Chapter 19 - The Archive
Emily slowly turned.
The flashlight concealed most of the man's face.
Only his silhouette was visible.
"How do I know you're really Daniel?" she asked.
The man lowered the flashlight.
"I don't suppose you do."
He looked older than the man she had seen upstairs.
Not by years.
By experience.
His face carried fresh scars she had never noticed before.
His wedding ring was missing.
"I've been looking for this laboratory for six years," he said quietly.
Emily glanced toward the memory archive.
"You already knew it existed."
"I helped build it."
"And then?"
"I helped destroy it."
Emily folded her arms.
"You expect me to trust that?"
"No."
His honesty surprised her.
"I expect you to verify everything yourself."
He nodded toward the cabinet.
"The archive contains every unedited recording."
Emily hesitated.
"If I restore my memories..."
"You'll remember things neither of us can change."
She looked at the drive again.
"What if I don't?"
The man answered without hesitation.
"Then Hale wins."
Before Emily could respond, the laboratory speakers crackled to life.
Dr. Hale's calm voice echoed throughout Level -4.
"I was wondering when you'd reach the archive."
Red emergency lights began flashing.
Heavy steel doors started closing throughout the corridor.
"You have exactly five minutes before this level enters permanent containment."
The man stepped beside Emily.
"Take only one drive."
"There are dozens."
"Hale filled most of them with false memories."
Emily scanned the labels.
One drive bore today's date.
Another was labeled with the day she married Daniel.
A third simply read:
The Truth Before March 21
The date of their first meeting.
Or the day she had always believed was their first meeting.
Emily reached toward it.
Just before her fingers touched the drive, another hand emerged from the darkness and grabbed the cabinet door.
Emily looked up.
Standing on the opposite side was another woman.
She had Emily's face.
May you like
She looked directly into Emily's eyes and whispered,
"Don't choose that one."
