Terrence gave the outline of the case that he and his team had been working on so far.

At some point he got up and started pacing Jacob's office as he laid out his concerns and assumptions while constantly shifting his gaze between Jacob's face and the framed certificates that hung behind him, showing his achievements and awards over the years. It was clear that he was agitated by the current turn of events.

A half-hour had passed since they had entered his office. Jacob sat behind his desk patiently, listening to his friend's situation, as he shifted from time to time, due to the discomfort in his right knee, although no pain was present.

Jacob stared across him at the defeated man, now slumped back on the couch with his elbows resting on his knees and hands supporting his head.

He leaned forward and contemplated whether to tell his friend about the project he had been working on for so long, but it might be the only solution.

He loosened his tie as he weighed the outcome of his decision and what Terrence had said: "In any case, my team will be hampered by the impending threat and if the witness dies the investigation will come to a standstill."

Jacob concluded that the main problem here is that Terrence and his team's cover had been compromised, possibly from within.

"The injuries that your witness sustained are severe! She is not going to survive. Whatever the surgeons are doing at the moment is only going to prolong her life for a few hours," Jacob said breaking the silence.

Terrence looked at Jacob and said nothing.

"Your team might have been compromised from within," Jacob added.

Terrence straightened up as he sighed "That crossed my mind! If that is true, then I am in double bind."

"I might have a solution for you," Jacob said.

"What is it?" Terrence face brightened.

"It is hard to explain, better see it for yourself," Jacob replied as he stood.

Terrence gave a confused looked. What solution needed to be seen?

Terrence silently followed Jacob through the hallways of the hospital as they reached the basement where they had already passed the morgue then stopped by a door labeled 'Utility Room'.

Terrence became more confused as he did not see the solution to his problem existing in a utility room "Ja...".

"Shhh," Jacob silenced him and ushered him inside after opening the door with a key.

Terrence had time to notice that the entrance of the utility room was a blind spot for surveillance camera.

Jacob locked the door behind him and produced a small flash light from his breast pocket. He walked to the far end of the room in which several metal shelves stood. He extended his left hand towards the furthest end of the second shelf from the top and a clicking sound was produced as he had pushed a brick on the wall. The shelves were swung outwards, it was a hidden door.

Terrence could now see the secret passage and followed his friend. He started feeling skeptic, but he trusted his friend who would do him no harm.

Soon they reached the far end of the dark, moist passage. Jacob opened the wooden door stepped into a small room. Like the utility room, it was empty. Jacob went to the far right end corner and pushed a brick on the wall as the hidden door swung inwards.

Bright light came through. It took a few seconds for Terrance's eyes to adjust to his surroundings. He found himself in a huge laboratory with all sorts of equipment, most of which he could not identify. Some parts of the laboratory were divided by makeshift rooms used for different scientific purpose.

"Where are we?" Terrence asked.

"Beneath my house, a building behind the hospital," Jacob replied.

From one of the rooms emerged a small woman wearing a white lab coat tied at her slender waist.

As she approached, Jacob sighed as if he thought it was a bad idea for Terrence to meet her. "This is Charlotte, my assistant".

Charlotte was around 5 feet and 3 inches with blond curly hair that reached just beyond her shoulders. She wore a big rectangular black spectacles that covered most of her small oval face. The eyeglasses emphasized her green eyes. A loose strand of hair dangled in front of her face partially covering the right lens of her spectacles. She wore a crimson red lipstick. She looked harmless!

"I'm Terrence, an old friend of Jacob," Terrence replied as he shook her cold hands.

"Nice meeting you," Charlotte grinned.

"There is something you must see!" Jacob wasted no time as he ushered Terrence towards one of the rooms, this one had long, thick, black curtains hanging from the ceiling. Several electrical wires with different size and colors came from behind the black curtain like roots connecting to different machines some he recognized as hospital equipment.

"Don't freak out!" Jacob said then pulled the curtain open.

Terrence took a step back as he saw a man submerged in water inside a tank that had a sealed hatch on the left. There were a number of electrodes attached to several places on his body. He wore what looked like a customized silicon cycling helmet made with fiber optic material, the helmet twinkled as several wires protruded from it connecting the other end to a large server.

There were several customized mechanical arms that were coming from the ceiling. The man's body was connected to the main mechanical arm by several needles that punctured his skin and fused with his spinal cord, keeping him suspended in the water.

There was dextrose in each arm, green liquid in the left and purple in the right.

Terrence looked shocked. He had seen dead and disfigured bodies before but the sight of the man inside the tank terrified him.

He stood there for few seconds before a question could come to mind. "What have you done?" But, no words came out from his mouth.

After a minute of staring to every detail his brain could comprehend, "What is this?" Terrence asked.

"A man inside a tank!" Charlotte answered with no hint of sarcasm in her tone, as if she was answering 2+2=4.

Terrence ignored her,  "Jacob, you've gone overboard!" While still starring in front of him.

"Uhm." Jacob shifted in his stand while thinking what to say to Terrence.

"Is he dead?" Terrence asked.

"He is in a vegetative state," Charlotte answered.

"He's in a coma!" Terrence said.

"Kyle is healthy," Jacob replied.

Terrence looked at Jacob. "Healthy?" he said as he tilted his head in an inquisitive manner.

"It means all vital signs are stable except the consciousness," Charlotte answered.

Terrence looked at Charlotte. "Who is Kyle?"

Jacob took a step forward. "Kyle is my late wife's nephew".

"Wait! Your wife's sister didn't have any kids, not that I know of?!" Terrence said after few seconds".

"Jacob had tried to save his wife's sister from the sinking car but he was too late! In a desperate attempt to save the baby, he did a caesarean procedure." A crease started to form on Jacob's brows while Charlotte explained.

"However, the baby was too long out of oxygen resuscitation did not work much with its brain but since the baby was just seven months old it adapted to the artificial womb" Charlotte said with a justified expression.

Terrence glanced at Charlotte then Jacob "Oh my God!" Realizing that his friend kept this human body alive all these years.

"Terrence, I can explain!" Jacob said.

"How is this supposed to help my dying witness?" Terrence asked.

"We're gonna transfer your witness consciousness to Kyle's body" Jacob replied.

"What?" Terrence was numb with shock.

"The human brain is like a software that could be transferred" Jacob answered.

"This is insane!" Terrence said now with a look of hesitation.

"Why not?! You have nothing to lose! Your witness will die soon, I am sure of it," Jacob said with a slight look of irritation.

Terrence looked around the lab. "This is not right! We will be violating her rights."

"Listen, Terrence, as you said, that dying witness is the only hope you have got right now for continuing the investigation and finding who ever is behind this!" Jacob stood in front of Terrence as he spoke leaving his back facing the tank.

Terrence sighed.

"You should know something! William's little brother called me few weeks ago. He was asking about the files on the old investigation. So, if your gut feeling is on point and somehow the old investigation case connects with this one. William's little brother and his family will be in danger," Jacob said with a serious tone.

"Why does he have to dig around?!" Terrence sighed again.

"Look, we can't stop him from doing so. He is stubborn like William. But you and me know very well!! That William wouldn't ever want anything bad to happen to his family," Jacob said then added "Kyle could help you out with the investigation and protect them".

"How the hell is he gonna do that? He is a fish in a tank," Terrence defied.

"He will because he can, trust me!" Jacob said with a confident tone.

Terrence rolled his eyes and did a last attempt of reasoning, "How are you gonna transfer my witness' consciousness to Kyle's body? Didn't you say she is dying! Besides, we can't get her out of the operating room while there are people around".

"The human brain would remain active for some time even after the body's death," Charlotte answered.

"So you plan to wait for her to die!" Terrence concluded.

"Yes, we will just borrow her dead body from the morgue for a while," Charlotte replied with a wide smile on her face.

"Will need to act quick, since the brain activity well only last for 20 minutes or so," Jacob said.

"How sure are you that this is going to work?" Terrence shrugged in defeat. These two are mad.

"I checked the brain scans of your witness earlier. It has 89% compatibility," Jacob did not mentioned of previous other candidates had higher compatibility rate. All what matters to him is that he will keep trying.

Jacob remembered all his failed attempts but he remembered his wife's last wish before dying in his arms. "Jacob, don't let anything happen to my sister." His wife loved her sister so much since they both were orphaned at a young age.

But, Jacob failed to keep that promise and now is doing all he can in keeping Kyle alive at least he is a part of his wife and her sister.

All what Jacob hoped for was a miracle! He truly believes that he found the right candidate this time.

Although, the compatibility is not high as he hoped but the brain damage that the candidate sustained was due to a lack of oxygen so it is similar to Kyle's.

Terrence pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to ease the tension as he felt a headache run through his forehead.

"Do what ever you want," Terrence said and turned to leave.

"What?" Jacob could not believe his ears.

"I accept your plan, I have nothing to lose at this point," Terrence said in defeat.

"Great!, then let us go back to the hospital. Follow me!" Jacob was fueled by a new sense of determination.

Just as they reached the operating room the head surgeon announced Blythe's death.

Terrence was adept on how to sneak out Blythe's body. After all, he had done this several times before.

Jacob and Terrence eyed Blythe's lifeless body as a ticking time bomb that would set off any moment and obliterate their hopes.

Hope to atone for their shortcomings,
Hope for forgiveness,
Hope to protect their loved ones,
And Hope to save the world.

—————
—————

Author's Notes:

Thank you for lasting this far with me.
I hoped you enjoyed this chapter

I am sorry if there are any grammatical errors or plot holes.

I will try to work on them.

Will the mind transfer work?
(Blythe's mind is the software while Kyle's brain is the hardware)

Why made Mark contact and ask Jacob all of a sudden?

Please do give your support and vote

..........（╹◡╹）.........