Dangerous Reality (8 page)

‘Dominic, are you going to hover in the hall all night?’ Pops said irritably.

Slowly I walked into the room, followed by Pops. Only when I was fully in the room did I see Jack. He was sitting slumped on a chair in the corner of the room. And his eyes were puffy and red.

‘Is Mum going to be all right?’ I whispered.

Jack shrugged. ‘The doctors don’t know yet. Apparently the next few hours are going to be crucial.’

‘What exactly is the matter with her?’

‘Concussion, severe bruising and a broken rib. The rib punctured her right lung but that’s OK now.’

I blinked stupidly at the catalogue of injuries VIMS had inflicted on my mum. ‘Where is VIMS now?’

‘Back in the testing area at Desica,’ Jack said.

‘I hope that dangerous bag of bolts is going to be dismantled,’ Pops said furiously, ‘before it can harm anyone else.’

‘We’re still discussing that,’ Jack said sombrely.

‘But you can’t do that. Mum would hate it.’ The words exploded from me before I even realized what I was going to say. I, of all people, should’ve been happy about the prospect of VIMS being dismantled, but
instead
I was horrified. VIMS was Mum’s life work. VIMS was Mum’s
dream
.

‘I’m sorry your mum ever started working on VIMS,’ Jack said bitterly. ‘I’m sorry I ever heard of the thing. I’m sorry … I’m sorry …’

And this is going to sound really mushy, I know, but that’s when I realized just how much Jack loved my mum.

‘It’s not your fault, son,’ Pops said gruffly. ‘According to what that Resnick woman told me earlier, the VIMS machine just went out of control and Carol was in the wrong place at the wrong time.’

‘Yes, but I should’ve persuaded Julie and Carol to postpone the demonstration this morning until we’d figured out what was wrong with VIMS. I did try but …’

‘But knowing my daughter, you didn’t get very far.’ Pops sighed.

‘I should’ve tried harder,’ Jack said angrily.

Pops and I looked at each other. We knew Jack was angry with himself, not with us and not with Mum. Jack turned to look at me. It was the first time he’d looked away from Mum since I’d entered the room.

‘Dominic, you can stay for a while and then I’m taking you back home.’

‘Oh, but—’

‘No, buts!’ Jack interrupted. ‘You’ve got school tomorrow.’

‘But, Mum—’

‘Your granddad or I will be here. We’ll make sure that your mum is never alone,’ Jack insisted. ‘I’ll pick you up after school tomorrow and bring you here so you can stay a bit longer.’

I gave up at that. Jack had that ‘I’ve-made-up-my-mind!’ look on his face.

‘Do you really think VIMS will be scrapped?’ I couldn’t help asking.

Jack considered, then nodded slowly. ‘What happened on Saturday was bad enough, but after what happened to your mum this morning …’

‘I see.’ And I did see. As Pops and I each settled into the chairs on either side of Mum’s bed, my mind was working furiously. They couldn’t junk Mum’s project. They just couldn’t. I wouldn’t let that happen. But what could I do? I had to think of something – and fast. Or the past few years of Mum’s life would all have been for nothing.

Chapter Twelve

A Trip to the Seaside

ALL THE WAY
home, I tried to think of a way to stop Desica ditching Mum’s project, but it seemed like the harder I tried to come up with an idea, the bigger the headache I was getting – and that’s all.

‘Your mum will be fine, Dominic,’ Jack said gently. ‘I know she will.’

I nodded, but said nothing.

When we got home, Jack insisted that I should have a proper dinner and so we went to the kitchen and started making baked, un-battered fish and fat-free chips. Then Jack set about making a salad. If I hadn’t had other things on my mind, I might’ve complained about all the tastiest bits being left out of the meal! But as it was, VIMS took up every corner, nook and cranny of each thought that wasn’t wrapped around Mum. If only she wasn’t unconscious. Even from a hospital bed, I was sure that Mum could’ve persuaded Julie and everyone else to leave VIMS alone – at least until she was back on
her
feet again. But Mum couldn’t argue her case. So I had to buy her some time until she could. But how?
How?

I picked at my meal whilst Jack sat with a piece of fish poised on his fork for over five minutes as he stared into space.

‘Jack, are you all right?’

He didn’t answer. I don’t think he even heard me.

‘Jack …?’

‘Sorry. Yes? What?’

‘Are you OK?’

‘Yes. Yes.’ Jack waved a dismissive hand in my general direction.

‘What d’you think about VIMS being dismantled?’ I asked.

‘Your mum won’t like it. But maybe it’s the best thing.’ To say that Jack’s answer surprised me would be an understatement.

‘What d’you mean?’

‘I don’t want your mum to be hurt any more.’

‘Can’t you fix it?’

‘Some things can’t be fixed.’

‘But have you tried?’

Jack sighed and dropped his fork back onto his plate. ‘Dominic, can we just leave it for tonight? I’m not in a very talkative mood.’

‘I’m sorry.’ I bowed my head. ‘I think … I’ll go to bed now.’

‘OK. Leave your plate. I’ll tidy everything away.’

After a final goodnight, I left Jack to it. In all the years I’d known him, I can’t remember ever seeing him look so miserable.

Half an hour later, I’d cleaned my teeth and changed into my pyjamas. The house was deathly quiet. I wondered what Jack was doing. I couldn’t hear a sound from downstairs. I lay in bed, determined not to fall asleep until I had thought of a way to stop Julie and Desica from dismantling Mum’s project. If only my eyelids didn’t feel quite so heavy …

The morning sun streamed through my window and onto my face. It woke me up. And it was as if it was trying to drum an idea into my head. I know that sounds fanciful, but the moment I opened my eyes, I knew what I had to do. Just like that. I had a quick shower and went in search of Jack. Surprise, surprise! He’d already beetled off to the hospital. He’d left a note on the front door.

Hi Dominic
,

I’m sorry to disappear so early but I wanted to be with your mum. You can get yourself some cereal. The milk is
in
the fridge and the cereal is in the cereal cupboard! (I can imagine your expression on reading the above!) I’ll phone you later. After breakfast, you’re to go straight to school and then come straight home again. Either I or your granddad will come to pick you up and drive you to the hospital. Avoid mischief and stay out of trouble!

Love, Jack
.

P.S. And before you get in a huff and mumble about me not being your dad yet, let me tell you that ever since Carol and I started going out together, I’ve always thought of you as my son
.

He really did know me well. I was just thinking that very thing – about him bossing me around and not being my dad yet – and here he’d written it down. I smiled and took the note down off the door. With Jack out of the way that left me free to carry out my plan.

I went into Mum’s work room and linked up to the VIMS unit. I didn’t make one single mistake. I was a boy on a mission. When at last the monitor screen flickered into life, I got straight down to it.

‘VIMS, this is Dominic Painter, Carol Painter’s son and I want you to listen carefully. VIMS, I want you to leave the Desica building – low mode, maximum stealth, silent running – and I want you to make your
way
due south to Bailey’s Point. VIMS, are you water-proof?’

‘I am designed for mountainous, desert, land and submarine operations,’ VIMS’ monotone informed me.

After a quick think about it, I decided that submarine meant underwater, so he was.

‘VIMS, do you have a internal map of how to get to Bailey’s Point?’

‘Yes.’

‘Good. Then here’s what I want you to do. VIMS, when you get to Bailey’s Point, I want you to roll down the beach, making sure that no one sees you of course, and I want you to hide in the sea. VIMS, make sure you’re completely covered by sea water and you’re to wait in the sea until I give you further instructions. Is that clear?’

‘I understand,’ VIMS replied.

‘VIMS, you’re not to take orders from anyone else but me – OK? I’ll give you a password. VIMS, the password is …’ I racked my brains for a really good one. ‘The password is “Have you heard the one about the painter, the decorator and the window cleaner?” Do you understand?’

VIMS didn’t reply. It took me a couple of seconds to figure out why. I’m not at my best first thing in the morning.

‘VIMS, repeat the password.’

‘Have you heard the one about the painter, the decorator and the window cleaner?’ VIMS asked in his deadpan voice.

‘OK, VIMS, off you go – and remember, you’re not to move or do anything until I or someone else gives you that password first.’

‘Understood.’

I would’ve loved to stay and watch VIMS make it to Bailey’s Point but it was over seven kilometres away from the Desica International building and I was already late for school. If I waited to make sure that VIMS got there safely, I’d get it in the neck from my teacher, then from Jack and my mum. Besides, I had every confidence that VIMS would get there. He didn’t need me watching over him.
Him
… I gave a start of surprise. I’d started calling the thing – ‘him’.

Switching off the computer system, I got down to the next most important task at hand – wolfing down my breakfast. As I chewed my wheat flakes, I tried to work out what I should do next. I had no doubt in my mind that in spite of all of Mum’s precautions, the saboteur had still managed to get VIMS to ruin Mum’s demo yesterday. Someone seemed desperate to make sure that the VIMS project didn’t go any further. Or maybe I was looking at this the wrong way. Maybe it was more personal than that. What if someone was out to make sure that Mum got hurt? The thought turned
my
blood to ice water in my veins, but now that the idea was in my head I couldn’t get it out. Did someone on Mum’s project really hate her enough to do this to her? I shook my head. I couldn’t believe it. Mum didn’t have an enemy in the world.

But then I thought of her with that drip in her arm and linked up to all the monitors in her room, and somehow my conviction that Mum didn’t have an enemy in the world rang false and hollow. So what now? How did I go about finding out who had done this to Mum? By the time I’d cleaned my teeth and left the house, I still didn’t have the answer.

I didn’t meet up with Liam on the way – which was kind of a surprise. I usually walked to school with him. I glanced down at my watch, then realized why I hadn’t seen him. I was late. Not a little late but
really
late. Liam had probably set off for school, thinking I’d already left. As I approached the school gates, I must admit I was relieved to see that Matt Vinyl wasn’t waiting for me. I’d missed everyone this morning. It was weird.

I set off around the grounds, looking for Liam. Unfortunately, I found what, or should I say who, I wasn’t looking for. Matt and his cronies were deep in conversation against the far wall. Well, they could stay there as far as I was concerned. I immediately set off in the opposite direction. I decided to go to the library and wait for the bell to sound for registration and the first
lesson
. I’m not a coward, but I’m not stupid either. There was no point in hanging around just waiting for them to pick on me.

But I’d left it too late.

I heard my name and, turning round, I saw Matt and the others looking directly at me. I went hot all over and suddenly it was quite hard to breathe. I looked away and forced myself to walk at a slowish pace. I didn’t want them to think that I was hurrying to get away from them, like I was scared of them or something.

‘Dominic, stop!’

I turned to see them all come charging in my direction. It was like watching a herd of rhinos or elephants stampeding towards you, or a tsunami rushing up to sweep you away. I ran. I couldn’t help it. Matt had a look of pure and utter hatred on his face and I knew I was in for a pounding. I had no idea why – and I didn’t want to wait and find out either. But my leg started hurting and I was only three quarters of the way to the school entrance before I was surrounded. The next moment I was practically swept off my feet and pushed against the nearest wall. And there they all stood – Matt, Robert, Terry, Alan and Lawrence (‘Don’t call me Larry!’).

‘I know it was you,’ Matt hissed at me.

I frowned at him but didn’t speak.

‘It
was
you, wasn’t it?’

‘What’re you talking about?’

My shoulder got thumped. ‘You threw that plant pot through my window, didn’t you?’ Spit flew out of Matt’s mouth and splashed my cheek. But I didn’t wipe it away. I was too busy staring at Matt, trying to figure out what he was saying.
What plant pot through his window?

‘That plant pot almost hit my sister. And you emptied our bin, didn’t you? I know it was you.’

And all at once, it was crystal clear what he was talking about. I stared at him, astounded. For a brief second I wondered if I was dreaming, or maybe I was still running the VIMS simulation and all this was part of it. I wondered if I’d been swept somehow into a world of virtual reality (or was it virtual insanity!) – like Dorothy landing in Oz.

‘Come on. Admit it.’ Matt thumped me again.

‘Leave him alone. I was in Dominic’s house all evening. He didn’t go anywhere.’

The mob parted slightly so that Matt could see who was speaking. Liam stood there. I tried to move away from the wall, but Robert pushed me back.

‘You can’t prove that,’ Matt retorted.

‘I don’t have to,’ Liam told him scornfully. ‘Who do you think you are? Scotland Yard? Dominic and I were playing with his computer all evening until his granddad came to pick him up and take him to the hospital. His mum had an accident.’

‘Don’t tell him that.’ I rounded on my friend. ‘It’s none of his business.’ I turned to Matt. ‘If someone chucked a plant pot through your window, then don’t look at me. I didn’t do it.’