"The blast of the cannons is deafening, a continual volley of sound above the cries of battle and the roar of the ocean, the swell of the sea is pulling me fore and aft trying to throw me off balance. The air is thick with the smell of gunpowder, mixed with sweat, salt and the stench of blood. Amidships in the lower gunnery section of his majesty's ship Belleisle, I'm looking out at the battle that is raging through the gaping hole where we've just taken a barrage to the central bank of cannons. The deck is awash with blood and bone, where only a second ago twelve-gun crew fought with powder and shot getting set for another barrage of our own. Timing in a sea battle is everything and maintaining our strike ratio of one shot every ninety-seconds was drummed into each gunnery officer, and my crew knew this. The remaining able-bodied crew heaved the 3-ton cannonade back in position or, at least, a position from which we could fire through. The ship's mast has snapped and the sales are blinding the gun batteries so we are using the hole blown in our port side. I'm desperately trying to restore order; half the gunner crew is staring at me waiting for orders, but the remainder is busy reloading with the help of a fellow officer. He's covered in blood and has a look of a wild-man, in-sensed he is shouting orders at the crew, and now I'm arguing with him."
"What are you arguing about?"
Aston North, in his second year studying at Oxford University, sits wide-eyed and transfixed, staring out into the crowd at the University student union club. The audience, consumed with a night's alcohol intake, is half absorbed in the story and half entertained by the hypnotist who is doing his best to add a comedic commentary to Aston's intricate recall of a past life experience at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
His past life regression is the final act in what has been a typically raucous mixture of hypnotism and pranks. Aston hadn't been impressed up to now, the guys on all fours barking like dogs was a little predictable and the girls acting like cute kittens were even worse, apart from when they started chasing balls of wool at the click of the hypnotists' fingers. He did laugh along with everyone else at the teaching assistant, persuaded to believe that his glasses had X-ray powers and then told that he was the only one who was naked in the bar. The poor guy still had not returned from the toilets.
Aston had refused his friends goading to take part in the hypnotist games at first. Although the chance of taking part in a past life regression did peak Aston's interest, it was something he'd always been sceptical. He believed the power of the mind was not something to be trivialised, due mainly to his early childhood exposure to Buddhist teachings. He'd volunteered more to put an end to his best friend Harrison's endless sniping than to satisfy his own curiosity. Betting him that he wouldn't be put under was a way of making it more of a challenge.
At first, he had resisted the deepener techniques as the hypnotist began his regression, walking through a dark forest, who does this guy think I am? He continued to put up resistance and concentrated his mind on the meditation techniques he'd been taught as a child.
"Concentrate on your breathing, hear only this, focus your mind" the words of his childhood nanny flowed through his mind. The clarity of his meditation did something to trigger his subconscious, it was becoming accustomed to the soft, subtle tones of the French accent, and the hypnosis technique began to take effect. He led Aston down a staircase in his mind, and as the intensity of the suggestions arose, the visions of his past life overtook his conscious state.
The hypnotist coached his subjects' regression expertly and with a passion he had kept hidden until now, enjoying the depths to which he has taken this engaging student. He continued to draw out the vivid tale of the battle as Aston recalled his former souls adventure much to the pleasure of his friends and the entire audience whose mutterings seem to match the rise and fall like the swell pitching the warships locked in battle.
"Describe what's happening now?" The hypnotist continued his questions while playing to the crowd.
"The confusion on board is compounded by the ceaseless barrage of gunfire from both sides. The argument I'm having with a fellow officer is becoming more intense."
"What is the issue?"
"The lieutenant just will not concede. He's driven by the ferocity of battle, buoyed by the battle cry from Nelson beforehand 'England expects that every man will do his duty.' He is too keen to reload the cannonade that the crew have manoeuvred back in place and resume firing."
"How are ..."
Aston interrupted "I'm not going to lose any more men. Stand away and let me inspect the tackle and breeches — we need the barrel checked too, there may be damage man." He wasn't just responding to the questions he was now acting out the events without prompting.
"How is the battle? Can you tell us more about your surroundings?" The hypnotist tried to regain control.
"We are locked in a broadside duel and can see our enemy face to face. The gun crews around us are firing in unison, everyone wants a hand in defeating Johnny Crapaud, as we like to call the French, and my crew are no different, but I know we need to follow procedure. 'Victory or death' the lieutenant rages and starts to load the barrel himself. 'Fire with all arms was the Captains order — victory or death' he's not listening to reason. Stand down! Do not fire that damn cannon you hear me. That's an order! The ship takes another hit to the stern blowing out another three guns."
"What next? How will this be resolved?"
"I jump onto the floor to check the cannonade. My hand feels under the belly of the barrel, there's something wrong. 'Victory or death,' again he cries and pulls the friction primer into place. I feel a crack with my hand, and there's powder spilling out. James for gods' sake, do not fire this bloody cannon." Aston yelled out to the audience.
"He's lighting the bloody fuse we'll all be blown to hell..."
Aston fell back from his chair with a sudden jolt, his body's reflex to his mind recoiling from the blast. He crashed to the floor in a heap. The student union audience erupted, some cheering, others clapping and a number aghast at the shows apparent finale and the story the hypnotist had drawn from Aston's subconscious.
Aston woke from the hypnosis, sprawled on the floor of the student union bar, disoriented by the noise, blinded by the lights, his heartbeat racing and his face burning with embarrassment. It took him a moment to get back his senses. The hypnotist's beautiful assistant helped him sit. Her eyes gave away her Chinese heritage, her smile warm and welcoming she asked if he was okay. He meekly looked around, and the hypnotist was basking in the reaction from the crowd.
"Oh my God," he said under his breath. "I'm okay I think — what happened?"
The hypnotist, noticing Aston getting up, made his way over and helped him to his feet.
"That was outstanding, a very deep regression, we need to talk more, and I need to bring you out of the hypnosis correctly." His tone had changed and sounded excited as he raised Aston's arm to acknowledge the crowd.
Aston's mind was racing. First, he was caught with embarrassment, before going under he'd bragged to the crowd that his will was too strong and would not be susceptible to hypnosis. They might be applauding the hypnotist, but for him, this was sure to be a catalyst for a semester worth of peer piss taking that would make his university life a nightmare. He could just imagine the ceaseless procession of comments about Nelson, Trafalgar, cannonballs and the like, not to mention his best friend being insufferable. Aston wished he hadn't bet him twenty pounds that he wouldn't succumb. He was looking directly at him now, and Harrison was laughing back at him and pulling faces. For a supposedly technical genius, there are times when he can be so childish.
The embarrassment he could live with but his mind was running through the incident he had just witnessed. It wasn't just a past life event he was recounting, it felt something more than that, something ethereal, like travelling back in time, he felt he was there on the ship experiencing the events first hand. He turned to the hypnotist, who was now giving high fives, shaking hands with and drinking in the audience appreciation.
"Can we talk?"
"Come backstage once it's died down in here."
Aston tentatively walked off the stage. "You mean once your ego has eaten its fill of adoration more like." He said under his breath and headed for the bar. Harrison was waiting for him.
"Don't say a word" Aston warned.
"Aye captain" Harrison's pirate impression was the least he expected.
"I need a drink."
"Rum?"
"Maybe a Napoleon brandy?" They both burst out laughing, Harrison threw his arm around his best friend and ordered.
Aston swirled the brandy in the glass then downed it in one.
"I've got to go and speak to the hypnotist about the whole experience. You know what was weird? It felt like I was actually there in person!"
"Okay dude, just remember your Jedi mind trick this time!" He smiled "I'll see if I can find Ellie and meet you after."
"Was she here?"
"I think so. She said she would try and make it."
Aston hadn't realised his other best friend was back on campus, as he made his way to the dressing room backstage he smiled, Ellie could be very helpful if what he had in mind came to fruition.
The dressing room was, in reality, a converted storeroom next to the club managers' office, only used when they had a headline act which felt the need to feel special. He knocked and the assistant, who'd helped him, opened the door and smiled.
The hypnotist had his hand on the head of the girl who he'd made meow and chase balls of wool around the floor. He turned to see Aston, smiling at him he said to the girl she would be entirely free from the hypnosis and then clicked his fingers twice. She hugged him, kissed him on the cheek then went to take a selfie with her phone. Abruptly he blocked her off almost knocking the phone out of her hands "No pictures" he sounded aggressive which shook the girl, her smile dropped, and she scurried out of the room.
"Bonjour Mon Ami" the suave, charming French persona returned immediately "sit down, how do you feel? That was quite a regression" he clicked his fingers above his head "hmm interesting it seems you are totally free from the hypnosis. I would normally have to walk you back out of such a regression. You seemed very deep, and the recollections were very detailed." There was a puzzled expression on his face but also Aston picked up on a glint in his eyes. "Are you on any medication?"
"No."
"Recreational drugs? It's okay I won't judge you, you are at Uni' after all!"
Aston laughed.
"No way. Look I wanted to mention this earlier, it didn't feel like I was under, it felt like I was actually there! It felt like I was part of that guys' feelings, his emotions, thinking his thoughts, I can't explain, but I feel we were connected."
The hypnotist smiled wryly and looked across at his assistant.
"I was raised in Hong Kong," Aston continued "my nanny was a devout Buddhist, and she used to get us to meditate daily. When you were trying to put me under I was using an accelerated breathing technique, she taught me to attempt to stay awake and not submit. Could it have been the two things messing with my subconscious that triggered it?"
"There are many things that medicine has yet to discover about the subconscious state and the human soul. The Buddhists have a greater grasp on the human consciousness than most but I think you may have uncovered a gift, and I would like to help you explore it further."
"You mean now!" Aston was a taken aback a little by his eagerness. He wanted to learn more about what he'd just experienced, but there was something about the hypnotist that held him back. "I think I've been hypnotised enough for one night."
The ring from a mobile interrupted them, the assistant answered.
"It's Elliot, he says it's important, do you want to talk to him?" She handed him the gold-plated phone. Very fancy, very showman Aston thought, maybe hypnotism pays well.
"Oui" answered the hypnotist, then listened intently for a while "hold on one-second" the hypnotist turned to Aston. "We will have to continue this another time I'm afraid" he offered his hand, and they shook. "My assistant will see you out and give you my details to get in touch." He returned to his call and in a raised tone gave instructions in French. At the door, his assistant bowed and handed him a business card, two-handed. For a Chinese girl, she was rather tall, he bowed back and accepted the card two-handed, just as he'd seen as a child.
"Thank you" the girls' eyes reminded him of his nanny although not as kind, maybe it was western heritage.
He pocketed the card and walked back to the bar to find his friends. Aston thought back to his childhood growing up in Hong Kong. Raised in an expat lifestyle, his father was a prominent accountant working for a large stockbroker firm who spent far too much time away from his family. His mother an actress in her younger days engaged a nanny to look after Aston and his sister while she enjoyed the trappings of being an expat spouse. The two children were both profoundly influenced by Grace, a devout Buddhist she taught them yoga and meditation from an early age. Introducing them to the mysteries of the Orient as well as educating them in Eastern philosophy and the history of the Chinese people. When his father disappeared under a cloud of mystery, leaving them with nothing, his mother took him and his sister back to London. They never saw Grace again, but Aston still practised yoga and meditation almost every day.
Grace had often spoken about her belief that a soul was eternal, how lives were connected. What if he had uncovered something? What if "this gift" as the hypnotist seemed to think it was, could unlock his soul and allow him to see his past lives. Aston knew one thing for certain; he was going to find out more and had a good idea who he could get to help.
Aston couldn't find Harrison in the bar after he left the dressing room, his head was buzzing with ideas and possibilities that he was bursting to tell his best friend. After suffering one too many comments about keeping things ship shape or renditions of Rule Britannia, he quickly made an exit and headed back through Oxfords' cobbled streets to the flat they shared. They had opted out of the accommodation supplied by the University and secured a two-bedroom loft style apartment just off Magdalen Bridge in the heart of Oxford. The place was solely down to Harrison's dad, who was a very successful technical liaison between China and the UK in the late eighties, and now sat on the board of a major electronics firm. He was happy to cover the cost of the rent, as his son had qualified for Oxford and was excelling in Computer Science. At first, Aston was a little bit jealous of his friends' fathers' attention but, in reality, realised soon enough that they both shared parent issues, Harrison's just came with fringe benefits. His friend was in his room on the top floor, sat hunched over his computer, typing furiously. Lines of code streaming across the centre display, a paused game of Call of Duty on the main display and a Skype video conference on the left hand.
"Hey man, what's up" Harrison didn't raise his head from the screen.
"Wassup Aston" the guys in the video conference welcomed him too. "Welcome aboard Captain."
"Not you as well, news travels fast — thanks mate" he clipped Harrison around the head.
"Hey, not me they heard it on Twitter. I think you're trending."
"Fuck off" he swiped him again and pressed mute on the Skype call. "I want you to help me do it again."
"What? Hang on I'm trying to hack into the main Oxford servers. These guys are racing me, but I reckon I'm there." Harrison clicked the mute button the smashed down on the keyboard " done — beat you guys, I do believe that's fifty quid fellas!"
"We didn't shake on it H."
"I've got this wired up to record brothers so put up or shut up — you can pay me in bitcoins if you wish!" Harrison laughed ended the Skype call and swung around to face Aston. "That plus the twenty quid you owe me from earlier Mr North, this is turning out to be a good night."
Aston took a twenty out of his pocket and handed it to Harrison. Who tapped the crisp note on its edge.
"Magnificent — so did you just say you want to do it again! I'm a computer genius dude, not a hypnotist. What exactly happened to you tonight?"
"That was no regression, my friend. It felt like I was there, the smells, the sound, I swear I can still taste the salt, it felt like I could reach out and touch that cannon myself. It was ethereal Harrison like I was part of that guys' soul. I reckon that actually happened just as I saw it and reckon we could do it again. You were there and you know what he did and said, a man of your talents, should be easy right?"
"I know I can reboot your hard drive, Aston. I'm not sure I'm qualified to reboot your soul. That's some weird shit, and I don't think we should mess, you know!"
"C'mon' humour me, your mom was a Buddhist right she taught you about..."
Harrison cut him off. "Don't start down that religious path, I'm not drunk enough to go there bro' you know how I feel."
Aston knew Harrison was an atheist or, at least, had no belief or faith, if pushed for his religious beliefs he would put down Jedi. Not long after they met, he had told Aston about his mother which led to a very lengthy and drunken debated about faith, religion and the rights and wrongs of the world. As a confirmed computer nerd, Harrison believed in naughts and ones when the power fails he would argue, the light goes out.
"Hang on, there's an easy way to check this out" Harrison was back at his keyboard "let's Google it."
He pulled up the website of national archives and scrolled through the details of 21 October 1805, they read through the details of Lord Admiral Nelson's historic triumph over the combined Franco-Spanish fleet off the coast of Cadiz.
" I never knew Trafalgar was somewhere in Spain."
"No, nor I, but history and geography were never my best subjects" replied Aston. His mind was racing again as they searched through the detail of the battle.
"Can you remember what ship were you on?"
"Belleisle,"
Harrison searched the articles on the ships from the battle, and the Belleisle certainly did have the most killed in action of all the 27 English ships.
"Whoa," he turned to Aston after finding a firsthand report from the ship. He was already reading the account from the gunners' mate about the cannon explosion on the Belleisle that almost crippled the ship, the explosion killing two officers and half the gunnery squad. They both looked at each other. The account has been taken from a diary entry and described the scene pretty much as Aston had recalled on stage.
"Okay, now you got my attention — what do you want me to do?
"I'm really not sure H, but if we can do this it could make quite a stir at the University, I reckon that we could get a research paper published, though."
"I was thinking of doubling in psychology."
"Psychotherapy more like!"
"Hey, speaking of therapy we should get Ellie involved, a bit of medical know-how could be handy."
"Not a bad call but I'm not sure she'd approve."
"I reckon you could talk her round, and if not we could just hypnotise her." Harrison looked at Aston cross-eyed his head tilted to one side.
"Seriously though I want to do this, and I'd rather do it without the help of Monsieur la hypnotist! He kind of freaked me after the show."
"Anyone who takes pleasure in making people bark like a dog has to have a few gigs' missing from his hard drive!" The cross-eyes returned, and Aston tried to regain focus.
"Not a good look H, honest. Can you remember what he did to put me under? Do you want to have a go now?"
"To be honest, I'm not sure I can remember, but I know my friend could help us." Harrison tapped the Power Mac base unit, and he was always adamant he could find a tech solution to any problem. Aston thought he probably could, given the chance.
They started at Google and went from there. The search led them to a YouTube video of a regression by another hypnotist, which they thought was very similar and also with a few backdoor tricks Harrison accessed a training manual that was only available to registered members of a hypnotist's chapter.
It was getting on for three am when they decided to call it quits. They had made some progress; Aston had mastered the accelerated breathing technique. This meditation allowing his subconscious to accept some of Harrison's suggestions from the script, but either a mixture of tiredness or technique meant they couldn't replicate the regression.
Aston knew they were both getting somewhere, but they were also getting frustrated, Harrison's typing volume was amping up, each keystroke thudded with some menace. Aston himself had started stretching exercises which he knew was a telltale sign he was getting tetchy.
"Tomorrow we'll get it H, maybe I will speak to Ellie, she may have some take on the show that we haven't figured out."