And so it was agreed that Rachel McLewis, Ryanne Leeson, and Samantha Duncan would recap the events of the day for those who had only just arrived. This included the detective Maura Dunbar, Denise Brewster, Susan McMillan, and Sarah McMillan.
Rachel McLewis decided to go first. She spoke of the events leading up to Stragey's breaking in to the impromptu meeting.
She spoke of how Martin Stragey kidnapped her, and, threatening her with a Random Gun, forced her to unlock the door to the meeting room. She then spoke of how Stragey zapped everyone present with the Random Gun before Clay Dankworth stole the Random Gun and attempted his own hostile takeover. She described how Dankworth got accidentally zapped by the Random Gun, and turned into a madman who zapped Stragey, McMillan, Quarterson, Stallsworth, and Coakley twenty times with the Random Gun in two minutes, resulting in multiple changes in form and in persona.
Rachel also noted how Jerri Blazestorm saved her from being a part of the chaos, and how they hid behind furniture during the incident. She told of how the Random Gun overheated and exploded due to it being used well over a hundred times in three minutes, killing Mr. Dankworth. She shuddered as she recalled the scene.
"We never thought this would happen. But Dankworth was so far gone he wouldn't drop it even though it had become so hot it had to be burning his hands. Any even remotely sane person would have waited for it to cool down." Rachel said, as Detective Maura Dunbar listened and took notes.
"So you're saying that Mr. Dankworth's death was an accident?" Maura asked.
"Yes." Rachel replied. "Jerri and I talked about it afterward. We agreed that the chances of the Random Gun turning someone into someone that crazy were about a billion to one. No one expected or intended it to happen."
Rachel went on to describe how after Jerri quit MTI and left, Rachel, Dr. Elaine, and others brought the transformed Board members out of the meeting room to rest and recover in the waiting area, and how all of them seemed to be ruled by their new personalities until something happened to re-awaken their original personalities. "We still don't know what happened to cause that."
Sarah McMillan, hearing this, was uneasy. She knew that everyone who had their personalities altered by a Random Gun would likely still be controlled by these new personalities if Karyn hadn't used the wishing stone to wish that people transformed by the Random Gun be able to overcome their Random Gun created personality so that their original personality could resume control. Sarah had promised Jon and Karyn, and Zoe and Athena, to keep the existence of the wishing stone a secret. She had to pretend that she was just as in the dark about the unexplained occurences as everyone else in the waiting area with her.
Rachel, meanwhile, turned to Detective Dunbar. She described what happened when her friends arrived, how Dr. Anissa Fairlane had interviews with most of the transformed Board members, and Stragey's escape. She talked about how Roman Coakley volunteered to be the first of the transformed board members to be zapped with the Restoration Gun.
Rachel then turned to Ryanne. "I think you can tell this story better."
Ryanne nodded. "I was there, after all. But before I do, I have something I'd like to say."
She turned to Martin Stragey, who was now restrained by the security guards and still in the form of a female Asian Nurse. "Martin Stragey, I don't think I've spoken to you directly. But your friend Peggy Pegany told me that she's very worried about you. After I told her the story about what happened to Mr. Coakley, she told me to find you and tell you the same story. I promised her I'd do it. Do you still want to be zapped with the Restoration Gun and get your old body back?"
"Of course! Why do you think I came back?" Stragey replied.
"It's a good thing you're sitting down right now, because you're not going to like what I'm about to tell you. But pay close attention." Ryanne said.
Ryanne then described the arrangement she and the psychiatrist Anissa Fairlane had worked out. Since Roman Coakley and the others had each been transformed by the Random Gun at least twenty times in rapid succession, with new forms and personalities coming and going within seconds, it was likely that these other personalities would resurface. It was decided, in the interest of reducing further psychological trauma, to give each form and personality 'breathing room' and wait at least five minutes between zaps, and perhaps even ask when they were ready to be zapped again. This was how Ryanne, accompanied by Larry Eastbrook and Arnie Amspoker, handled the situation.
"Yes, Mr. Stragey, we used your office for this. But that's not the bad news." Ryanne said.
She went on to describe how, when using the Restoration Gun, they met Roman Coakley's other Random Gun created personas, and had pleasant enough conversations with a few of them. And then she described how Coakley, after another Restoration Gun zap, went from being a kindly old woman to being a tall menacing silent slasher out of a horror movie, and how the slasher grabbed a sword from the office wall and mortally wounded Ryan, Larry, and Arnie. She then turned to Jeffries.
Jeffries again related his account of how he and Carrie Brierton rushed in with the security guard Mr. Kaplan. The security guard disarmed the slasher, but the slasher threw Mr. Kaplan through the office window to his death. Carrie Brierton took advantage of the distraction to zap the slasher with a Restoration Gun, and the slasher turned into a young female figure skater who, horrified at the gruesome scene before her, screamed and ran away. Jeffries then told of how he told Carrie to grab the Transformation Guns they had brought earlier, and how Carrie zapped Ryan ... now Ryanne ... with the Babe Gun, and how Jeffries zapped Larry and Arnie with the Jock Gun.
"It turned out our theory was correct. Transformation Guns that produce physical transformations have the side effect of healing injuries." Jeffries said. "They would have died before the ambulance got here if we hadn't zapped them when we did."
Ryanne picked up the story again, telling of how she awoke to find herself transformed into an attractive and confident woman, and how Larry and Arnie were now more athletic versions of their previous selves. She told of how she zapped herself with the Babe Gun twenty four times and Larry and Arnie zapped themselves with the Jock Gun over twenty-two times each to keep themselves from being returned to their previous forms with a Restoration Gun.
"So as I told Rachel and Dr. Fairlane a few minutes ago, everything worked out okay for us, but Mr. Coakley is another story." Ryanne said. She turned to Dr. Fairlane. "How is Coakley, by the way?"
"She's resting right now." Dr. Anissa Fairlane said. "She's clearly suffering from trauma, added to the earlier psychological trauma from the incident at the meeting. At the moment, she's retreated fully into the figure skater persona, talking about ice shows and competitions. We may have to keep her in a 72-hour psych hold."
Ryanne turned to Stragey. Stragey's face was filled with fear. Tears began to stream down her face.
"I ... don't want to believe this. I don't!" Stragey said.
Ryanne turned to Stragey. "I'm afraid it's the truth." she said. "When Peggy heard about this, she told me to tell you to not try stealing any Restoration Guns to use on yourself. She's afraid you might turn into some crazy person and hurt someone. It's possible none of your other personas are dangerous, but tell me what you remember about them."
"I ... don't know." Stragey said. "They came and went so quickly. I can't even remember which came when. A knight, a cheerleader, an Amazon, a cowboy, an acrobat woman ... all these weird thoughts. I barely remember these people."
Dr. Anissa Fairlane spoke up. "Mr. Stragey, you ran away before it was your turn to have an interview with me. I suggest that we have a session soon, and this time, you should not run from it."
"Listen to her." Nicolette Quarterson said. "You should tell her everything, and hear her out."
Stragey looked at Ryanne, at Dr. Fairlane, and at Quarterson. "I'll do it. I guess that's all I can do."
Detective Maura Dunbar then spoke up. "Mr. Stragey, you do understand that nearly everyone here has claimed that you committed crimes. Kidnapping and breaking and entering are obvious. These Transformation Guns are new, but I'm sure your transforming your employers with the Random Gun against their will may constitute a crime, if they wish to press charges. I'd advise that you call a good lawyer."
Rachel nodded in approval, as did Quarterson and Stallsworth.
Maura then turned to the others. "So, Mr. Kaplan was killed by a persona created by the Random Gun?" she asked. "And that persona is gone now, or at least no longer controlling Mr. Coakley?"
"That is what it appears." Dr. Fairlane said. "But it's best to be safe. That's why I've suggested the 72-hour hold."
"My partner is questioning Mr. Eastbrook, Ms. Brierton, and Mr. Amspoker." Maura said. "Once we get all the witness accounts together, we'll have a better picture."
"We still don't have a complete picture." Denise Brewster said, speaking for the first time since the latest session had begun. She turned to Ryanne, Samantha, Rachel, and Jeffries. "You still haven't explained just where the Transformation Guns came from, and just how they turned up in great numbers in this building."
Sarah noted the reactions of Ryanne, Samantha, Rachel, and Jeffries. It was clear from their expressions that they knew they had a LOT of explaining to do.
Sarah knew they did not know the full story. But she knew she could not tell this whole group here about the wishing stone. Would she be able to get through what was to come without giving herself away?
