A newly constructed power plant outside of Brooklyn flickered with bright lights in the darkness of the night as a troublesome ghost drawn to electricity sapped energy from within the building; causing sporadic power surges and temporary blackouts. The large concrete building stood out amongst the numerous steel warehouses and storage containers that lined the industrial district. With each flash of light through the windows the surrounding structures would cast eerie shadows along the streets and throughout the block.
The sound of heavy boot steps echoing throughout the expansive building pinpointed the current location of the four Ghostbusters who responded to the late night call.
"It went this way!" Winston Zeddemore lead the charge as he tracked the ghost bounding between two large generators in the basement. "Don't lose sight of it!"
"I'm right behind ya', Z!" Dr. Raymond "Ray" Stantz responded with a loud shout as he followed a few yards behind the seasoned marine.
Dr. Peter Venkman and Dr. Egon Spengler were still on the ground floor examining the damage caused by the lone specter. Heavy scorching, electrical discharge and the acrid smell of ozone offered a plethora of invaluable data for the Ghostbusters to add to their ever expanding chronicles on paranormal activity.
"Are ya' done yet, Spengz?" Peter asked with a bored tone as he leaned casually against a large control panel. "I heard Winston and Ray yelling a minute ago, I think it's safe to say they found it."
"In a moment Peter." Egon scanned a massive metal panel that was smoldering with residual electrical discharge and ectoplasm. "These readings are very unusual."
"Yeah, it's from a ghost. Unusual is usual in this case."
"No, these readings are quite different from previous chronicled readings we've taken over the past few years. In fact, these seem to contain trace amounts of naturally occurring pure electricity as opposed to the man made artificial generated electricity that flows throughout our entire country; as well as a majority of the globe."
"Natural electricity isn't all that rare, it's called 'lightning', remember?" Peter responded with a disinterested yawn as he looked down at his watch. "Happens all the time."
Egon didn't dignify Peter's indifference with a reply of his own. Retrieving a glass test tube from the pocket on his upper sleeve of his jumpsuit he uncorked the vial and scrapped a layer of the residue inside for storage. "I'll need to take a sample for further testing."
"At least it doesn't look like mucus this time."
"We should find Ray and Winston."
"Finally!" Peter stood up straight and walked toward the opened door of the basement. "They went down here."
Working together Winston and Ray managed to pin down the ghost without it becoming aware of their presence and fleeing once again. The ghost had the upper body of a humanoid figure with grossly long arms and hands that had only three fingers each. Its lower body was long and round like the entire body of a leech. Its face was a blank, featureless monstrosity save for two black hollows for eyes and wide round mouth that had three rows of teeth. As it siphoned energy from the western generator, its back turned to the approaching Ghostbusters, the duo identified their target aimed their throwers accordingly.
"On three..." Ray whispered as he discreetly unclipped the trap from his belt and positioned it a few yards from the ghost. "One, two..." Just as Ray's thumb hovered over the switch on the thrower the ghost turned its head and stared directly at him. "three!"
As the proton streams erupted from the throwers the ghost sprang from the generator and attached its long hands to Ray's shoulders. With one fell swoop the ghost bit down, hard, on Ray's chest and began drawing energy from the unguarded engineer.
"Ray!" Winston shifted his aim as swiftly as the ghost had leapt. The proton stream wrapped around the leeching ghost and pulled it away from Ray, who had fallen to his knees and was in the process of falling backward.
The ghost hissed and struggled against the proton stream but couldn't wrest itself free. A second beam joined the first as Peter opened fire and aided in restraining the ghost.
"Peter! Egon!" Winston called out of the sound of the dual proton streams. "The ghost got Ray!"
"Ray?" Egon tried to address his fallen colleague but received no answer. Walking over to where Ray lay fallen on the floor, the two proton streams dancing overhead as Winston and Peter wrangled the ghost over the set trap, Egon laid his hand down Ray's chest and studied his pale, expressionless face. "Ray, can you hear me?"
"How is he?" Peter asked without taking his eyes from the targeted ghost.
"He's unconscious." Egon confirmed as lifted Ray's eyelids to check his pupils. Ray's chest was rising and falling with an even rhythm with his slow breaths and his hear rate was steady despite, it too, being slow. Using the PKE meter Egon scanned Ray's body. "His vitals are stable, but he is very weak."
Winston hovered his boot over the release trigger for the trap. "Trap open!" Stomping down the trap opened and unleashed a bright white beam of ionized light that seemed to absorb the ghost and pull down inside, sealing it away from the world. Shutting down the proton streams Winston stomped down the trigger a second time the trap shut itself and began to smoke from the extreme heat generated by the ion energy. "Got it!"
Peter and Winston gathered around Egon who was kneeling beside Ray, his hand wrapped around Ray's wrist and his other hand holding the PKE meter to continue the scan.
"What happened to him?" Peter asked Winston with a curious tone.
"That ghost grabbed onto him, it looked like it bit him!"
"It bit him?" Peter arched an eyebrow and gave Ray a quick glance. "Where?"
"His chest."
Egon set down the PKE meter on the floor and let Ray's hand lay limply over his abdomen as he unzipped Ray's jumpsuit to examine his chest. "Minor damage to the fabric of the jumpsuit," Egon noted the small tears as he then pulled down the collar of Ray's black t-shirt. "and to the t-shirt beneath. However it appears there is an irritation to his skin."
Peter and Winston leaned in closer as Egon let go of the collar and chose to instead lift the bottom of Ray's t-shirt up and completely his expose his bare chest.
"Ouch!" Peter grimaced as the red and purple bruising in the center of Ray's chest. "That's a big hickey!"
The bruise was a perfect circle mirroring the mouth of the ghost. Small bleeding divots that lined the perimeter of the bruise indicated where the many teeth had punctured the flesh.
Egon picked up the PKE meter and ran it over Ray's chest. "I'm not picking up any residual ecotplasmic residue or psychokinetic energy."
"Meaning?" Peter sounded a little annoyed by Egon's purely scientific reaction to the entire situation.
"Meaning that the ghost and its energy has been completely removed from his body. Ray isn't in any danger of contracting an type of incorporeal infection. The electrical activity in his brain has been significantly diminished but it's not life threatening."
Winston put his hand on the side of Ray's face and gently patted twice. "So we can take him back to the firehouse?"
Egon nodded and turned off the PKE meter. "If he regains consciousness, then yes."
Peter put his hand on Ray's shoulders and shook lightly. "Come on Ray, open your eyes! It's time to go home."
A low groan of pain escaped Ray's lips as he struggled to wake up. Too weak to move on his own Ray couldn't even lift his head as forced his heavy eyelids open. "...Guys?" He slurred with unparalleled fatigue. "What happened?"
"That ghost attacked you." Winston answered calmly, his relief was genuine as he watched Ray return to the waking world. "But it looks like you'll be okay."
"I feel terrible..." Ray admitted as he again tried to lift his head but failed. "It feels like I've just spent an entire month with the flu."
"Minor change in his vitals." Clipping the PKE meter back to his belt Egon pulled Ray's shirt back down before he put his hand under Ray's shoulders and helped the physically drained back to sit up. "It appears the ghost had targeted the naturally occurring electrical impulses throughout your body when it attacked you." Unfastening the straps of the proton pack Egon removed the heavy device from Ray's back. "This ghost is apparently capable of sustaining itself on may forms of electrical sources."
"It used me like a battery?" Ray asked as his eyes shut against his will and he fought against gravity to remain sitting upright. "That's a first."
"Alright, let's get you up." Peter put his hand under Ray's arm and pulled him up from the floor and onto his feet. Supporting almost all of Ray's weight was awkward but necessary for the time being. "Winston, give us a hand."
"Sure, no problem." Pulling Ray up by his other arm he and Peter hefted Ray's arms over their shoulders and carried their weakened colleague out of the basement and up to the ground floor. Ray tried to walk but didn't have the strength, his legs were like lead and his boots dragged along the ground. "Don't try to help us Ray, just take it easy."
"I think I can do that..." Ray's joke was slurred but still appreciated by his worried friends. "Coming Egon?"
Egon followed the trio after he slung the occupied trap over his shoulder and picked up Ray's dropped proton pack. The PKE meter on his belt detected another unusual reading, but as quickly as the meter detected the reading it vanished. Egon paid little mind to the meter as his thoughts were currently preoccupied with Ray's physical well being. He made a mental note to check the meter after Ray was taken care of.
Though it was a graceless endeavor Winston and Peter were able to get Ray into the backseat of Ecto-1, and get their friend comfortably situated while Egon loaded up their equipment. The bust was a success despite Ray being attacked, it would just take some before any of the Ghostbusters would become aware of this fact.
Returning to the firehouse Peter and Egon helped Ray, who had fallen asleep on the drive back, out of the iconic hearse. Winston took care of the trap as well as the proton packs while Ray was taken upstairs into the bunk room. Janine Melnitz, the loyal receptionist, wouldn't arrive for her shift until nine in the morning which left only the three Ghostbusters to take care of their downed colleague for the next six hours.
"Comfortable?" Peter asked as he watched Ray laying down very still in his bed.
"Yeah. I'm okay."
Egon was sitting on the edge of Ray's bed and was listening to his friend's heart with a stethoscope. "No arrhythmia or murmur." Egon pulled his hand back from Ray's chest. "But I'd still like to have your vitals monitored for the rest of the night. We still need to study this ghost and it'd be best to air on the side of caution."
"Yeah, sure. It doesn't bother me." Ray was talking in a very low tone as he struggled to remain awake. "I'm so tired I think I could sleep through an earthquake."
"Stay with him, Venkman." Egon instructed Peter as he left the bunk room to gather monitoring equipment. "This won't take long."
"No problem Spengz." Peter gave Egon an odd look as he left the room. "Not hard to not move from one spot. Right Ray?"
"Huh?" Ray was barely awake.
"Nothing. It's not important." Peter patted Ray's arm with an amused grin. "Just take it easy. You'll feel better soon."
Egon returned to the room with a cardiac monitor in his arms. Winston followed behind with a sleepy yawn of his own. "The ghost has been deposited. Now let's get some sleep."
"Agreed." Egon set the monitor down on the nightstand beside Ray's bed. "You'll have to remove your shirt."
"Uh..." Ray could barely lift his own arms, let alone remove his shirt.
"I got this!" Peter grabbed onto the collar of Ray's jumpsuit while Egon pulled Ray's arms free of the long sleeves. He then took hold of the collar of Ray's t-shirt and began lifting it up. Using his other hand he helped Ray pull his arms free once more. "Ta-da!" Peter announced as he casually tossed Ray's shirt over his own shoulder and onto the floor.
"Thanks Peter..."
Attaching the leads connected to the monitor to Ray's chest Egon turned on the monitor and turned the alarm down to silent. "I've rigged the monitor to record the electrical impulses produced by your body. While you were unconscious at the factory your impulses were at a higher rate than when you regained consciousness." Egon pulled the blanket up over Ray's chest. "I believe that with enough rest you'll recovery fully without requiring any secondary medical intervention."
Ray sighed and finally let himself drift off to sleep. "Thanks for looking after me, guys..."
Winston and Peter watched as Ray's body relaxed and the cardiac monitor respond to his weakened body. The monitor showed a normal heart rate at an abnormally slow rate, but Ray wasn't in any distress and seemed to be sleeping very peacefully.
"Think he'll be okay?" Winston asked Egon in a soft tone.
"Yes. He just needs to rest. In time he'll be back to normal health."
"Until then we just let him sleep?" Peter folded his arms as if jealous of his friend. "No experimental tests or drugs?"
"No." Egon answered in a flat but confident manner.
"Some guys have all the luck." Peter stretched out his arms and shoulders as he let out a loud yawn. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get some sleep myself. I don't appreciate calls after midnight." Plopping down on his bed Peter shut his eyes and pulled the covers up over his head. "Goodnight."
"Best idea I've heard all night." Winston walked over to his own bed and laid back down. "You don't need us anymore, right?"
"No. You get some sleep." Egon turned off the light. "I'll be downstairs."
...to be continued...
