AN: For anyone who followed "The Scientist's Protege" I am abandoning that ff (I know! I'm sorry I just completely forgot where I had been going with it!), and intending This Mortal Coil to be a reboot of that basic idea, albeit a little more developed. I own nothing here except for the OC and her profession. And if anyone is wondering why Nikola seems a bit insane, he's really not, I just saw an opportunity and exploited it, :K. Please R&R. I REALLY WILL update this time! And feed back-of almost any kind-is much loved. It is rated T for now, but that might change.

Just to put this upfront: There will be no Telsen but there will be references to it.. almost happening. You'll see why our lovely Serb didn't take up that offer as things progress.
Cheers all!

Prologue

New Years Eve, 1989

The last two decades brought him more than a sense of peace. While the game was far from up, the thrill that he was pulling the wool over the eyes of his friends was gone. Perhaps that was because he no longer cared, or maybe because his friends no longer cared. Either way, it had been the most refreshing twenty years of his life. And as the new decade finished out the last of its labor pains, he leaned back in his chair, watching the small television as the countdown began and the shining ball started its decent toward Earth.

Swirling his wine, Nikola's lips pressed together, a small smile attempting to slip out. It felt good to be here. There, in the small sleeping space he used for a bedroom and kept separate from the rest of the lab with a thin amount of plywood and drywall. He had everything he ever wanted.

It was only perfunctory, to keep up the game, that he touched his pen back to the paper to finish composing his letter.

…I do hope this letter finds you well as ever and that this new decade is as welcoming to you as I believe mine will be. Perhaps once the Cold War has ended, I will drop by, as it stands, I do not believe the Russians or the CIA will take kindly to me showing my face in public.
Happy New Year, Helen.
Yours,
Nikola

P.S. I've finished this at… 12:01 01 January, 1990

Folding it in thirds, he placed it in the envelope, and sealed it with a quick dab of a sponge. He hated licking those things. Scrawling her name and the address of the Old City Sanctuary across the front, and neglecting to put a return address, he patted it against his palm for a moment before leaning forward to turn off the TV.

Pausing in his seat, a small smile spread across his lips, his eyes flicking to the edge of his vision. It was quite thing to try and describe, and he had only attempted to once. In the end, he'd burned the papers because he felt that it sounded more like the ravings of a lunatic than someone who actually… felt obligated to science to prove it.

Impossible to explain, yet fully tangible, he shook his head a little, the amusement in his eyes as he stood, stretched and began to change for bed. New Years eve was the only time he ever turned in early.

Laying back on the mattress he tucked his hands behind his head. Another decade, and once again, the game continued. If only… he could manage to pull off not sounding like a mad man, or as his usual paranoid self, then perhaps Helen would listen to him. At least he felt no pressure. He was happy, and loved, even if it barely made an ounce of sense to him, and that was with working out the quantitative mathematics for the Super-String model he'd been working.

"Oh well…" sighing softly, he ran a hand through his hair before shutting his eyes, "laku noc."

This decade was sure to be a good one.