6.

Having walked through that door which had brought Nigel into a bar, now taking him out of it, and having entered that bright white light, Nigel is back on that train of trains and this time he is not unaccompanied. Josh Redmond has come with him.

'Wow, would you look at this place ...' Josh said with an almost childlike excitement. He is a good ten years or so older than Nigel, not that either man is completely aware of just how old each of them are. 'It looks so real and actually feels like we are travelling on rail tracks.'

'Ok, alright ... I know walking from a bar straight onto a moving train is not your average everyday kind of occurrence but what is it you mean? What is it you know that I don't?'

'I'm gonna be open and clear as best I can but is there somewhere we can go first? Can't just stand about in a corridor of an apparently moving train.'

'Speaking of bars, there is a carriage here on this train for drinking, we can head there?'

'Sure, lead the way.'

Lead the way Nigel does and when an arrival to the bar carriage is made, there is reason for the two men to pause a moment or two. Behind the bar in the drink's carriage is one man in particular.

'Is that ...?'asks Nigel.

'Steve ...; responds Josh. 'So ... it would appear, but this is your train, shouldn't you know?'

'Why should I know?'

'Two please, Steve' Josh calls across the carriage, having raised his left arm and holding up two fingers.

Steve nods as Nigel and Josh take seats.

'Alright, lay it on me ... what the hell is happening.'

'It's a little complicated and I don't have all the answers ...' Josh watches how Nigel responds as Josh himself imparts what he has to tell. 'You are already aware we are in an artificial construct. You didn't believe it though obviously you're coming around.'

Josh thanks Steve at this point as whiskey by two is delivered.

'Right ... but ...'

'Hold on a sec. I know there are plenty of questions, I have some myself. ... This construct wasn't ready for operations. It needed to be launched, or it would have been lost forever, taken from us ...'

'We're in on its creation?'

'Yes. It hadn't been tested, well, except for the bar in which we met ... or in which we reconnected. We know each other before here of course, and in an attempt to keep it all in the family so to speak, you went in ... before it was anywhere near ready for such depth to occur.'

'The bar ... tell me about it.'

'I created that room, Nigel. It is one hundred percent unhackable, impenetrable, ... as close to one hundred percent as possible. It is pretty basic, and it is far as testing took us, so your sudden entry into all this messed with your head. It is why you can't remember, I took my time coming into you but still ... I am not exactly what I am in the real world ...'

'Guess I can safely guess from what you told me and what I have experienced that we are in trouble?'

'Oh yeah, we certainly are.'

'So, what can we do about it?'

'Take one step at a time. Deal with what comes at us and keep going until we get to where we need to be or are ...'

'Are what?'

'Who knows? ... There is a certain loss for me too, not anywhere as severe as it is for you but it is there all the same. So we'll get through it together ...'

7.

Una Ryan walks towards her car, she pauses a moment once she reaches it. She has done this many times before and has never quite felt as she does on this particular day before. Her destination in this time is one that has been her destination many times before too, and even with the nature of her work, she again, never felt as she now does with making her way there.

Attention of an unwanted kind is coming her way. It is more indirect than direct, but it is there all the same and it is not because of the Citroën Berlingo Van of her that is such attention is directed her way. It may be an unusual vehicle for a single lady in the latter half of her twenties to drive though she has had it for a while now, so it is not an unusual sight in her neighbourhood though there are glances from strangers as she goes to it.

It has been parked outside her home rather, past the garden rather than being within the driveway, still nothing unusual though what is unusual is the number of strangers passing by at this time of morning. This in itself is also something that shouldn't be alarming, but she finds it such anyway.

Una is not friendly with many of her neighbours though the faces she usually sees are for the most part somewhat familiar and generally not as many in number at any time as it is now, and this morning there may be two, possibly three that are vaguely familiar and none familiar enough to ever share a good morning greeting with.

It's not that she's naturally unfriendly, far from it, she just doesn't mix or socialise with those leaving all around her. She has those with whom she trusts, and the work she has been doing keeps her occupied and this is how she likes things to be. There is routine and structure to her life and that suits he just fine.

Again, there is many a glance coming at her. People can be nosey; there could be the possibility than some are silently questioning her choice of vehicle and as to how she has been able to acquire it. Others too may may be checking her out in some way or other. Una does take good care of herself, while not being the most attractive woman in the woman her looks, her beauty certainly would go so far in attracting attention whether wanted or not, still some people may just be checking her out physically.

It is more than that or at least feels as if this is so. The nature of her work does have her questioning moments as they come, still, something is about and it is quite unnerving. No point dawdling, if she is being watched then her own behaviour may alert those who may indeed be watching her, know that she is aware she is being watched.

Perhaps this is what they want. If she is being watched, perhaps they want her to be aware that she is being watched, and that thought in itself can also be something quite unnerving. The more she does dawdle the more likely it might be that something untoward might happen to her. Such a thing may not be on the cards for her though she still wouldn't want to tempt fate. Who knows for sure what may be lying in wait around any given corner.

Evenything on this morning appears to be conspiring against her, ... even the morning air, usually crisp and indifferent, feels somehow heavier, as if it too carries a burden of expectation. Appliances within her home too prior to her coming outside. She is a stickler for only having what she needs in any kind of on position, when she is finished with one appliance then it immediately goes off. Though more than one was on standby this morning when they shouldn't have been. She had thought nothing of it at the time but now, she is not so sure.

There is just herself at home, no immediate family, no partner, no children, all of which again suits her just fine. That might change some day though that day is not this one nor is it likely to be any day in the foreseeable future.

Una glances over her shoulder, trying not to appear suspicious, but each movement feels almost overly watched, scrutinised by eyes both seen and unseen. She tightens her grip on her keys, reminding herself that whatever unease she feels must be masked by composure, if only for her own peace of mind.

And so, it is on to where she needs to be. Almost right from the off, traffic is noticeably heavier than normal. Nothing alarming about that though given how it is she feels, it is something that is taken notice of. No need to worry as of yet, it is almost as if she is anticipating a moment of worry, and when one seems to present itself, it takes her a little more than what it would on any other day.

There is nothing unusual on the cards for the workday ahead but the work she is involved in has been building, ever nearing a point of payoff. Funding is secure for the immediate future and there is no serious pressure to provide results so there should be nothing unusual expected for the day ahead on that front ... things can be known to change, and without much warning too. No change had been expected for this day, with how it is going so far ... perhaps there now is cause to anticipate upcoming change.

She has taken notice of a particular vehicle. Most of the traffic lights on this day are stopping her, and this is more than usual, any other day she takes it as is and not find any distraction in such. One set of lights she did take a little liberty to ensure she gets through when on another day she'd surely stop.

A black minivan from a street on her left, of which she just passed, appeared to jump start its set of lights just as she had ensured her passing at the very same junction. She noticed this vehicle right away and, in such, Una takes a couple of turns she would not usually take just to see what may come, and sure enough, the black minivan remained in her sights.

Una is being followed, she is sure of this though if she is, then surely, whomever they might be, must have followed her before or at least had eyes on her before. She is not heading anywhere unusual, not heading anywhere she wouldn't normally be so indeed, if she really is being followed then for what reason is this happening. They must be aware of her destination.

Now there is reason to at least be slightly riled. Choosing to be cautious, she makes a phone call. There is a delay too with the call being answered, further fanning the flame of worry. The call eventually connects. There is to be no greeting, no hello, no how are you, instead ...

'... Una ... how far out are you? What is your E.T.A?' asks a certain Josh Redmond.

'Minutes, ... why?'

'Several firewalls are down, possible hack incoming ...'

'What? Crap ... I'm minutes away, ... be with ya as soon as I can. And em ... I'm being followed by the way.'

'Are you sure?'

'As sure as I can be ...'

There is mayhem at the laboratory. Change indeed has come, before she even arrives to the laboratory. Consoles are being furiously worked at. Ready for action, Una asks to be briefed in the instant she walks into the laboratory and she is brought up to speed as she herself wastes no time in accessing a console and diving right in. the project is in serious threat and alarms begin to sound.

'Send me in ...' Nigel more than suggests.

'It's not ready ...' Josh tells him. 'We have no idea the effect it will have on you, or any of us for that matter.'

'Either I go in now or we are done. There is no choice.'

Looks are shared, alarms are intensifying and time is running out. Looks are being shared though a decision cannot be fussed over so it is made and followed through. Nigel Allen is set up and locked within a chamber specifically set up for the task and within seconds the laboratory is stormed. This shouldn't be possible and the reason for how this actually is possible soon reveals itself.

Corrupt security ... money betters' moral standards, and if had if Nigel hadn't entered when he did then things would end right here, right now, as it is Nigel, at the very least, has bought time. Can anything further be achieved ... well, time will tell.

He who leads soon makes himself known and does nothing to hide his identity. He steps forward, gun in hand, to make his initial demand. Aim is close range, right at Josh Remond's forehead.

'Shut it down ... now.'

'You!' states Josh with distain upon the big reveal as if he should have known all along.

'Yes ... me, now do as I say and shut it down ...'

'Can't, even if I wanted to. Once it is in full operation with a man inside, someone has to go in and shut it down from within before it can be taken anywhere. Kill our man here now and the whole thing self-destructs.'

'I don't believe you ...'

'You should ... you were here for its inception. You can try take out Nigel here and now, see what happens ... I don't think you want to risk it, now do ya?'

'Damn you ...'

'No ... damn you.'

With a wince he tries to hide, the intruder strikes Josh with the grip of the gun, knocking him to the ground and causing his bottom lip to bleed.