The Power of Forgetting (41 page)

'Oh!' Juliet
replied, 'this Jared is not our whatever it is…. Oh bother! Well
never mind. There are two things to do. One: just forget you saw
me; or Two: just create some sort of minor paradox. So what's it
going to be?'

'Just tell us
what you know.' said Oliver.

'Oh,' she
glanced sideways at me, then at Oliver and seemed to hesitate.
Juliet then sighed, 'Oh well…. In once; in all…. What I know is
this: Mr August Charles will be in the main great hall at two
thirty tomorrow afternoon…. Or rather later today; Depending on
whether you intend to sleep after this or not. I will ask your help
with one thing: - destroying the resident double of his company
director Mr Rimmington. He is someone who I…. don't like very much.
I can see from your reaction that your feelings might be along
similar lines. The thing is: no one must know that you saw me
tonight. If they do it could create another paradox event. There is
too much at stake at the moment for you to be told too much. I'm
sorry for that. I truly am. But there are something's that are not
able to be told until the proper time. You have to see that I am
not trying to get you to lie to your friends…. It is just
difficult…' she looked at me with a pleading expression in her eyes
then.

'And what is
there for you?' I asked.

'For me? An
end…. The end to this life; a dream of a dream. Then I can wake up
in that place I almost still remember. And then I'll go to the
kitchen in my flat and make coffee and rub my eyes…. and this
dream; this strange dream I dreamed one night will be over. And
then…. will I know? Perhaps it is better I forget. No one else
survived the testing time. They all died, everyone one. Do you
realise what that means Jared Jay Vincey? Do you know?' she pierced
me with a startling look of knowledge.

I knew with a
shock of self-awareness that I had been here before. I had just
forgotten. You will not quite grasp the frightening consequences of
this. I had seen this moment. I had known what it was to be in this
place. Oliver watched me, and placed his hand on my shoulder. I
looked up at him and then turned to Juliet.

'I knew you as
a young girl. But now… I want to help you. So I will do as you ask.
But I ask something in return.'

'Indeed?' she
smiled then.

'Will you go to
the home of Marcia Ellis and tell her…. Tell her that we will meet
once more…' here I paused and turned my face away, then after a
moment turned back to her; 'when you are young again… will you find
her for me? Tell her that… because I have a feeling….'

'Don't say any
more.' said Juliet, 'it is enough. You will find no peace here. Not
today…. Not this day. I will not look for you again after today. If
we meet again I will have forgotten completely…. You
understand?'

'Yes.' I said
as if the heaviness of foreboding that squeezed my heart could in
fact be eased in some way. But it could not.

She got up, and
picked up her torch. She smiled once. Oliver handed her back her
knife. She faded then into the shadows. The outer door clattered
against the rim of the frame a moment later.

I sat back
heavily. Oliver took the cups away leaving me in the semi-dark
again.

Something was
closing on me like a trap. I had promised what? To destroy
Rimmington's double. Well yes…. alright. I felt sick inside. Today
was an ending. But I had no notion of how it would be a day from
now. A day. A little day…. and then… all sorts of things tried to
gain admittance; preposterous possibilities streamed through my
imagination.

'Jared?'

'What?' I
looked up at Oliver, stood over me with a camping lantern in his
hand.

'Get some sleep
now. There won't be much time for that later today.' and in case I
didn't get the point he dragged me with his free hand in the
direction of the single room.

A moment later
I flopped down on the bed. I felt like every nerve was tuned up to
the slightest sound. I didn't think I would get any more
sleep….

I woke up with
a heavy feeling. I licked my lips to get rid of that dry unpleasant
sensation. I knew without looking at my watch that I had slept too
long. We were supposed to be up by seven.

Ten minutes
later I was in the kitchen helping myself to eggs and bacon. I
wasn't wondering what everyone else was doing. Until I had fuelled
up there was no point in getting wound about everyone else's
problems or lack of…

Come to think
of it though, it was unusually quiet. I put the plate in the sink
and went to collect my pack.

Outside, no one
was about. But I could hear voices in Lorraine's chalet. They were
all there. I checked my watch and slipped one arm into a jacket.
Only eight fifteen. Still time to get ready before we made
tracks.

With a screech
of dismay Lorraine came storming out of the double doors near the
veranda. She stomped off towards the beach. I was momentarily taken
aback. She seemed genuinely angry. I didn't think she'd seen me
though. So I quickly went in.

Janey was stood
there looking angry and defiant. Marcia was clearly trying to stop
everyone from going off the deep end. Davey was twisting a piece of
strapping backwards and forwards in his hands. Two high bars of
colour on his cheeks were burning with either anger or anguish. Joe
saw me and shook his head. Clearly this was not a time to open my
mouth and put my foot right in it.

'I think,' said
Marcia as smoothly as she could muster, 'We need to get our shit
together. There is no point in this… you can all be as unpleasant
to each other as you like once this is over. So the way I see it….
you will all get yourselves ready in twenty minutes; or I'll get
Oliver on the case!'

I saw that the
threat was a real one. Oliver came from the dining room and nodded
once. Through the open door Hanson was stood talking rather quickly
and ineffectually to anyone who would listen.

'Oh…. It's
you.' said Davey glancing sideways at me. Something rather chilling
in his tone, and perhaps the stance he took warned me from
enquiring what this was about. So instead I went to Oliver.

'What equipment
do we need to get ready?' I asked. Oliver nodded slowly turning his
head. I followed him into the kitchen where the packs were lined up
ready.

The argument,
if that's what it was, continued; but without a context to fit it
into it really didn't make any sense. So I dropped my pack down
next to the others.

'Everything is
ready.' said Oliver, 'will you go and find Lorraine? There's isn't
much time. All this pissing about will get us killed.'

I saw her out
on a bar of sand. I knew that look. Indignation and defiance, but
his time it didn't involve me. I almost felt sorry for her.
Doubtless she had brought this on herself. A minute later I
realised that Lorraine had nothing to do with this particular
dissonant strike at the heart of an already fractured group of edgy
people.

'Hi Jared…' she
said flatly as I approached.

'Lorraine… I've
come to ask you to come back in. That's if you're ready,
please.'

'You were
always such a polite guy.' she said, 'it's a pity that you can't
handle it. All that power I mean.'

'Power?' I
thought that this was just her being strange and New-Age. Lorraine
at her alternative best was not something I could stand at that
moment. I looked down.

'Oh come on
Jared!' she shouted, 'stop being so wet! You are always so ready to
defend your little princess! And now she gets it on; right under my
nose. The cow!'

'Janey?'

'Yes of course
Janey!' she yelled, then collected herself, 'sorry…. Jared sweetie;
just tell them I'll be inside in five.' then in answer to my
puzzled look, 'darling; you really need to get control of her,
before she totally trashes the whole lot of you.'

'What did she
do?'

'She's being
the sweet little tart she always knew how to be Darling…. I suppose
you'll say that I deserve it all. And that Hanson isn't actually
mine to get possessive about; and you'd be right. After all, we
both know better than that don't we?'

I felt a
shockwave of heat flush through my whole body. But it didn't show.
I nodded and calmly walked back to the chalet.

Something like
peace had been restored. Marcia was checking the knives. I saw the
sharpening block on the low table. Davey didn't meet my eye and
quickly went into the kitchen as I came back in. Joe and Oliver
seemed on the face of it to be quite okay. I followed Davey to the
kitchen.

'What is
happening later?' I asked.

'I think,' said
Davey not looking at me, ' that we will continue with the plan as
before.' he clipped the top clasp of his jacket closed as if to
emphasize the point. He turned and looked at me and suddenly broke
into a smile. Either he was one hell of a control freak with his
emotions, or the best actor I'd ever met. I didn't see a trace of
the storm. It had passed and seemed to leave no mark. I smiled back
and he breathed out. The easy relaxed manner we had between us
restored, he chucked the packet of cigarettes that had been left on
the counter top.

I reflexively
caught them in my left hand, 'Ta.' I said and dragged my pack from
the floor.

In the main
lounge we had all the packs arranged and ready to put on.

'You're with
Oliver's team.' said Marcia just as I was about to speak to her. I
didn't get chance to reply as Lorraine swept past in a charged
state.

'Lorraine's
with us.' said Marcia to Joe. Joe raised an eyebrow, glanced at me.
He shook his head slightly and looked away. I think Joe was right;
not a good idea. But for speed we needed someone who knew the
layout really well.

Marcia gave us
all a new updated map in a small fold out cover.

'Lorraine's
version shows access ways and removable panels. Each team will
carry all the tools to get through them. There is a vent pipe to
the outside. The only danger is getting flushed with water if the
system is overheating. But it is big enough for us to walk through…
if you stoop down a little; alright boys?'

'That's fine.'
said Oliver, 'if getting wet is the only danger we'll be
facing.'

'But only use
them if all else fails. We can get the exit codes from the file on
the mainframe. I will take one head set and Oliver will have the
other. Jared can carry the spare for one team. Joe has the spare
for ours.'

Lorraine
re-entered at that moment. She had plaited her hair French style so
that it pulled back from her face, and she was dressed in a
closefitting suit of soft blue in a style similar to our khaki
gear.

'I'm ready.'
she said in a firm voice. I looked at her with new admiration. She
had certainly gained in the intervening time some qualities of
character that I hadn't seen before. We turned back to Marcia as
she gave the rest of the instructions. Everyone rechecked their
breathing sets: the ones of us who carried them, and then they were
stashed in side pockets for easy access. The ice suits were
similarly placed, always ready to get on in super quick time should
the occasion demand a fast response.

'Roll call.'
said Oliver then. I stared at the floor listening.

Davey read out
the team lists. Lorraine stuck out her tongue at Joe when his name
was declared, and then did it again on hers. Joe seemed to be
attempting a serious face, but instead smiled at her. Uh huh! Did
she want to get near to Joe now?

We set off
through the forested area. We made fairly fast progress. The trees
and bushes didn't grow too thickly here. and as we neared our
destination they thinned out and disappeared completely, to be
replaced by rocky outcroppings that we navigated like the scenery
on a stage. Aware of the audience that we did not want until it was
time for our onset show; we slid quietly from place to place. I was
beginning to feel really paranoiac. Now I think we would have been
better just taking a more direct route; by the time we reached the
perimeter proper it was already one o'clock. More by luck than
skill we got to a little side entrance on a long low brick and
stone building with no visible windows. Oliver winked at me. 'In
two?' and proceeded to break in with his lock picks.

'Two minutes,
twenty seconds.' said Joe.

'Well done
Oliver.' said Marcia, 'let's go.'

We tracked
quickly down a well-lit corridor to our right. It turned to the
left and ran straight for about fifty yards. Then we came to an
intersection. We consulted the maps briefly. Here our two groups
parted ways.

'Can you hear
me?' Marcia asked.

'Yes. fine.'
said Oliver and promptly gave the head set to me, 'just talk to the
lady.'

'Hi! Marcia,
Jared here.'

'Okay. Get off
the line now.'

'Oliver gave me
his head set.'

'Fine,' she
sighed, 'tell me what you see.'

'Only a lot of
grey corridors.'

'Good, that's
good. Are you near the long alleyways yet?'

'Yeah; just
coming into view now.'

'Right then;
keep watch for local trouble. They should all be gathering at the
other end of the base for this big presentation. But…. you just
stay alert.'

'Will do.'

Everyone was
silent for some minutes after that. I followed Oliver. Janey and
Davey followed behind me. They only spoke a few minutes later as we
huddled together to consulted the map.

'Is that next
junction where we need to go?' asked Davey.

'It looks like
it…. Oliver?' Janey turned to him.

'Hum. We don't
want to get ourselves tangled up in something social. The crowd
will not start assembling for another half an hour.