Chibi Pherret
Searchname
Excerpts from the Journal of Professor Higgles
June 11
I have received an interesting letter today, one that intrigues me greatly and also one that brings up memories of my halcyon days as Yalevard. There were five of us in those days, myself, Potter Montrose, Barry Nema, Afred G. Pnueman and Regi- how much fun we used to have gallivanting about the genetics laboratory, splicing this gene with that gene, building hyper infra red telescopes with which to watch the lady's locker room across the quad! Most of them are gone now, passed on into the greater research laboratories in the sky, all except for myself, and Reginald Soxs.
The letter arrived in the morning mail just as I was setting down to my normal tea, and only a week after I, reluctantly, tendered my resignation at Barclay. It was not, I must admit, a very voluntary resignation, but they did present me with a very fine pocket watch as a memento of the fifty something years I labored there. Suffice it to say, at this juncture in my life, a random letter from one of my boy-hood compatriots struck me as a good omen.
It is an invitation, of the sort I am unable to turn down. It seems that Regi's life long pursuit of research is reaching a critical moment, one which may just put all of science upon it's ear, one which may indeed change the very fabric of life itself! How can I refuse such an invite when I feel so honored he remembers me at this most crutial moment of his life?
June 14
I have arrived at Yalevard, and the cozy academic home of my good friend, Doctor Soxs. I arrived on the train this morning, we had a lovely tea at the quaint station house, and then we took a tour of the facilities. How they have changed since last I saw them! One thing has not changed though; the eager faces of students waiting to be filled with the knowledge of their elders is much the same here as it is anywhere else; that is to say, lacking. When we adjourned to the house, I was shown my own room. Apparently, I am to be a guest for some time now and in this I do not mind. Nothing was holding me home any longer; this can be home for the time being. I will now unpack and take an afternoon nap, for the excursions of the morning were trying upon this old Cognoscenti's bones.
June 14 ~ supplemental
I am a little shocked by the news I have just received over dinner, though naturally I had the good grace to not expose my emotion to my host. Can it be true, what he claims? Can he really have found it? Is it possible that the dreams of mankind since the dawn of time are about to be fulfilled? I am both daunted, and excited by that momentous, victorious declaration over the mashed potatoes. "Higs, old boy," Regi had said to me, a particular shine in his eyes, "Tomorrow we begin testing the serum of youth."
June 15
Oh, calamity! Why does the bureaucratic machine feel it necessary to constantly interpose itself between a brilliant scientist and his work? Ethics be damned, all knowledge is for the betterment of society, let others worry about possible implications and the like! We had scarcely arrived at the lab and were selecting our test subjects from among the undergrad population when a very authoritative man burst in, flanked by campus security and the Dean of Science himself. It should be noted that the Dean was wringing his hands in angst, clearly distraught, but whether that was for the potential scandal the pompous bureaucrat proposed or because of the actual research I do not know.
They shoved a ream of very official looking documents at us, declaring a cease and desist order had been placed upon Doctor Soxs' experiment, citing a bunch of tripe about the common good and the ethical treatment of undergrads, like we were not paying them the requisite twenty sp for their involvement. The long and short of it, after a vicious verbal battle that left my good friend winded and wheezing, we were ordered to close up the laboratory pending investigation. We did so, sadly.
Oddly, as we were leaving and the door was being chained, Reginald seemed to smile, an embittered but cunning smile I only ever recall seeing that one time, when we built that telescope.
June 15 ~ supplemental
I now know what that smile was for. Reginald, it seems, had palmed several vials of his serum during the altercation this morning. After my afternoon nap, I moved into the study only to find my friend slumped over his desk, an empty vial in his paw. Immediately I checked his life signs, then noted that not only was he in as good a health one might ask for in a Pherret of his age, but he also had upon his desk a log of all his vital signs; pulse, respiration, sugars, heart beat, even reflex time. He roused when I touched him and grinned up at me. "Higs, that document of theirs didn't say I couldn't test it on myself, now did it?" To say I was aghast at this revelation would be a great understatement. But he soon calmed me down, and even, I admit, converted me to his way of thinking by his infectious enthusiasm. And now I am to be part of the experiment myself, as the control subject, and so my vitals are likewise jotted down. We decided to go out to eat, and made it in time for the early bird at the Hoose Trough, where our senior discounts netted us a great price on the buffet. A good thing too, Regi seems to have starved himself and shoveled food into his maw faster than I thought possible. Also, it seemed to me both his eyes and his hands were more youthful than yesterday. We dutifully plotted all his vital signs in his log, and mine as well and now I will turn in. It is late, nearly 9, and it has been an exciting day.
June 16 early morning
It was a ragtime riff that woke me, one of those I remember being popular when I was in school. As quick as I could, I rose, put on my robe and slippers and followed downstairs to the sitting room where in Reginald had an old upright. There he was, sitting at the ivories, tickling them like an old lover. Old? No, a young lover!
How can I describe the glossy fur, the fuller face, the eyes unsunken bright and alert? The serum has worked and better than we anticipated; all of his vitals were strong, healthy, those of a man twenty years younger than our age. In celebration we sang old songs and passed around a very good vintage even older than we are. And then I was given a present.
He told me that now we had proof, there was no longer need for us to have a control subject. He told me that what better proof of the success of his experiment than two old codgers rejuvenated to the peek of their life. He told me that there was no one else he'd rather relive his life with than myself and that he'd not want another of our group to die. It was foolish, I am sure it was, but I did it anyway. I have taken the serum. And now I shall retake to my bed for I do feel a little dizzy and hope that my results are as miraculous as my friend.
June 17
Today we went to a store and bought complete new wardrobes. It was right after lunch when the Dean of Science paid us a visit, though Reginald, in a pique of annoyance, refused the man admittance. I dare say he is looking even better today than yesterday; even the grizzled fur about his muzzle has regained its shine. As for myself, I am pleased to note that my dizziness is good, my vitals are ridiculously good- even the small problem I have with my sugars has been eradicated. At any rate, the Dean came and told Reginald that the hearing was held this morning, without our knowledge, and it was decided by the board to ask him to tender his resignation. Can you imagine the audacity? The sheer stupidity I should say, to so readily dismiss a brilliant researcher on the cusp of his greatest success. However, Reginald took it in stride. After all, he told me, once we had collected all our data, what university or even private business wouldn't throw all the money in the world at us?
"And the girls, Higs. We'll be rich men, rich and young. We'll have girls aplenty. Come, let us update our look to prepare!"
That is what brought us to the store. Several students of Doctor Soxs stopped us enroute to comment to him about how well he was looking and how sorry they were he was retiring. One busty Kumos batted her eyes at me- or was that my imagination?
At any rate, we decided to attend a night club, or what the kids call, "Clubbing" tonight. I must say I feel invigorated enough to dance the night away, although I am not at all sure they still do the Charleston.
June 18
Reginald woke today with a bit of a headache, but otherwise we are both remarkably healthy. Perhaps he imbibed at the club a little too well. We did have a wonderful time and that Kumos even gave me a kiss. I felt old stirrings sluggishly rising within me but I still went home alone. Why alone? Because Regi went home with a fetching undergrad Fester with legs up to.....well I should say he left the club with. He came home alone himself sometime after I had retired. He is a bit irritable today, but that is to be expected, didn't feel like logging in our vitals and such. To be honest, I didn't feel like it much myself but science is a wicked task mistress with an even wickeder whip. Hm. Whip. I wonder if that Kumos..what was her name, Lucinda or something...I wonder if she likes leather?
June 19
Forgot about this, suppose I should log in. Reg and I played some Pong last night and he beat me six times in a row. SIX. I demand a rematch, he must have reprogrammed the game or something. He's good with computers and stuff. The girls called, wanted to hang out, I think we're going back to that club. The 'good juice' as Reg and I have dubbed the serum is working so good. We're almost ready to make it public and get all rich, only, neither of us seems inclined to do the write up. Maybe we'll get the girls to do it while we get our pong on.
June 20
I totally kicked his ASS. The girls split early, they were bored or something, whatever. That doesn't matter, I totally beat Regi and now I am the champion, my friends. HA HA HA HA
June 20 ~ supplemental
heh, I said ass
THANK YOU
Although I did the layout, story, art and code for this profile, I could NEVER have done it had I not first started learning how subeta likes things coded from Subeta Lodge and kept learning from Subeta CSS Compendium . So my sincerest thanks go out to both the site and the guide maker for being generally awesome ^.^
Note: The image of Soxs and Higgles as youthened babies ARE the offical site overlays, with diapers and some scenery tossed in. Subeta's wonderful pet artists did the Pet art for both in that image. The remainder however, are my own.
