OK....I just did a comparison under a magnifying lamp...with the other battery. The center post was ever so slightly lower on the "bad one". With tweezers and toothpick, I was able to pry up the center post and tried it. It is
vaping now. Not sure if the fix is permanent or not....but wanted to post it in case someone finds themselves in an emergency situation. Thanks for the center post tip Taryn.
If the fix doesn't hold, I will have to contact the V4L folks....