Lost and Forgotten Ch. 03

"She called it unplumbed depths. I called it cock hungry." I smiled triumphantly. "I have to take a shower and finish washing up. I am starved. I was going to order room service, but her stamina is quite abundant." I shook Diana. "Food. Shower."

"MMMMM... starved... I smell like cum. Give us a hand up." Diana thrust her arm skyward.

"Ten minutes." I said as I hauled Diana to her feet. "If were not out by then send in a rescue party."

Diana while still hungry for my touch but was too sore to act upon them. We finished our shower in nine and a half minutes. I dried the unsteady Diana and plopped the towel on top of her head. Naked she staggered out where Jynx had set a change of clothes out for her.

"We're about the same size. Your other clothes are a bit dirty." Jynx said making a face.

"Thanks." Diana said as she dressed.

"Where are we going to eat?" I asked as I walked out and grabbed clean clothes. "I feel like burgers."

"Perfect." Mom agreed. "Let me get your things." She said bending over and grabbing my clothes. My phone thumped to the floor. "Oops."

"What is that?" Diana asked seeing the transparent rectangle of acrylic.

"This? It is John's phone." Mom explained and handed it to me.

"I've never seen anything like it. Who makes that? I want one." She frowned when I told her it was a prototype.

I slid my phone into the back pocket of my jeans. I had three gorgeous women to feed. Sam's Diner had quickly become a favorite of mine since arriving in Nightshade. My popularity seemed to earn me a few perks. They had a table reserved for me even at the busiest of times. I was, whether I liked it or not, becoming the next Missouri Smith. It was fame by association. It also didn't hurt that I had found his remains and now the public at large knew. I just hope the perks outweighed the negatives.

I ate a large meal and even had dessert. Sam asked for a selfie with him and his wife. How could I possibly refuse? It wasn't the last selfie I would be posing for. After our meal we walked around the town. There was an ever-growing presence of the media. On the bright side the festival was getting free publicity and a great of influx of income. I predicted that next year's festival would be bigger than ever. The shops were doing well, and I made an excuse to visit Warlock's place. He had a healthy group looking through his wares. Warlock was splendid in a black frock coat with red piping and buttons. He had dark pants with a red stripe running down the side. He was sporting steel frame glasses with ruby lenses.

"John Morgenstern, my dear friend, how the hell are you doing?" Warlock said with a dramatic flair in his voice and a grand sweeping gesture.

"Hi Warlock, how is business?" I asked and didn't miss everyone staring at me.

"Great! I saw your interview with the press. You did great for your first one. I doubt it'll be your last."

"I think you are right." I said, and the first customer approached me for a photo op. "Maybe I should open a booth."

"Be nice," mom whispered and told me to smile.

Once I ok'd the first photo the others plucked up the courage to ask. I glanced at Warlock and he just smiled and gave me a thumbs up. I spent the next half hour being the center of attention and mom just crossed her arms and smiled. I kept up a smile and endured. The first rush ended but it was far from the last. Jynx leaned in close and promised me her ass later tonight. Diana overhead and looked at Jynx as if she had lost her mind.

"Are you sure?" Diana whispered with something akin to horror in her voice.

"Absolutely, I like a little pain." Jynx said grinning. "You should try it at least once. If not for you then for John. He is worth a little discomfort."

"I've never even let my husband do that." Diana replied unsure. "Though John did touch me where no man ever has before. I think I'm ruined."

"Me too." Jynx admitted. "I swear it gets longer when he really gets into it, but that's not possible is it."

"I know." Mom and Diana agreed and broke out into laughter.

"Tomorrow." I declared. "I got all the equipment I need."

"Sorry." Diana said confused and a little alarmed when I mentioned equipment after they were talking about anal sex. "What does that have to do with anal sex?" We all laughed, and she blushed.

"I should apologize. I was thinking about climbing up and making my first attempt to get at the Flying Scotsman." I explained, and Diana looked relieved and then concern crept into her expression. "I'll be careful."

"We'll wait for you here." Mom offered. "You'll move much faster that way. We wouldn't want to slow you down."

The sun was nearly down by the time we had made our initial circuit. It was inevitable that we ran into Dworkin. He offered me a speaking position at next year's festival. I told him I would think it over. Diana grabbed my wrist and pulled. Mom and Jynx followed us and when she let go we were standing by the rope bridge. I hesitated. I remembered the heat signatures detected by the passing satellite.

"Aw come one," Diana chastised her full lips forming a humorous frown. "Not afraid of a graveyard."

"I want to see it." Jynx declared. "After all those poems. I am curious."

"Take the lead John." Mom said sensing my trepidation. "You can protect us."

"Follow me." I said in resignation. "One at a time."

I crossed first and they each took their time on the rope bridge. I gave them a tour and showed them the impossible landmarks. Mom seemed the most deeply effected by the stones. Jynx seemed a little put off and often recited a passage from the book she had purchased. The words were dark and chilling in the unrelenting way they inspired unease or in my mother's case downright fear. I split my attention between worrying about mom and listening for wildlife.

"What's wrong?" Mom asked seeing how concerned I was.

"When the satellite passed overhead," I whispered making sure Diana didn't hear. "It picked up heat plumes beneath the surface of the cemetery. There is something alive in this pillar of rock."

"I want to go." Mom shivered and clung to me.

"We've seen everything." I said and turned to leave.

"John?" A voice called out from the darkness and mom screamed. "Sorry!" Digger said stepping out from the shadows. "Forgive me."

"No problem," Mom said shaking visibly now. "You must be Digger."

"I am and well met." Digger replied. "Three? Lucky bastard."

We all laughed and fell silent when an overwhelming sense of dread permeated the air. Everyone began looking around. Animals have a natural sense of danger and humans while intellectually removed are still animals. I sniffed the air and it reeked of something ancient and decayed. It was like some prehistoric crypt had been flung wide open. Digger looked skyward and I watched the color drain from his face.

"Stupid! Stupid Digger!" He said his voice cracking. "We need to go."

"Aw fuck," I cursed when I saw there was no moon to be seen. "Everyone come over here... now." I ordered as I reached into my pocket. My fingers closed around the lighter, Missouri Smith's lighter. "What the hell?" I said as the fear evaporated. The others drew close as I pulled my hand from my pocket. Silvery light spilled out from between my fingers. The dread was like a dark cloud and it vanished as quickly as it appeared. "Let's go."

"Don't need to tell Digger twice. Ladies." He said with a gentle gesture. "I got your back."

We all crossed the bridge one after the other as quickly as we could. Stay in the light the letter had said and stupidly I had entered the damned cemetery during the dark of the moon. I had put them in danger and for what. I put the lighter away and we went straight to the Cross-Keyes Pub. The proprietor Finn Messenger greeted us and began pouring pints of beer. I bought a round of shots all around and we drank the memory of fear away.

"You look like you've seen the devil himself," Finn said as he poured my fourth shot.

"I fucked up." I admitted looking at the others. "I forgot about the moon. I took them into the cemetery while the moon was dark."

"Another round?" Finn asked.

"Yes."

"What a fucking shame," Diana said with just a hint of slurring in her speech.

"What is?" Mom asked.

"This..." Diana said pointing to the piano.

"That is more of a dust magnet these days." Finn explained. "Ever since Jacob Iverson died. He was one of my regulars and man could he play."

I took my drink and sat in front of the piano. Finn tossed a coaster at me like a frizz bee. I caught it and placed it next to the music rack and then set my drink on top of that. I lifted the fallboard and tested to see if the genetic memory covered music.

'Think of a song.' Jacen whispered.

I picked something lively that everyone knew the lyrics to. The first notes of Bohemian Rhapsody filled the air and everyone in the pub looked over. I smiled, and my mom grinned knowing that I had never taken a music lesson in my life. They drifted over to the piano as I began to sing.

"Is this the real life?" I began and they all joined in.

That song ended and soon I was taking requests. It was better than posing for photos. I never lacked for a drink and the music pulled in a crowd that filled the pub to capacity. Finn was forced to call in help, but he was all smiles until closing time. I took the cash from the tip jar and gave it to Finn. He tried to protest but mom told him it was useless.

"Come back anytime," Finn offered, and I told him I had a great time.

The walk back to the hotel was quiet but I could tell mom was bursting to ask how I played so well and knew so many songs. Jynx and Diana picked up on mom's curiosity but remained silent. I spotted the park bench and sat down. The sat next to me as I ordered my thoughts. Mom and Diana knew about Project Foreshadow but Jynx didn't. I turned to face Jynx first and addressed her.

"I was in middle school when my dad died. We were both in the car when it crashed. While he was killed I was badly injured. I spent nearly a decade using a cane to walk." I paused gauging her reaction before continuing. "I was hired to work at St. Sebastian's. Three of the students had been sneaking into a Cold War facility hidden beneath the school for a while now. One of the things they found was an advanced genetic treatment that healed me. My entire body went through a drastic change in less than a week. That is why my hair was all one length. I'm sure your mom mentioned that."

"Yeah she did. It was the strangest thing she had ever seen. So why is Meghan so freaked out?"

"Now it get's strange." I said and they all laughed at that. "The treatment I received was called Project Foreshadow. It was part of an ongoing military intelligence initiative. The genius involved was Professor Gunderson and one of the things he succeeded in was what he called genetic memory. He managed to extract language, skills, and other gifts from donors and give them to me. I haven't explored the full extent of those memories yet, but music is just one of them." I said, and they stared at me before smiling. "What?"

"That thing you did with your thumb." Diana purred. "You learned that didn't you."

"Yes." I admitted. "Seduction and love play were some of the skills I received." Diana asked about my phone and I handed it to her so she could examine it. I switched it on and she looked it over carefully.

"How the hell does it work?" She asked. "I can't see any wires or circuits, nothing."

'Nanotubes,' Jacen said via the phone's screen. 'Microscopic circuits.'

"Hello Jacen."

'Hello Diana.' Jacen greeted her and then continued. 'Welcome to the family.'

"Ooh, my fingers are tingling!" Diana exclaimed and shook one of her hands. "My hand is going numb."

"I'm sure it'll pass." I said. "It is late. I think it is time to go to bed."

The moment the word bed had passed my lips they were all smiles. We walked back to the hotel and took the steps. Diana's room was on the second floor and she kissed my cheek before begging off for another time. She was feeling a little under the weather. The three of us continued to the room and got ready for bed. I stripped down and slipped under the covers. Mom chose a silk nightshirt while Jynx settled on one of my t-shirts. It hung down almost to the bottom of her ass cheeks. They each took a side and snuggled. The alcohol did its work and they were soon asleep. I closed my eyes and relaxed. My body metabolized the booze and soon I was not only stone cold sober but wide awake. I stared at the ceiling for a while when Jacen whispered to me.

'Try and rest.' Jacen sent. 'You have a long day ahead of you.'

I agreed. I closed my eyes again and focused on my breath. The dream came out of nowhere. The man in the white lab coat I had seen in previous dreams strode into the laboratory where I was standing and addressed me.

"Welcome back. I see that you have successfully activated the... music... skill." He said, but the word music sounded as if someone else had said it. It reminded me of the old 1960's training films with their crappy quality and poor sound track. "It appears that the genetic memory has successfully fused with your own. I want you to attempt other physical as well as mental skills to expand your available arsenal of weapons. Do you have any questions?"

"Who are you and are there other messages like this one?"

"I'm glad you asked my names is Doctor... 'static'... and yes there are a number of messages hidden within this portion of Project Foreshadow. Remember to keep trying new things to reinforce the effects of the genetic memory."

Someone either tampered with this portion of the memory or I had unconsciously blocked out his name. I asked what other surprises or skills I should focus on. The list of skills the man in the lab coat listed off were impressive. It ranged from combat driving to advanced surveillance techniques. It showed me to pick up when someone was following me and then jumped to a random memory about detecting toxins in food and drink. Project Foreshadow still have a few hiccups. I really did feel like James Bond at times like this. The dream ended, and I once more opened my eyes. It was still dark outside, and the girls were still clinging close.

Jacen popped into my head and I practiced my hacking skills. He projected various levels of security for me to attempt. The difficulty began with simple login screens but quickly advanced to mock ups of existing systems used by government and private sector companies. I had at my mental fingertips the digital 'spells' he had created for me. What felt like mere minutes took far longer.

Third Day of the Festival:

My dawn wakeup call stirred me from my mental exercises. I let the girls sleep in and got ready for the grueling tasks ahead. I dressed for the climb up the side of the mountain. I opened the closet and took out the backpack I had prepped for today. I kissed the sleeping beauties and quietly slipped from the room.

"Morning stud," Simone greeted me. "What are you dressed for?"

"I plan on free climbing the side of the mountain. If Meghan, Jynx or Diana ask I should be back by dusk. I have to be."

"That sounds pretty serious. Do you need backup?" She asked looking concerned. "Wait a second, who is Diana? Have you added another of us to your harem?"

"Harem? No. Diana is the daughter of a neighbor of mine. Keep an eye on them while I am gone." I said and kissed her cheek. "Be safe Simone."

"I will. I know how important we are to you." Simone smiled.

I walked outside, slipped the backpack on, and began jogging towards the mountain. I wasn't much of runner before but that was no longer a problem. The more I pushed the stronger I became. My stamina was already impressive this would improve that to a whole new level I hoped. I found my rhythm and kept to it. I waved to the early risers and left the town behind me. The path had a regular and increasing upward angle to it. While paved it wasn't in the same condition as the main roads leading and running through Nightshade. Jacen gave me directions by whispering over the music I had chosen to listen to while I ran.

'Turn right at that huge boulder. There is a side path that leads to the access road.'

I picked up speed and pushed a little harder. I spotted the multi-ton rock and turned as directed. The path leveled off and I saw the access road ahead of me. I reached the road and took a left heading upwards. If I followed it all the way up it led to one end of the ski lifts that serviced this portion of the mountain range. I would be turning off and taking a goat path long abandoned but used by the diggers that had cut the tunnel for the railroad over a century ago.

'She is something.' Jacen commented.

"Who?"

'Diana. She has had an interesting life so far.' The A.I. mused.

"How do you know that? Have you accessed her files.?"

'No, when she touched your phone I used the nanites within it to enter her fingers and multiply. The little body fat she possesses I used for raw materials. They are in every portion of her body by now.'

"Did you ask her permission?" I asked, but she remained silent. "I see. So, you can access her memories now."

'I can. I can also speak to her as I speak with you. She will prove a valuable addition to the family.'

"That is why she looked feverish last night. Her body was fighting off the nanites." I said as I turned onto the goat trail. "Not long now."

'You are upset. You think I violated her free will. I am sorry. I can neutralize the nanites if you want.'

"No. When she wakes up tell her what you have done and let her decide. That will balance out what you've done. If she chooses to keep it, then no harm done." I suggested.

'This is why you are my hero John. You are so wise. Careful. You are coming up on the portion of the path destroyed by Wallenstein. Your climbing path is clear. Good luck.'

I reached the breach and stopped. I rested and opened the first of the water bottles I was carrying. I took out the bag of chalk, slipped out of my shoes and applied chalk to my hands and feet. There were plenty of hand and foot holds that I could see so far. Icons appeared in my field of vision. They appeared to highlight potential handholds for me to choose from. I chuckled as I used the military grade targeting software to help me climb. I began my ascent and felt the rush of achievement. Each time my fingers or toes found purchase my excitement grew. I reached the first of the ledges where I could rest and flex fingers and toes. I looked out over the town and picked out the hotel or the various stores and homes. I peered above me and saw the remnants of the road the workers had cut so they could fashion air shafts for the railroad tunnel. It was my hope to find one or more of those shafts intact and use them to access the tunnel. If just the ends had collapsed most of the tracks and tunnel might be available.

"I want to see that train."

I got to my feet and headed upward. I reapplied the chalk and attacked the side of the mountain. It was nearly eleven by the time I reached what was left of the old path. I put my shoes back on and followed it upward.

'I think I discovered one of the air shafts.'

Jacen gave me directions to what may or may not be my entrance point. I pulled the shrubs that covered the hole to the side. There was a hole, but it wasn't very deep. I moved onto the next potential candidate. Three holes later and I found the tunnel that I sought. It was intact and obviously carved by human hands. It was far too regular and smooth to be a natural formation. The bracing beams were also a clear indicator of human manufacturing.

"If I somehow lose contact with you wait four hours before sending help. It will take me that long to explore the tunnel and return."