Aberrant: Quantum Identity - Darren Thompson

[Rorx]

"John, put the beers in the fridge first", said Darren as he came in with the other bags from the supermarket.

"I just want to get the first disc playing in the background", replied John, to Darren's back as he went back out to the car for the climbing gear.

"What did you say it was again?" called Darren as he hung the backpacks of climbing rope, first aid kit etc. on their hooks in the backroom above the SCUBA gear and next to the surfboards.

As John come into the lounge from the kitchen Darren was already slumping into the old armchair and the opening menu appeared on the TV. "It's an old 70's scifi series, you might remember it, called the Tomorrow People..." John choose to lay across the sofa rather than risk the other decrepit armchair. Darren stared at him across the foaming beer can he had just opened, "And how much of this do you expect us to watch this weekend?"

John had the good form to look a little sheepish, "Well, I should have watched the original 8 series by next Wednesday. So basically we'll just leave it on in the background. Pizza will be done by the time the first episode has finished." he concluded as he hit the play button.

By the time the first episode had finished the pizzas were indeed ready, the lads had already had a couple of cans each and were starting to relax after their 8 hour session of mountain climbing.

"You know it's not as bad an idea as I remembered, well apart from making them all pacifists. That's just silly." Darren was glad for the beer, perhaps it was getting out of the afternoon sun, but he was starting to get a killer of a headache. Oh, well, thats what beer was for...The rest of the night vanished in a haze of pain, beer and '70's scifi, with a few other climbing friends drifting in and out through it all.

7am, and as normal Darren was awake, and regretting it this Sunday morning. Still John staggered into the lounge, where Darren had evidently fallen asleep, with a pint of coffee at that point so it wasn't all bad. The DVD was still playing in the background.

"Congratulations, you managed to pass out with Series 3 on auto repeat. Have any good dreams?" asked John with a wicked smile.

"Yeah, but it was more like Scanners, in that I was making your head blow up."

"Better get your arse in gear Daz, you agreed we would met the mob at Llys Tryfan at 8."

Darren rolls his eyes back, then smoothly straightens from the armchair, "Ok, you load the bags back into the car, they are still packed from yesterday, so you should only need to put some fresh water in there, and we'll stop off at the supermarket on the way out of town for some sandwichs. I'm for a quick shower and some pain killers." And with that the day progressed into another gruelling round of climbing and surfing, finishing with a bbq on the beach before more drunken viewing of the Tomorrow People.

[Rorx]

Monday 16th March 1998

7am, and once again Darren awoke to a killer headache. Warily polling his body and senses, he was surprised to find himself free of the aches and pains that his active weekends usually brought. He had also made it into bed before he passed out, and from the feel of it not alone. Darren smiled as he recognised the aroma of her perfume, the lovely Lucy, a post grad marine biologist and one of the surfing and SCUBA crowd.

"Lucy, it's 7am in case you need to be anywhere this morning. I've got to get to work, so I'll see you later."

Lucy bundled the quilt around her more and mumbled, "No, I don't sail on the Prince Madoc until the 11 o'clock tide, but I don't know when we'll get back. I'll catch you next time."

"Yeah, take care." was Darren's only reply as he swatted at her bum on his way to the bathroom and his morning shower. While in the bathroom Darren noticed an improvement in his muscle definition.Well it looks there was some benefit to climbing and surfing through the winter. I'm just glad I invested in equipment to do it. Pain killers for this head of mine, although the shower has helped a little. Damn, not here, they must be in the kitchen. Putting on his uniform it seemed less loose than usual, but that could be because it was fresh from the dryer.

Downstairs Darren was just fininshing his toast adn coffee when John half-walked, half-staggered into the kitchen.

"Hi John, how are you doing this morning?"

"Nothing a couple of pints of coffee and some food won't fix."

"What are you going to do today then?"

"I'm actutally going to watch some more of the Tomorrow People while I recuperate, then drive back to York. I did say the other day, I've got an assignment on this stuff to be in on Wednesday."

"Jesus, John, I still can't get my head around the fact that someone is wiling to give you a Master for doing stuff like this."

"Heh, don't knock it, it's the wonderful world of Media studies. I hear that next month we have an assignment on Eastenders.Anyway, what does today bring for the salaried one?"

Darren downs a couple of Ibruprofen with the last of his coffee before replying, "Thankfully a fairly quiet day after that weekend, I'm taking a school party up Snowdon this morning. Hopefully I can peel off the older group to go an interesting route like Crib Goch and leave the youngster with some teachers to go up the miners path. Then I'll probably grab some lunch in Llanberis, before wondering around the place checking up on some of the drywall contractors we've got working for us at the moment."

"Sounds boring to me."

"Well, maybe, but if there is no rush I might decide to 'walk' between some of the drywall sites. There's some nice mountains and cliffs between some of them, and another is in the woods north of Capel Curig."

"Thats more your style. Mine, I think, will be back in front of the TV for the morning."

"Ok, John. Well have a good drive back to York, and say hello to the girlfriend of yours, it's a shame she couldn't make it this time. Just close the door on your way out. Oh, by the way, Lucy is upstairs so don't get freaked out if you hear some movement up there while you are watching your show." And with that Darren closed the door, with a smile on his face, before his friend could reply or ask him anything about it.

The morning passed without major incidence, but at least the headache had finally eased up, and after lunch Darren headed off, alone, into the forest in the mountains north of Capel Curig.

[lead]

As a child straight out of the age of technology, Darren was more of a throwback than anything else. The natural living world held its own attraction that the shine of plastics, metals and neon lights just didn't have.

The wilderness agreed. The trees and birds and bugs seemed to be lite from within. And by a true light, not yellow incandescence.

As he spent more and more time within the forest, he realized how awake the forest was compared to his earlier excursions. He even glimpsed a wolf. It was at least 200 yards away when he did, but he caught the gleam of gold and then he was staring into its eyes. Captured by each others gaze across the great distance, they stared at each other raptly for a moment, at the sight of the unknown and deadly animal that confronted each of them.

It was like staring into a mirror. He wasn't sure if he was looking out of his eyes or the canine's.

[Rorx]

And then the moment is lost as an old landrover backfires nearby. Strangely Darren still felt some link or connection to the wolf as it starts at the noise and backs away a little.

I guess you've got loose from the sanctuary up by Swallow Falls, eh boy. Well I'll have to call it in, and then we'll have to come out and find you again to take you back.

Looking round to check his position in the forest, Darren quickly confirmed that he was only an hours hike from the Wolf Sanctuary.

Might be best if I could bring you in now. Hmmm, what do you think of that idea boy? Yeah, not much I know, but it's better than getting shot by a trigger happy farmer.

Darren started to quietly and carefully walk towards the wolf, working a cord loose from his pack as he did so.

Right, gently does it. You just stay there for a couple of minutes, then we'll put this cord around your neck for appearences and take a walk back to the Sanactuary.

[lead]

The wolf seemed not at all perturbed by his approach. He stood silently as Darren nimbly moved through the underbrush.

The wolf seemed calm but poised, at one with natural. When he was twenty paces away, the wolf sat on his haunches and waited tamely. However the moment Darren makes a movement with the rope, the wolf stands, and eyes Darren with some thing that was almost desperation.

[Rorx]

"Ok,calm down boy, shhh. I know you look like you might just come along with me, but if we run into anyone else before we get you back to your pack they aren't going to understand how good you are being and will probably end up spooking you into running again. So we are going to take this nice a gently. I'll make this nice a loose and we'll make sure that there is as much slack as I can. Now how about that? Hmmm? How about you just sit back down nicely for me to loop this over you, and then we can head back to your pack."

I can't believe I'm talking to a wolf now. I hope he goes for this, I don't want him to run off and end up getting shot by a farmer before we can bring him in the hard way.

[lead]

The hypnotic rapport between the two held. Darren could almost feel the urge the wolf feels to run free and hunt and mate and roam. More image then word, they conveyed individual will and personality in manner with little to no abstraction or 'higher' thought, just total perception and a magnitude away from little man sees after he filters details out. He loosened it more once it was around beautiful creatures neck. A tangible relief, or maybe more accurately a lessening of the tension. It came to his mind like the brief comfort and nutrition a rat grants to a hungry wolf.

Rope in hands, Darren Thompson realized that this wasn't just himself imagining this connection, it was real.

Or he was going crazy.

[Rorx]

Well, if I've gone mad, what the hell, enjoy it while you can. But I still need to get this fellow home if he's not going to get into big trouble.

Putting the loose end of the cord over the wolf's back, so no-one was restraining him Darren started jogging in the direction of the Sanctuary.

Come on then boy, lets get you home, but we may as well have some fun along the way.

Daren revelled in the journey through the forest, his senses seeming to open up, showing him the world about him in greater clarity and detail than ever before. The wolf loped along beside him until, several miles later, they both felt they were reaching the end of the free areas and could sense the presence of humans ahead.

Better slow down here boy and make it look like I've got you under control, otherwise those people are likely to get upset and do something rash.

Taking the cord loosely in his hand Darren walked purposefully from the forest and into the carpark, heading for the short lane which ends with the wolf sanctuary, the wolf padding obediantly beside him.