ideas where it comes from, and none of them are particularly appealing. We don’t know everything sadly. Georgia, tell him about how we found him.”
Georgia said, “It’s beyond difficult, but we’ve managed to pirate and monitor the All’s network temporarily and of course block our coordinates during the process. Thank Plum Charlie for that one. ‘Effin genius. Finding you? There was a huge pulse in the system—a surge of energy. Your location…and your mind opened up like a sort of third eye. You glowed and the All, it knew you, and we knew you. You dreamed of a young woman called Elizabeth Anne Reznick, and that’s how we found you.”
“They can’t find us here?” Randal asked. “And how is any of this possible?”
Georgia said, “ It’s very possible Solution techies will eventually trace our coordinates. Taking the tracer chips out was only the first step of preventing that shit from happening. That’s just a standard GPS. But things are changing fast, and the All has vision almost everywhere in the City. More than vision—it has presence.”
The statement struck a dissonant chord with Randal. Presence? He thought.
“You’ ve lived its supremacy yourself, man,” Alex said. “It hooked you, became you and you became it and it had the illusion of flowing so naturally that you didn’t know the difference. For instance, did you know there are creatures out there like the one that attacked you? No, you didn’t. You were tucked safely in front of a television, weren’t you? Fattening your big head. That’s fine, to each their own, right? Soon they’ll know all of our dreams, our fantasies. We already know they’re using Elizabeth to further their goal.”
“ I don’t get it. What or who is she?”
Alex Treaty said, “A part of everything, I think. Though we’re not quite sure what everything is.”
Georgia slid closer to Randal, staring him in the eyes, and he wanted to believe what she and Alex have been conveying. Alex leaned down and forward, and for a minute Randal perceived him as a judge, Georgia’s the jury. So who’s the executioner? Randal wanted to know.
Alex said , “You’ll be a ghost of yourself.”
“ Solution Consulates have been dispatched globally, searching for others like Elizabeth,” Georgia said, “But so far she’s the most useful.”
“I don’ t understand.” Weariness hit Randal hard, and he could barely keep his eyelids open. “I feel like crap.”
Alex said, “You may as well take it easy.”
“ What is happening?” Randal said.
“ We’re trying to figure out what exactly all this is,” Alex returned, “I’m sure we’ll have answers for better or worse. I don’t know what else to tell you at this point. It’s complicated, but you’ll live.”
Christopher M entered the pale office, and with a phlegmatic expression took Randal to his accommodation then left. Christopher M was detached in general, and Randal could only guess what brought him to being that way. Randal sat down on the cot, either depressed or exhausted and he had no idea how to process the circumstances at this point. He missed Dr. Reverence and her guidance. She gave clear answers—not fuddled mysteries. She knew everything anyone alive needed to know. And she was great to listen to on an empty or full stomach, with hot tea. But, with the Solution and in the City, there wasn’t ever an empty stomach to worry about in the first place.
The dinner plate was still on the desk, not a crumb of food left on it. Randal wanted more, and before Christopher M had escorted him back Alex and Georgia promised Randal a big breakfast in the morning. A toad in the hole, possibly, with sausage. Then Randal lay flat on his back and didn’t move. He stared at the grooves in the ceiling. He could hardly think, weighing the current situation and finding no better option to choose from. Whether he remained here or attempted to run back to the Solution, or ventured off on his
Georgia said, “It’s beyond difficult, but we’ve managed to pirate and monitor the All’s network temporarily and of course block our coordinates during the process. Thank Plum Charlie for that one. ‘Effin genius. Finding you? There was a huge pulse in the system—a surge of energy. Your location…and your mind opened up like a sort of third eye. You glowed and the All, it knew you, and we knew you. You dreamed of a young woman called Elizabeth Anne Reznick, and that’s how we found you.”
“They can’t find us here?” Randal asked. “And how is any of this possible?”
Georgia said, “ It’s very possible Solution techies will eventually trace our coordinates. Taking the tracer chips out was only the first step of preventing that shit from happening. That’s just a standard GPS. But things are changing fast, and the All has vision almost everywhere in the City. More than vision—it has presence.”
The statement struck a dissonant chord with Randal. Presence? He thought.
“You’ ve lived its supremacy yourself, man,” Alex said. “It hooked you, became you and you became it and it had the illusion of flowing so naturally that you didn’t know the difference. For instance, did you know there are creatures out there like the one that attacked you? No, you didn’t. You were tucked safely in front of a television, weren’t you? Fattening your big head. That’s fine, to each their own, right? Soon they’ll know all of our dreams, our fantasies. We already know they’re using Elizabeth to further their goal.”
“ I don’t get it. What or who is she?”
Alex Treaty said, “A part of everything, I think. Though we’re not quite sure what everything is.”
Georgia slid closer to Randal, staring him in the eyes, and he wanted to believe what she and Alex have been conveying. Alex leaned down and forward, and for a minute Randal perceived him as a judge, Georgia’s the jury. So who’s the executioner? Randal wanted to know.
Alex said , “You’ll be a ghost of yourself.”
“ Solution Consulates have been dispatched globally, searching for others like Elizabeth,” Georgia said, “But so far she’s the most useful.”
“I don’ t understand.” Weariness hit Randal hard, and he could barely keep his eyelids open. “I feel like crap.”
Alex said, “You may as well take it easy.”
“ What is happening?” Randal said.
“ We’re trying to figure out what exactly all this is,” Alex returned, “I’m sure we’ll have answers for better or worse. I don’t know what else to tell you at this point. It’s complicated, but you’ll live.”
Christopher M entered the pale office, and with a phlegmatic expression took Randal to his accommodation then left. Christopher M was detached in general, and Randal could only guess what brought him to being that way. Randal sat down on the cot, either depressed or exhausted and he had no idea how to process the circumstances at this point. He missed Dr. Reverence and her guidance. She gave clear answers—not fuddled mysteries. She knew everything anyone alive needed to know. And she was great to listen to on an empty or full stomach, with hot tea. But, with the Solution and in the City, there wasn’t ever an empty stomach to worry about in the first place.
The dinner plate was still on the desk, not a crumb of food left on it. Randal wanted more, and before Christopher M had escorted him back Alex and Georgia promised Randal a big breakfast in the morning. A toad in the hole, possibly, with sausage. Then Randal lay flat on his back and didn’t move. He stared at the grooves in the ceiling. He could hardly think, weighing the current situation and finding no better option to choose from. Whether he remained here or attempted to run back to the Solution, or ventured off on his
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