Interlude

TRSI

"Pass?" The black-clad security asked as Joshua Valentine walked up to the glass doors of the low building. In small white letters on the breast pocket of the security guard was written the words 'DSI'. Joshua sighed and with a brief roll of his eyes fished under his red-and-white shirt to pull out a laminated paper pass. The security guard looked at it before nodding and standing aside. "Good to go, Mr. Valentine."

"Thanks," Joshua nodded and walked past the security guard, letting the doors slide open as he walked inside the small, humble reception area. Upon seeing the receptionist on duty Joshua grinned. "Doris! How is my favourite woman on this Earth doing?"

Doris glanced up from her paperwork, her wire-rimmed glasses and thick frames making her eyes almost double their size. A head of grey yet still thick hair was tied up into a neat bun and she wore a simple pale yellow shirt with a badge saying: 'CRAWSON'. Upon seeing Joshua, the old woman smiled. "Joshua! You do so know how to make me blush."

"What can I say?" Joshua slid up to the desk and leaned on it with one elbow. "Women love me."

"Oh?" Doris raised one thin eyebrow. "I better call Jane and tell her that… while I'm at it I'll call Sapphire, Eliza, Lucy and… what was the other one called? Tristi? Trini?"

"Trinian… and point made," Joshua shrugged. "Besides, none of them had your wonderful charm."

"Hahaha," Doris adjusted her glasses. "So, how can I help you today, Joshua? Your mother finally given you a home here?"

"She wishes," Joshua shook his head. "No, I've come to visit the White Room."

"Ah," Doris nodded with a knowing look and stood up. Joshua didn't know how old Doris truly was – it seemed like she had been working here forever and a day – but she still had a posture like a twenty year old. She strode over to Joshua and motioned with her arms.

"Still?"

"Security measures, Joshua, you know how it is. I still remember when you were little and you smuggled in a chocolate bar. You know I found it one week later, a melted puddle under one of the desks?"

"A vital lesson learned that day," Joshua said as he opened his arms into a t-shape and spread his legs a shoulder width apart. Doris started patting him down as he talked. "If I'm going to smuggle something in, I better get rid of the evidence. I still can't believe I didn't eat it."

"Your mother certainly wasn't happy," Doris stood back. "Okay, one pen, one notebook, and one ten-year-old shirt, all accounted for."

"This is a relic, thank you very much," Joshua pulled on his red-and-white shirt. "It means a lot to me."

Doris' smile grew soft. "I know." For a moment there was silence between the two before Doris turned. "Follow me, Joshua."

"Aye, aye."

Doris led Joshua through a back-door which led into an office that had about twenty open-air cubicles. A couple of them were occupied – though Joshua knew this was all a front.

To civilians, this small building was just an office building for a high-costing company. To the DSI, it was the TRSI building; Treatment & Recovery of the Supernaturally Influenced. It was often pronounced 'Tracey' so if they were talking about it and someone happened to overhear, it would just sound like they were talking about a person. Though anyone talking about the TRSI would be swiftly punished by Lisa Valentine. The DSI did not talk about themselves outside of controlled situations and that was that.

At the back of the office was a flat white wall just like any of the other walls in the building. Doris stepped over to a light-switch and toggled it up, up, down, down, and up once more. After a click there was a faint whirring sound. A door-sized segment of the wall opened up and slid smoothly to the side, leading into an elevator.

Doris stepped inside and pressed the second button from the bottom – labelled L6. Joshua quickly followed before the doors slid shut again and the elevator started moving.

"So, am I liable to get bitten, punched, or otherwise harmed?"

"I don't believe so, no. The young man seems to have regained some semblance of normalcy," Doris reported.

"Oh good," Joshua shook his head. "'Some semblance' is really reassuring."

With a faint buzz the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. Doris started forward again with Joshua close behind.

The corridor that extended out was long and lined with metal doors. Behind the doors were the sounds of faint whimpering, crying, murmurs, and some strange gibberish. Joshua glanced at a couple of the doors as they passed, frowning at the noises. They continued down the long corridor until Doris stopped outside one of the doors. The nameplate pinned to the door read 'J. RYAN' and had 'PRIORITY TARGET' written underneath.

"I'll be outside if you need me," Doris said, stepping back and standing with her hands crossed behind her back.

"Thanks," Joshua nodded. There was a saying about the TRSI building that circulated through the DSI. 'if you are going to visit, you must remember these three rules: Stay polite, don't keep anything unnecessary on your persons, and by all that is good and holy do not incite Doris Crawson.' Joshua had never personally understood what this meant but he had heard one story about a prisoner who had taken down eight of the biggest and burliest operatives the DSI had on hand. They had managed to get him into a cell but he still refused to cooperate. However, one visit from Doris had changed his tune completely – he had told the DSI everything they wanted to know – and everything they DIDN'T want to know. By the time he was finished talking, they had known his first girlfriend, his favourite food, and a great many other unnecessary things. So, more than anyone else, Joshua was glad to have Doris keeping an eye on him.

Upon opening the door, Joshua immediately saw Jason Ryan sitting on the floor, his injured leg stretched out in front of him. In the week that had passed since Joshua had last seen him, Jason certainly looked better. His face seemed calmer though his eyes still showed that strange mix of anger and fear. A strait-jacket had been wrapped around his chest, keeping his arms pinned and still.

"Good morning," Joshua said as he stepped into the room, pulling out his notebook and pen.

"Hello," Jason said slowly, evidently not expecting Joshua's arrival. He didn't seem to recognise Joshua though that may be because he wasn't dressed as a window washer.

"My name is Joshua Valentine."

"Jason Ryan. I'd shake your hand but… well…" Jason shrugged.

"Before I start I just want to ask how you're feeling." Joshua leaned against the wall as he talked. "Last time we saw you, you were a little bit… well… aggressive. Unhinged, even. You attacked some of our men – injured our doctor. Where is your mind at now?"

Jason breathed out a long sigh. "If I'm being honest… I may have control of myself now but I'm still not in a good place. I'm guessing this is some kind of prison for the DSI?"

"A treatment centre."

"Ah… same thing, I suppose," Jason looked to Joshua. "Do you want me to be completely honest?"

"That would make things easier."

"I still see Maylene," Jason said matter-of-factly.

Joshua cocked his head slightly. "Oh?"

"Yes. She is sitting in that corner, watching us. I think in the week I've had to think about it, it's strange, isn't it? Whenever I talk she listens and looks in my direction as if she was really real. That Hawk fellow mentioned her as well… that she was a ghost…" Jason sighed. "It sounds crazy but… well… I've been kidnapped by an organization called the Department of Supernatural Investigation. What are you, like an offshoot of the government? The MI5?"

"I'm not at liberty to answer that one."

"…Christ… What the hell have I gotten myself into?" Jason closed his eyes. "What about my parents? Do they know what's going on?"

"As far as they are concerned, you've taken an extended holiday over here. We're using your phone to keep in contact with them."

"You what?" Jason's eyes flared for a moment.

"Shimmer down there sunshine. It was either that or tell them you were dead or in prison. I doubt you want that. Besides, they seem really concerned for you."

"…Are they doing well?"

"They are."

"Good."

"I want to talk about Eugene Hawk and Harold Kelly to start off with."

"I can't really talk much about them."

"They visited you, yes? What did they want to talk about?"

"They wanted to talk about a girl called Sabrina Holland. Seemed that Eugene fellow had some kind of grudge. Wanted my help in stopping her. I told them that I couldn't help. After they dropped the DSI's name… well, I wanted to search it and them."

"Well, Eugene Hawk and Harold Kelly haven't worked for the DSI for quite some time, I'm afraid to say. Eugene was lying to you but I wouldn't be too shattered about it. In polite terms, the man's a snake. In not so polite terms, he's an absolute dick. Him and that little trilby hat of his."

"…Hah. Of course. So what, are you looking for them? Is that why you wanted to talk to me?"

"We are looking for them but that's not why I'm talking to you today. Jason… Were you telling Hawk and Kelly the truth? That you don't know a Sabrina Holland?"

"…I don't."

"She never contacted you?"

"Why would she?"

"…So you don't know a thing? About the List?"

"The list? What, like a shopping list?"

"…Jesus… selfish people are the worst… It's just damn luck that you're still alive," Joshua said more to himself than anyone else. He looked to Jason. "Right… Jason… This is going to sound a little bit crazy but I suppose you're used to crazy by now. Sabrina Holland was what we call a 'visionary'. Someone who foresees the future. Now visionaries tend to see accidents that kill a series of people. Sabrina had one of these visions – at the Epsilon Concert Hall. Now, the result of a fire alarm going off meant you and eight other people got out of there, thus thwarting Death's plan. Now Death doesn't like being cheated and so whenever a visionary saves people, Death comes to pick up the debt.

"You may have seen it on the news or not, but Eddy Cool, Trenton Ferris, Corey Walker… All survivors from the Epsilon Concert Hall, all dead. The others are dead now too, including Sabrina. Now, you and one Ruby Ascot are the only survivors. Usually, Death doesn't tend to give up on his targets but there are ways to prevent being hunted by this. From what we can understand, Ruby has successfully done that – we've been tracking her and she hasn't had a strange accident or come close to death since. So, as far as we can tell, you're not in danger anymore."

"…I didn't realise I was in danger…" Jason looked to Joshua. "I just figured that shelf falling off the balcony was your fault."

"Please… I'm not as sloppy as that. Death just used the opportunity to try and kill you. You are lucky Lisa was there."

"Your mother?"

"How'd you guess?" Joshua said dryly. "Yes, but she is also my boss, so I'm not going to call her that."

"So… Death tried to kill me… but that's been prevented now… so I'm not in danger, yes?"

"Yes."

"So I'm free to go?"

"Well…" Joshua smiled. "Not so much. See, I'm here today mostly for one reason. And that is to give you an invite."

"…What for?"

"For the DSI. Or more specifically, for the DSI's Combat Division."

"…I'm not made for combat."

"That's bull. You're built like a tank. Look… it isn't my choice but the Board's choice. And what the Board of Director's want, they get."

"Sounds like conscription."

"Well, you can say no but I wouldn't recommend it. The board wouldn't be pleased. But… Jason…" Joshua looked seriously at the man. "Working for the DSI… it will give you a chance to make a real difference. In the Combat Division, you will be heading out all over the world – many different countries, many different sights – you will learn invaluable skills. It's not only that though… working for the DSI means you get top-tier medical care. We can help you with Maylene. We can't get rid of her easily – ghosts are stubborn like that – but we can make you familiar with her presence and maybe even use her. Ghosts are useful for spying, you know, if you can get them to work for you. It also means your family will be well-treated and when the Doomsday Clock goes down, they'll be on the VIP list for protection."

"Excuse me, the Doomsday Clock? Is that as bad as it sounds?"

"Heh… You could say that. How can I put it eloquently… when the Doomsday Clock hits zero… the shit hits the fan. Big time. As far as I hear it told, the skies will split open and the world will be ravaged. Hell, the same day of your accident London decided it wanted to do just that. Only for a moment, but still… The Doomsday clock has sped up and it is counting down."

"Sounds like a whole bunch of cult-like fanaticism. Are you going to say the Apocalypse is coming next? Shall we descend into our bunkers and live on beans and purified water?"

"…The DSI also has an education program which will answer your questions, Jason. But, look at it this way… You're constantly seeing the ghost of the woman you murdered… is it so strange to believe in other such things? The DSI has existed for millennia… do you think they just started this organisation for shits and giggles? Nah… We protect and we serve and we do our goddamn best to keep the world in control. All those horror stories you hear as a child… all the movies and the stories and the serial killers and the Jason's and the Freddy's… You think they're all made up? All fiction? Please… you overestimate human imagination. Every story has a basis in reality. The only reason the population believes they are stories are because of us, the DSI, the Department of Supernatural Investigation. Without us… Fuck, without us there wouldn't be a planet to walk on. So, Jason, what do you reckon? Do you want to just say no and walk away, live with your family 'till the Doomsday Clock hits zero and your life gets royally screwed over? Or do you say yes… and guarantee protection of your family… protection of yourself. To learn and thrive and when the clock strikes zero you will be ready. 'Cause that's the thing about countdowns, Jason, they'll always hit zero, we just have to be ready when it does. Yes or no, Jason? That's the question of the day."