15
INSANITY
The scream froze the blood in Kate's heart, she actually gripped herself and fell back a step and she wasn't the nervous type. Having heard many terrible sounds since coming to the clinic she fought to control her emotions and willed her legs to move towards and not away from the noise, when it was repeated her stomach clenched. Oddly it was coming from the staff quarters not the inmate grid and turning a corner she almost bumped into Dr Nord a man she'd never really bonded with.
"Come with me nurse at once something dreadful has happened."
Unable to speak she just nodded jogging after the tall Dane, her fists clenched and chest pounding. It was a nasty jolt when they reached the director's office, door off its hinges and room wrecked the former neat haven was chaotic and in the midst of it three shapes were grappling with a fourth.
The director was a big man in every sense, large and strong and his blows sent all three men scattering. Face bulging and teeth bared he uttered another of the monstrous screams it seemed to come from the very depths of his soul but it was his eyes, they were glowing, pulsating as if on fire with some eerie, unearthly radiance.
"Hold him damn you," Nord was shouting and the men certainly tried jumping on the man grabbing arms, neck and waist. Twisting and writhing he kicked at them and actually bit one on the wrist like a ravening wolf.
"Help me Kate," Nord had a vein gun in his left hand, "He must be sedated."
Yeah and how she thought not wanting to go near the man who had interviewed her at such length, cool and logical in the extreme questioning everything she said.
Throwing off the orderlies again the madman ran at Nord fingers clawed as if to rip him to shreds, dodging the lunge Nord tried to inject the neck but Kate could see this wasn't going to work and indeed it didn't when Nord was batted aside with ease, the gun sent flying.
Skilfully she caught it before it could smash on the floor, turned it around and came up behind the director, who was now trying to throttle Nord. With one smooth movement she drove the tip into the upper arm the triceps muscle.
A wild crazed face swung towards her, the man actually snarled, foam dripping off his lower lip that odd glow brighter than before blotting out pupil and iris; what the devil was it?
Releasing Nord he came for her, Kate almost kicked him almost used her training she didn't want to but in a life and death situation there was no way she was letting his hands cross around her neck.
"Get out," Nord croaked but Kate knew she didn't have time, if she turned he'd be on her if she retreated he'd just follow, so picking up the visitor chair and slammed it into the wide chest with all her strength.
A normal sane man would have been poleaxed, the director just staggered a bit then tore the chair from her grip snapping it in half, a metal chair and he snapped it like a tooth pick; Kate felt dizzy with shock. She looked around for another weapon; the men were out of it stunned, winded and clearly not keen to try again even to save a young woman still on probation.
Dodging the hands she pirouetted around the desk and picked up a heavy crystal paper weight to dash his brains out if she had to, anything to avoid being mangled.
It was then that the new doctor, the slightly odd doctor from the outer sectors arrived, unruffled and annoyingly calm, his eyes taking in the situation at once his manner serious but not grim.
Seeing him the director roared and with one downwards blow shattered the desk Kate was using as cover, then picking up one of the thick leg she advanced on Dr Smith with the clear intention of caving his skull in, a skull topped by thick dark hair curled at the front with long side burns.
"Run," Kate yelled raising the crystal. Smith shook his head at her and moved towards the director, actually moving into range of the lethal club.
"Adam," he said but Adam Langrishe seemed beyond reason it was unlikely he even knew what his name was, "Look at me Adam," said Smith.
The club rose up high for a deadly strike but Smith didn't flinch his bright blue eyes locked on the glowing fiery orbs before him, slowly Smith shook his head and amazingly the club began to lower in a sedate submissive way, Kate was astounded how the hell was the Dr doing this?
"You are tired Adam you need to rest, to sit down and relax," reaching up Smith took hold of the table leg and plucked it free of the huge gnarled hands, once he had Langrishe sat down on the floor, crossed his legs and dipped his head like a monk in a cell.
"That's better now rest," the table leg was balanced and tossed to Dr Nord who caught it wide eyed then Smith glanced at Kate who was still holding the crystal.
"That's quite rare," he said, "I'd be careful if I were you," then glancing down at Langrishe he assumed a thoughtful air, "When did this start?"
Nobody answered at first not even Nord who was rubbing his bruised neck, moving closer to Smith Kate shook her head in wonder, what she had seen was amazing, how had he stayed so cool and why had Langrishe caved in so easily? The drug, it had to be the chemical had finally kicked in jus tin time to save this odd man's skull, and it was a nice skull she thought.
Smith wasn't like any of the other doctors here, he had a special presence that was hard to define it reminded her in turns of her father and her first employer, the guy was charismatic and in control he just seemed to know what to do.
"Hypnosis," she asked him and got a smile, maybe said the gleaming eyes; Smith rarely explained how he did what he did or how he knew what he knew; it could be infuriating at times.
"Just like the others," he said, "Mania, violence and that glow."
"Yes," Kate had wanted to talk about that, "Villiers and Barrow had the same thing."
Both doctors were now in isolation neither responding to treatment, some kind of murderous frenzy that came on almost immediately, self-harming, attacking others and destroying files. Had Adam destroyed any of his files, she hoped not although looking at the mess on the floor it was most likely?
"There's a pattern," Smith announced, she blinked – was there, she hadn't seen one? Villiers was a chemist and Barrow used behavioural analysis, they were not friends and worked in totally different parts of the clinic.
"What pattern," it was Nord who asked this he was now the most senior person here and would have to stand in for Langrishe?
Enigmatically Smith just grinned at him, turned and walked out; Kate ran after him there was nothing more she could do for the director, he'd have to go to ICU just like the others.
"Excuse me," she called surprised at how fast Smith could move, turning he fixed her with those eyes of his, "Nurse Ash," he was reading her tag she realised.
"Yes Kate."
"You're new here to," he told her, "And not what you seem."
Instantly she felt a twinge of alarm, what the hell…how did he know? He was guessing she decided and hoped nothing showed on her face, she was supposed to be a good actor.
"I'm on probation," she covered.
"In more ways than one," the reply was calm but insightful.
"You err said there was a pattern to all this, what did you mean?"
"Come with me," the smile was inviting and moving up alongside him Kate found herself moving towards 'internment' not an area she was keen on, all the hard cases the incurables some of whom were psychopathic.
You needed a special card to get in and oddly Smith had one, but it didn't bear his name.
"You took that off the director," she accused.
As a door opened he moved through, "I think he suspected something which is why he was next," Smith waved at a line of windows beyond each one was a figure tied to a gurney and most were shouting, foaming or contorting – except for a man called Lomax, one of the long-termers according to the data under his window. Wasn't he a killer Kate mused completely insane for years, a man beyond treatment who could only be contained?
The eyes that looked out at Kate were clear and focused, the features serene even quizzical, having not spoken in three years Lomax now said, "What am I doing here what is this place, have I had some kind of accident?"
He sounds as normal as me thought Kate who just gazed back at Lomax dazed.
"Just a slight bump," Smith answered, "We'll get you out of there as soon as possible Mr Lomax, do you know your date of birth, job and wife's name?"
"Of course I do June 25th, accountant and Louisa."
Lomax had murdered his wife and her lover in the most brutal fashion and hadn't spoken a word since; he was classed as mentally deficient.
Smith was eyeing her with a sardonic grin and she knew she was meant to make some comment, but what could she say, a madman was now apparently sane and lucid and that was impossible.
Smith moved to a second window the patient beyond it Carter had tried to kill himself 22 times; he lay strapped to a table and had been in a coma for weeks until now.
"I say," he called out, "I'm awfully thirsty any chance of a cup of tea."
Sane thought Kate he seems cured, "Hello my dear," he went on, "You look a bit like my daughter Eve, has she been to see me?"
"I'm sure she'll be here very soon," Smith replied, "I'll organise that tea."
He led Kate to a third window and a third lunatic a woman this time, tall, slim and west Indian with badly scarred arms from where she had set fire to her own home killing her entire family, her name was Parr.
"Excuse me can you tell me where I am and what's happened to my arms, the door seems to be locked," unrestrained Parr spoke with an educated accent, she didn't come across as violent or unstable, "Could you call my husband please, he must be beside himself with worry."
This was too much for Kate 3 incurable patients cured, "I don't understand doctor."
Don't you said his expression, "Neo Bedlam is an interesting place isn't it, the sane are going mad and the mad are becoming sane, have you noticed something else interesting?"
Kate thought about the events of the morning, "There's no root cause no reason for any of this."
"Oh I wouldn't say that, everything has a reason if you know where to look. No I was referring to the fact that 3 doctors have become ill, and the same number of inmates have become well; a perfect balance."
This hadn't occurred to her but now she thought about it there did seem to be an odd symmetry to all this.
"How do you explain that?"
"I can't," he mused, "Not yet anyway, but it does suggest something doesn't it?"
Kate was lost it didn't suggest anything to her; the whole business was baffling, "Such as," she probed?
Annoyingly Smith moved to the far end of the corridor to an external window that looked out over the rocky, rugged terrain of asteroid K743 the location of Neo Bedlam far from any civilised world or trade route. Smith stood gazing at the mountains, gorges and dry lakes with a thoughtful expression, the motley violet sky painted his features the same colour, this was the only asteroid in the Tershal belt with an atmosphere and gravity.
"Each time a doctor goes mad a patient recovers, the two events are almost simultaneous, that can't be a coincidence," he didn't seem to be talking to her at all but reflecting on events audibly.
"Are you saying that all this is somehow deliberate that somebody has arranged it," Kate was aghast, "But that's impossible, who would do such a thing and how, mental illness can't be induced or cured to order it doesn't work like that."
Smith gazed to the north west to one of the smaller hills that bordered a gully as though something lay there of interest to him, "Oh really," he muttered.
"Yes really as a doctor you should know that."
His smile was ironic, "I'm an impostor here Kate; just like you," now he did regard her calmly and confidently like he knew everything.
"What the devil do you mean," never admit anything the golden rule of her profession, deny, dissemble, cast the blame, "If you're a fake I should report you at once."
He didn't seem remotely impressed like he wouldn't mind being exposed and wasn't afraid of the consequences, "Very well," he said, "I am a doctor in fact I'm The Doctor," he made this title sound very grand like she should have heard of him which she hadn't and it occurred to Kate that maybe this guy wasn't totally normal himself.
"I came here because of what happened to Villiers and Barrow both leading lights in their field and both of whom suspected there wasn't something quite right going on here, at least according to their confidential logs and yes I did hack into them, I'm very good at that as you yourself are I believe."
Kate felt a sense of being trapped and hemmed in, there seemed to be a glow to this man's eyes, was it her imagination of were they brighter and bluer than before piercingly iridescent.
"I don't know what you're talking about doctor I'm a nurse trainee."
"Yes I've read your fake resume it's very good by the way almost totally convincing, except for the fact that your references are completely bogus, created by your editor I suppose, Bazely isn't it?"
She was busted; if this guy knew Bazely then he knew the rest of it to that she was not a nurse that she was working undercover searching for an exclusive.
"Okay you win, I'm media," she said in a hushed tone, "You can't tell anyone."
His reaction was not what she might have expected, "An investigative reporter, I used to know a very one at one time," his voice was almost nostalgic.
"So we're both fake," Kate said flatly, "You're not a shrink and I'm not a nurse."
"Not a shrink," Smith remarked, "What makes you think I don't understand the mysteries of the mind I didn't say that."
Oh no he was The Doctor whatever that meant some kind of expert.
"So why don't you explain to me what's going on here then, why the sane are going mad and the mad sane because that just isn't meant to happen."
"Unless it's being made to happen, unless it's part of a process caused by some external force," again Smith was talking to himself digesting ideas to see how they tasted then he snapped out of the reverie, "Yes I will explain it, more I'm going to get to the bottom of it and I'd like your help."
Why the hell should I help you Kate was thinking just before her brain registered what a good idea that might be, two outsiders teaming up and pooling their resources, it might be nice to have an ally for a change and not be on her own?
"I don't see what we can do," she admitted, "People here just don't talk it's like they've sworn an oath of silence."
"Have to crack it without them then won't we," Smith had an invigorating energy she liked he wasn't a man defeated by anything, "First things first we need to get these 3 sane patients examined just to make sure they are compus mentis, and if they are we might get them released so we can question them."
That was a bit risky supposing the patients weren't fully cured or suddenly regressed to their former state, "One of them" she suggested, "Until we're sure."
Smith considered it for a moment then nodded his assent, "It's almost as if staff and patients are swapping roles, but why do it what is the ultimate aim."
"What worries me," said Kate, "Is how it's being done I mean how is any of this possible, you can't make people mad or sane to order, there's no real cure for insanity."
"The answer to that is here somewhere Kate, either inside this institution or," his gaze drifted back outside.
The asteroid was deserted no native life-forms which was it was an ideal site for an asylum, "The place was extensive surveyed before Neo Bedlam was built."
"When was that," Smith suddenly asked?
Kate thought everybody knew, "Ten years ago."
"Surveyed by whom," he was thoughtful and introspective again.
"A company owned by Langrishe, Villiers, Barrow and," she cut herself off, oh my god the men who'd gone insane, "I see what you mean doctor and now they've all been afflicted in some way."
"Who was the fourth man you were about to say his name?"
Dr Nord was irritated at the intrusion even if it was Smith; Smith was a good man and highly competent even if he was rather mysterious. Nobody seemed to know much about him or where he came from although his references seemed excellent enough and Adam had obviously been impressed.
Now sat in his colleague's office Nord had assumed the mantle of director, he was the obvious choice having been deputy to Langrishe.
"Congratulations," Smith offered stood in the doorway.
Nord gave a wintery smile; his first task was to write a report on the downfall of his predecessor not something he relished.
"Not ideal circumstances," he remarked, "Poor Adam, the whole thing makes no sense."
Closing the door Smith hovered closer, "Then perhaps we can shed a little light on it, you and 3 other men surveyed this asteroid a decade ago I believe prior to the building of...well all this."
Nord frowned he'd been a younger man then and more adventurous more physically robust seeing himself as a pioneer, they all had.
"What of it."
"You concluded K743 was uninhabited," said Smith probingly.
"We did and it was where is this going doctor?"
"Are you sure about that," Smith was no longer smiling and had taken on an investigative air like he had the right to dig into anything he liked?
"Of course, Neo Bedlam wouldn't be here otherwise; it had to be somewhere totally…"
"Yes I understand that but I'm not sure it is."
Caught square on the chin by this Nord blinked at the man before him, "I beg your pardon."
"I don't think K743 is as barren as it seemed ten years ago."
"What evidence do you have to…?"
"3 mad doctors and 3 seemingly sane psychotics," Smith cut in swiftly.
"I don't see the correlation."
"Don't you, oh well let's try something else, where Villiers, Barrow and Langrishe showing any signs of stress, depression or illness prior to their breakdowns did they have any symptoms of neurosis, psychosis or violent outbursts?"
Nord was amazed to find himself being interrogated and even more amazed he was putting up with it, he was the senior man here now, Smith's boss the boss of all the doctors and nurses in Neo Bedlam, he didn't have to answer questions or justify himself.
"No they didn't but I don't see how you link that to some kind of life existing on K743."
"These men were driven insane by some external intelligence."
"I see no evidence of that," Nord spluttered.
Smith's blue eyes were glistening, "And three patients are now exhibiting signs of normality – Lomax, Carter and Parr – people previously kept under full restraint because of homicidal or suicidal tendencies."
"You're drawing wild and illogical conclusions Dr Smith; there is no link between these patients and the affected staff."
"Villiers went mad on the 7th the same date Lomax became lucid, Barrow cracked up on the 9th the same date Carter recovered now we have your former boss and Mrs Parr. Oh yes I'd say the cases are linked, the same power was responsible each time."
Nord was shaking his head, "What power, you're not making any sense, so the dates match up so what; the mind is a mysterious and unfathomable thing."
"Is it," not sounding convinced Smith regarded his superior with a cool air of detachment almost as if he knew more than a man with 22 years of experience.
"Nobody has yet been able to define what the mind is doctor, are you saying that you can?"
But this time the visitor remained silent almost contemplative, his eyes had flicked to a photo on the wall, a blow up of Nord, Langrishe, Villiers and Barrow as younger men stood on the surface of the asteroid inside something they had chosen to name the 'crater of mystery' which looked like a perfectly mundane and ordinary geological feature; in fact it wasn't all that far from the asylum.
"I think," said Smith, "That there is a very powerful and calculating mind on this asteroid Dr Nord, an alien mind quite unlike anything in your text books, a mind that reach into and affect other minds, toy with them, adjust the settings even feed off them at will."
There was no scorn from Nord no contemptuous laughter or denial he didn't call Smith a fool or throw him out instead he looked afraid, very afraid positively trapped in his chair like a nerve had been touched.
Suddenly bending over the desk Smith offered a reassuring smile and patted the new director on the arm, "We'll talk again when I know more - you look tired maybe you should take a break from all of this, responsibility lies heavily on some heads," then he withdrew leaving Nord silent, anxious, gazing into some middle distance.
Kate knew it was time to do what she was good at and hack into some files, she'd put it off for long enough while she worked out or pitched PIN codes but Dr Smith had inspired her to greater endeavour. Much of the files were pretty routine medical stuff, personnel records, and supply details.
Then she found something interesting about Langrishe, Villiers, Barrow and Dr Nord. Frankly it made her jaw sag with amazement and she wasn't surprised it was buried away in a confidential file no normal journalist would have been able to reach but then she was no run of the mill media hack. She was about to log off when she happened across a memo written by Dr Nord just before she arrived.
"Dear Adam," it began, "It is obvious that our deception has been discovered and that X is moving against us, I have done my best to maintain a defensive barrier around the clinic but this has been penetrated. There must be a host here, either a member of staff or one of the patients, whoever it is I cannot make any progress and so was not able to protect Margaret; she went totally insane and I had to kill her."
Looking up startled Kate wondered who Margaret was…killed her, was Nord confessing to murder?
Nord went on, "Should we attempt to destroy X or is it too late, is X too strong, dare we share our knowledge with outsiders?"
What the blazes was this X Nord referred to, and what kind of defensive barrier had been constructed because she wasn't aware of one? If Nord had murdered a woman what had he done with the body, where could he bury one here?
Smith had to be made aware of this so she hit 'print' and the moment she did the letter pixelated and broke up 'file destroyed' flashed up 'cannot be retrieved' Nord had been very clever in covering his tracks. Kate didn't waste time searching the hard drive, to do was to leave a fingerprint and in any case she had seen Dr Nord making his way up an outer corridor towards ICU with a shifty look on his face and no orderly with him. Nord never went to ICU unaccompanied so what was he up to?
Unseen she followed already knowing the key code to ICU, it was changed every other day but Kate kept up with such things, waiting half a minute she followed Nord into Intensive Care half-guessing where he was going and sure enough she was right, he made straight for containment pod 5 where Adam Langrishe was being held.
What did he hope to achieve the man was totally crazed and would be now be in an artificial coma for his own and other people's safety.
Entering the pod alone (against the rules) Nord stood looking down at his old friend his fellow conspirator. He was speaking but because the pod was soundproofed Kate had to go to a small terminal and key in another code.
"…pretty sure I now know who the host is Adam," Nord was saying, "It's that new nurse Kate Ash."
Blinking in astonishment Kate thought she'd misheard Nord for a moment, what had he said, how could he think she was some kind of host; a host to what exactly?
"Of course she'll have to be eliminated," Nord's words chilled her blood, by eliminated he could only mean one thing; she was going the same way as poor Margaret.
"We can't allow X to destroy what we've achieved here or spoil the reputation of Neo Bedlam as a cutting-edge institution. I think it might also be a good idea to get rid of Dr Smith; he is far too nosey and intelligent for his own good. I don't understand his motives but nothing can be permitted to compromise our authority."
Why was Nord even talking to Langrishe surely the guy couldn't understand him, maybe he was unburdening himself resorting to that the age-old therapy of confession?
Either way she found and hit the external lock, the moment it clunked on Nord spun around and saw her.
"You, what are you doing here nurse Ash?"
"Cut the act Nord I've seen the letter and overheard your little chat with our director, you're not eliminating me."
Ignoring this the man kept his dignity with remarkable aplomb, "Open this pod at once before I summon help, you've no right to be here."
"If I do that I'm dead," Kate sneered, "Like Margaret."
That made him pause for thought, was that guilt she could read behind his eyes, "You don't understand what's going on here," he said.
"No I don't but you're going to tell me, let's talk about X."
His features hardened into a mask of denial, "I hardly think so nurse now do as I say."
"Save it Nord, you're a killer and you're up to no good, we both know it."
"You," he spat, "Don't know anything."
"I know the sane are going mad and incurable patients are recovering," she threw back."
"You stupid girl they're doing nothing of the kind, you've no idea of the process unfolding on this asteroid or the implications of it."
He was right there, "So clue me in," Kate threw back.
"I don't have to justify myself to a probationer who will soon be unemployed," some of Nord's old arrogance was back.
"You do if you want to avoid sharing a pod with a lunatic," she actually smiled what was she saying they were both lunatics.
"You can't keep me in here for long, security are already on the way."
Oh nice try she thought, "Sure they are, what did you boys find on K743 was it some kind of intelligent life you didn't bother to mention?"
He seemed on the verge of replying when an odd thing happened; the comatose Langrishe suddenly woke up his eyes popping open, eyes that glowed brightly. Reacting at once Nord backed away, "Adam," he gulped but Kate thought no it isn't Langrishe and her fear was confirmed when Adam opened his mouth and more of the light streamed out of him like he was full of it.
Let me out said the look on Nord's face for god sake help me, she hit the unlock button, nothing, she hit it again.
"Release me," Nord screamed.
"I can't it won't respond."
He began to beating on the door with both fists as the light gushed out of Langrishe to form a sort of luminous cloud in the air a glistening rainbow. Kate had no idea what it could be was it part of the mysterious X?
"Kate hurry up," Nord yelled.
"I'm doing my best," she told him honestly then strong hands moved her aside and three male orderlies studied the terminal, she noticed that all of the men were armed.
One said, "The system's jammed sir."
"Then cut through the damn door hurry man."
The energy weapons were trained on the door of the pod, stood to one side Kate was ignored. Despite her curiosity she began to edge away not wanting to face the wrath of Nord or his armed minions.
She was just at the exit of ICU when there came a terrible scream from inside the pod a truly blood-curdling shriek she knew immediately that it was Nord and that it had something to do with that corona of light; shaken she fled.
Smith looked at Parr and she regarded him with similar interest, no longer restrained she was sipping a plastic cup of juice whilst a nurse called Fulmer took a sample of blood from her left arm. Parr seemed outwardly at least perfectly normal she had chatted to Fulmer lucidly and even made a couple of jokes but Smith kept his distance.
Finally Fulmer looked up, "Okay that's the physical side of it done," she placed the blood sample in a small case, "Just the psyche tests left, you up for it," she asked Parr who kept her gaze firmly on the doctor?
"You're not like the other medicos here are you," Parr suddenly said, "You're smarter in some way."
Smiling to himself Smith neither confirmed nor denied it, "Who are you," he suddenly asked causing Fulmer to glance around in surprise at such an odd question?
Parr sighed, "You know who I am you've read my file."
"I know who you used to be, the person who was brought here but that's not who you are now is it," Smith responded.
"Doctor," said the nurse, "I don't understand your line of questioning."
Smith didn't even take his eyes off Parr, "This is Parr's body you can see and Parr's voice you can hear but it isn't her we're communicating with, I suspect an alien intelligence possibly located somewhere on this asteroid that has been here for a very long time, an intelligence that can rewire minds and reconfigure them to do its bidding making some raving lunatics and others channels – like Parr here she's a channel aren't you Parr?"
Suddenly the eyes of the patient lit up from within they began to glow fiercely like twin stars, light also began to ooze and pour from her mouth.
Quickly Smith shoved Fulmer to an exit, "Get out," he said tersely; terrified Fulmer gazed at the light.
"Both of us."
"No," pushing the nurse out Smith closed and locked the door remaining in the room with Parr and the light, which advanced towards him.
"Come on then," he said, "Let's see what you're made of."
The cloud of rainbow light swelled alarmingly around the doctor circling him for a moment then it zeroed in on his eyes and entered him, pouring in through both eyes.
Not resisting he just stood there letting it happen wanting it to happen because he knew there was no other way to understand the alien other than to sample it's psychic power; even if this was to risk total insanity.
Fulmer hammered on the glass, she was still doing so when Kate ran up to her and looked into the room; appalled and dismayed by what she saw. Oh no not Smith anyone but him, he was her only ally here the only one she could trust.
Within moments the light filled him and Parr slumped back onto a bed limply as though her strings had been cut. Smith staggered for a moment then righted himself, when he turned his eyes were glowing but slowly the glow faded. He said something but she couldn't make out what it was then he approached the door.
"Yes I see," this was quite audible, "Hello Kate."
"Doctor what's going on, are you all right?"
He nodded once appearing to be lucid if a bit tired, "I've absorbed the fragment of alien mental energy that was in Parr, I suspect all these fragments are linked."
"How come it's not controlling you like everyone else," Kate demanded?
"Because I'm not like everyone else," he said simply.
"This could be a trick, how do I know I can trust you?"
Looking at her calmly he said, "The alien is living in a crater 250 meters from this facility where Langrishe and Nord found it ten years ago, they made a deal with it offering an abundance of fresh minds for it to feed on but then they reneged; now it's taking its due."
Kate had a decision to make, to trust this man and let him out or…or what, she didn't really have a plan B and now security were after her and Nord wanted her dead.
She unlocked and opened the door, it was Smith or nothing and at least he had a strategy.
"How do we get out of the institute it's sealed tight?"
From his pocket the man took a pen-shaped metallic device with a bright glowing tip, "I think I'll find a way," he said.
Having never been on the surface of the asteroid before Kate found the air made her feel a bit dizzy it was very oxygen rich plus the ground was very springy in parts, on top of which the sunlight hurt her eyes.
"You've been in artificial life support too long, dim light and recycled air," Smith told her, it was odd how none of this was affecting him. Kate wanted to ask how the odd buzzing, glowing pen had opened a quadruple locked reinforced triple layered door but decided it could wait, of more interest was their destination and what they'd find there.
Smith had mentioned an alien some kind of mental parasite with advanced psychic abilities; just how were they going to cope with such a thing?
"Why doesn't any of this bother you," she asked as they trudged around a hill to a depression ringed by bushy weeds?
"Picking locks," he was all innocence?
"Taking on some brain sucking alien."
He winced at her description, "Let's say I'm no stranger to mental duels or out of mind experiences."
He definitely wasn't a psychologist or a journalist, "Why are you doing this I mean what's your motivation?"
"Would you believe me if I told you I just solve problems and right wrongs," he studied her arched eyebrows, "I didn't think so, alright let's call it a hobby an obsession."
"Fighting alien parasites is a hobby, there are safer pastimes."
He shrugged, "Safer careers to," he pointed out.
"I get an exclusive out of this a big story and a fat cheque, that justifies a bit of a risk but what you're doing makes no sense."
He didn't argue but nor did he turn back and the nearer they got to crater X (her name for it) the more she realised it wasn't a true crater, in other words made by a meteor strike but a symmetrical dent in the skin of the asteroid containing finer, lighter coloured clay with a smooth dome-like rock dead centre.
"What I'm doing makes no profit," Smith corrected absently, "But stopping this creature makes a great deal of sense if Neo Bedlam is to continue and its inmates survive."
To Kate the mad were mad end of, there was no cure and none in sight, did it really matter if another asylum survived? Clearly it did to Smith he was one of those people who cared he believed in a better future in a way Kate knew she didn't; to her everything was just a job. But even she was curious to know more about this mysterious intruder that had remained hidden for so long acting behind the scenes and manipulating some very clever men.
"You're not a special agent of some kind are you an investigator with one of those ultra top secret bureaux?"
The idea seemed to amuse him, "The only type of agent I've ever been is a free agent," pausing on the lip of the crater he squatted down extending his right hand to pat the smooth grainy clay which was more like sand or even salt.
"What I don't understand is why some people went mad and others became sane," Kate pondered.
"Nord and his 3 friends made an agreement with an intelligence called the Kragarn, it bestowed upon them superior mental ability, higher intelligence, greater ambition. But these were temporary gifts they had a time limit, one day they would revert to the Kragarn. Not wanting to lose them the 4 men built an energy barrier around Neo Bedlam hoping they'd keep their gifts, but instead the extra mental energy bled out of them anyway."
Kate understood, "Into Parr and the other patients making them smarter and saner."
"Patients Nord and his pals were interested in; you see the old saying is true energy flows where attention goes."
"But Parr attacked you doctor, why did her energy flow into you?"
"I'm telepathic and telepaths are like psychic magnets."
Kate blinked, "You're telepathic," she repeated, "Where are you from," she figured he wasn't one of the first gen colonists or even an outlander but what did that leave?
Then falling stones made her glance up, stood atop the hill to their right a hill of smooth white stone were 4 figures, she did not have to warn Smith he'd seen them to perhaps before her. It was Nord, Langrishe, Villiers and Barrow.
"Quite a reunion," Smith whispered.
"Why come here if they cheated this Kragarn?"
He shrugged, "To ask forgiveness maybe make a new deal."
"You can't read their mind I thought you were telepathic?"
He sighed, "It isn't as simple as that anyway I'm focused on our friend down here."
Kate noticed the earth in the crater was moving, rippling; it seemed to be peeling back in waves as though being vacuumed up from beneath, something was exposed a skeletal frame of great complexity, bone and joint but no flesh no blood. The smooth stone she'd seen before was the top of a skull, a big skull with eye sockets going all the way around it like gunshot holes. Also a circular zip the mouth was bridged with large sharp teeth and these were chattering. Indeed as she watched the alien skull rotated several degrees until the biggest eye sockets were aimed at her.
This skeleton wasn't the final remains of something long dead, the Kragarn was all bone a creature made up of living calcium and it was slowly shaking, squeezing and rotating its way out of the clay a vast thing a giant like some insane living sculpture.
She backed away just as Dr Nord lifted his right hand something in its caught the sun and glistened blindly, "Stay were you are Ms Ash," he shouted, "I don't want to shoot you so don't make me."
She recalled he was already a killer and froze, was this where Margaret had ended up?
"Ah I see now," said Smith displaying no fear, "They're offering us as substitutes to the Kragarn it can have us instead of them, generous don't you think?"
No she didn't think that nor did she want to be a substitute, she had a life and a career; people she wanted to see again, a story to post and then there was Smith – there was definitely more to know about him another expose perhaps.
Looming over them now the skeletal alien giant had plucked itself free of the crater and balanced on vast meatless legs more like stilts only stilts with knee and ankle joints, stilts with toes. The many meatless arms hung down 7 or 8 of them with massive parched talons. Kate knew she couldn't outrun this thing if she tried, the clinic was too far away and there was no safety there anyway.
"Move closer," Nord shouted, "Step into the crater."
To Kate's disbelief Smith nodded, "What a good idea," and he did just that jumping down onto the fine clay. At once one of the mighty talons sank and touched Smith's cranium coming to rest gently on his scalp.
"Good," purred the odd man, "Let's open a proper dialogue."
He was suicidal; the alien would suck his mind dry emptying out every thought and memory.
"You to Ms Ash," Nord waved his gun, yes it was a gun a small economy blaster lethal at such short range, "Don't be afraid it's really very swift and almost painless – almost."
No way she decided I'd rather be shot dead then end up in isolation as a gibbering wreck, "Go to hell," she raged back.
"How very media of you," Nord sounded amused, "Oh yes I knew from the start you were bogus but it amused me to have you around to string you along and see where you jumped, to expose other impostors like Dr Smith."
Eyes closed Smith seemed to be talking to himself, finally his eyes opened to reveal a fierce glow fiercer than ever before, "I'm no impostor," he suddenly snapped voice amplified in some way as though through a synthesiser and Kate wondered where he ended and the Kragarn began; could Smith and Kragarn now be one and the same?
"Join Dr Smith with the alien if you would be so kind," Nord snarled, his gun bucked once and something white hot flew past Kate's head to strike a gnarled lump of rock reducing it to a dark pool of bubbling magma, "The next shot will not miss."
Smith reached out for her, "It's all right Kate don't be afraid join me."
Could she trust him or would she end up mindless, well it was either that or dead and dead was pretty final so she stepped down into the crater. The moment her skin made contact with that of Smith she felt his mind inside her mind it was creepy.
"I know what I'm doing," he said, "The Kragarn isn't controlling me."
"But your voice," she thought back, "Is so different."
"We're having a bit of a mental tussle at the moment it's 50-50," his clenched his teeth and looked away for a moment as if in pain then his features relaxed, "Well maybe 60-40 but I'm holding my own, the Kragarn can't manipulate me like hu…like other minds."
"So what are you doing or trying to do, communicate with this thing reason with it?"
"Not exactly the Kragarn isn't big on negotiation it likes to have its own way and call the shots," grimacing again the doctor bent double and closed his eyes, she had to hang onto him or he might have collapsed, it took longer for him to recover this time, "That was close," he said, "Your mental energy is helping."
Kate was shocked, he was using her mind to shore up his own, she wasn't sure she approved.
"If we can't negotiate then what can we do," she demanded?
"I'm hoping to convince the Kragarn to revert to his old deal with Nord."
"What if you can't?"
Trust me said the man's eyes I'm doing my best and this is the only shot we have.
She heard Nord's voice distant but brittle, "It isn't working, the Kragarn isn't possessing them; Smith can somehow resist."
Then the voice of Langrishe, "Shoot him, weaken his resolve."
"He's linked to the Kragarn," Nord argued.
"Do it we can't let this slip out of our control, shoot him or I will."
Kate looked at Smith in alarm but she could tell he was aware of events, as Nord took aim Smith lifted his free hand it was shaped like one of the alien's bony claws, from it spat a jagged arc of light that missed Nord but struck the hill on which he stood causing it to rock sideways and split down the middle.
All four psychologists let out cries and shouts of outrage, "Shoot him," Langrishe repeated, "Do it now."
A second arc of light smashed into the hill causing it to splinter, shudder and list alarmingly.
"How are you doing this," Kate asked?
"I'm not," said Smith as a blaster bolt missed his body by inches.
The third and final arc of light from the Kragarn was decisive, the hill shattered its plateau crumbling totally so that all four men were pitched into the air like puppets, tumbling and spinning downwards out of control towards the crater.
Reaching up with skeletal talons the alien plucked them out of free fall, seizing each psychologist by the scalp.
"No" screamed Nord still trying to shoot the doctor.
"Help us," yelled Langrishe.
All four were drawn into the complex lattice of living alien bones and hung there like birds in a cage twitching and kicking.
Suddenly the talon holding Smith let go and he fell into Kate's arms pale and weary, limbs trembling with fatigue.
She knew at once the link with the Kragarn had been broken but his voice sounded normal and unsynthesised when he said, "Just in time I couldn't have held on much longer."
Sitting him down on the lip of the crater she looked over at Nord and his colleagues, their shouts having fallen silent and their twitching still, faces vacant they just hung there as if mindless or sedated.
"What's happened to them?"
"The Kragarn hasn't just taken its own mental energy back," Smith sighed, "Because they cheated on the deal it's taken everything."
Not liking the sound of that she turned away appalled by Nord's imbecilic expression, "What about the clinic?"
"It's still protected but from now on the sane will stay sane and the mad," Smith shrugged.
Kate knew she couldn't go back to the place or she'd be arrested but what choice did she have; staying out here didn't seem like a wise option?
"What are you going to do," she asked the man now ruffling his own hair?
"Leave," he rubbed his eyes, "I have my own transport," she couldn't see anything like a ship parked anywhere close by.
"Do you."
"Room for two," he offered picking himself up and glancing back at the skeletal alien which was reburying itself by sinking back into the clay.
"Room for two inside what exactly?"
Her drew her gaze to a winking light a short walk away a soft blue glow that she found unsettling yet also welcoming she couldn't guess what it could be.