Simpathe Nation by John Handrahan
Chapter 17: There are Shit Bits to Everyone's Job but Someone's Got to Do It.
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Max was at the health protection agency offices once again, preparing to wind up his end of the job. No more suspicious bodies had been found for a while and everything pathological had been relocated to London to lower the cost. A two-hour drive to London lay ahead of him and Max was mulling over what he might say when he arrived. It was never nice to have to give bad news to anyone and he had learnt over the years that it really mattered what was said and how you said it. It could affect people for years to come. Tact, politeness and manners cost nothing, especially when someone has died. Max thought that telling someone that a friend or relative or even work colleague had passed away was the hardest thing he ever had to do. It was truly upsetting for him in the circumstances, if it had been Josh he needed to tell it would have been a little easier but he didn't know how Chloe would react and what feelings would come out. Even His driving was somber; dying is something everyone does, he thought, and you can't stop it. You can only make sure you lead a good, honest life and hope something you do will improve the quality for others. Max did recognise that not everyone gets to be an MI6 agent. Max loved his job and he did not regret not having a partner or children although he had, cuckoo like, left babies in someone else's nest several times. He was deep in his thoughts and didn’t realise how quickly the journey had passed until he saw the familiar underground garage at Exploratores. He spoke into the door intercom and greeted the security guard who carried out the eye test and DNA and palm scans before he was granted entry. Once through Max took the lift to medical bay where Chloe was waiting. He had to negotiate a winding corridor with several sets of double doors before reaching a large expanse with thick sheeting covering thick heavy loading bay doors. There He was greeted by the head of the medical department, Dr Grant Fletcher, and the head of technical support, Dr Philip Wandsworth. Philip was an IT genius; by the time he was twenty one he was already one of those guys who could do anything and get it first time every time.
"It's time,” Wandsworth smiled, “you do seem to have good timing Max."
"Is she good?" asked Max as they walked over to Chloe.
"Yeah, great," replied Wandsworth.
"She is physically and mentally amazing but I still don't understand her metabolism. It’s like an Olympic gold medal winner’s," Dr Fletcher talked quickly as he pushed buttons on a machine.
"I must say Max, using these machines to test the integrity of the Simpathes was a stroke of genius and I'm supposed to be the genius round here," Wandsworth commented.
"You programmed it to fool its designer. You’re the genius," replied Max. He had reached Chloe and was now watching as she slowly woke up.
"It's okay Chloe, you have been in the machine again and everything is fine," explained Max, passing her a plate of food straight away. A nurse saw Chloe rousing and ushered the men away whilst Chloe, who still looked dazed and confused, dressed and ate the food she desperately required to function like normal.
Max and the others walked over to Josh who was also just waking up. Josh looked at Max and took in the machines and knew instantly what had happened. A hovering nurse handed him a coffee. Max, having done this once already, knew exactly what each person would need when they woke up. They walked past Maddy who was sat panting in front of a plate of food, thinking that machines just weren't designed for dogs and of how much she hated the experience. She had quickly realised what had happened although there was no translator. Dr Wandsworth and his team had recreated much of the technology that Janice designed in her Simpathe world.
“What about Janice?" Asked Max.
"I'll keep her in there. I need to find out what else she might do," Fletcher replied.
"Yeah, she is as evil as they come,” Dr Wandsworth nodded his head in agreement, his usually twinkling brown eyes solemn in his pale doughy face. “Those palm scanners infected three hundred people at Nottingham train station within two hours,"
“And that's what brought them all out. One hundred Simpathes turned up and wiped them out first and then their families," Fletcher took over the explanation from his colleague.
"I can't believe there are so many life forms existing," Max said.
“Just remember gentlemen, you don't need to operate a body in cyberspace. You just have to have knowledge and awareness. Thank goodness that was a simulation though – I couldn’t bear it to end like that" Chloe’s muffled voice joined in the conversation, her mouth still full of food.
"You’re back with us! Sorry about the machine, we had to be sure," apologised Max.
"No I'm really pleased you did it. Janice electrostatically lied to me and I couldn’t tell,” Chloe replied.
"Do we have a plan?" Max looked to Dr Wandsworth for his expert opinion.
"Don't let these three out unless you want them dead, Josh is supposed to have the answer," Wandsworth replied.
"Josh is the answer, you know that,” Chloe said, “We are to help him however he sees fit."
"Chloe, it's not always that simple. People in charge don't like not being in complete control. I do need a word with you though," Max said as he held out his hand towards her. He led Chloe to a small lounge just off the medical ward. Max was doing the thing he didn't want to do. Chloe’s father had passed away and it was his job to tell her. He hadn’t been sure how she would react but she was very human in her response and cried her eyes out heart wrenchingly for the next ten minutes until Josh and Maddy arrived, rushing across the lounge to comfort their stricken friend. Max left Josh comforting Chloe after telling them he would see them for a debrief session in two hours time at the operations centre.
Refreshed after a meal and change of clothes, although emotionally drained, the trio made their way slowly to debriefing. Their limbs felt weakened and Chloe had been hit hard by the death of her human father and was struggling with her emotions. As a computer simpathe she had never before needed to develop coping strategies for the intensity of emotions she was now experiencing. In the debriefing room Max was pouring coffee and putting biscuits on a tray and comfortable seats each had a little note pad and pen placed next to them. He waited for them to settle before speaking:
"Today you will meet the Minister in charge of the Simpathe threat operation. He alone will decide the course of action we will take."
"I thought you knew that it was Josh’s job to defeat the Simpathe?" Chloe queried, a frown darkening her face.
"This is why we have a debriefing. I have a boss, he has a boss and in turn he has a boss. The boss of all bosses is coming to tell us what do and I can't do anything about that,” explained Max.
"So what's the date and how long where we out of the world?" asked Josh. looking at Chloe, his eyes mutely signaling her to leave the topic. He was aware of Chloe and Maddy’s feelings on the matter but he shared Max’s cynicism.
"It’s the12th November and you’ve been out for about two and a half months this time. That’s why you feel so weak," Max explained just as the door opened and a very smart looking man was escorted in by what appeared to be bodyguards. The escorts both had earpieces and bulges in their jackets. Josh wondered why a Minister needed bodyguards in an M16 training facility. Perhaps they didn't trust their trainees, he thought.
"Hello,” the slightly overweight white haired man spoke confidently as he stood next to Max, facing the rest of them, “I’m Graham Parsons, Minister for National Security, a new position created to combat Simpathe terrorist threats."
"Coffee Minister?" Max offered.
The Minister nodded at Max dismissively as he continued to speak "it appears in the course of doing our country a great service you became the number one target for simpathe terrorists. You will remain here with the full protection of MI6 until such time as the threats from their syntax have been neutralised,” the Minister slipped his coffee as he took it from Max.
"What about my father's funeral?" asked Chloe immediately
"It's too risky to allow you out at the moment,” Parsons shook his head., “It could be years or even decades before Josh emerges to be the saviour that you predict he will be."
"They want him, not me,” Chloe’s voice trembled with frustration, “and they will find us here anyway."
“Every precaution will be taken. Anyway, surely that’s your host Chloe's father is it not?" he looked puzzled.
Chloe could not believe the ministers insensitivity. An intimate and lasting bond had been formed when she coalesced with Chloe and her tears at being told she would not be going to the funeral were clear to everyone in the room. The coalescence she shared with Chloe was one of the things she valued highly as it distinguished her kind from the evil ones.
"Minister you don't seem to understand. I have Chloe's memories, I have her feelings and I have my feelings. It’s my duty to go and I have to comfort my mother," Chloe tipped her head back slightly to prevent her tears falling as she tried to explain. The minister looked startled. He had clearly not expected Chloe to have any emotions and the look he gave her was shadowed with something else besides incomprehension. Josh suddenly realised what it was: fear. Standing suddenly the Minister placed a thick sheaf of paperwork in Max's hand "I'll leave the debriefing to you Max," he said, walking out of the room. Josh knew now that the Minister was clearly scared of any syntax regardless of their loyalties. He knew that people were scared of what they didn’t understand but he didn't understand why. It was being the saviour that scared him.
"Sorry about that Chloe, as you can see not everybody is welcoming to new life forms especially sentient native life forms," Max looked shamefaced.
"It's okay, there's a lot I haven't explained that I'm still learning myself. Let’s say it's bending my mind let alone anyone else's being the first simpathe to go to another universe," Chloe shrugged. Josh’s arm pad flashed up a new message from Maddy:
You should try being a dog, you’d know how horribly smelly you all are. Josh fought hard not to smile.
Max explained he was going to read the ministerial paper on the Simpathe positions to them.
“The letter reads:-it appears that unknown quantities of simpathes have adopted terror tactics and are evading detection whilst forcibly inhabiting humans. They have hatched a plot to intentionally release thousands or millions of simpathes into human hosts. In reaction to this all critical systems have been removed from the Internet. MRI machines and x-ray machines have also been disconnected and set up on separate systems. It is the ministry’s intention to make first contact with all factions of simpathe in respect to entering into negotiations. It is the ministry’s opinion that technological advances can be made by those countries who embrace the new life forms emerging from a great technology. As for the simpathe Janice, she is to remain locked into their cyber universe so that we may see how her faction plays out in her megalomaniacal fantasies within cyberspace. Relevant authorities are to be informed of new technological advances as they occur. We accept that the simpathes known as Chloe and Maddy are nonthreatening sentient life forms sent to help us. We respectfully thank them and offer them positions to train as MI6 sentient cyber agents. They will complete training with Josh and then will remain as trainers at Exploratores for the foreseeable future. We wish to make contact with and confirm the intentions of your people as a whole and we would like to confirm the origins of the simpathe thought to have been created by Josh's father. Josh is to remain under the guardianship of Max until his 18 birthday and will be subject to section 31 of the childcare act until that time.
"What you mean section 31?" asked Josh, confused by what he had just heard.
"It means I will make parental choices for you until you're 18, obviously this is a special circumstance," explained Max.
"But I have a mum. She can do that!" Josh protested.
"She could but she doesn't know you're alive. None of your parents do, it's the only way they'll be safe," Max softly lowered his tone. Josh rushed to comfort Chloe as she started crying again and felt his armband pad vibrate with another message from Maddy:
Well the discrimination just keeps on coming; Chloe didn't get a section 31. I don't trust them and they don't trust those who are trying to help them.