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From: sullivangm@aol.com (SULLIVANGM)
Subject: Hybrid Vigor, 2/5

Notice:  This story has been rated "NC17" for adult language, nudity,
strong sexual content, violence, and explicit smoking.  If you find any of
this objectionable, I suggest you try another fetish.

Copyright 1997 by G. M. Sullivan.  All rights reserved.  This story may be
copied and distributed for the uncompensated amusement of others only. 

Author's note:  This story takes place during the spring before the events
described in "Dying for a Cigarette" and "Phoenix Ascending."  While it is
not necessary to read those stories to enjoy this one, I recommend them to
you with full prejudice.

Dedication:  For Sstoryman, with deepest respect.


"Hybrid Vigor"  Part Two of Five


Part Two:  Interiors

4.  Tarheel Beauty

Shelly drove through the darkened streets of Hilltop, anxiously gripping
the wheel.  Today had provided one rude shock after another.  First, the
almost disastrous interview with Dr. Ryan.  Then she had met with Virginia
Marshall, who had fitted her for a Racal containment suit just like the
ones the doctors wore in all those horrible disease movies.  Another
near-panic ensued until Dr. Marshall assured her that the suits were
rarely needed, since no microorganisms dangerous to humans were present in
the lab.  It was only a regulation, that's all.

Then Shelly had signed Mary Lou's name to an endless series of forms.  She
did not fear that the phony signatures would be exposed; she had practiced
all weekend, and had often forged her parents' signatures in high school. 
What had scared her was the forms' content.  She (or was it Mary Lou?) had
basically agreed to risk a miserable death every time she entered the lab.
 Despite Dr. Marshall's assurances that this was all pro forma and that
the "real" risks were minor, she was left nervous and shaking.

Then there were the biocontainment procedures she had been required to
study...endless hand washings, showers before and after working in the
lab, the use of disposable paper clothing, the endless precautions, the
emergency drills, all speaking to her of dire peril.

Shelly, however, was determined to regroup.  They hadn't kicked her out,
and at the end of the day she had been awarded an ID badge bearing her
picture.  She could still do this.  She should do this.  It was beginning
to look like Brickman was right; whatever was going on at OST did not bode
well for the public.

The first step in her rally was to do something about the smoking issue. 
Dr. Ryan was sensitive to it, and she had observed that almost everyone at
OST smoked.  It would be a critical tool for getting to know her
coworkers.  Smoking was permitted anywhere except in the BL4-P containment
area, but most people seemed to use smoke breaks as an excuse to wander
around and socialize.  She had to master the skill.

She had called the real Mary Lou and asked if she could visit her after
dinner.  It was not the first time Shelly had spoken to her, and Mary Lou
seemed very friendly and outgoing.  Shelly knew she was a heavy smoker,
and felt sure she would help Shelly get the knack.

Mary Lou's parents greeted her warmly at the door, marveling at the close
resemblance.  Shelly thought they should be warm...after all, their
daughter was getting paid for lying in bed while she did the work!  They
showed her to the bedroom where Mary Lou was still largely imprisoned.

Shelly winced when she entered the room.  Frilly curtains on the window, a
frillier pink canopy over the bed, stuffed animals piled everywhere,
Sailor Moon wallpaper...even "Little Mermaid" sheets on the bed!  It
looked like a room for an eight-year-old, not a pre-med sophomore.  The
only jarring notes were the layers of stratified cigarette smoke that
drifted lazily through the room and the accompanying odor, mixing
unhappily with some sort of fruity cologne. 

"Well hi, honey, we meet at last!  Is that you, or did someone bring a
mirror in heah?"  Mary Lou was stretched out on the bed, wearing (of
course) a cute, pink-flannel nightgown.  It did not entirely conceal the
plaster cast which completely encased her right leg.

Although she knew what to expect, it was still a shock for Shelly to see
"herself" already in the room, dressed in something she gave up wearing at
13, surrounded by such cloying decorations.        
Mary Lou's red hair, slightly longer than Shelly's, was arrayed prettily
on her lace-trimmed pillow, her face freshly washed and innocent of any
trace of makeup.  It was Shelly Aronsen in her farmer's daughter disguise,
she thought.

"Pull up a chair, honey, and tell me all about my new job!" said Mary Lou.

Shelly moved a small vanity stool close to the bed, sat down, and filled
Mary Lou in on what she was missing.  Despite herself, Shelly found
herself warming to Mary Lou's down-home ingenuousness,  and soon the two
girls were giggling together about Shelly's first-day misadventures.  Mary
Lou was most interested in her meeting with Dr. Ryan.

"Doesn't he just sound darlin'-hearted!  Curse this old leg, anyway!" 
Mary Lou banged a small fist against the cast.

"Darling-hearted wasn't the word that came to my mind!" said Shelly, and
laughed. 

"You'll have to excuse me, honey, but ah must have a cigarette.  Would
that be too much to ask?"

"No, please do, it's your house!  Besides, that's the main reason I came
tonight..."

"How so, sugah?"  Mary Lou picked up a large, choked, glass ashtray from
the sheet and dumped it into a small wastebasket near the bed.  From the
cloud of ashes that arose from it, Shelly guessed that the basket was
getting full, too.  Shelly told Mary Lou about her determination to become
a comfortable smoker.

"And here ah thought you wanted some pointers on biology!  Ah'm glad it's
something simpler and more fun!  Smokin' is darlin'-hearted, Shelly, and
easy like fallin' off a log...it's goin' in the othah direction that's
hard!"  Mary Lou set the ashtray between them and fetched a pack of
Premium Deluxe 100s.  "These are pretty strong to start with..."

"That's perfectly okay, that's what everyone seems to smoke there..."

"All right then..."  Mary Lou extracted two cigarettes, placed both in her
pink, round lips, flicked her disposable lighter and lit both.  She drew
hard on both cigarettes, removed them, and extended one to Shelly.

As Shelly bent forward to take hers, Mary Lou let loose her enormous
double puff and smoke swirled around Shelly, making her eyes water.  She
raised a hand to wave it away, then stopped.  That was just the sort of
thing she must learn to avoid.  Blinking rapidly, she took the cigarette
and held it, watching Mary Lou.

She had never closely studied anyone's smoking, and was surprised to see
that despite the large exhale Mary Lou still had more smoke to blow out on
her next breath, and her following words were accompanied by yet more
smoke.

"Ah, that feels sooo good, sugah!  Ah almost envy you for stayin' a virgin
'till now!"  Shelly was almost shocked at such a "suggestive" word from
Mary Lou, but it seemed to fit her attitude toward smoking; she made it
look like a sexual experience.  Shelly thought back to Dr. Ryan's intense
gaze during her abortive smoking that morning.

Mary Lou propped herself up in bed a little and took another long, slow
puff.  As Shelly watched, Mary Lou removed the cigarette, turned toward
her, and opened her mouth.  Shelly could see a milky, opaque cloud within
that suddenly withdrew down Mary Lou's throat as she inhaled.  Mary Lou
smiled, pouted her lips, and blew out a long, thick stream that seemed to
go on for minutes.  Still, there was more smoke to come as she started
speaking again.

"That's how it's done, honey!  Now, you'll never learn by lettin' it burn
away in yoah hand...go on, take a small puff, and don't worry about
breathin' it down just yet."

Shelly raised the cigarette to her lips and drew lightly.  Somehow, with
Mary Lou here, the taste did not seem quite so bad, and she drew in a
little more.  She took the cigarette out and blew out some uninhaled
smoke, trying to purse her lips as Mary Lou had.  Shelly could see that
her exhaled smoke looked different from Mary Lou's, thicker and if
anything more irritating.  She blew some air out after it to clear it away
from her face.

"No fair, sugah, you've been practicin'! Don't stop now!  Take two or
three more just that way, maybe draw a little harder each time..."

Shelly did as she was told, matching her puny exhales against Mary Lou's
billowing clouds.  Each time it was a little easier, and each time she
drew on the cigarette a little longer.  There was something about this,
smoking with a friend...it was almost natural, almost fun.  If the air in
the room had been smoky before, now it was getting opaque, but somehow
even that wasn't too bad.  All of the windows were shut, since the natives
found anything below 50 degrees to be freezing, but Shelly decided not to
make a point of opening one...

"I think you're just like me, darlin'...in so many ways!  Now, don't take
this the wrong way, we're purebreds down here, but ah know how to make the
next step a little easier...want to try?"

"What's that?" asked Shelly.  Her cigarette was half gone now and she'd
been thinking about putting it out, but she needed to press on if she was
to reach her goal quickly.

Mary Lou spoke through soft white clouds.  "Just this, hon...I'll inhale
some smoke, then you bend real close-like and put your lips right up to
mine...no tongue now, I'm not that way!" she laughed pleasantly and Shelly
joined in.  "Then when I blow, you inhale my smoke as it comes out. 
That's how my mama taught me..."

"Your mother?" Shelly was shocked.

"Things are different here, sugah, just you pay it no mind.  If we do it
this way, it will be much easier for you to get used to the smoke."  That
said, Mary Lou took an extra-long drag, and waved Shelly to bend close.

Feeling a little silly or worse, just a little turned-on, Shelly bent
forward until her lips were just brushing Mary Lou's, emptying her lungs
as she moved.  Imagine, she thought, this "hick" was more open-minded than
she in some ways!  Then Mary Lou began to exhale a thin stream into
Shelly's open mouth, and Shelly breathed it in.

This was far different from Shelly's earlier attempt to inhale...the smoke
was more diffuse and did not trigger her gag or cough reflex.  She felt a
warmth in her throat and chest that was far from unpleasant, and the
intimacy of the process was definitely reaching her nether regions now. 
Finally, Mary Lou's lungs were empty and Shelly leaned back, holding her
breath and savoring the sensation.

It was strange...like breathing an alien atmosphere that could not sustain
her life, but for this one breath was quite enjoyable.  She pursed her
lips and blew slowly, and watched a natural-looking stream of smoke leave
her mouth.  Not nearly so thick as Mary Lou's, but far better-looking 
than her earlier puffs.  She felt an odd sense of accomplishment as her
smoke joined the swirling layers above the bed.

"Well, I'll be, ah think you are a smoker now, Shelly!  Let's try a couple
more like that, and then well be done with these, and you will need a
rest."

On the next two puffs, Mary Lou double-dragged on her cigarette and Shelly
noted the technique.   
Shelly's exhales from these smoke exchanges were thicker and
longer-lasting.  On the last puff Shelly did not straighten up, but let
her exhale wreath Mary Lou's face instead.  As she expected, Mary Lou did
not flinch away.  It seemed this was also a part of how smokers behaved
together, and she indulged a brief fantasy of smoking this closely with
Dr. Ryan...

Shelly was feeling quite light-headed now, and the room spun a bit as she
sat up on the stool.  While Mary Lou stubbed out her cigarette and Shelly
followed suit, she asked if that was normal.

"Normal as Summer following Spring, hon.  That won't last though...wish ah
could get that feelin' again, myself!  Let's wait a spell until you settle
down, then we'll let you try it on yoah own."

The girls chatted for a while about nothing in general while the smoke
cleared somewhat and Shelly got recomposed.  Mary Lou was quietly getting
desperate, and finally said, "You ready for another cigarette, sugah?" 

"Oh, why not!"

This time Shelly lit her own and puffed out some uninhaled smoke, while
Mary Lou vanished behind her customary, cloudy exhale.  "Now hon, try to
inhale on yoah own.  If it's too much, we can go back to the other way."

Surprising herself, Shelly almost asked for another smoky "kiss" right
away, but decided that she had best get on with the process.  After all,
she could hardly ask Dr. Ryan...!  Instead, she brought the cigarette to
her lips, drew for a full second, then breathed it in deeply.

This was definitely a more intense sensation, and Shelly felt her
light-headedness return immediately.  When she blew out the smoke, it was
thicker and much more opaque than before.  She could see the shadow her
plume cast on the bed this time.  She felt almost exhilarated.  Now at
last she understood some of the appeal of this strange activity...it was
unlike any other shared experience, but it was...fun, yes, and just a
little naughty, as well!

While Mary Lou loosed a languid smoke stream into her canopy, Shelly
defied her dizziness and took a two-second drag.  When she blew the smoke
out this time it pooled in a cloud over the bed, mixing with Mary Lou's
exhale in a way that somehow made her giggle with the excessiveness of it
all.  To her surprise, she saw more wisps of smoke escape her mouth and
nose while she giggled.

By now, though, the room was seriously whirling, and Shelly had to slow
her pace.  She could not keep up with Mary Lou...not yet, anyway. 
However, she was now sure she could put on a convincing show at work
tomorrow...and who knew, she might even come to enjoy the occasional
cigarette.  There were certainly worse risks in life...

Two hours later, Shelly left the Demming residence and re-entered her car.
 From his vantage point in the parked car across the street, Dane Peters
breathed a sigh of relief.  He had been ready to conclude that this was
Mary Lou Demming after all, and that would have meant telling Dr. Ryan he
was wrong, something which never sat well with the boss.  But then again,
Dr. Ryan was never wrong.

Peters started his car and followed at a discrete distance.


 5.  A Morning Smoke, Part One

Scanning his early e-mail, Dr. Ryan turned first to the report from Dane
Peters.  As usual, the man had done his job well.  "Mary Lou Demming" was
actually one Shelly Aronsen, a summer intern at the Hilltop Journal. 
Peters admitted he was at a loss to explain how the Journal had, with
virtually no notice, found a woman who was such a close match in
appearance with Demming.  Despite being suspicious of coincidences, Peters
was forced to conclude that this was just a lucky accident for the paper.

Dr. Ryan was also a disbeliever in coincidences, but in this case he had
to agree.  If anything had been done to alter Aronsen's appearance, he
would have seen the signs.  It was simply a fortuitous circumstance...for
him, now that he understood it.  He made a mental note to have all
interviewees fingerprinted on their first visit to OST.

Dr. Ryan usually made plans and decisions quickly, and this time was no
exception.  He wrote back to Peters instructing him to maintain discreet
surveillance on both Aronsen and Demming, watching especially for any
contact with that idiot editor Brickman, and to re-code Aronsen's badge to
allow her unrestricted access to the BL4-P lab.  Peters would choke at
that one, but it only added leverage.  If she entered the containment area
against his orders, that would be a violation of federal law which would
also apply to Brickman.  

He intended to make the most of this opportunity.  He would reveal far
more to Aronsen than he ever would have to the real Mary Lou.  That way he
could discover what interested her and her "sponsor" the most.  He would
also allow her to taste a sample of his work to date....

That thought gave him pause.  Spy though she was, that did not give him
license to treat Aronsen like an animal.  He had never asked a patient or
human subject to take any risk he would not take himself.  Since he did
not intend to ask this time, he must act instead.

He unlocked a drawer in his desk and slid it open to reveal several dozen
packs of Premium Deluxe 100s.  Withdrawing one, he examined it closely. 
There was nothing to distinguish these packs from any normal production
cigarettes, except for three small initials printed on the back:  RCJ. 
Yet if there was a sale value to these cigarettes, it would be in excess
of $10 thousand per pack.  He opened it and withdrew one, rolling it
between his fingers.

He had delayed this step for some weeks now.  The consequences were
potentially so vast he had, uncharacteristically, paused to check and
re-check his own work.  Few doubts remained in his mind, and now his hand
was forced. Perhaps that was for the best.

He thumbed his desk lighter to life.


 6.  A Morning Smoke, Part Two

"Mary Lou's" tiny cubical was located in a small room with seven others
all occupied by interns.  Five of the seven were female and attractive,
which made Shelly wonder just what the hiring criteria were here.  Also,
she noted that even at 8:30 AM the room was visibly smoky.

Her office came with a new desktop computer, a complete set of regulatory
and procedure manuals, and a large ashtray.  After last night, a cigarette
was the last thing she wanted.  Her throat was scratchy and her mouth had
been unbearably dry since awakening.  Still, she knew she could not wait
long if she was to maintain her momentum.

She logged on to the system as she had been shown yesterday and checked
her e-mail.  There was a single message, from Dr. Ryan, requesting her
presence in his office at nine o'clock to continue her lab orientation. 
This would be the real beginning of her assignment, her chance to find out
just what was going on.

Sighing, she removed a pack of cigarettes from her purse.  She should have
one before seeing Dr. Ryan again, if she wanted to have any hope of making
up for her performance yesterday.  Using a lighter lent her by Mary Lou,
she lit her first cigarette of the day.

Since her goal was to smoke in a style comparable to Mary Lou's, she
dragged for just under three seconds.  Surprisingly, the puff was much
less irritating than she had feared.  Removing the cigarette, she breathed
in, more deeply that she had to date, held the smoke briefly, then exhaled
at the fluorescent tube above her desk.  The smoke pooled and swirled
there in the bright light, and she smiled with satisfaction.  She drew in
a little more air, then blew experimentally again, producing another small
cloud.  Good, she thought, my work is paying off.

"Hi, Mary Lou!  May I come in?" asked a voice behind her, making Shelly
start a little.  She swiveled around to see Alicia, another intern,
standing at the entrance with an unlit cigarette in her hand.

"Sure...sugar, pull up a chair!" said Shelly.  Alicia moved the single
visitor's chair close to Shelly's, sat, swept back her straight, blonde
hair, and placed the cigarette in her lips.  Shelly had the lighter ready
and lit her up.  Alicia pulled hard at the smoke, then leaned her head in
towards Shelly.

"So...what's he like?"  Alicia's words were accompanied by thick bursts of
white smoke that broke against Shelly's face.  She tried not to blink too
much, succeeding better this time, and took a pull of her own, trying to
match Alicia's technique.

"You mean Dr. Ryan?"  Shelly's words were smoke-wrapped now, and she kept
her face close to Alicia's.  Not surprisingly, Alicia took no notice. 
Shelly blew out the rest of the smoke downward, watching it gather between
them.

"Who else, ninny?  You're his assistant, aren't you?  Isn't he just a
dream?  So smart...so dominating..."

Shelly allowed the girlish gossip to continue while they smoked their
cigarettes.  It was definitely getting easier, and having a smoking buddy
was a great help.  It was even becoming somewhat pleasurable, in a
perverse sort of way.

Soon the cigarettes were done, the air in the cubical thick with smoke. 
Shelly mentioned she was due to see Dr. Ryan and would have to go.

"You lucky thing!"  said Alicia.  "You got the plum assignment!  Well, we
won't hate you too much if you give us a full report..."

"I will, don't worry, and thanks for stopping by!"  Shelly stood, grabbed
the master lab manual, and was on her way.

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