They make their way to an interrogation room where as they pass water coolers, staff members put black bags over them. When Dave and the cyborg enter the bleak interrogation room, he removes the handcuffs from the cyborg's wrists and sits him down. "For the record and because I forgot; what's your name" Dave asked as he sat across the cyborg. "Maxos, Maxos Deltium." Maxos answered. "Where were you on the first of Hearthfire between nine and eleven in the evening?" Dave asked.
"I was doing some totally legal water-collecting at where I was just now. Unusually, an old man in yellow boots and grey robes came by. He said he was sanitation and I let him through. I decided to stalk him and saw him jumping really high, like in those new Akaviri cartoons. I saw that one about some bald guy who destroyed an entire mou… sorry, got off track. He just hit a camera with a crowbar. I went back to my business and then saw him walk out with a bucket of blood. I didn't see anyone else there, but they might be dead." Maxos explained. "Did you notice anything else unusual?" Dave asked. "I did hear an R-Spore engine. That's everything I saw and heard, I swear by Seht." Maxos answered. "About the robes he was wearing; did it have an eye at the back? Like, embroidered, or something?" Dave asked. "It was too dark to see anything. The lights were flickering on and off, like my sister on Turdas." Maxos replied.
"What generation Fabricant are you?" Dave asked. "I'm a Generation Four. Why do you ask?" Maxos answered. "I want to see if you might have noticed something in the corner of your… whatever you use for eyes. Or maybe that man you saw might have altered your memory. You know, just in case." Dave explained. "I did have some, what you organics called headaches, ever since then. I just thought they were from hangovers." Maxos commented. Dave slaps the handcuffs on Maxos once again. "Come with me. We're going to look around your brain." Dave said.
They go to a high-tech room underneath the building. It had white walls, several computers in what appears to be a command centre, and a lab with advanced technology made out of the Dwemer metal. "Welcome to the Scanner. The Clockwork City's government gave this to us after we sent a request for this to find the Fabricant serial-killer, Pendulum." Dave explained. They approach an egg-shaped metal frame with cords inside in the shape of a chair in front of a ceiling-mounted projector and a control panel. "This is one of those memory-chair-things I saw on billboards around The Clockwork City. My pal Phyzos said they can make for a great mind trip." commented Maxos.
"This one however, is not the commercial model. Instead of the user reliving their own memories, the controller views them and can also install software." Dave explained. They approach a female Dunmer scientist at a computer near the Scanner. "Ready when you are, Detective." the scientist confirmed in a raspy voice. Dave removes the handcuffs once again and gestured Maxos to the cord-chair. "You ready?" Dave asked. "Yeah, I'm just gonna sit here and sleep, right. This must be the first time I shut down without drinking water." Maxos replied.
He sits down on the cords and they automatically wrap around him, plugging into his head like metal snakes. Dave snaps his fingers in front of Maxos' open eyes with no response. "He's out cold. Activate the projector." Dave commanded the scientist. She operates the computer and the projector activates, slowly rendering a 3D image of the sewer on the empty space below it. The final rendering was the old man; the same one that was tied to the Sybandis statue in New Moon City.
"Play." Dave commanded the scientist as he stares at the hologram. The hologram plays as if it was actually happening, albeit with a slight distortion effect. Maxos and the old man start to speak. "Hey, what are you doing here?" Maxos asked the old man. "I'm from sanitation, the drain's clogged and I'm supposed to clean it up." the old man lied.
"I may not have a major in surface culture, but robes aren't sanitation uniforms." Maxos doubted. "I… umm… it's a new fad?" the old man said awkwardly. "Nice try, but that won't fool me. Who are you with?" Maxos asked. The old man shoots him with a bolt of energy from a pistol. Maxos collapses and shuts down.
"What was that? He didn't mention that in the interview." Dave wondered. "There is indeed a recording of the events that your interrogation described, but it's in the recycling bin of his mind." the scientist briefed. "Can you play the rest?" Dave requested. "The guy wakes up three hours later. Let me fast forward this." the scientist said. The projector renders a scene similar to the moment before Maxos was shot.
"Okay, have a nice day." Maxos said. The old man waddles deeper into the tunnel as Maxos crouches down, filling plastic bottles with sewage. "Fast forward until the next interesting thing." Dave instructed. The projector fast-forwards Maxos filling several bottles for three seconds and ceases when Maxos stands up. He walks deeper into the sewer where he sees the old man below a ceiling-mounted security camera, above the stream of sewage he is standing in. The old man jumps very high and then smashes the camera with a crowbar.
"That was sick." Maxos whispered. The old man turns around, but gets a cramp and moans in pain. Maxos then backs away and resumes collecting sewage water. Moments later, the old man passes Maxos with a bucket filled with a blood red liquid. The old man leaves the sewer and a very loud engine is heard outside to Maxos' surprise.
"Get some stills of the memories." Dave requested. "Yes, sir." the scientist confirmed as the footage stops.
To be continued…