Richard Ladd spent another month in the hospital ward - recovering, as he had been told, after coming out of a coma caused by a car crash. Richard Ladd had no memory before waking up in the hospital ward - and spent most of his days at the hospital in a confused and anxious state, as he tried to find a memory, any memory, that would give him a clue as to who he was, and where he had come from. But there were no clues - for there were no memories to find. The life and memories of Dick Rollins had been erased - and it was Richard Ladd who awoke on that hospital ward - with his mind empty of memories.

Richard Ladd was moved from the hospital ward, and he was taken to a modern building inside the grounds of an airforce base. Dr. Janus was at this new building, and she would visit Richard Ladd everyday and perform tests and take readings. Richard Ladd would be allowed to walk the grounds of the building, set behind a high barbed wire fence in an isolated part of the air force base, that was set behind a high barbed wire fence. At the building Richard Ladd would undergo daily tests - testing everything from his blood pressure to his cognitive abilities to how long he could hold his breath. The tests never ended. Dr. Janus was always there - making notes and ordering up another new set of tests. One day Dr. Janus joined Richard as they walked around the secured grounds of the building he lived in.

‘Who am I?’ - Richard said to Dr. Janus, hoping she would provide him with some nugget of information.

The doctor walked in silence, and then stopped - ‘You are no one, Richard. No one at all’

‘What do you mean, I am no one?’ - said Richard, studying Dr. Janus’ face.

‘I mean you don't exist, I created you. Richard Ladd doesn’t exist - and I don’t want to talk to you about who you are, but what you could be’

Richard stared at Dr. Janus - ‘I don’t understand - you created me?’

‘Yes Richard, I created you. Before you woke up in that hospital bed there was nothing - you, Richard Ladd, didn’t exist. These are the facts of life, Richard. There was another life before this life - but it wasn’t your life. It was someone else’s life. And now, here you are Richard - a man with no past but a whole future ahead of him. But what will that future bring you, Richard Ladd?’

Richard Ladd stared at Dr. Janus - his eyes watery.

‘And you have a choice - you can be Richard Ladd, and you can leave this place and go back to the world, this empty world where you don't know anything or anyone, and no one knows you. A life where you will be alone, and confused. A life where you will end up depressed and an alcoholic or a drug addict and then dead from suicide - or you can stay with me here and we can do something together’

‘What will we do?’

Dr. Janus smiled - ‘How would you like to do something amazing?’

‘Why did you do this to me?’ - said Richard, now weeping.

‘I saved you, Richard. I literally saved you - I brought you back from death so that you could be something better, something special. I did this so that you could be something amazing, Richard’

Richard continued to cry, and Dr. Janus put an arm around his shoulder - ‘Come on inside Richard - and let’s start work’

Richard hesitated, and then he walked with Dr. Janus back to the building.

***

The next day the treatment began. Richard was led by Dr. Janus into her laboratory - and he was instructed to undress. Richard looked at the strange equipment, and the computers and hesitated.

Dr. Janus stared at Richard - ‘Do you trust me?’

Richard stared at the equipment for a while longer - and then began removing his clothes.

‘Sit here’ - said Dr. Janus, and Richard walked to a seat. There was an assistant, and he began strapping Richard into a contraption that restrained Richard’s limbs and body and head in a fixed position. When Richard was in place and secured, Dr. Janus walked up to him and spoke quietly to him - ‘It will be painful, Richard - but I need you to be brave. The pain will pass’

Only Richards' eyes could move, and he looked at Dr. Janus, and then followed her as she moved behind Richard and was joined by the assistant. Three marks were made on Richard's back - and then he was injected into his spinal column. Richard screamed in agony, and finally blacked out

Richard awoke in his room, and Dr. Janus was standing at the end of the bed - ‘How are you feeling?’

Richard tried to speak - but his head was spinning and he passed out.

The next time he woke up he was alone. His head pounded and his body felt feverish. He was sweating one moment, and then shivering the next. The flu-like symptoms continued throughout the night, and in the morning he awoke and Dr. Janus was back.

‘How are you feeling?’ - said Dr. Janus again, reading the chart at the end of the bed.

‘I feel better’ - said Richard, weakly.

Dr. Janus continued to read the charts - ‘It will take a while, but you will be feeling much better in a couple of days - and then we can get you out and about, and see how you are getting on’

Richard closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

***

A few days later Richard was sitting up in bed, and eating a huge breakfast. He had devoured a stack of pancakes drenched in syrup and butter, and was now eating a giant plate of eggs, bacon, sausages, and hashbrowns. A jug of milk was sitting on the table that Richard was eating from, and he drank straight from the jug - guzzling back the chilled milk. Dr. Janus stood and watched Richard eating.

‘I am guessing that you are feeling better?’- said Dr. Janus, who was smiling as she watched Richard eating.

Richard didn’t reply - he kept shoveling the food into his mouth, and gulping back the milk. When the milk was finished, he held it up and a nurse took it from him and it was replaced with another full jug that he guzzled back.

When breakfast was finished, Richard dressed in a tracksuit and sneakers and was taken out into the grounds by Dr. Janus and her assistant. He was led away from the building, to an assault course - the type used by paratroopers - that had been constructed in a clearing in some woodlands, and a man wearing military uniform was waiting for them. The man in uniform had a large backpack on the ground beside him, and had a rifle slung over his shoulder. Richard stood and looked at the obstacles that had been constructed, and then Dr. Janus spoke - ‘This is a replica of what is known as the Tarzan course’

Richard continued to stare at the assault course. Dr. Janus’ assistant watched Richard.

‘The Tarzan course is an assault course that the military uses to train paratroopers and commandos. To be considered for graduation to our armies elite fighting units, this course has to be completed in under 13 minutes, wearing a 48 pound backpack and carrying a weapon’

Richard nervously smiled at Dr. Janus, and her assistant - ‘I don’t think I can do this - I mean I have never done anything like this before’

‘Humor me’ - said Dr. Janus smiling and nodding at the man in the uniform, who lifted the backpack from the ground, and handed it to Richard.

‘My name is Sergeant Meadows, from the 101st Airborne Division. I have been instructed that I will be providing supervision for assault course training. Are you the candidate?’

Richard took the backpack, and glanced at Dr. Janus.

‘He is the candidate’ - said Dr. Janus.

‘Very good’- said Sergeant Meadows, and he assisted Richard in securing the backpack - ‘The candidate will have thirteen minutes to complete the assault course, I will assist the candidate in traversing the course - and will provide the candidate with motivation’

Dr. Janus and the assistant stood and watched as Richard secured the backpack, and held the rifle. Dr. Janus removed a stopwatch from the pocket of her white gown - ‘Ready?’

‘What do I do?’- said Richard, looking at the first obstacle, which was a towering structure about a hundred feet high that had to be scaled by climbing up a ladder made of logs.

‘The candidate will follow my instructions - is the candidate ready?’ - said Sergeant Meadows.

‘He is ready’ - said Dr. Janus, holding the stopwatch.

‘Okay son’ - said Sergeant Meadows - ‘Now we are going to take it nice and easy, I will provide you with instructions on what you will be doing, and you follow those instructions, understand?’

Richard looked unsure, but he nodded.

‘Now the first obstacle is what we call the death slide. Now we are going to jog down to that structure there, and then you are going to climb up the log ladder to the top. At the top you will find a zip line, with a rope handle. Now when you get to the top, you are going to place your hands in the rope handles, and you are going to grip tight - and then you will step off of the platform and descend from the tower via the zip line - do you understand?’

Richard nodded.

‘Now take is real easy on the climb up - so that you are not too out of breath at the top. Now I don’t want you to worry about time - I just want you to finish the course nice and safe, you understand?’

Sergeant Meadows made some adjustments to Richard’s backpack straps, and then slapped him on the shoulder - ‘He is ready’

Dr. Janus held the stopwatch and then started it, shouting ‘GO!’

Richard and Meadows started the jog down to the tower - it was about 100 yards.

‘Always keep three points of contact on the ladder at all times’ - said Meadows as they jogged - ‘Two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand - understand?’

Richard nodded as he jogged. Richard had expected the backpack and the gun to feel heavy - but they weren’t. Richard had spent weeks laying in a hospital bed, but the jog to him seemed easy and he wasn’t panting or struggling for breath. They approached the tower, and Richard readied himself to climb.

‘Nice and easy - okay’- said Meadows, stepping aside.

Richard slung the rifle over his shoulder, and began climbing the structure. He pulled himself up, hand over hand. His breathing was controlled and his heart rate stayed stable. Richard could hear Meadows below him, calling out instructions and encouragement. Richard continued to pull himself up, and then he was at the top, and pulled himself onto the platform. Meadows watched from below with a look of astonishment on his face - ‘Jesus Christ - this guy climbs like a goddamn monkey!’ - he muttered to himself.

On the platform Richard saw the rope straps attached to the zip line, and he placed his hands in them and moved towards the edge of the platform. Meadows below was calling out instructions, and then Richard stepped from the platform and descended down the death slide to where Meadowns was jogging over to meet him. Richard slipped his hands out of the rope straps, and then waited for Meadows to arrive. They continued to the next obstacle, which was a climb up a rope netting, and then a walk across a high beam that was about 20 feet above the ground, and then a jump down to the ground. Meadows gave instructions, and Richard quickly scaled the rope netting, and pulled himself up onto the beam. Richard artfully crossed the beam, and then jumped down to the ground and continued jogging to the next obstacle.

Dr, Janus and her assistant watched.

‘Is he doing well?’- said the assistant

Dr. Janus watched as Richard and Meadows passed each obstacle, her eyes switching to the stopwatch intermittently.

‘Yes, he is doing well’- said Dr. Janus.

Richard was at the last obstacle - it was a 30 foot rope climb up a wall, followed by a swing over a 20 foot wide chasm. Richard pulled himself up the rope - he was barely panting after nearly completing the assault course. Meadows continued to shout instructions, and Richard swung across the chasm and started the 200 yard run from the last obstacle to the finish line. Richard ran, carrying the heavy backpack and rifle, and Meadows slipped behind him. Richard crossed the finish line, and Dr. Janus stopped the stopwatch, and she smiled.

Richard came to a standstill, and Meadows crossed the finish line a few seconds later.

‘How did I do?’ - said Richard, wiping his forehead with his arm, Meadows was panting a little.

‘12 minutes and 28 seconds’ - said Dr. Janus - ‘Let’s go again’

Richard moved to the startline, and Dr. Janus reset the stopwatch. Meadows had barely made it to where Richard was standing when Dr. Janus set him off. Richard ran to the tower, and was halfway up the log ladder before Meadows was even close. Richard made it to the top of the tower and the platform, and hooked his hands through the rope loops and was off. Meadows was now at the tower’s base, and Richard was already zooming down the zip line. Meadows couldn’t keep up - he was sprinting to where Richard would exit the death slide, but Richard was already on the ground and heading over the next obstacle.

Dr. Janus and her assistant were watching everything.

‘He is more confident this time’ - said the assistant, expressionless.

Dr. Janus kept one eye on the Richard and one eye on the stopwatch - Ýes, as he becomes more aware of what he can do, he will become more confident and more powerful’

Richard had completed the obstacle course, and was now running up to the finish line. Dr. Janus smiled, and stopped the timer as Richard crossed the line - ‘8 minutes 46 seconds’

Meadows ran across the finish line about a minute later, huffing and puffing.

‘Tell me sergeant’ - said Dr. Janus - ‘What is the record for this Tarzan course?

Sergeant Meadows stood with his hands on his knees, puffing. He caught his breath, and glanced at Richard - who was standing and looking at the sergeant as if he hadn’t just completed one of the hardest assault courses in the military, twice.

‘I dunno the exact time’- huffed Meadows - ‘But it is about 10 minutes. What did this guy go around in?’

‘8 minutes and 46 seconds’ - said Dr. Janus, smiling.

‘Well ain't that something’ - said Meadows, straightening up and smiling and shaking his head in disbelief - Ýou gonna go again?’

Richard shrugged, and then Dr. Janus sent him off. Meadows stayed with the doctor and her assistant and watched the third circuit of the course.

Ýou know’ - said Meadows, sipping water and watching Richard complete each obstacle even faster than before - ‘Recruits, really fit guys, will be just about finished off completing this course just once in regulation time. But this guy - what the hell is this guy?’

Dr. Janus smiled - ‘He is amazing, that’s what this guy is’

***

That evening, Richard was in the building eating a vast feast. He had eaten several family sized pizzas, and had washed it down a gallon jug of milk.

‘How are you Richard?’ - said Dr. Janus, who had been watching from the doorway.

Richard took a huge gulp of milk from the plastic jug, and smiled at Dr. Janus - ‘I feel incredible!’

Dr. Janus stepped into the room, and sat down at the table - and picked up a slice of pizza - ‘Do you remember when I said you have a choice - that you could leave this place and go back to the world, an empty world where you don't know anything or anyone, and no one knows you?’

Richard nodded, and ate more pizza and gulped more milk.

‘Well today was just a glimpse, Richard. Today was just a glimpse of what you will be capable of. Things for you will never be the same again. After today, how do you feel about leaving?’

‘Just a glimpse?’ - said Richard.

‘Oh yes, Richard - just a glimpse of what you will be able to do, like I said before, you will be amazing!’ - said Dr. Janus, smiling and then taking a bite of the pizza.

‘I don’t want to leave - I want to stay with you. I want to be amazing’

Dr. Janus smiled, and Richard continued to eat and drink.