The Clutter Box Read online

Chapter 2

  I walked around the security desk. The guard pulled his boots off the table as I came by. This was unfortunate, but I'd already had plenty of opportunities to see the soles of his shoes. Black and high quality with a spiral pattern to the tread. I greeted him as I normally did, by his first name. His name was Carl Ferns, so I said, “Hello, Carl.”

  He returned the greeting, “Hello, Mr Gustabler.” He'd worked there a number of months. I knew very little about him except he had a philosophy degree, was young, single and lonely. He believed a job that required telepathic scans was bad for relationships. He thought that people didn't want a telepathic stranger knowing all the intimate things your partner may, or may not, think about you.

  He might have been right about that; all my relationships, whilst working there, had been short lived. At least Carl had work, that made him more desirable than most. He was good looking, but he was boring to talk to.

  Collins waved me through, into her office. Her feet were out of sight behind a desk but her shoes wouldn’t have been a surprise.

  “Take a seat,” she said, furrowing her brow.

  Strands of her black hair splayed outwards, like a multitude of parachuting spider legs orbiting her hard wooden face. She displayed her lower set of teeth as she combed the terminal screen with her eyes.

  I took a seat. To my right a window overlooked the facility’s grounds. Buildings of dull heavy concrete, unengaging to the eye, littered the scene. We were within a hidden temple of secrets, buried amongst a landscape of the banal.

  She looked up from her monitor and smiled. “Ernum, I'm pleased to inform you that you're being looked at with some interest by the London branch. They want to try you out. Possibly give you a permanent transfer.”

  I asked, “What would they want with me?”

  “Haven't a clue.” She gave out a short laugh. “But Haggis has spoke highly of you in the past. They've been looking for someone for a while. They’re very keen to meet you - see if you're suitable. Don't get your hopes up, you're not the first person they've expressed interest in, but this could be a significant step up for you.

  “What do they do there?” I asked. It seemed like a reasonable question.

  She shrugged and said, “We're all kept in the dark about their work. You might have to be accepted before they let you in on all the details. They notified me of their interest in you a few weeks ago. They would have been waiting for the latest telepath report to come through.”

  “I understood that scan reports are meant to be brief?”

  She nodded. “And they are. It just says 'clear'. They don't scan people up in London. It'll be a dramatic change in work environment - should they want you. If you took an in depth psi report with you, it might boost your chances. The telepath would need your consent before making any such report, of course.

  They’re keen to see you in London as soon as possible. They asked if you had a car and I told them you hadn’t, so they sent a driver down to collect you. They seem to take this very seriously. Unless, maybe, you're uninterested?”

  I shook my head. “No, I'm definitely interested.”

  Perhaps I'd failed to react with sufficient excitement? I made myself smile.

  “Of course we'll miss you, should you leave us. Haggis has spoken of how disappointed he'll be to see you go.”

  I nodded.

  She continued, “Nothings final yet. There putting you up in a hotel for a few nights. I suggest you head to the psi-clinic and try to see your telepath for the report. Chances are he won't be too busy. They’ve got themselves cushy jobs over there, at the psi-clinic. You're free to do as you please with any results. Remember, it's important to shred it if you think it looks bad.”

  I'd never said more than a few words to my telepath. The shape behind the glass.

  I once asked him if he could give me anything for a headache. Professional Telepaths have medical doctorates. They’re qualified to prescribe powerful medication.

  He said, through the distorted intercom, “I'll get the front desk to give you a placebo.”

  I may have sounded unintentionally condescending in my reply. I informed him that, as he’s informed me that it’s a placebo, it wasn’t going to work.

  “It will work,” he stated, calmly, “The piece of you that knows the truth is a very insignificant part of your overall mind.”

  I'd already take aspirin, but I accepted the box of placebos from the front desk. 'Randle's Ultra Minty Placebos,' Telepath approved. I would end up using them to treat my insomnia. They seemed to do the trick. I think they freshened my breath too.

  “Could I get to see him in the flesh?” I asked Collins knowing what the answer would be.

  She shook her head.

  “It would have been nice to see him face to face, for once.” I continued.

  She leaned back placing both hands flat against the table. “We can't do that, Ernum. It's as much to protect them as it is you. If you passed someone on the street, someone who'd scanned your every thought, how would you feel? How would you react?”

  “Okay, well, I'll go and see the telepath,” I said, still smiling.

  “When you're done, the driver is waiting outside the gate. He's in a big black saloon. You can't miss it. He'll take you home to pack. Lucky you - VIP treatment.”

  She raised the palm of her hand in a semi wave like gesture. I sauntered away saying, “I'll see you back here in a few days then.”

  Heading towards the lift, back around the security desk, I saw that Carl had returned to his slouched position with his feet up on the desk. He quickly lowered them again as I came into view. I walked past, preoccupied. My mind filled with such thoughts as, how much should I pack, and, I'll need to look my best.