Midnight Conversation

Killing a person was not troubling Michael as much as he thought it would, instead his mind kept wandering to the name the girl with the blue hair, Chloe, has spoken Just before she left. Alma, it sounded like an old fashioned name, maybe her mother or grandmother, but what would her relatives have to do with his situation right now.

When Vidic had left him still strapped to the animus a couple of hours ago Michael thought he was just making a point and would soon come back to release him from his restraints, now it seemed like he was going to have to sleep like this. The fact the restraints were too tight and digging into him didn't help much with the comfort.

"I've learnt my lesson!" He shouted at no one in particular. "I know you can hear me and see me with your eyes in the walls!" still no answer came, "Answer me you fucking pricks!" He struggled against his restraints for the hundredth time and still they did not give.

A cool blue light appeared near his where his legs were strapped, the computer had turned on. A series of beeps and the animus started to glow too, it was getting ready for a session.

"Hey this thing just turned on by itself!" nothing but the sound of the animus came as answer. Then the visor crossed over his eyes and he couldn't move his head for fear of breaking the glass, he closed his eyes and waited for the session to start.

But it didn't, when he opened his eyes he was staring at writing on the glass visor.

"Are you okay?"

The words hung there for a while as he couldn't reply to them. Finally he just said, "No", the reply came back.

"What's wrong?"

"How can you hear me?" he asked

"Voice recognition in the Animus."

"What's wrong?"

Voice recognition in the Animus? That was a function Vidic hadn't spoken to him about before. Why would he tell me everything.

"I'm strapped to the Animus, I can't move."

"Aww poor baby"

"What?"

A little while passed before he got a reply this time.

"Sorry about that, we need to get you out of those restraints then."

"Yeah no shit, who are you?"

It depends on the day and how I'm feeling.

"What, who else is there with you?"

Sorry that happens sometimes, it's Chloe, the girl you saw the other day, I wasn't feeling my best then.

"Chloe? Who else is there with you?"

"Just me, sometimes the others speak through me."

"Great I'm talking to a schizophrenic " he said aloud

"A what?"

"Nothing nevermind" best not upset an already unstable person. "How are you going to get me out of here?"

"I can't do anything from here, you're going to have to find another way of escaping, have you retained any of your ancestor's skills?"

"Yeah but none of them were Houdini so that's unlucky" She obviously didn't pick up on his sarcasm because her reply was,

"That is indeed unlucky, it would be very useful."

"How are you doing this anyway where did you get the ability to hack computers?"

"The same way you learnt how to kill a man. The past."

"The past didn't have an Animus."

"You haven't gone back far enough. Don't worry you will."

What she meant by that Michael could not begin to guess but all this talking was getting him nowhere, he was still strapped to an overly expensive table talking with a crazy person about past computers.

"How am I getting out of here if you can't help me?"

"If you would shut the fuck up she will explain. Sorry that was Moira, she has a potty mouth."

"She sounds very pleasant."

"My fists are pleasant too."

"Chloe please! Tell me what you were going to say."

"Yes sorry. Okay. In the morning when Vidic comes back, tell him 'The piece is in Peleliu'. That should help your situation."

"Wait what piece, what's in Peleliu?" No answer came this time and the visor went down again, the computer turned off and once again he was cast in darkness and silence. Fuck.

His uncomfortable night's sleep was interrupted by a sharp jab from Vidic.

"How was your night?" He asked

"I had the most amazing dream, you weren't in it." replied Michael still groggy from being woken.

"It seems your wit is still in place. Are you ready for another session?" He asked as he set about typing on the computer.

"The piece is in Peleliu." Time seemed to stop when Michael said that, Vidic turned to him with a genuine look of surprise, it was the intellectuals equivalent to having your jaw wide open. He stopped typing and slowly walked over to Michael so he could look him in the eye.

"What did you just say?" He asked very slowly.

"The piece is in Peleliu, does that mean anything to you?"

Vidic took a mobile phone out of his pocket and rung someone on his speed dial.

"Hello, yes I think we may have one. It's in Peleliu, it seems were correct about the general area. It is certainly good news, Goobye." He then turned back to Michael.

"Where did you know to look?" He asked him.

"It came to me in the Animus." Michael answered with as much of the truth as he dared reveal, right now Chloe was his only link out of the room.

Vidic looked down at the Animus and shoot his head slowly.

"Still they surprise us." He muttered softly.

"Who does?"

"The first people." answered Vidic, "Now because you've helped us I think we can remove these restraints, and as long as you continue cooperating they'll stay off." A different bodyguard came through the door a couple of minutes later and removed Michael's restraints. Slowly sitting up he massaged his wrists and got up off the Animus and started walking towards his room.

"Where do you think you're going?" Asked Vidic.

"I've been strapped to that thing all night, I stink and I need a shower, do you object?"

"Ten minutes then you'd better be ready."

"I just gave you something I'm judging to be very valuable so can we just skip today's session?"

"We're not having a session, we're leaving."

Michael stopped and turned back to him.

"Where are we going?" he asked

"Peleliu."