Chapter Eleven
Seeking Justice
Dr. Larson and Wallace arrived at the lab bright and early Monday morning. They would need to be available for the inevitable falling out once Seaview arrived back in port with the news that Crane had murdered Admiral Nelson in cold blood. They had a second set of tapes containing the subliminal messages of the original parameters, they would be important as the tapes aboard Seaview were erased as they played. They had thought of everything.
Wallace had returned to a bit of a nervous state, he had decided to stay on with the project finding a disturbing satisfaction at controlling another person's life, but he still had tickets to South America where he would take his wife for her medical treatment.
"Do you think it's over?" Wallace asked, looking at his watch.
"I'm sure it is. Like I said, by the time we were through with Crane he was an absolute killing machine," he said with a smile. "Listen, he can't even rest until Nelson is dead. He's like a robot with no capacity to access his own morals, he'll finish the job," he predicted.
"When will Dr. Gamma pay up?" Wallace asked, needing the cash before he headed to the airport.
"I'll send a message as soon as Nelson's death is verified. The money will be wired directly. Relax Wallace; everything is going according to plan."
"I guess you're right," he replied, reaching up to rub his neck in a nervous unconscious habit.
"Did you hear that?" Larson asked, turning his head toward the sound.
"Hear what?"
Their conversation was interrupted by a man in a suit wearing a bullet proof vest with the initials NIS in big orange print across his chest bursting in the door with a gun drawn.
"Doctors Wallace and Larson? Will you come with me please?" he asked politely, but the fact that he never lowered the gun indicated it wasn't a request.
"What is this all about?" Larson asked, feigning no knowledge of any possible wrong-doing and hoping that Wallace didn't start spilling his guts before he could do damage control.
"This way gentlemen," the NIS agent indicated, herding the two scientists into the screening room with the rest of the staff who had no clue of any wrong-doing.
"Just keep your cool Wallace," Larson warned under his breath as they stood off to themselves. "There's nothing here to convict us, and the tapes aboard Seaview are worthless. Just don't panic," he urged as the Lead Agent approached.
"Gentlemen, it would appear that your Subliminal Experiment aboard Seaview went terribly wrong."
"In what way?" Larson asked feigning complete surprise.
"It would appear that the subliminal messages urged acts of violence against Admiral Nelson and Captain Crane."
"That's ridiculous. Look, I've got the film we used clearly marked. I'm sure your lab can verify their content by slowing the film down."
"Yes sir, we intend to do just that."
"You said 'acts of violence'? I hope no one was injured?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. One of our men is in critical condition aboard Seaview."
"Oh dear," Larson lamented turning to Wallace. "Who would have thought a simple test of insubordination could lead to violence. I thought our two subjects were good friends; that was one of the reasons we picked them."
"Yes," Wallace chimed in. "If there was any act of violence it's possible that it may have been due to subconscious permission."
"Subconscious permission?" Agent Davidson asked.
"Yes, if Crane already had an unspoken issue with Admiral Nelson, then his subconscious mind may have taken the subliminal messages to the next level, a completely unauthorized level and not sanctioned by our experiment whatsoever," Wallace explained. "I do so hope Admiral Nelson recovers," he added as Larson flinched.
"I see. Well gentlemen, since United States Navy personnel were involved NIS is taking jurisdiction in investigating the matter. We'd like to take both of your statements now."
"Certainly," Larson agreed as the two scientists were separated.
"What do you think?" Agent Baker said moving up alongside his boss.
"Something's up for sure. Did you notice that Wallace offered a reason for Crane's reaction right away? No one has explained what kind of violence occurred aboard Seaview, but he not only assumed Crane was the aggressor, he also assumed it was Nelson who was injured."
"Yeah, Larson is very cool, but Wallace seems to be pretty nervous. He hasn't stopped wiping his palms on his lab coat since we arrived."
"We've got probable cause to hold them temporarily on the two officer's charges alone, but we're going to need evidence or their lawyers will have them walking in no time. Tear this place apart and gather everything we can. We've got to find something to substantiate Nelson's claim. Look for anything resembling mind conditioning beyond the experiment parameters."
"Right," Baker said trotting off to supervise the evidence team.
# # # # #
Harry returned to the radio shack as Chip approached.
"How's he doing, Sir?" he asked in controlled concern.
"Better than expected, I'll tell you about it later. Right now I have a call to make," he said turning toward Riley to make the connection, before turning back sharply. "Oh Chip, before I forget, lay up to the Circuitry Room and retrieve all the experiment tapes there. Lock them in my cabin."
"Aye Sir," Chip said, seeing to the order directly.
"Riley, patch me through to Admiral Johnson, ONI Headquarters," but before Riley could begin, another call came in.
"It's Admiral Johnson, Sir," Riley announced as Harry nodded and flipped the switch to use the handset.
"Gerald, I hope you've got some good news for me."
"Hello Harriman. We've got both Larson and Wallace in for questioning, based upon your report we've gathered all the tapes and film as evidence. As you know, those will have to go to the lab to determine what if any, subliminal messages are present. Right now we're questioning them on your accusation for probable cause, but we're going to need hard evidence to hold them."
"I've got the tapes they used on Crane and me aboard Seaview," Nelson offered, trying to hold back his anger.
"Good, that'll be enough to keep them until we run them through the lab and follow the usual paper trail, including bank accounts. How's Crane?"
"Jamieson is cautiously optimistic. His allergic reaction wasn't as bad as it could have been, but he's still plenty sick."
"I'll need an After Action Report as soon as he's able. And we're going to need a debrief with you once things settle down."
"Aye Gerald. We're a couple of hours from port; I'll contact you once Lee is settled into Med Bay. And don't let them walk, Gerald. Both Crane and I can give you a very descriptive account of a clear case of brainwashing with subliminal messages to reinforce the conditioning."
"Good, I want to nail them, Harriman. Johnson out."
"Nelson out." Harry hung the handset up and tapped the desk for a moment in thought, then headed toward the Chart Table where Chip had just returned from stowing the tapes in his cabin.
"Chip, keep me informed of our progress. As soon as we're docked I need the skeleton crew deboarded and debriefed. Once Lee is transferred to Med Bay I want the sub locked down until Johnson seals this case up."
"Aye Sir."
"And when you're through, join me over at Med Bay. Once Lee is settled, we're going to catch up with the NIS team and make sure Larson and Wallace are nailed to the wall."
"Gladly Sir," Chip replied with more expression than was his custom aboard Seaview.
"I'm heading back to Sickbay if you need me," he announced, holding his arm to curb the pain in his shoulder and wishing he hadn't ditched the sling Sharkey had fixed up for him. He couldn't be concerned about that right now; right now he needed to let Lee know that Larson and Wallace had been detained, he hoped that would be enough to release Lee to the rest he desperately needed.
# # # # #
Harry approached Lee's bunk catching his cuffed hand shaking in an uncontrollable shudder and his free hand cross his middle balled into a fist; as expected, he was still awake.
"Lee," he said taking the stool next to the bunk.
"Did we get them?" he asked wearily.
Harry smiled then nodded. "They're both being detained for questioning, but our testimony and the tapes we have aboard Seaview should be enough to charge them."
Lee closed his eyes in relief. He opened them again and smiled. "No more buzzer," he announced wearily with a grin.
"And no sudden urge to kill me?" Harry asked with a smile.
Lee chuckled, "No Sir."
"Good. Then it's time for you to rest, Lee. You're exhausted."
"Aye Sir," he slurred as his eyes fluttered closed and his body's need for sleep was finally released from the subliminal post suggestion.
Harry stepped back as Jamie eased in and checked his patient, then stepped away motioning for Harry to join him across the room.
"He's asleep, thank goodness," Jamie reported. "I'm not sure how long his physical body could have held out with the lack of sleep, on top of the strain of the conditioning, not to mention the allergic reaction."
"Good, but we've got to keep him that way," Harry said, his eyes narrowing as he spoke. "Larson and Wallace are only being detained for questioning at this point. They'll need hard evidence to keep them without an official charge."
"Is that a problem?"
"I'm not sure Jamie, but if he realizes that "justice" hasn't been served yet, he may end up in the same condition again."
Jamie bit his bottom lip. "From what you've told me, he's been awake and on his feet for almost three days now. He's clinically exhausted and I think he'll be out for some time now. But I'll give him a mild sedative to aid his sleep; that should keep him out while we transfer him to Med Bay."
"Good. Chip and I are going to report to NIS and make sure the case is solid, once we hit port and Lee is settled into Med Bay."
"Which should be in how many hours?"
"Approximately two hours."
"Good, you're next," Jamie announced, tilting his head toward the gurney. "Off with the shirt and I'll take care of Lee's sedative through his IV port."
Harry eased up on the gurney, he was too tired to argue and the truth was, his shoulder hurt like the dickens. He unbuttoned and shrugged his shirt off as Jamie returned eying the bandage. Without a word he motioned for the Admiral to lie on the gurney as he cut away the bloody dressing to examine the wound.
"Sharkey did a pretty good job on this field repair, but I'm going to inject a local anesthetic and make sure it's cleaned out properly," he informed the Admiral. "And before you protest, I promise you'll be up and about before Seaview docks."
Harry breathed out heavily. "Fair enough," he conceded and closed his eyes holding back the chuckle of Lee's prediction that even an admiral's stars wouldn't be enough to intimidate Seaview's CMO.
# # # # #
Lee was settled in at Med Bay, with Seaview having docked over an hour ago. True to Jamieson's word he had remained asleep, partly due to the sedative and mostly due to his physical exhaustion as his body shut down to the world. He'd been transferred, changed into a hospital gown and settled into a Med Bay bed without the slightest indication that he was waking.
Harry stood beside his bed thinking about the extra day Lee spent in Larson's care and fumed. At least he'd been able to go home Saturday evening and rest after his ordeal, though he did so completely on automatic pilot to fulfill the post suggestions of Dr. Wallace in his final instructions. But something had gone wrong in Lee's programming, perhaps his will or something else Lee said... that he had nearly beaten the gas. According to Lee, it was after he'd been shot with the dart that he broke, suggesting the gas was perhaps less effective. It was all speculation at this point, the bottom line was that Lee had been subjected to twenty-four hours more of the mind-bending techniques at Wallace and Larson's hands.
He didn't want to do anything to wake his sleeping friend, so he withheld reaching for him or brushing the errant curl off his forehead.
"I'm going to make sure they're locked away forever, Lee," he whispered and turned to leave. He exited just in time to greet Chip as he exited the elevator.
"How is he, Sir?"
"Jamie says he stable, the allergic reaction is under control and he's finally sleeping."
Chip blew a breath of relief and dipped his head. "Can I see him, Sir?"
"I'm sure it's fine, just don't wake him," Harry gently admonished to Chip's agreeing nod.
# # # # #
Chip entered Lee's room; it was mostly dark with only enough lights for the nurses to care for him. Lee was sleeping uncharacteristically hard, completely unaware of his presence. Chip sighed. He wasn't keen on the experiment to begin with, it just seemed like they were playing with fire and in hindsight that's exactly what it was. He was glad the Admiral was including him in the trip down south to join NIS in the investigation, and planned on doing everything he could to make sure Larson and Wallace paid for what they did.
"Just rest Lee," he whispered. "We'll take care of the rest," he promised and stepped out to rejoin the Admiral.