by Beth Martin
“Where are you?” I whispered.
I’m right where you left me. You can come see me whenever you want.
Her last memory was still fresh in my mind. I didn’t want her to rush my thoughts like she had earlier, but it was the best way to learn about her.
I took an unsteady breath. She was real. She was an actual person who had lived. She had been on Trappist when it was first settled, which meant she had been frozen for over 500 years.
I had so many questions and couldn’t come up with any answers. I thought about the possibility of reanimating Lola. The thought of touching her skin sent a shiver through my body. The desire to be with her overtook any remaining rational thought. I needed to talk to her, which meant I needed to go back to the lab.
•••
Lisa was sitting at the security desk.
“Do you think you could let me in the lab?” I asked.
She looked up from her panel and slowly stood up. “Jake? Did something happen? You look like you’ve been through hell.” She walked around the desk, stopped in front of me, and placed her hands on my shoulders. Her eyes searched mine, trying to read my thoughts.
“She’s real.” I could feel hot tears roll down my face, but I didn’t care. “The woman in the ice that I told you about, she’s real. Doron and I got her out. She’s in the lab right now.”
Lisa stroked her hand through my hair. “Jake. Everything is going to be fine. Dr. Ryan is on route to Chi right now. He’ll be here soon and this nightmare will be over.”
I stumbled backward. I had forgotten about asking her to call the Nazarian and Ryan Institute. “No, you don’t get it. It was all real. She’s been real all along. Her body was here on Chi, and she was sending messages to me using the dark matter.”
Lisa took a step forward. “Jake, please, listen to what you’re saying. Communicating using dark matter? Dr. Ryan said you’d have a hard time letting go of the delusions.”
I pulled at my hair and stumbled down and sat on the floor. “No! You don’t understand!”
“Let’s just sit here and try to calm down.” She sat down, but didn’t try to get any closer. “Dr. Ryan will be here soon, and he’ll help you feel better.”
“All he’s done is drug me up until I could barely function!” I shouted. “That’s no way to live.”
Lisa bit her lip. “Then show me. Show me this woman you found in the ice.”
I got up to my feet. “She’s in the lab.”
Lisa went to her desk and pressed a control on her panel which unlocked the door to the lab. She opened the door and gestured for me to go through first.
Through the windows, I could see the void in the ice where Lola had been. “She’s right over here on the chill table.” I walked toward the table, but when I caught sight of it, it felt like something punched me in the chest. I rushed to the side of the table where we had left Lola. “Where is she? Where did she go?” I desperately looked around the lab.
Lisa placed a hand on my shoulder, and I jerked away from her touch. “There’s nothing there, Jake. There never was.”
“No, Doron and I cut her away from the ice just earlier today. She should be here.”
“Or, your expedition outside with Doron to get this frozen woman was all a hallucination.”
I couldn’t take it anymore. I turned to the supply rack next to the table which held hundreds of glass bottles and shoved it over. “This wasn’t a hallucination! I touched her. I saw her life.”
“You need to calm down,” Lisa said firmly. I saw her place her hand over the holster holding her taser.
“I’m not going to calm down.” I moved to the next table and shoved off the equipment that was laying on it. The heavy metal devices made a satisfying crash against the floor.
Lisa raiser the taser up and pointed it at my chest. “Please, Jake. Don’t make me do this.”
We stood there in a silent stalemate. Time seemed to stretch on forever as I tried to regain my breath. In my periphery, I saw a short blade lying on one of the lab tables. I didn’t want to do it, but I didn’t see another choice. If I could just get past Lisa, Doron would be able to protect me. He’d keep Dr. Ryan from locking me away. I just needed to disable her enough to keep her from tasing me. If I moved quickly enough, I could grab and throw the knife at her arm before she’d be able to react.
I was rehearsing my plan one more time in my head when we were interrupted. A voice came from Lisa’s belt. “Lisa, there’s a Dr. Ryan who just arrived. Said you’re expecting him.”
“Tell him I’m in the lab.”
“Roger.”
It was now or never. I leapt for the knife and grasped it in my right hand, but she was too fast. Instead of hitting me square in the chest, however, her taser shot me in the foot. I tripped and fell, the shock not enough to completely put me out. My muscles were shaking so bad that even though I still had a hold on the knife, I knew I wouldn’t be able to throw it with enough force to hit Lisa.
“I’m so sorry, Jake.” Her taser was aimed back at my chest. The stern look on her face told me she wasn’t going to stop until she had completely incapacitated me.
“Don’t do this, Lisa, please. If Dr. Ryan takes me, you’ll never see me again.” I could see a flash of uncertainty cross her face. “He’ll keep me locked in a ward and pumped with so many drugs I won’t be able to think.”
Her features softened even further. Her voice wavered as she said, “But you asked me to contact him.”
“I did. I know I did.” I scrambled to think of something that would stop her. She had a soft spot for me, even after I had confessed my darkest secret to her. “Lisa, I don’t think I’ll be able to live without you. You’re such an amazing woman. I know we haven’t known each other for long, but I think I’m falling in love with you.”
She lowered her taser and relief washed over me. “I always knew you were a good person.” Tears started falling from her eyes. “Even when Rachel told me you were a wanted criminal, I knew that you were only doing what you felt you had to. I just wanted to take away whatever it was that was tormenting you. I wanted to be with you.”
“I want to be with you too.” Even though my muscles were still spasming, I knew that I was safe.
Suddenly, the only thing my senses could register was the sound of approaching footsteps. Lisa had left the door to the lab open. There was nothing to stop him from getting to me.
“You must be Lisa. Pleasure finally meeting you in person.” Dr. Ryan nodded at her before turning his attention to me. He was wearing a business suit which was somehow still pristine after his long flight. “Mr. Metcalf. I knew it was only a matter of time before I’d see you again.” He turned back to Lisa. “Thank you for looking out for him. I’ve got it from here.”
“What’s going to happen to him?” Lisa asked, her voice still unsteady.
“I’ll be taking Mr. Metcalf under my care. I’ve already got a spot reserved for him at my institute. We’ll get him the medication he needs, and he’ll be able to live in comfort.”
More tears snaked down her face “Can I visit him?”
“Not initially. But once we’ve gotten him on a good routine, I don’t see why not.”
Lisa nodded her head as if what he said was reasonable, but I could see through Dr. Ryan’s honey-sweet words. I would never be allowed to interact with another person again. With a slip-up as big as mine, I would be forever under his control.
“You’d rather be dead than locked up by Dr. Ryan for the rest of your life.” I turned my head toward the source of the voice. Wearing her flowing-white wedding dress, Lola sat on top of one of the lab tables. She tilted her head down and looked up from under her lashes. “You know what you need to do.”
The trembling of my muscles had subsided enough for me to regain some control. I took the knife in my hand and pointed the tip up between my second and third rib.
Time started to move in slow motion. Lisa lunged toward me yelling, “Jake! No!” I di
dn’t feel any pain, just pressure as I gripped the handle of the blade. She knelt in front of me, her face blotchy and covered in tears. “Jake?”
I looked down at my hands. They were drenched in red. Blood seeped out of my wound and a dark puddle spread across the floor from my chest. My breath caught in my throat. My vision became blurry, and the scene before me seemed to skew and stretch.
Dr. Ryan came rushing toward us. “Quick, get him outside.” He lifted me from under my arms, and Lisa got my feet. “The cold will freeze him before he can bleed out.”
“This way.” She pointed at the lab door which led outside.
The last thing I remembered before everything went dark was Lola standing next to me saying, “Embrace the cold, Jake. It will only hurt for a little while.”
I rolled around in bed, unable to get comfortable. Everything had changed so much since I had left Paradido. Normally, I found uncertainty exhilarating, but recently, it only made me anxious.
“Adam, are you all right?” Maridia’s eyes opened only a slit.
“I’m fine, love. Go back to sleep.” I kissed the smooth olive skin of her forehead. She smiled briefly before turning over and pulling the light-gray sheet tightly under her chin.
I knew I wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep, so I sat up and flipped on the panel next to the bed. 82:19. I still wasn’t used to the time system used here, so I had no idea how long it would be before the first risers would begin to stir.
Back when I was a ship cook, I’d go to the kitchen whenever insomnia struck and try to make an interesting new concoction like seafood from Beta mixed with spices from Delta. But now I was far away from my home planetary system and unfamiliar with the available flavors. Everything here tasted too sweet. The bread, meats, and even locally grown vegetables tasted like candied cough syrup. It reminded me of being sick as a kid.
Maridia made a soft snort, then continued the light breaths of deep sleep. I reached over and brushed a curling tress of hair off her face. She was so beautiful. Her kind spirit made up for the fact that I had lost everything. I would never see my home or family again, but her smile made me feel at peace—like everything would be all right. I hoped it would be.
I got up from the bed and quietly put on some clothes. As I approached the door, it soundlessly opened for me, and I stepped out of Maridia’s residence. I walked out into the cool night air and along the dock which looped around her house. I took a seat, letting my feet dangle over the edge but now quite touching the water.
I took in a deep breath of the fresh air. It was aromatic with the smell of spring flowers and fresh rain. This planet was unlike any other I had known. There were abundant plants and wildlife which easily supported the small human population. Life here was easy. Everything a person could want was in plentiful supply. Even Maridia—whose only occupation was as a medium seeing into the future—lived in a palace. I wondered if every planet was now like this, or if Gloeben was an anomaly.
The door opened again soundlessly, light spilling out from the hall. I turned to see who was coming to join me. When I saw him, my breath caught in my chest, and I almost tumbled over the edge into the lake.
“Hello, Adam.”
“No,” I said, struggling to find my voice. “You’re dead.”
The man in front of me looked down at his chest, then examined his hands. “That’s funny. I don’t feel dead. Although after what you all did to me, I certainly should be.”
“No, no, no. This isn’t happening. My brain is playing tricks on me. This is just a dream.”
“I used to think the things I saw were just in my head. But then I learned that they’re real.”
My hands were shaking. I pinched myself, hoping this was all a bad dream. Pain radiated from my skin, confirming that the man in front of me wasn’t a nightmare. “What happened to your face?”
He touched the long scar which traversed his face with his fingertips. “I kind of like it, don’t you? It adds character—makes me look badass.” He stepped forward and sat next to me, then leaned back to look up at the night sky. “Adam, I need your help.”
I swallowed hard. “What can I do for you?”
“I’ve already exacted revenge on everyone who wronged me in life. Everyone except for Greene. And since we were always friends, I was hoping you could help me. What do you say, pal?” He placed a hand on my shoulder and gripped hard. His touch was icy cold and much firmer than I expected.
“Sure, Jake. What’s the plan?”
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you for reading my novel, Mental Contact. If you can, I would greatly appreciate it if you’d leave a review for this book to let me and others know how much you enjoyed it! Also, make sure to sign up for my newsletter to receive updates on my writing here.
This novel got written and rewritten so many times. I want to give special thanks to the friends and family around me who listened to me talk endlessly about this project through each iteration.
Again, I have to give many thanks to my amazing editor, Josiah Davis. Thanks for patiently listening to my bad science explanations and not writing me off as a crazy person.
I’ve worked with Stu Thaman on all of my novels so far and wanted to finally mention his support and marketing expertise along with unintentionally filling the role of life coach.
As always, my biggest thanks goes to you, my reader. Because of you, my dreams of becoming an author have come true.
Other Books by Beth Martin
The End of Refuge
Quality DNA
