Jaye Michael

PART THREE: REVOLUTION

Chapter Twenty One: Subterfuge

If an elderly but distinguished scientist
says that something is possible
he is almost certainly right,
but if he says that it is impossible
he is very probably wrong.
– Arthur C. Clarke

OCTOBER 21, 10:05 P.M., AN ISOLATED FARM, LOCATION DELETED CONSISTENT WITH PROVISIONS OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY ACT

“I just told Captain Schultz and now its your turn to hear the good news, children.” Eunice L. and Lyle E. were sitting at the farmhouse’s kitchen table studying green covered booklets.

“Excuse me sir?” Eunice L. looked up.

“I have good news. The H. Pilori research has been completely successful. I just confirmed it from a review of Maximilian’s real notes, the ones he hid in the air vent of the lab. Captain Schultz says you’re welcome to choose for yourselves whether to start immediately with your own course of treatment using the H. Pilori or wait until your special assignment is done.”

“Can we change back to our old forms then?”

“Yes my dear. Once the virus has been eliminated from your systems we can take virus free DNA and combine it with a fresh version of the virus to reinfect you with the forms of your old bodies.”

“Eunice,” Lyle E. interrupted irritably, “we need to finish our studying. We’re leaving tomorrow.”

“I know, I was just wondering. Thank you for updating us Dr. Harriman.”
Slowly, almost wistfully, she turned back to her reading material. Lyle E., seeing the pained expression on Eunice L.’s face put down his book. Standing he stretched and then walked behind her. Once there, he began rubbing her neck and shoulders. Her book forgotten, Eunice L. leaned her head back into his stomach and purred contentedly. Her hand reached back and gently caressed the hand massaging her neck as an expression of total bliss appeared on her face.

Seeing the interplay, Dr. Harriman began to back out of the room. “Tomorrow will be soon enough to tell you the rest of my news. You children should consider heading up to bed.”

“No wait, sir.” Eunice L.’s free hand reached out as if to hold him so he could not leave. “Please finish.”

Lyle E. stopped rubbing but did not remove his hands from their position gently resting on her neck. Eunice L.’s hand continued to stroke his arm. Seeing Dr. Harriman’s uncertainty he nodded and gestured for him to continue before resuming his neck rub.

“It wasn’t that important. I just thought you’d want to know that we’ve just reinfected the rat people. Since your DNA is the only supply already infected, soon you’ll have several brothers and sisters, albeit, without memories, I’ll bet.”

“You still don’t think there’s a chance of memory retention? After all, as rats the memory would still be there, just useless, wouldn’t it?”

“No my dear. Remember that soft tissue was transformed. Their brains are rat brains, just larger. But even larger, rat brains don’t have all the convolutions and complexity of a human brain. They don’t have the space to store all the information of a human memory.”

“I don’t understand Daddy,” Lyle E. said. “The brain is just as big in a rat person as a regular person isn’t it?”

“I’m sorry Lyle,” Dr. Harriman sighed. “I wish I could tell you different, but I can’t. The weight might be the same, but the more convolutions the more surface area and the more surface area the more cognitive ability. A rat brain just isn’t likely to be able to retain all the memories of a human being.”

“We need to continue our preparations, Lyle.” Eunice gently patted his arm once more and then leaned forward to pick up her book.

“That’s right. Did you hear, Daddy? Tomorrow we meet our new partners and head out to seek the elusive Dr. Sternlicht.”

OCTOBER 21, 1:55 A.M., QUEEN’S PALACE HOTEL AND CASINO

The last show was about to end as Joanie sat waiting on a bar stool overlooking the casino. He should start passing through the casino proper any minute. Joanie smiled to herself as she thought about how, in the best hotels here in Vegas, it was effectively impossible to get from one point to an other without passing through a casino. It was time for Joanie to talk to the shift manager about a waitressing job. In the last three days she’d eaten with, drunk with, been given monetary rewards by and leaned sexily against a variety of very generous men in different casinos as they gambled, but had not been able to pick up a single John. For some reason, security always stopped her and gently escorted her out of the casino before she could give away anything more than a kiss. “Must be something that bitch Joanie is doing wrong.” John thought giving a snort. He wasn’t even going to try here. Security had stopped her at the front lobby and told her not to even try or she’d be banned from this casino also. They must share information.

“Eh. Did you say something?” A very large man in a suit with a gold lapel pin wheezed, “Hi…I’m Frank Scolari...Shift Manager” as he looked down at her.

John gave his best smile. “I’m sorry, my name is Joanie and I was hoping to talk to you about a temporary job as a waitress.”

“Nope. Don’t need…any waitresses.”

“How about a cleaner. You’ve got to need some cleaners. Please, I really need a job.” John almost, but not quite, managed to get the tears he was trying for. Regardless, the manager apparently thought she looked remarkably pathetic.

Frank looked intently at her for several seconds before answering. “Yeah. Cleaners we need. Show me…a social security card…and you got a deal.”

“The number is 110 33 9674.” John smiled.

“No. I said…show me…the card. We got…inspectors everywhere. I’m not…gonna risk…the casino’s license…by hiring… illegals.”

“I’m not illegal. Do I look Mexican?”

“No. But I…need a card. Sorry.” He walked away as John looked after him in shock and anger. Then John went away and let Joanie out. Joanie began to quietly sob.

2:05 A.M., OCTOBER 21, QUEEN’S PALACE HOTEL AND CASINO

“We all cain’t have a pertty li’l lady like you cryin’ like that. What all’s the problem li’l missy?” From her vantage point looking down between the fingers holding her face as she cried, Joanie saw elaborately ornamented, pointed boots. She looked up, and up, and kept looking up until she eventually found a real ten-gallon hat. Under the hat was what looked like the classic cowboy businessman.

“Ah said, what all’s the problem ma’am?” He engulfed the stool next to her.
Joanie sniffed and took a deep breath before speaking. “I was looking for a job, but I didn’t have a social security card and so they wouldn’t hire me.”

“A pertty li’l thang like you an’ you’all cain’t get a job? What all cain you do?”

Joanie smiled and began to gently play with her necklace preparing to let her hand gradually move lower when John took over again. “Well sir, I have a lot of experience as a managerial assistant, dealing with people, scheduling, bookkeeping, etcetera. I’d do almost anything to have a job, but what I’m really interested in is making people’s wishes come true.”

“That all’s a tall order li’l missy,” he laughed jovially. “How you’all gonna do that?” He asked indulgently.

“I can’t tell you,” John answered choosing his words with great care. “You’ll think I’m insane.” Before the cowboy could speak she raised a hand and rushed to continue. “Please. I’ll explain, but without proof you’ll have no choice but to think that. It’s just too insane a story and I don’t know enough of it to make it less so.” John waited to see if he’d take the bait.

“You’all have mah full attention, li’l missy,” he said dragging her over to a corner booth were he could get more comfortable and they would be less likely to be overheard. “Ah cain’t wait ta hear your story.”

“For some reason I can make men into women.” She sighed. “Okay, now you’ve heard. You can leave and laugh at the crazy lady.”

“Well.” He readjusted the brim of his hat and spoke more respectfully. “Ah didn’t know you’all were a physician. So how did you’all lose your social security card?”

“I’m not. I do it without surgery, falsies or anything else. I make complete women, not fakes.”

“Ma’am, ah didn’t know you’all were a Texan. That there’s one heck of a good tall tale.”

“I know. I know. So go a way and let me be, or take a risk and let me prove what I say.”

“Well. Ah do like to make a buck. If you’all are crazy I’ll be doin’ people a favor by gettin’ you’all off the streets and if you’all are a con artist, you’all are a damn pertty one. Excuse the language ma’am. What’all is it gonna cost me to have you’all lay down your cards?”

“A volunteer and three days to prove I’m telling the truth. Also a meal, a place to stay and a hot bath, for me while I prove myself.”

He peered intently at her for several long seconds before answering. “Well, you’all are a pertty li’l thang. Perty enough that Ah’d spring for the meal and you’all cain convince me of the rest.”

OCTOBER 21, ST. IVES HOTEL, ROOM 1728, 4:00 P.M., FROM THE RESEARCH LOGS OF DR. MAXIMILIAN STERNLICHT

The pain has not been as bad as I expected, so I have not used any of the painkillers I brought. That is probably for the best as I am unsure of what, if any, their impact on the transformation process might be.

Most of the time I do little but sleep, eat, and eliminate. My physique seems to be changing as I expected, only soft tissue is being transformed, none of that rippling, changing flesh they talk about in fantasy stories, but clear change nonetheless. Without even the most rudimentary of equipment I am limited to observation of only external manifestations of change. So far, it seems there are several stages.

The first stage seems to be a burn-off of almost all fatty tissue. During this stage I seem to have lost a significant amount of weight. An interesting side effect of this seems to be a sloughing off of at least one layer of epidermal skin resulting in softer, smoother, younger looking skin.

The second stage seems to be modification of cell nuclei to change the actual function of various groups of cells. Assuredly much more is happening that I cannot assess with my primitive resources, but the most obvious occurrence during this stage seems to be creation of fatty tissue cells in proportions consistent with the new body form being developed. I suspect any remaining fatty tissue and a significant portion of muscle tissue is being cannibalized to produce new cell growth. During this period I seem to have lost my penis and testicles. Each time I awoke it was possible to see how they had grown smaller and smaller with just the naked eye.

Third, and thankfully finally, there is a rapid transfer of nutrients which are immediately stored in the newly relocated tissue. During this period especially, my food intake has been significantly greater. I suspect room service is convinced that there are at least two of me and possibly more. Also, with this third stage, the fever seems to be dropping. I will need to sleep again before performing any task more functional than this log. Another nap, another meal; then it will be time to proceed as planned.