aston-wise

[aston-wise]

Demonstration compromised. Further research needed to determine the origin of this specific attack.

Possible offenders: The Order of Teslonia, The Eyez, New West or associates

[aston-wise]

Excerpt from encrypted logs found while searching for proof of the ARCHITECT’s identity.

An ongoing project overseen by Member 0866 under the instruction of Lara Godfrey.

Full context still unknown.

“ I thought I was doing something good. I thought that my invention would improve the world. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. This shouldn’t have been possible. Things have gotten out of control and I no longer have the power to fix it.”

[aston-wise]

[aston-wise]

Passage found and decrypted by a TSS member who wishes to remain anonymous.

Original post date unknown.

Aston Wise current status confidential.

There’s a loud thud as the door ricochets off the wall after being forcefully shoved open, but the woman inside doesn’t flinch and instead quietly looks up with one brow arched. An amused smile makes its way to her face, as if she’s more than used to such antics from him.

“Lara, this is it! The breakthrough I’ve been waiting for! If this works, it will change the world for the better! We’ll be able to better understand human consciousness and remove human bias from scientific studies. Just imagine the progress we could make when we’re not blinded by our preexisting beliefs! Picture this: a small lace that connect to the brain. It can interpret--”

The image slips away as another takes its place. The same two people, this time walking through a corridor, are deep in conversation.

“And remember that if any urgent information comes up, the band is the best way to get the message out fast and-”

“Yes Aston, I know. Yes, I’m also know of the database. I know who to go to if there’s another hacking. You’ve explained everything several times over already,” she responds with an eye roll but no real malice.

He has the decency to look sheepish. “I just want to make sure everything’s prepared for when I’m gone. But who am I kidding? I’m leaving The Starset Society in the most capable hands there are.” He grabs her hands and playfully spins her around before pulling her in closer.

With a cheeky grin he starts to speak again. “Ok, and if-” he breaks off laughing as she pushes him away and starts back down the corridor.

It’s hard to know how much time has past. Has he been holed away in his lab for hours or days? Weeks maybe? It doesn’t matter. With all the progress he’s been making, he can hardly remember basic things like sleep or food, much less the passage of time. How long has he been awake this time? Has he ever slept? His work and ideas fully consume him as he sinks further into himself. The more he works on it, the more ideas for improvements make themselves known. He’s so lost inside his thoughts that he doesn’t hear the knock, or the sound of the door being pushed open. It’s not until someone grabs his shoulder that he realizes he’s not the only one in the lab. Startled, he spins around only to come face to face with Lara.

“Lara, what is it? Is something wrong? Why are you down here?” His face scrunches up with concern.

“Funny, I came to ask you the same thing.”

“What do you mean?”

“Aston, I’ve seen you three times in the past two months and only because you ran out of coffee in your lab. I’m worried. You need to take a break.” Upon hearing these words, his concern vanishes.

“A break? I don’t need a break! I’m so close! I just need a little more time. Just stay and keep the ship manned until I’m back. I need to be alone and see this through. I swear I’ll be there for Phase 3.”

“This isn’t healthy! You keep yourself locked down here constantly! No one even knows what you’re working on! Look, I’m not asking you to stop, just to step away for a few days and-”

The lack of proper sleep and nutrition had worn his nerves thin and the mere thought of leaving his work causes him to snap.

“You don’t get it! This is so much bigger than just me and you! You’re doing just fine running everything and you knew that this project would take time! I’m sorry, but I don’t have a place for you here. I need to focus on my work and you need to focus on finding the source of the hacking! So don’t worry about me; I’m more than capable of taking care of myself!” He starts pacing erratically and running his hands through his already disheveled hair. Lara says nothing as she makes her way out of the room, leaving Aston to pace and mutter unintelligibly to himself. Some time later, after he’s managed to calm himself enough to return to work, although not as diligently as before, he hears the door creak open. Heaving a sigh, he turns ready with words to remedy the damage from earlier, but it’s not Lara’s face that greets him.

“Who are you? You can’t be down here.”

“Hello Aston.”

“Do I know you?” The man approaches wordless. His face is the last thing Aston sees before everything turns black.

Aston slowly wakes alone and confused in a dim room. He doesn’t remember leaving his lab, much less the Society’s base. He moves to get up only to find himself strapped down to what appears to be some sort of hospital bed. A sharp pain shoots through his head as he does so, causing him to collapse in pain and let out a groan. As the pain slowly lessens he’s able to tell that whatever the cause was, it was centered around his left temple, but it still provides no information as to where he is or how he got there. What had he even been doing before he wound up here. He struggles to think back. He vaguely remembers a woman telling him off for something. Yet another ex perhaps? Fighting against the pain and the heaviness of his limbs, he struggles against the restraints, but it proves useless. Light floods his eyes as a door slides open and the lights flick on, causing the pounding in his head to turn to a rolling thunder. A thin, bespectacled man walked into the room and began to study the data on a nearby monitor.

“Ah, good to see you’re awake. Not that it’ll matter much longer. You should feel honored! After all, you’ve been selected to supplement The Architecture. Your lace has been successfully implanted and initial tests have proven successful.”

“Look, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about or who the hell you are, but you better untie me and remove whatever lace it is you’re talking about or else you and I are gonna have problems.”

The door once again slides open and another man enters the room. He seems vaguely familiar but Aston can’t seem to place him. He can’t seem to remember much of anything.

“Aston, good to see you. I see you’ve finally woken up.”

“Yes, I’m delightful. Now you better tell me who you are, where I am, and what happened to me or else I’ll-“ He goes to pull away from the bed to no avail and pain shoots through his skull with the sudden movement causing him to collapse against the mattress.

The man shoots Aston a pointed look before beginning to speak. “My name is Dr. Gerhard Gregor. We’ve met in the past but that is of little consequence now. You are in New West Industries. Look around, you should recognize this technology, you are the architect of it after all.”

He takes another look around the room and as he begins to connect the dots, his eyes widened in horror. This isn’t what he had planned. A sinking feeling overwhelms him as he looks back at Gregor. He’s never going home. Gregor looks back at him passively and flips a switch. Reality starts to fade and before he slips away completely, he hears Gregor. “Welcome to The Architecture.”