Stolen Minds

by Pthasse Amadeus

  Chapter 7

  As Hannah saw the shape of a large object in the distance she reduced her depth, but increased her speed and the others followed. Shortly after, they reached a comfortable distance to Safe Haven, they slowed to a stop and Hannah rose slowly to the surface. As her head broke the surface, she gazed; she was full of emotions as she looked at her home and she longed for things to return to normal. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain behind her eyes, which passed as quickly as it emerged. She shook it off and looked to her companions, who were now watching her expectantly.

  “The city is impressive,” Rohan remarked and Hannah realised that he had never seen the city before.

  “How do we get in? I doubt we could still use any of the access portals,” Lola said. Suddenly, a humming sound could be heard in the distance above them and they looked up to see a large door open, and a fleet of over a dozen Heavy Armour Sentinels emerged, flying to the east with great haste.

  “It would seem that your plan is working,” Nathan said quietly to Hannah.

  “Where are they going?” Sophia asked, worry hidden in the undertones of her voice.

  “The Commander,” Rohan said simply and Hannah nodded. She quickly used her implant to open a communication line to Hank across the ocean.

  “Hank, are you there?” Hannah asked and was greeted by silence. Finally, she heard sounds come through and she linked her companions into the communication.

  “Sounds like assault rifles,” Rohan announced.

  “We’re here Hannah!” Hank screamed in response over the noise of battle. “My Alpha Team was able to effectively infiltrate the Mother Ship and the rest of us followed. Beta Team cast illusions that hid us and we made our way deeper into the Mother Ship towards the Command Centre…”

  “Medic! Medic!! Silas is down! I need a Medic!” Hank’s scream was heard over the communication.

  “Sir, Field Medic Nyala here. Let me see,” responded a female voice.

  “Here take him. Hannah, are you still there?” Hank asked.

  “Yes Hank, we’re all here,” Hannah replied.

  “Our advance has been halted; they have technology here that we haven’t seen before. Somehow it is negating the effects of the cloaks and the effect of the illusions being cast by the Beta Team. In short, we’re pinned down,” Hank said.

  “I hate to give more bad news but you’ve got incoming Heavy Armour Sentinels, I counted twenty but there may be more, they were flying very fast,” Hannah said.

  “That’s bad news indeed. They may decide to join this battle from our rear…” Hank said before going quiet for a little while and the sound of an exploding grenade filled the silence. “OK Hannah, transmission received. Whatever you’ve got to do, I suggest you do it quickly. We will proceed with our mission over here as best as we can. I hate to cut short our conversation but I must return my attention to this battle.”

  “I understand. Good luck,” Hannah replied.

  “Thanks, we’ll need it,” Hank responded, closing the connection.

  “We need to hurry,” Nathan said.

  “Which brings us back to my question; how do we get in? Through those doors?” Lola asked pointing at the slowly closing doors, from which the Sentinels had emerged. Hannah considered the option with the aid of her implant.

  “No good. Those are only the outer doors; the inner doors have already been closed and sealed. Besides it leads straight into the Sentinel Base,” Hannah replied.

  “It’s a submersible city, so perhaps there is an entrance beneath the city?” Sophia asked.

  “No. That wouldn’t work either; the only thing underneath Safe Haven is the Penitentiary,” Hannah replied.

  “Then how do we get in, some kind of waste exit?” Rohan asked impatiently.

  “Not exactly,” Hannah responded. “Safe Haven is completely self-sustained. Its waste products are water vapour and trace inert gases, so those pipes would be an impossible means to enter the city. However, the dead aren’t buried in Safe Haven, the bodies are wrapped in a biodegradable material and dropped into the bottom of the sea.”

  “Ah… Of course, we could climb up that underwater chute,” Nathan said.

  “Precisely and my implant says that region isn’t usually guarded. So with any luck we won’t have any trouble,” Hannah added.

  “OK then, lead the way,” Rohan said and Hannah dove deep into the ocean, following the 'breadcrumbs' overlaid by her implant, which directed her to the chute.

  The companions, guided by Hannah’s overlaid navigation image, had an uneventful journey up the chute, emerging within the confines of the Mortuary and Hannah found herself wondering if this was the same way Daniel got into Safe Haven… The Mortuary was dark and mostly empty, with only a dim glow of light at the far end of the hallway. All around lay what looked like cabinets, which Hannah knew housed the dead, until their remains were exited down the chute.

  “Is this the Mortuary? Are we in Safe Haven?” Rohan queried.

  “Yes,” Nathan replied.

  “Hannah?” Sophia began. “Will that computer interface hold the names of all those who have been held here and those that have already been... Exited?”

  “Yes and I know where you’re going with this,” Hannah replied.

  “If I find his name on this database then I’ll know for sure that he is dead,” Sophia said.

  “I understand Sophia, but don’t get your hopes up, I saw the vibrating blade pierce his chest and after all he faced getting me out, I really can’t see him being alive,” Hannah responded.

  “Fine. Show me how to use this,” Sophia said irritatingly and Hannah obliged, giving her some space once Sophia had grasped how to use the system. The others crowded around Sophia, while Nathan stood perfectly still, facing a particular set of cabinets. Hannah decided not to interrupt and looked down the hallway, using her implant to overlay any relevant security information it had on the building. Just as she had expected, security here was minimal, a few cameras here and there but mostly unguarded. After all, grave robbery was a crime Safe Haven didn’t really encounter.

  Suddenly, her vision shifted and it became overlaid with a dark red, and the light in the distance vanished. Hannah looked around and saw everyone else frozen in time, and she tried not to panic. She tried to shake them out of it, but her hands passed right through each one of them. Hannah wondered what was happening, nothing was like it should be and even her implant was no longer responding. Hannah looked back down the hallway and this time she saw a silhouetted figure in the distance. Cautiously, Hannah approached the mysterious figure and then it took a step forward and Hannah froze.

  “Who are you?” Hannah asked and a little bit of light caught the silhouette for but a moment, revealing reddish blonde locks of hair.

  “I am who I am, but who are you?” the silhouette asked and this question left Hannah a little dumbfounded.

  “How are you doing this? What do you want?” Hannah asked forcefully and then she felt a hand on her shoulder before hearing the words.

  “Hannah, are you OK?” Nathan asked her as she turned to face him and abruptly her vision returned to normal. Hannah darted her eyes back to the hallway, which had now also returned to normal, with a dim light in the distance and no silhouetted figure. Hannah rubbed her head, which now harboured a dull ache.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” Hannah replied finally. “Did you find anything Sophia?” Hannah asked when she uncomfortably realised that everyone was staring at her.

  “” Rohan cleared his throat. “Sophia was just saying that Daniel’s name isn’t on the database,”

  “And Rohan thinks that was intentional and doesn’t mean anything, but I do and I’m going to look for him,” Sophia added.

  “This is crazy!” Lola exclaimed in a hushed tone. “We’ve got a job to do here. We don’t have time for this,” meanwhile, Hannah started accessing her implant for information on possible locations where Daniel’s body could be within Safe Haven.

&n
bsp; “Do you have any idea where to start looking?” Nathan asked.

  “No… I don’t, but I was hoping Hannah could help,” Sophia replied.

  “I can’t go with you, but I have searched Safe Haven for records of him; his last known location was the underground Penitentiary, but it doesn’t say if he is dead or alive,” Hannah said.

  “I’m going to find him. Tell me how to get there,” Sophia said with a determined tone.

  “Sophia, the Penitentiary is a very different place to the rest of the city; the vilest of our society get sentenced there, security is tight and well, let’s just say that the things I’ve already told about the place, are among many other inhumane acts rumored of the penitentiary…”Hannah began. “… I want to find Daniel too but…”

  “But what? If you really want to find him, then come with me?” Sophia retorted and Hannah remained silent.

  “I didn’t think so. You may look different but you haven’t changed one bit Annabelle. Just tell me how to get there and you don’t have to worry about it,” Sophia added sounding very frustrated. Hannah couldn’t understand the comparison, she wondered if Sophia didn’t see the importance of the mission; Hannah couldn’t afford to let Hank’s efforts go to waste. However, she also felt the need to find out for certain the truth of Daniel’s fate.

  “Accept my transmission,” Hannah said and within moments her implant uploaded a map to Sophia’s suit.

  “That’s the route that the dead bodies are transported here from below, it should have the least amount of security, but you will need to remain concealed…” Hannah started to say.

  “Thank you,” Sophia stated flatly and started walking towards another chute.

  “Don’t worry, I understand. I’ll go with her and one way or another, once we’re done we'll rendezvous with you,” Rohan said.

  “Thanks, I’ll periodically broadcast my location to your suits over our secure link,” Hannah replied and without another word, Rohan turned and followed Sophia down the chute and out of sight, leaving Nathan, Lola and Hannah in the Mortuary.

  “You do realise that this seriously reduces our chances for success,” Lola stated.

  “Oh don’t be so melodramatic,” Nathan said.

  “We still have to get past reception, let’s get moving.” Hannah said as she grabbed the hooded robe of an undertaker and the others followed suit. As she donned the robe and pulled up the hood, she remembered that these hoods were meant to serve as reverence to the dead and she wondered if her actions were defiling the dead… She pushed the thought away and distracted her mind from the now constant headache, by focussing on her mission.