by M. V. Kallai
“Lee, It’s Enira. I’m so glad I reached you.”
“Oh?”
“I saw the press conference. Camden didn’t look so good. Is he okay?”
Lee thought it strange that this woman had entered into such a personal relationship with him without his consent. He was not accustomed to personal phone calls…especially from intriguing women.
“Camden said to tell you he is okay, so, goodbye now.”
“Wait, Lee, is that all? He looked ill. What did you think when you saw him?”
Lee hadn’t thought anything except for being angry at Cam for not helping him get what he needed. Then an idea popped in his head.
“Enira, I need your help.”
“Sure, anything,” she said.
“The man who died, Ari. Did you know him?”
“Ari’s dead? How awful. I only met him once but I know he regarded Camden as family.”
“I would like to have his wife join me at the club for lunch. Can you arrange that?”
“Well, that is so decent of you Lee, I must say, I’m a little surprised, but I knew you were compassionate deep down.”
“Can you do it or not?”
“Um. Yes, I suppose I could reach her and ask.”
“Let me know,” Lee said and hung up not realizing how rude he had just been. He didn’t dislike Enira.
Bearden was still standing there hoping Lee would not ask for his help in this. He couldn’t imagine Lee sharing a social meal with a grieving woman on his own. Lee apparently couldn’t imagine it either because Bearden saw a look of panic appear on Lee’s face as the consequences of the phone call started to roll into the forefront of his thoughts.
Dana, fresh from a shower in the lab’s washroom, put a teapot on the stove and stirred some soup she had started earlier. She hadn’t heard Bearden when he returned to the lab, but was still waiting for her chance to question him again about what he was up to. She couldn’t stand being left out of the information loop. It was her job after all to assist Lee, not Bearden’s. Down the hall and around the corner, she heard the door to Lee’s office open and then Bearden’s voice.
“I will expect your call. Please try and give me a few days notice so I can make arrangements at the unit.”
Dana quickly limped out of the kitchen area and down the hall.
“Bearden!” she called out. “Wait a minute.”
He turned and smiled when he saw her looking so un-put-together. She had wet hair and was wearing very baggy pants and an oversized shirt that clearly didn’t belong to her.
“Well, this is a refreshing new look,” he said.
“Ha, very funny. Come back here, I need to talk to you.”
The truth was, she needed to talk to anyone. The past week had been extremely lonely, especially since Lee was spending most of his time locked up in one of his small lab rooms.
“I don’t have much time tonight, Dana. I have to go make a phone call.”
“Just for a minute. I made some tea.”
Bearden raised his eyebrows in disbelief of her hospitality. And even though she was the most unpleasant girl he had ever met, he felt sorry for her predicament here and decided to humor her for a moment. Besides, at the rate he was going, he was likely to suffer a similar fate.
Bearden slumped at the small round kitchen table while Dana hopped to the cabinet and balanced precariously on one foot to get two mugs.
“Oh, sit down before you break something else,” Bearden said. “I’ll get the tea.”
Dana rolled her eyes a little, but let him help her, grabbing his arm for support as she made her way to sit down.
“So, where did you go tonight?” She asked, skipping the small talk.
“I told you earlier, I can’t say.”
“Oh please, Bearden, who am I going to tell? The only person I speak to, besides you, is Lee and he already knows.”
“Okay fine, I’ll tell you…for a bowl of that soup. And because I need to tell someone just to get it out of my head.”
“That bad?” Dana asked.
“Well, I violated a dead man while his family sat in the next room waiting for his service to start.”
“Oh, wow. That is bad.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
“Sorry, go on.”
“My assignment was to collect a tissue sample for Lee, a big one. So, I got to the memorial site early and sneaked into the morgue before they brought his body out. Now, granted, being a botanist, I don’t have that much experience working with cadavers, but even if I did, this was different. Those people in the next room loved him. I could hear their sobs right through the wall. And I was about to steal part of him. It made me sick. I was planning for just a toe, but I had to work fast and his shoelaces were knotted. A missing finger would make a mess and be too obvious, his mouth was stitched together so I couldn’t get to his tongue without it being noticed.
Dana sipped her tea, her eyes wide.
“What did you do?” she asked.
“I started to panic, and I heard footsteps coming. Then I saw it; a crack in his skull. This guy must have died from a head wound because someone had opened him up, maybe for surgery or to stop some bleeding. Anyway, I put the edge of the scalpel into the crack and popped the round piece of skull out.”
Dana was on the edge of her seat.
“Then what?”
“What do you think? I took a chunk of his brain, shoved it into a container, replaced the skull and ran out…five seconds longer and I would have been caught in the act.”
“Wow. I would have never pegged you for having such a dark side,” Dana said with a look that was both disapproving and admiring.
“I don’t. It wasn’t as if I had a choice in the matter.”
“Didn’t you?”
“How can you ask that? You work for Lee, too. Saying ‘no’ is not really an option.”
“But there’s always a choice.”
“I can’t believe you of all people are judging me about this. I have to go.”
“You haven’t had any soup yet.”
“I’ve lost my appetite,” Bearden said and walked out.
“Hey!” Dana yelled without getting up.
“What?” Bearden yelled back.
“Just so you know…I would have made the same choice.”
Later that night, Dana began shutting the main lab down for the night. Lee had gone home and she stood alone, ready to turn out the lights. Her isolation was taking a toll on her, especially at night when the lab was empty. She knew she was perfectly safe, but the lab in the dark gave her the creeps, more so than the disturbing work she did when the lights were on. Lee didn’t sleep much and was frequently in the lab at all hours of the night, logging data in his notebooks, mixing concoctions, or testing specimens for his many projects. On these nights, it was easier for Dana to get a good night’s sleep. But it was just too quiet when he went home…like tonight would be.
She sighed and went down the hall turning off lights as she walked toward Camden’s office, which had been officially converted, into her living space. Although there were larger storage rooms that she could have used, this one was right next to the kitchen and the shower room, which made it feel more ‘homey’. Thanks to Camden, the space was quite comfortable. Since Lee barely came back here, she just assumed that it was Camden who had watered the indoor plants and had furnished the squishy green armchair with the pillows that had become her favorite spot in the whole lab. She curled up in it and her eyes closed. She immediately thought of Bearden, forcing himself on a dead man at his own memorial service. She smiled unintentionally. Somehow, knowing that about him made her feel less bad about the man she had killed. Then, another picture of Bearden drifted into her mind. This time he was shirtless and dirty, staring intensely at her. He was holding a scalpel and walked slowly towards her. With each step, his features changed from man to monster. The kettle on the stove started to whistle and she popped up out of the chair.
“Whoa,�
�� she said aloud and shook her head a little, realizing she had drifted off.
She sat down at the table and steeped her fruity tea, ready to study a copy of Lee’s notes from the day’s work. Dana was determined to keep pace with Lee in the lab, especially since she was under his protection and did not ever want to let him down. There were usually several things in his notes that she did not understand, but she kept her own notebook, full of questions for Lee. She had all but perfected her timing in asking the questions. She had learned in her first few weeks that bombarding him all at once distracted him from the now, and his brain was only capable of forward momentum. As she sipped her tea, she thought about Lee and how he seemed to be pleased with her work so far. She could not picture herself anywhere else. Getting to witness the impossible becoming reality on a daily basis was more than she’d dreamed. She would be years ahead of her old classmates when she went back into the world. Dana bit her lip again and her eyes became sad, trying not to think too much beyond her work here, because of the uncertainty of what the future held for her now. It could be anything from prison, to anonymity for the rest of her life, to hiding…or pardoned perhaps…with Lee’s help, of course. Dana shook these thoughts from her head, took in a deep breath to relax herself and went back to studying.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Get over it
Camden, Ganesh, Quinn, and Aldretti walked into the TRU Building after attending Ari’s memorial service. Camden’s eyes were bloodshot from tears on top of exhaustion from not sleeping well in his new accommodation. He had spent most of the evening comforting Ari’s wife and assuring her that her family would be taken care of financially.
Ganesh sent Quinn to the cafeteria to find some food and followed Camden into his living quarters. They were quite nice…private bath, small kitchen, workspace, living area and bedroom. These mini-apartments were built for visiting officers from other units who needed to stay here for any length of time. Aldretti came in, too. Between Quinn and Aldretti, private conversations between Camden and Ganesh were difficult and rare. Camden sat himself at his kitchen table while Ganesh started looking through cabinets. He collected four small glasses and a bottle of scotch he had acquired for Cam to make his stay more bearable. He brought them to the table and poured four glasses.
“Come, sit and have a drink, Aldretti,” Ganesh said.
Aldretti, who was standing by the door, was caught off guard by this gesture. He was supposed to hate these men, not drink with them.
“Sir, I am on duty here. I will not,” he replied.
Ganesh took a deep sigh and picked up the glass and slammed it back on the table.
“Come, sit and have a drink with us,” he said again with more forcefulness. “That’s an order!”
Aldretti sat down with reluctance and Ganesh slid a glass his way then looked at Camden.
“Cam, I’m really proud of how you held it together in there tonight. I’m sure this week has been hell for you.”
Camden just nodded, staring into his glass. Aldretti shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He saw Camden for the first time, not as his enemy, but as a man.
Quinn came in moments later with a small tray of desserts that he placed in the center of the table as he took the fourth seat.
“Professor Riles, I am sorry about your friend. I wish I’d had a chance to meet him.”
“And me as well, Camden,” Ganesh said and raised his glass. “To Ari.”
“To Ari,” Camden said, “May I never forget the guilt I feel.”
As the men drank, a twinge of guilt also rose in Aldretti’s conscience. He remembered how he’d laughed with satisfaction when he heard that Mace had dealt the blow that killed Camden’s accomplice. Of course, his family was told it was just an aneurism and his fall at the onset had been responsible for his other injuries. All in all it had been an easy cover up. Aldretti finished his glass and pushed it back toward Ganesh who poured him another.
Camden was saying nothing and his head seemed to sink lower and lower as they sat there. They sat drinking in silence, hoping that Camden would offer a story about his friend…or say anything. Finally, after a half hour of watching Camden stew in his own grief, Ganesh, stood and said,
“Now, Camden, this is enough. I understand that today was especially difficult for you and you should take some time and properly mourn for your friend. But you need to snap out of this state of mind you’ve been in. It’s just not healthy and I need you to be coherent. Starting tomorrow, when we go to work again, you leave your issues right here in this room and get on with your life. Stop being pissed off at this whole situation, and me. There’s nothing we can do about it anyway.”
He walked over and put his hand on Camden’s shoulder.
“Try and get some sleep, Cam. I really am sorry about your friend.”
Quinn and Aldretti took their cue and followed Ganesh out. Camden poured himself one more drink, moved to an armchair in the living room and stared at the ceiling for a while, then fell asleep.
Meanwhile, at Bearden’s flat, Major Mace Magner was grilling Bearden with questions about his evening.
“It was a piece of brain, sir. From a dead man…Ari. I believe he worked for Professor Riles.” Bearden replied to the Major’s question about what Lee wanted from him.
“Brain? You people are sick, you know that?”
“Yes, sir,” Bearden said, not wanting to disagree.
“What does he need if for?”
“I don’t know. He’s not really the sharing type.”
“Did he mention Ganesh? Or Camden? Or the Biomer?” Mace asked.
“No, nothing. Oh, I almost forgot. He is having lunch with the dead man’s wife at some club.”
“When?”
“I don’t know yet, but I am supposed to go.”
“You let me know when and where the second you find out,” Mace said. “What could he want with Ari’s brain?”
“Really, sir. I don’t know.”
“He works alone right? Now that Riles is out of the picture.”
Bearden opened his mouth to say ‘no’ then closed it again realizing that the Major didn’t know about Dana. He didn’t know why but his instincts told him to lie.
“Yes, sir…he works alone.” Mace squinted hard at him.
“Then find out what he is doing! If he won’t answer you directly, then snoop. The man must eat and piss sometime.”
“Does he?” Bearden wondered, accidentally out loud. “I only spend four hours a week there, sir.”
“Then you had better be efficient, Sergeant. Contact me when you have something useful.” The Major turned to leave.
“Yes, sir,” Bearden said. His best bet was to ask Dana. She owed him a little information after he’d spilled his guts to her tonight. Maybe he’d bring her something nice next week when he went shopping for her. She’d probably see it just as the bribe that it was. Dana was too smart and too skeptical to be buttered up. And he couldn’t believe he’d just lied to the Major about her. Maybe I’ll just ask Lee what he is doing. He thought. What am I doing?
Bearden kept waiting to hear his door open and close but the Major hadn’t left yet. He had stopped in the hall.
“Is there something else, sir?” Bearden asked.
Mace hesitated for a moment.
“You know a lot about the biomer right? You work with it everyday.”
“Yes, sir, I do.”
“Have you ever found it to be…oh never mind.” Mace felt silly asking what was in his head all of a sudden.
“Found it to be what, sir? I’m sure if you’ve made an observation, I’ve seen it too.”
I wouldn’t bet on it. Mace thought to himself then went on with his question.
“Have you ever found it to be intelligent?”
Bearden stifled a laugh that made Mace puff up defensively and cross his arms.
“Intelligent…no…but instinctive…sometimes.”
“Are you telling me this stuff can think?”
“No, not exactly. First of all there is no brain, but think of a predatory flower sending scented signals to attract bugs. When they come…snap. The bugs are trapped and the flower eats dinner.”
Mace looked thoroughly confused by the analogy.
“So, you’re saying that the biomer eats.”
“No, sir. But it does respond to nourishment. It seems to enjoy the bonding process when introduced to a new life form. For example: It appears lifeless, like a soft rock but when introduced to the fungal catalyst, a new plant, or even water, it comes alive. It tries to bind its molecules to whatever is in close proximity.”
“Well if that’s the case, how come it hasn’t bonded with the whole damn building?”
“Just because it tries to bond doesn’t mean it can. That’s why the fungal bond was so exciting to find. But to be on the safe side, we never touch the stuff directly, until we’re sure it has stopped growing. Then it doesn’t want to bond with anything else and it is safe to handle.”
“Yeah, I knew that part, about the growing,” Mace said in a low voice.
“Well, that’s not something you should worry about sir, we scientists have the bonding part under control.” Bearden swelled with pride as he always did when talking about his work.
“Maybe you do, and maybe you don’t. What do you think would happen if a piece of this fully grown biomer were to be given an artificial brain?”
“I would certainly love to find out. There could be real potential there. Of course that would mean a lot of testing and…” Suddenly the reality of the situation hit Bearden. Something must have happened in the weapons unit to freak the major out enough to ask him science questions.
“Why do you ask, sir?”
“Why…is none of your business, Leitner,” Mace said, then stormed out looking perturbed.
Bearden tossed and turned all night and when he woke up the next morning, he realized he needed to pick a side.
On the other side of town, Ganesh was waking up too. He dressed for the day and kissed his wife on the forehead as he left. She was still sleeping because she taught mathematics at the regional school and her workday started later than his. Ganesh was wondering how Camden had slept, when he heard a noise coming from his kitchen. He drew his gun and flattened himself against the wall. Slowly, he inched toward the kitchen doorway. He heard nothing. He let the barrel of the gun lead the way as he peeked around the corner. With her back to Ganesh, a woman with long golden blond hair stared out of his kitchen window. He knew her instantly.
