Chapter 3
The journey probably wasn't as long as my fear of being dangled carelessly over a flaming city had led me to believe. The angel circled and gently dropped me down beside an entrance, I watched as the angel faded and caught a glimpse of the devastation beyond that. Before I could wonder why the angel had carried me all this way to apparently abandon me – the door below began to glow as light seeped between the cracks. I bent down and griped the handle and pulled the door outwards, there was no one there and the pixels of light faded away - now there was just an ominous looking staircase – guess it was my only lead.
"Hello?" I called out as I wandered around the basement carefully navigating through the many wires on the floor whilst I inspected the room. There were screens mounted on almost every wall and as I neared one, the screen went black and then a message began to appear letter by letter.
[I've been watching you.]
Well, that's not creepy at all - I looked about, not sure how I could reply, then I spotted a keyboard and was ready to type.
[Who are you?]
[He who dwells.]
Helpful – I sighed.
[What do you want from me?]
There was a delay in his response – so I typed it again.
[What do you want?]
[I know that you're a conduit, I'm one too …]
Message deleted and another delay, I typed again.
[Hello?]
A phone rang - shit! I almost jumped out of my skin, it was on the same desk as the monitor.
"Hello," I answered it.
"What's your name?" replied the stranger.
I stalled before I remembered, "Miles."
There was a pause, I concentrated my hearing on the background noise - I could hear frantic typing on a keyboard.
"I can't find anything about you on any of the systems," the stranger replied "you are a conduit aren't you?"
I didn't know, I didn't answer.
"My name's Eugene, look … you can trust me," he paused "I think we can help each other, but first I need to know more about you so I know I can trust you."
I didn't know I could trust him, but he seemed to be the only person offering any answers so I was honest with him, "I don't know how you think I can help," I said "I woke up in that prison and I don't remember anything – how I got there, who I am – it's all a blank."
"Heh, you're lucky – I remember everything about Cardun Cay."
I sighed, I didn't feel lucky.
"I'm sorry," Eugene said "but I might be able to help you, take this phone. I've installed an app – it will allow you to track radio signals."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Just follow the signals – there's one close by, call me again once you get there."
Before I had any chance to answer the phone went dead. I inspected it more closely – it was pretty empty of all content so the tracking app was not that difficult to find. It booted up but nothing but a message – [no signal, move higher]
Once outside, I accessed the app again – [no signal, move higher] – leaving the basement wasn't enough, just how high up did I have to be? I looked around and spotted a garage roof across the street – the only option. I sprinted over, mindful of the debris covering the broken road and clumsily clambered up onto the roof.
[no signal, move higher]
You have got to be kidding me! Okay, there was another roof to my left that was reachable. I slipped and recovered several times but finally I was up.
[no signal, move higher]
Screw this! Then my phone rang.
"Yeah," I answered.
"Err Miles," it was Eugene "you look like you're struggling… maybe a little."
"Yeah just a little," I sighed "wait, you can see me?" the cameras! Of course "Never mind – just how high up do I need to be?"
"I can send you an angel?"
I hesitated, remembering being launched across the sky a little time earlier "Is that really necessary?"
"I mean if you want?"
"Okay," I agreed reluctantly "Okay, give me an angel."
An angel appeared above and swooped down, "I am he who dwells and I am at your command" it boomed.
"Miles, put your phone on loud speak – you might need to direct me," I did so and without warning the angel clasped me around the waist and launched me up into the air.
We swung about it the sky and I became very queasy, very quickly.
"Steady it, Eugene!" I yelled.
"I am he who dwells!" The angel yelled.
"Eugene!"
"Sorry!" he replied over the phone "Can you see where we need to go?"
"Yeah!" finally the app worked "Left!" I instructed, we went right, "Left!" I repeated.
"Sorry!"
"Okay straight from here," I instructed, at least the ride was a little smoother –don't look down! Don't look down! "400 metres … 350 metres … 200 … 50 … That rooftop, drop me there!" I pointed.
The angel gave me a gentle landing and hovered above watching whilst I tried to find whatever it was I was looking for by pointing my phone around in different directions. Wow - I was a long way up.
"What am I looking for here, Eugene?" I asked.
"Like an audio log, it'll be a device with a red blinking –"
"found it!" I lifted it up in my hands.
"Okay," Eugene replied "move the phone close so I can hear and press play."
[I wasn't going to leave any more messages for you, after watching what you were doing –it felt like you lost sight, I was finding it hard to justify your actions- I mean Augustine, well I expected it from , you know what, you became everything Augustine wanted you to become and I've gotta say I was hoping you wouldn't, but – you did it, I can't believe you did it, you killed Augustine and I don't know what that means for bio-terrorists - conduits, I don't know what that means for me – or this city. {sigh} May god have mercy on you Delsin]
We were silent, hopefully Eugene could shed some light on what the hell that message was about.
"Next location?" Eugene asked.
"Wait, what was that about?" I asked.
The angel swooped down and pulled me into the sky again.
"Eugene!" I yelled.
"Sorry, I'll slow it down!"
"No, not the angel!" I replied "tell me about the message."
Eugene sighed, "I mean it's a long story – let's listen to the others and then…"
"And then?"
"I'll explain everything," he replied.
We were both quiet for a couple of minutes, I sensed awkwardness in Eugene's voice – he didn't trust me.
"Miles?" he final said.
"Yeah?"
"Can I ask you about your ... ability?"
"I err" may as well be honest "I don't know what my powers are, or if I even have powers."
"Wait, you didn't even know that you were a conduit?"
"I suspected," I mean falling from the 10th floor and living to tell the tale in perfect health was a good indication – not to mention Curdun Cay – my cell was pretty impenetrable – unless you can go round melting doors I guess "I mean, I can't remember. I woke up in my cell and escaped with the others – that's all I remember, before then – blank!"
"But you met Delsin, right?"
"Yeah,"
"And he didn't?"
"What?"
"Delsin is like a power sponge," Eugene replied "he soaks up other conduits powers just by touching them –that's why he went to Curdun Cay - to get more powers."
So that's what the handshakes were about? "Oh, Eugene, we're here!" I pointed to another rooftop "put me down here!"
"It shall be done!" the angel yelled.
Okay I knew the drill, the audio log was not hard to find I placed the phone next to the machine and pressed play.
[You have a responsibility, Delsin. The other conduits look up to you – I looked up to you. I saw you with Fetch. How you corrupted her, she was easily manipulated – she might not have seemed it but Fetch, she was fragile. I don't know if you thought you were helping her but does any part of you feel like you did the opposite?]
"Okay," I said "you really need to fill in the gaps for me here."
"And I will," Eugene replied "when you've collected the rest."
"Onward!" The angel boomed as it darted towards me and I was up in the air again.
"Miles?"
"What is it?" I replied as I tried to stabilise the signal tracker "go right! Eugene - that's left!"
"Sorry," he replied "so what happened when Delsin shook your hand? At Curdun Cay?"
I paused for a moment, I really wasn't very sure "nothing," I said.
"Nothing?"
"Well, I mean…" I began "he seemed surprised. I may be wrong but …"
"What?"
"He looked at me like he knew me, I dunno" I replied.
"Wait, are you sure?" Eugene asked "like he knew you?"
"I'm not really sure – you know what, it's probably nothing," I said "I was pretty confused after the escape."
"Right, yeah. Of course."
"Right here, Eugene" and I was dropped on yet another rooftop.
There it was, red light blinking away in a potted plant. I removed it and swept the mud away – phone close, I pressed play.
[Okay Fetch was one thing – but Eugene (sigh) ...
"Turn it off, Miles!" Eugene yelled.
...these were vulnerable people. Not bio-terrorists, not conduits – people. You were in a position to do the right thing, Delsin...
"Miles. please. –shut it off!" Eugene yelled again.
... were you aware about the power you had over these people? I mean not your conduit abilities – your responsibility, they looked up to you and you were in a position to make a positive difference. I knew Eugene, I knew Eugene very well. You know what he was a good kid, no matter what Augustine did to change that and believe me when I say she really tried …
"Miles!" Eugene again.
"I can't turn it off!" I replied.
...in no time with you, and well you managed to accomplish more with Eugene in seven minutes than what Augustine managed in seven years.]
"What was he talking about?" I eventually asked.
"Nothing," Eugene snapped – his mood had changed quite drastically. The recording wasn't as informative as he thought it was, I was still none the wiser, but I guess it stirred up some pretty bad memories for Eugene. Perhaps Curdun Cay was the reason I couldn't remember anything – the more I learned from these recordings the more I thought about what the hell happened to me in there and I remembered Eugene's comment – when he said I was lucky that I couldn't remember.
"Miles," Eugene spoke, softer this time "I'm going to end the call for a bit – just call me when you're at the next audio log, I'll watch you on the cameras for now." The call ended abruptly.
The angel picked me up another time and we flew again. I gotta say I'd gotten used to this flying around, this would be a pretty sweet power to have – I hoped I had something similar to this.
The silence was giving me too much time to think – just what the hell was I getting involved with here? These audio logs were providing vague answers, but probably creating more questions. I pointed as I approached yet another rooftop – there had to be an easier place to hide these things.
My phone rang and I answered.
"Hey Miles,"
"Hey," I paused "are you ready for the next one?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
[In the days leading up to Augustine's death she was terrified, I mean of course she tried to hide it behind – well behind torture. I just feel sorry for the conduits back in Curdun Cay who are getting the brunt of it. Do you remember that guy I told you about? The Akomish guy. I walked by his cell and he had so much concrete embedded in him, I mean – uh I've never seen anything like it and he was laughing – not like he had been when we brought him in – this was insane, deranged - there he was strapped to a chair - concrete and blood everywhere, laughing manically. The things I've seen in that place and I gotta say that image, that laugh – that image and that sound will haunt me for a long time. I mean he could have just answered her questions – they were pretty simple – anything and everything he could tell her about you, Delsin Rowe. But he'd rather go through all of that and laugh in Augustine's face, just to protect you. The one piece of information he did divulge was that he didn't even know you – if that's even true. If that's true - people following you with loyalty as blind as that, now that's real power.]
"How many of these recordings are there?" I asked.
"There's no way of telling," Eugene replied "I think he may still be making them."
"And who is 'he'?" I asked.
"He…" Eugene hesitated "he was a prison guard with the DUP."
"Was?"
"He left a few days before Delsin killed Augustine," Eugene replied "I wasn't sure if he'd died but I guess these messages mean he's still alive right?"
There was a large explosion and fire filled the sky not too far away.
"Okay it's too dangerous there," Eugene said "time to get you out of there!"
The angel scooped me up again. I started the app once more.
"Miles, there's no need for the app," Eugene said "It's getting late, let's just continue tomorrow."
"Okay," I replied "Where to now?"
"You kept your end of the bargain," he said "I'm ready to meet you."