The grins turned to toothy smiles as everyone nodded in agreement.
“Another thing of note,” Mr. Grant continued, “the stand-in, vegetative host that Ms. Patel provided in place of Mrs. Robinson worked perfectly. It was something I didn’t want to go unacknowledged.”
The other members quietly clapped while Ms. Patel, the woman who’d called the meeting to order, nodded and waved them off.
Grant took a deep breath. “In terms of publicity, as I stated all those months ago, hiding in plain sight was the best possible course of action, and I couldn’t have been anymore right. By handling the situation through the lawsuit, we’ve been able to successfully shield ourselves from the true scrutiny of the public as well as our competitor’s arm of the law.”
More muted clapping.
“As for loose ends, we’ve been unable to locate Mrs. Robinson’s host and Ms. Cindy Little. However, the trial ensured that if they are still alive and try to tell their story, no one will believe them. As a safety precaution, I have spoken with the local authorities to contact us should anyone turn up running their mouth about Oceanic Laboratories and the incident.” He tilted his head. “That is all for the status and old business on Project Gaia.”
Ms. Patel said, “All those who have questions or comments regarding the status and old business of Project Gaia, participate from my right and go around the room.”
The man to her right passed a glance to his right, as did each member around the table until everyone had declined to ask questions or to comment.
Ms. Patel moved things along. “Mr. Grant, please proceed with new business pertaining to Project Gaia.”
Mr. Grant nodded. “We’ll need to complete a non-disclosed transaction to acquire one of our lesser known competitors to satisfy the court’s requirement to disseminate our research to the highest bidder.
“Regardless, we need to move the entity we choose into a new site. I’ve limited my search to buildings within the city to help prevent an incident like at the last site. Instead of leaving it up to our subordinates, I’ve already arranged a tour of the old Walker building near Centennial Greenspace. With some rehab and personal touches, it should work great. Finally, we can no longer refer to our procedure as ‘neural transfer.’
He took a deep breath to let everything he’d said set in. “Even if all of that was in place today, we’d still need to overcome the biggest hurdle for Project Gaia. Like Project Indemnity, it’s far too costly to wait for synthetic subjects to come to maturity. The unsanctioned neural transfers were successfully completed with live hosts. Therefore, I’m using my binding authority on this body to officially transition Project Gaia to live hosts for the foreseeable future. We’ll need as many as we can safely get. In terms of the types of subjects…we’ll take what we can get. Therefore, we should acquire subjects even if they have questionable health. Worst case, they sit on ice until we find a way to use them. Any questions before I proceed?”
The other members gaze hadn’t flinched, staring at Mr. Grant.
“Ms. Patel, obviously, we’ll be going back to the well with the shelters from the non-profit wing. Be liberal with your vetting.”
She tilted her head in agreement.
“Dr. Stephens, profile subjects at the rehabilitation centers looking for anyone with little or no connections.”
Stephens nodded.
“Dr. Thomas,” Grant gave the man a serious look, “I know your prison medical facilities were off-limits for Project Indemnity, but any prisoners sentenced to life or death should be heavily considered. In fact, you should start with a complete list and scrutinize people off it rather than the opposite. I’d like a full report of those you’d like to eliminate before we rule them out.”
Dr. Thomas sighed as he broke the rules of the meeting by interrupting. “But most of them have been pumping poison into their veins for years. I know because we provide most of the junk directly to them.”
Grant gave the subtlest scowl. “Like I said. We’ll figure it out. As for the rest of you, please think of creative ways in which your arenas can contribute. Spread the word to your most trustworthy associates that they should be on the lookout for viable subjects. They’ll be rewarded handsomely. That concludes my new business on Project Gaia.”
Again, Patel chimed in. “All those who have questions or comments regarding the new business of Project Gaia, participate from my right and go around the room.”
“Atlas. I want to purchase Atlas.” The man to Ms. Patel’s right gave his opinion.
When no one else offered feedback, Ms. Patel put the member’s suggestion to a vote. “All those in favor of purchasing Atlas Digenetics, say ‘aye.’”
A round of “ayes” followed.
“All those opposed, say ‘nay.’”
Only one voice offered “nay.”
“The ‘ayes’ have it. Takeaway item number one for the meeting, Mr. Pence is to purchase Atlas Digenetics. Now onto Project Indemnity…”
The meeting lasted another two and a half hours before Patel adjourned. The members filed out. Grant headed for the door to the parking garage. Once he opened it, his car pulled up on cue. Two new men in black appeared and behaved exactly as the others had. Grant took the holo-pad and went right back to manipulating the graphics based on the information he had gleaned from the meeting. The car drove to Grant’s final destination for the night before he’d call it quits. This time it was a massive, rundown house on the northeast side by the lake.
He left the car and let the shadows slowly guide him as he listened to the waves in the distance. He entered the dark house and headed down to the basement. His eyes adjusted in time to see a door as well as another man in black, this one with an automatic rifle hanging from his shoulder.
“Hello, sir.”
“Is our friend inside?”
“Yes, sir.”
“What is her condition?”
“Sir, the doctors treated her bumps and bruises. Also, she was malnourished, but we saw to it that she was fed and given ample water. The doctors said she’d be just fine, sir.”
“Great. Is my equipment ready?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’ll be going in now.”
The guard opened the door, revealing a bright room with no windows. Grant walked in to see an examination table in the center with a gagged, unconscious woman strapped to it. Another table was in the back of the room. With his eyes locked on the woman, he walked past her to the other table, and grabbed a smelling salt packet. He walked back to the woman, cracked the packet open, and held it up to her nose.
She flinched hard, and her eyes shot open. The towel in her mouth muffled her screams as she squirmed against the straps, trying to get free.
Grant looked her in the eye and put his finger to his lips. “Sh, sh, sh.” His hand dropped. “You’re okay. Just breathe and relax.”
She shuddered but listened to Grant.
“I’m going to remove the towel from your mouth, and I’m going to ask you some questions. Answer with the truth, and we’ll let you go. Now, can you promise me you won’t scream?”
She took in a few shivering breaths, then nodded.
Grant did as he said he would.
She quivered. “Why are you holding me? I don’t know—”
“Sh, sh, sh. It’s okay. Just answer my questions. Your real name isn’t Deloris, is it?”
She sighed and shook her head.
“It’s actually Cindy, isn’t it?”
She swallowed hard and nodded. “Yes.”
“Why have you been pretending to be someone else for the last several months?”
Cindy’s nerves calmed slightly. “I had a jealous ex-boyfriend who was stalking me, and I didn’t want him to find me.”
Grant retrieved the pocket watch from his vest, confirmed the time, and then put it
back. “Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me about this…ex-boyfriend of yours. What made him so bad that you had to hide?”
“I should have known when I met him, but he seemed so sweet…”
“I’m listening.” Grant walked behind the table as she told her story.
“…but after a while he started getting jealous over little things…”
Grant took off his suit jacket and hung it from a hook on the wall.
“…he was drunk, and he hit me…”
Grant unbuttoned his vest, folded it neatly, and placed it on the table. He did the same with his magnetic buttoned shirt.
“…if I didn’t go into hiding, he would have…”
He reached down toward the table to obtain a plastic, head-to-toe, clear coverall, and began putting one leg in, followed by the other. He pulled the coverall over his shoulders and put the hood on, then grabbed the safety glasses and a medical face mask from the table.
“…and I don’t know for sure, but he would have probably killed me…”
Finally, Mr. Grant looked down at his equipment laid out on a blue paper towel. Each piece was made from top quality stainless steel, and he went into his ritual of looking at them sparkle in the light as he turned his head back and forth. Then, he reached down and picked his favorite.
“…and that’s why I had a fake identity.”
“Wow. That’s an unbelievable story.” He walked back to reveal himself to her with scalpel in hand.
She gasped, her eyes widening.
“I’m going to find out the truth, no matter what it takes.”
Chapter 13:
What Dreams May Come
“I’m going to find out the truth, no matter what it takes.”
Helen’s comment startled me out of sleep, again fearing she’d discovered the lies and half-truths I’d been telling. I found her at the edge of the bed with a bright hologram up, illuminating the room. In my groggy state, I thought she might have grabbed my netphone to see where I’d been and who I’d been talking to. But I looked over to find mine still on the nightstand.
With my initial panic subsiding, I looked back at Helen flipping through seemingly random net pages. It only took a few moments before it dawned on me what had probably happened. “You had another dream?”
She didn’t immediately answer, but when she did, she was as adamant as ever. “That son of a bitch is going to pay.”
I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. “Who?”
Helen shot a look at me. “Frank Simon. That’s who. He’s a sick bastard.” She turned back around and resumed swiping.
Confusion instantly overtook me. “Wait. Why does that name sound familiar?”
There was no response, only more frantic flipping.
Then, I remembered. “Isn’t Frank Simon that creepy bigot who founded PMU? What about him?”
Helen slammed her fist onto the bed. A vain attempt to show her anger. “He’s the ‘Simon’ from my ‘Simon says’ episode!”
My mind was having trouble processing what she was saying, and I glanced at the virtual clock on the wall to confirm why. It was only 5:15 AM. Still, the trend of the morning continued as I connected more dots. “Your host knew him?”
“Knew him? I…” Helen shook her head. “Natalie…that’s her name. She was manipulated into doing things for him. Awful things.”
What were the damn odds that she’d have a host like Charlie? I got up and sat next to Helen. “Shit, I’m sorry. What did you see?”
Her eyes widened. “A lot. They were trafficking sick people for money.”
I squinted involuntarily. “Sick people? What kind of sick people?”
She turned to the hologram and swiped back a few pages. “That’s one thing I was able to look up. People with that Spotted-Lung disease you talked about.”
I couldn’t fight the scowl that came over my face at what it could mean. “What year did this all happen?”
Helen shrugged. “I’m not sure. My dream started out in the county. That seemed like a while ago, maybe fifteen or twenty years. Could have been more. Then, I was training at some place underground. The last thing I remember, I was in a big hotel where there were a bunch of infected people.”
The more she revealed, the more anxious I was getting. “Did you kidnap the people at the hotel?”
“No, Simon took Natalie there to ‘contain’ the disease. But it was all a lie.” Her face tightened. “He just wanted to kill them all, and…he…he was a cannibal.”
I shuddered. “What?!”
Disgusted, she leaned in. “He killed someone and started eating their flesh.”
“Ugh!” I jolted back to fight the nausea as she continued.
“That would have been enough for Natalie, but it was what she saw before that, that broke the hold Simon had on her. The people there…they weren’t there by accident. There were women and children who were trying to get a cure.”
I shook my head. “Damn. He’s more than a bigot. He’s a monster.”
Helen began to tear up. “Luckily, Simon only got to one room of people while I waited out in the hall. That was where I…killed a sick man. He was really sick, and I didn’t think twice about putting a machete in his neck.”
I trembled.
She gulped. “What happened next was unbelievable. I was looking for the next person to kill. It was dark, but I’ll never forget the look of this woman’s face who appeared from a door. I almost missed her, but the dim light reflected ever so slightly off her glasses, and then, I heard her wheeze. She was scared, but she was clearly determined. She ran down the hallway as fast as she could, and I was ready to strike her down. Then, she said the words that changed everything. ‘Don’t hurt my son!’”
My thoughts swirled as she described the scenario, and before I could fully process it, my mouth went on autopilot. “Sarah and Joey…”
Helen’s face scrunched up. “What? Why would you bring them up now?!?”
I was speechless. “I…I…”
Her face made it obvious that she was onto me, and she proceeded to confirm it. “Dammit, Ryan. What aren’t you telling me?”
I looked around the dark room to stall while I thought of a way to explain myself without telling her everything. Instead, I couldn’t help but consider why I had been lying in the first place. The last time I went digging into the past, it didn’t end well. Helen was abducted in her sleep, and without Junior and a lot of luck, our minds would have been wiped clean. Our hosts would be inhabited by the Padre and Allen. The last thing I wanted was to put her or anyone else in harm’s way again.
But part of me knew that it didn’t matter what I wanted. Helen wasn’t directly involved before the incident at our apartment, and she still got taken. Part of the “luck” we had was her host getting free, taking out a mechanical guard and Allen, and then causing a distraction. Her dreams and visions were intensifying, and she needed me more than anyone else just like I needed her after my migration. I couldn’t fully be there for her if I was lying about everything.
It was at that moment I started to think that, even though he was gone, I would never fully be free of Charlie. He had begun lying to Sarah months before the end, and it obviously led to repercussions for his whole family. Just the same, it was clear that bad things would likely happen to both Helen and me if we didn’t have each other’s backs without hesitation moving forward. If I wanted to avoid history repeating itself, I was going to have to take a different path.
Helen stood up and crossed her arms. “Well, Ryan?”
I started from the beginning. “The letter we found at the old apartment. I kept it.”
Fire ignited in her eyes. “Why the hell would you do that?! I threw it away!”
I took a deep breath. “Reading the letter gave me a glimmer of hope that some
thing good may have come out of Charlie’s past. On an impulse, I swiped it from the garbage. Even then, I didn’t know what I was going to do with it until I ran into some PMU thugs on the way home from work the other day.”
Helen’s face stiffened. “What?”
I shrugged, though I knew it was serious. “I was minding my own business, and they were being assholes. When they saw my white eye, one of them pushed me. I actually roughed them all up pretty good before the cops came out of nowhere and used a stun gun on me.”
She huffed loudly. “Dammit, Ryan! The letter! PMU! The cops stunned you?! You know my ex lied constantly. How could you hide all this from me?”
I looked her in the eye. “I didn’t mean to, but there seems to be something inside of me driving it all.”
She pierced her eyes at me. “You can’t keep blaming Charlie, Ryan! He’s gone.”
My head shook involuntarily. “That’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”
Helen’s expression broke slightly, and she turned her head. “Charlie…is gone. Isn’t he?”
I coughed anxiously. “I don’t know. The stun from the cops caused me to blackout, and I had the first vision through Charlie’s eyes in months. And no, it wasn’t just a dream. It was something I’d never seen before.”
She took a deep breath and sat next to me, looking me in the eye. “Now that I’ve seen what it’s like having something…someone inside of you, influencing your thoughts and decisions, I know things can get confusing. But the lying is unacceptable. I need to know I can trust my life…and others in your hands.”
I sighed. “You’re right, Helen. I’m sorry.”
She shook her head. “We’re not going to resolve that here and now. It’s something we’re going to have to work on. So, let’s move on to what happened with Charlie. What did you see?”
I nodded. “Something happened to Charlie’s parents. They disappeared, and he was too young to understand. He was told by authorities that his father left the country after bad news about a bank loan, and his mother went after him. Charlie was put into a foster home, having never learned the truth.”
Between Two Minds: Revelation Page 21
