by S M Stuart
“Dez, you’re killing me. Stop! We’d better not get carried away. Dad’ll be home soon.”
I pouted, but realised he was right. Although this was new and exciting, we needed to take things slowly to make sure it was what we really wanted.
“All right,” I said, straightening my dishevelled clothing. “Best behaviour for now! What are we going to do about these memories then?”
“How about we ask Alvin if he’s any ideas?”
“But that’ll mean having to share your mum’s journal.”
“Not necessarily. We could download the news reports onto an old memory pen. He doesn’t need to know where they came from. And we can edit out the pop-up quotes so there’ll be no weird riddles for him to worry about.”
“If you’re sure you don’t mind.”
“Dez. I’ll do anything to help you get things under control. I can’t stand it when you’re scared and lost, like you were this afternoon. I want you healthy and happy again. We’ll comm Alvin now.”
Seth launched himself from the sofa and dragged me up with him. My Seth. My hero! The thought brought a catch to my throat. Only a few days ago it was my dad who was my hero. I’d sorted out one relationship – it was time to sort out the mess between Dad and me.
“Here you go.” Seth interrupted my thoughts by pushing me towards the Holo-Comms unit. “Better call now before my dad gets in.”
“You’re keen!” I said. “Let’s see if he’s available.”
As I’d suspected, Alvin couldn’t take the call so I left a message asking him to contact me when he had the chance. As I closed the connection, Samuel came in from the kitchen.
“Ah, good. You’re home,” he said. “I’ll get washed and then we’ll have that Cottage Pie I promised you.”
It was great to have a relatively normal dinner for once. The tension between Seth and me had virtually disappeared, although I still felt there was something he was holding back. No worries – I knew I’d get him to open up now that we were a real couple at last. I’m sure Samuel could sense a change too. He was more relaxed than I’d seen him since Elizabeth’s death. I occasionally caught him looking at me with a smile, slightly nodding as though in approval.
After helping to clear the dinner things away I decided to head home in good time so that I could talk to Dad before it got too late.
“Thanks for dinner, Samuel,” I said. “It’s my turn to cook next time.”
“It’s a deal,” he replied. He gave me a quick hug and went out to do a bit of gardening before the light faded.
“I’ll walk you home,” Seth said.
“I’m only down the road.”
“Yeah. But it’s what boyfriends do, isn’t it?”
“Only the really nice ones!” I earned myself a kiss and we walked to my house with his arm draped over my shoulder.
I could get used to this!
CHAPTER 23
Ellingham: 2 August 2110
Hi Mum and Dad, guess what; I can hear your thoughts and I remember being murdered – twice!
Probably not the best greeting so I settled for “I’m home.” I went in to the lounge, breaking my usual habit of running straight up to my bedroom. “Oh. Hi, Aunt Jen.”
“Hello, pet. Just popped round to see how you’re getting on. And, judging from the glow in your face, I’d say you’ve perked up nicely.” How did she manage to be so perceptive?
“Thanks. How’re Jeremy and Dick?”
“Fine. I’ve left them watching some macho sport together. Hoped it might provide a bit of male bonding. It’s a shame Henri can’t give me any tips on the inner workings of the male psyche.” Jen’s French PT couldn’t understand her fascination with the ‘filthy outdoors and those smelly animals’. And he wasn’t always talking about the horses! He came over to visit from time-to-time and, in reality, wasn’t nearly as camp as he liked to make out via his telepathic link with Jen. Come to think of it, he’d made some very complimentary comments about Seth on his last trip. Mm, better keep an eye on him. Seth’s mine now!
“What’re you grinning at?” Jen asked me, breaking into my reverie of the afternoon’s surprises.
“Sorry? Oh. Just the thought of Henri trying to think of macho stuff for Jeremy and Dick to do. I’m sure his idea of male bonding is something quite different.”
“Desirée!” Mum’s frown reminded me I was supposed to be behaving myself.
“Sorry, Mum. Sorry, Jen.” Although Jen wasn’t helping, busy pretending her giggles were a coughing fit. I risked a glance at Dad and was relieved to see even he had a twinkle in his eye.
“Shall I make us all a nice cuppa?” I tried to redeem myself.
“No. I’m fine thanks,” said Jen. “I’ll be off to check the lads. Make sure they’ve not broken through the fence again.” She was talking about her horses now and not her lads of the two-legged variety. She kissed Mum and Dad goodbye and followed me through to the kitchen. “Good to see you looking a bit brighter, Dez. Sorry I didn’t come to see you at the clinic but I thought you’d prefer a bit of space.”
“Thanks, Aunt Jen,” I said. “You do know it was all simply an accident, don’t you?”
“Of course I do, pet. Deep down your mum and dad know it too. They were just in shock for a while thinking they’d lost you. Now, go in there and get on with the making up – I’ve softened ‘em up for you!” She gave me a quick hug. “See you soon,” she added from the threshold as she closed the outer door.
I prepared the drinks and took them through to the lounge. The ’rents were in their favourite seats – Mum by the patio door soaking up the warm rays of the evening sun and Dad in the opposite corner with his hobby table across his lap and fitting the pieces in an ancient cardboard jigsaw puzzle.
“Can we talk, please?” They both nodded for me to continue. I paused for a moment, trying to choose my words carefully and I realised that the constant chattering in my head had definitely become less intrusive. That’s a relief. At least I could start to think more clearly.
“First of all, I want to apologise for the worry I caused you when I ran off the other evening. Please believe me that it wasn’t an attempt at suicide. I really did fall by accident but I realise it wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t let my temper get the better of me.”
“We were worried, Dez. But we now appreciate that it was an accident and we can move on,” Dad reassured me. Mum’s smile was strained, as though she’d like to disagree but she nodded her acceptance of Dad’s response.
“I know I’ve been a pain since then too and I’ll try to explain, though it’s hard for me to understand it all myself.” My mouth was dry with nerves so I took a quick gulp of tea. Would they accept what I was going to tell them or would they think I needed to go back to the clinic for further psychiatric appraisal? Here goes!
“I was scared of letting you down when my PT didn’t switch on. I didn’t want to be a freak and I got angry that it hadn’t happened. I shouldn’t have been so cross at you, Mum, but I felt you’d be disappointed in me again.”
“But I … ” Mum cut off what she was going to say so that I could carry on.
“Thanks, Mum.” I acknowledged her struggle not to react. “I know we’ve a lot to sort out between us, and we’ll not get through it all tonight. I just want to clear up our recent problems.”
“Go on,” she said.
“The clinic was awful. That nurse was always keen to top up the drugs, simply to keep me quiet. You know the one, Dad. I was so scared.” I stopped for another sip of tea to help swallow my rising emotions.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I have already lodged a complaint to the Trevalyn board of directors. By now, they should be dealing with the shortcomings at their Ellingham clinic. One would think that a corporation of that size could afford to employ better staff.” My Dad was still my hero after all.
“After the first session of hypnotherapy my head was suddenly full of noise. Loud, insistent voices. So many that I couldn’t m
ake sense of any of them and it felt like I was going mad. That’s how I latched on to Claude’s saying the other night, Dad. I think it was because I was upset and you were near – it sort of opened up a link to your PT.”
“What do you mean, Dez? Are you saying that you can hear our PT connection?” Dad’s face wore a similar troubled expression to the one Alvin and Ms Thorogood had that morning. I was beginning to get accustomed to the reaction – even Seth had been worried to hear about my eavesdropping ability.
“Is that why you thought I’d spoken to you earlier today?” Mum asked. This was going to be a difficult bit.
“I was sure I heard someone calling my name. Maybe I do have an PT out there trying to get through to me. But, this morning, I also heard you and Rosa telepathically. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to listen in to your conversation. How do I understand Spanish? Ms Thorogood said it would work with our PTs but Rosa’s not mine, is she? ”
Mum’s face had gone pale and she quickly put her cup and saucer on to the side table as though she was afraid of dropping them.
“Don’t worry,” I hastily added. “Alvin’s latest session seems to have helped quieten things down. I haven’t had any major connections since the hypnotherapy this morning. Well not of the telepathic sort, anyway.” I sneaked a quick look at each of them to see their reactions to that little teaser. Mum turned her attention back into the room from her brief contemplation of the garden and Dad took a deep breath, waiting for the other boot to fall.
“Seth’s my boyfriend now.” I looked at my dad and thought I’d better put him out of his misery. “Don’t worry. I’m not pregnant. We’ve only just kissed for the first time today. We’ve not had the nerve to tell each other how we felt and we’re taking things nice and slow. It’s all very innocent, honestly.” I couldn’t wait for their reaction and swiftly added, “Well, say something.”
“We would if we could get a word in edgeways,” said Dad.
“Does Mr Wallis know about this?” Mum asked.
“We haven’t said anything but I think he’s guessed. He seems pleased. Aren’t you?” I was desperate for them to approve of the progression in our relationship but if they didn’t it was tough – Seth and I were definitely together now, whatever the ’rents said. I was surprised to see Dad smiling – not so surprised to see Mum with tears in her eyes. Can’t she be happy for me for once? I thought. Then she did surprise me. She came over to sit by me on the big red sofa and pulled me into a fierce hug.
“Oh, Dizzy. You’ve grown up so fast,” she said. “I’m not ready to stop being a mother yet.”
“Don’t be daft,” I answered shakily, trying to keep my own emotions at bay. “You’ll always be my mum. But, I’m sorry that you don’t want me getting together with Seth since you don’t seem to like him much these days.”
“N-no. That’s not the case,” Mum stuttered through her tears. “I’ve always been very fond of Seth.”
“Look at you two,” Dad chuckled and he came to join us on the sofa, wrapping his girls in his arms and gently rocking us back and forth.
Mum gave me a squeeze then sat up straight and began to explain why she’d kept Seth at arm’s length.
“Ever since the night Elizabeth disappeared, I’ve felt guilty for not looking out for her. I saw her going out towards the park that evening but she begged me not to say anything to Samuel. She was in a hurry and said she didn’t have time to explain. She was so agitated and kept glancing towards the park as though she was looking for someone. I don’t know why but all I could think of was that she was going to meet another man. I was angry. Samuel was … is one of my oldest friends from school. I told her I wouldn’t lie for her but that I wouldn’t volunteer anything either. My last words to her were: ‘Your sordid little secret’s safe with me.’” Mum’s voice fell to a whisper and her eyes were brimming with tears again. I passed her a tissue from the box on the coffee table. “How can I look Seth in the eye again when I could’ve stopped his mother going to her death that evening? I should’ve made her go home and sort things out. I worry that I might let something slip to Samuel or Seth and that would break their hearts all over again.”
Dad wrapped his arms around her while she wept uncontrollably. I cried along with her. She’d been carrying around this guilt and pain for almost four years. No wonder she hid behind a wall of severity. She kept herself aloof so that nobody could get close enough to find out her real feelings. Now I understood Jen’s comment that Mum hadn’t always been this way. The miscarriages had forced her to bury her softer side. She’d had to harden up to keep trying for a baby. Then the circumstances of Elizabeth’s death had pushed Mum further into her shell and I’d forgotten the happier times from my childhood when I’d glimpsed her real, loving character.
“Mum. It’s not your fault.” I reached out to hold her hand.
She shook her head in denial.
“No. Mum, please listen. I can’t explain everything yet, we’re still working on it. But Elizabeth wasn’t having an affair. Seth found her journal and kept it secret from everyone. She had a compact e-diary, you know, one of the Handi-types. From the entries I’ve seen, she loved Seth and Samuel with all her heart. If she was meeting someone it wasn’t a lover. And I don’t think you could’ve stopped her if you’d tried anyway. She felt she had to prevent something awful from happening and, whatever she was doing that evening she was fully committed to it. Believe me. You aren’t to blame for anything.”
Dad turned to me. “Dez. That journal should go to the authorities if it has any bearing on Elizabeth’s death. The Coroner ruled that she drowned accidentally but what if she committed suicide in a fit of depression? We know that she sometimes had a dreadful sadness about her that she couldn’t, or wouldn’t, explain. Your mother’s confession is news to me or I would have insisted that she shared her knowledge with the police at the time. And if Elizabeth did meet with someone that night she might even have been murdered! You must take this new information to the authorities. Tomorrow.”
“No! Dad, please. Let Seth and me have more time first. He’s trusted me with his mother’s secret. Please don’t drag it into the open yet. I shouldn’t have told you, but I couldn’t let Mum carry on with all that guilt.”
“I shall think about it and let you know my decision in the morning.”
“Thank you.”
The lighter mood of earlier had dissolved in the floods of tears that Mum and I wept during the evening. And yet the outpouring of grief and worry had finally brought us to an understanding. I took comfort in the thought that Mum and I could have a close relationship after all. It wasn’t an instant cure-all and we still had issues to deal with but it was a start. Now I had to hope that I wasn’t creating a rift with my beloved father. I knew I would defy him if he tried to insist that we should give Elizabeth’s Handi to the authorities.
Please, please let us find the truth quickly.
CHAPTER 24
North China Seas: December 2099
Victor was in a good mood. A very good mood. The new century was going to be spectacular.
He stood in front of the wall sized screen admiring the display of normally microscopic biological cells. The cells quivered with activity, growing at a visible rate and dividing just when they seemed to run out of energy. Any that failed to complete the cycle were consumed by their neighbours in the jostling mass.
“Thank you father,” Victor murmured, acknowledging the initial work that Jacob Trevalyn had invested in the regenerative drug that his son had now perfected.
Since his appointment as the Chief Executive Officer, Victor had gained access to the massive resources of the Trevalyn Corporation, allowing him to indulge his prodigious scientific knowledge. However, these weren’t experiments to benefit the general population. Oh no. These were simply to enhance his own potential. Hence his secret facility off the North China coast. An island so remote that it didn’t appear on any tourist guide. It was even too small for satellite mapping to tak
e much notice. But it was perfect for his needs.
After the 2015 Nuke War the area had been declared unsafe but over the years locals had repopulated despite the health risks. A ready-made test group was waiting on the mainland for Victor Trevalyn and his drugs trials when he set-up shop two years previously. China’s bureaucracy was still struggling to reassert itself after the decimation of its population from the nukes, the flu pandemic and the economic meltdown. A few individuals from the no-go area could disappear and nobody would notice. Victor could work unhindered and without conscience. These people were dying anyway. Some had slow-burning fallout sickness, some had genetic defects and some had been born with terrible deformities or disabilities. They were glad of the opportunity to find a cure no matter what risks were involved in the process.
And it wasn’t just the physical enhancements that Trevalyn was pursuing. He still wanted to further his telepathic ability. He wasn’t satisfied with the one PT, despite her being perfect to torment emotionally. She was just so sweet, always trying to get him to be more compassionate about the people he was using. Pushing him to be less self-centred. She’d even allowed her Bloc to ease back so he could experience the love she and her little family had for each other. Didn’t she realise that in her own way she was tormenting him in return? What family life had he ever known? His mother had died giving birth to him. A rare occurrence and one his grandfather and Uncle Sebastian blamed on her family genetics, despite the usual pre-conception screening.
At dinner one evening when Victor was about ten years old he made the mistake of asking about Grandmother Trevalyn. Uncle Sebastian had nervously dropped his spoon causing a mini-tsunami in his asparagus soup. Grandfather Benjamin wiped his mouth with his napkin before turning to answer.
“I would prefer it if you never mention that woman again, Victor,” he said in a tone that encouraged no argument. “The only useful purpose she served was in providing the next generation of Trevalyns to continue my work. She’s likely dead by now, anyway.”
