Grey

July 5th, Saturday, 3:46 p.m

Echo sat in his secret room, hidden deep within th walls of the Institute.

All my work for nothing. My perfect plan smashed to pieces.

He pulled the chair up to his desk and buried his face in his hands, running his fingers through his hair.

And the Tress system, stuck in that girl... what a waste.

He rested his forehead sideways on the table, So now what?

It had been about a week since he’d had to save those two girls in the Institute’s recess area. He was still debating what he should do. He had been keeping surveillance on everything going on in the Institute as well.

Echo hadn’t been able to get around as easily either. Mr. Cleeman had increased the security everywhere around the building, so he was forced to stay hidden more.

He’d also been keeping an eye on the girl, Patricia. She seemed unassuming enough. Her and her friend had been snooping around, apparently trying to get some answers. Echo didn’t blame them, they knew even less them he did.

However, they were becoming a problem. The two girls weren’t very good spies as it turned out, Mr. Cleeman was well onto them. Even though Echo knew they hadn’t really uncovered anything, he was sure Mr. Cleeman wasn’t about to let them continue to go around searching for answers like they were.

Strangely enough, Echo blamed himself for the predicament. Usually he would right it off to being their own faults for being to curious. But he knew they had only started looking for answers after the mishap with the Tress system. So he knew he was somewhat at fault.

Still, he didn’t know what he could do. If he went and spoke with the girls and Mr. Cleeman found out, it would only end badly for them. But as things were currently going things would end badly for them anyways.

Then of course, there was the factor of the Tress system it self. Letting Patricia walk around with that device in her head was a ticking time bomb. He had watched Mr. Cleeman’s actions after the incident with the machine. If it was up to him he’d rip the poor girl to shreds to get at that device.

Echo wasn’t used to making decisions that would effect other innocent people. Up until now all his decisions only really effected what would happen to him. But now more people were involved, and he couldn’t let anything happen to them because of him.

Echo was going to have to accelerate the timing of his plan.

Echo sat up in his chair, I’ve got to find that girl.

He grabbed his compact knapsack from the table and put it on. It had enough room to hold various useful devices yet was small enough to not get in the way. He also taken it apart and rebuilt himself so it, so it was incredibly light a durable.

He glanced at a small machine laying on the table nearby. She’s in the north corridor. Echo had outfitted the Tress system with a tracking device so it was easy enough to find out where Patricia was at.

He reached over his shoulder into a pocket of the backpack and pulled out three tiny metallic balls the size of marbles. He held them carefully between his fingers.

Echo walked over to the entrance to the ventilation shaft and kneeled down. Reaching forward he crawled inside. The shaft was pretty narrow, but still just large enough for him to fit inside.

So by the time I get to the north corridor she’ll be in the west. So I’ll just go to the west one.

He shuffled along the vent for a bit then turned to the left. It was difficult to get around the sharp corner in the shaft, it took a moment but he managed to wiggle his way around. After a few minutes he got to where he wanted to be and stopped.

Echo kicked out the vent cover underneath himself and slid down. He held onto the inside of the shaft with his hands incase he’d have to get back in.

He was in one of the classrooms. The lights were off and the room was quiet. After looking around the room for a brief moment, making sure all that was in the room was desks and chairs, he let go of the shaft and dropped to the ground.

Echo approached the door leading into the hallway at an angle, so nobody looking through the small pane of glass in the door couldn’t see him. He clung to the wall beside the door and craned his neck, peering through the window in the door.

The hallway looked empty.

Echo turned to face the door and opened it. He looked up and down the hallway, a few scattered people were walking along. There was no guards nearby as far as he could see.

Echo stepped out into the hallway and turned to the right. He knew Patricia should be just ahead of him going to her dorm.

As he walked down the hallway he got a few strange looks. Most would look briefly and then continue on his way. A few would stop and stare however, but with a harsh look from Echo they would move on.

Echo spotted Patricia walking down the hallway right as she was getting to her dorm. As Patricia reached out to put the key into the lock she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Before she could turn around to see who it was a voice spoke to her, “Don’t turn around.” Patricia recognized the voice immediately, “Your uhm, your that guy aren’t you? Joseph, you said your name was Joseph right?” She stammered, speaking while still facing the door.

Echo laughed dryly, “I did say that didn’t I?” He looked around quickly, “Let’s continue this conversation inside, shall we. I don’t really want to cause a spectacle out here.”

Echo released his hold on her shoulder, and Patricia turned the key unlocking the door. She pushed open the door and they stepped inside. Echo quickly shut the door behind them.

Patricia turned around and looked at him, “So why are you here?”

Echo smirked, “You certainly get to the point don’t you?” He sat on the bed and yawned, “Your named Patricia right?”

She nodded, “Yea.”

“Well Patricia you’ve been giving me no end of trouble,” Echo crossed his arms, “It’s not your fault of course, but still.”

Patricia stammered nervously, “I-I’m sorry.”

Echo frowned slightly and sighed, reading her face and expression, “Look, I’m not going to hurt you or anything. I just need to figure out what I can do, and since you’ve managed to get yourself involved in things I wanted to talk to you.”

Patricia nodded again, “Alright, well, since you’re here can you give me some answers? So I at least know what’s going on?”

Echo nodded smiling gently, “Sure, what do you want to know?”

“Well first off,” Patricia sat down on the bed, “What is this place?”

Echo’s face curled up slightly into a smirk again, “The Institute Of General Defection, it’s where the World Government sends people who don’t fit their mold.”

Patricia looked at him perplexed, tilting her head to the side, “What do you mean?”

“You really don’t know too much do you? Well I guess it’s not too surprising,” Echo sighed, “Okay lets start small, do you know what Project Grey is?”

“No I don’t,” she admitted.

“Project Grey was a project instigated in the early years of the World Government. People didn’t always used to all be practically the same, you know,” He spoke with an obvious hint of disgust on his voice.

Patricia looked at him even more confused, “So how did it get that way?”

“The World Government wanted to create the perfect race. So they devised a method of manipulating human DNA,” Echo spoke matter-of-factly, his empty tone hiding his anger.

“DNA?” Patricia pulled gently on her hair, anxious and unsure.

Echo sighed again, trying to think of a decent and easy way to explain things, “DNA is this little substance in people that basically determines what they will look like, how they will grow, and a number of other things about a person. The World Government planed to change people’s DNA so that their biological makeup would be the same. They also changed a part of people’s DNA that affects how they think. They made it so that they basically wouldn’t be able to think for themselves.”

Patricia nodded listening quietly.

“It didn’t change the people it was first implanted on, but their children were, for the most part born with grey hair, grey eyes, pale white skin, and all the mental aspects that were intended. Over a few generations the genetic imperfections were weeded out,” Echo spoke bitterly and looked at the floor.

Patricia looked at him astounded, “How could people agree to that?”

Echo looked her in the eye, to make sure she would understand the weight of what he was saying, “Most didn’t. But the World Government made it clear they wouldn’t be denied. Those that refused lost their homes, possessions, any money they had in banks, and were disallowed to buy anything in stores. This made most people agree to the World Governments demands, and the few people that didn’t pretty much died off. The World Government also didn’t tell the public of the mental aspect of the program.”

Patricia simply stared at him for a moment then looked down at the ground, shaken, “So your saying I’m...?”

Echo gently put a hand on her shoulder, “Patricia, your not the same as everyone else. You can think for yourself, you have that ability, that’s why you’re here. This facility is where the World Government send people like you. Because people like you pose a threat to them. Your sent here to be brainwashed into being just like everyone else,” he let go of her shoulder.

Patricia looked back at him, “So want exactly am I suppose to do?”

Echo shrugged, “What you do is up to you. I’m just giving you the truth you wanted.” She tilted her head slightly again, “How do you know all this anyways? Like, if what your saying is true, why would you know all of that?”

Echo grinned to himself, but then seemed to regain his passive composure, “I’ll tell you some other time alright? I promise I will, I just can’t right now.”

Patricia looked at him confused again, “Alright, if you say so.”

Echo stretched, “So do you have anymore questions for me?”

Patricia spoke softly, looking down at her hands in her lap. “Yea I do, what exactly happened last time I saw you, in the recess area?”

Echo sighed deeply and rubbed the back of his neck with his left hand, “You managed to stumble across a trap I had set for someone else.”

Patricia looked at him, fear obvious in her eyes, “What exactly was it?”

“It’s called the Tress system, a very advanced piece of technology,” He sighed reflecting on the work it had taken to devise and build the complex machine, “It enters through the back of someone’s neck and attaches itself to a person brain. It can be used to basically, control a person. By connecting to certain parts of a person’s mind it can control feelings, movements, practically anything.”

Patricia looked at him, shocked and frightened, “And that thing is in my head?”

Echo nodded slowly, “Don’t worry Patricia, you’ll be fine. I shut it down. The device was meant for someone else, it would have recognized that right after it got in and shut down anyways. But I used the override shut down as well, to make sure it was off.”

“Who was it meant for?” Patricia asked, breathing out slowly in relief.

“Mr. Cleeman,” Echo yawned, covering his mouth with his right hand as he did, “There was maintenance work scheduled for the recess area’s irrigation systems for that afternoon. He was going to be there.”

Patricia looked at him skeptically, “So you wanted to control Mr. Cleeman? Why?”

Echo shrugged again, looking away from Patricia at one of the room’s white walls, “It was part of a plan I had. I’m having to rethink that...”

Patricia nodded, somewhat understanding what he was saying, “What are you planing to do?”

“Well first off, I’m going to shut this place down,” he smirked wickedly, “Don’t worry about that though, I’ll keep you posted.”

Patricia looked at him astonished, “But where would everyone here go?”

Echo shrugged again, his smug face telling Patricia he didn’t really care either way, “I don’t know. You could come with me I guess, it’s be hardly worth letting you be taken away with everything you know now,” he paused for a moment extending a figure to touch his cheek thoughtfully, “Although you may be more trouble then your worth.”

Patricia crossed her arms and stared at him. She was partly unhappy with his last statement but also unhappy that if not for the Tress system and everything she knew, she doubted he would have cared what would happen to her, “You don’t have to be so mean you know. I’ve never met anyone that rude.”

Echo tried to muffle laughter as she said this, “I bet you haven’t, seeing as everyone you’ve met is nearly the same. I’d think you’d be happy to meet someone with a hint of personality.”

Patricia sighed sadly, and looked away from him. She knew in a way he was right. Even if he was being pretty rude about it.

Echo’s expression softened and his eyebrow lifted, “There’s no point in us arguing though. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you Patricia. I can be kind of snide sometimes, but we have enough issues at hand as it is,” he turned his head sharply, letting it crack, “I’m most likely going to need your help Patricia. It’s your choice whether or not your going to help me though. I’ll leave you to think things over,” Echo abrutely stood up to leave walking towards the door.

Patricia got up and reached after him, “But how will I contact you?”

Echo turned back around and rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment, “Your right.”

He took his knapsack off of his back and placed on the ground. Kneeling beside it he unzipped a pocket and reached into it. After a second of feeling around inside it he pulled out a small device.

Echo grabbed Patricia’s arm and placed the device in her hand. She looked at it curiously, it was a simple round grey object with a red button sticking out of one side. It wasn’t much bigger then a marble.

“What do I do with this?” She asked raising an eyebrow.

Echo rubbed one of his eyes, “If you need me or want to talk or something just press the button. I’ll be right here unless I’m busy with something else.”

Patricia nodded, still eyeing the small device with keen interest.

Echo grinned, “Alright, well I’m off. You be careful now Patricia, it’d be a shame to see anything happen to you.”

He turned back to the door and pulled it open, stepping out into the hallway. After he had left Patricia closed the door and locked it.

She walked over to the bed and fell backwards onto it. Patricia looked up at the plain white ceiling, thinking about everything that was happening to her.

Everything was happening so fast, up until now things had been so simple. But now the whole world seemed to be falling apart, at least the world she had known. Should she even believe this guy? She had no reason to. He hadn’t done anything to prove he was telling the truth.

But on the other hand, why shouldn’t she trust him. Everything he had said fit in with what was going on around her. Could the world really be such an awful place?

Patricia lay there. Sad, shocked and afraid. She needed time to think about things, time to figure out what she could do. But it seemed time was one of the things that was in short supply.