Veil

by Aaron Overfield

  She broke down. She was holding her breath and finally let it go. Her exhale blew apart her lips, letting out a cough and opening the gates that released a flood of sobs and cries. She cried, reached over, and grabbed his shoulders. She leaned into him while she pulled his head down onto her chest. She held his head against her chest, while they wept together. She held him there and kissed the top of his head.

  She felt her body let go of Jin and allow him to truly leave the world, no longer held back by the desperate cling of her love. She took Roy by the cheeks. She lifted up his face so he would look at hers.

  “Thank you,” she looked into his eyes and whispered.

  Grateful to know what came of her Jin, Suren kissed Roy’s forehead. She was grateful to know how he died and what happened to his body. She was content with finally knowing everything.

  Royce Houze smiled, exhausted but relieved. He ended with five sorrowful words.

  “I always liked your Jin.”

  A little over an hour later, the two of them walked through the front door of the doctors’ house. Dragging him behind by the hand, Suren pulled Roy down the hallway and into Ken’s office, where Ken, Hunter, and Brock anxiously awaited them. Well, they anxiously awaited Suren. Or Surveillors, who would inform them Suren just committed some kind of heinous, torturous murder against a one “Royce Houze.”

  When Suren left, she was a wild-eyed, crazed madwoman who Ken was pretty sure had a gun stashed in her purse. He was pretty sure she was going to use it to confront the man who they investigated for the last week. It did no good whatsoever to argue with her, and all they could do was sit and wait. So, they did. In silence. They sat and waited. Not sympathetic toward Royce Houze at all, but still afraid for his life. Afraid for Suren’s freedom.

  Ken tried to talk her driver into not letting her go or at least not letting her go to the man’s door alone.

  “Mr. Ken, Ms. Suren does what Ms. Suren does. You know that better than I do,” Carter replied in one of his typical Carterisms.

  “I know it. Heck if I don’t know it,” Ken answered. Carter was right, though.

  “Hello, guys!” she beamed as the office doors flung open and she practically skipped through.

  The three gawked at the pair in disbelief.

  “Guys, Roy. Roy, guys,” she grinned and gestured around the room.

  “Huh—hi,” Roy Houze nodded, shrugged, and simpered.

  “Uh, hi,” the three said in unison. Brock’s chair said the word in unison with the other two. They all looked in shock.

  “Ok, Roy, this,” she motioned toward Ken, “is Dr—”

  “Oh, oh,” Roy interrupted her. “I know who the Tsay Truh—Trustees are. I know them.”

  Ken chuckled. They knew people called them the ‘Tsay Trustees’ or the ‘Tsay Legacy’ but no one had done it to all of them in person before. Not so casually and not in their presence, all of them together in one place.

  “There’s you, Ms. Tsay and that,” he pointed at Ken, “is the Dr. Ken and that,” he pointed at Hunter, “is the Dr. Hunter.” When he got to Brock he admitted, “I’m afraid … I—I know who you are of course, but I can’t remember your name.”

  After a moment came the computerized voice, “No problemo! I’m Miss Sassyfrassy, hear!”

  Brock broke out in grunts of laughter, obviously very pleased with himself.

  “Don’t pay any attention to him,” Hunter shook his head and kicked his foot to the side, striking Brock’s chair. “That’s Brock Albert Elsbeth, my partner in crime. He’s apparently off his medications.”

  “Mr. Brock!” Roy shouted and snapped his fingers. “That’s it! Cool name, bro. Cool name!”

  The Tsay Trustees laughed as Brock grinned, still pleased.

  When the laughter died down, Hunter raised his hand like a schoolboy.

  “Heh—heh—helloooo? I have a question.”

  “What’s up?” Suren grinned.

  “What’s up? What’s up?!” He shook his head in disbelief. “Oh, I dunno crazy woman, how about … why in the fuck are you so happy?”

  Suren and Roy looked at each other, and Suren burst out laughing. Roy nervously took her cue and also laughed.

  “Funny thing,” Suren started and proceeded to fill them in on the events of the last three hours. At least, most of the events. She left some out, including how Roy happened to get the giant gash on his head … and how she had one less round in her gun.

  “So, after we got that all cleared up, Roy agreed to come here with me. He’s going to allow one of us to Veil him, so we can see if he knows anything we can use to track down Jin’s murderer. Simple as that.”

  “Anything to help I told her, anything,” Roy nodded and smiled at the three men sitting across from them.

  “After you got all that cleared up, huh? Simple as that?” Ken shot a scowl at Suren and then frowned at Roy apologetically. “In case Suren didn’t already say it, we’re sorry. We’re sorry we jumped to such a horrible conclusion. I … I hope you can—” he tried to say.

  Roy shook his head, “She didn’t have to say, not a word. I don’t blame her. Don’t blame none of y’all. I knew what people would think. I knew what they’d think. No apologies, none. I’m just glad I’m forgiven. Even more glad no one got hurt. With, you know, with what I did. With Dr. Jin … his memory.”

  Ken sucked air through his teeth and gave a quick glance to Suren, who grimaced and subtly shook her head. She forgot about that; no need to tell him right then. He was a good man, which was all that mattered. They had time for all that other stuff; they would have time to put it all into context for him.

  Ken took her hint and redirected the conversation.

  “Yeah … and what’s important right now is that we’ve put together a lot more pieces. With your help,” he raised his eyebrows and locked eyes with Roy. He repeated himself. “Your help. I’ve been trying to put these pieces together for six years. I didn’t get very far with the hospital so—”

  Roy interrupted again, “That’s no surprise Dr. Ken, not at all. They were all covering their own asses, the whole time. Like they did with me. I tried to tell them, but they weren’t going to listen to a man like me. They ain’t going to listen to a man like me. Covering their own asses, I’m telling you all.”

  “I figured as much,” Ken frowned. “They barely wanted to talk to me. What I did get out of them, I about had to force out of them. And the only reason they gave up what little they did is because I am who … I mean because I’m…”

  “Cause you’re Dr. Ken!” Roy belted with a smile.

  “Yeah,” Ken reluctantly admitted. He felt his face flush, which embarrassed him more.

  Roy leaned forward and lowered his voice, as though afraid someone might overhear. “I shit you not, Dr. Ken, I tried everything to get them to see. It’s like they didn’t want to. Was easier for them to think I was crazy. And well, no offense to none of y’all, no offense at all, but you all,” he wagged his finger back and forth between the rest of them, “are impossible to get to. I understand it, everyone wants a piece of you, but there was no way to get to you. To make you see.”

  Suren rubbed and patted Roy’s back. “No one blames you. You did what you could.”

  She leaned forward until her face was even with his and then tilted her head to look directly at him. She spoke in a tone rarely anyone heard from the Great Widow Tsay, a tone only those who truly knew her recognized as her realest voice. Her Suren voice.

  “The fact you did what you did brought us all here today. We wouldn’t be here without you. And I think I speak for both me and Ken,” she looked at Ken and then back to Roy, “when I say that you gave Jin,” her voice cracked, and she had to start over. “You gave my Jin what we would’ve wanted him to have. What we would’ve given him ourselves if we could.” She took both of Roy’s hands into hers. “All things said and done, you made us proud. You gave our Jin the goodbye he deserved.”

  “I tried, Ms. Tsay,” Roy lowere
d his head and a single tear rolled down his check. “I did try.”

  “I know.” She looked at Ken. A tear was already streaming down his face as well. “We know.”

  Just so Roy could hear it from someone, Suren added, “You are a good, good man, Roy. You are a good, decent man.”

  “Nope, no port.” Roy rubbed the back of his neck. “I haven’t used Veil since … well, since before Dr. Jin’s memory.”

  “So how did—” Suren started to say.

  Ken interrupted. He wanted to get it right. “Your name was on a list of people who purchased Jin’s memory from where you sold it. That’s how we found you. You were on a list of names of the people who bought it. So we started focusing on you. We thought maybe Jin’s killer wanted to get rid of you. That’s why we thought you were on the list. We thought you knew something. So we started looking into you.”

  Roy appeared confused and they gave him some time to think it over. Shocking everyone else in the room, he finally jumped and clamped his hands once. He figured it out.

  “You know what!” He explained, “I don’t know why he’d put me on that list, but I did call again. I called again. I wanted to see if he was still … still selling it. Just to see. When he said he was, well...” He trailed off and bowed his head. He stopped talking.

  “Roy?” Suren prodded.

  “I … I, you have to understand, ya know, I was at a low point. A low, low point. I’ve been at a low point for almost seven years. But I figured, well I deserved it. I figured I did this horrible thing and once anyone knew about it … well, that would be it for me. I’m not gunna lie, there were times when…” he swallowed back tears, “I didn’t want to go on anymore.”

  Ken was empathetic but more so confused. “But, you didn’t buy it. I mean, I know for a fact you didn’t buy it.”

  “Nah, I didn’t go through with it. I told him I wanted to. I gave him my information. Had to pay this, this deposit, but I never called back. He said I would have to come in and get the memory or call back and schedule an appointment. I said I’d call back and schedule an appointment, to get it from the … the—”

  “Vault.”

  “Yeah! To get it from the Vault. But I never did call back. I simply couldn’t kuh—kill myself like that. Couldn’t bring myself to. Lost my money, too. Not that I cared.”

  Ken laughed to himself and shook his head. He looked at the other Trustees.

  “It was probably after, you know, the Right To Veil, so Mariano would’ve had to get Roy’s information before he could move forward with it at all. Get his name and VSN. It’s in the regulations. Because Roy never called back, Mariano got to keep the deposit. He didn’t have to report that. He could just keep it.

  “Bastard is still sellin’ it,” Roy groaned and leaned back on the couch. “He’s still selling it even after I told him.”

  “Oh no he’s not,” Ken grinned.

  “You can be damn sure of that!” Suren laughed.

  “Actually,” Ken added, “I did call Mariano while you were gone, Suren. I realized that we didn’t want to tip our hands, in case the guy called again. It might send up a red flag if suddenly Mariano stopped selling the memory. Clue him in that we were on to him. So, I told Mariano to go on as normal. I told him I discussed it with you, and we wouldn’t sell the memory anymore but he wasn’t to let anyone know it wasn’t for sale. Go on as normal. You put the fear of god into that man though, that’s for sure.”

  “I know I did,” Suren smiled. “ But … darn good point about not tipping our hands. I wouldn’t say we’re on his trail, but he doesn’t need to know where we’re at with it either way.” She smiled again, slapped her knees and stood up. “Who’s hungry?”

  Roy, Ken and Hunter all raised their hands.

  “Ok, I’ll go fix something. Ken you work on creating the memory questions for the Veil with Roy,” she delegated as she walked out of the room.

  “Hand,” came the voice from Brock’s chair.

  Suren stopped. “Huh?”

  After a moment, “I’m hungry. I raised my hand.” Brock stuck out his tongue.

  “You’re sure you want to do this?” Ken asked as he handed Suren her collar back. Before she could Veil, he had to enable her device, he informed her. Because, he admitted, he disabled it six years ago, just like Hunter told her.

  “Yep, I’m sure,” she smiled as she placed it on her neck. “I want to do this.”

  “Ok.”

  “It will be my first Veil,” she told Roy. “Well, my first time Veiling someone else.”

  “Your … your first time? You’ve never—” he stumbled over his words. “The Great Widow Tsay has never Veiled?” That was almost too much for him to believe. Actually, it was too much for him to believe, but he didn’t dare accuse her of lying.

  “Nope. Never. And I think this is a good one to have as my first time.” She winked.

  “Wow.” Roy was stunned. His mouth hung open.

  “We’re ready.” Suren giggled at Ken. “At least this time it will work,” she winked again and reached up to touch the button, which would start the process.

  As Suren went for the button, Ken shouted, “Wait!” He lunged over and knocked the collar off of her.

  Roy’s collar was tethered to Suren’s, so his was yanked off as well.

  “Ken!” she yelped and jumped from her seat. She picked up Roy’s collar and handed it to him with an apology. “I’m sorry about that.”

  Ken knelt on the floor next to Suren’s collar, picked it up, and shook it at her.

  “Jin’s … Jin’s memory…” He tried to catch his breath. “It’s still in here. We forgot. We have to discharge it first.”

  Suren gasped and covered her mouth. They were all silent. No one wanted to suggest what might’ve happened if Ken hadn’t remembered.

  Ken reach into his pocket and again pulled out what looked to Roy like a keychain. He used it earlier to re-enable Suren’s collar. Ken pressed a button and a key-like device attached to a glowing blue cable popped out of it. Only four of those things existed. Roy wanted to ask what it did but found himself too shy to ask. After inserting the key into Suren’s collar, Ken pushed a sequence of buttons on the small device, which lit up with the same blue glow as the cable. The display on Suren’s collar indicated the Witness it contained was discharged.

  “Ok there ya go,” Ken handed it back to her. “All safe now. ”

  Suren tittered at how casual Ken sounded. She grabbed her Veil from him and put it on.

  “So…so,” Roy stuttered. “Suren’s Witness was already inside there? From when she was at the memory store?”

  “Yep,” Ken nodded.

  “Then—then,” Roy struggled to ask, “how does she have a Witness in her head now?”

  “Oh,” Ken smiled. It was actually a pretty good question. “Well, the Veil device provides someone with artificial neuroelectricity that lasts until their Witness gets returned to them. However, if their Witness isn’t returned, like how Suren’s was kept stored in her vCollar, their brain generates new neuroelectricity during that person’s next sleep cycle. So, that Witness of Suren’s could’ve stayed inside her collar forever—or until she was ready to upload it back onto herself. Make sense?”

  Roy pulled the corners of his mouth down and nodded to indicate it made sense, although it didn’t really make a lick of sense to him. Not one lick. Then again, nothing about Veil made sense to him.

  “So … ready?” Suren asked Roy.

  “Ready ma’am,” he smiled.

  Suren pushed the button on her collar and began the process of uploading her Witness onto Roy, so she could shadow him.

  “You’re sure it’s set for realtime?” she asked Ken not even an hour later.

  “I’m sure. Surely sure.”

  “Ok, here goes nothing.” Suren’s voice slightly trembled as she reached up and pushed the button on her Veil. When it beeped, she tensed and held her breath.

  “Remember, don’t hold your
breath,” Brock reminded her.

  She winked, nodded, and exhaled. She closed her eyes.

  Waves of chills flowed through Suren’s body, and she was instantly covered in goose bumps. The blackness of her closed eyes tunneled with brilliant colors that slowly formed into focus. It wasn’t as clear as her own vision, but it was dang close. Roy’s vision crystallized in her mind, and suddenly she was looking at herself, through Roy’s eyes, about forty minutes prior. It was like nothing she ever experienced. It was nothing she could ever imagine or explain.

  Seeing herself through Roy, she suddenly understood. She understood the “Selfers”: the faction of Veilers who became completely obsessed with seeing themselves through other people’s eyes. She heard about them and about the lengths they would go to in order to experience themselves through anyone and everyone else. They went as far as arranging anonymous Veils with groups of other Selfers, so they wouldn’t know exactly whose eyes they’d see themselves through; they wouldn’t know who they were shadowing, only that they were shadowing someone. By not knowing who they were shadowing, the Selfer theory went, everyone would act more naturally. Seeing herself sitting there, but through Roy’s eyes … experiencing herself through the perception of Roy’s mind, it was remarkable. She could certainly understand why the Selfers would get so hooked.

  Suren’s mind immediately went to Jin. What did Jin see when he saw himself through her eyes that day? How did he look to himself? If Jin lived—and had the New Veil World still happened somehow—would they have been one of those couples she heard about who Veiled with each other literally every day? Those couples that became so entranced by how they saw each other, completely blurring the line between where one began and where the other ended.