Return to Wardate

by Bill Cornwell

  ‘How surreal, the feeling is a flood of negative emotion. I want you end my life,’ said the professor, analysing the situation.

  ‘Well let me do it you evil hoar. The world will be better off without you. Let go of my hand,’ growled Madeline.

  ‘No I won’t!’ said the professor resolutely.

  ‘Kill her!’ shouted Barton through Madeline’s audio system.

  For the next five minutes, Madeline tried to wriggle out of the grip so she could activate her laser weapon with her thumb and forefinger but the professor held on tightly. Madeline invented a whole set of new words to insult and offend the professor. Tears rolled down the Professor’s face but she still was thinking rationally unlike Madeline. She didn’t want to die today.

  Finally the level of tinnitus died down and then disappeared – it was over.

  Madeline burst into tears, hugged the professors and kissed her cheek despite the grime. She was completely inconsolable. This rebound effect lasted for almost half an hour. Finally the tears dried up and the whole affair was pretty much put down to experience.

  ‘Impressive eh? You’ve just felt the overwhelming effect of this… whatever it is,’ said Madeline.

  ‘Unbelievable – absolute genius definitely but completely out of order,’ said the professor giving a fair and well balanced assessment.

  ‘Of course you do realise your officially dead now. Until I track down who’s behind all this and do what I’m getting pretty good at, you’ll have to keep your head down. No answering the door to anystrangers. I really am sorry I’ve got you involved,’ said Madeline.

  ‘Couldn’t be helped, you have a job to do. Please, stay tonight. I have a spare bed. I know what you’re thinking – it’s clean. You do realise this grime and my stained clothes is all for effect. I’m clean underneath… honest.

  ‘I will, thanks, that’s kind of you but first I have to go for a little walk and do a little fibbing and a little bollocking.’

  ‘I understand,’ said the Professor.

  Madeline walked for a few hundred yards until she came to the cliff edge with a pebble cove below. It was blissfully peaceful. The sun was quietly dipping on the sea, seagulls swooped by and the long grasses swayed energetically in the wild fresh wind. Although she didn’t particularly feel the cold, she experienced the breeze in her hair, it was invigorating. The over exposure of her optics triggered built in polaroid filters - she could now she the perfect sunset. It was a wonderful place to live, perhaps one day in the distant future she would settle down here with Adam and do her utmost to get old together.

  She turned off the little jamming device.

  ‘Nuttall!’

  As usual, a short time passed before he returned her call.

  ‘Madeline, are you okay? We keep loosing connection.’

  ‘I’m fine, Professor Braugenhau is dead, I sliced her with my laser,’ lied Madeline.

  ‘We all wanted her dead for several minutes.’

  ‘Nuttall, am I on loudspeaker?’

  ‘Yes, why is that a problem?’

  ‘For god sake turn it off!’

  ‘…Okay it’s off.’

  ‘Finally… Don’t you realise you’ve got a traitor in the camp. Haven’t you noticed, someone is always one step ahead… Have you used the data I sent with Adam yet?’

  ‘Adam? Haven’t seen him.’

  ‘For goodness sake, what kind of ministry of intelligence are you? The last time I spoke to him he was on his way to you in your helicopter… I assume it was your helicopter?’

  ‘Right, right, leave it with us, I’ll get someone to go over the CCTV footage.’

  ‘No, please… do it yourself, the traitor could be anyone. For some unfathomable reason, you’re the only one there I trust.’

  ‘Don’t worry, we’ll find him.’

  Nuttall, if you want me to find this Mark Titoo, I need a bit of professionalism.’

  ‘Okay, okay, point taken,’ replied Nuttall.

  There was no denying that Madeline was enjoying the moment. Nuttall had been a bully, had been demanding and cruelly unyielding but now, in Madeline’s eyes, he was been properly put in his place. She was now beginning to realise that it was her mission which meant she would have to do it all – she was a one woman army.

  She turned the jamming device back on.

  Chapter 15: Coley, polite to the end

  The return journey was definitely an anticlimax. As soon as the beautiful Scottish islands disappeared in the rear view mirror the grey mundane motorway appeared in front of her. From now on the journey was motorway, more motorway and then a bit more motorway. She wondered if the trip had been worth it. The Professor almost got killed – by her hand and now she was officially dead. So clearly the answer was no. The other people, scientists, and professors who worked with her all those years ago had not produced any leads… but there was something. Two innocent pieces of information that meant nothing on their own but when joined together meant an awful lot. Madeline didn’t know this, she just had a sixth sense that she had missed something. Unfortunately her human brain was insufficient to process all the data of her recent encounter, correlate the facts and come up with a lead as would a real robot. She turned her jamming device on.

  ‘Barton, how am… are things?’

  ‘You… are fine, if that’s what you mean.’

  ‘Any ideas how I can become screened from this ultrasound? That ‘V’ room seemed to do the trick. What do you think did the screening - the lead, the thick concrete, the high voltage?’

  ‘If it’s just straight forward ultrasound it’s probably just being absorbed by the earth. How far down did you say this ‘V’ room is?’

  ‘Thirty metres.’

  ‘There you are then, takes a lot to get through 30 metres of soil, clay and rock.’

  ‘Any chance of putting thirty metres of soil around my tank?’

  ‘I’ll see what I can do, leave it to me.’

  ‘You’re a star, lots of love.’

  She did it again. It was habitual but not false at all. She always said lots of love to her mother and used to put LOL on the end of her text messages - that was perfectly fine. Barton would just have to accept it, he was Pops - like a father to her and that was that.

  Madeline Bull had pointed out the obvious; there was a traitor in MI 7. Someone was apparently working for the enemy and clearly very close to Nuttall. Rarely was there need to examine the footage or even watch the cameras so the CCTV room was mostly unmanned.

  ‘Going for a coffee,’ said Nuttall hoping he wouldn’t be accompanied.

  Never before had he had to slink around but anyone could be the traitor. Eventually he reached the CCTV room, went in and locked the door behind him. He examined the previous day’s footage, morning was selected. Finally the footage of the helicopter landing was displayed. He watched Pike greeting Adam and then Pike delegating someone, who had his back to the camera, to escort Adam. Who the hell is that, said Nuttall to himself. He followed a series of cameras to the far west wing of the building, watched Adam being forced into a room. Finally the person turned around to face the camera.

  ‘Well, well, well, Chris Coley. Who would of thought,’ said Nuttall.

  A few seconds later there was a knock at the door. Nuttall turned the monitor off, unlocked the door and returned to the seat with his back to the door. A young good looking tall man with shoulder length dark brown hair walked in –it was Chris Coley.

  ‘Are you all right sir?’ he asked politely.

  ‘Fine, fine… you?’ said Nuttall, keeping his back to him.

  ‘Yes Sir. I hope everything is to your approval,’ said Coley nervously.

  ‘Certainly – if anything, I believe you’ve gone slightly beyond the call of duty,’ said Nuttall.

  ‘Sorry, really not following you sir,’ said Coley.’

  ‘Oh… I think you do.’

  Nuttall was prepared, Coley wasn’t despite having a loaded gun in his holster. Nuttal
l swung around on his chair and rapidly fired three bullets into Coley’s chest.

  ‘Are you all right! Everything to your approval! Sorry, sorry, sorry… sir, sir, sir… what a creep!’ said Nuttall to himself.

  Nuttall made no attempt to clean up but deleted the camera footage from the previous day before he left the CCTV room.

  The safest place in Capesdown hall was the ‘V’ room but Adam was too hungry and thirsty to be there, he hadn’t eaten or drank anything for over a day. Despite yelling, shouting and screaming, no one had heard him. No one ever ventured down the far end of the west wing. He could have been there for months, undiscovered. Of course, by then he would have been all skin and bone and dead. As it happened, Coley had purposely left the door unlocked so he could escape when ever he wanted - but Adam never thought to try the door, he assumed it was locked.

  Nuttall had apparently exposed his traitor – Coley was made an example of – he was mercilessly killed. Nuttall clearly would not stand for any insubordination.

  The canteen seemed like a perfectly safe place to compare notes whilst Adam chomped through a large English breakfast. Despite Coley being revealed as the MI7 traitor, his name didn’t appear on the memory stick – he was not a Resident of Wardate, of course he wasn’t.

  Coley’s life had ended abruptly. He had impeccable credentials and came to MI7 with a glowing reference from Paul Brownsword of all people. He gained a first class honours degree at Oxford and in his time had played hooker for the Harlequins. Sadly, he left a wife and two young daughters behind. Despite this, he wasn’t even allowed a proper funeral.

  Nuttall ordered his staff to search his belonging. They found an empty small tin box. It was lined in black felt and had two small indents. Small traces of earwax were a clear indication of what was missing. Inside Coley’s ears were tiny devices like hearing aids. No one would have seen them as his long hair covered his ears up. There was no doubt that the function of these devices was to cancel the ultrasound. The devices were sent to the lab. They also examined his Mobile phone.

  Madeline decided to stop off at Capesdown Hall – more than anything, she wanted to see Adam. Pike met her at the entrance and escorted her to Nuttall. Adam was by Nuttall’s side in his office. She checked that Adam had been well treated, well fed and had no bullet wounds anywhere before she turned to Nuttall.

  ‘So, have you got anywhere? The traitor problem solved?’

  ‘It was Coley, one of my best men, still can’t believe it. The boys in the lab are examining some devices he had in his ears which I assume masked the ultrasound. That’s about it. You achieve anything apart from killing Professor Braugenhau?’

  Madeline dearly wanted to laser the cynical look off his face but she refused to stoop to his level.

  ‘She was a lovely lady and if you had your own house in order, it wouldn’t have happened,’ Madeline raised her voice slightly.

  Nuttall, once again, was put in his place. Adam nodded his head with approval.

  ‘I can’t believe I got locked away under your noses,’ said Adam.

  ‘Well all that’s behind us now… We’re investigating one or two leads from Coley’s phone,’ said Nuttall.

  ‘Right, we’ll go back to the inn then,’

  ‘Before you go… we seem to be having trouble with the monitoring system we installed in you - must be the graphene lattice under your skin interfering with the signal.’ Nuttall reached into his desk drawer. ‘This is the latest state of the art, smart satellite phone wrist watch not available to the general public - sixty grand’s worth. Wear it and don’t loose it!’

  ‘Wow real James Bond stuff!’ said Adam excitedly.

  ‘James who?’ said Nuttall.

  Chapter 16: The hate begins

  Throughout the world it began.

  Hardly perceptible – a very faint high pitched noise influencing every single person on earth. Only when it was perfect quiet could you hear it and then, only when it was pointed out. The faint noise had to be deciphered, only the subconscious brain could do this, to the conscious, it was just a faint hiss. Not irritating, not invasive, not unpleasant, unnoticed by most. This was ultrasound.

  Madeline and Adam were left alone for many days. They knew it couldn’t last but they made the most of their time together. They could have journeyed back down south to familiar territory but Cheshire was pleasant and picturesque and the Inn was welcoming. Every evening in the snug, Adam would have his pint and Madeline her gin and tonic through a straw in her tank – it was all the same. Now used to her situation, life went on, she knew no different – well, actually, she did.

  She now felt well and strong. Drugs were no longer in her veins. Barton had mended her, made her well and was caring for her. On top of all this he had moved her real body to an undisclosed location. She knew full well that Barton couldn’t spend every minute of the day with her other self, he had a family, a wife and presumably a job but he seemed to be always there when Madeline called him.

  Their conversation never dried up, Madeline always had so much to talk about and Adam loved to listen.

  ‘What’s been the best bit up of your life as Madeline Bull?’ asked Adam.

  ‘Easy, the Isle of Sky. When this mission is over…’

  ‘When…’ repeated Adam.

  ‘…I’d like to go back. It’s a wonderful place.’

  ‘Ok, it’s a deal… so what’s been the worst?’

  ‘Don’t even have to think about it – my time in America - horrible place, horrible people. It wants wiping off the face of the Earth.’

  ‘I agree, god knows why we don’t all get together and finish them off,’ said Adam with clear rage.

  ‘Have another pint?’ encouraged Madeline.

  ‘No, had two already. That’s a point; I can’t tell how much you’ve had.’

  ‘Only had enough to make me mildly tipsy and loose limbed,’ said Madeline slightly slurring her words.

  At that moment an American couple were at the bar asking for a room.

  ‘No rooms available,’ said the barman.

  ‘Are you sure? We’ll take anything,’ said the American man.

  ‘I said… no rooms available… don’t you sort understand English?’ said the barman belligerently.

  The Americans left without a fuss. Several of the clientele including Adam and Madeline cheered and clapped in unison.

  ‘Come on then let’s go up, I’m developing a third leg,’ said Adam.

  ‘Better get that fixed then,’ said Madeline saucily.

  Both were completely oblivious to the conditioning going on between their ears.

  It had started.

  Drip by drip, faintly, the ultrasound was doing its worst. No one realised it, no one suspected that they were being brainwashed in the most subliminal way possible. The whole world was in on it - even people of the USA began to loath themselves. No one stopped to ask themselves why they hated the USA, hated the North Americans, hated anything to do with the US, they just did. It was impossible to oppose the negative thoughts. Hate felt good. Even the clergy joined in with sermons stirring up the revulsion of the land the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

  As days went by, the negative feelings continued to build. Americans became the vermin of the world. Once allies of the USA now became extremists in their views. Everything North American was boycotted. People stopped using their computers as they were all contaminated with Apple or Microsoft. MacDonald’s restaurants were boycotted - young children would rather eat broccoli than have a happy meal. No one watched The Simpsons anymore and anyone with the slightest American accent was stoned in the streets. No one cared to ask why this was happening, it was just was the right way to feel.

  There had been no contact from Nuttall for nearly a month. Not that Madeline was complaining but she really wanted to try out her new £60,000 watch. At random, she pressed a few buttons on it.

  ‘Nuttall, can you hear me?’ yelled Madeline towards her wrist.

  S
everal minutes went by before there was a reply.

  ‘Hi Madeline, almost forgotten about you.’

  ‘Got anywhere with Mark Titoo?’

  ‘He’s on the back burner – all seems to have gone quiet now anyway.

  More involved, at the moment, with the bastards on the other side of the Ocean.’

  ‘Send me over there. Could do with a bit of laser practice,’ said Madeline enthusiastically.

  ‘May take you upon that.’

  ‘Did you manage to duplicate Coley’s ear devices?’

  ‘Ear devices? ... Oh those, no, been side tracked as you can appreciate.’

  This was all so strange but Madeline couldn’t see it, nor could anyone else.

  The first nations to form a treaty against the USA were China and Russia – fairly predictably. Asia and Japan then followed, joining the treaty. All of Europe put aside any differences and united against a common cause. Even North and South Korea temporarily united against the evil USA. The Taliban and several other Islamic extremists groups set aside their blinkered visions and joined forced with their host countries. The countries of South America joined forces with Australia and New Zealand and everything in between. Eventually, in an historical event, all non-USA world countries joined a common cause – to wipe North America of the face of the planet.

  It was going to be a grossly one sided affair, the USA only having a thirteenth of the world population but everyone knew their capabilities. As it happened, this wasn’t really an issue. The people of the USA now loathed themselves. For some unknown reason they felt despondent, hated themselves and many were chronically depressed – the suicide rate soared. Of course they hadn’t particularly done anything to justify this world wide hatred and hadn’t done anything to be ashamed of or sad about.