Chapter Thirty-Four
Cyber Wars II: The Rematch
Jayne was scampering across the Metrolink bridge heading for the multi-story car park attached to Exchange Quay when she suddenly remembered the car crash. It came back to her in a flash. She remembered the crunch of metal and the windscreen shattering. She remembered bumping her head, hard, and everything going black. She even remembered the ambulance and the paramedic. The whole effect made her feel very dizzy, and she lost her footing, stumbled, and fell over. She ended up lying across the rails, wondering where she was and what she was doing there.
“Got her!” Tyler said in triumph. This was going to be a lot easier than he had thought. “The trauma of the car crash was bound to bring her down. Her mind had suppressed it, but I’ve brought it to the fore. Hall tried to block me out, but he can’t remove my write privileges. She’s totally incapacitated!”
“Where is she?” Rosanna Casarotto asked as she stood over him.
“She’s outside, on the bridge.”
“Good. Can you erase her knowledge of the Corporation?”
Tyler’s fingers danced swiftly over the keyboard. He shook his head. “No, the implant won’t respond to a request for a complete download now that she’s awake. It must be because there’s too much brain activity taking place for the implant to be able to cope with a download at the same time. Watkins feared that this might happen.”
“Have you not tried it before?”
“Yes, but that time Hall diverted the request to the Crays, and we nearly lost all our data.”
“I see.”
Rosanna’s voice never wavered, but Tyler could tell that she wasn’t happy with his answers.
“Then keep her where she is,” Rosanna said before turning to one of her companions. “Mr Smith, go fetch our problem.”
There was an idea in Jayne’s head, like a memory, or knowledge of reality. It was calming and soothing.
You’ve had a bad accident, the idea told her. You’re still in the ambulance. Lie down, and wait until you get to the hospital.
Jayne’s head ached, all she could remember was the impact with the lamp post. It kept coming back to her, repeating over and over again in her mind. The breaking glass, the crunching metal, and that final, sickening blow to her head.
Down by the river, Matthew was sweating as he typed frantically on his keyboard. What Tyler had done was very clever, but too clever. Using Jayne’s own memories against her was a good idea, but where one memory was brought back to mind, others would surely follow. Matthew just had to tease the right one out, the one that would bring all the others trailing after it. And if Tyler wasn’t careful, he could be the one to do it for him.
Now there was a second idea in Jayne’s head. It opposed the first, and the two of them together confused her, and she didn’t know what to do. The new idea was hectic and insistent.
Get up! Get up! It demanded. It’s Tyler! He’s lying to you! Don’t listen to him! You’re on the tracks and there’s a tram coming! I can see it! Get up! Get up!
“Hall’s interfering!” Tyler snapped. “I thought you said you would deal with him?”
“Be patient,” Rosanna replied. “My agent will find him soon.”
“But he’s trying to cut me out!”
“Then oppose him!”
The two opposing ideas flitted around inside Jayne’s head like demented flies, strangely shaped and colourful, one bright, one dark.
Jayne didn’t know which idea was the truth, she didn’t even know where she was. And something was nagging at the back of her mind, something that she was supposed to do. Something that she was in the process of doing. What was it? Where was she going? And why couldn’t she remember it? And who was Tyler?
Forget Tyler, he’s unimportant. He was your pet rabbit, the one that was run over. You remember, don’t you?
A white rabbit. It was in the road. Yes, Jayne remembered it.
No, he wasn’t! Harvey was your pet rabbit! Not Tyler! Tyler’s the enemy! Your enemy! He’s inside your head! He’s trying to get you! He’s trying to suppress the Julia part of you! Don’t let him Jayne!
Julia? Who was Julia? And why would she and Tyler be inside her head?
Because your head is my head, you stupid piece of mutton!
There’s no such person as Julia. This is a delusion. Rest. Stay where you are. It will all be over in a few seconds.
Julia felt the tingling in her head. I don’t like this! Turn it off! Turn it off!
Julia?
Jayne suddenly felt hungry for a pizza. She could hear a loud squealing noise, it sounded like some kind of demented elephant, and it seemed very close. She opened her eyes and she stared up at the night sky.
“Bitch!” she called out as her memory returned. “Cow-bag! I’ll get you back for this, Tyler!”
Jayne felt a vibration through her back, and rolling over she saw the lights of the approaching tram. It was already on the bridge. The driver sounded his warning siren again. It was a very loud and powerful squeal.
“Shit!”
Jayne scrambled out of the way, throwing herself down on to the other side of the bridge. The tram whizzed past, and the driver shook his fist at her. “Bloody nutter!” she heard him shout.
Jayne had a glimpse of anxious faces at the brightly lit windows of the tram, and then it was gone, descending the ramp on the far side of the bridge. As the tram passed the side of the multi- story car park, Jayne began to scamper forward again, following after it for a moment, before heading towards the shadows near the wall, where she quickly disappeared.
“I’ve lost her!” Tyler cried out. “I told you to get rid of Hall!”
“Get her back!” Rosanna demanded in an angry tone. It was the first sign of any emotion. “Get her back now! Or I’ll ask Mr Williams to terminate your employment with the Corporation this instant!”
Tyler glanced at Williams who took a step forward, reaching menacingly inside his jacket.
“Alright! Alright!” Tyler said quickly. “I’ll get her back! Just do something about Hall!” He began to type again, the sweat dripping from his brow.
Matthew sighed in relief as he looked at the screen on his lap- top. That had been too close. He had heard the tram rumble on to the bridge over his head and Jayne still hadn’t responded. But now the message was clear.
C:WINDOWSMONITOR>I’M BACK! DID YOU MISS ME?
C:WINDOWSMONITOR>So long as that tram missed you!
C:WINDOWSMONITOR>MISSED ME BY MILES! I OWE YOU ANOTHER ONE. I’M IN THE CAR PARK. KEEP ALERT.
C:WINDOWSMONITOR>I hope that was the last we hear of Tyler. He must have embedded some root protocols that I can’t delete.
C:WINDOWSMONITOR>THAT WAS JUST THE STARTER. WAIT ‘TIL THE FUN REALLY BEGINS!
They didn’t have long to wait. Jayne was inside the multi-story car park, crouching down by a black Mercedes which seemed to be the only occupant, when she had a sudden feeling of sadness. It came on very slowly at first, but then grew into abject despair. Jayne sank down, her back against the car, and burst into tears.
Her mum and dad were dead.
Matthew’s heart sank. “Oh, no......,” he muttered under his breath as the program he had written told him what was going on.
C:WINDOWSMONITOR>
MONITOR TRIGGERED
INTERRUPT=5
MEMORY TYPE=SHORT TERM
SUBJECT=FAMILY BEREAVEMENT
Matthew started his counter program again.
C:WINDOWSMONITOR>run COUNTER
COUNTER RUNNING
MEMORY TYPE=SHORT TERM
SUBJECT=INPUT TEXT
C:WINDOWSMONITORCOUNTERINPUT TEXT>
At the prompt, Matthew typed quickly.
Jayne was in a flood of tears. She was sobbing loudly, the sound of her crying echoing around the empty car park as she sat on the floor, slumped against the side of the Mercedes. How could she have forgotten? Ho
w could she have been so uncaring? They were dead, both of them. And she was running around playing at being a spy.
But they weren’t your parents! It was a sudden revelation. The idea just sprang into her mind. You’re Julia, not Jayne! It was Jayne’s parents that died, not yours!
How could that be? She was Jayne, wasn’t she? And who was Julia?
Slab of meat! Sleeping beauty! The disgusting cow, I’m glad she’s dead! The thoughts came from nowhere. Buzzing flies, all different shapes and colours. They clashed and bumped into one another. Angry, buzzing flies.
Forget Julia, you’re just trying to avoid the truth! A new idea seemed to say in her head. They were your parents, Jayne. And now they’re dead!
You’re not Jayne! Don’t listen to him! You’re Julia and Jayne! And you like who you are!
Jayne was in a pit of depression. She didn’t know who she was anymore. All she knew for sure was that her parents were dead. But whose parents were they? Were they Jayne’s parents, or Julia’s? And how could she be two people? And why did these ideas keep popping into her head?
It doesn’t matter who you are! Another idea said in her mind. If you’re Jayne and Julia, then they were still the parents of one of you! And you loved them so much, didn’t you, Jayne? And now they’re dead. Both of them. And it was your fault. You killed them. You killed Jayne’s parents, Julia! Murderer!
Matthew was horrified. Tyler had played his master card and now there was nothing he could do to counter it. If he allowed Tyler to cut Julia out of Jayne’s mind, then all was lost. Jayne would remember nothing. But if he fought to keep Julia to the fore, then Jayne would be destroyed by the knowledge that she, Julia, had killed Jayne’s parents. It was a no win situation.
He was still worrying what to do, his fingers frozen over the keyboard, when a movement outside the car caught his eye. When he looked up and saw who it was, he was completely surprised. Then the windscreen shattered as it was hit by a bullet.
Matthew was showered in broken glass as he scrambled out the door of the car and ran for his life. He had taken his lap-top computer with him, and as he ran, he typed on the keyboard in panic as more bullets hit the car behind him, and another hit the ground almost at his feet. But in only a few steps, Matthew found his way blocked by the river. He was trapped. There was nowhere to run. He turned to face his pursuer, clutching his computer to his chest. It immediately exploded in a shower of sparks as it was hit by another bullet, and Matthew was knocked backwards and splashed into the river.
Jayne was in total confusion. Her mind was coming apart at the seams. Half of her personality was at odds with the other half. One was torn with despair, while the other was just mean and angry. And all the time these ideas kept popping into her mind to nag at her, and scold her. Not flies anymore, but wasps. They were angry and hurtful. They whispered at her, and their words stung her. They were pulling her apart, separating the two halves of her new personality.
You’re a murderer, Julia! And murderers must be punished! Push her out, Jayne! Rid your mind of her forever!
Why did you do that? Jayne wanted to know. How could you kill our own parents? Why did you kill my parents?
I didn’t do it! I didn’t do it! It wasn’t me! Julia denied.
You’re talking to yourself, Jayne! You’re going mad! Mad with grief! Mad with guilt! Lie down, Jayne! Sleep! And when you wake up, you’ll be safe and Julia will be gone!
Am I talking to myself? Am I?
You can’t have a conversation with a sponge!
Sleep! Let the pain go away! Sleep!
Sleep? Yes! Sleep and never wake up, that was it!
She’ll never wake up. If she wakes up, I’ll eat my first born!
You’re cruel! You’re horrible! I hate you! You killed mum and dad!
No, I didn’t! But I bet I know who did!
The answer came suddenly, abruptly. It was an idea like all the others, popping into her mind from out of nowhere. And with it came a sudden unification. A joining of personalities and memories that had so far merely occupied the same place, but now became undeniably and irrevocably one.