by A M Russell
‘Knowing the future shifts ones perspective somewhat. I suppose I really do think some things are… umm, possible? But really, what I see does have its limits. What’s on the outside is hard to reach. Maybe it won’t be for you though.’
I put the ring on. It sat comfortably on my hand. But my wrist and arm twinged again.
‘Getting some discomfort already?’
‘A bit.’
‘For how long?’
‘No more than 20 minutes or so.’
Aiden stared at me. ‘I think you’ll have no more than an hour left. There really won’t be any more than that. When you drop out of our reality you could find yourself in the middle of Alexander’s bunch of soldiers. It might be advisable to get out of the way of any people’s known location before that happens. It also makes it less weird.’
‘I need to get our Jules out.’
Aiden looked doubtful, but said nothing. He opened a drawer.
‘Here. Use this. It’s a kind of multi-tool. Opens almost every door.’
‘Almost every door.’
‘Well yes. There are some places we haven’t been in. We only go if people are in real danger. Reality is more…. Err, flexible at that point.’
‘I see.’ I was not all certain I got it, but there wasn’t time for a full treatise on the subject.
‘Is there anything else you need?’
‘Yes. Pack rations for four. And a spare tag.’
‘Pack food kit is already done. But the tag I can’t oblige you with. We don’t have any extra ones. The other is not reading right on a scan. How Jared got it out I don’t know. It would do more harm than good. I’m really sorry.’
‘That’s fine.’ OH Crap! I thought.
We stood in a little corridor. Not an ideal place for good byes. Oliver was in enigmatic mode. I was anxious. I’d not told Aiden what I’d done with the Tag I had been wearing.
He shook my hand. The little finger I saw was missing. Just like in my visions of him at Base.
‘They all thought you were mad you know.’ I said.
‘Of course. But then they would be right. Back in the real world who could believe a story like ours? Good bye Davey. I hope one day you’ll find whatever you’re looking for.’
‘What?’ I’m sure I looked puzzled.
‘The whole reason for coming on the trip: What you were trying to do with your life.’
‘Oh! That. Yes… I guess it doesn’t seem so important now.’
‘Then you may well have achieved your objective.’
‘Thanks Aiden. And except for some of the long words; it’s been a pleasure. Dammit!’ I hugged him in that kind of way that is acceptable between comrades in circumstances of like nature. After all he’d saved me from drowning.
‘Time to go Milnes.’ Oliver reminded me. But there was one more bridge to burn.
Janey walked down. She had an odd way of walking as if she had very slight limp. I hadn’t noticed except at that moment. She came towards me smiling.
‘Janey. I wish I knew what to say…’ she put her finger to my lips.
‘Shh! Everything has been said. Everything has been done. We are all in this together. I would give you my tag, but Aiden said that would be dangerous for you. So I can only give you one thing.’
She drew me towards her. And this time it was like melting into a warm ocean. Like waking in the morning in cool sheets with the whole weekend ahead. Like Summer in the rain; winter Sun. laughter and tears…
‘Don’t cry now Davey…’ she said; holding me round the waist.
‘Because it’s really girly?’ I asked.
‘No, you dope. Because you’ll get me going too.’
I kissed her back then. She relaxed into me like a pet moggy who loves to be adored.
We looked at each other. Nose to nose. ‘Thank you for saving my life.’ I said.
‘It’s wasn’t really a bad one… I…’
‘No. Janey.’ I tilted her chin between my finger and thumb, ‘Thank you…. For saving…. My whole life.’
Her eyes were awash like the sea at night. If I were ever to attempt drowning it would be in those eyes. We broke apart. Then, quite quickly the transition came. She faded from my view. And in its place a dusty cobwebby tunnel half piled up with rubble. After a few minutes Oliver appeared too.
‘Jules?’ Oliver’s voice was hard and business-like.
‘Yeah. Absolutely. Then let’s get out of this freaky experiment for lab rats.’
Oliver seemed pleased with my response. ‘You know the map. So which way is it?’
‘All the way down here. Then grab Jules and scarper!’
‘It’s good to be back.’ said Oliver.
‘Say that when you get home.’
Oliver just gestured in that slight way he had that was utterly non-committal. We moved off quickly down the tunnel.
*****
Twenty Three
‘Do you see him?’ I shifted uncomfortably behind the stack of packing crates. This place was unpleasantly confusing, with a very high ceilinged structure cross-crossed with a metal supports and power lines. The lighting was dim and creepy, but a lot brighter through a set of double doors which had been watched constantly by a couple of rather sloppily dressed, but mean looking guys. Maybe they lost at cards and had to take this, or the graveyard shift.
Oliver slid silently back to my position; ‘There’s no sign of Jules here either. There are only those two guards. It shouldn’t be a problem we just need to get behind them.’
‘Drat!’ I hadn’t anticipated that Jules would be moved. If it hadn’t been in such a tight space I’d have kicked myself for missing something that obvious. But here we were; and probably in the place we would have been anyway if we had known. It was two o’clock and I was wondering when this lot had their next tea break. After all this wasn’t a pleasant assignment for the soldiers. Boring; uncomfortable heat; psychotic boss. Oliver waited for me to catch up with the obvious truth.
‘We can’t do anything.’ I said ‘we’ll have to just leave. It's going to take us at least two hours to get out of the tunnels.’
‘Do you want to see the map again?’ Oliver seemed undecided about the strategic withdrawal. But I thought that if Jules was in such bad shape as he seemed yesterday we wouldn’t get very far. It would take hours to even find him at this rate. Then there was the tricky question of Hanson. Should we assume he was even here?
At that moment, we heard the heavy tread of boots on the hard floor. The two left, strolling through a little door that wasn’t very well marked in this dim light. Two others came out and took their place.
‘Then again not that door.’
‘That’s it.’ I said pointing at the double doors, ‘that’s our way in.’
‘That is not good. Not at all.’ Oliver looked at me with an expression of disgust.
‘Yes…. Ok, but we could….’ I broke off mid-sentence. Oliver urgently pointed at something out of my eye line. I crawled round into position.
To be honest it was hard to tell what Hanson was doing. But it did seem as if he was with the other team. Four men formed a guard around him, and they seemed quite casual rather than pointing their guns at him. I saw bracelets around his wrists though, including the loop welded on, but no chain between. He walked with his arms at his sides. His face was blank and unreadable.
Oliver and I watched until he entered the double doors. Someone was on the other side to welcome him. He stood in the light with the other man behind him. Drat it! We hadn’t got a clear view.
‘Let’s do what we can. Then get out of here. This is way out of our depth.’ Oliver got out the map. He’d got a point. But something was wrong with this. I’d seen it before. This place, with the cases and the sets of doors. It was in the set of images from the vision in the summer land place.
‘Wait a minute,’ I said, ‘I think we’re supposed to be here.’
‘The situation would be greatly improved by providing some useful
details to your picture. So we can make sure that what is supposed to happen does; in fact happen.’
‘I think we are supposed to get out of this weird broom cupboard; through the doors- but we'd have to get past them…..’
Oliver stared at me and got his knife out and a set of the sticks I'd seen him sharpening; ‘We’re wasting time. This is not going to be pretty; but it will be effective.’
‘Are you sure?’ I asked.
‘It’s not the time to be squeamish Milnes. I got the arsehole at the fountain ledge. It was me, not Jared.’
‘Oh…’ I digested this, ‘I can’t…’
‘I’m not asking you too. But if it makes you feel any better; think of them suddenly finding themselves back at Main Base, with a thick head, and a short order to leave by the next transport out of there.’
‘Ok…… I think: if you put it like that.’
‘I do. They’re trained killers. I only do this on special occasions.’ He looked to me for the nod. I gave it. ‘Just one thing,’ Oliver added, ‘they won’t hesitate. This is war. And I’m not here just to be decorative…’ with that he turned to the corner. He moved so quickly then, I barely had time to see what was happening. He lowered the first limp guard to the floor and swung round and plugged the other before he could raise his gun.
I quickly went out from behind the packing cases. It had taken less than thirty seconds. I extracted the first guard’s gun. Oliver had already got the other.
Oliver whispered to me; ‘Do you know how to use that?’
‘Actually….. Yes.’
‘Is the safety on?’
‘Yes.’
‘Gun club was it?’
‘No. My uncle; Game Keeper.’
‘Bag a rabbit at thirty paces?’ he said as we approach the double doors.
‘Twenty. But I was taught to hunt big bad wolves.’
‘These are very big, and very bad.’
‘What shall I aim at?’
‘Lower arm, Right side. That way you won’t want to vomit your guts out in the next half hour afterwards.’
We carefully eased our way through the double doors into a brightly lit clinical looking place.
This wasn’t anything like Main Base or anywhere else. It was like a cross between the inside of a fictional spaceship, one of those beauty therapy places that modern women get their nails polished in, -and a very tidy college chemistry lab.
‘No test tubes.’
‘More boxes.’ said Oliver, pointing to a neat stack of card cases on some white shelves.
We moved carefully checking all the spaces in the room.
‘Next set of doors.’
We entered silently, a wide corridor, still white; with doors on either side.
‘What the hell?’ Oliver was looking through the porthole windows.
This bit reminded me of a hospital. I started to get that really nasty feeling in the pit of my stomach and in the prickly place on the back of my neck.
I signalled Oliver. We tried a couple of doors to see which would move. We got inside just in time.
Outside a whole crowd of people trundled down the corridor chatting. Techno speak. They must be civilian scientists. I saw through the glass several men in lab coats. The cliché that always holds true. Except for women you’d really like to experiment in some other way with. I ducked back down.
It went quiet.
‘How long before we’re rumbled?’ I asked. My voice sound very calm. Inside I felt a bit more like sea sick.
Oliver wasn’t listening. He was rummaging among some stuff on the floor.
We’d found our boundary team’s equipment. Well, what was left of it.
‘I think this might have been moved here recently.’ Oliver flicked the edge of the sheet the whole lot was piled on to, ‘There’s just some general stuff. A couple of under-suits, could be anyone’s.’
‘The important stuff is all gone.’ I couldn’t find any sample cases, not even empty ones.
‘Hang on. What’s this?’ Oliver felt inside a torn looking suit with the sleeves completely ripped off.
‘What is it?’
‘Just a minute. It’s in the lining.’ He used the knife.
He pulled a chain out of the slit he had made... Long and silvery with a pendant that at first appeared similar to the tags. In Oliver's hand the thing glinted with mirror-like glassiness. He handed it to me.
'Whose was it?' I looked closely. It was indeed like a small mirror, but with lettering all around the edge.
Oliver bent over it too; 'Someone was determined to bring this, yet had no time to recover it later.'
It felt strange in my hand, as if something in me knew what it was. I did think that it was something of great value to someone in the group on the sled. Who though? Why take such a risk? It was really stupid to try and overcome the personal weight limit. We were all checked several times. Unless... Oh dear God! Sweet Janey... You were trying to take it because you knew you would not be coming back! That first day. It shimmered in my hand. Oliver saw I was shaking and put his hand over mine to still it. 'We have to find the others now,' he said, 'there's nothing else here. Shall we go? Davey?'
'Yes.... Yes, of course.' I rather uneasily put the chain over my head. I felt a little better. Even if it wasn’t the tag, it certainly felt like it. My sense of disorientation was eased. I thought of the map. Oliver had his hand on the pack clip.
‘It’s ok. I know where we are on the plan.’
Oliver peered out of the round glass into the corridor. He forgot about getting the map out and checked the gun. ‘You better know where to get to the other holding cells from here.’ Oliver whispered, ‘because I think someone may have just discovered our handiwork.’
One of our science bods was rushing down the corridor, coat flapping. We waited a moment then slipped out after him.
Hurriedly I recalled the map of the new Base. Right, then left, then three corridors down, then left again. It was the fourth door on the left. We reached it almost running. This was a smaller double door, asymmetric half panel. There was room for a trolley on wheels, the sort on which you might be transporting an unconscious patient.
‘Very good.’ said Oliver, ‘Now let’s see if you’re right. You surely cannot have all the plans inside that noggin of yours.’
‘I do,’ I said, ‘I just remember everything I can see. It sticks there.’
‘Photographic?’ Oliver moved slowly forward to peer in the window.
‘No. I can only do it that well if I’m really concentrating. Other things sort of stick in varying amounts depending on what I’m thinking about at the time.’
Oliver grinned wolfishly. ‘It’s sure is a useful skill.’ He pushed open the door. The lighting was lower in here, and immediately I detected the smell of bleach. Several barred cells lined the room on either side. They were all empty except the last one.
‘Jules!’ I went forward, and quickly found the key tool Aiden had given me. The figure in the cell was laid on his side on the thin bunk. He had his back to us. There was no reaction to my voice. I quickly worked on the locked as Aiden had shown me. Red first, then blue, if that doesn’t work try yellow. Lock picking for idiots, with extra attitude. I would have marvelled at its combined sequence tweaking of the tumblers inside, if I had the time. It was the sort of thing that if I was twelve I would have definitely wanted to take apart. The “key” turned. I pushed the door on its hinges then. It swung smoothly. Oliver went to him. I removed the tool from the lock.
‘I think he’s been drugged.’ Oliver turned him over.
It was Jules alright. So what to do now?
‘Get out the med kit.’ I said.
‘Ok. But I hope you know what you’re doing.’
‘It’s ok.’ I took out the hypo with premeasured dose, ‘This will work. Just trust me.’
‘I do. But I think I better put it in.’
‘Uhh? Yes or course.’ I handed the needle to Oliver.
‘Yo
u can’t have done that before.’
‘I did. But it was on my mother’s cat….’ Here Oliver rolled his eyes, ‘…so perhaps that doesn’t count.’
‘Just help me. Hold his arm still.’
Oliver handed me back the needle. I put the spent sharp in the disposal case, and the plunger into the empties section. Oliver sat him up. To give George credit, the stuff did work very fast. Jules started to come round.
‘Jules? Come on… just talk to me. It’s Davey.’
He opened his eyes and just stared at me in an odd way.
‘He’s getting there.’ said Oliver, ‘I’m going to check the door.’ With that he slid out of the cell to the entrance, the man sure could move quickly and silently for such a big guy. I half supported Jules. He put his hand to his face, as if to rub the haze from his eyes.
‘This is not good.’ He murmured, ‘I can’t see.’
‘It’s just dark in here. Is it blurred? Just give it a minute. You’ll be fine.’
‘Yeah…. Fine. Oh God Davey! What did they do? What happened to you both?’
I wasn’t sure how to answer. I couldn’t lie. It was disrespectful to Jules… none of us were children. I felt terrible about it anyway.
‘I’m sorry Jules, but Jared died.’
‘How?’ Jules straightened up and clenched his hands.
‘He was under water, and then got hit on the head. Aiden tried to save him…. but he was taken from us the next morning.’
Jules sat with his head bowed. He was flexing each muscle in turn. He turned to me. ‘I can’t…. I don’t know if……’ then he was sobbing quietly, broken by all this. He knew of course who had done it. Logically, he wasn’t responsible. But I thought I’d go mad too if the person I thought I was, had been revealed to be capable of such a thing.
‘I’m sorry…. I always thought it would be someone else.’
Oliver signalled to me “speed it up”.
‘Get on your feet Jules,’ I said, ‘you’re not him. I never believed you ever could be. We need…. I need you to be strong now. Let the drug help. Take my arm now. Your eyes will focus properly by the time we get to the outer tunnels. Just lean on me.’
‘Ok.’ He stood somewhat shakily and grasped the fabric of my upper left sleeve.
