No True Echo (17 page)

The feeling of weightlessness was lost as I found myself in a room that was unfamiliar to me and yet I knew I had been here many times. I was on my feet. My mother stood at a darkened window that went all the way down to the shiny floor. She had her back to me and was looking down at the city lights.

‘The trial is underway,' I said.

‘Then it is important that we don't take any more risks. This must go our way, not Maguire's.'

‘Maguire has been brought in now,' I said. ‘He's given evidence but refused to clarify either way what happened.'

‘Of course he refused to talk,' snapped my mother, turning around to face me, revealing the anger in her eyes. ‘Murderers don't give themselves up.'

‘I suppose not,' I said. Doubt crossed my mind. I watched my host body dismiss it.

‘Eddie, darling,' said my mother, ‘I know this is hard but we have to take these matters into our own hands. If we leave it to the ETA, David will be able to manipulate the situation. I don't understand the game he's playing but I do know the goal he has in mind. He wants to destroy all this.'

She waved her hands in the air.

‘I know,' I said, ‘but the ETA aren't working for him any more.'

My mother smiled. ‘It's her, isn't it? It's Lauren. You have to realise that your marriage is over now. She'll help
him
, not us.'

‘I don't think that's true,' I said. ‘Not about the marriage, I know that's over, but Lauren is only trying to do the right thing.'

‘You say that like there's only one right thing. Everyone has their own version of what is right, but you and I, Eddie, we know the truth – and the truth is that David wants rid of me. From this and every version. He wants to live in a world of his own design.'

‘But Lauren will discover the truth  … '

‘She'll discover the version of the truth she's looking for and that could too easily be one without me. She never liked me. You know she didn't. This is personal.'

‘I don't think she would —'

‘You never think anything bad about her,' interrupted my mother. ‘It's always been up to me to point out what her real motives were in marrying you. I'm the only one who has your best interests at heart and you're the only one who has mine. Right now, do you know where she is?'

‘No. Probably at the agency, gathering evidence.'

‘She's echo jumping. She's back at the discovery stage, controlling the situation. She's planning to use another version of you, Eddie, to get the result they want. She's
using
you, Eddie. We need to stop her.'

‘Stop her how?'

My mother held out her hand. In her palm was a single blue pill.

‘I won't do anything to hurt her,' I said.

‘This won't hurt her. It's a tracker. It will send her back to our present before she manages to finish what she's doing. All new echo jumps have been suspended so she won't be able to go back again.'

‘You promise?' I said.

‘Eddie,
darling
, I'm not a monster.' She raised her hand to my cheek and I felt so many emotions that I could barely distinguish what was what, except that this host body, inside which I was hiding, would have done anything for this woman. ‘You can't go yourself. They're watching us. You need to find someone you trust.'

‘I'm not sure I trust anyone any more.'

‘Find someone to help us. Someone not involved. Someone you can manipulate. Do it quickly or we'll lose everything we've worked for.'

In my mind's eye, I pictured Angus. Yes, I heard myself think, I'll get Angus to do it.

There was no rushing wind or lurching sensation in my stomach, but it did feel as helpless and hopeless as falling. Days passed like seconds. All my lives flashed before my ever-changing eyes, hinting at all the possibilities and impossibilities of every decision. I caught glimpses of how my life would have been with a mother. Her expectations. Her disappointment. My desire to please her. My unconditional love for her, no matter what she did or what she asked me to do.

I saw Ruby refusing to admit she was growing old until her fingers could no longer grip a paintbrush. I saw her alone, unable to look after herself. I saw her screaming and crying when I came to take her from her home. I wrestled with her and pushed back my emotions.

I saw Scarlett, young and old, happy and sad, angry and disappointed, laughing uncontrollably and weeping inconsolably. I couldn't make sense of it all but what I did understand was so painful that I was relieved when it stopped and I found myself standing in a crowded room, once again tucked away at the back of my mind.

At the front of the room, behind a small stage, was a logo with an arrow curving around to form a globe with the letters ETA written below. A man in a grey suit stood onstage, urging everyone to sit down. I found a seat. The man next to me was fiddling with his watch.

‘Another day, another announcement from the ETA,' he said. He pressed a button on his watch and it projected various computer icons above his wrist. ‘Blasted thing. Never works when I need it.' He switched it off and took out a pad and pen. ‘Much easier,' he said.

I waited to hear my reply but none came.

At the back of the room, cameramen and journalists jostled for position. ‘Any idea what this one's about?' asked the man next to me.

‘I have my suspicions,' I said.

The man turned to look at me. ‘Hey, don't I recognise you?'

‘Look, it's starting now,' I said.

The man onstage tapped the microphone on the lectern and spoke. ‘Ladies and gentlemen of the press, please welcome Senior Echo Time Agent, Lauren Bliss.'

Scarlett walked out onto the stage, exuding confidence and authority. She was blond and she looked older, but no less striking in a blue uniform with the same logo of the curved arrow.

‘Ladies and gentlemen of the press, thank you for coming.'

The room fell quiet. ‘I know many of you will be pressed for time,' she began.

‘Unlike you lot,' shouted a journalist at the back, winning a small half-hearted pocket of laughter.

‘There will be an opportunity for questions and attempts at humour at the end,' said Scarlett, getting a much better response. ‘This announcement concerns the planned action following the decision to eradicate all remaining altered versions.'

An excited murmur spread through the room.

‘About time too,' the man next to me muttered.

‘It is not a decision we at the ETA take lightly,' said Scarlett. ‘The consequences of what we are about to do will have ramifications far beyond this version of existence.'

‘In English, please,' shouted the loud-mouthed journalist at the back.

‘She's talking about the end of the world,' responded another.

Scarlett smiled. ‘In spite of your glib tabloid summary, you're not far off. We are talking about the end of all altered versions of existence,' she said. ‘As you know, it has been law for well over a decade that all new versions created for whatever reason must be destroyed after use. However, this new decision requires us to go back and delete all versions created before this law.'

‘Good thing too,' said the man next to me. From the mutterings of approval, this appeared to be the sentiment of most of the room.

‘That's right,' said a snooty-sounding woman at the side of the room. ‘Professor Maguire's own report warned of dangers of temporal erosion caused by the existence of too many timelines.'

‘The report cited this as a possibility, not a reality. But, whatever the truth of the dangers, it has been decided it is not a risk worth taking, so the ETA will now embark on a series of investigations to determine which versions have been altered and which is the originating version.'

‘So, the end of the world, then,' yelled the same journalist as before.

Scarlett had to fight to regain the attention of the room. ‘It is for this very reason that Professor David Maguire has resigned his post as chief adviser to the ETA.'

‘What about the rumours that Maguire has created his own personal altered version with no Melody Dane?' said the snooty journalist.

‘I cannot comment on ongoing cases and investigations within the ETA,' said Scarlett. ‘Nor am I here to answer for Professor Maguire.'

‘Will he be holding a press conference too?' yelled another voice.

‘As soon as Professor Maguire is located, the ETA will be issuing a statement.'

Given the strong reaction this got, it was odd that my own mind was extremely calm. Apparently I was not surprised by anything I had heard so far.

‘He's gone missing?' said the man next to me.

‘Run away, has he?' shouted loud mouth.

‘I am unable to comment on Professor Maguire's whereabouts at this time. All I can tell you is that, as an outspoken critic of this policy, he has found his own position as chief advisor to the ETA untenable and so has stepped down.'

‘And run off to hide in a world where he can get what he wants,' said the snooty woman.

‘The consequence of this policy will make it impossible for anyone to hide in altered versions,' said Scarlett.

‘In English, please.'

‘It's the end of every world except one,' she replied, for the first time catching my eye.

Seeing Scarlett's face so near to mine, it took me a moment to take in our surroundings. The clatter of the cutlery and the smell of the food brought me to my senses. I looked down at the plate of chips on my tray. On a nearby table, a group of girls pretended not to watch us. We were back in the school hall. Everything was as before except, this time, Scarlett had chips. She picked one up, dipped it in ketchup and took a bite.

‘It's all right to speak,' she said.

‘To say what?' I replied.

‘You have every reason to be upset,' she said. ‘I can't imagine what you've been through.'

‘Which version are we in now?' I asked.

‘This is a temporary moment that will be destroyed as soon as we leave. You've been stabilised now. It's almost over.'

‘What happened to me?'

‘You were echo freefalling,' said Scarlett. ‘You heard the announcement, didn't you?'

‘The one that told me I was dead and to remain calm?' I said.

‘Yes,' she replied. ‘It turns out that blue Smartie was nastier than I thought. It did locate your originating point but it didn't send you back. It sent you into cardiac arrest. It killed your originating self.'

‘So I'm dead?'

‘Dead men don't eat chips, Eddie, but it was touch and go for a while. Luckily for you, your originating self came from an altered version that was created by Cornish's illegal echo jump.'

‘What?'

‘Don't hurt yourself trying to understand. Just know that in spite of your best efforts, you are still alive.'

‘But I told Angus to give the Smartie to you.'

‘Did you know what it would do?'

‘No, I don't think so. Maybe. I'm not sure. I was trying to protect Melody.' I paused and looked down at the blob of ketchup on my plate. ‘Scarlett, am I the bad guy?'

She took my hand. ‘It doesn't matter. You're going to make up for all this. This you is going to make things right.'

‘I want to see Ruby.'

‘You'll see her soon.'

‘I want to go home.'

‘The whole world is going home now. We're starting again.' She picked up another chip. ‘You know, I wish I'd gone for chips the first time. Most field agents pig out when they echo jump, but I had this crazy idea that I should try to stay healthy. Stupid really.'

‘I don't get it,' I said. ‘Has everything I've just seen already happened?'

‘It had, but it won't have soon. All those futures are being destroyed and all those pasts are being tidied up.'

‘So everything will make sense?'

‘I don't think you can assume that. Things don't make sense. Not really. The world isn't fair. You can try all you like to make it so but someone will always find a loophole. Even now that they want to clean everything up, I doubt it will stay like that.'

‘How many versions are there left?'

‘Two, and it's time to call the final witness. You.'

‘Why me? What have I witnessed?'

‘I need you to do one last jump back to the first point of divergence.'

‘Melody's death,' I said.

Scarlett nodded. ‘That's where all these investigations have led. Maguire stands on trial for her murder. We need your testimony.'

‘Why me?'

‘Because you were there, Eddie. You can't remember it but you witnessed Melody's death. If we sent anyone else back, their presence would be too likely to affect the outcome.'

‘Can't you just hypnotise me to remember?'

‘No. We need to be sure. Believe me, this was my last resort. Sending you back that far is not without its dangers. You'll be entering your infant mind, opening up the danger of overworking it and causing mental damage. You'll also be reliving a memory you have suppressed for a very good reason.'

‘Will I be able to speak?'

‘No, your vocal cords won't be developed enough. Even if you could, a talking baby would be enough to make anyone crash a car.' Scarlett's smile was the emptiest I had ever seen it.

‘So what can I do?'

‘Listen and watch.'

Scarlett placed her hand on top of my mine. The group of girls giggled but, at that moment, I could not have cared less. ‘So no one will remember this,' I said.

‘That's right,' she replied.

I leaned over the table and kissed her. Her lips were so soft that it felt as though the world was melting.

Then it did.