The Dreamweb, part 8
Part 8
When the lid slid off Tetra’s sleeping capsule, she somehow couldn’t find the strength to get out immediately. It took her a few minutes, but when she pulled herself out a blind panic suddenly gripped at her. Was she malfunctioning, would they dismantle her? Trying to shake the confusion, she quickly put on the clothes that were waiting for her on the table. To her surprise, they were identical to what she wore the night she headed outside, the night she heard the music… would this mean they would let her go out again? Or would they… she could not bring herself to think it. The note that came with the clothes told her to go to the briefing room.
As she walked down the endlessly white hallways, the facility’s employees ignored her as always. Still, she couldn’t help but shake the idea that something about them was… different somehow. If she had been more human she probably would have blamed it on her imagination, but as it was she wasn’t even aware of the fact that she had an imagination. She walked a little faster, still feeling slightly nervous.
As always, the door swung open as soon as she placed her hand on the glass plate of the scanner. She stepped into the empty chamber beyond and sat on the chair, waiting for what was to come. For some reason, a small glass vial containing a clear blue liquid was lying on the table, along with a neat wad of bills, but she ignored them. If it was of any importance to her, her superiors would let her know in the briefing. She sat perfectly still, staring at the wall, waiting for the voice of the Doctor.
“Good morning Tetra, I hope you slept well?”
“I did, but-“
“Good, good, very well then… I suppose by your clothes you can already tell you’re going out tonight? Don’t worry, your mission will be quite simple.
“You will meet up with Thomas Gaelen, the man you had contact with earlier, at club Wonderland. We have had contact with him, and he has succeeded in retrieving the minds we had requested from him. You will give mister Gaelen his payment and retrieve those minds for us. You will then hand them over to a courier. Then you will follow mister Gaelen to his home and kill him, using the poison you see before you. It’s quite potent, so a single drop on his lips should be enough. When the deed is done, one of our cars will come to pick you up.”
Kill? Why? Tetra opened and closed her mouth several times, but she couldn’t find the courage to vocalize her doubts. No. She would do as was asked of her, as she would always do. She knew she would eventually be dismantled, probably the moment Pentos started functioning, but maybe she could convince her superiors that she could be useful to them, that there was no need to remove her.
“I will do as you have asked.”
“I expected nothing less. Now go, your transport is waiting for you in the garage. And… good luck.”
Luck? Tetra wondered why the Doctor mentioned it. Luck was a flawed concept, used by humans to shift blame from themselves when they failed. She would not fail. If her superiors wanted Thomas dead, she would make it happen. He probably knew too much about the Facility anyway, and they couldn’t afford to take any risks. The Doctor had told her that the Facility as a whole was destined for greatness, but they had to pay attention to detail if that destiny was to be reached. By the time Tetra reached the elevator that would take her down to the garage, she felt a lot more determined.
“Was that doubt I saw?”
The Doctor felt a cold lump form around his stomach. Trembling slightly he turned around, seeing the Supervisor standing directly behind him. He had to swallow several times before he found his tongue again.
“I-I’m sure it was nothing… just… just a minor malfunction, she is just a prototype, after all…”
“It seems she has been displaying quite a few malfunctions the past few days… what kind of assurance can you give me that these minor malfunctions won’t become major?”
“We tested her thoroughly, you were there. Besides, once she has retrieved the minds…”
“We will dismantle her, of course, but you’ll be held responsible for everything that happens between now and that moment, so I hope you’re as sure as you say you are that Tetra will function normally. Failure is never an option.”
“Failure is never an option… not even for Tetra. Her programming is as perfect as it could be, considering the circumstances. And I promise you, Pentos will be even better.”
“See that he is. The Chirurgeon would be quite disappointed if you ruined all her work by installing a faulty mind.”
“Don’t worry Supervisor, I’ve already finished my report and I’ll have it delivered to your office as soon as possible. The has been perfected.”
“Very well Doctor, you have the benefit of the doubt for the moment.”
“Tha-“
Without paying any further attention to the Doctor, the Supervisor turned on his heels and left. As he stepped into a private elevator that would take him directly to his office, he ran his fingers along the syringe he carried with him. Maybe the Doctor did deserve another chance, but like Tetra he was about to become unneeded. No, the Doctor’s time at the Facility was over, even if he himself didn’t realize it. Once back in his opulent office he let himself sink into the comfortable leather chair, feeling completely at rest. Things were working out perfectly.
Back in his own quarters, the Doctor clutched faintly at a large cup of coffee, trying to get his thoughts back under control. The Supervisor’s unexpected visit had shaken him to the core. The Supervisor normally stayed up in the ivory tower of his office, taking in the information he demanded from his underlings and using it to further shape the future of the Facility. Nobody but him could see the full scope of the Facility’s plans but him. If he felt that he needed to leave his office to speak to the Doctor personally, it could only mean one thing. His time in the Facility was through. He had no idea what would happen after his employment had been terminated. He’d like to hope that he would simply be asked to leave, but he knew it wouldn’t be that simple. Colleagues came and went, but he never felt the need to fraternize enough with them to worry about what happened after they left. He tried to calm his nerves with the thought that his expertise was still needed, but he knew that wasn’t true either. The Supervisor was a genius, an expert in every field studied in the Facility. Researches were hired simply because he didn’t have enough time to do all the work himself, and since the Doctor couldn’t think of a use for his expertise in mind manipulation after Pentos’ completion, he couldn’t help but fear the worst.
Then, without a warning, a knock on the door came. The Doctor looked up. Were they coming for him already? It didn’t matter really, he knew that there was no escape. If they wanted, his superiors could simply pump a poisonous gas into the ventilation system. He might as well face his fate standing. He went over to the door to see whoever was standing behind it.
The door swung open the moment he brought his trembling hand down on the switch, but to his surprise the person standing beyond wasn’t the Supervisor, or even a team of armed assassins. It was the Chirurgeon. She looked somewhat uncertain of herself, which was even more disturbing than the fact that she had looked him up in his private quarters without so much as a note ahead.
“Doctor, can I come in? We need to talk.”
The Chirurgeon might have looked nervous, but her voice still carried the same icy strength it always carried. The Doctor nodded faintly, and he was almost bowled over as his colleague swept past him, claiming the seat behind the Doctor’s desk. Feeling somewhat overwhelmed, he pulled up an extra seat and sat down across of her. He wasn’t sure what to expect so he waited for the Chirurgeon to speak, still feeling very uneasy.
“I’m sorry for the unexpected visit Doctor, but we have to speak. Is this room safe?”
“I would hope that my work over the years has earned enough of the Supervisor’s trust to warrant a room without bugs…”
“Probably. Doesn’t matter really though… here, read this…”
The Chirurgeon shoved a note across the desk, which the Doctor picked up and read. Almost immediately, his eyes went wide with fear.
“This… this can’t be… are you sure?”
The Chirurgeon nodded, her face a cold, dispassionate mask.
When the lid slid off Tetra’s sleeping capsule, she somehow couldn’t find the strength to get out immediately. It took her a few minutes, but when she pulled herself out a blind panic suddenly gripped at her. Was she malfunctioning, would they dismantle her? Trying to shake the confusion, she quickly put on the clothes that were waiting for her on the table. To her surprise, they were identical to what she wore the night she headed outside, the night she heard the music… would this mean they would let her go out again? Or would they… she could not bring herself to think it. The note that came with the clothes told her to go to the briefing room.
As she walked down the endlessly white hallways, the facility’s employees ignored her as always. Still, she couldn’t help but shake the idea that something about them was… different somehow. If she had been more human she probably would have blamed it on her imagination, but as it was she wasn’t even aware of the fact that she had an imagination. She walked a little faster, still feeling slightly nervous.
As always, the door swung open as soon as she placed her hand on the glass plate of the scanner. She stepped into the empty chamber beyond and sat on the chair, waiting for what was to come. For some reason, a small glass vial containing a clear blue liquid was lying on the table, along with a neat wad of bills, but she ignored them. If it was of any importance to her, her superiors would let her know in the briefing. She sat perfectly still, staring at the wall, waiting for the voice of the Doctor.
“Good morning Tetra, I hope you slept well?”
“I did, but-“
“Good, good, very well then… I suppose by your clothes you can already tell you’re going out tonight? Don’t worry, your mission will be quite simple.
“You will meet up with Thomas Gaelen, the man you had contact with earlier, at club Wonderland. We have had contact with him, and he has succeeded in retrieving the minds we had requested from him. You will give mister Gaelen his payment and retrieve those minds for us. You will then hand them over to a courier. Then you will follow mister Gaelen to his home and kill him, using the poison you see before you. It’s quite potent, so a single drop on his lips should be enough. When the deed is done, one of our cars will come to pick you up.”
Kill? Why? Tetra opened and closed her mouth several times, but she couldn’t find the courage to vocalize her doubts. No. She would do as was asked of her, as she would always do. She knew she would eventually be dismantled, probably the moment Pentos started functioning, but maybe she could convince her superiors that she could be useful to them, that there was no need to remove her.
“I will do as you have asked.”
“I expected nothing less. Now go, your transport is waiting for you in the garage. And… good luck.”
Luck? Tetra wondered why the Doctor mentioned it. Luck was a flawed concept, used by humans to shift blame from themselves when they failed. She would not fail. If her superiors wanted Thomas dead, she would make it happen. He probably knew too much about the Facility anyway, and they couldn’t afford to take any risks. The Doctor had told her that the Facility as a whole was destined for greatness, but they had to pay attention to detail if that destiny was to be reached. By the time Tetra reached the elevator that would take her down to the garage, she felt a lot more determined.
“Was that doubt I saw?”
The Doctor felt a cold lump form around his stomach. Trembling slightly he turned around, seeing the Supervisor standing directly behind him. He had to swallow several times before he found his tongue again.
“I-I’m sure it was nothing… just… just a minor malfunction, she is just a prototype, after all…”
“It seems she has been displaying quite a few malfunctions the past few days… what kind of assurance can you give me that these minor malfunctions won’t become major?”
“We tested her thoroughly, you were there. Besides, once she has retrieved the minds…”
“We will dismantle her, of course, but you’ll be held responsible for everything that happens between now and that moment, so I hope you’re as sure as you say you are that Tetra will function normally. Failure is never an option.”
“Failure is never an option… not even for Tetra. Her programming is as perfect as it could be, considering the circumstances. And I promise you, Pentos will be even better.”
“See that he is. The Chirurgeon would be quite disappointed if you ruined all her work by installing a faulty mind.”
“Don’t worry Supervisor, I’ve already finished my report and I’ll have it delivered to your office as soon as possible. The has been perfected.”
“Very well Doctor, you have the benefit of the doubt for the moment.”
“Tha-“
Without paying any further attention to the Doctor, the Supervisor turned on his heels and left. As he stepped into a private elevator that would take him directly to his office, he ran his fingers along the syringe he carried with him. Maybe the Doctor did deserve another chance, but like Tetra he was about to become unneeded. No, the Doctor’s time at the Facility was over, even if he himself didn’t realize it. Once back in his opulent office he let himself sink into the comfortable leather chair, feeling completely at rest. Things were working out perfectly.
Back in his own quarters, the Doctor clutched faintly at a large cup of coffee, trying to get his thoughts back under control. The Supervisor’s unexpected visit had shaken him to the core. The Supervisor normally stayed up in the ivory tower of his office, taking in the information he demanded from his underlings and using it to further shape the future of the Facility. Nobody but him could see the full scope of the Facility’s plans but him. If he felt that he needed to leave his office to speak to the Doctor personally, it could only mean one thing. His time in the Facility was through. He had no idea what would happen after his employment had been terminated. He’d like to hope that he would simply be asked to leave, but he knew it wouldn’t be that simple. Colleagues came and went, but he never felt the need to fraternize enough with them to worry about what happened after they left. He tried to calm his nerves with the thought that his expertise was still needed, but he knew that wasn’t true either. The Supervisor was a genius, an expert in every field studied in the Facility. Researches were hired simply because he didn’t have enough time to do all the work himself, and since the Doctor couldn’t think of a use for his expertise in mind manipulation after Pentos’ completion, he couldn’t help but fear the worst.
Then, without a warning, a knock on the door came. The Doctor looked up. Were they coming for him already? It didn’t matter really, he knew that there was no escape. If they wanted, his superiors could simply pump a poisonous gas into the ventilation system. He might as well face his fate standing. He went over to the door to see whoever was standing behind it.
The door swung open the moment he brought his trembling hand down on the switch, but to his surprise the person standing beyond wasn’t the Supervisor, or even a team of armed assassins. It was the Chirurgeon. She looked somewhat uncertain of herself, which was even more disturbing than the fact that she had looked him up in his private quarters without so much as a note ahead.
“Doctor, can I come in? We need to talk.”
The Chirurgeon might have looked nervous, but her voice still carried the same icy strength it always carried. The Doctor nodded faintly, and he was almost bowled over as his colleague swept past him, claiming the seat behind the Doctor’s desk. Feeling somewhat overwhelmed, he pulled up an extra seat and sat down across of her. He wasn’t sure what to expect so he waited for the Chirurgeon to speak, still feeling very uneasy.
“I’m sorry for the unexpected visit Doctor, but we have to speak. Is this room safe?”
“I would hope that my work over the years has earned enough of the Supervisor’s trust to warrant a room without bugs…”
“Probably. Doesn’t matter really though… here, read this…”
The Chirurgeon shoved a note across the desk, which the Doctor picked up and read. Almost immediately, his eyes went wide with fear.
“This… this can’t be… are you sure?”
The Chirurgeon nodded, her face a cold, dispassionate mask.