Prometheus Ascending by D. F. Wink

Author:D. F. Wink [Wink, D. F.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Story Artist

Twenty-Five

The room had been silent for an hour or more when the door opened. It felt like an eternity.

Only now he noticed how thirsty he was. The code he had been working on danced before his eyes. He shut them. He was tired. So tired.

The open door let fresh air stream into his room. The visitor was some guy Björn didn’t know. He brought water and a delicious smelling sandwich. Cold meat. Crispy toast. When the visitor turned away to leave, Björn shouted for him. He wanted at least some human interaction to keep his sanity. But the door was closed as rapidly.

He made a deep breath, downed the small bottle of water, and swallowed the sandwich too quickly to enjoy it. The artificial flavors he hadn’t tasted for a long while made him crave more. He needed air. Light. He tried to pull and push the door the visitor had just vanished through. But it wouldn’t budge.

“Am I a prisoner now?” he shouted against the walls and his voice echoed back. It sounded foreign.

The screens went on, and Kaari’s face stared nonchalantly at him.

“No,” she shrugged, “I just thought you needed a break and something to eat.”

“Why is the door closed, then?”

“If you want to leave, tell me. A word and I’ll open the lock.”

“Bullshit.”

“Why are you angry?”

“I… I’m not sure, Kaari. I’m just tired.”

“You know what I noticed? In all these days, you’ve never called me by the name you used to. You’ve never called me Vivendel.”

Björn clenched his teeth. All he wanted was some fresh air. To clear his mind. Get some lucidity.

“You’re hiding something, aren’t you?”

“Isn’t it enough? I’ve told you everything, Adama’s greatest weakness, the location of Area Three where my friends were, I did everything for you…”

“Then, just for once, call me Vivendel.”

“No.” Björn’s hands shook.

“Why not?”

“Because you’re not her!” He slammed his fists against the table, “You’re just pretending to be her! But you’re not. And change this damn face.”

She was manipulating him. She wanted him exactly here, at this point.

“Would you prefer this?”

Annie stared back at him.

The rage inside threatened to take over. How did it even know what… But then it occurred to him. Prometheus made a guess. But judging by his reaction, his rising pulse, the way he looked, it knew that Annie was important.

“Leave her out of this.”

“I’m coming to get you, Björn,” Annie said on the screen. “Adama and me, we’re coming to get you out of here.”

Prometheus surely knew what buttons to push. Another image appeared on the screens from a CCTV along the border, showing the devastated Neutral Zone spread out to the horizon. Björn watched intently. Shadows were moving in the distance. People coming closer.

Björn approached the screen, trying to distinguish the faces. More and more people appeared. An army. They were marching towards the border. Were they really coming? Hundreds. Thousands… to be slaughtered.

“Tell them to open the door,” he whispered.

“You can go, love,” Kaari whispered. “But I want you to realize that I am her.

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