WEP October 2018 Contest Entry

/ christopher scott author

Struggling to create something for this month’s contest, I considered skipping and rejoining in December. Challenging myself to write something that was a fit for the themes of Deja Vu or Voodoo. Writing a few different ideas but failing to get past a couple of paragraphs with each idea. Which honestly, was incredibly frustrating and annoying for me. Yet, apparently, the pressure from an encroaching deadline was the key to turning the spigot of inspiration on. Inspiring this Tesla-punk themed atmosphere of voodoo and science. Oddly enough the title came easily enough to me, entitling the piece Mad Science.

With thunder and rain making a symphony against the cracked window, I glanced at the massive machine that constructed in the middle of my empty red brick warehouse. Spheres of pure copper rested on top of ten-foot-tall copper wrapped steel beams. The positions of the poles, even the warehouse itself was carefully determined by occultist Aleister Crowley. Ancient and powerful runes etched into the ground around the machine. Etch dusted with copper shavings and white chalk. Bringing in Nikola Tesla himself to design and construct unique Tesla Coils for this project. Making sure the two never knew the plans true aim. This project more akin to technological voodoo. Then it was to either science or the occult. If this worked, I would be reborn into out of this body riddled with a fatal sickness. It didn’t matter if it failed, death would be claiming me soon enough.

Hobbling down the iron staircase, descending with my hand tightly wrapped around the rail. Setting the bottom of my cane on the ground to aid me, before taking my last step off the stairs. Knowing how much I had come to rely on the simple device to move in the past few months. Planning each action on the cement floor with great care, knowing how fragile my ailing body was becoming. Limping to the large steel encased control panel that was parallel to the lowest stairs. Pulling down on the lever to activate the many Tesla Coils simultaneously. Hearing a slight hum as the machines started to warm up. Moments later pure white lightning crackled throughout the warehouse. Striking the ground with growing frequency making the lights glow steadily brighter.

Unsteadily walking into the middle of the machine, the few hairs I had left standing on end. The iron chair I had bolted to the floor waiting for me. Polished copper restraints were attached to the chair, waiting to secure me into the chair. Lowering myself into the chair, letting the cold metal force me entirely into the chair. Watching the lights flicker out as a storm of white lightning strengthened around the machine. Focusing itself around the runes, forcing the copper dust and chalk mixture to glow faintly. The glow was steadily getting brighter, while I watched unwilling to move from the storm’s center. Lightning was beginning to strike the chair at random. Feeling the electrical energy work its way through my chest. A sharp and intense pain started to wrap around my body. Screaming into the air, as the frequency of the lightning strikes increased. Within minutes the pain was unbearable, forcing my conscious to fade away slowly.

Looking down on my empty shell of a crippled body, somehow no longer bound to it. My spiritual form forcibly contained to the area by the mixture of science and the occult. Observing helplessly, as the lightning produced the by Tesla Coils rapidly struck at my body. Feeling a slight tremor even though I was no longer attached to my physical body. The quivers were steadily getting stronger, waiting for the machines to finish discharging their energy.

It could have been a few minutes or a couple of hours before the remaining discharge struck my body simultaneously. The final release was powerful enough to forcibly recall my spirit into my physical body in a union of technology and voodoo. My body was tingling slightly as the metal restraints opened. Being filled with a feeling of robustness that I haven’t possessed since my youth. Tossing my cane across the warehouse testing out this new body before standing. Walking out of the mechanization created by creating a union of occultism and science. My once frail body reborn strengthened with the aid of mad science. Eager to not have to deal with constant hospital visits and doctors that restrained so much of my life. With a new-found spring in my step, I was ready to take on the world.

Critque level: Full

Word Count: 653

46 thoughts on “WEP October 2018 Contest Entry”

  5. Christopher I’m glad you persevered and the looming deadline gave you inspiration. Loved the sci-fi concept of magic curing the ills of old age. Perhaps one day it will be the truth. I loved the slow reveal, also.
    That’s a cracker of a first sentence too! Well done!

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  7. cheated again and again
    with this teslacoil my friend
    energy reverse from the dying or dead
    it’s hard to think about it in my head
    Yet no one knows what science can do
    Until someday they reveal it to you

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  9. This really struck a chord with me, probably in part because I always thought Tesla coils were neat. This story painted some really cool visuals inside my head. Nicely done!

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  13. Liked this story, as I’m a fan of Tesla. Combining the occult and science was a great idea. Wish the part about healing could be true. Maybe you need the pressure of the deadline to get the creative juices flowing.

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  16. Excellent Christopher … now I want to know more … fascinating to know where you want this to go – I was mesmerised by the story – not by the coils! Well done – especially as you weren’t sure about your entry … very clever and I could certainly visualise it … cheers Hilary

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  17. I’m so glad you didn’t give up. This is a great story. It makes me think of a cross between Dr. Frankenstein’s lab, Professor X’s Cerebro, and the magician’s pod from the film “The Prestige”, also built by Tesla. The imagery was perfect. I could see him sitting in the device surrounded by strange symbols. Wonderful post.

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  18. I loved the story, and like many here, am a bit wistful at the idea of being able to renew my no-longer-so-young body. I’m not sure I liked the style you chose; for me the declarative fragments got a bit wearing, and not all worked well to say what the sentence is saying. At the same time, they gave a sense of immediacy and conveyed the atmosphere very well, so I don’t know… A good experiment in any case 😀

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  21. I was pulled in as soon as you said Tesla-punk. Vivid moments of description with wonderful flashes of electricity. [A few transposed or extra words that could be edited – but no problems.] And being in a crippled body dependent on a wheelchair, I’m tempted by the treatment.

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