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

   by Yotna El'toub

   Jeff worked on into the early evening.  Jeff glanced at his watch 7 pm.
The oscilloscope beside him flickered as he made some fine adjustments to
the potentiometer on the breadboard.  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.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 a rod touching its paw.

   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.

   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 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.

   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.  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.  he Idea hit him at once.

   He booted up his PC and logged in.  First he made a digital construct of
the waveform, once this was complete he superimposed a human nerve impulse
and combined the characteristics.  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.

   Jeff picked up a clean surgical pin in his right hand and went to plunge
it in his left palm.  Jeff gritted his teeth and thrust the sharp tip
firmly into the skin.  He felt absolutely nothing the pin stood 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.  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.  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.  There was 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.

   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.  He
finally had something to show the Professor.  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," the 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!