“What are you doing here?” Peter asked.
“Well, I’m officially here to conduct an inspection of the facility,” he said, turning to the guard. “I would like to talk to this prisoner in private to get an honest appraisal of the conditions.”
The robot paused; it’s head-turning slightly from side to side.
“Affirmative, I will return in fifteen minutes for further assistance,” it replied before leaving.
Once it had gone, Xander turned back.
“Unofficially, I’m here to prove your innocence and get you out of here,” he smiled.
“But I’ve been sentenced. The Judges made their decision.”
“I spoke with them. I managed to plant a seed of doubt in their verdict. I need to prove that you aren’t Peter Henshaw, that you are a clone, and therefore the DNA evidence against you isn’t valid,” Xander explained briefly.
“I see,” Peter listened carefully, taking the information on board, “and how do you propose we prove that?”
“Well, I was kind of hoping you’d have some ideas,” he said, “however, I do have a back-up plan for the meantime.”
Xander pulled out his cigarette case and attached it to the wall next to the cell.
“Step back,” he said, turning away from the device.
“You have a device to hack the system?” Peter asked.
A small explosion detonated, disrupting the field generator that covered the wall.
“No, I prefer something more tangible.”
An alarm began to ring out, the sound seeming to emanate from the walls themselves.
“Come on!” he shouted as Peter jumped out of the cell.
What the hell is going on? Is that Xander? Prime had been shocked back to the present as the explosion went off.
“Quiet!” Peter hissed as they ran along the corridor.
“What was that?” Xander said, glancing back at Peter.
“Nothing, are you sure we can escape this way? Isn’t this a high-security complex made precisely to prevent this kind of thing?”
“Sure, in theory, but the main security is in getting on and off the island. Once that was set-up, the physical prison is actually severely lacking in preventive measures, don’t worry, it’s all going in my report!” he shouted back.
Three robotic guards appeared in front of them, blocking the path.
“Actually, Mr Draven, the security was deactivated by us once we took over the complex,” the first robot said.
“You? You’re the automated guards.” Xander said.
“No, quite Mr Draven,” the robot said, “Mr Henshaw, Persephone will be happy to discuss your proposal further.”
“Henshaw?” Xander spun to look at Peter.
“We didn’t get a chance to chat before you tried to break me out, Xander,” Peter said. “This is Thomas Keller, you see, the inmates really have taken over the asylum here.”
Peter stepped forwards, putting distance between him and Xander.
Chapter Forty-Four
Mollie
Mollie was grabbing some more food from the table as the others prepared to leave.
Ava was stood talking to Jacob, whilst Vladamir had gone to gather a group of his Krovoz to join them in heading to the Boulevard. Since arriving, the bloodlust had all but gone, an effect of the building. Vladamir naturally didn’t want anyone losing control within the walls of his own sanctuary. There was something still bothering her, though, the way Ava and Vladamir had spoken earlier, as if they knew each other.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Vladamir returning to the dining room. Behind him, twenty men stood. Mollie could sense they were all vampires, though visually, many of them had faint lines criss crossing across their faces. The facial augmentations had been something that Vladamir had developed after she had left the clan almost seven years prior. Vladamir wanted a more visceral look to his people, something that would instil fear into the residents of the Underpass as he grew his powers. Mollie was glad she hadn’t had to undergo the procedure, knowing it was a permanent augmentation.
A call lit up Mollie’s PDA. She lifted her hand to answer it.
“Mollie?” Quartzig’s voices came through.
“Q! What’s happening? There’s things I need to update you on!” Mollie looked around to make sure she was away from the others.
“We’re heading to the Nucleus. Persephone is about to launch her plans.”
“The Nucleus?” Mollie had never heard of it.
“Yes, it’s at the centre of the Boulevard,” Quartzig explained.
The others had heard Mollie talking and were approaching. Ava and Jacob exchanged a glance at the mention of the Nucleus. Mollie realised she wasn’t going to be able to keep the conversation private and switched it to a loudspeaker so the others could hear.
“We’re probably going to need some back-up. If we understand correctly, Persephone may have a way to take control of the Boulevards residents, allowing the inmates in Blackwater to take over their bodies. Have you found Vladamir? Will he help us?”
“Yeah, I’m with him now. We were just about to head towards the Boulevard,” Vladamir nodded as Mollie glanced up at him.
“The festival parade is just getting started, so it’s going to be crowded. We assume the attack will be connected to it somehow,” Quartzig said.
“Do you think the people in the parade are the targets?” Ava asked.
“That’s what we’re thinking.”
“We’ll head to the parade then, see if we can stop whatever they’re planning. We have the numbers to spread out along the Boulevard,” Vladamir spoke.
“Sounds like a plan, thank you, Vladamir,” Quartzig replied.
“Be careful,” Mollie added.
“You too, let us know when your back on the Boulevard,” Quartzig ended the call.
Vladamir had already turned to his soldiers, explaining the plan.
Mollie looked for Ava, who had walked away from the group, and ran up to her.
“Are you okay, Ava?” she asked.
Ava turned slowly, pausing for a brief moment as she made eye contact with Mollie.
“I’m fine. How about you?” Ava smiled.
“I’m…well, I wanted to ask. How do you know Vladamir?”
Ava’s smile dropped, her eyes flickered over to Jacob, then back to Mollie.
“Vladamir was one of the earliest experiments at CyBio, a long time ago,” she replied.
“An experiment?” Mollie let the meaning sink in.
“Yes, the early work of CyBio was to develop ways to combine cybernetics and biotechnology. Vladamir was a volunteer for a prototype blood amalgamation project that combined human blood with synthetic plasma containing digital information. The idea was to create blood that could feed information about the body’s internal workings directly to external computers and internal neural links allowing for a deeper understanding and control.”
“Unfortunately, the synthetic plasma bonded with Vladamir’s internal augmentations directly, blocking external signals completely.” Jacob had walked over to them. “Vladamir's blood became symbiotic, feeding information and giving control to him and him alone. After further examination, we realised his blood was fully infected, replicating the new version of symbiotic blood cells that could infect others. As a result, anyone whose blood was exposed his also became bonded to him.”
Mollie looked at her hand. She could sense the blood flowing through her veins.
“A shock, I know, that you literally have his blood running through your veins, but luckily he is a good man at heart,” Jacob put his hand on her shoulder.
Mollie took a deep breath, wondering if she’d have preferred not to know how Vladamir’s powers worked. Letting out a deep breath, she shook her head. “We don’t have time for me to process this right now. We need to help the others.”
“Agreed, I’ll tell you anything more you wish to know later, Miss Dolittle,” Jacob smiled.
The sound
of her surname threw her again for a second, but she shook the thoughts once again but making a mental note to dig deeper into the information later.
“Are we ready?” Vladamir shouted over from the doorway. A small army of soldiers behind him were all dressed in casual clothing. They would blend in easily with the parade.
“Yes, let’s figure out what the hell is going on up there,” Mollie walked towards Vladamir, “Also, I want you to give me full control, with no bloodlust. I don’t want to be caught short while I’m up there,” she demanded.
Vladamir grinned, a warm smile like that of a father looking at his child.
“Very well, little one, but it is only temporary. I have not forgotten our deal” he fixed her eyes with his.
“Fine,” Mollie shrugged and pushed past him. She was realising that she missed the others, that everyone here seemed to have secrets from her.
*
They had taken one of Vladamir’s cargo platforms to an area just off the main street, but close enough that they could hear the sounds of the Boulevard clearly. As they moved closer, they saw the crowds as the parade in full swing . Loud music filled the air, emanating from speakers lined along the path. Every person they saw was dressed in some form of costume or wearing a mask of skulls and other demonic faces.
“Spread out, keep your eyes open for anything out of the ordinary,” Vladamir ordered his soldiers.
“We don’t know what we’re looking for,” Mollie sighed. The crowds were thick, and the music a distraction.
“No, they will monitor the situation from the ground. I suggest we take some higher viewpoint to see from above,” Vladamir pointed to a large building opposite where they could gain a clear view of the crowds below.
Chapter Forty-Five
Prime
Xander had watched as Peter walked over to the sentry controlled by Keller.
Peter could tell his mind was spinning. He sounded like Prime, but he knew that it was Peter who was now in charge, the man he had thought was dead.
“Goodbye, Mr Draven,” Keller’s voices rasped through the sentry, raising its arm, which contained an embedded gun.
“Wait,” Peter put a hand on the sentry’s arm, “he could be useful, a bargaining chip with regards to his friends. Might I suggest locking him up? We know the cells are secure, and if we don’t end up needing him, we can always kill him later,” Peter smiled.
The look on Xander's face twisted in pure anger, and Peter smiled back at him, the same smile he had given Xander on the courthouse steps the day he had been freed. The day Xander had attacked him and been discharged from the MPD.
“It seems the tables have turned Xander, but I must say you were this close to saving Prime,” he held his fingers up in front of him.
“Go to hell, Henshaw!” Xander spat.
“I agree. Keeping him alive for now could be beneficial,” Keller agreed.
Two sentries rolled up beside Xander and fired a shot of electricity into his side, rendering him unconscious as he crumbled to the floor.
“I’m glad we’re on the same page. So what’s the plan now?” Peter asked.
“Follow me. This will be a sight to see,” Keller replied, and they left the cells, the sentries behind dragging the body of Xander away.
Moving through the prison's dull grey corridors, Keller escorted Peter until they arrived at the central axis of Blackwater Prison. While Peter knew the prison was large, but seeing was another matter. The axis was a circular crossroad that surrounded a void that dropped below. Corridors of cells split off from the centre in several directions like a spider’s web. The level they were stood on was one of many and below them Peter could see multiple levels stretching into the darkness.
“How many prisoners are there here?” Peter asked, glancing down and across the multitude of levels.
“Twenty thousand, four hundred and seventy,” the robot Keller replied, “almost a quarter of the entire city’s population. While some of us have control of the prison systems, we needed to ensure we continued to receive food and supplies so to maintain appearances we remain in the cells for the most part.”
Peter could see most of the prisoners were sat or laying on their beds, surprisingly still.
“What are they doing?” Peter asked as a nearby inmate glanced up at him.
“They are waiting for the launch to begin,” Keller explained as they stopped outside a cell.
“What launch?” Peter looked puzzled. Inside the cell, a man was sat on his bed, his eye vacantly staring at the wall opposite.
“One moment,” Keller said before the sentry seemed to shut down, and the man in the cell blinked and turned his head to look at Peter.
“The launch that will free us all,” the man spoke.
“Ah, Mr Keller in the flesh,” Peter said, recognising the man.
“Nice to formally make your acquaintance, Mr Henshaw.”
Thomas Keller rose and walked to the front of the cell.
“In a moment, every single prisoner in here will be taking control of a civilian on the mainland. I won’t go into the technical details, but just assume that what I did with the sentry here, we are doing with people over there,” Keller nodded at the lifeless robot guard.
“So that’s your plan for freedom? To live in someone else’s body while your own flesh rots in here?”
“Oh no, you mistake me. The takeover is just stage one, something we’ve been working on for a while now, tests and experiments to ensure it will work as it needs to on the scale we require. Once we have the numbers, we will begin the largest attack the MPD and the Boulevard has ever seen. Using the civilian bodies, which the MPD will be unwilling to harm, at least to begin with, we will storm the bridge that leads to this island and disarm its security measures using the bodies as fodder to overwhelm it. Once the security is down, we will all return to our bodies and walk free to the mainland.”
Oh my god, Prime said inside Peter’s mind. He had been watching everything that was happening since Xander freed Peter but had remained quiet. Peter ignored the voice.
“A bold plan. What makes you think you will be able to overwhelm the bridge security?”
“Oh, that’s where the sheer numbers come in. We know that the security will kill anything that starts to cross, but the sheer quantity of bodies, however, will be impossible for the system to cope with. Imagine a mousetrap trying to stop a thousand mice from stealing the cheese, it would kill some, of course, but it cannot stop all.”
They’re using the people as cannon fodder. Hundreds will die! Prime shouted in Peter’s head.
“Quite the strategy, I must say. And what am I meant to do while you’re busy possessing the masses?” Peter said, continuing to ignore Prime.
“You will have to bear with us,” Keller said, “once we have the bridge clear, I will take you to meet Persephone.”
Peter nodded. He could feel Prime trying to regain control.
“In that case, I’ll just give myself a tour of the prison until you return,” he said, smiling.
“Oh, I’m afraid I can’t let you do that,” Keller replied. The sentry whirred into life online next to him. “You see, you might say that you are Peter, but I’m not entirely convinced. My friend here will escort you to a cell where you will be kept until I return,” Keller smiled.
“Very well,” Peter sighed as the sentry began to move, knowing its weapons could cut him down instantly if he tried anything.
“I’ll see you soon, Henshaw,” Keller called with a chuckle.
We can’t let them do this! Give me control again! Prime shouted.
“Unfortunately, I can’t allow that,” Peter whispered as a second sentry came behind him, and he followed the first. “You see, I managed to get us out of that cell, and not a moment too soon, it seems. I’m rather looking forward to our reunion with Persephone. She certainly has ambitious plans, don’t you think?”
You can’t be serious? Prime replied.
“Oh, I am. She
’s managed to accomplish something I had never dreamed of.”
The sentry paused in front of a cell, the forcefield in front opened, and Peter stepped in.
Just wait till you fall asleep, Peter! Then I’ll take control! Prime shouted as the field shimmered back to lock him inside.
“I had thought of that,” Peter retaliated, stood beside the cell’s force field and raised his hand. “If I so much as think I’m getting tired, I will have to keep my adrenaline up.” His hand brushed the field, and a shot of pain flashed through his body, spiking his nerves and spasming his muscles, but only briefly. “Of course, only until I find a more permanent way to address the situation.” Peter lay on the bed in the cell and smiled to himself. It was nice to have a body again, and with such interesting people to meet in his future. He was suddenly aware that the sounds of the prison had become silent. There were no voices or movements from anyone in the prison.
Chapter Forty-Six
Persephone
A sound from above alerted Persephone to Manifold’s arrival through one of the emergency hatches that were built into the structure of the Nucleus. A less practical means of getting into the building, but an entrance nonetheless.
The cyborg was still in the process of fixing himself, a skeletal hand of metal replacing one he had lost hung loosely from his wrist, not completely wired up. His patchwork body of metal and flesh moved sluggishly as he walked over to a couch.
“I am here,” he announced in a monotone voice and continued working on his damaged parts.
“Let me have a look, yes?” Koenig said, walking over to help him with the repairs.
“Thank you, Doctor,” Manifold nodded.
“I have to admit to being disappointed,” Persephone said, looking over to the cyborg.
“The target was more formidable than anticipated. Also, her friends added unforeseen variables,” he replied.
“No matter, the distraction seems to have served us well regardless,” Persephone waved a hand as a call came through.
“Keller? Tell me you have dealt with our Xander problem,” she asked.
Neon Blood (Neon Helix Universe Book 3) Page 19
