Electric Dreams (Final Draft)

By Yotna El'toub

The orange streetlights flickered to life in the mist of early evening; all along the road ill-defined windows shone their halos of light. Even at this hour many continued to work on at the University. The illuminated laboratories bright panes gave evidence of their academic dedication. One building stood further back from the crowded jumble of lecture theatres and offices. It was from an earlier more refined era, and was barricaded from the street by neat manicured lawns and a wrought iron fence. Beside the stout studded oak door hung a brass plate; it read.

“School of Pathology”

In a neat engraved script, running down from the doorway white stone steps sank between two towering columns resolutely supporting the porch of the Victorian façade. The Schools windows were darkened pools, mere sightless portals, all except one. High up on the third floor a single window beaconed its presence into the chill of the Oxford night.

The lit room was occupied by a lone figure clothed in a white laboratory coat. It sat crouched on a stool, a study of profound concentration. The quiet hum of computers and electronic equipment filled the sterile space. The high tech contents were strangely out of context with the stained oak benching and aged décor of the ancient laboratory. On the wall above the door a round-faced wooden clock added it’s antique ticking to the chorus of twenty-first century sounds. The scientist moved, and as if woken from a prolonged slumber stretched, arching his cramped back.

He sauntered over to a bank of cages and extracted the closest rabbit - tenderly he stroked it. Gently he rested the rabbit in the test jig and secured it in place. Stretching to the left the scientist picked up a blunt glass rod and touched it against the creature’s front left paw. As anticipated the rabbit first twitched its paw, and then attempted to move it away from the stimulus. He ran his hand up the creatures back to the twin areas of shaved skin on the rabbit’s neck. Quickly and efficiently each area was washed with alcohol and an electrode was attached in place. A repeated touch with the glass rod confirmed that the subject reacted as it did earlier - all was prepared. A gentle stoke of the rabbit’s back settled it in position - the patient looked comfortable and secure.

Walking swiftly around the bench the scientist glanced through the laboratory window into the moist night. Jeff glanced at his watch although it was only 7 pm and already it was dark - autumn was really starting to bite. The oscilloscope beside him flickered continuously as he made some fine adjustments to the potentiometer on the circuit board. The sinusoidal pulse flickered and morphed into an squarer form, it started to resemble the nerve impulses he had observed in his earlier animal studies. Jeff inverted the signal, it now looked the precise inverse of the recorded impulses; carefully he tuned the frequency to match the nerves output. It was time to test the rabbit’s pain threshold.

Jeff sighed as he threw the switch on the wave generator; this had to be absolutely the last run today, Sara would kill him if he were late tonight. Unconsciously Jeff grimaced at the thought of an evening with Frank and Ellie, not that Ellie was a problem, but Frank now that was a different matter! Still it couldn't be avoided, not this time - Ellie had told Sara she had something important to announce. Why she couldn't just tell her sister on the phone confused Jeff, but then that was the girl for you.

Jeff picked up the glass rod and repeated the earlier procedure with the glass rod. There was no telltale twitch, the rabbit continued to sniff the air and survey the lab. Jeff applied more force this time pressing into the sensitive plump pad. Still nothing, Jeff was a little taken aback; the rabbit should at least find this uncomfortable. Jeff thought for a second and then replaced the glass rod with a sharp surgical pin. Its tip slid easily into the rabbits flesh, he let go of the pin and stood there, mouth agape as the bunny ignored the pain totally. There must be a precise waveform match - only this could account for such a complete loss of sensation! 

Jeff reached over and switched off the wave generator, the effect was startling; immediately the rabbit shook its left paw and attempted to move it away from the pin. The rabbit’s eyes widened, it certainly felt the deeply buried metal now. Jeff switched the generator back on and calmed the animal before removing the offending pin. Jeff cleaned the paw thoroughly with a surgical wipe and then returned the rabbit to its cage with a fresh supply of food and water.

Jeff returned to his desk and dutifully noted his observations in his lab book. Relaxing he threw his pen down on the desk; it bounced once and fell to the floor - before rolling far under the desk. Jeff crouched down and retrieved the pen; straightening up a little too quickly he smashed his head violently on the desk overhang. Shit! That hurt, Jeff vigorously rubbed the back of his head. It was then that the idea collided with him, and he had his eureka moment. He could test the waveform on himself, I mean bunnies fine - but would it work on a human?

He booted up his PC and logged in, the program started and Jeff connected the RS 232 cable. First he made a digital construct of the active waveform. Once this was complete he superimposed a human nerve impulse and combined the characteristics. He switched the software to output mode and the wave generator displayed a perfect inverse replica of the altered waveform on the oscilloscope. It was now or never, Jeff walked over to the sink and rolled up the left sleeve of his lab coat. Thick dark hair fell into the sink as he shaved two square patches on his tanned arm. Jeff returned to the bench, sat down and applied the electrodes; his muscles twitched slightly as the impulses surged through his skin.

Jeff picked up a fresh surgical pin in his right hand and went to plunge it into the bed of his left palm. He stopped just short; this was actually surprisingly hard to do. He doubted his own resolution; self-harm was so instinctively wrong. Jeff gritted his teeth and thrust the sharp tip firmly into his skin. He felt - absolutely nothing! The bright pin stood on a vertical quivering in his palm, but there was no pain! Flushed with success he plunged the pin repeatedly in and out of his palm, nothing. Well nothing - other than a series of tiny painless bloody dots. Jeff reached over to flick the used pin into the sharps bin; clumsy to the last his right elbow sent a breaker crashing to the floor.

"Shit" He cursed.

Jeff reached down and diligently cleared up the splinters of glass. As he brushed the last of the splinters into the bin he noticed the trail of crimson staining the floor. He had cut himself without realising it! Jeff glanced at his hands to check them for scratches. 

Sticking sickeningly out of the thumb joint of his left hand was a large shard of glass, blood slickly pumped over its clear surface. That was quite nasty; he felt a little sick but again no pain - in fact no sensation at all from his injured thumb. Carefully he plucked out the sliver and dropped it into the sharps bin. Swiftly and without thought Jeff opened his lab book to record his pain free injury. This action pulled the wires on the electrodes a little too far, and one of the pads fell off his newly shaved skin. The pain hit him hard as it welled up from the deep gash, his head swam and the nausea made an instant unwelcome return. Jeff struggled to hold down his lunch as he staggered off to the first aid cabinet.

Once the dressing was in place and the wound no longer glaringly visible Jeff cheered up. In fact as he bound his hand he started to whistle tunelessly. Cut or no cut this had been a good day, the waveform certainly worked on humans! The total loss of sensation was a major drawback, but surely this was just a matter of some refinement. He finally had something to show the Professor, and enough for a preliminary publication. 

Still whistling Jeff switched off the lab lights and locked the door. He swept through the damp quiet of the blanketed streets as he cycled back to Cowley. His mood dimmed slightly when he saw Frank’s car carelessly dumped on the kerb outside his dark blue front door. Jeff glanced at his watch once again 9:45 - he was in trouble. Sara glared meaningfully at him as he entered the hall.

"Sorry love, but I've done it!" Jeff started to explain.

"Yes, you have! I wanted you back early for a reason; Frank and Ellie have news. She's pregnant!" Sara’s tone was cutting.

"That's really great, how far gone is she?" Jeff asked enthusiastically.

"Why don't you ask her yourself now you're finally home. Dinners ruined you know!" Sara complained as she returned to the kitchen.

Jeff felt more than a little remorse; the experiment could have waited for the morning after all. He had to take more care of Sara, and not always put the project first. He had seen many academic marriages flounder on the rocks of ambition.

Jeff looked at his reflection in the mirror, and the slow shake of the head matched his broken mood. As Jeff stripped off his coat he found room for a small smile, he felt genuinely pleased for Ellie she was a nice girl. Pity the kid had to have Frank as a dad though, ah well - with any luck it would take after its mother. Jeff sighed as he walked towards the lounge door, his evenings entertainment awaited within.