by D. S. Smith
Dr Carson, now insisting on being addressed as Catherine, opened the discussion referring back to the case of the man who went missing in Saudi Arabia. From what she understood the father and child had been playing football when the father somehow entered a wormhole. When he returned later in the day, or at least his double returned, he did not recognise his wife or son, suggesting his life in the alternate universe did not include them, ergo the son did not exist in the alternate universe. The question she wanted answered was, if the boy had entered the wormhole to the alternate universe what would have happened to him? The professor answer was straight to the point. “He would have been rejected unless there was alignment with a universe where he did exist. He would probably have just bounced off it!”
“Which is why I am so valuable to you for your calibration?” Stuart offered.
“Precisely Stuart,” the professor replied. “Once we have a known subject in both universes we will be able to build a booth on both sides and send subjects through routinely without depending on alignment. As long as we can confirm there is a double in that universe.”
“Why me particularly though Professor, why not one of the other subjects that you know has passed through?”
“Because the algorithm we used is based on your event which gives us the greatest chance of accuracy in our calculations,” he answered.
Stuart considered this for a moment before replying. “You said you could send people through routinely as long as you can confirm there is a double in that universe. Catherine mentioned earlier that when she last questioned me under hypnosis I described finding a body in the tiger enclosure. In the transcript, I say the body is somehow familiar. I think it may have been my counterpart, Professor.” He looked to Catherine for acknowledgement of this. She nodded in agreement so he continued. “I was struggling to make the connection at first but the more I think about it the more it makes sense. There is obviously a strong connection between me, the zoo and the Stuart from this universe so it would not be surprising if he ended up in the tiger enclosure. If that is the case, how will I pass through if he is dead? There won’t be a double to exchange with, will there?”
The professor smiled at Dr Cooper and said, “I told you he would ask that!” Dr Cooper smiled and nodded before turning to address Stuart. “Allow me to explain. Even if your double is dead his energy will still exist. It just won’t be in the same form for him. As Newton suggested with his first law of thermodynamics, energy is neither destroyed nor created but is transformed from one form to another. So the energy that fuelled the existence of your counterpart will be exchanged with the energy forming your existence here. What form that energy will take remains to be seen. We are confident though, that you will be completely unharmed in the process and will arrive back in your own universe in a better condition than when you left.”
Stuart’s brow furrowed as he formulated his next question.
“But if there are remains containing DNA,” he asked, “would this not result in the reformation of my counterpart? I will leave a void of energy here enough to allow for this won’t I? The professor clapped his hands together clearly enjoying the debate and the pertinence of Stuart’s questioning. Dr Cooper answered.
“Well the energy is there and as you say there may be some DNA remaining, which would mean the blueprints for building a new Stuart are there also, but the materials will have changed. Depending on what happened to the remains of your double. He may have been cremated or buried or he could still be in the morgue. Whatever happened the DNA and the proteins that make up the code would have started to denature and would therefore come through and reform into whatever form they are currently in.” He looked around the table at the group to gauge if they were all following before continuing. “As we mentioned earlier the key to our individuality comes from the fact that all the particles that make us are in harmony. As soon as we die the harmony that makes us who or what we are is lost. However, as long as we remain in harmony we remain alive and the passage through the Harmoniser will result in our purest form at the other side.”
Catherine threw down the napkin she had been using to wipe the corners of her mouth and raised her hands in front of her in sudden realisation. “Of course, it’s the perfect cure for any illness or injury. Every time a subject passes through, their slate is wiped clean and they come through cured of whatever affliction they have acquired during their lifetime. They would be perfect specimens of themselves. Even the accumulation of fat and impurities that have built up over our lifetimes will be shed as they are not coded for in our DNA. Not only does this have massive health implication but the commercial implications are astronomical. You’d have a cure for cancer, heart disease, obesity. Lost limbs could be replaced, scars and unwanted tattoos removed without a trace. You’re sitting on an absolute goldmine.”
She scanned the table watching their hosts nod in agreement before directing a question at the professor. “One thing I don’t understand though John, is why all the subjects passing through maintain their current age. DNA doesn’t code for age, does it?”
“Harmonics,” Dr Marks answered surprising them all. She had barely said a word to them since they had arrived. For the first time Stuart noticed she had a soft, northern English accent. “Our harmonic signatures code just as accurately as our DNA does and are very specific to age. Unlike our physiology, which is coded for with DNA creating proteins and chemicals that make up tissue, harmonics determine our age and our memories. If it wasn’t for this any subject passing through would come out of the other side with no memory, hence no language, no instincts etc…” She took a sip of wine before asking the professor if he would like to add anything. He gestured for her to continue. “The harmonics are determined at an atomic level so are unaffected by the disassembly and reassembly. Think of how we age relics. We don’t use DNA or chemical analysis. We use carbon dating. All atoms decay at a set rate, i.e. they have a half-life. In the case of Carbon-14 it has a known half-life just short of 6000 years. Therefore, anything within this time scale can be accurately measured by measuring the decay of its Carbon-14 atoms. Our harmony comes from the atoms that make us and these are not affected by the transfer of our particles through the wormhole. As Jon said previously, our harmonics are our soul, they are born with us, they will age with us and they will die with us.” Dr Marks paused for a moment, gauging the reaction of her audience to this profound statement. The professor sat with a satisfied half grin on his face. Catherine had her head tilted to one side, pinching her chin between her thumb and forefinger in silent contemplation. Stuart nodded slowly, showing he fully understood and accepted what was being said. Dr Cooper gave Dr Marks a nod of approval. But then Dr Marks continued with a statement that revealed more than she was meant to.
“There is potential for manipulating this but as yet there are too many unknown variables.” Dr Cooper looked toward the professor to gauge his reaction to this revelation, as did Terry.
The professor raised his hands to halt Dr Marks from saying anything more. “There is a lot more research required before we can fully assess the application of the technology. There are also a number of ethical issues that will need to be addressed. That is why it is so important to keep this information amongst ourselves. Our main aim at this time is to get Stuart home safely and then to see if we can manipulate this phenomenon to the advantage of humankind. Now if you’ll excuse me I’d like to retire. It’s been a long day and there are probably more long days ahead so I suggest we all get a good night’s sleep. Why don’t we all meet up for breakfast in the morning at eight am? In the meantime, Terry will show you to your quarters.” With that the professor bade them goodnight and left.
Before Stuart and Catherine got up to leave Dr Marks spoke out again. She looked over to the door to make sure the professor had left before making her comments. “You should know the professor has more invested in this than his scientific reputation.”
Terry immediately jumped in before she could
say any more.
“Ok guys, as the professor said, it’s been a long day and we all need some sleep. Now is not the time to be discussing his personal life.”
Dr Marks responded like a child that had been shamed by a telling off. “I just think they deserve to know, that’s all.”
“And they will when he’s ready to tell them. Now, if you’ll come with me,” he addressed Stuart and Catherine, “I’ll show you to your rooms.”
Chapter 29
Stuart found himself careering out of control toward a cliff edge he could not see but knew was there. The motorbike he was riding did not respond to any of the instructions he gave it. He asked it to slow down but it went faster, he asked it to stop but it continued on. The cliff was drawing nearer at an alarming rate. He asked the motorbike to turn left and then right but still it hurtled forward toward the deadly drop. He punched the gauges and kicked the front forks but it made no difference to the bike’s path. He gave up. He sat back and relaxed waiting for fate to take him. He started to enjoy the sensation of speed. He looked around him, at the people waving to him, his friends, his parents and Catherine all waving. Was it goodbye or hello? He looked ahead toward the cliff edge and there was Lauren. She was playing a steel drum and smiling as he sped toward her. He shouted for her to get out of the way but she just played louder. The cricket theme rang through his head drowning out the sound of the bike’s engine and the sound of his shouts, getting louder and louder. He tried to shout over it but it was too loud and Lauren could not hear him as he sped toward her. He pulled on the handlebars but they would not budge. He tried to lean over to tip the bike but it remained upright. He screamed at her to move but she played on. And then he woke and the phone tone played on. He sat up in bed and in a moment the dream was gone. He reached for his phone from the bedside cabinet and answered it. It was Catherine. She sounded shaken.
“Hi Stuart, there’s no easy way to break this to you so I’ll get straight to the point. Your brother has been kidnapped.”
“Kidnapped?” he exclaimed. He was still confused from the dream and now Catherine’s words assaulted his senses. He nipped himself to check if he was still asleep. “Kidnapped?” he repeated, “by who?”
“I don’t have all the details yet. Meet me in the refectory as soon as you can. Terry is going to brief us.” Before he could comment or ask further questions she hung up. Dazed and confused he placed the phone back on to the bedside cabinet and got out of bed. They were staying in the college staff accommodation located just across a forecourt from the main building housing the refectory. Terry told them they could come and go as they pleased but advised them it would be safer if they stayed at the college with the rest of the group. They would be taken to their respective homes to collect personal items at some stage the next day if required. In the meantime he had left clothes and provisions for them in their rooms. Stuart took a shower and dressed in the clothes provided by Terry. His head buzzing with the shocking news from Catherine, he headed across the forecourt to meet with the rest. It was dark outside but he had no idea what the time was. He figured it could be anything from midnight to 5 am. He shook as the cold night air penetrated his clothing. Looking up into the night sky he tried to find the moon but all he could see were clouds. As he marched across the forecourt Catherine’s words replayed in his head, your brother has been kidnapped. Why would someone kidnap David? he thought. As far as he knew his brother wasn’t involved or even aware of what was going on at the college. He didn’t have the facts yet but kidnapping seemed pretty drastic and he felt somehow responsible. How many more people were going to get involved in this mess because of him?
Before he reached the doors to the main building they swung open and a group of five smartly dressed men walked out. The professor appeared behind bidding them goodbye and thanking them for their assistance. They passed by Stuart nodding to him as they did. The professor waved him through the door. He walked into the refectory where he was met by Catherine and Terry. The group gathered around one of the tables with coffees while Terry briefed them on the intelligence they had received.
The men Stuart saw leaving the refectory were from MI6. They had been informed by their counterparts in Beijing that a group of renegade Chinese agents, working for a man known as ‘The Chairman’, had managed to replicate their Harmoniser. According to the intelligence, they had been monitoring the professor and his team for some time through one of their agents working in the UK. They suspected this same agent was the one responsible for the death of Jim McGonagall. Terry informed them the group had recently become known to the Chinese Government when the organisation had started to recruit the country’s top scientists. Chinese intelligence operatives had since managed to infiltrate the group and were receiving information from one of their own men on the inside. The insider reported that a Western man was being held within their facility against his will. The man had been identified as David Milton.
“They probably think it is you they have Stuart,” the professor said. “And as long as they continue to believe that David will be fine,” he added.
What he did not reveal was his concern regarding how thorough their testing was and whether they were ready for a human transfer. In all probability they had Jim McGonagall’s laptop and the algorithms necessary to reverse engineer the Harmoniser. This did not guarantee success though. At best they might be able to send David through, but to where? At worst, it could result in him being torn apart molecule by molecule. Whilst he did not reveal his concerns to Stuart, he had expressed them to the secret service agents he had spoken to earlier. They agreed to do everything they could to get him out of there before they could put him into the machine.
“Are you not concerned about the Chinese Government knowing about the harmoniser?” Catherine asked the professor.
“Not at all Catherine,” he answered, “they are actually our biggest sponsors. Dr Cooper is their representative on the team.”
“Our guys are working very closely with the Chinese Security Service,” Terry added “and they will let us know as soon as there are any further developments.”
Stuart stared at his own blurred reflection in shiny surface of the table. He considered the implication of this latest information. Whatever happened to the David of this universe would have a direct effect on his brother in his universe. He could be plucked out of existence as a result of the machine going wrong, or his brother could find himself in the same situation he had been in for the past few weeks and he wished that on no one. This was yet another burden on his shoulders. He was starting to grow weary of this place. He wanted to go home.
Chapter 30
Lin Lee decided the best solution to her dilemma was the one that had always served her best in the past. Deceit! Anything but positive news at this stage would be unacceptable to the Director and the consequences would be grave. So, when the Director’s phone eventually rang he was delighted to hear the test had been successful and they were now ready to transfer a human through their Harmoniser. He called the Chairman immediately and informed him the machine would be tested using a human subject that very evening. “Excellent news”, the Chairman declared. “My son and I will join you for the test,” he added, to the surprise of the Director.
When Lin Lee learned of this, she became incredibly anxious. She had managed to convince the scientists to go along with the lie, but on the proviso they would be given time to slip in another animal test. Now there was barely time to clean out the remains of the last one. She approached the Senior Engineering Officer ready to use her whole repertoire of emotions to get the desired result. She did not know the man’s name so she addressed him as sir in order to appear subservient. He was different to the rest of the engineers on the team. Heavy set with chiselled features and a slim but muscular frame, he had an air of confidence about him that was not evident with the others. Her usual routine was to start off as the helpless female before leading into seductive persuader. If neither of these routines wo
rked she would resort to threats.
“Excuse me sir,” she shouted as she walked toward him. He was busy showing one of the other engineers scrolling data on the screen of a laptop. He looked up as Lin Lee approached. “Sorry to interrupt,” she offered, “but I have just learned we have a very high profile guest joining us this evening to witness the next test.”
The engineer nodded slightly saying nothing more than a simple, “ok” before turning back to face the laptop. Lin Lee was somewhat put out by his casual response but she kept her cool.
“The problem is, I believe he expects to see a human subject go into the machine and he is not the kind of man we want to disappoint.” She lowered her voice at the end of the sentence for effect before adding, “So if there is anything at all I can do to help make this happen just let me know.” The man turned to her and smiled. “That shouldn’t be a problem, Ms Lee,” he offered. His voice was gentle and seemed out of character considering his physique. “We found the problem was a simple bug in the code. My colleague here is just about to rewrite it and I am confident we will be ready for Mr Milton to step in.” He offered her another smile before turning his back on her again to address his colleague.
She was dumbfounded by the way he delivered this information so calmly, but at the same time she found it reassuring. She had been preparing an exit strategy just in case they failed. It involved getting out of the country onboard a cargo ship leaving Beijing Harbour that night. The prospect of sailing for several weeks with a bunch of sex-deprived seamen had seemed preferable to death at the hands of a very disgruntled Chairman, but only just. Now she was beginning to believe everything was going to be ok. This was her last assignment and the rewards were going to be enough to set her up for life. It was literally all or nothing and now the scales were tipping back to all. They had just a few hours before the Director and the Chairman would arrive. It was time to prepare their guest for his journey.