Elle - Chapter Seven
A clear night sky stretched out to each horizon. The stars twinkled and glistened in the dark midnight blue.
‘It is different’, two metallic feet formed and pressed onto the grass. It had seen stars before, but not like this. This was different but familiar. The lights twinkled and danced in the sky, the moonlight cascading down through the atmosphere, diffused by the mixture of nitrogen and oxygen.
Stepping forward the touch of the ground became familiar too. The dew from the grass touched and spread across newly formed toes. It stepped forward feeling its mass form and push against the surface of this new planet.
The genetic material from the humanoid started to reform giving a new sensory presence. Vision cleared and the stars were more prominent. The moonlight faded slightly allowing a blue luminance across the landscape. The night breeze caressed metallic skin. Fingers stretched and gripped.
Sound made its way into forming ears with the rustling of leaves as trees swayed back and forth. The stillness of night surrounded it, a calmness that seemed to emanate from the ground, the trees, and the small insects that hummed as they flew.
It lifted a hand as shimmering skin caught the moonlight, the insects danced and hummed attracted to the warmth and light. Landing on the fingertips the insects set a chain reaction in the nerve receptors, touch.
It could feel the surroundings, the earth, and the life around it as its senses tuned in. In the distance the faint hum of electricity. Something was East.
ELLIS
The fluorescent bulb flickered and hummed then let out a crackle and the light disappeared. Ellis lay in the bed eyes wide open. She hadn't slept, she had just lay there and thought.
she wasn’t completely sure where she was, when they moved her she was pretty sure she lost consciousness for a time. How long? She couldn’t be sure. The doctor who had checked her had given her a sedative to take and told her to rest. But she hadn't. She couldn't. Not now.
There was a deep yearning inside her that she had fed knowledge throughout her whole life. And she thought she knew a fair amount, but now, everything was questionable. She watched the clock on the wall slowly tick through the minutes and thought, what exactly was it tracking? Did time actually mean anything?
What is the use of tracking a second when you have existed for over a million years, she thought. She needed answers and lying in this bed wasn't getting them. Looking over at the door she could still see the guard. They had posted one on nearly every door after the ‘explosion’.
She had heard a few people talking as they walked past her room. They were reporting it as a failed attempt at defusing an old explosive. No mention of extraterrestrial objects. She wasn't surprised. There was no way the Capitol would allow that to be released now.
She wondered if she would be allowed to examine the shell, or was it even still there? She managed to see it before they carried her off to medical, but that had been hours ago. And, where was Raimes?
Then her heart sank for a moment remembering Walters, his body under the sheet. She didn't know him, but she still felt saddened by his death. She looked at the bandage around her forearm. The one she had raised at the last second before the explosion to shield her face. It could have just as easily been her.
She looked back over to the door. Was the guard there to protect her, or, to confine her? She flexed her arm feeling the soreness spread through the muscle. It wasn't too badly hurt, but it felt bruised.
Just as she flexed for a second time the guard at the door shifted. It sounded like he was greeting someone. Another person walked to the door and the sound of a lock unlatching signaled that she had indeed been confined.
The frosted glass door opened with a low clunk and Raimes walked through.
“You're awake, good,” He looked at her, his forehead bandaged but not as badly as she thought it would be. When she saw the medic tending to him he seemed worse than he presented himself now.
Raimes closed the door behind him and walked across the room.
“We have work to do, if you are feeling up to it I’d like you to get dressed and come with me,” He continued.
“I’m, yes, I’m feeling ok.”
Raimes looked at her arm, “You sure?”
“Yes, it’s just scratches, nothing serious.”
“And your concussion?”
Ellis looked at him, “You tell me.”
Raimes gave her the same curious look, “Doctor says you’re fine.” He shot a glance back at the door, looking where the guard was. “We need to be careful, the incident has been reported as,”
“A failed bomb diffusion, I know,” Ellis finished.
Raimes nodded, ”Until we get you clear of the medical bay, that's what we are going with.” He turned to the cupboard along the wall, “You should find fresh clothes in there. Once you're dressed meet me in the hall.”
He walked back to the door. “Ellis,” He turned, “Glad you’re ok,” and then walked back out into the hall with the guard.
Ellis stepped into the hall dressed in the clothes left for her, they seemed to fit well enough. A pair of khaki pants, a shirt, and a bomber jacket. They smelt like moth balls so she knew they were taken from storage. Still, it was better than nothing.
“Ready?” Raimes asked.
Ellis gave a nod and took position next to him as he turned and walked her down the hall.
“I was thinking,” Ellis started,
Raimes looked at her. “Not here,” He lifted his hand, directing her down the hall. As they passed some more guards Raimes gave them a nod and continued leading her through the corridors.
She suspected they were still somewhere close by but wasn't sure, and she hadn't seen the extent of the damage to the building from the outside. They continued through a set of glass sliding doors that opened automatically and closed with a sharp slide and click.
That was new, she thought. The corridors changed as well, they no longer looked old and worn. The floor was a creme color and illuminated by rows of LED lights that sat in small grooves. The walls, white, and the way the light shone made them look even whiter.
Ellis looked at Raimes, his eyes were set forward keeping a steady pace. They passed several doors, all thick with large heavy hinges and keypad locks. Once again, new. She hadn't seen any of this before, and there was no way this was just installed. It looked new, but used, well maintained.
Raimes stopped them at a large double door. On the left-hand side, a blue panel protruded from the wall. Raimes lifted his hand and pressed it against the panel. A blue light scanned down and then turned the panel green. The two doors clunked and opened.
“Through here,” Raimes guided her through.
Ellis walked through. Inside, was a lab. She recognized it immediately, it looked exactly like what she had seen in all those books. The pictures of the scientists studying, examining, and decoding the secrets of whatever they specialized in.
“We are in the Capitol aren't we,” she said.
“This is a small facility we have been given access to. It’s just outside the Capitol,” Raimes walked over flicking on the lights. The fluorescent lights on the ceiling buzzed and flickered.
Ellis walked around looking at the equipment. It seemed to be a mishmash of different things they had obviously collected over the years. A few different spectrometers, microscopes, a couple of computers, and assorted glassware.
“What’s all this for?” Ellis ran her hand over one of the spectrometers.
“As you are aware, the current cover story for what happened is that a group of researchers attempted to examine an old explosive found in the Northern badlands. While attempting to diffuse it, it was set off”
“Resulting in the death of Walter and Stint” Ellis added.
Raimes gave a stern yet solemn look, “Yes, and regrettably four of our people were killed.”
Ellis was shocked, four? She thought. The guards, they must have been caught in the blast. She hadn't even thought to look for them when she came to in the chamber.
Raimes continued, “As far as you are concerned, you and I are the only two people in this building who know what happened. The council has been briefed on the object we retrieved and the possible contents of the shell.”
“The shell? They still have it?”
“Yes, we still have it. It’s being kept quarantined for now,” Raimes added.
“I’ll have to see it,” Ellis said.
Raimes raised a hand, “For now, we need you to try and figure out a way to find whatever it was that emerged from it.”
Ellis remembered the figure, it was hard to forget it.
“I don't have to remind you of the policies about technological artifacts. The Counsel feels that this ‘relic’ may have some advantageous applications. However, they will not risk the stability of the capital and the outlying regions.”
‘If it is of any threat to the stability of the government and outlying lands, all technology found will be destroyed.’ She knew it well, as did everyone. The Capital promoted prosperity through a group effort to renew the planet but always made sure the behavior of the past was never forgotten, or repeated. Greed, power, overuse of technology. That's what nearly destroyed their planet.
“Ok, well if I can't see the shell, I at least need a sample. I’ll need to test it and see if there are any residual signatures we can track”
“Signatures?” Raimes asked.
“There could be some form of radiation we can use to track it - I’m not sure,” she went back to handling the equipment.
“I’ll get you your sample.”
“I’ll need an assistant,” Ellis added.
Raimes gave a stern look of disapproval, “We can't risk exposing this”
“If you want it done fast, I’ll need someone to help. Tell them whatever you want, I highly doubt they will understand what I'm doing here anyway - tell them what you want, get me my sample and I’ll try to figure it out” Ellis said bluntly.
Raimes gave a nod and headed out the door.
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