UNSPOKEN: Undone Realms Book 3

Ch. 19: Prisons

(6 months after the Callers opened the Fold)

531 promises they'll bring him back to his realm soon.  Although he doesn't really understand what a realm is, much less remember that he's from one, the prospect appeals to him.  Perhaps if he returns there, all of his memories will come back.  Maybe he has family or friends. 

Maybe he won't be alone any more.

He waits for 531's promise to be fulfilled.  He waits and he waits.  Naturally, 531 has an excuse for the delay.

"Of course we would like to return you to your world." This assurance is issued from the opposite side of the grey steel door separating him from the rest of the facility.  He can just make out the stern contour of her chin through its tiny window.  531 doesn't feel the need to come see him much anymore.  Even this visit is a surprise, though he's been asking 347 to see her for several days. 

"You must understand, this isn't our doing.  It's theirs.  From what we can tell, the enemy has found a way to restrict realm journeying.  Using you, though, we've in part been able to defy their prohibition.  We've been able to open channels leading to other universes, but we can't actually pass through to them—including to yours.  So you see, you'll just have to wait.  It isn't up to us to say for how long."

After this conversation, he accepts that he is no longer a patient: he's a prisoner.  Everything 531 just told him is meant to keep her in his good graces so that he'll remain pacified.  What's worse, he has the feeling he's been used by people who misconstrue violent provocation for self-defense.  He gets a hint of this when 347, in an unusually talkative mood, shoves his breakfast tray at him and then decides to stay for a chat.

"I shouldn't tell you this, man." 347 smiles, his uneven teeth gleaming dully compared to the pristine white of his scrubs.  He stares at the side of 347's shaved head; a tattoo reading "One World Soldier" wraps around the base of the man's skull from ear to ear.  "But it's because of you, you know.  We're setting fires.  Whatever the enemy is planning on doing, we're going to crush them!"  His voice lowers to a whisper.  "I know you're other realm, but still, that's on you, man!  Congratulations!"

"Thanks?" He'd like to question the orderly more, ask him exactly what "setting fires" entails, but he's afraid if he starts digging too deep, 347 will stop talking to him all together.  347, annoying as he may be, is pretty much the only one who ever talks to him now.  The torturous experiments may be over, but the torture isn't. Tedium and loneliness wreak their own kind of violence upon him. 

His waking hours are spent contemplating what exactly he's helped these awful people do. 

He has days and weeks and years to dwell upon this— the rest of his life, he figures.  This prison is his punishment.  Here he will pay forever for a crime he didn't even realize he was committing.

#

(307 days after Nolan's crossing)

Clara tries to get Nolan to tell her what the notebook says as he's translating it, but he keeps insisting that she wait.

Some of it really is math, but I can't tell if it's factual or if this guy is just making stuff up and using formulas so it seems more authentic.  To me, parts of it read like fiction.  But the rest... it might not make sense unless we look at it overall instead of in pieces. He keeps his nose in the book.  Having never had the opportunity to learn it, she can't read the cursive script he's using to write down what he's translating.  I don't want you to jump to any unnecessary conclusions, Clara.

This infuriates her.  What exactly is he reading that has him stalling like this?  After a while, she reaches the end of her tether.  She grabs the notebook from him and holds it over her head.  Tell me what you've learned so far or I'll... I'll... toss this into the pool!  She flies off of the bed she'd been sitting on with Nolan and heads straight for the door.