I could make myself extinct if I’m not careful. I’ll be okay if I can just keep my head down.
The meeting with Dr. Grant wasn’t on the schedule but it didn’t seem out of line. Martin had passed his physical exam and was cleared for the next test. There was an advantage to using the same subject in a series of tests. The baseline markers would remain consistent from one test to the next.
The trip to the Doctor's office was familiar enough although the décor gave him cause to suspect otherwise. As he made a turn in the corridor he nearly trampled a medical tech. “Whoa, Kenny.” he dodged around her in his best court jester style. “Got you surrounded, lady.”
“Excuse me?” came her reply. As they passed, she looked back at him cocking her head. “Have we met?”
“Okay! I mean, no.” he fumbled. Too cute, too soon; wasn't a good idea. “Sorry; your name tag.”
She shook her head. He didn’t think she quite bought it. Her name tag actually read ‘Kennedy’. There wasn’t any way she could remember from the last cycle. The fact was that they hadn't met yet and it wouldn’t happen for a day or so.
The Doctor's office door was open and as usual his feet were on the desk. He seated Martin with a finger dance while he finished up on the phone.
“Trask. Sorry; Martin. So, how's it going? You recovered?”
“I . . . I’m fine. I go by Trask. That seems to be my accepted name on this project.
I don't quit know what the deal was. A bad dream maybe.” Maybe, I can’t be sure he is going to buy it.
“Bad dream, hmm? Anything you care to share? Some recurring thing. . . maybe?” He tapped his pencil on his desk pad. He stared at a spot in the middle of his desk as if it needed some serious attention.
Martin fumbled too long with an awkward pause, as if he were making up a lie. Does he care? Does he know? Where is he going with this? Was this just casual conversation leading somewhere else? “No. I can't say that it is recurring.” he lied. But actually he didn't really lie, because in fact it wasn't really a dream at all and he knew it.
“Describe it?”
Shit, he'd never asked this question before. This was the first time he had this situation. It is always the first time. Had he recognized a new clue? This was the first time in my memory that the test seemed to end before it started, or at least that is the way Ned saw it. I’ll have to play along a bit more. “It was just an experience of complete darkness; a bit chilling. Before I could get too lonely, it ended.”
“Humm. Is that it?”
“Pretty much.” He doesn't need to know any more, at least not yet.
Dr. Grant looked as though he might be fighting some bad gas and then he continued. “The reason I asked is that there is some strange uncorrelated data points that seem to indicate that more went on than nothing. Ned is pretty sure that nothing happened but I'm not so sure. The time register didn't show a gap but some of your vitals show a strange glitch. You look healthy enough.” He paused to see if Martin would register a TILT. “The trace glitches; we're going to do a complete systems check. What do you make of it?”
Martin measured his pause. Too much hinged on the next thing out of his mouth. What good would the truth do him? Where would he go with it? I still needed to protect my cover.
Beside Ty, Martin didn’t feel that he could trust anyone else. Harold was a climber and would crush Martin if he found out the truth. Dr. Grant might not trample Martin, but might not care much for Martin’s well being. With this information he might just throw me under the bus. He may be on his way to somewhere else.
Kenny might be trusted but I haven’t really met her yet, and maybe she really doesn't need this kind of baggage. Maybe no one needs this kind of baggage.
It would be a danger to anyone who knew him. They would potentially be marked for destruction and they would be without the protection of the fluidity of history, or should it be said, cloaked by the future?
Doctor Grant seemed satisfied with Martin’s reply, at least for the moment. “How do you feel, are you up to the next challenge?”
There could be no hesitation with this one. “Bring it on. Pack me a lunch and I'm on my way.”
Grant smiled. He seemed satisfied that the problem was in fact a software problem rather than a people problem. “Well, don't get too excited. There is a lot to do before we initiate again. That's why you're here, I want to fill you in on a new wrinkle in the plan.”
Wrinkle? There hadn’t been a wrinkle before, or at least that he could remember. Maybe I re-upped too quickly, he thought.
He continued, “Osterlund South has finished up their safety trials on a bionic AI amendment. They are ready to do a full-up Beta test.”
“Amendment, sounds like something I do with my garden compost.” Crap, what are they up to now.
“If you're willing, we want to perform an implant procedure.”
Double crap. What is this? Have they found me out? Is this curtains? I don't know enough yet. I don't even know if I'm in trouble. What are my options? How much time do I have before I have to cut and run? Calm down boy, we're just a-talk'n here. This ain't crunch time yet. Give him a minute.
“It's quite a benign procedure. Your body will do most of the work and at it's own pace. It will take a few weeks to complete the initial bionic fusing. Then it will be up to you to do the final phase; self training so to speak.”
“What is this thing; a third eye or what?” Martin tried to keep the mockery to a minimum.
“The backpack that you wore with your clean room suit; it is mainly telemetry and monitoring electronics. We're pretty sure that it isn't going to work as well as we hoped. The proof of that may have been this most recent problem. When the Higgs Delta is accomplished, we may be telemetry blind. The monitoring of you're trip might be flawed. This AI unit will greatly enhance that monitoring as well as you're ability to interact with you're surroundings.”
“Higgs Delta; what’s that?” as if I didn’t already know. It sounds like they are fully aware of my travels or are they just planning ahead.
Dr. Grant measured his next response. “Well, Martin. You’re aware of the security level on this project?”
“Yes. My application for clearance activation is in process. I don’t know how it is going to be used.”
“Well, that is a problem. I’m going out on the slippery slope. But I can’t think of any way to move things along any other way. What I’m going to tell you is classified and things are moving a little too fast to let the application get in the way. What I’m about to tell you isn’t very sensitive so I think it will be forgiven.”
He continued, “The software and some of the hardware is under the control of DARPA.”
“DARPA! Really, what do they have to do with this?”
“You don’t want to know. I’d have to shoot you. What you do need to know is that the experiment was a success and your ‘glitch’, as Ned calls it, is proof. You didn’t have a bad dream.”
No shit. They’ve crossed the threshold. Welcome to the future, boys.
“They are aware that they have crossed a boundary. You actually made a time jump. They know that the time jump lasted just under a minute but they are still analyzing the data. They believe that they will be able to control the destination point and keep you from winding up inside a rock or at the bottom of the ocean.”
“That is thoughtful of them. Do they know where I went this time?”
“I’d hoped that you could shed more light on it but it seems that won’t happen.” The Doctor allowed a gratuitous pause to allow Martin time to recant.”
“Can’t tell you any more than I did.” You don’t need to know any more than I told you.
“They have been working on some new hardware. It will incorporate modifications based on results from this last test. Part of the new mods will be the AI implant. That’s about all I can tell you f
or now. Got any questions?”
Martin put on his best poker face “Yup. Tell me about this implant?”
“As I said it was built and tested by Osterlund South. It is an AI implant. It isn’t going to make you a super-human but it will be at your beck and call. You’ll use it for this test and then it can be decommissioned if you want, but we’re betting that you’re going to like the little bugger. I’ll give you a run-down on it after we get it in place.”
“What if I say no?” Damn, did I ask that? Do I really want to know what their ace is before they play it?
“If you say no, then besides shooting you, I’ll have to take back the Hazardous Duty Incentive.”
Hell yes , I want to know.. “Say again?”
“Hazardous Duty Incentive; you know what that is. You’re a contractor, after all.”
“What are we talk’n here? A buck-three-eighty an hour or what?”
“Well, the rate schedule on this calls for a $15 per hour, 24/7 while you’re on test. Of course that’s after you sign on the dotted line.”
Martin tried to do a little math in his head and look interested at the same time. He’d never before actually gotten paid to do what he thought he was getting away with. “So, you’re saying that if I’m gone two days I’d get an extra $620.”
“No. Actually I’m saying $4120, because there is a one grand per deum, and a $1500 cycle bonus. And don’t forget your regular pay, that will be 24/7 too.”
“Uhhhh . . . . . okay.” Maybe they don’t know. “Yup, I think you got a deal here.
But just for grins, where you going to cram all that stuff?” He felt a bit queasy just contemplating the prospect.
“Oh that's just the thing. This Beta module is no larger than a grape and you won't be any more aware of it physically than you are your lymph glands on a good day. There are a series of small gel packs that will be implanted in various places but you won't notice those either.” Grant watched for any flushing in Martin’s face. He continued, “Though we still receive DARPA funding, they will remain out of the day to day loop until we successfully complete Alpha 1A”
Bingo! He said the magic word. I'm relatively safe for the time being. Until this is complete I'll be cloaked in the project. But I'll still have to watch my back side and keep my head down. The longer I stay under their radar the longer I live. Hmmm! Why did he emphasize the DARPA thing? Does he know more than I think? Lord, help me out here! I'm threadin’ a needle!
* * * * *
Chapter 4 – The Dilemma
Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.
Albert Einstein