Ghostfinders 02 - Ghost of a Smile

anything here is like listening for bird-song in the middle of a thunderstorm.”
    “A simple no would have sufficed,” murmured JC. “You’re sure it couldn’t be some kind of basic phenomenon, a result of the drug trials?”
    “No,” said Happy. “Something’s doing this to me.”
    “Or someone,” said Melody.
    “Oh right,” said Happy. “Thanks a whole bunch. Cheer me up, why don’t you?”
    “I have tried being cautious and sensible, and a fat lot of good it has done me,” announced JC. “I am therefore kicking that plan in the head and reverting to standard operating procedure.” He slammed through the doors and strode arrogantly onto the next floor, shouting “Anybody here? Anything weird and unnatural and quite probably illegal, make yourself known! We are here to solve mysteries, whether they like it or not, and dispense beatings to the ungodly!”
    “I really hate it when he does that,” said Melody, following JC in.
    “If he wants to be a target, let him,” growled Happy, bringing up the rear.
    “No-one ever holds the door open for me any more,” said Kim, ghosting through the closing doors.
    The whole of the second floor had been made over into one long science laboratory, with shining white walls and surfaces, and tables weighed down with impressive equipment, all of it stretching away into the distance. Fierce fluorescent lighting picked out every detail with almost painful clarity, with not a single shadow to be seen anywhere. The odd partition rose up here and there, presumably to close off the more dangerous procedures; but otherwise, everything was open to view. Work-benches, workstations, computers here there and everywhere, and equipment so complicated the eye seemed to slide right off it, unable to get a hold. Melody pressed forward, grinning widely and making cooing noises, her eyes sparkling as she took in the wonders before her.
    “This is fantastic! I mean, look at all this techy goodness! Some of this equipment is so advanced, even I can’t be sure what it is! This is way beyond state of the art, JC. I’ve only ever seen some of this stuff in really specialised trade magazines, usually in the We’re still running tests and crossing our fingers so don’t expect to see this anytime soon department. Available somewhen in the next decade, if you’re lucky, along with the flying cars and personal jet packs. Okay—once we are finished with this case, I get dibs on everything. We are hiring several trucks and taking it all with us. I claim salvage.”
    “I don’t think it works like that, Melody,” said JC.
    “It does if I say it does,” said Melody. “I have a gun. Finders keepers, losers can sue me. The scientists working here clearly didn’t appreciate what they had, or they wouldn’t have gone off and left it. Which means it’s all mine on moral grounds.” And then she stopped and looked about her thoughtfully. “Odd . . . Everything here appears to be still turned on, still working . . . as though people just stopped in the middle of what they were doing and walked away.”
    “See!” said Kim. “I told you! Exactly like the Marie Celeste !”
    “It’s not normal to be that enthusiastic all the time,” said Happy. “If I didn’t know she was dead, I’d swear she was on more pills than me.”
    “But where are the scientists?” said Melody. “Seriously, why would they just walk, leaving everything still running?”
    “Probably legged it once they saw the trial was going seriously wrong,” said Happy. “As any sane or sensible person would.”
    “Getting bored with that song,” said JC. “Not listening, not listening . . .”
    “They’re not gone,” said Kim. “They’re still here.” She nodded to herself, then realised the others were looking at her. She shrugged. “Just a feeling . . .”
    “Melody,” said JC. “Find another computer and bully some answers out of it. Starting with exactly what is ReSet, and what is it supposed to do? And, in particular, what were the researchers expecting or hoping to achieve with this latest drug trial?”
    Melody was already sitting before the nearest computer, which was still humming busily, its screen filled with an image of Stonehenge at dawn. She hammered away at the keyboard, and the computer made a series of important-sounding noises as it replaced the Stonehenge screen saver with a series of scientific files. Happy looked over her shoulder, was quickly baffled, and went back to