Hypnos (Part 2: Surprise)

- Let’s try to be practical. How many of us were in the observation room, when that happened?

- All of us. You know that.

- Four, then.

- Why? What difference would that make?

- It makes all the difference… because what he saw must be related to one of the four of us.

- What do you mean? One of the four of us?

- Exactly. One of us is responsible for a suicide. Or maybe one of the two, if we consider the two of us out of the suspects list… in principle.

- For heaven’s sake, explain it better.

He opened his mouth but something on his mind made him think twice before speaking. He looked into the shaded room where the experiment had occurred. There wires and the sticker terminals were still hanging from the bed in the capsule. He frowned.

- What if…

- What now?

- Neither of us had the headphones, during the experiment, right?

- Right.

- Maybe the connection is there… It must be there…

- This is not helping much.

- That cannot be just a coincidence. There must be a link between what he saw in his dream and that connection must involve the two people who were wearing the headphones. What I saw was in your head and you were wearing them as well.

- It cannot be that simple. This is just a theory.

- It’s the only thing we have now. We need to try and follow a line of thought…

- Yes… No… We must stick to the facts only.

The young scientist stared into his friend’s eyes. He took a deep breath and looked down to the two scars in his colleague’s wrists.

- That was so horrible. I felt the despair and the anguish, before and when the blade tore your flesh apart, as if they were being made on me…

The other man looked down. He could not face his friend’s stare. He felt a deep sorrow. The past should have been buried very deeply in his mind. Those painful memories had not been recalled in years.

***

Childhood friends, school mates, apart for many years and then reunited by a coincidence when they found themselves in the same job, the two young scientists were now more connected to each other than ever. The Universe conspired and put them together again after a tragedy. And now…

- We must repeat the experiment, without raising any suspicion.

- How? The lab is locked for investigation.

- That will not go for long. The witnesses will never be confronted. Everybody saw what happened. Nobody touched that man. Justice and the University Rectory can forbid new experiments to be made with external volunteers. But that will not be the same with the researching staff… if we keep it secret, of course. But we still need to convince the other two to continue with the testing and investigation.

And he smiled in a funny way. That smirk was a sign that there was a plan being built in his head.

- I’m going to prepare the argument for the idea. Help me out here, will you?

Although not completely sure if that would be a good idea or not, going ahead with the plan was the only option they had. The young scientists accepted it like a challenge. His investigative vein was pulsing with anticipation.

***

The corridors were silent. The only audible sound was the soft hitting of the rubber soled shoes on the immaculate waxed floor. The Investigation lab was still locked and sealed by order of the Rectory. The examinations of the incident, as expected, were unconvincing, basically by the lack of evidence. Everyone could see clearly that the volunteer, in delirious state of mind, broke the security protocol and dove from the balcony to his own death. The security camera records were distinctly clear and irrefutable.

Although they could not blame anyone for the incident, the method was being questioned and represented an imminent danger to those whom would be submitted to the experiment or treatment.

Persuaded by good argumentation, the scientists had decided to disregard the orders and repeat the procedure, in the name of science. They had to investigate further and unveil the mystery left unsolved.

Following their original plan, the two young friends arrived earlier at the premises and prepared the room for carrying out the tests.  If they could find out the reason why that student had decided to put an end to his own life instead of facing something that a vision of a dream triggered, they would know what to do next.

- Let’s get everything ready before someone shows up and spoils the fun. We’ve got lots to do before they get up here.

***

- That should be me!

- This was supposed to be a democratic selection. The majority of votes should decide.

- My vote, then, is for him to play the guinea pig in this experiment.

- It’s really indifferent to me...

The woman looked at the three scientists and let her arms down. She had been defeated.

The two young scientists looked at each other without saying a word. The two walked into the room where the apparatus was ready to be used and started preparing for the procedure by sticking the terminals around the head and along the chest of the volunteer, who lay down in the bed that was in the chamber. Cameras and other high resolution apparatus were all around. He did not smile. He was apprehensive but at the same time, curious about it all. His friend spoke very little while preparing him for the experiment. They had had enough chat some minutes before the others arrived.

- Are you ok?

- I’m not sure, but I will not think about it now. Let’s get on with this.

The young man nodded and fastened the leather belts to his friend’s wrists and ankles.  He checked the whole set of equipment and put a hand on the young man’s shoulder. The volunteer was already falling into a state of lethargy. His eyelids were heavy under the effect of the sedative. 

In the attached observing room, the more experienced scientist sat down and put the headphones around his head. The woman sat at his side and did the same. The young scientist entered the same room and took a deep breath. He needed to observe carefully everything that would happen and he knew that the procedure could be interrupted at any time, if needed. The possibility of it happening was enormous. He had passed through that same experience before and knew there were quite a few reasons to be worried.

The lights in the experiment room were dimmed. The cameras were switched on. The face of the volunteer patient appeared on the screen in good detail. The camera focused on his young face and he seemed calm and relaxed. His breathing was dense, deep and slow.

In just a few minutes the first rapid eye movements began. He was dreaming.

***

- That was really scary. Fortunately, I was prepared and could resist a little longer. Thus, I could see more…

- And what did you see?

- Two men on the beach. One was waiting for the other to meet him and when they did, I realised what was happening. They are twin brothers… and…

- What? I don’t understand anything. Twin brothers?

- We have got everything the wrong way. It was never that young man or the two of us who were in danger.

- What do you mean? Never?

- In fact, it has never been anyone of us.

***