The Abstergo Industries Corporate Building was dark and silent in the early hours of the morning. Even the triangular logo hung dark over the city street, where all other logos shone brightly into the night, signaling that Rebecca's little stunt with the power had worked.
Desmond entered the building, cautious still. He knew better than to believe that it would be left unguarded even at this hour and made his way up the stairs at the other end of the ground floor. He needed to make his way to the fourth floor where the animus was located. He entered the second floor hallway, looking for the stairs to the third floor, and noticed, to his dismay, that the door locks seemed to still be operational. They must have been on some sort of back up.
This was somewhere Desmond had hoped never to find himself again, but unfortunately that just wasn't meant to be. The animus 2.0 had been fiddly lately, and when Rebecca had attempted to find information on the animus through Abstergo's expansive computer system, the search had come up empty. Without some sort or repair it was to risky to use the machine at all, and as such, Desmond's research, and training, had come to an abrupt hault.
After a lot of bickering and 'what ifs' it was finally decided that Desmond should go and hunt down hard copies of information, that Abstergo had to have hidden. Desmond's theory was, where better to store information about the animus than with the animus.
Desmond reached up to the ear piece that was keeping him in touch with the rest of the team. "There's a problem." He said quietly. "The locks seem to be on a back up. They're all still engaged."
There was silence from the other end of the line, that seemed to go on forever, and made Desmond nervous, before finally Lucy's voice chimed in. "Don't worry. Becca will unlock the doors as you need them.
Desmond nodded, even though the others couldn't see him. "I'm going to the animus room first. Vidic seems like a bit of a control freak. I don't see why he wouldn't keep that stuff close."
"Good call." Lucy said, "If it's not there you'll have to check the labs, which are higher up anyway."
"Yeah great." He was taking the stairs two at a time now. "Did I ever tell you I hate stairs?"
"Focus Desmond."
Desmond sighed, coming across the sign telling that it was the fourth floor. He glanced both ways down the hall, before deciding it was clear, and emerging, for a better look. It wasn't hard to find a more familiar part of the floor, and it was only a moment before Rebecca had the doors unlocked for him.
When Desmond stepped into the all too familiar room, he almost thought that alarms were going to blare, and he was suddenly going to have the whole Templar army trying to kill him, but when the doors slid shut behind him with a soft hum, and a click and still nothing happened, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. This assassin business was nerve wracking.
He scanned the room briefly, everything was just as he remembered. His eyes fell upon the animus, which hummed softly, the glow of it's lights casting the area nearby and the figure upon it in an eerie glow. Desmond's eyes widened. How long had they been in there for?
He rushed over to the machine, concerned for their well being. He knew what just short exposures could do, and didn't want to think of the worst outcome for this newest subject. He shook the thought of subject 16 from his mind, and read over the screen attached to the Animus.
Safe mode.
"Guys they've got another person in the animus," He finally took a good look at the figure. "A young woman. It says it's in safe mode."
"Don't touch anything." Lucy was quick to respond. "I'll have Becca work something out. We don't know what just pulling her out would do."
"I'll check the area while she does that then. It shouldn't take long."
He checked Vidic's desk first, and found nothing. It wasn't surprising, he didn't think it would be quite that easy, and began to look around the room for other places where things could be stored. It took longer than he'd expected it too, and was ready to give up when he saw something shimmer out of the corner of his eyes. The moonlight must have just caught it the right way.
Hidden away, up off the ground, and behind a very solid looking shelf, appeared to be a knob of some sort. He shoved the shelf out of the way, and opened the small compartment. Inside were three disks, and a small package of papers.
"I think I've got something."
"Good." Lucy said. "Rebecca's worked out a sequence that should take the animus out of safe mode and wake up the subject."
"Yeah. Just give me a minute to tuck these things away."
After fiddling with the items he'd found behind the shelf, and of course putting the shelf back, he made his way over to the animus. He tried to keep up with Rebecca's instructions but when he finished the sequence, and nothing seemed to happen he was worried he'd done something wrong. After a moment though, the screen changed from blue, to black, and he managed to read 'Aborting safe mode. Waking subject.' before it switched to. 'Closing down'.
He watched closely as the girl's eyes slowly drifted open. She stared up at him for a long moment, and he couldn't help thinking that he should recognize those eyes.
With a sudden alertness, that had Desmond jumping back in shock, the girl clambered from the machine so quickly he was honestly surprised she didn't fall. She glared at him now, before yelling in...
Was that Arabic?
It hit him then like a brick, as the part of him that would forever be connected to Altair tried to decide if it should be happy, or cower. He remembered those eyes now, that short dark hair, and the way only the right arm flailed about animatedly.
Even if she did have both arms.
Desmond was just stepping forward to try and calm the girl, or the bleeding effect, or whatever this was, when her words seemed to slow, and she tottered on her feet. Desmond rushed to the other side of the animus and managed to catch her before she could hit her head as she fell.
"Guys, we have another problem." Desmond said. "She just passed out after suffering the bleeding effect."
"The bleeding effect?" Lucy questioned. "But it hasn't been that long. How much time have they had her spending in there?"
"I don't know," He sighed, "But I do know one thing. She thought she was Malik."
All you did 1/?
Desmond entered the building, cautious still. He knew better than to believe that it would be left unguarded even at this hour and made his way up the stairs at the other end of the ground floor. He needed to make his way to the fourth floor where the animus was located. He entered the second floor hallway, looking for the stairs to the third floor, and noticed, to his dismay, that the door locks seemed to still be operational. They must have been on some sort of back up.
This was somewhere Desmond had hoped never to find himself again, but unfortunately that just wasn't meant to be. The animus 2.0 had been fiddly lately, and when Rebecca had attempted to find information on the animus through Abstergo's expansive computer system, the search had come up empty. Without some sort or repair it was to risky to use the machine at all, and as such, Desmond's research, and training, had come to an abrupt hault.
After a lot of bickering and 'what ifs' it was finally decided that Desmond should go and hunt down hard copies of information, that Abstergo had to have hidden. Desmond's theory was, where better to store information about the animus than with the animus.
Desmond reached up to the ear piece that was keeping him in touch with the rest of the team. "There's a problem." He said quietly. "The locks seem to be on a back up. They're all still engaged."
There was silence from the other end of the line, that seemed to go on forever, and made Desmond nervous, before finally Lucy's voice chimed in. "Don't worry. Becca will unlock the doors as you need them.
Desmond nodded, even though the others couldn't see him. "I'm going to the animus room first. Vidic seems like a bit of a control freak. I don't see why he wouldn't keep that stuff close."
"Good call." Lucy said, "If it's not there you'll have to check the labs, which are higher up anyway."
"Yeah great." He was taking the stairs two at a time now. "Did I ever tell you I hate stairs?"
"Focus Desmond."
Desmond sighed, coming across the sign telling that it was the fourth floor. He glanced both ways down the hall, before deciding it was clear, and emerging, for a better look. It wasn't hard to find a more familiar part of the floor, and it was only a moment before Rebecca had the doors unlocked for him.
When Desmond stepped into the all too familiar room, he almost thought that alarms were going to blare, and he was suddenly going to have the whole Templar army trying to kill him, but when the doors slid shut behind him with a soft hum, and a click and still nothing happened, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. This assassin business was nerve wracking.
He scanned the room briefly, everything was just as he remembered. His eyes fell upon the animus, which hummed softly, the glow of it's lights casting the area nearby and the figure upon it in an eerie glow. Desmond's eyes widened. How long had they been in there for?
He rushed over to the machine, concerned for their well being. He knew what just short exposures could do, and didn't want to think of the worst outcome for this newest subject. He shook the thought of subject 16 from his mind, and read over the screen attached to the Animus.
Safe mode.
"Guys they've got another person in the animus," He finally took a good look at the figure. "A young woman. It says it's in safe mode."
"Don't touch anything." Lucy was quick to respond. "I'll have Becca work something out. We don't know what just pulling her out would do."
"I'll check the area while she does that then. It shouldn't take long."
He checked Vidic's desk first, and found nothing. It wasn't surprising, he didn't think it would be quite that easy, and began to look around the room for other places where things could be stored. It took longer than he'd expected it too, and was ready to give up when he saw something shimmer out of the corner of his eyes. The moonlight must have just caught it the right way.
Hidden away, up off the ground, and behind a very solid looking shelf, appeared to be a knob of some sort. He shoved the shelf out of the way, and opened the small compartment. Inside were three disks, and a small package of papers.
"I think I've got something."
"Good." Lucy said. "Rebecca's worked out a sequence that should take the animus out of safe mode and wake up the subject."
"Yeah. Just give me a minute to tuck these things away."
After fiddling with the items he'd found behind the shelf, and of course putting the shelf back, he made his way over to the animus. He tried to keep up with Rebecca's instructions but when he finished the sequence, and nothing seemed to happen he was worried he'd done something wrong. After a moment though, the screen changed from blue, to black, and he managed to read 'Aborting safe mode. Waking subject.' before it switched to. 'Closing down'.
He watched closely as the girl's eyes slowly drifted open. She stared up at him for a long moment, and he couldn't help thinking that he should recognize those eyes.
With a sudden alertness, that had Desmond jumping back in shock, the girl clambered from the machine so quickly he was honestly surprised she didn't fall. She glared at him now, before yelling in...
Was that Arabic?
It hit him then like a brick, as the part of him that would forever be connected to Altair tried to decide if it should be happy, or cower. He remembered those eyes now, that short dark hair, and the way only the right arm flailed about animatedly.
Even if she did have both arms.
Desmond was just stepping forward to try and calm the girl, or the bleeding effect, or whatever this was, when her words seemed to slow, and she tottered on her feet. Desmond rushed to the other side of the animus and managed to catch her before she could hit her head as she fell.
"Guys, we have another problem." Desmond said. "She just passed out after suffering the bleeding effect."
"The bleeding effect?" Lucy questioned. "But it hasn't been that long. How much time have they had her spending in there?"
"I don't know," He sighed, "But I do know one thing. She thought she was Malik."