I hear the beep of the machine and realize I'm being pulled out of the Animus.
"He's experiencing a far better adoption rate than the other subjects." The man is saying.
"I'm still pulling him out. He's been in there way too long."
"No, not yet! We're still so far from where we need to be!"
"We shouldn't risk it."
"What's another hour or two?"
"Why don't we discuss this in the conference room? Give Desmond a minute to stretch his legs."
"I—I really don't see the need."
"Warren, please." She's already walking.
He gives her a brisk "fine" then follows, leaving me alone sitting on the Animus. I hear a door open and close twice and know they've left the room. I refuse to sit idly by while they argue, so I go into my room and see if I can find a place to listen to what they're saying. When I get to the bathroom, I can sort of hear it, so I carefully hop up on the counter and put my ear to the wall. Hardly discreet, but it works.
"...there's a word for that," Warren is saying, "it's called insuboordination."
"And I don't appreciate you trying to kill him! There's a word for that too! I believe it's called stupid!"
"Lucy, this isn't my decision." I miss a little bit of the next bit and try pressing my ear closer. "...do you want to wind up like Linda?"
"I know the accident has everyone on edge—"
"Which is why there's no time to coddle him!"
"If you push him too hard, he'll shut down! And then we'll have nothing."
"We have nothing now!"
"But we will. We just need to have a little faith."
"Fine! But I want you to improve ways of his staying power, we can't afford to stop every time the man breaks a sweat. It's bad enough we have to dredge through all these...useless memories."
"I'll do what I can."
There's no more talking, so I hop off the counter and jog out of my room, not wanting to be caught eavesdropping. I lean on the wall as they come in, trying not to eye the open door too obviously.
"We're done for the day, Mr. Miles," Warren seems none too happy to tell me this. "I suggest you return to your room and get some rest." He takes the long way around to get to the other door, possibly just to avoid coming into physical contact with me. But Lucy stayed. Maybe I can get some answers from her.
I have a bunch of questions for her but when I approach, she startles me by speaking first. "So you're really an assasin? Like Altaïr?"
"Yes and no."
"What do you mean?"
"I was supposed to be one, but I ran away from the farm when I was sixteen."
"Farm?"
"Yeah, that's what they called the place where I grew up. The farm. Like Masyaf, I guess, only not so, uh...creepy. Just a small community in the middle of nowhere. 'Bout thirty of us living, y'no, off the grid."
"Why?"
"Thought my parents were just crazy hippies, trying to stick it to the man, y'no? My dad was always going on about our ancestors, our enemies, how they'd always be looking for us, that we'd have to be prepared. No one ever came. Nothing ever happened."
"Why'd you run away?"
"I could never leave the compound! You have any idea what it's like being trapped in a place, knowing there's a whole world out there I'd never get to see?"
"Don't you miss your parents?"
"No. As far as I'm concerned, they weren't my parents. They were my wardens, and I was their prisoner."
"It sounds like they only wanted to protect you."
"With all thats happened, ...I don't know." I shrug. "I guess they were right."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drudge up the past."
"It's alright, gives me something to think about."
"Try to get some sleep. We got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."
Ideally, I should listen to her, but I still have my questions. I watch her walk away for a couple seconds then follow her.
"Got a question for you before I turn in."
"Sure."
"How did they find me? I mean, I haven't been near another assassin in ten years."
"Use your real name?"
"No. Not before today."
"Credit card?"
"Cash only."
"Telephone?"
I scoff. "No one to call."
"Drivers liscence?"
"Motorcycle. Guilty pleasure."
She nods. "There's your answer. Photo; fingerprint."
"This is a drug company! What does ABSTERGO have to do with the DMV?"
"Desmond, these guys are everywhere. They—I—I'm sorry, I really can't talk about it."
I sigh and leave her alone for a few minutes. If they were that desperate, they must have wanted me bad. Only Altaïr must know where what they're looking for is. I try to talk to her again but all she says is "aren't you tired?"
I go to my room and the second I'm in the door shuts and locks behind me. Great. I go to what I think is the closet and try the door. It doesn't budge. I can't even change my clothes! This is ricidulous. I go into the bathroom and realize it's past ridiculous. It's creepy and disgusting. The shower glass can be seen straight through and the toilet is in complete sight. There's also a camera in each corner of the room, staring at both. I shudder, going back to my room and sitting on the bed. I'll be lucky if I sleep tonight.
I open my eyes to Warren staring at me. "Gotta say, that's a little creepy, Doc. Waking up to you standing over me. You been watching me sleep?"
"We're always watching you." He tells me tersely. "Now get up. We've got a lot of work to do."
"Ooh, wonder who I get to kill today." I watch his face for a reaction, but it doesn't change from that unimpressed scowl.
He points an accusing finger at me. "Don't be so cavalier. Your ancestors almost had the right idea, Mr. Miles. If the deaths of a few people, evil people no less, could save the lives of thousands more, well...it seems a small sacrifice."
"What do you mean 'almost'?"
"They didn't go far enough. To use a rather tired analogy, corruption is no different than cancer. Cut out the tumors but fail to treat the source and, well you're buying time at best. There's no true change to be had without comprehensive systemic invervention."
"Chemo for the masses."
"Education. Re-education, to be more precise. But it's not easy and it doesn't always take."
I'm pretty sure I know where he's going with it. "Let me guess. You've got a better solution."
He chuckles, something that leaves me with a weird feeling down my spine. "Now that would be telling."
'Yeah, that's kind of why I said that...' I sigh and follow him out of the room. Now that he's here there's no chance to talk to Lucy, so I have to go back into the Animus. I hop up and lay down, letting the screen come across my face again, absently wondering how many more times I'm going to have to do this.
