ASBO-Boy - The Numbers: Part 1

Thursday December 1st 2016

Gwen listened to her footsteps bounce back at her like claps of thunder in the widening cavern. She was deep beneath the Cefn Coed complex and, with any luck, it would be her last. Around her the space swole like the insides of an enormous stone stomach; vast machines filled the floorspace, dominating the room. Her path took her across to a workstation; around her Dr Euryale's personal assistants bustled about their own business.

She logged into the computer and began her work. She'd have to move quickly if she was to succeed and her fingers matched her heartbeat in pace as they danced across the keyboard. Before her, waves of information shot up – some regarding the breeding programme; others concerning the Cascade process; names flashed past – Helix, Mime, even Seraph's – but she couldn't stop, even for him. Eventually the computer arrived at one name: Flicker. She started the download and waited impatiently for the bar to sweep across the screen and complete the process.

When she was done she stood up and adjusted her dress. The room was relatively quiet, the withdrawn assistants were singularly focused on their own work and didn't notice as she exited as quickly as possible. Out of the frying pan, she thought as she contemplated the ascent back to the surface. If someone noticed her access now… the thought was barely worth completing. There was a contingency plan though, even she, at this point, was expendable.

She checked her watch. Her ASBOs would be starting off soon. Squeeze would carry out her orders, partially as she'd instructed and partially as she'd suspected he would. She hated taking advantage of him, but it was necessary, she reassured herself. The others would follow his lead. They'd be okay.

"Doctor."

Her heart ran cold. Gwen turned and saw Euryale standing behind her. He was examining some charts and hadn't looked up.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here today."

"Overtime, Sir," she replied.

"That's what I like to hear." He looked up, smiling – it was an ugly expression and one he didn't look entirely comfortable with. "In that case, there's something I'd like your opinion on."

"I really must be going –"

"I insist." There was something in his tone that denied any attempt at an excuse. She was stuck. Downcast, she followed him up a flight of steel stairs to another part of the complex. He was guiding her towards The Numbers. They past several doors on either side of the corridor, he led her past each of these to the next level and into the observation chamber.

"We've been reading some strange patterns recently. The Numbers are doing something and we don't know what it is." He said frankly looking up at her, straight in the eyes. Gwen nodded, as if she knew what he was talking about. She'd been so distracted recently that her work life had passed her by.

"It all started on November fifth."

"The Dyfatty Incident?"

"The very same." He nodded, turning to a wall of glass. The observation room consisted of a round chamber which overlooked the cells below. From her angle she could see nothing, but Euryale was no doubt looking in on The Numbers below. "The details concerning the events at the facility are… opaque, to say the least. The terrorists who have evaded us concern me greatly. But not as greatly as the peak in brainwave activity among The Numbers."

Gwen nodded slowly, trying desperately to control her expression. Her thoughts were on Flicker and her coma.

"The radiation's effects is already clear. All of the Others who went in came out stronger. The creature known as Core; her transformation is shocking enough." Euryale seemed to be rambling, he was gesturing with his arms, trying to eke out some niggling little thought like a splinter. "I was going over the tapes of the event. One of the Lamps has a photographic memory, you know. It saw." He turned to face her. He was smiling again, shaking his finger at her as if she'd done something wrong. Her blood felt like ice. "Did you know that they all dream of the sea?"

Gwen shook her head, her face blank. "Of course you don't," he continued, "You've been very distracted recently, young lady. Maybe you haven't noticed." He gestured with a hand and a holo image filled one half of the wall. It was a blurred, enlarged image of Squeeze holding Flicker in his arms. "I saw you then and I see you now, Gwen. The girl is the final link to the terrorists and ultimately to you." He spat, all of his calm and cohesion unravelling with one image.

He flicked his arm again and another image appeared. At first she couldn't make it out, the darkness in the picture seemed to draw away all the light, but details emerged. She saw the shimmering surface of the water, the slick stone of the quay and in the centre, her own younger self, gripped in concentration, dragging something out of the water. Her heart leaped into her throat and stayed there. With another gesture the image zoomed out to reveal the details of the image. Men stood in the foreground tipping cloth bound bodies into the Marina.

"I saw you then and I see you now." The image zoomed in again and the damning evidence shot into focus. She was dragging a body out of the water, a body she would later revive and would later adopt. "You kept one of the Flickers, didn't you? Like a toy; to play with; to use against me. Well. Lucky me, eh? I kept one too. She's Number 517."