Rain traced restless patterns across the car windows, smearing the gray countryside into a watercolor of motion. The drive back to Paignton passed uneventfully, the rhythmic drumming of the drizzle blending with the hum of the engine. As they neared their destination, the rolling fields and suburban estates gave way to the unforgiving symmetry of the industrial estate. The air seemed heavier here, thick with the sharp tang of wet asphalt and the faint acrid bite of oil.
Through the downpour, the research facility loomed ahead, a hulking monolith against the washed-out horizon. Rain streaked down its brutalist walls, collecting in shallow pools across the uneven ground. Its shadowy presence seemed to draw in the bleakness of its surroundings, a dark, waiting sentinel in the drizzling gloom.
Selina pulled up to a parking area near the entrance, not needing to conceal their arrival at the building this time. “Here we are,” she muttered, her voice flat.
Rosa took a deep breath. “Now let's see if they'll really allow us to see Gum.”
They both knew it wasn’t just about the typing macaque anymore. It was about what MASS had done and what RealityStep was currently doing, and why the AI and the monkeys all seemed so intricately tied together. There was a link, and Rosa was determined to understand it.
They stepped out of the car, the cold, damp air clinging to their skin as they made their way toward the grey doors of the facility. Raindrops pattered around them, pin-pricking the reflections in the puddles. The moment they crossed the threshold, they knew everything would change.
“Well,” Selina said, glancing at the looming structure, “nothing says ‘trust us’ like a building that looks like it eats sunshine.”
Rosa’s gaze fixed on the entrance ahead, no longer padlocked and forbidding, but open and manned. A uniformed security guard stood beside the main door, his posture straight but his eyes wary.
“Looks like they’re expecting us,” Rosa said, eyeing the man's belt line for a gun, but not seeing one.
Selina shot her a smirk. “Well, we did make an appointment this time. Who knew manners would open so many moth-infested doors?”
As they approached, the guard’s expression didn’t shift. He waited in silence until they were close enough for his deep voice to cut through the dank air of the industrial landscape.
“Dr. Baum and Ms. Selina Lara?” he said, his tone flat but leaving no doubt that he already knew who they were.
Rosa stopped short, exchanging a sharp look with Selina. Her stomach twisted. They’d taken every precaution, hadn’t they? The guard’s words felt heavier than they should, each syllable eroding any idea that they’d slipped in anonymously.
“That’s us,” Rosa replied evenly, folding her arms against the chill and masking her unease.
Selina’s smirk faltered just a fraction, replaced with a wry edge. “You’ve got good intel for a receptionist,” she muttered, a forced casualness in her voice.
The guard didn’t react, but the silence that followed seemed deliberate. A cold breeze whipped past them, and Rosa felt the full weight of their situation settle on her. Whoever they were dealing with, they clearly knew more than Rosa and Selina had hoped.
The guard gave them a further look over, stepped aside, and opened the door for them. Beyond it, a dimly lit corridor stretched forward, pale green and unwelcoming.
“Someone will meet you inside,” he said. His gaze lingered on them a moment longer than necessary before he stepped back outside, the door closing with a heavy clunk behind them.
Inside, the oppressive quiet of the building wrapped around them like a shroud. Rosa glanced at Selina, who raised her eyebrows and whispered, “Well, here's another thing that's not creepy at all.”
They moved cautiously, their footsteps echoing softly on the polished concrete floor.
Ahead, a glass-paneled door marked the entrance to what looked like a reception area. Beside it, a palm-print scanner glowed faintly on the wall. Rosa’s gaze lingered on it for a moment before stepping forward and pressing her hand to the surface.
The device chirped, its light shifting from blue to amber.
A synthetic voice crackled to life over the intercom: “Welcome back, Dr. Baum.”
Rosa was thrown by the acknowledgement. She turned to Selina, whose startled expression mirrored her own. Before she could say anything, the glass door slid open, revealing a man in a grey tailored suit standing just beyond. He was tall, with a neatly combed shock of dark hair and an augmented ocular implant that caught the faint light. His sharp features twitched in surprise, though he recovered almost immediately.
“Dr. Baum, was it?” he asked, striding forward and gesturing to the scanner. His voice was smooth, calm. “It seems you’ve accidentally triggered an old profile in our system. This isn’t the first time this has happened.”
Rosa frowned. “An old profile? But the system recognised me.”
The man smiled faintly, his tone taking on a practiced ease. “The scanners operate on a predictive matching algorithm. It’s designed to fill in gaps when data is incomplete. If your hand geometry or thermal signature happens to resemble someone who was previously registered, the system assumes you’re them. It’s surprisingly common.”
Selina gave him a sceptical look. “Doesn’t sound very secure for a high-tech facility.”
He nodded in acknowledgment. “It’s a known flaw in older systems. We’ve been in the process of upgrading them, but these things take time. I assure you, this is just a technical hiccup - nothing more. Please, come inside.”
His explanation was delivered with such precision and confidence that it seemed plausible. Yet Rosa couldn’t shake the sense that something about his reaction was too smooth. She exchanged a brief glance with Selina before stepping through the door, the words “Welcome back” lingering uneasily in her mind.
“Dr. Baum. Ms. Lara.” His voice was low, practiced. “Welcome to RealityStep. I’m Dan - we, of course, met online.”
“Thank you for seeing us,” Rosa said coolly.
Dan gestured toward a conference room visible through a frosted glass wall. “Shall we?”
As they followed him, Rosa’s tension coiled tighter. The weight of the secrets she felt pressing against the walls seemed almost tangible.
Selina leaned closer, whispering, “Does he look unreal here too, or is it just me? He's almost as fake as his NexUs avatar.”
Rosa didn’t reply, but her jaw tightened. The room they entered was minimalist, barely functional. A long metal table occupied the center, with two chairs set on one side and Dan’s seat on the other.
“Please, sit,” he said, his tone courteous but firm.
They complied, Rosa’s eyes scanning the room for anything that might give away more than this man intended. There was nothing that didn't seem essential.
“So,” Dan began, his hands folded neatly on the table, “what exactly do you hope to learn here at RealityStep?”
Selina smiled, her voice light but threaded with pointed intent. “We’re just here to ask a few questions about your... projects. Specifically, those involving macaques. Since you know who we are, you must know we are from the South West of England Primate Research Facility.”
Dan raised an eyebrow, his polite demeanor masking a flicker of suspicion. “Macaques? That’s a broad topic. Perhaps you’d like to narrow it down.”
“As you know, we’re particularly interested in one of your subjects,” Rosa said evenly. “The monkey known as Gum.”
Dan smiled. “Gum, yes. You’ve done your research. I've been wondering why you’re so interested in him.” He leaned forward, his smile taking on a sharper edge. “Gum is part of a classified program. I’d love to know how you even heard his name, let alone his location.”
Rosa didn’t miss a beat. “We read about the monkey Shakespeare project at Paignton and heard that you'd later acquired the animals ... there's talk of unconventional experiments. That got us curious.”
Dan’s eyes narrowed, his tone cooling. “Curious about what, exactly? Gum is a fascinating case, I admit, but he’s hardly a household name. And yet, you seem suspiciously well-informed. You even know about Observation Unit 12. That’s a secure facility. Care to explain how you came by that information?”
Rosa exchanged a quick glance with Selina, weighing her words carefully. “We’re aware of his connection to LumiGard, and we believe his current situation warrants scrutiny. Let’s just say... we have our sources.”
Dan’s polite mask slipped for a moment, revealing something sharper beneath. “Sources? RealityStep prides itself on discretion. If you’ve accessed sensitive data, this conversation could take a very different turn.”
Before Rosa could respond, the door opened, and a woman in a white lab coat entered, holding a clipboard and a tablet. She whispered something to Dan, who gave a tight nod. His expression softened, though the tension in the room remained palpable.
“We’ll put a pin in that for now,” Dan said smoothly, rising from his chair. “For now, let me show you what you came for. You'll see that everything here is above reproach.”
He gestured for them to follow, leaving Rosa and Selina to exchange uneasy glances before rising to comply.
They followed Dan and the lab coat down a series of cool corridors. Frosted windows along the halls hinted at activity within, though the shapes and sounds were indecipherable. Occasionally, faint mechanical whirs or muffled voices broke the silence.
Selina paused briefly by one window, catching sight of what looked like an examination room. A tray of medical instruments lay on the floor just inside the door. Rosa tugged her along before she could stare too long.
Eventually, they were led into a small waiting area furnished with cold, uncomfortable chairs and a wall-mounted screen scrolling through technical jargon. The air smelled faintly of antiseptic and something metallic.
Dan turned to them with a professional smile. “Wait here for a moment. Someone will escort you shortly.”
Rosa glanced at Selina, who shrugged, and they sat in uneasy silence. Rosa’s gaze finally wandered to a tiny table cluttered with books and periodicals. Some titles were predictably dry - Advances in Neural Interfaces, Quantum Modelling Quarterly - but one spine caught her attention, the faded paperback cover whispering an invitation: Finnegans Wake.
The book from the virtual attic. She picked it up. The pages felt oddly soft, worn from countless fingers. Flicking through, she frowned as she stumbled over the flowing, dreamlike text. “‘…riverrun, past Eve and Adam’s, from swerve of shore to bend of bay…’” she murmured, the words dancing in her head. She paused, her thumb stopping on a line deeper in the book: “‘A way a lone a last a loved a long the…’”
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Selina glanced at her. “You okay?”
Rosa blinked and set the book down, her fingers trembling slightly. “It’s... the same book. It feels like it means something, but I don’t know what. Like déjà vu, but with words.” She stared at the book a moment longer before shaking her head. “Why would anyone keep this here? It's not exactly easy reading.”
“That reminds me, I looked up those graphic novels Pellicules had on his table in RealityStep. They're by some obscure fantasy, sci-fi writer, Van Der Lekh. I wondered if they might have some significance. I ordered a couple out of curiosity.”
Minutes later, clipboard woman reappeared to guide them further into the building. The tray of medical instruments from the corridor was now balanced on her clipboard and tablet. Rosa realised as they set off that she was still holding the book, she handed it to the clipboard woman, who added it to her stack without breaking stride.
They were taken to a plain room, clearly designed for primate interaction. The walls were pale gray, with no pictures or embellishments. In the center of the room, a large pane of glass separated them from the other side of the chamber. Inside sat a familiar figure: a macaque with a shaved head - surely Gum.
For a moment, the words Rosa had read from the book seemed to echo in her mind, their looping rhythm resonating with the eerie calm of the room. A way a lone a last a loved a long the…
The macaque looked different from how Rosa had imagined - leaner, perhaps, stark and with a strange awareness in his sharp gaze. When he saw them, his expression flickered with unmistakable recognition. Rosa felt a pang of emotion as Gum’s excitement shone through before he quickly masked it. His eyes darted to the woman standing nearby, then back to her, as though he were calculating his next move.
Rosa stepped closer to the glass, her hand instinctively reaching out toward him. Gum mirrored the motion, placing his paw flat against the pane. Though they were separated, the gesture felt deeply personal, a wordless connection that transcended the barrier.
The dark macaque dropped its hand and began pacing in his enclosure, a mix of nervous energy and restlessness. As Rosa and Selina watched, a man in an impeccably tailored dark grey suit entered the room. His slicked-back charcoal hair framed angular features, illuminated by a faint light from his glasses.
The woman who had led them here was clearly flustered by the presence of this man, muttering under her breath as she tried to balance the stack of things in her hands.
“Watch it!” Selina hissed as the book slipped from the top of the pile.
The paperback tumbled free, sliding across the floor toward Gum’s enclosure. Everyone watched as the macaque’s sharp eyes darted to it. Without hesitation, Gum lunged toward the barrier, reaching through a small gap at the base of the glass - a gap likely intended for ventilation. His arm stretched further than seemed possible, his fingers splaying as they just barely hooked around the edge of the book.
The man in the suit took a measured step forward. He seemed to draw the space tighter around him, as though he could command the room with mere focus. Beside him, the woman fumbled with her load, nervously rebalancing everything whilst trying to beat the monkey to the book, but the man paid her no mind. He was fixated on the macaque, his voice a soft, almost reverent whisper as he spoke, not to anyone in particular, but as if to the room itself. "Let it be."
The woman looked up nervously, but the man’s gaze never wavered from Gum, the macaque’s slow, deliberate movements seemingly mirroring his own careful precision. "It knows what it wants."
Selina let out a low whistle. “Resourceful little guy, isn’t he?”
Gum dragged the book into his enclosure with his eyes on Rosa, ignoring the muffled protests of the flustered assistant. He turned it over in his hands, sniffing it, then thumbing through the pages in a manner that was more investigative than intellectual. The spine cracked audibly as he bent it backward, his lips curling in what might have been satisfaction.
Then, with the same impulsive energy that had seized him moments before, Gum flung the book at the glass, and sprang across the enclosure. He stuck his hand into a nearby food bowl brimming with ripe blackberries, their deep, inky purple oozing crimson juice as they broke. He retrieved the book and slowly smeared the vivid, staining pulp liberally over an open page. Then he flicked the pages and repeated the act, leaving trails of vibrant indigo streaking across the text.
“That was... unexpected,” Selina said, her tone a mix of awe and disbelief. “If Finnegans Wake didn’t make sense before, it definitely won’t now.”
Rosa barely heard her. Gum was now holding the book up, pressing the cover to the glass, his expression wild and unreadable. He then let it drop, reached for a grubby rag that lay on the floor and pulled it over his head like a hood, as though covering his baldness. Something about his fervour made his actions feel pointed, almost desperate.
Rosa’s eyes brimmed with sadness. She could feel the raw emotion radiating from him, even if his actions seemed nonsensical. Somewhere in that primal display, she sensed a message struggling to be understood.
"Dr. Baum," the suited man murmured, his voice low, almost a whisper. "Ms. Lara. I trust you've had time to... settle. Orin Fane." Clipboard woman stepped back against the wall as he introduced himself, shrinking into the background.
His pale face, crossed by deep lines, remained an expressionless mask. His glasses glowed with an almost ethereal light, reflecting algorithms about his eyes that seemed to flicker and pulse like living things.
His eyes too, were turned toward the glass enclosure where Gum sat, now motionless. The black macaque stared blankly, its gaze unsettling in its complete lack of recognition or response to the two women.
Rosa watched him for a moment, her thoughts racing. She suspected his process here had been a long one, unimaginable experiments turning something wild and pure into something almost...otherworldly. She stepped forward cautiously, addressing the creature in front of her, trying to keep her voice even.
“Gum,” she said softly, leaning towards the glass. “Gum, do you… know me?”
Fane made a small, almost imperceptible derisive huff, a sound that sent a shiver down Rosa's spine. “It is important,” he interjected, “to remember that some of us are not... meant to respond like people.” Rosa felt patronised, but he went on. “Gum, for instance, is a bridge - between here and somewhere beyond. His knowledge is not easily accessible.”
Rosa kept her back to him, her eyes not leaving the macaque. She had to break through to him. "Gum," she repeated, her voice trembling slightly," There was no reaction from Gum. His eyes remained empty under his shroud, lifeless, as if she weren’t even there.
Fane continued to watch the scene unfold, his fingers tapping rhythmically against a digital notebook. He muttered something under his breath.
Selina crossed her arms, eyeing both Rosa and the macaque with suspicion. "He's not responding, Rosa," she said, voice heavy with frustration. "Whatever’s happened to him, I don’t think it's anything we can resolve today."
But Rosa wasn’t ready to give up. “Gum,” she tried again, leaning closer, her breath fogging up the glass. "You can understand me, can't you?"
The macaque shifted ever so slightly, his eyes still distant, but his hand reached out, moving deliberately and methodically. To Rosa’s shock, he nudged the book on the floor with a knuckle and slid it under the screen.
Rosa reached for it, her pulse quickening. She had no idea what it meant. She looked at Gum, her mind racing.
"You want me to read this?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
But the macaque gave no response, returning to his passive, motionless position, his blank eyes staring into the distance.
Fane gave a small, almost imperceptible smile. “Gum speaks in... his own way,” he said with reverence, his voice barely more than a breath. “Perhaps not with words. Finnegans Wake is the only gift he has to offer, Dr. Baum. It is as it should be.”
Selina shifted uncomfortably, her eyes narrowing at Fane. “You can’t seriously expect us to just accept that all's well with this poor creature?”
Fane’s eyes flickered toward her, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “You misunderstand. This is a revelation. A glimpse at the truth. All of it, waiting to be understood. The monkeys are not simply part of this process - they are the architects of it. And you...,” he paused, looking at Rosa, “are...part of their journey.”
Rosa turned her attention back to the book. Finnegans Wake, her hand hovered over the cover, fingers brushing the textured surface as if trying to unlock something hidden within the pages.
But the macaque remained unmoving. The room, heavy with Fane’s words and the unanswered questions between them, was suffocating. Rosa felt she wouldn’t get more from Gum today - not yet, at least.
With a sigh, she slowly picked up the book, her mind swirling with possibilities.
“Thank you, Gum,” she whispered, though she wasn't sure if he could hear her.
“Well,” Fane began, his voice as smooth as polished glass, “I’d say this meeting has been... illuminating, wouldn’t you?” He clapped his hands softly, the sound a dull echo in the oppressive room. “You’ve seen Gum. Quite the marvel, isn’t he? And, as you can see, perfectly fine. But we really mustn’t linger.”
Selina’s eyes narrowed. “Fine? He looks like he’s one glitch away from a system crash. What’s wrong with him?”
Rosa stepped forward, her voice quieter but no less cutting. “And the others? There were more macaques. Where are they?”
“Elsewhere,” Fane said, stepping forward to herd them toward the corridor. “You’ll have to take my word that they’re all in excellent condition. Thriving, in fact. Just like Gum.”
“Thriving?” Selina shot back, her tone scornful. “If this is your definition of thriving, I’d hate to see your idea of suffering.”
Fane stared at her, his gaze glinting with a cold calculation. “Well, none have gone astray, at least,” he said, his voice low and charged.
Rosa breathed deeply. “What does that mean?” she asked, forcing the words out evenly despite the unease creeping into her chest.
But Fane didn’t answer. Instead, he stepped toward the door, his movements determined, almost mechanical. “Come,” he said, gesturing for them to follow. “There’s nothing more you're going to see here. Miss Shan will show you out.”
Rosa glanced at Selina, then reluctantly followed the woman out of the room. It felt like there was so much more to be done here, but it was obvious that it wasn't going to happen. Fane followed behind as if to ensure no breach of protocol on the way out.
As they passed a row of reinforced glass panels, Rosa slowed, her gaze snagging on a room beyond. The sight inside made her breath hitch.
A gaunt figure slumped in a high-tech wheelchair, wires and tubes snaking from his head and body, his limbs skeletal, his face hollowed and pale. Something told Rosa that this was Art Numier. Nothing about his frail form gave away his identity, but there was just faintest hint of his imposing presence that made her suspect.
But it was the figure standing beside him that convinced her and froze her in place. A creature - part man, part rat - loomed over Numier, its patchy fur glinting under the harsh lights. The rat’s clawed hands rested on the wheelchair’s handles, and its face, grotesque and distorted, moved in sync with Numier’s as though they were locked in some silent, sinister exchange.
“What is that?” Selina whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of awe and horror.
“Keep moving,” Fane snapped, his tone turning sharper. He stepped in front of the glass, blocking their view, his body language a clear warning.
Rosa froze, her gaze never leaving the room. “That’s Art Numier, isn’t it?” Her voice was cold, cutting through the tension like a blade. “What is that thing standing with him?”
“None of your concern,” Fane replied, his voice sinking into a chilling monotone. “This is not part of your... inquiry.”
Rosa’s eyes narrowed, her pulse quickening. She took a deliberate step forward, closing the distance between them. Her voice was steady, but the urgency beneath it was unmistakable. “You’re wrong, Fane. It is part of my inquiry. What’s going on at RealityStep? What kind of experiments are you conducting on the monkeys?” She gestured fiercely towards the grotesque creature beside Numier, her words a harsh accusation. “Are you turning them into that? Is that what you’re doing?”
Fane didn’t flinch. He tapped the glass twice with his knuckle, and the surface frosted, becoming opaque, concealing the creature from view.
Rosa’s mind raced. She recognised the rat-like figure - she had seen it during RealityStep’s public demonstration of their ‘Fourth Wall Innovations’. The horrifying memory of that demonstration clawed at her mind. She refused to back down. “What exactly does your company you mean by ‘liberating’ characters from virtual reality?” she demanded, her voice rising with indignation.
For a long moment, Fane remained silent, his face an unreadable mask. His frame stiffened imperceptibly, and the air thickened with tension. The silence between them felt suffocating, oppressive.
Selina, too, stepped closer to Rosa, her breath shallow, eyes darting nervously from the glass concealing the rat creature to Fane. Her voice, edged with disbelief, cracked the silence. “What are you doing to them?” she asked, her words trembling with the weight of the question. “Are they just experiments to you? Or is there something worse going on here? This can’t be legal! You’re changing them!”
Fane’s eyes flickered briefly, and for an instant, Rosa saw something deeper, darker, lurking beneath the surface - something that made her gut twist with unease. But his reply was chilling in its finality. “You are asking questions that are none of your business, Dr. Baum.” His voice turned colder, colder still. “The monkeys are free. They are helping us make technological strides previously unimaginable. As for what you saw...” He paused, his eyes narrowing, a quiet threat lingering in his words. “That’s something you can't understand.”
Rosa’s heart thundered in her chest, frustration and unease twisting together like a knot. She longed to press him further, to tear down the walls he had built between them, but his presence loomed over her now, suffocating and powerful. She could feel the weight of whatever secrets this building held pressing down on her, crushing her attempts to break through.
Without a word, Fane turned, his movements forcing them to follow, the Shan woman trailing behind, looking awkward. His tone dropped to something colder, more menacing. “Now,” he said icily, “if you don’t want to overstep your invitation here, I suggest you keep walking.”
With a firm hand, he pushed them forward, guiding them down the sterile corridor. Rosa’s skin prickled, the hairs on the back of her neck rising. As they passed more frosted windows, she wondered what dark secrets they might conceal.
Fane’s voice was low now, barely a whisper, but it sliced through the air like a threat. “Some truths are not meant to be unearthed, Dr. Baum,” he said, his words lingering between them like poison. “Consider this a kindness.”
When they finally stepped outside into the biting cold of the day, the door thudded shut behind them, sealing them out - and locking away the secrets of what lay within. Rosa stood frozen for a moment, the weight of Fanes words pressing on her chest, suffocating her.
“Not meant to be unearthed,” he had said, his voice barely a whisper. “Something you can't understand.”
The words echoed in her mind, a dark warning, a threat, and a challenge all in one.