The Neutron Show

by Gary D. Snyder

Chapter 7:

As Jimmy was deciding his best course of action and next step to take two figures in darkened room were watching him closely on a large television monitor. Around the walls were similar monitors showing various scenes around Retroville, including interior and exterior views of the Neutron house, Lindbergh Elementary, the Candy Bar, and other places Jimmy was wont to frequent. One of the dim figures, a haggard middle-aged man, took a long drag on a half-consumed cigarette and let the smoke out just as slowly through his nostrils. His companion coughed uneasily and fanned the air.

"Do you have to do that?"

The cigarette-smoking man didn't even turn. "Yes."

"Well, it's a filthy habit. And a health risk."

The man seemed as impassive as ever as he took another puff from his cigarette. "No one lives forever."

"Your philosophy?" The person at his side seemed surprised at the indifferent response.

The trace of a smile seemed to cross the man's face. "Official policy."

That made the second figure shift uncomfortably and quickly change the topic. "What's the scenario status?"

The man stubbed out his cigarette, pulled another from a pack, and snapped open a lighter to light it. His features, though unexceptional, seemed particularly sinister in the harsh yellow light cast by the small flame. After allowing himself a couple leisurely puffs of the fresh smoke he leaned back and said simply, "Within projected parameters."

"Including Vortex's sudden disappearance?"

For the first time the man showed some faint trace of emotion, seeming offended by the remark. "It was your idea to use the engrams gathered by the encephalic scanners, not mine. I warned you that they would introduce unknown and hence uncontrollable factors into the program. You should have left the players' original parameters alone."

"And have them nearly ruin things like Neutron's parents and Betty Quinlan nearly did?"

"They were acting per their instructions. Changing the base parameters is dangerous. It makes the system non-deterministic and potentially unstable."

This drew a derisive snort from his companion. "These five were the closest to Neutron. They had to be as realistic as possible for the plan to work. Has your team been able to isolate the dominant factors?"

The cigarette-smoking man pulled a sheaf of papers from the pocket of his suit and spread them out. "The strongest influences would be from the thoughts closest to the time of the scan. Comparisons of the original and modified directives –" -another puff from the cigarette – "- have been able to identify the general perturbing factors."

"And those are?"

"Subject Wheezer was primarily concerned with Subject Neutron and Subject Vortex always fighting. Subject Folfax was more concerned with the two coming to some kind of resolution. Subject Estevez seemed convinced of the invincibility and infallibility of Subject Neutron and –" He paused to re-read the printout and take another drag. "- someone named Ultra Lord." He re-read the page and shook his head. "This Ultra Lord seems to be the dominant influence on Subject Estevez. Is there another test subject that should have been researched and incorporated into the scenario?"

"Ultra Lord is a TV character. Don't you watch television?"

The man shook his head. "Waste of time, nowadays. The last decent program I personally cared about was one about two FBI agents who –"

"This isn't the time or place for that. What about Subject Vor- I mean, Cindy? Why did she just vanish?"

The man picked up the last sheet and leaned back, considering the contents thoughtfully as he continued to smoke. "Subject Vortex had the highest concentration of thoughts directly regarding Subject Neutron."

"She despised him. She hated his mental superiority and wanted him to fail."

"That's not how I read this. I'd interpret it as frustration rather than hatred."

The man's companion gave him a sharp look. "Frustration? What frustration? About what?"

"Any number of things. We're dealing with a pre-teen girl who's trying to reconcile the hopes and dreams of childhood with the realities of adulthood. If anything, I'd say that she's in love with him and feels that her love is unrequited, leading to feelings of frustration and anger."

"Preposterous! She couldn't possibly be in love with that sanctimonious brain-bag."

"He's loyal, resourceful, brave, and intelligent - all the classic traits of the romantic hero. Why shouldn't she be in love with him?" He took a deep drag on the cigarette while he waited for the person next to him to respond.

"He's also a sawed-off runt," the figure said at last.

"That doesn't mean as much as you might think," the man replied. "I'd guess that you'd be surprised at the number of women who have taken an interest in me over the years."

His companion seemed unhappy at the turn the conversation had taken. "Can we get on with the analysis?"

"You're writing the checks." The man scanned the page again. "Her predominant concern for Jimmy was for him to know the truth."

That drew a sigh of satisfaction from the second figure. "Excellent."

"Maybe not."

"What do you mean? The success of this plan hinges on Neutron finding out that what's happening is a fraud. At the right time, of course."

The man ground out his second cigarette and drew out a third, crushing the empty pack and discarding it into a waste can. "Truth is a fleeting and perilous concept. I've made a career of dealing with people looking for the truth and making sure that they found what was expedient for them to find. And I was good at it. That's why you contacted me."

"What's your point?"

"The girl wanted Jimmy to know the truth. This has been incorporated into the current scenario and we can't change that without completely shutting it down. But what the truth is to our Vortex is unknown. It might just be her feelings for Neutron. It might be the truth she's supposed to represent. Or…"

"Or…?" The tone of the voice sounded unhappy.

The man sighed, tapping the unlit cigarette on the table before putting it into his mouth. "Or it might be the truth. The whole truth."

"Is that possible?" The man's companion gave him a worried look.

"The whole scenario was programmed into each subject. It was there for her to access if there was a reason to do so. Subject Vortex's thoughts could have given her a reason to do so."

"If that 's so, why didn't she just tell Neutron?"

"It would create a conflict with her primary programming. She would have to let him know some other way." The man paused to light his cigarette and let the silence make his next comment all the more effective. "Like leaving written messages."

"You think…you think those messages Neutron found were meant to sabotage the plan?"

"Possibly. Or they may have been a way to further the plan. They would have been consistent with the scenario. It comes down to what Subject Vortex really wanted. If she really despised Jimmy, your plan is intact. But if I'm right about how she feels, there's a good chance that Cindy is trying to destroy it."

The tone of the cigarette-smoking man's last sentence caused his companion to carefully consider his response. "And you're certain that you're right?"

"I am."

"Why?" The question still contained a trace of doubt.

"Her disappearance. It's inconsistent with the scenario. She would be aware of the scenario and realize that we would take steps to remove her when we figured out what she was up to. She realizes that Neutron is still not fully aware of what's going on and knows that she has to be free to warn him. She understands that the next time she contacts Neutron will be her last chance."

The argument was convincing. "What could he do if he did find out?"

The man puffed on his cigarette as he considered the possibilities. "The scenario was designed to allow him to do anything he could normally do to prevent him from becoming suspicious too soon. If he realized what the situation was he could try to disrupt the system."

"How likely is that?"

"Not very. The system has enough resources to handle a hundred Retrovilles. Although…" The man actually smiled for the first time. This, more than anything else, unnerved the person next to him. "Did you ever hear the anecdote about the monkey in the cage?"

"No." What in the world did this have to do with anything?

"The story goes that scientists put a monkey in a cage with four possible ways to escape to see which one the monkey would discover. The monkey found a fifth way." The man leaned back and took another slow drag on his cigarette. "And they say that a monkey typing long enough would produce the complete works of William Shakespeare. If we were dealing with a monkey I'd say that the system was safe. But we're not." He gave his companion a meaningful look. "We're dealing with Jimmy Neutron."

"So what do you suggest?"

The man leaned forward again. "I think," he said slowly, "that it's about time for Jimmy Neutron to meet his maker." He ground out his last cigarette and left the room, leaving the second figure behind in the darkness and coughing slightly from the smoke.

End of Chapter 7.

Author's Notes:

Readers have probably noticed by now that I've done what I could to keep the identity and even the gender of the person behind "the plan" secret. Some people may already have guessed who it is, although I'm hoping that it will be both a surprise and yet fairly obvious when I divulge the identity towards the end of the story.