Scalpels and Scruples

(From the Diary of a Mad Piano Technician)

As you will clearly see from the photographic documentation presented in this and previous entries, we have managed to achieve significant progress toward our goal of reviving this retched creature and, therefore, will continue to maintain our expectations for a positive and pleasing outcome.

My apprehension, however, grows steadily as we proceed with efforts to restore the countenance of our subject.

It would seem that many of our experiments thus far have been destined to falter in some way, wither by deed or design, and that some have produced even more grotesque and horrifying results than we could have imagined.

Yet I am compelled, almost to the point of insanity, by my avarice to complete the project and am unwilling to accept defeat even in the face of continuing reversals.

As is my nature, I will not yield to any challenge before exhausting every option.

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The Face of Discontent:

Our first obstacle was the removal of any necrotic flesh and the establishment of a boundary that would limit our intrusion into the remaining viable material (upon which we dared not operate for fear of exacerbating the existing damage).

In order to maintain our aesthetic principles and produce a more or less symmetrical prosthetic (keep in mind that there were actually four adjoining surfaces involved) we chose to create this frontier at the extreme edge of the most damaged area and continue that delineation from front to back – as shown in this first slide.

[Click on the images to expand them – use your navigators back-page arrow to return to the story]

Once this was accomplished, the denuded underlying framework was found to have lost much of its original contour and structural integrity. After careful measurement and calculation we determined that our course of action necessitated the application of audacious and unprecedented techniques that would test our ingenuity and try our patience to their extremes.

Rebuilding the substrate proved to be a decidedly non-trivial matter. Many of our preliminary attempts were absolutely calamitous, forcing us to revert the subject to its previous state and begin anew. Ultimately, however, we arrived at a moderately acceptable cross-section that would allow us (or so we thought) to continue with the next phase of our experiment.

We then managed to graft a scavenged layer of dermis to the first section of our platform with relative ease. But the contrast in tone and texture of this new stratum were far too extreme and clearly no match for the original. Thus began a concerted effort to effect the coloration of both new and old so that they might present a less displeasing juxtaposition.

After applying what we believed to be the least offensive solution to our newly installed surface and concluding the results to be unacceptable, several attempts were made to rectify the situation but none proved satisfactory.

It became readily apparent at this point that the transplant was genetically incompatible with our subject and we conceded to the necessity of its removal. We were now forced to embark upon a search for fresh donor material to replace it.

My frustration had now reached a new plateau and I began to pull at the scant remaining hair upon my scalp.

Although somewhat vexed by the imbalance between our meager successes and numerous misfortunes, I am no less determined to persevere unto the very limit of my endurance and hold full faith in the future of our endeavor.

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As we continue our work on the facial prosthesis, I pray that you not be discouraged by the apparently slow pace of our progress and will continue to read my journal entries as they are here posted.

For even as we fall into the pit of despair, there is forever hope – and I am yet convinced that

Death Shall Not Defeat Us. . .

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