by Gary Starta
Caron sniffled and blinked her eyes a few times before divulging her recent experience with the blue-suited man.
“You don’t say?” Normand scoffed. “Sorry, stupid word choice.” The pair had to shout into each other’s eardrums to be heard. Caron sensed, despite the precarious situation they were in, that Normand was attracted to her. The man’s face pallor, normally pallid – was deeper in color. His heart race had also increased. Caron felt his pulse as she held onto his wrist, almost afraid to let go of the newfound comfort she had discovered.
Chapter Sixteen
Millennium Park, Chicago - The Present…
People were bustling and bumping into Miranda as she clutched onto Earth Cat Zero for dear life. Above, the distorted imagery of the Bean captured people’s legs scurrying this way and that while Dr. Brands – mind switched with Earth Cat Zero – continued to prowl and rub against them. Sirens wailed as soon as the pink-haired teen attempted to scream.
“Listen to me!” The words came from Earth Cat Zero’s mouth amidst the din. “You’ve got to pull me away from here.” It was Brands who was speaking, but Miranda was caught in amber, gazing into the cat’s wide azure eyes while the doctor’s words came out of the cat’s mouth.
Miranda shuffled left and right, ebbing and weaving with the flow of the panicked crowd.
“Something’s gone wrong!” A woman turned to answer her child’s question.
“Look!” pointed a millennial. In one hand the man directed a finger at the crawling Brands while his other captured footage on video. “He’s some kind of man cat!”
“Or maybe, cat man!” Shouted another young man eager to point his camera at the spectacle. “Better than Lincoln Park Zoo, dude!”
Miranda found an opening and ran, not pausing when she bumped into an elderly woman accompanied by young children. “Sorry! Sorry! I’ve got to get through. Let me through! It’s an emergency!”
Finally, after scrabbling down a paved walkway, where shrubbery mirrored either side of the path, Miranda headed to what appeared to be an empty stadium. Great! There are probably metallic conductors in there too! Miranda’s instinct told her it was the Bean’s metallic composite that instigated the reaction or whatever you would label as a body/mind switch these days. Where the hell is Felicity Mandebelle? Just how did the hell did she know where to bring us and…why…? Miranda huffed, chest heaving, people still swarming about beelike asking if she was ‘okay’ and ‘how is Earth Cat?’ She ignored them and blinked. Just how the hell did we let ourselves get played?
As siren wails distorted to lower pitched hums, possibly signaling police arrival, Miranda heard Earth Cat shout, still mind switched with the doctor.
“What’s the matter?! I thought everyone loved cats!” The cat kept a straight face, at least what Miranda could interpret as a straight face for a feline.
By the time EMT’s, beat officers and firefighters could navigate their way through the crowd – coming up from the street entrances as well as from walkways leading to the left and right of the stadium – their antlike procession was pretty much for naught.
Earth Cat Zero began speaking as himself from his blue-and-green rimmed mouth. “Whatever happened it’s over. It’s good you listened to Brands – I mean me – I mean the doctor. Ugh.” Earth Cat stuck his tongue out in either disgust or confusion.
“Don’t worry! I am so glad you are back.” Miranda kissed the top of his head while officers surrounded the pair in a circle.
“Is everyone okay?” An officer in a blue shirt and black vest asked Miranda. “We are good. I have a friend…”
Brands burst through the circle, puffing. “I am back. I am back.” He hunched over with hands on knees and panted.
An EMT put a hand on his shoulder. “Do you need medical assistance, sir?”
“I just need to get back…to my home…” Brands look dazed and puzzled to Miranda. Or maybe he was just trying to choose his words carefully. He continued.
“Do you recall seeing a woman? Glasses, copper-colored hair tied back in ponytail…” Brands motioned waving arms around his head. “She had a black suit with an orangey-pinkish shirt.”
Miranda corrected. “Coral-colored shirt, Officers.”
The lead officer began writing notes onto a pad while simultaneously speaking into his police shoulder mic. “Everything seems to be under control. No further backup needed.” The man paused and resumed speaking to Brands.
“Is that woman okay?”
Brands shook his head. “I would think so.”
“She was with you?”
“In a matter of speaking…”
The officer frowned. “Can you try to be clearer?”
“I don’t know, Officer. She may not have been whom she claimed she was, anyway, she may have answers as to what happened here.”
The officer rocked on his heels and traded glances with Earth Cat Zero whose tongue was still protruding.
“Is the animal okay?”
“As much as can be expected given the city’s summertime carbon levels.” Earth Cat Zero waved a dismissive paw.
The officer pursed lips and continued. “I repeat. Any further description or name you can provide for this woman would be appreciated. But…” He paused to scratch at his temple. “Just what went on here today?”
“I think I was simply confused or dizzied from looking at the distorted images in the Bean. In my panic – which I am extremely apologetic for – I began to hyperventilate. I may have set off a riot.” Brands clutched hands over his chest. “I am deeply sorry.”
“How about I give you more details later?”
“You could give them to me on the ride, and then at the station.”
“Oh, no. We are pressed for time.” Brands fumbled for his wallet and flashed an ID. “Any problems please contact the DOD.”
The officer nodded but appeared disturbed. “I’ll need to check with my superior. But at some point, we’ll need a statement – especially about this woman.”
“I would be happy to oblige Chicago PD’s finest. Just at another time.” Brands gazed at his own body gesture and released his hands from his chest. “I am fine. We have important work to do, Officers. Maybe you could give us an escort?”
“I can and I will.” The officer made a sweeping gesture with his arm. Most of the officers retreated along with the EMT’s and firefighters.
Miranda, still clutching Earth Cat Zero to her chest, whispered in Brands’s ear. “Where are we headed?”
“Oh.” Brands whispered back wearing a grim expression. “I’ll just have them to take us home.”
Miranda nodded. “I see.”
In the car, Brands requested a Madison Street drop off. He patted the seat separating him from the driver who craned his neck to scowl. “Is this good?” Miranda could view the United Center.
“It is. We have important work ahead us. Please excuse us.”
“Yeah, I just hope your work doesn’t cause another panic, Dr. Brands.”
“I do as well.”
After the cruiser’s door slammed shut, Miranda kept an eye on the driver and the lead officer in the passenger seat. They were exchanging quizzical expressions, each gazing at a phone held in the passenger’s hand.
Oh great!
Miranda fished her phone from her jeans. “Here’s what they’re looking it.”
Miranda positioned the phone so Brands could see. A video played replete with the title: ‘Cat Man visits the Bean!’
Earth Cat Zero yawned. “What? Am I suddenly yesterday’s news?”
Brands placed a hand in between Miranda’s shoulder blades encouraging her to walk forward with Earth Cat. “That way, Miranda. There’s a back entrance. We’ll just have to deal with damage control – at least that kind of damage control – at another time.”
Miranda plopped onto the white couch with Earth Cat Zero while Red chirped and fluttered, pacing his cage from side-to-side and b
ack again. “Will someone tell me what happened?”
Brands waved a hand. “Later Red. But thanks for the concern. We are all in one piece.”
“Yeah.” Miranda scoffed. “We were almost one mind for a minute there. I know you had a reaction before…but this time…”
“I know.” Brands held out hands. “I must remedy this, immediately. I will search my database – I mean my uncle’s database…” He pointed to the back of his head. “I need to work fast so excuse me, Miranda, there won’t be a lot of time for explanations.
“There.” He pointed toward the bedroom which suddenly tipped and converted to the Rat’s Deck.
“But we’ve got a lot of questions!” Miranda held hands to the sides of her head, huffing. “We need to find out who that lady was, where she went…oh, crap. I’ve got to contact mom.” Miranda whisked a finger hastily through recent call activity. “Ah, there it is. But it wasn’t there before. I mean I swore it wasn’t.”
Miranda explained that incoming calls from Caron showed they were registered but hours earlier. “How did I miss them?”
“Well, who knows what with service in here. We are quite shielded.” Brands emphasized the fact by stretching his arms.
“Are we?” Miranda questioned with a raised eyebrow.
“I hear your skepticism.” Brands offered. “What are you getting at?”
“Felicity Mandabelle, or whomever she was claiming to be. She – or someone – has been hearing our conversations all along. Not just in here. But everywhere.” Miranda scowled. “The woman knew I had referred to her first name as meaning ‘joy’. She practically fed it back to me. Who knows what else she or someone has gleaned from our conversations, Doctor?”
“I just don’t see how…the firewalls and security the DOD has put in place…uh…wait a moment.”
“What, Doctor?”
Brands pointed at his skull. “Don’t say anything.”
Miranda’s firm and anxiety laced petting encouraged Earth Cat Zero to rise to his haunches and stir. “Ooh, sorry.” Earth Cat Zero tilted his head as if to say: just don’t do it again.
The teen bit at her lip, attempting to hold back a tidal wave of concerns. If Brands’s brain alterations and chip were not only responsible for the weird Solfeggio Frequency connection with Earth Cat Zero, could his altered wiring be the very leak that might have put not only the project but their lives in danger? And what ingredient had the Bean provided that caused the doctor/cat mind switch?
Brands motioned a hand for everyone but Red to enter the Rat’s Deck. When the steel doors clacked shut, he spoke.
“But…what about…?” Miranda pouted and gunned a finger at the doctor’s temple. She whispered. “They can still read you.”
“Not very well. Not behind these walls and doors.” Brands sighed. “Miranda, I am going to ask you to remain very brave for me. I need you to refrain from calling your mother. I also must resist contacting the officers at the DOD for the moment.”
“Okay.” Miranda shrugged. “I guess I can handle that.”
“That’s not all.”
Earth Cat Zero mewled. “It never is.”
Miranda gave a playful reprimand to the cat with a waving finger. “Shush. We need to act like we’re hunting a mouse. Got it?”
“Hmm.” Earth Cat Zero tilted his head. “I can be quiet. But it seems more likely the mouse is hunting us.”
“Either way we’re caught in a labyrinth.” Brands threw hands up into the air. “We are in a battle and I must seek answers.” Brands directed a hand at the robotic surgical arms dangling above them. “Don’t worry, Miranda. I just need you to observe…and if anything should go wrong…” He pointed at a switch. “Just tug this lever downwards.”
“OMG. What is going to go wrong now?”
“Nothing.” Brands shook his head from side-to-side. “This is just like an Internet search only it will be from my brain.” The doctor tapped the faceplate of his watch a few times. “There. I’ve increased frequency. That means my mind will begin to scan the additional sections of my brain for my uncle’s memories.”
“No. Wait.” Miranda held Earth Cat Zero in front of her with the cat positioning a paw onto Brands’s chest.
“See. We are concerned for you.”
“Well, don’t be. I’ve done this before and without supervision.”
“But what happens…if…uh. I don’t want to say it.”
“If you should lose me?”
Miranda nodded.
Brands tapped at his watch again. “There is emergency contact info for the DOD. Just tap it five times.”
“Oh, great. I don’t want the DOD, Doctor. I don’t even know if they’ve been compromised or can even be trusted with what just happened.”
“Miranda. Earth Cat Zero.” Waiting for their rapt attention, Brands took the cat’s paw into one hand and the teen’s hand into his other. “I made a promise to you and the cat. I should have taken these preventive measures sooner. I need to do everything in my power to protect the cat, agreed?”
Miranda nodded with a tear welling in her eye.
“I need to secure us, our information, our very lives. I also need to give Earth Cat Zero an SOS system, of sorts. I know I can do this. I just need to consult Uncle Claude.” Brands smiled and tapped a finger against his temple.
“And if you should mind switch again?”
“Ah. That’s the spirit. Science and questions…they go hand in hand.”
“I’m not spirited, Doctor. I’m pissed!”
“Miranda, just hold on. This time we won’t be inviting a mind switch but more of a mind conversation.” The doctor clapped hands in anticipation while Miranda felt her stomach flip.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Don’t worry, I can dampen any environmental contributions concerning the very formidable table of elements. Andy and Andrea are here to help!”
Brands twitched and convulsed on the gurney, flopping as if a fish released from water, his eyes lolling to the back of his head.
Miranda watched Earth Cat Zero observing the procedure. “He’s doing this for you.”
Earth Cat Zero inched upwards from Miranda’s arms toward her neck and licked. “I know.”
“I wish I could do more.” Miranda cupped a hand over the cat’s mouth in play.
“You act as my mother. A mother cat protects.”
“You can always count on that.”
Miranda attempted to focus on the serene moment, but the doctor’s gyrations were making it difficult.
“He looks awful.” Miranda observed how white the doctor’s face had become. She held a hand to his flailing wrist. “I think his heart rate is decreasing despite his activity.”
Another moment passed and the doctor grew very still. Miranda clasped a hand to her mouth.
The cat mewled. “Open the door.”
Miranda waved with a frantic hand at the door, which had opened easily when it was her bedroom. I know. She walked toward it and it whooshed open. The cat scampered toward the kitchen area with Miranda in tow.
“What do you need?” The cat’s eyes could have lit up a city. “He’s catatonic. He need sugar. I just don’t know where he keeps it.”
Red’s chirping was relentless. “Let me out of here.” Miranda walked to the cage with her feet feeling as if she were slogging through mud in a bad dream. She answered the bird, monosyllabic. “Okay.” A part of her hesitated from opening the cage for a brief instant. She couldn’t be sure about anything at the moment what with the interrupted phone registry and the woman posing as a DOE scientist. For all I know, I know nothing about Red or what his brain storage consists of…
The bird rapped his beak against the cage. Each rap initiated a short squeak of protest, it was like a chime.
“Okay, just a sec.” Earth Cat Zero was on the ground, waving paws, probably feeling helpless. At that instant, Miranda realized each of them was thei
r protector. I’ll just have to trust, Red.
The bird flew in an arc toward the top of the refrigerator where it retrieved something resembling nuts. Its beak hovered a sugared nut over the doctor’s mouth while a wing batted at the man’s lips as if rapping on a door.
“Okay, okay - I see.” Miranda scampered toward the gurney and pried open the doctor’s mouth until the nut fell in. She clamped hands around his mouth and chin to initiate chewing. “Come on, Doctor. Stay with us.”
The man’s eyes fluttered while he chewed. “Mm. Mm.”
The doctor’s rapture was not quite as comforting to Miranda as she thought it would be. She couldn’t be sure what reaction the doctor might have and how appropriate it might be when it came to food. The doctor gasped to Miranda’s relief. “Ah, you’re okay. Just try to breathe now. Steady.” She stroked a hand over his perspiring forehead.
“I am back. I am back.” He shuddered and forced himself to a seated position on the gurney. The cat meowed.
“I am sorry. I react to food the way my uncle would. You see his memories aren’t quite limited to science, I also experience his pleasure center as well.”
Miranda oohed. “Maybe that’s too much information, Doc.”
“But I was successful.” He slapped his thigh in frustration. “I should have thought of it myself. It’s qubits.”
“Cubits. You mean like the measuring system they used to build the pyramids?”
“Ah.” The doctor waggled a finger with his verve restored. “That is a different spelling with a different definition and purpose. But I am impressed that you know it.
“No. This type of qubit begins with a ‘Q’.”
“Wait a minute! Now you’re going to shoot some microwave pulse into your head!”
Brands stuffed hands into pockets and Miranda figured the gesture was a way for him to keep his temper. But at the moment, she didn’t care about his temperament. She didn’t want a catastrophe on her hands. She didn’t want to be the one single ally/protector for Earth Cat Zero. The weight of a near cat-less world was mounting on her shoulders by the moment, not to mention the odd communication break with her mother and a stroll in the park she would never quite forget – even if social media ever would (how would they ever be taken seriously with a doctor labeled ‘Cat Man’ or even explain it away?). And what about the eyes and ears in the walls! Ugh!