by Darren Lewis
“Full disclosure would put us in breach of the Official Secrets Act.” Bilson replied, his voice surprisingly strong and deep. McCaffrey scoffed at this.
“When we take back the surface of the planet and find a government official who gives a rat's arse then we'll worry about it.” The doctor smiled and once again it contained no humour.
“Very well. I do have a few conditions of my own.” Bilson leaned back in his chair slowly and crossed his hands across his stomach.
“What conditions? We're not here for a bargaining session.” Gabby complained before McCaffrey could reply.
“Oh I understand that, young lady. But I must be clear here, this is an opportunity for me to advance understanding of what happened to the three of you in relation to this 'experiment.'” Bilson waved his hand in the air indicating the bunker itself. Gabby gave Mary and Brooke a quick look as she could feel them tensing up.
“Alright.” She conceded. “We may need to hear what you have to say but there are limits do you understand?” The doctor's face grew impassive and Gabby tried hard to repress a strong shudder.
“Very well.” He stated abruptly. “Are you sitting comfortably?”
* * *
“At the turn of the millennia, two brothers, both miners, were excavating within Naica mine in Mexico. They were one thousand feet down and rather than the conventional imagery of mining as pick axes and the like they were actually drilling.” The doctor paused as he opened his desk drawer and retrieved his pipe. He thumped the bowl into his opposite hand a few times before continuing. “The cavern they drilled into was unlike anything either brother had ever seen and as it turned out, nothing the world had ever seen. Now you have to understand that Naica was within private hands, the owners were cautious to the point of obsessiveness over this discovery. They contacted various geological societies, in the U.S, the UK and Europe but were so vague in their communications that their requests for an onsite visit were ignored at first.” All this while the doctor had continued to prepare the tobacco for his pipe, all done without him once taking his eyes away from the three girls. “Eventually a university undergraduate was sent, more than a cruel practical joke really rather than an attempt for a serious analysis. The joke of course was revealed to be on the professor responsible. The student discovered crystals the like that had never been found before or since. What you saw within the core is just a cutting of a much larger sample, measuring sixty feet in length and fifteen in diameter at its widest point. Once the university undergraduate impressed upon the mine's owners the importance of such a find they acted quite responsibly, for a private company anyway, and sealed the main entrance to the mine to discourage any looting. I think they realised there's no such thing as a secret down there, especially as the student got extremely drunk in a local tavern and started bellowing at the local traders who were attempting to sell him some small pieces of crystal. The cat was out of the bag and it only took people a short time to realise something odd was afoot at the mine.” The whoosh of a struck match made Gabby twitch and she watched in fascination as the doctor sucked and sucked on the stem of his pipe until the tobacco in the bowl started to glow. “More specialists arrived over the next month, many from universities and geological societies and this is the beginning of my association with the find. I'll tell you now that my area of expertise is not nuclear physics or energy production from that source, and you'll learn why soon. In the beginning we were simply interested in the whys and the wherefores of how these crystals were formed. The clue was the temperature and the fact that for possibly half a billion years that particular cave was flooded, it created the perfect environment for such massive growth.” Bilson stopped to allow a trickle of smoke escape the corner of his mouth while at the same time he clicked his teeth repeatedly on the stem. For reasons unknown this turned Gabby's stomach and she moved her gaze to McCaffrey, who although knew the purpose of the bunker, had never heard the story from the doctor first-hand and he was enraptured by the recounting. “So all in all, a wonderful discovery yes? Absolutely, to enter that cave is to marvel at nature and her accomplishments, but it was also a grim reminder that humanities effect on the planet could erode or even destroy such natural works of art. You see as soon as the water was pumped away the crystals had no supportive structure and I have no doubt have continued to breakdown.” For the very first time Gabby witnessed distress cross the doctor's face, it was fleeting however and vanished as the doctor coughed to cover his emotions. He cleared his throat and tapped the stem of the pipe on the palm of his hand. “Anyway, it was during a sampling that one of the professors on site noticed some anomalies with his electrical equipment. Naturally this was assigned to the ninety percent humidity and incredible heat of the cave affecting the circuitry and dismissed the aberration while new equipment was drafted in to complete the work. It was only after a sample was retrieved, and I'm talking a small sample here the size of a cricket ball if not smaller, that these anomalies seemed to occur again and again to any electrical equipment with the crystal close by. Tests were performed and it was discovered that the crystal was burning the electrical circuits or motors out through the incredible amount of energy it was producing. What's more for a person or any organic organism to be in such proximity would be considered hazardous but here's the rub; it was deemed totally safe to life and therefore it's applications to the energy industry were staggering!” Bilson's eyes shone with fervour from his own words but Gabby could see his eyes gradually dim as he looked about his small office and reality crept back into his mind.
“I bet the oil companies and certain countries weren't happy about that?” Mary asked, not really expecting a positive answer. Bilson nodded and he smiled his awful, false grin.
“We kept it classified but some secrets are too scary, too big for those even in government to handle and naturally those people talked. Working through the legal systems of Mexico those bastard corporations managed to wrest a company from private hands and into their own.”
“And no one did anything?” Brooke thumped her hand on the arm of the sofa in frustration.
“What could we do? They'd bribed the legal system and also had so many contacts and members of any government you would care to mention in their pockets it was as if the mine simply disappeared, or better yet from their point of view, it had never existed.” The doctor's face once again betrayed the emotion the man still endured after all these years of a great discovery abolished, deleted, taken from the annals of human history. Gabby had to admit to a certain amount of sympathy for Bilson at the moment but then he looked at Brooke's own expression of sorrow.
“Don't profess to know what this loss meant to me, young lady!” And Gabby's sympathy vanished in an instant.
“Actually,” Brooke responded quietly, “I was thinking about the loss to the world.” Bilson scoffed and worked the pipe back into his mouth.
“So the crystal here?” McCaffrey asked, guiding the briefing back on track.
“Before the mine was shut down a team was contracted to gain a much larger sample and return with it, obviously they were successful.” McCaffrey frowned.
“But how? If governments were whitewashing the whole thing?”
“Ah yes but there is always a way. It was a joint task force from a few of those countries sick of being at the behest of their oil rich counterparts, then after the task was done this site was selected for the testing. Unfortunately, that meant maintaining a fully functional nuclear reactor onsite and allowing 'civilians' access.” He finished with a dismissive glance at the girls.
“Right.” Gabby drew out slowly. “So the crystal is super powerful and you've harnessed that energy down here, I understand that, clean energy blah blah blah, but if that's the case then what the hell does it have to do with the three of us?”
“Its magic.” Mary whispered, earning her a derisive glare from Bilson and widened eyes from her two friends and McCaffrey. She met each gaze defiantly. “I experienced something wonderful,
powerful but passive.” She shifted her position on the sofa to speak to Gabby and Brooke. “No one's asked me yet how I ended up there so I guess it's my turn.” She cocked an eyebrow at Bilson and offered him her own look of contempt. “When I woke the doctors checked me out and I acted as if everything was okay.” Mary's eyes softened in wonder. “But I could feel something pulling, no not pulling, beckoning to me from the core. You were both still out so I waited until night and made my way down there. Whenever I encountered one of those metal doors or guards, the doors opened and the guards fell asleep right where they were standing!” Mary gripped Gabby's arm in excitement. “The rest is a bit fuzzy, I remember feeling so content, so right! It was as if I finally understood why and I don't even know the question. I wanted you both there,” and Mary shared a wide smile with her friends, “at this time I was on the catwalk and I saw a blue light solidify deep within the crystal itself. It floated to the outer edge of the crystal and then just popped out! After that it fled the room as I was thinking about you in the infirmary.” Gabby nodded and smiled.
“When we followed it we both had a sense it was you down there.” Brooke added.
“What about the floating?” McCaffrey interrupted. “Was that a conscious thing?” Mary held out a hand and waggled it back and forth.
“I don't know. The energy reminded me of floating in the sea with waves gently lapping around me. It seemed natural then to rise up and allow that feeling to take me over.” McCaffrey sighed and rubbed his tired eyes.
“I think we have to take it offline.”
“Out of the question!” Bilson responded flinging his pipe onto the table, spilling hot ash over his papers. “As long we are here, as long as I bloody well breathe the crystal will not be shut down! There is no danger!”
“You don't know that!” McCaffrey responded harshly. “It knocked the three of them out cold for three days and we have no idea of the long term effects on them and us!”
Both men had locked eyes and both were flushed with anger.
“May I say something?” Gabby interjected calmly, her question delivered in a way that Bilson and McCaffrey knew it wasn't a request. “Clearly we're dealing with something extraordinary, something beyond our understanding at present, but even if you disconnected the crystal it would still,” Gabby flung her hands in the air as she searched for the right word, “radiate and continue to do whatever the hell its doing?” Both men blinked rapidly and a wry smile dawned on McCaffrey's face. He turned to Bilson while pointing at the girls.
“I told you they were excellent students.” Bilson reached for his pipe and grunted at the waste of tobacco.
“Then we continue and find out. If we can use this newly found power correctly, who knows, maybe one day we can venture onto the surface.” Gabby laid a hand on each of her friend's legs and they placed a hand each on hers. “Let's begin.” She finished.
Testing — Gabby's memories
“I can sense the energy, even behind these doors. It's strong and feels like a pulsing heat in my chest, spreading out through my blood.”
“Are you sure it's not heartburn?” Bilson asked in his usual insufferable tone.
Gabby huffed in annoyance and gave the walkie-talkie she held in her hand a disgusted look. Testing with Bilson had started with great promise as the girls were pleasantly surprised to be welcomed into Doctor Bilson's laboratory with something akin to warmth by the doctor himself. Gabby had to remind herself the man was glad to be in a position to experiment on them rather than any genuine feeling towards the girls.
Testing started simply enough, blood pressure, ECG's, urine samples, height and weight but very quickly more intrusive tests began as each girl found themselves lying inside a massive MRI machine. Mary questioned why on earth is was located down here and the doctor had replied the facility was set up as a fully functioning miniature city and due to the number of people that were meant to be onsite in the event of an emergency it was to have a fully functioning hospital with all the diagnostic equipment plus actual operating theatres. To that end, brain scans were scheduled via CAT scan and EEG. Gabby was quite looking forward to having a dye injected into her and watch it travel around her brain. The same test was to be performed to check blood vessels though Brooke didn't like the idea of having a radioactive substance running loose in her body. The situation was almost a deal breaker for her when she discovered her urine would be radioactive for a short time. Gabby and Mary mollified her though joked quietly about not having to turn on the light to pee at night as they would be glowing.
Tests that began as fascinating quickly became a chore, interest at pouring over images of slices of a body dissolved after Gabby and Brooke began naming body parts to what it reminded them both of in the refectory, much to Mary's disgust. Still the tests continued and were repeated, a variation added each time, allowing for the diagnostic equipment. The girls would be standing, lying, sitting, moved closer to the core when possible or further away. Metals and other materials would then be used as a makeshift shield to see if the energy output from the crystal to the three girls could be blocked or disrupted. In every case the answer was no. Doctor Bilson however was not convinced of the total validity of the tests and results and he required them to be repeated, as the only register they had for the girls being in contact with the crystal so far was the girls themselves, none of the equipment had yet to show any conclusive physiological change in any of them.
With this in mind the doctor suggested the girls must have a passive link to the crystal which, for whatever reason, was not appearing on any of his equipment. His conclusion was tempered by the fact that every piece of electrical equipment in the bunker was specially built and shielded from the huge energy output emanating from the crystal itself. It was decided then to recreate what had occurred at the core with Mary but in the laboratory. Every medical sensor possible was placed on or around Mary as she attempted to focus and channel the energy located within the core of the facility but to no avail and after two hours of monitoring Mary called a halt to the test herself as she was clearly upset at failing. The three friends talked well into the early hours of the next morning, in part consoling Mary but also attempting to discover a solution. It was Brooke who suggested recreating the experiment inside the core but on presenting the idea to Bilson the next day they were told the core was off limits to them, McCaffrey himself issuing the order to protect his three charges, at least until they knew what was happening. With some refinement it was this idea which had led to Gabby scowling at a walkie-talkie. Mary had suggested that Gabby and Brooke were on her mind as she first explored the crystal, she had wanted them with her so perhaps it was a merger, a symbiosis between the crystal and the three of them rather than an individual. Bilson scoffed at the thought, calling it a wild guess and was brought up short by Gabby when she reminded him that Mary had levitated next to the crystal so he shouldn't ignore her. Gabby's own refinement to her friend's idea placed Gabby near the core acting as 'first receiver' of the crystal's energy. Bilson had objected naturally stating Mary should be in place in the depths of the bunker but Gabby wasn't prepared for Mary to become as upset as she had during the test in the laboratory.
Gabby knocked the walkie-talkie hard on the metal door and scratched her nails across the small voice receiver.
“Gabby! What the hell is going on down there?” Bilson yelled from the laboratory. Gabby smirked at his response to her aural torture, feeling only a little guilty.
“Sorry, dropped it. Anyway I'm in place. Brooke where are you?” Static burst into the corridor, echoing slightly. Gabby stared down the long stretch leading to the main facility and a shiver caressed her spine at the apparent emptiness. She imagined the entire bunker empty save for herself and the dark shadows beyond.
“Hello!” Brooke's voice yelled into the silence. Gabby jumped and gasped sending her heart fluttering and a sweat to erupt.
“Jesus, Brooke. Not so loud.” Gabby complained, her voice pitching higher than
normal.
“Sorry but I'm in place. Just at the bottom of the escape stairs.”
“Has Mary moved on?” Bilson interrupted.
“She and McCaffrey are heading into the main station now.”
* * *
The operations room buzzed quietly along and had done so without human intervention for these last few years. With everything automated above ground the engineers in the bunker could have easily left the station to run independently, with remote access feeding them a slew of data on the nuclear reactor. Built five years previous to the onset of the war, Elm-sea was technically the safest power station ever constructed. The location of the bunker deep underground made for vigorous safety checks above and beyond the norm. Nuclear technicians who had survived underground were determined to carry out checks one week in four however to ensure operations were carrying on as normal after the war was declared officially over. To that end the room Mary entered for the first time since she'd fled the surface wasn't dark or cold. No dust coated the surfaces and the ceiling and walls remained clear from many an industrious spider's work. Mary bit her bottom lip as she gazed about the room. Apart from the lack of people it was exactly the same as she remembered, not that it had reason to be different.
“You okay?” McCaffrey asked laying a hand on Mary's shoulder. She gave him a brief smile and nod, hoping to reassure him. Her eyes stopped at the entrance, or to her view, exit from the room and into the power station proper. When the alarm had sounded due to the dragon attacks the heavy, grey metal door closed automatically in an instant, sealing Mary and her friends away from their classmates and families. Mary closed her eyes and felt the sharp pinprick of tears form. She thought of the many nights spent sobbing herself to sleep only to wake a few hours later, groggy and confused but almost blissfully ignorant from lack of sleep as to why she felt so awful. The memories would return swiftly and wipe the remnants of sleep away and a day of loss would begin again. For Mary the lack of knowledge concerning her family's fate drove her to distraction for a good deal of the time. Did they survive the initial attacks? Were they caught up in the conflict that followed? The village all three girls had lived in was a fair distance from the city but an airbase was less than five miles away and Mary would often nightmare that her parents and siblings had sought refuge at the base only for it to be obliterated by the dragon's hellfire while she sat screaming in desperation while witnessing it live on television.
