Joe (9 page)

“Say, Danny, are they gonna have a town meeting, Maybe immunize.”

“I’ll bring that up at the meeting today.”

“Because this thing is bad. You start seeing things, feeling like shit. Man.” Dan shook his head once. “I hope you don’t get it.”

“Me, too.” Danny paused. “So, with this thing, you don’t remember anything.”

“You get these black outs where you function and don’t know what you did. You suddenly wake up or snap out of it confused.”

“That sucks.”

“And the visions,” Dan from Security whistled. “Scary shit. I heard Hap saw Eleanor Roosevelt naked.”

“That’s scary.”

“Don’t know if it beats Joe’s floating head.”

“Tell me about that vision. Do you remember it or are you just telling me what people told you.”

“You mean do I remember seeing it?” Dan questioned and waited for Danny to nod. “Yeah. Clear as day.”

“Tell me about what occurred.”

“Is this for info for the meeting?”

“Yes.”

“Ok. Well, I was driving to get Robbie. He called me for a ride. Or so I think. He’s saying now he called me back and said forget it. I don’t remember that, it must have been a black out. So anyhow I drive up there, turn the bend, slow down and what do I see?”

“Joe’s floating head.”

“Yep. Just floating back and forth. It was behind Robbie, I think my illusion had it attacking Robbie.”

“Did he look normal, Dan.”

“No. He was a head.”

“I mean the head. Was it normal? Ghostly.”

“What’s this have to do with anything?”

“Trying to determine what is affected.”

“Oh.” Dan nodded. “It was normal except for the fangs.”

“Joe had fangs?”

“Big ones.”

Danny laughed. Inwardly though, not letting Dan see. Surely it was a hallucination. “So, Dan, was that what made you pass out?”

“Black out.”

“Pass out, black out? Is there a difference.”

“Big time. See Dean explained that the visual perception portion of my brain was heavily infected, and the memory portion was too. So when I had the hallucination it affected my short-term memory causing a black out. I was mobile, but just didn’t know consciously what I was doing.”

“When did you pass out?”

“I suppose after I drove to the clinic. I shut down in the waiting room.”

Danny stopped walking. “Excuse me. When you … when you drove to the clinic?”

“Yeah.”

“You remember driving there?”

“No, I was blacked out. Remember? Which, if you think about it, could have been dangerous.”

“I bet. Maybe... maybe someone took you there.”

“No, I blacked out and drove. Besides who would take me there?” Danny asked. “Let’s keep moving.”

Danny walked with Dan, but in his mind he answered the question, who would take Dan to the Hospital. Easy. Robbie. Cause Danny saw Robbie carrying Dan from Security up the clinic steps that day.

So why didn’t Robbie own up to it? Why didn’t Roy?

Danny’s mind wasn’t put at ease by talking to Dan, it was sent into more of a frenzy.

The communications room was void of anyone else but Robbie and Joe.

It is a huge communications room with panels of electronics and computers designed for more than a one or two man crew.

A railing extended in front of the stage like area just below the big board. Joe stood in that area, watching the lights on the board.

“I’ll be a son of a bitch.”

“Scary huh?” Robbie asked, holding on to the railing.

“It’s a reality check.”

“Did you know about this in the future?”

“How the hell was I gonna know about it in the future? I wasn’t there, remember?

“Yeah, that’s right. Sorry.”

“This is what the meeting is about?”

“And other things.”

“Christ.”

“Frank usually runs a tight meeting.”

“As opposed to me not.”

“I didn’t say that.” Robbie paused. “Hey Dad.”

“Yeah.”

“Can you put your hood back on? The floating head thing is kind of freaky.”

“I will. I will. We can hear if someone is coming.” Joe looked at the board again. “That’s a hell of a mass.”

“I know. This is actually the first time I have gotten a look at it. On the left it tells what they have with them as far as armory.”

Joe exhaled loudly.

“What do you think Frank’s gonna do?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you think this is it? The big event.”

“Nah, it isn’t this. I don’t know for sure. But my guts says this isn’t it.”

“I don’t think in the future this mass was changed.”

“I’d have to agree. Especially with Jason’s message to himself.”

“What would you do?” Robbie asked.

“I’m not telling you.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want to influence.”

“Influence who? Me? I don’t make decisions, Frank does.”

“Well. Just don’t try to tell him anything.”

“Scouts honor.” Robbie held up two fingers.

“You weren’t in the Scouts.” Another look at the board and Joe faced Robbie. “We have troops massing a mere hundreds of miles from our borders. They aren’t camping, that is for goddamn sure. I’d make contact with them, see what I pick up. Find out their intentions. I’d warn them to leave or back up if I deemed them a threat, then I’d just take them out. Too close for comfort.”

Robbie nodded, and then he quickly turned at the buzz. “Door. Hood.”

Joe placed on the hood to the suit.

The communications room door opened and Jimmy stepped in surprised. “Robbie.”

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

“You have?” Jimmy asked.

“Yeah, didn’t Frank tell you I was here?”

“No. Not at all. I mean he may have I do have that brain flu.”

“I thought you were cured.”

“I am. But you never know. They said there could be a relapse and to … wow.” Jimmy stepped closer to the board. “Oh, wow. This isn’t a simulation isn’t it?”

“No.” Robbie indicated to the board. “This is what the program uncovered.”

“And I missed it.” Jimmy sat down in the chair.

“No, you were here. You figured it out.”

“So, did I discover the troops?”

“We believe you did.” Robbie said. “Dean told me you were rambling something about bright lights. Bright lights. Blinking lights. Like the movie Gremlins, then you passed out.”

“I don’t recall that.”

“Dude, you had the brain flu.”

“But I do recall the conversation with Frank this morning. He mentioned nothing about troops and … well, all that. Holy shit.”

“I know. Did he uh …” Robbie scratched his head. “Mention a meeting?”

“Yes.”

“There you have it. He’ll tell you there.” Robbie held out his hand.

Jimmy turned to the computer. “This is amazing. Look at what they’re massing. It’s like Desert Shield.”

“I know.”

“He should have told me when he spoke to me.”

“Maybe he wanted you to feel the discovery of it by showing up.”

“Jimmy shrugged. “I wish Dad were alive.” He sighed out.

“Well, you know, he’s not.” Robbie surged. “You’ll have that. A parent dies. Umf.” Robbie sailed a foot forward when Joe hit him.

Jimmy looked up. “You ok?’

“Yeah. Why?”

“That was ...that was kind of cold.”

“Sorry. You’re right. You wish Dad were alive.” Robbie exhaled loudly. “Why do you say that? Not that you wouldn’t want him alive, but why did you say that?”

“He wouldn’t keep me in the dark.”

Robbie laughed.

Again, this caught Jimmy’s attention. “What’s so funny?”

“Dad wouldn’t forget you?” Robbie snickered. “Dad always forgot you. It was him who never remembered you were around. Ow.” He tripped forward. Was that a flick to his head? “I don’t know if he liked you.” Another move forward that was a smack to the back of the head. “Ok, he liked you.”

“Are you sure you’re all right?”

“Fine. I keep losing my balance.”

“While standing still.”

“How do you like that?”

“Maybe you have the brain flu or virus whatever it is.”

Robbie snapped his finger. “I may. Hey, I may not even know this conversation. Will you mark down what we said just in case?”

“I will.”

“And I’m gonna go get checked.”

“Please, you don’t need to suffer with this.”

“I’m heading out now.” Robbie reached the door. “Good luck with that, bring the sheets with you to the meeting, and notes.”

Jimmy nodded. “See you in a bit. Good luck at the clinic.”

“You bet.” Robbie opened the door. He stood there holding it for a second.

“What are you doing?” Jimmy asked.

“Fresh air.”

“Fresh air? Why?”

“I uh … passed gas.”

“Ok, thanks for being considerate.”

Robbie smiled, felt the stomp to his foot, knew it was safe and stepped out. He pulled the door closed behind him.

He laughed, and then squinted his eyes when he heard muffled words come from Joe. “What was that?” he asked as he walked.

Again, more muffled.

“I can’t hear you.”

Joe stopped walking and irritated, whipped off the hood. “I said … you’re an asshole.”

An immediate scream echoed in the cryo tunnel, followed by a thump.

Both Robbie and Joe spun around.

“Goddamn it.” Joe winced in annoyance.

“Shit.” Robbie froze.

Their surprise wasn’t so much spawned by Dan from Security, who had screamed and now lay passed out on the tunnel floor, but from Danny Hoi who had crouched down to attend to him.

Danny, with a look of total shock, raised his eyes to them. “I know I don’t have brain flu. What’s going on?”

*****

Joe was getting a headache and it wasn’t the brain flu.

“Danny.” He rubbed his temples as he sat in the storage office located in the cryo tunnels. “Danny. Christ I need a drink.”

“That I can help you with,” Danny, excited, walked across the room and opened a box, pulling out a bottle and glasses. “My stash. This is so great.”

“You use this office?” Joe asked.

“It’s my hideaway. Here.” Danny poured him glass. “Have some. This is so great. You’re alive.”

“Yes, I am.” Joe downed the drink.

“It makes perfect sense. It really does.” Danny rambled, in his usual Danny manner, fast and furiously. “The password in history. You were reading history weren’t you.”

Joe nodded.

“The killer wanted you out of the way so Frank could be president and make a decision only Frank would make. But you weren’t gonna die you were only gonna hide.”

“Yes.”

“Are you done hiding now?”

“No!” Joe snapped. “Not by a long shot. So you can’t tell a soul.”

“I swear.” Danny pretended to zip up his mouth. “I promise not to tell a soul.”

“I mean it.” Joe pointed at him. “I hear from our clone that you are very influential in the future. I wouldn’t want to kill you.”

“Won’t say a word. Scout’s honor.”

“Were you in the Scouts?”

“All the way to Eagle.”

“Figures.” Joe grumbled. “Danny …”

“Who all knows?”

“Too many.” Joe peered at Robbie. “Which makes me wonder if all that we did will be undone.”

“There’s a way to tell. We can go to the future pay a visit and check progress.”

“You guys got the time machine working?” Danny asked.

Robbie snickered. “HG Wells.”

“Sweet!” Danny grinned. “Joe, I had a feeling that you weren’t dead. I thought maybe it was wishful thinking, but I had a gut instinct. I’m psychic like that at times, you know.”

“You don’t say.” Joe said. “What made you think that?”

“Frank.”

Both Joe and Robbie looked at him.

“He didn’t mourn. So he knew.” Danny watched them both. “He doesn’t know?”

“No.” Joe shook his head. “And for the sake of mankind. He can never know. All decisions have to be his without my influence. But there is one decision we have to make and make now.”

“What’s that?” Danny asked.

“What are we gonna do about …” Joe pointed to the closed door. “Dan from Security. He’s still laying on the cryo floor.”

*****

“Modula Oblongata Hypodesamentrayachictitis,” Andrea stated as she dropped the chart so exasperated on Dan from Security’s bed.

“Brain flu again?”

“A virus. It’s a virus, they are a bit trickier,” Andrea stated.

“So I relapsed?”

“We don’t think it was so much of a relapse as we didn’t get it all. We shouldn’t have released you so soon,” Andrea stated. “Lord knows we are running out of beds. But, the good news is, Dean will be bringing a serum that he guarantees will cure you, get rid of it for good.”

“I don’t understand,” Dan looked at Andrea then to Danny who kept his head down. “Why is Joe’s head my hallucination?”

“Well, Dean has a theory and I think it’s quite good. Hap sees Eleanor Roosevelt naked because his wife looked like her. Hector is seeing running tomatoes because he’s buried in them. You see Joe’s head because you miss his wisdom. You only see his head because really, where else did you look at him.”

“Makes sense.”

At that instant, Danny blurted out a coughing laugh. He covered it with a whimpering sorry.

Andrea shook her head compassionately.

“How did I get here?” Dan asked.

Danny sighed out sadly. “I … I found you.”

“No, you were with me. You had to have seen the head. The white face. The fangs. The ghoulish hunger in his eyes and …”

“Sweet Jesus, stop.” Andrea covered her ears.

“Sorry,” Dan whispered. “That was insensitive of me. But you saw it, Danny, right?”

“No, I didn’t.” Danny sniffled. “You ...you looked so sick. I’m sorry. I’m just trying to keep it together.” He squeezed his eyes. “Robbie and I heard you scream.”

“Robbie was there.”

“No, he was with me. The last we saw you was at the cryo lab. Don’t you remember?” Danny asked.

“No.”

“Modula Oblongata Hypodesamentrayachictitis” Andrea stated. “It does that.”

“I knew something was weird about you. You started acting strange. I blame myself.” Danny sniffed. “I blame myself.”

“No, no, baby.” Andrea squeezed his shoulders. “There is nothing you could have done. But there is something you can do now.”

“What’s that?”

“Stop this madness. Stop this thing from spreading any further. Please. Dean has an antidote, let’s start hitting these men.”

“You can count on me, Andrea. I’ll personally see that we put an end to this Modula Oblong …”

“Modula Oblongata Hypodesamentrayachictitis.”

“Yes. That word.” Danny peered up with confidence. “Let no man suffer, like Dan has suffered. No one deserves to see a floating Joe vampire head.”

Andrea lowered her glances. “Sweet Jesus, demonic visions of my Joe. A nightmare.”

Thinking, ‘Oh my God’ what have we started; Danny lowered his head and face from sight before he laughed again.

*****

For some reason, Hal was starting to think that Elliott welcomed the phone call regarding the brain virus, because he broke into a strategy conversation about it. Hal supposed he was whining, probably more brother jealousy. After all, he was Vice President why would Frank go to someone else for advice.

And who was Bob?

“I’m thinking perhaps a meeting tomorrow, Captain. All the men, those who are sleeping from the night shift we can get word to them.”