Back To The Viper (5 page)

“What are you doing, bro?” Wayne asked him, laughing.

In the next moment, the space in front of Craig faded away. He was surrounded by white light. Then he saw the ceiling of Harry’s room and his friends’ faces – they had made a circle above him and were watching him, breathless.

“He’s back,” Chad yelled with joy and gave Ashley five.

“How was it?” Harry asked impatiently.

“Damn, what time is it? I’m too late; we must have spent several hours rehearsing.” Craig tried to stand up, but he swayed. His body felt too relaxed.

“Jesus, are you all right?” Ashley placed her hand on his forehead. “Is that normal?” She turned to Harry.

“Yes, yes.” Harry was deep in thought. “How much time did you say you spent in the past? A few hours?”

“Well, yes,” Craig confirmed.

“That’s very interesting, because it hasn’t been more than ten minutes since the experiment began.”

All of them gasped at Harry’s words.

“Really? Just ten minutes? But that’s awesome!” Craig cried joyfully.

“How is this possible?” Ashley asked.

“It’s very simple. During a deep sleep, we might have long dreams that we think last for hours or days while, in reality, everything happens really fast. The same applies to transferring your consciousness to another time. Craig has the feeling he spent several hours there, but in fact, we all saw him lying here for not more than ten minutes.”

“That’s wonderful!” Chad exclaimed. “That means we could go back for a longer period of time and we’ll have been absent for just a few minutes or a few hours at the most.”

“Yes, that’s an undeniable advantage,” Ashley agreed. She looked at Craig, who was just getting up. He was no longer staggering.

“Harry, thank you,” Craig said. “Thanks to your scientific discovery, we really have the chance to go back in time and change our lives. It’s what you want, Ashley, isn’t it?”

A wide smile lit up Ashley’s face – Craig had seen through her.

“Chad, you’re with us, aren’t you?” Ashley turned to him. Chad nodded.

“The only one who’s left is Wayne. How can we talk him into taking part in this experiment?” she went on. “He’s in Los Angeles, right? Then first we need to think of how we’ll get to him.”

“Yes, he told me he was playing with his band at Mr. T’s Bowl. Maybe we should go there?” Chad suggested.

“So it’s decided…” Ashley said in the end, but was interrupted by Harry.

“Just a moment, don’t you need me?”

Ashley turned to him with a smile. “We’ll always need you, dear, but not in this case. It’s between the four of us.”

Chapter 9

“Are you ready?” Wayne asked his band mates. They gave him a sign and the guitarist played out several chords to signal the beginning of Masters of the Dark’s live concert. The drummer joined and began playing, following the melody. Wayne took the microphone to greet the people present.

“Good evening, everyone, how are you tonight?”

Some exclamation and clapping were heard from separate directions inside the club.

“Tonight is a party time, let go of your inhibitions and… have fun!” Wayne said to the audience. This time the cheering was much more enthusiastic. Wayne nodded at the other guitarist and the band began to play one of their latest tracks. The vocalist had a nice, melodious voice. The song was a good piece of rock with some pop elements in it. Wayne loved to write more commercial songs. At the same time, Ashley, accompanied by Chad and Craig, entered Mr. T’s Bowl. They sat at the table they had reserved beforehand and concentrated on the song.

“Give me a little time, I like you girl

I wanna rock your world…”

Ashley thought it was odd for a woman to sing such lyrics, but then she realized that the song had most probably been written by Wayne. He knew they were in the club; she had warned him earlier that day. During the break, Wayne joined them.

“What’s up? Are you having fun?”

“Yes, this club is pretty nice,” Craig agreed.

“I don’t get how I’ve earned your attention. You’ve never been interested in Masters of the Dark or our shows. I always invite you, but you never come.”

“It’s true, but when we last saw one another I felt nostalgic about when we used to play live. I want more and more to sing onstage again,” Chad said.

“Would you like to replace Jill, our lead singer?” Wayne winked at him. “Come on, it will be fun!”

“Uhh, Wayne, we actually came here to talk to you about something very important,” Craig interfered.

“You sound like we are going to make a super important deal!” Wayne exclaimed. “Leave your corporate life at the office, pal! It’s party time!” He downed the tequila shot he was holding in his hand.

Craig ignored that and went on:

“Look, it’s about a discovery by… uhh, a chemical scientist, a friend of Ashley’s.”

“And what about it?” Wayne asked indifferently, still swallowing the tequila he’d just drunk.

“Well, that guy has found a way for the consciousness to travel in time,” Craig said firmly.

This immediately attracted Wayne’s attention.

“Is that supposed to be funny?” He left the empty glass on the table.

“Wayne, I know it sounds unbelievable, but the three of us already tested Harry’s invention,” Ashley said. “He’s discovered a chemical compound that, on injection, lets the consciousness travel back in time to a moment of your choosing.”

“What are you trying to tell me?” Wayne lost his cheerful expression and became cautious.

“We’ve decided to go back to The Viper Room in 2005 during our live showcase. This time, however, we’re planning to play a song that’s famous now, for example, the one by The Dragon’s Circle that was playing at the restaurant where we met. It’s not an accident that we heard it that evening.”

“Jesus, Ash, you’re out of your mind!” Wayne drew a little back from her.

“No, buddy,” Craig added, “all three of us want to get rid of that feeling of failure and broken dreams. That trip lasts just a few minutes, but it will give us peace of mind.”

Wayne was looking at his friends uneasily. At first, he thought they were all crazy, and he felt like running away from them. Then, however, he considered what they’d said. Going back in time? Even if it was possible, would it be of any use?

“It’s obvious you’ve already made a decision, but what do I have to do with it?” Wayne said in the end and leaned on his chair. “What difference would it make if I joined you or not?”

“A big one! When I went back in time to our first rehearsal, I remembered what a perfectionist you were. We can’t do it without you; we won’t be able to perform the song in such a way as to attract the producer’s attention, and we’ll risk getting rejected again,” Ashley explained determinedly.

“All right, so what does that experiment look like?” Wayne was beginning to have fun.

“It’s very simple,” Ashley went on. “The whole time, your body will be lying relaxed in the lab while your consciousness will transfer itself to a time and space chosen by you. All of this happens very quickly. You could spend several hours there, while here it’ll have been just a few minutes. Isn’t that great? Please, Wayne, say ‘yes!’”

“Okay, let me think about it.”

At that moment, one of the members of Masters of the Dark called Wayne; their break was over. He rose and soon after that, the club was once again resounding with the music of his rock band. They were performing “Never Say No” – one of The Jackal’s old songs.

“Guys, this song seems to be performed especially for us. And tonight, too, when we’ve all gathered to make an important decision,” noted Ashley, who was listening to the lyrics carefully.

“I hope Wayne gets the symbolic meaning of this coincidence, too,” Chad said.

“Whatever he decides, at least we tried,” Ashley replied.

When the concert finished, Wayne joined his friends again. He was in a good mood – the people at the bar had twice called for an encore.

“You’re still here? Craig, what would your wife say if she found out you were in LA all this time?”

“Argh, I knew we were just wasting our time with you!” Craig rose and was just about to leave when Wayne stopped him with his hand.

“Hold on!” He paused. “All right, let’s do it! Let’s go back to that showcase! If the trip really only lasts several minutes, as you said, then I agree.”

Ashley shrieked and spontaneously hugged Wayne.

Several people turned around, curious to see what was going on.

Chapter 10

“Do you understand the way you could signal to me that you want to go back?” Harry asked Wayne in the end.

The four had gathered in the scientist’s lab in the afternoon. All the boys had left their workplaces early, while Ashley had taken a day off in order to participate in the time travel trip.

“Yes, I only have to move a body part and you’ll give me an anti-compound injection, is that right?” Wayne answered.

“Yes, that’s right. Well, I think we’re ready. I suggest we start.”

“Wait a second! What if you don’t give us that anti-compound injection? What will happen?” Craig asked. “Let’s say you can’t do it for some reason; would that mean we’d be in danger?”

“I don’t think so…” Harry paused, considering the question seriously. “I haven’t tested this option, but I don’t think anything fatal could happen. The compound is active only for about seven or eight hours in the real world, that is, maximum four or five days, depending on how intensively you use your time. After that, you have to go back to reality.”

“Are you sure?” Craig insisted.

“Jesus, what’s the matter with you?” Ashley turned to him. “You don’t trust Harry or what?”

“I just want to make sure my children will have a father.”

“Oh, come on, don’t be so sentimental! I’m a mother, too!” Ashley snapped at him.

Craig lay down a bit reluctantly on the towel Harry had spread on the floor. There was only one couch in the lab, which was reserved for Ashley, so the others were lying on the floor.

“Now I want you to relax,” Harry said. “Take a deep breath, and imagine there’s light entering your body. Breathe out and get rid of the tension and the negativity that’s inside you. And now your bodies are growing heavier. Everything is heavy – your head, your torso, your legs, your shoulders.” While he was instructing them, Harry carefully drew the solution out of the test tube in which it was kept. Then he injected everyone with it separately. Finally, he set his watch in order to track the time of their absence. He sat down and began to wait. Ashley was one of the few friends he had. The fact that all four of them had agreed to test his invention made him feel proud. He couldn’t wait to learn about their experiences and to see how much time they would be absent. It was a historical day for Harry Neil.

***

Wayne felt a peculiar lightness, as if he was drifting in the sky like a bird. The next moment, he was overcome by ecstasy even stronger than an orgasm. He had the feeling his body and mind would burst into small pieces. Then he saw the faces and images of all the women he had slept with in front of him. When he realized how many they were, his head started spinning. He recognized his current girlfriend among them.

“No!” he screamed, terrified. “I want to get out of here!”

Some of the women had already surrounded him, others were pulling his hands. He had the feeling they would soon push him down on the ground and crush him with their feet. He thought he could hear each one’s angry cry: “You lied to me; I thought I was the only one.”

What could he do to save himself from this hell? He remembered Harry’s instructions: “Recall that showcase at The Viper Room in 2005, and you’ll find yourself there immediately.”

Wayne closed his eyes and feverishly wished he was in the club. Suddenly, the sound of rock music and drums reached his ears. It was very noisy. He opened his eyes cautiously – the women had gone. “Thank God!” he sighed in relief. “Lord, thank you! I promise not to hurt the fairer sex ever again.”

“Did you say something?” Chad turned to him.

“Yes, what I heard about women was pretty interesting. I hope you’ll keep your promise when we are back,” Ashley added.

“Oh, my God, we’re at The Viper Room! Guys, we’re back in the game!” Craig cried cheerfully. He looked around and saw a great number of visitors nearby. The club was soaked in cigarette smoke – it was the distant 2005, before the ban on smoking in public places. Everything looked exactly as it had during their first performance.

“Oh God! I look so good! We’re eighteen!” The boys heard Ashley’s excited voice. She was giving herself an approving look in one of the mirrors by the bar on the second floor.

“Ash, we didn’t go back for you to see yourself slim and young again, but to present our song. Are you ready for our performance?” Wayne asked.

Everyone nodded. Before they had traveled back in time, they had unanimously agreed to play the song “Where is Your Lover.” They had been rehearsing it hard for the past few days.