Chapter 63: Insane In The Brain

"It's gonna be alright," Sam says comfortingly. "Maxine, you're gonna be alright."

Maxine just smiles from her place on the floor. "I'm good, Sam. I've never felt better. Never. I-I feel-oh, Sam, you don't know the joy, the peace, when you're all united and one being."

"Okay, she's freaking me out. This-this whole thing is freaking me out. I'm freaked out, okay? Officially, entirely..."

"She's not going anywhere," Louise says. "Not runnin' off to bloody Diana, not while I'm sitting on her."

"It feels wonderful." Maxine sighs happily. "You know, Louise, the tones-they're um, I understand them now. They're a language. A beautiful, beautiful language. And they're telling me so many wonderful things. It feels like I suddenly understand my whole purpose."

Paula clasps her hands together. "Sweetheart, remember how you felt like that after you saw 'Bring It On' as well, and it turned out you shouldn't be a cheerleader? Sam, how long until our friend gets here?"

"Oh, you've got friends coming too? That's cool. This vibe just got really tense. I think I might have some weed laying around somewhere," Moonchild says. She has on the same smile Maxine has on, but oddly enough, she hasn't once tried to break the machine. I mean, she can't now since I'm sitting on her just like Louise is sitting on Maxine, but Moonchild has been oddly calm and almost acting normal for someone who I think is under the mind control.

"Uh, probably best we stay alert in a situation like this," Sam says, his voice laced with fear and anxiety. "Holly is on her way."

"That scientist you met on the Comansys ship?" Louise raises a brow. "Isn't she supposed to be on the Comansys ship?"

"She's agreed to risk the trip because we need her expertise. Me and Paula thought-"

"We thought we'd keep it to ourselves, just in case we didn't need her after all. No sense putting her and her driver at risk."

"We would've told you, Five, but..." Sam's voice trails off, and I nod in understanding.

If I were put under mind control, I could report back to Diana about Holly coming. Of course, Paula doesn't know that, but Sam does, and he knows that unless I'm put in that machine, there's a chance of me getting mind controlled. He's doing it to help protect them from me.

And that's exactly what I want.

"You guys have gotten so close," Maxine says with a grin. "That is beautiful. I'm so happy."

Louise scoffs. "Yeah, but you'd be happy looking at a really interesting piece of dust right now, wouldn't you?"

She simply smiles in reply.

"So this Comansys scientist is going to take a look at the machine?" Moonchild asks, shifting under me slightly. I narrow my eyes at her, and surprisingly, she stops moving.

"Not a look. Isn't she blind?"

From what I remember, just nearly.

"Uh, I've told her what happened to the machine. She thinks she can fix it." He pauses. "Five, we need you to pick up some new cabling on the other side of the building."

"What about Moonchild?" I ask. "I'm like, ninety-nine percent sure she's mind controlled as well."

"What's the other one percent?"

"That she's just being weird."

"We need those cables. Paula can watch her while you're gone."

With a small nod I get off Moonchild, and she sits up. "I need to meditate now, man, to prepare myself for this massive change in chakras I'm going to have. I'm just going to sit here in silence."

I blink. Maybe she's not under the mind control just yet.

Louise rolls her eyes. "Whatever. Paula, can you read what's on the side of the machine while Five gets that cabling?"

"Um, yeah, e-except-" Sam starts.

"Forces of hell are on the move."

"Armies of mind controlled people coming from all directions."

"Then we don't have much time," I say, looking at those around me. "I'll be back."

Then I run. The hallways and corridors look mostly the same, but I listen to Sam as he tells me which turns to take and simply follow. It's almost as if I'm on autopilot, doing what I'm told while my mind is racing on other things.

I knew it. I knew when we first started this mission that it all seemed too easy, too simple. This proves I was right, that there was something we didn't see.

But my question is how Diana found out where we were. I mean, sure, those tones may have gotten Maxine, and she just acted like she wasn't effected until the time came, but how was she able to contact Diana and tell her where we were heading? She has no way of communications except for her headset, and we would have noticed if she was trying to tamper with it.

And Moonchild... well, as far as I can see, she's not mind controlled, even though I originally thought she was. Maybe Diana just doesn't know Moonchild is with us, because she may not know we broke her mind control in the first place. Diana may think we're keeping Moonchild locked up in Abel, and therefore isn't sending any commands to her. I mean, that's the only logical explanation I can come up with.

Entering into a small room, I find some cabling on the nearby table. I grab it and start heading back, trying to think of how and why, but it only brings more questions than answers, and the few answers I have are just guesses and hypotheses.

But I suppose I can think on that later, after we cure Maxine.

I feel like there's a weight on my chest, and I get a sinking that Maxine is the only one who will get cured today, and possibly at all.

I knew this was too easy... I knew it.

"That's great, Five!" Sam exclaims when I get back to the others. "That's amazing! Holly, that's enough cable to fix the damage Maxine did the machine, right?"

I turn towards the white eyed woman, and hold the cabling close to her face so she can make it out. She nods.

"It'll be enough. Despite all our precautions, Diana must know I'm here. We had to wait in the jeep until we worked out the precise location, so that must've been where she spotted me. She's desperate to get her old staff back. We have too much information in our heads for her to be willing to lose us. I can only apologize that I've brought this danger on you.

"But my driver was able to stop the smaller group that was heading for you. He didn't kill them, but he knocked them unconscious and tied them to a nearby tree."

"That's uh, that's good," Sam says. "You've got maybe thirty or forty-five minutes before all these mind controlled people are on you."

Holly nods. "Should be long enough. Time to begin the pre-treatment sequence."

"It won't do anything, you know," Maxine says as Louise gets off her and pulls her to her feet, still keeping a tight grip on her. "I'm not mind controlled. I just see the truth now, so clearly, like I've never seen anything else before."

"Louise, if you could put one of the neural nets on her head."

"Where are they?" She asks.

"Standard protocol. There should be a stack in a drawer to the left of the machine."

I grimace. "You mean that drawer on the floor with nothing in it?"

She doesn't have to answer for me to know I'm right. It's labeled 'neural nets'.

Shit.

Sam groans, and I can picture him running his hand through his hair. "We did think looters might have got in here. Can we continue without it?"

"I don't need any treatment," Maxine argues, a smile still on her face, her eyes still alight with joy.

"We can start the treatment, but Maxi will need one as soon as she comes out of the machine," Paula says. "Those neural nets protect against some seriously nasty side effects."

Louise nods. "I remember a girl-thought she'd be clever, pulled hers off before we went in. She got the shakes so bad, it never went away. Trembling Tracy, we called her after that. Name wasn't even Tracy."

"The river base-the place we were staying before Diana came for us-we had some there," Holly says before her blind eyes start searching. "Runner Five, it should only take you a few minutes to run there if you're fast. We must not go ahead with the treatments without protecting the doctor. Go now."

I nod, turning and sprinting off, down the long, long hallways and out of the clinic.

"Sam, I may need you to tell me where to go. It's been a while since I last went there," I say. The last time we went to this base was a few months ago in July, and I've been to so many places since then, I can barely remember just where that place is.

"Sure thing. You know I'll always take you where you need to go."

I smile. "Thanks. Let's just hope I can get there fast enough."

"I know you can. You're you."

"Yeah..." I sigh, continuing to run. There's a pause, and then I hear Sam speak again.

"I've switched to a private channel. Louise and Paula and the others can't hear us. Are you... feeling okay?"

"Not mind controlled, you mean?"

"I... Yeah."

"I feel fine, and I don't feel overly happy, so I think I'm okay, but those people coming for us... we're not going to be able to get me in that machine."

"Not today, but maybe tomorrow, or the day after that."

"With those mind controlled people coming, we might not. Who knows what Diana will have them do when they get here?"

"You're afraid we won't be able to save you." It's not a question.

"This is too easy of a way to change my fate-even for us to just come back later. They're going to do something to the machine-to the clinic. I can feel it. I mean, Diana already commanded to Maxine to destroy it."

"We'll find a way to prevent you from being susceptible. I know we will. You promised you'd try."

"I am trying! I'd do anything to stop myself from hurting Abel, from hurting Caleb or Penelope or Milo... or you." My face scrunches up. "I could never forgive myself if I hurt you."

It takes him a second to respond. "Five... you could never... I mean, I know you wouldn't-not on purpose-"

"Can we not talk about this, please? I just want to get those nets for Dr. Meyers. How's it looking?"

"Well, I mean... you're going well-really well. Great even."

I chuckle. "You flatter me."

"I try. You should be at the river base in only a few more minutes. Holly says they left the deeper areas of the base booby trapped, but she's given me the passcodes, so you'll be fine. Plus, all the mind controlled people are heading for the Tavington Clinic, so you've only got the zombies to worry about. It's a walk in the park-Well, run.

"Plus, they've gotten the machine working. Let me hook you back into the transmission of the Tavington."

There's a small click, and then I hear Holly speak. "Do you have the sedative there?"

"Moonchild, chuck us that bag," Louise requests, groaning when she gets no reply. "You're really doing this silent meditation thing when we're about to get attacked by half the people in Britain?"

"Sweetheart," Maxine says, "if you just let me go, I can show you what I mean. You're the one who's confused, not me."

"That's what you said when you made us take the wrong turn off the Hanger Lane gyration, and we ended halfway to Oxford! Come on, darling, just a little sedative to keep you still in the machine."

"You know, maybe you're mind controlled. I mean, did you think about that? Because I know I'm okay and you're-you're...." She goes silent, the effects of the sedative kicking in.

"Quickly, Louise, flip that green switch," Holly says, and I hear a beep through my headset. "Good. Paula, stick the monitors to her scalp. We have to keep a careful check in her. The machine will be ready in five minutes."

"The mind control army will be on you in thirty-five," Sam says.

"The process will take fifteen minutes, and then we'll need the neural net. We should have just enough time."

"Keep going, Five. We need you to keep running, and uh, try and get away from those shamblers you've picked up while you're at it."

•

"That's it." Sam laughs. "And you said you'd need me to tell you where to go. You got all the way here with barely any help. Just climb that service ladder to the entrance to the river base."

"I hate heights," I grumble, climbing the ladder nevertheless.

"I know, but it's for Maxine, and you."

"I'm not going to get to go into that machine."

"You don't know that," He argues.

"I do know that."

"You don't."

"I know. If I was going to get to go into that machine, I wouldn't have had the vision of me being mind controlled."

"I thought you had hope that you could fix it. Did you lie to me?"

I reach the entrance platform and purse my lips. "I didn't lie. I-why's the door open?"

"I... don't know," He answers, suddenly sounding nervous. "We've has no reports of anyone living here... Got your trusty axe?"

"Yep, and my gun's on my hip."

"Yeah... Good. Should be a quick run in and then out." He pauses as I head inside. "I'm trying to access the cameras inside the base. Holly gave me the codes, and... here we go. You're in; I'm in. This is gonna be fine."

"Are you trying to convince me that it or are you trying to convince yourself?" I ask, looking around. It's obvious someone has been here. I'm guessing it was looters, but I still don't like this. Something feels... wrong.

"A little bit of both. I can't see any signs of movement on any of my cams. We just need to be fast. That green door on your left, it's a store room. Just tap in the code 3424. That's the one for where we are."

I tap in the code, then open the door.

"Holly explained this to me. You can open the door without it, but if you step inside with no code-poison gas."

I step inside the room, and nearly gag at the sudden smell. "Oh, God. It smells terrible in here. It smells like died someone died in... here..."

Oh.

"Oh, God. Five, that's-that's a body."

Lying on the floor, decomposing, is the body of a black woman with dark hair and a crooked nose. I know this woman. I've seen her face through someone else's eyes...

"Five, I-I don't want to sound brutal, but the neural nets are right there. Just grab them and go."

I obey. I grab a few and I run, and as I climb down the ladder, I hear Sam speak again. My heart hammers in my chest. I can't think. I can't breathe.

How is this possible?

"You saw who that was. You've seen her face when you were Chrysalis. It's Diana... Comansys Diana. By the look of it, she's been dead for a few months, at least. I-I don't need to tell you, obviously. We know what long dead bodies look like, but-but we know she's been moving groups and is giving orders and killing one slightly pathetic teenage boy since she must've been dead. I don't understand this, Five. I just-I just can't make it compute."

A large feeling of dread overcomes me, and I try to keep myself grounded, reminding myself I'm on a ladder and if I let go, I will be badly injured.

But I don't understand. How can Diana be dead? If she's dead, then who's controlling the people under mind control? She never seemed to have a right hand man, someone she trusted, so... who's doing this?

"But Maxine's in the machine now," He continues. "You need to get back with the neural nets in the next few minutes. Move."

My feet hit the ground, and I run. It seems like that's the only thing I'm certain of right now-that I can run, that I have to run. Everything else is a mix of confusion and uncertainty.

Diana is dead, even I was almost certain she was the one who was talking to me about what mind control felt like. If it's not her, then who is it?

That's what scares me. I was sure before. I mean, I couldn't make out the voice, but it all pointed to Diana. Now I have no idea who it was that was talking to me, or how she'll make me susceptible to mind control.

These visions are suppose to help me, to at least prepare for what is to come and maybe help me find a way to stop it from happening... but they haven't. They have done nothing to help me. It's like I see this simply to be taunted of what I cannot change, or even understand.

This isn't fair, nor is it right. I tighten the grip on the neural nets in my hand, running, panting, my entire being full of dread and fear and confusion. I have to finish this. I have to at least save Maxine in hopes I can find a way to save myself.

"It's okay, Five. You're making good time." Sam pauses, waiting for an answer that he doesn't receive. "I'll patch you back into the others."

Click.

"How's that army coming for us looking?" Louise asks.

"Um, moving steadily. You might just be able to outpace then. I've contacted New Canton, and they're trying to send reinforcements, but-"

"They're worried about mind control?" Paula guesses, and receives a hum in reply. "If this thing works, maybe none of us will have to worry about that again."

"Yeah, but we have another problem," I say lowly. "In the river base, there was a body. It was-"

"Diana," Louise interrupts. "Yeah, we know. Sam told us. If she's dead, then who the hell is sending that army our way?"

"If she's been dead for months, then who was controlling them before?" Holly asks. "There are only a few people in Comansys who would've been capable of pulling off something like this. Albert, perhaps, but we know it wasn't him. Our Head of Research was exceedingly brilliant, but sadly she was the first to succumb to Diana's mind control."

"You've got a grass in your operations, mate."

"It's weird, the shape of this thing. The three linked pieces sort of reminds me of something," Paula says.

"You may have seen some other Comansys products," Holly replies. "We were dedicated to making highly modular devices, so that one component could be replaced without throwing the whole thing away. Environmental."

Louise scoffs. "That's the least of our worries now."

"Is it going okay?" Paula asks.

"Is Dr. Meyers vital signs stable?"

"Yes."

"Then it's going as well as it could be," Holly replies, earning a small sigh from the doctor. "It's only when she gets out that we'll know."

"I might have her back. I might get Maxi back."

"If this works, we might find a way to get everyone back," Sam says hopefully, and my heart sinks further. "Five minutes left. Five, you've got to get back here with those neural nets."

I pick up my pace, trying to go faster, faster, faster than before. My lungs sting at breathing in the cold winter air, and cold sweat drips down my face. With feet crunching in the snow, and eyes watering from the air, I push onward.

I may not be able to save myself, but I am going to save Maxine.

"You'll always be running. Running for me."

I gasp. No. Not now. Not here.

"All these people you watched, when you thought you were immune-when you thought it could never happen to you. Did you ever wonder what it feels like? To be mind controlled? This is what it feels like."

"Stop," I whisper.

"We make such a great team, Five."

"Stop."

"I-It's not you, you know."

My heart stops...

Sam.

"Something's happened to you, but I know you're in there."

Oh, God.

"No, please. This isn't you. You don't want to do this. No!"

I burst through the doors of the Tavington Clinic, breathless. There's blood running from my nose and tears running from my eyes.

What is she going to make me do to him?

"Five? Five, are you alright?" Sam says. "I can see you through the cams. Are-are you bleeding?"

I quickly wipe away at the blood. "I-I'm fine, Sam. I'll be with the others shortly."

"Are you sure? Did you... you know..."

"I'm fine." I don't speak on it anymore, and I run until I reach the others.

The first is Moonchild, who is no longer on the floor but is still meditating, it seems. I bump into her as I enter the room, although in my defense, she was in my way.

"Sorry," I say quickly as Paula sighs in relief.

"Runner Five, thank God! You're just in time."

"Put that neural net on her now and plug it into the monitor here," Holly says, and I immediately do as told. "I'll need to go into the control room next door and adjust it. Moonchild, if you could guide me."

Moonchild hums in reply before taking her hand and leading her next door, behind a glass wall with control panels.

"Sam, keep me and Moonchild patched in. We'll need to coordinate."

"Done."

"You'll have to be quick," Louise says, looking out a window. "First wave of mind control people are running up the hill."

"You'll be able to outrun them if you leave now."

"Just a few more moments," Holly says. "Dr. Cohen, check the vitals readout."

Paula looks at the screen, her eyes glittering over everything for a few moments. Then she nods. "She's okay."

"Where's the-where's the second readout?"

"Moonchild, can you read it out to her?" Paula says, and the dark skinned woman hums in response, her eyes still closed. The redhead grits her teeth. "She's doing some kind of silent meditation thing. Moonchild, this is not the time."

"Madam, I am blind," Holly says. "You must be my eyes. We need both sets of reading right now or Dr. Meyers is at risk."

"Moonchild, please. We can't stay here any longer," I say, causing her to open her eyes. She stares at me for a split second, then sighs and looks at the screen.

"The numbers are 371.8."

Holly nods. "Good, then it's working..." She pauses, white eyes going wide. I watch the blood drain from her face. "Wait, I know your voice. I... know who you are."

Moonchild tsks. "I was afraid of that."

"Dr. Cohen, you have to get out of here now! This is-this is Cynthia Hills, Head of Research at Comansys!"

Cynthia Hills. I know that name. The picture that I found-it was her and her dad at her graduation. It was a picture of Moonchild all along!

"Man, you know, this is really harshing my mellow. I never even liked you, Holly, not even when I had Diana controlling you. Your aura's always been a really sickly yellow." She raises up a gun. Where did she even get a gun? I try to grab my own from my hip, but it's not there.

How did she take my...

When I bumped into her... she stood in my way on purpose.

Moonchild pulls the trigger, and the sound of the gunshot rings out. Then she looks at me.

And she smiles.

"Oh my God!" Sam screeches. "She shot Holly in the head! Louise, get the doors open! Five, help Paula! You've got to get out of there! Run!"

•

"They're after us," Louise says as the mind controlled people descend onto the clinic, but Paula shakes her head.

"They're not. They're after the machine."

"So, okay, wait... I don't understand," Sam murmurs. "So Moonchild, we think she's-"

"We think she's not all that she seems, Sam. Just a hunch," Louise interrupts.

"Yeah, I get that. She was the Head of Research at Comansys. We think she took over when Diana died?"

"I think it was more than that," I say, mentally cursing myself for not seeing it before. "Diana's been dead for months. We-we had it wrong this whole time. Diana was never anything more than a tool-a pawn. I mean, how long's it been since we've seen her?"

"She killed Darren."

"We heard a voice. We know voices can be faked. Think of the boxes Amelia used. If you wanted to hide what you were up to, what better way to make someone else appear to be the leader? Pass yourself off as a follower?"

"But what-what was she doing trapped in that cavern by the cult?"

"And why'd she get all matey with us?" Louise asks. "She must've been faking this whole time. She claimed to be mind controlled, then attacked Abel. That whole thing was a fake. A lot of trouble to make some new mates."

Paula shrugs. "She obviously wanted us to trust her. Maybe she wanted something only we knew about."

Sam gasps. "Oh, God-the attack on New Canton! When she lead all the P.A.C. to safety-she must've arranged that too. She wanted a chance to get New Canton's trust as well. But for what?"

"This," I say. "She hoped we'd find the location of the machine for her so she could... They're destroying the entire clinic."

"If it can cure me, she doesn't want it to survive," Maxine says.

"We don't know that yet, love," Paula says, but the taller woman nods.

"We do. Listen. I'm not going with those kind controlled people, am I? I-I don't want to. They're all going-all of them-but I'm not. I'm not responding. I'm cured..." She looks back at the clinic with a pained face. "But it looks like I'll be the last one.

A/N: Plot twist! How many of you were expecting that? I know I wasn't when I listened to this episode. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and tell me how you feel about Moonchild now that you know the truth! Please be sure to vote as well! Thank you and have a blessed day!