The digital display on Nancy McGill's dashboard read 9:15 as she pulled the car into her parking space at home. The floodlights high overhead turned the blanket of fog into an opaque, motionless mass. It had been a long day of political posturing at work. Nancy's mind was miles away. A board meeting would be held next week and MicroLabs' president was anxious to explain how the company would capitalize on the flourishing Internet market. Unfortunately he doesn't really know what the Internet is, so he had lined up some directors and managers to share the podium with him. Nancy would be one. Too bad nobody had decided on an overall Internet strategy as yet.

Nancy was just turning off the ignition when something on the radio news broadcast caught her attention. She turned the volume up and stared into the radio as if she'd be able to see the reporter if she looked hard enough.

Radio: ...Santa Cruz General Hospital reports no change in the student's condition as yet and still is not releasing her name. Once again, authorities say they have no explanation for the trance-like condition, but are hoping some further neurological tests will reveal clues as to the nature of the mysterious illness.

In other news...

Nancy wished she had heard the beginning of the story. Did he say trance? Nancy bundled up her stuff and trotted from the car through the fog to her apartment. If she had been tired, the news story snapped her out of it. All she could think about was her kid sister, Molly, who now attended the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Nancy's heart rate jumped even higher as she opened the apartment door to hear the phone ringing. The few seconds it took to get to the phone left plenty of time for the imagination to generate bad news scenarios. It couldn't be her parents, they were in Europe on vacation. It must be the Santa Cruz hospital calling to tell her that Molly was in their Neurological ICU. How could this have happened?

Nancy: Hello, this is Nancy McGill.

Tom: Nancy, this is Tom Barnett.

Nancy: Tom, thank god it's you. I was afraid it might be... bad news.

Tom: It's not good news. I'm down here in Santa Cruz. Have you heard about what's going on?

Nancy: I heard something on the car radio a few minutes ago. Is Molly all right, Tom?

Tom: She's not the one in the hospital, if that's what you mean.

Nancy: What's wrong then and why are you there?

Tom: I was coming back up the coast highway from a Pro-Am golf tournament in Monterey. My back was bothering me so I dropped out early and decided to go on home. Called the office on the car phone this afternoon and they told me about this girl down here. I figured I'd poke my nose into it and then call Molly to see if she'd let me buy her an expensive dinner. When I got to the hospital, I ran into Molly in the lobby. She was there waiting for some news about this other girl, Heidi. They're pretty close friends.

Nancy: Is Molly okay, Tom? It sounds like you're holding something back.

Tom: I don't think there's anything physically wrong with her, but she's not herself. I don't know how to explain it, Nancy. I think you better come down here and talk to her yourself. With your Mom and Dad out of the country...

Nancy: I'll drive down tonight, Tom. Are you staying over?

Tom: Yeah, I'm at a little place called the Sea and Sand Inn. It's just north of the wharf next to a big new hotel called the Dream Inn, if you can believe that. You want me to have them hold a room for you here?

Nancy: That would great, Tom. I'll call you from the car when I get off the freeway in Santa Cruz. That should be about an hour and a half from now.

Tom: Drive carefully through the pass. Route 17 is tough at night.

Nancy: I will. Bye, Tom.



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