The Elias Anomaly

Twenty Three

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Dulcie had only been to Paddington train station once before. On that occasion she had been travelling in the opposite direction. That was way back at the start of her apprenticeship. After her initial orientation she caught the train straight from London to South Wales.

That trip had been taken with a group of fellow apprentices around her. All of them excited, all laughing and joking and celebrating. That was only about five years ago now. As the train pulled into the station on a cold February night it seemed like centuries.

Over the course of the three hours it had taken to get here Dulcie had plenty of time to think. Time for working up an edge to her mood that was quite unpleasant. She concluded that she had been forced out of the Cluster. She was an exile. She couldn't help but feel anger at the fact.

She couldn't get out of her head the notion of blame. The notion that all these events were down to a single individual. At the extreme end of paranoia she even considered Joseph may be that individual. After all she had never actually seen Joseph, the real Joseph. She had heard his voice, sure. Could she tell two voices apart unless they were completely different? And different voices, what did that prove? People who made cartoons did different voices all the time. It didn't mean that they were different people.

So, all in all, it was possible that Dulcie could be the subject of some super elaborate hoax. The biggest plex prank ever. The problem was that it wasn't funny. Also unlikely, unless the prank included some pretty elaborate preparations. Like seeding the details of Bloch's life into the internet. A task that would have to take place over an extended period of time. So there was some truth to the situation whatever else was lies.

Dulcie climbed down from the train carriage to walk up the platform. She had to stop to pass through the ticket barriers at the far end of the platform. She passed into the gigantic glass box that housed the entrance to the station. As she did so a short, thin youth dressed in an expensive suit approached her.

"Miss Fernandez," the youth said, extending a hand. "Simon Grace, Department of Sub Realities."

"They sent the intern?" Dulcie said, shaking Simon's cold and bony outstretched hand.

"I'm afraid no one else was available," Simon said. "Don't worry, I act with the complete authority of the Department."

"So, Mr Grace," Dulcie said. "You suggested that I might be in some sort of danger."

"Yes," Simon nodded. "I'm sorry I can't be more specific. The threat we face is one that is, how shall I put it... alien, is that the right word?"

Dulcie started thinking about flying saucers. Simon must have seen her thinking that and shook his head.

"No," he said. "Alien has an extra-terrestrial connotation. I guess this threat could be described as, what, intra-terrestrial?"

"Maybe it would help if you could tell me what the threat actually was," Dulcie said.

"Indeed, it would, we should get the tube," said Simon. "We need to get along to Kensington. If we're quick we might make it before Mister Elias has headed into immersion."

He didn't wait for her reply before turning to walk away. He headed towards the stairs down into the underground network. Dulcie had to jog a couple of steps to keep up.

"Joseph's going back into the Cluster?" she asked.

"Into the Cluster?" Simon seemed puzzled. "No, of course not, why would you think... oh, yes, I see. No he'll be immersed in a small medical endoplex. More a sort of a digital waiting room. His condition has to be studied before we can hope to learn how to stabilise it."