“Dreamscape Conspiracy” – The Interrogation
Here is a sample chapter from the morning after a break-in at the lab, where every piece of server technology was smashed and nearly four years of archives were wiped out. Oddly, Dreamscape 1.0 and the NeuroNet device were untouched. Why leave the only technology driving the research intact? That fact alone was either a failure to destroy or a revelation of a competing strategy.
******
Cara sat across a table in an interrogation room less than an hour later with the first of the two interlopers. “Do you know who I am, Mr. Anderson?” she asked, drilling him with steely eyes.
He spoke a single word, “Yes.”
“How do you know who I am? We’ve never met, Mr. Anderson, nor had I previously met your partner in this crime, Mr. Brackett, but that’s unimportant. I’d like to know how you gained access to my lab. The door automatically locks anytime someone enters or leaves.”
“We teleported in,” he said sarcastically, then thinking better of his humor, “Are you stupid? We used a code.”
“Not stupid at all, Mr. Anderson. Are you a smart aleck to everyone, or just when you’re speaking to the one person who can help you with the charges pending against you? Now that strikes me as something rather…as you just said…stupid.”
“Help me how?” he shot back.
“Let’s try this first. How did you get the access code to get into our lab?”
“It was given to us,” he said, dropping his eyes from hers.
“I know that already because a code like that doesn’t just drop out of the ether, nor do your instructions regarding what to destroy and what to leave untouched. This information I already know courtesy of Mr. Brackett, and getting that information should indicate that I am not stupid; however, I am running short on patience,” and she slammed her hand down on the table, causing him to flinch.
“Your partner in crime has already told me, tearfully, what I needed to know. So, it appears you have the easier job of telling me the truth. That truth will confirm his version and put me in a position to help both of you. If your version does not match his, I cannot help either of you and will permit felony charges to be filed.
As a quick reminder, a felony will earn you some prison time measured in years, and I’m sure several inmates would love to orient you and your buddy Hank to the finer points of prison life and all the benefits you will get to provide during your time of service there. Feel me?”
Nearly in tears, he said, “They’ll kill me if I tell you.”
“If you wind up in prison, Mr. Anderson, you’ll wish someone would kill you to make the hurting stop,” Cara added matter-of-factly. “Last chance. Who gave you the key code and the instructions for your little search and destroy mission?”
“Dr. Hancock,” he said barely above a whisper.
“Dr. Hancock? That’s odd. There’s no way he’d have the door access code to our lab,” she challenged.
“Well, Dr. Hancock handed me the note with the access code written on it. Another really fat guy there told us what stuff to stay away from and trash everything else. Maybe he was the one who wrote it down and gave it to Hancock. I don’t know. Dr. Hancock just handed me the note.”
Cara hit the mother lode of what she needed to confirm that an active conspiracy was underfoot, with Dr. Billings at its center. She sat back and said, “Thank you! You’ve helped me understand how deeply this evil runs.”
She never had any conversation with Hank Brackett, Bill Anderson’s counterpart. That was all part of her strategy, and it worked. She stood and nodded toward the one-way observation mirror to signal she had finished. When the door opened, the deputy stepped into the room to escort a handcuffed Mr. Anderson back to his cell.
“Hey, what about helping me? Aren’t you going to help us? We told you what you wanted to know,” pleaded Anderson.
“My best advice for you,” Cara said over her shoulder as she reached the door, “just teleport yourself out of here.”
“You’re a lying bitch!” he shouted.
“Well played, felon!” She blew him a kiss right before sharing her middle finger to punctuate the sincerity of her reply.
******
Dreamscape Conspiracy – https://bit.ly/3C4qWqK
Video Trailer – https://bit.ly/4b4wfXf