The Hallucigenia Project

by Darren Kasenkow

  “Hey big guy…” John managed as his best friend returned to the slow march with a tranquil happiness pouring from his fur.

  They were on a narrow winding mountain path, though not the kind of mountain John could have imagined existed. To his left, close enough to reach out and touch, the rocky wall was interlaced with fist sized diamonds of every possible colour and lush fauna with purple and blue leaves that fanned out like drifting parachutes, and ascended seemingly forever into glitter infused mist that swirled despite the still air. To his right he discovered a sheer drop just inches away, the descent also shrouded in the glittering mist that promised an eternal fall, a mist where enormous planets rumbled and turned like marbles of the gods.

  I’ve lost my fucking mind, he thought.

  But his mind seemed to be just fine. In fact, there was a rush of joy and even more laughter as translucent jellyfish the size of dinner plates pulsing with multi coloured electricity emerged from the mist to float around him. If his mind was lost, then it was truly a wonderful thing.

  He reached down and ran his hands along Bobbie’s back as together they twisted their way up the mountain. Although he didn’t feel the need to breathe there was a subtle scent of honey in the air that brought a temptation to pluck one of the parachute like leaves to bite and taste. It wasn’t quite night and it wasn’t quite day, and though he had never been here it also felt as though he had made a return to a long forgotten place of warmth and comfort.

  “Now it’s your turn to carry me huh?” he laughed as the sheer magic of the moment left him wide eyed and with a soul that felt as fresh and relaxed as a five year old. The path could spiral up into the mist forever and he wouldn’t mind, things were just fine the way they were. He was safe and secure atop his trusted friend and the world around him was filled with fluid colours forever evoking new emotions. Yes, it was a fine place to be.

  They ventured along the glittering path, the ride smooth and gentle as Bobbie’s purring rumbled like distant eruptions. The jellyfish swirled, the planets turned and the mist continued to hug them as they ventured higher and higher. A particularly thick cloud turned the world white for a moment in time John couldn’t quite measure, and when they eventually broke through a strange and wondrous sight awaited.

  The first thought was that of a butterfly but that hardly justified the majesty of what he saw, and as it flew closer and closer he felt his eyes widen with disbelief. It, or to be more accurate, she, was a human form with electric pink skin and giant heart shaped wings that seemed to sway through the air in slow motion. The surface of the wings were portals into stunning spiral galaxies that seemed to reach the edge of eternity, and her face beamed with a smile that could ignite a thousand suns. It was Talitha.

  “Hey there!” he called out.

  I’m so glad to see you John. Do you like what I’ve made for you?

  John didn’t see her lips move but felt her voice. “Like it? It’s beautiful in ways I couldn’t even describe…”

  There’s so much I want to show you, so many places to explore. But that will have to wait. We have a problem.

  “What sort of problem?” he asked with growing concern. “I mean look at this place! If you can do this then I figure you can do just about anything…”

  Here is the in between. It is a place to ready the heart and mind for a journey across the stars. It is where the soul is measured. It will also cease to exist if I can’t make the trip.

  Talitha’s wings continued to swirl with infinite spiral galaxies but now her skin became a deep red and her smile had washed away.

  Klementina is sick. There’s a poison doing bad things and she doesn’t want anyone to know. Please, I need you to return to the house.

  John stared down and remembered Klementina’s cough. “If that’s true then how the hell did someone manage to poison her?”

  It was the bullet, Talitha responded with sadness in her voice. There was something on the bullet that’s making her sick. We don’t have much time. Please, come back to the house as soon as you can. We need your help.

  Suddenly Bobbie came to a stop. The floating jellyfish turned black like ink while down in the abyss the planets no longer turned. John felt a rush of cold, as if ice had been forced along the inside of his bones. The mist no longer glittered as it separated before him to reveal a circular pool on the centre of the path. It was blood red with small bubbles breaking the surface.

  It’s time to go John. They’ll be listening for us. Dive into the pool and remember my message. I’ll be waiting for you…

  Talitha flapped her wings quickly now, and in an instant she was gone. John grabbed Bobbie’s back for support and slid to the ground. He took a couple of steps and then reached up to scratch his enormous ear, relishing the surreal moment and wondering if he would ever see his friend like this again. As if sensing his fears Bobbie brushed his head against John’s chest, causing him to stagger back with a quick laugh. But the blood red pool beckoned, and the laughter was short lived.

  He stepped up to the edge and looked down. Surely it was a mistake. Most likely he would crack his head and fall back onto the path with a new source of pain, but he dropped to his knees just the same. It was as if his body had already made the decision for him. He placed a cautious hand on the surface and pushed down. The bubbling red was quick to swallow his arm. It was warm, almost hot, and seemed to have no discernible bottom.

  With a twist of his neck he looked back at Bobbie and the ocean of stars in his eyes, and knew the time had come. He drew in a deep breath and pushed his head and arms into the pool, his body weight dragging his legs with him. Everything became red. There was no up or down, left or right. There was no way to tell if his eyes were open or closed. A low rushing noise shook the inside of his ears but there was no telling where it came from. He was simply there, floating in nowhere.

  An explosion of electricity shook his core. Lights flashed across a horizon that stretched for eternity and then they were gone. Faces began to stretch out from the shadows all around him, small faces that were all innocent and fear. Together they called out his name like a choir of tortured souls begging him to somehow stop what had already happened, to take away the claw marks of the monsters and make things better again. He could feel a scream caught tight in the depths of his throat. There was nothing he could do for them and the terror in their tiny eyes burned into him like flame tipped needles pushing into his skin. If only they could understand…

  “Welcome back.”

  It was Rebecca’s voice. John opened his eyes and the light of the room rushed his senses. His skin bristled cold and it took a moment or two to be sure he was where he was.

  “Am I awake now or am I…” he mumbled.

  “Don’t worry, you’re not dreaming. Not anymore anyway.”

  “How long was I gone?” he asked.

  “One minute and seven seconds give or take,” Rebecca confirmed while lifting the device from his head. “I just hope it was quick enough.”

  “How did you find the journey?” Hendrix asked with genuine curiosity.

  John rubbed his temples and tried to make sense of the impossible. Only a minute or so? It felt as if he had been gone for hours. His head began to spin at the bending time shift and as he looked around the room he tried to keep hold of the visions that had seemed so very real. Bobbie big enough to plough through a wall, electric jellyfish floating and bobbing…

  “Oh fuck!” he said with a start. “Something’s wrong with Klementina.”

  “What do you mean?” Rebecca asked with instant worry.

  “I don’t know,” John replied, “but Talitha told me she’s sick. Something to do with poison and the bullet they pulled out.” He jumped onto his feet and felt the room spin momentarily. “What I do know is that she needs us back at the house as fast as we can get there, so if you’ve got any ideas I’m all ears.”

  Rebecca’s hand shot to her mouth. “I knew there was something wrong, something in her voice on the
last communication before comms lock. Oh god…”

  “Worry about religion later,” he said sternly as senses sharpened right up. “Right now we have to work out a way to get to her.”

  “Then follow me,” Rebecca declared.

  They rushed through the door, Hendrix grabbing frantically at scattered paperwork along the way. Candice was standing against the window looking deep into the ocean and was startled from her meditation.

  “By the looks on your faces nothing good happened in there,” she said.

  “It’s two steps forward one step back I’m afraid,” Hendrix answered.

  “What do you mean?” Candice asked.

  “He means,” John cut in, “that we have to hit the road again sooner than expected.”

  With no opportunity to delve any deeper Candice followed them to the door, watching as John paused to make sure Bobbie was comfortable on the sofa. They rushed into the concrete hallway and marched in step with Rebecca as she aimed straight for the thick steel entrance to the Metal Rebellion. Candice grabbed John’s arm as she took in her surroundings.

  “I seriously can’t believe this place,” she whispered.

  “Believe me,” John replied quietly, “I still don’t quite believe it myself.”

  Rebecca scanned her palm, pushed the door open and stepped into a hive of activity and loud, blistering guitars and drums. There were people hunched over computers while others were huddled in small groups loading various weapons, and at the back of the room a handful pushed their bodies through strenuous workouts using bars and wall mounted machines. In the far corner John spotted familiar faces in the room where, judging by the laughter they shared, Aaron appeared to be entertaining Vanessa.

  A man dressed in camouflage shorts and sweat stained singlet turned from his task, saw that visitors had arrived and grabbed a remote sitting on the edge of the desk. The music dropped from a rumble to a purr, and with two fingers balanced between his teeth he released a sharp whistle that filled the room.

  It only took a few seconds before Aaron rushed over. The cheeky grin he carried with him quickly faded though when he saw the look on their faces.

  “Oh fuck,” he let out, “this doesn’t look good.”

  “It isn’t.” Rebecca crossed her arms and seemed to be holding back tears. “I know we’re supposed to be in lockdown but I’ve got a real big favour to ask you.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “I need you to get us to Klementina and I mean now. I know it’s a big ask and it sure as hell isn’t going to be easy, but if we don’t get to her the launch could be compromised.”

  Aaron nodded as if he understood but concern burned in his eyes. “We both know up there on the surface they’re watching from the shadows, and if we make any kinda move now we risk throwing a target on this location before the playing field’s evened out.” He shook his head. “What sort of trouble are we talking about here Bec?”

  “The kind that can bring us to our knees,” she replied with a single tear finally breaking free.

  Activity in the room had come to a standstill. John held Candice close as a cold sweat began a second round. He could feel the gravity in the air, the kind that pressed in when risking a peek over the edge of a cliff. Recent experience combined with natural instinct told him going back out there was virtual suicide and yet, deep down inside, the urge to face the impossible beckoned. Maybe it was the cop in him, but he knew that when the odds were stacked against you the best way forward was to kick the door and charge right in.

  “I spoke with Talitha,” he told Aaron. “Don’t ask me how she knows but the bullet from the casino wasn’t just lead, it carried some sort of poison that’s put Klementina in a bad place. I don’t know how long we’ve got, but if we want to keep her alive we’ll have to head back into the gauntlet.”

  Behind them the door burst open. Abner and Achim, the Egyptian loving brothers from the Digital Response Unit, came rushing in but quickly stopped when it became obvious they already had the attention of the room.

  “They fucking did it!” Abner announced.

  “Fucking did what?” Aaron barked back.

  “They’ve gassed the entire city and surrounding areas,” Achim explained with flushed cheeks. “We’ve been scanning low frequency transmissions and picked up pilot chatter, but it came through too late.”

  “There was one shot to send out a warning pulse and we missed it,” Abner added.

  Rebecca began to pace up and down in short spurts. “All ground based holds knew the risks of a strike like this so we can assume they’re okay. They’ve got protective gear and would’ve had it ready once the power and comms went down.” She stopped moving, straightened her back and took a deep breath to compose herself. “Any idea of half life?”

  Abner shook his head. “Hard to tell. Depending on the chemical composition and weather conditions, anything from three to twenty four hours.”

  Vanessa stepped forward with a hand on her hip. “What do you mean they gassed the city?”

  “He means,” Hendrix finally spoke, “that the military have surprised the population with a forced sleep that will never end and now I know why. Or, at the very least, I have a strong working theory.”

  “You found something in the blood didn’t you?” Candice asked with a start.

  “Another code,” Hendrix confirmed, “but then that’s hardly a surprise is it? We suspected as much but now we know for sure. Someone has taken charge of the reigns and wants to make double sure that nobody survives what’s coming, and that someone carries the same blood that Candice delivered.” He opened his palms as though the conclusion was obvious. “Any surviving infrastructure is going to be vital in a grab for control, so far better to eliminate everyone now and minimise the chaos that will come with survival. It’s all about surgical precision. As far as this person is concerned, humans will just get in the way.”

  “In the way of what?” John asked while the scope of the bombshell was still sinking in.

  “In the way of the new bloodline that wants total access to the stars.”

  “Just… hang on a second,” Vanessa demanded. “Let me get this straight. You’re saying they just killed everyone in the god damn city? ‘Cause it sure sounds like that’s what you said.”

  Abner scratched at the H tattoo on his neck and chose his words carefully. “What we’ve got is a signal interception that confirms jets have sprayed the city with something real bad. What we don’t know is how effective the chemicals are and how many are dying right at this moment.” He frowned before lowering his head. “We have to assume though that it’s murder on a scale beyond anything we could have imagined.”

  “The sad reality is a large segment of the population was probably going to die anyway,” Achim added, “but doing something like this means even if we survive the impact it’ll be a case of out of the fire and into the oven.”

  “Oh Jesus Christ!” Candice cried out as she reached for a desk to steady herself. “My parents…”

  With a grind of his teeth Aaron came to a sudden conclusion. “We need to use those satellites we went to so much fucking trouble to launch and get the comms back online so we can get out a warning in case there’s still time.”

  “No,” Rebecca said firmly. “We start broadcasting now and they’ll find us for sure. And besides, all locations will be following protocol which means they won’t hear us even if we try. This is it,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders. “This is where things will never be the same again, the reason why the Hallucigenia Project exists. From here we’re working against the impossible.”

  “It’s too late anyway,” Achim declared. “We picked up the transmission in the middle of the flights, and the whole process would’ve been measured in minutes. The best thing to do now is hope our family stuck to the plan.”

  “Yeah? Well the plan’s just changed.” Aaron was angry, no doubt about it. Veins bulged at the side of his neck and his nostrils flared with every breath. “
We’ve got a whole lotta toys down here, so let’s start putting them to use.” He lifted his head towards John. “You ready?”

  John felt a kick of adrenaline heat the base of his skull and knew the game was on. “You mean head back out into a city that wants us dead with no idea of what we’ll have to face? Sounds like the perfect outing for a tourist if you ask me.”

  “I’ll start loading up,” the man in camouflage shorts called out.

  “No Troy!” Aaron shot back as he turned to face the room with a look of steeled determination. “I need you all right here. When the launch is ready that’s when you head out and make a fucking racket, but until then this facility is your baby and under your protection. And anyway, I need you to secure the hatch once we’re running.”

  “Copy that,” Troy replied and began marching towards the rear wall.

  Candice pushed from the desk and grabbed John’s hands. “Wait a second, you’re not seriously going to leave me and…”

  “Believe me I don’t want to,” John cut in, “but this is real important. We go there, pick them up and head straight back. The way I figure it we should only be a couple of hours and Hendrix needs you here anyway.” He could see the hurt in her eyes. “Hell, Aaron’s about as bullet proof as you can get so don’t worry okay?” Candice pushed close against his chest. “I can promise you this,” he assured her, “I’ll be back for you and Bobbie if it means digging a tunnel with my bare hands. It may be the end of the world, but for us it’s just the beginning.”

  “Please don’t do anything to break my heart, not now. If you die on me there’ll be hell to pay when I’m on the other side.”

  “The way I see it,” John whispered with lips pressed against her cheeks, “we’ll pay the bill for hell now so we won’t have to worry about the other side.”

  Knowing time had become more precious than ever, Rebecca placed a comforting hand on Candice’s shoulder. “Come on, there’s a lot I want to show you.”