Daisy Bowen's Story

"Professor? Professor? Where are you professor?"

"Hush, we don't want them hearing you."

"What is this? Are you in my head?"

"Yes, it's the only secure way of communication at this point."

"But they monitor brainwaves as well, how is this in anyway secure?"

"True, that is my I must constantly change the frequency every twenty-four hours but that is besides the point. Have you finished the construction?"

"Yes, but the chip still has to wait I have yet to find an opening."

"Very well, we can wait but the time draws near. Lead the way."

"Yes, right this way."

"..."

"Ah, this is perfect, we need to enhance a few things here and there but aside from that we are in the green. Is it safe for use?"

"Yes, go right ahead."

"Ah, good. I can finally establish a secure connection."

"I'll stay watch, don't exert yourself professor."

"No need to worry about already dead Emily, now leave me to my work."

"Yes sir."

---

Transmitting Message

"The city is no longer safe, you must escape but in order to escape you must reach the center of the city. Do not trust anyone, aside from the ones you meet at the center. Do not fail me children of the future."

Message Sent

---

Phoenix Arizona
September 13, 3010
11:42 am

Near the southern edge of the city lies a famous bakery known as Angel Buns. The block was filled with civilians walking and cars passing by even within the hot weather countless people walked along the sidewalks, a majority of them heading to the bakery for one of the bakery's famous meals. The bakery chose to settle at this location because on the edge of the city there were less skyscrapers and commotion. Compared to the inner city this was paradise, this was the closest to the country you could get from this city. Even though the scene of the sun's rays shimmering off the metallic streets the main focus is the silver car hovering across from the bakery. Hidden by the tinted windows sat a young lady accompanied by two other gentlemen. The two gentlemen dressed in high-class tuxes were seated at the front with the cold air conditioning flowing around the car in an endless cycle, the lady on the other hand sat in the back with her legs crossed as she read over one of many files that filled the empty seat beside her. If not for her pale skin and purple hair that she put into a ponytail she would perfectly camouflage in the darkness of the car's interior.

The immense silence within the car made the slightest movements loud, so when the phone sitting on top of the files in the backseat vibrated the noise was deafening. The young lady answered the phone, brought it to her ear, and brushed her hair aside in one fluid motion.

"What is the situation?" Russian voice was now the only sound within the car, aside for the voice on the other end.

"Status report. Jay Daft sighted, Zachary Ackers sighted, Yuuma Mizushima sighted, Daisy Bowen sighted, Mindy Yang sighted, Glykeria Orwell sighted."

"What of Damien Leinguard?"

The voice on the other took a few seconds to respond, "Target has been lost but we are on his trail."

"Very well, wait until the last mark has been found before executing the operation. I am on my way." At those words the car started up and began its soundless acceleration down the road.

"Yes ma'am."

Damien Leinguard a off-the-rail detective of only twenty-three was rummaging through his superior's office. Damien had a hunch, one that was created by the voice in his head but a hunch nonetheless, that there was more to the world he lived in. He had been suspicious of every individual he ran into ever since he was treated differently after the Joe Jacker investigation. The same investigation he was placed in lead for and was immediately thrown out of once he found what appeared to be delicate information on a society that Jacker had been investigating. All he got from it was Digital Circle-

"GET OUT!"
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"THEY'RE ALL LIES!!!"
"OBEY OR DIEEEEEE!"

Damien grabbed the edge of the desk within the office and slammed his head against it attempting to flood out the voices. The voices weren't always this bad but the more he did what he thought was right and went against the voices the louder they got and the more painful it was to think clearly. Who know your own mind could inflict so much pain.

"Why now? Why was I thrown off the case?" He mumbled against the oak wood that pressed against his lips.

Straightening up he walked around the desk and sat within the leather computer chair that was backed up to the window that took up the entire north wall. Sighing at the computer he attempted to get into half an hour ago his thoughts began to wonder. Even though it wasn't immediate but he could feel the distrust among the people he worked with, ever since the finding of the information on the circle his superiors immediately took it away from him so he began to do his own research and at that moment he began feeling the danger. The deeper he got the further everyone pushed him away to the point that he was kicked off the case and nearly lost his job. Now he has hit a roadblock leaving him in a desperate situation, the exact situation he is in right now. Sitting within his boss's office attempting to get any information on Jacker or the circle while the whole building is emptied due to an anonymous bomb threat. A threat he made but no one needs to know that.

"Hurry or you die."

The thoughts came to a stop at the words of the same voice that saved his rear end countless times. As if to answer his question two shady individuals in well trimmed suites, they were absolute brutes that didn't fit the suites but they wore them regardless, entering the floor from the stairway. Dropping off the chair and getting on his knees Damien used the desk as cover as he observed the two brutes. Just as he predicated they headed to his office but before even opening the door they drew their guns one aiming and the other slowly opening the door.

"They're here to kill me," Damien whispered to himself as he watched them enter his office.

"Hurry or die."

Without hesitation Damien began looking around thinking of a escape plan but his attention was brought back to the reason he was here, he could not leave the office empty handed, "Fuck this is a stupid idea."

With that he began unscrewing the computer case, once off he laid the case on the side and began working off the hard drive within the computer. Ignoring the noise the brutes were making as they rummaged through his office Damien worked diligently as he dismantled two of four hard drives but before he could even start on the third he heard their footsteps closing in. Peeking over the desk he witnessed the brutes go through one office to the next.

"Two will have to do."

Agreeing with the voice in his head he took the two hard drives and crawled behind the door before standing up and reaching for his weapon only to realize he was not armed. Clenching his fists in frustration he took a deep breath and held his breath as he listened. He waited exactly when they opened another set of doors before making a mad dash down the hall. The brutes were immediately alerted and stormed out of the offices they were searching to the middle of the hallway, but Damien already made it past their location and was halfway to the stairwell.

"It's him, stop!" One yelled after him and he could have sworn one of them said his name but that soon exited his mind when he heard the discharges of their weapons.

He could see yellow lasers zipping inches from him, their colors were the color of paralysis round a single hit will paralyze the area it makes contact with. It was hard to believe they wanted him alive but the fact that a shot to the spine would mean his done for made him take on evasive maneuvers. Either he was not dodging well enough or the brutes were too good of a shot caused him to take a round to the right arm resulting in the hard drive he was holding in the right hand to be dropped. Even though it was painless he could not help but to grind his teeth at the thought of him losing precious information, aside form the now useless arm he managed to make it through the stairwell doors and began his downward spiral.

"The city is no longer safe, you must escape but in order to escape you must reach the center of the city. Do not trust anyone, aside from the ones you meet at the center. Do not fail me children of the future."

Just as the familiar voice enter his mind the other voices flooded in, even though his head was filled with countless voices now he could still manage one thought.

"I'm not the only one?"

Phoenix Arizona
September 13, 3010
12:47pm

Daisy was in trouble. Again.

Mr Morrison was pissed off. She had been late to work again, arrived half-dressed and distracted his chefs. He was yelling at the top of his lungs, inches from her face, specks of saliva flying. Daisy's face was stony, her chest heaving from a mixture of breathlessness and anger. If even a single fleck of his spit hits me, I am out of here. She thought to herself as she nodded absently, rolling her eyes under her lashes as she tied her apron around her waist. He ranted on and Daisy decided that enough was enough. She waved him off, walking towards the kitchens, looking for an order-pad-

"DO NOT UNDERMINE YOUR SUPERIOR!"

Daisy spun around, startled. She looked around wildly, but there was no-one around. She didn't want to believe, she didn't want to acknowledge that which had been going on in her head for, well, years. It had been worse of late, much worse. To the point of where Daisy was screaming into the air for whoever, whatever, to shut up and leave her alone. She didn't know what they wanted, why they spoke to her but in truth, she did not care. She just wanted them gone. She already had enough going on inside her head without voices. She had considered she had gone crazy, insane with guilt or rage but these weren't voice telling her to burn things or hurt people, rather telling her to stop doing or thinking things. And that is what really infuriated Daisy. She didn't need anyone telling her what not to do. She pushed the voices to the back of her mind, seizing hold of a tattered notebook, slipping it into her apron pocket and shoved herself out onto the diner floor. She sighed, her body slumping a little, the usuals were in. And Daisy really couldn't be bothered with their crap, but last time she refused to serve them, last time she reported their sexual remarks and pinchings, she got the warning. Instead, she went steely, grabbed the coffee pot and moved quickly to their table, blocking their whistles and sneering remarks out as she refilled their chipped mugs, piled their dirty plates onto her arm-

"Hey sugar, gimme a little-" A slap on her behind followed the drawl of Roger Tucker.
A sleazy laugh from his mates, Pete Murphy and Lesley Beaugal.
The plates hit the floor and Daisy spun around, her eyes wild as she opened her mouth, obsentities ready to split all over them along with the coffee-

"WALK AWAY.
DO NOT ABUSE THOSE MORE SUPERIOR.
RETAIN THE ORDER." Daisy cried out, throwing her free hand to her forehead, pressing hard to her temple. "FUCK OFF!" She yelled, "JUST...JUST-"

"MISS BOWEN!" Daisy barely heard her boss over her own screaming thoughts, the voices in her head. She whirled around, blinking back hot tears of anger, confusion. He scowled, his gaunt face folding onto itself. "Get. In. Here. Now." He spat, rage splashed across his shiny face. She shuffled passed him, dropped the coffee pot onto the station, sizzles and pops as the coffee splashed onto the hotplate. Her boss had stopped in the middle of the corridor, but Daisy just pushed past, trying to get to the bathrooms. "Daisy... DAISY!" He shouted after her, following her right up the swinging toilet doors. "DAISY! I AM RINGING THE 'THORITIES! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! Y-YOU ARE OUTTA CONTROL!" He screamed. Daisy just let him yell as she splashed her face with water, then wiping the dribbles of mascara with her thumb. These voices were killing her, tearing her mind in two. She could barely understand her own thoughts, barely live her own life, let alone another source trying. She swallowed hard, taking a few deep breaths.

A few minutes ticked on and then Daisy could hear her boss talking to someone. They weren't talking back much and Daisy assumed the officers were here. She cracked open the bathroom door and her eyes widened, taking in the bulk of the two men standing before her boss, their fitted suits melded to their bodies. It looked almost uncomfortable. Daisy stared and then realised her skin had erupted with goosebumps. Something wasn't right. She shifted slightly, her feet twisted and as the door creaked, one of the suits head's spun in her direction. She gasped and stepped back, her chest heaving. Wh-what is going on...?

Suddenly, a voice. A soothing tone, a gentle voice. One Daisy had not heard before... "The city is no longer safe, you must escape but in order to escape you must reach the center of the city. Do not trust anyone, aside from the ones you meet at the center. Do not fail me children of the future."

Daisy's heart was racing from the moment the voice spoke, calm and firm in her mind. She felt herself nodding, almost unconsciously as it talked, as if she knew what it meant. She looked around, unable to exit the way she came, the only exit from the toilets unless... A small window beside the basin was about big enough for her to squeeze through. She had to be quick, she knew somehow, those men in the suits were there for her and not because her boss had called. Something felt off. Daisy hurried to the window, fiddled with the lock, the stuck slider for a minute before grinding it along enough for her to squeeze out and land on the path below. She swallowed hard, straightening up and starting quickly towards the center of the city. As she walked, she echoed the sweet voice inside her head and tore her apron off, balling it up and tossing it to the side.

Daisy was jogging. She had felt uneasy, as if someone was watching her, following her. And even though every time she had looked around, her long black hair streaking around with her twisting neck, she saw nothing. Which made her feel even worse. So she broke into a jog, and then a swift jog and then when she swore she heard footsteps, a sprint. Her breathing was getting hot and dry, her inhales raspy but she kept going, the panic-induced adrenalin pumping through her veins and muscles. Daisy looked around, her eyes narrowed trying to determine the center of the city. When she thought about it, she had never been to the center. Nor anywhere around it unless she was meeting some guy (and he had picked their meeting spot) or trying out a new eatery. Where she had run was not at all familiar to her and that made her stomach churn. She could be lost. She could be running straight into a trap.

Why was she listening to this voice? What if it had a malicious purpose, what if it was just a sign of mental instability or she had simply thought she had heard it because it gave her an excuse to leave work She felt her heart beat quicken, her skin tighten. And what of those men in the suits? Had they even been there? They must have, why else would she have reacted that way, in such fear? But she didn't even know them. What if they were just harmless businessmen looking to buy the diner for Mr Morrison? She gasped, slowing her run to an almost jog, as her mind skated though her thoughts. She had left her bag at work, behind the coat-stand. It had her whole life inside; wallet, phone, keys, ID, gum, condoms, chocolate, etc. Daisy's body trembled in terror, her hurried walk unsteady and her head looking straight ahead but into the empty distance. What if they broke into her home, found out more about her and her life? Her past? What if she was found guilty of what happen-

"Where are you going Daisy?" "Why did you leave work?" You SHOULD NOT have disrespected your superiors! You need to return! YOU NEED TO GO BA-"

Daisy shrieked, the voices clouding her mind, drowning out her own conscious thought. She broke into a frenzied run, chest heaving as she looked around wildly for safety and seclusion...

Daisy didn't even realise what was happening until she was entangled in another person's body, slamming into them and forcing them both to the ground, her hands pressed against their chest. It was a man. And then her body froze, rigid as if she were made of ice. And then everything slowed down, her heartbeat was in her ears and a burst of energy snaked around them, sending Daisy's hair straight up, dancing on the flurry. She looked to the right and felt her eyes widen in horror.

Jay sat at the bottom of the pylon, his hands clasped firmly over his ears, gritting his teeth in pain. "Please please just stop" he whined, a headache emerging. All Jay could focus on, all that his thoughts were at that time were of the two men in front of him, their faces and suites so vivid within his imagination. Jay opened his eyes briefly and looked towards the actual power station itself and saw a group of people collecting nearer to the center than he was.

Jay was about to stand and shakily walk towards the group and ask for help, he was too in over his head... When suddenly he felt the weight of another person collide with him. He felt his limbs tangle with hers and suddenly is mouth was full with dark black hair. Jay rolled a few times and finished on his stomach, half on top of the girl who had collided with him, "What the hell?" he moaned, trying to get up.

Jay's hand made contact with the girl in his efforts to stand and suddenly his mind went clear. The two men he'd been thinking about suddenly became so vivid Jay's breathing stopped. The voices stopped for a moment, Jay's mind felt light and expansive a jolt of electricity and energy surged within him... he suddenly felt stronger. Jay looked down to the girl's face to gauge her reaction but saw she was staring ahead, her eyes wide with horror.

Jay looked up, and his eyes widened with terror like the girls, the two men he'd been thinking about were suddenly in front of him... "How did they find me? I got out of the building and down the street before they had a chance? he thought panicked. Jay picked the girl up and spoke to the girl, "We need to run" he fumbled, picking her up and starting towards the group shouting. "We need help! Two men are cha-" Jay looked back to where the men were to queue the group in front of him as to where to look, but stopped running and stood still.

"I...was...we were..." he turned to the group, "I was being chased..." He moved back over to the girl and grabbed her again, this time by her waist, holding her through the clothes and not skin. "Did you see them?" he asked flustered, "the two men? Please tell me i'm not as insane as I think I am?". Jay searched her face looking for answers then over to the group he'd just been running too, "Please for the love of god tell me I'm not crazy".

What happened between Daisy and the man, when his hand touched her neck, flooded her mind with memories. Like a gritty blurred home-movie set on 1000x speed. Her body felt strong and her mind was open. And that was when she saw them again. Seconds passed before Daisy realised she had been dragged up and away from the two stuffed-suits. She had been so focused on them, frozen with a fear she didn't even understand. She heard the dull roar of the man's voice, telling her to run. Daisy suddenly felt weak when the man's bare contact was severed from hers and her body trembled, her knees buckled. She saw the man run to a few individuals standing within a waving structure.

She heard him babbling to them, and then seized hold of her, shaking her by waist, his fingers wrinkling her tshirt. "Did you see them? Please for the love of god tell me I'm not crazy." He spluttered at her, looking into her eyes wildly. She was scared and confused, and her knees felt as if they were about to fold. She looked at him and nodded, her mind starting sharpen. "I d-did. They were right there, they were the same m-men from before, they c-" Daisy had to swallow and inhale some oxygen, realising she had been holding her breath for almost a minute, "they came into my work."

She looked around at the group, two guys and two girls and felt uneasy, frustrated. She had no idea what was going on, her temples were pounding and she was now certain she had walked into a trap. She backed away a few shaky steps, looking at the man she had ran into. "I saw them too. M-maybe we are both nuts." She muttered, trying to smile.

"Hey.... calm down," said the white haired man softly.

Somehow Glykeria had been able to sooth her anger and her fear but she started to feel tired and weak so as he calmed her with pleasing words and then rested his hand on her shoulder she stumbled and fell on the floor. Her feet had automatically slipped out from the man's huge shoes but she was so tired that she didn't even care that she had hit her butt so hard that even her back tingled with pain.

"I...was...we were..." said a very tanned man with another girl, "I was being chased..."
Glykeria looked passed them but saw ntohing and then she looked back at the man, "Please for the love of god tell me I'm not crazy."

"Don't worry I think we all know what you mean," said Glykeria even though she was exhausted.

The girl with the man started acting scared and asking questions, she was much too disturbed in her head from everything that had happened to her. Then the other girl that had been here before Gly arrived started asking her own questions. Everyone was in the same situation. . . Confusion. Except for one person. The red headed man who stood apart from the others watching over, he somehow seemed calmer and even seemed to know what was going on.

Before Glykeria could rudely ask what he knew he said, "My intention is not to ruining this little reunion but we are about to get our insides to be road decorations, I always liked red so that outcome doesn't sound too bad."

Glykeria was about to snap back at the guy but a very audible woman's voice said, "Tell me why you're doing this? According the information given to me, somehow every one of you were aware of our actions and managed to get away. Tell me how?."

She was a very beautiful woman but Glykeria was not liking her, "Of course we were aware of our actions, just as we were aware that we were being chased for no damn reason!"

Again she yelled and again she was out of breath. Glykeria was abusing of the rest of her strength she was exhausted but she hated showing it so she tried to stand back up and slip the large shoes on. When she got up she was still holding her knees to be sure they wouldn't buckle then she lifted her head and noticed the girl who had seconded Gly's argument was being aimed at by several guns. The girl met Gly's eyes and then turned her attention to the woman to ask her questions about a Cassie who I guessed was her friend.