“No.” On the video camera, which perched over top the chair, John Miller began to sweat.
“Now, John. Why are you being difficult?”
“I’m not going back there.”
“John…”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
John’s eyes flitted around, panicked. “I just can’t.”
Bart hadn’t expected this response and he was concerned they were not going to get what they needed. He turned to Elise. She shrugged and leaned over into the microphone.
“John?” Her voice made him flinch. “I’m ready to play again if you are? How would you like that?”
“Eat shit!” he yelled. “Keep her away from me!”
“Time for a trip back in time, John,” Bart said.
John took a big breath and exhaled shakily. “Okay.”
“Fine,” Bart said. “Begin anytime.”
The video screens in the console displayed a driving rainstorm pelting a windshield so hard the wipers could not even make a dent in the water. It was night and headlights threw glare onto the glass hampering John’s vision even more. Drunken singing could be heard as John enjoyed his buzz from the bar. He never saw the semi coming.
Blinding light filled the screens and then a horrific tearing sound blared out of the speakers. Bart and Elise actually ducked. It was so real. The scene changed to one from above the accident and suddenly horrible music could be heard through the speaker system as John’s death was announced. He floated above the scene and watched the truck driver run through the rain to his car and pull his body from the wreckage. The man shouted into a cell phone and then started performing CPR on John, trying to revive him.
John looked around the dark void he was in and could see a light appear in the distance. It glowed blood red and grew in size as a murmuring of urgent voices penetrated the horrible clashing of notes. The voices grew in volume and demand as John’s life began whizzing by him into the glowing red orb. He watched, mesmerized, as everything he had ever done in his life was replayed in all its wonder and monstrosity for him to relive. The deaths of the three college co-eds were the main feature and the vision of the murders slowed for his review. Suddenly, a loud thud could be heard in the air and John watched the paramedics who had arrived shock his body with a defibrillator. Lightning shot from within the red orb and struck John in the chest. He was dead but felt the terrible burning pain stronger than any pain he had ever felt before. He moaned. The defibrillator fired again and another electric bolt shot from within the light and struck him again. He fell from his lofty place and sank back into his body. He was alive.
The vision ended and John could be seen panting in the camera, gasping for air as he lived through the memory of the event.
“Stop! Stop!” he shouted. “What are you doing? It’s like I’m living through it again. Please make it stop!” He sobbed as tears ran down the side of his face.
“Now for the fireworks, John,” Bart said into the intercom and he pressed the replay button on the console causing the recorded session to be played back. Bart was still not quite sure what was going to happen. He had seen a video of the system in Florida, but it was just a video. This was the real thing.
John’s video played back and as the horrible music began, the sound was so deafening, Bart’s ears felt as if they were going to bleed. Elise pressed her palms to her head trying to block the cacophony of noise that permeated the air, but her pained expression told Bart it made little difference. A rumbling grew and he could feel the floor vibrate, then shake as if from an earthquake. Everything shifted suddenly to the left and Bart fell to his knees. Elise fell into him and he caught her but not before she banged her head painfully into his shoulder.
“Are you all right?” he shouted above the horrendous noise.
She nodded slowly, holding her head in her hands.
In the chamber, a bright pinpoint of light appeared above John and then ruptured into a gash of purple sparks as the rip in the dimension opened up above the chair. John could be heard screaming through the intercom as wind whipped his hair, whirling dust and dirt in a small tornado inside the chamber. Blood red light pulsed from within the void that had opened over him and murmuring voices could be heard through the speakers. They grew in volume as Bart could now hear John’s name being called over and over again, mockingly.
Elise pointed to the temperature gauge that monitored the cooling system for the computer and he was shocked to see it at 99%. It would overheat. The video screens caught his eye and he watched as hundreds of arms and hands reached through the void and pulled at John in the chair. He thrashed back and forth shouting “No!” but they would not be denied. Bart turned to the chamber window but could discern not a single hand, or arm, groping at John. It was only on the video monitors.
The paramedic’s defibrillator was firing in the vision as lightning shot out of the void, striking the side of the chamber. Sparks flew but nothing else was damaged. The chamber was holding. The next defibrillator fired and a second bolt of lightning vented from the red void striking the door. It flung open and slammed against the wall with such force the hinges failed and the door crashed to the floor. A maelstrom erupted from within the chamber and the horrible noise of it drove Bart flat to the floor as his senses were overwhelmed. Elise was screaming. With one last whoosh of dust and dirt, the dimensional rip clapped shut and silence settled into the lab as the whine of the cooling system spooled down.
Bart looked at the monitors. John Miller was gone.
Chapter 4
Orange Park, Florida
Jake was in the dream again. He was at the accident scene holding Beth, his dead wife, in his arms as she mumbled nonsense he could not understand. The night was moonless, yet he could see in the weird gloom. The air had an electricity about it he could feel and taste, like that of an old copper penny. He stared down at Beth and watched the life flow out of the wound on her neck and spread out around them in an ever-widening circle of death. The helplessness he felt that night she died grew to such a feeling of despair that he physically wept onto his pillow.
He tried desperately to hear what she muttered, but the wind kept stealing it away and carrying it off into the darkness. Suddenly, a large, booming thump rocked the night and Jake could feel the ground tremble from the force of it. He looked around the dream world, but could see nothing that would produce such a sound. Beth had stopped mumbling.
He looked back down on her face and gasped. She was staring straight up at him, bloodshot eyes ringed red against her pale face. Black blood leaked from her bright red lips as she smiled sadly. The wind had stopped and the world was silent. She said simply, “The balance.”
Jake sat up gasping, the sheets fighting his tangled legs as he thrashed, his shirt clinging to his damp skin, the room coming into focus. Maddy was sitting up next to him, panting, and she grabbed his arm.
“Oh no!”
He turned to her, surprised, and then reached for her, holding her trembling body tight to his.
“It was the dream,” he said.
“What is going on?” she said, as he tried to calm her.
“Was Ryan there?”
She nodded, a single tear falling down her cheek. “Just like before. Ryan said, ‘The balance.’”
Jake had not had the dream in over five years. He felt that part of his life had finished its purpose and was confused as to why it would be returning. Especially if Maddy was having her nightmare too.
“Something’s wrong,” Jake said and sat on the side of the bed rubbing his face. “Why else would this have happened? Beth said, ‘The balance’ too.”
“They’re trying to tell us something,” she said.
In 2010, Jake and Maddy had used ANDEE in an attempt to contact Jake’s dead wife Beth. It had been a mistake and if they had heeded the messages that Beth and Ryan tried to impart to them in their dreams, people may not have died. Jake’s lab partner and best friend, Teri Newton, had been one of
them. Jake and Bodey Jenson had been seriously injured and Jake had even died, having his own Near Death Experience as the result of it. He had been given a vision of the afterlife and returned with a special gift only he could use. ANDEE was not supposed to be used to break through to the other side. It was forbidden.
“I agree. Something is creating an imbalance and they must want us to stop it,” Jake said.
“So, we’re going to have to endure more nightmares to find out what we need to do?”
“I don’t know.” He turned and looked at her. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, and reached out a hand to him. He grasped it in his own and marveled at the feel of her. Even after all this time, that she could make him feel this strong, this safe, with just a touch, was a testament to their love. She smiled and leaned into him as he stroked her hair.
“As long as you’re here with me when I wake up from one, I’ll be okay,” she said.
“Always,” he said and kissed her softly.
Chapter 5
Six Months Later
Orange Park, Florida
In the lab, Jake was working with their new sponsor on a case that seemed to be having little success the traditional route. Dr. Ruben Powers believed his patient, Elise Boudreau, could benefit from ANDEE’s insight into her amnesia. She couldn’t seem to remember anything in her life beyond the last few months.
Dr. Powers had said she had been involved in an automobile accident and had suffered massive head trauma, but without the normal infarction, or dead brain tissue associated with these types of amnesiacs. Dr. Powers believed her memories were physically there, just being blocked for some reason. Jake hoped he could find a way for ANDEE to see them.
Jake’s new assistant, Winslow Patterson, was working on hooking up the leads and body mold in preparation for the morning’s session. Winslow had come to them on a recommendation from a past patient, and Jake had found her very knowledgeable and easy to work with. Maddy, on the other hand, did not like her. They had numerous small squabbles about her, but Jake usually won, saying it would be difficult to find someone of her caliber without exhaustive research.
The women in Jake’s life had a tendency to be very outspoken in regards to the other women he related to. Teri Newton, Jake’s previous assistant, had been jealous of Maddy, and it had almost driven them apart. Maddy seemed to be in a position to take over Teri’s role and he couldn’t figure it out. Winslow was nothing more than an able bodied assistant to him and Maddy should know that. A very attractive, able bodied assistant, but Jake was very happy with Maddy and would never risk doing anything which might jeopardize their relationship.
Dr. Powers’ patient, Elise, was another stunning beauty, but there was something about her that put Jake off. He hadn’t figured out what it was yet, but he knew he just didn’t like her. She seemed ‘bitchy,’ for lack of a better word, and for someone who was searching for her past, she seemed to know a lot about who she was. She definitely knew men found her attractive and she used it. Their first encounter this morning had been unusual.
She walked into the lab at 8:30 in the morning after laying on the buzzer until Winslow answered.
“Who the hell is trying to break the doorbell?” Winslow said as she pressed the intercom button. “Encephalographic Systems, may I help you?”
“Elise Boudreau,” was all she said in response.
“Uh—okay—come right in,” Winslow said and pressed the door lock release.
Elise sauntered in inspecting the lab as if she were looking to buy it. Jake frowned to himself, but stood and went to meet her. The woman was probably somewhat lost in the world and maybe didn’t quite have the proper responses down for everyday situations. She only had memories that went back a few months. Well, of course, she had retained speech and functionality, she just didn’t know who she was, really.
“Miss Boudreau,” Jake said extending his hand to greet her. “Nice to meet you. How are you?”
“I’m here,” she said looking around and ignoring Jake’s hand. She took a few steps toward the chamber, which now held ANDEE’s chair, and stared inside the clear Plexiglass. “Smaller than I expected.”
“She still performs her job very well,” Jake said.
“She?”
“I refer to ANDEE as a ‘she,’ yes. Her personality has always seemed female in my eyes.”
“The Machine has a personality?”
“Yes, she does,” Jake said gesturing toward the console area. “Please, have a seat over here while we wait for Dr. Powers. Can I get you some coffee or a soda?”
“No.” She led the way to the console area and stared at the computer systems but remained standing. Dr. Powers buzzed the door and Winslow let him in. He was a small man, older than Jake by at least twenty years, balding with small, circular, wire-frame glasses that always seemed to be sliding down his nose. When he talked, he repeatedly pushed them up and the action became part of his personality. Jake tried to count how many times he did it in a ten-minute period, but gave up after he passed one hundred. The doctor didn’t even realize he was doing it.
“Elise,” he said with some relief as he entered. “So glad you found the place. I was a little worried.”
“Not an issue Powers. Is this place sterile?”
“Uh…no, Elise. This is not a hospital. Does that concern you?”
Jake watched her take in all the equipment and something tingled in his right ear. This was not unusual for him. Ever since his Near Death Experience, he had the uncanny ability to detect when someone was lying. It was a physical thing for him. Not quite like nausea, or dizziness, just a sensation in his right ear. Somebody in the near vicinity was being a little less trustworthy. Too bad Jake couldn’t pinpoint it like radar. He ignored it.
“No,” she said. “I was just wondering.”
The woman certainly seemed to be struggling with reality and some of the everyday aspects of life. This didn’t surprise Jake at all considering what she had been through. Jake could not see any visible scars or deformities from her accident and he knew she had been lucky in that sense.
Dr. Powers wasted little time and proceeded to explain to Elise what ANDEE was and what was going to happen. She listened, but seemed impatient; distracted. Winslow and Jake escorted her to the chamber where they had her reclined in the chair and hooked up to ANDEE in twenty minutes. She seemed comfortable and not the least bit anxious.
“Will this hurt?” Elise asked.
Jake smiled. “No—not at all. ANDEE is as gentle as a lamb. After a few minutes, you’ll forget she’s even here.”
Elise smiled back and gave him an unusual look that bothered him. It was as if she were coming on to him. He looked away and asked Winslow, “Are we good?”
“Yes. Everything is showing green on the board.”
“Great. Elise, we’re going to seal you in, but there is no reason to be afraid. We can see you through the glass and also on the camera above your head.” He pointed to the ceiling. “We can hear everything you say, so if you need anything, just ask. Okay?”
Elise nodded and winked. Jake frowned and turned to go. She grabbed his arm.
“Can you stay in here with me?” She asked.
“I’m sorry, Elise. No. It would disrupt the sensors and defeat the purpose. We’ll be right outside. You’ll be fine.”
She shrugged and let him go. Closing her in, he returned to the console area and pressed the intercom for the chamber. “Elise. Are you comfortable?”
“Yes.”
“Dr. Powers will take it from here, but Winslow and I are also here to help.”
“’Bye.”
Jake shook his head. She sure was odd.
“She definitely has some reality issues,” Winslow commented to no one.
“Yes,” Powers said. “Hopefully we’ll see something today that will help her.”
“How does she function?” Winslow asked.
“She can perform normal, everyday tasks without e
ven thinking about it. It’s past relationships, family, career, experiences, loves, and traumas that elude her. And as you’ve witnessed, sometimes she has periods of disconnectedness. As if she never learned the proper way to act in society. Quite unusual.”
“I wonder if she’s been slapped,” Winslow said. Jake smiled but tried to keep from laughing.
Dr. Powers failed to detect the humor in it and said, “She’s not told me of any issues with violence toward her. I would hope people would be proactive with her, but the possibility does exist for her to offend someone.”
“I’m sure,” Winslow said and turned away.
“Elise?” Powers said. “We’re going to begin now.”
“Shoot.”
“What did you eat this morning?” Powers asked.
“Oatmeal,” she said and the screen filled with a bowl of oatmeal sitting on a table as a spoon came into view scooping some into it.
“And dinner last night?” Powers asked.
“Barbeque. Pork sandwich.” Flash. Elise was at a drive-thru window ordering a barbeque pork sandwich with sweet tea.
“Do you remember coming to my office last week?”
“Yes. On Tuesday. We had a nice talk, but your office is not sterile, either.” Flash. A woman sat behind a glass window answering a phone and holding a finger up to Elise as if asking her to ‘Hold on a second.’ The woman hung up and started to speak. Flash. An office with dark wood and a comfortable looking couch appeared. Dr. Powers sat behind his desk, then he stood and extended his hand as Elise entered.
“Nine months ago you were involved in a very serious car accident. Can you see it?”
“Uh…” Flash. A white screen appeared, completely blank, as if looking at a white canvas or piece of paper. Jake had never seen anything like it.
“That’s fine, Elise. No worries. We’re going to see what we can do to address your problem.”
On the screen that showed Elise’s face from above, she appeared to be smiling, but it was difficult to tell. Maybe she was straining as she tried to remember. The tingling in Jake’s right ear started up. He rubbed it absently.
Near Sighted (A Jake Townsend Science Fiction, Action and Adventure, Thriller Series Book 2) Page 3
