Jaye Michael

PART ONE: EVOLUTION

Chapter Six: Disenthralled

Everyone thinks of changing the world,
but no one thinks of changing himself.
–Leo Tolstoy

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 7:45 P.M., DIARY OF EUNICE BRANCA, EAST 55TH STREET, APARTMENT 1617, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

The three of us–Daddy, Dr. Sternlicht and me–we headed out at about eleven in the morning in Daddy’s Buick. The car was just old enough to have the small size of a new car and the dents and dings of a car driven in an urban area.

The ride to Albany, where we stopped for an early dinner and gas, wasn’t too bad, only about three hours, but the trip up to the heart Adirondacks, another three hours, was less than enjoyable. I was stuck in the back seat with my legs stiff and achy from being permanently bent to fit the car’s limited rear leg room while Daddy and Dr. Sternlicht sat in front talking and pretty much ignoring me unless I interrupted to ask a question. Of course, Dr. Sternlicht would always frown or scowl at me and quickly return the conversation to the more esoteric topics he preferred such as biochemistry and world politics.

The radio stations began to die off once we passed Warrensburg, leaving a choice between Public Radio and static since Daddy didn’t have a tape or CD player. When the Public Radio station began an hour-long medley of madrigals, the static won hands down. Even Dr. Sternlicht could only bear about fifteen minutes of the monotonous and boring chants.

Even the scenery was monotonous and “scenic.” I had always thought scenic meant interesting, but there was nothing to see but trees and lakes with the infrequent cluster of houses called villages or just an isolated house in the midst of trees. The sad part was that the forest didn’t even look healthy. There were huge swaths through several sections where whole trees were splintered and scattered over the ground. Daddy had said this was the result of what he called a “microburst” that had occurred several years ago. I gathered from his explanation, that a “microburst” is some kind of severe weather disturbance similar to a small tornado. Regardless, it was boring.

Even where the forest was intact, there were uprooted trees rotting on their sides with broken branches choking the forest floor. Where there wasn’t forest there was often what looked like swampland. Daddy called them “wetlands.”

Daddy and Dr. Sternlicht insisted that this was a healthy, natural “forever wild” forest, but it looked like a sickly and dying place to me.

Daddy even went on to tell me that none of the downed trees, limbs or branches could even be picked up to clean things up. Apparently, there is some quasi government agency called the Adirondack Park Agency that prohibits cleaning up the park so that it can look good. Don’t ask me. I don’t understand. Give me an urban park any day.

Near the end of the trip, I was so bored I dozed off–so I missed Tupper Lake, the village nearest to where we were staying. When I woke up, we had just turned off the main highway, as much as any two-lane road with minimal shoulders can be called a highway, and were driving down a gravel road. Daddy was talking about how many empty storefronts there were on the town’s main street and wondering what the unemployment rate was in the area. A minute or so later we turned right off the one-and-a-half-lane gravel road onto a one-lane dirt road. The overgrowth of trees on the sides of the road made it barely wide enough for the car with tree limbs brushing its sides almost constantly. I wondered how we would be able turn around to leave without getting stuck and beginning to get scared that we were lost and would have to try to hike out of this wilderness. The vision of us all dead and rotting next to one of these rotted trees, while wild beavers and carnivorous deer gnawed at our carcasses, was not something I enjoyed.

Then we rounded a corner and the view was so spectacular I almost regretted my earlier comments about preferring urban parks. There was this huge house that Daddy called a “Great Camp” with a combination boathouse and garage off to the side. The house looked out over a beautiful–Daddy called it “pristine”–blue green lake with the mountains on the other side reflected in its still waters. The sun was just setting in a sky with only a couple of wispy clouds bracketing it and you could see every imaginable color of the spectrum from sky blue to deep red. I guess this is what people mean when they talk about the beauty and grandeur of the Adirondacks.

We sat there in the car drinking it all in until finally Daddy sighed, “Beautiful isn’t it? Well...let’s get settled in. We can do little more tonight. Tomorrow morning we can retrieve Mr. Talbot.”

Daddy gave me a key and began picking up our various suitcases while Dr. Sternlicht watched; that is until Daddy held out two of them to him. Dr. Sternlicht starred at them briefly, then, with the sigh of a man who has been unduly put upon, he accepted them and we moved off to the front door.

As I opened the door and we stepped in, all I could think was, “there’s another forest in here.” Actually, this was a bit of an exaggeration. It was just that I had never seen so much woodwork in one place. But let me do justice to the place–or should I call it a palace–well, not quite, but like any mansion, it was quite large.

From the entry, there were several steps down to a great room paneled in shellacked pine wainscoting with the glowing golden patina of age and excellent care. The ceiling soared to a peak three stories high, supported by huge wooden beams with the same golden patina as the wainscoting. The far wall was smooth, rounded, brown speckled stone; called river stone according to Daddy, with the largest fireplace I’d ever seen in the middle and a stuffed moose head above it. I guess the moose had once been alive, but I never knew they could be so large.

The back wall was taken up by a beautiful wide staircase. Stepping out into the great room, I followed the stairs with my eyes, up to a balcony overlooking the room. Daddy and Dr. Sternlicht headed for the stairs to put the bags away in the various bedrooms Daddy said were upstairs.

The great room itself was divided into three conversational groupings composed of thickly padded Adirondack style furniture. One grouping, in gray and maroon, was around an entertainment unit by the stairs, the second, in gray and blue, was around the fireplace, and finally, also in gray and maroon, was a semi circular grouping facing out towards the lake. Each group was centered by a different type of rug, two Berbers and a bearskin.

But I still haven’t mentioned the most prominent feature of the house. The whole front wall was glassed in, more than two stories high, looking out onto the lake, and offering that same glorious view we had seen when we parked.

French doors set into the wall of glass opened out onto a huge bi-level deck, nearly as big as the house. As I walked towards the deck, I saw that both it and the glass extended the entire length of the house with a second set of French doors in the center of a dining area with a huge table. I know I’m over using the word “huge,” but what else do you call a table at least six feet wide and twelve feet long, supported by what appeared to be two tree stumps and seating for thirty. Against the far wall was another smaller fireplace bracketed by two stuffed deer heads.

Opposite the window wall were two floor-to-ceiling glass front china hutches separated by two swinging doors. The doors led into a very professional looking center island kitchen. The etched glass design on the doors of the china hutches in the dining room was repeated in the kitchen cabinets. Given the size of the kitchen, it was surprising that there was no table in it.

Before I talk about the rest of the evening, let me describe the bedrooms. The stairs led to a long hallway, also with various stuffed and mounted animals along it and three bedrooms, all coming off the same side of the hall. Each bedroom had a private bathroom and a set of French doors leading to small porches overlooking the lake were it curved around the house. This wasn’t the money view, but was still pretty spectacular.

Once we were settled, I made sandwiches and tea for everyone using some groceries Daddy must have picked up in the village. Then, we sat around talking. No one wanted to discuss the chances of getting Lyle and my body back despite Dr. Sternlicht’s apparent assurance, but we did talk about what had happened to Lyle and me and how. I’ll note it here as accurately as I can which won’t be easy since Dr. Sternlicht really loves big words.

“So Maximilian, how did this happen?” Daddy asked between sips of his tea.
“I am not entirely certain, Herbert. I hypothesize that the genetically engineered virus I created accepted the genetic material first presented it, as it was designed to do. Somehow, the genetically loaded virus was then inserted into the bodies of Mr. Talbot and your daughter where it quickly overwhelmed the body’s original genetic coding.

“The virus was engineered for this purpose. As you know from the original grant summary–approved by you among others prior to submission, I might remind you–the goal was to take genetic material from a host patient in need of an organ transplant, inject the source material into a noncontagious viral medium, inject the viral medium into a prepared organ where it would attack each cell of the organ and allow the organ’s genetic material to be replaced with that of the source. Then, it would merely be a matter of surgically implanting the organ, now completely genetically compatible, in the host.

“What I do not completely comprehend is how the transfer of genetic codes occurred. Possibly your ex-daughter could enlighten us in this area?” Both of them turned to look at me.

“Uhh. What do you want to know?”

Dr. Sternlicht snorted and looked away in disgust while Daddy interpreted. “Maximilian is asking how the virus got into you and then how you and Lyle exchanged...I mean swapped blood.”

“Oh. Well, first I bumped into Mr. Talbot, I mean Lyle, as I was running out of the lab after getting my purse. You know, the small patent leather one that goes so well with my...”

“Yes dear, you bumped into Lyle.” Daddy interrupted while Dr. Sternlicht snorted again. I think he snickered too but I’m not certain as I was as busy ignoring him as he’d been ignoring me. “Then what happened?”

“He dropped some kind of glass dish.” Dr. Sternlicht snorted yet again. I already disliked the pompous, self-serving ass, but now he was really beginning to annoy me.

“Yes dear that would have been a Petri dish. Go on.”

“Well, I apologized and we bent down together to pick up the broken glass. That’s when we bumped our heads together.”

“Yes, dear. Continue.” This time Dr. Sternlicht didn’t bother to snort, snicker, or anything.

“We fell to the floor and landed on the broken glass. We both cut our hands.”

“Yes dear. That explains how you were infected with the virus. How did you end up trading blood?”

“Oh that was easy, Daddy. Lyle was very upset and besides my wallet had fallen open. You know how I try not to let anyone know we’re related because the boys are afraid you’ll do something horrible to them if they date me.”

Daddy “hurrumpffed” or something like that. Anyway, I got the idea and continued.

“Well I needed to distract him so I started cleaning him up. Then since we both had blood on our hands and he was so upset about the accident, I made him a ‘blood brother’. You know, like that Heinlein book, ‘Stranger’ something.”

Both Daddy and Dr Sternlicht groaned. After a few seconds of silence, I asked the question I wanted to hear the answer to, “So how do I get my old body back? Huh?”

“Well, Maximilian? His question is a good one.” Daddy asked with that cute lift to his left eye that he does to make sure people know he is asking a question.

“In the absence of formal research...” Daddy glared and interrupted.

“Maximilian, remember your agreement. My daughter and Mr. Talbot will not be subjects of any more experimentation against their wills.”

“Yes, yes. I remember. Now, as I was attempting to elucidate,” he stopped to glare back at Daddy, “the viral medium is supposed to weaken and die over time, usually about the same time as the genetic material in all available cells has been replaced. It could simply be an issue of taking blood samples from each of them and injecting her blood into him and vise versa.”

Daddy rubbed his chin for a while. That meant he was thinking. “...and what if that does not work? Say, perhaps, that the two different DNA modified viruses fight each other?”

Dr. Sternlicht’s face slowly transformed into an absolutely evil grin. “They may need to learn to live with their current bodies. Additionally, they might infect others via bodily fluid transfer.”

That successfully killed the mood and after one or two aborted attempts to revive the friendly–Daddy would have called it “convivial”–atmosphere we all went to bed.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 9:45 A.M., PARAPHRASED FROM THE BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES OF DR. HERBERT HARRIMAN

Dr. Harriman was worried. His face showed the genial, relaxed but attentive expression he always wore at faculty meetings, but his mind raced as they all slowly drove towards the small biolab to which Dr. Sternlicht was directing them. Was this a trap? What was Maximilian going to say or do in order to get Lyle released? Who was it that was actually holding him? Or her? Whichever.

The questions were legion; unfortunately, the answers were not forthcoming. Dr. Sternlicht sat stone faced in the passenger seat watching the road and refusing to acknowledge Eunice’s or his presence.

Eunice was little better. He could not sit still. His eyes continuously roved from side to side as he leaned so far forward into the front seat space that his head was frequently blocking the view of Maximilian. In classic Eunice style, he would not stop talking about trivialities and irrelevancies.

As he turned off the main highway into the BioGenTec parking lot, the apparent lack of security and the small unfenced compound made Dr. Harriman even more uncomfortable. From long experience with national security, he knew that the best security was invisible.

The lobby was done in shades of gray, dark gray carpet, light gray walls and a multi color gray counter with a ribbon of burgundy running through it. Even the woman typing behind the counter was wearing a light gray suit with a plain unruffled blouse and matching gray bow. When she looked up and saw us, she frowned and began examining each of us. Spying Dr. Sternlicht, who was the last one in, she smiled, “Why hello Dr. Sternlicht, we weren’t expecting you. Are these people here with you?

“Yes, thank you. May I speak with Dr. Schultz please?”

“Certainly sir, please step right through the security door. But unless I have clearance, your associates,” she glared at the rest of us, “will need to remain here.”

“Understood,” Dr. Sternlicht gave a dismissive wave of the hand and headed through the door before anyone could say anything else.

As the door closed with a firm, loud click, a uniformed soldier replaced a telephone on its wall mount, turned to Dr. Sternlicht and without a word escorted him to a small conference room where “Doctor” Schultz was waiting.

“Congratulations and thank you for bringing in our missing subject, but why is Dr. Harriman here?” Schultz asked as soon as Sternlicht entered.

“Do you have the blood samples as specified?” he asked, ignoring the question.

Captain Schultz nodded assent.

“Good. Then release Mr. Talbot.”

Captain Schultz did not move. “Why?”

“Because, he cannot be of any more use to us here. I have arranged for them to be unwilling to discuss their plight. Talbot may even be willing to continue to assist in our studies.”

“How?”

Dr. Sternlicht removed several sheets of paper from the pocket of his suit jacket and tossed them towards Captain Schultz who silently picked them up and began to read them.

“What about contagion?”

“Not a factor. I’ve been with him for the past 24 hours with absolutely no ill effect. Have you forgotten your briefing material? It’s a blood borne virus and should be dead by now.”

Shortly he put them down and looked back at Dr. Sternlicht. “Without close supervision, the risk is still unacceptable.”

“Fine. Use Lee and Brown for supervision in the lab. I’ll make them assistants for verisimilitude. As for the rest of the time, they are currently staying at Dr. Harriman’s sister’s camp near Tupper Lake. When they return to the New York City area, they will be living together at Ms. Branca’s condominium so they can practice being their new sexes. I’m sure you can assure their adequate supervision under those circumstances.”

“And you’re certain that neither of them will be carriers? The last thing we want is unsecured sources of the viral medium.”

“The virus should be nearly dead already. Even if it is not, they are not likely to engage in further instances of sharing blood with strangers.”

Captain Schultz thought for a moment and then picked up the telephone on the conference room table. “Release Ms. Branca.”

“I see you retained the fiction of Mr. Abbot’s identity.”

“Yes. It was easier than dealing with the security leaks likely to come from an acknowledgement. Now she is merely insane and we’ve been given permission, by her grieving family, to use a new, genetically-altered, experimental drug on her. Dignifying his allegations would have guaranteed unwanted questions. It’s bad enough dealing with someone the staff think is crazy, but they are used to the idea of undesirable side effects like psychiatric instability, not gender reallocation.”