Sifu Blackirish
SOC-14 1K
[from TALES OF A MAD SCIENTIST, story LEVEL 95]
Received by their superwave communicator, then interpreted from scrambled code groups, there was a chirp, then excited chattering as their teletype produced a message.
"We have a response from F.U.S. Security."
"A response to our data request?"
"Yes. Our mystery visitor has been positively identified."
FEDERATED UNITED STATES SECURITY FILE
Carres Petroviik curr est char 57A9B8
COLLEGE +4 EDUC
MEDICAL SCHOOL [HONORS]
Medical-3, .Admin-1, +1 Educ, Computer
[DRAFTED INTO KROOMORTYNE]
T1 ..Computer .Electronic
E1 RESEARCH INTO ANIMAL HIBERNATION
T2 ...Computer .Jack-O-Trades
E2 PROTOTYPE HIBERNATION CHAMBER WITH TEST ANIMALS
T3 ..Electronic ...Electronic
E3 INTENSE MONITORING OF SUBJECTS DURING SHORT TERM HUMAN EXPERIMENTS
T4 ....Medical ....Computer
E4 LONG TERM EXPERIMENTS ON HUMAN VOLUNTEERS
Carres Petroviik Active Duty Doctor/Scientist Age 44, 4 Terms 57A9B8
Medical-4, Computer-4, Electronic-3, Admin-1, Jack-O-Trades-1
"He's only forty four? He looks sixty! What happened to him?"
"Doctor Petroviik was last seen right here in Djiurniik almost two years ago, attending an international medical conference. He presented an unclassified paper on his hibernation experiments."
"How do you know about this?"
"We have some of those hibernation chambers designed by him in sublevel four, filled with Marines who volunteered for the procedure. It's classified as combat duty, so they get a bonus payment. Their accounts are credited as though they were awake. They will probably spend a year's pay in a weekend when they get decanted."
"Any special hazards?"
"Except for reports of, umm, 'intestinal discomfort' and some pain when thawed by the radarwave warming equipment, his last test subjects were perfectly healthy, after a year on ice."
"So what happened to our good doctor?"
"Security reported that after the presentation, he went to dinner alone at a small outdoor cafe, then walked back towards his hotel. He never arrived. Discreet security sweeps failed to find any sign of him, so it was assumed that he was victim of one of the new 'rage gangs' popping up all over the world."
A video screen lit up, with the face of a burly orderly filling the frame.
"Your patient is awake, hungry and will be ready to talk in minutes."
The pair arrived to find the good doctor dithering over what to have for breakfast.
"Doctor Petroviik, I presume."
He looked up and smiled.
"I have been recognized! Very good!"
Finally realizing that his hunger was not specific, their patient selected items at random from the visual menu. Less than a minute later that same orderly arrived, carrying a large tray. He tore into the olive drab packages with gusto. There was no disappointment shown by the man just because he was being served milrats.
"I wish I had the energy to celebrate," he spoke between bites of his second entree, 'PATTY, BEEF FLAVORED (SOYA).' "Being in one of those Conglomerate prisons is no joke, especially one disguised as a psychiatric hospital."
His eyes misted over, then filled with tears. He dropped his plastic fork from shaking hands and held both of them on his head.
"They tried to burn out my brain!"
Breaking down, he sobbed uncontrollably.
Received by their superwave communicator, then interpreted from scrambled code groups, there was a chirp, then excited chattering as their teletype produced a message.
"We have a response from F.U.S. Security."
"A response to our data request?"
"Yes. Our mystery visitor has been positively identified."
FEDERATED UNITED STATES SECURITY FILE
Carres Petroviik curr est char 57A9B8
COLLEGE +4 EDUC
MEDICAL SCHOOL [HONORS]
Medical-3, .Admin-1, +1 Educ, Computer
[DRAFTED INTO KROOMORTYNE]
T1 ..Computer .Electronic
E1 RESEARCH INTO ANIMAL HIBERNATION
T2 ...Computer .Jack-O-Trades
E2 PROTOTYPE HIBERNATION CHAMBER WITH TEST ANIMALS
T3 ..Electronic ...Electronic
E3 INTENSE MONITORING OF SUBJECTS DURING SHORT TERM HUMAN EXPERIMENTS
T4 ....Medical ....Computer
E4 LONG TERM EXPERIMENTS ON HUMAN VOLUNTEERS
Carres Petroviik Active Duty Doctor/Scientist Age 44, 4 Terms 57A9B8
Medical-4, Computer-4, Electronic-3, Admin-1, Jack-O-Trades-1
"He's only forty four? He looks sixty! What happened to him?"
"Doctor Petroviik was last seen right here in Djiurniik almost two years ago, attending an international medical conference. He presented an unclassified paper on his hibernation experiments."
"How do you know about this?"
"We have some of those hibernation chambers designed by him in sublevel four, filled with Marines who volunteered for the procedure. It's classified as combat duty, so they get a bonus payment. Their accounts are credited as though they were awake. They will probably spend a year's pay in a weekend when they get decanted."
"Any special hazards?"
"Except for reports of, umm, 'intestinal discomfort' and some pain when thawed by the radarwave warming equipment, his last test subjects were perfectly healthy, after a year on ice."
"So what happened to our good doctor?"
"Security reported that after the presentation, he went to dinner alone at a small outdoor cafe, then walked back towards his hotel. He never arrived. Discreet security sweeps failed to find any sign of him, so it was assumed that he was victim of one of the new 'rage gangs' popping up all over the world."
A video screen lit up, with the face of a burly orderly filling the frame.
"Your patient is awake, hungry and will be ready to talk in minutes."
The pair arrived to find the good doctor dithering over what to have for breakfast.
"Doctor Petroviik, I presume."
He looked up and smiled.
"I have been recognized! Very good!"
Finally realizing that his hunger was not specific, their patient selected items at random from the visual menu. Less than a minute later that same orderly arrived, carrying a large tray. He tore into the olive drab packages with gusto. There was no disappointment shown by the man just because he was being served milrats.
"I wish I had the energy to celebrate," he spoke between bites of his second entree, 'PATTY, BEEF FLAVORED (SOYA).' "Being in one of those Conglomerate prisons is no joke, especially one disguised as a psychiatric hospital."
His eyes misted over, then filled with tears. He dropped his plastic fork from shaking hands and held both of them on his head.
"They tried to burn out my brain!"
Breaking down, he sobbed uncontrollably.
