Diamond Sky Trilogy Box Set: Books 1-3

by David Clarkson

  ‘Where are you taking me?’ she asked the driver, since neither of the suits had joined her in the vehicle.

  He gave no response. It was not long, however, until she discovered her destination. It was only a five minute drive away and they did not pass any security checkpoints to get there. Wherever she was, it was all part of the same vast complex. The driver pulled up next to a curved, three storey building with a well maintained garden out front and various ornamental trinkets visible through the side facing windows. It appeared to be some sort of apartment complex.

  Another woman, also in a smart tailored suit was on hand to meet Lucy as she exited the car. Whereas the others had looked like government spooks, this lady looked like the chair of a local resident’s housing committee.

  ‘Ms Skye, we’ve been expecting you,’ the woman said, far too jovial for what Lucy discerned to be a prison guard.

  It was all starting to make sense to her now. Just before she had fallen into her coma the military had taken over everything. Obviously, this was still the case three years on.

  The woman led her up to an apartment on the top floor. It was spacious, expensively furnished and much to her surprise, she was given the key.

  ‘I don’t understand,’ she said. ‘Am I free to leave?’

  The woman smiled. It was a little awkward, but seemed to be well intentioned.

  ‘You have full freedom of the grounds.’

  ‘That didn’t answer my question.’

  This time the woman did not answer. She simply repeated her smile, with less sincerity this time, and then left Lucy alone in her room.

  On closer inspection, the apartment did not bode quite as well as her initial impressions had suggested. The television came with a selection of prepaid movies and series box sets, but could not be tuned to any stations, either local or national. There was also no reading material that gave the slightest hint as to the goings on in the world outside, and the phone line had only a direct link to the complex reception in place of the usual dial tone. If Lucy wanted an outside line she would have to ask for it and being granted permission in light of what she had seen so far seemed unlikely.

  There were, however, some positives to be taken from her inspection. The bedroom wardrobe was fully stocked with a selection of clothes all in her size. Some of the styles were unfamiliar to her and if these were the latest fashions, it was the first glimpse into the wider world she had been given. After brief deliberation, she changed into a simple pink blouse and black leggings.

  With nowhere to go and little interest in watching movies, she decided the best thing to do would be to catch up on her sleep. Since coming out of the coma she had been constantly passed around between doctors, nurses and various interrogators in suits and lab coats. All would take its toll and in her head she knew that she should be feeling exhausted, yet when she lay down and closed her eyes, she only felt more irritable. She was not tired after all.

  ***

  Constance had to feign ignorance as Charlie talked her through the basic preliminaries of astral travel. Although he was aware that she had taken a trip several months previously, he had no clue that she had used the technology far more recently. If he found out about the illicit trip of the Friday before, Emmy would be forgiven, but it was unlikely he would extend the same courtesy to her. There was a very real possibility that he would have her removed from the project for a second time, which is why she deemed it necessary to play along as best she could.

  ‘We’ll be able to communicate only when metaphysical contact is established,’ Charlie said, continuing his unnecessary tutorial. ‘Do you have any questions?’

  ‘Just one,’ Constance replied. ‘Is it a good idea to have us both travelling together? Don’t get me wrong; I’m sure your tech people are very well trained, I just don’t think it is wise to commit both the captain and the first officer to the away team?’

  Charlie smiled.

  ‘You’re not my first officer,’ he told her. ‘You’re a red shirt.’

  She smiled back through gritted teeth. It was in her interests to let him think they were building a repartee, but she was secretly starting to find his sense of humour tiresome. To be taking orders from such an arrogant child was a heavy price to pay. If he were one of her students she would have flunked him after the first semester. When the time came, she would take great delight in relieving him of his post and taking her rightful place as head of the project.

  For their first trip they remained terrestrial, but steered clear of population centres. The primary objective was to find planets capable of sustaining life (alien contact would merely be a bonus at this stage). The long term plan was colonisation. Since the experiments had discovered the ability of astral energy to create wormholes in space, the vast distance between worlds was no longer the impenetrable barrier it had previously been.

  Liquid water is the one constant for life on Earth. Wherever liquid water exists, life is never far away, therefore it is assumed that planets containing liquid water are the most likely to be able to support life. If the atmosphere was too cold the water would freeze. If the atmosphere was too hot the water would evaporate. Conditions had to be just right, which is why scientists have deemed the range of distances that a planet can be from its host star and contain liquid water to be the goldilocks zone.

  If Charlie and Constance were to find liquid water in deep space, they first needed to familiarise themselves with how it appeared in the astral plane. To do this they projected their consciousness over vast oceans, among the crevices of giant glaciers and within deep subterranean lakes. All the while, they absorbed every bit of information available to them. By the end of the journey they were finally ready to take their search into deep space.

  ***

  She had rehearsed what she was going to say over and over. No matter how she phrased it, the words never quite conveyed the full extent of her feelings. Unlike with her scientific work, there was no test sample she could use. There were no mathematical models to predict how Lucy would react. Emmy was essentially blind, vulnerable and hopelessly out of her depth.

  Get a grip, she told herself. This is Lucy. You know her. Except of course, she did not. They were barely more than strangers, who in the heat of an extreme situation had once felt a strong emotional and physical attraction to one another. If that initial spark remained, it would be fragile and risked being extinguished by the slightest misdirected current.

  She raised her hand and as she brought it down to bear, the door swung inward before she had the chance to knock.

  ‘Oh,’ she said, ‘I, er...’

  ‘You’d better come in,’ said Lucy.

  Emmy followed the other woman through to the lounge area. The furnishings and layout were identical to her room down the hall. The apartment was comfortable, yet sterile.

  ‘How did you know I was here?’ she asked.

  Lucy shrugged.

  ‘I didn’t. I’ve been cooped up on my own all afternoon. I was starting to feel a little anxious. It probably sounds crazy, but I felt like the door was taunting me. I wasn’t sure if I was being held prisoner here. I just had to see if it would open.’ She briefly glanced away before turning back to face Emmy. ‘Am I?’

  ‘Are you what?’

  ‘Am I a prisoner?’

  ‘No,’ Emmy assured her. ‘I know things got bad before, but it’s different now. The military are no longer calling the shots. You’re perfectly safe, I assure you.’

  ‘So I’m free to leave?’

  ‘In time.’

  Lucy threw her arms in the air.

  ‘What’s that supposed to mean? Surely it couldn’t be more straightforward. Either I can go or I can’t.’

  Emmy gestured for the other woman to take a seat on the couch. Once they were both comfortable, she took Lucy’s right hand and held it firmly between her palms to offer reassurance. Unlike back in the hospital, she was relieved this time to see that Lucy did not push her away.

 
‘You’ve been in a coma for more than three years,’ Emmy said. ‘The transition back to a normal life will not be easy. A lot of things have changed and you’re going to need to catch up. Your muscles are also weak from lack of use so you’re going to need physical rehab too.’

  She briefly let her eyes wander up and down Lucy’s seated frame. The woman had lost weight, not much, but what really surprised her was how quickly she seemed to be recovering physically. After three years of being bedridden, it was astonishing that she had been up and walking so quickly. Emmy suspected why this was so, but tried not to dwell on it too much.

  ‘Is that really all that’s keeping me here?’ Lucy asked.

  Emmy did not respond instantly and the hesitation was enough to alert Lucy to the fact the scientist was holding something back. Something that would be uncomfortable for her to hear.

  ‘There are certain political sensitivities involved,’ Emmy eventually replied. ‘I didn’t want to have to tell you this until you had more time to adjust.’

  ‘Tell me what?’

  The concern in Lucy’s voice was rising.

  ‘We were not able to reverse the effects of the radiation,’ said Emmy. ‘After I lost you, my grandfather returned. The results were...catastrophic. He massacred the soldiers like he was exterminating roaches. He left none alive.’

  ‘And the townspeople?’

  ‘He didn’t harm them, but by that point the infection was too strong. The madness had completely taken over.’

  ‘They’re dead?’

  ‘No, not yet. It’s probably best if you see for yourself. I’ll take you to them now.’

  Chapter 17

  None of the security members gave Lucy a second glance when she returned to the research complex with Emmy. She even passed one of the suits from earlier and they had the audacity to smile at her as if she were a friend of theirs.

  ‘This is so strange,’ she said. ‘It’s like nobody cares that I’m here.’

  ‘Why would they?’ replied Emmy. ‘Like I told you earlier; you’re not a prisoner. You also have higher security clearance then every person we’ve passed so far.’

  Lucy stopped walking.

  ‘Why do I have security clearance? I’m not a scientist or an employee here. I’m just a civilian.’

  ‘Actually, so long as you’re here you are my guest and that makes you a VIP. The astral research lab is top level access only and I’ve made sure that you can come and see me while I’m at work.’

  At the mention of astral research, Lucy’s eyes widened with pure unbridled terror. Images of her friend, Lucas’, body all corrupted and decayed when inhabited by Jackson Fox appeared at the forefront of her mind.

  ‘You’re still doing the experiments – are you crazy?’

  ‘Don’t worry, we found a way to contain the radiation. It’s all perfectly safe.’

  ‘From what I remember, the radiation was not the only problem. I thought you’d never work with the military again after the way they treated us.’

  ‘The military has nothing to do with this facility. We’ve already seen what happens when this technology becomes weaponised and I can assure you that won’t happen again. Our energies here are focused one hundred percent on helping humankind.’

  ‘Is that why you brought me here – to see your work?’

  ‘No, unfortunately not. For the past few months space exploration hasn’t been at the top of our agenda. We’ve had far more pressing concerns to deal with. What I’m about to show you will make you uncomfortable, but I think it’s important that you see it. You may even be able to help.’

  They continued the journey in silence. When they reached the doors to the medical bay that held the residents, Emmy stopped briefly and turned to face Lucy.

  ‘What you’re about to see, you will find shocking. I want you to remember that none of them is in pain. Like you were, they are in hibernation. At first the comas were induced, but following recent events we believe them to be irreversible.’

  She swiped her keycard and entered the security code. The door opened and as the women entered, Lucy’s heart slumped. It was the largest hospital ward she had ever seen. In ways it reminded her of visiting her father when he was ill with cancer, but it was also so much worse. These patients did not look sick. They looked like they were not living at all.

  She felt nauseous as she walked between the rows of beds. Most of the faces were those of strangers, but there were several she did recognise. When she came to the bed of Mindy, the woman who had given her a place to sleep and a job, she stopped.

  ‘How could this happen?’ she asked. ‘You had a cure. Your machine, the thing that did this to them, wasn’t it supposed to make them better too?’

  ‘It would have,’ replied Emmy. ‘Unfortunately, I didn’t get to them in time. Several months ago a serious threat emerged due to a rogue Chinese general who sought to use our technology to start World War III. He created a group of super soldiers using a serum distilled from the radiation, but Charlie and I found a way to stop them. We were able to emit an energy pulse targeting only those who were infected. The coverage area of this pulse was worldwide. We coordinated the strike using global satellites to build a network orbiting the whole planet.’

  ‘Just cut to the point,’ interrupted Lucy, whose initial shock at seeing the helpless patients was now building towards anger at the injustice of it all.

  ‘The plan worked,’ said Emmy. ‘Our pulse zapped the consciousness of those infected right out of their bodies. Everyone infected. We had no alternative. Millions, maybe billions would have died if we’d failed to act. What you see now are just empty vessels. There’s no way back for them.’

  ‘You’re giving up on them?’

  ‘No. Never. They were due to have their life support switched off, but since you surprised us all by coming back those plans have been put on hold.’

  Lucy turned away from Emmy as she struggled to come to terms with it all. Whilst she believed that Emmy had indeed acted for the greater good, there was something about the story that did not add up.

  ‘You said these people only lost their spirits recently. Yet it’s three years since they were infected. Why didn’t you cure them sooner? What happened after you lost me?’

  ‘There was chaos. My grandfather caused so much destruction. So much pain. I managed to stop him, but barely escaped with my life. I had no idea where the townspeople had been taken and with military reinforcements sure to be on their way, I had no time to look. We had to get out of there fast. I destroyed the machine to stop it falling into the wrong hands and then I fled.’

  ‘We? You mean you and Charlie, right?’

  Emmy quickly turned away.

  ‘What aren’t you telling me?’ asked Lucy. ‘Did somebody else survive?’

  Emmy shook her head.

  ‘No,’ she replied. ‘I was alone. The thing is; I didn’t know it at the time. This is going to sound completely crazy but I thought that I had you with me.’

  ***

  Emmy hoped the laboratory would offer a distraction from her worries. Although Lucy had not reacted negatively to being told about the tulpa, it had still come as a shock to her and she needed time to process it. This left Emmy in limbo as she waited to find out if she and Lucy really did have a future together.

  ‘Why all the extra bodies?’ she asked Charlie, as she entered to find the place fully staffed and buzzing with activity.

  ‘We have a new project. One that should ensure our funding for a long time to come,’ her lab partner replied.

  ‘And when were you planning on telling me about it?’

  ‘I just did. With all that’s happened, I thought you could do without the distraction. Dr Stark has been filling in for you, but you can resume astral duties once you feel you’re ready.’

  She shot Constance a sharp look.

  ‘I’m ready.’

  ‘That’s great,’ said Charlie, hoping to diffuse the tension in the air. ‘I’ll draw
up a rota. Between the three of us we can cover a lot more ground.’

  Despite her obvious reservations about allowing Dr Stark to continue using the astral technology, Emmy did not make an objection. The unauthorised journey they had shared could be used against either of them. Besides, she had far more pressing concerns. How her relationship progressed with Lucy now had a much greater bearing on the decisions she would make in the future than any concerns about Dr Stark’s loyalty. She spent the rest of the day catching up on what she had missed before returning to her room at the accommodation block.

  ***

  She toyed with the idea of going to see Lucy, but each time she talked herself out of it. Putting undue pressure on the girl would only make things worse. It risked pushing her away. As it turned out, Lucy was to come to Emmy anyway – though not until very late in the evening.

  The loud knocking at the door startled her, pulling her out of her slumber. A quick glance at the digital clock by her bedside confirmed it was just a few minutes before midnight.

  ‘Okay, okay – I’m coming,’ she said, fumbling for the light and slipping her dressing gown on over her silk nightdress.

  She opened the door to see Lucy standing in the hallway. Unlike Emmy, the other woman was fully dressed and had not been sleeping.

  ‘Can I come in?’ Lucy asked.

  ‘Of course,’ replied Emmy.

  She let Lucy walk through to the lounge area before closing the door behind her. They both then sat on the edge of the couch, neither quite sure how to start the conversation. Eventually, Emmy broke the silence to offer her guest a drink.