Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1996 15:37:56 -0500 Reply-To: Lynn Messing Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories X-UIDL: 850950932.011 From: Lynn Messing Subject: Memory Challenge: Memories (1/1) To: Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L Status: RO Content-Length: 2530 X-Lines: 54 Hello all! The seeds of a story planted themselves in my mind, but alas my own writing is not up to the task of fleshing them out (to mix metaphors). Since the idea could be expanded in a number of different directions, some quite poignant, others humourous, I decided to issue a challenge to folks to see what those who *can* write can do with it. Since it is a tradition that a challenge issuer write the first story, I'll try my hand at a very short one here, and issue the challenge at the end. I welcome feedback both on the challenge in general, and my story in particular. Memories (1/1) by Lynn Messing It had all seemed so perfect at the time. All of those thousands of extra hours at the lab had finally paid off...She knew without question that in her hands she held "The Cure" (she always thought of it in capital letters). She could still see the exuberant grin spreading across Nick's face when she told him the good news, and it still brought a smile to her own face as she recalled how eagerly, and yet gingerly, he reached for the mug. He had downed its conents with an odd mixture of greed and reverence. At last, his salvation was at hand! As Natalie had expected, the vampire in Nick did die, leaving Nick a very healthy, very mortal man. Unfortunately, she hadn't realized that it was the vampire which held Nick's non-mortal memories; she hadn't realized it, that is, until she started to hear him speak in Brabantish... Natalie broke off her reveries with a start when she heard Nick's psychiatrist approach. She thought to herself that at least this institution had plenty of windows for the patients to look out of. Even if no one could understand what he was saying, it was obvious Nick liked being in the sunlight. *** So there you have it. The challenge is as follows: Suppose that somehow (the details are up to you), Nick gets cured. BUT, either due to the nature of the cure itself, or to the nature of the vampire's relationship with Nick's body, when Nick becomes mortal again, he reverts precisely to who he was in 1228... This includes not only his life signs, but also his memories, language abilities, cultural outlook, etc. How does this "time traveller" adapt to his new life? And what does Natalie do to help him? Feel free to suppose, if you wish, that once cured, Nick could not be brought back across. What would LC do then? I hope others take me up on this challenge..I'm looking forward to reading other folks' "take" on it. :) cheers, Lynn Messing messing@asel.udel.edu