Chapter 16 - Echoes of the Mind

* Sydney’s mind was starting to throb; he looks over and sees his brother standing there

JACOB:
“Sydney, you need to REMEMBER!”

* Memories from February 4th, 1963

DR RAINES:
“Jacob, we have started a New Genesis project and calling it PROJECT GENE. It is a few years away. We have a few test subjects exceeding all expectations. You have done well Jacob.”

JACOB:
“All the parents have consented?”

DR RAINES:
“Of course, they are all kept informed on the progress of their children Sydney is testing a new child … His name is Jarod “

JACOB:
“You are not telling him the whole truth... I think he is ready!

DR RAINES:
“I will tell you who is ready! You just do your job without question, or have you forgotten our agreement?”

JACOB:
“No, I have not forgotten…”

RAINES
“If Sydney finds out … he will die!”

* Jacob looks through the two ways mirror and watch Sydney talking to Jarod

SYDNEY:
“Hello Jarod, my name is Sydney, I will be taking care of you for a while…”

JAROD:
“Why, where are my mom and dad?”

SYDNEY:
“36 hours and he is already demonstrating more talented than any of our others!”

* Sydney breaks out of his memory

SYDNEY:
“Jacob died helping you … and I think YOU had something to do with it!”

DR RAINES
“It was an accident .. you were in the car!”

* Memory – June 15th, 1967:

DR. RAINES
“Jacob, you need to pick up Timmy”

JACOB:
“You promised Margaret, what kind of operation are you running here?”

DR. RAINES:
“Careful Jacob, remember, how we helped Sydney, with that young intern… we can just as easily destroy him! Do what you are told!”

JACOB:
“You will pay for this Dr. Raines!”

* Jacob runs out to his car, angry, upset and confused. Dr. Raines leaves to make a phone call. A few moments later Sydney walks up to the car window and says...

SYDNEY:

“Jacob, my car is dead, can you give me a lift?”

JACOB
“I was called to pick up another child,  but I can do this anymore Syd, …”

Sydney
“Jacob, you seem very upset, let me drive, Maybe we should talk, I can tell when things are not open between us”

JACOB:
“Sydney, there are things you need to know”

SYDNEY:
“You've been missing for three days, Jacob. I can't keep covering for you with Mr. Raines”

JACOB:
“I've had personal business”

SYDNEY:
“You never kept secrets from me before?”

JACOB:
“Sydney, I... I have ethical concerns about our work.”

SYDNEY:
“Don't start with that rubbish. We’re not doing anything wrong”

JACOB:
“Open your eyes, Sydney.”

SYDNEY:
“They are open Jacob. I see the opportunity to do what we've been working for all our lives”

JACOB:
“Get your mind off your career for one second, will you? I'm talking about the children.”

SYDNEY:
“What's so troubling about children, for God's sake?”

JACOB:
“Do you know how we got those children?”

SYDNEY:
“I know what i need to know.”

JACOB:
“No, no, you know what the Centre wants you to know.  You... you always do this. You always push away what doesn't fit into your pristine view of the world.”

SYDNEY:
“And all you want to do is poison the good things in your life.”

JACOB:
“Sydney!”

* Sydney looks at Jacob but only sees himself looking back Jacob looks at Sydney but only sees himeslf Looking back For a moment, they each became the other

JACOB:
“Sydney Look Out!”

SYDNEY:
“Jacob, Jacob! Jacob! Jacob!”

SYDNEY:
“Raines, you caused my brother to get into that car crash!”

MR RAINES:
“YES … What he was trying to bring down the Centre… You were not supposed to go with him that night”

SYDNEY:
“But I was … or … or he was …”

MR RAINES:
“What are you talking about…..?”

SYDNEY:
“Jarod said in his simulation… that It should have been me who should have died… maybe I did…”

* When Sydney was trying to think, the ghost of Jacob stood right in front of him!

JACOB:
“Yes, we remember now… you have suppressed it, you have denied it, Sydney… open your eyes… accept the truth!”

Memories – June 15th, 1967:
His mind raced at lightning speed … He remembered back to car accident….yes his mind is becoming clearer… why did he block it out… seconds slowed down… he again was driving in that car… no, he was the passenger … Jacob was lying hurt on the ground, no.. it was Sydney!

JACOB:
Sydney!

SYDNEY:
“Jacob!”

JACOB:
“Sydney you are bleeding, I got you into this mess. You are hurt because of  me.”

SYDNEY:
No, Jacob … It is me who should have listened to you. I worked with Dr. Raines with full confidence in his work and integrity, now, (cough), it is too late.

JACOB:
No Sydney, we can change it …

SYDNEY:
No, I am dying Jacob, and if you go back you will only be killed.

JACOB:
If Jacob goes back he will be killed…

* A strange understanding came into Sydney’s eyes …

SYDNEY:
“Look in my personal files, the password is our mother’s middle name ….  Jacob … become me! And swear on your life, you will protect Jarod and the children, at all costs, swear to me! You must forget about any Projects that I did not know about. You were right Jacob; save the children swear to me on your life!”

JACOB:
I swear … Sydney…

SYDNEY:
No, from now on … You are Sydney … and now I am … Jacob!

JACOB:
Sydney, uh…. Jacob wake up, wake up, NOOOOOOOOO!

* His head was now clear

JACOB
“What am I talking about, RAINES? … I am JACOB! And I remember everything … Jarod, Kyle, Timmy and what you did to his family! I should have killed you when I had the chance but I only hit your oxygen tank! “

MR RAINES:
“So … Jacob, it was you! You are even more dangerous than I ever expected. It is too late, Jarod is dead, his DNA is decoded, and we have experimented enough to create 100 controlled pretenders!”

JACOB:
“That was what this was all about “Controlled Pretenders” You bastard. ..
I will not miss this time”

* A GUN SHOT ECHOS through the air. Smoke rises from a gun...Mr. Raines has a strange look on his face, but it was not he, who fell to the ground,  It was JACOB

MR LYLE:
Sorry Sydney, or should I say Jacob. Dad needs to live … we still have work to do.

SUB-LEVEL B (THE LAB)

7:32 am Miss Parker comes into the lab and sees Major Charles shot bleeding against the wall. She looks and runs towards Ethan

MISS PARKER:
“Ethan, what happened!”

ETHAN:
“Miss Parker! Look out!”

* Miss Parker turns to look and that was the moment Mr. Cox lunges at her knocking her gun out of her hands. One strong hit to the jaw and she fell against the wall. It felt like she just jumped off a moving train!

MR COX:
“You are in perfect timing Miss Parker. Just in time to know why you have been kept at the Centre for so long. We have taken the DNA of Jarod, Ethan, Margret, Emily, and the only thing else that we needed was … yours!”

* MISS PARKER was rustled to the ground. Mr. Cox was just about to give her a shot containing a high dose sedative

MR COX:
“We just need your DNA Miss Parker, nothing personal, you are just going to be the mother of the new Parker Family… what did you father say… the legacy starts with you!!!”

* Just as MR COX was going to inject Miss Parker, something shot right through the glass bottle in his hand. Mr. Cox felt a slight pain in the center of his forehead. He eyes rolled up and he collapse. The smoking gun of Miss Parkers was in the hands of Major Charles. He spoke his last words…

MAJOR CHARLES:
“Miss Parker … please … save my sons!”

* Major Charles eyes fell to the ground into a glaze of infinity, Miss Parker froze in disbelief. She looks at Ethan and sees him trembling. He called out her name in a low monotone voice …

ETHAN:
“Miss Parker … Come over here!”

* Miss parker runs to help Ethan …

MISS PARKER
“I’m here Ethan…”

* Ethan grabbed her and pulled her close and thought to her….  Everything started to blur … Miss Parker felt as if her mind was opened like the lid off a coffee can. She had never felt the flow of information coming directly into her brain before! The Centre, the location, the safe house, the memories of mom, the powers in the family, it was over whelming. She wants to push him away but was frozen locked in each other’s thoughts. He thought Jarod, where he was, how to get him out the exact blue prints of this station that Ethan has been  studying the last few weeks, even the bomb in the top floor, what Raines was doing, and how he did it. When their minds broke, it was like the breaking of a fever… a jolt, SHE KNEW WHAT HE KNEW…

ETHAN:
”Now, go save Jarod!”

MISS PARKER:
“Ethan, I understand the voices and all the knowledge that you know. I see how you see mom. Ethan, I know … that you know that you are not coming out of her alive… Like our mother… Ethan... No!”

ETHAN:
“I will be with you, just like mother is … now go …. GO!”

* She was again hit with such a strong force of mental power, she knew what she had to do, where to go, It seemed like she could feel Ethan’s energy transferred to her and she ran up to Sub-level A

SUB-LEVEL A - (FROZEN STORAGE)

7:39 am She opened the room it was 10 by 12 freezers with water drop pool. The half frozen Jarod barely conscience crawled to the door, his hands, and feet numb he could not even stand. Miss parker rubbed his hands and feet

MISS PARKER:
“Jarod! We have to get out of here, there is a bomb ready to explode, and a helicopter is here. Sydney should be there waiting … NOW MOVE MISTER!”

* She grabbed Jarod and helps him up the stairs to level 3

SUB-LEVEL C (UNDER WATER ACCESS)

* Alex just finished setting the explosives ... and starts to analyze Mr. Parker

MR PARKER:
“Almost done, blow this rig and destroy the scrolls and we can live a normal life again…”

ALEX:
”Why didn’t you destroy the scrolls when you had the chance?”

MR. PARKER:
“Damn scrolls are cursed, self-sacrifice or innocent blood or something like that. I tried, but I could not throw the damn things away. I will find a way though….”

ALEX:
“You have no idea, do you … you are hooked! You are trying to repeat the cycle again … starting with family murder”

MR. PARKER:
”What do you mean?”

ALEX:
“Jarod, Sydney, Ethan, your brother Mr. Raines, your nephew Mr. Lyle and even your, hmm, daughter, Miss Parker … they are all aboard! You can start it all up again by family murder and then live with your new life and your little son!”

MR. PARKER:
“You bastard, I did not know they were on here!”

ALEX:
“That’s the trouble with being a genius… you can figure out just about anything…”

MR. PARKER:
“We had a deal … I saved you from the Triumvirate and gave you your life back!”

ALEX:
”Yea that … haven’t you ever heard what a pretender can do? ... We can become whatever we want and go anywhere. Why should I ever need you? I have read all about the scrolls. You are vulnerable now... The Scrolls can be taken...and if you don’t renew the curse, you will die... and now It is too late to save your family! But As for me? I am ready to become the new family of the Scrolls... it’s my turn to rule... I have the sub, the Scrolls, the downloaded information and all the knowledge of the Centre. Everything I need to create my own family of pretenders, hell, I already created family murder, what’s a few more for me?”

MR. PARKER:
“You bastard!”

ALEX
“Only one of us is getting out of here alive! It is time for a new lion to roar”

MR. PARKER:
“ I … Don’t … think … SO…!”

* A strange look, like a mad dog, came over Mr. Parker Eyes as he lunged towards Alex

LEVEL – 2 (CONTROL ROOM)

MR. LYLE
“It was sure nice of Sydney, I mean Jacob to bring us the helicopter, I am sure Mr. Cox has taken care of Major Charles and Miss Parker by now … “

MR RAINES:
“Unwire the explosive; we have another target for that.  That’s my boy making such great explosives!”

* Miss Parker and Jarod enter the room… Mr. Lyle points a gun at her, and she pointing a gun at him.

MR LYLE
“Hmm, where have I seen this before …Tell me … do you have it in you? Sorry sis, this time I won’t pretend to die!”

MISS PARKER
“Oh, Lyle, you will not have to pretend …”

* Both were waiting for the other to flinch when they heard Jacob in a low voice

JACOB
“I promised you Sydney, on my life, that I would protect the children …

* Jacob had the detonator in his hand. He looked over to Jarod and Miss parker and used everyounce of energy he had left to yell to them …

JACOB
Jarod, Miss Parker … RUN!

* They turned to see Jacob clutching the detonator, and pressing the button. A 20 second countdown started. … Just then, a second bullet hit Jacob fired by Mr. Raines.  Miss Parker fired a shot back and hit Mr. Raines in the arm. Mr. Lyle knew time was short and a gun fight would not help so he dashed toward the emergency exit. Jarod grabbed Miss Parker and pulled her toward the back door to climb to the upper deck

MR RAINES:
“Lyle, help me”

* There was an emergency exit and Lyle was frantically punching in the code

MR. LYLE:
“You know the Parker way, survival of the fittest, weakness is not acceptable, you taught me that, ruthless decisions. Sorry dad, you are on your own…”

MR RAINES
“I am the only one who has the access code, the wrong code will detonate!”

MR LYLE:
“Damn”

LEVEL – 3 (UPPER DECK)

JAROD:
“We need to break open that hatch to get to the upper deck…. We have to jump!”

SUB-LEVEL C (UNDER WATER ACCESS)

* Mr. Parker and Alex each have their hands on the other throat….

ALEX:
“Only one of us is getting out of here… I know where you hid the scrolls”

MR. PARKER
“You will never get them”

ALEX:
“Survival of the fittest”

MR PARKER
“Survival of the fittest”

* Both men tightened their grip around the others neck… tighter, tighter All of a sudden we hear the crack of a neck,

THE VICTOR SAID:
”You are a pathetic bastard thinking, you could ever over power me! I am free I just need to grab the scrolls .. and I know exactly what to do with them…

* He walks slowly towards the exit, checking to make surse he has everything he needed completely unaware that the countdown had already begun.

LEVEL 3 (UPPER DECK)

* Jarod was counting the seconds in his head. He grabs Miss Parker and throws her over the side, down to the only path that she could possible survive. A 100 ft. drop into the ocean …as she flies over the edge of the upper deck the last thing he heard was:

MISS PARKER:
“JAROD, I CAN’T SWIM MMMMM!!!”

LEVEL 2 (CONTROL ROOM)

LYLE:
“Come on Dad, there is no time”

* Lyle & Raines moved to the emergency escape pod...,

MR. LYLE:
“We are not going to make it!”

MR RAINES:
“Lyle, Enter 6665”

* He enters the code; beep, beep, beep...

* Jarod quickly steps up to jump right after Miss Parker, He went as fast as he could but time slows down with each step he takes …There was just not enough time to think and no time to save himself from the EXPLOSION

… Just as he started to climb the rail … the force hit …The force hurled him 50 feet further then he expected Miss Parker just hit the water as it exploded

Jarod could feel the fire burning his back just pushing him. All he could do was to wait to hit the water and find Miss Parker … the heat brought him back to a memory

Jarod’s memory He remembered a simulation he did at the Centre

Trapped in a burning space ship … “I’m burning …. I Burning!”

The only good thing he could think of was for a brief second, after being frozen all night, the heat felt pleasent…. This illusion lasted for only a second before the searing pain touch his body