Dan was only truly out for a few seconds. When his awareness returned, all momentum had ceased. Beyond that, Dan knew very little. Every inch of him was overpowering his mind with pain, and his head felt hot and tight, like pressure was building up inside it, ready to burst out. He couldn\u2019t move at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dan dimly saw two feet approach him at a run. They were metal feet; soulborg feet. He was lifted up quickly. All was darkness. And then he was falling. Or no, he wasn\u2019t. He was still. But he felt<\/em> like he was falling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dan blacked out again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A few seconds later he was back, his vision clearer this time. He was on his bed. The lights were off again. Dan blinked. Things started to come into focus. He tried to move his arms, but couldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two figures appeared in his range of vision. One was RR. Dan recognized her instantly. The second was Heleer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Heleer ran to him the moment she saw him, RR close behind. Dan tried to get up, but RR put a powerful hand on his chest. \u201cKeep still,\u201d she said, her voice calm and unhurried. \u201cYou\u2019ve sustained multiple injuries. Moving will make them only worse. Do not touch his arms,<\/em>\u201d she added to Heleer in a sudden stern tone. Heleer withdrew her hand quickly. Curious, Dan looked down. He felt his stomach contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The arm he had twisted was ruptured. The metal glove was perfectly intact, but Dan\u2019s upper arm was split in several places, blood rapidly sliding down the skin and splashing onto the already soaked bed. Dan looked further. A line ran down his body, just left of center. It was black, like a burn line. At least on the edges. The middle was pure white. It was also perfectly clean. The clothes had been blasted away in the line, and Dan could see white skin all along the line. Just white. There was no trace of red or even the faintest pink anywhere. The sight alarmed him. How could his skin be the wrong color?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The panel hiding the Shaft slid open and something came out. It was metal, but it wasn\u2019t remotely humanoid. It quickly approached Dan on four wheels and came up on his right side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is a robota, Dan,\u201d RR said in her calm voice. \u201cLie still, and it will fix your injuries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dan did as he was told. He was in too much pain to do anything else. The robota reached out a long arm, and Dan felt it pressing against his head. Then he felt nothing at all. All pain ceased. With horror, he saw other arms unreel from the robota and begin to explore his injuries without the slightest amount of pain. He could feel nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Somehow, RR kept him from moving, panicked though he was. In the end, Dan lay back on the blood-soaked pillows, just waiting for it to be over. He saw Heleer watching him, and latched onto her light brown eyes, trying to draw some measure of calmness from her. This didn\u2019t work. Probably because she looked as scared as he felt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After what seemed like many hours to Dan, during which the ceiling lights flickered on and off sporadically, feeling began to return. At first Dan was sore. Then feeling returned to his arms, and he felt pain. It was much better though. He looked down and saw that all the injuries had been mended, long red lines the only sign left. The faint white line still ran the length of his body, but color was slowly beginning to return to it. Dan felt winded, as if he had been trying to climb a mountain all day. He could barely keep his head up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Only when the robota had finished completely and returned to the Shaft, did RR speak again. \u201cYou\u2019ll be fine now, Dan,\u201d she said. She leaned towards Dan slightly. \u201cNow tell me: what happened? How did you get out of the wall unit?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dan looked up at her. He had always had the impression that she knew everything. Was this some sort of trick question?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dan was on the verge of explaining how something had connected inside his gloves, but just before he did, he happened to glance behind RR and saw the camera on the far wall. For the first time Dan could remember, it wasn\u2019t watching him. It wasn\u2019t watching anything at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The camera was pointed straight down, hanging limply from the wall. It was off. The camera was actually off. Of course. The power was still out. That\u2019s why the lights had dimmed and the Barrier had dropped. Some of it seemed to be back on (the lights were working at the moment), but the camera\u2026 If Dan was right, RR had seen nothing. She really didn\u2019t know what had happened. She didn\u2019t know what his gloves could do. Dan glanced at the Shaft. She didn\u2019t know that he had a way to get out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Could he risk it? If he made something up to keep his gloves a secret, and RR already knew the truth, then she would know he was planning something. But if she didn\u2019t know\u2026 Dan had to try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure what happened,\u201d Dan said, assuming what he hoped was a confused voice. \u201cThere was some sort of explosion at the table, and I was flung back. The Barrier came back on right on top of me, and the next thing I remember is waking up here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n RR didn\u2019t reply. She stood there watching him for several seconds. To Dan, it seemed like a long time. Too long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cVery well,\u201d she finally said. \u201cYou will have to stay in bed until you are fully healed.\u201d Dan felt his newly healed muscles relax. \u201cThe SR Units are currently not operating, so both of you will stay here for the remainder of the day.\u201d She turned and started to leave, but then paused and looked back at Dan. \u201cThe Barrier is down at the moment,\u201d she said calmly, as if this were just another part of the schedule. \u201cIt will be back up shortly. Do not leave. If you leave, you will not be able to return when the Barrier comes back on.\u201d She then turned and left through the Shaft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The moment RR had mentioned it, Dan\u2019s eyes had flicked to the Barrier. She was right; it was gone. There was no faint blue glimmer, no slight distortion in the air. He could see the outside hall clearly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even with the knowledge that his gloves could penetrate it, Dan had never seriously considered somehow escaping through the Barrier. He knew he would have to deactivate it somehow, and he didn\u2019t have the slightest idea where to even start. But now, with the hallway so invitingly open before him, Dan was ready to leap out of his bed the moment RR left. He didn\u2019t however. He forced himself to remain where he was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Out of the corner of his eye, Dan could see Heleer watching him. He had promised he would never try to escape, but they both knew that such a desire didn\u2019t disappear overnight. Dan also didn\u2019t know if Heleer believed the promise he had made. She likely believed he had tried<\/em> to forget about escaping, as indeed he had, but did she believe that he had really abandoned the idea completely? Dan doubted it, if the look she was giving him now said anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dan knew only one thing for sure: he had made a promise, and he knew full well that if he broke it now, he would lose her forever. If he was ever to escape, he would have to convince her to come with him first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So Dan sat there, resolutely not moving, even though every muscle was yearning to see what was in the hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a moment of silence, Heleer sat down on the bed next to Dan. \u201cDoes it hurt?\u201d she asked, nodding towards his arm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dan moved his fingers experimentally. It did hurt, but it definitely felt better than it had a few short minutes ago. He shrugged his shoulders (that hurt too, he realized). \u201cSome,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat happened?\u201d Heleer asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dan\u2019s first instinct was to tell her all about his gloves, but he paused. The last thing he wanted to do was lie to her again, but was telling her what had happened the best idea? Without his gloves, he had no way to escape. He knew Heleer would never do anything to harm him\u2026 but she could easily tell RR about his gloves if she thought doing so would keep him here. Would she go that far? Dan glanced at her, wondering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It wasn\u2019t worth the risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure,\u201d he said, opting to lie as little as possible. \u201cThere was some sort of blast. The table was destroyed. My gloves were too. I don\u2019t really know what happened.\u201d Technically it was all true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Heleer looked at his reddened arms with sympathy. \u201cCan I do anything?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI could use some water,\u201d Dan said, realizing how thirsty he was. His mouth and throat were all dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Heleer got up and went to the bathroom. There was a dispenser of small paper cups next to the sink, and she came back a moment later holding one carefully in both hands. She didn\u2019t give it to him though. She stood by the side of the bed for a moment, looking at him with an odd expression on her face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Dan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Heleer handed him the water. \u201cI doubted you,\u201d she said, still looking at him with the same expression. \u201cFor a moment, when RR mentioned the Barrier, I thought you would run. But you didn\u2019t.\u201d She sat down on the side of the bed again and looked at him. \u201cYou stayed. Just like you promised you would.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dan wasn\u2019t thirsty anymore. It had been hard enough lying to Heleer. It had been bad, knowing that she probably didn\u2019t believe him. But now it was much worse. Now she did believe him, and though it made no sense to him, Dan felt guiltier than he ever had. He looked into her eyes, and knew he had to tell her. He had to tell her that despite his best efforts, he still meant to escape. He had to say it now, before she went further. But he couldn\u2019t bring himself to say the words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Heleer swung her legs up onto the bed so that she was sitting next to Dan, resting against the sparse pillows (the robota seemed to have cleaned them of Dan\u2019s blood). \u201cMy mother would have left in a heartbeat,\u201d she said. \u201cI thought you were like her: impatient, obsessed, unchanging\u2026 But you\u2019re not. You\u2019ve changed. You\u2019re different now, and\u2026 and I\u2019m glad that you are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not knowing what else to do, Dan drank his water. Beside him, Heleer leaned back against the pillows, a contented peacefulness on her face. Dan glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. He couldn\u2019t say anything. He couldn\u2019t bring himself to destroy that happiness. Dan was only truly out for a few seconds. When his awareness returned, all momentum had ceased. Beyond that, Dan knew very little. Every inch of him was overpowering his mind with pain, and his head felt hot and tight, like pressure was building up inside it, ready to burst out. He couldn\u2019t move at … Continue reading Chapter Seventeen – Guilt<\/span>
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