General Tao continued to hang around the laboratory after the test, which made Charlie nervous. The scientist was well aware of the irony in trying to prevent the Americans from militarising the technology by turning it into a weapon themselves. It was a dangerous tactic and if it back-fired the consequences did not bear thinking about.
‘Excellent work, Professor,’ the general said. ‘You bring much honour to the Motherland.’
There was an air of prejudice in the general’s voice. The emphasis he placed on referring to China as the Motherland served to remind Charlie that he was an outsider. Born in Australia to mixed Chinese and Vietnamese parentage, if not for his undoubted brilliance and experience in the field, the general would never have tolerated him on his team.
‘It will take them months to rebuild,’ Charlie replied. ‘If we are lucky, Emmy will find a way out during that time. Without her, their project is dead in the water.’
‘That is not something we need to worry about.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Is it not obvious? Dr Rayne will come to us.’
The icy confidence in the general’s voice filled Charlie with dread. He had not encountered such coldness since confronting his late mentor, Jackson Fox. The full extent of the trap he had helped to set was finally setting in. Tao did not want to simply stop Emmy Rayne, he wanted to capture her.
***
A team worked through the night in an attempt to combat and assess the damage. They managed to quarantine the virus, but only after losing nearly sixty percent of the infected files. This rendered the astral projection units completely unusable and they were expected to remain out of action for some time. Emmy was relieved to be given a respite from her contract with the Americans, but another part of her thought that she should be more concerned than ever.
She often wondered why her grandfather had spared Charlie’s life when he had not hesitated in trying to take hers. The old man was not the type to act out of sentimentality. Even in his final days, when driven crazy by the radiation poisoning, he had to have had a reason. If her instincts were correct and that reason was what she now suspected, they were in more danger than ever.
She arranged to meet Esteban in his quarters as hers were still subject to 24 hour surveillance. His room was sparse, even more so than her own. He had no personal possessions on display, not even a photograph of a relative or a loved one. There were a few books, but none appeared to be for pleasure reading. They mostly consisted of a selection of works on astrophysics and quantum mechanics. There was one, however, which caught her eye. It was on Tibetan philosophy.
‘I take it you didn’t come here to socialise,’ said Esteban.
‘Your powers of deduction are impressive,’ Emmy replied. ‘Have you ever considered a career in science rather than the military?’
‘Very funny, Dr Rayne, but I could probably say the reverse of you. Dozens of soldiers lost their lives in Jackson’s Hill, yet you survived. Something tells me this was down to more than just luck.’
Esteban was seated on the end of his bed. He made no effort to accommodate his visitor. There was one chair in the room, but she did not take it, she preferred instead to lean against the doorframe.
‘It’s fitting you’ve brought this up,’ she said. ‘It’s actually what I wanted to talk with you about.’
‘Why you survived the massacre?’
‘Not exactly. I want to try and figure out why my grandfather spared Charlie but tried to kill me.’
‘I am assuming you already have a theory on this?’
She nodded.
‘In that case, I fail to see what I can possibly add. You’re the genius, not I.’
‘Pops might have succumbed to insanity, but he was once a great man. Even in the end, I think there was at least some good in him. He knew the danger of the astral technology being under the control of one government. I think he wanted Charlie to switch sides. It’s just like the cold war. If one side has nukes, they’re a weapon, but if both sides have them...’
‘...they become a deterrent,’ Esteban finished for her. ‘And now you’re worried the astral technology will become a weapon now it’s held by only one side again. Knowing you as I do, I’m guessing you don’t think rebuilding is the solution to this problem.’
‘You saw what the Chinese are capable of. It wouldn’t take much fine tuning to adapt their weapon into being able to zap the life right out of a living body. With that kind of power, you don’t need nukes.’
Esteban was quick to figure out what Emmy was thinking.
‘You want to go back, don’t you?’ He shook his head to indicate his disagreement, but his smile revealed his true thoughts on the matter. He liked her tenacity. ‘To do so would be madness,’ he carried on. ‘Even if we get the machine up and running, their defences make our ability to astral travel completely redundant.’
‘I’m not suggesting we go back as astral travellers.’
‘You want to launch a physical assault on that place? What happened to zapping the life right out of our bodies?’
‘I doubt they’re that advanced yet, but it doesn’t matter either way. We’ll have the advantage this time.’
‘What makes you think that?’
‘We have Jimmy.’
***
The radioactive by-product of each astral jump was channelled directly into a containment facility buried almost a mile underground. Nobody knew what the half life of the radiation was or if it was possible to create a cure. General Tao had enlisted a small group of elite scientists to probe its properties, but a cure was far from the top of his agenda.
Not even Professor Nguyen had access to this level of research. The young scientist was not even aware it was going on. If he had been, he would not have been nearly as accommodating to the general’s requests.
‘How close are we?’ the general asked his chief scientist in charge of the project.
‘It will not be long,’ the scientist replied. ‘We have managed to distil a liquid infused with the radioactive by-product. We are now working on diluting the dosage to a safe level.’
‘Excellent. And when do you expect to begin the trials?’
The scientist paused, fearing how what he was about to say would be taken.
‘General, I do not wish to speak out of turn, but the timeframes you have set may not be achievable.’
‘What exactly do you mean, Doctor?’
As was usual, no emotion could be detected behind the general’s words. One could be staring at a possible commendation or facing an execution. It was impossible to tell.
‘We have already begun testing on rodents, General. There have been...complications.’
‘What sort of complications?’
‘At first, the subjects acted as predicted. I have never seen an animal clear the maze in such a short time. They definitely show evidence of a higher awareness, which is in keeping with your predictions.’
‘So what is the problem, Doctor?’
The scientist directed his eyes to the floor. There was no honour in the words he was about to utter.
‘General, they...devoured...one another.’
Tao paused whilst weighing up the options. It did not take long for him to come to a conclusion. Sentimentality had no part to play in his line of work. Neither did morality.
‘This changes nothing. In fact, you have made excellent progress, Doctor. The program is to proceed as planned. Am I understood?’
The scientist bowed before his superior.
‘Yes, General. We will commence human testing immediately.’
Chapter 23
When Emmy caught up with him, Jimmy was standing by the viewing window looking into the medical bay. Since the incident where he had turned off his mother’s life support, he was reluctant to enter the room.
‘We will find a way, you know,’ Emmy told him. ‘I have a friend who may be able to help us. Governments hold grudges, but scientists don’t. Who knows what adv
ancements they’ll have made? They may even be close to a cure.’
‘I don’t see it.’ Jimmy replied.
‘You’re talking about your extra sense?’
He offered her a half hearted shrug.
‘What’s the furthest in advance you’ve ever seen?’ she asked him.
‘Never more than a few hours at best, but it’s mostly just minutes or even seconds. Sometimes it’s so close it feels like there’s hardly any separation at all. That’s when I sort of let it guide my actions as if I’m just a puppet. It’s like I can react to the visions before I can even know what’s going on with them when this happens. Do you remember the first time I found you?’
‘Of course I remember. You caught everything I threw at you; even the snake. And you’ve honed your abilities so much since then.’
Jimmy turned away from her, trying to hide his emotions.
‘What’s wrong?’ asked Emmy. ‘What are you not telling me?’
He kept his eyes averted from hers.
‘I sometimes wonder why I can’t see into the far off future. Do you know why I think that is?’
Emmy did not answer, waiting instead for him to tell her.
‘It’s because I have no long term future,’ he added. ‘One day I’m going to see my own death and there won’t be a thing I can do to stop it.’
‘And you think this will happen soon?’
‘I don’t know. I mean, this mission we’ve been asked to go on. There’s a good chance we won’t make it back, isn’t there?’
Emmy smiled
‘I’m actually counting on that,’ she replied. ‘Of course, that doesn’t mean we all have to die.’
‘It doesn’t?’
‘If you can’t see the future, it means the future isn’t set. Nothing more. Anything is possible. You just have to have faith.’
He frowned, through mental effort rather than disapproval.
‘Do you have faith?’ he asked.
She reached out and placed her right hand on his left shoulder in a reassuring, almost maternal way.
‘I have faith in you, Jimmy. Trust me – that’ll be enough.’
***
After experiencing a partial insight into Emmy’s memories on their shared trip, Esteban was troubled. Rather than confront her about it directly, he decided he needed to gather more information first. When questioned, the colonel had confirmed the soldier’s suspicions, and now he wanted to know what his superior’s plan was. Their meeting was not going well, although only one of them knew this. So far as the colonel was aware, Esteban was completely onboard with the mission.
‘How long have you known this?’ asked Esteban.
‘We figured it out the day you brought her in,’ replied the colonel. ‘She failed the psyche test, but we weren’t able to move forward without her. Is this going to be a problem for you?’
‘She’s not crazy?’
‘Our experts say otherwise. As does the body in the private medical bay. If you have an alternative explanation, I’ll be glad to hear it.’
Esteban looked to the floor. He thought back to what he had witnessed in the cell that night. It defied all logic, but he had witnessed it with his own eyes. Unlikely as it seemed, Emmy was telling the truth about her time in hiding.
‘I didn’t think so,’ said the colonel, taking the other man’s silence to be a response in itself. ‘This may be the only leverage we hold. It’s the one thing that can keep Emmy Rayne in line, but if she discovers what we’re hiding before she’s ready, it could break her. You do understand the importance of keeping this between us, don’t you?’
He did not, but he did see the importance in staying on the colonel’s good side.
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Excellent. Should she at any time look like she’s going to betray us, you know what to do.’
‘And what about Jimmy?’
The colonel softened his demeanour and leaned back in his chair, adopting a more relaxed position. Esteban had come to think of this as the colonel’s politician’s stance. He knew instantly that he was about to be told a lie.
‘You’ve grown quite fond of our gifted guest, haven’t you?’ replied the colonel.
Esteban shrugged.
‘Don’t worry, we’ll look after him,’ the colonel added. ‘Once the mission is over, he’ll be released. Under certain conditions, naturally.’
‘Naturally,’ repeated Esteban.
The soldier returned to his quarters. He now had all the information he needed. It was obvious that the conditions the colonel spoke of for Jimmy’s release would include a wooden box. There was no way he could continue to serve on this program. He suspected that Emmy would also be looking for a way out sooner rather than later. When the time came, he intended to help her take it.
Chapter 24
The plan was to use stealth rather than force. A team consisting of just four members was assembled for the mission. Emmy was supposedly in charge, but she did not really believe this. Whilst she had the unique knowledge to interpret whatever technological defences they may come up against and hopefully to be able to predict the enemy’s manoeuvres, she certainly did not have the trust of the colonel. This was most definitely a military operation at its core and as such, she knew it was the military that would be calling the shots.
Along with Esteban, a second soldier had been assigned to watch over Emmy. His name was Sgt. Jack Berry. He was a few years younger than his colleague and as such, possessed the enthusiasm and unflinching dedication to duty of one who still has it all to prove. Emmy was naturally wary around any new faces, but Esteban appeared to trust this man so she was willing to give him a chance.
The final member of the crew was Jimmy. The young psychic was to be their secret weapon. He may have proven redundant on the earlier astral assault against the Chinese, but in the physical realm his powers would give them the edge they surely needed. He was unique. No matter how much more advanced the enemy may have become, they would have nothing quite like Jimmy. Between the four of them, this small band had the skills and knowledge equal to an entire battalion of regular service personnel.
It was deemed too risky for them to enter Chinese airspace, so they decided to do the drop over Nepal. Once on the ground they would then cross the border on foot. This was where Jimmy’s gifts were to be called upon. He was to help them find the safest passage through the mountains. When you have a psychic on the team, you do not need a map or even a compass.
As soon as they were in the air, Emmy felt more relaxed than she had done in a long time. With the exception of her intermittent astral journeys, she had begun to fear she would never leave the claustrophobic confines of the secret base. Now she was thousands of miles away, about to enter a country the Americans had zero jurisdiction over. She even allowed herself a smile.
‘Do you care to share the joke?’ asked Esteban.
‘Huh?’
‘It’s the first time I’ve seen you smile. I figure there’s gotta be a reason.’
‘Oh, I didn’t realise. Sorry.’
Esteban unclasped his belt and moved to the seat next to the scientist. Though small, the plane’s hold had been designed to accommodate many more bodies than its current occupants and as such they had the space to move freely.
‘We’re not in the base now,’ he told her. ‘The colonel has no authority over us out here.’
‘Soldiers are built to follow orders,’ she replied.
Esteban shook his head whilst laughing to himself.
‘Not this soldier. I’ve spent a lot of time in the field. You soon learn that orders are...flexible.’
She raised her eyebrows.
‘Is the colonel aware of this philosophy you have?’
‘I don’t know. Are you going to ask him?’
Emmy turned away from him.
‘I know what you’re trying to do,’ she said. ‘Your problem is that you see goodness where there’s none.’
‘And yours is that you
do not see it when it is staring you in the face. I’ve seen inside your soul just as you have mine. You and I both know we can trust one another, yet you still hold back.’
She hesitated. What happened during their shared astral trip had previously gone unsaid. She now wondered how much of her thoughts he had seen. Could she really trust him or was it a trick? There was only one way for her to know for sure.
‘Okay, if you must know, I was thinking of Lucy. When we were in hiding we agreed to avoid flying. She made such a big deal about it. If she could see me now...’
Esteban searched her eyes for any signs of grief or regret, but could see none.
‘This Lucy – you still love her?’
‘Of course, can you ever stop; loving somebody, I mean? How about you – what happened to the girl I saw in your memories?’
Esteban shifted uneasily. Whilst he had a talent for reading others, he was not so good at expressing his own emotions.
‘You’ll have to be more specific,’ he told her. ‘There’ve been many.’
‘I think you know the one I mean. Redhead. She was the reason you tried to turn your back on this life.’
‘That’s complicated. And it’s very different to your situation. She and I were never really together. Her heart belonged to a friend and I helped them when they needed it. My job was merely to keep her out of harm and that was what I did.’
‘Did you ever see her again?’
‘Yes, our paths did cross once more. That’s actually the reason I ended up returning to service.’
‘Do you care to elaborate?’
‘Not at this time - no. We’ll be in position shortly. We should begin our preparations.’
Rather than risking a landing, the team would be parachuting in from 16,000ft. With neither Emmy nor Jimmy having any experience in this regard, they were required to jump tandem with the soldiers.
Diamond Sky Trilogy Box Set: Books 1-3 Page 48