Empowered

Chapter 18:.....Erinyes

"Ember, are you sure you want to do this?" Dr. Wells asked with concern as she followed the girl down the concrete hallway.

"Doc, I think we all know we're pretty much out of options when dealing with the Entire. Their tech is better; we know next to nothing about their plans, except Maahes is apparently a criminal genius and worst of all, they're putting this town at death's door to destroy me. That whole enmity gas thing was nuts. And some people up top, innocent people, who have nothing to do with this shit, died because they got caught in the crossfire of this fucked up war I inherited from Erin. So, it's time I learn exactly what I'm dealing with, and besides, if anyone has any idea of how to get them to leave us all alone, it's her. I mean, she did it once before, right?" Ember said, determined and not breaking her stride for a moment to reconsider her position.

"Well, actually, I think they just thought she was dead, and I suppose they lost interest in us before because, apparently, there wasn't anything interesting to them on this rock until you showed up." Dr. Wells added quickly while trying to quicken her pace to match Ember's.

"Right, but she fought them back. She got them to leave Earth alone before she 'died,' and no one around here seems to know how she did it exactly!" Ember exclaimed as she knew how close she was to where she was headed.

"Well, sweetie, that's because it was so long ago. Nobody around here worked for E-Corp. back then, some weren't even alive yet." Dr. Wells tried to reason with her and give her the opportunity to reconsider; however, they had reached the door to the place Ember wanted to go.

"Nice try, but there could at least be some files or information about Erin's dealings with them, but there's next to nothing, and their tech, as Bob put it, is 'muy difícil para entender' ('very difficult to understand'). Also, you know, I've been meaning to ask." Ember said as she paused at the door and then turned around to face Dr. Wells. "How old is Erin?" Dr. Wells looked unsure about how to answer the question, but before she could really give a shot at answering, Ember asked another. "And for that matter, how old is Abraham? And how old are you?"

"Well, like I said a while ago, she's older than she looks." Dr. Wells smiled.

"Right, but how old exactly? In my dream, when Larry locked me down here, she was there. When I looked into her purple eyes, I could tell she had been around for a super long time. It was the same feeling I get when I look into Abraham's eyes and, especially, your eyes. All of you guys are way older than you actually look, aren't you?" Ember questioned the doctor.

"Why ask a question you already know the answer to sweetie?" Dr. Wells smiled. "Anyway, let's just say Erin is quite old, Abraham is younger, and I, well, I'm older than both of them combined."

"Wow, Doc, I had a feeling you would say something like that. It kind of explains a lot, actually." Ember said, eyeing her. "But anyway, back to Erin. When I was there with her in my dream, it wasn't just her antiquity that I saw. She showed me something horrible." Ember said, growing ominous all of a sudden.

"What was it?" Dr. Wells asked urgently. "Was it about the Entire? Or you?"

"No. Well, yes, I'm not sure exactly. I remember everything that happened in that dream, except for what Erin showed me. I get the feeling that I, her, and the Entire were involved in some way, but I don't know for sure because my brain just can't access what she showed me, and that's why I need to go back in, and why Abraham arranged for you to monitor me while I do it. So, if you don't mind." Ember said, gesturing for Dr. Wells to put in the code to open the door to The Bastille. Dr. Wells hesitated momentarily but then relented and entered the code. The door whooshed open, and cold air began to permeate their airspace. Ember immediately entered, followed dubiously by Dr. Wells.