"Wait a second – are you telling me Francoeur is related to me?"
"Well, to be technical you both share some DNA."
"That's not possible, I mean, look at him." Raoul threw his arm back to indicate the flea, who was currently sitting on the floor shuddering violently. The man glanced back at Francoeur and paled. Francoeur's eyes were downcast, his long legs drawn up to his chest and all around him were fragments of broken glass. Raoul was so caught up in the Professor's monologue that he wasn't paying attention like he should have. He rushed to Francoeur's side
"Are you okay buddy?" Francoeur for his part gave a tiny nod. Emotions burned inside him, each one warring with the others for supremacy. Confusion, disgust, guilt, anger and helplessness. He wanted to know why. Why had The Professor done this? Why…
Suddenly his face felt numb and the edge of his vision was getting blurry.
"Francoeur?" The giant flea slumped then fell to the floor. "What did you do to him?"
"My boy, I have done nothing to harm him. I've been expecting this quite frankly – I am surprised he has lasted so long." The Professor intoned, almost impatiently.
"Old man, I don't know what you're talking about. Could you just tell me something flat out for once, please? Is he going to be okay?" Raoul looked down at his fallen friend. It looked as if he was still breathing.
"Oh, I am afraid not. If I may continue…"
"Francoeur! Can you hear me?"
"Oh stop the dramatics, he will either wake or not." The Professor shook his head in annoyance. There is nothing you can do for him right now."
Raoul propped Francoeur up against a desk, trying to brush the shards of glass out of the way.
"As I was saying, Francoeur is a perfect blend of human and flea DNA. There has never been a creature like him in all of human history, and there may never be another one. If you examine a common European cat flea, you will see quite a few differences between it and the being you see before you. Insects do not possess eyelids, or faces that can show expression. They do not have conventional pupils or irises and they certainly do not have lips, humanoid teeth, and tongues."
The Professor walked over to the far wall and pulled down a large chart of flea anatomy. The view from Raoul's vantage point was limited, but he got the gist of the picture.
"Does this look like your friend here?"
Raoul shook his head.
"I thought not. But you can see the possibilities, right? I mean he's far from a perfect specimen, but still…"
"Look. I'm tired of following you in circles, old man. Just tell me how to wake Francoeur, okay?" Raoul sighed in exasperation.
The Professor let out an exasperated huff. "If you'd just give me a moment, you'd see that I am getting to the problem at hand!" He shook his head, "Young people these days," he muttered to himself, "No patience!"
Turning his attention back to Raoul, he continued, speaking slowly as though explaining something to a simple child. "Francoeur here, while a viable hybrid, has a fatal flaw. How long would you say a flea's life span would be, Raoul?"
"I don't know. I'm a delivery guy – not a biologist."
"It's about a year, give or take, depending on the length and amount of torpor. And since you are indeed a delivery boy, I guess I have to explain what torpor is." The Professor walked over to Francoeur and Raoul eyed him wearily. The Professor stared back, expecting some sort of reply or retort. Silence pervaded the room and the scientist visibly disappointed in Raoul's ignorance.
"It's sort of a state of hibernation. Insects enter it to conserve energy. Parasites like fleas enter torpor between switching hosts, they wake up when there is heat or movement. They usually lie in wait in bedding or hay waiting for a warm blooded mammal to come along. The more times a flea enters torpor, the longer the life span. I am not sure how old Francoeur is, but I can guess…"
The Professor's eyes lost their icy coldness and the man pulled a stethoscope out from one of his lab coat pockets. Raoul backed away a few inches as the elder gentleman yanked off Francoeur's suit jacket. He slid the stethoscope underneath the vest and listened for a minute or so.
"He will be alright for now, Raoul." The Professor sat back on the floor against a filing cabinet. His anger waning. "It's regrettable, but Francoeur's body has begun a deadly cycle. His body is over compensating for the lack of naturally induced hibernationand his natural life span is beginning to close. Slowly but surely Francoeur's body is shutting down. He might contain some of your genes, but not enough to extend his life. Look over in that glass box and tell me what you see."
Raoul was apprehensive and reluctant to leave Francoeur on the floor. The tank was only a few feet away. After glancing back at his friend he got up and walked over to it, adjusting the magnifying glasses. Raoul invented in his spare time, but he knew almost nothing about genetics. This really wasn't his forte.
His eyes focused on the black dots in the cage.
Instantly Raoul was filled with disgust.
He assessed the caged occupants and resisted the urge to gag. Each one bore some sort of resemblance to Francoeur in some way. Sometimes their tiny faces mirrored his friend's in simplicity or their bodies were long and streamlined, almost perfect. But, for everything right with their anatomy there were at least a dozen things wrong. Legs were contorted in strange configurations, maws were filled with jagged needles, and some limbs were bulbous while others were stunted. Most of the experiments twitched on the bottom pane of glass, but one or two jumped around too fast for Raoul to see.
"What have you done?" Raoul's voice was empty now. As if all emotion was drained from him. He rubbed his face with a gloved hand, willing himself not to punch The Professor in the face.
"I was simply trying to recreate your 'accident' on a smaller scale. Think of it – an entirely new race of beings manufactured by man. They would be immune to human disease, resilient to heat and cold, strong, and jump higher than any building – not to mention the reproduction rate. And, if Francoeur is any indication, they would be biddable. Not very hard to control at all. This sort of discovery could propel mankind well into the twenty-first century. The species just requires refining. Over there, in that box – I see the future."
Raoul looked back at Francoeur and felt his heart drop. If what The Professor said earlier was true, Francoeur was the closest thing Raoul had in the world to a brother. Not only that, he was a friend with a kind heart and a gentle soul. Lucille loved him, audiences adored him and Francoeur had neverhurt anyone or betrayed their trust. In a strange way, Raoul was proud that he had a hand in the flea's ascent to sentience and that they shared the same DNA. He had never really done anything to be proud of before. Sure he invented here and there, but never anything like this. Raoul suddenly felt outraged and protective. What The Professor was suggesting was vile. All the respect and admiration Raoul had for the man vanished. He looked The Professor straight in the eye and shoved the glass box off the desk.
"Well, Professor, I see a mess of broken glass. I refuse to let you create your own slave race. Not with my DNA, and certainly not from Francoeur's. I may have caused all of this with my carelessness, but I am going to fix this. All of it. And you're going to help, willing or not because I can think of a few people who'd just love to hear about this operation you've got going on down here."
"I will not be threatened– "
"Then tell me how to make Francoeur human. That's what we came here for in the first place and it seems to me if he was no longer an insect we wouldn't be having this…dying problem."
He grabbed The Professor by the collar of his lab coat. "Just tell me how we can fix this."
The Professor's expression softened. Francoeur was still prone on the floor, but segmented digits twitched in his right glove.
"My boy, this is the price you have paid for science." The Professor placed his hand on Raoul's forearm. "I understand how you feel, more than you would ever know. That is why I will help you, despite your insolence. But again –there is a cost. I will require some more DNA samples from you. Some hair follicles will do."
Raoul released the old man and moved backward two steps.
"And what would you do with my hair?"
"Create something that the likes of which the scientific community has never seen. No longer will I be shunned at expos. No longer be the subject of American jokes. I will be taken seriously as a genius, not some lowly botanist."
Raoul's eyes narrowed and the Professor noticed.
"And save Francoeur, of course…well, possibly."
"Possibly?" Raoul sneered.
"I have various theories that haven't been proven yet. I can't make any promises. Basically, I would be creating a serum that would tip the ratio – per se. I wouldn't be able to completely make Francoeur human – that would be impossible, but I could make him live longer and hopefully be more acceptable to the general public. I would make it so that your genetic characteristics would overpower the flea ones. That would be the best case scenario."
"And the worst?"
The Professor looked down at the broken cage.
"There is also the possibility it could destroy his genetic integrity. He could be irreversibly mutated for the rest of his unpleasant life – or if he is lucky enough… he could be granted a quick death."
"That doesn't sound like you're giving me much, Professor."
"I'm giving you hope. I think that's a fair bargain."
Raoul looked back at Francoeur. The flea's eyes fluttered occasionally, like he was only dreaming.
If only he had more options.
"Deal."
As soon as Raoul had uttered the word, The Professor was upon him brandishing tweezers and pulled at least three hairs from his scalp.
"Ow… Jeez old man…"
"For the record, this might take a while." The scientist caught Raoul glaring. "What? I am not some magician. I don't work in the instant gratification department. This will take time if you don't want you friend here to just be a puddle of genetic goop.
"We might not have time Professor, if what you said was any indication."
"You'll just have to be patient and have faith your friend is strong enough to make it."
Just then there was a commotion on the floor of the lab. Francoeur had awoken and was sliding on the broken glass trying to right himself. His suit jacket caught on the desk cornerand his vest was open, displaying his chitin covered abdomen. The flea's face was a mask of confusion and fear. He wrapped his arms about himself and stared at Raoul questioningly.
Raoul desperately wished he could offer more comfort. He was sick of The Professor and sick of this mess. They both just needed to go home. He hoped he could explain everything to Francoeur tomorrow because he couldn't take anymore of this today, and he was sure Francoeur couldn't either.
The whole ordeal made his stomach ache.
He didn't even want to think about the possibility of telling Lucille. He got Francoeur's coat and kicked some glass out of the way.
"You're okay buddy – c'mon time to get up." Raoul offered an arm and Francoeur took it gratefully. The both looked back at the scientist. He was already so engrossed in his work, he paid them no attention.
"Let's go home."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The streets were virtually empty.
Flurries of snow drifted down from the heavens like errant feathers on the wind.
What Lucille had said earlier was true; she did have an appointment with Pate – the new commissioner.
Whether or not she was going to show up was another matter. Pate was endearing and his courtship of Madame Carlotta was adorable to watch. It was high time her Aunt found someone just right for her.
But Lucille was hardly in the mood for social calls.
She just wanted to go home, have some tea, and curl up in Francoeur's arms.
It was strange how much she wanted to be with him lately – just him and no one else. The rest of the world seemed to matter less and less. Nothing felt as right as him, like he filled every hole in her heart perfectly. It wasn't even fair how he had topped her priority list so quickly. How could she have fallen so fast? Was this love? Was this what it was supposed to be? She melted when Francoeur crooned her name and she quivered under his little touches. Every duet made her heart soar, every dance was pure freedom. Raoul was now only an afterthought. Like a dying ember compared to an inferno.
She knew she wasn't being fair to him, but what else could she do?
Lucille's footsteps clacked off of wet cobblestone. She was maybe fifteen minutes away from her flat and she couldn't bring herself to hail a carriage. It was cold, but she had a fur coat and good legs. Walking didn't seem so bad. She needed an outlet to burn off her annoyance. Pate would understand if she didn't meet him today. It's not like he wasn't at the Rare Bird every night anyway.
Snow muffled the sounds of Paris and Lucille walked on, thinking again about Francoeur.
Half of what scared her the other night was how bad she had wanted him. Everything should have felt completely wrong – and later it did get a little… heated. But everything up to that point was so natural. Almost like breathing. She could have drowned in him right then and there. How was it possible that she felt this way? About a giant insect no less.
But it wasn't about that.
He was the only person in Paris that really saw her the way she was. He saw through the make-up, the costume and her feminine wiles straight down to the core of her. The mask she wore for the rest of society was of no consequence to him. She could just be Lucille, no glitz, no glamour, no come hither stare. Not even Raoul saw the real her, the one without confidence, the one without all of the self-esteem. Like all the rest of the men in Paris, he thought with his manhood. It was as if her heart didn't matter. True, she treated Raoul much the same way these days – but she could never do that with Francoeur.
Lucille wasn't perfect – she knew it. She'd been a hypocrite more than once.
It was time she told Raoul the truth. He deserved love just as much as she did. He needed another chance with someone new.
Lucille wasn't even sure if she was in love. It didn't quite seem like what society put forth on the matter. Plays and books didn't have much in common with what she was feeling, but she would take whatever it was. It was time for her to grow up and make a commitment. Francoeur and Raoul deserved at least that much.
Lucille was approaching the flower shop on her right. Maybe Raoul's friend, Gwenaelle, was in today. She had wanted to go home, but maybe she could pick up some flowers for Francoeur on the way. Besides, it would be a welcome break from the cold air. Her hair was getting damp from the flurries and getting sick was the last thing she wanted to do this month. Lucille smiled as the flower shop door let off an airy twinkle.
But the grin quickly slid off her face as her eyes alighted on the puddle of blood on the shop's floor.
Okay guys- I'm taking it slow, So many questions! I hope I can answer them all in the days to come.
Your support is awesome.
I hope you don't expect me to reveal everything at once.
Ah, if only things were as easy as magic!
Also again, so I can just re-iterate. I do not hate Raoul. I treat him like a stand-up guy. I mean, he can be a bit of a pig sometimes, but I think he just does it to cover up his vulnerability. I admit this chapter is a bit Raoul and Professor centric. Basically, I felt the movie had no Raoul character development. Be patient with me. Please? I promise I will give you lots of fluff sometime soon (very soon), I just want to get through this. NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE BETTER.
SO MUCH PSUEDO-SCIENCE. Science gods I am sorry.
And I guess Gwenaelle is a fan generated name. Cool beans – I actually thought it was cannon. Credit goes to whoever the hell thought that one up. I totally bought it, hook line and sinker.
This was rough. And to be honest I had a pretty rough week.
MIDGROUND is a lifesaver. She tore me a new one over this one. "(SPEECH TAGS -PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ZEUS INDICATE THE MANNER IN WHICH YOUR CHARACTERS ARE SPEAKING)""(maybe? She's just NOW thinking that, maybe possibly, she should break up with the boyfriend she's leading on?)"