mame - [meym] - chapter 2

7/28/2019 Mame - [meym] - Chapter 2

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Mame[meym]

A Novel By

Tyler J. Simpson


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Chapter 2

The mobile unit approached the Medical Towers Circle of Siwa, a complex consisting of seven heptagonal towers. Six of the towers surrounded the seventh, much larger tower, withthree of the towers on the north side, followed by three towers adjacent on the south side. The

east and west flanks of the circle housed two massive rectangular parking structures. The outersix towers were raised fifty stories and had the breadth of a partial parasang. All of thesetowers on the parameter culminated in flat roofs so that the colossal carrier units could landonto them and unload up to a battalion of wounded Neophyte forces in wartime circumstancesif needed. The center tower acted as the main hospital which had a circumference three timeswider than the other towers and a slope that culminated in a gradual peak slanting from east towest. All of the outlying towers and parking structures connected to the main hospital inhorizontal glass escalators at every level.

Max entered through the east in the mobile unit. The sun had become obfuscated bythe morning fog that had come crawling down the city-side face of the mountains. He andMame exited the mobile unit and then let the vehicle find a parking space via the hospital s interface. Max motioned for Mame to follow him with two flicks of his right index finger.

She laughed.

At ease, Irrumator . She saluted him, giggling at his rigidity. He cocked his head to theleft side while lifting his substantial jaw away from his chest. She walked towards the motionedescalators and tapped on the side of her tattered jeans. Come on, Solider . Lets go.

He followed her and then overtook her lead. This was the first time that Mame hadbeen inside Siwa. The medical center had a population of over eight thousand people includingpatients and staff and the immense complex was, for all intents and purposes, its own city. Allbuildings in Cedar where constructed to retract underground if the occasion ever arose. If theMedical Center ever had to make this subterranean retreat and needed to submerge by itself, itcould operate under full capacity for an entire year without outside contact with the rest of Cedar.

They strolled to the Center Tower known as casually as Seven, which was deep in the

heart of the compound. The buildings always adjusted the artificial daylight in uniformincrements as people flowed through the hospital. No matter how dark it got outside, thewindows of the building always seemed to generate just enough brightness, giving the hospitala wide open feel. This was an effect from the days when all buildings belonging to theNeophytes were sealed deep beneath the rocky topsoil.


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When they entered inside Tower Number Seven, the first thing that Mame noticed wasthe gigantic waterfalls that flowed into an open arboretum. This interior forest stretched all theway across the center of the first floor. The waterfalls were responsible for recycling all thedrinking water. The excess water they recycled was used for irrigating the plants on every floor

in all seven towers of the complex, as well as generating up to half of the power used by thecompound on any given day. There were three distinct falls that were each raised twelve storieshigh and cascaded down in three story segments until they each reached their own pool at thebase. These pools lazily flowed into a connecting river that snaked through the main floor of the arboretum. It was an enormous natural greenhouse that generated enough of its ownoxygen to breathe life into the Noble Federation s Lunar Campi. Mame froze and closed hereyes so that she could hear the water falling. The sound was muffled at first and then began toroar with an amplified vigor. She would never have believed that she was inside, let alone onthe first floor of a hospital. When she opened her eyes they were perturbed from the intrusionof the artificial daylight. She began walking towards the entrance of the arboretum, but she feltMaxs hand on her right bicep halting her.

Maybe on the way out, He said letting her go. If there is time

Why are we in such a hurry all of sudden. She glared as he turned his back to her.Seriously, you just had me strapped up like a cow shank in a meat locker for three days andnow youre trying to tell me that we dont five minutes to do a nature walk in the worldslargest indoor forest . People like me dont get inside these districts all that often, let alone getaccess to the fucking second coming of Mount Athos over here .

He waited until he was sure that Mame was done talking and then began walking awayfrom her. She let out a frustrated sigh, thought about flipping him off, but reluctantly beganfollowing him again. They walked all the way across the east edge of the parameter until theygot to the entrance of a plastic tram. The carrier was designed to take pedestrians and staff upand across the entire slope of the tower. It was more of a ride than an elevator, unless yourdestination was the Administrative floor of the main hospital. They boarded the tram with fiftyother riders. And it lifted off with a gentle tug against gravity, easily resisting its force. Mamewatched the waterfalls create a doubled rainbow under the reinforced glass floor of the tram asthey passed them overhead. She marveled at the course of the ride while the waterfalls began

to shrink further and further away as they ascended.

Once they were at the top floor Max guided Mame to a pair of closed doors labeledAdministration above the entrance in slick, Helvetica lettering. There was glass lining theentire sides of the top floor. Inside the entrance hallway the glass walls acted as gigantic, touchscreen, enabled monitors. They rotated framed pictures of the hospital staff. Mame watchedthe current picture introduce the Surgeon of the Year: Dr. Marcus Burrell. The man in the


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frame had dark, coffee-colored skin. His skull had been altered from his outer temples down tohis cheekbones in order to make room for his mechanic-optical transplants. Mame new thatburied in his skull was an extra pair of electromagnetic enhanced-eyes designed to work at amicroscopic level while fixing nano-bots. Part of his surgery prep was to detach his nerves from

the optical disc in his macro enabled eyes and toggle them to his nano enabled eyes. The two-second loading period always left his sockets hollow like blind caves until his artificial eyes setthemselves in his empty sockets. His lips curled on top from a nervous tick, one he haddeveloped as a child, that didnt mesh well with his cosmetic enhanc ements.

You believe this asshole? Mame said jerking her thumb at the picture.

Max huffed and walked to the gargantuan double doors, knocking gently upon them.Just as his hand reached the door a scanner in the wall shot out a series of vectored laser-gridsthat twisted around him while running up and down the exterior of his frame. Once the probe

was done with a general recognition scan, two of the grids swirled down and focused just uponthe surface of his irises. The grids blinked twice and then the console of an interactive hologramappeared before him. Max typed upon its projected keyboard.

Identity: Lach. Access level: Odysseus . Please enter. A womans voice said in a smooth,docile tone.

The doors opened and Max walked inside without hesitation. Mame followed behindhim in a shillyshallied stumble. Together they sauntered down an open corridor while passingrooms which where all secured with monitor enabled glass. Mame could see simulated

meetings taking place through the designed transparency. This hallway was virtually connectedto every level of the hospitals operation. In one room a lady in hospital scrubs was goingthrough the pre-op specs for a neurosurgery patient upon the holographic avatar of a freshlyadmitted out-patient. The doctor was guiding a remote pair of hands within the crevices of anartificial parietal lobe. In another room a man was nervously confirming the joint impendingshipments of silicon, iridium and viridium-plated platinum. Further down the hallway, in the lastroom on the right, a woman in security garbs was eyeing Max and Mame as they made theirway down the hallway. When she was satisfied enough she voiced a muted command and theroom became completely cross-sectioned with security monitors on all four walls of the glass.

Mame counted fifty rooms in all throughout the main hallway.

The final room at the end of the hall was the only one that was not transparent. A goldplaque above the doors read : Chief of Medicine/Administration: Dr. Rashida Hagi. Max andMame stood still. No holographic display appeared. No scan took place. Mame began to tap herfoot impatiently.

Dont do that. Max said shaking his head at the door in front of them.


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Mame shot a glare his way but he never looked at her, so she ceased her tapping.

Thank you. He said in dry tone.

She looked back at the security room and tried to make out the indistinct shapes on the

monitors, but before she could make out anything comprehensible, all the glass in the hallwaybegan to darken. She blinked her eyes, but everything around her continued to go black. Shetried to breathe slowly and reach out for Max. She opened her mouth just in case she neededto scream as darkness visibly enveloped her. Before she could exhale she heard a click and thenthen sound of doors opening.

Mame became unable to see in the utter darkness, but she thought that she knewwhere objects were in front of her. She looked over to where she thought Max was and for thefirst time smiled at the thought of him being with her. In the same instant that she had smiledat him, he grabbed her hand and the floor began to move, carrying them past what she thoughtwere opened doors. Just as they went past the doors she felt the breeze of the entrancesslamming and then heard them locking. After being carried about twenty feet daylight began togenerate. Mame looked over at Max and noticed that he was smiling back at her.

Welcome back, Elder Lach . A womans voice greeted them. Its been too long. I didntknow if I would ever see you again in person .

Excommunication has a separating effect between people and institutions . Maxsvoice held steady, but Mame could decipher emotion being emitted from somewhere insidehim.

No, no. Youre always welcome here in Siwa. No one can say otherwise. Your exile fromthe Towers has been self- imposed.

I just assumed

Always assuming, never asking. You never used to know when to shut up and nownone of us can ever get you to talk. All things should be done in moderation especially withyou. Youll find that is decreases the need for demodulation within the synchronous decoderrelay in your neo-coherers, also, it will help cut down on the need for the recalibration of your

learned behavior patterns in general.

I He started.

Shush, Mr. Lach. Enough about youIs this her? Do y ou think that it is really possible?How many other people know that you have her? Has she exhibited any of the anomalous traits


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that I told you to watch out for? The woman waited tapping her nails under her desk in theshadows and then snapped at Lach. Well?

Oh, yeah well, this is the one I told you about. I definitely think that it is possible orelse I wouldnt have broken in to the kidnapping racket. Bethany probably. And yes there have

been many singularities that I have observed, all of which I have yet to connect to a rationalexplanation regarding them.

The woman stood up effortlessly. She wore black scrubs covered by a royal purplelaboratory coat. She was a series of sharp, hard lines. Her face was angular, her nose aquiline,her skin the color of fallen ash leaves. Her sandy brown hair was tied into braids behind herears and wound into one knot on the top of her crown. She wore tennis shoes that lookedcomfortable and matched the purple of her coat. The doctor then made her way over to Mame.

Mrs. Ellison, Janna, May I? She asked.

Mame. She stated her preference.

Delightful. Mame. The woman repeated with a tone of reverence that she had neverheard her alias in. Its a pleasure to meet you. Max never described you asas so naturallybeautiful.

And, you are Mame started.

Well, Dr. Rashida Hagi: Chief Health Advisor to the Quorums and Personal Physician to

the Seers, of course. She responded. Yes, of course. Delightful . Mame began to feel her shoulders slump in towards her

chest as she made the slightest attempt at a false curtsey.

Mame? Has Max told you why youre here? Dr. Hagi smiled at her.

Just that his software is a little fuc ked Im mean that his brain has been going a littlehaywire lately and he thinks that it may be on my account. She said as her left eyelashes beganto sputter.

Yes, thats right, but Maxs brain has never worked that well, so dont feel too guilty.Anything else? Rashida , asked glancing her over, while circling her in intrigue.

Not really. Mame responded as a sick feeling stuck to the back of her throat.

Well, thats good. Knowledge can be such a double -edged sword , life can Dr. Hagisvoice faded from her consciousness.


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Mame saw the Gods Armor making its way out of Maxs shirt and felt herself collapsingunder her own weight. Something had been release in her system and was making its waythrough her body. The drug made her brain feel like its density was collapsing into itself. Herknees buckled and the last thing she felt was the alloy of the Armor s metallic strings catching

her before she hit the floor.

She woke up in a sleep paralysis sometime the next day. She could she Max standingnext to her. She was prostrate on a table. Her hands were supine and her legs were suspendedin stir-ups. She tried to move, but she was unable to even force her eyes to close. She gawkedat Max in a comatose state as he talked to Dr. Hagi. They were all in a post-opt unit somewherein the Towers. She tried to listen in as Rashida seemed to be interrogating Max.

Why didnt you pick this up when you scanned her? Rashida touched her bloodsoaked operating gloves to her surgeons mask .

Because Ive been unable to scan her. When I tryits like shes a n apparition . Im flyingblind with my augments when it comes to her . If my Armor wasnt acting on its own instincts,then it would b e like she wasnt even there to my neural matrix. Max answered.

God damn it. Who do you think was sending you the messages to find her? Dr. Hagisnapped at him.

Thats what I keep trying to tell you. I received them through my closed neural

network. I received them like clockwork; even when I was unplugged.

Was it a Banshee or a Doureios Hippos ? She asked.

It definitely wasnt a Banshee because I havent blown my brains outs, and I dont thinkthat it was implanted in my network waiting to get triggered. It felt more like intuition. If Ididnt know that it was impossible , I would say that it was coming from my human side. Doesthat sound crazy? He stopped his explanations to ask self-consciously.

Im going to be honest. I dont think that youre crazy nor do the diagnostics that I ran

suggest that you are malfunctioning, but youre not being much fucking help either. If anyonefrom the Nobles, Royal Crown, U.T., or even somebody on the wrong side of the Quorum findsout that you have this, you both are going to have to spend the rest of your days as molesrunning in circles through every Rim of the Mine field. I dont even think that youd be safe off world floating on one of the Noble Federations god -forsaken a steroids. Rashida rambledwithout control.


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Ill just have to be careful . Max reasoned.

Youll just have to be careful with her you piece of shift. There is no going back now. Ihope that whatever you do, you realize that this woman could have gone through the rest of her life without ever knowing this. Someone went to a lot of trouble to make sure that she

could have a normal life if she was just left alone. You took whatever microbial chance of peacethat this woman had and you just shit all over it to satisfy your own curiosity. I hope thatwhatever happens, it makes you feel better. Rash ida said poking max in the chest.

This isnt about me. He responded dully.

Tell it to yourself, because if this is about redemption, then you might have totallyscrewed up both of your chances. Lets finish up here and get her topside. Rashid yelled pokinghim in the chest one final time.

Mame felt her head slipping out of her control again. She tried to scream at Max, butshe could feel her shrieks only echoing empty inside of her brain. She drifted asleep, caughtsomewhere between the sound of running water and her muted screaming.

Mame woke up in a different room inside the complex while trying to put her armaround her husband. She fumbled her arm around, reaching out for Jonathan for a couple of seconds until she remembered that he was dead. Instead, Max was standing above her as herpupils adjusted to the light. She tried to move her lips but her vocal cords were still too

paralyzed to synthesize words.

You awake? You know where you are ? Who I am? Max asked.

She summoned all her strength and hocked a fresh glob of dry spittle on his right cheek.

Okay, so you at least remember me. Rashida, yalah bina. He said wiping his fa ce off.

She let her neck fall back on the pillow and took several deep breaths. Her eyes dartedaround in fear as she tried to remember what she cou ld from her paralyzed episodes he couldremember that she had been in an operating rooms he could see the fear on Dr. Hagis facewhen sh e looked at Mame on the tables he remembered Max saying something, but thewords that they spoke were too ethereal to grasp, so she concentrated on squeezing her handsinto fists.

Dr. Hagi walked in and forced an encouraging smile at Mame. She made her way to theopposite side of the room and began charting Mames vitals on the screens of contiguous glass


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monitors against the adjacent walls. When she was finished she walked over to Mame andsqueezed her wrist.

How do you feel? Rashida asked in a warm tone.

Mame glared at her and began to growl in the back of her throat.

Watch out. I think she ha s delusions that that her saliva contains venom . Max warnedRashida.

If you need to spit at me girl, you go right ahead. Do w hatever you need to in order tohelp yourself feel better. The doctor sat down at the edge of the bed and stroked Mames

tangled hair. Rashida winked at Mame and then stood up . Youre going to be just fine.

Mame felt her strength coming back in her wrists. She began to gain enough controlover her hands to squeeze them gently and then she nodded her head for Max to come nearer.Max took a few cautious steps closer and then bent his head down just as she launched herself up as far as she could by clenching her abs and then she reached across her body to grab one of the instruments on the table next to her. She seized a trans-vaginal, ultrasound probe and usedit as a club across Max s right cheek. He winced and backed away.

She threw down the wand and tried to stand up but became too weak to stabilizeherself. Rashida jumped in between them and caught her on her way to the floor.

No more for now, you need all of your strength to recover. Ill let you ha ve a few more

swings at him when youre feeling a little better. She helped Mame back onto the bed andturned to Max. Wow, you really cant see whats coming with this one can you?

I told you that Im flying blind with this crazy vixen . He said rubbin g his cheek.

Why didnt you r Armor do anything to protect you? Rashida said shaking her atMame.

From what Ive seen , it is more intent on protecting her. Max said with a little hurt inhis voice.

Good, Im encouraged to hear that. Rashida said sitting at Mames bedside.

I dont want to be drugged anymore promise me that you wont knock me outanymore ? Mame spoke.

We promise, dont we? Rashida said turning to Max.


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Listen sweetie, Im done drugging you without your permission. I have yet to find a nygood coming from it that outweighs having you wake up like a pissed-off, spitting cobra . Maxsaid shaking his head.

What happened to me? How long was I out? Mame asked.

We had to see some things. You were out for a couple days. Max implanted a couplesacks of time released anesthetics in your neck when he first found you. The last one releasedinto your system just as you entered my office. There arent anymore , so i t wont happenagain. Rashida informed her.

Good, I had more drugs in my system during the last couple of day than a delicate boyat a Hedonist retreat. Mame said rubbing her neck.

That part is over. Do you have any recollection of what has happened these last couple

of days? Rashida asked.

I have one fuzzy memory. We were all u nderground, in a secluded room of thehospital. You were yelling at M ax. I dont remember much, except that I was in stir -ups wearingnothing but a gown pulled waist up . Mame said in a disjointed explanation.

Rashida and Max looked at each in puzzlement.

What do you mean being hal f-naked and in stir- ups? Like in awell in a lady I meanan examination gynecological ly? Max asked.

He means to ask whether or not you remember a sense of forced violation in the lastcouple of days. Anything; on any level; whether it was on the scale of full forced rape, right ondown to a merely evasive pap smear. Right, Mr. Lach ? Rashida said shaking her head at Max.

Right, right. Evasive lady procedures or anything simulating the such. Max said lookingaway from eye contact.

Well, Mame started. I couldnt tell if there was any procedural violation of my

vagina . She projected the word vagina at Max to watch him squirm a little more. But I wasdifferently half-naked in stir- ups. And both of you were there.

Mame, thats impossible. We did have you underground, but Max has been he hasbeen running errands the last couple of days in the Bordertowns . Weve done a lot of work onyou, but nothing south of your vertebrae. Dr. Hagi tried to explain.

But, I rememberMam e began.


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Mame, I promise you, I can give you access to all of our digital recordings while you

were here. Nothing like that took place and Max hasnt been here at all up until twenty minutesago. Dr. Hagi pleaded with her.

But, I rem... Mame retreated from her own certainty.

I believe you saw something, but you have been under a lot of psychic and physicalstress the last couple of days. We have been working on your implants. Your brain has probablybeen trying to make sense of it in any way that it can. Rashida informed her.

Whatmy implantswhat implants? Mame asked rubbing her wrists.

Thats what weve been trying to figure out. You see, you have a neural network that is

unlike anything that we have ever seen. It is somehow interacting with the augments in oursystems and our host network in general for that matter. Your central nervous system interacts

with our interfaces like it is fabricated, but as far as I can tell your anatomy is one hundredpercent completely organic. Ive done all the recalibrating of augments pertaining to thenewest generation of Machinae implants Rashida stopped. But Id rather not say more untilIve done more research . Do you understand anything about what Im trying to tell you?

II do not have a fucking clue wh at you are trying to say. She admitted.

She is trying to say that you are the phenomenon that you were yesterday. We are no

closer to figuring out why we are justified in implicating ourselves in such acts as kidnapping,and intoxication without consent, but neither are we able to rule out their continuation if we

feel that such said acts will result in our eventual vindication. Right, Rashida? Max askedgetting a little flippant with the two women.

Dr. Hagi glared at Max and then rounded about while smiling at Mame.

He is saying that Im less fucked with you guys , than without you? Mame said.

She understands just fine . Max reassured her.

Mameyou are in very delicate situation. Rashida began. If I pretended to offer you

any assurances or certainties then I would be lying, and unfortunately the most we can offeryou right now is our choice not to intentionally lie to you unless we can t help it. Now, thatbeing said, with you being in your condition that is more than anybody else is going to offeryou. In addition to our pledge of caveated honesty we are also committed to keeping you safeat all costs. Max here may not be equipped much in social graces, but he is more than wellsuited in the art of protection , and from what Ive seen his Gods Armor is in on the pledge. All


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things considered, we believe that while this is your choice to make, it is also the best choicethat you can make .

What she is trying to say is that there are some bad people out there , who would bemore than willing to skin you alive just to get a chance to look at what is under the hood, andneither of us is one of them. Max chimed in.

Im sorry honey, but hes right on this one. If you walk away from this offer you might

be walking into your own grave or worse. Dr. Haji warned her.

Mame shifted herself upright and found enough strength to jump of the bed onto herfeet. She shuffled to where Rashida was over by the display monitors. She patted Rashida onthe back and then moved over to a medial cabinet in the corner. Without warning she grabbeda scalpel that was hanging on the wall in the compartment of a surgeons emergency kit. Shetook the business end of the sharp instrument and tried to slit her left wrist deep across herradial artery.

Before she reached a centimeter of penetration Maxs Armor released from itsvertebrae sheath and two of the billions of metal strings used to create his impenetrableexoskeleton shot forth, co-orbiting around each other in an accelerating dance. They spuntowards Mame faster than her eyes could keep up with them and split the scalpel in half. Oneof the strings drove the knifed portion of the blade into the wall next to Mame, while the otherwrapped itself around the handle and hovered a few feet over her head.

Well, Mame said with her eyes bathed wet and shimmering in adrenaline. Max maybe a useless asshole who likes to kidnap defenseless women and drug them repeatedly, but Iguess if he comes with these twisty little guys then Im on board. She whispered while pointing

to the Armor.

Great. Rashida said. Lets get you some clothes and send you on your way. You have

a date with the Head High Hat.

Mame received a new set of clothes from Dr. Haji. They were made of high militarygrade fabric and contained as much synthetic silicon as it did nylon. The material was meant toenhance the communication network between a host and their Gods Armor, but Mame didnt

understand what it could do for her. The outfit looked great on her so she didnt pry to hardabout why she had received it.

Their mobile unit was waiting for them at the west entrance as Dr. Haji walked themout. Before Mame entered the vehicle, Rashida tugged on her wrist.


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We are using you for our own means, so feel free to return the favor. I know that you

have questions that you need answers to. Never be afraid to ask, no matter who you are askingfrom. You have something that everyone is going to want. That means power, which meansthat now you are powerful. Rashida said and she kissed the wrist that Mame had just tried to

slit.Mame nodded with her eyes wide opened, showing a little fear, and the entered the

mobile unit. Once they were outside the complex Mame could see that it was morning again.She tried to think of time on its grandest scales again as the sun rose between the familiarpeaks on the horizon. It didnt matter what type of power she had now, she could ne ver havewhat she really wanted. Answers would have to do.

Can you hear me? A voice whispered in head. She turned her head and saw Max

looking at her. Try to use your implants to speak to me through this aural channel.

Yes, I can hear you, you sound the same, but different. She spoke back to the voice.

Excellent. The doc did do something worth our while. If you are ever in doubt of

something, speak to me through this channel. Understand? Max asked her while meeting hereyes in direct contact.

Yes. She said yawning. Im tired, and I think that my body could do with a nap that

wasnt drug induced.

You would do good to start listening to your body more, get some sleep. He insisted.

Mame leaned over to the side of the door and then forced her seat back. Lying almostcompletely on her side, she let her eyes close. She was thinking of her what questions shewould ask of she got the chance right before she slipped asleep. Falling into the Delta, shedreamt of the Monster.

mame - [meym] - chapter 2

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