Story #182 - Metal Man

Metal Man

“Please, don’t touch it.”

Ed Strauss pulled his hand away from the silvered surface. He knew better.

“Do you know why I’ve brought you here?” Professor Klein’s voice was low and solemn. Ed had known her for years, and up until the calamity six months ago, had never seen her without a smile on her face and a spring in her step. She was as woman who loved her work.

“Honestly, Laura, I have no idea.” Ed had been trying to figure it out all morning as he made his way to the lab. He wasn’t about to refuse a request from one of his oldest friends, let alone one that was on the task force, but he had no idea why she wanted to see him.

She smiled wanly; it was the first hint that any of her former self remained. Time was quickly taking its toll on both a people and a planet not used to living in constant fear.

“I’ve been doing genetic research, Ed, and I think I might have found a partial solution to our problem.”

He felt his heart skip a beat. This was huge! The world had been suffering, struggling in the aftermath of an unexplained event that left all metal toxic to human touch. Even a light brush against a metal surface resulted in severe burns, and exposure for more than a minute meant certain death.

Ed had been lucky; none of his friends or family had been injured, and Laura was the closest thing he had to a romantic interest. She’d never shown any interest in him, so “close” might not be accurate, but at least she was safe and sound in her laboratory.

Still, he’d seen co-workers, neighbors and acquaintances burn and die from the metal they used everyday, and he’d had to watch as their bodies charred and smoked. There was nothing he could do about it. The fire the metal produced wasn’t something water would put out, and those in the know had determined it to be akin to a form of radiation poisoning. Not only was it deadly, but once it began running its course, there was little for it but to chop off the burning limb or lose an entire body.

“Laura, I’m impressed,” he said honestly, “I was worried all this time in the lab had dulled your instincts.”

She didn’t take the bait, and turned instead to a small monitor in front of her. “What do you know about the Metal Crisis?”

He shrugged. “Enough. Metal of all kinds started to injure us, and we’re not sure why. We stay away from it, now. What else is there to know?”

The wan smile returned. “Nothing, I suppose, if all you’re looking to do is survive. Did you know that not all metals will harm you?”

“What?” Ed was stunned.

“Here,” Laura reached into a small fridge beside her and took something in her hand. A quick motion from the white-coated scientist and Ed saw a can of cola coming for him. He ducked out of the way, and the can went flying over his shoulder to smash into the wall behind him.

“Laura!” He screamed. “What the hell?”

She laughed lightly, and then moved across the room to pick up the can. “I’m sorry, Ed – I couldn’t resist. Aluminum won’t hurt you; none of the non-magnetic metals will.”

“I…what?” Ed was still stunned that she had thrown the can at him, and was having a hard time understanding what she was talking about.

“Non-magnetic, Ed – like aluminum, carbon, or lead. They’ve got transient magnetic moments, but not permanent ones, and its magnetism that seems to be causing the trouble we’ve been running into.”

Ed grunted. “Trouble” was a mild way of putting it.

“Great. That’s great, Laura. But what does that have to do with me?”

“Come here, Ed,” she motioned him to a small table in the corner of the lab, and he moved despite himself. She still had a power over him, even now, and even though she’d just scared him half to death.

“This,” she said, pointing to a large metal plate on the table, “is a thin piece of iron. Highly magnetic. Highly dangerous.” She hovered a hand over it for a moment, then pulled it away in obvious pain. “My research indicates that not all humans will react the same way to the new properties of these metals. In other words – they burn most, but not all. Give me your hand.”

Ed hesitated. His mind was catching up with his body, and there could be no question of what she intended.

“Ed, please,” she said. “I won’t hurt you, I promise.”

He extended his right hand, palm down, and she took it in her own. For a moment she held it lightly, letting her fingers run over the back of his hand and in-between his fingers. There was wistfulness in her eyes - regret – and Ed felt his own feelings for her rise again.

With a quick motion, she slammed his hand down on the metal plate, and then stepped quickly back.

“Ed!” She said. “What do you feel?”

He frowned. His heart was racing and his brain was screaming at him to rip his hand away, but all he felt was a slight warmth under his palm.

“I…” he hesitated. “Almost nothing.”

“I knew it!” She cried. “I knew it! Your genetic makeup suggested this was possible, but I couldn’t know for sure without you here.” Ed straightened, taking his hand from the plate. There was a slight redness there, but nothing that would stay.

“What?” He said quietly. “You mean you didn’t know?”

She shot a sheepish look in his direction. “No.”

He flared his anger hard, but it wouldn’t stay. There was no way he could stay mad at her, even for this.

“Fine.” He tried to keep his voice cold and distant, but didn’t entirely succeed. “What now?”

“Now, my metal man,” she smiled again, “we find out how to harness your resistance.”


- D