Grantblings

Wednesday Words – The Job Part 4

The Job – Part 4
By Grant Baciocco
Link To Part 1
Link To Part 2
Link To Part 3

Dr. Levitt returned to his position behind the desk, swiping his fingers along the touch screen.  Stopping to make calculations on a pad with a pencil.  Patrick watched as he worked.  After a few minutes, the Doctor stood still watching the screens then nodded and reached forward and tapped the screen.  Patrick craned his neck in the chair to look behind him as he heard a large machine start up in the room behind him.  He turned back and saw Dr. Levitt staring intently at the monitors and once the machine in the next room hit its peak momentum, he nodded and then came around the desk and crossed to Patrick.

“Okay.  We’re all set.  It’ll just take a quick tap on the screen over there and then a ten second countdown and we will be on our way.”  He smiled and adjusted his glasses, “Or, you’ll be on your way.”

Patrick forced a smile.

“Still want to go through with this?” Dr. Levitt asked.

“Yes.” Patrick said without hesitation. “Just nervous.”

“Well, you shouldn’t be.  There’s really no harm that can come to you.  If my calculations are correct.”

Patrick smiled again, “I hope they are.”

“We are simply beaming the information in your brain back two years.  That’s all.”

“I just hope I’m not driving a car or anything like that when the information hits me.  You could wind up with a corpse here if I veer off the highway.”

Dr. Levitt chuckled.  “No.  I don’t believe that would happen.  I think it will hit you like a case of very strong Deja Vu.  Once your past brain receives all the information, it will be smart enough to process it.  I believe as soon as the machine here fires, your life here is going to be different and, if your past brain makes the right decisions, I think it’ll be different in a good way.”

“Let’s hope you are right.”  Patrick said.  He hunkered down a bit more in his chair, then had a thought, “Dr. Levitt, can I see that envelope for a second?”

Dr. Levitt nodded and took the envelope with the $3000 cashiers check out of his lab coat pocket.  He handed it to Patrick.

“Can I borrow that pencil?”

Dr. Levitt handed him the pencil.  Patrick took a minute and scribbled down a name and address on the front.  He handed the envelope and the pencil back to Dr. Levitt.

“If something happens to me, can you get that cashier’s check to the name on the front there?” Patrick asked.

Dr. Levitt read the front of the envelope, “Mary Harcourt?”

Patrick nodded.

“Relative of yours?”

“Girlfriend.  Ex-girlfriend.  Can you just see that she gets it?”

Dr. Levitt nodded with a smile and then put the envelope back in his pocket.  “You ready?”

“I am ready.”

Dr. Levitt crossed back to the screens and double checked the information whizzing by on them.  “We are good to go.  Shall I initiate?”

“Initiate.”

Dr. Levitt nodded and tapped the screen.  The lights in the room flickered as the machines prepped themselves.

Dr. Levitt looked back at Patrick, “Countdown begun, ten seconds.”

Patrick gripped the edges of the chair tightly.  Contemplating bolting from the chair before the countdown hit one.  He was seconds from doing so when he thought about her.  Mary.  How she said he never committed to anything.  He was going to commit to this.  Behind him, Dr. Levitt’s voice came into his consciousness counting down.

“5…4…3…2…1.”

There was a bright flash of light.

—

One more part to go.