A 101 - Field Test

Slowly, coughing and yawning, their eyelids closing, their eyes rolling into the back of their heads, Jeff, Serena, Catherine, Harry, Tom and Anita succumbed to the anaesthetic, collapsing in satisfied slumber to the ground.

'Looks like the chlorodormathane worked,' Anna said. 'Induced the trance state, enhanced suggestibility. We only had to increase the oxytocin mixture to three percent.'

'So it's good to go, then,' Julia said.

'I'll recommend it for shipping,' Anna said. 'It'll be sent off to our agents in all our branches.' She texted "DONE" to a number on the phone, to summon the snatch squad which was waiting in the van nearby to take them all for processing.

On the screen, Honey Weatherby got up from the supine Paul. Accepting a cigarette and a light from someone off screen, she looked at the camera, blowing a cloud of blue smoke into the air. Stepping into the centre of the screen, she smiled that perfect smile again.

'And now, someone is probably dosing you with sleeping gas. But don't worry.' She took a drag, the red coal of her cigarette glowing. 'You're going to be in safe hands,' she continued, breathing out blue smoke.

'I guess that's all we have time for in the studios, guys,' Honey said, turning around to plant a foot on Paul's stomach, shoving down and making Paul double over with a whoosh of expelled breath. She glanced back at the camera one last time, dragging at the cigarette. 'We'll be back this time tomorrow. Live, and for real. So until tomorrow, it's goodbye from us.'

The phone rang on the reception desk, the trilling sound echoing off the mirrored walls. A pretty young woman answered it.

'Sharpton Human Response Research Institute,' she began, in the usual slightly bored ritual manner adopted by receptionists the world over. 'Alicia speaking. How may I help you?'

As she spoke, she nodded, smiling, at Hank, one of the lab techs. A smart, fit young man wearing a white lab coat and carrying a clipboard, he had just entered the reception area and was crossing the foyer, leading a couple.

The man was tall, ginger, with a goatee. The woman was shorter, pale, a little curvy, with shoulder length straight brunette hair. Both wore a glazed expression on their vacant, dazed – looking faces, and both were stark naked. The man sported an obvious erection. Alicia found her gaze following the male subject dreamily.

The voice on the other end of the line interrupted Alicia's reverie with a couple of short, sharp words. Alicia started, surprised; then her face paled.

'Yes, sir. Putting you through to Dr Henderson now, sir,' she stammered, straightening up and reaching for the telephone keypad to divert the call.

The phone rang. Alicia patched the caller through without announcement, and sat back in her chair, breathing heavily, concern on her face. Then she waited.

One of the assistants emerged from the half – hidden side door. A tall, slim young man in a white lab coat, his black hair was tousled. Alicia gestured and he approached the reception desk.

'Joe,' Alicia said, 'I just got a call. I put it through to Dr Henderson a minute ago.'

'Okay,' Joe said. 'And?'

'Go and have a word with the Super,' Alicia said. 'In a minute, it's going to be all hands on deck. You'll want him to get all the staff ready.'

Joe wandered off back to the offices.

Another call came through, a few minutes later, from Dr Henderson's office. Alicia answered it, calmly listening to Dr Henderson's instructions. When she put the phone down, she was pale. She touched a couple of keys.

'Control,' came the voice of the Supervisor.

'Did Joe get to see you?'

'Yep.'

'It's confirmed,' Alicia responded. 'Get it going. All resources to be activated immediately. This is from Dr Henderson.'

There was silence on the line.

'Shit,' replied the Super on the other end. The line went dead.

Alicia sat in silence for a moment, gazing at the ceiling. Then she leaned forwards and began dialling numbers.

A call came through from Dr Henderson's office. Alicia answered it. 'Yes, Doctor?'

'We're going to have to activate Miss Markham,' Dr Henderson said. 'Call her handler – I think she's with her right now.'

'Yes, Doctor.'

'And Alicia?'

'Yes, Doctor?'

'I need you to make one more call. I want you to bring in ... bring in Handler One.'

Alicia gasped. The line went dead. Wide eyed, Alicia reached for the phone again.

Julia, sitting on the sofa next to Anna, chortled. Anna guffawed next to her.

They were now alone in Julia's living room, and a half-filled bottle of white wine and two glasses were on the glass coffee table in front of them.

'And then,' Anna continued, 'he gets up, looks me squarely in the eye, and says "I only came to read the meter!"'

Their laughter echoed around the house. Julia picked up her wine glass, took a sip from it and sighed.

'So this is the life you lead,' she chuckled, as Anna took a sip from her own wine. 'Did he realise that he still had the makeup on his face?'

Anna chortled. 'Not till the wife saw it!'

Julia let out another peal of laughter. They laughed it out of themselves, then settled for quiet contemplation again.

'How's Brian?'

Julia looked at Anna. 'He's ... well, I haven't seen him this week,' she said. 'We've been drifting, I think. Feels that way.'

'A pity,' Anna replied. 'And Karen?'

'She's sleeping with someone,' Julia said. 'A lad from the catalogue office, I think.'

'Is it serious?'

'I dunno. It's only been going on a week or so. She still comes over to see me every couple of days, and we tell each other that this time we're just going to have a chat, but ...'

'But then you both end up in bed together anyway,' Anna replied, smiling. 'I don't have a hand in any of that,' she added, noting the concerned look on Julia's face. 'You're both doing that entirely by yourselves, of your own free will.'

'But how can we tell when we're acting of our own free will?' Julia asked. 'Or whether we've been conditioned by the crap you lot have exposed me to?'

'You can't,' Anna replied. 'You just have to take it on faith that it's you that's taking Karen to bed, and not Key 509 swimming in your bloodstream.'

Julia remembered something. She turned to face Anna. 'Oh, speaking of, I've been meaning to ask you. How and when did you get into all of this crap?' she asked. 'Sharpton and all.'

Anna looked at Julia in silence for a long moment, thinking about her response. Then she put down her glass and drew in a long, deep breath.

'An accident,' she began.

'What? How? When? Where?'

'There was a truck overturned in the road one day, on my way in to work,' Anna said. 'I turned left, looking for a shortcut. I didn't want to be late.

'I drove around the wrong corner, and came across a snatch squad in the act of collecting someone.'

'Oh.'

'She was only nineteen, a blonde,' Anna said. 'She was still in her nightgown. Barefoot. She was staggering about, supported by two big, ugly brutes wearing gas masks and coveralls.

'They turned, saw me, and the next thing was, before I could call the cops, one of them was leaning through the open window. There was a sting in my neck, and that was it.' She drained her glass and refilled.

'How did they ... convert you?'

An expression of incredible pain crossed Anna's face. 'I'd rather not talk about it right now,' she said, leaning forwards. 'I'm sorry.'

'Okay,' Julia replied, putting her glass down and putting her arm around Anna's shoulder. Drawing Anna to her, Julia held her close for a while.

Anna's phone went off. She separated herself from Julia and stood up. 'Go,' she said. A moment later, she nodded, said 'Acknowledged,' and hung up.

'Julia,' she said, turning to face her, 'Something is happening, and we're needed.' She looked at Julia. 'This is your first field job for us,' she added.

'What do we do, then?' Julia asked.

'We wait here,' Anna replied. 'Alicia's just told me that she's called in one of our more experienced operatives to help out. Dr Henderson's orders.'

'How long will this operative take to get here?'

'Alicia said she'd be here in about twenty minutes. She lives close by, according to her.'

'Convenient,' Julia replied, getting up.

'Where are you going?' Anna asked.

'The kitchen,' Julia said. 'I might as well put the kettle on and get a brew going while we're waiting for our guest.'

'Alicia, is Handler One ready?'

Alicia looked up from the laptop screen in front of her. Dr Henderson had entered the foyer, and was standing over her, a look of concern on his face.

'Doctor, yes, of course,' Alicia replied. 'I called her a couple of minutes ago. She should be on her way as I speak.'

'Good,' Dr Henderson said, nodding sagely. 'Let's hope things go a little more smoothly this time.'

Alicia looked up at Dr Henderson, sharing a common memory. She went a little pale at the thought.

A sleek black Audi arrived in Julia's street.

Parking several metres from Julia's house on the opposite side of the road, the doors opened. Two women emerged, standing in the quiet road.

Turning in the direction of Julia's house, they crossed the road, one pair of kitten heels clicking sharply on the tarmac. The other wore plain, soft-soled flats which made no sound.

One of the two dialled a number on her mobile phone. 'On our way,' she said.

Julia heard the squeak of the garden gate, the footsteps coming up the drive. She got up from the sofa. Looking down at Anna, who was nursing a mug of coffee in her hands, she shared a glance with Anna, and nodded.

The doorbell rang as Julia came into the hallway. Julia could see two figures through the frosted glass of the door; it looked like two women, one a little shorter than the other, her silhouette standing just behind the taller one.

Julia opened the door, and peered out at the strangers.

The taller one was slim, clad in a full length red leather catsuit. Red hair, red heart shaped sunglasses, red stripper shoes. Her smile, though, was unforced, natural; as she lowered her shades, Julia could see that the smile actually did reach this woman's eyes.

'Hi,' the woman said. 'The name's Tamsin. The Institute sent me here. They said there could be some ... fun.'