BISENTIENT, page 11
He had performed his daily exercises, meditating and visiting the lower houses, the levels of the astral plane that befitted his station. He dutifully recorded his experiences and described them to his mentor, Frater Iratus. It seemed he had seen something unusual. Something of significance. But no one would tell him what it was. His vision seemed to have been important enough that today’s ritual would involve all the High Order. They’d seemed worried when he’d seen them leaving a closed meeting the day before.
As he returned to his room Grobus wondered, not for the first time, what could have been the significance of his experience. Often hard to construct from fragments of memory, this time he had strong feelings of having flown across water, great expanses of water, and finding a ship. He’d felt drawn to the ship and looked down on it to see many figures moving around. One caught his eye. A man that seemed to exude a glow, an aura of some kind. One minute red, one minute turquoise, then white, then green. He was with a woman whose form he had come across before. Oculus had described to him a woman, a powerful demon, from the third house, who was beautiful to behold but strong. A shape shifter and devoted to the light. Oculus had been so filled with energy when he first noticed this being that he had drawn images of her and painted the most wild and vibrant pictures for days afterwards. Each time featuring this female with long dark hair, striking eyes and pleasing form. Each time he had painted with vigour and anger and completed the imagery with stakes piercing the woman or fire consuming her. Sometimes wolves snapping at her form or snakes coiling around her. Oculus would never answer Grobus’ questions about this woman, only to warn him that she was powerful and to be careful in his travels in the astral dimension. If he ever saw this creature, he was to say so, at once. Grobus assumed that this was the reason for the ritual tonight, that he’d seen this woman but perhaps it was because of the glowing man with her, perhaps this was what it was about.
CHAPTER TWENTY
AS ZACH HIT the send key, he wasn’t totally convinced. It wasn’t until Meek appeared at his workstation about ten minutes later that he realized it had probably worked.
“So, what’s with the rabbit?” asked Meek
Zach had sent a message to Meek containing an animation of a white rabbit that bounded across the screen before disappearing down a hole. He also asked a work-related question as he knew full well that all communication was monitored.
“Just wondered if you were still curious.” said Zach.
“About?”
“Room 7G.” said Zach, unable to stop himself from glancing around despite knowing only he and Meek were in the small lab.
“Yeah?” said Meek. “Curious like a moth and a flame.”
“So, you’d be okay with us being part of some Frankenstein experiment, where they’re sticking god knows what into totally innocent people?”
“More like vegetables.” said Meek. “The subs are all beyond the help of medical science man, they can’t stay alive without tech.”
“So that makes it okay in your book does it? Sawing off the top of someone’s skull and hooking their brains up to some box of bits that is going to try and figure out what the poor bastard’s thinking?”
“Look, we don’t know what they’re going to do right? So far, they’ve measured activity, that’s all. Number three and number five show signs of unique communication. That’s big stuff man. It’s natural to want to locate the source of this communication.”
“Fine, but do they need to slice and dice to do that? No. There’s something else going on here. They’re in a hurry. The results I sent to Braberson last month, that probably started this whole show off, should have taken months, maybe years, to process and understand. Why are we here getting ready to carve chunks out of people’s brains to replace them with your circuit boards?”
Meek fell silent. He knew what Zach said was basically correct.
“You thinking what I’m thinking?” asked Meek at last.
“They’ve seen those results before?” said Zach
“Yeah, but where? When?”
“Dunno, but I want to see room 7G.”
“What for?” said Meek. “It’s just an operating theatre.”
“No, it’s more than that. I’ve seen people in and out of there all week. They have a network node in there, which I have a discreet trace on.”
Meek sucked air between his teeth.
“That’s dodgy man.” he said. “You’re good with the standard setup but how do you know this doesn’t have better sec?”
“You leave that side to me.” said Zach. “But I need you to check the hardware.”
“You’re going in there?” Meek raised his eyebrows.
“Tonight.” said Zach. “According to the schedule tomorrow 7G is blanked from 1000hrs to 2200hrs.”
“You think…?”
“Yeah, someone’s getting upgraded.”
Meek was quiet again, fiddling nervously with his Swiss Army knife that hung from his belt on a chain.
“I’m not sure…” he said at last.
“C’mon.” said Zach. “We’ll be in and out before those dozy drones on the cameras have finished watching Britain’s Got Talent.”
“Yeah.” said Meek. “But I don’t like it.”
“So, you’re good to go?”
Meek nodded and turned out of the room.
Although they shared the kitchen at dinner time they hardly spoke, Meek preparing a complicated meal while Zach heated a microwave dinner. They ate at the table and spoke briefly about a recurring error in one of Meek’s circuits. More for the benefit of anyone that may have been listening or watching than anything else. As Zach closed the dishwasher door after depositing his plate he said:
“Ten minutes?”
Meek just nodded.
Ten minutes later they stood at the end of the corridor that contained Room 7G.
“You sure about this?” asked Meek.
Zach looked at his friend then clapped him on the arm and headed off towards the door to 7G. Once outside, Zach pulled a small box from his pocket that was attached by a ribbon cable to a plastic card. The card was credit card sized, similar to the access cards used throughout the buildings. He paused briefly then swiped the card down the slot by the door to 7G. To their combined relief no alarms sounded and the small box in Zach’s hand sprang to life. It had five small LEDs attached to the brushed steel case, four were red and one green. As they stood watching the first two red lights came on. Meek glanced nervously around but the corridor was quiet. The third, then fourth red lights flickered on. Zach shifted the box to his other hand and wiped his empty hand on his jeans. They both stared intently at the final light. It flickered on. Zach immediately swiped the card a second time and a metallic clunk signaled they were in.
They both carried LED torches and left the lights off. Splitting up, they examined different sides of the room. Dominated by a large, hydraulic operating table and ceiling mounted light array there were equipment trollies and sink units as you’d expect to find in any operating theatre. Zach was drawn to some cupboards on one wall, but they held only medical supplies, many of which he recognized.
Meek found a computer on a small workstation trolley in one corner and waved for Zach to investigate. Meek pressed on and found a shelving system that held electronic components, leads, circuit boards and surgical-grade tools. Most components, he quickly realized, were for the laboratory experiments, being far too big and cumbersome to consider implanting. Then he found two cool boxes. He lifted the first onto the bench and opened it. Inside he found three compartments, each containing a small black chip with forty gold connectors protruding from it. The chip was about the size of a pound coin and of similar thickness. There was a seven digit number written on the casing of the chip. Meek grabbed his mobile phone and recorded the number. He did the same with the other two chips. It seemed to him that two of the chips were from a similar series but the third was different. Only the serial numbers would reveal what the chips contained.
The other cool box had one chip in, the other two slots were empty. Meek recorded the number and replaced it carefully. He looked over to where Zach was sitting in front of the computer screen. He was typing faster than anyone he’d ever seen. Meek could see a video opening on the screen. After a few seconds, a figure in front of the camera moved and it was possible to see a patient on the operating table. Meek couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The figure on the operating table had had the top of his head removed, exposing what seemed to be about two thirds to three quarters of the surface area of his brain. As figures moved and crossed in front of the camera Meek could still make out that something of the order of 70-100 fine wires trailed from a slim beige box on a trolley and attached to various points on the exposed brain.
“That’s a G750.” said Zach.
“Prototype for the chip.” agreed Meek.
As they watched, the camera was suddenly adjusted to focus on a bank of monitors to one side. Zach could tell immediately what each displayed.
“Alpha readings, vital signs and that looks like Kan signals.” said Zach pointing to each display on the screen.
“Right.” agreed Meek, although he knew little of this side of things.
As they watched another trolley came into view with a much larger beige box on it. One of the technicians bent over it and then looked across at the monitor bank. The Kan display began to show violent activity, massive wave amplitudes and an irregular pattern.
“That’s incredible.” muttered Zach. “That’s better than 98%. That’s sub 9, he didn’t even register in the top 10 subjects on his own. I’ve got to see the programming for that box.”
Meek looked round, although they were making no noise he was getting very nervous. Even the drones they employed for security were supposed to make periodic checks.
“Come on.” he hissed. “Let’s get out of here.”
Zach held his hand up and from the other produced a small USB device that he slotted into the workstation. In one corner of the screen a small box opened; in it a unicyclist cycled back and forth across the little box until a progress bar completed. Zach pulled out the USB stick and shutdown the workstation. He smiled at Meek and was about to say: “See, no worries.” when they heard footsteps outside the door.
In blind panic, they searched the room for somewhere to hide. Everything was against a wall but the operating table. Meek lunged for a cupboard to one side of the door and flattened himself as best he could alongside the cupboard. Zach dropped to the floor behind the operating table.
The security guard was whistling some inane yet familiar jingle from a TV ad. He swiped his card and opened the door. Meek tried to make himself even slimmer than he already was and held his breath. Zach listened intently and squeezed as close as he could to the heavy metal base of the hydraulic table.
The guard took two steps into the room, shone his torch around and went to leave, then stopped. He bent and picked up a small plastic figure that he’d trodden on as he turned to leave. He shone his torch on it for a moment, then scanned the room again, then put the figure in his pocket and left.
Zach and Meek were too scared to move for at least a minute, although it seemed far longer to both of them.
“He picked something off the floor.” said Meek. “What was it?”
Zach shrugged and motioned for them to leave.
As they waited for the filter coffee maker to work in the shared kitchen Zach checked his pocket.
“Shit!” he said.
“Shit what?” said Meek.
Zach held up the USB stick he’d used in 7G.
“What?” said Meek.
“Ermintrude.” said Zach. “It must have come off in there.”
Meek just stared.
“A figure, Ermintrude, you know, the cow in Magic Roundabout, it was on my keyring, the one I had the USB stick on…”
“Shit!” said Meek.
“Shit!” said Zach.
“Shit!” said Meek.
“Wait.” said Zach. “It’s nothing, I mean no-one knows about it, I’ve had this in my rucksack since we got here. It’s fine.”
“Never hear of DNA?” said Meek.
“You’re kidding?” said Zach. “DNA tests on a plastic cow?”
“Well it’s not like they don’t have the kit and the expertise?”
Zach looked serious for a moment, then said:
“Did you see the guard take it?”
“Yeah.”
“Did he just pick it up?” said Zach.
“Gotcha.” said Meek. “God they’re thick.”
“Cheap and cheerful, all the Government can afford. There’s probably more of his DNA on old Ermintrude than mine by now.”
Zach afforded himself a relieved grin.
“They’ll still know someone was in there.” said Meek. “Someone with odd habits.”
Zach looked at him.
“How many people do you know that would have a keyring with a minor character from Magic Roundabout on it?” asked Meek.
Zach knew it was a mistake, but still didn’t think it would lead directly back to him. They drank their coffee in virtual silence.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
MEMORIES OF THE previous night’s ritual were still fresh in Grobus’ mind as he assiduously recorded everything in his magical journal. He hoped that he would be allowed to progress to the next level in the order soon as he had diligently observed all the required tasks. He had learned the five rituals associated with that level. He had memorised all the associations and alignments relevant to the region of the astral plane explored at this level. He knew Oculus didn’t like him, but it was not a decision for Oculus alone. It was by agreement of the High Order to allow a member to prove their knowledge and skills and advance to a higher rank.
Grobus finished his writing and slid the journal into his backpack. The woman creature from Oculus’ paintings filled his mind. She was indeed beautiful. It did seem that Oculus had become obsessed with her. He spoke of little else and it now seemed to Grobus that the High Order itself was focused on this creature. What did they hope to learn from her? And this new person, Plater, what did he have to do with their work? Oculus had seemed insistent, saying:
“Find out all you can about Mason Plater.”
Perhaps he and the woman creature were connected in some way.
As the clock pushed past 1900 Grobus collected his uniform and ID card before catching the bus four stops to the thirty-two floor bank building where he worked as a cleaner. Within ten minutes he was switching on the floor cleaning machine and settling his headphones to listen to recordings he had made of the plant, gemstone and mineral associations he needed to memorise for rituals at the next level in the order. Grobus felt he did some of his best work at night.
Days passed and then a week with nothing mentioned on either the television, the internet or in the papers about the events at Lievesham Hall. Molly and Plater had dropped into a routine. Most nights Molly stayed with Plater and watched him as he slept until she too dozed. Most days Plater would wake with half remembered images of Roman buildings, the old ship or being surrounded by skyscrapers in some mega city. Each time he woke he reached for the pad and tried to draw more fragments of the image. In his dreams the image appeared on a flag flying on a building, the scroll in the ship’s cabin or as graffiti on a wall. Each time he returned to normality he carefully recalled both his experiences and more details of the design to write down.
Molly would hug him as he woke then slip away to grab breakfast before heading off to work. Plater found that his dream-filled sleep often left him less than refreshed and one morning, listening to some Brahms in his living room he fell deeply asleep. This time he slept, without dreaming, for more than five hours and he later realised that he'd slept for about as long as the classical music playlist would have lasted on his phone.
The next day he tried the same idea, listening to the music on his large sofa and once more drifted into a deep and rejuvenating sleep. He excitedly told Molly about this when she staggered in after work, laden with shopping from the Tesco Express.
“That's great.” she said, as she packed the food into the cupboards “You were starting to look a bit...”
“Not any more.” said Plater, suddenly crossing behind Molly and squeezing her sides as she bent to a low cupboard. She squealed and twisted in his arms. For a moment they looked at each other, she giggling from being tickled and he laughing in the relief that they both felt. Her hands came to rest on his shoulders , then slid towards his face. Cupping his cheeks she moved to kiss him. What began as a sensitive, tender brushing of lips suddenly became a coming together.
Molly felt the edge of the kitchen table and under Plater's weight lay back onto it. Plater swept tins and packets right and left from under her before pulling at the waistband of her jeans. Buttons popped from his shirt as Molly ripped it open sinking her teeth playfully into his bare chest. In their urgency, they almost toppled from the table before switching positions so Plater lay on the table with Molly sitting astride him. As they pushed and pulled in abandoned rhythm Plater looked up at Molly. Her tousled hair framed her face and with the light behind it seemed for a moment...just a fleeting glimpse Plater would try to recall later, as if the woman grinding above him, synchronising her gyrations to the thrusting of his hips was Gail Hartston. In the instant that he saw this he hesitated, his head began to swim, he saw a beach, the dark-haired woman, the one who became Gail Hartston while he watched. Then he felt the real world again, felt the gripping of knees by his sides and saw again the woman above him. Young, beautiful, eyes closed, lips parted and now completely naked. Plater thought Molly had never looked so beautiful.
