Fortunately for Van, Officer Howard of the Rancho Bernardo Police was short and concise with his questions.
“That will do for now, Mr. Childs. There was no damage except to you and your car, so we don’t expect any complaints. You were also going the speed limit, as your frozen speedometer and the witnesses who saw the accident indicate. Here’s my card if you think of anything more. I have your phone number from your admittance sheet and will call if I need to. Thank you for your assistance.”
Officer Howard turned and departed, soon to be followed by a semiconfused and tottering Van.
“What do you mean he’s gone?” said an angry Dick Carson to Ross Taylor in the lobby of the hospital. This can’t be happening, he thought to himself.
“All I know, boss, is that after I was finally able to talk to you, I went back to his room and he was gone. Discharged,” said Ross, contrite.
“You weren’t gone that long, were you?”
“Maybe forty minutes. Couldn’t get cell service in the hospital and had to find a phone to use and then waited for you to get on the line before going back to his room.”
“OK. What’s done is done. You say he headed home to Chula Vista?”
“That’s what the nurse said.”
“Then we’re going there now.”
“Yes, sir. Our cars are waiting outside.”
“I’ll drive alone. You guys follow.”
On the way to Chula Vista, Dick used his implant to contact Harry. “Harry, are you listening?”
“Yes, Mr. Carson. I need to tell you that I have lost contact with Mr. Childs.”
“I was afraid of that. He was involved in an accident and took a grazing hit to the left side of his head. The occipital area, the nurse said. Isn’t that the side of the implant?”
“Yes, Mr. Carson. And that may be the reason the system is not functioning, especially if the surrounding tissue is traumatized. The device is hard to disable, but the sensory connections may be impaired.”
“I’m betting that’s the trouble. More importantly, from what Ross says, he may have lost some of his memory.”
“Not uncommon in head injuries, Mr. Carson.”
“Yeah, that’s what I understand. But if he has lost his memory of you, Site R, and all that he’s been planning, we have a bigger problem.”
“More than you know, Mr. Carson. I see that you are on your way to his house in Chula Vista. May I listen in when you talk with him?” asked Harry.
“That’s a given, Harry. I should be there in about thirty minutes.” Dick was in a hurry to assess Van’s condition for himself. He hoped it wasn’t as bad as it sounded, but he feared that it was.
Thirty-five minutes later, both cars reached Van’s house.
“You guys wait out here while I go talk with Van,” Dick said, motioning his men back to their car. I need to talk with him before anybody else does. No telling what he’s thinking or how he might react to a careless comment, Dick thought as he strode up the short walk and pressed Van’s doorbell.
“Dick Carson, what a surprise,” Van said as he answered the door. “Come in, come in. What brings you here?”
“I was in the area on business when I heard about your accident. So I wanted to drop by to see how you’re doing,” Dick said with a worried look.
Leading his friend to a comfortable couch, Van continued, “Accident. Yes, I’m told a tire blew and caused the car to go out of control.”
“So you don’t remember why you were on your way to Rancho Bernardo?”
“Nope. I do some work with a friend of mine there. But I’m not aware of any project going on now,” Van said as he looked toward the ceiling and thought about why he might have been going there.
“I see. You were probably going to see your friend when it happened.” Then Dick offered a trick statement to test Van’s memory. “By the way, Harry says to say hello and wonders when you’ll be able to see him at the site.”
“Harry? Harry who? And what site are you talking about?”
He really has lost some memory. “Oh, my mistake, I was thinking about another person. Jet lag and business seem to take more out of me these days,” Dick said, covering up for the clumsy but effective test of Van’s memory. He didn’t think it was wise to say too much, at least until Harry had a chance to examine Van.
“I understand that, with as much travel as I do.”
“So what are your immediate plans? Can I help?”
“Well, Dr. Aldrich seems to think I need to go to Balboa for some additional exams. Except for the headache, however, I feel fine. I’ll play that one by ear. Other than that, I’m staying right here for a while. How about you?” asked Van.
“Well I’m supposed to be in town for a week or more. If you don’t mind, I’d like to stop in now and then to see how you’re doing. Maybe go grocery shopping if you need it,” Dick said.
“Love to have the company, Dick, anytime. But I can save you from the grocery. My neighbors have already gone to the store for me. Couldn’t say no.”
“Well good. Then I’ll take off for now, but I’ll be back tomorrow when I have more time to see how you’re doing.” Dick had learned all he wanted for now.
“This was an unexpected pleasure, and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow,” Van said, leading his guest out the door.
Back in his car, Dick contacted Harry. “I guess you heard all that, Harry. It’s more problematic than I thought.”
“I agree, Mr. Carson. He seems to have forgotten all about discovering the site, the Host, and what his goals were. Not good at all.”
“But you can fix him, right? That is, when we get him to Site R?”
“Maybe, Mr. Carson. The human brain is a ‘complicated thing,’ as you would say.”
“But don’t you agree that we should get him to you as soon as possible?”
“Get him here, yes, and not to the hospital, where the implant and his nanites will be revealed. Perhaps you could invite him to the cabin, suggesting it is yours. He can rest there and enjoy being away from the city, which I suspect is still a desire of his. We can take some time with him here.”
“Sounds like a plan, Harry. If I’m any good at manipulation, I should have him there in a day or so. One more thing: Shouldn’t we remove his peresonal effects from the cabin so that it appears to be mine?”
“Good idea, Mr. Carson. I will be prepared.”
Dick got out of his car and went over to chat briefly with Ross. “Did they take any blood samples at the hospital?”
“Not that I know of. But I’ll check.”
“Please do,” Dick said, then returned to his car and departed.
Blood samples at this point might reveal the nanites in Van’s system, and they would be hard to explain. If samples were taken, the records would not be there long.
It didn’t take much coaxing to get Van to agree to a trip to a mountain cabin with cool breezes and peace and quiet. Dick pretended it was a property he had purchased recently.
Two days later, he picked Van up early in the morning, and they were at the cabin by late afternoon.
As they pulled up to the cabin, Van said, “You know, if I didn’t know better, I’d say that you read my mind about what I wanted to have. This is beautiful! I’m really attracted to it in some way.”
“Thanks. The cabin is small but comfortable. It’s getting late. What say we have a bite to eat and then hit the sack? Tomorrow we can go exploring if you want.”
“Again, you read my mind, Dick.”
Several hours later Dick contacted Harry. “I slipped Van the sedative you left and he’s out like a light. What’s next?”
“I left a recently produced wheelchair in the closet next to the front door, Mr. Carson. If you can place Commander Childs into it and wheel him to the spot in front of the fireplace, I will send you both down in the elevator. I have already moved the medical chamber to Level 5 to meet you.”
“On our way, Harry,” Dick said as he pulled the chai
r from the closet and went to retrieve Van. I hope this works!
When the elevator doors opened to Level 5, Harry was there to greet them. “Hello, Mr. Carson,” said the holographic image. “The two robots here maneuvered the chamber to this level and can assist you with getting Commander Childs into it.”
“Ah, OK,” said Dick, surprised at seeing the yellow-striped robots for the first time. “Later, perhaps you can explain these things, but now here we go.”
With the assistance of the robots, he managed to lift and then place Van gently into the chamber. The clear cover lowered itself.
Dick saw lights glow and heard a humming noise start from the machine. “Now what?” he asked.
“Now we wait, Mr. Carson. The chamber will assess the commander’s condition and, if able, effect the needed repairs. It may take an hour before we know anything.”
Resigned, Dick sat back in a nearby chair and waited. He didn’t remember when he dozed off, but he awoke with a start as the machine gave a loud beep an hour later and the clear cover opened.
“It seems to be done, Harry. Is that a good sign?”
To Dick, Harry was slow to respond, but what felt like minutes was only seconds before Harry said, “Yes and no, Mr. Carson. The good news is that the commander’s brain and skull have not received serious physical damage and the nanites have corrected minor issues.”
“OK, what’s the bad news?”
“The chamber’s assessment capability, while quite advanced, Mr. Carson, cannot offer an explanation as to why the commander’s memory has been impaired or how it might be returned to normal.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Dick said with alarm.
“I do not kid, Mr. Carson. There is no physiological reason for his memory to be impaired.”
“You mean it might be psychological?”
“Unknown, Mr. Carson. All I know is that there is no apparent cure for his problem in the Host’s medical lexicon. The best I can say is that in time his memory may return.”
How this could be the best of anything, Dick didn’t know. But he kept his emotions under control.
“I see, or at least I understand, what you just said. How will that affect the goals that you and he had in mind?”
“I am afraid, Mr. Carson, that without the cooperation of Commander Childs, I am helpless to do anything on my own.”
“Can’t you put him back in the learning chair and teach him over again?”
“Not in his current state, Mr. Carson. The process the chair uses requires a healthy brain. I can do nothing until or unless he recovers… or another advanced human presents him – or herself.”
This is bad news, Dick thought. Without Van, all their plans and ideas would be worthless. Then a horrible thought hit him.
“What if Meier shows up? Could he then take over all of these operations?”
“Given time, it is possible, Mr. Carson. If, in my estimation, the commander cannot revert to his earlier state, I will again be open to another’s control if they meet the Host standards.”
“How much time?” asked Dick.
“Uncertain, Mr. Carson. There is no formula or standard instruction for this unless the person in control dies or elects not to continue.”
“So all of this technology is now unusable until Van remembers or another takes his place?”
“Yes, Mr. Carson. Any technology already released continues in use, but nothing more, including Big Brother, the shuttles, and any other technology still controlled at this site.”
There must be a way to keep things moving so when Van recovers we can have as little time lost as possible. Then Dick had an idea and asked, “What were the last instructions he gave you?”
“There were two explicit tasks, Mr. Carson. First, to modify one or more of the shuttles to make them appear more like a conventional aircraft. Second, he wanted me to create a physical body for myself so that, as he phrased it, I could actually ‘give him a hand.’ And even though we don’t currently have the funding to help research projects and he did not give me a direct task, he mentioned that it would be a good idea to develop processes and deliver white papers to a number of research organizations around the world. I have identified thirty-five potential candidates. Most are on the verge of great success, and several more just need a ‘little boost,’ as you say, to move to the next level.”
“And what have you done with those direct and indirect tasks?”
“I started all three projects, Mr. Carson, but suspended the work when the commander was injured.”
“But they were directions or strong suggestions to you when he had his full memory and faculties, correct?”
“Correct, Mr. Carson.”
“Then it seems to me you are obligated to complete all three of those tasks.”
“That is true, Mr. Carson. I will continue on those in anticipation that they will be of use.”
With some relief, Dick said, “Good to hear, Harry. Any last suggestions before I take Van back to the cabin?”
“Only that you might try stimulating his memory with photos, stories, or people he either knows or knew, Mr. Carson.”
“Why not let him wander around the site? Perhaps there are things here that will trigger memories.”
“I cannot take that risk, Mr. Carson. If the commander is not fully in control of his mind, I cannot reveal the Secrets to him again. They will have to come back naturally.”
For the next two days, Dick walked Van around the property, including the area in which Van had discovered the access doors to the site. Dick was hoping that some sight might trigger the return of his memory. But no results. Before they left the cabin to return to Chula Vista, all Dick could do was tell Van about Stellar Projects and that he had a business to fall back on. But overall, the future did not seem promising for either Van or the budding relationship with the Carson Group.
Meier was at his desk, going through reports from his various business enterprises. He was looking forward to having lunch with two young women he kept in comfortable places in town. He hadn’t seen them for several weeks, and he was in the mood for their entertainment. In the background came the melodic tones of a Schubert piece played by a renowned quintet. Is it opus 163 or 164? he asked himself. No matter, it is brilliant.
Just then the phone rang, tearing him away from his work and pleasure. What the hell is this! he nearly said aloud.
“Hello, and this better be good!”
“It is, Peter, it is,” came the voice of a happy Eric Borman.
“Tell me.”
“Childs has been injured in an auto accident.”
“How badly?” Meier asked, worrying that if Childs were to die now, he might never find the secrets to his technologies.
“Our sources at the hospital say he has a concussion and some memory loss.”
“How much memory loss?” Meier asked, concern growing.
“Unknown at present, but it seems to be at least short-term.”
“That is better news. So why are you calling just for this?”
“I thought you would like to be kept up-to-date, and I am thinking that this will slow him down to some extent.”
“Yes, that would be a help. Thank you, Eric.” Eager to return to his planned luncheon, he ended the call, though his thoughts stayed on this new development.
Yes, this is good as long as Childs’s memory is not permanently damaged. Anything slowing him down can only benefit me. I think I will take a longer lunch today. Meier smiled.
CHAPTER 29
The same day, back in Virginia, Brice and Barbara were taking a break from their planning duties for several Carson projects. Brice looked over at Barbara, whose mind was drifting.
“So why don’t you go see him?” he asked.
“What?” Barbara said, coming out of her reverie. She knew what Brice was hinting at but didn’t want to admit it.
“I said, why don’t you go see him?” he repeated.
Now she had no choice but to
give in and respond. But she frowned, giving a subtle signal to Brice to tread carefully. “What good would that do? As far as he’s concerned, he last saw me over eight years ago, and that was not a good experience.”
“True. But Dick said that he might need some sort of emotional shock to get his memory back. Can you think of a bigger one than finding you on his doorstep?”
“If you had asked me that several months ago, I would have agreed. But now the circumstances are different.”
“How so?”
Barbara waited a bit before answering, collecting her thoughts. “Years ago, I was the one who wanted to leave and he was the one wanting me to stay. This time it seems like the reverse.”
“So you might experience the same rejection you imposed on him? Hardly seems fair, does it?”
“When you put logic to it like that, it’s hard to disagree. Still, it’s a hard step to make.”
“So, as my sainted grandmother used to say, ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’”
“True, but now you’re being too logical.” This was the signal to Brice to end the conversation.
“Just trying to help. Ready to start again on the intelligence review?”
“Yes,” said Barbara. But perhaps there was something in what Brice said. What if he doesn’t recognize me as the new Barbara—which he probably won’t. Do I want to go through all the turmoil again?
Back in Chula Vista two days later, Van was feeling good. No headaches—or any pain, for that matter. He was thinking about the mountain trip he and Dick had taken just a few days ago. That was a great place. I’d love to have something just like it. Smiling and still thinking of the cabin, he started to cook dinner for himself when the doorbell rang.
Now what? he thought as he wiped his hand on a kitchen towel, walked to the door, and opened it.
“Hi,” said a five-foot-seven good-looking brunette with alluring brown eyes.
Stunned at unexpectedly seeing his old flame Barbara Fuller, all Van could do was stand in rigid surprise and say, “What are you doing here?”
Future Discovered: Host Saga Book 1 Page 19