Junkyard Speedball - Chapter nine

Junkyard Speedball - Chapter nine

This is the ninth part of an updated version of the novella, Junkyard Speedball — a symbiot story, which was first written a couple of years ago and introduces a couple of characters that subsequently play major roles in Van Hallam’s Hellsborough Chronicles, as well as providing some insight into the region of The Dark Peak known as the netherlands.

Lord of the Forest

Mold, you have brought my wife back to me, but she is not my wife anymore, said The Commissioner.

When Lomas has regained some consciousness, I'll restore her memories commissioner, he's still out cold now.

But how? She is nothing now, I can't reach her at all.

I'll need Willow to act as a surrogate mind, she being blood of your wife, she has the most mental connectivity, even if Willow doesn't feel it, she'll be able to open the lady commissioner's mind sufficient for transfer, like blindsight. Her physical brain is still intact, the neurones still lay in the same configuration that they always have, but through Willow, we can connect to the ancient lower brain, the thalamus and the hippocampus and from there, refresh the neural pathways with thoughts that I will extract from Lomas.

But won't Lomas prevent it?

He can't, he'll only be semi-conscious and if he does, the threat of physical violence will quell him and he'll submit. Now, ready Willow and blood relatives of the others. They don't need to be in here, but they do need to be open to me so I can channel the memories back.

As Lomas began to stir, Mold went to work on the jumble of thoughts in Lomas's diseased mind, sifting and sorting the content and passing to the relevant blood relative who would then pass it to their loved one. Gradually the blood relatives began to see tears forming in those listless eyes, as colour returned to their sallow cheeks and comprehension to their heads.

Lomas was still not fully conscious when the job was complete and Mold continued to go through the sick and psychotic memories of dozens of Lomas's victims. Only one revenant remained now - the young pregnant woman. Mold had the commissioner bring her to him, but without a blood relative, Mold had no idea whether he could restore her memories, presumably the exacid instructors that had shown him the blood relative technique had tried this sort of thing direct and failed, which is why the blood relative was required. But he had to try anyway, he couldn't just leave her in this vegetative state. He put out his mind to her, and as expected, could read nothing. He picked around Lomas's thoughts for hers and began to channel them towards her, pushing them with as much force as he could muster, but she remained expressionless, lost in her own nothingness.

Mold led her to a corner of the shack and sat her down, out of the corner of his eye a black gnawmard scuttled by, but when he turned to see it, there was nothing there, a mere phantasm, perhaps. But then he saw another to his left and one more to his right. He turned to see Lomas now standing, freed from his bindings.

I am too strong for you here, synthman, you brought the Lord of the Forest to the forest, don't look so surprised! I command the animals! Why did you think I could take these foresters away so convincingly?! They are lovers of nature and their surroundings, why on d'Divi's earth wouldn't they follow someone who could take a gnawmard in his hand or a corvid on his shoulder?

Mold made a move to apprehend Lomas, only to face an angry crowd of hissing gnawmards that barked and spat at him as he tried to approach. Kibble landed in front of them and tried to disperse them, but they had no fear of him, charged as they were by Lomas's telepathic madness. Lomas had already gone, out of the shack and under the cover of the murk, he had evaded them again, melting like a wraith into the woodland. In time, the gnawmards backed off and ran for their own cover, leaving Mold with the revenant girl and Kibble. Mold went and inspected the health of the Firthwood foresters and found them joyous and revelling with food and their potcheen. He explained to them about Lomas, but they were too involved in their entertainment to listen or care, but Mold knew Lomas would be back, maybe not today, but soon.

If you know anyone else that you think might find this interesting, then please forward this email to them :)

I have launched a new series of diary entries that I call “Pip Rippon — Stranger in a Strange Land”, in which I describe my struggle to survive as an immigrant in Hellsborough and The Dark Peak, and how I make ¢hits, and how you can use my knowledge to make money in the off-world. I think you’ll enjoy it, check it out here: Stranger in a Strange Land.

In other news, Hellsborough Chronicles book one “Dark Peak” is now available on Kindle and paperback.

If you can leave a review of Dark Peak on Amazon, I'd be more than grateful.

Hellsborough Chronicles book two “Darker Peak” is now being worked on — look out for early releases.

Cheers, until next time,

Pip :)