Sand Glass (12 page)

'No sign of
Jules or Jared.' said Adam.

My eyes must
have flickered with something. Adam was looking at me intently.

'We will have
Sam on hand by tomorrow. He'll act as liaison to our crew on the
outside. They won't be far away. But things have changed a lot
round here. We need to be prepared for a full reset.'

Everyone except
me nodded. I looked to Marcia for the answer.

'Ah! That's the
technical way of saying that it all starts again. Everyone is back
to an apparent square one. It's unpleasantly like a hangover, but
without the pleasure of getting drunk the night before.'

'So how do you
cope with that?' I asked.

She gave me
that look that was typical Marcia.

'Oh!
Right.....' I looked at Adam.

'Give, Davey!'
he also had that appraising look.

I looked
away.

'We need to
share information,' said Marcia, 'so what's on your mind
Davey?'

'I said before
that I think I can see the connection between us all. George would
have to confirm that it is so. Then we might have something to go
on.'

'Not really,'
said George, 'there is a lot of misinformation flying around. I had
a good look at the err... records that were got out of Base.'

'And?' Marcia
was expectant.

'And nothing. I
can't remember any of it. The Base records in the hard drives here
reflect the reality that is currently dominant. The only thing I
can be sure of is what I record privately.'

'But the things
you send out of here, or take away?'

'They cannot be
remembered while I'm here. And on the outside I cannot recall
anything beyond what was written down. It's very frustrating.'

'So Marcia is
the only one who remembers everything?'

'Yes.' she said
to me, 'I do. And you can ask me the question you've been dying to
ask since the business with the tag.'

'You sure I'm
not in the dog house on this one?' I asked her.

'What is the
question?' Adam this time; patient, but interested.

'Everyone must
answer.’ I said, ‘Just tell me the date of your birthday.'

There was a
pause. Then Adam seemed surprized at something.

Marcia was the
first to respond. 'There's nothing significant about that.'

'You're wrong.
No one could answer before. No one knew. But I'm guessing that the
pass codes for the tags are a six digit code. A birthday in fact.
You unlocked the tag Marcia. You remembered.'

'That wasn't my
birthday. I was just numbers.'

'What is your
birthday then?'

'I'm not
telling you that!'

'Why not?'

'The inhibition
is too strong.' Adam interjected, 'I see it clearly. Other
information has been substituted for the things we know to be
true.'

'That's just
potty.' Marcia was irritated.

'No. It's
not....’ I said quickly, 'you remember things. But what if: some of
it was just plain wrong?'

'Yes. Of
course,' said George, 'the debrief. Marcia always had the other
team’s head technician.'

'Misinformation
is just as useful as missing information.' Adam seemed firmly
convinced.

'I know what I
know.' Marcia said hotly, her face began to get that red angry
look.

'Easy...' said
George, 'As much as you want to believe you haven't been tampered
with. It might be a matter of a suggestion planted rather than a
reality reset for you personally.'

'I think I
agree.' Adam said calmly, 'I have memories that are not consistent
with other ones. That is to say: when Davey asked for my
birthday.... I remembered something so strong, so potent. But the
facts I recalled didn't match.'

'Please
enlighten us.' said Marcia still crossly.

'Marcia. I
respect you. Along with of all the team. You are the sanest of the
rest. I know I have been affected by different means. Everyone here
knows I have no visions and suchlike.'

Was it my
imagination, or did his eyes flick to me momentarily?

Adam continued:
'Yes. I know it. It's the scent of heat. Of the err... Vegetation,
in the height of summer. Intense heat.... The last thing to leave
memory is the smell of something. And yet, I remember a birthday in
November. Memories - like a picture book cleverly put together in a
slideshow; dovetailed into the other parts; that time with my
family. You can't see the join.'

'But you can
smell it?' George had an "ah-ha!" look in his eyes.

'Yes! Exactly
that.' Adam looked at me.

George turned
to me as if about to say something. Marcia's face had returned to
its normal colour, she was looking at me as well.

'The First of
August.' I said.

They all looked
as if I had started a chain reaction in each of them
simultaneously. George was the first to speak.

'I know how we
are all connected now. This is weirder than I thought.'

'It was a
lovely day. How did I not know?' Marcia looked upwards
thinking.

'Summer.' said
Adam simply.

'What?' I was
always doing this, provoking a reaction, but not knowing what I'd
done.

'I'm so sorry
for being cross.' said Marcia.

'What an idiot
I've been!' said George, 'I didn't have our team of technicians
debrief all the people in Hanson's expedition group.'

'We have been
compromised.' said Marcia, 'We might as well leave now.'

'Not quite.'
said Adam, 'there is still a point of reference. Davey has never
been debriefed. Also, if I understand it right he has not ever been
at Base during the Modulator reset. So....'

'There isn't
much time.' George said to me, 'You and Marcia will have to kit up,
and then we get you into the Buggy. I can get hold of Sam; he's the
only one we can trust who can get here in two hours.'

'What about
Janey?' I said, 'I have to get her to come with us.'

'I'll deal with
that,' said Marcia, 'Don't worry Davey.... There are some things
that every girl understands even in an alternate universe, where
reality is about to do a backflip, and all the creeps are out to
get you.'

'Where is
Hanson?' I said, 'Has anyone seen him?'

'Let's just
pray he's busy in some interminable meeting or practicing
knots....' Marcia made a face.

'Or
meditating?' I said.

'Just remind
me....' Marcia said sharply, 'if I ever try to hook up with a tall
guy with a beard and a broad chest.... And err, big feet. Just
remind me to pick a decent guy like Jared.'

Adam and George
exchanged glances.

'You do know
what happened to Jared don’t you?' asked George carefully.

'Yes. I know.'
said Marcia with a brittle brightness, 'If anyone wants to help me,
then they'll help me keep that faith I have; that Davey and I can
save him....' she turned to me then; 'I always knew what had
happened. I always accepted it. I was in love with him for a long
time before Hanson ever came on the scene. And I'm sorry.... I
thought because everything had changed around me that no one else
could know about any of that. Janey knows.... And she loves Jared a
lot more than I do. She saved him from dying out there, in the real
world. Perhaps I can help bring him back...' she turned away from
us lads then; and spoke again but in a whisper: 'this is a land for
lost souls, be it heaven, hell or purgatory. And if my life will
bring him back; I'll take the deal. Because I can't bear the way
they are all ripped apart... Janey and her parents....perhaps I can
give them back their son. I'll take my chances as to where I fit in
after that.'

'Are you ready
to get the ice kit now?' George said.

She turned and
faced us again.

'Yes. Now.'
Marcia was resolute. Then she said to me, 'I won't do this for
revenge, or for science, or even for my friends. But for Jared...
For him. I’ll do it for him.'

'Time folks.'
said Adam, 'Let's be at the hangar at 4 pm.'

We left the
small office and all parted company. I had half an hour and then
George would kit me up himself. Marcia went to persuade Janey.

Adam was given
the passkey and codes by George so he could ready the Buggy.

I turned down
the little side corridor nearby. There was Jared! He leaned against
the window frame, silhouetted against the light, on what was now
low sun on a mid-October day. Yet it was odd. Was it really
October? As I watched the light shifted and became bluer, a few
flakes of snow drifted against the window.

‘Davey!’ Jared
was surprized, as if I had caught him in the middle of some train
of thought.

‘This is really
weird. You do know that.’ I said.

‘Sorry. Yes. It
is. I didn’t mean to startle you.’

‘That’s ok.’ I
leaned against the window next to him, ‘Do you think we’ll ever
understand it all?’

‘You ask me
this now?’ Jared seemed sad, ‘I’m tired Davey. I can’t go on much
more.’

‘Please don’t
say that Jared… not now. We’re setting out this afternoon. Where
will you be?’

‘I’ll see you
when you get there.’

‘Get where?’ I
glanced down at his hands. He was holding the necklace.

‘Janey gave it
to me on our birthday.’

‘Marcia told
me. Jared…. I’m….’ but he silenced me, putting his finger to his
lips, and very quietly, ‘You will know the place.’ He held my gaze
for a few more seconds.

‘Davey! There
you are!’ I turned automatically as she called me.

‘Janey?’ I
tried to sound casual, ‘Have you seen Marcia?’

‘No. should I
have? There is the most amazing slide show on this afternoon. And
there’s a talk. It about the waveform, and how it affects us at a
cellular level. I think you should come too!’

‘We are going
soon Janey. You will need to get George to kit you up straight
away.’

‘Why? I’ve not
had lunch yet. No time.’ She came closer. I saw her eyes were red
rimmed. She was tired, or stressed; or both; ‘It’s been days Davey.
What the Hell am I doing here?’

‘I’ve been here
for only a few hours….’ I took her arm and pulled her towards me,
‘you go straight to George. Get kitted up. We will leave just after
four.’

‘In the middle
of the night?’ she was over tired, but this was getting really too
much. Her eyes gleamed in the light of the corridor. There was no
one about. And it was so quiet… and dark outside. I let go of her
as if I had been stung. We were in the afternoon sunlight. Jared
was standing a few yards away looking at her.

‘She can’t see
me.’ He said.

‘Janey, come
with me. But don’t touch me. Ok?’ I saw she was confused.

‘Alright.’ She
said eventually.

I glanced back
towards Jared. But the corridor was empty.

We were on the
way across the uneven terrain. Janey sat in the back coughing. She
looked really ill. The only way to save her was to take her with
us. George told us he'd seen it before; right at the beginning. It
was that time before the Modulator frequency that covered Base had
been properly adjusted. People got sick, especially first timers.
They experienced dislocations in time, paranoia, and so on. George
couldn't include hallucinations as one of the indicators in
diagnosis: we all could get those anyway.

We travelled
steadily. Marcia drove us this time. I was in the front passenger
seat. The atmosphere, oppressive and thick with unease was
beginning to lift. It was just us three. Adam had promised us that,
should we need it, he would come to the first camp and rendezvous
with us. George said that Sam could coordinate from Base if needed
and that he would come with Adam if necessary.

We had three
days. That is, three days of Base time. But for us that was a lot
longer. The prestart sequence for the reset had begun. Base went
very quiet. Despite our worries at beginning stopped by Rimmington
and his tribe bent on vengeance, nothing had prevented us from
driving the Buggy straight out of the compound. The following day
at Base would be quite different; the number of personnel on hand
would swell to maximum and then we would be in the cross hairs.

We stopped for
a break. Marcia climbed into the back. Janey was in the side seats
right at the back.

‘Davey!’ Marcia
snapped my attention away from the tussocks of greeny-black
wire-like twigs; ‘Get the med pack. We must pack in some
stabilisation shots in the next six hours or she’s done for.’

I grabbed the
case from under the seat, and scrambled over. Marcia pulled Janey
upright. She looked awful. Her skin was clammy and pale, her eyes
were glassy and still red rimmed. Only her lips were pinky soft and
normal. I reached out. ‘Don’t touch her!’ said Marcia sharply.

‘Why not?’

‘Time is
tearing her apart. I can have contact with her for some reason that
one day I will explain to you. But you could kill her with one
touch!’

‘Oh my God…’ I
opened the case up, as Janey focused on me for the first time in
hours.’

‘David…. Why
did you leave me there?’ she smiled, ‘I remember our date. Do
you?’

Marcia gave me
that look; ‘Just tell her something positive Davey.’

I handed Marcia
the hypo case; ‘No idiot! Get it out for me. I can’t hold her up
and do the injection on my own.’

‘Do you want me
to do it?’

‘Yes. That
would be better. Just make sure you put the vinyl gloves on
first.’

We got it
arranged. Janey slumped back in the seat. Marcia bent her arm into
position to give me as clear a shot as I could. We found the vein,
nice and clear. I pressed it in smoothly; held it steady, and
depressed the plunger in one smooth action.

‘Cotton wool.’
Marcia took it from me and pressed down as I withdrew the needle.
‘Good work. When you’re clear of the sharp; get the hot water
going. We’ll try some coffee and something sweet.’