18 What Happened? (2/2)
Suddenly, as if in the blink of an eye, he watched the pillars dwindle, as the ground started to shake. The concrete danced, and it danced to their deaths. Berthold opened his eyes only to see he was the only one left.
”Ephraim . . .” He murmurs. ”Sam . . . Esmeralda . . . Hiroaki . . .”
Berthold Wagner was alone.
**
Ephraim started to walk forward with Anna to his side. He wasn't sure if he's doing it exactly right. He was still wearing his boots, and his clothes had dried up a little, although it still embraced his skin. He looked around. It was indeed a laboratory—it had doors, several rooms with window walls designed and equipped with medical technologies.
”This is the . . . abandoned forensics lab of ANDROMEDA?”
”Aye,” answers Anna. ”We're underneath the 'house.'”
”House?”
”Aye; it's a secret lab hidden underneath Peru.” Anna answers. ”Scientists thought it was easier to conduct a top-secret experiment in . . . well, a secret place? If that wasn't obvious enough?”
Ephraim remained silent for a few minutes as they walked to a seemingly endless path.
”. . . this really is unused for many years, right?”
”Yes,” Anna answers. ”Unfortunately, it is unused. Inhibited. No one had stepped inside here for many years.”
”. . . are you sure?” Ephraim asks.
”What do you mean?” Anna frowns and stops walking. ”I'm not lying.”
Ephraim stares at her. ”You said you're a fragment of the real you, right?”
”Yes, so?” Anna scowls. ”You don't believe that?”
”It's not like that.” Ephraim stops walking as well, as he faces her. ”I'm wondering if your other 'fragment' or 'you' yourself is wandering around here in the lab,”
Anna chuckles.
”Lookie here, it doesn't work like that. 'I' am slumbering somewhere else. 'I' am incomplete.”
”Can you walk me through that?” Ephraim kneels to level himself to the hologram's height. ”And I'm fascinated with your appearance as well. Why would the scientists program you to be a child?”
Anna sighs. ”This isn't 'my' appearance,” she says. ”As I said earlier, 'I' am incomplete. I'm a mere fragment of 'myself'. She—I—is slumbering within these walls. 'I' am somewhere else . . . I couldn't exactly remember because 'I' have missing chips. They contain the main information. As I am now, a fragment with no data . . . is deemed useless.” She paused. ”But at least you got the chip for the security. It's a step forward.”
”How many chips do you exactly have?” Ephraim asks.
”I don't . . . remember.” Anna answers. ”But I know there are specific chips for every different action. Think of it as doors. There're only particular keys to be able to go inside to one.”
”But couldn't you lock pick?” Ephraim asks. ”Kidding,”
”You mean 'hack' to the system?” Anna asks. ”It's technically not impossible, but it's going to need high-level tech skills.”
”Hmm,” Ephraim nods. ”I'll take note of that.”
Anna nods. ”So are we done?”
”Not yet, I have a pressing question I'm harboring ever since I saw you in hologram form,” Ephraim says.
”Okay, spill the beans,”
Ephraim thinks of the girl—the one Hiroaki was pointing at before they fell down to the falls. The figure of the girl who was glowing.
”Are you the only 'fragment,' around?”
Anna blinks. ”Now that you say that . . .” she pauses. ”. . . maybe? I'm not sure. 'I' am a fragment of the real 'me,' if there are other fragments, they should have collided with me a long time ago. There couldn't be other fragments.”
”Oh, I see,” Ephraim retorts.
'Maybe I was hallucinating?' Ephraim exclaims at the back of his mind.
”Unless . . .” Anna stares vacantly.
”. . . unless?”
”N-nothing!” Anna smiles and continues to stroll forward. ”We should head to the research site!”
”You know where it is?” Ephraim's eyes lit up.
”Well, when my chip synthesized, I had the data for the rooms and what kind of things are conducted there!” Anna grins. ”And you're searching for the 'research,' right? I know where it is! Just follow me, and we'll get there eventually!”
Ephraim blinked for several seconds until he finally flashed his usual smile.
”Okay.” He says.
Anna strolled forward, sauntering childishly. He turned to look behind.
And then he wondered.
What happened to his task force?