Posted by Nebo on January 03, 2001 at 15:15:01: In Reply to: FF: Merry Christmas Dr. Hellegreen posted by Nebo on January 03, 2001 at 15:12:24:
- AT TWO HOURS TO MIDNIGHT, HERE SHE IS -
The leader of U.B.R.I. looked down at Hellegreen: sitting down, the scientist was reflecting about what his Dopplegänger had said.
<< Seems like you've understood what I was trying to say to you >> he said, << now, it’s time that you understand another thing >>. He offered his hand to Hellegreen << Stand up. I have to show you something >>.
Hellegreen turned the look on him, but didn’t accept his hand and got up by himself. In that instant, the set changed: the darkness went away letting place for - a sort of jungle, it seemed, and there was sand under their feet. Coconut palms all around, mixed with other typical vegetation of Australian coral islands.
<< Wait >> Hellegreen said, realizing where they were, << this is… >>
<<…where she lives, yes. You think you know her, but you don’t; if you really knew her, you wouldn't be holding on to that ridicolous vengeance. Now come with me, let’s follow the
light >>
It was night, and it was dark all around except for the light of a fire, shining among the trees; a cold breeze came from the ocean and while passing through the vegetation it made the leaves rustle. The sound of voices and laughters came from the fire, where some guys and girls in O.R.C.A. uniform, plus a girl rag-dressed, seemed to be making a party; Hellegreen and his double arrived close to them, but none of the persons seemed to notice they’re presence.
<< All this happened the last month >> the man in the U.B.R.I. uniform said, << Tomorrow, the ocean girl will leave to migrate with her friend whale, as she does that every year, so they’re making a party before she goes >>
<< There’s my daughter among them…>> Hellegreen noticed with a little bit of resentment.
<< And she’s approaching the ocean girl >> the other said, << pay attention, this is the part which concerns you >>
Lena drew Neri aside, making them closer to the two Hellegreens.
<< It’s about my father >> she started, << since last time, he’s without a job…this is because the people who he had promised the Synchronium to, got revenge against him and prevented a lot of research institutes to appoint him >>. There was a seriously expression on her face while she was speaking; Neri and Hellegreen quietly listened to her.
<< How does she know this? >> Hellegreen asked his Doppelgänger, << I never said it to her >>
<< She is not stupid, she realized it >>
<< There is a place indeed where he could work >> Lena continued, << but…I want to ask you first >>
<< O.R.C.A.? >> Neri said.
<< Yes >>
The two girls looked at each other, then Neri broke the silence:
<< You think he’s changed? >> she said kindly.
<< Yes; two years have passed since the last time he mentioned you or the Synchronium; now he’s working desultorily writing articles for a scientific magazine, but it’s not the same for him. I see he’s sad, even if he tries to hide it to me >>
<< Then he can come to O.R.C.A. >>
<< Really? You are not joking, aren’t you? >>
<< We all have the right to have another chance; if you say he’s changed, I believe you >> Neri said; then she smiled at Lena; she pointed at the rest of her friends, and said << Now, let’s go and convince the other >>.
The leader of U.B.R.I. approached Hellegreen.
<< How do you feel swindling your daughter? How do you feel searching for revenge to some one who has forgiven so easily all you have done? >> he asked.
Hellegreen tried to defend himself << This means nothing! >> he shouted turning quickly to the leader of U.B.R.I; in the same istant, the earth under his feet started to move as it had wheels under it; Hellegreen lost his balance and fell to the ground.
- ONLY AN HOUR TO MIDNIGHT -
When he got up, he was no longer on the island: once more, the scene had changed and now he had found himself on an ancient vessel; the air was very cool, and there was no trace of Hellegreen’s double. The scientist walked along the bridge of the ship trying to guess what he had to do now, when he noticed his clothes were changed: instead of what he was wearing when he was in his flat in Sidney, now he had a black suit on him. The vessel was sailing in a sea where some ice blocks were quietly floating, and there was nothing on the horizon but sea and ice.
<< Where the hell am I now? >> Hellegreen asked himself while was trying to warming up the hands.
“On the final part of your trip, Joseph Hellegreen”. The voice echoed in his mind with the same sound of the clanging iron; Hellegreen looked around and found a dark figure behind the helm; it was wearing a long black cloak and his head was covered by a hood of the same color: this was all that Hellegreen could see of the mysterious helmsman.
“Come here, Joseph Hellegreen, there’s something you must see” the voice spoke again in Hellegreen’s mind; but he had no intention of approaching to that being, it was too scary and he was too scared himself, especially after all he had passed in the last hours, even if he didn’t realized how much time had passed.
The helmsman noticed the scared face of his guest, and “said”:
“Well, if you don’t want to come to me, I’ll come to you”. Despite the strange sound of his voice and the strange way it was heard by Hellegreen, the helmsman pronounced the words with calm.
Hellegreen was at the bow of the vessel, while the man in the cloak was at the stern; as the dark figure started moving to Hellegreen, walking with a heavy step, the scientist turned round and tried to move away; but the helmsman was already on his path, stopping him. There was no place to run away but the cold sea around the vessel, and Hellegreen preferred not to die frostbitten. At least, not before understanding what was happening to him. He gazed at the man in the cloak, waiting for something.
“I see with pleasure that you decided to listen to me. Relax you, it won’t take than a few time.”
Hellegreen found the courage and, rattling by the cold, asked:
<< What is happening here? I have seen my past, my wife and her death,…what does this all means? It’s just a nightmare, isn’t it? >>
“Your life might become a nightmare in the next future, if you don’t pay attention to what you’re going to see. This trip should prepare you for this final act where, I hope, you will understand what is the right choice to make”
<< What choice are you talking about? And why I’m in black suit now? >>
“Dark clothes are obligation for funerals ”
Hellegreen didn’t have the courage to ask whose funeral was.
* * * *
The situation was still strange for him, but now Hellegreen was less scared by the dark helmsman of the vessel, and his only problem was the cold; he was walking along the bridge, trying to warming up himself.
<< Is this place still very far? >> he asked to the helmsman.
“Why, do you have to go somewhere?” the man in the cloak asked sarcastically from behind the helm, “Don’t worry, we are about to reach the migration path of the whales, it’s more warm there”
<< Whales? >>
* * * *
As the helmsman had said, the temperature was more tolerable now; still on the bridge, Hellegreen was starting to appreciate the new climate when he saw a big squirt at the horizon.
<< There! A whale! Did you see it? >>
A little, whispered laughter came from under the helmsman’s hood.
<< What…why do you laugh? >> Hellegreen asked with a bit of fear.
“Nothing…for a while, you remembered me a child I knew…I miss him” the dark figure had now a melancholy voice while he went down from the top of the wood ladders where the helm was; despite the heavy step he reached Hellegreen at the bow of the vessel in a while.
<< So, what I have to see so much important? >>
“Use this, or you’ll miss the show”. A rawboned hand came out from the cloak, holding an ancient spyglass like the pirate’s; Hellegreen slowly took it.
<< Where I have to watch to? There’s only water here around >>
“Look under the water”
Uncertain, Hellegreen opened the old spyglass and pointed it to the blue surface: slowly, the image of fishes, whales and the rest of underwater world appeared toward his eye.
<< Incredible…I can see all under the sea surface >>
“You’re not here to admire the marine life, Joseph Hellegreen. Now point that spyglass there”
<< Still fishes…wait…she is…she’s the ocean girl! >>
The image of a beautiful woman diving with only a sort of rag dress on her, appeared on Hellegreen’s eye through the spyglass. He had already seen her swimming underwater, but now she seemed a vision.
“Now she is an “ocean woman”; she’s coming back to her island after her last migration with her friend whale. Some months ago, Jason Bates asked her to marry him, but she has postponed her decision after the migration: she’ll must renounce to a lot of things if she accepts to marry him”
<< And will she accept ? >>
“Do you care of this? I’m surprised”
<< No, I don’t care…I was just…curios. Look, she seems to be running away from something >>
“Or someone. Look at your left”
A small ice breaker was incoming from the direction indicated by the mysterious helmsman, and it was pointing at Neri; on its bridge, the was a small group of people on both of the sides, holding some nets; at the top of the bow, there was another figure. Hellegreen pointed the spyglass to it: the image of an old man appeared, an old man with glasses, his face was contracted in an expression of pure evilness. And it was furrowed by a lot of wrinkles; one of the legs was evidently a prothesis, because of the way in which the old man was standing; when he lifted a hand, Hellegreen discovered it was a prothesis too, a sort of bionic hand.
<< That is…me? How had it happened? >>
“How? Don’t you succeed in imagining it? Your vengeance, Joseph Hellegreen, you senseless revenge transformed you in that sort of “Captain Ahab”. This vengeance has been your only objective for all your life, and you lost a leg and a hand for it, without any results but to be abandoned from you daughter”
Hellegreen turned to the dark figure and glanced at him with a look which seemed to be saying: “no, not this, everything but not this”.
* * * *
Neri came out among the waves to get a breath; Then she turned round to look where her pursuers were: Hellegreen’s icebreaker was closer than before.
<< It’s useless that you try to run away, I got you! I finally have my revenge! >> the old Hellegreen shouted from the bridge of the ship, waving his bionic fist in the air; Neri sadly gazed at him, then she inhaled to dive again. But she didn’t. At her right, something big and white dragged her attention: a giant iceberg, as big as she never saw one of them, was quickly coming in their direction.
When he saw her stop, the old Hellegreen just thougth to have the win in his hands.
<< Did you choose to surrender? It doesn’t make any difference for me, I…>>
The woman had started to make strange signals to him.
<< What stupid move she’s trying to do now…?>>
She was also screaming something….
<< …out! Watch out! Look there! >>
<< “To look there”? Ah!, you should be very desperately to try such a…>>
He stopped and glanced down the sea: boats. There were red safety boats around the icebreaker, carrying away all the crew of the ship; the old Hellegreen realized and quickly turned to his right. Too late.
A giant block of ice was just a few meters from him: it violently hit the icebreaker on its right side, making it shaking and dividing it into two halfs. Neri swam away to avoid the trajectory of the iceberg, then she stopped and watched the scene with worried eyes.
As the iceberg hit the ship, the old Hellegreen felt behind overboard; with a last, desperately try, his bionic hand grabbed the edge of the bridge; but the second bump of the iceberg against the boat made him lost the catching, and he felt down in the water.
<< No! >> Neri screamed as the man touched the water; she went under the water and dived in direction of her enemy. Hellegreen was quickly going down because of the weight of his iron leg, but Neri continued in diving to him as much quick as she could.
She finally reached his trajectory and tried to catch him before he went too much deeply. He was close now, enough close…Neri streched an arm and tried to catch Hellegreen’s hand.
And it happened again.
Something white and big shined close to them: Neri turned to her right and saw again the massive block of ice going toward them; just, this time it was much much bigger.
The woman immediately turned round and started in diving away as much quick as she could, hoping to succeed in avoiding the iceberg trajectory….
Bump.
Neri heard clearly the horrible sound through her ears. She closed her eyes and continued to dive away, away, trying not to think what that sound meant.
She finally reached the surface; she stood motionless for a while, looking at the water; a little tear went out from one of her eyes, soon followed by many other, while she hit the water with her fist.
* * * *
Hellegreen was standing moveless on the bridge of the vessel; the hands lowered, holding the spyglass; the look turned to the scene he just ended to watch, the face upset.
“Did you see the most importat thing?”
<< Yes…she tried to save me…>> he whispered, still astonished.
“…while noone else had advised you of the arrival of that iceberg; that’s because they all hated you, you became a horrible person, evil and rough with everyone. Your revenge devoured you from the inside, and you never realized that you were persecuting the only person who was able to forgive you, and give you another chance to change your life.”
Hellegreen didn’t say nothing. The storm of thougths and feelings in his heart was tearing up him inside; suddenly, he was able to see a reality that has always been in front of his eyes, but that he never saw before because of his mental blindness. All his errors, the useless subterfuges with Lena, the illusion that she could come back to him as his revenge was completed; and mainly, he understood the real responsible for his problems in life.
“It seems you have learned the lesson. Now you have to make the right choice to save what remains of your life”
<< You’re wasting your time, Joey; my son’s destined to drown here as you did >>
The sarcastical voice of Hellegreen’s father came from the stern of the vessel. The man was bending on the helm of the ship.
“Wrong. Now that he has seen, he can make the right choice and save himself”
<< But, he won’t, because he’s too stupid, totally fool! >>
Hellegreen turned to his father and made some steps in direction of him; the former leader of U.B.R.I. gazed at his father with challenge.
<< Maybe I made errors in my life >> he shouted, << perhaps a lot of errors; but one thing is sure, and it’s that I’ll never end like you! I still have the time to repair what I have done, and that is what I’ll do >>
Hellegreen’s father glanced at his son silently for a while; his look turned from derisive to sad. Hellegreen had never been looked in such a way by his father.
<< Good luck, Joey >> the man whispered, << I hope you’ll do better than me >> then, he disappeared.
- 3, 2, 1... -
The night was come and the darkness had surrounded the vessel; just a little red light was shining at the horizon.
<< What is that? >> Hellegreen asked the helmsman.
“Why do you ask me? You have the spyglass, just look and you’ll know”
Hellegreen opend the spyglass again and pointed it in direction of the red light: sitting on a rock, toward a crackling fire, there was the adult Neri that he saw some minutes ago, in the scene of the iceberg. The woman was sitting with her legs crossed, and she had the eyes shut. Motionless.
<< What is she doing? >>
“That’s the way her people prey, the way they remember the deads”
It was useless to ask who she was preying for; Hellegreen continued in watching the woman through the spyglass, when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
<< Joseph >> the helmsman’s voice was talking nolonger inside his head, but now it could be heard as a normal voice. Hellegreen turned to the helmsman, and saw a bionic hand coming out from the inside of the dark figure’s cloak; the hand took off the hood from the helmsman’s head, revealing the face of an old Hellegreen with broken glasses, some cuts and sea algas on him. Hellegreen startled because of that sight: it was almost like to see himself inside the coffin.
<< Please, make the right choice >> the older Hellegreen said, << Do it for Rachel >>.
* * * *
Hellegreen woke up in the kitchen of his flat in Sidney, sitting on a chair. Has it been just a dream, or something more? Anyway, it didn’t matter so much…Hellegreen now knew what was the way to change his life and make it happy again, as it was when Rachel was alive. He looked at the clock on the wall: less than a minute to midnight, the seconds hand was quickly running to the top of the clock. Hellegreen got up, took the telephone and made Lena’s number. Now he had a gift for her too.
Merry Christmas, Dr. Hellegreen.
[The End]