The messenger (5) Playing Catch-up (AB)

Andy and Beatrice are sitting in the control room. It’s not a large space. There are 3 seats in front of a console. Andy is sitting in one of these seats and is looking intently at a monitor screen ahead of the console. It shows what appears to be a stationary star-field.

A short distance behind Andy there is a group of 4 more seats. 3 of these are facing inwards towards the centre-line of the control room. Beatrice is occupying the fourth seat. She has swivelled it round and is looking intently at a smaller monitor screen on a panel in front of her.

A: “How’s it going?”

B: “I was almost expecting you to ask – are we there yet?” She smiled. “It’s coming. It will be long-side of us in about 45 minutes.”

A: “I hope I didn’t sound like I was nagging. I want to see this thing in the flesh, or ice or iron or whatever-the-heck it is.”

B: “It’s alright. I really do understand. If we are wasting our time then I would like to know as soon as possible, so that we can get back to the daily grind. If it’s a money-making opportunity then I would like to be doing something about it too.”

A: “And if it’s little green men?” (with a smile)

B: “You and your little green men. If it’s little green men, or even something which hints at little green men, then I want to know yesterday! If it’s that, then doesn’t matter what else, we’re famous. But of course it’s not. How can it be? There are plenty of strange things out here, without them being caused by aliens. You know. We’ve seen enough of them together.”

A: “Well, what does it look like then?”

B: “If I’m going to be honest, and I should be. I’m still not sure. Whatever it is, it doesn’t play too nicely with our various sensors at this range. I can tell you that it’s about one-point-two kilometres long. It’s about 100 metres wide. It seems to be a very regular long shape. I can tell you its mass within a few 100 kgs. That was actually the first thing we knew with any accuracy. As for density, it’s too dense for a typical snowball, more like solid water ice, but certainly not dense enough for solid metal.”

A: “But have you any idea what it looks like?”

B: “No. And in a way that is the puzzling bit. I can tell that it is rotating. It’s not tumbling mind you. It’s rotating about its longitudinal axis. It certainly isn’t tumbling. But for some reason the Doppler isn’t giving a clear estimate of the rate of rotation. That might be because it has a bright albedo, or to put it another way, it’s rather shiny.”

A: “Shiny, as in – like a lump of ice?”

B: “Exactly. That’s what I was thinking too. If it is, then it’s a really funny lump of ice!”

A: “Anyway, when to we get to see this marvel?”

B: “It will be clearly visible in about half an hour and then be alongside us about 15 minutes after that. It will seem to be overtaking us, pull alongside and then come to a halt. It’s all to do with the relative velocities, but it always strikes me as a bit strange. Should I call the others? I don’t suppose they want to miss the big event of the trip.”

The door at the back of the control room opens. Beatrice turns to one side and Andy turns round in his seat.

A: “Hello there. We were just talking about you both. Beatrice says that the show is about to start. Pull up a chair and make yourselves at home.”

Charlotte and Dave take the front seats in the group of four and turn towards the front viewing screen.

Arrival at the Island (8) – Afternoon – Island tour (1)

Jim was deeply engrossed in what he was doing and did not notice that Anastasia had come into the room until she was standing in front of his desk and casting a shadow.

AL: “Would you like to take a break from what you are doing?” She asked with a smile”.

Jim gave himself a shake, like a dog after a swim, and after he had gathered his thoughts answered:

JG: “Yes, I can break now. I’m not actually doing very much” He put emphasis on the word ‘doing’ “I’m familiarising myself with what you have here.” He continued: “Your systems have been very professionally organised and maintained”.

AL: “I’m glad things meet with your approval. We can talk about it over lunch, but first I’ll take you on a brief tour of the island. I didn’t want to do that last night. I will show you where you are going to be staying too.”

Jim picked up his jacket as they went out and Anastasia reminded him that he would need the code for the door to get back in when they returned. In the stable yard, they climbed into the Landrover and Anastasia left along the drive, past dense rhododendron bushes.

They turned northward along the road. As they drove along at a leisurely pace, Anastasia pointed out landmarks as they passed the village, the hotel-cum-pub, the road down to the ferry slip and the island shop “It’s the only one!” she said with a grin.

Further north they passed several small farms and then the island narrowed and the sea was clearly visible on both sides. At the same time the road narrowed to a single track, “with passing places” said a road sign, punctuated by cattle grids clattered as they drove over them. The road rose steeply and the hills became noticeably more rugged.

Quite suddenly, the road came to an end. The road itself seemed to terminate suddenly at  a rocky outcrop above the sea, and just before that was a with a fork to a rough turning area. Anastasia parked and indicated to Jim that he should get out.

“This is the called the North End.” She said. “It’s obvious why!”

 (Part of the “Tyson” project: 9th February 2017 – 367 words)

Arrival at the Island (7) – Office

Jim spent the morning exploring his new workplace. In the physical world that didn’t take long. The room was simply, almost austerely furnished. It contained three desks and Jim chose the one which faced the door and the courtyard. There were three doors in the end wall. The one closest to the garden (which Jim thought of as “the front”) led into a small kitchen which was supplied with a deep Belfast sink, a kettle, a coffee maker, a microwave oven and what Jim had called a Baby Belling cooker in his student days. Most of the cupboards in the kitchen were empty, but there was crockery and cutlery for four and one of the cupboards contained tea, coffee, sugar and a few basic ingredients. The door towards the rear of the room led to a shower-room and lavatory. The middle door led into a walk-in cupboard which had shelves from floor to ceiling but was otherwise empty. Jim made himself a jug of coffee and settled to explore the computing systems.

There were network and power cables dangling from the suspended ceiling above each desk. Jim plugged in the laptop he had been supplied with and opened the folder which lay on the desk. Anastasia had suggested that he start with that. Someone with a sense of humour had written “Start here” and a hand-drawn Windows icon on the front of the folder.

As Jim proceeded he found that the further he looked, the more there was to find. There were obviously several systems involved and there was documentation for a number of SQL and other databases. Almost to his surprise, everything seemed to be well maintained and documented. As he worked systematically through his work, he wondered if he was being observed. He remembered the test in London when the Doctor had been watching what he was doing from another screen. He was aware that might be happening and he might not even be aware of it. He looked at the laptop ahead of him. It was fitted with an integral web-cam, but after all that was not at all unusual these days. He glanced over his shoulders and then at the corners of the room. He did not notice any cameras, but that did not mean that they were not there! Chiding himself for being paranoid he took a sip of coffee.

 (Part of the “Tyson” project: 7th February 2017 – 395 words)

Arrival at the Island (6) – Moving In

(Another change of tack)

Jim was finishing his breakfast when Anastasia walked into the dining room. She was wearing jeans and a sweater which showed off her figure. She took a seat opposite him at the dining table and waited until he had finished eating. He had seen nobody since he got up and had been surprised to find a cooked breakfast had been prepared for him and had been left keeping warm.

“Good morning Mr Gray. I Trust you slept well.”

“Very well thank-you very much. What with the travelling, good food and the country air, I slept very well indeed. It’s very quiet here.”

“Excellent! When you have finished I will take you to where you will be working. It’s not in the house itself, but only a short walk away. This afternoon I will show you the cottage we have selected for you. I hope it will be adequate. Being on an island means that we really have to consider accommodation and of course that tends to limit the options we have as well.”

“I’m sure it will be excellent. Everything else is much better than I expected. I’m ready now, if you want to lead the way. Will I need a coat?”

“Oh good! No, I don’t think a coat will be necessary.”

The office where Jim was to work was in an outbuilding which was reached by a short gravel path. The office was in a range of low buildings which formed one side of a walled garden. The garden looked tended to, but the flower beds were occupied only by a few bare stems and were covered with some kind of dark mulch material.

Anastasia unlocked the door by entering a passcode on a keypad. At the same time she handed Jim the pin-code hand-printed on an index card.

“I know that none of the residents would interfere with our property and the island does not get many visitors but we like to keep the place secure. Please try to remember to lock the door whenever you leave the office, even for a short while.”

 (Part of the “Tyson” project: 6th February 2017 – 347 words)

Arrival at the Island (5) – Evening Meal - Night

(Another change of tack)

Anastasia showed Jim to his room in the big house. The house had been built in the Scottish baronial house built towards the end of the nineteenth century. Jim had never stayed in a room like it. The room was spacious with a large four-poster bed and the window overlooked the garden at the front of the house.

Jim ate alone in the dining room. The food was simple: cold poached salmon and a salad, but plentiful and beautifully prepared. A card on the table told him to leave his tray on the table when he was finished, so he did, even though it seemed slightly impolite to do so.

After finishing eating he put on his boots and went for a walk in the garden. It was a strange experience. He was living in a country house, a minor mansion, on an island. He felt like pinching himself because of the unreality of it all.

The paths in the gardens in front of the house were raked gravel and crunched beneath his feet. He knew that the sunset was behind him and it lit up the mainland opposite making the purple of the heather darker. Around the house rhododendrons provided shelter. The earlier wind seemed to have abated and I had become calm. The sky overhead was clear. It was going to be a chilly night.

Eventually Jim decided that he wanted to sleep. He was tired from the travelling and although the strange surroundings excited him, he wanted to be at his best. On his way to his room he looked into the dining room and found that someone had cleared away the tray with the remains of his dinner. He realised with a start that he had not seen a single person since Anastasia had left him.

On the locker beside the bed was a card written with a flowing, cursive script which informed him that his breakfast would be ready at 8 o’clock next morning and wishing him a good night. He washed in the wash-basin in the room and then dressed for bed. When he turned out the lights the quietness was almost tangible. It felt like he was asleep almost as soon as his head touched the pillow. He was aware that he dreamed of voices in the night, and he thought that he woke once in the darkness but there was no sound at all.

 (Part of the “Tyson” project: 5th February 2017 – 402 words)

Arrival at the Island (4) – Ferry Slip – Meeting Anastasia

Jim walked down the loading ramp, keeping to the right-hand side to keep clear of the traffic. There was a fresh breeze blowing across the bay from his left. He pulled his wheeled suitcase behind him and carried a rucksack containing two laptops on his back. At the top of the concrete slipway a few cars were formed a queue. On the other side was a small car park which was almost empty except for a long-wheelbase Landrover. Standing in front of it was Anastasia. She waved towards him.

The sun was setting behind the island as Jim walked across towards the Landrover. Quite suddenly the wind felt a little colder.

“Welcome to Eilean Banrigh! Did you have a reasonable journey?” she asked. “Please put your luggage in the back and then get in the front with me.”

Jim muttered something about it being a long journey, closed the back door, walked to the front and climbed up and seated himself on the passenger side. The interior was clean but Spartan. Anastasia joined him.

“Yes, it is a long way from Birmingham” she said, responding to his earlier comment. “You are probably tired.” You will sleep in the big house tonight. Tomorrow we will show you round the island, explain your duties and arrange for you to move into your cottage.”

“I didn’t expect to see you here” said Jim. “If it’s a long way from Birmingham, then it is even further from London”

Anastasia hesitated and seemed to glance upwards as if searching for a suitable response and then said “Yes, it’s a long journey, but we have become used to it. Naturally we try to limit the number of times we move to and fro.” With that, she started the engine and the rattle of the diesel inhibited further conversation.

On their journey, Anastasia pointed out a few landmarks but all Jim felt he could do was acknowledge what he was being told.

 (Part of the “Tyson” project: 3rd February 2017 – 325 words)

Arrival at the Island (3) – Ferry

(Another change of tack)

The ferry was not quite as Jim had been expecting. If he was honest with himself, he wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but this wasn’t it. It didn’t have a distinct front or back, or stem and stern. Instead, both ends of were ramps which could be lowered. Along one side there was a cabin in which passengers could shelter. There were only a few cars and vans an most of their drivers stayed in their vehicles. Jim noticed that they all seemed to know the crew.

The loading ramp was raised and the ferry set off with a lurch. The sound of the diesel engine was noticeable in the cabin. Jim was approached by a young woman wearing waterproofs and asked what ticket he wanted. Jim showed her a printed document he had been sent, she nodded, gave him a ticket and said that it would be charged to the company’s account. She asked if Jim knew where he was going on the far side, because it was “a canny walk and the weather’s not good”. Jim said that he had been told that he was being met at the ferry slip. She said that in that case it would almost certainly be a green Landrover. Jim thanked her and continued looking out of the window.

There was a swell on the sea and the beginnings of white-horses on the wave tops. From time to time the ferry would give a lurch in response to the waves. The sky was grey and clouded over and droplets of rain or spray ran down the outside of the window. Jim could see the island getting closer. The seemed to be entering a small bay but Jim could not look directly ahead.

Suddenly there was a change in the diesel note and a new sound which Jim associated with the loading ramp being lowered. They had arrived!

 (Part of the “Tyson” project: 2nd February 2017 – 385 words)

Arrival at the Island (2) – Retrospective (2)

The contents of the envelope were a surprise, several surprises really. The main thing was an offer of a job for Medinger and Litvenyenko. He had needed to review the amount they offering him several times before he convinced himself that he had understood it correctly. They were offering him almost twice what he had been expecting, and they said that “for practical reasons” they would provide him with accommodation and food while he was on the island. They had also included railway and bus tickets and travelling instructions. This was extraordinary. They seemed extraordinarily keen to have him, and he still felt that he didn’t understand exactly what it was they wanted him to do, except that “he had demonstrated his suitability”.

One reservation he had about the whole thing was the remoteness of the work location. He had looked up Eilean Banrigh first in an atlas, he hadn’t found it, and then on Google which had found it, but confirmed that it was remote. If it was necessary for him to work there, then he could understand why they felt that they needed to provide accommodation.

The other reservation was that he needed to depart the day after tomorrow. Not much time to set things in order for several weeks away from home. Still, the pay being offered was extremely good and he had nothing to tie himself to where he was living, not even a pet cat!

So, after a long railway journey to Glasgow, and a long coach trip he had arrived at a tiny village post-office cum shop. His instructions had said that he was to ask at the shop about a transfer to the ferry, and to say that the shop was to charge it to the Medinger account. He had been surprised when the shopkeeper had asked him to wait and had then delegated his wife, a taciturn little woman, to drive him over a mile through the sand dunes and coarse grasses to “the ferry terminal”. The ferry terminal turned out to be a car park and a shelter in the middle of nowhere. His driver had told him that he had half-an-hour to wait for the ferry and had suggested that he use the tearoom, which had been built with the intention of “fleecing the tourists”.

 (Part of the “Tyson” project: 1st February 2017 – 385 words)

Arrival at the Island (1) – Retrospective

(Another change of tack)

Jim looked out of the window of the small coffee shop and nursed his cup. A lot had changed in the past week. He had been looking for a new start. This was certainly as new start, but was it what he wanted. Only time would tell. One thing was certain – the money would be very welcome!

JIm looked out of the window and reviews the last week. He had returned from the interview with Litvenyenko and Medinger feeling slightly unsettled. It wasn’t that things had gone badly it was more that he came away feeling that he hadn’t really understood what had happened. The location had seemed so strange. It was almost as if the two people were using rooms in an empty building. That was odd in the centre of London.

The following day he had started thinking about how long he should wait for a job offer and what he should do if one did not come? He found himself fretting, and had gone out for a walk to take his mind of things.

One day later he was checking his eMail when the doorbell rang. That surprised him. He did not receive many visitors and he was not expecting anyone. When he opened the front door he was met by a courier holding a flat rectangular box. That was even more of a surprise. He had not ordered anything. Having checked the name and address, he signed the courier’s tablet device and took the package inside. It contained what appeared to be a brand-new laptop! On the top of the laptop was a large brown envelope addressed to him.

 (Part of the “Tyson” project: 31st January 2017 – 273 words)

Interview (11) – The Test

Medinger gestured towards one of the desks.

GM: Please sit there.

Jim sat down.

GM: In front of you, on the laptop you will see there is a terminal emulator. I would like you to log on to one of our servers. The userid and password you need are on the file card to your right.

Jim picked up the card and did as he was asked. He was about to ask something when Medinger continued.

GM: I will ask you to look at some things and perform some tasks. There is no need for you to tell me what you are doing. I can see everything you do on the screen in front of me. It is as if I was looking over your shoulder.

Jim nodded that he understood and then the test began. It was strange. Jim was aware that he was being observed. At first the tasks were simple. He was simply finding things in the directory structure. As time progressed he had to concentrate harder because the tasks became more involved and required more thought. He started using different application programs, some of which were entirely new to him.

Jim became aware that he was looking at data too. He suspected it had been obfuscated in some way. He seemed to be getting glimpses into what this company was doing but it wasn’t at all clear. He was curious to look at some things, but was reluctant to stray from the path of exactly what he had been asked to do.

From time to time he glanced across at Medinger. Each time he did, he say Medinger leaning back in his chair with his hands clasped behind his head, staring intently at the screen in front of him.

Quite suddenly, there came a pause. Jim looked up again. The doctor was leaning forward, apparently focusing on something on his screen. A brief smile seemed to flicker on his lips and then he turned to Jim.

GM: Good! That will do for now.

He paused, and looked up towards the ceiling, as if he was listening to someone else.

GM: Yes, I agree. Entirely satisfactory.

Then looking towards Jim,

GM: You will be hearing from Anastasia in due course.

JG: Is that all? Do you need to know anything more?

Jim glanced at the time in the bottom corner of the screen. Nearly 2 hours had passed since he had started the exercise with the Doctor and he had hardly spoken a word.

GM: No. We already know everything we need to know. Anastasia will contact you shortly.

And that was it! A few minutes later Jim found himself, with his suitcase, standing in the road looking back at the dilapidated house and wondering, what on earth has just happened? And what is going to happen next?

The drizzle had stopped and the day was clearing. Puzzled, he made his way towards the hotel he had booked for the evening.

 (Part of the “Tyson” project: 29th January 2017 – 494 words)

Interview (10) – The Doctor’s room

 (Change of tack – I’m going to write this piece of conversation as a play. Little description, no “he said – she said”, no stage directions – This is just to see how an approach works. A lot of this is experimentation.) (Continued)

Jim found himself nodding, but he was also a little confused at the way the conversation was going. This did not feel like a conventional interview at all, and the interaction between GM and AL was distinctly odd and rather unsettling.

Suddenly the Doctor got up

GM: Would you mind doing a little test for us? Rather than ask you lots of detailed questions, I would like you to show us what you can do. Would you mind?

JG: No. Of course not. What do you want me to do?

GM: Just follow me. Leave your bag here. It will be perfectly safe. There is nobody in this building except Anastasia and me and, of course, yourself.

He got up abruptly and walked to the door.

GM: Bring your coffee with you.

Outside on the landing, the doctor began climbing the stairs to the next level. Jim followed, not really knowing what was expected.

On the next level, the doctor paused to unlock a room and then paused at the door to usher Jim inside.

The room was a surprise to Jim. As far as he could tell, it looked out on the front of the building, overlooking the road. Sunlight streamed in through the window, but all Jim could see was sky and clouds, because between the window and the room proper a partition had been erected with upward sloping slats, like an enormous, rigid, Venetian blind. Jim surmised that this construction would prevent anyone at street level having any awareness of what was going on in this room, even at night. Jim remembered the Doctor’s earlier comments about “privacy”

The room was furnished smartly in a sparse functional style. There were three desks arranged in a loose “U” formation, each with an expensive mesh-backed chair behind it. On two of the desks sat laptop computers. Jim noticed that each computer was connected to power and network tables which descended from a tiled suspended ceiling. In the corner of the room stood what was probably a networking cabinet, with lights flickering behind a smoked glass door. (continued)

(Part of the “Tyson” project: 26th January 2017 – 347 words)

Interview (9) – Conversation Three

 (Change of tack – I’m going to write this piece of conversation as a play. Little description, no “he said – she said”, no stage directions – This is just to see how an approach works. A lot of this is experimentation.) (Continued)

AL: We consider it highly desirable. We got to great lengths to keep our business and the information about it secure from the outside world.

JG: If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly is your business? I realise it isn’t strictly necessary for me to know, but I’m curious. I tried to do a little research myself, and I found surprisingly little. You’re obviously technically aware and yet you have a remarkably sparse digital footprint.

DM smiled has he spoke. He had large white teeth. The effect was unsettling.

DM: We don’t mind you asking in the least. If we are to do business together, then we don’t think we need to have any secrets from you, but we do value our privacy. Our business is in two areas: biotechnology – specifically research into cell replication and cancer and what might loosely be called computer networking and the transmission of incremental changes to dynamic datasets. If you are interested, you will have opportunities to learn more during your work for us.

JG: I think I see. The computer networking is closer to my expertise than biotechnology. It seems an unusual mixture of businesses. I don’t altogether see how the two businesses fit together, but then, it’s not my business, it’s yours” He said with a smile.

AL: The two different business lines are the results of a past merger between two entities. We find there is a useful symbiotic relationship between the two which although it may not be obvious, is extremely useful to us.

JG: I’m not sure I understand, but I don’t think it has much bearing on what you want me to do for you. Again, for my curiosity, why have you based your business in such a remote location? I don’t think you’ve mentioned where it is.

AL: The location is an island called “Eilean Banrigh”, which means “Queen’s Island” in Scottish Gaelic. The painting above the fireplace is the view from the highest point. (She said, indicating the picture)

We use that location for a number of reasons: An important, though perhaps not the most important, is that the island belonged to one of our main investors, that of course was a considerable help when we were starting our company. The second reason is that operating on an island is a help for research into both of our areas of interest. Using an island makes it easier to manager bio-security and the remoteness reduces the stray electromagnetic radiation we have to deal with.

 (continued)

(Part of the “Tyson” project: 20th January 2017 – 418 words)

Interview (8) – Conversation Two

 (Change of tack – I’m going to write this piece of conversation as a play. Little description, no “he said – she said”, no stage directions – This is just to see how an approach works. A lot of this is experimentation.)

AL:       . (continued) You see, while ‘there being only one of you’ obviously imposes limitations, it has distinct advantages for our company.

GM: Our company places a very high value on confidentiality and employing a single person means that only one outsider has to deal with sensitive information.

AL: And we know that you have a reputation for integrity in handling confidential information.

Jim found himself looking from person to person, like a umpire at a tennis match.

GM: And there is a further practical advantage,

AL: We would want you to work and live at our premises for a while. Having only one person to accommodate will obviously be easier for us.

Jim did not know who to look at or who to answer. He spoke looking straight ahead and then glancing from one to the other.

JG: You want me to work here?

AL: Oh no. Not here. Our base is a long way from here, in the North West of Scotland. We use these premises when we have business to transact in London. Would you be prepared to move to the North of Scotland, an island in fact, for 2 or 3 months?

(Jim turned to face Litvenyenko – He felt uneasy turning his back on Medinger)

JG: Is that necessary? Surely the work you need could be done remotely. I could access the server, wherever that is and perform the configuration from somewhere more convenient. I might need to visit your place in Scotland a couple of days should be sufficient, it’s hardly likely to take months.

(Once again the conversation is bounding from one side of Jim to the other)

GM: We could prefer the work to be performed on site. We are prepared to pay generously for the right person. We believe you are suitable and we will give you an opportunity in a moment to demonstrate that you are capable of doing what we require. Are you at least sufficiently interested to continue?

JG: Well yes, of course. I suppose I would be prepared to commit to 2 or 3 months if you really think it is necessary.

(continued)

(Part of the “Tyson” project: 19th January 2017 – 354 words)

Interview (7) – Conversation One

 (Change of tack – I’m going to write this piece of conversation as a play. Little description, no “he said – she said”, no stage directions – This is just to see how an approach works. A lot of this is experimentation.)

GM:     Well, Mr Gray, thank you for coming to see us.

JG:       That’s perfectly alright. I am looking for work and I like to respond to enquiries quickly.

GM:     Anastasia Petrovna gave you a very limited outline of what is required. We want someone to join us to help us to renovate some of our computer systems.

JG:       Renovate? What do you mean by “renovate”?

GM:     Over an extended period our company has accumulated a number of computer systems which we use to run our business. They were developed to serve particular needs and at different times. While they continue to work in a satisfactory way, their maintenance takes more effort than we would like. We would like to “renovate” or “modernise” and at present we do not have the expertise ourselves and we do not wish to expend the effort developing that expertise ourselves.

JG:       I think I understand. You want to replace some old systems. I have been worked on projects like that in the past. Can you tell me what these systems are and what they do?

AL:       Without you being aware of it, we have researched what you can do. You have a good reputation. We have discretely checked certain references and performed some background checks. What we want you to do is well within your capabilities. You do not have to be concerned.

GM:     The systems are mostly concerned with the administration of the transactions which support our business. They were originally created by our staff using the technology available at the time. Much of what they do is little more than “accounting” and the other general things a business requires. Rather than continue to expend the effort maintaining it we have decided to move a great deal of what these systems do to a modern software package” (he mentions a name) “I believe it is known as an ‘ERP’ package and you are familiar with it.”

JG:       Yes – I’ve worked with that. But that particular package is usually supplied through consultancies who sell set-up and training services along with the package. I don’t understand why you are coming to me? I’m an independent consultant and there is only one of me.

AL:       You’re correct. And you have touched on some of the reasons why we have come to you. (continued)

(Part of the “Tyson” project: 18th January 2017 – 385 words)

Interview (6) – Meeting the Doctor

(New subsection of paragraphs)

The door opened and Anastasia stepped into the room and then stepped to one side of the doorway, waving her arm indicating that someone outside should enter.

“Hello again Mr Gray. I’m sorry we have kept you. Let me introduce you to Dr Medinger, the leader of our company.”

The figure who stepped into the room could be described as distinctive. He was a tall man, definitely over six feet wearing a smart light grey suit. What made him unusual was his face, and particularly his skin. His white hair receded from his high forehead. He had a dark olive complexion which seemed to have a peculiar, almost greenish hue.

“I am Medinger. I am pleased to meet you Mr Grey.” he said, with a clipped German accent. He extended a huge hand in greeting. As Jim grasped it firmly, he noticed that Medinger’s palm was coarse, like a labourer’s.

Medinger walked to the console table and poured a cup of coffee for himself, and without asking poured made a cup of tea for Anastasia.

“Please be seated. We will start our conversation in here” he said, indicating two of the sofas.

Jim sat in the seat facing the fireplace, Anastasia in the sofa to his left. Without speaking, Medinger placed the cup of black tea to the table in front of Anastasia, nodded his head in what might have been a bow and then seated himself in the seat in front of the window.

Jim found the seating arrangements slightly awkward. Medinger’s head was almost silhouetted buy the winter sunlight which lit his white hair from behind and produced a peculiar halo effect. There was also no way that he could have both of these people in his field of vision at the same time. He had to look at either one of them, or the other, never both. It made him feel uneasy.

(Part of the “Tyson” project: 15th January 2017 – 315 words)

Interview (5) – Waiting Room

(New subsection of paragraphs)

Jim felt restless. He paced around the room. The view from the window looked across a narrow mews to a non-descript wall opposite. The steep angle prevented him seeing much below the window, but he thought there might be a tiny yard.

Turning inwards, above the fireplace hung a large picture in a narrow plain black frame. The picture showed a view, apparently from a high vantage point across a stretch of sea towards what were probably islands in the distance. The grass was green, the sea was grey and the islands in the distance were a hazy blue. It might be a scene from the Scottish or Irish coast. The picture was attractive, but the frame did not suit the room. Something heavier and more ornate would have been more appropriate. He wasn’t sure whether the picture was a painting or a photograph and he decided to take a closer look.

He walked to the fireplace and guiltily placed his cup and saucer on the mantelpiece. As he put it down, he brushed the surface with his finger-tips. The surface felt odd and he withdrew his hand quickly. Cautiously, he trailed his fingers along the surface. It was slick, like ice, but not at all cold. In the centre of the mantle sat a rather large carriage clock. It wasn’t showing the correct time. “It’s probably stopped” he thought and went to pick it up and inspect it more closely. To his surprise he found that either it was extraordinarily heavy, or it was stuck to the mantle. Its brass case felt strange and slick and there was something peculiar about the face but he couldn’t decide quite what it was.

Suddenly he heard a sound and, picking up his cup, he turned to face the door.

(Part of the “Tyson” project: 13th January 2017 – 298 words)

Interview (4) – Entrance Hall

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As Jim stood listening to the sounds coming from behind the door, he realised that he did not know what Anastasia Litvenyenko looked like. As he waited, he began conjuring up a vision of a middle-aged, Eastern-European woman. As a result, he was surprised when the door was opened by a smartly dressed young woman in her late twenties. She had a broad moon-like face and was dressed in a dark blue trouser-suit, her blonde hair combed back into a ponytail.

“Welcome Mr Gray” she said, pulling the shawl which was draped around her shoulders tightly to her chest and gesturing him to come inside.

“We’ve been expecting you.” She continued as she allowed him to pass and she turned to close and front door.

Jim mumbled an acknowledgement and took a moment to survey his surroundings. The hallway was empty of furniture. The floor was covered with a diagonal chequer-work of black and white tiles and was lit by a single, grimy, naked light-bulb. The hallway had an empty feel, felt chilly, even after coming in from the outside and he thought he could detect a musty odour, maybe even decay or the sulphurous smell of bad eggs.

“Please follow me.” She said, climbing the bare stairs.

The first floor landing was a bare as the entrance hall. The floor was uncarpeted and dark flock wallpaper bore the shadows where pictures had hung in the past. They climbed to the second floor, where she led him into a room which Jim worked out must face out towards the rear of the building, towards Fitzroy Square. Through the window he could see the distinctive shape of the Telecom Tower in the distance.

The room was brighter than Jim had expected from the gloomy and, if he was honest, rather dirty entrance hall and landing. Strangely, it seemed as if only the half of the room, from the fireplace to the window was expected to be used. That side of the room was carpeted but the remainder was covered with some plain brown rough material. The floor of the half of the room was covered with a yielding grey Berber carpet, and three identical modern leather sofas were arranged forming a squared with the fireplace. A glass-topped coffee table stood in front of each sofa.

“I know Dr Medinger is busy at present” apologised Anastasia, with a flash of white teeth “but we will come for you shortly. Please help yourself to something to drink” she continued, indicating a teapot, a coffee-pot on a hotplate and several jugs and carafes on a console table to one side of the fireplace.

With that she left the room and Jim was left alone. He looked around and poured a cup of black coffee. He felt like he was in a dentist’s waiting room.

(Part of the “Tyson” project: 11th January 2017 – 470 words)

Interview (3) – Doorstep

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Jim stood in front of the door, with his case beside him, feeling uneasy. This house looked completely wrong for what he was looking for. Was he the victim of some strange practical joke? How long should he remain standing here in the rain?

While he waited Jim looked up and down the building. Surely it was empty. It certainly didn’t look occupied.

Starting from the lowest level, he looked into the light-well cum yard which served the basement. Unlike some of the neighbouring houses, there no steps leading down the door into the tiny courtyard. Presumably the access door was in the bridge under his feet. There was a door which might be leading to an old coal cellar under the pavement. The windows into the house were shuttered on the inside. Litter lay about the courtyard. Buddleia had gained a foothold by one of the window sills.

On the ground floor, level with where he was standing, there were two large sash windows, once again with shutters pulled across on the inside. The windows were dirty and the shutters did not look like they had been opened in years. Jim could imagine the broad hallway on the other side of the door, with a door leading to the large room behind the windows, access through to the other rooms towards the rear of the building and a staircase leading upwards.

On the first floor there were three sash windows, two above the windows on the ground floor and one above the front door, this time each sash was glazed Georgian style with nine tall oblong panes. These windows were significantly taller than those on the ground-floor. Once again the windows were shuttered. The room inside must have a very high ceiling. Jim caught himself trying to imagine what it was like now and what it had been like in its heyday.

On the second floor, the story was repeated. Three windows, back to a more usual height, this time with only six panes for each sash, and once again shuttered.

Only on the third floor did the windows look like they did not have shutters on the inside. These were casement windows which would probably have served a nursery or possibly servants’ quarters. The angle meant that Jim could not see clearly, but there did not seem to be any curtains, and he could see no light in the gloom.

Jim began to debate with himself how long he should remain standing at the doorstep. The drizzle was getting heavier and soon he would be getting wet, If this was a wasted journey at least he could go somewhere warm. He reached into his pocket to pull out his mobile phone, when his attention was caught by the sound of someone unfastening a bolt on the inside of the door in front of him. There was someone inside after all!

(Part of the “Tyson” project: 9th January 2017 – 482 words)

Interview (2) – Destination

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Jim found the street he wanted without difficulty. It was one of several narrow streets which ran parallel to Tottenham Court Road and joined the roads running westward. For some reason, which wasn’t obvious, this one had a kink in it which meant that it was not possible to see from one end to the other.

The house Jim was looking for was number 52. As that was an even number, he chose the odd-number side of the road and began to walk steadily along the road, looking at the houses on the other side. The road was cobbled and narrow. One could easily imagine gas lighting, swirling fog and hansom cabs from some low budget drama about late Victorian or Edwardian London. Parking on both sides of the road meant there wasn’t really enough room for two cars to pass. He was surprised that the road had not been made “one way”, but then he noticed that all the parked cars were in fact facing towards him and then, in the distance an arrow painted on the cobbled surface. So it was a one way street.

The houses formed unbroken terraces and were all of a similar design, built of dirty yellow, London stock brick. Each house was four stories above street level, with a further basement visible through a tiny courtyard. Most of the front doors were painted black and were accessed by a sort-of bridge from the street and each courtyard was surrounded by iron railings with ornate finials at the corners. Many of the houses had multiple bell pushes and some had name-plates of various designs. Subdivision of these buildings into fashionable flats or offices was obviously common.

Jim thought he identified the house he wanted, on the other side of the road and what he saw was troubling. Unlike all the other houses with their glossy black doors exuding an air of opulence, or at least fashionable prosperity, this house made him think of decay. The brickwork was grubby and front door and railings were painted a light blue or turquoise which had faded from years of exposure to the sunlight. As he looked up and down the building he could see that all the windows except the very top storey were shuttered on the inside. Had someone played some kind of strange trick on him? Has he wasted the effort (and expense) of this trip?

Without hesitating further, Jim crossed the road and marched up the steps to the front door. One of the panels on the door was defaced with a modern aluminium letter-box. Beneath that was pinned a laminated, printed sign for “Dr G, Medinger” indicating a doorbell button which might easily have been overlooked. Taking a deep breath, Jim pressed the button. There was no sound from beyond the door.

(Part of the “Tyson” project: 8th January 2017 – 291 words)

Interview (1) – Goodge Street

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Goodge Street is one of the remaining stations on the Central London Tube where the platforms are served by lifts. As he looked at the back of the person in front of him, Jim wondered why he had bothered to take the lift, with a little additional effort he could have climbed the emergency stairs, in fact he had considered walking from Euston but had decided against it. In either case, the exercise would have contributed to a New Year’s resolution of “taking more exercise”.

The station’s décor of dark wood and glazed tiles gave it a retro feel. Come to think of it, this wasn’t retro at all – this was mostly the original look from Edwardian London! In contrast, the lift was lined with some sort of grey laminate with the joints trimmed with aluminium strips. He supposed this was in the interests of it being hard-wearing. High in one of the corners, beneath the ceiling, Jim could see a CCTV camera staring blindly at him.

The previous evening, he had decided to that he might find a reasonably priced hotel and treat himself to an evening out in town before going home tomorrow. As a result he was trailing a small wheeled suitcase and he felt awkward in the crowded lift.

A gentle drizzle was falling when Jim emerged from the station entrance. He ducked into a shop doorway and checked the location of the street he wanted in battered London A to Z. He had marked the page with a paperclip.  It was only a couple of hundred yards from the station to his destination. He turned away from the crowds of Tottenham Court Road in the hinterland of back-streets and set off steadily along the damp pavement.

(Part of the “Tyson” project: 8th January 2017 – 291 words)