Scribes & Archers

Just a little bit of info on the Unstoppables before we start: They can talk telepathically to one another (and only one another), so dialogue in italics is telepathic speech. It’s part of the tech that went into them when they were experimented on, and it was meant to link it to their handlers as well but Grantech didn’t have a chance to finish it before they escaped.

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“Any-” I stopped myself. It wouldn’t be wise to speak aloud here. Anything interesting?

Trey shook his head. Not yet.

I joined him looking through the papers and grabbed a manila envelope from beneath a stack of paper. The paper all slid to the floor as the stack’s support was removed. Bold letters in the corner read ADP-2353.

I opened the envelope and pulled out the documents within, setting the envelope back on the table. I flipped through the pages, seeing plans of the Grantech business facility, as well as constant references to test subjects Alpha through Gamma.

The Unstoppables had been named starting with Hectic. I had been Opaque; ironic, considering my power. Who were these earlier test subjects, and why hadn’t I ever heard of them before?

Does anyone know who test subjects Alpha through Gamma were? I asked.

No, Trey said. No one does. We were kept in the dark about them. I asked a couple times who they were, but they silenced those questions.

Of course Trey would have asked. He asks about everything, and studies everything.

Why does it matter? Nyssa asked. They probably died like all the rest.

I don’t think so. I just found a file they’re mentioned in quite a few times.

It’s probably old.

I looked at the date on one of the pages. January 11th, 2422. It was only a couple of months old.

They’re not, I said. I told them the date.

That’s interesting, Trey said. Does it say anything about them? He left whatever papers he was looking at and came to look over my shoulder. My stomach did a quick turn at how close he was.

No. Most of it’s redacted. Their code names are mostly all that’s visible.

Because they don’t matter, Nyssa said. Let’s just get out of here.

That’s entirely backwards, Trey said, in a private link to me. If they weren’t important all their files wouldn’t be redacted. He reached around me and flipped through the pages, his arm brushing against mine. He stopped at the Grantech facility plans and looked them over. Maybe they’re here.

In a business facility? Isn’t that a bit risky?

Who’d think to look for prisoners in a business facility? Besides, why else would these plans be in their file?

I hesitated. So what do we do about it?

We go looking for them.