Frauleinstein

Chapter XII "I must remember to forget that...", Part III

Steve burst through the door into the underground laboratory. Looking down from the balcony at the top of the ancient, carved stone steps, he spotted Dr. Pretorius at his workbench, with Dieter and Friedrich not far off.

"Doc!" he called out. "Doc, you're not going to believe this!"

"Don't call me Doc," Pretorius said before looking up. "Fräulein Stein, how is your work proceeding in the memory room? Have you made any progress?"

"That's what I need to talk to you about Doc!" she replied as she tried to learn how to walk down stairs in heels for the first time. "The memory room, it worked!"

"That is excellent." Pretorius nearly glowed as he responded to the news. "So you have now examined your entire previous life?"

"Well, not exactly," Steve told him as he arrived at the bottom of the long stairs, with some sense of relief at not having toppled over or twisted an ankle. "Right at the end when I died, my life flashed before my eyes. I just reviewed that in order to save time."

"Well, yes. Of course," said Pretorius, unsure what might be an appropriate response to this statement. "I did say that time was of the essence. I'm pleased to know that all my efforts in compiling the information for your memory room paid off."

"Yeah, about that!" said Steve. "Some of those clues, they were just a bit subtle, don't you think?" he asked sarcastically.

"Subtle?" responded Pretorius. He knew this was Valeria Engel before him, but he still found it difficult to take criticism of his work from an impertinent teenage girl. "Seriously? It couldn't have been more obvious! I worked all night pulling together clues to every moment of your life, each one practically screaming out your name, and you say it was subtle?"

"Hey, maybe it was obvious to you. But we're not all freaking geniuses you know!" Steve yelled back.

"Of course you are," said Pretorius. "You are widely acknowledged as one of the most intelligent people of all time. Your I.Q. has been estimated at 195!"

Steve scoffed and crossed his arms under his chest. He had barely made it into community college! And he wondered, "What have I done since you brought me back to life that would lead anyone to believe I was a freaking genius?"

"Nothing since then I'll grant you," Pretorius answered. "But before! All your accomplishments. Seven doctorates! A lifetime of achievement in business and academics! If anyone deserves the title 'freaking genius' it is most certainly you!"

"Hey. Hey, wait a minute! You don't think I'm Va..."

Steve happened to glance past Dr. Pretorius, and noticed Dieter and Friedrich gesturing for all they were worth behind his back. They were both shaking their heads furiously, mouthing the word 'NO!' And they both had their hands up, palms flat out toward her in the universal gesture that means, 'Stop! Don't say it! Shut up! Shut up now!'

Steve really wasn't a freaking genius. "Valeria... Engel... do you?" he completed his earlier sentence slowly as he tried to interpret the concepts Dieter and Friedrich were attempting to mime.

Dieter and Friedrich were now frantically pointing at Dr. Pretorius. When they were quite certain they had Fräulein Stein's attention, and that she had taken in the gesture, they mouthed the word, "HE..."

Steve stared at the two, squinting as he attempted to understand. "He," he said to himself, nodding.

Dr. Pretorius watched Steve, as Steve watched the two henchmen. Curious, he looked over his shoulder to see what was going on. As soon as he turned Dieter and Friedrich looked away, then looked at the wall behind them as if just noticing it for the first time and thinking, "I wonder what everyone is looking at. Oh, this wall. Yes, that is curious." Seeing nothing other than two idiots inspecting a spot on the wall the doctor returned his attention to the girl, and they began miming again.

"WILL," they mouthed. Steve nodded again, acknowledging that the word was quite clear.

Dieter and Friedrich then gestured, holding out a thumb and then drawing it across their throats as they mouthed one more word, "KILL".

The next gesture brought the entire sentence together as they pointed at Steve, mouthing the word "YOU". Steve then pulled all the pieces into a single idea, mouthing the words silently to himself, "He, will, kill, you..."

Dr. Pretorius looked curiously at the Fräulein. "You are Valeria Engel, aren't you?" he said with just a hint of threat.

"Who, me? I... you... pssht!" she attempted to cover as her situation became crystal clear. "Of course! I am. That's what I was saying. About, like, you! You, should remember that's exactly who I am and don't forget it. Because, no one, no one needs to be killed at all."

"Yes. Yes, I quite agree," said the doctor, realizing Valeria Engel might just be angry if she thought he was defying her. "Now that your memory has returned, I certainly have no intention of challenging your leadership. You are, of course, Valeria Engel."

"I am?" said Steve, still getting used to his predicament. "I mean, I am! Valeria Engel, that is. I am."

"And speaking of your name," continued the doctor. "I have a small request. Given the apparent difference in our ages, it would seem more natural for a man of my years to refer to a young girl such as yourself by her first name. I was hoping that you might allow me the familiarity to call you by your new name; Mila?"

"Mila? Oh right, you told me earlier. Mila Stein," Steve said. Steve Frank, Valeria Engel, Doktor Engel, Giselle Gottlieb, Fräulein Stein, and now Mila Stein. "Sure, why not? I've got so many names, I have to start answering to just about anything."

"Then Mila," Pretorius continued. "You must know what I want from you now!"

"Uh, maybe..." Steve replied, as he began patting his pockets.

"The secret to life!" the doctor told her.

"Oh, right. That makes more sense than what I was thinking," said Steve as he gave up his pocket search. Which was just as well, as he didn't actually have any pockets.

"Unfortunately we don't have time at the moment," Pretorius said with great disappointment. "We have an urgent obligation which has been waiting since your death, and now that your full memory has been restored it must be seen to immediately." 

A/N: Where could Pretorius be taking him? What could be more important than the secret of life? And how  will Steve deal in a world without pockets? Answers to these and other questions, next week!