000 Disclaimer, I don't own this, wish I did though……. Sigh. 000 Thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter! I confused so many people :D! And semi-disturbingly didn't confuse some. Which is strange. Lol read on! 000
Iona had never felt like the others. She had never wanted this, never wanted to be part of it.
But somehow, she was. Somehow, between a rebellious childhood and adolescence she had become all she despised. She had become one of them.
But she couldn't help it. Like a moth to a flame she found herself irresistibly drawn to him. And in turn, drawn to the programme.
The programme in itself was mystery. Outside their own departments no one knew what went on. Iona was in charge of running scenarios. Many scenarios that could continue for entire lifetimes, some that lasted mere minutes, each one uniquely valuable.
The scenarios were run on all species; it was a way of viewing a way of life, from one person. However, sometimes it was a way of being kind. People with no hope of life were plugged into the scenario to live out the remainder of their days; people with no hope could live out a lifetime in minutes.
And no one had ever woken up.
Until now.
Five years ago, a human male was brought into Iona's office. It was hard to tell of his appearance, he was wrapped in some many bandages she couldn't see much.
"We found him," Iyen said. "He had a companion but he died before we could reach him, the medics have patched this one up."
Iona wanted to ask more, but she knew she was not privy to such information. There was no point in asking why the male had been brought to her that was obvious.
He was to be integrated into a scenario.
"Get him to the chair," she said briskly.
The male was dragged to the chair and Iona began attaching several wires to him.
"I assume you're taking him to the med-bay after this?" she asked, trying to keep her voice even. The male was obviously clinging to life by a thread and it nearly broke her heart to see him like this. "I will need time to set up the parameters of his scenario after all."
"Of course we are," said Iyen frowning. "Do not fret, he will be made comfortable."
"Is it serious?" Iona asked her heart sinking as she made the final adjustments. "Is there no way we can find his people? Or is it too late for him?"
"It is too late," said Iyen sadly. "The council have ruled that he live out the rest of his days in a mercy scenario."
"And who has been designated to be his angel?" she asked her finger poised over the final switch. "Illyria? I hear she is waiting for a new patient to watch over."
Angels were the slang term for scenario operators due to the way in which they watched over there patient and looked after them.
"No, Illyria has been put in charge of your patients," said Iyen. "You are to watch over this male, the council feels he needs your…………caring touch."
Iona flicked the switch and turned the attention to her work. This was the part she hated the most, for the machine while complex in design had just one purpose. To download all of that person's memories and show the most recent. It took only minutes and Iona motioned to the others to take the male away for medical treatment.
Finally left alone to her own devices she sat down at her desk and began shifting through reams of data. The scenario began to take shape.
It hadn't taken long to create the scenario but Iona hated every minute of it. She hated prying into other people's lives, she hated making them believe in another reality but she had no choice. It was either this or die.
However, she found herself drawn to this male. From her study of his memories she realised that she now knew more about him than anyone else in the universe. It stirred certain feelings within her.
Everyday for the next four and a half years she watched over him. Changing his bandages, washing him down, keeping him trim, making sure all the tubes were still connected, this had all become part of her daily routine.
Till she received a message from the council. They had decided to change his scenario; they had become greedy and wanted to learn more about these humans. It was her job to change the scenario, make so that he never even remembered the previous one, his previous life, it involved a complicated five month process of re-writing all his memories and changing the surrounding area.
But it didn't take, the scenario didn't take and both scenarios began to merge and break down. He began to fight against the system, he began to realise that he wasn't in the right place and he began to challenge the system.
Iona didn't stop him. She watched as he fought for consciousness, she was there during his confusion and she was there waiting for him as he opened his eyes for the first time in five years. She was there as he woke up, watching him make history as the only person to ever wake up from a scenario and she smiled.
"Malcolm," she said softly. "You have many questions and I will try and answer them. But be safe in the knowledge I will not harm you and you will know everything in due course."
He merely blinked at her his mouth hanging open.
"I am your Angel,Malcolm Reed," she said.
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