Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 Electric Dreams (second Draft)

   by Yotna El'toub

   As Jeff worked on into the early evening he occasionally glanced at the
windows in the lab.  This time they were all darkened panes, Jeff glanced
at his watch 7 pm autumn was really starting to bite.  The oscilloscope
beside him flickered as he made some fine adjustments to the potentiometer
on the breadboard.  The sinusoidal pulse flickered and morphed into a
squarer form, that started to resemble the nerve impulses he had observed
in the animal studies.  Jeff inverted the signal, it looked the precise
inverse of the pain impulses; carefully he tuned the frequency to match -
it was time for a test subject.

   He sauntered over to the bank of cages and extracted the closest rabbit
tenderly he stroked it.  Gently he rested the rabbit in the test jig and
secured it.  Jeff picked up a blunt glass rod and touched it against the
creature's front left paw.  The response was as anticipated the rabbit
first twitched its paw, and then attempted to move it away from the
stimulus.  Two bare areas of shaved skin were visible on the rabbits neck
Jeff secured an electrode on each.  Jeff briefly confirmed that the rabbit
was comfortable and reacted to the rod as it did earlier all was prepared.

   Jeff sighed as he threw the switch on the wave generator; this had to be
the last run today, Sara would kill him if he was 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 confused Jeff, but then that was the girls for you.

   Jeff picked up the glass rod and repeated the earlier procedure.  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
find this uncomfortable.  Jeff replaced the glass rod with a surgical pin,
it slid easily into the rabbits flesh, he let go and stood mouth agape as
the bunny ignored the pain totally.  There must be a precise waveform match
the pain impulse and the wave generator was canceling each other, result
total 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 rabbits eyes widened, it sure felt the buried
metal now.  Jeff switched the generator back on and calmed the animal
before removing the offending pin.  Jeff cleaned the paw tenderly with a
surgical wipe before returning the rabbit to its cage with a fresh supply
of food.

   Jeff returned to his desk and dutifully noted his observations in his
notebook.  Relaxing he threw his pen down on the desk, it bounced and flew
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 on the desk.  Shit!  That hurt, Jeff vigorously rubbed the back of his
head.  It was then that the idea collided with him, 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
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 replica of the altered waveform on
the oscilloscope.  He walked over to the sink and rolled up the sleeve of
his lab coat, thick dark hair fell into the sink as he shaved two patches
on his arm.  He sat down and applied the electrodes, his muscles twitched
slightly as the impulses surged through his skin.

   Jeff picked up a clean surgical pin in his right hand and went to plunge
it in his left palm.  He stopped short, this was actually quite hard to do,
and it went against common sense.  Jeff gritted his teeth and thrust the
sharp tip firmly into the skin.  He felt absolutely nothing the pin stood
vertically quivering in his palm, but there was no pain!  Flushed with
success he plunged the pin repeated ly in and out of his palm, nothing,
well nothing other than a series of tiny bloody dots.  Jeff reached over to
flick the pin in the sharps bin, clumsy to the last he sent a breaker
crashing to the floor.

   "Shit" He cursed.

   Jeff reached down and instinctively cleared up the splinters of glass.
As he brushed the last of the splinters into the bin he noticed the trail
of crimson on the bench.  He had cut himself without realising it.  Jeff
glanced at his hands to check them for scratches.  Sticking out of the
thumb joint of his left hand was a large shard of glass, blood streamed
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. 
Diligently he plucked out the sliver and dropped it into the sharps bin. 
He turned to his notebook to record his observations.  This pulled the
electrodes a little to far, and one popped off his arm.  The pain hit him
hard, his head swam and the nausea returned.  Jeff struggled to hold down
his lunch.

   Once the dressing was in place and the wound no longer visible Jeff
cheered up.  In fact as he bound his hand he started to whistle.  Cut or no
cut this had been a good day, the waveform certainly worked on humans!  The
total loss of sensation was a drawback, but surely just a matter of some
refinement.  He finally had something to show the Professor.  Still
whistling he switched of the lab lights and locked the door.  Before long
he was sweeping through the quiet streets of Oxford cycling 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 9:15 he was in trouble.  Sara glanced 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 tone was cutting.

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

   "Why don't you ask her yourself noe you're finally here.  Dinners ruined
you know" Sara commented as she returned to the kitchen.

   As Jeff stripped off his coat he felt genuinely pleased for Ellie, she
was a nice girl.  Pity the kid had to have Frank as a dad though!