Scene after scene

Jean-Claude wasn’t enjoying it much either. His chest was tight, his heart gripped in a vice and Xavier’s long strides were bumping him against the clone’s hard torso.

Xavier carried him a little way back down the path and then set him down. Jean-Claude staggered as he found his feet. 

‘Can’t breathe. I think I’m ‘aving a heart attack.’

Xavier put out a hand to steady him.

‘Not yet you aren’t. That will come later. For now you are experiencing the effects of infrasound waves.’

‘Aide-moi, I feel awful.’ The man fell to his knees, clutching at his chest. Breathing was becoming more and more difficult because of the pressure in his lungs. He felt as though he was drowning. Scene after scene flashed through his mind. Lines of clones lying silent in their slings, then Xavier’s awakening, his thirst for knowledge, the worry of despatching the sentients. His vision began to cloud at the edges and he closed his eyes.

Xavier stood watching him, noting his pallor. He was having to concentrate hard to hold the level steady at 100 dB but he’d expected that. He had also expected more of an effect than this. While it seemed he would have to increase things further to achieve the result, he didn’t want to damage the others at this point. It was a fine balance. He was concentrating so hard on producing the precise vibrations and channelling them accurately that he failed to notice Kim and Joe who had come in search of them.

Joe saw the crumpled shape on the ground with the tall figure standing impassively over it and summed up the situation in an instant.

‘What the hell are you doing?’ He shouldered Xavier out of the way and knelt to support Jean-Claude who was sliding into unconsciousness. The push disturbed Xavier’s focus and he lost the rhythm necessary for the precise oscillation required. Joe felt for a pulse, found it and was reassured. He settled the man more comfortably against himself, ignoring the pain in his own knees, and after a moment, Jean-Claude’s eyes fluttered open.

‘What ‘appened?’

‘It’s okay mate. You’re fine. Just had a funny turn I think. How do you feel now?’

‘A leetle better, I thank you. At least I can breathe now. I thought I was dying, my chest was so tight, my head - it was pounding. I couldn’t think straight.’

He wasn’t the only one. Kim had felt the same, although perhaps not so intensely. The sensations were fading but she still felt  unsettled.

Joe looked at his watch. ‘I think we should take you home with us, it’s getting late and you don’t look as though you’re fit to drive. Or do you want us to take you to hospital?’

‘Not hospital. I’m worried about being traced. You know I don’t want to endanger the clones.’

‘But you told us to take the sim from our phone. If you did it as well, surely we can’t be tracked?’

Jean-Claude shrugged. ‘I ‘ope so.’

‘That’s settled then. Let’s get you into the car.’