Book 2 Chapter 48: Revelations

Book 2 Chapter 48: Revelations

I stood up, and slid one of the black data squares that Leah had given me into what I assumed was the corresponding slot. The screen flashed, and then a bar appeared that began to slowly fill up as I stood there. I flicked the bobblehead again, and stood up. While I waited on that I decided now was the time to search the rest of the bunker, starting with searching for the lab mentioned in Daves final log. I started rifling through his desk, finding a stack of documents I threw to the side. One drawer was locked, but a quick hard pull broke it open revealing a brown bottle. I opened it with my teeth and smelled ancient alcohol inside. I drank half the bottle, clearing the acrid taste of the mist outside from my throat and giving myself a very slight buzz. The liquor wasnt nearly strong enough for a deadman, but it had a unique taste that I appreciated.

I returned my attention to the computer. It had finished the download, so I plucked out the square and popped in another one. I took the bottle and made my way down to the rest of the offices to see what I could loot while I waited for it. The other desks revealed another handful of liquor bottles, a small stack of paperback books, and a tin of candy that had somehow avoided any form of deterioration. I slid a few of them into my mouth, they were tart, but sweet. I crunched through them with my teeth, the hardness reminding me faintly of bone, and washed them down with another swallow from the brown bottle.

I searched around a bit more, looking for any desk marked Mavis, and eventually I found it. It was in a corner, seemingly isolated from the other ones, and relatively bare, with no decoration aside from a dusty photograph taped to the corner of a computer monitor. I wiped it clean and was surprised to see, not a picture of a family or friends as decorated many of the other desks, but instead it was a hairless rat with massive teeth and red eyes. I stared at it for a few moments, confused, then sat at the desk and booted the computer. It had the same labels as the others. 'Correspondence' had a few back and forth messages that were full of technical information that I was completely unable to parse them. The personal log had only one Entry.

Entry 1:

This is for you Mr. Teeth, let's hope your genetic legacy has a better chance now.

Confused I pulled up the 'Work Log'

Entry 1:

I have been transferred off of the rEvolutionary Virus project to assist with the R.A.S. program. This transfer was done at my protest. Luckily, I have been allowed to spend personal time to see in what ways the nanites involved in the R.A.S. and the rEvolutionary Virus can work in harmony. I will work an additional 8 hours a day.

There was more technical information, incredibly dense and impossible for me to understand, then there was a brief break for actual words that I understood.

Entry 53:

I have been assigned the task of integrating an A.I. into the R.A.S. program. I have no experience with AI, as I'm primarily a microbiologist. That being said, it is...VERY user friendly. It was apparently designed to learn on it's own and has already started the work of placing itself into the R.A.S. simply after I suggested it. More importantly then all that though, I asked it for assistance with my own project to integrate the R.A.S. with the rEvolutionary Virus. Progress is slow, but I'm hoping this will help to speed things up.

Entry 57:

I've done it, at least partially. With the A.I. and it's ability to learn, it looks like those who received the heavier mutation due to the virus will have, possibly, maybe have it blend with the system. It should at the very least be able to let those with the mutations know what's happening to them, give names to how they're changing, what makes them them. It'll be more active in those with higher mutations and changes to their DNA, but it likely won't be truly active for several generations while the A.I. learns and adapts to it. I hope it helps. It's hard being different. They deserve to have something good for them.

There were several more informational entries, then they cut off abruptly. I felt...sad for Cynthia. I hadn't for Dave, and Dr. Vincent made an active choice, seemed strong and capable in a way the Cynthia didn't seem to be. I looked down at the bottle I was drinking. Maybe it was strong than I'd thought.

I made my way back up to once again swap the disks, then made my way to the security office. The room was divided in half, with a barred desk between the two halves, and a door at the far end. The door resisted my attempts to open it, so I instead went to the desk, placed my candy and booze down, and bent the bars until I could fit through. An alarm began to ring, but I ignored it. I slipped through and found myself on the other side. Flipping switches and pressing buttons until the alarm stopped.

I made my way into a room behind that one, and found a row of lockers. I started to crack them open one by one, finding sets of body armor, guns, and ammunition. If Id been back on the other side of the Cut, it wouldve been a jackpot, but as Id have to carry anything I looted back with me, I stuck with ammunition, finding myself restocked and then some. I also found another several bottles of booze, some magazines with covers that reminded me distinctly of the female leaders of the Panthers and Hawks, which I ignored, and in on particularly immaculate and well stocked locker, a gas mask, anti radiation drugs, and dozens of survival guides, from the US militarys to the boy scouts. I packed the gas mask, feeling immense relief that I had a safe way out. Id figured Id just have to tough it out with the benefit that finding my way out would be a lot easier than finding the bunker.

I made my way back out, tossing the now empty bottle to the side and opening another as I chewed through more of the candy Id found. I made my way to a far room marked, Lab, and walked inside. There were more rows of computers, and several rooms separated from the main room by glass, as if the people within them were meant to be observed. I walked to the far end where there was one such terminal. I booted it up, and on it was a prompt.

3: Permissions

I hit permission first and was prompted to enter three passwords and a security key. I attempted a few different combinations, but had no luck. Breaking into it was beyond me. I hit 1, and then enter, and found myself hesitating again as a search window appeared. There were a number of boxes, with different criteria. I selected the one for First Name and input Donovan.

307 Results

I had nothing to enter for my last name. I was given the option at 18 when Id been granted full R.A.S. access to enter one, but had left it blank. Never expected it to be an issue. I selected the profession field and input Marshall.

Results Cannot Be Displayed: Insufficient Permissions

That made sense given the undercover class abilities. I switched it to Postman.

2 Results

I smirked, amused that I wasnt the only one, and a little relieved the information I was looking for hadnt come up on its own. The first result was for Donovan Draper, level 4, no living parents, one deceased sibling. I selected the second one.

Citizen: Donovan

Job: Postman Lvl 6

Born: Baton Rouge Louisiana

Father: Lucas Deets (Deceased)

Mother: Savannah Walker (Deceased)

Siblings: Nico Walker

I leaned back in my chair and let out a long breath. I knew my father was dead, Id just re-experienced the memory of killing him out in the mists outside of the bunker. My mother being dead, left me with a number of feelings I wasnt able to address all at once. I hadnt thought about her. Never let myself take long enough to. Shed left me with him. Worst of all, shed taken my sister with her. Even though she was a deadman too. Even though we had the same red eyes and sharp teeth, I wasnt worth taking, and she was.

I had pushed it out of my mind so long that Id forgotten. I had a sister. I remembered that now, but. I hadnt known her name. My dad hadnt let our mom name either of us, so I wouldnt have recognized her that way, but Mom mustve named her after shed left.

I thought back, trying to remember anything Nico mentioned about coming to Potts. All I could think of was her saying having been there about seven years when I met her. Shed never spoken of a sibling, it was possible that she was as unaware of our connection as I had been. There were a lot of clues, our similar looks, smells, profession, tastes. Thinking on it, I wasnt sure she didnt know either. Shed been the one to approach me when Id first arrived in Potts, befriended me, did what she could to help me stay out of trouble, while Deux did the opposite. I looked back at the screen, and handled all the information the same way I always did. I pushed it down, stood up, and made my way back through the office, looking for any good salvage. In spite of myself though, I couldnt completely push it down, but surprisingly the strongest emotions I felt were relief, and fear. Relief that Deceased hadnt been in parentheses by her name, and fear that it could be at any time.