For many authors stories can start anywhere, for me is can be a simple fact, an alleged assertion or a general belief all taken beyond as I see it could go. Sometimes following possibilities and other times pure fantasy. The story below comes from all three outlined below.
“Over the last decade a phenomenon has been recorded showing moments before death human bodies can send an electrical charge through the nervous system to the brain. The person then can sit up or just have a conversation with someone who was not there or had died previously.”
The simple fact, this has occurred with many witnesses. The alleged assertion, they are connecting to loved ones waiting in an afterlife. The general belief, life does not end when the body does.
Please enjoy this short story!
Cross Back
By Wm. A. Yandell
The man’s course is direct and purposeful as he stops at the receptionist’s desk. After reviewing the document he produces, she picks up the phone and calls into the doctor’s office. The visitor can tell the response is not favorable and after an uncomfortable 20 minutes the doctor appears.
“I am Doctor Hartman. Can I help you?”
The man as he extends his hand to the doctor. “I am Collins from Appropriations and Funding. There are some financial irregularities and this meeting was scheduled by a Ms. Allen.”
The doctor does not return his smile nor does he accept the extended hand of the visitor.
“I was not informed of the appointment; it will need to be rescheduled for sometime in the future.”
The visitor’s smile stays in place as he lowers his hand.
“This meeting is not one to be rescheduled. Perhaps you should talk to her; it is about your funding, doctor. It is what we have been talking with Ms. Allen about. Is she available?”
“Unfortunately Ms. Allen was involved in an accident, and she was killed. So you can see why we will have to reschedule.” The look on the doctor’s face betrayed the satisfaction he found giving his response.
“Well, Doctor Hartman, Appropriations and Funding can and will suspend your funding without this review. We are not going to wait another day because someone had an accident.” The silence and the glare from Doctor Hartman are met by the unemotional stare back from Mr. Collins. As an uneasy tension builds; it is broken by the resignation of the doctor.
“I guess you will get your meeting, after all. It is Collins, you said?”
“Yes, doctor, it is Collins.
As they enter the doctor’s office, Hartman waves to a chair across from the desk and the men both sit down.
“This is a very nice office you have here, Doctor Hartman, very nice indeed.”
“Is the furnishing of my office what you came to ask about because I can assure you Appropriations did not pay for any of it?”
“Not in the least, doctor, no. I just admire good taste. A little rich for me, but befitting of a man like you, I would think.” Collins takes another moment to resurvey the room and smiles as he again looks over at the doctor. “So, yes, let’s get started. I will need an update of where you are right now with the process on existing patients.”
“What does Appropriations need to know about our specific experiment subjects?” The doctor says gruffly.
“It is part of why I am here, Doctor Hartman, I would like you to cooperate and this can go much smoother. I think things can work out for the best; of course, that is if you choose to cooperate.”
“Fine, what is it again I can help you with, Mr. Collins?”
“I’ll put it another way. We need to review your process here for sending a patient “across,” as you call it, doctor.”
“We say ‘test subject’ here, Mr. Collins, not patient. However, we have no test subjects here now. We are acquiring a new group this next week.”
“I see, but they are people you are killing here, doctor, not just test subjects, don’t you think?” Collins says through his seemingly never ending smile.
“No, I don’t, not at all. The test subjects are carefully chosen; they need to have a limited continued lifespan to qualify. Our research objective is the only way for them to possibly expand beyond their now limited life.”
“Yes, a limited lifespan would be correct” Collins says as he interrupts the doctor. “Which is why you started your experiments with condemned criminals, is that correct, doctor?”
“Yes, we did. We now continue with test subjects having terminal illnesses, but our research objective is the best chan…”
Collins again cuts the doctor off. “Yes, the best chance they could have with our science today. I understand your research objective very well. It is to confirm death is not the end of life, but you have not had any success to date, is that correct, doctor?”
“In research, success is a subjective term, Mr. Collins; we are working towards a goal beyond the current belief system. We are making good progress towards this. The value of what we will discover is well beyond the cost of test subjects with limited lifespan value.”
This time Collins has waited for the doctor to pause. “Yes, doctor, I am here because of just that, the cost. I would like to tour the lab and perhaps see some of the latest data from the most recent “test subject,” as you say.”
“Well, it is getting late and they may want to get this place locked up for the evening.” The doctor says trying to sound disappointed.
Collins holds up his hand. “Doctor Hartman, I am very good at what I do. One of the things I do is research where I am going before I go. I know for a fact you do not allow anyone to lock this place up but you. Further, I know no one has access to the building without you being here. So please, doctor, let’s dispense with any more games, shall we?”
They walk from the office across the now-empty hall to the lab in silence. The doctor is glad Collins did not make any more of the lie he had just told. As they enter the lab, Collins closes the door behind them, the door closes with a sound of being sealed.
“I see the lab is sealed for sound. Is that correct, doctor?”
“Yes, it is. We do not want the nature of the experiments to be compromised by any distractions.”
“Could it also be some of your patients do not want to die and have fought and screamed through the procedure?” Collins asks in a matter of fact way.
“Since you have done your homework, Mr. Collins, I will admit that, yes, we have had some subjects cause some issues. It is also true we do not want the work compromised.”
“Very good, doctor. I do appreciate the candor and it will help us get through this much quicker. I see you have a large monitor up on the wall there. Is it accessible to the computer records?” Collins says as he turns and points away from the table that is between them.
“Yes, it is, but we can review any information from my office instead of here. It would be a little more comfortable.” The doctor says quickly.
“No, I think we will be able to do everything we want right from here. Have there been any advancements or signs that any of your test subjects have crossed back, Doctor Hartman?” Collins moves as he speaks to stand next to the doctor.
“Most of our progress is in developing our ability to look for those signs. Our advancements will help in many other medical fields.”
“That doesn’t answer my question, doctor. Are there any signs to date that suggest someone has crossed back?” Collins says as he now moves around the table and stand directly in front of the doctor.
“Nothing we can specifically point to, no.”
“What about the boy, doctor?”
“Boy? What boy? We have never had a test subject that was not of legal age. Never! It would not be permitted.” The doctor states emphatically.
“Let me see if I can remember . . . ah yes, test subject number eight seven nine three, a Mr. John Muller. Do you remember the young Mr. Muller, doctor?”
“I can’t remember all the test subjects by number, let alone names. We do not use names here, as I told you, Mr. Collins.” The doctor’s voice is now raised as his temper is getting the better of him.
“I can pull it up on the computer to refresh your memory if you would like, Doctor Hartman.”
“Get away from that computer! You are not permitted to access data here. I have had quite enough of you and this meeting. This meeting is over.”
The slap to the side of Doctor Hartman’s head comes quickly and very hard. It hits precisely where it had been intended. The palm of the open hand lands on the side of his jaw and the extent of the fingers land on the temple. Doctor Hartman is out before he hits the floor. He does not feel himself being lifted onto the table, nor does he feel the straps being buckled around his body. Time passes slowly as he can again grasp conscious thought and the pain of the hard slap confuses him as he begins to look around.
“What, what happened? Ow, my face. What… Hey, why can’t I move? What is going on?”
“Ah, Doctor Hartman, you have come back, not like most of the others who have been strapped to this table.”
“What are you doing? Are you crazy? Let me go! LET ME GO!” The doctor says as he struggles against the straps.
The slap this time is not as hard, but it is quick. It lands squarely on Doctor Hartman’s jaw. The side of his face glows ruby red from the second slap, but this time he remains conscious from the blow.
“Ow, that hurts! Why are you hitting me? Why are you doing this to me?”
Collins smile widens as he begins to speak. “I can’t answer your questions if you are screaming at me, doctor. I will have to gag you. I know you won’t like that.”
“You are crazy! You let me out of this right NOW! I…umm”
The gag has been in Collins’ hand all along and, mid-scream, it goes into the doctor’s mouth.
Collins gives the doctor a moment to struggle further before he leans in towards the doctor. “Well, it isn’t as if I didn’t warn you, did I? Don’t worry, doc, it is only temporary. Collins pauses for just a moment as if he has lost his thought. “So, where were we? Ah, yes, the boy. Let me put him up on the monitor for us.”
“There he is; patient John Muller, number eight seven nine three; he is the one, doc, he is the one who came back. You sent him across and he came back. You did it doc, success; he told you and the technician, Davis, how he had crossed and that he was sent back.” Collins says this with his hands raised clapping softly in front of the doctor.
“He told you he was cured and was sent back to tell you to stop. He knew things that had happened before he was even brought here, things you couldn’t explain. Davis believed him, said you needed to stop and study the boy. Collins pauses again with his widest smile, leaning in closely he continues.
“That just wasn’t going to work for you, though, was it, doc?… You didn’t want to stop; no, stopping the experiments meant stopping the money… You were not going to let this boy or Davis stop you from continuing your work… So when Davis tested the boy to confirm if he was cured, you switched the results. With your access, it was easy to switch and make it look like the boy was still sick.” Collins pauses again, this time as he is looking directly at the doctors face. The doctor’s face has lost all its color and with a stare of disbelief of how he could possibly know this. Collins turns away but continues. “You then had Davis transferred and it worked. You got away with it and you sent the boy across, again. This time the boy didn’t come back, Davis didn’t come back; had to be looking real good.
“But, then it happened.” Collins says as he turns to again look directly at the doctor. ” You made a mistake, doc. You sent the girl across. You should not have sent the girl.” Collins can see the doctor is not following him. “Don’t get me wrong; you did me a favor. I wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t sent the girl… Don’t look so puzzled.” Collins pauses and again leans in closer. “The girl, Miss Allen; you thought she was suspicious about what you had done to Davis. You thought, she was going to figure it out and you knew she would expose you and end the experiment.” Collins looks away but stays close.
“So you killed her, doc, beat her to death with a baseball bat, made it look like a robbery… That had to be very messy, doc, very messy; not really an accident, was it doc?” Collins again pauses as he looks back at the doctor before continuing.
“Yeah, when you sent the girl, the ones on the other side you were sending people across to, they knew you wouldn’t listen. They decided to come up with a Plan B.” Collins now puts his face directly over the doctors face putting them nose to nose.
“I’m Plan B, doc… Don’t you remember me? I know you have seen a lot of patients, or subjects, doc, but I always thought I was special.
Collins moves back to the keyboard as he continues. “Let me put it up on the monitor for you. Give me just a second here. Yeah, here it is, number twenty-three, Dallas Collins. I used my own name, doc. I knew you really wouldn’t remember me. Let’s see what it says about good old Dallas Collins. It may refresh your memory.
“Homicidal maniac, convicted of twenty-four mutilation murders in which the victims were slowly cut to pieces. Death sentence, confirmed. All appeals, denied. Approved for test subject. Is this starting to ring a bell, doc? Well, we need to get started; only this time, it’s me sending you across. Collins again moves in close to the doctors face.
“By the way, don’t expect too much of a warm welcome over there, they’re not much on welcoming guys like us, doc. Yeah, you are not going to like it there.”
As Collins moves away to retrieve his bag from over near the computer, Doctor Hartman pulls furiously at the straps around his body, but he cannot move. Collins returns with his bag and begins to empty it item by item on a small tray next to the table.
“Well, I got some final good news and bad news for you. The good news, I am going to take that gag off and you can scream all you want. The bad news, just for you, I’m going to start with the little knives.”