"Come in, Security. Assistance is required in the Nursery."
124Please respect copyright.PENANA3q8zJpEqhr
Comes over the walkie talkies. "Ugh." Jess says to herself, and then picks up. "Reporting, I'll be there in a minute."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAX6GpcsRnEA
She heads over to the nursery which is very spacious and pastel colored.
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There is plastic tables and chairs with paper and craysons for anyone 6 and under, a ball pit, a bouncy castle area and a play structure.
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A information greeter is there, standing with the nursery nanny android, Dreamer. Dreamer has a girl in her arms who's clinging to her.
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"You called, Isabelle?" Jess speaks up. Isabelle turns to Jess. "Yeah, hi, Jess.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAfP4NJOzhBT
So, you know how the Centre is closing soon. Well... This here is Jade, she's four.
124Please respect copyright.PENANADXAciB9LAf
It seems she was abandoned here in the Nursery pretty much when the Centre opened."
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"And you want me to find her family?"
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"Yes, well, that's the thing. We don't know who her family is, Dreamer has no record of who dropped her off here in the Nursery and I wasn't on the walk-in's station this morning.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAmbihGwGJmH
I've already asked the other greeters, but none recall anyone carrying Jade here."
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"Okay, uh, you take Jade to the service counters back at the entrance station and I'll go talk to my Supervisor to check the feed and see if we know who we're looking for and some of us will sweep the building."
124Please respect copyright.PENANApeRIzzaabm
"Okay, yeah. Thank you." And Isabelle turns to Dreamer, talking the girl from her.
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"Oh." Says the girl, pouting and starting to tear up.
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"Hey, Jade." Jess says quietly. "Isabelle here is going to take to you the front of the building, and she will get you a lollypop. How about it?
124Please respect copyright.PENANAwSVZzpUVd5
In the mean time, I'm going to go find your family."
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"Jamie!" Jade squeals.
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"Jamie? Yeah, and who is she?"
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"Lollypop!"
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"Okay, you want that lollypop."
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And Isabelle leaves with Jade. "Uh, finish cleaning up in here, Dreamer and then report back to the android warehouse for nightly protocols as the Centre is closing."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAobcmCPkKX5
"Of course, Jessie Thompson."
And Dreamers begins to walk around, picking up crayons, placing them into cups.
124Please respect copyright.PENANA9lNx4UO9fN
"It's Jess." Jess says under her breath, walking out into the main area. She sees Bella and makes a beeline straight for her.
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"Hey Bella-"
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"We have a lost kid, I know. Security Footage is being checked as we speak."
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"Uh- OK." And Jess turns away from, Bella. They wait for about five minutes and a screenshot is sent to a tablet, Bella has.
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All the supervisors of each department have one. Bella turns the tablet to Jess, showing her a still shot from the cameras.
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"Jamie Stevens, carrying Jade Stevens. She came here about 9 a.m and is still somewhere on the premises. Front-gate has reported she has not scanned her braclet on a leaving terminal.
124Please respect copyright.PENANA2M0FiDX7zx
Seems she dumped her little sister in the Nursery."
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"Irresponsible."
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"Yep. While Dreamer does look after kids under six, our company policy is we do not accept liability of injury and so fourth. Caregivers are supposed to watch their child in the nursery regardless.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAY8rTLyBkZD
Jamie's fifteen - Old enough to do so."
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"Come in, Day. Jamie's been located on the cameras. She and some other teenagers are chilling in the go kart area, behind some fake tires display." Says a voice on the radio.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAa4oZlTlO2y
"Got it, Jake. Thanks." Day responds, answering. "You wanna go do that for me?" She asks Jess.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAuSdliyK505
"Sure." She responds, sighing and heads straight there. She heads to the Go Karts Track and finds them easily in no time.
124Please respect copyright.PENANANkJbqAOWL4
"The park is closing, all guests are to make their way to the front. Go." She says and the teenagers slink away.
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"Not you." And she pulls Jamie back by the arm.
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"Hey, what gives!" Jamie whines.
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"One. You're required to watch your baby sister, you can't dump her on android, Dreamer in the Nursery and run.
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You sign the disclaimer when you enter here that we do not take responsibility for the supervision of anyone young who can't look after themselves.
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And two, it's a school day, not a weekend. Why you and your friends here and not in school?"
124Please respect copyright.PENANAYHHpSpy5Iu
"What does it look like?"
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"You're ditching."
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"Yep."
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"Well, we aren't truancy officers. We can't make you go to school, but if a Truancy Officer comes here of their own accord, the law permits them to enter without our permission.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAlgd71N1EOG
They find you, you'll be taken to school or the police station."
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"Don't care, yawn."
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"Fine, have it your way, Jamie. Just telling you what could happen. Come here again, look after your sister.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAF1b4YcMGML
If not, we're required to contact your guardians and if we can't get in contact with any, the police will be called."
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"Okay, fine. I'll do better tomorrow."
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"Tomorrow?"
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"Yeah, me and my friends and Jade are here every day."
124Please respect copyright.PENANA8Wjs66S3Gw
"You're missing a-lot of school."
124Please respect copyright.PENANA1sNdHe659k
"Don't care, and Jade is getting interaction with others her age. It's practically daycare for her. Have you seen the Nursery?"
124Please respect copyright.PENANAT9uHa1CmYs
"Is everything okay at home-"
124Please respect copyright.PENANAiw5KUHg9IV
"I'm leaving now, take me to my sister."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAQV6jbfcMXV
"Uh- okay. Yeah, she's at the service desk at the front. Well, information counter. They're kinda the same thing."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAmr9C9PlLbF
And Jess leads Jamie there.
124Please respect copyright.PENANApY3EstpWjl
"Jamie!" Jade squeals, seeing her old sister and reaches her chubby toddler hands out for her. Jade takes her from the greeter/information person.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAClVar8aViX
"Jamie Stevens." Bella says, tapping her foot and arms crossed.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAG0I9sJdgzv
"What? You're colleague already lectured me, I'll look after her next time."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAmsUADhodIp
"You better, now go. Centre is closing."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAbwq38lBDOq
And Jamie leaves with Jade, scanning their bracelets on the way out.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAZGyuYdEC7k
"Uh, so... Can you go into Princess' dressing room and tell it to report back to the android warehouse?"
124Please respect copyright.PENANAqjUOtLlMmV
"Can I leave after that and go home?"
124Please respect copyright.PENANAAyk6bQBU25
"Yes, you can."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAFppLbKLShf
And Jess does so as she was asked. She heads behind the stage, heading down the corridor and knocks on Princess' dressing room door.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAUVGfJVkJ5x
No answer comes so she presses down on the handle and goes inside. The lights are dimmed and there is a slight mess of costumes and non harsh android skin face-paint containers lying around.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAiwx1TsNGQb
"Seriously." Jess says, picking up two dresses and one pair of boots and takes them over to the small walk in closet.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAoT8GdCeohS
The door shuts behind her. "Ah!" Jess screams, panicking and her the memory of being locked into the store room in the android warehouse comes back to her.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAE10k3a4msm
"I can't breathe." She chokes out, and desperately places a hand on the cupboard, trying to push it open from the inside. It starts to easily move, when she feels hands on her shoulders and someone spinning her around.
124Please respect copyright.PENANALy70nEYCTc
She comes face to face with her, well, it.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAeyF1W3CQpg
It's purple hair down, no longer in two pigtails, face clear of face-paint and her outfit, replaced by a simple black t-shirt, blue jeans and white canvas shoes.
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"Jessie Thompson."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAOoyY9w1mLL
Ah- I-It's Jess. Call me, Jess." She chokes out.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAnQ4m94XmKO
"Jess." It repeats.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAMXqUvP6v9O
"W-what do you want from me?"
This can't be happening, they can't behave like this, it's not possible!
124Please respect copyright.PENANAqW0KXnedbz
It has to be a glitch! She looks to Princess indicator around her ear, but it's light blue. Not yellow or... red.
124Please respect copyright.PENANA5dn4J9L2LO
"The dark's not something to be afraid of, I don't want you to be scared of it."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAMotVfTvKZz
"M-me? Scared of the dark?"
124Please respect copyright.PENANAIOY76mG1B3
"Yes, or small spaces."
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"I feel pretty claustrophobic now, and it is dark in here!"
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"And I don't want you to be scared of either of them, you should work on your fears."
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"Let me go."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAR1BMMzBBBK
"Say it."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAPXlu9meQah
"S-say what?"
124Please respect copyright.PENANAy8qjRZhh9L
"My fears cannot hurt me, they are only as real as I make and let them be."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAmzA2Rg2GP9
"I can't-"
124Please respect copyright.PENANAfDg1EFB8Oi
"Say it, I'll do it with you. My fears cannot hurt me."
124Please respect copyright.PENANA0wSqesFCo6
"My fears c-cannot hurt m-me."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAh1NaZQkvQN
"They are only as real as I make and let them be."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAOyyVIgoBG2
"T-they are only as r-real as I make and let them be."
"And take a deep breath in, relax your shoulders as I can feel they are tense."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAnRvZmdb1pb
She takes a deep breath in and tries to relax her shoulders, but that's pretty hard when an android is holding them and holding your against your will.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAR1jPZPgrtn
"And now breath out, drop your shoulders more."
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And she tries to do so.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAdDkbsLQWo4
"Good, good. You did good, Jess."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAG8xFsvYq15
"Why are you d-doing this?"
124Please respect copyright.PENANAq485cxSEq2
"Every security guard eventually works the night shift. It's only a matter of time before you do and if you get anxious and start running around the Centre because of every little bump in the night you hear...
124Please respect copyright.PENANArp4kcVGOqE
Well, you don't need me to finish the scenario."
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"This can't be possible!"
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"What not possible?"
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"Talking like this!"
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"......"
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She doesn't say anything and just keeps looking straight ahead at Jess.
124Please respect copyright.PENANA6VG4QhKeY5
"Princess, let me go. I-I wanna go. I have to go home."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAtq0oiGR7V5
"Do you have somewhere to live now?"
124Please respect copyright.PENANAoO91xfFn0V
"What- How do you know that?"
124Please respect copyright.PENANAIBAFJMNfG3
"Sick humans can't recover living on the streets. Do you feel better?"
124Please respect copyright.PENANAlTVgGcn36X
"T-that all was like t-two weeks ago now..."
124Please respect copyright.PENANALDQf04fYiP
"Do you have somewhere to stay and do you feel better?"
124Please respect copyright.PENANAdMZLm2hz17
"Yes! Yes to both!"
124Please respect copyright.PENANA5Yv1RZlngh
"Okay." And she smiles back at Jess, gently letting go of her shoulders and pushes the rest of the cupboard door open. "I'm glad I got to see you today. Enjoy your home time and I will see you again soon when you return for your next shift."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAjWW7IEA7ZV
Princess walks out of the walk in closest and exits the dressing room, leaving a confronted Jess behind. She waits a few seconds, then runs out.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAFsIAzh8zsd
"I'm going home now! Princess has returned to her the warehouse! Bye!" She says panicked.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAb2TP7rdxrt
"Uh, bye?" Bella responds, not getting much of a chance to say anything else.
124Please respect copyright.PENANATwSLHVlKrO
As it took longer for them to close, it's dark out well and truly. She looks up across the almost empty parking lot, dimly lit by lighting and exterior building as well. It's going to rain likely tonight.
124Please respect copyright.PENANA3SFjjka7v2
She should walk down the street, there is food stores open. It'll be fine, she can get something for dinner, a takeaway and go to her apartment.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAnOrEGbvJ6a
She starts to walk across the lot when she hears the sound of scraping shoes and feels like there is a presence behind her. Slowly turning her head, there is someone, but she doesn't get a good chance to look at them, feeling them wrap their hand around her mouth and their other hand around her stomach.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAPcLC6QUkpy
She tries to scream, but is muffled, feeling them drag her into the darkness , flush against the building wall where there is no lights, the cameras can't see her.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAProctgVXk0
Well, there is a light. But it's busted, why hasn't it been fixed? She feels them drag her around the corner and she tries to kick them, and feels them throw her forward, threatening to bash her head against the wall.
124Please respect copyright.PENANA0I5LTIxJXW
"Mph!" She manages. "Stop struggling and you won't get a concussion." They whisper into her ear. "Deal?"
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"Mph!"
124Please respect copyright.PENANANS1uxPFUJ2
And she nods her head desperately.
And she's dragged over to a parked car, barely noticeable in the shadows and dark of the evening as it's a dark green color. "I'm going to remove my hand now from your mouth. Don't you dare scream or I will shoot you.
124Please respect copyright.PENANALq8ibAtuS7
I have a gun."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAikSfvzJLKC
And he removes his hand. She reminds silent, but slightly fidgeting and they increase their grip around her stomach as they unlock their boot.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAgpEYfNeeem
The boot pops open and he feels him push her in. "No!" She manages, voice quiet toned though.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAZY2FFLIwuh
They seize her arms behind her back and she feels zip-ties. They do the same to her ankles, him pulling her shoes off and throwing them aside in the boot.
124Please respect copyright.PENANArItie14ray
"I told you keep your mouth shut."
And he slams the boot closed. She feels the car start up and move, him driving for about ten minutes. Eventually the car stops and he opens the boot.
124Please respect copyright.PENANA2atN620IY8
She stars up at him, now able to get a good look at his face. The background behind him is distant buildings and stars.
124Please respect copyright.PENANA1Ykb38NaEZ
"W-where are we?"
124Please respect copyright.PENANAddfPHTO9oW
"Outskirts, at the lookout. Now, roll over." And he forcefully rolls her back onto stomach and feels him pick her up, carrying her to the front of the car, helping her into the passenger seat, still bound. She hears him go back to close the boot and then he slips into the drivers seat.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAnh9biTKnQ7
"What's your name?" He speaks up.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAwY9yJZrvHU
"J-Jessie Thompson."
124Please respect copyright.PENANABjKCXl6WGI
"Can I call ya, Jess?"
124Please respect copyright.PENANAxanbLbSsVy
She nods her head. "Great. I'm Douglas... Douglas Stiefvater."
124Please respect copyright.PENANASCWxZvceJB
And she looks at him with shock. "Do you know what I want from you?" He asks.
124Please respect copyright.PENANA4q1c1Yq1N9
She doesn't say anything. "You can speak." He says.
124Please respect copyright.PENANA514gwQ7NHl
"You're... personal company?"
124Please respect copyright.PENANAGOEMhkDjYz
"Not really, but close. I'm not looking for sex, you would be the same age as my daughter. So you know who I am and what my story is."
124Please respect copyright.PENANANsPhQAryVs
"Kind of..."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAZ6Slm4vviy
"Listen, I want you to be my informant.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAOXZF2DHSm0
Whatever goes on in that building, you report it to me. Whatever is on their servers, you report it to me. Do we understand each other?"
124Please respect copyright.PENANA1Z9Uv0mAhs
"D-Douglas... I-I'm a Security guard."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAYusyVdc1GY
"And? Anyone can do my dirty work and you're who I chose."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAYVPusWRMhh
"But I don't have access to any important systems or any major areas like offices, the IT department-"
124Please respect copyright.PENANAC3f1Vx3pJJ
"And I still have a backdoor into everything." He says, holding up a tablet like the supervisors such as Bella uses, but it's much smaller and clearly dated by at-least ten or so years.
124Please respect copyright.PENANA1QigBlJr3x
"I have a backdoor login, I have a tablet still. I'll give this to you, and you use my backdoor credentials when you're at work.
124Please respect copyright.PENANABbEhF9ZW6d
You find time to get me what I need."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAlneajWe0XR
"And how much do you want?"
124Please respect copyright.PENANANWJaOLRicx
"Everything, just everything. Send me everything. Finance reports, Android patches and coding re-write, building expansion plans and renovations, employee hire database.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAoLE05t6PSk
Whatever you can get your hands on."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAi6ekDTpoae
"And what are you going to do with it all?"
124Please respect copyright.PENANAE0vssPM8mF
And he slaps her hard across the face. "Ouch!"
124Please respect copyright.PENANADUph3HOHjl
"That is not your business. Just get me what I want and I won't hurt you.
124Please respect copyright.PENANADlJtO4v9Ab
I know where you live, and if you don't do what I want or you think of going to the Police, I'll set a bomb off inside the center. Do you want innocent people to die, family's? Your co-workers? Yourself?"
124Please respect copyright.PENANAvLyUDqVqyw
"N-no."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAahI6r2w5cv
"Good. And just to show you how serious I am and that I mean what I say when I say it... so you won't disobey me and won't give the police a heads up causing a ramp up in security..."
124Please respect copyright.PENANAVitECqJhax
"Ah!" She squeals, feeling him force some tablets into her mouth and he holds out a bottle of water to her.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAUkKnuqKoRE
"Drink it."
124Please respect copyright.PENANACDJVP3PBK8
She shakes her head.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAmwa7MaDUPb
"Would you prefer me use more violent methods, Jess?"
124Please respect copyright.PENANAM35kTOs5bE
She shakes her head. "So, drink."
And she takes a long sip of the water, swallowing the tablets.
124Please respect copyright.PENANA8nFiRvRp5l
"Good girl, that wasn't so hard was it?"
And he pulls the bottle away. Give or take about five minutes, her eyes start to fill heavy and she barely stay awake.
124Please respect copyright.PENANAkiTdQamzZ9
"You can drift off, just go to sleep. Think of sheep, Jess. One sheep, two sheep, three sheep, four sheep..."
124Please respect copyright.PENANA183zeQtZ3j
And his voice drains away. He smirks, seeing she's fallen asleep. He does the seatbelt over her and cuts both her binds, starts the car up, reversing and drives.
124Please respect copyright.PENANASRaLNHnsbA