෴Raz෴

෴Hex෴

Today

A hesitant voice answered his knock and question. “Are you real? Is it safe out there?”

Raz pushed the remains of the larger dead chimeras out of the path of the door. “I’m going to open the door. Don’t do anything stupid.”

“Ok” her reply sounded small and subdued.

He glanced back to verify that Hex was arrayed in a firing arc. She gave him a thumbs up. Raz turned the latch and yanked the door open and stepped back at the read. A heavyset young woman nearly fell out. She managed to clutch at the other door and kept her feet.

“Oh god thank you so much! I’ve been hiding in there ever since the attack!” she looked up at him with a hesitant smile and a click of the tongue.

For a moment she looked surprised. “Oh. It’s you.” As though her situation had suddenly become real to her, she started sobbing and begging for her life.

Raz stepped further back from the hysterical woman. “We’re not here to kill you. You’re Krystah, right?”

She looked up at Hex. Raz spotted a quick flash of recognition before Krystah turned to him. “Yes, sorry I didn’t recognize you right away. I didn’t deal with our guests directly”

Raz clenched his fists. “Yes. I’d imagine it’s easier to think of your prisoners as guests.” he said through gritted teeth. “Are they still ‘guests’ when they’re murdered?”

She sagged at this and raised her hands. “You’re right. Braithwaite was a monster. I’m sorry for anything I did to you. I just wanted to survive. He killed employees that disappointed him. Either in the chair or his games, he didn’t give many second chances.”

Slightly disarmed by her unabashed crying, Raz took another step back, bumping into the counter on the far side of the room from the door. “Look, you and I never really crossed paths except the one time, so how about we get you out of here and you just go on with your life.”

Krystah’s expression turned to relief. Raz thought he might have detected another look crossing her face as he spoke, but the relief looked genuine.

Raz waved Hex over. Several aspects popped into being next to him. “Ok, we need to make a plan to get her out safely.”

Krystah made a pleased clicking sound with her mouth. “Thank you, I’d really appreciate that. Now that he’s gone I can go home and get my life back together.”

Something is wrong here.

“Ok, you know this place better than us Krystah. Can you lead us to the closest door? Those security shutters that have dropped into place are a huge pain to get around. If you know how to manually open them that would help.” he said.

Krystah pursed her lips and then smiled “Definitely. I’ll show you the way.”

Hex spoke up. “Don’t get too far ahead, and if you see a chimera, hug the wall so we can kill it. This place is crawling with them”

“Oh thank you honey, I’ll be sure to do that.” she replied.

Something about her tone and bearing was bothering Raz more with every moment. He repressed that reaction.

Can't let my reactions to one of the guards control me. I’m not a prisoner anymore.

Krystah nonchalantly strode ahead of them down the hall the same direction they’d already been moving.

“So why are you here? I would have thought you’d have been happy to stay away.” she asked, speaking far too loud.

Way too chill about this place all of a sudden.

“Be quiet!” Hex hissed.

“She’s right. You’ll call every chimera in earshot talking that loud.” Raz added.

Krystah giggled, “Oops, sorry about that. I’ll be quieter.” she said nearly as loud as before.

Bee, scan her. Something is fishy here.

[On it.]

[There are 612 minor communication, behavioural, and motility discrepancies between the Krystah observed while incarcerated, and this one.]

What does that mean?!

[Unknown.]

“That loud bitch is going to get you killed!” Hex whispered furiously at Raz.

He nodded. “Let’s just get her out of here as quick as we can.”

At that moment a small chimera sprang out of a door that Krystah had just walked past. It looked around and leaped at Raz.

Raz took it down easily with practiced precision.

I wonder if that’s why I’m not getting much of a capacity gain anymore.

[System information would support this idea.]

“Wow! You’re really good at that!” Krystah exclaimed loudly with an excited click. “You would have done really well in the games!”

Raz nodded, his expression tight. “Yeah. Now stop yelling before you call all of them down on us!” he whispered harshly at her.

That fucking click! Holy shit it’s the shapeshifter.

Activate remote access, scan for hosts.

[Host designate: Hex present. Host with unknown designation present.]

Krystah turned away in a huff and led them further down the hall. When they reached a heavy drop down security shutter, she pointed into a nearby room. “There’s a panel with the crank inside to manually raise the security wall.”

To Raz, her tone and actions didn’t seem to align.

[Using new baseline behavior, probable deception detected.]

Yeah, I’m getting that.

Send message to Hex. “This bitch isn’t who she says she is, watch out!”

Hex turned to him with her nearby aspect, “I couldn't quite hear that. What did you say?”

“Nothing, let’s go see this crank.”

Fucking bullshit ability indeed.

[Message recipient host/interface configuration determines how message is perceived.]

Not looking for excuses.

Raz and Hex entered. Hex scanned the wall for the panel. Raz scanned the room wondering why this room in particular.

Hex continued to search the wall while Raz turned back to face the thing wearing Krystah’s likeness.

Send message to each aspect body: ‘Turn around and be ready to fight!’

“If you’ve been in there since the attack, how did you know Braithwaite is dead?” Raz asked.

“He is dead? That is such a relief. I was hoping.”

[Probable deception detected.]

No shit.

“I know what you are. How long are you going to keep this little act up?” Raz addressed Krystah while Hex positioned herself.

“Act? What are you talking about?” She replied with a sincere and concerned expression.

In the gathered gloom of the unlit room it should have been invisible, but the sudden flowing of mass and flesh was clearly visible to Raz.

“Come on ‘Hutch’, or whatever you call yourself. You’re good at the appearances, but terrible at actually acting like the person you’re trying to fake.” Raz taunted it.