- 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.
***
