Isabella imagined heads behind the monitors looking at each other and saying, “Yep, we know that.”
“He was a wealthy man, with the wealth being passed down through the generations. I loved my dad and was fascinated with what he did. He shared all his secrets with me—some I didn’t grasp initially but in time I did. He also passed onto me a dislike for bureaucracy.” He looked up at the CCTV camera.
Isabella smiled. He knew the game they were playing.
“I was more of an inventor. When Dad died, I spent months exploring the notes he left behind and started designing things using principles he discovered. I also spent a considerable amount of the fortune left behind on my inventions. Some worked, some didn’t.”
Gramps moved around in his chair. Picked up the glass of water and had a sip. He raised his glass to the CCTV camera.
Yep. Definitely knew what they were up to.
“This is what I discovered, Isabella. Someone described it like packaging up an email attachment and sending it on. It involves placing an energy field around an entity or entities. We could call the energy field an attachment. This package is pushed into an invisible realm and transported to an identified location. I’ll not bore you with the detail.”
“It’s amazing. I’m so proud of you, Gramps, because I know it works.”
“Yes it does, and well. The technology works even better now. But I’m afraid my thinking isn’t as clear as it used to be. I destroyed all the notes as I didn’t want the technology to get into the wrong hands. And I’m not sure if I could ever build it again.”
Isabella got up from her chair and walked over to her granddad. She gave him a hug. He looked up at her, his eyes watery.
“You know, people laughed at me, Isabella. I approached a prominent entrepreneur and he laughed at me. Spoke about me in a demeaning manner. I was angry. But thankfully, someone I trusted gave me the opportunity to implement the technology.”
“Who was that?” Isabella didn’t care what the behind the mirror people were seeing or hearing or thinking—they probably knew anyway—but she wanted to know as much about her granddad as she could. She sensed there might not be many more opportunities like this.
“A government official. I was vulnerable at the time, needed money, and his strategy was flaky but I suppose we both believed we were helping society. It was simple. We used the technology to inconvenience law breakers. They impounded vehicles for traffic offenses, the theory being that the inconvenience would change behaviour. We believed a better way of inconveniencing people would be to impound the person. Our first project involved impounding people who disobeyed pedestrian signals. Anyway, it was successful. Well, sort of.”
“Sort of?” Isabella sat down and leant towards her gramps.
“I wasn’t keen on your mother working in the pharmaceutical industry. You see, I lacked confidence about the realm because I wasn’t really sure what happened there, and then I started to see the realm was already in use.”
“What? Someone else had invented the same technology?” Isabella wondered what this had to do with Mum’s choice of career.
“No. It’s a spiritual thing, Isabella. I know you’re a believer. The realm is used by God to transport the souls of the dead to their place of rest. People who were transported on the realm spoke about angels and demons, heaven and hell. Things started getting out of hand. The technology was faulty, and there were some deaths. I went off the radar. Can’t remember what I did, but I eventually ended up in the bush somewhere. I ignored the technology for a while, but once an inventor always an inventor. I brought out version ‘2.0’, which you have and need to destroy.
“Why weren’t you keen on Mum’s choice of career?”
He had another drink of water and again raised the glass to the mirror.
“I wasn’t sure about the angel-demon thing but believed things from the realm could influence people’s lives, particularly if the people let these things into their life. You know, like letting your guard down. Drugs let the guard down. Drugs take away what control we have. My observation is that when controls are taken away, the negative thoughts—demon whispers, if you like—seem to take control, to dominate.”
Isabella thought about her depression medication. Was evil controlling her mind? She believed not. But she’d lost the desire to go to church. Her mum once told her bad could masquerade as good, a demon can masquerade as an angel of light. They could tell you the things you want to hear.
“I believed the drugs they’re dishing out for depression is lifting up the boom gates and letting these pesky little things, as someone called them, come running in. That’s the industry your mum chose a career in. The pesky things are starting to rule. ”
“I’m sure Mum was aware of all this.”
“She was, Isabella, but she didn’t have the experience of seeing these evil things to consolidate her spiritual beliefs. I haven’t seen them either, but I’m convinced they exist—but they don’t broadcast their existence. It’s like they’re on a covert mission. Your mum started to realise something was wrong, but it was too late.”
If this was true, then no more depression medicine for Isabella. She watched as her Gramps looked to the floor, as if collecting his thoughts. He straightened and looked straight at Isabella.
“People protecting their own interests killed your mother, Isabella. And now they’re coming after you because you know something.”
She expected this, and knew he was right. She thought of the barn. “What do I know, Grandpa?”
“I’ve forgotten.”
<°)))><
Aaron sat with Isabella. It was a smaller room. They allowed her some time to refresh and Aaron could pick up the scent of the bathroom soap she used. He felt for her, she’d been through a rough time. But he needed to try and understand the events that had taken place and he needed to be certain that Isabella wasn’t just hiding the device.
“Sorry about all this, Isabella. We appreciate all your help and what you’ve told us. It appears you didn’t know a lot about your granddad. But don’t worry he’ll be fine. I’ll make sure he is looked after.”
She stirred in her seat. “It’s all a bit overwhelming. It’s been a long time since I’ve had any physical contact with my gramps. And being enlightened with what he’s been up to just adds to the confusion. And then these other things . . . “
“Yes, these other things. Do you have any idea why this lady did what she did?”
“Crazy. She’s a friend’s mother. She said she killed my parents.” Isabella closed her eyes and bowed her head. “No, I don’t know why she did those things.”
Aaron placed his hand on Isabella’s shoulder. He silently asked God to comfort her.
She looked up. “It’s all recorded. My dad had CCTV cameras set up everywhere. It was a hobby thing. I had the recording but I misplaced that also. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
They believed her. Inattention can stem from stress. The medication they found in her backpack could also make one forgetful. Two devices missing, just like misplacing the car keys and the wallet. Come on, Aaron, there’s no comparison. Sympathy does not help.
If this Ava lady had worked out her actions were recorded then she would be in pursuant of the recordings. It would be of more importance to her than doing anything to Isabella. But then to wipe out both Isabella and the device would give her a clean slate. But why get involved in the first place?
45 – Recordings and sketches
