Heading south on 435 out of North K.C. Alex was heading back to the shop. It was 5:30 p.m. Friday evening and quitting time. Alex was a middle-aged baby boomer of 50 years and divorced. He and his wife of 5 years had divorced about 2 years ago after she found out he was a transsexual. He was seeing a psychotherapist and had started hormones. He had started his tow truck service 20 years earlier but had to sell it to cover the lawyers and court costs in the divorce settlement.
He was living in his mother's house that his brother had inherited. His brother was a railroad engineer and had moved to Gladstone a year before. Just before crossing 23rd Street he saw an elderly lady at the side of the freeway with the hood up on her car. What he had really seen was her car, mint condition 1964 Imperial. Stopping and backing up to her Alex noticed she was well dressed, 5'6" in height, weighing about 130 lb., about 60 years old with a good figure. "Oh, I'm glad someone stopped. I was on my way to the auto shop and it just quit." She said. Alex looked under the hood and saw the alternator belt was gone and said that the battery went dead was the reason it quit, and asked if she wanted a tow. She asked, "Is it expensive?"
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to Terry Barns' shop."
"Oh, that's right down the street from the towing company. I am on my way back there now. It will be on the house."
"Oh thank you. That is very kind."
"No problem" Alex said.
After getting hooked up and on the road she said, "My name is Phoebe DuPree."
"My mother's name was Phoebe. My name is Alex Dunlap."
"It is nice to meet you Alex. I will have to repay you some how."
"You don't have to. It is really nice just to tow the Imperial. I used to own one. It was one hell of an automobile."
Pulling into Barns' Auto Repair Alex dropped off the car and noticed that the shop was closed. "Well, Mrs. DuPree, it looks like Terry's not here."
"Oh how will I get home. Terry was going to take me home."
"Is there someone you can call?"
"No, no one except my housekeeper. And he doesn't have a car."
"Where do you live?" Alex inquired.
"I live up by the KC Museum on St. John's"
"That isn't too far. I'll take you. I have to drop off the truck and then we'll go."
Driving two blocks down the street to Larson Towing, Alex stepped inside. Don Larson set behind the counter. A large, heavyset man that Alex had sold the company to.
"Where the hell have you been?" Don said.
"I was doing a favor for an elderly lady."
"Well Alex, you might have started the towing service but I own it and the trucks now. And you are always pulling this Good Samaritan crap. It costs me money and the other drivers are already in."
"That is how I built this business, on Good Samaritan crap. And it worked."
"Well, I'm tired of it and I thought it over and I'm letting you go. I had your check drawn up. Good-bye."
As Alex turned around there was Mrs. DuPree. He had forgotten about her. As they both went out the door Alex started to apologize to Mrs. DuPree for the way he acted.
"I think you should have decked the arrogant SOB."
"Well, with an attitude like his, the business won't last long."
"I feel as if I got you fire."
"Please don't feel bad Mrs. DuPree. I have been expecting it." Alex said as he opened the door to his car for her. His old '87 Chrysler 5th Avenue was in good condition and was dependable. Crawling into the drivers seat Alex said "Well, lets get you home Mrs. DuPree."
"Please, call me Phoebe."
"All right Phoebe, call me Alex."
Pulling out of the lot Alex remembered. "DuPree? Was your husband named Dr. Harry DuPree, the talk radio host on WDAF radio? And didn't he do research on psychic phenomenon and into occults?" "Harry was my brother. And yes he did do research into the occults, witches, wicen, and of all things Merlin the Magician."
"I really like his radio shows. Did your brother pass away?"
"Yes, 3 years ago."
As Alex turned the corner by the KC Museum, which used to be the Long House, Phoebe said her house was the one on the right. Alex pulled into the driveway of the large stone structure made of blocks of limestone. Three stories high and narrow, a large turret, and capped like a small medieval castle. The house was in excellent condition, in a part of the city that used to be called Knob Hill in the early 1900's.
"Well, here we are. It's been nice meeting you Phoebe."
"Oh, please come in and have some tea or coffee."
Getting out of the car Alex was curious about the inside. Helping Phoebe out of the car they walked to the large ornate door and went in to be met by a very well built and handsome man.
"Mrs. DuPree are you all right?"
"Yes James, I am. Alex, this is James, my housekeeper. James, this is Alex Dunlap. He helped me and brought me home. Terry wasn't there. We would like some tea or coffee please. Tea or coffee Alex? The tea is a special blend."
"Tea will be fine, thank you. Then I'll be getting home."
"Phoebe, dinner is almost ready if Alex is hungry? We have more than enough."
"Oh no, I'll be imposing and I'd better be going."
"No you wouldn't. It is just James and I. Please stay."
"I would like to see the inside of this house. It's gorgeous."
Walking from room to room, looking at the pristine 1900's house, looking like time had stopped in 1917. Phoebe showed Alex Dr. DuPree's study. It was full of occult and wicen items. But most of all ancient Egypt and Atlantis. Alex was absorbed by a shrine of Isis, made of gold with green eyes, when Phoebe broke his trance and said dinner was ready. Sitting down to eat Alex noticed the table setting had gold trim with Isis in the center. Phoebe said her brother had them made especially for her. After dinner Phoebe wanted Alex to tell her about himself.
Moving into the parlor with its wonderful furniture, fireplace and oriental rugs with the smell of old varnish, Phoebe told James to bring some of the special tea. Feeling compelled to tell Phoebe all about his life from childhood to now it seemed to remove the tension of the day. Then Phoebe asked a really surprising question "Are you transsexual?" The look on Alex's face must have been of terror. With a long pause, a very long pause, he said "Yes".
"I thought so," said Phoebe. "I have a purpose for asking that question. Now Alex, have some tea. You look flushed." Alex, shaking, reached down and picked up the teacup. It seemed to feel comforting, as in a trance. The cup seemed to glow as he drank it down.
"Oh, that's very delightful" he said with some urgency to set the cup down. He said he had better go. Phoebe watched as Alex tried to get up and then fall over in the settee.
"James, would you see that Mr. Dunlap gets home all right. He seems to have gone to sleep on us."
"I'll see that he gets home and in bed safely, Phoebe."
"Here is his address and security code. Sorry you have to do this. When you get back we'll get things set up for Sunday. Please leave this package for him."
2:30 a.m. Sunday morning. Alex seemed barely comatose but had to urinate. Barely standing everything seems to be numb, in a dreamlike state. He made his way to the bathroom really wobbly. He sat down and the stream started. Being barely alive something did not register right but everything ached, then back to bed. The light streaming through the window awoke Alex hours later. Being more coherent, he noted that everything felt different. Pulling the cover back in shear panic, his fingers still numb, he felt large breasts. Then he slowly went down to his crouch and found that his penis and testicles were gone. Slowly getting out of his sweat soaked bed with one hell of a headache he slowly went to the bathroom to empty his bladder, sitting down and looking at what wasn't there. He got up and stared in the mirror. Looking back was the face of a 20-year-old girl with hazel eyes and light brown hair. "What the hell did DuPree do to me?" Still in a partially awake state, stepping into the shower, the warm water felt comforting, and a strange sensation came over him as the warm water hit his new skin.
Alex wanted to explore his new parts, but the headache was too much of a drain on his energy. Just running the wash rag over his new skin was enough. Thinking he wanted this all his life, the hostility towards DuPree had subsided. Looking at his new body he noticed he was still 6' tall as he was before. His voice was a little higher. Breasts were about a B cup. With his headache still throbbing as he got out of the shower a bit of a panic set in, thinking what a 50 year old transsexual, no collage education and no job was going to do. Jeez! What about birth certificate, driver's license, and right now what the hell to wear. Finding a sweatshirt and pants he headed for the kitchen to eat.
Shaking from hunger he opened the refrigerator, got the milk out for cereal, toast and orange juice. On the table there was a large package with just "Alex" on top. But food was top priority. He had just finished eating when the phone rang.
"Hello"
"Hi, it's Phoebe DuPree. Now before you start yelling, please listen."
"I would but my head would come off"
"It will go away in about an hour."
"I want to know! Who are you and why me!"
"Well, the reason is quite long and I can't explain it over the phone. But if you will open the package you will find some clothes, underwear and bras to use. Then, if you are willing to come to my home I will explain everything."
"I guess I have no choice and my curiosity is off the scales."
"Good. Then I will send James to pick you up at 10:00 because your car is here."
After he hung up he thought Phoebe sounded younger but the headache kept him from dwelling on it. Opening the package he found 2 pair of panties, 2 bras, a pair of blue jeans and net pullover blouse. Getting ready didn't take too long. Using the makeup in the package he didn't look too bad. A small minivan pulled into the driveway as Alex set the alarm system. How did they get in without a security code last night? Standing in front of the van James said "Good morning Miss Dunlap" as he opened the door.
With a surprised look Alex said, "I guess you're right."
"It takes some getting used to," said James as he got behind the wheel.
"I just wonder what was in that tea Phoebe gave me?"
"Something special, but it gives a bad headache."
"You've been through this?"
"Oh yes, about 3 years ago."
"How many has Phoebe done this to?"
"Including you, about 25."
"Do you know what this meeting is all about?"
"Yes I can tell you a little but Phoebe will tell you all of it."
"Why pick me?"
"You were picked on your merits, your IQ and your psychic ability."
"Psychic ability? IQ? I'm just a tow truck driver."
"There's a lot more to you than you know. Just to set something straight, Phoebe is going to help as many as she can whether or not you have high IQ or psychic abilities. Well, we have arrived." Alex put his head in his hands. "Are you all right?" inquired James.
"I guess I'm still a bit weak and I've never been judged by a tribunal before."
"Let me tell you something before we go in, Phoebe and the rest are not here to judge you in any way. They chose you for your abilities. Listen to what they say and then it is up to you to choose the next step. Now I have said too much. The rest is up to Phoebe. Give them a chance to explain and you will be surprised."
Walking up the sidewalk to the door Alex asked James if he had been transsexual. "No" James replied. "I'm a microbiologist. I worked for Kansas City Water Department, 3 years for the U.S. Government and 3 years for Dr. DuPree. My name was Sheryl Harrison then."
Phoebe met them at the door. "I'm glad you came Alex."
"Then the chance meeting on the freeway was a set-up?"
"Yes, it was. We know that you visit your brother every Thursday and leave his house at 5:15 to go back to the shop. And we used James' uncle's Imperial because you have a weakness for one. I have some people I want you to meet. Come into the parlor Alex, or should I say Chandra?"
"How did you know that?"
"I know all about you from the day you were born to your divorce from your wife because you were transsexual, even when you started hormones. I would like you to meet Linda Apperson and you know Anne Benson. Linda, this is Chandra Dunlap. Please set down Chandra. I know there are a lot of questions you would like to ask but let me explain some things. I am Dr. Harry DuPree."
"What!"
"Yes I am. Linda works for County Records and a court recorder. Anne, as you know, works for Dr. Katherine Simmons, your psychologist. That's how we know a lot about you."
"What did you give me in the tea to change me without SRS?"
"What is actually in the tea started out 10 years ago but it took 27 years to get to that point. My specialty is in Ancient Civilizations. It started about 37 years ago on a dig at the Great Pyramid. I found a piece of a clay tablet that referred to the Lost City of Atlantis and a set of symbols I had never seen before. I made a copy of the symbols and kept it. Knowing that in legends there is truth. After 37 years of collecting bits and pieces of artifacts that a civilization 10,000 to 25,000 years old on a continent of Atlantis, which we now call Antarctica."
"Just what does this have to do with us and transsexuals?"
"I'll get to that. I said it's a long story. The pieces seem to point toward the people of Atlantis did not originate on this planet. I don't know where they came from but I think they changed the DNA of the people of this planet to try to bring them up to their IQ levels. Chandra, are you O.K.?"
"I've got a headache, but I'll live.
"Oh, it's almost 12:00. I'll call out and get some sandwiches."
"What do you think of Phoebe's story Chandra?" asked Linda.
"I think I know the direction Phoebe is going."
From behind her Phoebe said, "Oh, I would like to hear your theory about it."
"Well, it's just a guess."
"Let's hear it. I'm interested."
"Well, here it goes. First it must be true about the DNA or I wouldn't be setting here as a woman. Whatever I drank works. Second, you mentioned Atlantis and Antarctica are one in the same. I can only guess from what I have read that the magnetic polarity of the Earth changes poles over 10,000 years. That Atlantis is now under 2.5 to 3 miles of ice and everything is completely destroyed."
"Excellent Chandra. Good guess. Do you have any other theories?"
"Just one other thing. You said something about the tea started about 10 years ago. So you must have found a very important piece 10 years ago."
"Why Linda, Anne and James, you look so surprised. I told you she was smart. Do you have any doubts about Chandra's ability? Yes Chandra. The breakthrough was 10 years ago. I have a colleague by the name of Dr. Aaron Collins. He does research in glaciers and their age. In an ice cave under the glacier in Antarctica he found a piece of porcelain tablet with symbols never seen before. He sent it to me to do research. We found that it had some of the same symbols I found in Egypt 27 years earlier. It took 7 years before I figured out that the symbols were Chinese, written upside down and backwards. It was a code for microbiology. This is where Sheryl comes in. Sheryl was a microbiologist. She looked at all the data and decided to try an experiment and recreate what they had done 25,000 years ago. We didn't know that it was DNA. We thought it was a formula to enhance grain production. So downstairs I have a small lab and Sheryl worked on it in her spare time. Sheryl had made a breakthrough about 3 years ago because part of the porcelain tablet was missing. I went downstairs with some food and at that time she was working on small experiments of growing cultures in a heated flask. We had just stopped to eat when the flask exploded, spraying Sheryl and me with glass and liquid. Sheryl caught the most of it. I shut everything down and helped Sheryl upstairs. We cleaned each other up. Sheryl had a headache and I put her in the guest bedroom to rest. About an hour later I got a real bad headache and went to bed. All of you know the rest of the story. 48 hours later and this is what you get, a sex change. So we told the press that Dr. Harry DuPree and Sheryl Harrison were killed in South America in a rock slide."
"So the culture is actually a DNA virus?" asks Chandra.
"Yes, it's actually a 48 hour flu which can't be transferred to any other person. It has to be injected or ingested. It is permanent. It only works at 98.6 degrees to 110 degrees and it's quite bitter. That is why I serve it in tea and it only takes 4 drops to do this."
"I hate to say this but what does it have to do with me? I appreciate the sex change but what do you want from a non-educated 50 year old truck driver?"
"Well, we talked to Dr. Simmons. She said that you have quite a bit of psychic power and we know that in the army you had a top secret with a crypto rating. So we know you can keep a secret. We also know you work well with anyone and you will help anyone. You have excellent judgment. I just can't understand why you didn't go to college?"
"I didn't like going to high school and my parents couldn't afford it. So I went into the Army which was absolute hell. And fight the transsexuality, it took its toll."
"Didn't like school? You could have graduated in your junior year. Well, we are getting off track. The reason we picked you is we have a colleague in Colorado Springs, Dr. Bertha Blackwell, a psychiatrist that will train you as a Social worker in psychotherapy if you are willing. What we are going to try to do is to work with psychotherapists in each state and give the DNA virus free to transsexuals who qualify with Dr. Harry Benjamin Standard of Care. So what do you think?"
"Before I give you my decision I would like to ask a few more questions."
"Ask away Chandra," said Phoebe.
"Am I a genetic woman after the virus?"
"All indications say yes. Linda and Anne are younger than you and have had periods. I don't know about you. The thing is this virus doesn't change bone structure, it changes the chemical composition of your body from F to M or M to F. It changes you into your twin sister or brother."
"Why are you giving the virus away free?"
"As you know James and I did not start out as transsexuals. We got thrown into it by accident with the explosion. We thought all we had to do was to take the virus again. The second dose permanently locked us into our sex. Being traumatized by the event we went to Dr. Simmons. She helped us through this change and has helped us set up a network through other psychotherapist around the country. The only way we can get back our original sex is to do the same as a transsexual does, surgery. So we know how it is to be in the wrong body. And that is why we are giving the virus away free of charge."
"What about the US government getting their hands on the virus?"
"We are going to try to keep it quiet as long as possible. But you know nothing stays a secret forever. So we are going to try to get the patients to take 2 weeks off as if they were going for surgery so we can keep the wolves from the door for awhile."
"What about reactions or deaths from the virus?"
"Well, we experiment with lots of small animals and people and have not had any deaths or reactions from the Virus. But there is always a chance in any type of medical procedure."
"Phoebe, the sandwiches are here," James said.
"Good. We are all hungry and I'll bet Chandra is starved."
"I sure am."
"In about a month or two you will find out that your hunger has diminished."
After lunch Chandra said she was willing to Colorado Springs and work with Dr. Blackwell. "Is she a natural female?"
"Yes, she is. I think Dr. Blackwell has a room in her home for you. She's not married and she has helped other transsexuals before. But you are going to train with her and she said she wanted to work with you."
"When do I leave?"
"As soon as we get all of your affairs and paperwork in order, which should be in about a month. One other thing which you are not going to like Chandra, is that you have to drink another cup of tea."
"Oh God, not another headache!"
"I'm afraid so, but you can stay here with James and me until it's over. We have another bedroom."
Chandra looked a little distressed when James set the cup of tea down in front of her. She picked up the cup of tea, looked at the others and with a look of contentment, knew that this was a new life that she had been trying for for 50 years. She downed the warm tea knowing this was the beginning.