Mindbend

Turning the knob, he found himself gazing out across the top of the main building. The wind was whipping in off the sea.

Adam walked over to the four-foot-high wall that marked the edge of the roof. From this vantage point, he had a clear view of the compound. The residential structures ended at a small rocky hill, beyond which was dense forest. As large as the center was, Adam realized that there could well be more buildings hidden from sight.

Turning, he looked back at the first interior building. In the bright moonlight he could clearly see its outline, and he realized that it was an excellent architectural solution for eliminating windowless offices. Looking down, Adam could see that the space between the buildings had been carefully landscaped with pools, greenery, and palm trees. Both buildings were of equal height, and there was a bridge from one to the other on each floor.

The core building, which Dr. Nachman had said housed the hospital, was not visible. Adam crossed the bridge to the second building, walked to the inner edge, and looked down.

Below him was the hospital. It was only three stories, which was why Adam had been unable to see it before. Directly below him was the connecting bridge that led to the steel doors he’d seen on his way out of the lab.

The roof bristled with antennae, wires, and satellite discs, which Adam guessed were related to some complicated communications center. There were a number of bubble skylights, the largest being in the exact center of the building. The roof also contained a cooling tower for air-conditioning and a shedlike access door similar to the one Adam had used to get to the roof of the outer building.

Light from the central skylight gave the whole complex an alien, futuristic appearance.

For a few minutes Adam stood with his palms resting on the concrete wall, which was still warm from the day’s sun. The night breeze tousled his hair. With a sigh he wondered what insane impulse had taken him to Puerto Rico. There was no way MTIC would let him leave with its secrets. Frustrated and depressed, he decided he might as well go to bed.

CHAPTER

16

The next day, despite Adam’s impatience to see the hospital, he found it wasn’t on his schedule until the afternoon. Most of the morning was spent with Mr. Burkett, who showed Adam not only the condo where he and Jennifer would live, but also all the facilities MTIC offered employees’ spouses and children. He wondered what Burkett’s response would be if he suddenly confronted the man with the knowledge that MTIC was doing its best to see that Adam’s child was never born. It took all of his willpower to smile admiringly as they walked about the compound. Adam was relieved when Burkett finally released him just outside of Linda Aronson’s office.

Linda greeted Adam with enthusiasm and showed him the computer terminals that distributed Arolen’s information all over the world in a matter of minutes. She also introduced Adam to Mr. Crawford, who organized the Arolen cruises. Adam thought the man a dead ringer for the con artist who’d provided Smyth’s fake passport.

Crawford showed Adam a graph analyzing where the doctors who took the cruises practiced. Most came from the New York City area, though in recent months there had been a number of doctors from Chicago and Los Angeles as well. Adam noted that a good ten percent of the doctors who’d been on more than one cruise now worked at the Julian Clinic.

“The cruises have certainly become popular,” said Adam, concealing his dismay.

“Popular isn’t the word,” said Crawford proudly. “With our present facilities, there is no way that we can keep up with the demand. MTIC has already purchased a second cruise ship on the west coast. We estimate it will be in service within the year. The eventual plan is to have five ships in operation, which will mean we will be able to accommodate the entire medical profession.”

Mr. Crawford folded his arms across his chest and gave Adam a what-do-you-think-of-that look, a proud parent describing his child’s accomplishments. Adam felt sick. An entire generation of doctors programmed to be unknowing representatives of a pharmaceutical house.

Dr. Nachman met Adam for lunch and afterward led him down to Dr. Glover’s office, where Glover and Mitchell were arguing over who should show Adam around first.

“It’s getting so I can’t leave the two of you in the same room,” said Nachman irritably.

Adam wondered if the center’s isolation was responsible for their bickering. The competition between the two doctors had a neurotic quality. But Adam was pleased that he would at last be seeing the hospital. He didn’t relish another hour of Mitchell’s commentary, though, and hoped to escape it.