The Masonry Recruitment Drive, Pt 1 and 2
Part I
He stepped out of the shower and heard, "Styrm knows."
Masonry held the towel in front of him and froze. Guards were just inside the door, at least one quantum gun for each prisoner. Five prisoners stood naked in the bathroom, drying themselves off in silence.
"Drop!"
All the prisoners let go of the towels, letting them drop on the floor. Guards stepped forward, flanking each one, and led them out to the changing area. As he put on his clothes, he heard a flat voice state coldly, "Strym knows you want him."
He unfolded his shirt and searched out with his senses. He had developed this ability after becoming a huge unstoppable piece of rock; he could sense people to his left and right, out of his peripheral vision. This one was at
The guard brought his gun to bear. "Are you speaking to me?"
He moved the gun. "Move it."
Masonry put on the shirt - no longer the tank-top, but a plain, ordinary t-shirt now. He put it on over his head, and he heard the voice, "He can help you."
Masonry focused on the guard, who now held the gun at Masonry's chest. He felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up - a quantum at this close range would tear him into little pieces instantly. Masonry put his hands up in surrender. "Move!"
The two voices were the same, but slightly different. Something's speaking through him, Lodestar said, and Nate nodded internally. He went back to his cell. He nodded to his bunkmate, Nickie Gross, who was in for allegedly killing his girlfriend. He blamed the Kheldian Warshade, who had been so disturbed at the ferocity of the crime that it hid somewhere so deep that even a telepath couldn't find it.
"At least one of us won't have fleas tonight," he commented. "Think you're going to come crawling in at
"Probably. I try to stay out as long as possible."
"Don't blame you." Nick nodded to the top bottom bunk. "Something came for you." A plain white envelope sat there.
"Did you read it?"
Nick gave him an incredulous look.
Masonry chuckled and turned the envelope over. There was nothing on the front, and it hadn't been licked closed, only folded closed. Undoing the flap, he waited to see if anything magical was going to happen. Nothing did, so he pulled out the folded paper.
It was folded into fourths, not thirds as would normally be in an envelope of this type. He opened the page to see a note: Want about Strym? M33t m3 4t 3rd t4ble near d00r window in c4ff 4 lunch.
It's written by a child, said Lodestar.
A leet child.
Masonry turned the paper over at Lodestar's suggestion and peered closer at it. Or someone directed him from a distance.
How can someone do that?
Mind control. Sister Psyche isn't the only one in the world that can force someone to do that if she so desired.
E's boss?
Maybe not him, but someone who works for him.
This is a break.
It's most likely a trap.
Masonry shrugged. How else am I supposed to know?
Make sure there's others around you. Don't go there by yourself.
I know what I'm doing.
You most certainly do not, Nate. This is intrigue, not a street fight. Your idea of subtle is a punch in the face. For once, listen to me. For once, do as I tell you. You constantly ask me for help - listen this time.
Masonry closed his eyes and felt himself let go, relax, not fight. He sighed in agreement.
Part II
Most Freakshow, after they are arrested, are brought down to the infirmary. Augmentations that could be removed are , and those that can't are allowed to remain. If the Freak was stupid enough to remove the item to use it for a shiv, they were brought in to a hospital, all of their augmentations removed and replaced with fleshlike counterparts, and then sent back to the general population to serve out their terms among the Hellions, Skulls, and other humans.
Iggabuzz had replaced his right eye with something that looked like a laser with a tracking device. It would be difficult but not impossible to remove. He wouldn't have an eye left, though. As it was, he had no real hands, but was using a pair of plastic mechanical gripping devices to handle things. His lunch consisted of different cups full of different liquids.
Masonry sat down across from him, sliding his tray onto the table. "If it ain't the famous Masonry. How many heroes you kill today?"
"None, but the day's still young. Did you write this?" He passed the note across the table.
Iggabuzz jerked, as if someone stuck something in his back. The voice that came out of him was flat like the guard's earlier. "I did."
"Talk to me."
"No. You talk to me. You want information, you give me information."
"Don't have much to give. I'm on the inside."
The Freak sat up stiffly. "And I'm not?"
"No," Masonry replied, using words Lodestar now supplied. Masonry emptied all emotion out of his eyes and watched Igga gaze up at him. While Masonry would keep on going and spit out something unintentionally, Lodestar had always been known to be prudent.
"You're smarter than I gave you credit for."
Masonry said nothing, looked down at his lunch. "Tell me something worth my while."
"Fair exchanges, Masonry."
He shrugged. "Ask a question. I'll answer. Then I ask. You answer. No beating around the bush."
"You trust my answers?"
"No."
"Then why should I trust yours?"
"Because I have nothing to lose."
Jack -
Shh.
"You mean you don't care about your friends?"
"If I didn't care, I wouldn't be here." Masonry focused on Igga's blank eyes. "I care whether they're alive or dead."
Jack! Where are you going with this?
Shh. Making an assumption.
"Do you want them alive or dead?"
"All of them? Or some of them."
"Pace."
"What of him?"
Igga jerked focused his eyes. "What're you doin' here?"
Masonry closed his eyes and turned his head. Damn, almost had him.
What are you doing?
Seeing whether or not they have the same information that E and Fyre have. That you still want to kill them.
But I don't.
I know that. You know that. E and Fyre know that. Eat something, wait. Maybe he'll reconnect.
"I'm eating lunch. You asked me to sit with you."
"I don' sit wi' baby killers." He gathered his lunch and got up. Masonry took back the letter and put it in his pocket. This will be your contact point, Nate. Eat here a few times and see if someone else comes along. If the telepath can do what I think he can do, it could be anyone.
Anyone. If he wasn't paranoid before, he would be now.
- 2010 (110)
- 2009 (39)
- 2008 (36)
-
2007
(156)
- December(8)
- November(9)
- October(23)
- September(9)
- August(13)
- July(23)
- June(23)
- May(9)
-
April(18)
- First assignment
- Rusty - a scene
- Hearing Scenarios
- ((Commercial: Goin' postal. Anytime now.))
- Prison Day 3
- View from the Dark Side
- Psychological Intervention III
- Masonry Recruitment Drive Day 2, parts 3 & 4
- Masonry Recruitment Drive, Day 2
- Psychological Interventions
- Flying
- The Masonry Recruitment Drive, Pt 1 and 2
- Discovery
- Powerhouse Jack - origin
- Lodestar and Mase converse.
- Prov's conversation with Mase
- Remanded to the Asylum
- Conversations
- March(13)
- February(8)
0 comments: