"Thanks, I appreciate it" touching the cigarette off the offered flame and, after a deep draw, blowing the smoke off to the side making a little gap in the corner of his mouth to try and control the drift "I'd like to say this was just for stress or indulgence but I've needed a lot of the infuser lately. It's in the files under the file marked additional. The patch? Oh! That reminds me it's almost empty but there might be a little of the formula left on it so it might be best if you have a go looking at a fresh one. I've got all the kit on the ship, maybe even the instructions I was given for it, which, as long as I can get a fresh patch every so often, you're welcome to have. Who I got it from is a bit trickier.
I'm used to chasing the rarer stories in life and I always have refused to have them tainted by an angle or agenda. That's probably why I've never had any fame or fortune from it but also why sources that wouldn't come forward to others would consider coming to me. I'm a nobody with no power or influence who'll not spin the story in any way. Some people need their story to be heard by someone like me. Like the man who gave me the details on the psuedoskin and put me on to the story that led to all of this. I never asked for a name and he certainly wasn't interested in telling me so, in conversation, I just called him Professor.
On our first face to face he nearly ran when I said that, he must've actually had the title and assumed I'd guessed who he was. An hour and many drinks later, all drank by him I should add, he told me about the psuedoskin. He'd been approached by persons unknown with deep pockets to assist on designing it. They were especially interested in getting the three main elements to mesh properly. The synthetic base that made up the majority of the skin, the biomesh that I'll come back to and the tissue sample that reacts with the base.
The biomesh was the problem. They'd provided it and although it is clever and can do all sorts of things like stay stuck to the base, dispense compounds into whatever the psuedoskin is attached to or stay otherwise chemically unreactive so, if it were used as a bandage say, the psuedoskin'd stay permanently untainted by bacteria, dirt, et cetera . . . the biomesh had a fatal flaw. Once it integrates itself with the base and tissue sample each bit of psuedoskin takes on a very unique nature. Like . . ." staying face forward he waves over at his patch on the table, takes another draw of the cigarette and blows it off to the side again before continuing ". . . that one there. I could go back to the ship, make another exactly the same using the same equipment, assuming I've remembered to top up the basic chemicals that the thing that makes the base needs of course, but they'd be different.
The nanotech gee-whizzery in each biomesh seemed to be able to detect other meshes within about an inch of itself but, upon detecting a 'different' patch, they'd then attack each other each trying to deconstruct and reconstruct the other in their own image. Whilst doing this they'd take any matter within about a foot, I think, around them in and convert it into the molecular weapons that they waged war with. I should add I've not put any of this to the test. This is just what the Prof told me was the problem he'd been drafted in to try and help fix.
He had came to me however as, despite his best efforts and explanations to them, it couldn't be fixed. By him at any rate. As the mesh is unreactive and chooses to stick to the base they couldn't coat the mesh in something to stop it detecting others, they weren't allowed to try and alter the mesh and it's operation and, if there was something else to try, he didn't know what it was. He wanted me to print an expose on the psuedoskin to stop any chance of it being put forward as a commercial medical product. I asked if it was being made to be put on the market and, eventually, he admitted he didn't actually know what they wanted to use it for.
I explained to the Prof that I'll get something written up but it'll take a little time as I'll need to check out exactly who these people are and what they're up to. It was chasing that lead that lead to the rumours of a possible retro-aging program which lead to the transport which . . . You get the idea. Despite any efforts on my part I've not been able to get back in touch with the Prof or had any further activity around the station that this all happened on. After I found it again I checked it out, it was cleaned out by then, and I left sensor relays to watch out for any further activity. Anyway, that's all I know about that." taking another draw, blowing it away whilst staying face on then repeating the process again Matt eventually started speaking again by saying "I need to ask something, if it's okay. I've had a disaster scenario in my head from when I first seen the scar healing.
I assumed, should any human being alive cast eyes on it, that they'd go 'AAAA! AAAA!' and start shooting. You didn't even as much as flinch when you seen me, sans le patch, as they might say. What I'm asking is . . . is this something that you, or one of your professional colleagues or peers, have seen before or something like it? Have you had some experience in this area before? I'm not complaining, please don't get me wrong, but it scared the whatchamacallits out of me when I first seen it. How are you so calm? I just ask as, even now, seeing it spooks me. I sometimes wonder if the patch has helped hide it from me rather than anyone else. I . . . just could doing with feeling calm like that. Instead of just doing my best impersonation." taking yet another draw and blowing another plume of smoke out to the side this time the seated man remains silent instead of saying any more.