Episode XVI

Marcia's phone vibrated for the third time as she left her history class. It had rung twice already during class, forcing her to cause a scene, turning it to vibrating after the first call. Irritatedly she flipped it open and answered.

"Dr Pettigrew?" she snapped.

"Marcia!" he crooned warmly.

"What do you want Mr. Pettigrew?"

He had realized after countless encounters in daily life with students, teachers, and colleages that he had developed his magnificent abilities to manipulate the people he knew down to a fine art. He now applied the experience he had on Marcia, breaking her irritable mood and adding charm to his countenance. "Marcia, Marcia! You were saying you would like to help me in some things. And I was wondering of you would do me a small favor."

"Go on," Marcia warmed to him.

"I was hoping you could take a short vacation, you've looked like you needed a little break. I would like you to give yourself a much needed break and take a trip to Acid Resort; you know of the place I assume?" He continued without waiting. "It's only a few hours from here, and while you're there I'd like you to check out a rumour about a strange unknown human-like creature that has been making appearences at the springs. He... it... may be of benefit to us."

"Yes," Marcia replied, then after a pause "... Yes I think I would be able to do that."

"Good! Good! I was so hoping that you would be able to check this out, as I have been quite busy with some work that has been piling up over the last few weeks. Now this is very Important. I want you to be relaxing! Don't overwork yourself over this."

Marcia replied, "Yes I've been feeling the stress. And a vacation, I believe, is just the thing I could use. Besides that I think I would like to find out more about this ... this ... Creature." Dr. Pettigrew congratulated himself mentally on a successful encounter.

"Good then, I will speak to you when you return. I may have a reward for you."

* * *

As Marcia finished packing for a four day "vacation" to Acid Resort, She wondered what Dr. Pettigrew wanted with a bigfoot type legend. Nevertheless, It intrigued her, but scared her at the same time. She mentally chastised herself. I will not be weak. Dr. Pettigrew would only want the best for me and I'm glad he suggested this trip, I WILL enjoy myself, Marcia thought to herself as she pulled into the gas station to fill her car. It was going to be a three hour drive and she would still have to stop for gas halfway there, at least.

* * *

Back at his office Dr. Pettigrew thought about the implications of his new power he had gotten from his VCR remote. He always knew TV was associated with power. But now this gave him a whole new perspective on it. Perhaps he should get some connections in the media. Perhaps, he should get some of them on his side, should he ever have to take drastic actions.

Back to work, though, for now, he thought. Losing my job definately would not be good for my public standing.

Episode XIV

by Disiance

Marla Stewart had received several comments about an organism living in the Acid Resort's hot springs. She dismissed these comments, thinking that the water's properties must be causing some sort of optical illusion; nothing can live in such water! she thought. It wasn't until after the twelfth report from a group who claimed to see a monster jump into the hot springs that Marla decided to investigate herself. She remembered which hot spring from the visitors' reports that the supposed creature was at the most and headed in that direction. Walking carefully so she didn't disturb the creature or alert it to her presence, Marla advanced to the spring. A quick flash caught her eye and she turned to look just in time to see a splash and accompanying ripple. Figuring what ever this thing was must have high acid levels Marla put on her rubber gloves just in case. As she approached the hot spring the creature had gone into, another splash caught her attention fifteen feet to her right. Turning quickly, she saw the monster rushing towards her, left arm outstretched.

Another object caught her attention. A spikey appendage on that outstretched arm. A spikey appendage aimed for her! Thinking quickly, Marla leaped out of the way, carefully avoiding the acid pools around her. She ran to the nearest utility shed for some fast-dissolving high-base (pH 13) tablets which she used in the hot pools when they got too acidic. Chancing a glance behind her, she saw the creature recovered and chasing her.

Reaching the shed, Marla quickly locked herself in, turned on the light, and made an aqueous solution with the tablets while she heard the disturbing noises from the creature outside circling the shed. After the tablet had dissolved into the water, Marla took a broom and used it to unlock and push open the door. Immediately the creature sprang for her, and realizing the big chance she was taking, Marla tossed the base solution onto the monster. With an awful shriek the creature turned and ran towards one of the pools, and Marla could swear she saw, smelt, and heard its flesh burning. She then quickly ran to call the police.

Episode XIII

Marcia Silverberg sat in the local café, a look of disbelief on her face. Her boyfriend Todd sat across from her, studying his cappuccino with his brow furrowed.

“You want to break up?” She said, shaking her head. “What’s wrong?” Todd looked up and shrugged.

“I just—I don’t think we have anything in common anymore. You don’t seem to care about anything. Your grades are slipping, you lock yourself in your room for hours on end, someone says something to you, and you snap their head off. You used to be so fun, you cared about people. I don’t know you anymore. You’ve changed, and I can’t be with someone who might as well be a stranger.” Marcia gave a hard laugh.

“I do care about things, but they’re not the same things I cared about when we met. I don’t care about weak things like trust and love. I care about making my way in the world, no matter what it takes. For all I care the world can take a flying leap.” By now she was standing, reaching for her purse.

“That’s exactly what I mean.” Todd said, gently grabbing her wrist. “You didn’t used to think that way. What changed you?” She yanked away from his grasp and picked her purse up.

“I’ve changed for the better. I’ve opened my eyes. You should, too. Look around, the only people who have the power to effect change don’t waste their time with being emotional. They aren’t weak. I used to be weak, but I’m not anymore. If you can’t deal with that, you can just take a long walk off a short pier.”

With that, she turned on her heal and stomped out of the café, leaving Todd sitting there shaking his head sadly.

Once outside, Marcia felt the sting of hot tears in her eyes. She walked around the corner, out of Todd’s sight before she sat down on a bench to wipe them away.

What am I crying about? She thought angrily. I should be glad, now I don’t have him holding me down. I don’t need him, he’s weak. I’m the strong one!

“Then why are you crying?” She heard a voice in front of her saying.

Marcia looked up to see Professor Pettigrew, one of the professors from the college, gazing down at her; a look of sympathy on his face. It was then that she realized she’d spoken aloud.

He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her and waited until she had wiped her eyes before speaking again.

“I was sitting at the next table over from you and the young man inside. I couldn’t help but overhearing your conversation.” Marcia sniffed.

“What do you want?” She snapped. The professor didn’t even flinch.

“I’ve observed some of your actions on the campus, and have noticed that you are a very bright young woman, with a future of promise. I’ve been looking for a young person who feels about many things as you do.”

She looked at him suspiciously, but nodded her head. He continued.

“How would you like to consider a—arrangement with me? I’m seeking a young person who isn’t afraid of accomplishing certain goals, whether or not the means of attaining these goals are entirely legal.”

Marcia studied the professor for a moment.

“What kind of goals?” She asked.

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that until you have agreed, and proven your willingness to help me.”

Marcia noticed Todd walk around the corner, glance her way, then walk on. She set her jaw firmly. I won’t be weak, she thought.

She stood up and extended her hand.

“You’ve got yourself a deal, Professor.”

Episode XII

“Dr. Pettigrew,” Dennis called out from his small desk. “You wanted the mean and the mode on these test scores, correct?” A few moments later he called out again, “Dr. Pettigrew?” When the TA received no reply he stood up with a sigh and started to maneuver out of his cramped office, moving stacks of papers as he did so. “I’ll never get to my programming homework at this rate,” he muttered to himself. He was already exhausted from having been at his grandfather’s hospital bed for too many nights.

Just as he approached Pettigrew’s office he heard the professor exclaim quite loudly. “Blast it all,” echoed in the narrow hallway. The smell of melted plastic wafted out through the open door as Dennis strode into the extremely neat room. The surface of the professor’s desk was quite visible, only masked by a computer monitor, two stacks of papers, and a smoking telephone. Dennis stared at the phone in disbelief.

“W-w-what happened?” he managed to stutter.

“What Dennis? Oh, that?” Dr. Pettigrew sighed evasively. “I’m not really sure what happened—perhaps the phone and electric lines crossed?” As he spoke his hand twitched under the desk and Dennis thought he saw a bit more smoke. Sure that he must be mistaken he just chalked it up to his tired eyes.

“Perhaps,” Dennis replied doubtfully. “Would you like me to arrange for Maintenance to come out?”

“Yes, please do. You can just use your cell p—your cell, or walk over. I’m sure you’re ready for a break anyway.”

“Thank you, sir. I’ll be back soon.” Dennis turned around and exited the office, his original question completely forgotten.

“I know you will Dennis.” And with that comment Pettigrew turned back to the large stack of papers on his desk. After destroying the last set of assignments at home he had decided to be especially careful in the office. Of course he had already blown it twice, and once with young Dennis in the room. If only those idiots at the phone company— He broke off his musings as his favorite red pen exploded. “Blast it all!!” he exclaimed. If only they had just replaced his cell instead of asking those annoying questions. He swore that he would kill all the second rate cell makers when he ran the world. It wasn’t his fault the unit had exploded, not really.

Quite mystified about his employer’s phone Dennis was nonetheless glad to have even a short break. As he absently wiped the tears from his eyes he reached into his jacket pocket so that he could use his cell to call Carry when he remembered that the phone battery had finally died the night before. Of course the salesman had told him that the battery should outlast the phone, but for some reason it hadn't. Dennis was at a loss to explain the battery's failure and had simply decided to obtain another one.

Though frustrated the young computer major immediately set his mind to figuring out what he could do at that moment. He soon remembered the phone store in the Student Union building. They would surely have a battery he could buy, and it would only be a short distance out of his way to the Maintenance offices.

* * *

The saleswoman, a junior business major was quite friendly, perhaps overly so, but Dennis just smiled and allowed her to lead him to the battery section of the store, noting that her nametag read Julia. After a few minutes of searching they found one that would work. When Julia noticed that the packaging was slightly damaged she wanted to look for another, but Dennis was satisfied. Knowing that the battery should at least allow him a quick call before he plugged the phone in to recharge it Dennis quickly snapped it into place.

As Julia rang up the purchase Dennis called his girlfriend’s cell phone and left a short message. Just as he shut off the phone he felt a very sharp tingling in his fingers and ear. Then he heard a feminine voice quite similar to the clerk’s. “Dang he’s so cute; too bad he's already taken. I wonder what it would be like to kiss him.” With a shock Dennis felt his cheeks turn red and looked up to see the girl surreptitiously staring at him. “What did you say?” he rather shakily demanded. “Wow,” he heard the voice muse, “he’s even more cute when he's embarrassed,” even as the Julia replied that she hadn’t said anything. Quite unnerved Dennis signed the credit card receipt and left the shop without picking up his copy of the receipt.

Once outside the young student leaned against the wall with a sigh of relief. He wasn’t at all sure what had happened, but he thought that he had been listening to some of the clerk’s thoughts. While the implications scared him at first he realized that this might be just what he was looking for. He certainly wouldn’t quit working for Dr. Pettigrew, but now he had a special skill that he could use to help defend the city against crime, if only he could figure it out…

Episode XI

“Are you all right, mister? You look pale.”

“I have an exotic tropical disease and I’ve got six weeks to live, but other than that I’m fine.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to—”

“Save it. I don’t want your pity; I just want a hotel room.”

James Faulkner collected his key from the woman at the front desk, carried his bags to his room, changed his clothes and headed down to the spa. As he settled down into the water, he decided that the decision to come to Acid Resort had been a good one. If I’m going to die in six weeks, I might as well enjoy the time I’ve got left, he thought. The doctors would have preferred that he remain close to a hospital where they could keep doing experiments and running tests, but they’d been at it for nearly a year with no results. His condition had continued to deteriorate, and they’d made no significant progress.

Faulkner’s Disease. That’s what it would be called, since his was apparently the first case. It was a viral infection he’d picked up in South America. It defied all assaults by modern medicine, while gradually attacking his nervous system. The seizures were happening frequently now, although they never lasted long. The doctors predicted that the synaptic damage would become fatal in six weeks at the most. There was really nothing they could do for him, and he had no desire to spend his last days as a science experiment. Aside from the epilepsy, the only symptom he actually felt was tiredness in his muscles; there was no need at this point to be hospitalized.

That evening, after a lobster dinner, Faulkner took a walk outside, looking at the various sulfur springs which were rivaled only by the ones in Yellowstone. Some of them had signs warning tourists to stay away from the water; it was boiling hot and highly acidic. He was standing in front of one of these, admiring the bright green and blue colors in the pool and wondering how deep the underwater cave went, when he had a particularly severe epileptic seizure. For about three minutes he had no voluntary motor control, and was unable to avoid the water. When the fit was over, he had third-degree burns all over his left arm. So much for avoiding hospitals.

The next morning, he woke up in his hospital bed and noticed something extraordinary. His arm was covered in burns and hurt to touch – no surprise there – but beneath the surface wounds he could feel strength returning to his muscles. The contrast was plain as day; the weakness and sluggishness that he felt when he moved his right arm was not there in his left. I’ve found a cure, he thought. That pool can heal me! This thought was interrupted by another seizure, much more violent and prolonged than any he had previously experienced.

“Your condition has deteriorated more rapidly than anyone anticipated,” a doctor explained. “The seizures are happening two or three times an hour. We have to continue to keep you here for your own protection.”

“Doctor, I have a cure,” he tried to explain. “My left arm doesn’t feel tired anymore! The sulfur pool at Acid Resort can heal me.”

“There’s no way boiling water could help your condition,” the doctor said.

“But my arm feels better!”

“It’s probably a result of nerve damage.”

“Can you at least do a test of some kind to see?”

“I can run another set of blood tests if you like.”

“Please.”

Faulkner didn’t know if the blood tests would reveal anything, and he didn’t care. He knew that he had to get to the miraculous pool before it was too late. He waited until the middle of the night before sneaking out of the hospital and making his way through the dark streets of Daze Springs and out to the resort. It was slow going with seizures every few minutes.

Even in the moonlight, he could see the beautiful colors beneath the water. This is going to hurt, he thought. But it will save me. He removed the hospital gown, stepped close to the edge of the pool, and dived in. Pain wracked his body in blinding waves until he passed out.

Back at the hospital, the doctor was surprised by the results of the blood test he had ordered to pacify his delusional patient. In addition to the Faulkner Virus, the blood held traces of a second virus which did not match anything on file, but which would eventually be called the Acid Virus, for its native habitat. There was evidence that the two kinds of microbes interacted with one another in unusual ways; this might account for the change in symptoms the patient had reported. Before the doctor had time to speculate further, he was informed that the patient was missing.

When Faulkner woke up the next morning, he panicked for a moment when he realized he was underwater, then calmed down when he realized he was not drowning. He couldn’t breath, per se, but he could feel oxygen entering his system through his gills. Strange, he thought. I don’t remember having gills. He didn’t remember having that spiky thing on his left arm, either. And he did remember having hair. This was going to take some getting used to.

A bit of exploration revealed that he was in a deep underwater cave, the entrance to which was the pool he had dived in. He swam to the surface and poked his head out into the air, which he discovered that his lungs could still breath. A small child ran away screaming. He dived back out of sight before her parents could see him. So, I’m still alive, he thought. But I’m a freak of nature. I can never return to human society. If only that idiot doctor had believed me! I wonder what this spiky thing does.

Episode VIII

Dennis' alarm was just about to go off when his cell phone rang. In fact, he swiped at his alarm first before realizing what was making that noise. Rolling over, he grabbed his phone off the nightstand and hit the button.

"Ello?" he mumbled.

"Dennis? It's Mom."

The worry in her voice made Dennis sit up and wake up a little more. "What's up?"

"It's Grandpa. He had a heart attack. Grandma was there and called 911 right away. They've rushed him to the hospital, but it's touch and go right now."

"Wow." There was a pause as Dennis digested the information. "Sounds like I need to head over there."

"Don't you have class this afternoon?"

"It's Machiavelli. I'm always looking for a good excuse to miss it." He tried a laugh, but it sounded hollow.

"You're dad's on the way in from work, too. It would be nice if you'd come."

"Say no more. I'm on my way." He hung up the phone and stared off into space. His mom's parents lived in town, and he'd always been close to them. He had no clue what he'd do if anything happened to either one of them.

His alarm clock started beeping, and he pounded on it savagely until he hit the right button and it stopped. Getting up, he pulled on a shirt, ran a comb through his hair, and headed for his beat up Datsun.

Since it was mid-afternoon, traffic was only bad, and it took him 45 minutes to reach Community General. Parking in the first space he found, he rushed into the emergency room. He found his dad waiting for him.

His father rose to meet him. "They just transferred your grandpa to intensive care. Mom and Grandma are up there now. It looks like he'll pull through."

Dennis let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. "Thank God."

"Would you like to go up there?"

"Yes," Dennis replied, and headed for the elevator.

Episode VII

Though Dennis had returned the scantrons in a very timely manner he was mystified at his new employer's reaction. Not only had Dr. Pettigrew abruptly ushered him out of the office, he hadn't had anything to say about the work, either good or bad. Shaking his head he walked in to the campus coffee shop where he spied his girlfriend Carry wiping down one of the tables. Sneaking up behind her he surprised her with a kiss.

"Hey, what's up sweetie?" she asked him after she waved to her boss to indicate that she was taking her afternoon break.

"Noth--well yeah, there is something wrong. Dr. Pettigrew didn't even say anything to me when I gave him his tests back. I'm sure I did everything right, but he just sat there staring at me. Then, then he shooed me out without a word. Without a word! If only he'd told me what was wrong I'm sure I could have fixed it. Darn it!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry Dennis, I don't know what it could be. But I'm sure that if you keep doing your best everything will go well, it just has to. Hey, remember that cat pin I put on your backpack is good luck, it came all the way from Egypt!"

"I know, I know," Dennis grinned. "It was just, well if I didn't know better I would have thought that something had frightened him. But I didn't see anyone or hear him talking on the phone." Dennis sighed, then realizing that Carry needed to get back to work he stood and gave her a hug.

"I'll see you after your Machiavelli class," she promised as she went back to work.

"Sure thing, I love you."

"Love you too. Don't get into too much trouble."

With a grin and a wave Dennis left the coffee shop and headed to his dorm room for a quick nap before his afternoon class.