Dorian's Grayl SFSD #4 Round II

Do Not Disturb

Sophie Neveu swept several centuries worth of accumulated dust from the Stasis Pod with a gloved hand and coughed violently as the particles invaded her nose and eyes.

“This is it,” she cried excitedly between coughs to Tim who was peering over her shoulder at the pod.

“Are you sure we should open it?  Look, there’s a sign that says ‘do not disturb’.”

“Oh come on, live a little Tim, he’s only got a year left in there anyway.” Sophie rolled her eyes.

“It’s not my fault,” Tim huffed, “You programmed me to follow instructions didn’t you?”

“Should’ve programmed you without a bloody voicebox,” Sophie muttered under her breath as she turned the dial on the pod to zero.  The pod let out a ‘ping’ before emitting a large cloud of steam from its seal as it opened.

Dorian Gray opened his eyes to see a pretty brunette inches away from his nose. Just his type as well; petite and perky, though she looked a tad french.  Must be the beret he surmised, his brain still foggy from being in stasis.

“Dorian?” She asked, “Dorian Gray?” She grasped his right hand in hers and shook it vigorously. “My name is Sophie. Come on, get out, we don’t have all day.”

“Didn’t you see the sign,” Dorian grumbled at her, “The big one in permanent marker that said ‘do not disturb’?”

“Told you.”  Dorian looked for the source of the voice and found it in the form of a cheerful looking chap with short blonde hair.

“Oh do shut up Tim.  Now look here Mr. Gray, I’ve only woken you up a year ahead of schedule, you’ve been in there for four hundred and ninety-nine years for goodness sakes. What’s the big deal?”

“Four... hundred...? What the blazes is going on? I set it for fifty years!” All the fog clouding Dorian’s brain wasn’t so much dissipated, but given a hefty boot up the derriere as he flew out of the pod, almost knocking Sophie to the ground in the process. “What year is this?” he sputtered.

“It’s twenty four ninety-nine Mr. Gray,” said the cheerful looking blonde chap as he shared a glance with Sophie and they spoke in tandem.

“The Millenium Bug.”

Dorian slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand, “Oh blast!” He exclaimed, “That actually happened?”

Tim nodded.  Cheerfully.

Dorian took a moment to mull over the situation and decided to take it with a proverbial pinch of salt.  After all, it wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened.  “Okay then, fair enough.  Why are you here exactly?”

Sophie looked flustered and embarrassed all at the same time, “Oh! Mr. Gray, I’m so sorry, where are my manners?” She shook Dorian’s hand vigorously once more.  “As I said, my name is Sophie, Sophie Neveu, and this,” she gestured to her companion, “This is my Mandroid, Tim.”

“Mandroid?”

“Mmmmphh,” She shrugged, “They demanded equal rights and sexual differentiation.  Mandroids and Androids.”

“Right...” Dorian drew out the word longer than was really necessary and raised his elegant brows.

“This,” Sophie nodded at Tim, “Is why we are here.”

Tim placed his palms together as if in prayer, closing his eyes before pulling his hands apart to reveal a bright white light.  It grew in size, becoming more transparent until Tim opened his palms upwards and the light became an image.  An image projected from a small lense in the centre of each hand.  It appeared to be some kind of CCTV footage.

A distinguished man walking through a pristine hallway carrying a clipboard stopped to look up at a huge image of Leonardo Da Vinci’s ‘Vitruvian Man’.  The angle of the camera was such that it caught the knowing smile on his face as a shadow became visible on the far side of the screen.  Lowering his clipboard to his side, he turned to face the shadow.  The camera pixellated before turning to static.  

When the visual returned, the man still bore his former distinguished air though it was tinged with the distinct patina of deadness as he lay in the same pose portrayed by the artwork.  His arms and legs were splayed out from his body, a pen laying uselessly in his unfurled hand, covered in blood.

The ‘film’ stuttered and flickered before it paused.  Dorian peered at the holographic image before him.  It seemed that while the signal was interrupted, not only had the man been killed, he had somehow found the time to pull open his shirt and carve a pentagram into his own chest with his pen.

“That,” said Dorian as he pursed his lips, “Looks awfully familiar.”

“It’s the Louvre, Mr. Gray, we’re going on a little trip to Paris,” Sophie smiled.

“I’m afraid I must decline, Ms. Neveu.  I cannot possibly go back there.”  Tim clapped his hands together and the hologram disappeared.  “You see, the thing is,” Dorian continued, “In 1994 while on weekend manoeuvres in France, I commandeered a Chieftain tank without the permission of my immediate superiors. I then attempted to invade Paris. However, en route I stopped off at Disneyland Paris, or Eurodisney as it was then called, and was subsequently apprehended on Space Mountain.”

“Oh I know all about that, but it really won’t be a problem.” Sophie dismissed Dorian’s concerns with a wave of her hand, “The TA doesn’t even exist anymore.  It’s the BA now.  You can’t have a Trinary Army in a Binary System you know.”

“I suppose not,” Dorian mused, “Lead the way Ms. Neveu,” he grinned.