Long Division (29 page)

‘So,’ his chest rose and fell, ‘we are to assume my body is no longer my own.’

I chewed on my lower lip. I wanted to tell him I’d seen the recording. I knew.

With a groan, I stood and held out a hand to him. ‘Come on.’

Bleak eyes rose to me.

I extended my hand further. ‘Let’s get you cleaned up. You’re a wreck.’

As I helped him, limping towards the bathroom, I had a heavy heart. Ours would never be the relationship where bathing together did not mean washing away the damage of others.

20:Cause and Effect

I hadn’t expected the beginning of the end to come in the form it did: broadcasted over every news source in the world. In the end, as I’d known, there was nothing to be done.

James was lying on the sofa when I walked through the door with the shopping. It was a good thing he’d had some money saved from his grants back in his mathematician days, for I was out of work and completely broke. It could not go on for ever, I knew that, but for now, we would make do.

It had been an unusually quiet day in the city, compared to the flat, which was surprisingly loud. James had the television on; something I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen him do. I watched him carefully as I put the few cold items in the fridge. Nothing about him seemed cause for alarm.

When I’d finished I walked over and sat near his feet, which he immediately dropped back in my lap. I put a hand on his shin. ‘What’s so interesting?’

I read the screen. In large letters under the newscaster, it read: “UPGRADE LAUNCH DATE!” And InVizion’s emblem spun in a graphic off to one side.

Upgrade? I felt a chill at the word. It brought to mind evil androids or self-aware computers. I tried to think if I’d heard of it before. Perhaps in the massive dump of information Fox had given us before his demise three weeks ago. I hadn’t had much time to sift through it all, and James hadn’t had much mind to.

The police never did come looking for James for involvement in Fox’s death. Either James hadn’t killed him, he’d left no evidence, or the police for one reason or another—probably InVizion—couldn’t be bothered. Why, if James was responsible, it had happened at all was beyond me.

Loose ends, probably.

‘Upgrade? What’s that?’ I wasn’t sure why I turned to him for answers. He rarely had them these days, and the visible look of pain that crosses his features at not being able to answer me was not one I liked to see.

‘I’d imagine that with this technology, it would eventually have to be synched up. Bring everyone on the same page. So all of those who are using it to record their dreams and play the latest games are in step with those relying on it for every day uses like turning on lights and baking a batch of scones.’

My mouth went dry. I supposed I should have known something like this was coming. ‘Sync everyone for what?’

He shrugged. ‘Total control.’ His eyes darted down to me. ‘Don’t worry. You don’t have the implant. You shouldn’t be
as
affected as everyone else.’

I gript his knee firmly. ‘And what about you, yeah?’

He ignored me. ‘I doubt it shall be that dramatic. Probably a global-wide event. It may or may not be noticeable. Of course they’ll play it up as an upgrade to the technology, everyone getting the newest system pack, but what it really is is an upgrade of their minds. The beginning of the hive mind.’

‘And what about those that
don’t
have the implant? How will they possibly be synced up to everyone else?’ I pressed again.

James let out a deep breath and scrubbed a hand down his face in clear frustration. I could see the wearing this had on him. ‘I don’t know how they’ll accomplish that yet. By all sense it should be some sort of transmission, like this, but it would have to have a way of penetrating the brain without having a device to connect to.’

I distractedly found myself trailing my fingers up and down his thigh, making lines on his pyjama bottoms. ‘Did you hear any mention of such a thing when you worked for them?’

He sighed and shook his head. ‘No. It wasn’t really my area. Dr Baker’s, probably, but we didn’t speak much of what our different fields were.’ He watched my fingers move. ‘There would have to be a way to send organic transmissions. It’s not machine connecting with machine. It’s signals attempting to connect with the brain.’

‘So it would need to be translating in a way that the mind would understand?’

His eyes and lips lit up in a sly smile. ‘Oh, Mark, you are a clever one.’

I felt my cheeks go a little red. ‘But, is that even possible? And if so, how would they go about it? It’s not like they can hook a brain up to a tower and beam the thoughts out over the entire world.’

James scooted a little further down so his arse rested against my thigh. ‘Perhaps…it’s possible to make an organic chip.’

I frowned. ‘And just, what? Put that into everyone?’

His thin shoulders rose and fell. ‘You’re right. Can’t really see people in Africa lining outside of health clinics to get things put in their heads. I don’t know what I’m thinking.’ He turned his face from me, back to the television.

‘The event, which InVizion is promising will give users the most advance upgrade yet, will happen in just five minutes. It has tech enthusiasts gathering together all across the world to celebrate its arrival. The studios here should experience no technical difficulties and will continue to cover the event once it occurs.’

James chuckled darkly. ‘What should we do in our final five minutes?’

A rather long list of things I wouldn’t mind doing with him rolled through my head but I was quite sure James had not thought of any of them.

So I resisted the urge. I kept my hands where they were.

The minutes passed for us in waiting silence. I watched James’s chest rise and fall in a patient, deep pull. The agony of the counting seconds was almost enough to drive me from my mind. What would happen when all of this hit? This wasn’t it, was it? I hadn’t been led to believe so. James had shown no real concern over the matter.

‘James?’ My arms circled round his knees in a hug.

‘Hmmm?’ his eyebrows rose in distraction.

‘This isn’t the end, is it?’ I swallowed, it felt ragged. ‘You would tell me, wouldn’t you? If this was it?’

He looked down at me; his expression was a mixture of surprise and uncharacteristic tenderness. ‘Of course I would tell you. Of course I would, Mark. This is not the end.’

I moved uncomfortably and looked up at him imploringly. ‘But you don’t know what’s about to happen, do you?’

He smirked grimly. ‘Would your mind be more at ease if I were tied down?’

I slid closer to him, our bodies shifting till I had my arms around his waist. ‘Of course not. You know I’d never do such a thing.’

His body relaxed after a moment and sank back against me. Whatever was going to happen now, I was where I wanted to be. I felt like Londoners must have felt before me, huddled beneath the kitchen table, listening to the long, droning whistle of the bomb which would inevitably crash.

And in the silence that had fallen, the last second ticked down.

‘Test.’

James’s lips, so close they brushed my ear, moved around the word.

‘What?’ I turned to look at him.

And then the woman on the television said it. Hundreds of voices said it, as did James, all around me on the streets and behind walls and from every pocket of soundless space came the word, chanted over and over again.
‘Test. Test. Test. Test. Test.’

It seemed to grow louder, not only coming from James, but everywhere. My brain whined with it, beat into my skull, demanded to be spoken. And it hurt. Hurt unlike anything I’d felt before. My head was cracking open with the force of the word. I wanted to say it. I wanted to join in to the chant so badly I thought my eyes would bleed. How long could it go on?

I glanced in alarm at James’s face and was dismayed to see his expression completely slack, his eyes glazed. Still he chanted. My very jaw struggled against me, wanting to swing open and let the first
Test
slip past.

To my relief, it ended as quickly as it began. The cacophony of noise from all around me drained back to a state of silence, and for a pause, nothing, before London began again.

Beside me, James gave his head a shake before he turned to look at me. I did not even know where to begin. His expression clearly demanded answers.

‘Test,’ I said.

‘What?’

‘You said “test”. Everyone did. Over and over. It was bloody awful. The whole city! And on the television,’ I glanced over at the woman to see her talking as if nothing had happened. ‘And I almost did too. I thought my head would explode if I didn’t but then it just ended.’

I became aware of blood pounding through my brain at a merciless rate. I swore and rubbed my temples as the pressure increased. My head was aching awfully.

James sighed unhappily. ‘Another test? But they’ve conducted hundreds of those. What was special about this one?’ He rubbed under his nose, where a thin trickle of blood leaked.

I folded my arms crossly. ‘I haven’t the faintest. If you ask me, every test is different, besides the fact they’re making everyone
do
something.’

‘Do you think if you did not know all you know, you would have said it along with the rest of us?’

Thinking back to how hard it had been to
not
say it, I had to nod. ‘I think so. If I’d been like anyone else without a device, I would have done it. But why is that so odd? I mean, I bought lotto tickets and those horrible trainers and did who knows what else thanks to InVizion suggestion.’ I winced against another spike of pain in my head.

He rounded his jaw. ‘Ah, but Mark, that is what they have been up till now.
Suggestions.
Subliminal, perhaps almost impossible to ignore, but suggestions. This was the first real test of absolute control we’ve seen. Still a suggestion for you, but for the rest of us…’

I flopped back against the sofa and let out a heavy breath. ‘Control.’

‘The beginnings of it. I’d imagine it was such a short transmission due to the fact they couldn’t sustain it for any longer than that. You could fight against it because you were aware of it. I don’t…know why I gave in. I suppose my head isn’t so clear these days.’

Our bodies shifted again, turning towards each other. I looked down at our crossed knees pressed against each other. ‘How do you feel? Do you feel all right?’

James scowled. ‘Yes. Why?’

I sucked in a deep breath through my nose. ‘Because, James every time one of these…events happens, something happens to you. Something weird. Remember the square?’

He shook his head. ‘No.’

It was impossible to not be frustrated with him at times. We hadn’t really talked about it. I hadn’t known what to say. One might think it strange to not, but…how did one really go about it? The image of James standing there, with all those people before him, hanging in mid-air, was still in my mind. It was for ever burned.

‘You have…power, James. I cannot think of another word for it. Or InVizion has power, I should say, and they are, for whatever reason, using it through you.’

He let out a deep breath and looked at me miserably, eyes resting on my lips. ‘So what are you saying, Mark? Get to the point.’

‘You are special to them, James. I don’t know if it’s just you, or if there are others out there, but you are special. You spoke first, just now, before everyone else joined in.’ His head tilted to one side. ‘I obviously know nothing about it. But even though they gave you that bloody tumour, they still seem to have some interest in you!’

Impatience flared over his features. He didn’t seem to much like what I was saying. ‘For what, Mark? Hmm? Why? Why would they want me?’

I threw up my hands. ‘I don’t know! Obviously I don’t know!’

James wrung his hands and I watched the long fingers go twisting and lacing together. It mirrored my stomach. ‘Are you afraid?’

My voice wobbled painfully. ‘Yes. Yes, of course I’m afraid.’

His eyes were wide and glinted in the little light that was left. ‘Do you want me to kiss you?’

I was surprised by the offer, but my spine automatically tightened at the words. I didn’t think he thought about such things. Not anymore. I was still trying to stop my head from spinning over all that had just happened, I wanted to work it out and he wanted to
kiss?

‘You really want to?’

He huffed his breath and leaned in very quickly, surprising me. My lids automatically fluttered closed as his soft lips brushed against mine. He was taut; I could feel that, like a plucked string, and I found it difficult to relax against. It had the opposite effect on me that I wished. He was keying me up as he pushed himself in, gripping at my shoulders. My mind would not cooperate. He’d just been babbling absolute gibberish—the whole world had—and he just wanted to snog?

James was clinging to me, in a way I’d almost have described as desperate, pulling me to him with surprising strength. It wasn’t helping my new headache much.

Somewhere in the overwhelming haze, something James had said floated through. I couldn’t even begin to say how I’d remembered. But now it came to my mind.
Dr Karl Baker.

‘Wait!’ I pulled back, our lips sticking like wetted parchment. By the look on James’s face, he hadn’t much wanted it to end.

‘What is it?’ his voice came terse and unhappy.

I shook my head. ‘Dr Baker, you mentioned him!’

James’s brow crinkled. ‘So?’

He slumped back to the other end of the sofa, a look of complete boredom flooding his gaunt features. He was tired. Not feeling well. I didn’t blame him, but I couldn’t just let it slip.