23
Thursday, April 26, 1792 – 1:01 p.m.
Fairhurst Castle, England
Mack stood frozen, staring at the lab, a cool breeze blowing in on him from the tunnel behind. The soothing sounds of liquids bubbling, burners burning and liquids dribbling through tubes and coils filled the void where silence would normally have filled this empty room. Turning to look behind him, Mack was at a total loss as to why the door to the tunnel had been left open. He knew he had shut it when he’d returned from his mushroom collection earlier. Had someone discovered his secret hiding place? If they had, they would have had to be from this time since no one in the 21st century other than himself could travel through time. Mack quietly removed his backpack setting it on the floor and then slowly looked around the room. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a krypton-bulb flashlight and having turned it on he shone it down the long dark corridor. Turning back around he walked cautiously toward a stack of crates near the tunnel entrance. Mack kept a sharp eye open for any movement or sound. Upon reaching the crates, he stopped and listened. Slowly turning his head, he began walking the perimeter of the room looking and listening, his eyes and ears straining for any unusual sound or movement. Having completed the circuit of the room, Mack reached his starting point. Deciding to play it safe, he walked several hundred feet into the tunnel looking for any signs of an intruder who might be hiding there or who might have come through this way. Finding nothing, Mack returned to the lab and shut the huge door. A slow, low, rumble added to the sounds of the lab as the door thumped shut and the seal was reestablished.
Satisfied that no one was there, Mack picked up his backpack and set it on a lab bench. Unzipping it, he reached inside and carefully removed a large jar of salt water that he had collected on the bow of the SS Marine Sulphur Queen. Time travel made collection so much easier. Since he was not hindered by time itself, Mack could travel anywhere he needed to go and still come back to the lab at the exact same time he left thus picking up where he’d left off with no ill effects to his experiment. Picking up the jar, Mack carried it over to another bench where the container of Egyptian brains was sitting. He also pulled a jar of powdered Psilocybin mushrooms from the shelf that he’d dried and crushed earlier. Putting on his lab coat and donning a pair of rubber latex gloves, Mack set out to prepare another dose of his soon-to-be famous cocktail.
First, he removed some brain tissue from the container. Then, by going through a somewhat lengthy process, Mack extracted several samples of DNA. This would be used to enhance the intended effect on those unfortunate enough to receive his delicious cocktail. Since the intelligence level of the Egyptians had been like no other, using DNA from someone in that period enabled his drug to interact with the DNA of his intended victims more efficiently. Through a process that Mack had himself invented, various DNA constituents were able to search out and insert themselves into the DNA structure of his victims thus overriding and controlling selected parts of their brains. His specific target was the occipito-temporo-parietal junction in the gray cortex at the back of the brain where the highest level of processing of perceptual information occurs. Although the deep white matter of the frontal lobes which transmit the neurotransmitter dopamine from the middle part of the brain to the higher parts of the brain was also involved, Mack had developed a method to target the junction in the gray cortex because of its’ greater effect and quicker method of delivery. His drug, with its’ DNA structure, was also designed to target and interrupt the REM sleep of his victims. Most of that activity took place in the pons that is part of the brainstem wherein other neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, noradrenaline and serotonin are produced. These neurotransmitters are responsible for turning the REM sleep on and off. In the medical field, this is known as the reciprocal interaction/activation-synthesis model.
Secondly, Mack took several milligrams of Psilocybin mushroom powder and mixed it with the salt water that had been collected from the Bermuda Triangle. The mushrooms would be used to cause extreme hallucinogenic effects in the minds of his victims. By adding this powder to the mix of extracted DNA, the tryptamine levels in the brains of the victims would skyrocket. By using the DNA as carriers, the Psilocybin mushrooms’ effect would be greatly enhanced and potentially overwhelming if not life threatening. Mack had also designed a way to time-release these chemicals so that each hallucinogenic episode would build on the one previous. Thus, over a period of hours or days, the visions would become so powerful and so real that one would essentially go crazy. The addition of the salt water from the Atlantic Ocean at the time specified in 1963 also added to the desired results. Because of the magnetic phenomena that affected that part of the Atlantic Ocean known as the Bermuda Triangle and because of the unique properties that were present in the water there, Mack had discovered that adding this water to his mixture was the catalyst that allowed his drug to break through the barrier of sanity. It also had the uncanny ability to affect the mind, something very different from the brain. To get into the mind was something scientists had tried to do for years but without success. Mack reasoned that once the mind was penetrated, no amount of medicine, whether psychological or physiological could bring the person back from the precipice of insanity.
Therefore, by thus interrupting the REM functions, by inserting specialized DNA constituents into the visual and dream-related areas of the brains of his victims, by enhancing the hallucinogenic effects of the occipito-temporo-parietal junction and by magnetizing and penetrating the deepest recesses of the brain, Mack would be able to force his victims to scare themselves to death, literally.
Mack removed his coat and laid it on a chair. His muscular upper body rippled as he moved here and there mixing, measuring, heating and extracting all the various elements needed for his cocktail. Besides the three main ingredients of DNA, mushrooms and specialized salt water, Mack added other chemicals to the mix which gave his drug its’ unique properties. Once prepared, Mack removed several sterile vials from his bag and began to fill them with the clear liquid. Capping them off and re-sterilizing them, Mack placed them back in his bag wherein he could transport them back to his time and begin testing them. Mack packed up the necessary items he needed, walked back to the corner of the lab next to the tunnel and prepared to depart in his Bubble Chamber.
***
Ailsa sat dumb-founded behind the stack of crates in Mack’s lab. Her legs were cramping and her back ached. She’d been watching Mack work for over two hours as he scurried throughout the lab doing strange things and using strange tools that she had never seen before. She had no idea what many of these items were, although she surmised they must be some kind of scientific apparatus. Since she was hiding, she couldn’t always make out what Mack was doing, but she could see enough to understand how focused he was on this project. Watching him carry several items over to the corner by the tunnel, Ailsa was unsure of what he was going to do. Intrigued by this man, she wondered what he was doing. Keeping her eye pressed against the crack between the crates, Ailsa was able to see him in the corner. As she watched, she saw him reach down and fiddle with something on his belt. Instantly and without any sound or disturbance of his surroundings, Mack’s body became engulfed inside a giant bubble within a just a few seconds. A beautiful red glow filled the room as the bubble shimmered in the corner. Ailsa continued watching and the bubble began to change colors. It went from a red to yellow, then changed to green that faded into blue and then finally a gorgeous violet. Upon reaching the color violet, it blinked out of existence and was gone. Ailsa sat frozen for a few seconds before moving. She couldn’t believe what she had seen. Was she dreaming? Was this another hallucination? Was she dead?
Looking around, Ailsa determined that she was not dead and could not be dreaming or hallucinating. She did need to get out of here though. Scrunching her back up against the wall and pushing upwards, Ailsa half-slid half-scooted up the wall. A slight grimace spread across her face as she attempted to ignore the pain in her joints and limbs and stretched out her aching body. Upon reaching a standing position, Ailsa put her arms over her head and gave one, long stretch of her feminine frame. Leaning forward, Ailsa put her hands on top of the crate and stretched out her back. In so doing, her right foot slipped behind her kicking the stone wall. Upon kicking the stone wall, unknown to Ailsa, she had also released a lever hidden in the stones near the floor thus opening a doorway different than the first one through which she’d come. The sudden sound of stone on stone and the low rumble of the door moving outward caused Ailsa to jump straight into the air. One might have surmised that she’d been goosed because she jumped so quickly and so high. Backing up against the crate, she stood wide-eyed as the door opened. Dust and dirt fell from the wall as the door broke the seal in which it had been for who knows how many years. A spider web had been built across the doorway and as it opened, it began to stretch until it reached a point where it had no more elasticity and broke. The spider that was riding this web sailed back into the room hanging on the broken end of his web. Quickly, he scurried up the wall and crouched in the crack between the wall and ceiling staring down at Ailsa as if to condemn her for destroying its’ home.
Staring into the darkness, Ailsa could make out what appeared to be a wall perhaps 15 or 20 feet past the open door. The bright lights shining inside the lab cast beams of light through the doorway and into the blackness. The illumination faded quickly as if swallowed up by the darkness. Curious and wanting to get out quickly before the man returned, Ailsa decided to use this tunnel as an escape route. She prayed to god that it led to an exit somewhere within or near her home.
Reaching into the pocket of her dress, Ailsa removed another candle. She was about to light it when an idea struck her. Turning around she quickly scanned the room. In the far corner on a bench lay an instrument like the one the man had used in the tunnel. It was some kind of device that encased and controlled the flow of light. Ailsa had no idea how it worked, but she knew it would be better than her flickering candle. Running across the room and stepping over the broken glass that the man had not cleaned up, Ailsa picked up the device. Turning it over in her hands, she noticed a small button on the side. Pushing on it, a bright beam of light broke free of its’ encasement and spilled into the room. Moving it back and forth, Ailsa was disappointed that she could not see where the light hit the wall. Shining it toward the tunnel, the light appeared. Shining it back on the wall of the lab, she could not see it. Realizing that the light in the lab was too bright to allow her to see this light, she ran back over to the tunnel and shone the light into it. As she had thought, the light now lit up the corridor illuminating the wall that was directly in front of her. The tunnel didn’t end there. Ailsa could see that another tunnel connected to this one at a ninety degree. As to where it led, Ailsa had no idea, but she was going to find out.
Walking cautiously through the entrance, Ailsa reached the corner, turned and shone her light down the long corridor. The beam reached so far and then was consumed by darkness. Ailsa could not tell how far this tunnel went or where. She began walking. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her adrenaline level was high. Ailsa noticed that this tunnel had the same damp smell of stale air and puddles of moisture here and there just like the other tunnel had. Slippery areas were also present and Ailsa had to step carefully to avoid slipping.
Ailsa walked another 50 feet when she came to an intersection. The tunnel continued straight ahead as well as going to the right. Stopping, Ailsa found herself in a quandary as to which way she should go. Calculating in her head her approximate position underground with that of her property overhead, she guessed that turning right would get her closer to the castle and hopefully to freedom. Turning, Ailsa began to walk, slowly but determinedly. Every few steps she stopped and shone the flashlight behind her checking for anyone or anything that might be following her. The cool breeze in the tunnel and the strong odor assaulting her nose added a heightened sense of awareness to her state of anxiety and fear. Her flashlight beam continually tried to break free of the dark restraints put upon it by the surrounding gloom, but to no avail. Ailsa’s boots echoed noisily in the empty tunnel as she slowly walked along, looking up, down and around her every few seconds.
Walking a bit farther, Ailsa’s flashlight beam illuminated something up ahead. It appeared to be another opening minus a door. Drawing closer, Ailsa could see that the opening led into a room. Stepping down two steps into the room, Ailsa noted that it was approximately ten feet wide by ten feet deep. It did not appear to have any specific function other than connecting this tunnel with another smaller opening approximately eight feet off the floor on the left side. A small ladder mounted securely to the wall gave access to this opening. The room was constructed of stone just as the rest of this underground labyrinth was. The ceiling was arched in the same fashion as the tunnels to prevent it from caving in. Slowly examining the room, moving her flashlight from one end to the other, Ailsa saw no other exit other than the one on the wall. Bewildered, but bold, Ailsa was determined to reach the end of this maze and get out. Her fear was clawing at the inside of her body like some savage beast trying to escape its’ prison, but she continued to quell its’ yearnings by refocusing on her escape. Ailsa stepped down the two steps, walked across the room and climbed the ladder. Reaching the top, Ailsa was still some two feet short of the ceiling. Repositioning the flashlight in her hand, she shone it down the opening in front of her. This opening was only about three feet in diameter and perfectly round. It extended some 20 feet ahead of her whereupon it opened into another corridor or room. A light of some type could be seen through the haze of dust and gloom at the opposite end. Maybe this was an exit, Ailsa thought. With a renewed sense of hope, Ailsa pulled herself up. Grabbing the edge of a stone Ailsa pulled her body upward while at the same time maneuvering her right leg into the entrance of the round opening. The sudden tickling of tiny feet on her left leg withdrew a shriek from Ailsa’s throat and she violently shook her leg. Whatever it was, it was holding onto her stocking attempting to climb further. Reaching back with her left hand, Ailsa began to hit her leg where the intruder was clinging. A high-pitched squeal echoed off the walls of the room as a rat dropped from her leg and landed with a muffled thud on the floor. Ailsa could hear it scurrying across the stone floor and listened as it faded away into some small crevice between the stones.
Ailsa’s nerves rested on the edge of a razor sharp precipice and were at the point of snapping. Her heart was pounding in her chest to such an extent that she could feel the vibration on her rib cage. Drops of perspiration dripped from her head and hands as she continually dried them on her dress. Quickly pulling her left leg into the tunnel before something else grabbed it, Ailsa began to scurry through this short connecting tube. Every little sound she made was amplified to the point where it would echo off the walls in the room behind her as well as off the opening ahead. In a state of panic, Ailsa moved quickly to the end of the tunnel keeping herself focused on the increasing brightness of the light that she could now see more clearly emanating from somewhere overhead. Reaching the end of the short tube, Ailsa stopped, stuck her head through the opening and looked down. Repositioning the flashlight, she shone it down into this new shaft. A drop of about 20 feet greeted her. Twisting her head sideways, she was able to look up the shaft. Shining the light in that direction, Ailsa was surprised to see a drain no more than ten feet overhead. Perplexed as to where this drain was in relationship to her present location, Ailsa mentally rummaged through her mind trying to place where she’d seen a drain before. Finding her answer behind some old pictures of other buildings in town, Ailsa’s mind snatched up a copy of where this drain might be. She vaguely remembered walking through the bailey of the castle and seeing one or two drains in various locations. She’d never really paid much attention to them, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that they were there. Obviously, she was beneath her own home.
The problem now facing Ailsa was how to get out. Below her was a ladder affixed to the wall that led to the bottom of this shaft and then disappeared in three different directions; one to each side and one straight ahead. Above her, there was no ladder. A couple of rusted metal supports stuck out from the stone wall, but the ladder that once hung there had long ago rusted away. Ailsa sat there on her hands and knees thinking. Looking back up, she began to yell for help. The echo of her cries continued to bounce off the walls below her and behind. After a few minutes of yelling, Ailsa stopped and waited to see if anyone was answering. She heard no sounds. All she saw was the bright blue sky of the day outside. Tiny specks of dust drifted through the beams of sunshine overhead. The beams of sunshine were, in turn, broken into a myriad tiny shafts of light as they penetrated the grate above. Yelling again, Ailsa attempted to attract someone’s attention. Again, there was no response. Ailsa decided to climb down the ladder below and see if it might lead to other drains throughout the castle bailey. Then two hands grabbed her feet from behind.
​
​
​
​