Thirty Four Minutes DEAD

by Kaye, Steve Hammond

  "Exciting but rather freaky, Greg. What do you want to achieve with all this?"

  "Catch murderers for a start, darling. You see sight is a camera".

  If Tanya had been a little bit unsure of the relevance of Greg's project initially she now recognised a great validity in her husband's research work. Vain continued to explain general areas of his team's work, missing out firm names and locations. The one name Vain divulged was Julia Venison. He related the events surrounding her thirty-four minute HV screening and the circumstances leading up to Sandford-Everett's arrest, referencing him as ‘the killer’. Vain decided to emphasise the organisational power surrounding the MC project, as he was already feeling a bit uneasy with regard to what he had revealed thus far. He trusted Tanya fully as far as confidentiality was concerned, but despite this he felt impelled to dwell on implications surrounding security as he envisaged the dire consequences applicable to anyone who broke MC Project secrecy.

  "You see, the MC Project involves the full range as far as security is concerned, Tan. We've got a British crew containing individuals from both the MOD and the CID. In addition to that the project's ultimate power base is secured by the Yanks - the CIA to be exact. I also think that both MI5 and the FBI might know a thing or two with regard to the project, but those two organisations haven't been referenced to us as active parties - yet! We're well networked too, Tan, with regard to Legal systems and medical cover. The bottom line basically involves an Anglo-Americanised power base that is immense in terms of its collective strength.

  “This power factor explains the ‘shadowing’ you’ve noticed on occasions. You see, the security blanket around the project deems nobody to be beyond its parameters of surveillance. Oh and one more thing, love. I suppose it is patently obvious how powerful our project is. If it got into the wrong hands, it could be abused - you see we're reinventing science here!”

  "Will the wider world ever get to know about the project Greg, or is it going to stay hidden?”

  "We've got to prove our work with more concrete successes than just the Venison demonstration, hence the two month absence, Tan. Once we've got more Venisons in the bag we will be better positioned to let the world know. There is another very important factor though, love. I can't say too much about it, but lets just say that whilst Venison was dead apart from her visual retention, our work is nearing a stage where the living mind will be able to be accessed - mindsight, not just physical sight recordings - we're talking thoughts here Tan, what your minds eye sees!”

  "Sinister Greg! What you did with Venison's visual retention was brilliant. If your MC work can put away bastards like her killer then you are doing wider society a great service, but if your work is approaching the stage where it reads living minds, all kinds of heavy negatives seem to surround it! I mean who would be tested? Why would they be tested? I mean, what we think isn't always what we'd do is it love? If a person's mindsight were played back, wouldn't a sick picture get shown on the screen on occasions? I'm sure I've had thoughts that aren't exactly morally perfect - What about you, Greg?”

  "Yeah, we all think things that we'd never actually do but mindsight could still be useful to dip into. I mean we could use it on a medical level to help people with psychological neurosis".

  "You're a very clever man with a kind heart but jeez, sometimes you can be Mr naive! I've got a funny feeling that a couple of those organisations you quoted earlier might find other uses for trapping a person's thoughts!”

  "Well anyway Tan, at least now you know the reasons for all the secrecy and the unspecified periods of absence. I was in two minds whether to tell you about the project or not, but now I've actually related the basics to you I’m kinda relieved. I'm sorry you had to wait so damn long but I guess I was a bit scared about the consequences of such a revelation".

  "Oh come on Greg, I'm not exactly Mrs gossip am I! ‘Consequences’ is a heavy word though - any chance of firmer elaboration here, love?"

  "Exactly what you were thinking earlier, Tan. You just mentioned about alterior motives surrounding some of the organisations controlling the project - the bottom line is power. These people don't want the world to know just yet and I'm sure they'd kill to preserve project secrecy".

  Tanya and Gregory Vain continued to talk about the MC project for an hour before both drifted off into a relatively calm sleep. Vain had finally exorcised what had been hidden too long.

  The ensuing nine days were greatly appreciated by the Vain family. Tanya initially felt more comfortable now that she knew some specifics pertaining to her husband's work. The family spent four days in Yorkshire at a Hotel, which was situated in a scenic rural location, and when they returned to their home they had several London based outings. They spoke about the project on occasions, but Tanya didn't press to know any further in depth details until she was alone with Gregory Vain on the eve of his departure.

  "We've had a brilliant ten days Greg, but one things been on my mind since you told me about the MC project. What could happen to the kids if you were suspected of betraying the secrecy of the project?”

  "The only way they'd know would be through you, Tan".

  "Well I obviously wouldn't tell anyone about your work deliberately, but couldn't situations arise where information could be forced from you revealing your revelations to me? Once both physical sight memories and mindsight are further tested, isn't it feasible to argue that team members could be screened for their loyalty with regard to their secrecy, or lack of it as the case may be? You see, what we've discussed since you got home is firmly embedded in both our memory cameras isn't it?”

  "Yes, we've both stored a heavy number of heightened visuals and the respective sounds that went with them. I hope you're wrong about team member testing, but if that did take place love, I'm sure that even the guy who heads the CIA project involvement has let some project information slip. We're only human aren't we - they wouldn't touch any of us Tan - especially the kids. The kids know nothing. Nothing would show on their MCs, so what threat could they represent if they were tested?"

  "I hope you're right Greg, because otherwise you just might have told me too much".

  "That's a bit unfair, Tan. You frequently tried to ascertain details surrounding my work. When I finally tell you, you start insinuating I should have maintained the secrecy that you hated so much. Catch fucking 22 or what?”

  "Sorry Saint Gregory, but your information just might have been a loaded gun mightn't it? Very nice of you to tell me and all that, but I'm fucking terrified about the possible consequences of what I now know! I've had ten days to mull over your work and all the connotations that go with it and it's left a bad taste – there are too many powerful organisations surrounding your project. Maybe you've messed around with science too much here, maybe murder's favourable to reading people's minds. I'm so fucking scared, Greg!”

  Tanya Vain collapsed into Vain's arms sobbing like a frightened child. Vain managed to comfort her and she eventually slipped into an uneasy sleep. Vain didn't sleep until much later. He kept worrying about the pressure that had shown itself so overtly in his wife, and he wished he could reverse his decision to tell her of the MC project.

  He had never seen Tanya so scared in their marriage up to this point in time and her anxiety had made him wonder about any darker side lurking within the confines of the project's organisational ranks. Tanya had stored her fears up, not wishing to spoil the family holiday they all had enjoyed and subsequently her fears were expelled in an outburst - with Vain getting the full extent of her anxiety.

  Tomorrow Vain would start active work on his project again but he was returning with the curse of a man who had possibly said too much to the person who was dearest to him.

  FIVE

  "Welcome back, Vain".

  The voice belonged to Leif Denison. Vain had just entered the underground London Designation that would be the project's residence for the next three weeks. He was quite surprised to encounter the project leader around th
e entrance area of the Designation. Denison usually remained out of sight until he addressed MC project staff, but apart from ten security personnel he was the only front line presence apart from Vain in the said area. Vain had arrived an hour early, a factor consistent with his character since a young age. When he was a teenager he would arrive at football grounds as early as he could so he could build the atmosphere to a level where his enjoyment of the match was embellished by watching the stadium gradually fill and hearing the crowd noise increase in volume. As an adult Vain maintained this character trait, and he preferred to be one of the first project members to assemble in the various Designations used for their work. After Denison's greeting he ushered Vain away from the entrance area to a side room. He had some pressing news for Vain's three-man team.

  "I'm dispensing with the usual formal re-assembly greeting today Greg. You see our first specimen for want of a better word has beaten the project team to our Designation. The corpse is fresh - Mason intercepted it from local police at 05.02 this morning in the Isle of Dogs area. She's a bit on the messy side with severe head injuries. I don't know if the parts of the brain you need will be affected or not, but you're the expert there Greg, and I'm damn sure you'll try your utmost to release some HVs. It's a bonus Greg, giving us an opportunity to carry out MC work straight away!”

  Vain followed Denison down to the mortuary, and as they arrived Mason extended his usual subdued welcome. This team member only seemed to come alive with regard to social skills when he was describing ‘causes of death’ details to team members. The majority of the MC team found the irony in this personality transition quite humorous. A few didn't find it that amusing feeling that Mason was almost ‘turned on’ by corpses. Tavini had labelled the man Mr Nechro and when the MC team were together this was the name he utilised for Mason. Ko-Chai was a bit more reserved with regard to finding the applicable humour in Tavini's description but he had to admit that a comic irony did exist when a man displayed most life-force when describing death!

  "Well gentlemen, I hope the good breakfast I trust you had won't make a reappearance after witnessing this victim! I don't know her name or age but have settled for ‘Charlotte’ for initial categorisation purposes. I think she's young - 16 or 17 but as you'll see in a second it's really quite difficult to be precise at this point in time! I think death did her a favour here - she was a heroin addict - hardly any blood left in her left forearm. Her veins were like a sponge through repetitive injections!”

  Mason opened the ice compartment that contained Charlotte, and both men were initially taken aback by the guignol sight that greeted them. The diagnosis began.

  "As you can see, Charlotte had a particularly painful death. The epidermal structure of the skin has been removed to a ratio of about forty percent. Large chunks of flesh have been removed from both facial cheeks, the small of the back, the breasts and the stomach. The tongue and lower lip are both missing and the left eye has been removed with some force - almost like a drill in its intensity! The hair is matted with blood - I should say her own - about two pints worth. Parts of her lower intestine have disappeared and one kidney has also been extracted. The…"

  Vain cut in.

  "What the fuck did this to her?”

  "Dogs, loads of them. Big dogs, but not animals that were well cared for. Their teeth left scum all over her body. She was bitten with such ferocity in the small of her back that parts of domestic food garbage were sunk into her spinal cord! The teeth that ripped her apart left their calling card all right".

  After he was sure he had answered Vain's question with enough in-depth precision Mason continued. He carried on detailing the savagery of the attack, paying particular attention to the more macabre details.

  Leif Denison directed another question at Mason.

  "A druggie getting wasted by stray packs - happens every day in the States, and I'm damn sure it happens here too. Are you sure we're looking at murder here Mason - seems like a shut case - young girl leaves home, falls on bad times, does drugs, dies - end of story, mate".

  Mason was rather indignant at this second interruption regardless of the powerful source that made it.

  "My team have intercepted twenty-odd corpses from areas of deprivation in the last couple of months. In terms of product relevance we scored blanks. We got au-fait with what a junkie's body ends up looking like and early this morning I thought, ‘here we go again’. This one's different though. As luck would have it and coincidence for that matter, I think Charlotte can help us! Even for a girl who liked injections so much I feel a strychnine injection to the back of the neck implies the presence of another - a murderer. The dogs just finished her off and had their junk food. She was murdered - you've got your required murder victim Mr Denison. What she has held visually will be in your team's hands Mr Vain. Are Mr Ko-Chai and Mr Tavini in residence yet?”

  "They weren't when I met Mr Denison but I expect they are here now. Are you going to clean her up a bit Mason? Ko-Chai's stomach is not exactly impregnable you know!”

  "How can you clean up a rag doll Mr Vain? I'll do my best to fill in the blanks so as to speak".

  Vain met both Ko-Chai and Tavini together. They had met close to where Vain had encountered Denison. After exchanging greetings Tavini took the lead, saying what both he and Ko-Chai thought.

  "You look like you've seen a ghost man. There's pale and beautiful and she's always the ultimate in female, and then there's you Greg - pale and fucked. Have you spent your ten days in Chernobyl, buddy?”

  Ko-Chai looked a bit embarrassed by Tavini's dark humour but Vain took it in good faith, realising it was just part of Tavini's showmanship. He broke the news of the imminent duty awaiting the MC team.

  " If you thought we might get a gentle run in to our explorations in this Designation fellas, I've got some interesting news for you. I've seen our next corpse - she's here, and take it from me she isn't exactly a pretty picture! I know that you found Julia Venison's wounds slightly graphic Mishimo, but in comparison ‘Charlotte’, as Mason has christened her, is a Jack the Ripper construction!”

  Mishimo Ko-Chai physically withdrew after Vain's words. He was not squeamish when Memory-Camera extraction work was actually being undertaken, but the build up to the explorations often caused him to be physically sick. After his convulsions he was fine and this was the reason Vain had utilised a melodramatic victim description. Vain knew that he had to adhere to this ‘cruel to be kind’ formula on occasions as far as Ko-Chai's MC preparation was concerned. Everyone benefited from a relaxed Ko-Chai, none more so than the man himself. Ko-Chai asked to be excused to visit a toilet, which was in close proximity to their location.

  The three MC team members proceeded to the exploration area. The said area was more cramped than the ‘grand scale’ demonstration arena in Designation B where Venison's HVs had been recovered, but there wouldn't be a sizeable audience on this occasion like there had been on the seminal exploration. As the MC team entered the exploration area Vain was quite surprised to notice that only four MC personnel were ready to view any HV's Charlotte had built. The four in question represented project power to an optimum level though, numbering Denison, Levene, Voight and a tall powerful looking white-haired gentleman who was unfamiliar to Vain's team.

  Levene welcomed the three team-members and Vain was sure that her eyes hung on to his for a fraction longer than the gaze one would associate with a fellow professional. She introduced the white-haired gentleman who was unfamiliar to the team members.

  "Gentleman - please meet Mr Fray of the FBI. He has been recruited into our project ranks with direct responsibility to Mr Denison. He has parity responsibility with regard to myself”.

  The white-haired gentleman smiled in greeting the MC team but it was a cold gesture, as his eyes didn't echo the warmth of his upturned mouth, remaining cold and piercing in their intensity. His voice was very muted in tone, almost gentle in comparison to the tone Vain had expected to emanate from this man.


  "I salute you, gentlemen. Having seen the Venison demonstration second hand and hearing about the subsequent arrest method of Sandford-Everett, it is a pleasure to be involved with the leading edge nature of your scientific explorations. My chief role will involve global security and communications. Whilst Mr Voight performs his internal security role with admirable precision I will be involved with the outside world, and when the time is right I will be co-ordinating the global revelation pertaining to our project. I wish you luck with regard to your imminent exploration". After thanking Fray for his complimentary words the MC team went into action.

  Mason had tidied up the victim considerably, even inserting a temporary padding to fill the vacant recesses of the facial cheek area. Vain inserted the vault-splicer, and after Ko-Chai had set up his laser extraction equipment, Tavini installed the digital conversion devices that translated the visual signals encoded by the vault-splicer. The laser screen became the dominant focus for the four project members in attendance. The images that appeared on the screen were understandable, if a little grainy in their texture. Charlotte's memory camera was rather unstable in its operation. The images alternated between panning sequences of inner city ruins and almost abstract visuals that involved the memory camera looking repeatedly upwards towards the sky. It soon became apparent that Charlotte's HV retention was going to be one of discord in comparison to the flowing visuals that were a feature of the prototype demonstration.

  The visuals involved an intermittent delivery being broken with a black screen resolution on frequent occasions. Charlotte's memory camera had obviously been effected by her heroin intake, and when the screen count showed the storage counter had reached 5 minutes of HV's, the sky staring preoccupation started to take a dominance that made the team members wonder if they were going to unlock any relevance to help them with the murder of the young girl. The accompanying sounds to the visuals were not significant either, with snatches of distant traffic and the comparative ambience of birdsong being the only two dominant sounds to emerge from the girl's MC. Tavini voiced what the team were collectively thinking, albeit in his own maverick style.