The Good Doctor's Tales Folio Six Read online

  Something wasn’t right, here. Poe of the no last name had far too much presence for a Transform woman. Her juice ached with strength only a Major Transform should possess. The Commander nonsense also kept shivering Tonya’s juice, meaning it was something of importance. Yes, something very fishy was going on here.

  Tonya picked up the phone and dialed.

  Hammer Time

  (1964)

  Tonya recognized today’s problem. Once, this sort of problem had been common in her house, Transforms ‘getting ideas’ and acting on them on their own. She didn’t enjoy having to punish her Transforms for this sort of thing, but if she didn’t, a Transform could slip her control. She knew from experience what misery might result.

  “Marty?”

  “Yes, ma’am? I’ve been meaning…” Marty Fenner said, and stopped. He stood in front of Tonya’s desk in her combination bedroom and office and seemed to have no idea of his transgression. Tonya frowned at him from behind her desk and stripped him down into low juice. He fell to his knees, brought low by pain. “Ma’am?”

  He had seen a problem in household supply procurement – too much tissue paper, paper towels and toilet paper, and not enough milk and fruit juices. He had corrected it by himself. “Fenner, next time you get a bright idea about how to run the household, run it by me first before you change anything. All changes to the household budget must be approved by me before they’re implemented. Understand?”

  “Ma’am, I…”

  He still didn’t understand. He had been a member of her household for six months, and quite a good one. Nevertheless, it was her household, not anyone else’s. She needed to make that clear. She kept his juice low and painful, and let him sweat.

  “My decision,” Tonya said. She came out from behind her desk and stood over the kneeling man. What he had tried to say was that he was only trying to help. She didn’t want any help, though. Nor did she need any help. “Always my decision.”

  Now he understood. “Yes, ma’am,” he said.

  “Good. Don’t make this mistake again,” she said. Tonya turned and left Marty kneeling, and adjusted his juice to one day’s use above the low juice state. Uncomfortable for Marty, but not absurdly so. Enough to remind him of his errors while he worked through his daily chores before going out to his real-world job. At least he hadn’t managed to mess that up yet – he still had a job, and still brought in money for the household.

  ---

  “We’re going to be meeting at the usual place, in Norrie State Park,” Focus Polly Keistermann said. “Be there by noon on Saturday.”

  “We’ll be there,” Tonya said, and hung up the phone. Damn. She moved the phone to the corner of her desk and put her head in her hands. She hadn’t been able to weasel out of Polly why the executive council of the Northeast Region needed an emergency meeting. Machinations like this made her head hurt.

  If Tonya and her entourage left well before dawn, they could use the freeway system, cut through the New York City area, and reach the State Park – ten miles north of Poughkeepsie – early. Keep the trip down to a few hours. If they left at six, it would take them until noon to make it, because of traffic.

  On Saturday, Tonya and her people, two cars worth, bodyguards and aides, took off at four in the morning. She wasn’t able to sleep in the car – as a Focus, she needed less than half the sleep each night as she had once needed, and could get by with less. Instead, she closed her eyes and thought, not lulled by the hum of the engine or the warmth of the rising sun. The visit by Poe bothered her more than it ought to. In addition, Tonya couldn’t figure out why Shirley had told her to not talk about those sort of visits over the phone. Even more annoying, her last Monster hunt had been a bust: she and her people had been unable to find the Monster, and she still got the shakes thinking about the fruitless hunt, always sure the Monster was about to jump them from surprise and kill more of her people.

  When her entourage pulled into the State Park hours later, Tonya found Polly already there. She had already chased off a cul-de-sac worth of campers from their campsites, enough for the executive committee. Tonya directed her driver to take the campsite beside Polly’s, and after the car stopped, Tonya waited until Tommy opened the car door for her and handed her out of the car.

  “Good morning, Polly,” Tonya said, looking over the area Polly had chosen. Four campsites, each with a picnic table and fire pit, secluded, well wooded, with a distant view of the Hudson through the trees. She walked over to where her peer and former friend was directing traffic among her people. “Who’s going to make it?” She knew better than to ask the topic of the meeting.

  Polly smiled one of her fake smiles, and led Tonya away from where Polly’s catering crew set up food and defenses in preparation for the meeting. They were from Polly’s own household. Polly’s household business was Mercury Catering, a viable catering concern, and as usual Polly had them running like clockwork. “Shirley’s too busy to attend,” Polly said, and Tonya nodded. Shirley Patterson, one of the first Focuses and one of Tonya’s important backers, rarely attended any of the business meetings these days, even though she was officially in charge of all the Focuses, the political power behind the Focus Council. “Suzie’s expected – she’s the one who called the meeting.” Focus Susan Schrum was the President of the Northeast Region, and a politically powerful first Focus. Tonya was surprised to discover Suzie had called the meeting. Suzie wasn’t known for her skill at delegation, and Polly was doing the meeting organization. “Anne is going to make it.” Anne Trail, also a member of the first Focus generation, was little more than a follower of Suzie Schrum. It surprised Tonya that Focus Trail was even invited – she was just a titular member of the executive council, a courtesy extended to all the local first generation Focuses. “Marcia, Lynn and Christina are going to make it, as well.”

  Tonya nodded. Marcia Abernathy, Lynn Roscoe and Christina Hubenak were the other politically important members of the second generation Focuses in the Northeast Region. In Tonya’s opinion, Marcia was a twit who didn’t deserve to attend even the open meetings, but Suzie Schrum had pushed and gotten her in the executive committee anyway. Another vote in Suzie’s pocket. This made seven attendees, and the implications of having those exact seven were not lost on Tonya. Something fishy was going on.

  All morning, various Focuses and entourages trickled in, squeezing seven entourages into four campsites, each greeting the others in turn as they arrived. After a large snack and lunch, the Focuses gathered around the most remote picnic table, with Suzie Schrum claiming the end of the table, sitting there like a queen on a ratty folding chair she had provided. Two hours of household chit-chat had already passed, the sort of chit-chat that could continue all day, with the number of Transforms each of the seven of them were responsible for.

  “Focuses, we’ve got a problem, and I’m not going to dance around the edges of this one,” Suzie said, after putting down her fork. She was beautiful, as almost all Focuses were beautiful, but in a pinched, narrow sort of way. Her light brown hair was always a tad off, and her mouth settled naturally into a frown. Silence descended like night at her statement, all eyes now on Suzie Schrum. “Focus Julius has become unhappy with some of the recent Council decisions and has decided to start up a rival group to either split the Focuses or to replace the Council.” Suzie’s comment brought mutters from everyone except Polly, who Tonya realized must have already known. This was a big problem. Mary Beth Julius was one of the first Focuses, in fact, the eldest of the active first generation Focuses. Tonya had never met Focus Julius, and knew little about her, as Julius was a South Region Focus and had never attended any of the national Focus Council meetings during Tonya’s tenure.

  “As you may or may not know, Mary Beth was the leader of the Focuses for the first half of the planning phase of the quarantine breakout,” Suzie said, grimacing and tapping her forefinger on the wooden table. “I wouldn’t say her leadership was an unmitigated disaster, but it was close. Only
after Focus Rhodes was killed by the FBI did Shirley take over.”

  Nods around the table, and more muttering – the story of Marla Rhodes’ death was one of the more well-known Focus stories, with a moral none of the first or second generation Focuses could ignore. Focuses weren’t alone as Major Transforms, and their male opposition, though secretive and supposedly non-existent according to UFA official policy, were dangerous in their own right. Tonya hadn’t known Rhodes’ death led to Focus Patterson’s takeover of the pre-Breakout Focus leadership. Tonya didn’t participate in the muttering, instead keeping her attention directed at Suzie Schrum.

  “The group she’s started up she’s calling the LPS, the Lucy People’s Society,” Suzie said, gazing at each of the Focuses in turn around the table. “Have any of you been contacted?”

  Tonya shook her head, but Polly nodded, as did Lynn and Christina. Christina suddenly looked pale.

  “I see,” Suzie said. Her bodyguards walked up to her back, and improbably, Christina’s walked up behind Christina’s back, as well. “For those of you who have not been contacted, the stated goal of the LPS is to aid the FBI and other governmental authorities who are trying to hunt down the renegade Focus-Monster, Stacy Keaton, and to make it such that when other Focus-Monsters transform, they are treated like true Monsters.” The authorities killed true Monsters out of hand. “But that’s just Mary Beth’s cover story. The real goal of the LPS is to supplant the Council – they’re just using the Focus-Monster question as a leverage point.”

  “They contacted me because I’ve voted against the majority in the Council regarding these failed Focuses,” Polly said. “I told them to get lost.”

  Polly’s comment brought a large smile to Suzie’s face. It looked unnatural there. “Well, Polly, it’s nice to hear that. You’ve earned a lot of respect among the average Focuses. With that and the clout you have on the Council, you’d have made a nice plum to fall into Mary Beth’s lap.”

  “But Suzie, you know I’d never go against the wishes of the Council,” Polly twittered. Tonya tried not to wince at her former friend’s antics. Polly wasn’t a fluff-head, though she portrayed one when she needed to. Polly was, actually, a rather independent Focus, elected to an at-large Council seat through the strength of her politicking with Focuses across the country. A couple of years ago, before her election to the at-large Council seat, she published – just among the Focuses – a large pamphlet on the subject of Focus charisma, some of it rather technical in nature, likely cribbed from an unknown collaborator or just plain stolen. Before her paper, none of the Focuses believed their charisma had anything to do with the juice, or the fact they were Focuses. The juice component of Focus charisma had been Tonya’s discovery, a result of a long conversation with a knowledgeable but arrogant doctor and researcher. Afterwards, she had shared the information with Polly, her closest friend among the Focuses at the time. Polly had named it, followed up on the research, and had been far more rigorous in her investigation of it than Tonya could have ever been. Tonya had agreed things would work out better if only one of them claimed its discovery, and since Polly had named the trick as ‘charisma’, she sat back and let Polly claim all the credit. In return, Polly had agreed to help Tonya politically. They had both gotten on the national Focus Council, but the first Focuses hadn’t been amused at the tricks they pulled to get there. The firsters had put them both through the ringer after they got on the Focus Council, and in the process drove a wedge between the two of them and ended their friendship. Polly had managed to maintain her independent power base, but Tonya hadn’t, and many considered her to be little more than a well-bought flunky of Schrum, Adkins and Patterson.

  No, Polly and Suzie Schrum didn’t see eye to eye on many issues at all.

  “You’re making a big mistake,” Christina said, leaning forward intently. “Focus Julius may be going against the Focus Council, but regarding these so-called failed Focuses, the Council is wrong. The Focus-Monsters are too dangerous and untamable. They’re predators, filthy predators who prey on us – on Transforms and Focuses.” Focus Lucy Peoples had died trying to help the first of the failed Focuses, back before the first Focuses broke out of the government quarantine. The Council believed it was the government’s mistake, playing political games with doctors and treatments – and not that of the failed Focus – that led to Lucy Peoples’ death.

  “Let’s vote, then, on this,” Suzie said. “Everyone in favor of supporting the Council on this question?”

  Five hands went up, all save Christina and Lynn. A moment later, Lynn’s hand went up as well.

  “All in favor of requiring unanimity on the Northeast Region executive council regarding this question?”

  Four hands went up. This time, neither Polly nor Lynn supported Suzie. Four, though, was enough to carry the question.

  “So that’s the way it’s going to be?” Christina said. “Fine. I’m off the executive council, then. I’m not about to compromise my principles for such foolishness.” She stood and stalked off, covered by her bodyguards. In a few minutes, her entire entourage had pulled out of the campground.

  “Well,” Suzie said, after Christina’s car pulled around the corner and vanished – and Suzie had signaled for her bodyguards to stand down, “Enough of this unpleasantness. I move…”

  Anne cleared her throat, and raised her hand.

  “Yes, Anne?” Suzie said.

  “Ma’am, I’d like to request that, um, ma’am, that, uh, ma’am I’m going to resign,” Anne said. The poor Focus looked like she was about to be sick. To Tonya, Anne looked like the stress of just this one meeting had gotten to her. Suzie shook her head at her fellow first generation Focus. “I’m resigning my position on the executive council, ma’am.”

  “I heard you the first time, Anne,” Suzie said. She crossed her arms and glared at her fellow Focus. “Fine. Fine. I guess it was inevitable.” Anne Trail had never become comfortable acting outside of what she considered a woman’s role in life. The more serious Focus politics became, the farther back Anne backpedaled from power. She hunched her shoulders now, timid and meek as always.

  “Madam President?” Polly said, a helpful but false smile on her face. “This leaves two vacancies, and as much as I hate to admit it, I don’t think there are two suitable members of either the first or second generation of Focuses in our region who can take them.”

  “Your point?” Suzie said, her voice now a low growl. Unplanned, but predictable – Polly grabbing immediate payback for her support of Suzie against Christina.

  “There are younger Focuses…”

  “Untrustworthy younger Focuses who’ve never been under the thumb of the government,” Suzie said, tapping her fingers on the picnic table. Although the government hadn’t quarantined any of the second generation Focuses, the government hadn’t recognized the right of Focuses to live freely until after Kennedy’s inauguration in 1961. All of the second generation of Focuses had been under house arrest, confined to their places of residence from the time they left the overcrowded Transform Clinics until the day Kennedy signed the executive order.

  “Correct as always, Suzie,” Polly said. “However, I believe quality matters as well as loyalty – and with proper use of charisma, I can ensure loyalty.”

  Tonya raised her hand. Suzie acknowledged Tonya, with a mild sigh. Tonya had learned to keep quiet in open meetings, at least most of the time – because whenever she got active, she created a ruckus. Suzie did not appreciate ‘ruckus’. “Speaking of younger Focus loyalty, have any of you been approached by a representative of Focus Martine DeYoung?” Tonya said.

  Marcia, Lynn and Polly answered in the affirmative, while Suzie and Anne shook their heads. “I don’t know if this is as serious a problem as Focus Julius’s rival organization, but…” Tonya went on to give a complete description of Poe and the goals of Focus DeYoung’s lobbying group. “Lastly, for some ungodly reason having to do with her supposed self-resurrection after an auto accident, F
ocus DeYoung’s now calling herself ‘the Commander’. Crazy stuff.”

  Suzie froze for an instant.

  “I thought the idea of Transform rights was a fine notion at the time, though Poe didn’t mention anything about her Focus being ‘the Commander’,” Polly said. Dammit! Polly knew what was going on with this ‘Commander’ nonsense. “I told this Poe character that I would bring up their idea of lobbying for Transform rights in the Council. I suspect the Council won’t be particularly interested in DeYoung’s ideas concerning household rights, but should find the idea of lobbying for Transform rights within normal society to be a good idea to back.”

  “Crap,” Suzie said. “That’s idiocy. We don’t have anywhere near enough Transforms to be asking for any sort of official recognition or status.”

  “But our numbers are increasing,” Polly said. “We don’t have enough numbers to win any status, but we do have enough to start laying the groundwork for later. Besides – if we refuse, we’re just going to have another Focus splinter group to worry about.”

  “We’ll have them anyway,” Tonya said. “Poe seemed to be just as forceful regarding rights within a household as rights within society – and that’s a nonstarter. Isn’t it?”

  Polly nodded. “I didn’t tell that to Poe in so direct a fashion, but I agree.”

  “Fine, fine,” Suzie said. “I’m not going to try and stop you from bringing that up in the Council. I can even see quiet lobbying for Transform rights being a worthwhile distraction. However…” She licked her lips. “You did notice this Poe contacted none of the first generation of Focuses, didn’t you?”

  Tonya nodded, and a moment later, so did Polly and Lynn. Marcia and Anne looked blank and uncomprehending. “This says to me they’re writing us firsters off,” Suzie said. “Like Julius, they’re going after the Council, trying to split the Council in some fashion. So, my friends, I want you to be very careful in any of your dealings with any of Focus DeYoung’s people. I want you to report any further contacts directly to me – before you contact anyone else. So, Polly, who do you see as replacing Anne and Christina?”