by A M Russell
'Oh…' Hanson looked down; I think there was something that we had all missed. The Lorraine business was something that I couldn't think about clearly. The only person who was guaranteed to not want to either strangle her, or have sex with her - was Oliver. Not a comforting thought. It wasn't something that you could really understand unless you'd actually met her. I was glad that Davey would be quickly removed from her vicinity, despite his conviction that such a woman would have no effect on him; I thought the safe option was to keep her out of his way. Janey was frowning. I guessed rightly that Janey's opinion of the girl in question had not improved much in the intervening three years despite Lorraine's recent desire to help our team. She must be very scared of something to want to side with our lot that badly. We weren't the glamorous crooks that she had been used to dealing with. In my time, Lorraine had shown a distinct preference for dubious characters that populated the edges of her social circle; drug dealers and such; the soft ends of some very hard wedges. She thought she could charm her way out of anything. The only other person who had shown such ego was of course Hanson. His new and rather disturbing level of concern for her wellbeing was indicative of something other than an amour de Coeur. She was genuinely afraid; and I had never seen Hanson so unsure of himself. I wanted to know why he had come with the other three. Perhaps I was the one he needed. Yet he was still on the payroll of Mr Charles. Marcia, as if reading my mind addressed us all again:
'Andrew is to call in to their headquarters this evening from the radio set in Lorraine's chalet. We are all going to have to give some trust here. Something is going to blow up in a day or so. One of the experiments is coming to an end. The trail period is up and there will be a meeting of the Nimbus scientists and some of the sponsors. We don't know where… Janey… please continue...'
'Yes;' Janey gestured with a pen still clutched between her fingers as she checked the clipboard, 'I have to go to a meeting… but I intend to be "sick"; so that we will have chance to get into access the files. I have a small lab near the main block. The bigger lab is next to the place with the computer bank. There may be a window of opportunity that is quite short; say only twenty minutes. In order to download the information, we need without detection we will have to bypass the main grid. In other words, get in directly to the memory blocks without going through the main frame. Every login is recorded and checked. Security is tight at the front end of things. But the hardware is protected by a steel case. It's held down with about eight four inch bolts. They will have to be unscrewed individually, also manually. Anything electrical will trigger an alarm. The memory blocks inside can be read. But we would need to move them about fifty feet to another room to do it.'
'So let me get this straight,' said Oliver, 'You're going to go into a top security area; undo the casing on their computer memory after bypassing the alarm system; remove the memory blocks, take it round the corner, download it, bring it back, put everything back how you found it….and get out of the place all in about twenty minutes?'
'Yes.' said Davey.
'Then you are going to need my help.' said Oliver firmly.
After a pause Marcia said; 'Okay. Give Davey the briefing at the end of this one. Hanson; Jared will be with you instead.'
'What?' I said. I wasn't happy with this arrangement at all.
'We need to keep it tight, and this is the best way to do so.' She looked at me pointedly. I didn't dare contradict her; especially not with Hanson stood right there. Lorraine was a handful at the best of times. And perhaps this was the time to face my fear on that front. Suddenly I felt sorry for Hanson. He hadn't deceived with the matter of Lorraine; we had both been her willing playthings once. He was not about to give up on her this time. She wasn't a bad person. Just a very egocentric one; I suppose they were well suited in a way. In her, Hanson really had met his match. They only problem would be when we had to leave. If he really was in love with her, could he be persuaded to go with us? I was convinced that Lorraine wouldn't risk breaking with the Bank Collective while there was a chance of backing the winning side. God help him! He really was in a pickle this time.
I looked towards Davey, but he was preoccupied with Oliver's new plan on how to get in the mainframe.
'You Okay?' It was Janey.
'Shouldn't you and Davey both confab with Reece?'
'Not really. I don't want to intrude on the boys. They've got their own ideas. I'll just do my bit…. They've got everything I can reasonably give already.'
'Oh…'
'You're wondering why I did it; aren't you?' Janey clicked the pen in a rhythm.
I frowned, 'Please don't do that.'
'Sorry. But you must be curious.' She stared at me waiting.
I shook my head slightly, 'I have a really bad feeling about all of this…. Not what you did; that actually made a lot of sense. It still does. The question is… do they know that you are with us now?'
'I always was. What do you mean?' She clipped the biro into her front jacket pocket.
'There is something so obvious we are missing it,' I paused, trying to summarise the fragmented nature of this disquiet, 'we are all part of the problem…. We are all in the system. And this just feels like were about to cut of the branch we are sitting on.'
'Have you said anything to Marcia?' Janey glanced over to where Joe and Marcia stood deep in a low voiced conversation.
'No…. I mean what could I say? It's just a feeling.'
'You and your feelings…. they always drive you, don't they?'
'Yes….is that a criticism?'
'Not at all.' She knelt down and adjusted her pack straps, 'I mean that I have that feeling too. But there is only this that I can give; only this that I can do. That's what it is; we beat against the darkness with our fists; and hope to be released….'
I crouched down next to her, 'Why are you telling me this Janey? And why are you so ready to sacrifice yourself?'
'You know that huh?' she grinned suddenly, 'I wanted to find out what was out there Jared; and I did! Yes…. I know now. There is something…. like music. Or poetry. My science found your art brother. I know what I see now. Karis showed me how. That is why I took the risk…. Because I had to try to change what was happening. Even Mr Charles doesn't realise what he has done. The ripples of the experiments have travelled outwards… further and further. Far beyond what we thought possible. And then suddenly there it was… perfect. Like poetry. Or the discovery of the Atom; or the speed of light.'
'What?' I leaned towards her and whispered again, 'What did you find?'
'I found a doorway. Not an ordinary one either. Not even a wormhole in space-time. This was different. A door to the other…. the unimagined. Another world entirely…'
'A Parallel world?'
'Yes…. Yes! Not an alternative to this one. Not another version. But another universe…. it’s been my holy grail…'
'But Janey…' I said taking her arm, 'does that mean that Mr Charles has it too: A means to reach… this other place?'
'No.' she smiled and leaned closer to me as we sat on the banking together, 'I have it in here. What is a lock without a key?'
'I don't know. Still locked?' I asked. Her eyes were enormous as she regarded me with a feverish intensity.
'I have given it to Davey. The key. And I'll give it to you; the piece of the maths that makes it perfect.' She rested her cheek against mine and whispered in my ear: 'It's the only safe place to keep it….'
'Don't tell me Janey.' I said, and felt her shift slightly with discomfort as I refused her, 'I must not know. There is something I think I can tell you that might explain.'
'Don't' she said, 'Please don't.' She bent her head into my neck. I could felt her tears damply staining her face.
'I'm the one they want.' I said, 'Janey? Do you understand? They need you or me. I would give it up without any resistance, because that is what they have made me do. And they used you to do it. Don't you see? You have a method for determining the equation. But they woul
d know that will be incomplete. So they fooled me. I was dead Janey. But I could still hear your voice. I know that you offered yourself for me…. Dear sister I know. It's alright. You can cry now. He has us, this Mr Charles, and there is nothing we can do. With a blood trace he has it. The equation is in there….in my blood. He could not use yours….so he needed mine. Your double took the sample right before she tried to dispatch me: even if that wasn't what she intended to do. I think there may be a reason why we are still here.'
She drew back slightly blinking, 'that's the longest speech you've given me. I think that being dead has changed your perspective brother. And anyway…. the discovery is still mine…. He can't take that from me…. I err…. oh!' Her voice faded out to a horrified gasp.
'Not yet.'
'Why does he need another universe anyway?' she said.
'Why does anyone want power? I guess that there is something he is trying to escape from; or something or somewhere he wants to get to.'
'Yes.' she said; then abruptly let go of me, 'have a care brother dear. We are still open to the conditioning.'
'The halls that smell like old orchestras?'
'Yes. The scent of resin and bows. The sounds of a chord that had just died.'
'How is it broken? The conditioning I mean.'
'A key.' She said.
'A word?'
'A phrase.' Janey glanced over her shoulder, the others had moved round the side of the buggy to where Marcia was now making tea. Half an hour to setting out now.
'You are going to make a deal.' I said
'Yes. My key in exchange for his.'
'Will it work?'
'The key or the plan?'
'The key.' I said.
'Yes.'
'How can you be sure?'
'Because if he doesn't let us go. I'll scramble the entire mainframe.'
'How? There isn't much time when you get in there.'
She laughed suddenly, 'Dear Jared! You are such a child sometimes! It's already done. He needs a second key to stop what is happening. Or else at a prearranged time my little bomb goes off.'
'What?'
'A computer virus. And it takes everything with it. Totally indiscriminate.'
'Where does that leave us?'
She stood up and was silent for some moments looking down at me. She held out her hand to me. I stood up again.
'We'll be alive.' She said.
*****
Fourteen
Davey walked with me, as we entered the narrow channel. Big leafy bushes, like giant tufts of salad leaves swayed above our heads. Hanson was with Joe at the front: the latter having taken to scouting ahead and peering through the binoculars with increasing regularity. Janey and Marcia walked together. At one point they linked arms and seemed for all the world to be enjoying a girly chat…. Marcia might not be so impressed if I told her that though. They were probably putting the finishing touches on the various backup plans. I frowned at the thought of them both going into danger, while I was saddled with Hanson and the inestimable Lorraine. The thought of her had settled uncomfortably in my mind since Marcia informed me of her changes to the grouping. I suppose I hadn't thought to ask myself why.
I glanced back for a moment. Oliver was taking the back position in our little troupe. He was being very quiet and very serious… rather like Joe. They both seemed to be wrestling with some inner indecision. Oliver was however, quite literally; watching my back, just as he had promised.
'I'm glad Oliver's on the case with me and Janey, and the monster computer.' Davey looked at me waiting for a reply. Oliver gave a satisfied grunt from behind at the compliment.
'Oh…. yes.' I was startled. There didn't seem much point in conversation now the whole thing was decided. Perhaps it was nerves, or disappointment. I did understand the reason however….
'Do you want to avoid her that badly?' asked Davey.
'Yes. No…. I don't know.' I said.
'That would be a Yes.' said Oliver from behind me, 'Absolutely, definitely!' the uplifted lilt of his accent gave the words and emphasis that made Davey stare at me hard.
'Are you scared of her? Lorraine, I mean.' asked Davey.
'No.' I said.
'Yes.' said Oliver.
'But really, what is she like?' Davey's insistence was not reassuring me that the reunion with the real Lorraine would go smoothly. I was glad Hanson was not in ear shot.
'She's a witch, just like I said. She's very pretty, very charming; very sweet, and likable at first; until you get to know her, that is.' I breathed out rather heavily after that.
'Sounds weird,' said Davey, 'You mean like actually a real witch, don't you?'
'That was the impression I was trying to convey.' I said.
'Wow…' Davey seemed to be having trouble digesting this, 'what did she do to you? Was it like a spell? Or does she use real frog's legs or stuff.' He saw my face and he blushed furiously with embarrassment. I was frowning in an effort to not get too freaky about it.
'No,' I sighed, 'it might have been better if she had put a spell on me. Spells can be broken. But I really was captivated by her; in the normal sense of the word, just like you are with my Janey.'
'Oh.'
'She two-timed me.'
'Ah…'
'More than once.'
'I'm sorry.'
'Don't be. That wasn't the worst bit.'
'Go on.' Davey's curiosity was as fresh and without guile as he was, so I decided to answer him.
'She started seeing two other guys.'
'Really?!'
'At least two other men.'
'Crumbs!'
'Yes. The situation did develop a certain crumbly texture to it eventually. But not before she made a complete idiot of me.'
'That's rotten!'
'Yeah…. well what are you going to do? I just bowed out gracefully. I gave up dating girl's, women, or any thought of finding anything sane in a romantic relationship for quite a while.'
'But Lorraine? How did she take it?'
'Not well.' I said, 'there is a certain satisfaction, I'll admit in having a woman beg you to reconsider….'
'Wow!'
'Yes…I wasn't unmoved by her declarations of undying love. But I just knew I couldn't trust her. And I couldn't trust me either.'
'So she did but a spell on you?'
'Not as far as I'm aware.' I said, 'but there were none that worked anyway…'
Davey was about to pursue the subject of Lorraine further since I was in such a divulgatory mood, but we had stopped.
Just ahead was a very large rock. We circled round it carefully, and then down a grassy banking to the damp slippery edges of a salty tidal channel, now drying in the sun. We trod carefully then over weedy rocks. The salty vegetably scent was quite overpowering. I could feel the sweat starting to trickle between my shoulder blades as we reached the middle of this giant's step. The way across was firm and fairly safe. I could see the waves swirling and bounding off a deeper turn of the channel as the tide went out. It seemed that each part was roughly about ten feet high. The water would run and cover the area of this giant step and then rise until it met the next stair, and then run across and cover it and carry on, and so on. About fifty yards further up, the banking on either side rose far too steeply to climb up or down. Below our position the unknown jungle gave way to sheer cliffs beyond towards the sea. I could see now our path. A little shaded cliff path that climbed to a saddle of the hill. Then presumably would meander down the other side to the beach eventually. As we began to scramble up the other side I turned and saw no sign of the little space that we had emerged from, it was completely shrouded in trees and strange leafy plants.
It was a little cooler under the trees and about ten minutes along the path, Marcia called a break. We drank some water and marked our position on the map as well as we could manage. I reminded myself that Davey and Oliver had walked this way twice already. They seemed less interested in this path than we were. Everyone else k
ept looking around, marvelling at the scenery.
We only stayed still a few minutes and Marcia began to speed up. We had to be over the hill and down the other side in half an hour. The window of opportunity was very tight for us to get round the fence while the tide was low.
We reached a grassy upper to this hill, where the forest gave way to hawthorn, and brambles and other hedgerow plants. A profusion of flowers and green spikes lifted their tongues to us and brushed out legs as we passed. Bees buzzed, and the chirrup of small birds could be heard. The country side had given way from sub-tropical to something so much akin to an English countryside that I began to think I was on the cliff walk on the east coast, near one of my favourite seaside towns.
We rounded a corner and there beneath us was the sea. Spread out like a sparkling line of silver and blue on this iridescent day. It was the perfect day for an afternoon stroll, and the shame was that we were in such a hurry that we couldn't stop and enjoy the fresh breezes while sitting in the long grass.
We came to a fence. No the one we had to find a way across, but an old broken wooden one. I began to get the feeling, like one does in some dreams that I had been there before. It had a curiously odd quality to it. Just as if I really had slipped sideways and was walking somewhere above Bridlington looking down the coast towards the North Beach.
Marcia dropped back to join me. Davey took the hint and joined Janey just up ahead.
'Now then Captain…. don’t day dream. We'll be there in a few minutes.'
'What? Oh….' I stared, as she shaded her eyes and looked at me again.
'Before we get there…. just remember. I had to.' she sounded strained.
'I know.' I said and slid my arm around her waist, 'please tell me it is okay. Then it will be…'
'It's okay Jared.' she said in a lighter tone.
'I'm glad of that.' I brushed her hair out of her eyes with my other hand.
Just Ahead Hanson and Joe stood perfectly still staring downwards. We quickly caught up with them. Our little team were treated to an incredible sight…. seabirds diving and wheeling on thermals above the sea. There was something perhaps attracting their attention.