The Janus Project (ONC 2020 - LGBTQ)

13. The Device

(Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to ESHurricane whose ONC 2020 story, Joy, is most definitely NOT a nice fluffy contemporary romance, lol!)

Kai whistled. "Awkward!"

"Yes. Quite."

"And now I understand why you were so angry with me earlier," Kai added, softly.

Ash blushed faintly and cleared his throat. "So tell me about you and Kayden. I gather you're not close?"

Kai launched into his cover story, now wishing he'd spent a bit more time working out the details.

"We've never met. We were separated at birth, and I grew up as a single child, never knowing I had a brother." Well that part was true enough! "I only found out about his existence a few months ago, going through some papers after my father died."

"Oh, I'm sorry, about your father," murmured Ash.

Kai thinned his lips. "It's all right. We weren't close." Again, another truth.

"And did you discover why you were separated? Were you the one removed from the family or was that Kayden?"

"I don't know. I mean I don't know why we were separated. As far as I know, my parents were my birth parents—they never told me otherwise. But you can imagine my excitement when I discovered I had a brother, and a twin at that! I've been trying to find him since I found out. In fact, that was the reason I was at your mother's party on New Year's Eve—looking for Kayden. The person I hired to do the legwork for me said a man of that name was going to attend the party, dressed in a jester's costume. So I thought it would be a good opportunity to observe him, and get an idea of what he was like before introducing myself."

"Ah!" said Ash, shaking his head. "I suppose that makes sense...in a weird sort of way. So you haven't actually met each other, yet? Does Kayden know about you?"

Kai shrugged. "I wouldn't think so. He certainly has never made any effort to find me. I don't think he knows I exist."

"Well, it should be an interesting meeting, when you do get together! Though probably best if neither Sandra nor I are present." Ash grinned for the first time that morning, imagining the possible scenarios. "I'll see if I can discover his address for you, if you like, if Sandra is still speaking to me, that is."

"Thank you! That would be wonderful." Kai was genuinely grateful.

A small silence fell between them, as if each was waiting for the other to make the next move.

Although Kai was glad the tension had eased, perhaps it was time to leave gracefully. He started to get to his feet, when Ash spoke.

"By the way, what did you come to see me about this morning?"

~~~

Kai could remember everything about the day the Butcher fled to Gaia, in all too vivid detail.

Kai hadn't intended to be in the Centre very long that day, hoping to dash in and out with the information he was after, but Director Yuen had stopped him in the corridor. His eyes were lit with excitement.

"Ewans. You'll want to see this. We're about to test the latest modification to the Prototype screening process. We've got a volunteer from the prison. The new test says he's a match and he's prepared to risk it."

"A prisoner? Is that safe? What's he in for?"

"Nothing violent! Naturally that was one of the first things we checked. It was tax fraud."

"Does he know he's risking death?" Kai couldn't help asking. Prisoner or not, surely the man had some rights.

Yuen was dismissive. "Oh don't worry, it's all been fully explained to him. And he gets five thousand dollars and extended privileges for a year if it all works out, or a significant compensation payment to his wife if something goes wrong. But it won't. We've nailed it this time, I'm certain!"

Curious despite his misgivings, Kai followed the Director down to the laboratory in the basement. Yuen led the way up a small flight of stairs to the section of the room which was partitioned behind safety glass. They both looked down onto a table. On it, in pride of place, rested the device resembling an old fashioned "magic lantern".

"We've modified the transfer device," Yuen explained, "so that it contains elements from both worlds, Earth and Gaia. To be honest, I don't fully understand how or why it works, but the important result is that the new version can recognise people who have a Prototype. Just a pinprick, and the red light will flash if you've a match on Gaia, or if you're in Gaia, it will show if you have a match on Earth."

Dubious, Kai chewed on his bottom lip. It all sounded like magic to him, but then the whole Earth / Gaia thing was like an episode of the Twilight Zone.

"We can watch from here," continued Yuen. "Russell has been working with Delmonico, the test subject, to explain the process, and he'll be the one conducting the experiment." He looked at his watch. "They should be here any minute."

A door on the left opened even as he spoke, and a burly man dressed in an orange jumpsuit entered, accompanied by a prison guard. The guard stayed near the door, looking around uneasily, but the prisoner went straight over to the device.

"Just wait there and don't touch anything, please," Yuen spoke firmly into a microphone connecting the two rooms. "Mr Russell should be with you any minute."

This time the door on the right opened, and Kevin Russell entered the room below.

He glanced only briefly at the guard and prisoner, before looking up to acknowledge Yuen. He smiled and raised a triumphant fist.

"Let's get this show on the road. You ready, Serge?" he asked, turning to the prisoner.

Kai saw Russell's gleeful anticipation change to bewilderment as he stared at the man in the orange jumpsuit.

"Who the hell are you?"

Before anyone else could react, the prisoner seized Russell by the arm and grabbed the device. His finger fumbled a second to find the button, then pressed down hard. A bright white light filled half the room, emanating from the front of the device. Instead of rushing forward to Russell's assistance, the prison guard stumbled back in alarm, flinging up a hand to shield his eyes.

"What the hell's going on?" cried Yuen.

Not bothering to answer, the prisoner ran forward into the light, dragging Russell with him and gripping the device in his other hand.

Then they were gone.

Kai and Yuen stared down at an empty room. Even the prison guard had taken the opportunity to flee.