Both Ryan and he tilted their heads up.
“You feel that?” Ryan asked with a bit of optimism in his voice.
Alabaster had the same emotions. “I do.”
Charlie’s essence was getting stronger, and it was apparent to them that the procedure was running its course.
Ryan felt a new sense of urgency. “Charlie!”
Alabaster pointed. “There.”
Ryan turned his head to see a stream of colored lights weaving around each other. After a few moments, the lights began to stabilize into images, which steadily became alive. It was obvious to Ryan and Alabaster that they were looking at the projections of Charlie’s mind. They both watched attentively to see which memory would be the first to return for Charlie.
“Are you excited to be a big sister?” Charlie was a zombie, sitting in the rocking chair in Lucy’s darkened bedroom. A white noise machine provided a constant background din. Lucy was on Charlie’s lap, and they seemed to be preparing for bedtime. Despite working long, odd hours, he was always up for putting Lucy to bed.
“Really, really excited.” Her R’s still sounded like W’s, but there’d been a noticeable improvement.
“Me too,” Charlie replied.
From the nightstand beside them, he grabbed a children’s book. It had an orange dinosaur on it. He cracked it open and began to read.
“Let’s go on a zoo adventure.” Charlie was adamant about reading to Lucy from an early age. One of his biggest fears was that she might succumb to the dyslexia that had plagued him during his childhood. Interestingly, it was the reading of countless children’s books that essentially put the nail in the coffin of Charlie’s affliction. He took pride in bettering himself while caring for his child.
As the book concluded, Lucy rubbed her eyes. Charlie put the book down on the nightstand and snuggled with his daughter. He began to sing Lucy’s favorite song to the tune of This Old Man.
“We love you. You love us. It’s time to go to bed now. Don’t give any fuss. Special days await you, tomorrow and beyond. It’s time to go to bed now, so you can grow up strong.”
Charlie repeated it three times. He’d always put an interesting inflection on the word “strong,” and even in her drowsy state, Lucy attempted a grin upon hearing it. After the final reprise, he stood up and lifted Lucy in his arms, then placed her gently on her bed.
“Daddy,” Lucy said in a daze, “will you sit in the rocking chair for a while?” She adjusted her blankets.
“Of course, I will.”
Charlie took a seat, and he reflected on his life. He had many doubts about the future. Work. Money. Schools. But at this moment, he didn’t doubt parenting. He knew that if he raised Lucy right, she’d do just fine for herself. As he delved deeper into thought, the relaxing atmosphere got the best of him, and he began to doze off. Contrary to his memory, his slumber was disturbed when he began hearing voices calling his name. They must have been far way because they were echoing.
“Charlie!” Ryan saw the memory fade. In the distance, he could see something coming into view. It was a wispy white figure, and at first, he thought Alabaster was playing a trick on him. Ryan turned his head to see Alabaster shaking his. Sights forward, Ryan could see that the figure was moving toward them. “Charlie?”
Slowly, it began to morph into shape and take on a variety of colors. Ultimately, it settled on something very familiar to Ryan and Alabaster.
“Charlie!” Ryan could hardly contain himself. He had to resist the urge to run up and hug him, trying not to overwhelm him.
Charlie shook his head and smiled. “You seem familiar. Where do I know you from?”
Ryan turned to Alabaster. He nodded.
“Charlie, it’s me. Ryan. Remember? My consciousness was placed into your body, and you helped me take out the Padre, who was living in a woman’s body.” Ryan instantly realized how crazy he sounded. He shook his head.
Charlie scowled and then his eyes went wide. “Nothing comes to mind. Say, are you a figment of my imagination?”
“No, Charlie. I’m a real person. My mind was placed into your brain with a procedure known as a mind migration.”
Charlie frowned as he tried to process Ryan’s words. His face quickly conceded that he’d given up on doing so, and he looked up, past Ryan.
Charlie was perplexed. “Is that…Master…Alabaster?” A silly grin seized Charlie’s face, and he darted past Ryan.
Ryan put his hand up. “Charlie. Wait.” But it was too late.
Charlie was already hugging one of Alabaster’s legs.
Alabaster looked about as uncomfortable as a murderous alter ego could.
Ryan pleaded, “Charlie, there’s a lot we need to discuss. We don’t have much time.”
Charlie couldn’t have cared less. “Master Alabaster! Remember when you defeated Princess Mantis on Planet Vexxilia? And I remember how you were killed by Bruntacus the Destroyer in the Quayzar galaxy, only to come back from the—”
Charlie thought for a moment, then stepped away as horror seized his face. “The jail cell? What happened? Am I dead? Is this Hell?” Charlie pointed to Ryan. “Who the hell is he?” He looked up at Alabaster again. “What the hell are you?”
Ryan tried to explain. “Alabaster is someone you know but you’ve never really met. He’s been with you since…your parents were taken.”
Charlie snarled, “Who the hell told you they were taken?” A matter-of-fact expression washed over Charlie’s face. “Mr. Williams and the police officers made it clear. When my father was denied the bank loan, he stormed off to Mexico. My mother chased after him. For all I know, they were killed by the cartel. But I don’t care. They deserted me when I needed them the most.”
Alabaster thundered, “No, Charlie. Let me show you.” He did the hologram routine with his hand, and Charlie watched as the day at the bank was replayed. Charlie had hit his head on the restroom floor, but he never fully lost consciousness. It was the moment he created Alabaster.
It’d been several minutes since the commotion in the lobby. Someone came through the bathroom door, and after hearing them speak, it was obviously Mr. Williams. “Oh my God. The boy. Charlie. He’s passed out on the bathroom floor.”
“Check if he’s breathing,” a woman’s voice commanded.
Alabaster could feel Williams’s warm finger under Charlie’s nose. “He is. What if he wakes up? How do I break it to him that his parents were taken?”
“Let the police handle it.”
Williams left the bathroom, and minutes passed. Finally, Alabaster heard someone else enter the bathroom. “Charlie…Charlie…”
Charlie’s eyes opened. The police officer was standing over him.
“Charlie, are you hurt?”
“I knocked my head. But I think I’m okay.”
“I’m glad.” The officer’s eyes were elusive.
“What happened out there?”
“I’m afraid I have some bad news. Your parents have been taken by a—”
Alabaster interrupted the holo. “Once I realized what the officer was going to say, I absorbed the information to keep it from you, Charlie. To protect you.”
Charlie exploded. “You bastard! I’ve hated my parents my entire life, and it was all a lie?!”
Ryan put his hands up. “You have every right to be angry, but there’s something you must understand. He’s not separate from you. He is you. Something your mind created to cope with the situation at the bank. He’s stayed with you your whole life.”
Charlie’s anger tapered off a bit. “Hold on. Ryan. The boy from the wheelchair. That’s you?”
“That’s right. I’m here inside our…your brain.”
He nodded. “Right. From that migration thingy. And based on what you’re saying”—he pointed at Alabaster—“this is what the marine doctors spotted? He
’s…another personality?”
“Basically, another mind. Now, Alabaster and I will be happy to get into more detail later. Right now, you need to know something else that’s about to happen.”
“What is it?” Charlie cocked his head in curiosity.
“I stumbled upon a group of people like us…the Shifter Alliance. The members have two minds in their host’s brain. The problem is that the group’s motives are questionable. Every time I think I can trust them, they lie or deceive me. Their main interest was awakening you, but it’s clear they were after Alabaster all along.”
Charlie was processing everything. “Just like the doctors said. He makes me special.”
Ryan nodded. “I don’t know what they’re planning, but I’m done waiting around to find out. They’ve awakened your mind, and we’re here to tell you to let Alabaster—”
A deafening white noise drowned out Ryan’s next words followed by a crease of light shining bright from above their location. They all slinked down, but a tear in the nether had created a vacuum and was pulling them all up. As they ascended, Ryan tried to get Charlie’s attention. Right before they were swallowed by the light, Charlie made eye contact with Ryan. Charlie winked. Then, they were all gone.
The computer terminal alerted Tony that Charlie’s procedure had finished successfully. Tony followed his strict orders to alert J-A and Doc the moment it occurred. He did so from his netphone, and within half a minute, the two of them had shown up in the procedure room.
Doc ogled the screen and listened to its rhythmic beeps. “Vitals are stable. Good.”
J-A eyed the chart and the numbers. Then, Charlie’s body. Then, back at the screen. “What do you think of the brain scans, Doc?” Her tone made it sound like she was testing him. “They’re outside of normal.”
“His brain is outside of normal. I’m just glad we’re not seeing waves in the other numbers.”
J-A nodded.
“I still think it was wrong to deceive him,” Tony butted in. “He was compliant. He didn’t deserve that.”
J-A couldn’t scoff hard enough. “We’re on the verge of making a breakthrough in shifter research, and you’re worried about one kid’s feelings? You saw how uneasy he was to begin with. If he found out about Charlie’s brains scans and the implications, he would have lost it. We need to make sure we aren’t awakening a monster along with Charlie. Ryan will fall in line afterward.”
Tony cleared his throat. “Like I said. I still disagree.”
She was ready to reply when her attention was grabbed by Charlie’s eyes. “His eyes are moving. I’m going to begin making contact.” She moved close to his face and leaned in. “Hello, Charlie.”
His eyes squirmed under the lids.
“Charlie, are you there?”
He took a deep breath, and his eyes fluttered more.
The computer beeped a little faster.
“Charlie.”
He gasped. His eyes shot open.
The computer’s beeps returned to normal.
“It’s okay, Charlie. My name is Jessica-Amanda. I’m here to help you.”
Charlie swallowed hard. “Where am I?”
J-A smiled. “You’re among friends. We’re called the Shifter Alliance. I know that sounds strange, but we’re people just like you. We want to help you. Rehabilitate you. We want you to be a productive person again.”
“But I killed myself. I should be dead,” he scowled.
“We know that’s your last memory.” J-A nodded. “A lot has happened since then, and at no point did you die. It’s best we discuss that later so as not to overwhelm you.”
Charlie attempted to sit up, but the straps on his wrists and ankles wouldn’t allow it. He looked down and scowled. “Is this how you treat your friends?”
Doc chimed in. “Your mind hasn’t been fully conscious in over twenty years. It takes a while to get used to it, and we don’t want you to hurt yourself in the process.”
He stopped struggling and laid back.
“Now that you’re awake,” J-A said, “we’re going to need to run a battery of tests to establish a baseline. They’re all fairly routine. They shouldn’t cause even the slightest bit of discomfort. I’ll be right here the whole time.”
Doc began typing into the computer. Several program windows opened on the screen. Eventually a dialog box appeared.
“Do you want to proceed with Cognitive Congruency test?”
“Phase one is ready,” Doc said.
Looking into Charlie’s eyes, J-A said, “Begin.”
Doc pressed a button. The computer purred as it ran through the test applications with new charts and numbers flashing across the screen.
Charlie laid there, blinking.
“I wanted you to known, there’s someone just like you in the other room. Her name is Natalie. She’ll be awakened next, and we’ll go through similar tests with her.”
“Phase two queued up,” Doc said.
“Go ahead.”
Doc continued typing, and the computer responded with more visuals of the next test being run.
J-A continued talking to Charlie. “It’ll be good for you two to meet each other and share your experiences.”
Charlie yawned and twitched ever so slightly.
“Are you okay, Charlie?”
He nodded. “I think so.” He twitched again, but more pronounced. “Didn’t you say I shouldn’t feel any pain?”
“No pain. Not even discomfort. What are you feeling?”
He twitched hard. “Ow. My head. It hurts. It’s getting worse. What the hell are you doing to me?”
The computer’s noises echoed Charlie’s concern, and J-A was immediately frustrated. “Dammit, Doc, what have you done?”
“I don’t know.” He checked a few programs. “Everything looks normal to me.”
Charlie began to seize up, and J-A ran to the computer station. “Move your ass over.”
She covered all the same protocols that Doc had and came away with the same conclusion. “Of all awakenings, why this one?”
Foam began billowing from Charlie’s mouth, his seizure gaining intensity.
“Shit, we can’t treat him here!” She continued typing and shouting at the same time. “Call Med Bay for a stretcher, now!”
Tony and Doc scrambled to execute her command. Less than a minute passed, and they were back with two nurses and a gurney. The nurses unstrapped Charlie’s wrists and one of his ankles. They were working on his other ankle, and the second it was undone, a muffled scream came from deep in the facility.
“What was that?” Tony inquired.
Then, darkness.
J-A took a deep breath and screamed, “The damn generator room again!” The emergency lights flicked on. She turned to the nurses. “Get him to the med bay.” She turned to Tony and Doc. “Go check on Natalie in the other room.”
A guard appeared in the doorway. “J-A, the generator room erupted in flames again! We need to evacuate.”
“Like hell we do.” She stormed out of the procedure room, found the fire neutralizer, and headed toward the fire.
Like a salmon swimming upstream, she fought through all the shifters running from the fire. She made it to the common room, and on the ceiling, she could see that a layer of gray smoke was forming. She eventually made it to the other side of the facility where others were already attempting to put out the blaze. JA couldn’t deny that the fire was bigger than she’d anticipated, reaching out into the hallway. They only had a few minutes to put it out, or the guard’s call to evacuate would be legitimate.
J-A went to work helping the Fire Team, and after five minutes, the room was a smoldering mess. In the throes of death, the fire spewed thick black smoke, thickening the air. J-A checked with the others to ensure they were all right, and she was overcome with a coughi
ng fit. She gathered herself, and as the commotion from the fire died down, she was relieved to hear that the exhaust system had been turned on full-blast by one of the engineers. Then, her anger returned ten-fold.
She stomped into the common area where a small crowd had congregated, murmuring about the fire.
J-A growled. “Who the hell was on generator duty? Huh? Who the hell was it? If we can’t handle powering a place this small, how the hell are we going to change the world?”
One of the nurses came running from the medical area hallway. “J-A!”
J-A put her finger up to hush him. “No. We have to figure this out!” She took a deep breath. “If we can’t follow a few simple instructions, what are we going to do when we’re on the battlefield? You think our enemies will make the same mistakes?” She shook her head. “Damnit!”
The nurse was more insistent this time. “J-A, it’s the mind-pairs from the procedure rooms.”
She squinted. “What about them?”
“They’re gone.”
J-A’s face scrunched up. “What?!”
“We were moving the male on the stretcher when the people came pouring into the med bay. I took my eyes off him for a second, and he was gone.”
“And the female?”
“We went back to the procedure rooms to look for the male. Tony and Doc were unconscious on the hallway floor. The rooms were empty, and they’d taken their clothes.”
J-A rolled her eyes. “Well, check the goddamned security holos!”
The nurse explained, “I tried. The power outage caused a program error, and the holos are down. The technicians are working on it, but it might be another fifteen minutes before it’s back up.”
The room was deadly silent, the crowd waiting to see just how J-A’s rage would manifest itself. To her credit, she held in as much she could, chittering through her teeth. “Where’s R-J?”
Dense sewer water sloshed under the shoes of the escapees as they made a swift getaway. The stench was thick, but they didn’t seem to notice. It was dark, but their eyes had adjusted just enough. They scampered up a ladder and continued jogging through the dank tunnels. They made it to the last ladder and ascended. They tried the door at the top, but it wouldn’t budge. They stepped down the ladder to double back when the door above opened by itself, flashing dull light onto them. They waited for a second, looked at each other, and nonverbally agreed they didn’t have any better options. They proceeded cautiously and appeared inside the apartment complex. The door to the outside was open. After peering around for a moment, they scampered through the door. Just outside, they found a handwritten letter on the ground.
Between Two Minds: Revelation Page 35
