Stuart arrived at the refectory earlier than the planned meeting time. He had been awake for hours so decided to get some coffee before the rest of the team arrived. He was not the only one with the idea. Terry sat at a table with a cup and a newspaper. He peered over the paper as Stuart entered, bidding him a good morning and offering a welcoming smile. Stuart walked over to him and shook his hand asking if it was ok to join him, to which Terry happily agreed. “I’m glad you’ve arrived ahead of everyone else actually Stuart,” Terry said. “I have some good news regarding your brother. I will wait until the professor is here to reveal the full details but just to put your mind at rest, I can tell you your brother is no longer in any immediate danger and is preparing to travel back to England as we speak.”
“That is good news, thanks Terry. I’ve got to admit, it was scary to think what might have happened to him if they had sent him through that machine. Not just for him of course but for my actual brother back where I come from.”
Terry let out an ironic laugh at this last statement, but immediately apologised. “I’m sorry Stuart but it just sounds like such an innocent statement when you say where I come from. Like you’re talking about another city or something.”
“Yeah, I suppose it is a bit of an understatement. What do you make of all this anyway, Terry? How do you get your head around everything that’s being talked about?”
Terry’s demeanour changed back to one of professionalism. “I don’t think about it. For me it’s not about the science or even the far-reaching implications of what’s happening here. It’s about making sure the professor and his team are protected along with their research.” He took a sip of his coffee and continued. “You have to be very single-minded in my job Stuart. The moment you lose focus, the very people you are meant to protect become vulnerable. As you know we’ve already lost one of the team and that is unforgivable, whatever the circumstances.” He paused for reflection before adding. “I wasn’t on shift at the time, but I’d like to think if I had been it wouldn’t have happened. The fact is though, we got sloppy and someone died. The information we are all privy to here makes us a target to a number of unscrupulous organisations and agencies who would stop at nothing to get this technology. Fortunately, there are very few people who know about it at the moment but who knows how long that will last.”
Terry relaxed a little adding, “Bet you wished you’d never asked now?”
“No, it’s reassuring to have someone as committed as you around. To be honest the security seems pretty low-key considering what we’re doing here. I’d have thought something like this would be off in some military installation or in some underground bunker.”
“Don’t be fooled by what you see Stuart, or don’t see, as the case may be,” Terry offered. Before he could elaborate further the professor joined them, closely followed by Catherine. Dr Cooper and Dr Marks were the last to join them and apologised for their late arrival, though it was only ten minutes after the agreed meeting time. They looked tired, especially Dr Marks who headed straight for the coffee and poured herself and her colleague a large cup each. Following a few pleasantries, breakfast was served though nobody but Terry seemed particularly interested in the food. The team were feeling the burden of responsibility for making the Harmoniser work. Kidnapping could now be added to the list of incidents occurring as a result of this work, a list that already included murder. The polite conversation accompanying the meal was forced and sometimes awkward. Only when the professor announced the plan for the day did things liven up. He told them his team had worked late into the night trying to complete the calculations to give them the optimum time for Stuart’s transfer. Stuart’s stomach churned at the mention of this but he tried not to show his fear. The professor continued, informing them they needed to complete two further animal tests to prove the calculations. If successful he expected to be in a position to set up the transfer for noon the following day.
Catherine looked across at Stuart to gauge his reaction to this announcement. This was all happening so quickly and she wondered how he would cope with it. He had not suffered any further collapses since the coma but had mentioned feeling dizzy and light-headed on a number of occasions when under stress. Considering what he had been through this was not surprising. She now accepted, incredible as it still seemed, that Stuart had passed into their universe from his own through a wormhole. None of them had any idea what affect this process had on the body. The collapses he suffered previously could just as easily been a direct result of this as it could her original diagnosis of psychological stress. Probably a combination of both. Under the circumstances he demonstrated incredible resilience, but she still felt responsible for his wellbeing. She tried to read his face but it gave nothing away. She turned her attention to the professor. “Do you need Stuart and me at the animal tests?” she asked, formulating a plan to get some time on her own with him. “No, that won’t be necessary,” he informed her, “but don’t leave the campus.” This demand annoyed Catherine somewhat but she did not argue.
Before they left the refectory, the professor had Terry brief them on the events in Beijing. Terry reiterated what he had already mentioned to Stuart that David Milton had been rescued unharmed. He told them the Chinese Harmoniser had been shut down and the rogue parties responsible were now in custody. There was no mention of the agent believed to be responsible for their colleague’s death and for the kidnapping of Stuart’s brother.