160 Years

"Is the electricity cannon connected? No? Yes? Good. Lightning should strike in about ten seconds - get that dog out of here! Why did you even bring her? All she's done is try to chew the body. I'm sure Faraday won't enjoy having a mangled hand."
"Sorry," Martin sighed, picking up the husky. The dog was almost as big as him, and it's fur tickled his flushed cheeks. He dropped the dog outside and shut the door. "Mum won't let me go out past nine unless I have Piddle with me."
"Couldn't you have sneaked out? That's what I did."
"Are you kidding? You know what my parents-"

There was a crash overhead. Scarlett watched through the broken window as the world seemed to flash around them. Rain lashed down like a hail of arrows.

Martin clutched Scarlett's shoulder. She could feel his excited breath on her neck.
"Do you mind?" She snapped - but she was just as excited. Her hands trembled. They were going to hear the greatest expert in electromagnetic induction speak for the first time in over a hundred years.

Silence, broken only by the roar of thunder. It sounded muffled, as if coming from underwater.

Nothing happened. Scarlett's watch ticked on. The corpse continued to stink, lying frozen on the improvised slab - a half-rotted pew that had been left to fester in the abandoned church.

Martin slowly released his frozen grip, pale faced. Stepping foward, he poked the corpse, murmuring to himself.
"It didn't work." He took a deep breath. "Scarlett, it didn't work!"

Scarlett stared at the floor.
"... I suppose we'd better take this lot apart," she replied, her voice numb.
"But- this can't all have been for nothing!" Scarlett's eyes narrowed.
"It didn't work," she growled. "What more is there to say?" She stepped forward and bundled the corpse up in her arms.
"Don't just stand there. Unplug the cannon."

Martin closed his mouth and bent over to pick up the cable. His cold fingers slipped over the insulated copper.

The world seemed to shriek. Scarlett flinched as lighting seemed to crack time and space in half. White heat crackled from the cannon spearing into Faraday's chest. The wire sparked in Martin's hands. He froze for an agnosing moment, his eyes tight shut. Pure agony danced on his his features and he let out a shattering scream. Finally his legs crumpled underneath him.

Scarlett felt a pulse in Faraday's bone-cold neck. She pulled her hand away in shock.

Faraday pushed himself up into a sitting position, stretching out to kick Martin's head away from his feet.

"One hundred and sixty years," hissed the physicist. "Fifty bloody years of watching incompetents squabble and pick at my work. Some people have no respect."
"Martin..." Scarlett gasped, leaning over the his limp form. He was sprawled face down on the end of the pew, black hair hiding his face. Scarlett's hands loosened in horror and the body slipped from her grip, crumpling back onto the pew.

Faraday leered at her, yellow eyed.
"His name was Martin, was it?"
"You mean, is Martin."

Faraday threw his head back and laughed.
"No. No, I don't think so." He swung his legs off the pew and straightened up.
"You see, Martin is not about to to sit up and start walking and talking."
"You... did..."
"Yes. I did." Faraday looked down at his hands, scowling at the bite marks Piddle had made. "I, however, had access to a human soul - his to be precise. It was very useful - I should thank him, although I don't suppose he would appreciate it much.

"Wha- you're using his soul?" Faraday blinked, amusement shining in his glistening eyes.
"No, I'm using Freddy Mercury's soul. Stupid."

Scarlett just gaped at him.
"As much as I'd like to stand around making sarcastic comments for the rest of the night, sadly I have other concerns to take care of."
"Other... concerns?"
"Yes. You for instance." Faraday stepped forward, reaching out towards the pew. Using no visible effort, he tore an immense splinter of wood away and cradled it in his hands.