Transformation

Tunnel 

This is a large tunnel designed for both ground vehicles and pedestrians. Running through the center of it is a four lane road which is usually filled to capacity, although in a triumph of engineering never exceeds it. Along each side of this glass screens protect the pedestrians from both traffic fumes and rogue groundcraft.

Eddings arrives from Volstov Boulevard East .Eddings arrives from Volstov Boulevard East .

Eddings has arrived.

Eddings stumbles as he enters the tunnel, propping himself against the wall with a wrinkled hand, and babbling incoherently.

Freyssinet smiles, looking the two girls discuss. She looks at the newcomer, frowning.

Colleen's eyes dance back and forth between the girl and her mother. "Actually, you were to approve me for his crew." she chimes with a grin

Colleen casts a wary glance to the incoherent stranger.

Eirlys quirks a brow, "Hmmmm? Who was supposed to do what?"

Eddings seems to run out of steam, and plops down on the curb that edges the tunnel, and begins to stare at his hands, muttering, "The cohesion factor of the polydemnic matrices in the whirling girligig and the heebie jeebies..."

Colleen chuckles, her eyes pass back to Eirlys, "You, he said his fiancee would have to meet me before joining his crew, but if you could deliver him a message for me...?"

Freyssinet frowns, wondering why the old man is behaving like that. She walks up to him. "Mister ... You're feeling all right?" She asks Eddings, her trained eyes evaluating him.

Eirlys nods slowly, "I see... A message? Sure, go ahead."

Eddings swings his eyes toward - but not quite *at* - Freyssinet. "The hypotenuse has four quadratic entropies."

Colleen looks at her intently, "Please let him know that I am pursuing a position with Mr. Neilson on Demaria, and if that falls through, that I will look him up, Ok?"

Sweat glistens and streams down the face of the old man.

Sivadian Patrol Bot X-12 whirs in, hovering some fifteen feet above ground level, arriving from Volstov Boulevard West 

Eirlys nods, "I'll be sure he gets that message."

Colleen nods and smiles, the robot pulling her attention away, "Thank you, and it has been a pleasure meeting you, Eirlys."

Eirlys nods, "It was a pleasure meeting you as well, Miss Colleen. Now, I shall be at Enaj if anyone needs me." She nods again and turns to walk down the tunnel.

Freyssinet frowns. "Mister, can you tell me who you are, and where you live?" She asks Eddings. She waves at the 2 girls leaving.

Eddings continues speaking, perhaps to Freyssinet, but mostly it seems like he's talking past her. "Walking slidewards finger snail."

Colleen swipes her head once to the right then back, "Darling girl." She turns to Eddings and stoops beside him, a smile casts up to Frey, "Tell me about your scoop-ed-flatulator again, I missed it earlier."

Eirlys heads into Volstov Boulevard East .Eirlys heads into Volstov Boulevard East .

Eirlys has left.

Eddings glances toward Colleen, and then his eyes widen and he draws back, shrieking a gasp. He points. "The darkness and the wind!" He falls over on his back.

Colleen looks down at him, then up to the doctor, "Booze?"

Freyssinet sights. "Incoherent behavior, not answering questions ..." She mutters for herself. She grasps Eddings as he falls. "What's wrong?" She asks him even if she doesn't hope for an answer, and begins to scan him. She answers Colleen, "Nope, looks more like senility."

Colleen shakes her head a solemn press of her lips, "Wow, but can't that be treated...with something?"

Sivadian Patrol Bot X-12 whirs away toward Volstov Boulevard East 

The scan will demonstrate increased metabolism (after lengthy stifling), and a rapid deterioration of his neurological network. It's a sort of rapid-fire Alzheimer's.

The scan will also suggest a re-tooling of his DNA structure - it's not all human or Sivadian. There are actually hints of reptiloid DNA, consistent with Zangali.

"Well, let me help you with him, anyway" Says Colleen

Freyssinet frowns at the really strange scan. "Yes, we have to bring him to the hospital." She takes Eddings by one arm. "Come on, mister, we're going to take care of you.”

Eddings glances toward Freyssinet, allowing her to help him up, muttering, "Leaping flame ice weaver."

Colleen reaches under the man’s shoulder on her side and lifting him with relative ease for one of her small size. She is stronger than she may appear.

Eddings is lifted, but seems to tremble and quake. Sweat bathes his face and drenches his clothes.

Freyssinet nods reassuringly to Eddings. "Don't worry, don't worry." They walk out, toward Sanjuni Plaza.

They arrive at the hospital.

Enaj Treatment Center 

This is the Enaj Treatment Center, otherwise known as the Sivad city hospital. A massive building built on eight stories, designed to be big enough to treat a large portion of the populace of the island in an emergency. The ground floor consists of the reception area, ER and the trauma rooms, along with the offices and lounges for those doctors and nurses who work there. The second floor is dee. The second floor is devoted entirely to the operating rooms, and is mostly off-limits to the public without escort. The third floor is a massive genetherapy area, and also contains the hospitals few research labs. The intensive care unit makes up most of the fourth floor, with the left over space devoted to the buildings admin staff. Finally, the Fifth through Eighth floors consist entirely of wards and private rooms. Four large lifts and a stairwell provide access to all levels.

Eddings arrives from Montevedo Street .Eddings arrives from Montevedo Street .

Eddings has arrived.

Colleen arrives from Montevedo Street .Colleen arrives from Montevedo Street .

Colleen has arrived.

Colleen looks to Dr Frey, "Where is the currency exchange?"

Freyssinet enters with Eddings and Colleen; she waves at a group of paramedics waiting for them. "A room in neurology, we need."

Freyssinet answers Colleen, "In the independence dome. Thanks for the help."

The paramedics nod. One of the nurses announces: "If it's critical, you'll want to put him in bio containment."

Colleen moves along with doctor, releasing the man as the paramedics take him. "You're welcome, I have first aid training, but my diagnosis lacks a bit."

Freyssinet raises a brow. "Good idea. And fetch the police to get this man identified."

The paramedics help put Eddings onto a gurney. One looks at the old man and his jaw drops. "This is that Eddings guy!"

Colleen offers her hand to the doctor, "Good meeting you Dr. Freyssinet-Ritter,"

Eddings stares up at the ceiling: "Downward twisting up walk slidefall."

Freyssinet shakes Colleen' hand. "Glad to have met you, too!" She reacts at the name. "He ! That's why his scan was so weir ..."

Quickly, the medics begin attaching vital sign monitors. One snaps a look at Frey. "You wanna elaborate, intern?"

Colleen turns and heads toward the door, she stops to observe for a moment longer.

Freyssinet scratches her head. "Looks like he's having Alzheimer's like troubles and increased metabolism, while apparently his metabolism had been slowed down before. Plus abnormal DNA, looking like a make-up of human and non-human DNA."

The medic touching Eddings' shoulder jerks away. "Non-human? What do you mean 'non-human?'"

Freyssinet frowns. "At first view, Zangali."

One of the paramedics gasps and points at Eddings' right arm, saying, "Jesus, Mary and Joseph, pass the ludes..." The old doctor's arm has become covered with pebbled flesh.

The nurse scowls, seeing this, and gets on the loudspeaker: "We've got a Level IV Biocontainment Situation. Clear a holding room on the eighth floor, stat!"

Freyssinet gasps. "As you say, Jeez ... Put him quick into a safe and solid room!”

Eddings opens his mouth, and snarls, his fangs - yes, that's right, fangs - gleaming in the light as he hisses angrily. The medics quickly begin strapping him in.

Freyssinet scouts along with the team. "Not only biocontainment, but maximal safety too. He may be a kind of ... werelizard, now.”

Colleen steps quickly out the door, her face a mix of amazement and disbelief. She steps into the hallway out of harms way, hopefully.

Eddings strains against the straps, roaring and moaning in gibberish-filled agony. He shrieks horribly as the medics quickly roll him toward a secure lift.

Freyssinet calls out. "Security team, join us!" She helps the medics strapping Eddings, and follows them.

Colleen watches through the window of the door as the team rolls the old-lizard thing into the lift.

A rather curious-looking humanoid male in a long coat and floppy hat shuts down a datapad, glances around, and then heads for the sliding doors, stepping onto Montevedo Street, leaving in a hurry.

Eddings is rolled onto the lift.

"There's something you don't see everyday," she whispers her eyes glued to the scene."

Eddings snaps his head upward, staring right at Colleen as the doors begin to close. His eyes are glowing bright blue, without pupils, and his head is fringed with tufts of brown fur.

Freyssinet is with Eddings as he's rolled into the lift. "Looks like the legion virus is overcoming him, and using his zangali DNA, turns him into a lizard." She explains to the paramedics.

The lift doors thump shut.

As the old doctor-thing slips his head back onto the gurney, one of the medics points at the fur. "And a little Demarian for good measure

Colleen shudders at the sight; her eyes meet his for the briefest moment of terror. She squeaks a shrill but short report, then drops in a crouch below the level of the window

Freyssinet frowns, checking if Eddings's strapped correctly without touching him. "Yes and some Demarian. Oh my ... He's paying very dearly those years he bought."

Eddings' left arm becomes a crystalline tentacle, which slides easily from the restraints and begins to whip wildly around him.

Noticing the sudden silence from the adjacent corridor she rises slowly and peers into the empty hallway, she feels the wetness of the mans perspiration still on her, his eyes dance feverishly looking for the nearest rest room, to wash it off.

Freyssinet shouts, jumping back. "Ack ! What's this horror!" She grabs a scalpel near.

The tentacle shatters against the head of one of the paramedics, causing a grievous laceration. The medic wails and goes down, bleeding badly. The medic wails and goes down, bleeding badly.

Eddings flares open his bright blue eyes and stares levelly at Freyssinet, sending to her telepathically: ~ Freyssinet...~

Merram has arrived.

Colleen darts away from the door and hurries through the main lobby frantically looking for a restroom.

Freyssinet, an arm in front of her to protect herself, jumps at the telepathic sending, getting pale.

"Restroom...Where the hell are the restrooms

Eddings is in a secure lift, strapped to a gurney and demonstrating true multi-racial equity, all the while terrorizing Freyssinet and a group of medics, one of whom is bleeding profusely inside the closed lift.

Merram walks in, a slight limp in his step. Glancing around and humming faintly to himself as he heads for the receptionist's desk.

Eddings sends telepathically to Freyssinet: ~ You will die. All corporeals will die .~

The receptionist seems rather panicked at the moment, speaking into a vidcomm: "That's right, sir, a Level IV Biocontainment Situation."

Colleen spots a woman stepping out of a door along the hallway just beyond the receptionists desk. She spots the sign, the interplanetary symbol for females and she hurries inside.

Another medic moves to help the one bleeding on the floor of the lift.

Freyssinet takes a deep breath and unsheats her scalpel. "Let me guess ... Hiver? No way, boy. /You/ die." She holds the scalpel in front of her, and throw it to what could be the creature's center.

Merram blinks at the receptionist and frowns slightly as he waits, humming faintly to himself as he does.

Colleen turns on the water, scooping it up with her hands and splashing it on her arms, she pumps at the soap dispenser, overfilling her small palm with the stuff and washing her arms and hands vigorously.

Eddings begins to laugh outrageously, but as the scalpel plunges into his chest, the laughter drops off. His eyes go from glowing blue to a more normal appearance - and his face appears shocked. His mouth goes slack as he looks down at the blood spurting from his chest. Then he glances plaintively toward Freyssinet: "One less...for us to kill. Thank you..."

"That's right," the receptionist says. "Level IV. Doctor Freyssinet is taking him up to a containment room."

Colleen scrubs at her arms and hands until her skin reddens, then she rolls her hands under the running water, hoping that any contagens will be washed...oh, No...she thinks...down the drain?"

Freyssinet steps back against the wall, putting her hand in front of her mouth. "That wasn't Eddings. That thing ..." She says grimly to the other. "Beware of the blood splatters. Don't touch him ... yet."

The other medic finishes applying a pressure bandage to the wounded paramedic, and then gets back to his feet, staring in disbelief at the scalpel handle jutting from the chest of the old doctor-thing. "What the hell did you do?" He glances toward the vitals monitor. It shows a declining heart beat and rapidly dropping blood pressure.

Eddings closes his eyes, breathing raspily, shallowly.

Merram wanders over to a nearby chair, all the while looking around. Humming to himself.

Colleen watches in stunned shock at what she may have done. Slowly she turns the water off and looks as the water tumbles off of her onto the floor of the bathroom. She shakes her hands and and and with a reluctant uneasiness and slowness she steps out of the bathroom into the reception area.

Freyssinet is shivering. "Didn't you see ? It wasn't Eddings anymore. Something else was in him."."

The medic points at Eddings. "He's dying! That's Eddings. I don't care if he has a six burrito dinner in him, you don't kill the patients!"

The vitals show a heart rate that barely registers as more than a blip every few seconds.

Freyssinet turns to the medic, pale. "He would have killed us. Well, I think so."

Colleen's eyes, cast downward as she walks to the receptionist. She lifts her eyes to the woman at the desk. "Excuse me...I...I may be...infected...I don't know." at the desk

The medic shoves past Freyssinet. "We're not executioners. We're doctors." He scowls and yanks the scalpel from Eddings' chest, applying pressure to the wound. "Ever heard of a sedative, or don't they have those where you come from?" he snarls at Freyssinet. At which point, Eddings' reptiloid hand snaps the restraint like a strand of hair and then swings a clawed hand at the medic perched over him.

Colleen taps nervously on the receptionists desk, "Excuse me!" her angst rising.

Freyssinet yells "Back!", grabbing the poor medic to yank him back.

The medic's head jerks upward, blood spraying from furrows cut by its claws, and he staggers back and then collapses against the wall, sliding to the floor.

Freyssinet pushes the "emergency" button on the way.

The receptionist scowls at Colleen. "If it's an emergency, you'll have to sit in chairs and wait."

The alarm from the secure elevator begins to wail.

Eddings drops back onto the gurney, his vitals - after briefly spiking - have gone flatline.

Freyssinet turns green, scouting for another scalpel. "You see what I mean?" She shouts to the paramedics left. "Don't approach this thing, until we're sure it's dead."

Colleen eyes burn at her, the alarm startles her, "I may be infected with whatever that beast-thing has, I don't know for sure, but if you would like me to start sprouting fangs and such..."

Merram leans back in his chair, letting his right leg stretch out. Jerking up at the sound of the alarm, hrming to himself as he walks over the receptionist's desk, glancing to Colleen and hrms some more.

Sighing, the receptionist hands Colleen a pad and stylus. "Go fill this out. Be sure to include your insurance provider and any known genetic predisposition, recent..." She snaps her head toward the sound of the alarm wailing. "What now!?"

A security guard armed with a stungun presses the elevator call button, and the doors whoosh open to reveal the bloody scene, with Eddings lying still on the gurney, Freyssinet holding a scalpel, two bloodied medics on the floor, and another just looking absolutely terrified.

Merram shrugs his shoulders slightly, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets, "That's what I would lik' ta know too..." He murmurs to himself.

Colleen takes the pad abruptly and steps away, she storms to a chair and sits in a huff filling out the form..."Insurance...Oh, what's Bren's number...shoot." She starts to write quickly. out the form...

The vital signs monitor hooked to Eddings is making a very annoying monotone beep.

Freyssinet turns to the security guard. "Don't come nearer, this thing may still be alive ! And we need other staffs for the injured medics."

The guard looks at Freyssinet, then at the two bloodied medics and the man on the gurney who appears to have been stabbed. His eyes go back to Freyssinet's scalpel. He raises his stungun and aims it at her. "Drop the knife."

Freyssinet is very pale, but seems in control. She nods to the guard. "Fine, fine. But I don't go anywhere near this body." She puts down the scalpel.

The other medic, not wounded but rather soaked in the blood of his colleagues, reports: "Doctor Eddings appears to be dead."

Eddings also appears to be mostly back to normal, his features having returned to their original humanoid appearance.

Save, of course, for the bloody patch on his chest. Save, of course, for the bloody patch on his chest.

Colleen mumbles about infection and fangs, her eyes occasionally rising to the receptionist. She gets more and more aggravated as she continues, finally completing it with almost illegible scrawl. She rises and pounds over to the nurse. "Now if it is contagious, it on your damn pen, too. " she huffs and takes a seat again.

Freyssinet turns to the survivors. "You saw like me, no ? The claw, the tentacle, the psionic calling ...."

Merram rocks softly as he hrms softly, glancing around the reception area and shrugs slightly as he heads for the elevators, hunting for the source of the alarm. Humming to himself.

The survivors shake their heads. The one who pronounced Eddings dead says, "All I saw was you going ballistic, stabbing him...slashing them..." He shudders. "My God..."

Freyssinet shakes her head. "I'm sure an hiver or something like that took possession of him Anyway, what did you want to do? Wait to be smashed down?" She's staying in place, apparently too stunned to move, or take care of anyone.

The receptionist stares at the pen for a moment, then drops it in a recycling bin.

The security guard scowls at Freyssinet. "Come on out of there. Slowly."

Colleen fidgets for a while, her leg nervously bouncing, tightly crossed her arms clamped over her chest, her eyes glaring at the receptionist.

Freyssinet nods to the security guard, coming out slowly, her empty hands in evidence.

The unwounded medic says, "I'll get these others...and the corpse...up to containment." He presses the lift button, and the doors slide closed.

Merram hums softly as he turns the corner to the elevators and blinks, frowning slightly as he looks around. Taking in the sight and hrms, leaning against the wall and watches and maybe, just maybe he won't be noticed. The corners of his eyes tighten as he sees Frey.

The guard says, "Don't go anywhere. You're Doctor Valmont's intern, right?"

Freyssinet sighs. "They'd rather examine safely Eddings corpse. And check his DNA." She nods, showing her badge. "Yes, I'm Dr Freyssinet."

The guard nods, then walks over to the receptionist. "Get Doctor Valmont down here, right away." He glances toward Freyssinet. "Tell him his intern's gone loopy."

The receptionist scowls, but nods. "Right away." She presses a button on her desk, activating a vidcomm.

Merram hums softly and glances around. Hrming as he hears the guard, wandering back over to a seat and sits down, waiting.

Valmont has arrived.

Colleen looks up at Frey; "Finally," she rises and steps over toward her. "Dr. Frey did that monster get locked away...?" Her eyes look at the guard,

Freyssinet shakes her head. "I'm not loopy." She's standing against the wall, very pale, waiting.

Valmont runs inside, beeper in hand. He glances toward the receptionist, then toward the scene near the secure elevator, and he frowns.

Freyssinet looks up to Colleen. "Tell them what you saw!”

Merram hums as he watches intently, idly tapping his foot, waiting.

The guard approaches Valmont. "Medic says she stabbed a patient, and slashed two of the other medics. Patient's dead."

Freyssinet looks downs. "OK, now for my version. But maybe listen first to Colleen, please."

Colleen looks to Frey, "Wha...? When? You had to kill the monster, what was it, it scared the hell out of me!"

Valmont blinks, then looks at Freyssinet. "Start talking." He attaches the beeper to his belt.

Freyssinet takes a deep breath. "The patient was Dr Eddings. I and Colleen found him, delirious, in the streets, and brought him here. When we arrived, one of the medics identified him."

Colleen looks thoroughly confused, her eyes looking to the guard, to Frey to other doctor, then round again. "Is it contagious, he sweat all over us Dr. Frey."

Ohh the wonder of being a innocent bystander. Merram chuckles softly to himself as he stands up and aimlessly closer, so he can listen.

Valmont frowns. "Eddings? The old Bright Horizons guy?"

Freyssinet continues. "Yes, exactly. When I scanned him, he was having like a Alzheimer's crisis, increased metabolism, and the scan revealed his DNA was mixed with Zangali and so on."

Colleen looks to the other doctor, "I washed it all down the sink, it won't spread will it?"

Valmont glances toward Colleen, looking her up and down. "Washed all what down the sink?"

Freyssinet pauses, straightening a bit to face Valmont. "Then, as we put him on the stretcher, he begun to have scales, fur, and weird eyes ..." Turning to Colleen, "She can testify this."

Colleen looks at the doctor. "He was seating badly, and we almost carried him here, Dr. Frey and I, so I washed up after I saw him turn into... Whatever...God, it was scary."

Valmont crosses his arms, listening, but then says, "*She* can testify? She barely sounds coherent."

Merram hrms softly, leaning against the wall.

Colleen looks over at him smartly. "Me? Incoherent? If you saw that thing you would be a little shaken, too doc."

Valmont stares darkly at Colleen, then turns his attention back to Freyssinet. "You know how this looks, don't you?"

Freyssinet sighs. "I guess, bad for me. But, please, listen. Then the doors closed. And Eddings continued morphing, but this time with tentacles ..." She stops, and shivers. "That tentacle slashed one on the medics."

Colleen bolts in, "It looks like you don't get it. What if what he had is contagious, then you got two more monsters, me and her. If it’s DNA altering, I'm a specialist descendant."

Freyssinet is now trembling. "And this thing said ... It wanted to kill us. So, I've thrown a scalpel, to defend myself." She wraps her arms around her.

Colleen glares, "Where would that put me?"

Valmont sighs, nodding. He glances toward Colleen. "I guess you should be put in a containment cell."

Freyssinet continues, ignoring Colleen. "One of the medics shouted at me, and leaned on Eddings. There ... A claw got him bad. I pressed to emergency button. And that's it." She swallows, waiting for Valmont.

Colleen crosses her arms over her chest. "Geesh, you make it sound like prison." Colleen crosses her arms over her chest.

Merram tilts his head slightly and frowns, feet shift as he watches.

Colleen looks at the doctor, then back to Frey. "He can't tell the difference between a claw wound and a scalpel, geesh I've got on tenth the education and I can."

Valmont glares at Colleen. "I haven't even seen any of the victims, so stow the smart mouth." He glances back to Freyssinet. "I want you both admitted for observation."

Colleen smiles proudly. "I suggest you check the injuries doc, that what my insurance pays you to do, right?"

Freyssinet looks around for the first time, and notices Merram, trying to catch his eyes. She turns back to Valmont. "OK."

Valmont glances toward a waiting nurse. "Take them both to a room that we can secure, if necessary. I want them tested for blood alcohol, foreign chems, consciousness-altering narcotics..."

Colleen looks at the guard, "Separate rooms, so we collaborate stories either, I suppose."

Freyssinet nods. "A secure examination of Eddings's body, and of the wounds of the two medics will be very important."

The guard shrugs. "This ain't the police station."

Merram nods slightly to Frey and grins weakly as he pushes off the wall and wanders closer, humming to himself.

Colleen looks to Frey, "wounds will verify you didn't initiate it."

Valmont blinks at Freyssinet. "I'm not an idiot. But, you better hope you had no choice in this matter, Doctor. Because if you did - your career here is over before it ever started, and you'll be lucky to practice medicine on Sivad again."

Freyssinet calls Merram. "Merr, please tell Bartholomew I'm probably not getting back home ... tonight." She says semi-jokingly.

Colleen eyes open wide, "Oh my God, I gotta call Brenda."

Freyssinet nods to Valmont. "I had no choice, or we were all dead."

Merram tilts his head a bit and nods, "Sur'... Ya goin' ta be ok?" He calls back.

Valmont knits his brow. "Did you sedate him?"

Freyssinet frowns. "You'll have to ask the paramedics, I can't remember."

Valmont sighs, shaking his head. "Oh, God, if you didn't even try to sedate him..." He puts a palm to his forehead.

Freyssinet sighs. "Tell that to the medic that got ripped off by the claw. I wouldn't have got anywhere near this... thing."

Valmont chuckles mordantly. "Try telling that to this hospital's board of directors."

Merram hrms, rocking lightly on his feet. Listening and not liking what he hears.

Colleen lets herself be led off to quarantine, "Good luck, Dr. Frey."

The receptionist turns from the vidcomm, telling Dr. Valmont: "The two wounded medics are going to live. Doctor Eddings is confirmed dead, but they're locking his body in a secure freezer for your examination."

Freyssinet shrugs, and nods to Colleen. "Thanks. I don't think you have any contamination, though."

Valmont nods to the receptionist, then looks back to Freyssinet. "You know, this is probably going to cost me *my* job too. I vouched for you." He sighs. "Go on. Get checked out."

Freyssinet turns back to Valmont. "Sorry for that. Well, tell me as soon as the autopsies say something." She waves to Merram, heavily, and follows the quarantine team.

Valmont nods, then turns and heads for his office.

Merram sighs, shaking his head, "Ohh boy..." He mumbles as he watches Frey leave, then spins on his heel and walks back out onto the street. A slight limp in his step. his heel and walks back out onto the street.