10 Ragged

[Stephen Whiteside]

10 Ragged

© Stephen Whiteside 27.12.2011

Hocus sat going through his check-list. It was really a check-list of check-lists. The computers saw to everything, but Curmudgeon liked a human brain to give everything one last check over. They tried it without humans, but it wasn’t pretty. No, the human brain was the best computer of all. For now, anyway.

It was unusual to feel the call for mind meld while he was working. Pocus knew Hocus work roster intimately, and always paid it the greatest respect. It wasn’t just a question of Hocus and his job, his reputation with Curmudgeon as a reliable and attentive worker, it was also a question of secrecy. Hocus and Pocus worked hard to keep their special gift away from the public eye these days. Not quite as hard as once, perhaps, but they were still very wary.

Finish this list, Hocus told himself. Just a few more minutes. He resisted Pocus’ pull. And Pocus felt the resistance. And Hocus knew that he knew. Yet still he pulled. That was unusual. Why didn’t he back off when he knew how inconvenient it was?

And it felt ragged, too. Normally, the mind meld came in cool and sharp. But this was not like that. It seemed to be coming and going. More blurred, somehow. Ragged. That was the word. As though Pocus was jerking here and there, both physically and emotionally. Normally they sat down. Being still seemed to help the process. But it felt as though Pocus was moving - walking hard, perhaps, over rough terrain. And his anxiety blazed through, too. Panic, even. And a concentration that came and went, as though he was deeply distracted by his surroundings, unable to devote himself exclusively to the task at hand.

Hocus felt all this, although the meld had barely begun. Glimpses. Glimpses of glimpses. Yet all this he knew, such was the power of the meld. And he was right, of course, although he dimly guessed it all, sensed it rather than thought it in any formal sense, as he struggled to complete his task. Stuff up now and, even if he went back and corrected it later and no harm was done, it would be down on his log, and would eventually require explanation. And would serve as a black mark against him. And Hocus did not want any black marks.

Back off Pocus! Back off!

OK. I’m here. But I don’t have long.

Hocus had actually ducked into the bathroom, and was sitting on the toilet. He would have to remember to flush when they were finished. He didn’t want anything that might arouse suspicions. Who knew who was watching? And listening? Curmudgeon expected their pound of flesh from their employees, no matter how deep in space they might be. The walls had ears.

Hocus heard Pocus’ story. It sounded bad. Salmon attacking bears had been frightening enough, but it had not occurred to him then that Pocus’ life was in immediate danger. There was something about being in deep space that protected you. The rest of the world felt so far away. Presumably, that was also why his alarm bells had not rung in the way they had for Pocus. But everything Pocus was saying made perfect sense. They were trying to kill him. But who were they? That was the one thing they had never known. And why could they pick up Pocus’ dead body almost immediately - assuming Pocus’ reasoning was sound - yet not kill him outright, or even kidnap him again? Was it to do with the tour group? Did they not want witnesses? Not want to arouse suspicions? Yet why not kill them all outright too?

Anyway. Plenty of time to worry about all of that. Right now, the challenge was to get Pocus through the night. What could he offer? Encouragement. Emotional support. That was invaluable, clearly. It helped stave off panic. But was it enough? It didn’t seem to be. Yet what else could he do?

Neither of them had the answer to this question.

I’ll let you go, Hocus. We’ll talk again soon.

Deep in thought, Hocus walked out of the bathroom. He paused in the doorway, with the door half open, returned and flushed the toilet. Nobody had seen him leave the bathroom after a number of minutes without flushing. Hopefully.