Waiting in the Shadows

by Trish Moran

  ‘Mmm,’ he nodded. ‘All signs are regular.’

  ‘Are they going to be all right?’ she asked him.

  ‘Of course. The others are, aren’t they?’

  ‘But they put up more of a fight,’ she replied. ‘It took the two boys longer to respond to the tranquilliser.’

  ‘They have suffered some slight bruising, that is all. We will delay any tests until they have completely recovered,’ he answered.

  He closed the capsule lids and keyed data into a pad.

  ‘They’ll be fine now. They’re sleeping as peacefully as the others!’ He smiled at her as the two men wheeled the trolley away. ‘Now our real work begins! Let us go to the laboratory!’

  They found Sven there in front of a computer screen.

  ‘This is as far as we were able to go at the Centre,’ Sven explained, demonstrating with 3D images on the screen. ‘But I am interested in developing these ideas further! Take a look at this!’

  He brought up a different set of images and lists of data, talking excitedly all the time.

  ‘Hold on!’ Vlensky said after a while. ‘I’ll need to go through this a bit slower! I’m not up to your standard yet!’

  Sven shook his head, ‘Sorry! I just get so excited, thinking about the possibilities!’

  Vlensky clapped his shoulder, ‘I know how you feel! I would really like to study the data you have put together, Sven. Would it be possible for me to put it on my memory stick and take a look at it, at a slower pace?’

  Sven shrugged, ‘By all means! Look through! Tell me if you have any ideas to offer, especially on the second stage – I have not perfected this yet. There is time, the DNA samples will be prepared by the end of the month.’

  He turned away from them and was soon so engrossed in viewing slides under a microscope that he did not respond to their goodbyes as they left the laboratory.

  In a second laboratory Vlensky scrolled through Sven’s data.

  ‘Most of this I can understand, but where exactly would we be able to input new data?’ he said.

  Lena peered at the screen and scrolled down. ‘There are several suitable points. It depends on the type of data that is to be added. But Sven has already speeded up the growth rate and raised the IQ levels; what else are you suggesting?’

  ‘I have a list here of possible characteristics and talents the new Labs will require. Not all the Labs will have the same talents of course,’ he said.

  ‘No, that would not be a good idea!’ Lena smiled, ‘We want a varied society! And one that will fit into life with the Labs already in existence.’

  He stood up and patted her shoulder, ‘I’ll leave you to look through the files. I have an appointment with Baxman and our host! We have to keep the Non-Labs happy while they control the purse strings!’

  Isaac rubbed his eyes and took another mouthful of coffee.

  ‘I’ve been in touch with anyone who could have some information. Two guys said they’d get back to me if they can get hold of anything else.’ He turned to look at Abel. ‘I don’t know if you’d consider this, but if we let my uncle, Jake Walker, in on this: fill him in on the background details, he may have some advice he can give us. Three of these people live in Middle Eastern countries. He has travelled extensively in this area himself over the past twenty years.’

  All eyes were on Abel, who was looking intently at Isaac. Finally he broke the silence.

  ‘If he would agree to keep this news away from the public eye for the moment, your uncle’s help would be greatly appreciated.’

  ‘Jake would not put any of you in danger, I assure you!’ Isaac pulled a phone from his pocket. ‘I’ll call him immediately.’

  Two days later Isaac and Jake were landing at the airport of the country where the person named first on their list resided.

  Isaac heaved a sigh of relief as they entered their cool, air-conditioned hotel room after the hot and sticky taxi ride from the airport.

  ‘It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack!’ he groaned as Jake spread a map of the country on the table.

  ‘We’ll follow our plan,’ Jake replied. ‘We are here to compile a tourist guide for the well-heeled. We want to see the best hotels, the most interesting sites, and of course be aware of the medical facilities in case our holiday makers need recourse to emergency facilities.’

  By the following evening they had built up an extensive itinerary that would appeal to their imagined visitors.

  ‘The Temple Hospital is definitely first class,’ Isaac said. ‘But I don’t think it could have the facilities that the Centre had.’

  His uncle agreed.

  ‘Though the new building being constructed on the town outskirts could be more than offices for an international bank. That could just be a cover,’ he pointed out. ‘We should keep an eye on that.’

  ‘I’ve let Celia have all the details. She’s going to take a look at their website,’ Isaac replied.

  By the end of a fortnight they had visited four different countries.

  ‘It’s Saturday, so it must be Rome!’ joked Isaac.

  ‘Laqaar, actually!’ his uncle smiled spreading the map out on the table. ‘Same plan as before. We’ll start tomorrow morning. How about we take this evening off and go and get something to eat near here? The market square outside looks like an interesting place, if we were really thinking of holidaying here!’

  ‘First a long, cold beer and then something to eat!’ Isaac said as he headed for the shower.

  ‘That looks just the place for that long, cold beer,’ Jake said half an hour later as they made their way through the crowd jostling each other as they looked at items spread out on the stalls in the market place.

  ‘Sorry!’ Isaac said to a young woman as he knocked her arm and the fruit she was holding fell to the ground.

  ‘It’s OK, I’ve got it,’ she replied picking them up.

  ‘You speak English?’ he smiled at her.

  She pulled the scarf she was wearing so that it covered most of her face, ‘A little!’

  As he placed the fruit in her hands he felt the plastic strip on the inside of her wrist brush his fingers and he glanced up to see the look of fear pass through her eyes.

  She flung the fruit back on to the stall and hurried away.

  ‘Wait!’ he called trying to follow her through the crowd, but within seconds she had disappeared out of sight.

  ‘Come on!’ Jake was beside him. ‘What about that cold beer?’ His face grew serious as he saw Isaac’s expression. ‘What is it?’

  ‘The girl I was talking to just now; we must find her! She’s a Lab!’ Isaac replied. ‘She was wearing jeans and a cream-coloured headscarf.’

  Though they searched the area extensively, there was no sign of the girl.

  ‘Let’s get back to the hotel. I’d better give Celia a call,’ Isaac said finally.

  Hidden in the shadows nearby, Lena breathed heavily as she watched them make their way back to the hotel. She had recognised Isaac from a gathering at Ben’s house in London. She could not remember his name but he had arrived with another Non-Lab, the girl Ruby. Both had seemed very close to Johnny and Leon. She felt a pang; the twin boys had been so full of life, so full of fun – and look at them now! She shrugged off the feeling. She must concentrate on her work with Vlensky. Soon all the Labs would be able to enjoy a fulfilling life. No more waiting in the shadows! She pulled her scarf around her face and slipped away.

  ‘Celia, it’s Isaac,’ he could hardly contain the excitement in his voice as, back in the hotel room, he clutched his mobile in his hand. ‘There’s a Lab here! A mature Lab! I didn’t recognise her, her face was pretty well-concealed under a scarf, but I felt the plastic strip on her arm!’

  He went on to relate their meeting that afternoon.

  ‘Then she just disappeared from sight! Looks like she knew her way around here.’

  Celia opened a file on the computer screen. ‘Laqaar; you’re where Rafe Maher lives; for most of
the year, anyway. He has several homes around the world, including London and New York.’ She scrolled through the other information, ‘He has investments in hotels, casinos, and leisure centres there in Laqaar, and deals exclusively with multimillionaire clientele. He had made several bids for shares in the Centre, though his offers were not accepted.’

  ‘Email me a list of the business ventures he is involved in over here and we can take a look around them first, Celia,’ Isaac told her.

  ‘I’ll do that, and I’ll make further enquiries from here, too,’ she replied.

  She had just sent off the email as Abel and Ruby came in to the office.

  ‘Have you news?’ Ruby asked her eagerly.

  They sat and listened in silence as Celia recounted her conversation with Isaac.

  ‘This seems unbelievable!’ Abel shook his head. ‘Could they already be producing Labs? But the plastic strip … I must go there immediately!’

  ‘What if …’ Celia looked thoughtful. ‘What if some of our Labs are involved in the running of the new centre? Even involved in the kidnapping of our Labs …’

  ‘Why would a Lab turn against another Lab?’ Abel looked incredulous.

  ‘It could be for the same reasons Non-Labs turn against each other,’ Ruby ventured. ‘Greed. Power.’

  ‘But the man in the CCTV footage, with the girls and with the boys – none of us recognised him!’ Abel said slowly. ‘He could not be one of our Labs!’

  ‘Perhaps he did not want us to recognise him,’ Celia pointed out. ‘We have often altered our appearance to avoid recognition. Ruby has never been recognised by anyone who knew her previously.’

  Abel shook his head firmly, ‘No, I do not believe any Lab could turn against another of his or her own kind! We are not like Non-Labs!’

  ‘Milly and Lily were very shy when it came to mixing with Non-Labs. They would be more likely to go with a Lab,’ Ruby said thoughtfully. ‘I would like to believe you are right, Abel, but we must consider all possibilities,’

  ‘Well, Keith and Dette are checking all the free Labs are safe. We will know from this if they are all accounted for,’ Celia said simply.

  Abel took a deep breath as he heard Keith’s voice on the phone later that afternoon. He told him of the latest developments.

  ‘And are the Labs in Manchester all accounted for?’ he asked.

  ‘The ones we saw are. They are all taking steps to preserve their safety and will report back any suspicious behaviour they note. Three of the girls are in London for the week. They are staying with Joe and Oliver until they get news of Lily and Milly. We spoke to them on the phone just now. They are all trying to remain positive, though it is getting difficult, with so little news,’ Keith told him.

  ‘With these reports from Isaac we are hoping for news very soon,’ Abel cleared his throat. ‘Keith, are there any other Labs that you haven’t seen or spoken to from the houses in that area?’

  ‘We haven’t seen Pellier; but I know he is with Jamie at the moment, in London. Jamie has been trying to help us. I will be joining them this evening.’

  ‘So, all are accounted for?’ Abel gave a sigh of relief.

  ‘Oh, well, not all, actually. I haven’t seen Yuri, and I have not been able to contact him on his mobile phone. But, but according to the others, since he dropped out of college he has been working away for weeks at a time over the past few months, and it has often been difficult to contact him. So it is not a cause for concern, at the moment anyway,’ Keith added.

  Abel caught Celia’s eye, ‘Could you let me have the times he has been away over the last few months, Keith. And let me know if he returns.’

  ‘Do you think that he … could be involved in this, Abel?’

  ‘No, not really, but at this stage we have to keep all our options open,’ he replied. ‘It would be wise to keep these ideas to yourself for the moment, Keith.’

  ‘Of course, though I cannot envisage a Lab being involved …’ There was a pause. ‘Are all the Labs in the southern houses accounted for?’

  ‘We are waiting for Dette to phone us.’

  ‘I can see this is a scenario we must also consider,’ Keith sounded thoughtful as he put the phone down.

  ‘Can you obtain documents for me to travel to Laqaar, Celia?’

  Celia raised her eyebrows, ‘I expect I could, but it will probably take a few days.’

  ‘We may not have that time!’

  ‘You must tell the inspector dealing with the twins’ case, Abel. Perhaps he can arrange them for you. They will need your assistance if Labs are involved,’ Ruby suggested.

  ‘I will make an appointment to speak to him this morning. I hope he will be able to arrange for travel documents for me to go to Laqaar immediately,’ he replied, picking up the phone.

  An hour later he stood in the inspector’s office.

  ‘But I have already been issued with a travel permit for the USA. It should not be difficult to obtain a visa for Laqaar. I can be of help in this situation if Labs are involved!’ he insisted.

  ‘He could be right, sir. We may very well need his assistance. He can understand how these people will react better than we can,’ the younger police sergeant ventured.

  The inspector frowned, ‘Do you realise that Rafe Maher has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his community work in the neighbouring country? This could spark an international situation!’

  ‘So we are looking at this from the same angle. We all want a low-profile approach; we wish to safeguard the kidnapped Labs. Bad publicity at this point could jeopardise our chances of obtaining equal rights for the Labs here in the UK,’ Abel said emphatically.

  There was silence for a few minutes.

  ‘OK, I’ll arrange for entry permission for you as a part of a small security force involved in the Nobel nomination. God help me if this backfires! Pack your bag and be back here in an hour.’

  Abel picked up a small rucksack at his feet, ‘I’m ready!’

  Lena had printed out the data Vlensky had asked her to look through. She shuddered. It sounded like a list of requirements for a military organisation, not the characteristics one would like to see in normal, happy, well-balanced people.

  She sighed; probably Vlensky was getting a bit carried away with his ideas, she was sure if she made a few comments he would become aware of how … soulless … these new Labs sounded.

  She was scribbling a few of her own ideas in the margin when he came in.

  ‘Ah! Just the person I wanted to talk to!’ she smiled. ‘I was looking through your programme plans. I think it would be a good idea to include an appreciation of the arts and an interest in sport because …’

  Vlensky shook his head, ‘No need to include that in the new Labs. Those kinds of leisure pursuits are for Non-Labs!’

  Lena frowned, ‘Well, I can see the purpose in being able to enjoy one’s leisure time …’

  Vlensky shrugged, ‘The new Labs will not need leisure time. They will be fully occupied by their assigned roles.’

  ‘Oh, they seem more like an army than I had envisaged …’ Lena said uncertainly.

  ‘Exactly! An army! With us in control!’ he smiled as he downloaded data onto a memory stick. ‘Ready for a little experiment on our Lab friends?’

  They entered the small dimly lit room where Milly, Lily, Johnny, and Leon slept, oblivious to their surroundings.

  He put a memory stick into the computer at the head of Johnny’s capsule.

  ‘What are you going to do?’ Lena asked him.

  ‘I’m going back to his original programming and inserting extra data, at this point, where you suggested mental abilities could be input,’ he said. ‘For the girls, I thought I would try out the opposite – delete some of their programmes at the same point.’

  ‘Are you sure they will not be harmed in any way?’ Lena asked him nervously.

  ‘Not one hundred per cent, no,’ he answered. ‘Let’s just see what happens shall we?’

&
nbsp; ‘I … I thought you said no harm would come to them?’ Lena said.

  ‘Well, there will have to be some sacrifices made if we are to achieve a perfect world,’ he shrugged and turned back the screen. ‘If this works, we may be able to re-programme some of the existing Labs.’

  ‘But why would we want to do that?’ Lena asked.

  ‘I told you; the work done at the Centre was just the start of what the future could hold. Look at these Labs, for example; poor specimens! The boys are obviously of low intellectual ability. And the girls! Huh! Their timidity prevents them from participating as useful members of society!’ he glanced up at her. ‘So, first we see if it is possible to correct these imperfections. If not their loss will negligible.’

  ‘Surely the loss of any Lab is far from negligible!’ Lena was shocked.

  ‘There is no space in the future world for second-rate Labs!’ he said coldly. He keyed some information into the panel above the capsule. Johnny’s body shuddered slightly but he remained asleep.

  Lena bit her lip, her brow furrowed.

  ‘I thought we shared the same vision of the future!’ Vlensky spoke softly, but a menacing note crept in as he continued. ‘If you are willing to put up with something less than perfect …?’

  Lena looked into his eyes and saw what she had taken to be enthusiasm was in fact more akin to mania. She shook her head.

  ‘No! Of course not! It’s just all happening so fast …’ She gave a nervous laugh.

  ‘Good!’ said Vlensky, moving towards the capsule that held Milly and inserting a second memory stick into the screen above her head. Once again, the sleeping occupant shuddered as he keyed in data, then relaxed again.

  He walked back to Johnny’s screen and brought up an image of the sleeping Lab. He enlarged an image of his head and rotated it.

  ‘Look!’ he cried excitedly. ‘The central area is responding to the input!’

  Lena watched a series of red contours spread out into widening circles. She scanned the rest of the image.

  ‘It does not appear to have affected the rest of his brain activity, as far as we can tell, anyway.’