Elizabeth Hand - 12 Monkeys

“Good morning, Sandra. Good morning, Dwight.”

Every now and then Cole glanced up at the television. The segment on Frisbee-catching dogs had ended. Now the screen showed the gritty videotaped image of an animal, a lab monkey with shaved head, its limp body heavily restrained and so covered with wires it was difficult to make out the pallid brown form. As a narrator intoned, the monkey convulsed pathetically, its eyes wide and terrified, yellow teeth bared. Cole grimaced. He glanced around to see how the others were reacting to this disturbing image: not at all. He went back to writing in his magazine.

“Torture! Experiments!” A voice shattered the dayroom’s drugged calm. Cole covered his magazine and looked up to see Jeffrey striding across the room. “We’re all monkeys!”

With a small bow, Jeffrey grabbed a plastic chair and pulled it over beside Cole. “Your servant, sir,” he announced with mock politesse.

Cole stared at him in dismay. “Your eye,” he said, pointing at Jeffrey’s face. The skin around one eye bloomed purple and livid green. “They hurt you!”

Jeffrey grinned, cocking a thumb at the television. “Not as bad as what they’re doing to that kitty.”

Cole turned. On TV, more taped footage showed a laboratory cat running in mad circles, eating its own tail while lab workers watched impassively. The cat’s entire body was shaved of fur. Droplets of blood flew from its tail as it clawed in anguish at the raw flesh.

“ These dramatic videotapes, secretly obtained by animal rights activists, have aroused public concern, ” a news reporter intoned in a voice-over. “ But authorities say there is little they can do if …”

“Look at them?” Cole exclaimed angrily. “They’re asking for it! Maybe people deserve to be wiped out!”

Jeffrey laughed and leaned back in his chair; he might have been happily watching a set at Wimbledon. “Wiping out the human race! That’s a great idea! But it’s more of a long-term thing — right now we have to focus on more immediate goals.” His voice dropped to a whisper, and he reached to touch Cole’s wrist reassuringly. “I didn’t say a word about you-know-what.”

Cole stared at him blankly. “What are you talking about?”

Jeffrey winked. “You know. Your plan. Emancipation!” He glanced down and for the first time noticed Cole’s magazine. “What’re you writing? You a reporter?”

“It’s private,” Cole shoved the magazine under one arm.

“A lawsuit? You going to sue them?” Jeffrey’s eyes shone with excitement.

A shadow fell across the table. Billings loomed up beside Cole, holding out a tiny white plastic cup full of pills.

“Yo, James — time to take your meds.”

“No.” Cole shook his head.

“Doctor’s orders.” Billings produced another cup — plastic, everything here was plastic — this one full of water, and handed it to Cole. “Come on now, Jimbo. This’ll help you feel better.”

Cole sat rigidly and stared at the pills. “What are they?”

Billings shrugged. “Not my job to know that, Jimbo. Drink up—”

He swallowed them. Jeffrey watched, his face expressionless.

“Now you boys be good,” Billings said, crumpling the plastic cups and turning away. “Play nice.”

“For the next few minutes Cole clutched his magazine under his arm, waiting impatiently for Jeffrey to leave. But then, slowly, the sense of urgency faded. He yawned, felt the magazine slide to the floor beside him. He left it there, and after a moment dropped the crayon as well. A bitter taste welled up in the back of his throat, but it no longer bothered him. He found himself yawning repeatedly, although he didn’t feel particularly sleepy. That didn’t bother him, either. After a while he must have dozed; when he opened his eyes, the TV was showing brightly lit scenes of a beautiful young couple romping ecstatically in the surf.

“ Take a chance ,” a voice urged him. “ Live the moment. Beautiful sunshine …”

Nodding and yawning, Cole stood. He dragged his chair closer to the television, settling between two women staring slack-jawed at the screen.

“… gorgeous beaches. Live the dream. The Florida Keys! ”

Abruptly the scene cut from the frolicking couple to a still image of the Marx Brothers. A different voice announced, “We’ll return to Monkey Business right after these messages.”

“Hey, that’s pretty good.” Jeffrey sidled up behind Cole, nudging him as he slid into the chair next to him. “Monkey Business. Monk Key Business.”

Cole turned, bemused, as Jeffrey winked and grinned. “Get it, Jimbo? Monk — Key . Monk — KEY! ”

Jeffrey held his fist out to Cole and flashed it open so that for one quick moment Cole glimpsed what it held: a key.

“Huh?” Cole shook his head groggily, then looked back up at the television, where an enormous bear moved purposefully through a redwood forest.

“ If you see a bearish future ,” a narrator droned, “ consider the changes sweeping the world …”

Cole stared at the screen and nodded obediently.

“Wooo, they really dosed you up, bro,” Jeffrey said, whistling. “Major load! But listen up — try and get it together! Focus! Focus!”

“… and once you have considered, think of the opportunities they offer you …”

Cole turned his bleary gaze back on Jeffrey. “The plan ,” Jeffrey whispered, aggrieved. “Remember? I did my part!”

“What?”

“Not what , babe — when !”

Cole blinked. “When?”

With a glance over his shoulder, Jeffrey passed the key into Cole’s hand. “Now!”

Cole shook his head. “I don’t—”

“ But remember ,” the TV said warningly, “ to invest wisely, you need a partner …”

“YES!” shrieked Jeffrey, leaping to his feet. “NOW! BUY NOW! STOCKS AND BONDS! NO MORE MONKEY BUSINESS! BUY NOW !”

Cole watched dumbfounded as Jeffrey danced crazily in front of him, hands flailing madly, his hair falling across his face.

“YES!” Jeffrey sang. “YES YES YES! ENHANCE YOUR PORTFOLIO NOW !”

Voices on the other side of the room: Cole looked over and saw Billings heading toward Jeffrey, his brooding face angry. Behind him another orderly punched numbers into a beeper.

“BUY! SELL! SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY!” cried Jeffrey, his blue eyes blazing as he pirouetted in front of Cole. “ACT NOW! DON’T DELAY !” He danced over to where the same dull-eyed woman was laboriously moving puzzle pieces across a card table. “THIS CHANCE WON’T COME AGAIN!” With a gleeful laugh Jeffrey swept his hand across the table, sending the puzzle flying into a thousand bits. The woman gazed at the floor in disbelief, then raised her stricken face to Jeffrey. Blissfully he spun away. As Billings lunged for him, Jeffrey grabbed another patient and shoved him at the orderly.

“DON’T MISS THIS ONCE IN A LIFETIME OFFER…”

“I’m getting dizzy!” a heavyset woman wailed as Jeffrey leaped past. “Make him stop .”

“Five hundred dollars!” an old man shouted suddenly into Cole’s ear. “I got five hundred dollars! I’m insured !”

Jeffrey paused. “OPPORTUNITY!” he crowed, gazing directly at Cole. “DEFINITELY! A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY! OPENING NOW! NOW IS THE TIME FOR ALL GOOD MEN TO SEIZE THE MOMENT !”

Cole shook his head. The taste in the back of his throat was enough to make him gag. Jeffrey’s words were like some thick syrup dripping slowly into his consciousness. It wasn’t until he heard the dayroom door open and saw two more burly orderlies come running in after Jeffrey that it finally struck him that Jeffrey was sending him a message .