Chapter Four – Somatic Sense (continued) Part II – Thinking of a Master Plan I don’t think anybody has a master plan right from the beginning and can see how everything will work out.

Of course it’s me has to do all this stuff, getting soaked, freezing in the cold. Jack was talking to himself as he trudged across the sodden ground in what he hoped was the right direction, back to where the car had landed, out of power.

What if they notice I’m gone? Will it even work? Head bent against the rain that was lashing down. It was never this bad when we left. He could feel the damp penetrating his clothes, finding it’s way right inside. He shivered, the cold barely kept out by the warmth of his body.

It was almost as dark as night. How much further could it be? Was he lost?

Okay... finally! He sighed, peering through the gloom he could just make out the shape of the vehicle.

Soon he was right beside it. He lifted open the door, threw his pack inside and climbed in, pulling the door shut behind him. It was like closing out everything, even in the darkness he felt cocooned in relative safety. The noise of the rain was now only a very faint thudding against the plastic shell. Jack grabbed the battery pack and pulled out the lead, he fumbled in the darkness feeling for the socket.

That’s it. He pushed home the connection. Now let’s try. Nothing happened. Wait, he was thinking. There must be a switch. He ran his hand over the console. What the fuck! He just started hitting every damn button he came across.

Yes. Humming, something was happening.

“Energy levels are critical,” a woman’s voice said. “Entering power conservation mode.” Then nothing. Was the thing working, or had it gone to sleep again.

“Communications!” Jack almost shouted.

He thought he glimpsed a diode blink.

“Voice communication is unavailable. Do you wish to send a message?” The woman was back.

Yes he wanted to send a message. “Yes,” he told her.

She then asked for the address, recorded his voice message and, hopefully, sent it. He wasn't certain about that last part, because she told him, “Confirmation is not possible.”

He thought about what to do next, decided there was nothing to be done, other than wait. Wait for a reply. He was soaked to the skin and with no real power in the vehicle, although out of the rain, it wasn’t much warmer.

□□□□□

Joel was pacing around the lounge. He was nervous, wondering how long these guys would be occupied, wondering if Jack had made it back to the car and contacted Kado. What happens next, he didn’t have any master plan, he hoped Kado would tell them what to do. It was him who had sent them here.

Finally, he stopped pacing and sat in the leather armchair, resting his hands on the large round arms. It reminded him of the old armchair in the basement room at the club, the one with the stuffing coming out.

As he relaxed, his thoughts flowed. Thinking about Charlie, the waiting room, his mother. Yes, he now clearly, well almost clearly, recalled the rush to leave the apartment and getting to the Centre. That he was fairly sure was the last time he saw them. But there was still a gap between that memory and finding himself on the street, meeting Grif, the club.

Oh yes, the club. How, he wondered, had that happened. I mean, he knew how he had ended up there, but all the stuff that happened from then on in. How did he get to be gay? That is a very bizarre question to ask himself, but it concerned him, it doubly concerned him because of the gaps in his memory.

Nobody just becomes gay, do they? You don’t flick a switch. So he was always, ah, like that. He must have just forgot. Crazy, really crazy, but gaps in your memory do make for crazy stuff.

All his thinking was interrupted when Howard and Emret appeared at the door.

“Did you find anything interesting?” He figured the reply would be no, even before they answered.

“No.” There you go, exactly what he thought. “But there is his office to go through.”

“Well yes, okay.”

“Where is Jack?” Emret was looking around the room.

“Oh, he’s either gone outside or in his room. Why?”

“No reason.”

Joel distinctly felt the two of them were checking up on things. They probably accepted his response, after all, where would anybody go, there was nothing outside. The two of them went back out of the lounge. They would now, presumably be occupied in Madison’s office, which was fine, it would give Jack time to get back.

□□□□□

“You have... two new messages,” the woman’s voice informed him.

“Play messages,” Jack commanded.

“Message one... received today at twelve eleven... your coordinates have been recorded and a team has been despatched... please stay with the vehicle until assistance arrives... end of message... message two... received today at twelve twelve... Joel, Jack, things have not gone to plan, Marek has been detained, expect a visit from X-Corp, I cannot help for now, suggest you find safety... end of message... there are no new messages.”

He was a bit shocked realising those two guys who showed up are from X-Corp and that means trouble. What to do? It was easy for Kado to say find safety, but how? Jack unplugged the lead, raised the door, and stepped out into the rain.

□□□□□

“Marek never sent those two guys,” Jack was whispering.

“Yeah, I figured that out,” Joel replied.

“You did?”

“You don’t need to whisper. They’re in the office, they can’t hear us”

“I got completely soaked,” Jack reverted to speaking normally.

“I guess you would have, you know, what with all the rain and wind.”

“Next time you can bloody go yourself. You can be a sarcastic bastard, you know that?”

“Sorry, stress,” Joel tried a smile. “Those two have got me on edge.”

“What we gonna do?”

“Oh Jeez Jack, you always ask me the same question. What did Kado say? You did speak to him?”

“Well not exactly, but I messaged and he replied.”

“So what did he say?”

“Marek got detained, expect a visit from X-Corp, and get somewhere safe.”

“Well, bit of a wasted journey really. That is like as useful as nothing.”

“Don’t blame me,” Jack sounded peeved.

“I’m not. Don’t be so touchy.”

“So?”

“I honestly don’t have a fucking clue.”

“Now who’s being touchy?”

“Listen to this. Music, favourites, play!”

The room was suddenly filled with the words and music from what sounded like a very old song.

Long as I remember the rain been coming down.

Clouds of myst'ry pouring confusion on the ground.

Good men through the ages, trying to find the sun;

And I wonder, still I wonder, who'll stop the rain.

I went down Virginia, seeking shelter from the storm.

Caught up in the fable, I watched the tower grow.

Five year plans and new deals, wrapped in golden chains.

And I wonder, still I wonder who'll stop the rain.

Heard the…

“It’s a folk song from nearly two hundred years ago. Well a hundred and eighty to be exact, 1969.”

“Uh, so?” Jack stared at him.

“So, nothing. It was on my uncle’s favourites.”

“Well, your uncle must have liked old folk tunes. And... since when did we get to your uncle.

Who is your uncle?”

“Kinda appropriate, don’t you think?” Joel was tapping his fingers in time with the music.”

“Yeah, appropriate, but what about this uncle of yours?”

“Howard told me that this is my uncle’s house. Then it came back to me. I remembered coming here with Charlie. Before you ask, he’s my little brother. My mom was here with us. Uncle Madison. He was doing research, and that’s what Pinky and Perky are looking for.”

“Wow! Your memory really came back in a flood.”

“Haha! Like it. Rain... flood,” Joel was grinning at Jack.

Jack saw the joke, even if the pun was unintentional. They both started laughing.

“Flood,” Jack repeated amidst more laughing. “ And... I... nearly got drowned.”

That cracked them both up.

“No, no, it’s hurting,” Joel was crying, he was laughing so much.

“Keep the noise down or those two will be back.”

“Yeah, yeah... and that’ll put a damper on things!”

“Stop, stop, please.” Jack was now holding his stomach as he too had tears in his eyes.

They managed a slow recovery and the laughter subsided.

“I needed that,” Joel was still smiling.

“Me too. Kinda relieves all the tension and shit.”

“Yep.”

Jack, as was usual, sprawled out on the sofa. Joel relaxed back into the armchair, and they just listened to the music as the next track played.