Subject: Blind Luck 1/5 Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1980 15:30:22 -0600 From: Angela Gottfred To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU This is my first piece of FK fan fiction, so I'd be grateful for just about any kind of feedback! E-mail me at agottfre@telusplanet.net. Thank you to my beta readers Barbara Vanio, Cindy Clark, and Deb Quaife for their feedback on an earlier, shorter version of this story, and a great big thank you to Tim Phillips for beta-reading that and this longer version. You've all helped make this a better story; I just hope I haven't screwed it up again! ;-) This story may be archived at fkfanfic.com and the ftp site; anyone else, just ask. Spoiler warnings for "Blind Faith", and various other third- season episodes after that. (Newbies note: the 3rd season is the one with Tracy Vetter). Disclaimers: Forever Knight was created by James D. Parriott and Barney Cohen, and belongs to Sony/TriStar. Jody Fraser & Perry were dreamed up by FK writer James Johnston, but they were much too good to leave on the shelf. I also have no claims on Eurocopter, Thermos, etc., I just admire their work. Synopsis: After "Blind Faith", Jody Fraser corresponds with Nick as she adjusts to life as a carouche. ************************** Blind Luck, or, A Girl and Her Dog by Ligeia Part 1 of 5 ************************** Sylvia: I took your advice and went down to the Quality Consignment store to see if I could buy a used laptop computer. I found an old 486/33 with a monochrome screen and fax modem. It will do just fine for e-mail &my term papers. It came with the usual Microcrap applications. I tried out that undelete utility you gave me. Sweet! I got a bunch of garbage, but I also recovered Civilization, a star map program, and a couple of the previous owner's documents. One was a huge file of technical specifications on the Eurocopter BK-117, and the other turned out to be an e-mail inbox. (It's positively frightening how easy this all was.) You won't believe the mail messages! I think the previous owner was into some kind of role-playing game. Since you're into that stuff too, I thought maybe you'd enjoy it. Hope you're behaving yourself at UBC; I'm sure the weather's got to be better than here. Fondly, Val attachment: e:\eudora\mailbox\rpgmail.doc %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Date: 27 July To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: About last night... Thank you, Nick, for letting Perry and me stay at your place last night. I'm sorry about my bad behavior-- first I guzzled down most of the stuff in your fridge, then I fell asleep on your couch while you were still talking to me. There are still some things I want to tell you about Perrry, though. I understand why Perry attacked me. He's a very smart dog. He knew that I let you take him away to be destroyed, and the vampire in him made him want to hurt me back. When I felt him thump onto my chest, growling fiercely, I screamed, and then I did every thing I could to defend myself-- I even tried to bite him. I got him, too, got him firmly by the base of his ear. My mouth was full of his fur and skin and blood. I could feel his teeth close on my throat, but I didn't dare loosen my grip on his ear. I had to swallow to keep from gagging. What a difference such a small thing can make--the difference between life and death. If I hadn't tasted his blood, I'd be dead now, and Perry's mournful look wouldn't be enough to save him from your stake a second time. By the time you came charging in to rescue me, the change was well under way, and I could see again. And instead of saving my life, you helped me start my life over-- as a vampire. I remember my mom telling me about sex when I was ten. It seemed pretty weird, but she called it 'the facts of life'. Well, Mom's talk had nothing on what you told me last night as we flew(!) back to your car and then drove over to your place. The facts of life indeed! I'm glad I didn't have to learn things the hard way. I used to enjoy suntanning, but spontaneous combustion just isn't my style. At HQ tonight, it wasn't hard to pretend I was still blind. It was tough, though, to walk in there without Perry. Everyone was very sympathetic about his death, and very understanding about my sudden resignation. I didn't have any problems connecting with Aristotle at the Raven. Perry and I are at one of his safe houses now. All I've got is a gym bag full of stuff I grabbed from my place on the way here--my laptop, some clothes, Perry's ball & his food dish. Aristotle said he's got some other business tonight but tomorrow night he'll come and get my documents together. I suppose he doesn't want to waste his time answering all my questions, since he fixed me up with an e-mail account, your e-mail address, and his XGP encryption/decryption program. I'll have to move, of course, and probably far from Canada's pre-eminent city of Toronto :-). Metro PD just ain't big enough for the both of us! Even if I could explain how I recovered my sight, _two_ cops with severe daylight allergies might raise a few eyebrows at HQ. The most important thing about this whole change is that I can be a pilot again. I've had a pilot's license ever since I soloed at 16 on an Air Cadet flying scholarship. My eyesight wasn't quite good enough to be a fighter pilot, so instead of joining the RCAF, I went to the University of Toronto while I figured out what came next. And then I met Tracy through Psi Mu Sigma, and she told me about the plans for starting up Flight Operations at Metro PD I'd like to get back into police work, but just about all of the police helicopter pilots in Canada --there aren't too many--know me. But first things first: nobody's going to hire me to fly at night without a valid instrument flight rating, and mine has lapsed. It'll be in the wrong name anyway, once Aristotle's done with me. I definitely have to talk to Aristotle about getting the proper work history and credentials so that I can work as a pilot again. It's either that or buy my own helicopter, and I don't think I'll get _that_ much for my house, even at Toronto prices! Thanks once more for your help last night; you probably have plenty to do without taking the time to usher a baby vampire into her new life. Sincerely, Jody Fraser P.S. One last word about Perry: I'm not worried that he will ever hurt anyone again; when I say 'no', I can tell he's listening to me again, just like before. Now he _knows_ that I love him, that he's still my wonderful blonde 'boyfriend'. ========================== Date: 28 July To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Re: About last night... Thank you, Nick-- again. I was just about climbing the walls when your shipment arrived last evening, and Perry wasn't doing much better. Steer blood is just fine with Perry & me, although Aristotle wrinkled his nose and made some remark about how I'd be drinking rat's blood next. Aristotle has arranged new pilots' licenses for me. He really does good work; the new licenses look just as real as the old ones. He offered to do up a valid instrument rating for me too, but I'm going to need a refresher after being grounded for a year. We made a deal: in return for doing my licenses, he got to choose my new name. So I'm now 'Amelia Putnam'. Aristotle thinks it's very funny. Feliks Twist stopped by briefly to talk about selling my house. He assured me that he's been doing this kind of transaction for centuries and never lost a farthing or left a paper trail. He'll take his cut, of course, which is only fair. Tomorrow night, Perry and I will be on a bus to Winnipeg. (I don't think leaving Perry alone in the hold of an airplane would be a good idea at this stage.) There's a flight school I know about in Rivers, Manitoba; it should be the perfect place to pick up that refresher course So long. Take care of yourself, and of Tracy. With respect and warm regards, Jody F. ========================== Date: 30 July To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: It's a bird! It's a plane! It's-- me!? I finally got a chance to do some more flying last night. When you took Perry & me for that short flight in Toronto, we just flew straight & level. I needed to expand my horizons. I started with basic hovering-- a piece of cake! I wish hovering in place had been this easy when I was learning to fly a chopper. I had to coax Perry to come up and join me. The higher he got, the more nervous he became, but after a while he realized he wasn't going to fall, and then he started to have fun. I told him to heel, and we flew side by side, straight and level, until we were well outside of Winnipeg. I decided to go for speed. Everything was nice & smooth up to about 180 km/h, when I started to experience a little buffeting. At about 200 km/h, I began to tumble out of control. So I guess I now know the aerodynamic limits of the human shape! I think Perry probably could have gone faster than me, but he was staying at my side, a magna cum laude graduate of obedience school. Then I did some aerobatics: barrel roll, split-S, Immelman, falling leaf, loop. I was going to finish it all off with a cannonball dive from 500 feet, but I had to stop because I was laughing too hard at the sheer silliness of it all. Besides, I'd lost Perry on the top of the loop--he'd actually managed to follow me through all the other fancy maneuvers. It was tons of fun, but flying this way is too darn easy! I'm definitely a technical flier at heart. If I could put this in my flight log, though, it sure would save me a bundle on helicopter rentals. If I'm going to do this regularly (and I think I just might!), then I should figure out some kind of IFR kit to take up with me; I'm sure night vision won't be any help in thick clouds or fog, and I don't fancy getting lost. A good pocket compass and a mountaineer's altimeter would be a start. I don't think I'll be checking out my ceiling anytime soon--I don't want to risk showing up on radar--but you can bet I'll do some payload tests. I just can't shake my training, Nick--a pilot should _always_ know the flight characteristics of her aircraft. Especially if she's not actually using one! Thanks for your incredibly generous offer of a bridge loan for my flight training, until my house is sold, but I'll be fine. My parents were actually quite well off--that's how I could afford to learn to fly helicopters and go to university too--and when my father passed away three years ago, I inherited everything. (Mom died while I was still in university. Trace was a big help then.) I might even have enough to buy myself a nice used helicopter, but I probably couldn't afford to fill the gas tank afterwards! Financing my refresher course shouldn't be a problem, though. Tomorrow night I'll go shopping for a car. Judging by what you drive, you must know a few things about cars. Any suggestions? Jody ========================== End Part 1 of 5 This is my first piece of FK fan fiction, so I'd be grateful for just about any kind of feedback! E-mail me at agottfre@telusplanet.net. Subject: Blind Luck 2/5 Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1980 15:31:57 -0600 From: Angela Gottfred To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU ************************** Blind Luck, by Ligeia Part 2 of 5 ************************** Date: 13 Aug To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Hello again Keeping your car-buying advice well in mind, I bought a camper van in Winnipeg. It's nice and snug-- it has a miniature kitchen, complete with propane-powered fridge and stove, and a teeny tiny sink. It also has a completely superfluous toilet. I've had blinds and blackout curtains installed to keep the daylight out of the camper part of the van. I found a sheet metal shop, and got them to make up a strong steel dog carrier for Perry. I'm sure they thought I was crazy, because it's fairly heavy even when it's empty, but I got what I needed--a Perry-proof doghouse. I'm living at the Rivers, Manitoba airstrip now. Most evenings I put in some flight time, either with my instructor or on my own. The last two nights I've been practicing my auto-rotations; that's the technique you use to land a helicopter when the engine fails. Tricky, especially in the dark, and I do need the practice. Not as badly as I'd feared, though. When I'm done with the helo, I spend the rest of the night with Perry. There's a poultry processing plant nearby, so we have a steady supply of chicken blood. I try to go there as early in the night as I can; the taste spoils very quickly, which can make it pretty tough to swallow. I've been thinking about what you said, about carouches being a lower order of vampire, and I still don't get it. Sure, I don't crave human blood. Is this a bad thing? I'll have to believe you when you say that I'm not as fast or as strong as other non-carouche(?) vampires. But then, as a woman, I wasn't as fast or as strong as some men. Is there something else that you haven't told me? If not, you may want to re-think some notions about equality, and catch up with the 20th century. This idea of 'lower orders' seems almost medieval. Nevertheless, I am grateful for the warning that other vampires may look down on me because of my unorthodox diet. I suppose that was Mr. Lacroix' problem with me. I'll try not to pick any fights! I think I'm pretty safe in Rivers, though. With respect and warm regards, Amy Putnam, a.k.a. Jody Fraser ========================== Date: 14 Aug To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Re: Some more facts of life Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed letter about my new lifestyle. Like most pilots, I'm a firm believer in Murphy's Law: the more I know about what can go wrong, the more I can do to make sure it can't happen. I'm grateful for all the info. I'm also very curious about how you found out about some of this stuff, like the effects of injected vampire blood on non-vampires! Jody ========================== Date: 15 Aug To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Re: Some more facts of life I didn't mean to suggest was that you had done anything improper-- I know how to do lots of things that I have no plans to try out. I hope, too, that you didn't get the impression that I was trying to pry. I'm trying hard not to-- after all, we've just met. Please keep writing. Perry is a good friend, but I know all his jokes. Sincerely, Jody ========================== Date: 16 Aug To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Re: Some more facts of life It was a perfectly understandable misunderstanding. I'm looking forward to continuing our correspondence. Yours truly, Jody ========================== Date: 17 Aug To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Yikes!? Nick, I'm missing my period. Is this normal, or could I be pregnant? J. ========================== Date: 17 Aug To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Re: Yikes!? Well, that's a relief. I mean, in the normal way of things, there is no possible way I could be pregnant. But I'm not exactly normal anymore, am I? So I had to ask. I'm not surprised to find that I'll never be able to have a baby. Yes, I'm sad, but even before I got multiple sclerosis I wasn't planning on becoming a mom anytime soon. I guess getting pregnant is just one more thing I don't have to worry about anymore, along with gray hair, grocery shopping, and getting mugged. J. ========================== Date: 24 Aug To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Hell hath no fury With all this chitchat, you might be getting worried that I've forgotten your warnings about how my emotions are going to be much more difficult to keep in check. In fact, I'm taking it extremely seriously. The story you told me about your late friend, the U.S. District Attorney, sobers me every time I think of it. The last thing I want is to hurt someone simply because I can't control myself. Until recently, I had only been affected a little bit; Perry's companionship, and my excitement, helped a lot. But last week, as I was getting ready for my flight, an instructor aimed a very crude sexist remark at me. A year ago, it probably wouldn't have bothered me--it wouldn't be the first time I've put up with that garbage--but this time, it really got to me. I could feel my hair standing up, and my eye teeth growing longer and sharper. I stood my ground, clenched my teeth, and tried to concentrate on the fact that if I killed the S.O.B., I would have real problems continuing my flight training. Fortunately for both of us, my instructor showed up then, and the preflight inspection gave me some privacy to cool down and switch to 'pilot mode'. (Luckily, the ignorant twit had made the remark behind my back; it was only _much_ later that I remembered what you'd said about our eyes changing. ) I've thought about that event many times, and I've tried to learn from it. The first time I went back over it, after I was back in the van with Perry, I had the exact same reaction-- the memories were so sharp, I felt like that instructor was in the room with me again. So I went over it a second time, in front of a mirror. I was so surprised to see my eyes change color, and my teeth grow into fangs, that I snapped right out of it. I think I scared myself! I put the mirror away, and replayed the incident again and again, trying hard not to react so violently. I lost some sleep, but finally I could review the whole incident and stay firmly in control. I've probably got a long way to go, but if I want to be a pilot again, I've got to lick this thing. I'm starting to feel the same way about the vampire as I did about the MS-- it might be an unavoidable part of my life, but I'll be damned if I let it run the whole show. Sincerely, Jody ========================== Date: 15 Oct To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Howdy! I thought I'd better drop you a note to tell you how things are going. I'm in Calgary now. I got my instrument rating renewed a couple of months ago, and now I'm the half-pay backup night shift copilot for MARS, Calgary's air ambulance. (MARS is short for 'Medical Air Rescue Service.' And yes, we hear lots of jokes about alien abductions...) So far, I've been splitting my time between the communications center, the simulator, and familiarization flights in the jump seat of our twin- engine Eurocopter BK117 (very nice!). Sometimes I get to take the controls, usually on the way back to our base at Calgary's McCall Field. Once they've got me fully trained, the whole crew will rotate: our pilot will move to day shift (which he's overdue for), the co-pilot will become the pilot, and I'll be the new night co-pilot. I really enjoy this work, even more than when I was flying a Bell Jet Ranger for Metro PD. We save lives. And I'm going to be a very safe pilot for them; they don't know that I've already got years of experience flying low at night, and excellent night vision to boot. I just wish they'd stop teasing me about coming from 'Tronna'. Some of the worst offenders are originally from back east themselves. They made me have a new medical exam. I 'reassured' their flight surgeon that my blood pressure and pulse rate were completely normal, despite what he'd just measured. Thank goodness that worked! I've been practicing on salespeople to get my technique down. (No, Nick, I didn't make any suggestions about prices!) Anyway, the flight surgeon listened to my medical history (severe allergic reaction to sunlight, allergic to most foods and medications), and told me I had a disease called porphyria, which is notoriously difficult to diagnose, partly because it's rare. He was puzzled that my teeth are nice and white (apparently they are supposed to be brownish-red), until I told him I had them all capped. Luckily pilots make enough money for that to be believable! He told me to get a Medic-Alert bracelet for my allergies, and he put a note on my pilots' license that I am ONLY to fly at night. What more can a girl vampire ask for? I've researched porphyria so that my 'symptoms' will be more consistent with his diagnosis. He also says that it is vitally important not to skip meals (he's put that on my medical record too!), so I'm taking a liquid lunch to work with me. I tell my co- workers it's vitamin-enriched, protein-fortified organic cranberry juice. Feliks Twist was as good as his word. I got the proceeds of the sale of my house two weeks ago, via the account he set up for me in the Bahamas. I've been camping at an RV park, but now I can look for a place of my own. Do you have some house-hunting hints for the urban vampire? Your car-buying advice was worth its weight in gold, so I'm hoping you have some more nuggets of wisdom for me. Yours truly, Jody P.S. I'm going to have to find something for Perry to do. He's a working dog, and he hates being unemployed. I'm giving him all the loving attention I can, but he needs more than that. ========================== End Part 2 of 5 This is my first piece of FK fan fiction, so I'd be grateful for just about any kind of feedback! E-mail me at agottfre@telusplanet.net. Subject: Blind Luck 3/5 Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1980 15:32:40 -0600 From: Angela Gottfred To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU ************************** Blind Luck, by Ligeia Part 3 of 5 ************************** Date: 18 Oct To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Re: house hunting Thanks for your advice on house hunting. You're right, it's good to have a safe place to retreat to when the vampire threatens to take over, a place where you can't hear or smell other people, especially when you're tired or hungry. I think that probably goes double for Perry and me, since both of us still have a lot to learn about controlling the vampire. Maybe I should look for a place outside the city. Better safe than sorry! --Jody ========================== Date: 31 Oct To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Say what?! What on earth is going on in Toronto? I saw Tracy in the audience of this afternoon's Jerry Show. Topic: 'Supernatural Lovers'?!!! I thought you said Tracy didn't know you were a vampire. If you've told her now, then I might as well phone her. I sometimes worry that she might become concerned about my sudden resignation, that she'll start thinking I jumped into the Don River or something. Sincerely, Confused in Calgary ========================== Date: 1 Nov To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Tangled webs My oh my! So Tracy is involved with a _different_ vampire? Well, I won't press you for details, but what are the odds, eh? Must make things even harder for you, working so closely with her. After all, it seems to me that disbelief is the first line of defense in keeping our secret. If I confessed everything to _my_ co-workers, I'd have to worry about being forced to take stress leave, not about getting a stake in the heart. At least, I'm pretty sure about that... :-} And you got Tracy to tell you she didn't believe in vampires? You've got a very twisted sense of humor! If you keep teasing her like this, she might bite--and who knows where that could lead ;-) But since you just can't leave her alone, ask her if she's ever been to an orgy. Don't ask me how to spring that on her--_you're_ the twisted one! She'll probably blush right down to her toes, and you won't hear a word from her for the rest of the shift--which might be a plus. And no, she _hasn't_ been to an orgy. But not for lack of trying! (Sorority sisters can be very cruel sometimes...) Jody ========================== Date: 2 Nov To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Re: Tangled webs I'm glad Tracy's okay. Pretty tense for both of you, having to deal with Jerry's producer holding her at gunpoint. Thank you for telling me about it; it would have been very easy for you to leave me in the dark. Now I _know_ she's in good hands. I'll be watching for her interview on the Jerry Show. When will it be on? Jody ========================== Date: 18 Nov To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Yahoo! Yippee! Yesss! Tonight I was told that this would be my last night as the half-pay backup night shift copilot. Starting next shift, I will be in the co-pilot's seat all night, every night. Finally! I've had to deal with silly jokes about Toronto and easterners for the last month. Tonight, the flight team said they'd be darned if they'd put up with an easterner in the pilot's seat any longer. They gave me a white cowboy hat and swore me in as an honorary Calgarian. MARS is a class act after all. Yee-ha! Your friend in Cowtown, Amy Putnam ========================== Date: 21 Nov To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: The Friendly Skies Last night was my first night as an air ambulance co-pilot. We had a good one. Our first mission came at the very beginning of the shift. It was a single- car accident on the Trans-Canada Highway about five minutes east of the city. Somebody with a cell phone reported a car overturned in the ditch, and we were the closest available unit. I handled the communications and visual navigation while Pete flew the outbound leg on IFR and put us down in a plowed field next to the highway. By the time they cracked open the car door and got her out, the victim was delirious with hypothermia. When we arrived at the hospital, though, she was looking much better. I could really see that we'd made a difference. Before the air ambulance service was set up five years ago, the firefighters and local land ambulance service would have taken well over an hour in total to reach her, extract her, and get her to the nearest emergency room. The second mission, a few hours later, was to an acreage south of the city, to pick up a heart attack victim. Again, we shortened the time it took him to get to a hospital by a good thirty minutes, significantly improving his chances for recovery. I love this job. The flying's not bad either. Amy ========================== Date: 25 Nov To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: (In-) Joke As we were landing at our base last night, the wind suddenly shifted, and the helo dropped like a wounded rock for the last two feet. We hit the helipad so hard, it set off our crash beacon. I looked at my pilot and said, "Pete, my _dog_ can fly better than that!" He laughed, but he doesn't know just how funny it really is... A. ========================== Date: 29 Nov To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Bad habits I don't mind living in the RV park. I get lots of privacy, since there aren't many winter campers, and most of them are working stiffs like me, here on business or until they can find a job or an apartment. One of the drawbacks, though, is that I have to use the public showers. Don't get me wrong, the showers are clean, and there's plenty of hot water in the evenings. However: There's a private cubicle in front of each shower stall to undress and hang up your clothes, and that's the one thing that bugs me--by the time I have my shower, the floor there is dirty from people wearing their street shoes into the change area. I really hate getting dirt on my bare feet when I'm coming out of the shower stall. So, I've gotten into the habit of hanging in the air about a half inch above the floor, to keep my feet clean. I figured that nobody could see my feet from the outside (there's a 6" high lip on the floor below the cubicle door, to keep water from running out into the washroom). Besides, it's only for a short time and I usually have the whole shower area to myself. But last night, after I came out of the shower and I was brushing my hair at the vanity counter, this older lady kept staring and staring at my feet. I smiled at her and chatted, giving her a chance to say something. She didn't, and the next night her motorhome was gone. I guess I'll have to keep my feet firmly on the ground from now on. Amy ========================== Date: 4 Dec To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Rough night Last night was a bad one. REALLY bad. We responded to a call at a meat packing plant outside of town. A month ago, they hired an evening shift, but it seems they didn't bother to properly train the employees, many of whom are recent immigrants. Last night, one of them got himself sucked into the skinning machine. I went inside the plant with the flight nurse & paramedic--copilots can often make themselves useful at the scene--and it was very messy. They pulled him out of the machine, and if Dr. Mike had been flying with us, he'd have declared him dead on the spot and we'd have gone straight back to our base. I had a hard time inside the plant; I can deal with the sight & smell of human blood, but the whole place was also flooded with wonderful, enticing, _exciting_ beef blood. I ran back to the chopper faster than my legs could carry me. Nobody on our team gave me a rough time for running out on them. I told them I'd been about to faint, and they actually praised me for having the wits to avoid becoming another casualty. (Which isn't too far from the truth, I suppose.) But I still don't know what I'd have done, what might have happened, if I'd stayed there a moment longer surrounded by the overpowering smell of delicious blood. Do you? I'm taking a day of stress leave. I'm not the only one on the team to take time off, either. We attend a lot of scenes, but this one was tough. A. ========================== Date: 5 Dec To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Re: The better part of valor Thanks, Nick, for your thoughtful e-mail. It's been a big help. I hadn't realized just how often your work in Homicide can put you into similar situations, but it's encouraging to know that you can cope with them. And now that I've had a chance to settle down and think about it, I'm sure that I'm not going to get into situations like that very often. However, Perry and I will be visiting that packing plant on our next day off, well after the night shift has gone home. It will be a chance to practice my control in a safe environment, and it could even become a good source for all my essential nutrients. I've been visiting a poultry plant just east of the city, not far from the airport, but steer blood would make a very welcome change for us. Just before this whole packing plant thing happened, I made an offer on an acreage. It's a relatively short drive from the airport, but a long way from neighbors--about half a mile! It's a thirty-year-old bungalow, in excellent shape, but it's got such an oddball floor plan that it wasn't selling. It comes with four acres of bald prairie, except for a short windrow of mature poplars and evergreens near the house. With any luck, the whole deal will be sewn up by this time tomorrow. As soon as I get possession, I'll install those metal roll-shutters you suggested, and Feliks will send my furniture along out of storage. Then I'll have my real computer back, instead of this _lovely_ old laptop I've been using, and I'll have all my clothes and books back too. It'll be wonderful to have a proper home again. A. ========================== End Part 3 of 5 This is my first piece of FK fan fiction, so I'd be grateful for just about any kind of feedback! E-mail me at agottfre@telusplanet.net. Subject: Blind Luck 4/5 Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1980 06:55:26 -0600 From: Angela Gottfred To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU ************************** Blind Luck, by Ligeia Part 4 of 5. ************************** Date: 6 Dec To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: A new job for Perry Well, I may have finally found something for Perry to do. I explained Perry's problem to Brenda, one of our flight nurses.Her family ran a kennel and obedience training school for years, and she started out in veterinary medicine before switching to nursing. Anyway, I told her that Perry was my late sister's seeing-eye dog, and he's been feeling rather unhappy and unemployed since I've had him. She suggested training him as a search and rescue dog. SAR dogs track down lost people, usually hikers and hunters and backcountry skiers. Often, if they've got experienced handlers & they're in safe terrain, they're the only ones to continue searching at night. Well, that suits us right down to the ground! I'm sure Perry would make an excellent SAR dog, and the training alone will probably help him snap out of the bored funk he's been in. Brenda's brother works for the RCMP dog training facility, which is about an hour north of Calgary. Brenda promised to ask him to come and have a look at Perry next time he's in town. Hopefully, Amy ========================== Date: 21 Dec To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Moving day! I'm writing to you from the kitchen of my new house. While Perry & I spent our final day sleeping at the RV park, the movers came & went. They did a great job! I made a list of the furniture and what rooms it went into, and they followed my instructions down to the letter. Now all I have to do is unpack. :-( Amy ========================== Date: 22 Dec To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Re: Moving day! Unpacking was surprisingly tough. When I left all this stuff behind in T.O., I left behind all my ties to my past life. Now it's all caught up with me. School yearbooks, family photos, my mom's favorite sweater, my dad's old drafting instruments... I had a good long cry, partly for myself, and partly for mom and dad. Perry saw me crying, and came over and licked my face-- thank goodness for him, and for you too. If I didn't have you two guys to talk to, I'd really be a mess. I guess I'm finally realizing just how much of a change I've gone through. I was bothered even by silly things like the canned food from my old house. It all has to go to the food bank. I can't eat it, and it won't even serve as window dressing-- I've told everyone at work that I can't tolerate anything that contains wheat, eggs, dairy, preservatives, or artificial colors. Tomorrow I'll have to visit a health food store & stock up. I'll have to destroy everything with my real name on it. Aristotle shredded most of my personal documents--driver's license, birth certificate, SIN card--when he replaced them with the new ones, but I found report cards, vaccination records, old letters, all kinds of things with my name on them. Old textbooks, term papers, my first pilot's log from Air Cadets... It will all have to go. That's going to be hard. Just thinking about it is tearing me apart. Sorry to cry on your virtual shoulder, especially so close to Christmas. Today just wasn't what I expected. J. ========================== Date: 23 Dec To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Re: Moving day! Nick, thank you very much for your letter. Your safety deposit box suggestion is great-- I'll pick out the incriminating things that I just can't part with, and store them there for a while. A few larger things with my name on them, like books and so on, I can probably claim I bought second hand. It's comforting to be able to hold onto even a few things from the past. Perry likes the new house, and I do too; it's sure nice to have the extra room after spending such a long time camping in the van. If you're ever in Calgary, please feel free to visit me, either at home or at work. I've procrastinated long enough. It's time to finish unpacking. J. ========================== Date: 25 Dec To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Merry Christmas ...and a Happy New Year! After all of Aristotle's warnings about making sure we couldn't be connected, I didn't dare send you a present by snail mail. (Besides, I haven't got a clue as to what you'd like). Instead, I'll just have to write one more time to tell you what a good friend you've been to me, even though we just met a few months ago. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, and that the New Year brings you the happiness you deserve. Sincerely yours, Jody Fraser Woof Woof! (Translation: "What she said!") Periscope 'Perry' Fraser ========================== Date: 7 Jan To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: I met someone I was alone in the communications room at our airbase last night, monitoring the radio traffic and reviewing my notes on the Eurocopter's flight characteristics , when I had the distinct feeling that somebody was watching me. When I turned around, though, there was nobody in the doorway. The only people I heard were the rest of the crew in the coffee room. A few seconds later, though, the feeling got much stronger, and then a stranger walked in. She was a little taller than I am, with dark, very curly hair. As soon as I saw her, I had this odd feeling of excitement, kind of like I'd been startled, or shocked. Then she smiled at me just enough to show me her fangs. I introduced myself as Amy Putnam. She said her name was Serena., and then three men came in to join her. Serena is a firefighter in Regina; her group was sent to Calgary's airport fire station for some extra training, and they were just stopping by to have a quick look at our operations before they headed for home. Serena introduced me as a distant relative of hers. The other firefighters joined the rest of our crew in the coffee room. I dug out my thermos, found a clean mug, and shared my liquid lunch with Serena. I was surprised that she didn't make any snide remarks about the flavor; instead, she said something she'd done in Toronto last year had convinced her to cut back on the 'hard stuff'. I didn't pry further, but I was quite relieved that her attitude toward me didn't seem to change once she discovered my dietary preferences. We spent a half hour talking as freely as we could, given the circumstances, and we just clicked. I suppose it's because we've got so much in common--apparently both of us became vampires by accident, and we're both women who've chosen macho professions. I asked her if she wasn't afraid of being burned to death, but she just shrugged and said she's not taking any risks that her co-workers aren't, and very few firefighters get killed. By the time her group left, we were talking and laughing as if we really were long-lost relatives. It's too bad she lives in another province, but we swapped phone numbers, and we'll get together again the next time she comes to Calgary. You don't have to tell me, but I'm wondering: Do you know Serena? Can I trust her? I'd like to, but I want to be careful too. J. ========================== Date: 8 Jan To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Re: I met someone Verrry interesting. When I went back to the communications center this evening, I had that same oddly startled feeling that I had when I first met Serena. Is this what you meant when you said I'd be able to tell where other vampires had been recently? If so, I'll have to pay attention and see if it fades over time, and how quickly. More grist for the mill... I finally got around to doing my payload test last week; I managed to lift four 20-kg bags of water softener salt to 100 feet and hover there for three minutes on the first trial, and 30 minutes on the second trial, with no problem at all. (The bags have strong built in handles, which made them ideal.) I was thirsty after the 30-minute test, but not enough to make me do something crazy. I wanted to try six bags of salt, but my hands are too small to securely hold the handles for three bags at once, so further tests will have to wait until I can figure out how to increase the load safely. J. ========================== Date: 11 Jan To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Perry's career change Brenda and her brother, James, finally came by last week to see Perry and assess whether he'd make a good SAR dog. I put Perry through his obedience school paces, which he did very nicely, and then some of his old guide dog commands, which he followed perfectly. Professional pride? James was impressed. Usually it takes 12 to 18 months to train a SAR dog, but Perry's previous training has given him a big head start. James says he might be fully trained in as little as six months. The whole process sounds a bit intimidating to me; I wasn't the one who put Perry through his initial training, and I don't know if I've got what it takes to be a good trainer. But I'll give it my damnedest, for Perry's sake. James says to train a SAR dog, it should be at least the second most important thing in your life. Work and family can come first, but training has to be second. So don't worry if you don't hear from me for a while. J. ========================== Date: 16 Jan To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Stuff Perry's doing great at his training. I'm the one who's a bit frazzled. It's definitely hard work! Brenda keeps telling everyone at work how great Perry is, so I guess I'll have to take him to work with me one night so the team can meet him. How are things in Toronto? Has Trace driven you crazy yet, or is it the other way around? J. ========================== Date: 19 Jan To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Helloooo... I know you must be busy, but drop me a note anyway, just so I know you're okay. I haven't heard from you in such a long time that I've started to worry. J. ========================== Date: 20 Jan To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: I'm coming Nick, if you're reading this, it's too bloody late. I tried to phone you at home as often as I could for the last two days, and all I got was your infernal answering machine. Perry & I are on our way to Toronto to see just what the heck is going on back there. We'll arrive early tomorrow morning. J. ========================== Date: 26 Jan To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: How to catch a speeding bullet Good: Kevlar vest, shoulder. Better: bare hands, teeth. Bad: foot, buttocks. Worst: head. Keep this notice handy for future reference. Aristotle told me to pass on this message from Larry Merlin : "Getting shot in the head is no excuse for forgetting your e-mail password." Say hi to Natalie from Perry & me. It was nice to meet her. Affectionately, Jody ========================== End Part 4 of 5 This is my first piece of FK fan fiction, so I'd be grateful for just about any kind of feedback! E-mail me at agottfre@telusplanet.net. Subject: Blind Luck 5/5 Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1980 07:24:11 -0600 From: Angela Gottfred To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU ************************** Blind Luck, by Ligeia Part 5 of 5 ************************** Date: 4 Feb To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Hot topic I could use some professional advice, Detective Knight. No, I'm not in trouble or anything. A week ago, we were called to a new subdivision at the far end of town. It was so new it wasn't even on my aviation charts, but we found it easily because of the house fire. A house that had just been framed was fully involved, and the fire had spread to two neighboring occupied homes. We'd been called in to pick up a woman with second-degree burns to her hands, forearms, and face. She was the last one out of her house; everyone else was fine, thank goodness. The live natural gas lines and the propane tanks in the basement of the new construction made it a dangerous, hot fire to fight. In fact, I later heard that it melted the vinyl siding on a house across the street. Aside from that, though, its cause seemed like a typical construction site fire-- too much flammable material left next to an unattended propane heater. But it turned out to be arson. The investigators figure somebody tossed a gasoline bomb into the basement, then stood back to watch the excitement. He or she was probably in the crowd watching the fire. You know how these guys are-- half their kicks are from watching the fire, the other half comes from watching the emergency response they've triggered. Two nights ago, we airlifted a victim of another fire. This time the house backed onto Fish Creek Provincial Park, in the south end of the city. The homeowners were in Florida, but their housesitter suffered severe smoke inhalation. It was arson again, Nick, and I'm sure I saw who did it. The only problem is that nobody here would believe me. Pete set the helo down in an open field between the house and a bushy ravine. We both stayed in the chopper, since Calgary EMS was already on the scene to help us. I was looking around, checking for potential takeoff hazards, when I thought I saw a man lying in the ravine, about 80 meters away from the fire. I pulled out the binoculars for a better look. He was there all right; I got a good look at his face, and I'm sure I could recognize him if I saw him again. Pete said something pithy about binoculars not being too useful in the dark, and I quickly put mine away. Nick, it must have been pitch black where this guy was, so even if I went to the police, I wouldn't make a credible witness. But he's almost killed two people already, and I'm afraid he's not about to stop. I can't even call Stop-A-Crook-- all I really saw was his face. "Your arsonist is a man, about thirty-five, clean-shaven, no glasses." Big help that would be! Signed, Slow Burn ========================== Date: 16 Feb To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: All Quiet on the Western Front I guess I was mistaken when I last e-mailed you. It's been two weeks now, and no more arsons-- or any other fires, for that matter! Maybe the arsonist was scared by the close calls, and decided to quit while he was ahead. Perry continues to do well at his SAR training, and I'm spending all my spare time catching up on SAR methods. We did some Search & Rescue when I was in Air Cadets, but I was usually an aerial observer, not a ground pounder. That was ten years ago, anyhow, and methods have updated since then. I'm borrowing dirty socks from all my co-workers (and underwear from some of our patients!) to provide scents for Perry to follow. James just told me about a kind of scent trail called 'fanning', which is found in hilly terrain--the victim is on one hill, but the scent is picked up at the same elevation on a neighboring hill. When more than one dog picks up the scent at the same elevation, that suggests a fanning scent. "Since dogs can't fly," James says, "the SAR dogs have to relocate to try to find where the scent is coming from." Of course, Perry & I could speed up that whole process substantially. I'm still trying to figure out how I'd explain it, though. Jody ========================== Date: 22 Feb To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Out of the frying pan Well, it finally happened. There was another arson. This time, it was an empty warehouse in an industrial area. Nobody got hurt (a miracle!), but it was quite the blaze. I saw it on this morning's news. Nick, I don't usually watch TV news, so I got a double whammy when I tuned in to see the report on this fire. The Channel 10 news reporter, Sam Trefanenko, is the arsonist. I guess he must really get a kick out of that! He has the jump on his competitors, he gets to make a three-minute TV movie about each fire-- and he's in the starring role. I wouldn't be surprised if he works out his news script before hand. That's probably why the fires are all at night, too-- more photogenic that way. Well, I could phone Stop-A-Crook now, but they'd think I was a total crackpot. I have no other evidence to link him to the arsons. What a great alibi! "I was at the scene of the crime to _report_ on it, Officer. I went to a murder scene last week, perhaps you want to look into that, too?" I can't just sit on my hands, Nick. What can I do? You're a detective, you must have something to suggest. I promise to just wait and chew my nails until I hear from you. J. ========================== Date: 23 Feb To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: ...and into the fire! Well, I broke my promise to behave myself-- I almost confronted Trefanenko. I followed him home from the TV station last night. But as I did that, I realized that a showdown could make things worse. I'm not likely to be able to intimidate him. Not without blowing my cover, anyway. It's too bad your CPICS search didn't turn up any priors for this guy--that would have been a very big help. I'll follow your suggestion and phone in a tip to Stop-A-Crook. You're right, I don't know all the facts of the case. They might have something that will connect with the Channel 10 guy, if they just knew who to check it against. Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it. Sincerely, Jody ========================== Date: 24 Feb To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Re: ...and into the fire! Well, my call to Stop-A-Crook was interesting. I'll just have to wait and see what happens. At least they didn't laugh at me. James was in town again yesterday. He says Perry has a real talent for SAR work, and wants to put him in a SAR dog trial next month, to work toward his certification. Even if he doesn't pass the trial, it will still be good for him. Jody ========================== Date: 25 Feb To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Re: ...and into the fire! There was another fire last night. This time it was a grass fire on Nose Hill. These fires are almost always caused by arson. Don't think it's my guy, though-- too pedestrian for him, now that he's hit the big time. I wish I knew whether they were following up on my tip or not. A local radio station just offered a big reward, so they could be swamped with all kinds of tips now. J. ========================== Date: 28 Feb To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Nothing ventured... I've decided to accept Serena's invitation to visit her in Regina. I'm going to spend the 'weekend' (Wednesday & Thursday) with her. I'll bring the XGP encryption software with me, too, so that we can keep in touch by e- mail. It will be nice to be able to chat openly & face-to-face with someone else. Perry's a good listener, but he doesn't talk much. J. ========================== Date: 3 Mar To: chevalier@elysium.ca From: jet_ranger@elysium.ca Subject: Perry & I had a nice time with Serena, and got home about midnight Thursday; I'll write about my visit later, if you like. I listened to the radio news Thursday as I drove home. MARS flew another mission on Wednesday night to a motel in Midnapore, a hamlet five kilometres south of the city. It was on fire, and firefighters had been going from room to room to evacuate the building. All the rooms were empty. One firefighter nearly didn't make it out; he was discovered blacked out in the hallway. His oxygen tank was empty, and he'd torn his mask from his face. He's recovering in hospital now from smoke inhalation; the fire department thinks he couldn't hear the warning tone from his air supply because of the screeching of the motel smoke alarms. It was sheer luck that he was found in time, instead of being incinerated. It turned out that the motel was closed for renovations. Officially, the fire department considers the fire "suspicious". I called the MARS communication centre, and found out that everyone who was there could smell gasoline fumes. That was the last straw. I stopped briefly at home to drop off Perry. I also dug out some old grey eye shadow and my mom's red post-chemo wig. (Mom always wanted to be a redhead.) I pinned the wig on securely, and smeared the makeup over my face in large blotches. With my disguise firmly in place (I hoped!), I gave Perry a big hug and headed for Trefanenko's house. Getting inside was easy. He was one of those people who always sleeps with the bedroom window open, even in winter. I hovered in the air at the foot of his bed and watched him. How could he sleep after what he had done. I thought of how he'd nearly killed three people, and I could feel my canines extend as a wave of cold rage swept over me. It was time for us to have a little chat. BTW, Trefanenko weighs about 250 lbs. I had him in a full nelson at 200 feet for about ten minutes while we talked, and I still had energy to spare after I set him down. Here's the rest of the story: Arsonist: Death Angel Made Me Confess -------------------------------------------------------- Yesterday morning, police received a confession to a string of Calgary arsons which have injured three people, left three families homeless, and damaged or destroyed a total of seven buildings in the last six weeks. Shortly after 5 a.m. Thursday, Channel 10 news reporter Sam Trefanenko walked into the District 6 office and confessed to police that he had set fire to houses in the Deer Run and Hampton Hill subdivisions, and a vacant warehouse in the Foothills Industrial Park. He also claimed responsibility for the recent fire at the Midnapore Motel which nearly claimed the life of Calgary firefighter Jeff Moore. A distraught Trefanenko told police he had been visited by the angel of death, and she had told him to confess to police or die. Staff Sgt. Chris Buchan said that city police were originally skeptical about Trefanenko's confession, but a review of the evidence turned up several items which seemed to link him with the fires. In particular, a silver tie tack, which was found at the site of the Midnapore Motel fire, has been tentatively identified as belonging to Trefanenko. Also, the Deer Run home belonged to Channel 10 producer Lynn Samuelson, who was vacationing in Florida at the time of the fire. A co-worker at Channel 10, who refused to be identified, said that Trefanenko had been depressed and moody since his wife left him a few months ago. Arson victim Tania Webb, who is still in Holy Cross Hospital recovering from second-degree burns, spoke briefly to The Albertan. She said that she hopes this confession means the arsons have ended. (c) The Calgary Albertan. All Rights Reserved. ============================ %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Val: I haven't a clue what role-playing game these guys could be playing, and I'm familiar with most of the rpgs out there. If it is a game, I think it must be something someone has cooked up on their own. One thing bugs me, though-- I checked the Calgary Albertan's website, and I found the same article that was attached to the last message, word for word. I tried Webcrawler searches for "Amy Putnam", "Jody Fraser", and "Nick Knight" and got about three million hits in total. Big help! MARS has a great website, with some information about their volunteer paramedics, doctors, and nurses, but nothing on pilots. I'm sure this was all just role-playing, but it's getting kinda distracting. Do you know if Neal Berwick is still taking aviation at Mount Royal College? Could you ask him if he knows anything about a MARS pilot named Amy Putnam? Then I'll be able to concentrate properly on my Japanese verb endings. The weather in Vancouver is wonderful, when it's not raining! See you when you come out during Skiing Week, whoops, I mean Reading Week. Right, _Reading_ Week. The crocuses should be blooming by then. Cheers! Sylvia ~le fin~ Dedicated to the memory of Calgary firefighter Morley James, a victim of arson. This is my first piece of FK fan fiction, so I'd be grateful for just about any kind of feedback! E-mail me at agottfre@telusplanet.net.