DOA? A-Okay! [IC]

[Electra]

"Fascinating," Miss A murmured, adjusting the readings several times to confirm what she was seeing. "I'm not getting any readings at all, or any more than I would from an inanimate object. And yet there you are, moving and speaking. It's really quite astonishing." She rolled the table back from the scanner to let him sit up. "Do you have a theory on how and why your powers work they way that they do?"

[Dr Archeville]

"Sorry, ma'am," he said, sitting up, "ain't got no real idea as to the how's an' why's. Phantom or Nick Cimitiere could prob'ly tell ya more, they's real smart in thin's like this. I'm tryin' ta learn, but, well, there's a reason I didn't get inta pre-med..."

"What I can tells ya," he continued, "is what all happened. First," he held up his right index finger, "some big nasty critters from beyon' time an' space tried usin' me as a back door inta this world, after Baron Samedi an' Malador tried -- an' failed -- ta summon 'em. That's what killed me, blew the back'a my head clean out! Then," his middle finger went up, "Papa Ghede came to me as my spirit was passin' on, tol' me he'd help me if'n I helped him, so's I did. I got up, but I looked a lot... messier than I do now. An' after that," his ring finger went up, "back on Halloween night, Ghede popped out durin' a big throw-down with Samedi an' Hades. 'fore he left, though, he brought me back up, an' cleaned me up, too. An 'e left me with a companion, too!"

Miss Americana heard a large dog's bark behind her. But there was no dog to be seen.

"Oh, hey, Mutt! Didn't think ya'd make it this fast! I- oh..." The zombie turned sheepishly to the heroine, "is it okay if Mutt comes in? He's real well behaved, won't knock over nuthin'!"

[Electra]

"As long as he's housebroken," Miss A said, sounding a little amused. She took a hand scanner off the table and began waving it around, looking for any trace of the ghostly pooch. "So it sounds as though you were inhabited by a powerful metaphysical entity, who imbued your cells with regenerative abilities too subtle for me to pick up on in the MRI." She hmmed. "Would you be willing and able to give me a small tissue sample? Or would that merely dissolve and reappear back on your body before I could test it?"

[Dr Archeville]

"Tryin' t'get a look at ol' Mutt?," he asked as he saw her waving the scanner about. He whistled, "'ey, Mutt, c'mon an' show yerself to th' nice purty lady!"

A large dog slowly faded into view, both to Gina's eyes and the scanner. It was big, about 0.6 meters at the shoulder, and looked to be mostly Mastiff, with some St. Bernanrd, Newfoundland, and a few breeds thrown in. He looked up and smiled at Gina, and walked over and nuzzled her hand, looking up at her with big, soulful, glowing crimson eyes.

"Far as I know, he's housebroke; 'e don't even eat!" he chuckled.

"Nah, ya should be able t'get a sample with some reg'lar tools." He looked idly around the lab, "problem that Dok feller had was that th'incisions kept closin' up 'fore he could do his thing, but just removing' a sample fer study shouldn't be no problem. If'n ya got any silver-plated scalpels or such, though, that might work best -- my body don't recover as quick from damage caused by silver as it do other stuff. No idea why that is; I thought it might have t'do with the natural antimicrobial properties'a silver, but Phantom just kinda giggled when I said that. 'Course, I don't know if whatever mojo's in me is gonna be kept in a bit'a me what's been cut off..."

[Electra]

"Well, that's why they call it experimenting," Miss A told him cheerfully, going over to a bank of cabinets to gather some supplies. She came over with a specimen jar and a very sharp scalpel. "I know you don't feel pain, but is there a particular area you'd prefer I take the sample from?" she asked him. "Or if you like, you can take the sample yourself and just put it in the jar. Even if the sample simply degrades, that still tells us something about the way your powers work. Every bit of data is useful somehow."

[Dr Archeville]

"Hostess's choice!," he exclaimed; her enthusiasm was infectious! "'sides, if'n I start diggin' 'round, it'll jes' be messy. An' you know best what ya'd be lookin' fer in a sample."

Miss Americana was able to collect samples without problem. As he said, as soon as she cut them away, his own flesh restored itself, but the sample remained, it did not disintegrate or try to leap back to him. Pinning the flesh back enough to get nerve and bone tissue samples proved trickier, as the incisions kept trying to close, but she was able to use a few silver-plated instruments (acquired years ago as part of the estate sale for a deceased doctor; she'd mainly been interested in his anatomy textbooks and models) to keep him open. Occasionally the dog would whimper, but Dead Head assured him she was doing him no harm.

"Hey, wanna see another trick?," he asked as they removed the last of the incisions closed up. "I bet it'll really make ya scratch yer noggin!"

[Electra]

Miss A secured the last of the samples in a scanner to monitor their behavior as they decayed or continued to regenerate, whichever happened, then turned to Dead Head. Samples were all well and good, but she suspected that any scientific measurements to be taken would be done visually and on the complete form. "If you make me scratch my head too much more, my hair is going to start falling out," she quipped. "But I'm always interested to see a new trick." She secured the last of the surgical tools in her autoclave, then gave him her full attention.

[Dr Archeville]

Dead Head cleared his throat, then proceeded to put on a stage magician's act. He showed both sides of his hands, mimed pushing up his sleeves (he never did get dressed after the scan!) and showed them again, then held his right hand out in front of him. He grabbed it with his left, and pulled once, twice, three times, at which the right hand popped off at the wrist! He then held his left hand up, palm flat, with his right hand upon it, and the severed hand popped up on its fingertips like a spider and scurried up his arm! Down his torso, down his leg, it hopped to the floor and scurried about.

"So," he said, grinning, "got any explanations fer that one?"

The dog cocked his head and looked at it, then bent down and wriggled his haunches, as if about to pounce on it. Briefly Gina flashed through images of the dog chasing the hand around in her lab, knocking over thousands of dollars worth of gear!

[Electra]

"Fascinating," Miss A murmured again, grabbing a sensor to record the startling performance. "Did you tell it what to do?" she asked, stepping closer to look at the hand, and giving the ghost dog a look that said it would be unwise to get too rambunctious in her lab. "Can you command it remotely, or does it react randomly when not attached to your body? I felt the fingers wiggling earlier when I was holding it, but I assumed that was merely nerve artifact."

[Dr Archeville]

"I can control it as well as you can control yer own hands," he said cheerily, "though, since it's as insensate ta pain as tha rest'a me, there's not much it can react to. Oh, an', yeah, that was me tryin' ta wave at ya with mah hand earlier."

The disembodied right hand curried back to Dead Head, hopping up and off of assorted objects about the lab to get up to the gurney he was sitting on. It crept across his hand, up his left arm (digging in with its nails for traction), across his shoulder (he ducked his head a bit for it to get clear), and slid down his right arm, flipping at the end to put the two wrist-stumps back together. When they met, they fused together, and when he held his hand up, it looked as if nothing had happened.

"I used ta be able ta separate several pieces at a time," he continued, a touch of loss creeping into his voice, "but since... since Papa Ghede left, I can only do one part at a time. One had... or one eye..." he said as he calmly plucked out one of his eyes, held it up for her scanner, then popped it back into the socket, then placed both hands at his jawline, "or jes' [bg=#000000]my head."[/bg] The last was said while he gave a sharp tug to his head, neatly removing it from his neck; once separated from his lungs, his voice took on an eerie sepulchral reverb.

Heeheeheeheehee

[Electra]

Miss A nodded with great interest, picking up her data pad and making a few notes on it, the better to catalog the fascinating zombie's abilities. Sure, it was somewhat disturbing, but it wasn't as though she weren't constantly disassembling and reassembling the body she inhabited now herself. This was obviously some organic or meta-organic version of the same principle. "That's very interesting!" she told him with enthusiasm. "Have you ever been permanently deprived of a body part?" she asked curiously. "Did it grow back, or were you forced to live without it?"

[Dr Archeville]

[bg=#000000]"Only part I ever permanently been deprived of,"[/bg] he said, passing his head back and forth in his hands like a basketball, [bg=#000000]"is m'appendix, which I had out when I was in the 5th grade. I have had pieces'a me taken..."[/bg]

He placed his head down on the table, then his body got up and walked around a bit.

[bg=#000000]"... either by cultists or mad scientists, tryin' t'figure out how I do what I do, or t'use me in some vile ritual they had in mind. For the most part, I do without 'till I can get it back, though a few times I was able t'graft on a replacement from another corpse. With the spirit's permission, a'course. Oh, an' I been dunked in acid a few times,"[/bg] he added, [bg=#000000]"but in those cases, I did regenerate the body parts."[/bg]

[Electra]

Miss A perked up immediately at the mention of Dead Head reanimating dead flesh to his purposes. "You can take cadaverous flesh and bring it back to animation as part of your body?" she asked. "So it's really less the material of your body that's important, it is the life force that animates you." She tapped her finger lightly against her lips. "I'd like to try a few things, if you don't mind, just with non-invasive sensors. If I can see you using your powers, and track you with my instruments while you do so, it might let me catch a glimpse of that force. What sort of flesh do you need to use your abilities?"

[Dr Archeville]

The body stopped dead in its tracks. [bg=#000000]"Oh...,"[/bg] the head intoned.

[bg=#000000]"See... tha hing is..."[/bg] he began, sounding very much like a man who'd been boasting all night in a bar to his date, only to later reveal he did not truly measure up, [bg=#000000]"I used ta be able ta do that, but since Papa Ghede vacated mah head, I ain't been able ta work the mojo like I used to."[/bg] The body walked back to the table, and she noted that he did keep at least one eye on it to guide where it went, [bg=#000000]"lost a lotta mah mojo, truth be told. Ain't nearly as scary as I used t'be, can only separate one body part at a time, an' I cain't animate tha dead no more. Can still hear an' communicate with 'em, though, an' mah body restores itself quicker'n before, so it ain't a total loss. An' I got ol' Mutt there!"[/bg]

The dog had been following the headless body as it returned to the table, almost tripping it, but it made it back without incident. It picked up the head, turned and sat on the exam table, and placed the head neatly back on.

[bg=#000000]"Got two friends hel[/bg]pin' me re-learn tricks on how ta do all that, though, so I should be able ta do so again in not too long. 'Least, that's the plan, anyway. But, yeah, I'm fine with you scannin' me while I do what tricks I can still do," he said, nodding.

[Electra]

Miss A was visibly disappointed to hear that Dead Head could no longer infuse dead tissues with life, but she rallied quickly. "It doesn't so much matter what powers you use as that you use your power," she assured him. "If I can get the correct frequency and wavelength with which to analyze your abilities, then it's simply a matter of working with you as you continue to recover from your loss. If we need to go back to the cemetery, I'm sure I could transport some of my equipment there."

[Dr Archeville]

"I'm game fer that, sure," he smiled, "though it might be a while 'fore I can do that. 'Till then, though, if'n ya wanna scan me while I move a separated body part 'round, I'm fine with that."

Dead Head looked around the laboratory again, then back to Miss Americana. He cocked his head to one side as he studied her, absentmindedly chewing on his lower lip.

"So, uh, if'n ya don't mind me askin'," he started, "what's yer story? Yer smart, yer purty, and ya can fly an' shoot beams'a light outta yer fingers. How'd that all happen?"

[Electra]

Miss A laughed, a beautiful rich sound as she got up to calibrate some of her sensors. "Why thank you! It's all natural talent, I assure you." She began moving equipment around with apparent ease, creating a space on the floor ringed with monitoring equipment. "But there's really not much to tell. We all have different gifts, I suppose you could say. Now if you'll step into that circle, you can do whatever you like, and I'll start working with the equipment to try and find something that can read you."

[Dr Archeville]

"How 'bout we start with the trick I jes' did, then?," he said as he hopped up off the table. "Always has been one'a my favorites. Y'ever watch much Addams Family?"

The (still naked) zombie stepped into the proscribed circle and removed his hand again, letting it scurry up and down him and around in the circle. Mutt again barked, but a look from Dead Head kept him outside the circle.

"Didja know Thing was played by the same fella what was the butler, Lurch? 'S'true!?"

[Electra]

"I never really thought about it," Miss A admitted, fiddling with her scanners, trying to get the readings she was looking for. It wasn't looking promising just yet, but she was patient. "I suppose it makes sense that they didn't want to use a whole actor just for the sake of one disembodied hand. Can you make it hold still for a few moments, or just hold the movements to a smaller circle? I need to get a closer reading." Nibbling on one perfect red lip, she took a tool and began making finicky adjustments to a large and complex-looking device. "When did you realize you could detach and reattach your body parts?" she asked.

[Dr Archeville]

"That actually is what they did in tha movies!," he laughed, "'Course, they had a lot bigger budget, better effects, an' all that."

At her request, the hand froze in place, like a spider waiting to pounce on its next meal. Her scanner detected nothing (except the presence of necrotic flesh), but she had a lot of sensors still to use, and ideas for several she could whip up if needed.

"First time? Hrm, lemme think..." He moved to scratch his chin in thought, then realized he was just rubbing the wrist-stump against it. "Ah, yeah -- was in a fight with some organleggers in the truck they'd stolen, they knocked me off-balance an' hacked off the hand I was using ta hold on. I tracked 'em down, found 'em an' my hand, an' for a moment wondered how I was gonna get the door open without bustin' it in an' alertin' 'em. Next thing I know, my had hops up an' scuttles over to the window I'm at! I realize what's goin' on, direct it t'unlatch tha window, and I went in an' did my thing."

[Electra]

That description got a chuckle out of Miss A as she envisioned the looks on the faces of the luckless villains. "That must've been quite an experience. How long have you been doing hero work?" she asked. While she listened, she left the sensor to recalibrate itself and concentrated on her cameras for a moment, making sure she was capturing the movements of the disembodied extremity. It was obviously not transparent to light, so there was something there to scan. She just wasn't quite capturing it yet.

[Dr Archeville]

"Over a decade, believe it or not," he replied, concentrating just enough to make the disembodied hand walk in small circles. "I died New Year's Eve, 1999. Well, technically it was New Year's Day, 2000. 'Course, I didn't jump into the hero thing right 'way..."

His mind's eye rolled back to his first few days, the horror and confusion of it all. He'd adapted fairly quickly to his situation, true, a feat he chalked up to his steady diet of horror and sci-fi movies. (And, he'd later realize, the loa in his head telling him subconsciously that it was all going to be okay.)

"But I knew I couldn't go back to mah old life, to my family what already thought I was killed by the explosion, and with so many spirits pleadin' ta me -- one'a the few who could hear them -- fer help, well, I couldn't ignore 'em, so I started doin' what I could t'help."

"So how long you been doin' this?," he asked. "When'd ya first learn ya could shoot lasers outta yer fingers? Or could fly?"

[Electra]

"It actually took me quite some time to master my powers," Miss A told him, adjusting a lens on a minicam. "I only began doing hero work this past summer, when I was sure I wasn't going to get myself killed in some embarrassingly ignominious way. It's harder than it looks to get used to flying, maneuvering, and shooting at the same time! Even an innate understanding of physics will only take you so far in a real world situation." She laughed. "And I'm afraid my physiology wouldn't be quite as forgiving of mistakes as yours seems to be. I'd hate to get a hand chopped off."

[Dr Archeville]

"Heh, I think tha main reason my body repairs itself as fast as it does is 'cuz I keep puttin' it inta horrible situations," he said, concentrating just enough to have the hand stand on two fingers and twirl around. Its sense of balance was as good as would be expected for a necrotic severed hand, and it was barley able to stand on its two fingers. "I mean, startin' off, I could patch up pretty quick. Sometimes needed an extra source'a material ta work with -- meat, that is. Never human!" he quickly added, "jes' hamburgers an' sausage fer me! But now, I don't even need that ta boost my patchin' up."

He looked around the room, then back to her, "I tried flyin' once. Lots'a undead in the stories can do it, I thought I might be able ta do so, too. It... kinda worked, but was real messy. And, uh, I think it kinda violated a few laws'a physics. I mean," he chuckled, "moreso'n my own simple existence implies. Ever hear of a penanggalan?"

That word sounded really weird with his heavy Southern drawl.

[Electra]

Miss A thought for a moment, as though accessing some vast mental database, then grimaced. "Oh, Dead Head. Please don't tell me you pulled your head and upper digestive tract out and threw them. That's really no way to fly. Did you have to regenerate your entire body, or were you able to find yourself again?" The idea was repugnant, but scientifically interesting, and bizarrely humorous, if looked at in the right way. The mental picture, though, was nothing short of horrifying.