Rebecca Fine walked to the edge of the McMillan Driveway until she was off their property, and made a phone call. "I think we need to meet at the lab. I have some new insights. No...I don't know what is going on...but I think you would like to hear my observations...I also think we need a followup medical exam on two of the subjects..." She headed down the street in the general direction of Lydia Warren's house...where she'd left her car.
She got to her car, and drove back to the school, where they'd set up the lab, and arrived in time to see Doctors Grant and Michaels driving up. They entered and headed downstairs.
"What are these new insights?" Michaels asked.
"This is magic," Rebecca said.
They both looked at her, with some disbelief.
"No...not literally," she said. "But, something so outside of our understanding of science, it might as well be. Or, maybe it is real magic. I've been observing my subjects all afternoon. I spent time with a dog who is starting to develop human characteristics, and its owner...who is going the other way. I think you should have a look at those two." She paused. "My conclusion is that if we do absolutely nothing, all of those involved will be so affected by their changes that they just simply won't notice anything is different anymore. For them, reality will have effectively changed to accept all of this. So...the question is...is that random, or does that suggest intent? And if there is intent...who is actually pulling the strings?"
"And you expect we do?" Ruby Grant asked.
Rebecca Fine shrugged. "There is something suspicious about you two...but I just assumed that you were secretly sleeping together," she said. "You really shouldn't arrive together if you don't want your coworkers to suspect a hidden relationship." Doctor Michaels went a bit red. Rebecca hadn't bothered to find out his first name. Ruby Grant was much more interesting to her. Michaels seemed...well, boring. She wondered, if the two were sleeping together, what she saw in him.
"Is this really relevant?" Ruby asked.
"No...just sidetracked for a moment. Your love life is none of my business unless it should be. Your mission is to figure out the science of all of this. My mission is to see how this is affecting them, but also to see if there are any clues about who might be responsible. If this is technology, magic, or whatever...we need to know what it is. And we need to know if we can protect against it. If the woman I met with today continues to change, an intelligent human will be begging her former dog for walkies while he tries out her wardrobe. That could be anyone. I am not trying to hurt any of the victims, but if any of them have clues about who actually is responsible, I'm authorized to do whatever is necessary to find out. Get your examination room ready. I'm having Lydia Warren and her dog brought in whether they want to be or not."
