by D. S. Smith
Chapter 31
Stuart lay awake considering the ramifications of what he was about to do. Based on his recollection of the last moments in his own universe, he had witnessed the mutilated body of his counterpart. Following his departure it would not have taken long for the authorities to identify the body as his. Lauren would have been informed of his death. A funeral would have taken place. She would be mourning as would his brother and his friends. How could he explain suddenly turning up alive and well? If he told the truth he would find himself back on the psychiatrist’s couch. But what other explanation could there be? He couldn’t see how life was ever going to be the same again. He started to contemplate an alternative. What if he stayed? What if he gave up the ghost of his past life and made a new life with Catherine. He could let his alternate family and friends grieve naturally and remember him for who he was and not as some freakish anomaly who came back from the dead. He had already accepted the loss of Lauren once. This had allowed him to start living life normally again and he had enjoyed the normality. There was no doubt in his mind he and Catherine had connected with each other. It still felt good when he thought back to the brief intimacy they had shared. He had all but dismissed their encounter since learning of what had really happened to him but he could not deny the fact he had feelings for her. The more he thought of this the more he started to waver, to the point when he almost changed his mind. But there was the baby, their baby, his and Lauren’s. How could he deprive the child of its father and Lauren of the support she would need. He had to go through with it and face his old life. It was where he belonged and whatever circumstances he found himself in, he and Lauren would overcome them together. As hard as it was, his mind was made up. He would tell the professor in the morning to make whatever arrangements necessary for him to pass through the Harmoniser. With his mind now clear on what had to happen, he was able to roll over and go to sleep.
Chapter 32
Dave sat at the end of the bed waiting to be summoned. He was dressed in a hospital gown supplied to him by the old man who had brought him his tea earlier that day. A day that now seemed to have lasted an eternity. He tried again to engage the man in conversation to see if he could shed any light on his fate, but the man had retreated through the door smiling and nodding as on the previous visit. He tried to piece together what information he had. These people had gone to the trouble of flying him, or Stuart as they believed, to China, to get him to calibrate a machine, so it seemed unlikely they wanted to kill him. Did this have something to do with Stuart’s memory loss? That seemed likely but he could not imagine how his brother could have become involved with engineers in China. Was it something to do with this Lauren woman Stuart had become fixated with? That seemed unlikely as Dr Carson told them she had died years ago. Whatever it was he knew he had little choice but to go along with what his captors suggested and hope they would let him go unharmed when ‘it’ was all over. Before he had chance to consider further what ‘it’ was the door swung open and in walked his abductor. Once again, he was struck by her beauty which was even more pronounced by the officious attire she now wore. A black silk dress showed off her slim physique and a pair of black tights showed off her shapely legs. She even wore black silk gloves to add to the elegance. As before, her beauty was immediately betrayed by the beast that was her true nature. “Ok, Stuart,” she said emphasising the deliberate use of his brother’s name, “all you have to do now is follow our instructions and this will all be over in no time. Do otherwise and you will die. Understand?” She threw some clothes onto the bed and instructed him to change into them. The clothes consisted of a pair of black trousers and a plain white shirt. There was also underwear and a pair of moccasins. Dave regarded her for a moment before formulating his answer. He considered refusing to cooperate unless she gave him more information but he knew that would just antagonise her. From her outburst earlier he knew she would be in just as much trouble as him if the people she answered to found out he was not Stuart. A thought occurred to him sending a ripple of fear through is body. What kind of people struck fear into a hardened bitch like her? This machine meant more to them than either of their lives. He had no choice but to go along with her. He slipped off the hospital gown and stood before her naked before reaching out for the garments and getting dressed. She took no notice of him, staring blankly at the wall as she waited. The clothes fit loosely but he guessed that was not important. He sat down on the bed to slip on the socks and shoes before standing to address her. “Ok, let’s do this,” he said gesturing to her to lead the way. She walked toward the door beckoning him to follow.
He noticed a bulge under the shawl she wore around her waist and guessed it concealed the weapon she had threatened him with earlier. He rubbed his forehead where the gun had been pressed to his head. They walked down the corridor and through one of the doors that had previously been locked. This led to a stairwell down which they descended two floors before walking through another door into a reception area. As Dave had suspected they were in a hotel but it did not look as if it had been used as such for some time. Behind what had clearly been the reception desk, a large, security guard eyed them with indifference. The woman looked to him for approval and he nodded toward a door straight ahead of them. She stopped in front of the door as if bracing herself before entering. “Just do as you’re asked and speak to no one unless spoken to.”
Before Dave had chance to respond she pushed open the door revealing a large, brightly lit hall that had probably served as a conference room but now housed several rows of chairs, a bank of computers and what appeared to be an airport x-ray machine occupying the centre of the room. A number of men and women in white coats busied themselves around the machine and the computers. Some were making notes on clipboards whilst others punched keys and stared intently at the computer screens. Dave felt panic rising inside him as he considered what was going to be asked of him and what would happen when they realised he knew nothing about this equipment. Before he had chance to think further one of the white-coated men approached him, bowing politely as he did so. “Please, Mr. Milton, come this way.” He walked toward the machine in the centre of the room indicating that Dave should follow. The man stepped into the machine and asked Dave to join him.
Dave did as asked and was surprised at how roomy it seemed inside compared to its appearance from the outside. He wasn’t small and the man accompanying him was bigger still. They fit in easily with space to spare. The floor was made of a ceramic-material. There were two footprints in the middle of it. The walls consisted of frosted glass panels held in place by steel frames. The ceiling was an array of fluorescent tubes, wires and printed circuit boards. Two rope loops hung from the ceiling’s steel supports that Dave guessed were for holding onto while the x-ray scanned its occupant. The whole thing looked incredibly complicated, and panic shot through once again as he considered his purpose. Against the wishes of the woman he spoke out to the man that was occupying the machine with him. “This looks very complicated. What exactly do you expect me to do with it?” The man smiled reassuringly and spoke to him calmly. “When the time comes Stuart, we will instruct you on exactly how you should stand.”
“Stand? Is that all I’m expected to do, stand in here?”
“Yes, that is all. Stand very still and wait.” Before David could say anymore the woman stuck her head inside the machine and instructed them to stop talking and take their positions ready for the arrival of the Chairman. As Dave exited the machine and passed her she scowled at him and put her finger to her lips. She led him to one of the rows of chairs and instructed him to sit. No sooner had he done this, the door to the hall swung open and what could only be described as an entourage of suited men burst into the room. As soon as they were through the door they fanned out in all directions observing everybody and everything as they did so. Having scanned the area, they each took up a strategic position in the room and stood at attention with their hands behind their backs. The last man in made a f
inal sweep of the area before putting a radio to his mouth and issuing instructions. A few moments later the doors opened again and in came a young boy, about twelve years old, being pushed in a wheelchair by a very attractive young woman in a crisp white nurse’s uniform. Following them were two very important looking men casually talking to each other. One was short and fat, the other tall and slim, both had an air of authority about them. They were followed by another entourage of suited, eagle-eyed heavies. When they were all in the room they shut the doors behind them and formed a line in front of the door. Dave watched with fascination as the well-choreographed display unfolded, culminating in the two important men and the young boy taking seats directly in front of the x-ray machine. The white-coated personnel had also been watching with fascination, or maybe trepidation, during the arrival of the entourage but as soon as they were in position they continued with the note taking and button pushing. Without ceremony, the man who showed Dave the machine just minutes before approached him and asked him to follow him. As Dave stood up the taller of the two dignitaries spoke to him. “Good luck Mr. Milton. You are about to make history.” Dave looked back to him and nodded, not knowing what else to do.
His heart was now pounding as he approached the machine, the purpose of which he still had no idea about. On reaching it he was asked to step inside and place his feet on the footprints on the floor. He was told to grab the two rope stirrups, one in each hand. A thousand things were passing through his mind. Was this some sort of sacrifice to some Chinese deity? Was he going to be tortured for the entertainment of some bored, upper-class businessmen? He looked at the men surrounding the room and at his beautiful kidnapper who stared back threatening him with her eyes. According to his instructor all he had to do was stand still and try to relax. Relax! He did not know if he was going to live or die. How was he supposed to relax? One of the white coats stepped forward and pressed a button on a panel by the door. The door closed with a hiss and all noise from outside was blocked out. All he could hear now was the loud pumping of his heart and deep rapid breaths from his lungs. There was a loud click from up above him and the booth started to hum like the sound from an electricity pylon. All the hair on his head and body seemed to bristle. He sensed a metallic taste in his mouth. Suddenly his skin began to tingle all over and his vision began to blare. It felt as if the machine was spinning. The light inside became brighter and brighter until it was so bright he had to close his eyes. The spinning sensation increased and he began to feel nauseous. The weight of his body pulled against the ropes in his hands, but then the weight lifted and he felt as if he were floating. White spots danced before his eyes. He felt he was about to lose consciousness, when suddenly, everything stopped. The humming, the spinning, the bright lights all disappeared leaving him in complete darkness. The weight of his body pulled against the ropes again. For a moment, he hung by his hands, his legs too weak to support him. He wasn’t sure if his eyes were open or not. All he saw was darkness. All he heard was silence. He wondered if he was unconscious or even dead. But the darkness was broken briefly by a flash of orange and white light, then another and another. It was as if fireworks were going off in the room all around him, but he could only see them not hear them. Before he could make sense of what was happening, the room filled with light, blinding him momentarily. Slowly his vision returned and his eyes focused through the frosted glass revealing a scene of total carnage.
The door to the machine hissed open. He was now able to hear the sounds accompanying the sights. There was groaning coming from injured men on the floor, though many more were motionless and silent. Most of the bodies on the ground were the suited men who had formed the security entourage, but scattered among them were a few bloodstained white coats. He could hear squabbling over by the seated area and looked over to see the two suited dignitaries being handcuffed and led out of the room. The boy in the wheelchair was unharmed. The nurse wheeled him out of the room, escorted by two uniformed men. The boy’s eyes were open but he displayed no emotion or comprehension of what had just happened. A voice informed Dave he was safe now and asked if he was ok. He noted the man referred to him as David! He looked across to the seated area and recognised the engineer that had helped him into the machine. The man held a pistol by his side as he spoke to a uniformed man. He met Dave’s gaze with a smile, holding up his empty hand in a gesture indicating he would be just a moment. He walked over to Dave and apologised for what he had just been through but assured him he was never in any danger inside the machine and was safer in there than outside in the crossfire. The man introduced himself as a member of the Chinese Security Service. He assured Dave it was over now and he would soon be repatriated with his brother back in England. Dave thanked the man and prepared to leave with one of the uniformed officers. As he reached the door he remembered the woman who had kidnapped him. He looked back to ask what had happened to her but the man had turned his back to him. Dave was ushered out of the door before he had chance to ask any further questions.
Lin Lee had formulated her escape plan well before the security forces raided the facility. She had anticipated every possibility and a raid was high up on her list. As soon as the lights went out she pulled the black, silk hood from the back of her gown over her head, cocooning her in black from head to toe. The silk was coated in an anti-reflective spray that masked her from view through the night sights worn by the security forces. Her small frame and athleticism allowed her to slip beneath the chairs easily and worm her way around the base of the wall until she reached the door. At the first opportunity, as the chaos ensued, she was able to slip out and hide in a vacant room. From there she climbed into the air-conditioning duct and made her way up to the roof. The buildings in the area were close together so putting distance between herself and the facility was relatively easy. Once clear she climbed down the nearest fire escape and into the back alleys. She stole a scooter from a yard and headed for the port.
Chapter 33
Stuart arrived at the refectory earlier than the planned meeting time. He had been awake for hours so decided to get some coffee before the rest of the team arrived. He was not the only one with the idea. Terry sat at a table with a cup and a newspaper. He peered over the paper as Stuart entered, bidding him a good morning and offering a welcoming smile. Stuart walked over to him and shook his hand asking if it was ok to join him, to which Terry happily agreed. “I’m glad you’ve arrived ahead of everyone else actually Stuart,” Terry said. “I have some good news regarding your brother. I will wait until the professor is here to reveal the full details but just to put your mind at rest, I can tell you your brother is no longer in any immediate danger and is preparing to travel back to England as we speak.”
“That is good news, thanks Terry. I’ve got to admit, it was scary to think what might have happened to him if they had sent him through that machine. Not just for him of course but for my actual brother back where I come from.”
Terry let out an ironic laugh at this last statement, but immediately apologised. “I’m sorry Stuart but it just sounds like such an innocent statement when you say where I come from. Like you’re talking about another city or something.”
“Yeah, I suppose it is a bit of an understatement. What do you make of all this anyway, Terry? How do you get your head around everything that’s being talked about?”
Terry’s demeanour changed back to one of professionalism. “I don’t think about it. For me it’s not about the science or even the far-reaching implications of what’s happening here. It’s about making sure the professor and his team are protected along with their research.” He took a sip of his coffee and continued. “You have to be very single-minded in my job Stuart. The moment you lose focus, the very people you are meant to protect become vulnerable. As you know we’ve already lost one of the team and that is unforgivable, whatever the circumstances.” He paused for reflection before adding. “I wasn’t on shift at the time, but I’d like to think if I had been it wouldn’t have happe
ned. The fact is though, we got sloppy and someone died. The information we are all privy to here makes us a target to a number of unscrupulous organisations and agencies who would stop at nothing to get this technology. Fortunately, there are very few people who know about it at the moment but who knows how long that will last.”
Terry relaxed a little adding, “Bet you wished you’d never asked now?”
“No, it’s reassuring to have someone as committed as you around. To be honest the security seems pretty low-key considering what we’re doing here. I’d have thought something like this would be off in some military installation or in some underground bunker.”
“Don’t be fooled by what you see Stuart, or don’t see, as the case may be,” Terry offered. Before he could elaborate further the professor joined them, closely followed by Catherine. Dr Cooper and Dr Marks were the last to join them and apologised for their late arrival, though it was only ten minutes after the agreed meeting time. They looked tired, especially Dr Marks who headed straight for the coffee and poured herself and her colleague a large cup each. Following a few pleasantries, breakfast was served though nobody but Terry seemed particularly interested in the food. The team were feeling the burden of responsibility for making the Harmoniser work. Kidnapping could now be added to the list of incidents occurring as a result of this work, a list that already included murder. The polite conversation accompanying the meal was forced and sometimes awkward. Only when the professor announced the plan for the day did things liven up. He told them his team had worked late into the night trying to complete the calculations to give them the optimum time for Stuart’s transfer. Stuart’s stomach churned at the mention of this but he tried not to show his fear. The professor continued, informing them they needed to complete two further animal tests to prove the calculations. If successful he expected to be in a position to set up the transfer for noon the following day.