The Name's Oliver - Ben Oliver. Ch. 159: Duty vs Ethics, Pt. II

[Schipperke]

The Long Road Back, Part VI

Diary Entry

As Sister Mercy had said, the Sanatorium offered many recreational facilities and services designed to pamper and comfort the guests while encouraging a healthy lifestyle.  I decided to sample the "fountain of youth" that Caroline had been so enthusiastic about.



I didn't know if I felt any younger, but there was no doubt that the waters made a person feel good, and I made a mental note to add "drink water" to my daily schedule.  Walking around the corner, I met another guest.  She told me her name was Adele Appleton.



Like Caroline, she had been coming to the Sanatorium regularly for a number of years.  "But it isn't like it used to be," she said sadly.  "The old Sanatorium didn't have all the fancy frills that it has now, but it had such a friendly atmosphere - it always felt like coming home.  Then the people that owned it went broke and had to sell.  The new owners, whoever they are, modernized the place and made it much fancier.  But it just doesn't seem as welcoming any more.  A lot of the old gang stopped coming - there's just me and Caroline left."



I wondered why she continued to come, if she was unhappy with the changes.

"Like Caroline, I'm alone in the world," she said.  "My husband left me for a younger woman and my children are all grown up and living in different towns.  I have money from the divorce settlement, and coming here is the one thing I used to look forward to.  Well, I still do, I guess, but it isn't the same.  Still, as Caroline said, at least this year the scenery has improved.  By which, I think she means you, Ronnie and Elvis."  She laughed.  "Caroline is kind of our enfant terrible, in case you hadn't noticed.  She loves to scandalize people.  She gets away with it by pretending to be a bit daft, but don't let that scatty act fool you.  She's sharp as a tack.



"And now," she said, "I do believe it's time for my mud bath.  See you around!"  And with a cheery wave, she was gone.

Now I had heard two totally different opinions about Caroline.  I idly wondered which view was correct, if either.  But I had no time to worry about Caroline.  I had more important things to do.  I changed into my swimsuit and went in search of the one guest I hadn't yet talked to, the beautiful Scarlett.  I wondered what would lead a glamorous and lovely young woman like her to spend time in a Sanatorium.



"My agent recommended it," she said.  "I'm an entertainer, and it's so hard trying to keep my weight down!  The camera always adds pounds, you know."

I told her I couldn't see any reason for her to lose weight - any man who didn't appreciate voluptuous curves wasn't worth worrying about!

She laughed.  "You're sweet, Ben, but I really do have to lose those 10 pounds.  And until I do, it's autumn salad for me, I'm afraid."

I was hoping she'd join me in the pool, but she said, "Sorry, Ben, I have a previous engagement."

Previous engagement?

 



Oh.  Elvis had got there first.  Of course.

I left Elvis and Scarlett to their conversation, Adele to her mud bath, and made my way down to the swimming pool.

[Magz from Oz]

Hmm... now Caroline intrigues me.  A wonderful update Schipp.  Keep the mysteries rolling in. 

[ladybug53]

Looks like Ben has tough competition there . Don't worry , you'll do just fine . Great update ! 

[Swirl-Girl]

Nothing will deter him. Except personality potions. Those aren't good, as we all know.

[Seabody]

Those aren't good, [...]

Exactly.

Good luck on courting Scarlett, Ben!

[Schipperke]

The Long Road Back, Part VII

Diary Entry

And so the days passed.  Lazy, leisurely days spent having treatments, visiting with the other patients, and playing in the sun.  I could feel my strength of body and mind returning.  With not much else to think about, I came to know the habits of the Sanatorium residents and staff.  Ronnie seemed an uncomplicated, easy-going sort of fellow.  He did the cooking (I suspected that one reason we lived on autumn salad was that he didn't know how to prepare anything else), did massages, and gave pool lessons.



When he had a free moment, he liked to shoot hoops.



And when he was finally tired, he could usually be seen relaxing with the latest comic book.



Sister Mercy was altogether a more enigmatic figure.  She was in charge of the Sanatorium and seemed to spend most of her time on the computer or talking on the telephone. 



I would sometimes see her sitting alone in the kitchen with her coffee, after everyone else had finished breakfast.



Scarlett and Adele took up juice-pong.  Neither one was very good at it, but they didn't seem to care - they were having fun.



Caroline waylaid me by the pool one day.  "I know who you are," she whispered.



Of course she knew who I was, I pointed out - we had met several days ago.  For the first time, I wondered if Sister Mercy was right about Caroline being a bit senile.

"No, no!" she said impatiently, "I mean I know who you really are - you're Ben Oliver, the secret agent.  I'm right, aren't I?"

Well, I didn't advertise it, but it wasn't a big secret either.  I wondered how she had found out.

"I listen at keyholes," she said unabashedly.  "I overheard your name mentioned and someone - I couldn't tell who - said it was a great coup getting you here.  Why would it be a coup, Ben Oliver?"

Why indeed.  I couldn't think of any reason, and gently suggested that perhaps she had heard wrong.  Or imagined it, I thought, but didn't say so.



She shook her head stubbornly.  "I know what I know, Ben Oliver.  And I know that something's going on here.  Something nefarious.  Something for a secret agent to look into.  Is that why you're here?  Are you on a secret assignment?  Can I be your assistant?  Please?  I always wanted to be a spy when I was younger.  Oh, how exciting!"

I didn't have any idea what to make of all this.  It sounded to me that she was bored and imagining mysterious goings-on in the old Sanatorium.  I had come here for a rest, not to get involved in a geriatric wannabe-spy's conspiracy theories.  Hoping to distract her, I suggested a swim.

"Last one in's a rubber duckie," she exclaimed, diving in and splashing water on me.



After the swim, Caroline went back to the painting she was working on.



I finally got to spend some time with sweet Scarlett as Elvis practiced his chords.



A special entertainment was laid on for that evening.  A formal dinner, followed by dancing under the stars.  And wonder of wonders, no autumn salad.  The vegetarian grilled salmon was a welcome change.  Caroline made a big production of pretending to be unable to swallow real food, but her meal disappeared as fast as everyone else's.



Elvis and Scarlett disappeared as soon as the meal was over.  I saw them dancing together in the dark on the lawn and felt a brief pang of envy.



But I didn't have time to feel sorry for myself.  Caroline was in the mood for dancing.



Ronnie and Adele seemed to be having a good time too.  The only person who didn't join in the dancing was Sister Mercy, probably because she had no partner to dance with.  She came to stand on the steps and watch the proceedings, then went back inside.



For some reason, I was unusually tired that evening.  I stumbled up the stairs, barely reaching my bed before falling asleep.  Some time later I awoke to find that I was not in my bed..

[Magz from Oz]

Not in your own bed Ben?  Surely that's a normal feeling for you?     But this is indeed a strange place to be out of one's own bed and what did they put in that vegetarian grilled salmon?  Great writing as usual Schipp.  I'm up at all hours just to catch your update and it was so worth it!

[Louise56]

It is so awesome to see Elvis in your story! Can't wait fo find out what happens next.

[ladybug53]

Something is brewing in that sanatorium  . I wonder how this happened that Ben found himself in an other bed . Oh...the mystery ! This chapter is so good . Start spying Ben , I really must know the goings on . Awesome update ! 

[RainBeau]

Oh no! I have my suspicions but once again I will keep them to myself to maintain the mystery.

[Swirl-Girl]

Well, he could sure use an assistant now. I'm sweet on Caroline. I know it.

[Seabody]

I too have my suspicions - that's probably the first time I've said that.

[Schipperke]

The Long Road Back, Part VIII

Diary Entry

Why was I not in my bed?  And where was I?  I extricated myself from the contraption I was lying on.



I warily looked around at my surroundings.



The floor* appeared very uneven and I was afraid of falling on it.  I tried a tentative step forward and found I could walk on the floor, although looking at it made me dizzy.

I saw a door across the room.  Walking gingerly, not looking down, I made my way over to it.  It was locked.



So I was in the locked room that supposedly contained medical supplies.  But who had brought me here and why?  I looked around.  Grinning skulls on the wall.  A vicious-looking saw.  Another skull on the table.  Unlabelled bottles containing unknown liquids.  And off to one side, an enormous gas container.  Somehow, I doubted that the gas in that container was meant for powering lawnmowers or cars. Some sort of truth serum, to make the prisoner talk?  Or maybe a hypnotic drug, to lower a prisoner's resistance to whatever someone wanted them to do.



Suddenly a loud, eerie laugh burst from the overhead speakers. 



A distorted, mechanically altered voice began to speak.  "I see you're awake.  Good."

"Who are you?!"  I shouted.  "What do you want from me?  Show yourself!"

The voice made a cackling sort of laugh.  "You want to see my face?  Look in the mirror."

I made my way over to the mirror.  As I stood in front of it, the mirror's surface turned smoky and a hideous face began to appear in the smoke.



"I have a job for you to do," the voice said.  "A little project I require your help with."

"I'm not doing any 'project' for someone who hides behind a mechanical voice and a trick mirror!" I shouted.

"Oh, you will." the voice sounded confident.  "It won't take long.  Soon you'll be begging to be one of my little helpers."

The light suddenly changed.



I don't know how long it went on.  Loud, discordant noises from the loudspeakers, sudden colour changes, and that strange, disorienting room.**







Hours, perhaps days, of loud, screeching noise alternating with the taunting voice.  The glaring coloured lights.  Sleep deprivation.  Hunger.  Dehydration.  I couldn't stand it any longer.  I would do anything to end it.  I pulled out my pocket screwdriver and headed for one of the speakers.



Suddenly the noise stopped.  "Do you wish to electrocute yourself?" the voice asked.  It seemed to me the voice had suddenly become gentler, compassionate.  I listened as it continued, "You might be able to disable one of the speakers, but look around you - how long would it take you to disable them all?  Even if you managed to avoid electrocution, you don't have the strength to take them all down." 

It was true.  I hung my head, acknowledging my defeat.



"Look in the mirror," the voice said.  I did.  The face in the mirror now seemed to be smiling at me.



"Poor Ben," the voice said.  "You can't take much more of this, and why should you?  You're hungry, tired, sick.  I can help you.  Look at the round disk over there.  Just go over and take a close look at it."

I was now totally obedient to the voice.  I walked over and stared at the disk.



The disk began to spin.  The voice took on a different tone, low, gentle, soothing.  "You are so tired." it said.  "You long for release.  Allow yourself to relax.  You are going deeper, deeper."



I stood entranced as the voice instructed me in what I was to do, concluding: "Tomorrow afternoon at 3 o'clock you will go to the military base.  You will make an excuse to the officer in charge and you will gain access to the records.  You will copy the list and bring it back here.  Now, tell me, what are you going to do?"

I repeated everything the voice had told me.



"That's good, Ben." the voice said.  "Very good.  Now, you will sleep deeply.  When you awake you will remember none of this.  But at 3 o'clock you will carry out your instructions.  Sleep now."

I slept. 

Diary Entry Ends.

*The floor is a recoloured version of Grimsoul's Herringbone Pattern.  I knew the first time I saw that pattern I would be using it.  It's the most three-dimensional pattern I've ever seen, and I think it's just perfect here!

** The chevron pattern on the wall is a combination of a stripe in the game plus an opposite-direction stripe created by Chuckles at my request, specifically for this scene.  Chuckles' stripe can be found here.  Thanks again, Chuckles!

[Louise56]

Oh my goodness! Ben is in a pickle now. That room will make anyone's head spin, really awesome! Who on earth is the mysterious voice? Fantastic update!

[Trip]

I didn't quite see the effect of the 3D floors until the last shot, but those are so cool.

I should be on the edge of my seat for Ben, but instead, I'm just focusing on that room. The tortuous, psychedelic effect was awesome!