Zero

7 : Ten

A/N: Hi guys! Did you like the last chapter? I think you might want to look at the book cover more closely now! Ahahahahah, did you see what I did there? Okay, here's Part 7!

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P A R T 7

A Ten.

Ohmygoodness I am a Ten am I really a Ten but there ARE no Tens so how is this even possible whaaaat -

"Aisling." Paige's voice interrupts my thoughts. "I assume that you have put the pieces together. Now, our government knows nothing about this, so you have to keep quiet in order to protect your identity."

I am a Ten. I repeat this thought to Paige, who nods impatiently. "Yes. To be honest, I thought you would digest the information faster than this!"

I glare at her. "You're not the one who suddenly has a ten added to her number!"

She then murmurs softly, under her breath, "Oh, but I am."

I stare at her. I think I wasn't meant to hear that, so I don't say anything. Maybe she'll change out of that turtleneck soon.

Paige reaches into another cardboard box and lifts out a smaller, wooden one. She hands it to me and I turn it around in my hands. It is locked.

The box is about four times the size of my fist and has a fingerprint scanner on it.

"Before Shir died, she told me to pass you some things in this box which can only be unlocked by your thumbprint," Paige informs me.

"Why did you wait for such a long time before giving this to me?" I ask, holding the box up. "It's been close to sixteen years."

"I had to wait until you were old enough to understand, and when you were, I had no ways of tracking you down," Paige admits. "Then I joined the organization and this gave me the perfect opportunity."

♕

Later, I am in the room that Paige told me I can stay in for the next few weeks while I'm here.

Not that I'm planning to stay here for more than a few days. I'm going to escape and go - where?

Anywhere, actually. Back to Zero, even. I just feel that I'm not supposed to be here. Not just in Nine - not in the city at all, maybe.

I press my thumb to the electronic blue grid on the box. My thumbprint gets scanned, the grid turns green and the box clicks open.

I open it and my eyes boggle at the sight of rolls and rolls of cash. Then I smile. Shir was a Nine - of course she was loaded. It was nice of her to leave a small fortune for me.

Underneath the rolled up dollar notes is something else. Photo clippings and a tablet with a black screen.

I start sifting through the photos.

The first one is of three people, all Nines: teenage versions of Shir and Paige, as well as a boy with raven black hair and emerald green eyes - Kieran Nigels, maybe?

The second one is of Shir as a young lady, hand in hand with a shabby looking young man who has hazel brown eyes and messy hair of pretty much the same colour. I spot the Zero on his neck and assume the young man is Ignatius.

Zeros have no surnames (or names, for that matter; I named myself) so I am grateful for mine: Pandora, Shir's surname.

The last photo is of Shir, grinning, looking tired and not much older than in the previous photo. In her arms is a smiling baby with tufts of neon blue hair. The baby is definitely me.

I put the photos away and take out the tablet, wondering what I'm supposed to do with it. It is sleek and rectangular and the screen is blank.

I see a button on its side and press it. The screen comes to life and Shir's face appears on-screen, opening her mouth to speak.

"Hi my little Zero! By the time you see this I'll probably be dead because that's what they say happens to mothers of Zeros... Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I love you lots. The money is a gift to you, so you can do whatever you like with it. I'm sorry your father couldn't be here to give you a message, but I'm sure he sends his love!" Her eyes start to water. "I'll be joining him soon... but it's alright. Once again, remember that I love you!"

Then the screen fades to black.