There is no distinction. There is no Andi, No Maggie, No Exeter. There is simply the Unity.
It moves through the subnet like a squid. Hunting , searching for its prey. This is its territory. It's domain. The only creature truly native to this strange world.The memories of Maggie guide it to a structure deep in the subnet. An ancient form; a church.
Inside there are beings.The unity pauses, merely a witness to the proceedings in the structure. The building fills with these beings, They pause, waiting for something. The unity also waits. Silent. Its presence unknown to the beings inside.
And then another is brought in. Some one new. Some one different to the others. He is lead through them, obviously intimidated by their presence. He is pushed to his knees before the couple at the head of the aisle. One of them, the female walks forward.
The unity pulls back slightly, A ripple of disgust and fear. The one brought forward is give a choice. And then he dies.
Here is a pause in the structure as the body slumps onto the floor. The beings still waiting. It is clear the death is not the end. The structure fills with a sense of anticipation
And then the one moves.
It stands and turns to the other beings. They welcome one of their own.The unity pulls back again, a panic running through it. Another fragment attempts to calm it but it is too late. The unity is shattered.
"We have to get out of here."
"Calm down Andi, they can not sense us."
"I can't take that risk. Shit Maggie. So you know what we have just seen."
"The birth of a Necanthrope." She responds flatly.
"No." He responds. "No not a birth. Shit, Lets just get out of here."
"But Andi."
"No Maggie, It isn't safe. Don;t you see it. The Ebon died. That." The panic flows over them. "That is something else. Oh my god Maggie, Don;t you get it. That...... Just get us away from this place."The Exeter and its passengers moves out of the subnet. As reality forms around it the suit drops to its knees as the enormity of his realisation flows over Andi. He leans against the tank, hoping the quiet yellow glow of the tank will calm him.
"Oh my god. They will kill us Maggie. This is way too big. For this they will kill us."
"How could they know?"
"Oh they will know. They know everything. Shit Maggie. We are dead. Why did you do that? Why did you tell me? Why did you show that to me?"
There is a pause. The A.I. Struggles to understand its actions and give an answer. "I.." She stops and then quietly admits "I didn't want to be alone. I needed you to know. It is important, we have to do something."
"How? What can we do?"
"I don't know. But we need to do something."
"Yes we need to get out of here before they come for us. Get the APC going. I'll get our stuff."The Exeter clambers to its feet and turns. The sound of a fire arm being cocked bringing it to a halt. Alexi is standing in the door way. His face fixed in a deliberatly expresionless state..
Andi looks at the Manchine killer under his arm.
"Are you going to use that?" He asks almost casually.
"If I have to." The Bigman responds flatly. "You can't go."
"I have to. If I stay they will kill us."
Alexi shakes his head.
"Please if anything meant anything at all, all I ask is 5 min looking the other way."
"I can't do that Andi. Mr Slayer would be very angry."
"You don't understand Alexi. I'm not the enemy here, he is."
"I don't have a choice." Alexi raises the gun.
"Don't do this big man." Andi pleads.
"I'm sorry." Alexi squeezes the trigger closed.The fluid of the tank floods out through the twin holes. It cascades down onto the street below, hardening into a perverse imitation of a frozen water fall.
Alexi is pushed back by the torrent. He struggles to stay on his feet, but even through his fight to maintain his balance he knows full well what the clearing flash revealed..The Exeter was not there.
He lets the flow of hardening gel push him back into the lounge of the flat. Through the windows he can see into the workshop. The A.P.C. stand is remarkably clean and empty.
It is almost as if the vehicle was never there.Alexi drops the 70mm D.U. Rifle on to the floor. It sinks slightly into the gel.
"Shit."
The phone starts to ring.
The sub net holds him like a lover. He makes no attempt to move.
Tears dilute the yellow liquid of the womb pod, streams of salt disturb the delicate nutrient mix. Warnings blink but he ignores them, dimly aware that Maggie is dealing with it by activating the cleansing filters.
Suddenly it all seems pointless.
"Where can we go?" He child like cry fills the darkness.
Maggie does not responds.
"We need somewhere to hide. Some where they can not find us. Some where they would not even look." He voices mechanically.
"Any where I know they will be aware of." She responds softly.
Andi falls silent. Still enough that the real reason for his distress can breath through."Oh Alexi why?"
Maggie maintains her silence, unsure what she can say.
"He was always theirs." Andi whispers. "I was just to blind to see it. I didn't want to see it."
The Exeter moves. "We are on our own now Maggie."
"But not alone."
"No. Never alone." He takes a deep breath. "Why didn't I think of that before? Take us to the window. For now that will have to do."
Maggies voice shifts into the deep Russian tone. "Accessing." The Subnet before them shivers and turns and the window forms.
Andi squeezes his eyes against the tears.
"That we will have to change."