The sudden ringing of the phone quickly cooled the passion that was rising in Cody MacPherson's small dormitory room. As he rolled over to answer, Lisa tried to pull him back into her arms, whispering, "Just let it ring, Cody."

"I've got to answer it. Sorry." Cody picked up the phone, glancing at his watch lying on the desk and wondering who would be calling at 10:30 on a Friday evening. "Hello?" he asked, half expecting his mother's voice on the other end.

"Oh good, you are at home," began the gruff voice of Dr. Erick Johansen, his thick Scandinavian accent unmistakable. "I've got wonderful news, Cody, wonderful news."

"What's happened?" Cody's date took a backseat in his mind as he contemplated what could be so exciting to prompt this late phone call. Dr. Johansen was his professor for first year Chemical Engineering at McGill University and had recruited Cody as a lab assistant. Cody's youthful enthusiasm during lectures and lab sessions impressed the wheelchair-bound professor who was making some ground-breaking advances in the development of stable liquid radioactive fuels.

"The new compounds have remained stable. I just completed the tests and we've achieved a seventy-five percent increase in potency."

"Are you sure? Of course, you're sure. That's way better than we expected. And it's still stable." Lisa sat up and started buttoning her blouse but Cody didn't even notice.

"The computer estimates the half life at almost seventy years. We're very close to our goal, Cody, very close indeed. Can you come to the lab now? There's so much to do. We have to go back and double check all the work so far."

"Yeah, I'll be right over." Lisa stood up and reached for her coat on the floor. Cody looked at her and felt his heart sink. "Um, I'm gonna have to call you back in a couple minutes."

"Hurry, Cody, we've got history to make." The buzz of the dialtone returned and Cody hung up the phone. He stood up slowly under Lisa's frosty glare.

"I'm sorry, Lisa," he began, reaching for her hands.

"Don't even bother telling me about how important your research is. I've heard this all before. I'm not going to sit around and wait for you again."

"Lisa, please, try to understand." Cody squeezed her soft, warm hands gently but she pulled away from him sharply.

"No, Cody, not this time. Just once I'd like to sleep in your bed and actually have you there. Is that too much to ask?"

"No," Cody whispered, dropping his head in shame. Lisa turned abruptly and left the room. Cody followed her into the hall, realizing the floor tiles were cold on his bare feet. "Lisa, please don't go. I'll call back and tell Dr. Johansen I can't make it tonight." He folded his arms and rubbed his biceps with his hands to warm himself.

Lisa stopped and looked at him. Her big blue eyes were wet with tears. Cody felt sick to his stomach as he saw how much she cared for him. "You'll do it this time, but what about the next time?"

"I don't know. I'll try harder."

An awkward silence filled the hall. Cody wanted to hug her and hold her but couldn't push himself to make the first move. He heard the footsteps of someone in the hall behind him and saw Lisa's eyes look in their direction. Suddenly, Lisa turned and disappeared through the door into the stairwell, and Cody knew she was gone for good. Cody started back to his room and saw Vince grinning at him sadistically.

"Way to go, Romeo," Vince taunted. "Looks like you're gonna be sleeping solo for a while." Cody had no fight left in him and slipped dejectedly into his room and closed the door, Vince's harsh laughter stinging him deeply. He dropped onto his bed and stared at the dull white ceiling wondering if he'd completely blown it this time before he drifted off to sleep.

An hour later, the phone rang sharply again, rousing Cody from his restless sleep. He reached over and picked up the receiver. "Hello," he said hoarsely.

"Cody, are you coming soon?" Dr. Johansen sounded disturbed, something that was unusual for him.

"Yeah, sorry, I fell asleep."

"I think there is someone in the lab. I can't talk." Suddenly the line went dead. Cody shook his head to wake himself and grabbed the shirt that he'd discarded earlier. He shoved his feet into his sneakers and bolted out the door, trying to properly align the buttons with their holes. As his door swung shut behind him, he stopped to check for his key and groaned realizing that it was lying on his desk beside his wallet. Motivated by the tone of the doctor's voice, Cody decided to deal with that problem later and headed toward the campus.

It took almost fifteen minutes to reach the Chemical Engineering building. The campus seemed darker than usual and an eerie mist hung in the cold autumn air. Cody walked to the back of the building and entered through the door that led to the basement lab area. The lights were still on in Dr. Johansen's lab but it seemed to be deserted. He scanned the partially lit work area, noting that the lights were on in the octagonal radiation chamber that dominated the left side of the room. Cody started toward the office at the back.

"Hey, Doc, are you here?" Cody called. "Dr. Johansen? It's Cody."

"Well, Cody." The cold barrel of a gun was pressed against Cody's temple. "You're not supposed to be here," the gun's wielder hissed.

"I work with Dr. Johansen. He called me a little while ago and needed me to come over," Cody explained, thinking he was speaking to Campus Security.

"Well he doesn't need you anymore."

"What do you mean? Who are you?"

Suddenly Cody was pulled around harshly by the arm, and losing his balance, landed hard on his knees. About ten feet in front of him, he saw the lifeless form of Dr. Johansen. "There's the good doctor. He's not looking too well." The attacker laughed. "And I'd have to kill you if I told you who I am." Cody was struck hard with the butt of the gun and fell forward, his face hitting the floor.