Towards Light Read online

  ‘Few beds for the size of the waiting room,’ said Janet.

  ‘This is the first pod. We’ve got more.’ Julia waved a hand toward a corridor to the right. ‘I expected Mrs Teague to be younger.’

  ‘Do you know who I am?’

  ‘Bill Rand should have delivered Jess Teague, and that hasn’t happened, so I guess you’re Janet? I heard about Bill Rand’s tormentor while I was in prison.’

  ‘You’re still in prison, you got a life sentence.’

  ‘I’m not free. That’s true. The government put me to work, and they thought medical basements in underground bunkers more suitable for me than breaking rocks in quarries.’

  ‘And do you like the work?’

  ‘No, which is why you’re welcome. I take it that Dr Mowbrey has had an accident?’

  ‘He’ll be here soon, I slowed him down. He’ll find a different way into the tunnels.’ Janet produced the access card.

  ‘You’ve got Mowbrey’s Masterkey. That presents interesting possibilities. I take it you’re here to rescue Andy Teague?’

  ‘Yes, and to shut down Bill Rand and whoever pays him.’

  ‘We’ve a shared enemy. Is that enough for you to trust me?’

  ‘It will do.’

  Chapter 10

  Andy slumped forward. The restraint straps across his chest stopped him falling from the vertical bed. A helmet pressed his forehead. He recognised the contraption. Like the one they’d used on Max two years ago. Would they copy his brain to the mega computer too? Had they all ready?

  The guy from the canteen stood before him and answered his thoughts.

  ‘Yes,’ said Mowbrey.

  ‘What?’

  ‘We need not speak the words. Try it.’

  ‘Who the hell are you?’ thought Andy.

  ‘Angus Mowbrey. You’ve got a direct connection to Unit C, not wireless yet as your implant’s not live, so you must stay in the headset if we want to communicate like this.’ Mowbrey’s lips remained shut. ‘I need not say anymore, I’ll be at the desk finishing a few things. All you’ve got to do is think and you’ll know everything I know.’

  And Andy thought. Except he wasn’t Andy. He remembered the thoughts of Mowbrey too.

  Andy remembered being a young Mowbrey at medical school in Edinburgh. He remembered working ninety-hour weeks in hospitals and not making it to consultant. He remembered Mowbrey’s arrest for brawling with a surgeon in a bar. And he recalled appearing in court to face the charge of attempted murder.

  And he remembered starting work in Unit C in exchange for a suspended prison sentence. That was two years ago. Mowbrey had taken on the work of Julia Matthews and replicated the computer brain in the secure underground government facility. There was no hard wire to the internet and the outside world: too dangerous, as Max had shown in the PKL building.

  The government would have its own Adam. And soon the general’s, scientists and politicians would copy their consciousness to the bunker computer. The consensus would prevail and then they would link to the world and share their values. A new empire with no land but with subjects. But not an empire, the ultimate democracy, as how can you influence a consciousness you can’t kill?

  Andy pictured the helmet and harness release in his mind’s eye and the real world obeyed. He stepped down and sat opposite Mowbrey.

  ‘We’ll speak with words now Mowbrey. Why did you take my wife? Where is she?’

  ‘At your house looking after your son. Apologies for the scare but you brought forward my deadline somewhat by visiting the 1586 building. Did you meet MC while you were there?’

  ‘No but MC messaged me on the DNA website.’

  ‘MC is short for Max Copy. He and the Adam Copy now run 1586 and will soon run the world if we don’t stop them. They need enough power and their unlimited access to the internet gives them an advantage over me. Our government won’t let me connect our artificial consciousness to the outside world as they can’t control it and haven’t seeded it with ideology.’

  ‘I saw a load of plants in the basement of 1586. What’s that all about?’

  ‘Power.’

  ‘Photosynthesis occurs at the quantum level and we can enhance the same process that produces fuel for plants. We can use the sun, our readymade fusion reactor in the sky to power the future. We can’t make fusion reactors that big on Earth. And we’ll not be staying on Earth for much longer.’

  ‘So why did MC call me and why did you kidnap my wife?’

  ‘For your DNA. Current robotics are so primitive that manipulating the physical world is difficult for machine-based consciousness. This is our advantage in the race. Adam and MC tempted you to 1586 to take your DNA. They wanted to extract it and synthesise humans, and therefore brains, with compliant chemistry to accept them. Brain physiology to some extent defines consciousness, and they wouldn’t want rebel brains fighting against them. With you and Jess they could make approximate copies of Max. Blank copies with empty brains they could fill. It would take a while to grow a clone army but they’re thinking long term.’

  ‘When we took you from 1586 yesterday, I copied you to the bunker computer. You’re a useful guinea pig to test interaction. I’m the other test subject. Ranto broke you out; his pay was late, and he’s an emotional guy. Soon we’ll deliberate with more powerful brains to define a path. We’re expecting thousands of the best and brightest and all selected for their ability to conform to a certain view of the world. But we’re the first, the pioneers. Soldiers will be along soon. I’d rather have security around when your implant goes live.’

  But it wasn’t the soldiers who opened the door. Roberts entered. ‘What is it with you Teague and these weird basements? Are you coming?’ Roberts held a rifle in his arms.

  ‘See you around Mowbrey, you’ll need some new soldiers.’

  Janet and Julia stood outside in the corridor. Water dripped down the block walls and ran in rivulets along cobbles and battered slabs. Julia wore boots, jeans and a parker with the hood up. She spoke first. ‘Hi Mr Teague.’

  ‘Your ex-boyfriend Adam wants me to take you to him. I’ve had second thoughts now I know what he’s up to.’

  ‘I don’t need you to take me to him, I’m going anyway, and I’d suggest you tell no one. You’re safe from us. Max is part of Adam, so we’ll soon be a family. And family is important.’

  ‘Roberts. Kill Mowbrey would you?’

  Roberts declined. ‘Good luck to you Julia.’ His fascination with the woman had ebbed as he’d learned of her obsession with Adam.

  ‘See you around then Roberts.’ Julia strode along the tunnel towards light and towards Adam. She closed her eyes and pictured the future.

  Reflux: An Andy Teague Thriller (1st in series)

  An original gripping tale that will intrigue and hook you.

  When Andy meets his friend for a drink in a London bar, he enjoys a break from the mundanity of his life.

  A robbery outside the bar starts a train of events that cause Andy to crave the mundane. A mysterious organisation kidnaps his son, Max, with no obvious motive. Andy embarks on a journey to find his son aided by a secret helper with vast financial and technological resources.

  Who is this helper? Where is Max and what do the kidnappers want with him?

  Author’s note

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