Chapter Two – Diencephalon (continued)...

Part III – Vasovagal Syncope.

Undefined structure results in losing consciousness.

“There is always a cause,” Kado was saying. “The cells are crossing the membrane, microscopic particles are changing negative to positive. The result is a loss of consciousness. Periodic blackouts.”

“And how do you account for the memory loss?” Tattersall asked.

“Difficult, I’m not sure. Not sure if it’s permanent either. My suspicion is it’s temporary.”

“Caused by exposure to the virus?”

“That’s what we need to discover professor.”

“You know as well as I do Kado, this research is paid for by the government and the funds are running out. I very much doubt there will be any renewal. You have very little to show for the time and money invested. Mishimotta Pharmaceuticals will not step in to fill the gap. It will simply end. There are more important considerations.”

Kado hated these interviews, having to justify his work. Something was happening and no one was really concerned in finding out what. Fucking idiots, he thought. He never let his irritation show, that would not help things. If they closed down the Centre everything would be lost, his work would count for nothing.

He had not, of course, shared everything with Tattersall, that would not be prudent. Anybody who wanted to do more than simply survive needed to have something running that was working for them, some personal interest. He had the BB Club. Henry had financed it, but he ran it, and he ran it along with the research. The two things were interconnected.

□□□□□

Joel remembered Charlie and his mom arriving, but that’s all. No, not quite all, he also recalled getting to the Centre. Then it was blank, but there had, he thought, been no more blackouts since, but he wasn’t certain about that.

Why? Because he couldn’t remember what happened to Grif. He was here with Jack, but he didn’t know how they got here or why he was with Jack.

The last signs of civilisation had disappeared way back. The urban landscape had changed into nothingness, something they used to call countryside, but now, there was nothing. No vegetation, just changing shades of grey and black undulating into the distance. Except, that was imagined, you couldn’t actually see that far in the half light and the rain.

They passed the inevitable last billboard miles ago. The one that read – Join us for a new dawn, life has never been this good. “Never been so good... fuck, that’s one way of looking at it.”

“What are you talking about?” Jack looked at him weirdly.

Joel hadn’t realised he’d spoken his thoughts out loud. The car glided onwards almost silently, except for the strange mix of the wind rushing past and the electric motor. A faint blue glow lit the inside of the vehicle – you wouldn’t know you were moving without the rectangular panel display, and I suppose the faint noise.

That display showed nothing now, only the same message fixed across the screen, you are offline, please enter a known destination. A known destination, that was what they’d left behind, in some vain hope of finding the house. He remembered that much.

Jack was lounging across one of the seats, Joel was sitting opposite. The silence was broken by the women’s calm controlled voice – energy reserves are critical.

You see, that’s what happens when you leave the city. Unknown destinations are usually prohibited, but Marek had overridden the system. He was an electronics programing genius. Joel remembered all that, the mad dash to get away, the instructions to find the house, and the warning.

“I don’t remember what happened to Grif. I just can’t fucking remember.” Joel held his head in his hands.

Jack watched him, concerned, because it was not the first time Joel forget things. It’s not good, he thought to himself, he’s the one supposedly in charge.

“Forget it, Grif stayed behind to take care of Henry,” Poor choice of words though.

“Fucking forget it. What do you think keeps happening. I keep forgetting stuff. I’ve got huge holes in my memory.”

Not just huge holes, but a lot of aggressiveness, Jack hated that, but like always, he made no response. Replying only made things worse.

“Am I talking to my fucking self here, or what?” Joel was almost screaming at him.

“Jeez, calm down dude!”

Jack moved into the corner of the curved bench seat, pulling his legs into his chest and wrapping both arms around his knees. It’s like Grif had said to him once, he was always afraid Joel would lash out and hit him.

The scene calmed instantly as the whirring noise of the wind and motor wound down. The woman’s voice announced – energy zero, shutting down, goodbye. Joel had just the very slightest sensation that the vehicle was descending, like when you’re in an elevator. It lasted one second, then nothing.

“What now?” Jack asked him.

□□□□□

The house stood incongruously in the middle of nothing like a landmark in the desert, a relic from some past existence. They would never have made it without the battery pack. The wooden boards of the steps bounced as they climbed towards the door. Once on the veranda they were mostly protected from the rain.

“You got the code?” Joel was standing in front a large wooden front door, a door protected by metal cladding.

“5984,” Jack called out, “2294, 9877”

“Presto!” The door clicked open. Joel pushed it.

They were in.

It was very dark, silent, a stale odour purveyed the air. The place must have been closed a long time.

“What now!”

“Is that all you can say?” Joel found the kid very irritating at times.

“Well?” Jack was used to Joel, for his part he just ignored the older guy’s endless moans. Because that’s what they were to him, he was only voicing the obvious question. Why the hell did he have to react like that?

“Wait... you hear that?”

“No, I don’t hear anything.”

There was a faint humming, growing louder. “Oh yeah, I hear it,” Jack told him, and just as he spoke the lights came on. Low, but bright enough to see the large entrance hall, wooden staircase and various doors, presumably leading to other rooms.

“Presence detector,” Joel said with some satisfaction.

“Uh huh, but what’s powering the place?” Jack wondered how long it would last. He wondered about how well things had gone, everything considered. For some unknown reason it felt wrong, like too good to be true.

Joel was climbing the staircase.

“Where you going?” Jack called after him.

“To find my bedroom.”

Jack went after him, up the stairs two at a time. He caught him at the top landing and grabbed Joel’s sleeve, pulling on his arm.

“Your bedroom? You said find my bedroom! You know this house?”

Joel laughed, twisted free of Jack’s grip and moved right down the hall, pausing at the second door he pushed it open and stepped inside. Jack was right behind him.

“Lights!” Joel commanded, and the room lit up.

Jack looked around, uncertain what was going on here. It was obviously a bedroom, bed, bedside cupboards, drapes at a bay window, wardrobe, dressing table, couch. All the furniture looked like it was from an antique shop or the props for some ancient period drama. People just didn’t have furniture like that anymore, all wood and looking like it was, well, hand made.

Then he saw it.

“Oh my God!” Jack’s jaw dropped. He was looking at an old framed photograph on the edge of the dressing table. He moved over there, picked it up, held it in front of him. “It’s you!”

As he turned around to look at Joel he saw he was lying on the bed, propped up with his hands folded behind his head.

“Yeah, I told you it’s my room. I remembered the house as soon as I saw the stairs. For once I got my memory back instead of blanking out. This was my room and Charlie stayed in the room next.”

“Who is Charlie?”

“Grif asked me the same thing when we first met.”

“Yeah, so. Who is he?”

“I don’t know, but I know he stayed here. I know the last place I saw him was at the Centre. I know he was nine years old, no wait, maybe ten. I’m not sure.”

“This is a lot to take in, and it’s kind of weird.”

Joel patted the mattress indicating the empty space next to him. Jack smiled, put the photograph down and joined him on the bed.

“You look sort of cute in the picture.”

Joel turned on his side to face Jack. “And I’m not cute now?”

Jack smiled. Joel moved his head closer. They kissed.