Chapter Twenty Eight

Outside the Northern Metropolis, at a place where no rational human being would ever set foot to, comes the base.

The base is in fact surrounded by sheer cliffs and alligator filled swamps and such, but once you go past the obstructions, it’s a pretty good piece of flat land.

“So how do we get past the sentries?” That’s the first question that comes to me.

“We don’t. I have a plan.” Roger seems pretty confident.

“Then what’s the plan?” Skye asks right before I do.

“Step 1 walk over. Step 2 neutralize them. Step 3 take their ID cards and uniforms. Step 4 get to the arsenal.”

That seems like a pretty simple plan, but sometimes simplicity is better than overly complex.

“How do you know they have access to the arsenal?”

“They don’t, I do.” Roger smiles confidently.

“What if they erase you out of the system?”

He thinks for a while and replies, “There are too many unpredictable possibilities. Let’s hope luck is on our side.”

Luck seems to be on our side. For now…

So far everything is going according to the plan. The sentries are taken out. Roger’s name is still registered in the system. We find the Reader prototype lying there.

“Okay, Andrew. Skye will be connected to you mind on the Reader,” comes Roger’s voice.

“But why can’t I do it alone. This way is safer for all of us.” If Skye’s connected to me on the Reader, then it is only left Roger to help us to defend against them. One reason I’m against this is that two people are always better than one. Second reason is that I still don’t completely trust Roger. Isn’t it weird? Just because he knows Skye doesn’t give him the complete reason to just rebel against them.

“No. You need a person to browse through your memories. You are like a computer, and Skye will be the user who goes through the directories. The computer itself has no power to do the action. Also it saves some time of storytelling after you finish.”

Right. I’m not offered with a choice here.

“Are you confident you can guard us safely?” I question Roger.

“You have seen my combat abilities already.” He’s pretty confident about his skills.

Roger locks the door again and manipulates the cameras so they show a falsified footage.

“You ready?” Skye asks solemnly, as if everything here is a solemn task.

“Yes. Let’s fire it up.”

Again comes that inception of time and dimension. These old memories of the Reader are awakened again. I doubt anyone could ever forget all this. Ever.

Skye is standing in the vacuum. I am nonexistent here. Nonexistent in this world of my own memories. Skye is me. I am her. We are the only reality here.

The memories of the village are fast forwarded.

Here comes the part I kiss Jessica. Right, maybe I still want to keep this part private. After all it’s the last memory I have with Jessica. The most precious one that I will always cherish.

Here is the part with Roger.

Then the injection room.

Then the syringe of drugs.

Then the part that remained hidden to me until now.