SECOND DRAFT: Hard Bank Left

13

Graham's track of time had slipped into a void. He kept himself occupied by exercising and talking to himself, not that it helped much. His shoulder still bothered him, making things hard if he pushed himself too far. They fed him at least, which was good, but he wasn't permitted a shower, or a fresh change of clothes. He was beginning to stink.

Most of the time, however, he sat in the corner, talking to Krys. Or rather, she talked to him and he tried to ignore her.

Come on, love. Chin up. I'm coming for you, you know I am.

I already have Anandi in my head, I don't need you here too.

Please don't push me away, Graham.

It's not pushing you away if you're not here.

Oh, but I am here. I'm in your head. There's no getting rid of me.

Go away.

That's not happening, you're stuck with me.

Please, Krys. Please. I can't do this.

You can, Graham. You can get through this.

But what if I can't Krys. What if I stay in here?

Then I'll stay with you.

But you're not here!

We've been over this.

"Mr. Cern?"

Graham looked up to see Anandi standing in the middle of the room, on her side of the table.

"Come on. It's time."

Graham obeyed like the obedient pup he had become. He stood, moved to the table, took a seat on the familiar, harsh, metal chair.

Anandi stepped around the table, coming uncomfortably close to Graham. She whispered in his ear.

She shoved something cold and round into his palm. "They're always watching me, but if they think I'm finalizing the process none will be the wiser. Take the watch, it will save you. Just be warned, your gift, if you use it, will burn away the clearest, strongest, brightest paths in your mind. I'm sorry it has to be this way. I'm sorry I had to push you so hard. But it had to be done, to make you stronger. It's a gift, Mr. Cern, a gift with a horrible price. And I'm afraid the price must be paid."

Graham turned to her, his eyes meeting hers, not fully comprehending what she was saying.

Anandi leaned closer, her lips tickling his ears as she spoke. "When we are done today, they will think I have succeeded, that you are going to let them into Elicith's camp. This may be true, but I leave you with something else." She grabbed his face, harshly, her clawed nails digging into his cheeks. "Look at me and do as I say." Her eyes met his with a furious tenacity. "Save Kryseis, and be sure that Ero Gleilien pays for her crimes."

With that, Anandi released Graham's face, stepped back around the table and took her usual seat opposite him, her hands folded in that mantis-like position of hers. Graham continued to stare at her in disbelief. She--she was on his side? His thumb ran over the surface of the pocketwatch in his hand. He pulled it to his lap where he fiddled with it in both hands.

Anandi proceeded with her call and response, Graham responded robotically, not paying attention to what he was saying. The pocketwatch excited him immensely, not because it was a pocketwatch, per se, but because of the way it spoke to him. The metal of it tingled in his hand. He could feel it, as though alive, responding to his touch. If only it could do as he said in the same way he did as Anandi said.

As though in response to this thought, the pocketwatch popped in his hand, the lid falling into his lap along with the glass face and several mechanical pieces. Of all the things that had surprised him that day, this wasn't one. No, if anything he had expected it. He had always had a way with machines, this was simply the next logical step.

The gears moved beneath his hands, doing as he instructed, all the while he obeyed Anandi's call and response with perfect robotic precision. She would be giving him the trigger soon, this had to be done before...

"She loves you, doesn't she?"

"Yes." Shit. He didn't have enough time.

"What happens when she tells you that she loves you?"

"I thank her." It's not like he could do anything else.

"Look at me."

He was looking, his eyes were locked with hers, he couldn't look away.

"You will send us the access code to the defense grid. You will let us in the same way you have let her in."

"Yes. I can do that." Fuck. The device was almost done. Couldn't she have waited just a little while longer. There: the lid of his newly created device snapped shut in his hands and Graham clamped his eyes tightly.

The room burst into life with a light bright enough to blind. Anandi screamed, covering her eyes. Graham felt like apologizing, but couldn't afford the luxury. He bolted in the direction of the door. He found a wall, fumbled until he found the doorknob. The door swung open to a blinding mid-day sun. Graham covered his face, attempted to determine the correct way out.

Left. Left felt right. Something seemed to be calling him from that direction. He followed the call, stumbling, making his way mostly blinded by the daylight. Things got better as he turned a corner and found a familiar corridor. The stairwell would be at the end of it, and at the top, the hangar.

He made it to the stairwell with no event. That's when the klaxons went off. He knew he didn't have much time, less than the last time he'd made the climb. At the top he found the catwalk empty. The hangar below lay stripped and barren.

The plane still hung where he had last seen it, but he didn't have time to run to the controls. He had to manage something else.

Sliding into the pilot's seat, he found the controls indiscernible. It didn't seem to matter, though. The panels beneath his hands sprung to life, obeying his unconscious intentions. The suspension clamps seemed to release on their own. Below him, the hatch was already opening as the craft dropped.

What the hell is going on?

He had to get back to headquarters, that much was for sure. Krys would be there, freaking out, wondering why he had left in the middle of the contract signing.