. "I'm sorry about the accident, really I am," Alia said, walking
a pace behind Shallsee as they entered the lower levels, near the
SL-27 entrance.
"For the last time, I am fine," Shallsee said, hobbling past the
last security checkpoint. "Now, let's forget about it and get down
here without anyone seeing us." Slowly they made their way through
the halls. It was suprising, in the wake of the latest intruders, but
there was no one to be seen, in SL-26. I must tell Zarah about this
crappy security, Shallsee thought. No wonder she gets so mad at the
sweeper teams. Alia had moved ahead of Shallsee in the meantime, and
was already at the opening to the hidden level. In a show of strength
belying her still childlike form, she wrenched open the manhole
cover.
"You want to go first?" Alia looked at Shallsee, blue eyes wide.
"I'll follow and put the cover back down."
"No way. If you put the cover back down, how are we going to get
back out?"
"I'll lift it, silly." Shallsee looked at Alia like she was
crazy, then started to climb down the ladder. Alia followed, pausing
only slowly to lower the cover back onto the opening. Only the sound
of the air circulation system remained in the hall.
***********
Alia was bouncing around in the sub-level, from room to room.
Shallsee followed at a more sedate pace, to accommodate her sore
knee. Alia hadn't done her any favors by driving the golf cart down
the stairs. But it was interesting to see this side of her. In the
lab, Alia was more of a scientist. Here, she was a child. Alia paused
in an open doorway.
"What do you see?" Shallsee asked, trying to see past Alia. This
was complicated by the fact that Alia was a bit more than six inches
taller than her. "Move over," She pushed past the girl into the room.
It was a cell, similar to Kyle's in another part of the sub-level.
Stacked wall to wall were boxes. Shallsee shone her light over the
boxes, displaying the smoke and water damage.
"Can you make out the writing on these?" Shallsee asked Alia,
who was still standing in the door. Alia walked into the room and
stopped in front of the first stack of boxes. She shone her own light
onto the boxes.
"Hmm, really bad. More smoke damage than fire. And don't say it,
dear. The fire mustn't have reached this far," Alia didn't turn
around to see Shallsee covering her laughter behind her hand. Alia
reached up to take down one of the boxes. "Let's get started. We
could be here a while."
******
"It looks like someone was really obsessed with this lady," Alia
said, looking up from the box in front of her. After three hours, she
and Shallsee were no further in understanding the information than
when they had entered the room. She stood up and walked around,
stretching her legs. Shallsee watched her.
"Calm down. We will get somewhere eventually. Patience. I mean,
this could mean anything. Look at this. This entire box is full of
notes. Look at them," Shallsee held out the slips of paper. Alia took
them.
Look for me at dinner. Catch my eyes.
How can you be so different? I fear I am losing myself to you. I
have to stop. I am sorry.
I found out we are to go to NY together,. Are they testing us?
how can I sit next to you on the plane, and not be able to
touch you? This isn't love. I know that. But this physical
need is dangerous. All I want is you.
Never again. You are like a drug. I have to stop
Why can't I stop? Why is seeing you so much more intense than
anything else? It can't be your looks. I see S and he is my
friend, but that is all. But you... Next time we pass,
don't look at me. I won't
I think I'm pregnant. If so, I hope it is your. Not HIS.
I am. From our time in NY. At least I'll never forget that
night.
It's a girl. She is beautiful. Thank you so much. You gave me
all that I am.
Alia looked up. She couldn't speak. She stood up and handed the
notes back to Shallsee. She went back to the boxes. Shuffling through
the ones on top, she pulled out a box labeled "23KJP59". Flipping off
the top, she pulled out some dusty pictures. She began to look at
them. Shallsee was ignoring her, so it wasn't until Alia whistled
that she looked up.
"What? Anything interesting?" She stood and moved over to look
over the girl's shoulder. Seeing the participants in the pictures,
she snatched them out of Alia's hands.
"Hey! I was looking at those! Give back!" Shallsee glared at
her.
"Do you know what these are?"
"Yeah, that is simple biology. Even I know that. But who?" Alia
tried to grab the pictures away again, and failed. So instead she
reached back into the box and grabbed another packet of pictures.
These ones showed two people, a man and a woman. In some of the
shots, they seemed to be arguing. In others, they were standing close
together, yet not touching. Alia could see a desperation in the man's
eyes, and a sadness in the woman's. Yet.... "But, that's Miss
Parker! She... but, no, it can't be. Who?"
"It's her mother. Catherine. C, from the notes. I have seen
pictures of her in the various DSA's. And this man...." Shallsee
stopped. The pictures with the two, in close embraces and
compromising positions, must have been taken for no other reason than
to cause pain. She looked up into Alia's wide eyes. How can anyone be
so innocent, Shallsee thought. She doesn't even know what this means.
This could tear Missy's life down. "This man must be her lover, the
J from the notes."
"But it kinda looks like Sydney."
"Identical twins, child. Jacob."
