somebody ; minsung

XXV ; alliance

There's a ghost somewhere inside me, whispering in my ear. If only I could hear him, if only I could find something solid to grasp. My mind is an ocean — sprawling and secretive, too vast to do anything but reach. Even my thoughts ring of deja vu.

Haruko has been gone for a while. I watch the elevator from down the hallway, peeking around the corner like a kid. Finally the doors open — she steps off, followed by a human in a lab coat named Jai Bandi, around my age but wrinkled beyond his years.

I retreat into the shower room, pacing. Getting an Oracle scientist involved in our plan, I can't help but feel nervous. Haruko said he's trustworthy, but I have a feeling that's because of the continuous blackmail. Hopefully 'Haruko magic' is more persuasive than it seems.

"Just tell me what you want from me and let me go," Jai says. "I've been here since 5:30 this morning and it's — Christ — 23:00 hours."

"Stop complaining." Haruko leads him into the shower. "We just wanna talk."

"'We'?" He looks scared. "Oh shit, Seoyeon's here?"

"No, she's not. Jai Bandi, meet Subject 17. Minho."

He turns to look at me. For a second he's stunned, then a look of anger roils over his face. I'm almost intimidated.

He turns back to Haruko. "What is he doing here?"

She rests an elbow on his shoulder, though she's a couple inches too short to attempt it gracefully. "You seem angry, sport. Wanna explain?"

"I've never met this guy before," Jai says tightly. "Is this all I'm here for, introductions?"

"You recognized me," I say. "You knew me before I had my memory wiped, didn't you?"

He ignores me. "Haruko, how much have you told him?"

"His name, what happened on the 10th of November, the human he was protecting."

"You told him about the inmate?"

"He's alive, right?" I ask.

"What? Of course he is."

"What's his name?"

"Like I'd tell you that."

"Actually you're gonna do a lot more," Haruko says. "We wanna meet him."

He stumbles over his words. "Are you sure about that?"

"I need to know more about who I was before," I say. "And if Haruko worked here as a human, the scientist would know."

Jai just squeezes his eyes closed, drops to a crouch. He thinks in silence for a moment, absently messing with his hair. The tic looks a little familiar.

"You realize, when you go to see the inmate, you're going to find the answers to all your questions, right?"

"Yeah, that's kinda the point," Haruko says.

"But are you willing to hear the truth? Take a second, appreciate what you have here — free housing, health care, training, security, the chance to start a new life. Do you know how much I'd give to have my past, everything bad that's happened to me, just — erased?"

Haruko and I look at each other.

She clears her throat. "If you wanna forget your problems, go for it. As for me, I'm not going to trust a bunch of shady tech-nerd assholes when they say my life was worth nothing."

"Don't blame the scientists," Jai snaps. "I know Dr. Song is a little... intense, but if you're looking for someone to blame, blame the military, the government — they're the ones who took Adrantine and warped it into a weapon, of all things. Us... we're just their minions."

"Great," says Haruko, clearly not listening, "then let us see the inmate."

Jai rolls his eyes. "Christ, you always were a shitty listener."

Her face falls. "'Always?' You... you knew me?"

"Uh, no — no no, that's not what I—"

Her armour whips out, coils around his throat. "Tell me the truth."

"Jesus Christ — fine! Everybody in the damn building knows who you were! But you and me... we met in college. I even spent Christmas with you after..." He glances up at me. "Never mind."

"You denied it — you laughed — when I asked if we knew each other. What the hell were you doing?"

"Trying my damnedest to keep you at bay. Giving you any more hints would've just fanned the flames. God, I should have ignored you the first time you made me tamper with the CCTVs. What would Oracle have done to me for a little smuggling? A reprimand, a slap on the wrist?"

"I would've done worse if you'd refused me."

He gulps.

"Exactly. Now I've got you for a lot more than just smuggling."

Her armour withdraws; he picks himself up off the floor, rubbing his neck. "Yeah, I know. Look, you want to meet the inmate, I'll do it. But you better not ask me for shit after this. I'm done being everybody's minion."

"So sad. You were a good minion while it lasted." She pinches his chin and he flicks her hand away.