Things Not Subject To Gravity - Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Dee flinched at the sudden crack of thunder in his ears. His hand flew toward his right AirPod but stopped halfway—the sound quality was terrible and the weather didn't help—volume had to be high. His wolfish eyes squinted at the video.
Wrapped in a white velvet cloak, The Oracle* seemed to be a tall and slender man. The unloosened collar revealed Indian clothing—something fit for a traditional wedding—with sophisticated embroidery along all the hems. Despite his broad shoulders, defined collarbones, and obvious Adam's apple, his skin was smooth and unblemished, and the movements of his manicured hands as gracious as a geisha's.
Dee hummed, tapping his fingers on the dark desk before adding a note beside The Oracle's nationality line—despite his Japanese descent he probably had some connection with Indian culture. Unfortunately, the dim light combined with the grainy footage made his features hard to discern.
"Good morning. Today is a beautiful day, isn't it?" The Oracle's deep voice sang over the pitter-patter of rain.
"Well, I'm not really into this shitty weather." Norton sounded rough already, but it was probably his natural tone.
"I understand. Personally, I believe it would be better for you to enjoy every moment, but—" The Oracle took a break, well-timed enough to be calculated. "Never mind. The wind is going to change and you'll warm up soon."
"Unfortunately, we are on duty. We don't exactly have time to look at the forecast." Officer Norton turned toward his colleague. "Right, Will?"
"That's why, on this day, many people are going to die." The Oracle's ominous words, complemented by his cloak getting soaked in the rain, were in stark contrast with his calm, courteous tone.
Dee paused the video before he snorted, trying to suppress a chuckle. He shook his head at the absurdity of their conversation and tapped play again.
"What do you mean by 'many people are going to die'?" Norton's voice had grown suspicious.
"I mean it should be your duty to prevent that, but you will fail."
Officer Smith chimed in, trying to read the situation. "Is that so, Mister—what's your name again?"
"Vain."
"Well, Mister Vain, you have to trust the police more."
The downpour grew stronger almost covering The Oracle's reply. Dee cupped his ears to have a better grasp of his words. "In this case, I'm afraid my trust is not the issue, but at the very least, I kindly suggest you run down those stairs and get to the sixth stop of the Blue Line."
Smith moved to Norton's side, his serious voice clearly cutting through the water's wall, "And why should we?"
The Oracle stayed calm, his body relaxed. "Because I know the future—that's where many people are going to die."
Norton took a step closer, the camera focusing solely on The Oracle's chest. "What are you talking about, Mister Vain? People's lives are not jokes and if you keep going, it could get you into trouble."
Vain didn't budge. "I prefer not to get into details for now but, since you asked, I'm putting more trust in you." There was a moment of silence and the rain creepily slowed down. "To be precise, I'm giving you the chance to prove yourself trustworthy to the two hundred and thirty-three people, riding on the train that is going to be targeted today."
"Targeted? Your statement will not be taken lightly, Mister Vain. Now, show me your documents." As Norton spoke, Smith promptly shifted to Vain's back.
The Oracle slowly lifted his hands in defiance. "I'm afraid I forgot them but, if you don't mind, I'd love to visit the police station. I've never seen one from inside."
Norton gestured for Smith. "Frisk him," he said and took a step back. Through the police radio, he informed the 22nd precinct that they were going to bring in a suspicious individual who needed to be checked.
Smith's voice preceded his actions. "Ok, Mister Vain, your wish is going to come true, happy?"
As the police officer checked his body, The Oracle kept still—fully relaxed even with his hands in the air. "Very much. I'm deeply thankful for your courtesy." The sounds grew distorted and the video cut off as if somebody had tampered with it.
Dee pushed down the screen of the laptop and tapped his fingertips on the dark desk. If he'd gotten that information before, he would've known the exact location of his target. He wasn't pleased with the tardiness of the police mole. To top it off, Norton's body cam—blurred by the rain—only showed glimpses of Vain's bizarre clothing and a few silhouettes of trees in the background.
The most unsettling thing was that Sybil Vain had decided to stop the police officers during their round just to put on such a freak show when he could've resorted to countless other methods if his true objective was to prevent the attack. He must have been aware that by acting in such a shameless way he would be in trouble. So, what were his real motives?
Dee pulled the screen back, adjusted the glasses on his straight nose, and read the confidential reports once more.
REPORT No 1
Vain Background Check
The information in this folder is incomplete and has been scrubbed by higher officers before our informant could retrieve it. Even the photo has been removed. What follows is everything we could recover.
Name: Sybil
Surname: Vain
Sex: M
Nationality: Japanese American
Date of Birth: Redacted
Place of Birth: Redacted
Last Known Address: Redacted
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: Redacted
Height: 5 ft 11 (180 cm)
Weight: 142 lbs (65 kg)
Hair Color: White
Eye Color: Black
Special Marks: a tattoo with an eye in the center of a reversed triangle on the sole of the left foot; a tattoo with an Om on the sole of the right foot.
Personal Belongings:
1 white, knee-length, hooded winter cloak;
1 white shawl with golden embroidery on borders;
1 white sherwani (long Indian top with golden buttons);
1 white salwar (loose Indian trousers);
1 pair of black boots;
1 white crossbody boho sling bag with golden embroidery;
1 white robe;
1 pair of sandals;
1 cigarette pack;
1 lighter;
1 gold ring carved with Hebrew letters and the Star of David;
1 pamphlet titled "Smoking Kills";
1 manual titled "How To Quit Smoking In 30 Days";
1 Hebrew book titled "Sepher Ha-Razim"*;
1 business card: Sybil Vain, The Oracle (number and address redacted).
The Case:
On Friday, the 14th of April at 1:40 pm, a mixed-race Asian man in his thirties—identified as Sybil Vain—was brought to the police station due to his anomalous behavior and statements. At booking, the individual appeared to be in good physical condition and was not aggressive to the processing officers.
According to Vain, due to his clairvoyance, he believed a terrorist attack would occur shortly. He gave a full description of the terrorists, the timing and the precise location. A few officers were sent to the place for surveillance. An attack was attempted at 4:00 pm but the quick intervention prevented any actual damage. Three men carrying explosives were arrested. Although Vain was being interrogated by police at the time of the explosion, the event led to a prolonged detention.
Vain was clean of any drugs and alcohol, had no criminal record and was not connected with any organization or creed. However, he was incapable of giving detailed information about his address and occupation. As such, he was considered affected by a harmless mental disorder and therefore transferred to the Metropolitan Psychiatric Center, in the care of Doctor W. Von Haughman. Vain will be held until the suspicion about his relationship with the terrorists is entirely cleared.
Find below the transcript of the conversation with the officers Norton and Smith—as reported by Norton himself—which led to Vain's detention.
Dee's fingers slipped over the touchpad and scrolled down the screen. He had read the whole thing three times already, looking for any clue about Vain's actual background. He leaned back on the leather chair, still staring at the screen. There was nothing useful there—his fingers moved to massage his right temple—nothing. He took a deep breath and bent over the desk again. His hands ran smoothly through his hair and adjusted the AirPods tucked in his ears. Then, he clicked play on the audio attached to the third page's transcript. The doctor's husky voice started in a peaceful tone.
REPORT No 2
Transcript of Von Haughman's 1st session with S. Vain
Sybil Vain, April 14th, 2018
Medical Staff: Doctor W. Von Haughman
VH: I was told that you were very pleased about being transferred to this hospital...
SV: Exactly, I'm delighted to be your guest for a while.
VH: A while?
SV: I suppose a month would do.
VH: I understand... May I ask why you are keeping your eyes closed now? Do you have problems with your vision?
SV: Not at all. In fact, my vision is so sharp that sometimes I'd rather not see.
VH: What are you thinking about now?
SV: I'd rather not think, either, but it appears I can't forget your problem... I had a pamphlet and a manual on how to quit smoking, that I wished to give you, but the police have seized them.
VH: That's very perceptive of you. How did you find out I'm a smoker?
SV: It's quite easy for me to see things others can't.
VH: Maybe that's the reason why you are here now. What can you tell me about the attack?
SV: I can't tell you anything that you don't already know.
VH: According to your statements, you had a premonition about it, is that right?
SV: Perhaps, Doctor, you would be happier calling it an intuition?
VH: Okay, an intuition then. Are you prone to having intuitions like this?
SV: Every time I allow my mind to speculate, a universe of possibilities opens up in front of my eyes.
VH: Well, personally speaking, I believe you're not involved in the attack.
SV: If that wasn't the case, I seriously doubt we would be here talking about it.
VH: Luckily, we will have plenty of opportunities to do so. I welcome you, and I hope the time we spend together will be useful to you.
Dee snorted at the doctor's simplicity. He stopped the audio and scribbled some notes on his pad. There was no point in listening to the rest of the first recording. Out of all the information, Vain's manner of speech was the only reliable data.
The Oracle had a deep voice, sounding firm and natural, yet mellow and calm. His breathing was slow and regular, his tone placidly carrying a smile, unperturbed, self-satisfactory. Whatever the subject, his pitch never grew higher. The words—smoothly rolling off his tongue—stretched, cuddling the ears like an old storyteller narrating a fairy-tale for kids. He wasn't an old man though—ageless would've defined him better.
Other than the doctor's papers, there was no sound of shifting, rustling, stretching or scratching. Sybil Vain was still and relaxed, fearless as a man with no secrets—strange enough, for somebody whose whole existence was a mystery.
Dee shook his head and started the next audio, while his eyes followed the last script.
REPORT No 3:
Transcript of Von Haughman's 20th session with S. Vain
Sybil Vain, May 14th, 2018
Medical Staff: Doctor Von Haughman
VH: Mister Vain, I've been told that you just got a visit from the police liaison officer?
SV: That's correct.
VH: And what was your understanding of that meeting?
SV: They suspected me of being complicit in a terrorist act, but they don't have enough on me to convict. Hence, I'm free to go.
VH: Well, not quite. You're no longer being held on criminal charges, but you're still a psychiatric patient. You've been certified, and the police are not in a position to reverse that decision. Whether you're safe to leave this facility is a medical question.
SV: On what grounds do you think I'm insane, Doctor?
VH: I didn't say you were insane.
SV: Okay then, let me rephrase. Is it your medical opinion that I'm insane?
VH: That's what I am here to determine... When you were admitted, you expressed the belief that you could predict the future. Do you still believe that?
SV: Of course.
VH: So, let me confirm what you are saying. Do you think you can predict the future?
SV: Yes, of course. The sun will set past eight today. Objects released in a gravitational field will continue to fall, but in the future scientists will probably find something that doesn't. Humans will continue to engage in selfish behavior and try to fix it. On a more practical level, this interview will eventually end and I will eat something today. Oh, and you are probably bound to die before me—but I can still bet the sun will rise tomorrow. See? The future is not a total mystery.
VH: Those are not the predictions I'm talking about.
SV: What sort of predictions do you mean then?
VH: When you were admitted, you said that you had 'intuitions'.
SV: That's right.
VH: To be more specific, you said that you had an intuition about a pending terrorist attack.
SV: Well, I was just staying in character.
VH: But, you claimed knowledge about a specific attack, as though you had information that didn't arrive through ordinary rational channels.
SV: Well, we both know that's preposterous.
VH: Do we now?
SV: There's no way to have certainty about the future, Doctor.
VH: So, you're denying that you have any special power?
SV: There's hardly anything special about me. In fact, I'm very ordinary.
VH: Still, you call yourself 'The Oracle'.
SV: I'm a performer, Doctor, a showman. The Oracle is my business and when you're claiming to be someone you're not, the key is commitment. I don't fall for my own stunts. Would you label Marilyn Manson insane for playing the Devil's Reverend?
VH: So, you're saying you were just playing a role?
SV: Indeed.
VH: I think you are lying now.
SV: So, you think I have special powers, Doctor. Really? But you're a man of science. Now you've got me doubting your sanity.
VH: No, I think you believe you have special powers. I think you're lying about playing a part.
SV: Why would I do that?
VH: To get out of here.
SV: Ah, I see. Do you suspect me of faking sanity? Well, that would take insight and rationality, the very things that a psychotic patient should be missing, right?
VH: I guess so.
SV: And I presume that you can't keep me here just because you suspect I'm lying about my lack of special powers.
VH: I can keep you here if you're a danger to yourself or others.
SV: Why would I be a danger?
VH: You might harm someone for what you thought they might do in the future.
SV: Listen, I do have certain luck in guessing the future, but fear produces monsters. I'd rather not be misled by illusions and lose sight of the truth.
VH: So, you are certain you can discern what is real from these so-called 'illusions'?
SV: Well, I do. What about you, Doctor?
Dee stopped the audio before it could reach Vain's discharge interview and flipped through the papers. On the last sheet, there was a list of addresses, phone numbers, and names of people to be checked that could lead to The Oracle.
He took a deep breath and smoothed the small crease that had formed between his brows. Dealing with such a character wasn't thrilling. Dee had noticed it immediately because he had a particular talent in charming people—The Oracle's tongue was far too cunning to be battled in dialogue.
On the other hand, he knew why he was chosen for the job. For as much as he loved to talk, dialogue wasn't in his top-five ways of solving problems. Tape was.