Isaac
Isaac arrived at the base at Houston and went straight to the YIRAAS agent assigned there. He filled him in on what happened and transport was immediately arranged to take the machines to the station.
"After this," Isaac told Taylor, "we are going home."
Taylor
"Home," Taylor closed his eyes and rolled his neck slightly.
"Home equals Jane, equals music. I like the sound of it."
Isaac
Isaac smiled.
They got onto the transporter and a few seconds later, they and the machines were on the space station. Leroy was waiting for them.
"Hey boys," he greeted.
"Hi Leroy," Isaac nodded.
"Come on, this way. I have to say I was very interested to hear about these," Leroy nodded to the machines.
Isaac smiled.
"I thought I wouldn't be the only one."
"Ooh, you should get off the pad. This way please."
And Leroy led them to the elevator.
Taylor
"We're not exactly sure what's in them..." Taylor began nervously as he followed, "but then again, that's what we're here for, right?"
He put his hands in his pockets as they get into the elevator.
Isaac and Leroy
"That's what you're here for," Leroy smiled.
They took the elevator down to one of the control levels and went into one of the computer rooms.
"A computer and server from of the of the human labs," Leroy informed the technokinetic in charge.
"Indeed?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Well, lets see what we have here."
"The guy in charge - Blakesley - gave me a password. But he gave it too freely for my tastes," Isaac said. "I smelt a rat so I thought it would be better for me to just bring everything."
"DO you remember the password?"
Isaac nodded and told him it as they hook the computer and server up.
Taylor
Taylor stood behind them as they worked to connect the computer. He fiddled with his fingers as he watched, worriedly.
"What if it's some kind of virus?" he asked, looking at Ike.
"I mean... Blakesley could have told you the password to set up a virus that would destroy their files, so you couldn't see them."
His voice cracked on 'Blakesley'.
Isaac and Leroy
"No virus can get past me," said the technokinetic.
"And he's so modest," Leroy chuckled.
Isaac smiled as they waited for everything to be set up.
Taylor
Taylor looked around the room at the equipment, putting his hands back in his pockets.
How long was this going to take? He wanted to at least let everyone know he was on his way back... Jane at least.
Isaac
The technokinetic tested the password.
"Oh. My. Gosh!" Isaac gaped, his eyes widening in sheer horror.
For, playing on the screen, was a recording of one of Blakesleys sessions with Taylor.
"Tay?"
Taylor
"One of my father's actually. I read his book, the Art of Torture, when I was thirteen." Blakesley started to heat the blade again, eyes carefully gauging where next to place the leaf shaped dagger. He decided to start making a pattern, so he placed it on the front of Taylor's foot, the edges slightly overlapping. HIISSSSSSS!
Taylor held it back as long as he could, but had to cry out in pain. He clutched the edges of the arms of the chair, his knuckles going white as he panted rapidly.
"WHAT do you WANT from me?!" he cried, his voice cracking a little.
"At the moment? Nothing. There is nothing you can do or say that will stop this. Unless of course Natalia and Jane suddenly reappear...but I don't think that's going to happen." As he talked he continued the pattern around Taylor's ankle. Soon, a strange anklet of burnt flesh surrounded Taylor's ankle like an abstract work of art. Blakesley stood. "Remove his shirt and rechain his ankles." The guards did so, not being overly gentle. Blakesley took out a surgical steel needle and came back over to Taylor. He bent down slightly and inserted it through Taylor's nipple.
Taylor cried out again, throwing his head backwards by reflex as the tears fell from his eyes.
"God dammit," he almost choked, "anything. Anything to get them out was worth it."
Taylor's eyes widened, as he turned away from the screen and covered his ears.
"No, no, no..." he shook his head, "I don't... I don't remember that."
Leroy and Isaac
"Turn it off," Leroy commaned, obviously angry.
Isaac let loose a few explitives, to the effect of that if he had seen these at the base, he would have killed Blakesley then and there, and he hoped one of his prisoners had found him and gave him a torturous death so terrible, it was still being drawn out even now.
Taylor
Taylor covered his eyes instead, and crouched to the ground.
"Why can't he just leave me alone?" he practically whimpered, "I don't know what I did... I don't know what he was punishing me for. I know I got Jane and Nat out, but not..."
Isaac and Leroy
Isaac knelt down on the floor next to Taylor and put his hand on his back. He didn't know what to say.
"Perhaps you two should get going," Leroy said quietly. "Well get right onto this."
Isaac nodded.
"Tay?"
Taylor
Taylor hesitated, then looked up.
"Can we just get back to Tulsa? I want to see Jane. And Zac."
"Yeah," Isaac nodded.
"Do you know your way out?" asked Leroy.
"Yep."
"Good. Have a safe trip home."
"Thanks. C'mon Tay."
Isaac led his brother to the elevator, and soon they were back on the planet.
Taylor
"So ah..." Taylor rubbed his hands together nervously, "anything I should know about? Since I've been gone?"
He glanced at his brother.
"I mean... no pregnancies to report on Zac's behalf or anything?"
Isaac
"Actually, yes," Isaac replied. "Zac got Rach pregnant. He's actually in New York at the moment, visiting her, Julie and the twins. And apparently Saku has a brother living there too. But you'll be glad to know that the epidemic is over - none of us are sick with that terrible flu anymore."
Taylor
"Flu?" Taylor looked confused.
"Oh yeah... Zac and Saku were sick. Well, great."
He nodded, then hesitated.
"I was sick in the stomach a lot, but I think that must have been for other... reasons. I didn't actually sneeze or anything while I was... Well, there."
Isaac
"Well, either way it's good to have you back," Isaac grinned.
They soon arrived at the local train station and Isaac organised tickets back to Tulsa. It wouldn't be long now.