Read Online Déjà Vu: A Technothriller by Ian Hocking - Free Book Online
Authors: Ian Hocking
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virus is particularly dangerous to humans.”
“It could be. Maybe we should call McWhirter – yet another military application for the project.”
David frowned. “McWhirter’s dead.”
“Oh yeah. You said. She’s still up there, you know.”
“Who?”
Bruce bit his lip. “The dog the Russians sent up. She was called Laika. She’s still in orbit.”
“Not around this planet.”
David’s eyes dropped to the floor. He breathed in little sighs.
“Dave?”
“What?”
“I’m dying. But.”
“But what?”
“I’m living. I haven’t seen hills and trees for thirty years.”
David laughed bitterly. “Was it worth the wait?”
“Yes. You want some food?”
“Is it insect?”
“Of course.”
“No thanks.”
David stood up and walked around the room. The rain sizzled against the windowpane, as though something was frying on its surface. He felt confined by the darkness and he was confused. Why had Bruce brought him here? Both had risked their lives to have this conversation yet they spoke guardedly. The soldiers could bomb their way into the research centre at any time.
“Bruce, I’m here. You have my full attention. What do you want?”
Bruce stopped chewing his food. He spat it out.
“It’s been twenty years, David. Why didn’t you get in touch?”
David sighed. First Jennifer, now Bruce. He was being scrooged. “I didn’t know what to say. When the project was bombed, it was finished.”
“Except it wasn’t finished, was it? The fish tank survived and here I am. Listen, do you ever have nightmares? About children with no eyes?”
David ignored him. “We had this great dream of experimental genetics. We got so caught up in engineering this world that we forgot about the research. What questions did we ever answer with the this?” He gestured about him. “This is nothing better than a cheap video game.”
“No. You’re wrong. I’m living in here. This video game gives me life because it gives me my sight. Do you know what that means?”
“Of course not. I’ve never been blind.”
There was a silence. Bruce chewed some more food with his mouth open. David’s muscles began to tighten. Finally, Bruce said, “I brought you here, Professor Proctor, to tell you something in private.”
“Private? Is this a joke? You brought me here to whisper in my ear? For all we know, there’s an entire company of soldiers standing a few feet away from me. I suppose a walk in the park would have been too much for you.”
“And I came here to die. Kill me.”
“What?”
David felt fury build up inside him but then, when he looked into Bruce’s helpless eyes and the blood on his teeth, his anger evaporated. Bruce was right. He was already dead. If he were removed from the computer, the trauma would kill him. If he stayed, the virus would kill him. The computer had him in checkmate.
David didn’t know what he was supposed to say. “Is this why you wanted me to talk to Hypno? You’re fucking crazy. No way.” There was a noise from the doorway. A footfall on the veranda. Bruce put a finger to his lips. David’s scalp tingled. It was the metadillo. It was back to finish them. Bruce retrieved a spear from his place near the fireplace and stood poised in the middle of the room. Then he nodded at the door.
David groaned. Bruce wanted him to open it. The metadillo would come charging in and then Bruce would spear it, and then the spear would break, and then it would fire its darts at both of them like a spider wrapping flies.
Bruce nodded again irritably.
“Alright, I’m going,” David whispered. He considered removing his mask and leaving the computer. It might save his life. With a shake of the head, he turned the handle. He looked back at Bruce and remembered his words from moments before: ‘Kill me’.
He flung the door open.
Crouched in the darkness, wearing an exact duplicate of his hiking clothes, was Sergeant Caroline Benson. The jacket was too big for
“It could be. Maybe we should call McWhirter – yet another military application for the project.”
David frowned. “McWhirter’s dead.”
“Oh yeah. You said. She’s still up there, you know.”
“Who?”
Bruce bit his lip. “The dog the Russians sent up. She was called Laika. She’s still in orbit.”
“Not around this planet.”
David’s eyes dropped to the floor. He breathed in little sighs.
“Dave?”
“What?”
“I’m dying. But.”
“But what?”
“I’m living. I haven’t seen hills and trees for thirty years.”
David laughed bitterly. “Was it worth the wait?”
“Yes. You want some food?”
“Is it insect?”
“Of course.”
“No thanks.”
David stood up and walked around the room. The rain sizzled against the windowpane, as though something was frying on its surface. He felt confined by the darkness and he was confused. Why had Bruce brought him here? Both had risked their lives to have this conversation yet they spoke guardedly. The soldiers could bomb their way into the research centre at any time.
“Bruce, I’m here. You have my full attention. What do you want?”
Bruce stopped chewing his food. He spat it out.
“It’s been twenty years, David. Why didn’t you get in touch?”
David sighed. First Jennifer, now Bruce. He was being scrooged. “I didn’t know what to say. When the project was bombed, it was finished.”
“Except it wasn’t finished, was it? The fish tank survived and here I am. Listen, do you ever have nightmares? About children with no eyes?”
David ignored him. “We had this great dream of experimental genetics. We got so caught up in engineering this world that we forgot about the research. What questions did we ever answer with the this?” He gestured about him. “This is nothing better than a cheap video game.”
“No. You’re wrong. I’m living in here. This video game gives me life because it gives me my sight. Do you know what that means?”
“Of course not. I’ve never been blind.”
There was a silence. Bruce chewed some more food with his mouth open. David’s muscles began to tighten. Finally, Bruce said, “I brought you here, Professor Proctor, to tell you something in private.”
“Private? Is this a joke? You brought me here to whisper in my ear? For all we know, there’s an entire company of soldiers standing a few feet away from me. I suppose a walk in the park would have been too much for you.”
“And I came here to die. Kill me.”
“What?”
David felt fury build up inside him but then, when he looked into Bruce’s helpless eyes and the blood on his teeth, his anger evaporated. Bruce was right. He was already dead. If he were removed from the computer, the trauma would kill him. If he stayed, the virus would kill him. The computer had him in checkmate.
David didn’t know what he was supposed to say. “Is this why you wanted me to talk to Hypno? You’re fucking crazy. No way.” There was a noise from the doorway. A footfall on the veranda. Bruce put a finger to his lips. David’s scalp tingled. It was the metadillo. It was back to finish them. Bruce retrieved a spear from his place near the fireplace and stood poised in the middle of the room. Then he nodded at the door.
David groaned. Bruce wanted him to open it. The metadillo would come charging in and then Bruce would spear it, and then the spear would break, and then it would fire its darts at both of them like a spider wrapping flies.
Bruce nodded again irritably.
“Alright, I’m going,” David whispered. He considered removing his mask and leaving the computer. It might save his life. With a shake of the head, he turned the handle. He looked back at Bruce and remembered his words from moments before: ‘Kill me’.
He flung the door open.
Crouched in the darkness, wearing an exact duplicate of his hiking clothes, was Sergeant Caroline Benson. The jacket was too big for
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