Another BigCloset TopShelf story.
Joanie performs a series of experiments to refine her time travel power and has a great time doing it. She tell more friends of her, um, magazine offer and hears from her doctor in Madison about some new mutants and the concern over their origins.
Andy Warhol said,"In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes." What if your 15 minutes came late in life, and fame decided to never let you go? Could you survive the circus your life would become?
Timeout 3-Continuous play: A Whateley Academy Fan fiction
This is fan fiction for the Whateley Academy series. It may or may not match the timeline, characters, and continuity, but since it's fan fiction, who cares? To see the canon Whateley Stories, check out either Sapphire's Place,
(http://www.sapphireplace.com/stories/whateley.html) or the Big Closet (http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/taxonomy/term/117)."
Well, here goes part three of my TG/sci-fi/superhero/magic and the kitchen sink epic. I’m much better now than when I started this, honest, though comma useage still confuses me. Your constructive criticism and advice continues to help. This is an exercise in the joys of creativity and in appreciation of the wonderful Whateley Universe. Any violations of copyright, trade mark or use of real people or incidents are purely for purposes of humor or parody and done solely for the free enjoyment of the reading public. All rights reserved in perpetuity, John from Wauwatosa WI, 2005-2006. No puns were hurt in the filming of tonight’s episode.
Adult content advisory: this chapter deals with sexual topics and may not be suitable for younger readers but if you’ve read my stuff you know it’s not graphic and is often silly, but you were warned.
Timeout 3
By John from Wauwatosa
Editorial CPR by Itinerant
Thanks to Janet Nolan for additional proofing
Chapter 2- The Big Chill pt 2, LA Story pt 2: Adventures in Photojournalism, The Inverters pt1
Whateley Academy Dunwich NH, March 23-27, 2007
March 23, 2007
For our time travel experiments I wore period neutral women’s clothing, something that wouldn’t look too out of place in the last 100 years or so. I also wore a hooded cape which offered protection from the elements and permitted me to blend in further back. Not that it was needed if our research was correct, but it pays to “be prepared” — snaps spiffy Boy Scout salute.
“We’re done fitting the body sensors and your recorder belt pack. The cameras are micro digital units; one in your broach, the other in your hair clip thus giving us views fore and aft,” Korolev said.
“What am I, a ship?” I smiled nervously.
This was something new, a time trip by me in *uncharted waters*, so to speak. I had done a few this way to get the motorcycle, but after a lot of archival research. Dr. Korolev spoke without laughing.
“Your leather belt pouch has a small, hi-resolution manual film camera, in case something happens to the electronics. It also shoots in digital simultaneously, recording sound and up to one minute of HD video, if you wish. In the event you materialize in a bad spot, there is this.” He held up a Walther PPK and an odd chest harness.
“Kewl, somebody else likes James Bond here.” I said in bimbo mode.
“Very funny, ‘Jane Blond’, but we’re serious. What if you are attacked? Obviously, you want to avoid any major interaction with the past. Killing a future parent or something that will save a person from starvation in the future could be disastrous, but your incapacitation in the past would be bad as well, “ Korolev replied.
“Where does it go?” I asked looking at the unusual harness.
“We thought of on the back of your belt, but that’s too obvious if you’re searched. So this positions it just below your, ah ….”
“Well, if I’m concealing it there, you could have gone for something bigger, like an Uzi.” I gave my chest a quick lift for emphasis. “And if any one here tries combining bazooka with bosom, I’m out of here.” Korolev’s lab techs snorted.
“We also included a survival kit with Swiss Army Officers Knife, pocket carbide cable saw, illuminated compass, Mylar space-blanket and plastic ground sheet, compact sewing kit with 200 feet of carbon nano-tube thread and several fish hooks, 100 feet of 10,000 pound test carbon nano-tube line, first aid kit, an LED solar recharged flashlight, signal mirror, waterproof matches, energy bars, a one piece forged combat knife that looks like its part of your belt, and several dozen Spanish pieces of eight and 19th century US 20 dollar gold pieces on the faint chance you’ll need them. It all fits in your bag or on your person and weighs barely two pounds in total. You could be trapped in the past for some reason and be delayed in your return or we may need to flee the test site and you’re on your own for hours. Odds are you’ll never need it, but still. You never know,” said one of Korolev’s techs.
“What, no triple-thick condom?” I said, and then giggled uncontrollably. They stared at me slack-jawed. “None of you’ve seen Red Dwarf? Barbarians!”
We drove to a nearby mountaintop, remote enough not to be easily seen and where the terrain had not changed in millennia. Korolev continued. “You’ve done enough time trips that you should have a feel for how far back you‘ve traveled?” I nodded. “Use that as your guide. Try for the feeling you got on the ‘research trip’ for Operations. I know you call it Physical Plant, Joan, but it is Operations; that trip was what, 115 years?”
“Yes.”
“Do that again, snap a few pictures in each direction and come straight back. If it’s night, shoot the sky as well. We can use it and the changes in vegetation to determine the approximate year. We’ll transfer the data then you’ll try going back further. We’ll repeat this until you feel your arousal nearing intolerable levels, then we’ll stop and let you recover. Another day we’ll try the same series of trips but with you ‘purging’ beforehand. Don’t worry, we’ve got a plan to give you some privacy and we are professionals.” I didn’t like the leer I saw on the face of one tech.
“When we get to ‘that’ experiment, I’m flying solo, got it?”
“Are you ready, Joan?”
“Chocks away.” They stared again. “I mean, I’m ready. Gees guys, no sense of humor?”
“Oh, that was humor?” said Korolev, that made me laugh.
I relaxed and ‘fell’ back in time. I stopped and looked around me. There were far fewer clearings and the trees seemed much taller, virgin white pine? I smelled wood smoke from the farms and mills, and coal smoke from the distant Grand Miskatonic Shuttle and various logging railways. The research Korolev’s team did was sound. The search of deeds, tax records, logging and mining claims proved correct; there were no buildings or fields within a mile of the site and relatively few trees due to the massive rock outcroppings. I did ten trips in quick succession, by the last couple I was hungry, uncomfortable from sitting on the cold, hard rocks and Dr. Korolev and the techs were looking hot.
~~Ooh baby, the size of Korolev’s hands, ummmm. Oh-oh, it’s time. ~~
“Uh, guys, can we take a break? I’m… Let’s say I’m fit to burst.”
“Did you want some time alone? We could continue afterward. I’m surprised you didn’t say anything earlier; your readings the last few trips have been … interesting.” Korolev smiled.
~~Ghod, what virile man. Snap out of it, Joanie! ~~
“I wanted to do my best, but I think one more trip would put me over the top. How well did I do?” Hang in there girl, relief will be soon. “I noticed far fewer signs of civilization after the first few trips and nothing the last few.”
“Hard to say with precision: we don’t know if your ‘side effect’ builds up as a linear progression based on time depth and duration or not, or how fast it dissipates. A preliminary estimate based on your relative increase in arousal, if linear, and in the photos of the changing vegetation suggests you traveled back 2500 years the last time. Joan you can close your mouth, but roll up your tongue first.”
“Sorry.” The surprise of his announcement blunted my arousal somewhat.
“I think we’ll stop for today and let you recover. We’ll analyze the data and plan the next series of trips. Did you want the sensors off now?” asked Korolev.
“They’re mildly irritating, but if I start undressing now, I might not stop with me. You guys are looking awfully good to me, right now.” I laughed, but huskier and sexier than normal.
”We’ll give you 15 minutes with the sensors turned off,” said Korolev.
“Make that half an hour, please. Can I borrow a blanket? The ground’s cold.”
* * * *
“Terrace Hill, how may I…”
“It’s Joanie, Eric Johnson right away please,” I was anxious to hear his voice.
“Sure Joanie.”
“Joanie, I’m happy you called but surprised,” Eric replied enthusiastically.
“You said to call you at eight on Fridays.”
“Joanie, eight Central Time, its seven now, not that I’m complaining. We can talk longer this way,” he laughed, but I didn’t feel insulted.
“This couldn’t wait, dear. You don’t mind me calling you that? I’m not the best with this romance stuff.”
“No, it’s … I like it Joanie,” he said then laughed.
“Good, because if this works out you’ll be hearing it for a long time; I’m not a kiss and run kind of girl. I play for keeps. I forgot to ask you about something important yesterday, and I feel bad about it.”
~~Ghod, I’m getting aroused, and so soon. ~~
“Don’t feel bad, we were kinda preoccupied. What’s the matter?”
“Did Mel, or your Mom, tell you I might be in a major magazine. I’d do an interview, photo spread and be on the cover?”
“They mentioned something, but said you would tell me,” Erid repied.
“Eric, would you mind if I posed for Playboy?”
“Playboy?” Eric sounded … I’m not sure how he sounded.
“I won’t do it, if you don’t want me to,” I offered.
“Why would it bother me?”
“Because I’d be naked; it’s for the centerfold. I’d be on the cover too. It will be their first all mutant issue; I’d be Miss July.”
“My girlfriend, Miss July? It’s okay, Joanie; you’re an adult and all, so it doesn’t matter what I say. You’re doing this for your school, and you are so pretty, why not?” Eric said reassuringly but with a hint of excitement.
“That’s very mature, Eric, but it does matter to me what you think. You’re my boyfriend, aren’t you? This decision affects us both, and we should make it together; it’s only fair we discuss this.”
“I won’t be embarrassed. Ah, Joanie, can I have a copy when it comes out, I can’t buy one because I’m under age.”
“If Mom and Dad say it’s okay, sure. I am your girl after all. Say hi to Mel, and your parents, Eric. I love you,” Ghod forgive me, but I do!
“Sure Joanie. I love you too.”
I think I’m getting the hang of this girlfriend/boyfriend thing. As to the up close and naked bit, I’m glad we have to wait. Good thing that was over the phone, I’m gonna need to decompress. Between the ‘research trips’ and this call I’m wound tighter that an eight day clock.
* * * *
March 24, 2007
“Since it's Saturday, we’ll just do a handful of tests and keep it a short day. You’ll do two test trips where you travel straight back in time as far as you can, take your photos, and snap right back. Then you’ll do a couple were you go half as far back, stop, take your photos, then try going at least as far back again, repeating until you can’t go any farther. This is the bounce down technique we discussed earlier. You then take your photos and come back in one shot. We’ll try the decompression-style returns in a few days after the analysis of these experiments. Don’t go any father back than your control permits, Joanie. Don’t take unnecessary risks. Are you ready?”
He must be concerned, he called me Joanie.
“Ready, uh, Sergei, and thanks for calling me Joanie.”
“Be careful, and good luck.”
I relaxed and ’pushed,’ ‘fell,’ -- it’s hard to describe how I do it -- as hard as I could into the past. I saw no sign of civilization in the two trips I made this way.
“We think you went back 4000 years on the second attempt, it’s difficult to tell until the analysis is finished. How do you feel?” Sergei asked.
“I’m fine, there’s a pleasant tingle here and there, but nothing I can’t cope with.” I was beginning to like this research project. I could do this all day, oh yeah.
“This time try the bounce down trick we discussed. Good luck.”
I relaxed and fell into the past, trying for half as intense an experience. I stopped, took photos, and traveled back again. I did this several times until my ”side effect” became uncomfortable, and I came back. After several minutes to compose my self, I tried again. I concentrated on the task at hand, and not what I’d like to put my hands on.
I pushed it as far as I could, to the point where my arousal was urgent. If I’d seen anything resembling a man, I would have stripped in seconds, happily. It would have been damned uncomfortable on top of all that hard, cold ice. It was frigid, and the glare was hard on my eyes even with the dark sunglasses I’d brought. I stood trembling, and not from the cold, shot my photos, grabbed a bag of samples, and came back like a rocket.
Once I’d recovered my senses I was tired, glowing, and sticky. Time travel and quiet dignity did not go hand-in-hand for me. I felt fantastic, but embarrassed.
“Um, how long did I …?” Korolev and the techs looked embarrassed too.
“You traveled at least 10,000 years, give or take a millennium. You were sitting atop the last great North American ice sheet, Joanie. Remarkable! Oh, thanks for the bag of ice. We’ve saved some for analysis, the rest we’ll serve drinks over in celebration back at Whateley.”
“That’s pretty far back, huh?”
I giggled with delight and relief. I was out of it when I’d first come back, oh yeah baby! Sorry d/j/w.
“Did I go into a trance?”
“No, the sensors say you were conscious, but preoccupied,” said the senior tech.
“Preoccupied?” This was too good to pass up.
“You were having one long, continuous…”
“Can’t say it, can you? We’re all adults here.” I gave my “entourage” a vamp’s smile and pose.
“You had a ….”
“Can’t, can you?”
“Sorry, Joanie,” the tech replied.
“Do you need help with that?” I said, pointing at the embarrassing bulge in his pants. He was very embarrassed.
~~My-my! ~~
“Thanks, but I have a girlfriend.” I noticed they all were suffering to varying degrees.
“I take it we try the decompression stops next time?”
“Oh yes, please!” they chorused.
* * * *
“Sis, pick up the phone. It’s Joanie!”
“Joanie, how are you?” It was her husband.
“How’s married life, Tony? Her Royal Pain in the A… Rear driving you crazy?”
“She’s a sweetie, and you know it, Joanie.”
“My Ghod, she’s been replaced by a space alien!” I exclaimed.
“Here she comes, hang on.”
“Stay on the line too, Tony. I need to talk with both of you.”
“What gives, my formerly evil older brother, now my evil younger sister?”
“I’ll be brief,” I replied.
“That’s a miracle!”
“Ha, ha! I have an offer from a major magazine publisher. In exchange for an interview and photos, Whateley gets two million dollars as a charitable gift.”
“So what’s the problem? I assume you’ve checked them out. That is a lot of money. It reminds me of an advance for a Presidential autobiography,” she said, then laughed.
“The interview is fine, and the magazine cover is okay. It’s the centerfold that bothers me. I’d be Miss July.”
“Playboy?” she said, choking.
“Yes.”
“That’s a gift from the gods to me,” my sister said, then laughed.
“Babs thought you’d say as much.”
“Been talking with Ms Johnson again. Are you seeing that boy of hers?” Sis asked.
“Not right now, but I like the young man. I like him a lot.”
“I know you, miss poster child for the shy. Tell me the truth,” Sis teased me but it was near the truth.
“How do you know when you’re in love? I never was before. I think I am now.”
“You love a fourteen year old boy? This gets better and better,” she said half-laughing.
“Tony, I haven’t heard a word from you.”
“I have to live with -- Ouch!”
“No fair hitting, Sis, and this isn’t funny. I don’t want Eric hurt, or to get either of us in trouble.”
“Be careful. It’s your lives and reputations on the line. If he’s worth it, you two can wait.”
“Thanks Sis. I just hope I can last that long. The way I react to him when we’re close, I don’t know why it is, but wow!”
“Joanie, um, are you on the Pill?”
~~So the gloves are off now? ~~
“Some of us have control, Blondie,” I snorted, then continued. “I told you, my new body burns off drugs, any drugs, real fast. The pill won’t work for me. I promise, Sis, as much in lust as I may be, I love him and his family too much to do anything stupid.”
“You’ve got it bad, but I’m happy for you. He must be something special for you to fall for him.”
“I think he is, and the best thing is he’s not Italian.”
“Oh you!” Sis exclaimed.
Did I forget to mention Tony’s Italian-American?
* * * *
March 27, 2007
“Before we proceed with the teleconference, let me give you some background.”
* * * *
March 25, 2007
“Dr. Grobschmidt-Taylor to emergency, stat. Dr. Grobschmidt-Taylor to emergency, stat.” the PA blared.
“I’m here, what is it?”
“We have a pair of new mutants in severe burnout. We’re struggling to stabilize them. The boy is in an ice bath with chilled oxygen and chilled IVs yet his temperature keeps rising; it’s at 105F. His twin sister is nearly as bad but her slightly smaller body mass is letting us chill her more effectively. She’s at 103.5F and steady.” replied the night intern.
“Add salt, good old sodium chloride, to the ice bath, lots of it, and add more ice. The salt will force the temperature down like in an old-fashioned ice-cream maker. Have someone get some dry-ice and a vacuum flask of liquid nitrogen from the lab. If we have to, we’ll use that to chill him, but very carefully. Inject both patients with the highest dosage of metabolic inhibitor their body weights allow, him first. Keep a constant watch on both, I’ll not lose one patient because we were too busy with the other.”
* * * *
“How are they doing?”
“Much better Dr. Sara, he’s at 103 and going down. She’s at 101 and we’re about to wean her from the ice-bath.”
“Any clues to the nature of their mutations, Carrie sweetie?”
“Mom! Don’t do that, it’s embarrassing. Will you behave yourself?” Sara pouted and nodded. “They’re twins and turn fourteen next month. He’s Thomas Allen Smith and she’s Thomasina Alice Smith, Mom.”
“Oh the poor babies. Be glad I didn’t give you a cutesy name to match mine, Carrie. What worries me is, why simultaneous burnouts? I’ll have to do a search of the literature to be certain, but I can’t recall it happening before. Identical twins that’ve mutated often end up with similar or identical powers, but they don’t necessarily mutate at the same time. These are fraternal twins so there’s less reason for twin burnouts.”
“The genetic tests show they’re in that rare class of polar body twins, an egg that split before fertilization.”
“I know my genetics, Carrie, but thanks for reminding me. The synchronized burnouts suggest this was deliberate, and the disappearance of their parents worries me. The police just informed me and advised us to increase our security.”
“Are you saying these are drug, radiation, or virus induced?”
“It’s possible. Are all normal safely precautions in place?”
“Double gloves, disposable gowns, masks, frequent hand washing, and the use of the UV/antiseptic spray airlock to their room.”
“Good. Have Dr. Alex call me when the lab results are back. Until we know they’re not contagious, no one goes home. This unit is under quarantine.”
* * * *
“So that’s what happened. Dr. Pollard, Dr. Polland, Dr. Otto, Mr. Lodgeman, and my dear Joanie, glad you could all make this video conference.”
“You said in the e-mail you needed our help,” asked Dr. Otto.
“We have suspicions, and if they prove true, the implications are frightening. The patients, polar body twins Thomas Allen and Thomasina Alice Smith -- no giggles Joanie -- entered severe burnout within minutes of each other. Salted ice baths and metabolic inhibitors controlled the symptoms and prevented injury. All lab tests came back negative for pathogens and radiation damage but we did find traces of unusual organic compounds. The material is unstable but from what we analyzed it acts similar to, but not as severely as, Ultra-X-Amine.”
* * * *
To be continued
Additional proofing assistance generously provided by Janet Nolan
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Comments
say what?
Designer drugs..The new TG rage!
alissa