First of two chapters going up today. --elle
Chapter 48
Watcher Compound
"Bring her in and place her right next to him," Wilderman directed. "I want them head to head."
Both specimens began reacting to the proximity of the other.
"Tighten the restraints…" Wilderman cried out. "I don't want any problems!" Normally they kept the specimens separated by enough space and under enough drugs to keep them pliable, but they'd had to reduce the drug level with these two for the first test. Already both were showing signs of coming out of the delirium… and becoming cognizant. Yet if Wilderman didn't reduce the medication… he got no response at all… He only hoped the leather restraints would be enough.
Once he had the two gurneys lined up… Wilderman began inserting the probes into their temples. He placed other patches over their shaven skulls. Once satisfied that all was as it should be… he rubbed his hands together and looked at his research team. "Tonight, ladies and gentlemen… we make history. If this works… not only will we have leaped forward in dream research… but we will have opened the doors of history. Eventually… all the pasts of these immortal beings will be ours for the viewing."
There was a round of applause.
Wilderman nodded at Claire and she threw the switch. The machines hummed… the two specimens thrashed for a moment in their restraints… and then all was still. Slowly the needles recording their brain wave patterns began to move again… this time in unison.
Wilderman smiled… they were linked for the moment… now to start the next phase. He nodded at Claire as she loaded and began to run the carefully created scenario.
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Within the Dream
Michelle Webster stared around her. She could feel another immortal close by… but could not see him… or her. She stood within the empty Roman coliseum gazing at the broken tiers of vacant seats. Overhead… white clouds seemed to stream by far too quickly over the blue sky… as if time were moving strangely.
Three other things bothered her. Her hair was long again… she'd cut it short last year… and was surprised at its length. Long hair made her look too young and too vulnerable. Her blouse was a favorite one… one from her teen years… her mortal years… one she liked… but had not seen for over a decade. Three… she did not have her sword.
She shifted about… trying to locate the other immortal… but so far she was alone.
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Derek Worth lifted his voice and let it echo in the massive structure of the coliseum. He was in Rome, he thought strangely. Hadn't he been in Atlanta? He felt someone close by. "Carl?" he called out. But only the echo replied.
Looking down… he found it odd he was in his old choir robe… the one he'd worn as a member of the choir of Rev. Bell's church so long ago. He ripped it off… only to discover he had no sword. The robe vanished even as it hit the packed dirt of the ground.
Worth turned about nervously. Something wasn't right… and the other immortal was very near.
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Watcher Compound
"Scenario is loaded," Claire said. "We have strong signals from both of them."
Rawlins entered the area and stood impassively to one side. Wilderman acknowledged his presence for this historic occasion and then faced Claire. "Coordinate their thoughts."
Claire bent over the console and slowly worked the controls until both thought patterns were in unison. "Contact," she said.
Wilderman turned to the digital recorder… he could see the scenario and two roughly executed figures standing back to back and turning about the background. "I need better definition on them."
Claire nodded and tried fine-tuning what she was doing. "It's the best I can do for the moment."
"How they appear is of no consequence at this point," Rawlins drawled. "Just get on with it. You can work on the finer points later."
Wilderman swallowed nervously and ran his hand through his hair. "Begin Phase One," he said.
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Within the Dream
Michelle felt someone at her back. Swiftly she turned, raising her arms and preparing to lash out. The other, a young black man did the same. He also had no weapon.
"What's going on?" he said. "Who are you?"
Michelle backed away from him, still holding her arms up and ready… still on the balls of her feet. "Michelle," she said with more assurance than she felt.
"Derek Worth," the young man said and looked around. "Is this Rome?"
"Yeah… at least that's what it looks like."
"Those clouds look awfully funny," he replied looking upward as the clouds whipped across the sky.
"I noticed that." Michelle lowered her arms and relaxed her stance. "You don't really know what's happening either, do you?"
Worth shook his head. "And neither of us have our weapons."
Michelle flexed her hands… wishing her small sword was in them. She disliked being so close to another immortal she didn't know without it. But he seemed a nice enough fellow.
"Where are you from?" she heard him ask. "You sound American… like me."
"Seacouver," Michelle replied.
"Get out of town!" Worth grinned. "Same here. Been in the game a little over ten years."
Michelle nodded. "Me, too. So is this something all of us go through… or do those people who grabbed me have something to do with this?"
Worth stared at her. "Watchers… they're called Watchers. My teacher and I were interviewing one when I passed out… gas I think."
"So what happens now?"
"I have no idea."
Their swords appeared in the dirt.
Each of them leaned down to grasp them… feeling the comfort of the grips in their hands. They eyed one another.
"Do you suppose we're supposed to fight for someone's amusement?" Michelle asked.
Derek shrugged. "I fight for me and no one else." He turned about raising his voice and letting it echo around them. "Do you hear that! I will not fight!"
He glanced over at Michelle. "Shall we try and figure a way out of this place?"
"Absolutely," she said and they crossed to the surrounding wall… seeking an exit.
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Watcher Compound
"No interaction," murmured Claire. "They are apparently cooperating rather than fighting."
Wilderman pulled out his bandanna and wiped his sweating head. After glancing at Rawlin's somber face, Wilderman barked out, "Phase Two."
"So soon?"
"Let's see what happens," Wilderman remarked as he peered at the readouts and glanced once more at the digital screen.
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Within the Dream
Derek Worth was just reaching the wall… feeling its warm stone texture under his fingertips when he heard the sounds of swords being drawn behind him. Turning sharply, blade in hand, he stared at the band of masked swordsmen… to him they looked a bit like Klan hoods. He stepped back somberly.
Glancing at the pale face of Michelle, he wondered what she saw, and asked her.
"Orcs…" the girl murmured. "Like in those old Rings movies."
"Then this a dream… someone is pushing our buttons… playing on our fears," he whispered as the attackers began to approach.
"If we die in the dream… are we still dead?" Michelle asked.
"I don't intend to find out," Worth said as he lifted his weapon and began to slash at the attackers… feeling the solid hit of his steel on theirs… and on their bodies. Slowly… stroke by stroke… hit by hit… their enemies fell and the bodies vanished.
"It's like some really cheesy video game from years ago," said Worth as he wiped his forehead once the last of the attackers had been dealt with.
"Afraid I wasn't into those too much," Michelle grinned. "Now rock music CD's… that was my passion. What's next?"
"Usually more, bigger, and badder," Worth grunted.
"Terrific… I wonder what Duncan would say?"
"Duncan… as in Duncan MacLeod?" Worth grinned at her companionably. "Hope he was a friend of yours."
"You too?" Michelle laughed. "My teacher Amanda once said he had an over-blown sense of honor."
"Honor's good… oh look… the second wave has arrived."
The two stood back to back and readied themselves for the attack.
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Watcher Compound
"They definitely seem to be cooperating.," Claire murmured.
"Can you make them be antagonists?" Rawlins asked suddenly. "Put them on opposite sides?"
Wilderman nodded. "We can try. I cannot guarantee it will work with this pair. They seem very easy with one another. Perhaps we should have started with two who were more different."
On the gurneys the two specimens thrashed as they fought their attackers. Wilderman noticed that their movements within the restraints were very similar to the more developed movements on the digital screen. "Adjust the dosage… we need to pull the girl out of the scenario for a moment," he said.
Immediately one of the attendants opened the girl's IV up slightly. She calmed and then her form faded from the digital screen.
"Instigate Phase Five," Wilderman directed.
"And remove the safety protocols," Rawlins said. "I want to know what happens when a quickening is released."
"But… none will be," Wilderman argued.
"Yes," Rawlins smiled and held up his hand to take a broad-blade from his assistant. "One will be."
Wilderman stared at the two on the gurneys. "I didn't start this to be a murderer."
"You won't be. But be ready to record the information… We need to have it," Rawlins smirked. "Now let's see… which one should it be."