by A M Russell
'Worried there Davey?' Oliver had his hunting knife out and was sharpening it in a lazy self-conscious way. I think he was trying to say "you better show us some respect" in his own quiet language. The two strangers certainly eyed him with caution.
'I'm not sure...' I glanced up towards them again, 'I was remembering something. I can't recall exactly where it's from.'
'Well, don't put a strain on yourself.' Oliver said with mock seriousness, 'you looked really constipated a moment ago.'
'No. I'm fine.' I said, suddenly thinking that I did indeed need a moment alone in the "bucket room".
'Hey!' I said nudging the air with my chin. The two responded by pointing over my shoulder to the left. They didn't think Oliver was joking. They clearly had not met enough beefy Welshmen yet.
I sat on small bench in this curtained cave. I had a few minutes. I got out my journal: shockingly so long neglected since the ice lake camp. I wasn't doing a bit of catching up; rather I was looking for something in the middle of one of my ramblings.... amongst the maudlin musings, somewhere in the first week after leaving Main Base.
There was something... No, that wasn't it. Some clap-trap to do with digging for gold in tunnels. I flicked backwards and forwards; my mind like sand running into a glass, forming a shape. Then I knew, I turned straight to it: there, the entry I made three days in, about the sun in the sky; "Just like the day I took my application in, thank God for no stupid students swarming in front of my face." That was it! That day. I was just leaving the University, walking along the huge picture windows of the reception foyer. A swarm of students came at right angles heading straight for the glass entrance with the double doors. The sheer weight of bodies forced me to stop to let them through. I looked outwards as I did so. The sun splintered by birch leaves, and creating a pattern of contrasting reflections and shadows, made the people into a patterned moving dark shape that scrolled in front of the glass. Opposite me three others waited for the students to pass. There was a petite woman with dark hair who carried a stack of files; a tall lad with spiky hair and yellow tee-shirt; and a man in a long coat who wore glasses. He stared through me with the patient blankness of faces in public places. I waited as I didn’t like being crushed among a breed of creatures from which I had only recently fully recovered my own identity. As the stragglers exited, he politely let the girl and the young man go through the double doors. He paused as if he was having second thoughts about something. Then he turned as I moved forward, and at that moment he took off his glasses and pushed through the doors. That was it. That profile in the late afternoon light. I followed him through, and thought nothing more of it. Until now…. I snapped the journal shut, abruptly returning myself to the present. This could mean something. It might be very important for all of us. I decided to tell Jared straight away.
Elland’s men were moving around gathering up kit. I had already counted the group. Eight in the corridor; and now twelve all together. I shelved any thought I might have about that and went immediately to talk to Jared.
‘A moment please Boss.’
‘Yes. Of course.’ Jared turned to me and smiled easily. His eyes seemed to say “Be careful”. He led me out of ear shot of the others.
‘There’s something I remembered…. It’s about Elland.’
‘Oh? Tell me quietly.’ Jared lowered his voice.
‘I’ve seen him before. Back at home…. Or rather, at the University. The same day I took my application into the science department reception. He was going out the main door the same time that I was.’
Jared stared at me and paused, ‘You are absolutely sure about this?’
‘Yes. I’m certain. He was there.’ I then recounted as much detail as I could recall. Jared took all this in thoughtfully.
‘Just one thing,’ He said, ‘Tell me how old you think the person was that you saw. Think carefully, it could be significant.’
‘That’s the funny thing. I would have said that he was slightly older than most of the students. Like someone who’d left college only a few years before. But he couldn’t be, could he?’
‘Your general recall is excellent… better in fact than most people I’ve met. I bet you scored a high mark on the tests…. In fact, I’d guess that the chances of you being mistaken on that point are lower than most people’s.’
‘Well yes. It is true… in fact. And I think he was there too. At the evaluation test for the trip…. In the class room full of hopefuls. Yes, He was there….. I’m sure he was. Sitting at the back.’
‘Are you absolutely sure?’
‘I… don’t know. It could be someone else. He was dressed differently, and was wearing his glasses that time. But; I dunno.’
‘Ok…’ Jared squeezed my shoulder, ‘Just go and join Oliver and Marcia. I think we’ll be given some bunk space soon. I might know more then.’
‘But what about Janey?’
‘Change of plan I’m afraid. We have to trust these people at least for now. It’s seems our people have been moved to a more secure set of cells. We will need to be a little more patient. There is a way it seems, but it might not be straight forward. I’ll know more in a few minutes.’
I went and joined Marcia on her bench. Oliver had put his knife away, and was staring at her the same way you stare at someone who has started telling a story and is just about to tell you the second half.
‘It’s easy,’ she mumbled wearily, ‘I just had to do it that way.’
Oliver seemed quite unsatisfied with what appeared to be an answer to an earlier question.
‘We might be in the middle of nowhere, but we should still be open on information sharing.’
‘Like the time you didn’t tell me Hanson’s other woman was waiting to see him in the interview room?’
(At this I really started to pay attention)
‘That wasn’t anything to do with me…’ Oliver looked uncomfortable, ‘I’m not for or against anyone. You must know that. I had no right to say.’
‘You always were so… so irritatingly neutral!’ Marcia scowled then and pointed at him, ‘Wait until you’re in the same position!’
‘Really,’ Oliver leaned back against the nearest boulder in a relaxed casual way, ‘You haven’t met the kind of ladies I prefer.’ Then he leant forwards again and whispered, ‘they’re quiet, and polite, and they all go to church.’
‘Of course,’ Marcia seemed hurt, ‘I forgot your cultural background of ritual good behaviour.’
Oliver’s answer was softly spoken and apparently without any subtext, ‘Lady, you wouldn’t be having this conversation if it wasn’t like that.’
They both ignored me until I sat down. Marcia smiled in a way that didn’t reach her eyes, and then huddled up on the bench with her knees drawn up. She looked kind of sick.
‘What does our noble leader say?’ Oliver’s eyes gleamed with humour. I wasn’t sure what to make of the background noise of an argument that had to all intents purposes being going on for some time. I just made non-committal noises and hoped Jared would be back soon.
He wasn’t long. Two of Elland’s men came with him: - not the same two who had been sitting near us earlier. They had vamoosed in the time I’d been in the loo and had a word with Jared. It seemed that they always went around in pairs. They seemed quite hesitant and eyed Marcia as if she was an unexploded bomb.
‘Don’t be concerned,’ Jared said to them, ‘she is only like that on a weekday. It’s Friday today. We’ve got the whole weekend ahead.’
‘Uhh. Ok.’ said one. They really had no sense of humour at all. Jared shrugged in a careless way, and retrieved his pack from next to Oliver’s. We were all led to a small cave-let that had lamp niches and bunk beds. The frames were lashed branches, expertly constructed. The mattresses were the deluxe versions of the ones we ourselves had in our equipment issue. The sight of real beds, made me feel quite hazy with relief. Even if we weren’t able to actually get much sleep; the idea of stretching out those well upholstered cot
s, even for ten minutes only, got me thinking positive happy thoughts.
‘What was that?’ I asked.
‘I was saying we need to be ready to go in twenty minutes,’ said Jared, ‘Or did you hear me say that it would be nice to snooze here all night.’
I didn’t say anything. But slung down my pack on the nearest bunk, and got out the torch and checked it.
Jared and Marcia slipped outside the curtain together. They appeared to be having words about something that was completely unrelated. It sounded like they were talking about George. They re-entered. It wasn't about George per se, but about the small case in Jared's pack that contained the controlled drugs. I recalled my relief at the hit of pain killer after the incident with the vicious tree root. Jared took out the case and got the measured doses ready for all of us.
'Marcia. You do the salve.'
She took the little wooden pot and unscrewed it and carefully smeared some on small clean wound pads. 'We can wrap the leaves back over the top do you think?'
'No. Just use the cloth.'
'Alright. You first Davey.' she said.
I held out my left arm. Marcia redressed the tattoo. It already appeared to be healed. Then she covered it again, and retied the cloth strips, cleverly adjusting them so it was exactly as before.
'Shall I roll down my sleeve?'
'No. They may notice. Leave everything the same. Ok, now he wants your other arm.' she smiled at me sweetly as the coolness of the balm calmed me into submission. I shifted seats and held my other arm out to Jared.
'No. Not there. In the shoulder. Roll up your sleeve.'
'This ok.'
'Yes. Just hold still. The light isn't that good in here. And we're supposed to be resting.'
'What is it?'
Jared paused, 'Have you never had one of these before?'
'What one?' then I recognised the coding on the case, ‘No I haven’t.’
'Oh! Well we'll just have to trust the dose calc. for you is right.'
'Just do it.' I held the material with my left hand to give him a clear target.
Jared whacked in the "speedball". This stuff would keep us awake and mentally alert for 12 hours. The dose depended on a precise calculation of body weight, adrenaline levels under stress, hormone levels, and gender. I was a "3" dose, as was Jared. Marcia was a "1" equivalent to a quarter of that. Oliver was a "4", due to his size, and generally calmer disposition. He took the needle without complaint as he had been trained to do. Jared gave the med case to Oliver. Then Marcia redressed Jared's Tattoo and He attended to hers. Oliver gave the shots to both of them in quick succession and quickly put the case away in Jared's pack.
'You may feel slightly sick for a couple of minutes.' Jared looked at me, 'Anything so far?'
'Nope.' I felt exactly the same.
‘I’m not doing that well Jared.’ admitted Marcia. She was sitting on the lower bunk and leaned forward.
‘It will pass,’ he spoke very softly now, ‘just breathe…’
‘Ok.’ she said in a small voice and looked up, ‘I’m sorry about the business with the knife. I lost control Captain. It won’t happen again.’
‘I think you did ok,’ he said, ‘you stopped before… it went any further.’
Marcia just groaned.
‘It’s the dose.’ said Oliver.
‘No.’ Jared looked at him sharply, ‘I need everyone to focus. I know why we all feel so… out of whack.’
‘What’s happening?’ I was beginning to feel strange now too.
‘We are nearer to the substance that causes the distortion, than we have ever been,’ said Jared, ‘you may experience certain…. Err visions that may cause you to doubt your sanity. You may feel extremely paranoid, or confused or angry. I need us all to focus on the task. Just the task. Nothing else. The drugs will provide us with a temporary antidote to the things you are beginning to experience.’
‘So let me get this straight,’ I said, ‘if I feel like I’m going to puke it’s a good sign? It means George’s Number One Concoction is helping me?’
‘Yea. That’s about the size of it.’ Jared grimaced, ‘Five minutes!’ he added and ran into the small cave that was laughingly labelled “Privates Only” above the gap where the curtain was strung.
We checked that we were strapped tight and ready. Marcia was very pale, but looked determined in a grim kind of way. Jared came in looking distinctly green, but fastened his pack on tightly without a murmur.
‘Just be aware.’ He said hoarsely, ‘that we are keeping back the tide of Consequence. Things may change around you in strange ways. Ignore all of it. The dual shot in the speedball, interferes just enough with the reality repeat patterns for us to still see them but not be caught up in them. Whatever happens be back at the dell with Andre and the others by 12 tomorrow. Ok. Synchronise everyone.’ We all checked watches.
We all moved in a line across the now quiet cave. There was a solitary lamp burning dim on the camping table and absolutely no one about.
Just them I heard laughter. I almost turned to look to my left.
‘Davey. Focus!’ Jared said sharply. The sound faded into an impression like a memory, then vanished all together.
We picked our way across this cave that now appeared so long abandoned. Jared clicked on his torch to low beam. A few dusty boxes were in the way. We picked our way around them. A few minutes later we had found our way to another of those rubber lined corridors. Jared had already shown us a drawn layout to the cells. Oliver and Marcia paired up to get Janey. I was with Jared to get our Men out.
‘Be sure you’re back at the dell by noon.’ Jared seemed to be labouring the point somewhat; and I was feeling too queasy to be upset about the way he’d arranged our tasks.
One last look and we headed in opposite directions down the corridor. Jared suddenly gripped my arm. I looked down and found I had nearly stumbled into….. shall I describe it? Was it a body? Or a man asleep? Not a place to take a kip. We passed it, and carried on. I counted steps as I went. In the absence of lights or physical reference points that were reliable I created my own personal map inside my mind. We then came to a junction of four corridors. We took the right, continued thirty paces, then found a gap in the corridor wall. It was a dusty narrow hole, a bit like the one we had followed to get into the camp Elland ran.
‘Is it ok to talk?’ I whispered. I felt a bit of communication between Jared and myself might keep me on the level.
‘Yea. Sure… at the moment.’
‘We’re in a very old place.’ I said, ‘It’s like the past… like a museum or something.’
‘I do see what you mean.’ He shone his torch at an old rusty wall lamp.
‘The forest was like a New Place. Kind of fresh and unspoiled. We come from somewhere in between that.’ I saw Jared was smiling at me, ‘Well that’s just my feeling.’ I added defensively.
‘No. No, you’re right….’ He found an old metal ammunition case in the soft arc of the torchlight, ‘This place....it is as if all bits of history are trying to run at once. We move from one place to another and different bits of the time sequence take over.’
‘Where has Elland gone?’
‘He’s still there looking at his map and drinking his second cup of coffee. He may remember for a moment that we were there and then after their next notable thing draws his attention away, we’ll be a forgotten dream.’
‘Why do we always seem to remember?’
‘Do we?’
‘Uhh…’ I thought about this. Quite clearly I missed the obvious truth that you wouldn’t know you’d forgotten a reality. It wasn’t like losing one’s biro down the back of the settee. That was still in the same reality. Then again…. There was this time back home when a DVD I owned simply was not there. I told Jared this.
‘No. That’s just normal weirdness. It happens to everyone.’
‘I’ll do you a deal,’ I said cheerfully, ‘when we get home, I’ll get a new copy of it. And then invit
e you and Marcia round for chilli with rice, and a vat of very cold beer.’
‘Sounds great! You mean to say that beneath that soft college boy exterior, there is a Man who can cook?’
‘I guess so. I’ll even do popcorn. I want to impress your girlfriend!’
‘Yea…. I mean Yes. Agreed.’ Jared seemed light hearted and pleased, ‘you do know what George put in this Davey don’t you?’
‘I’m guessing something to neutralise Paranoia?’
‘Yes! Right again.’ He traced his torch a few yards further on, and added, ‘I think we’re nearly there.’