The Quest For Perfection (Is A Damn Fine Thing)

Part IV: The World Beyond The Words - Chapter 27

IV

The World Beyond The Words

Transcript of Interview with Sarah Barr. August 30 2015. Conducted by J.P. McNair.

I stopped recording, and put my notebook down. Sarah was smiling, her story finished. She had told me everything and more.

How are you feeling?

"Better than I've been in years. I didn't think I would be saying this, but thank you."

No. Thank you.

"Did you get everything you needed?"

I nodded.

"What next?"

I write. I put it all down on the page and make it into a story. I'll send you the first copy.

"Thank you."

I started to pack my things when one last question occurred to me.

One more question. How did you get off the island of St. Kilda?

"Ray. He couldn't do much to help himself, he was slipping in and out of consciousness by that point. And whatever Tom had put into us was wearing off. We blacked out, but before we did, I remember seeing Ray point something into the sky and a red light shooting into it."

A flare?

"Yes. What I remember next is only flashes. A boat, the water whipping up and spray my face. Being wrapped in a tinfoil blanket. A hospital. The next thing that I remember properly was being in a hospital bed and Ray was there."

He was OK?

"Well he was in a wheelchair, and there was a fresh scar down the side of his face."

What did he say?

"He told me that everything would be fine. He asked me what I remembered. I told him, everything. He didn't seem surprised, or scared. He just nodded. I asked him how Kim was. He told me she was fine. I asked him what would happen next. He told me not to worry about it anymore. I would never hear from the Wells Foundation again. There would be an account set up in my name with enough money to get started. Again."

Were you happy with that?

"No."

Why?

"It was too easy. Too perfectly tied up. I wanted people to pay for what they had done. And I wanted the truth to be out there."

I'll make sure it is.

And with that, I was done. I stood, thanking her again and gathered my notebook and recorder, heading for the door. I promised to tell her story and honour everything she had told me. Before I left, though, I had one more question I wanted to ask.

Do you ever think you're still there? That you never left The Complex? That this is all still part of the experiment?

"Every single day. But I don't believe it is. I least, I hope."

With that, I left.

Transcript of Interview with Ray Samson. August 26, 2015. Conducted by J.P. McNair.

It was dark when I finished my interview with Ray. He seemed glad to be finished talking to me, in all honesty. I remember seeing the palpable sense of relief wash over him when I told him that was it.