exactly, but I can tell you that during the time you described, the US Government once launched a human modification project. They believed that the human race harbors immense potential within and should use various methods to tap into this potential, thus achieving effects akin to superpowers."
Barry also perked up his ears to listen. This was confidential government information you don't usually hear, but Bruce knew it all.
Ron nodded as well: "That was still during the Cold War. Both parties were engaged in unreliable plans for superpowered warriors and the like. This isn't something new."
"After many experiments, researchers found that the potential of adults had nearly solidified. No matter the stimulus, they couldn't exhibit more. They had conducted some space radiation experiments on adults, noticing some cellular changes, but these changes were too slight to reach superpower levels."
Ron's and Barry's hearts sank further. They both seemed to guess what Bruce was going to say next.
"Conversely, they believed that infants and children's potential for mutation was greater…"
"Wait," Ron stretched out one hand, saying, "Butler, please bring me another cup of calming tea. Thank you."
Alfred made him another cup of calming tea, and Ron listened while holding the cup. Bruce continued, "So, this plan included a very inhumane project called the 'Cosmic Medical Experiment Program for Infants and Toddlers.'"
"Ugh..." Barry started retching again, saying, "Please bring me a cup of calming tea too."
Both of them sat there holding teacups. Bruce continued, "They believed that by sending infant and toddler humans into space through certain means to allow them to receive space radiation, they could significantly activate their latent genetic potential, giving them superpowers."
"So this project…"
"did not succeed. In fact, the experiment wasn't conducted at all. It wasn't due to a sudden attack of conscience, as hundreds of infant samples needed for the experiment had already been prepared. As far as I know, it was because a key aspect of the experiment malfunctioned, forcing the Federal Government to abandon the plan."
Ron vigorously rubbed his eyes and then said, "Teleportation Device."
"What?"
"I came to Earth because Dr. Erdel's teleportation device, meant for Mars, malfunctioned. The device was supposed to send people to Mars, but it brought me here."
Barry turned and asked, "Why would an astronomer research a teleportation device to send themselves to a star?"
That's indeed a good question. Ron never questioned it either. He thought it was just Dr. Erdel's interest and exceptional talent that brought about such incredible machinery. Thinking back now, even if it was, how did such a well-equipped lab with so much funding for him to splurge come about without someone's backing?
Ron had spent quite some time in the lab, and looking back, Dr. Erdel's creations were basically impossible to commercialize, nor did they hold significant military value—after all, they weren't planning on waging war with Mars people. Thus, this type of research was pure investment, completely defying practical norms.
Unless, Dr. Erdel's benefactor had intended from the start to use this machine for something, like sending people into space to activate superpowers via space radiation.
In retrospect, this theory sounds absurd, but back then, it was all about the space race. Whomever shot rockets higher, farther, with more variety, would win. Many of these projects disregarded rationality, often throwing up iron buckets cobbled together with scrap metal and rivets.
Plus, at the time, the major country on the opposite shore indeed had produced many people who looked like they had superpowers, naturally causing this side to panic. Even if disclosed documents show otherwise, research on superpowers was never abandoned, and doing such things was par for the course.
Dr. Erdel would have been better off not making any progress on his research, just dragging it out to spend funds. By the time the Cold War ended, he could have lived peacefully.
But he was a genius, and he actually made a breakthrough. Those at the top saw the progress and decided it was time to act.
Ron believed Dr. Erdel probably didn't know what the device was meant for. At that time, espionage was rampant, and knowledgeable researchers were heavily guarded, with many cautionary tales from the past, so it was unlikely those in charge would tell him.
So when he learned what the machine was used for, his entire world view collapsed.
Remember, Dr. Erdel was someone who could pull a heartbroken Martian Manhunter back from the brink. People like him must possess powerful empathy and inherent kindness.
After all, Mars people can read minds. If there was even a hint of malevolence, one could never earn their full trust, nor bring them comfort. Martian Manhunter was affected by Dr. Erdel's righteous and kind heart, allowing him to gradually emerge from his dark past.
If you ask someone like him to use his machine to throw hundreds of innocent babies into space, he would absolutely show you what defiance means.
Thinking about this, Ron suddenly froze. He remembered there was something very unusual that day, but because it was a small matter, he had overlooked it.
"I usually go to the rest area to make coffee for the two of us, but that day he suddenly said he would do it. Since he had previously mentioned things like sugar control, I thought he didn't want me to add too much sugar, so I let him go. Then about two hours later, he collapsed…"
Ron's whole body began to tremble. Barry quickly held onto his shoulder, helping him regain some composure. He stared at Bruce with bloodshot eyes, seemingly hoping for a denial from his mouth.
"Where's the body?" Bruce asked.
"It was taken to the hospital for collection," Ron said, "At that time, I didn't understand much about human society and was afraid they'd discover me. I just saw medical staff take the corpse away…"
"It was probably taken for an autopsy," Bruce said, "Brains of people like him are usually preserved…"
Ron stood up abruptly. Bruce also quickly stood up, holding his shoulder, saying, "Calm down. I know this sounds inhumane, but, it might help us to further understand the cause of his death."
Bruce started searching again. Soon he said, "Where the brain is preserved can't be traced, the body might have been destroyed. Now, there are two approaches: find the Doctor who performed the autopsy or find the autopsy report. The latter is simpler since the former might have been silenced too."
Bruce operated briefly and then said to Barry, "University of Colorado Hospital. Plug this into their electronic system interface."
Bruce handed Barry a small block with a bat picture on it. Barry instantly recognized it as a physical hacking device and vanished in a flash. When he returned, he nodded and said, "Done."
Bruce continued operating on the computer, soon showing an enlightened expression. Ron walked over to him and immediately recognized the familiar face of the corpse.
He couldn't bear to look, slumping onto the nearby sofa, covering his face with his hand in a sob. Bruce continued, "You can see the hormone levels in the blood are unusually high. He must have ingested hormones at very high concentrations, stimulating the heart and triggering a heart attack. That special medicine only worsened his heart condition and combined with the final stimulus, ultimately led to his death."
"It was him…" Ron said powerlessly, "He must have added something to the coffee himself…"
After sitting there for a long time, he said, "I know why he chose this way. He needed it all to look accidental. Because he had asked me before if he died, what would I do. I said I would definitely avenge him. He didn't want me to seek revenge."
"But it wasn't because he forgave those who did this. He just didn't want to see you consumed by hatred." Bruce turned to him and said, "He pulled you out of the abyss of hatred himself and couldn't bear to see you fall into it again."
"From another's perspective, if you destroyed the Federation right then, it would indeed be for vengeance, satisfying. But afterward, you'd lose all stability, living in a stupor like after your family died. He didn't want you to become that way."
Ron closed his eyes tightly. He knew Bruce was right; Dr. Erdel was indeed this kind of person. Ron only ever felt compassion and acceptance from him; these gentle emotions led him out of the whirlpool.
Ron fell silent; Barry also fell silent. Then they started talking about other things, as if this matter was behind them. But everyone knew it wasn't, far from it.
When a volcano hasn't erupted, people shouldn't think it's dead. Those immense energies beneath the crust are just accumulating, waiting for the next eruption. The longer the silence, the more accumulation, and the more violent the eruption will be.