Connexion : The Atlantis Project, Book.1 (29 page)

Charlie’s anger was slightly appeased; but it
gave way to a dull pain that he had trouble defining. It was
something between anxiety and latent sorrow. He could feel the
effects of convergence in him. His extreme empathy for Victor had
driven him to react as Victor himself would have reacted. He could
feel contradictory emotions rising up within him; an inextricable
combination of suffering and hatred. Was Victor’s wife dead? Had
Giuseppe really killed them through negligence as he claimed? For
now he could not tell, but Giuseppe’s decision, while it had
unfortunately come too late, did seem to show an intention on his
part to preserve the lives of the N.H.I.’s. But to what end? He had
no idea.

Maybe Rosaline was still alive somewhere in
the no-go zone after all. He suddenly remembered what Victor had
told him about her being put into hibernation. Victor remembered,
before being put to sleep himself, that he had accompanied his wife
to sector 24 of the same base. He had not specified where that wing
was situated, but if the rooms marked the entrance to the cave, it
could be that the first domes were situated in the zone currently
inhabited by humans. There was something else that supported this
theory: the dome where Victor lay was one of the very first ones
and it was there that the fusion reactor had been found which
probably supplied a large portion of the base with energy, if not
all of it.

This thought comforted him and he felt
himself beginning to regain control of his emotions. As he had
already experienced in the connection, the effects of convergence
were generally massive and uncontrollable when they first came over
him. However, afterwards, it was usually possible to consider the
facts in a more rational way and he could then manage to gain
control of himself, and get back a part of his own identity again.
But there was already another question in his mind. Why was Victor
the only one to have survived the contamination?

“So Victor is the only survivor?”

“Yes, Charlie. Opening his dome took a lot
longer. It seemed to have been protected from the inside from any
risk of break-in. It was only after two years that we finally
managed to open it, but not until we had taken all the necessary
precautions. The entire air supply is continuously exposed to
ultra-violet radiation and as you have noticed, it is impossible to
enter the hibernation room without first undergoing a thorough
decontamination procedure. Soon after that we put extra protection
in place. That is the reason why Victor’s head is completely
covered by the white helmet. It serves two purposes. It ensures
that air that he breathes both in and out is completely filtered,
and it facilitates the neuronal connections which made it possible
for you to make contact with him. Without those precautions, Victor
would be dead by now, just like his companions who were not so
lucky.”

“In that case, why didn’t you tell us the
truth straight away? Why did you tell us that Victor was the only
one of his kind found in this cave? It really doesn’t seem
necessary.”

“On the contrary! I didn’t want you to make
contact with Victor, having the tragic events that had happened
here at the forefront of your mind. That could have influenced your
choices and your interpretation of your experiences in the
connection. What’s more, we didn’t know what information Victor had
been able to access. We didn’t know at the time that direct
communication between your minds was possible. However, I did tell
you that during previous attempts we had observed the transfer of
information through the neural probe that we could not control. We
were not certain, but we already suspected the possibility that
Victor could also delve into his guest’s memories. Today I do not
regret my decision. Evidently, his influence on his guests’ minds
is a lot more powerful than we could have imagined. I realize that
we are actually in control of very little. Even the way you left
the connection was completely independent of our volition and
without any intervention on our part. We could not consider sending
you in there with such information in your memory. God only knows
what would have happened to you if Victor had known about the death
of forty-nine of his companions because of us.”

“Do you know someone by the name of Elias
Conti?”

Giuseppe hesitated for a second. The question
seemed to make him rather uncomfortable.

“I suppose Victor told you about him, unless
it was Mario?”

“No, Mario didn’t tell us anything!” Jacques
said quickly.

“Yes, Victor told me about him. What happened
to him?” Charlie asked.

“Elias Conti was one of the technicians who
worked on building the containment wall. He was one of the first to
volunteer for the connection. Unfortunately, he was not as lucky as
you. We had to disconnect him without his consent, which profoundly
deranged his psyche. But I suppose that if Victor told you about
him you must know as much as I do. Perhaps you could tell us more?
I think I have put my cards on the table with you so far. I would
invite you to do the same. What happened to Elias Conti?”

“I’ll give you that, Giuseppe. I appreciate
your honesty, so I don’t see any reason not to tell you what I know
about him. Victor told me about someone called Elias Conti; an
unfortunate candidate who didn’t cope with the effects of the
connection. According to Victor he was already prone to anxiety
which was out of control even before he entered the connection.
Unlike his approach with me, Victor left Elias to wander in his own
dreams. He never gave him access to anything other than his own
mental constructs. However, Victor didn’t tell me about a number of
the N.H.I.’s dying from viral or bacterial contamination. I suppose
he didn’t know about that or I’m sure he would have told me. I
think perhaps you have the explanation for that, don’t you,
Giuseppe?”

“Well, yes, of course. Elias Conti had been
involved in building the wall but he didn’t know the reasons for
isolating the no-go zone. Only a very few members of the research
team and security personnel were authorized to know that
information. I suppose that is why Victor did not find out and I
think it’s much better that way.”

Charlie thought Giuseppe was probably right.
Whatever information Victor was privy to, he could do nothing about
it. Perhaps it was better for him if he didn’t know anything more
just yet. If Charlie was to help him, the best he could do now was
to look for his wife, Rosaline, and he was determined to begin
straight away, with the precious help Giuseppe would give him.

32 CLEMENTINE

Before leaving the interview room to rejoin
the recovery room, Charlie asked Giuseppe one final question.

“What is this thing?” he asked, pointing to
the graphic tablet.

Giuseppe gave him a careful look, as if he
knew this was no innocent question then he replied, with a friendly
smile.

“That object is not of our making. We found
it in this dome. I was intending to mention it to you because you
might be able to help us understand how it works, but I think our
conversation has been fruitful enough for today. If you agree, I
think it would be better if we talk about it at another time, as it
is quite a complex matter. That said, perhaps you could simply tell
me if it looks familiar to you? Perhaps you have already seen
others like it in Victor’s memory?”

Charlie hesitated then, returning Giuseppe’s
smile, he told him he had heard something about them when he was in
the connection. He preferred not to say anything more for the time
being, but he knew that the presence of that tablet, if it was
still in working order, bode well for the days ahead. He knew that
a tablet like that could hold crucial information which he alone
could decipher; at least he hoped so. He hoped that his ability to
read and comprehend the N.H.I.’s writing system was still there,
even outside of the connection. Before leaving, seized by doubt, he
turned back again, casting a careful eye over the tablet. He was
relieved to find that despite the distance between the object and
himself, he could read the initials written on its edge quite
easily. His brain instantaneously interpreted the initials, where
others would only have seen obscure, utterly meaningless symbols.
He did not understand their exact meaning, but they were familiar
to him and were probably the initials of the owner or designer.

During the time it took the twins to make it
out the door, Giuseppe stood alone in the middle of the room, lost
in thought. The brothers’ uneven walk and their extremely unusual
figure plunged him into some confusion. For a split second he had
the impression he was dealing with a monstrous being that was human
in name only. The fleeting impression soon gave way to a deep
feeling of sympathy and compassion for these two rather unusual
people, to whom life had not been kind. It was a sentiment that the
twins had always evoked in those who crossed their path and took
the time to get to know them. When the door had closed behind them,
Giuseppe remained motionless for a few moments, his eyes focused on
nothing, an affectionate smile on his face.

Through the door, Mario and Clementine were
waiting together. Clementine’s radiant smile gave away the romantic
nature of their conversation. Charlie noticed this detail and could
not help feeling a slight pang of heartache. On turning to greet
the twins, her face fell as soon she saw the grave, concerned looks
on their faces. Very soon anxiety crept across the fine, graceful
lines of Clementine’s face. She took Charlie’s arm to help them
down the stairs as she usually did. It was well-intentioned and
they knew it, but neither Jacques nor Charlie appreciated the
gesture, which only served to remind them of their infirmity. They
did however find a certain satisfaction in not letting on
immediately that it had all gone well in the end. They would have
plenty of time to talk about it in the car, they thought. The
opportunity to conspire together in teasing their friends was too
good to pass up.

Mario drove, as he had done on the way there,
but this time Clementine sat beside him. It might have seemed like
a trivial detail, except that it was the first time she had done
such a thing in the twins’ presence. Evidently, something had
changed in her relationship with Mario, something significant
enough for her not to bother sitting with the twins anymore. She
obviously preferred the company of the handsome Italian whom she
had had plenty of time to become acquainted with during their
absence. Five, long weeks spent in Mario’s company, while Charlie
and his brother had been stuck in bed, under strict observation.
Jacques had noticed it already, but had preferred not to say
anything to his brother, probably to protect him, but also because
he thought it was better for Charlie to see for himself.

“You didn’t tell me about this!” he said in a
low voice.

“
What are you talking about?”

“Oh come on! You know very well – they’re
together.”

“
Ah, yes. They could well be.”

“Out of sight, out of mind, I guess.”

“
Maybe, but – and don’t take this the
wrong way – I don’t think your being here would have made much
difference. Unfortunately, I guess it’s not only those who are out
of sight that are out of mind. Handsome young men who like to laugh
and are great company tend to fill the minds of pretty young women
more readily than grumpy invalids like us. But we’ve already
discussed that, haven’t we?”

“Okay, okay, I get it! You don’t need to go
on about it.”

“
You asked. I was just answering your
question. If you don’t like the answer, I’m sorry.”

In the back seat, Charlie tried his best to
swallow his bitterness, while Jacques smiled in satisfaction. It
was the satisfied smile of someone who has just proved his point
beyond all doubt.

The sight of the shiny domes, lined up along
the road, dripping with humidity, reminded Charlie, although it was
not really needed, that all this was scarcely important. These
structures of non-human origin had lost their power to fascinate
him for now, just as his recent fascination for the lovely
Clementine had lost its allure. These empty domes, some of them
converted into human dwellings, only evoked in him a feeling of
confusion, tinged with darkness and tragedy. Who were these beings
who had died by the dozen through human negligence? Had there been
children among them? Had they even realized something was wrong or
had they simply slipped into an even deeper sleep before passing
away forever? Perhaps no one would ever know the answer to that
question but Charlie could not help thinking about it. Maybe he
felt a duty to keep alive the memory of that horde of unknown
people doomed to die. Perhaps no one would ever come to mourn for
them, unless they had family members or friends among the
hypothetical survivors who were still in the awakening phase in the
no-go zone.

Jacques also saw the place in a different
light, now that he knew, but his thoughts were mainly focused on
their unknown future. He did not share the same empathy for the
beings he had never had the opportunity to meet, except during the
few weeks he had lain next to Victor. For now Victor was nothing
more than a huge, motionless body to him, which he knew nothing
about apart from what his brother had decided to tell him.

“You seem exhausted!” exclaimed Clementine.
“Giuseppe was rather hard on you, I guess?”

“No, not really. He was quite polite,
actually. I don’t think he was trying to make things difficult for
us; at least, not too difficult. Wouldn’t you say, Charlie? Is that
right?”

“Yes, Clementine, don’t worry about us. In
fact, I don’t think the old man is as awful as you thought. He
didn’t seem to be hiding any dark secrets from us. In any case,
that’s the impression he made on me.”