Unleashed

by Patrick McLaughlin

  Chapter 27

  The thoughts inside his head just kept spinning round even though Shawn could barely keep his eyes open ‘man, I’m just going to have to keep Sally out of this; she doesn’t understand what I’m trying to do for Drake. Besides, her new born-again boyfriend is filling her head with bullshit and she’s already coming up with religious objections. I’m too close to bringing him back; I need to see if I can do this on my own.’

  This wasn’t about religion, or God; this was about his bro, his compadre. He was the one who forced his bud to do something he never should have attempted. Shit, we were so high on life, we thought anything was possible.

  Yeah, but maybe Sally’s right, Shawn reasoned. After all, it wasn’t my job to keep Drake safe in the agreement with Deep Surf. But how will I ever forget the look Drake’s mother gave me on the water. She was probably thinking, Mr. Pérez, you killed my baby.

  Mrs. Drake she said she didn’t blame Shawn, but…They will all figure out it was my responsibility; I’m the one to blame.’ If there was any possibility to bring him back, that is what Shawn resolved to do. One more call before I hit the sack. I have to call Ben.

  Ben had slipped him his Skype ID before they had left his lab. “We know how our Sally is Shawn, if you come up with any other ideas, ping me and we’ll set a time to Skype. You and I, we have a mutual interest in where this might take us.”

  Yeah, thought Shawn, no shit. And that was even BEFORE Drake died!

  Ben’s face lit up the monitor. “Thought you’d call me, but expected it a lot sooner. I heard about your surfer friend. Tell me about it.”

  And Shawn told him about Drake’s death and then he told Ben about the eyes, the adaptations he had made and his crazy as I might sound conversation with Drake.

  “Yeah, but I’m afraid to take it further, Sally could be right, or we might hurt Drake even more. Not that I ever thought it was ever possible to hurt a dead person.”

  “Shawn, your ignorance in science creates brilliance in deduction. Your creativity is not bound by the constraints of scientific conformity. You’re open to all possibilities, consciously or unconsciously, but, nevertheless, you are. Give me some time to think about this new aspect you’ve deduced. “

  “Sure, and Ben, you spoke about some type of quantum physics split, the story about the cat I still don’t get. Does it have anything to do with that?” Shawn asked.

  “Yes, in many ways it does. Glad you brought up Schrödinger’s cat. It’s so simple, but it confuses us all. In our reality as human beings, we always imagine in our minds the possible outcomes of everything we see and do in our lives. Will the receiver catch the ball, or drop the ball? Will the surfer stay up, or fall down? There are infinite outcomes to every action. But it is our observation or acceptance of what we believe to be true which makes one or the other become real to us. If you take this hypothesis further, in reality, excuse the pun, it means both outcomes actually do occur along with dozens of others we don’t imagine; the player both catches the ball, and drops the ball. At the moment he does both, the universe or the very reality we live in diverges or splits in two. The best way I can simplify it for you is this: we only stay in one reality, yet the other parallel reality, the one where the surfer falls, continues on, rooted in the other alternative dimension. What this basically means is that each times this happens, another instance or existence of the entire universe is created.”

  “I’m lost again. How can there be other realities?”

  “Shawn, yep, it’s deep. And if you did understand it, you’d be way beyond us. To interpret this into even plainer speak: what you have done, my visionary friend, is captured the quantum or particle make-up of your pal Drake with Sally’s camera. This is nothing special; anyone using the Sentient does this. But because you are gifted, and now you seem to have deciphered how your subject’s eyes may open to their souls within, all this is due to the fact you have some type of extrasensory perception and are able to see the other reality the instance it occurs in each and every one of your photographs. Shawn, it may be impossible for you to grasp, but you can see the other side! Drake died, but you subconsciously see — no it’s more than that — you believe he is still living as well. Your images allow you to act on what you see as real.”

  “Then if we can bring him back, let’s do it. I talked him into paddling out into those waves. The entire surf community misses him and Ben, I broke his mother’s heart and I’m dying inside with the loss of my Brah.”

  “Shawn, it may not be that simple and frankly, a course of action we may not want to take. Let me explain one more thing if I may. All plants, animals and humans have a singular existence in our reality. It’s all here because we, individually and collectively, believe it’s here. Everything and everyone dies at some point. It all recycles; you know, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, that crap. If we start bringing people back from the dead, more critically, make duplicates or, to use a more accurate word, replicate these individuals, body, mind and spirit, how the hell many Drakes do you think we could have running around with all with the exact same emotions and memories? Sure, the minute, we replicate, yes that’s the appropriate word, the person. Well it isn’t the same as cloning when you simply make a copy of the body. What we would be doing is essentially bringing the very same Drake, the exact same Drake, into our dimension to exist in a space where a Drake is not supposed to belong. The instant we replicate someone, we are driving two or more parallel realities into one. Who the hell knows where convergence of energy and matter might lead. The natural order, as we know it, is that every being has his or her time in this universe and that’s it; it’s finished, over. I am as excited and eager as you are to look further into this and talk more about your gift, but let’s refrain from replicating someone until we know more. When we do go forward, I suggest our test subject is an animal, not someone you care about.

  Shawn didn’t respond right way but without comment. He had hoped or expected Ben to help him bring Drake back. Now, he was trying to accept the finality of Drake’s death all over again.

  “Shawn, just stay in Kauai and go back to your once exciting life; it’s still there for you. Use Sally’s camera to take the best surf pictures the world has ever seen. Yes, and go ahead and create the wonderful hologram of Drake you spoke of. Remember, he was, is and will always be your friend. Keep him in your heart where he belongs, at least for now.”

  “Ben, okay, I got it. But Drake spoke to me — or at least tried to. He wanted to tell me something and I know it was important. What if I came to your lab and all we did was partially recreate Drake, or whatever you called it, and kept him up a little longer in the hologram to find out what he wants to tell me. He told me he wanted out, and I think there is more! Besides, Drake was clearer, you’ll want to see this. It’s science, you know! You’re the one who said you wanted to keep digging into this, right? I’ve packed the storage device with the composition of Drake’s image into a hard case and can fly over to see you today. I can be there in three hours.”

  “You are right,” Ben concurred. “This is a reasonable suggestion and who knows if you and I will ever have the chance to get together. I’ll make arrangements to get one or two other generators up here. Tell me what you did to your processors, and I’ll make sure my computer is matched with yours.”

  Shawn went on to fill Ben in on the technical details and once they signed off Skype, he called Sally. She must still be in the conference; he thought and left her a voicemail. “Sal, forget your visit, gonna crash for a while, and I’d be no fun to visit with now anyway, I’m still pretty bummed out.” And before he could stop himself, he added, “Might head up back to Doc Campbell’s afterwards anyway. Pretty cool guy and I think I need to get away from the surfing world for a while. Call me back and tell me when I can reach you if I don’t pick up. Miss you, bye.”