Ever-Life the Two Book Set: The C.P.T Incident and Time Trust (28 page)

Everyone looked in shock. The guards tied Marshall’s hands behind him
, while Swanson spoke, “That’s usually the way it is with people like you. The problem, Dave, is that you knowingly disregarded your part in this horrendous conspiracy. You have been here over a year. You know how we work, how I work. You have obviously been involved with the Brock camp for months. There is no jury system here. These are your choices. You are going with Detective Burns. Whatever happens within his legal system; well, you are lucky. We would put you in a dry Unit, and let you rot. If they do not punish you to the full extent of their law, I will personally see you again. If you say anything about us up there, I will personally see you again. If anyone you know ever mentions me, or anything about us, I will personally see you again…I trust you understand me?”

“Yes; I do.”

“Guards…Take Mr. Marshall to Carrier-Unit 4. He should be comfortable there, until Mr. Burns is ready to leave.”

As the guards left the room, Jake turned his palms to the ceiling.

“What just happened?”

Angie turned to Jack and helped him off the stretcher.

“Hello, Mr. Sheldon, do you remember me?”

“Yes I do
, young lady. How are you, now?”

Swanson asked Burns to rejoin him in LuAnne’s office.

“Jake, I have to tell you; we are all thankful you got into this, so fast. But, you know better than anyone does, what the practical aspects of a murder case are. Take Angie’s kidnapping, for example; who can say how long it would have taken you to trace that van. And, you would never find out there were two of Angie, one a clone.”

Burn’s eyes bulged.

“Jake, I have a proposition for you…I’d like you to consider something, seriously?”

“…And what would that be?”

“I’d like you to become our new Chief of Security. We need you. I trust you. You would work for Mathew. This Ever-Life station would be your home base. However; you would report to me. I say it that way, because this is not just a position to be located here, in Arden, Jake. It’s a worldwide, career.” Swanson grinned. “You can hire your own team and coordinate everything from here…

…
I’ll tell you what; think about it. Mathew, out there, will take you around, show you our Complex, in detail, and answer all your questions. You two have to get to know one another, anyway. Then, you arrest and take Mr. Marshall back. Take this; and call me.”

“I have a cell phone, thanks.”

“Not one like this, my friend. Do me a favor, Jake; wait here for just a few minutes. I’ll be right back”

“Yeah, fine.”

He shook his head, surrendering with a grin.

Chapter 31

C. P. T.

Gordon Swanson walked out the door
, of Dr. LuAnne’s office, back into the Ever-Life lab. He leaned in, and spoke softly to his driver, “Mike, please prepare Carrier-2400 for departure; destination is Post 4.”

Then Swanson turned to Bellos. “Mathew, may I have a word?”

The two left lab-2 and stood in the main module area.

“Mathew, we have four hours. Will you take Mr. Burns on a tour
; and, then, meet me at platform six. We leave together.”

“Are we keeping the cop?”

“I hope so. I have a sixth sense about both of you.”

Me
anwhile, Brian Sheldon helped his father get his his bearings.

“Dad, you okay now?”

“Yes, Son; better than I’ve been in a while...”

Dr. Richard squeezed Brian’s shoulder.

“I believe your father’s going to be just fine.”

Jack smiled, but
his entire face and demeanor changed, suddenly.

“Doctors, where is Rachel? Where is my wife?”

Richard turned to LuAnne. “Where is she, Doc.?”

“Through there,” She pointed.

“Do you have a vial, Lu?”

“Yes, here.” She handed it to Richard.

                    “…Not this time…This one goes to Jack.”

Dr. LuAnne smiled and put the vial in Jack’s hand.
Jack stared at the small tube. Then, he looked at Brian and said, “Yes, I can do this…Dr. LuAnne, show me where.”

She, Richard, Jack and Brian walked into lab chamber-3.
LuAnne tugged on Jack’s sleeve, “There, under that cover; that’s your wife, Jack.”

“Brian, stay here.”

Jack walked over to the gurney and carefully pulled the sheet back, revealing only her head and shoulders.

“Oh Rach; look at you.”

“Dr. Sheldon?” LuAnne said, “We gave her two

i
njections of our Nanites, within the last hour; but, sadly, there has been no reaction.”

“Nanites?”

Richard tapped Jack’s shoulder and handed him a syringe, “It doesn’t matter anyway. Here Jack. We don’t use these down here; but this is your show. And spray this on your hands; it’s better than those old gloves we use, up there.”

Jack looked at everyone and sighed deeply. He took the syringe, filled it with the contents of the blue v
ial, and then attached a needle.

“Okay, Honey, here we go…Brian, get on the other side of Mom. Help me roll her toward you…Good, now hold her there.”

Jack took the half-filled syringe and stuck the needle just above her C-1 vertebrae under the base of her skull. Slowly, he pushed up into the bottom center of her brain, exactly 2.25 inches, at a 35-degree angle.

“Okay, this is it.”

He looked at Brian with a tear. Then, he pulled the plunger back. A distinct coagulation appeared in the syringe. Jack continued, expertly, until only a thread of the gel like quality was left.

“That’s it.”

He sighed anxiously, slowly extracting the needle; and studied the liquid. There was a jelly like bubble floating in the blue bath. It began to move by itself. Suddenly; it popped. The coagulation completely defused in a microsecond. The liquid in the syringe now looked like blue bubbly Champagne.

“My God! All right;
Son, let her down onto her back.”

“Dad?”

Brian began to cry.

“It will be all right, Sonny. B
e patient.”

Jack changed the needle again
, and looked at everyone in the room. Then he focused on Rachel. He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

“Okay, Babe…Come back to us.”

Jack gently moved Rachel’s head to the side. He, carefully, stuck the longer needle into her right carotid artery, and pushed the contents of the syringe in, completely. Then, he pulled the needle out, ever so slowly, gave it to Dr. LuAnne and sat on the edge of the gurney caressing Rachel’s hair.

“Rach;
Rachel Honey, can you hear me? It’s Jack…Come on, Honey; you can do this.”

Jack waited;
nothing…He turned away and covered his face with his hands.

“Oh my God, Rach…”

“Dad,” Brian said, “Dad; look at her hand.”

Jack wiped his eyes and lifted her right hand. A
finger twitched. He caressed her cheek softly. “Rach…Rachel Ann Sheldon; you wake up, right now.”

Jack looked lovingly
at her closed eyes.

“Rach,
” he whispered, “it’s me; time to come back; Honey; please!”

“Look Dad, her eyes; they’re moving.”

As they all watched; she blinked and half opened her eyes, and saw Jack’s tears.

“Hi,” she said
, smiling.

Jack cupped her face
and kissed her tenderly. She reached around his neck; and they embraced.

“My God, Rach,” Jack whispered in her ear, “Thank heaven. It works…I love you so.”

He pulled back a bit; looked at her nose to nose; but he really couldn’t see through the happy tears.

“Where ha
ve you been?” she said.

“Welcome back, my only.” Jack smiled. “Look; I have someone here to see you.”

Jack sat up; and she saw her son.

“Oh my heavens, Brian…”

The three embraced, and cried tears of happiness.

Richard and LuAnne watched
,  standing arm in arm.

“I guess this would be a good time to leave them alone,” Dr. LuAnne said
, weeping.

“Yes, I guess,” Richard replied
, as he put his arm around her. “Come on, I’ll buy you a drink of water.”

Chapter 32

Carla

Angie Bellos and Detective Jake Burns waited inside Ever-life’s lab-2, while Rachel Sheldon underwent CPT.

“Young lady, may I call you Angie?”

“Yes, certainly…”

“You have had quite a day, so far, eh?”

     
              “All of us have, I think.” Angie smiled and crossed her fingers. “I can only hope it’s over.”

“Well, I do have one final gift for you,” said her father
,as he walked back in. “Hello Mr. Burns, if I may call you that?”

“Why don’t you just call me Jake? After all this, I think we are on a first name basis now, don’t you?”

“Yes, I guess so; I appreciate that.”

Bellos looked at Angie. “Honey, will you come with me; and you too Jake. I think you may find this especially interesting.”

Bellos extended his hand and Angie took it. They all walked out of the lab, down a wide hallway, into one of the ‘Ever-Life’ private modules. The room was a transparent oval glass looking structure, which contained several items of distinction; several wall monitors; a floating, transparent full size mattress; three chairs, each also transparent, with plastic looking cushions, but warm to the touch. A wizard-like black hand-wand hung from the ceiling above the bed, on an attached, short, clear cord. Bellos walked in, and pushed a button on the door molding. The entire room changed from transparent, to an opaque white, giving them privacy.

“Jake, please
; sit there, if you would…Angie, I need you to go into the bathroom there, undress and put on the gown, hanging behind the door. When you come out, hop up, on the mattress.”

Angie complied, while Bellos put on a lab coat and washed his hands thoroughly.

“You know, Angie, the wonders you have witnessed today have happened, to a great extent, because of you…Remember in my office. I was trying to explain things?”

“Yes...”

“Remember, I said you will see Mom, again?”

Angie’s eyes widened
, as she stepped through the door, tying her gown. She walked over and sat on the corner of the bed; and, as she looked at Dr. B., her heart began to race.

“Yes of course.”

Bellos approached her.

“In order to make that happen, I have to take a sample of a very important part of you. I have to get a specific link
, in your DNA chain.”

“But
, how do you do that, in a direct procedure?”

“It won’t take long; however,
it may be painful. I have to go around one of your ovaries; and, I cannot give you any anesthetic, because it would contaminate the protein mix. Look Sweetie, you are a great nurse; but you are also my daughter. You know medical risks. There are no release forms, to sign, here. If you don’t want me to do this, I won’t. We will just find another way.”

Angie bowed her head, closed her eyes for a second and thought of her mom’s hologram.

“No, if you think this will work; I’ve always trusted you; it’s fine. Do it.”

She scooted up onto the mattress,
and lay back-down, with her head on the pillow. She discovered nothing was cold plastic.

“Yep
, definitely! Let’s do this…Jesus; this bed is heated…What is this material?”

“Feels good; doesn’t it?
There is a constant sterilization process going on. That’s what you feel. The material is an organic compound. We all can discuss it, over Champagne, if this works.”

Bellos turned to Burns.

“Jake, you may witness; but, I need you to be silent and keep still, okay?”

Burns swallowed nervously.

“I won’t say anything.”

Bellos
focused his full attention to the procedure. He took out a small, one-eye/one-ear, wireless headset, from the bedside table drawer, and positioned it on over the left side of his head. Then, he spritzed his hands, with the pink sterilizer that became surgical gloves.

“I wish we could use this stuff at the hospital.”

He leaned over the bed, and opened Angie’s gown, revealing her lower abdomen. He looked up to the hanging wand and spoke in the Ever-Life strange language, “GGM-TBN 010…Application Bellos procedure Unit Med 111172; initiate.”

The wand
detached from the cord and floated down into Bellos’s right hand. He gripped and squeezing it gently; and, while he pointed it all around Angie’s exposed skin, it shined a bright blue-white light from its tip.