S.E.A.R.Ch

by Harrison Davies

  ‘Ok. When you get there, get the train to Widikham. It’s just a couple of stops. We’ll meet you there and go to the lab together.’

  ‘Is that where you are? Widikham?’

  ‘No, we’re in Brunswick. But Widikham’s roughly the halfway point. Do you have enough money?

  ‘Yes. But Dad, you’ve escaped now. Don’t you think we should go to the police?’

  ‘No, we can’t do that. I’m not sure whom we can trust. The most important thing right now is to get that computer to the lab. I’ll not let six years of research fall into the wrong hands.’

  ‘But -’

  ‘No buts, kid. We’ll meet you there.’

  ‘Okay, Dad.’

  ‘You do have the computer, don’t you?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Good. I think it best we disable it, so it can’t be used. Listen carefully, and do as I say. Switch it on.’

  Jack reached into the straw, retrieved the laptop, and opened the lid. It sprung into life, and once again greeted him as Professor Simpson. He briefly wondered why the device didn’t hold any voice recognition gizmo like he’d seen on TV.

  ‘Okay, what now?’ Jack asked.

  ‘We need to access the rear panel, to remove a microchip. But we can’t do that without first disabling the self-destruct mode. Say to the computer “Jack is my passcode, HL12XZD”.’

  ‘But Dad, what about the retinal thingy?’ Jack suddenly remembered.

  ‘Don’t worry; level one doesn’t require a scan.’

  Jack did as he was instructed.

  ‘Access granted to level one,’ the computer said.

  ‘Dad, I’ve done it.’

  ‘Right, tell the computer that you want to remove the PN283 chip, and instruct it to disable the self-destruct mode.’

  Jack once again followed the instructions from his father.

  ‘Self-destruct mode disabled.’

  ‘Good, good. Now we need to close the lid, open the rear panel, and take out the chip. Be very careful.’

  Jack closed the lid and turned over the laptop. He dug in his backpack for his survival tin, and from it he removed a small penknife. He located the two retaining screws and painstakingly undid them.

  ‘Okay, I’ve done that. What now?’

  ‘Carefully remove the chip from the housing. Do not let it touch anything else inside the unit. Also, don’t touch the legs of the chip with your fingers; we don’t want to run the risk of shorting it.’

  With surgical precision, Jack carefully removed the precious chip and held it between finger and thumb.

  ‘What does the chip do?’

  ‘That chip is the key to the artificial intelligence. Without it, the operating system is useless.’

  ‘What do I do with it, Dad?’

  ‘Hide it good, and when you’ve done that, get moving. Bring the laptop with you. One last thing, take care, and Jack, don’t trust anyone.’

  ‘Dad?’

  ‘Yes?’

  Jack swallowed a lump in his throat. ‘I love you.’

  ‘I love you too, son. Now, get going.’

  ‘Where the hell do you hide a microchip?’ Jack asked himself, sniffing back tears.

  After a few moments of looking around him, he saw the perfect hiding place. He very carefully put the chip on the spider’s web he’d been staring at a few hours earlier.

  ‘Well, it looks a bit like a spider,’ he said to himself, as the real spider emerged and crawled over to investigate. Finding nothing of interest, it scuttled back into its hiding place.

  Feeling decidedly happier that the computer was rendered useless now, and that he’d soon be meeting his dad and Allie, Jack bit his first chunk from a defrosted carrot, stuck his head out of the barn door and squinted at the early morning sun. He heard a noise and turned in the direction of the farmhouse. Out of nowhere, the farmer’s wife appeared. Startled, both stood for a few moments without saying anything.

  It was the woman who reacted first; she dropped her tray of eggs on the ground.

  ‘Roger! There’s a prowler!’ she screamed, and waddled away, her old legs barely able to carry her.

  Jack instantly bolted into action, and grabbing the laptop and backpack; he ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He soon cleared the courtyard and vaulted the stone wall. Running as fast as he could across the field, he headed toward his bicycle. Fighting hard against the suction of the wet mud of the field, he reached the place where he had left it. He turned to hear the boom of a distant gruff voice.

  ‘Where is he?’

  ‘There he is!’ the woman shouted, pointing directly at him.

  The farmer hurried to his dog, which was barking and straining to be released.

  ‘Get ‘im boy!’ the farmer shouted, as he let the dog go.

  Jack was in a blind panic and tripped, covering himself in mud as he scrambled to get the bicycle out of the hedge. In one final tug, he released it and quickly mounted it. He sped off down the country lane, not once looking back.

  When he felt he had peddled far enough to escape the dog, he stopped to catch his breath. After resting for a while, he took out the map from his backpack and studied it. Tracing in his mind’s eye his original route, he finally found his position and plotted his course to Mossfell Station, where he would catch the train to Widikham.

  *

  It was Allie that first realized they needed money to board a train. The two were on their way to Brunswick Station, travelling through the cobbled streets of the village.

  ‘Doc, we used the last of our money on that phone call, didn’t we?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘We need to lay our hands on some cash for the train fare. We have no choice; I’m going to have to get some from my vet friend.’

  ‘That’s a good point,’ the Professor said. ‘It never crossed my mind. I think it’d be better if you went on your own. I’ll wait by the statue over there.’ Joe pointed to an old weatherworn statue of a former dignitary of the village, standing at the river’s edge.

  ‘Okay, I shouldn’t be too long. He only works a few streets away.’

  ‘It’s a bit early for work, isn’t it?’

  ‘He practically sleeps there,’ Allie reassured.

  ‘Be as quick as you can. I don’t want to hang around too long. This place is starting to get busy.’

  Allie made her way down the cold streets of Brunswick and turned into a cul-de-sac. It held all kinds of tastefully built offices and shops, recently built for convenience.

  Making her way to the far end, where her friend’s surgery was located, she saw him step out of the main door and start to load his vehicle with equipment. Running up to him, she gripped him around the waist.

  ‘Andy, it’s so good to see you.’

  ‘Damn, girl! What are you doing here this early? And look at you, you’re a mess.’ Andy looked her up and down, ruffling her hair.

  Allie, a quick thinker, had planned all she was going to say on her way to his surgery.

  ‘I …’ she hated lying, but this was an emergency. ‘I was staying at a friend’s house last night. They went on vacation early this morning, and I’ve left my train fare inside their house. I’ve spent the past hour traipsing through Brunswick Park, and I got lost. You couldn’t loan me some money, could you? I’ll pay you back, I promise.’

  ‘Of course,’ he said, evidently believing her. Allie hugged him tightly.

  ‘How much?’

  ‘Well … I would like to get some dinner and stuff as well. Forty dollars?’

  He raised his eyebrows. ‘Forty? You don’t want much, do you? I think it might be better if I drove you home in the car.’

  ‘No, y … you’re too busy. Besides, you have your rounds to do,’ she said desperately.

  ‘Well, I suppose,’ he said. You’re right. It is quite a distance, and I have a lot to do today.’ He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bundle of notes. ‘Here you go.’

  ‘You’ll have it back in a c
ouple of days, I promise. If not, I’ll work in your stables for a week.’ She grabbed the money, kissed Andy on the cheek, turned on her heels and ran before he could change his mind. ‘Thanks again! See you soon! I’ve got a train to catch,’ she hollered over her shoulder, waving her arm in the air.

  ‘Mission accomplished,’ Allie cried as she ran up to the Joe, who was nervously biting his nails and pacing up and down the steps of the statue.

  ‘You got it! Great!’

  ‘Yep! Come on Doc; let’s go and get that train.’

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Pulling into Mossfell’s train station was like stepping back in time. The village committee had lovingly restored it to its original appearance after a devastating fire had torn through it three years ago, and the only thing that marred its beautiful façade was the graffiti.

  Jack located the bicycle park, and being unable to lock the bike; he propped it against a rack in the hope it wouldn’t be taken.

  The station hadn’t been open for business long, and there weren’t many people about, barring a couple of porters pushing empty trolleys, and a cop who sat near the ticket office reading a newspaper. The policeman looked up when Jack approached, and Jack smiled nervously. The policeman raised an eyebrow at his appearance and then returned the smile.

  Jack, who had gone weak at the knees, gave a sigh of relief as the policeman returned to reading his newspaper, and he set off in search of the restroom.

  He cleaned himself up the best he could. After pulling a few loose strands of straw from his clothes, he flattened the tufts of his hair down with water, brushed the mud from his knees, and quickly washed his hands and face.

  The train was ten minutes early, so Jack sat at a window seat listening to the engine ticking over and watched as a sudden throng of people arrived and boarded the train. One particular person caught his attention. It was Mr Schism. The teacher had rushed into the station and dropped a bag he was carrying. Picking it up, he stumbled onto the train just before the doors closed. Mr Schism saw Jack and dropped himself into the seat opposite.

  ‘Phew! Just made it. I thought I’d missed it.’

  Jack watched him as he fussed around, settling himself into his seat and adjusting his jacket. Suddenly he looked up.

  ‘Jack, I’m so sorry. Is there any news on your father?’

  ‘Uh ... no,’ he faltered. ‘Nothing. How did you know?’

  ‘It made the national news last night. Your father is an important man. I suppose watching the television was the last thing on your mind.’

  Jack nodded.

  ‘Where’re you headed?’ the teacher asked.

  ‘Widikham,’ Jack replied before he could stop himself. He bit his lip at his foolishness. He had been told not to say anything, or trust anyone.

  ‘Visiting family?’

  ‘No, um … just a friend,’ he said, hoping Schism hadn’t noticed his hesitation. He didn’t want to make him suspicious or want him to know anymore. He decided to leave.

  ‘I need the bathroom. Will you excuse me?’ He stood up and reached for his backpack from the overhead storage compartment, and as he did so, the flap on the bag opened. He quickly fastened it down.

  ‘Nice laptop. Yours is it?’ Mr Schism said.

  Jack said nothing and quickly headed down the carriage in the direction of the restroom, where he sat, for the next ten minutes, until someone outside became impatient and began knocking on the door.

  He reluctantly found another seat away from Mr Schism, who was in the adjoining carriage. He became so engrossed in thought and watching the world speed by that he almost missed the announcement that they were approaching Widikham.

  The train pulled into the station and ground to a halt. Jack jumped from the train and scanned the platform for Allie and his father. They were nowhere to be seen.

  I hope they made it, he thought.

  For thirty minutes he searched the station, to no avail. Had their train been and gone? He decided he should go and ask at the ticket office. To do this, he had to change platforms, via an old cast iron bridge spanning the track. He made his way there, having to step aside occasionally for travellers and tourists who were milling about.

  Reaching the steps of the bridge, he saw Mr Schism coming down them, deep in conversation with a man and a woman. They appeared to be having an argument, and not wanting to be distracted by the teacher again, he moved to the side of the bridge and slipped under it.

  Mr Schism and the couple stopped momentarily at the bottom of the bridge, within earshot of Jack.

  ‘I don’t care; you haven’t given me enough money. You said I wouldn’t have to do much. And you said no one would get hurt.’ The teacher sounded worried.

  ‘You came to us, remember? After the fiasco last night, you will do this, or you will get hurt. Do you understand?’ the woman replied menacingly. ‘Now, take this and wait by -’

  Jack wasn’t able to catch the end of the sentence due to the noise of the trains in the station.

  As the group moved away, Jack came out of hiding and hurried up the steps of the bridge.

  What is Mr Schism up to? He thought, but soon forgot what he had overheard when he was pulled into a doorway by unknown hands.

  ‘Get off me!’ he yelled, struggling to free himself.

  ‘Jack, stop. It’s me.’

  ‘Dad! Where’ve you been?’ he said, pulling his father close to him, a tear in one corner of his eye.

  ‘Have you forgotten about me already?’ A voice he recognized cut in.

  He turned and saw Allie looking a bit worse for wear, but every bit as beautiful as he had last seen her.

  ‘Not on your life,’ he said, letting go of his father and lightly kissing Allie on her forehead. ‘What do you take me for?’

  She smiled. ‘Do you really want me to answer that?’

  He prodded her in the tummy. ‘I was so worried you hadn’t made it.’

  ‘We decided to hide in case we were recognized, Joe said. ‘Look, we have to get to the lab, but I really need something to eat first. Do we have enough money?’

  Jack scooped the cash from his pocket and handed it to Allie, who was already counting out what she had left.

  ‘I don’t think there’s enough for all three of us to get to Middleton, let alone eat,’ she said.

  ‘Fine, then it’s settled. Jack and I will go to Middleton. You stay here Allie, and give us a head start before going to the police.’

  ‘But you’re still quite weak, Doc. Perhaps -’

  ‘You’ve been heroic enough,’ the Professor interrupted. ‘You can be proud that you rescued me, but I can’t risk your safety any further. I have no choice with Jack. I know I’m risking his safety, but he’s involved now, more than he knows.’

  Allie reluctantly agreed to the plan. ‘You’d better come back in one piece, Jack, or you’ll regret it.’

  The Professor smiled. ‘Come on, enough chatter. Let’s buy the tickets and see what money’s left. Perhaps we can share a snack or something. There’s a little back street café not too far from the station. It should be quieter there.’

  With the tickets in hand, they made their way to the subway entrance. It was quite a long, dark tunnel that smelled terribly. The walls were made of sandstone, which appeared to give off the smell of ammonia.

  It was surprisingly deserted, except for a young couple walking ahead of them. They approached a bend, and as they turned the corner, the couple in front suddenly turned to face them.

  ‘That’s far enough, Professor.’ the male said.

  Joe instinctively stepped in front of Jack and Allie.

  ‘Who are you? What do you want?’ Joe demanded.

  ‘We’ll ask the questions,’ a voice said behind them. The group swung round to see Mr Schism standing there.

  ‘Leave us alone. Why are you doing this?’

  ‘Money Professor, money. Now get moving, we have a vehicle waiting.’

  ‘Where are you taking us?’ Jack asked
, suddenly frightened.

  The woman struck Jack across the head with her fist, causing him to see stars. A trickle of blood spread down his forehead.

  ‘No more questions!’

  ‘And if we won’t go?’

  ‘I’d rather not shoot you,’ the man said, opening his coat to reveal a pistol tucked into his waistband.

  The Professor, Allie and Jack were stripped of their possessions, including the laptop, and were shoved roughly in the direction of the station car park.

  ‘Don’t try to run,’ Schism said coldly. ‘Tara here is a pretty good shot, and we wouldn’t want anything nasty to happen now, would we?’

  ‘Take me, but leave the children out of this, they don’t know anything.’

  ‘Sorry, can’t do, I have my orders. Now, one last time, shut up!’ The teacher shoved Allie forward.

  The group was marched into the car park; a few people were there, obtaining parking tickets or packing suitcases into already full car boots.

  ‘I don’t want to worry you Karl, but there’s a police car opposite the truck,’ Tara said.

  ‘Cops?’

  ‘Two.’

  ‘Okay, keep your weapons out of sight. You three, not a word, act casual. Got it?

  The kidnappers ushered the three forward.

  ‘Remember, not a word,’ Karl reiterated.

  The group approached a large green army truck, and as they did so, one of the policemen stepped out of his vehicle.

  ‘Hey, you! Hold it there a second,’ he said.

  Tara stepped forward. ‘Can I help you, officer?’

  ‘What’s wrong with him?’ the officer asked, pointing to Jack’s blood stained face.

  ‘He tripped and fell.’

  ‘Is that what happened?’ the officer said, directing his question at Jack.

  Jack suddenly felt something hard being pressed against his back by Mr Schism.

  ‘Y ... yes. That’s what -.’

  He was interrupted by the policeman’s colleague stepping out of the car. ‘John, come here.’

  ‘Stay there. I’ll be back in a second.’

  The kidnappers glanced nervously at each other. Schism’s brow had begun to sweat, and Jack could feel the big man’s hands trembling. They could see the two policemen in earnest conversation, pointing at the Professor and nodding in agreement. The first cop turned and headed back towards the group, and drew his weapon, while the other reached for his radio.