Chapter 57 Decisions
I couldn't
have felt more of lonely desolation somehow, had I been robbed of a belief or
had missed my destiny in life... – Joseph Conrad
Happiness is the most insidious prison of all. – Alan
Moore
The room erupted in many voices talking at
once, many loud and concerned. It was
boisterous chaos, a cacophony of anguish and worry, defiance and abject
cowardice.
“We have to give in” said one voice, though
Marie couldn’t pin down exactly who said it.
“Never!” another shouted back, the speaker
again unknown do the vocal chaos exploding within the room.
“Shut up, Everyone!” Marie found herself
shouting. “This isn’t helping.”
The fearful and courageous shouting quickly
faded into a murmur and all turned to look at her.
“Don’t you think, this is exactly what
Patel was trying to accomplish? With a
few threats, we’re at each others’ throats.”
Even the murmuring fell quiet.
“That’s better,” she said hopefully. “You’re all scientists; you know we have to
approach this rationally, right? Let’s
talk about it. I know I have some
questions, and I know I’m just as worried about my family as the rest of you
are, but screaming at each other isn’t going to help anything.”
Nods of approval moved through the
group. Jenkins smiled. Barry looked proud.
“Marie is exactly right,” Jenkins
said. “May I suggest we adjourn to the
conference room to discuss the situation in a rather more rational
manner?” He said it like a request, but
Marie understood that everyone took it as an order. They all silently left the Freezer in the
hands of the grad students, who were apparently not invited to the discussion.
Once up from the old dungeon, past the
first floor, up to the second , down the long hallway, and into the conference
room they took their places around the table, with Jenkins at one head, and
Stan had left his seat at the other open for Marie, in fact he held the chair
and seated her there.
“See,” Jenkins remarked, “isn’t that
better? Now we can talk like scientists
and rational humans. Now, Marie, as you
have as much say in this than any of us, more in fact, since your participation
seems to be the key sticking point for the Toxies, you said you had some
questions.”
She looked around the table, nodded slowly
and spoke, “I do. First, I guess, I need
to know what Patel and his people, er, things are really capable of. Can they carry out such threats? Against our families? Against us here?”
It was Stan that answered, “Against our
families? Yes, I believe that the Toxies
could easily get to them. “
“Could we call the police or
something? You know to warn them so they
could protect them?”
“And tell them what?” Asked Renee Friese,
“That evil mind parasites from another dimension have threatened these people’s
lives?”
“Yeah, I see that point.”
“So, we have to stop then,” blurted out
Helmer in his thick German accent. “We
must give them Brabant as Wallace has demanded.”
“Like Hell we will,” said Barry angrily.
“Enough,” Jenkins commanded. “Stan, go on.”
“As to us, I don’t see how they could get
around our vibration modes around the mountain.
They haven’t been able to so far, and it’s not like they haven’t tried,
I’m sure. They’ve not been happy about
what we’re up to here since…well, since they found out what we’ve been up to
here…just before they got Wally.”
“Okay, thanks” said Marie, “Next I need to
know what kind of threat these things are to the world in general, right? I mean are they going to wipe us out
anyway? If so, then the short term
threats aren’t really an issue. Chandler
said they were trying to take over the entire multiverse. Do you guys believe that?”
“Yes, that is their goal,” answered
Jenkins. “And from what we understand,
from our colleagues that have already fallen to them, and those who were in
contact with such worlds, they are well on their way to doing so. They seek to ever increase their hivemind
such that eventually…it will replace all forms of consciousness...until they
are as omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent as the popular monotheistic
depictions of God.”
“Well, we can’t let them,” Marie surprised
herself with her own words of defiance.
“But, our families!” bemoaned a fearful Luke. He was pale with worry and despair.
“Our families will die anyway, or become
fucking will-less zombies like your former colleague. I’m sure he doesn’t want to do and say that
shit. When I looked in his eyes, you
know, when he shot me, and part of him was in there, watching in horror. He was powerless against his own urges, and a
bit of him remained that knew it.”
“But,” interjected Hiendrich Helmer, “It
could take another two hundred years before the Toxies have such a hold on the
world and present a true danger to human civilization.”
“That’s not true, Heindrich,” said Jackie
calmy. “We’re already really close to
the tipping point with infection even if they don’t start rushing their
plans….the morphic resonance of their actions is already making human society
more socio and psychopathic. Due to
morphic fields being generated by those already under their influence, and not
even taking into account their increasing ability toward exponential infection,
are driving us as a species to self-destruction. By my research…within twenty to thirty years. Tops.”
“Exactly,” Jenkins said. “So, the immediate danger to our families is
largely moot.”
“That’s easy for you to say, Rian, your
family is safely on Earth II,” said Luke with some accusation in his tone.
“Enough,” Stan now commanded. “Those sorts of comments are helping.”
Jenkins answered Luke however, despite
this, “Look, Luke, no one is making anyone stay here. Those who want to leave can absolutely do
so. We’ll let Wally know you’re out, and
they’ll have no reason to use your family against you. I don’t doubt, however, that they will take
you for your knowledge, and we won’t be able to protect you once you leave the
mountain.”
“I’ll take my chances,” Luke said, and got
up. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got leave. I just can’t put my parents and sisters, and
nieces in danger. I can’t.”
“Well,” Jenkins said, “I understand, and
respect your decision. I think you
should take the grad students and the barters with you. There’s no point in endangering anyone
unnecessarily. What about you Helmer?”
Dr. Jenkins looked at Dr. Helmer.
“Ya, I shall go too.”
“Fine, I ask you both to leave this room
now, inform the others to get their things, call a cab and leave the chateau as
soon as you can…for your safety and ours.
We’ll call Wally and let him and his masters know you’re out. Okay.”
He looked at both of them sternly but with compassion.
“Thanks, Doc,” Luke said. He didn’t even look at the others as he and
Helmer left the conference room and closed the door behind them.
“Anyone else?” asked Jenkins scanning the
room. No one moved or even stirred in
their chairs. There was a resoluteness
over the group. “Excellent, then it’s
just us again, the five of us who stared this project, plus our Marie. Six people left to defend our world, nay, our
universe against the ultimate menace. I
like our chances.” He smiled with genuine enthusiasm.
“We have two days,” said Barry, “A gift
from Wally. We can use those two days to
our advantage.”
“Indeed, we can,” Stan agreed.
Jackie nodded.
“Then, our best bet is to consult our
colleagues across the multiverse, being careful, in fact more careful than ever
not to give any hints of our plans away, as you can never be sure that whomever
we’re speaking too aren’t Toxie agents.”
“We have a plan?” asked Barry.
“Of course we do,” replied Jenkins, “she’s
sitting right there.” He nodded towards
Marie.
copyright 2017 Diana Hignutt
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