CHAPTER SEVEN
TRISECTOR
Later that night, Alex found himself, on his bed, falling in and out of sleep. It was eleven o'clock when he eventually fell into a dream.
And there it was again – the long, white corridor. He was being carried by a tall, bald man.
'This way! Come on!' He heard Hanson declare.
Alex tried to hold onto the dream, it was familiar, it felt like a memory. However darkness soon overcame him and he was suddenly elsewhere.
He was in his room, fully dressed and staring out at the starry sky. He felt something, warmth, peace. Like he did before...
'Alex.' A voice said.
He turned and found the familiar face of Jack Starbright.
'Yeah?' Alex asked.
'There's someone here to see you.'
'Who?'
'Blunt.'
'What does he want?'
'He wouldn't say.' Jack took a step into the room. 'He said it's something that would greatly interest you.'
'Fine.' Alex nodded and followed Jack out of the room.
Mr Blunt and Mrs Jones were waiting in the living room, downstairs. They each had an untouched cup of tea in front of them, on the coffee table, and neither were sitting down.
'Please, take a seat.' Blunt said, upon Alex's entry.
It interested Alex, how, despite it being Alex and Jack's home, Blunt possessed the ability to appear to have ownership over anything he wanted. Alex had come to know that too well, and it was for that reason that Alex replied. 'I'd rather stand.'
'Very well.' Blunt turned to Mrs Jones, who stepped forward.
'We have a unique opportunity that we would like for you to consider.'
'Let me guess, save the world again?' Alex replied with bite.
'Actually, this would be quite the opposite. If things go as planned, you won't be saving the world ever again.'
Alex woke up cold. He'd dreamt of Jack, alive, for a change. It felt nice, warm and familiar. It was ten o'clock, he felt fine and he had not been woken for school. He rolled out of bed, pulled on a nearby pair of jeans and ran his fingers through his tangled hair. He approached the door and opened it.
'Morning Alex.' Mrs Jones said, standing just outside, as if she had been waiting for some considerable time.
'Hi. I'm late for school.'
'You're not going to school for the foreseeable future.'
'Why not?'
'You have not been yourself of late and after your being ill yesterday; we felt it best to keep as close an eye on you as possible.'
'That's not fair, I want to see my friends, learn and-'
'Beat people up?'
'Before Jack died, when were you last here?' Alex asked.
'Why?'
'Because I want to know.'
'I'm afraid, I do not remember.'
'Because I seem to remember, soon before Jack died, you and Blunt waiting for me downstairs and you had an opportunity that you wished to discuss with me.'
'Yes that's right. But you refused. You were not interested in anything that we had to say.'
'No I remember being quite interested; as it was implied that I wouldn't have to work for the likes of you again.'
'Well despite what you remember feeling, you made your decision and it was "no."'
'What was the opportunity?'
'Pardon?'
'What was the opportunity? I want to reconsider.'
'Well I'm not at liberty to discuss the offer with you.'
'Who is?'
'Blunt.'
'Take me to him. I'm not going to school and I've got nothing better to do. Take me.'
'I'll make some calls and see if it's an appropriate time.'
'Good. I'll be waiting.'
Mrs Jones ordered a car whilst Alex took a shower and a half hour later they were driving across London. Mrs Jones sat in the front seat and Alex in the back. The journey was filled with silence. The journey seemed long, but eventually they arrived at the Royal and General Bank, climbed out of the car, entered the bank and rode the lift up to Blunt's office. They entered, still without having said two words to each other.
Blunt was having his lunch when they entered; he had a napkin tucked into his collar and a sandwich in his hands. He looked up, put his sandwich down and seem rather annoyed.
'Alex, it is always a pleasure.' Blunt said in as unwelcoming a tone as a person could muster.
'Shut up!' Alex snapped, he wanted to yell at Blunt; air all his anger and all the confusion he'd encountered from recent dreams, or memories. But something held him back, the anger seemed to almost evaporate from him and he found himself saying. 'I'm sorry for yelling Mr Blunt, it won't happen again.'
'Well that's quite alright Alex.' Blunt replied pulling off his napkin. Mrs Jones joined Mr Blunt behind his desk and begun to chew on a peppermint.
'If I may sir, I have a few questions to ask?' Alex asked in an almost shy manner. He found himself looking down at his shoes, like a child who'd been disciplined.
'Oh, and what is that Alex?' Blunt replied.
'I had a dream... it's probably nothing, but, all the same. I dreamt that you and Mrs Jones had some form of offer for me – an opportunity you said.'
'Ah yes, that.' Blunt replied rising from his seat and walking round to the front of his desk. 'We were approached by a science company called Trisector, who works with the government. They had developed this process in which they could take the DNA from anyone, you, for example and create from it two exact replicas, leaving the original, in this case you, unharmed. In short Alex, instead of having to take you out of school and have you risk your life gallivanting round the world for the likes of us, we would send one of your clones – if you will.'
'These clones,' Alex began. 'Would they have all of my abilities, my martial arts, and my foreign languages?'
'An exact replica, so good, that no one would be able to tell the difference between you and the clone, not even the clone itself would know. But you didn't want any of it.'
'Oh, why's that Mr Blunt?'
'Well Alex.' Said Blunt stepping closer and placing his hand on Alex's left shoulder and looking deeply into his eyes. 'It brought up memories of Project Gemini. Naturally you said no, a shame really because by God, the use we could have had for two more of you. As you probably remember us saying, you'd never have had to save the world again.' Blunt removed his hand and retook his seat, behind his desk. 'So, it wasn't some dream Alex, it was a memory; just so you know.'
'Oh, is there any possibility that I could reconsider? I mean if it meant that I'd never have to work for you again and save the world?'
'If you'd wish, we could take you down there right now?' Blunt said, with an air of excitement coming through his voice.
'Yeah, it wouldn't hurt to at least look, right?
'Right you are Alex. Right you are.'
Alex sat waiting, another question was weighing him down and somehow, Blunt knew this.
'Is there anything else, Alex? Blunt asked, replacing his napkin into his collar.
'Yes Sir, how close are you to finding Jack's killer?'
'Although it is official business and even I am not at liberty to tell you, however, I can promise you this, certain things will come to light very soon.'
'Okay Sir. Thank you, Sir. When can we leave for Trisector?'
'Just as soon as I've finished my Tuna melt.'
Alex sat and waited in Blunt's office for him to finish his lunch and, although he was offered some food, Alex declined. Mrs Jones stood just behind Blunt, looking always dead ahead, unflinching and barely blinking. Alex found himself trying to put together fragments of memory and wondered why it seemed so hard to remember previous events. His trail of thought was broken when he was ushered up and he followed Blunt and Mrs Jones to the lift, and so began their journey to Trisector.
In The Cave, Hanson had laid a tray across the arms of the chair. He'd been given permission to approach the chair and, in doing so, Specimen One. On the tray there was all manner of medical equipment, from syringes to tablets and different skin creams. Hanson took two tablets into his hand and began hovering over Specimen One's dried lips, waiting for them to open.
'I can do it!' Specimen One snapped.
'Yes Sir.' Hanson replied, shaking a little.
Specimen One held out his hand and Hanson dropped the pills into them. Specimen One's pale hands were steady as he slowly manoeuvred it over to his mouth and dropped the pills in. Hanson backed away slightly, the smell coming from Specimen One's mouth was revolting and, as always, Hanson tried not to look at the head of his patient.
Hanson always thought that it looked alien. The skin seemed so thin, that it may as well have not existed and, in actual fact, the skin did not cover all areas of the body. There was a small section of the bald, pasty white head which showed pure skull, and had an area of dry blood circling it.
'What?' Snapped his patient.
Hanson had been staring at the bare skull and felt himself shrink and look away. 'Nothing Sir, I'm just staggered by the miracle that is you.'
'Is that so?' Specimen One asked, though disbelieving him.
Somewhere in the distance an electronic voice sounded. 'You have reached your destination.'
'Sir?' A voice sounded through the darkness. Someone had entered the cave.
'Yes?' Specimen One asked.
'It's Mrs S, Sir. I've just got news from the Information Room. The boy is on his way.'
'Excellent. I think it's time we met.' Specimen One declared, liking his lips.
'Very good, Sir.'
Hanson was waiting in the Information Room, as the lift came down, carrying a black car, inside which sat Alex Rider, Mrs Jones and Mr Blunt. The lift stopped on the ground and the trio stepped out of the car, the driver however, remained inside.
'Good afternoon.' Hanson said stepping forward before shaking Mrs Jones' and Mr Blunt's hands. To Alex however, he offered a high-five. Alex rejected him. 'So, Mr Rider, it is a pleasure to meet you, I am Doctor Hanson. I'm sorry that you rejected my first invitation.' He waited for Alex to respond - he didn't.
'Alex is reconsidering.' Blunt offered.
'Excellent.' Hanson replied. 'First of all we need to run some tests, as there is no point getting Alex's hopes up and we find that he can't go through the procedure.'
'Why wouldn't I be able to?' Alex replied, scanning the room.
He'd been there before, he knew it. He recognised the confused feeling in his stomach as countless adults in identical white uniforms, sat behind computer screens continuously typing, without rest, and muttering stats and figures to one and other. However, Alex found something equally strange, something that made him shake slightly, with an emotion close to fear. The workers, continuously tapping at the keyboards, were all devoid any of any hair and eyebrows, and eyes, and noses, they seemed to only have mouths and ears.
'Beautiful aren't they?' Hanson asked.
'They're something alright.' Alex muttered in response.
'I'll explain all on the way.' Hanson added, before spinning on his heel and leading the way across the room. 'This is the Information Room. These are our employees.'
'Are they human?' Alex asked.
'As human as me or you, Alex.' Hanson opened a door for them and Alex walked through it, followed by Jones and Blunt.
Alex found himself in a long, blindingly white hallway. He recognised it. A knot became tight in his stomach. His instincts were telling him that something was wrong. Hanson brushed past Alex.
'This way, everyone.' Hanson said, with a hint of glee.
'So this place is a cloning facility?'
'Yes essentially.' Hanson replied. 'We are a privately funded cooperation, that work in the field of cloning.'
'Who do you clone?'
'Anyone who is either exceptionally talented; so talented, that the world would benefit from having two or anyone who has the money. A celebrity for instance, may approach us to clone them, for purposes such as sending the clone to public appearances for them. In your case, a replica of you would allow for you to live a normal life, with your clone jetting of around the world and saving the day.'
'I was told that you do two clones?'
'Yes, for every procedure, we make two clones. In case one...'
'Dies?' Alex asked.
'Expires, may be a more respectful term.' Hanson added, before stopping in front of an elevator. He pushed a large red button. The door opened. Hanson turned to Alex. 'If you would enter the elevator and you will be taken to our medical bay, where our excellent Doctors will take some tests.'
Alex nodded. 'What are you, Mrs Jones and Mr Blunt, going to do?'
'We have some things to discuss.' Hanson replied. 'Come on chop, chop, time is of the essence.'
Alex nodded, before looking towards Jones and Blunt. They'd protect him from danger, he trusted them enough to think that they' step forward at a time like this, if needs be. 'Alright.' Alex answered, before stepping into the elevator.
The elevator doors closed as soon as Alex entered, and Hanson heard the elevator begin to travel towards its destination.
Specimen One was waiting patiently in The Cave. His chair, which he sat in, was at the far end of the room, and was turned towards the elevator doors. Though, if anyone were to enter the room, they would only just be able to make out the top of his pure white head, as a thin ray of light shone from above, down onto it. After a few moments, Specimen One heard the elevator arrive and the doors slide open.
'You have reached your destination.' The electronic voice declared.
Specimen One saw him enter the room, he was just as he remembered him. Alex Rider had not changed one bit.
'Hello?' Alex called out. Alex's eyes scanned the room and found something in the distance; a thin ray of light highlighted what appeared to be a person's head; but looked more like a skull. 'Hello?' Alex called, now directing his voice at the possible person. 'I'm lost... I think.'
Specimen One was breathless, he'd waited for this moment for so long, he was about to destroy Alex Rider. Not just kill him, but tear out his heart and obliterate his soul. 'Help me...' Specimen One called out, attempting to sound in pain as possible.
Alex began sprinting as soon as he'd heard the voice, of what sounded to be an old man. The room was large and it took Alex several moments to get even half way across.
'Lights!' Specimen One screamed.
Alex Rider stopped as soon as soon as he'd heard the order. A buzzing sound filled the room, followed with a piercing bright light. As Alex's eyes adjusted to the sudden change in brightness, he heard the sound of an electronically charged wheelchair coming towards him. Alex opened his eyes and found himself short of breath. For what he was seeing was impossible.
The body that occupied the wheelchair was incredibly thin, it appeared to be more skeleton than person, and his face was heavily scarred and had been, at some point, melted, to the extent that an area of the person's skull was showing, where there appeared to be a lack of skin. The body's fingernails were perfectly manicured and evil eyes were hidden behind red-tinted spectacles.
'Impossible...' Alex muttered in barely a whisper.
'Nice to see you again, Alex Rider.' Dr Hugo Grief replied.
