The Rise of the Cyborgs

Chapter 51/Greystone

Shaking the last of the black spaces digital tar from me. I followed the man down the corridor. We arrived at another room with 'Professor Greystone' written on it. He reached over a picked a few black scales off me and flicked them away.

"You can control that black scale stuff?" I asked silently.

"Sure." The Professor answered unlocking the door with a mechanical key. "I made it."

"Will you should me how?" I said as the room opened beyond me.

I shuffled a bit further into the room. He didn't seem to be hostile. If he wanted to set the alarm off he would have done it by now. Perhaps he could set the alarm off by his mind but the sensor net seemed relaxed.

The lights came on.

At the far end of the narrow room sat a large desk with the screen in front of it. On the side opposite the screen were some old wooden shelves which had seen better days and now held a number of dogeared books. The room was a mass of paper and books. Closer to the entrance was a whiteboard. Beneath it sat two chairs and a small table.

"Do you know what happened to Reconfigured?" I asked silently.

The professor looked up at his whiteboard. He waved his hand. I noticed a grey marble ring on his index finger, it seemed familiar. The board changed into a screen and played back video from the news feed the night before. The truck had driven at speed through the city. It had been chased by the police. They had organised roadblocks but either Regonfigured had avoided them or the lights in the city changed so the police didn't get to their block point in time. Eventually, the chase had ended up with Reconfigured in the SWAT Team Truck driving off the edge of a peer straight into the deepwater below.

"Poor her" Greystone said he turned to me "What happened to the other one. Miguel?"

"He died helping me escape," I said to him.

"She did think a lot of you didn't she?" Greystone said looking me over.

While I was watching the truck fall and sink, Greystone had gone up. He went over to the bookcases opening some drawers at the bottom, then finally looking in filing a cabinet. He pulled out a towel. He threw it towards me shouting catch.

"She said to tell you. Elijah?" I said.

The professor looked puzzled.

"Wow, she really was at the end. Strange you hear nothing from someone for 10 years and then this." He paused. He kept doing that, thinking things over.

"Poor him. Miguel. " I said. I wasn't sure how to process everything, "I can't believe two people died protecting me. I don't even know why."

"Well if you knew what I know and it was true. Well, I wouldn't flinch at an entire division of hackers sacrificing themselves for you. Indeed I would expect it."

"I don't understand." I said, " what could be so important?"

Greystone bent his head to the side "Well I would like to discuss it with you. BUT. Before I do then I'm going to need some good evidence you are what you might be. Reconfigured could be a bit of a dreamer. I, on the other hand, I need a few solid facts before I start well throwing away, everything I've built."

The professor reached into his pocket and pulled out a second mechanical key. He went over to a door and unlocked it.

"This is my personal lab. I'm very jealous of my research. So as part of my deal, no one comes in here. Not even the cleaner I'm afraid. The Good new is you're safe here. Possibly safer than anywhere else in the city. Did you get a chance to feel who was after you? I couldn't get much but they are very smart. off the scale smart. "