Numbskull

Day 6 Part 2

"You have exceeded my every expectation. Use that terminal to upload Shay's story to the Assassin network." Was that a compliment from Berg? He never seemed like one to dish out praises to anyone at all. Everything will be fine... I just have to do this. It will all be over soon, just help them do weird things and I will be done. Up the lift we must go...

Berg came at it again, "The modern day Assassins are weak. It is only a matter of time before I catch the last of them, and kill them."

I froze at the terminal. No, I can't stop here- something ominous may happen. It just seemed safe to assume that something almost otherworldly had happened at this very terminal before. I have to go through with this. Don't you remember the Nike advertisement: Just Do It.

Uploading Data
——————

The file played while uploading. I caught a few scenes as the frames flew by. Shay and Liam, Shay going to Lisbon, Shay running from the Assassins...

"But it is not enough for them to die."

Hope slammed the door into 'my' face.

"I want them to know how weak they truly are, and I want everyone to see them suffer. So on the day they finally meet me, they will welcome the death I offer them." As Berg talked, it went on. Shay killing Adéwalé, Chevalier, Kesegowaase, Hope and — the cherry that topped the cake of pain — Liam. Every time I saw him kill someone, a wave of pain and guilt encapsulated me. Like seeing my own deepest, darkest memories play out in front of me. Maybe I had gone so far down the rabbit hole of his memories that they had become embedded in mine.

And Crazy Berg lives up to his name- "My plan is in motion. I have no further demands to be placed upon you."

I let out a loud stream of air through my nose, grateful that some semblance of freedom from Berg was returned to me. After the upload was complete, I instantly turned away from the screen and walked away.

"However, Shay's story is not complete. I would ask that you see it through to the end."

My voice shaky and heart rate increasing, I stuttered out a resigned, "Yes."

Violet added, "I am super impressed, Numbskull. You really came through for us. And before you ask, yes, I'm also a Templar. Have been for years." Somehow, I almost pitied the other Templars that had to deal with her for the "years" that she had been with them. They shouldn't go for such annoying people.

The smell of dirty and unused basement was everywhere. Metal and glass echoed the whirring of cooling fans. I looked down, careful not to step on some wires as the red light was the only thing that illuminated the way ahead. "There's still one last chunk of Shay's data left to explore. It's a bit of a trip, but I think you should see it."

Back up at my workstation, Violet was standing at the ready. "Once you go back to finish Shay's story, your life is never going to be the same afterwards. You should finish any outstanding business before entering your Animus." Her eyes darted around, head turning, as if looking for eavesdroppers. Who would listen in anyway? Random Assassins following a Templar and a random Abstergo employee?

"It's okay." I replied but internally, I was — what was the word — frustrated at everything being plainly directed at me, for me to hear, but still too cryptic for anything to make any sense out of it.

So far, nothing bad has really happened, other than the awkward revelations of being Templars seeming very last-minute. I can only suspect that my boss Melanie Lemay is one too. What could it be? When would they end me? I still had one last stretch in the Animus to complete. And I could only hope for the best.