D.A.R.Y.L. - Back Where He Belongs
by David C. Chipman
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the character's from the original Paramount Pictures film "D.A.R.Y.L." (or the novelization of an early draft script, adapted by N.H. Kleinbaum) . Any other characters I choose/need to add are mine.
Getting More Support
Dr. Lamb quickly dialled the Richardson's phone number.
Joyce answered after four rings, "Yes?"
"Mrs. Richardson, it's Dr. Lamb, I'm just calling to say that your son's test results are in from the lab, and they look fine," Dr. Lamb said.
"You mean the memory stuff?" Joyce asked, unsure exactly what Dr. Lamb was saying, since they hadn't decided what messages they would use.
"Uh," Dr. Lamb said, pausing for a moment because Joyce seemed too 'open' for her taste, "Yes,"
Joyce took a minute to respond, "Oh, thank you for letting me know. I warned him this morning that some of the memories he would suddenly recall could be upsetting for him, so I hope it doesn't come as too much of a shock for him,"
"I may have trouble reviewing them myself, even when I get a chance -they'll probably be hard for me too," Dr. Lamb said softly.
Joyce was quiet for a moment, than said softly and warmly, "Take care, Ellen,"
"Thank you, Joyce, I will," Dr. Lamb said, audibly and warmly touched by Joyce's concern.
"You're welcome, the story he told me yesterday morning was rather shocking," Joyce said.
"I imagine it was, but I'll ask you not to describe it over the phone, please," Dr. Lamb said, "I'll see it all from his perspective soon enough as it is,"
Joyce paused for a moment, "I understand,"
"Good,"
"I've been wondering, where do you plan on living? Closer to us now?" Joyce asked.
"Probably not, Mrs. Richardson, that's why I'm looking forward to speaking with your neighbours," Dr. Lamb replied.
"All of them?" Joyce asked, surprised.
"This young lady, her brother and parents, specifically,"
"Oh," Joyce said, suddenly understanding, "of course, right,"
"I'll explain it all this evening, before people come over,"
"Alright, I'll call them over when you come then,"
"Good idea,"
"Good-bye, doctor,"
"Good-bye, Mrs. Richardson,"
Dr. Lamb and Joyce hung up.
Joyce quickly became aware of someone upstairs, crying, "Daryl!" she gasped, as if suddenly remembering. She quickly headed up the stairs.
Daryl was curled up on his bed, rolling from side-to-side, softly wailing in despair, his hands clasped on top of his bowed head, his face scrunched-up in emotional agony as tears poured down his cheeks.
Someone was knocking at his bedroom door, "Daryl?!" Joyce called through the door.
"Mom!" Daryl bawled loudly, splaying himself on his back, across his bed.
Joyce opened the door, and quickly entered the room, "What is it?"
"I didn't know it was so bad, mom!" Daryl sobbed.
Joyce quickly sat down on the edge of Daryl bed, taking him in her arms, "What do you mean?"
"The blood!" Daryl bawled miserably, covering his face, his body shaking with sobs.
Joyce nodded, asking tenderly, "You're remembering now?"
Daryl nodded, sobbing, "He did so much for me, mom,"
Joyce nodded, as she stroked his face, "I'm sure he did,"
"I loved him," Daryl keened.
Joyce nodded, almost rocking him, "I'm sure, deep down, he loved you too,"
Daryl relaxed in Joyce's arms, and nodded, softly weeping.
"Daryl," Joyce said, trying to cheer him up, "you remember what I said about how you won't forget him, don't you?"
Daryl nodded, quickly calming down to whimpers, "Yes,"
"Are you feeling better now?" Joyce asked.
Daryl nodded, smiling sadly, sniffling, "Yes, I am, thank you,"
Joyce nodded, sitting Daryl up beside her, holding him close to her, "It's no problem at all,"
Daryl hugged Joyce, "I love you mom,"
"I love you too, Daryl. I'm very glad you're home with us again," Joyce said, while cuddling him, resting his head on her shoulder.
Daryl nodded, gazing up into Joyce's face, adoringly, "Me, too,"
Joyce gave Daryl a kiss on the head, "There you go, then,"
Daryl sat up, still in Joyce's embrace, "When is Dr. Lamb coming?"
Joyce looked at her watch, and remembered that she had shorter-days on Fridays, "Oh, maybe I should call her,"
"Alright, mom. Thank you for helping me," Daryl said.
"Most kids need their parent's help sometimes," Joyce said, feeling a sense of relief at Daryl expressing a need for occasional mothering.
Daryl thought for a moment, "Is it the same as making mistakes, so that parents feel needed?"
"Uh," Joyce stopped for a second, but she felt she had a good idea of where that train of thought was coming from, "no, not quite,"
"Oh, alright," Daryl sad.
Joyce got up from Daryl's bed, heading for the door, she stopped and turned back to him, "Will you be alright, now?"
Daryl nodded, smiling sadly, "I think so-Yes, thank you,"
Joyce smiled warmly, "Ok," then she left Daryl's room.
Daryl laid back on his bed, frowning, as he continued reviewing the memories that he had regained access to.
Dr. Lamb sat on the side of the bed in her motel room, she dialled the phone number for General Graycliffe's direct line at TASCOM.
"Graycliffe," he curtly answered, on the third ring.
"Hello, sir. It's Ellen. I need the plane which the packages were sent on, sent back, with the smaller package on-board. I will need it in a couple of hours for my meeting with our special guest's neighbours," Dr. Lamb said.
General Graycliffe sighed, "I'll make sure the small package is sent back to you. I think I understand why you want it…,"
"Thank you, Lyford," Dr. Lamb said.
"You're welcome, Ellen," General Graycliffe replied.
"I'll be waiting for it when it arrives," Dr. Lamb said.
"Very well," General Graycliffe replied.
They each hung up their ends of the phone connection at practically the same moment.
The motel room phone rang almost immediately.
Dr. Lamb quickly picked it up, "Hello?"
"Oh, hello, doctor. When do you plan on coming over here?" Joyce asked.
"I need something sent back from the office. In hindsight, it shouldn't have been returned, but I should be able to get it in a couple of hours. Alright? How are things going with you and Daryl?" Dr. Lamb asked.
"Well, Daryl reacted as you and I expected him to, to his recovered memories," Joyce said sombrely.
Dr. Lamb exhaled, "I'm sorry to hear that, but it is both a good and a bad thing, really. I can't explain why now, but I certainly can when I visit,"
"Thank you for the offer, doctor," Joyce said.
"No problem, Mrs. Richardson," Dr. Lamb said.
"Good bye, doctor," Joyce replied.
"Good bye, Mrs. Richardson, I will see you in a few hours," Dr. Lamb said.
Joyce and Dr. Lamb each hung up the phone line.
General Graycliffe was on the phone, talking to General Frank Howard, Chief of the Army.
"Sir," General Graycliffe said, "things have come up here, and I need your support. We have come upon a moral issue involving The D.A.R.Y.L. Project, specifically, the individual the device has been implanted in, and their development of life-like behaviours, post-implantation,"
"I don't understand, Lyford. What exactly is the problem?" General Jack Howard said.
"We can't terminate the project without committing murder, sir" General Graycliffe.
"Who exactly are you being expected to kill?" General Jack Howard asked, somewhat shocked at the news.
"The person, a young boy even, with the implanted computer equipment," General Graycliffe said.
"But that person is effectively dead, anyway, aren't they?" General Howard asked, "They have a computer providing them life-support. They are brain-dead already,"
"It's is interesting, then, sir, he seems awfully life-like, even now," General Graycliffe said.
"What Lyford?" General Howard asked.
"Have you seen any video of the test subject interacting with people who think he is a normal human being?" General Graycliffe asked, "With all due respect, I have, sir,"
"Oh, who are they?' General Howard asked, "I understand that the life-form asked to met with a couple and an unrelated kid,"
"Yes sir, and he did so—at TASCOM itself no less. I was only notified of the meeting about a week ago," General Graycliffe said.
"Who allowed this break in security!?" General Howard asked coldly.
"The late Dr. Jeffrey Stewart," General Graycliffe said, outwardly sharing his superior's outlook.
"I thought the senior scientists were reliable, security-wise," General Howard rumbled, "Except, as it turned out, Dr. Mulligan,"
"Well, apparently, Dr. Stewart allowed this break in security once I announced that The D.A.R.Y.L. Project was being shut-down," General Graycliffe said
"I understand from General Watson that the project is not being shut-down immediately, as I and the Senate and Congressional Armed Services Committees had requested," General Howard said, "I understand that Dr. Stewart did the same with the prototype that Dr. Mulligan had done before. You're all going to have some mightily infuriated elected civilians angry with you, and us,"
General Graycliffe nodded, to no one in particular, "That's true sir. I wonder, however, how they would feel about the military murdering an innocent child, sir. The life-form almost faded out several days after I had shut-down the mainframe here at TASCOM. But, by then, he was back 'home' with the family that took him in, initially as a foster-child," he continued explaining Daryl's deterioration, and then his restoration, finishing, "About the family, sir, they may even start official adoption procedures,"
"Lyford, why didn't it just stop working once the mainframe was shut-down?" General Howard asked.
"I wondered that myself, sir. I went back through the design specification for The D.A.R.Y.L. Project, and it turns out that we asked that the life form continue working even after it had lost its connection with the mainframe. In a battlefield situation the connection could have been disrupted in the otherwise-normal course-of-events, but the life-form was still expected to continue functioning in such an environment, operating according to its last instructions,"
General Howard sighed, "Lyford, it looks like people under us have been too clever for our own collective good. I wonder how the Armed Services Committees are going to react to that,"
"I don't know, sir. Do you want my resignation over this?" General Graycliffe asked.
"No, Lyford, I don't, surprisingly, but others might," General Howard said, almost sighing.
Lyford silently shook his head in dismay. If there was one thing he hated about the current situation, it was the uncertainty of his own position.
General Howard continued, "You are a good man, and we need you to help us get out of this mess. Now, on to another related matter. Since the situation involving the initial prototype seemingly continues, I suppose not much has come of the second, adult prototype has it,"
"No sir, we are still cleaning things up from before. But there have been some preliminary discussions between the sole remaining scientist and I," General Graycliffe said, going on to describe his recent planning discussions with Dr, Lamb.
General Howard replied, "I'm glad to hear that things are still ongoing. As you certainly know, after the My Lai Massacre debacle from Vietnam, some have been interested in trying to get human emotion out of the execution of orders in warfare,"
"I know, sir," General Graycliffe siad.
General Howard continued, "Simply following orders, should be the main, maybe even sole prerogative of the soldier in combat. Even concern for ones fellow soldiers should be secondary, insofar as reactions that don't advance the actual mission are concerned,"
"I understand, and agree completely, sir. Well, the first prototype did develop emotions, or it can certainly choose and mimic appropriate emotional responses to external stimuli," General Graycliffe said, mildly disturbed, "It is even capable of showing joy and returning affection, of all things. All of that said, however, we have a good idea of how all of that came about,"
"We don't need the next prototype repeating that behaviour, Lyford," General Howard reminded.
"I know, sir. I more-or-less told Dr. Stewart that when we had our quarterly review meeting at the Pentagon, a couple of weeks back. I'm just letting you know what I have seen, since I started reviewing the experience telemetry for myself," General Graycliffe replied, "It turns out, even some of their most outrageous claims were true, sir,"
"Damn," General Howard snapped, "I take it the remaining scientist has some ideas about how we prevent this sort of mess from reoccurring?"
"Yes, sir. She, however, also thinks that the prototype, might also work out as human-intelligence gathering 'mole', sir. This suggestion is based on it's current emotion-mimicking ability and other life-like behaviour," General Graycliffe mentioned, "She suggests we could plant them inside an enemy government. They could live in the society, collecting data for us,"
"What made this suggestion come about, Lyford? We weren't asking for anything like that," General Howard said.
"Sir," General Graycliffe reminded, "I believe it is because of the recording of the life-form's experiences. It records the data collected from all five senses. If we could get one of them inside an enemy government, we could use them to collect intelligence data,"
"It would be a rather long-term project, wouldn't it?" General Howard inquired.
"Yes, it probably would be for the long-term, but I believe it is something that could be useful. We don't know for sure, since we haven't tried. But what we have seen from the boy is promising, in this regard, sir," General Graycliffe said.
"Alright, Lyford, I'll pass the suggestion on to the Armed Services Committees," General Howard said, "but leave the final strategic decisions up to us,"
"Yes, sir," General Graycliffe said, deflating, "Thank you, sir," General Graycliffe said, with meaning.
"'bye, Lyford," General Howard said.
"Good-bye, sir," General Graycliffe replied.
Both men hung up their phones, ending the connection.