Five
Just before dawn, Billy Trevor sat in his wheelchair
in the control room and reviewed the video recordings taken by the drones
about town during the night. They were like mice, slipping from cover to
cover in the darkness, getting into everything, exploring every nook and
cranny. That was Corin’s doing. His own programming skills could never
have coordinated their movements so gracefully. Neither did he understand
the need for such close surveillance of the dying little town.
The tape ended, and he shut off the monitor.
His thoughts wandered. He was thinking that Richard
Welk would complicate matters. No one but his mother knew of the full
extent of his activities in Silver Ridge. No one but his mother and
Doctor Freud had known about Corin. Welk would have dismissed Corin as a
fantasy, but the attorney had recognized the value of Corin’s technology.
It was hard to guess how much trouble he might cause.
It was late, but he was too restless to sleep.
Sitting alone in the control room, he put his fingers on the keyboard to a
personal computer. “We’ve gone too far,” he said aloud. He relinquished
control of his hands by a subtle process of defocusing. Others would have
thought it a light hypnotic trance.
I SENSE NO WEAKENING OF YOUR RESOLVE, his own fingers
typed back to him.
He scanned the sentence glowing on the computer
screen. It still startled him to have a part of his own mind and body
talk back to him as a stranger. “You haven’t done a really thorough job
of explaining why this is all necessary.”
I WARNED YOU THAT AN EXPLANATION WOULD BE DIFFICULT.
IT IS ENOUGH THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO RESCUE EVIE DARKER.
Billy gave a shuddering sigh. What else had he
thought about during the past three years? But he had developed a few
reservations along the way. “I don’t think Evie would have much use for
me like this.”
His fingers clattered on the keyboard of their own
accord. More words appeared on the screen. EVIE IS IN DANGER. IT IS
ENOUGH THAT WE PROTECT HER FROM HARM.
Billy couldn’t argue with that line of reasoning. It
would be enough to take Evie away from Silver Ridge, to set up a trust
fund so she could finish school and lead a normal life. She’d do well, he
was certain, even if he could not accompany her on her life’s journey.
“Even so, there are four things standing in our way,”
he reminded Corin, “three brothers and a certain matter of paraplegia,
hysterical or otherwise. The Darkers got the best of me first time
around. If the doctors are wrong, if I never walk again, I’m screwed.”
YOUR LEGS ARE NOT DEAD, Corin assured him. WE CAN
AVOID THE DARKER BROTHERS AND HELP EVIE WITHOUT ENDANGERING OURSELVES.
“Then the party’s still on? Mother and Richard Welk
won’t interfere with your own plans?”
NOTHING WILL INTERFERE WITH MY PLANS. WE WILL GET
WHAT WE WANT IN THE END, THE THREE OF US, YOU, ME, AND EVIE.
“Unwavering resolve,” Billy said.
OUR RESOLVE MUST NEVER WAVER.
“You’ve said that the danger Evie faces is in part
the same danger we all face. I’d still like to know what that danger is.”
I HAVE NO IDEA OF THE FORM IT WILL TAKE. IT IS
ENOUGH TO STATE THAT EVIE WILL NOT ESCAPE UNHARMED IF I FAIL IN MY
MISSION. NEITHER WILL YOUR WORLD AS A WHOLE.
Corin’s long-standing claim sounded megalomaniacal.
Doctor Freud had recorded one of their conversations mediated by a
computer and word processor and had forced him to read the transcript
aloud in group therapy. Corin had sounded insane, even to his own ear.
“You don’t have much going for you except those
little machines of ours,” he said. “We scared that lawyer.”
THAT LAWYER SAW PATENT POTENTIAL. HE SUPPRESSED FEAR
FOR SAKE OF GREED.
Billy sighed, confident that the situation was still
under precarious control. “How am I holding up to all of this, do you
think?”
I HAVE ASSURED YOU THAT MY INTERVENTION IS FOR YOUR
WELFARE AND THE WELFARE OF YOUR WORLD. I AM SELFLESS.
“I have only your assurances.”
FOR THE TIME BEING.
“How will I ever explain you to Evie?”
Corin paused before answering. Bouts of silence
always unnerved him. Billy feared that Corin would vanish suddenly and
reveal himself as nothing but a figment of his own imagination.
EVIE IS AN INTELLIGENT YOUNG WOMAN. SHE WILL
UNDERSTAND.
“Let me handle Evie,” Billy said quickly. “Please
don’t try to talk to Evie on your own. You’ll only frighten her away.
She could never understand.”
His fingers remained still.
“Corin, please.”
ALLOW ME TO DO WHAT I MUST FOR EVIE’S WELFARE.
“I rather you let me know what you are planning ahead
of time.”
I CANNOT ALWAYS INFORM YOU OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE,
THE RESCUE OF YOUR MOTHER ON THE HIGHWAY EARLY THIS MORNING BEING A CASE
IN POINT.
Billy had to concede to Corin’s reasoning. Corin had
blotted out his existence to attend to the emergency. He would not have
been able to work so swiftly, or think so clearly under pressure.
I WILL NEVER CLAIM TO BE BILLY TREVOR, Corin typed.
THAT IS YOUR GREATEST FEAR, THAT I MAY PRETEND TO BE YOU AND TAKE OVER
YOUR LIFE.
“You’ve taken over a good portion of it already.”
ONLY TO THE EXTEND I NEED TO INSURE OUR SURVIVAL, AND
THE SURVIVAL OF THE WORLD THAT YOU KNOW, AND YOUR RETURN TO A NORMAL
EXISTENCE.
Billy had to laugh. “Yeah, thanks. Doctor Freud
would have loved that one.”
REMEMBER THAT I CAN BE BLOCKED.
The reminder startled him. It was true. He could
block Corin’s rapport in any number of ways. Drinking alcohol would do
it, or popping an occasional tranquilizer.
But if he lost Corin, he’d be helpless. He’d have to
return to Boston, most probably back to the hospital. If he left Silver
Ridge now, he would lose Evie forever, even if the world didn’t end as
Corin claimed it might.
“We’ll do it your way for now,” he said.
I’LL VINDICATE MYSELF IN THE END, Corin typed.
TRUST ME.
