Episode 03 – Escape
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Previously on Whitechapel
A man known only by the roman numeral six wakes up in a padded cell. He discovers he has strange abilities when he turns his guard into a bloody mess just by thinking about it. Six makes his way into the empty office of a Dr. Harold Tucci, who turns out to be part of something called the Whitechapel Project. Six also discovers a stack of currency from a number of countries, as well as a pistol. He’s about to leave when an alarm goes off, and someone is knocking at the door.
Episode Three — Escape
My heart is hammering in my chest as I try to think. If there’s a guard on the other side of the door, he probably wouldn’t be scared of a pistol, and I’m not sure I would be on the winning end of a gun fight. I also don’t know enough about my powers to be able to use them on command. As I consider killing him, I remember the thick smell of blood from the guard in my cell, and for a second the nausea returns. I force myself to push the thought out of my mind; I have to try and talk my way out of this.
Ignoring the gun, I look down at Harold Tucci’s ID card sitting on the desk. He has thinning brown hair, hazel eyes and thick bushy eyebrows. There’s no other pictures of family or girlfriends around the office. He’s probably a man married to his job or his country.
Another knock. I scramble to think of something convincing, but the screeching of the alarm and the thumping on the door conspire with the pounding in my head, and every thought feels like it’s going to fall onto the floor. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to steal a single moment so I can think clearly.
My heart slows a little as I take in the feel of the soft fabric against my skin. I imagine that these clothes are the most natural thing in the world for me to wear. I’m just a middle-aged man who’s trying to stay healthy. I try to eat the right things, and every day I jog around the complex to get some exercise in. Sometimes I work late, but I live alone, so it doesn’t bother anyone. The work is what’s most important. The axe swings again, buried in my brain, and my head starts to throb with the pain. I visualize taking the ax and hacking away at myself, at my identity, killing anything that doesn’t fit into the mold of Dr. Tucci. I imagine wearing the skin of a man I’ve never met.
The knocking is louder, firmer, more insistent. “Dr. Tucci? I’m coming in.”
I open my eyes, and I can feel the skin speak for me.
“No, no… I’m sorry. I’ve just been having so much trouble with this computer, and I got frustrated. I…”
The voice cuts me off. “Why didn’t you respond earlier?”
“I kicked my desk in frustration, and I broke my toe. I… I might have passed out for a bit. I’m sorry. I’m okay now.”
“I can give you medical attention.”
Fear sends my heart racing again, but I force myself to take a breath. “That won’t be necessary. I’m just going to pack up a few things and head home.”
A moment passes, and then I hear the magnetic lock click. The door starts to swing open. I look back at the gun and consider making a grab for it, but it’s already too late. Another man in a button-down shirt and slacks is in the doorway – a larger, more muscular version of the corpse in my cell. He’s got a gun, and he’s looking right at me. I’m wearing Tucci’s skin, but I’m afraid he can see right through it, see right into me, and I’m never going to find out who I am or what’s going on, and oh my god I’m going to die I’m going to die I’m going to…
The guard blinks, and his eyes look like they’re out of focus before he smiles and puts his gun back in the holster. “Sorry to disturb you, sir. Reynolds didn’t report in from his vitals check on Six, even though the key card shows he went in and left again. I went to check it out, and… he’s dead, sir. Six is gone, so I have to do a room-by-room search.”
My eyes catch the ID card clipped to his shirt. It’s similar to the one on the desk, but his reads “Blake Francis.” “I understand, Francis. Do you need me to stay here, or can I leave?”
Francis looks into the hallway, then back at me (no, not me, Dr. Tucci, remember I’m Dr. Tucci). “Your patient couldn’t have gotten far, but… well, you’ve told us enough times what happens if he starts killing.”
I nod and try to look concerned, but all I want to do is grab his shirt and scream What happens when I start killing? Dr. Tucci speaks again. “Perhaps you’re right. I’m sure I can find someplace to sleep here tonight.”
“No offense, doc, but I wouldn’t wish a night in your office on my worst enemy. Come on – I’ll escort you out, and let Simmons finish the search.”
I nod, and start to walk toward the door when Francis suddenly says “Wait a minute!” I freeze, and out of the corner of my eye I see him reaching for the gun on the desk. I try to remember how to kill him when he grabs the pistol by the barrel and presses it into my hand. “You might need this.”
I thank him and follow him down the tunnel. I force myself to stand tall as the ax keeps swinging. The tunnels curve around to an old freight elevator, one with a lever instead of buttons and a flimsy metal gate instead of a door. Francis coaxes the ancient device up three floors before the gate rattles open onto another metal door with another keycard slot. I step out of the cage and Francis gives me a quick salute before closing the gate and heading back down. My hands tremble as I slide the card through the slot. The light turns from green to red, and I push open the door.
* * *
Free. I’m free. Inhale. Exhale.
My breath comes out as a white cloud as the cold starts to nip at my face. The sky is just turning dark as the last rays of the sun dip beyond the horizon. There are a few small clumps of melted snow that have frozen into shiny gray chunks of modern art. The grass crunches under my feet as I make my way to the small parking lot. There are a few cars neatly lined up on the concrete – a small green car, a blue minivan, a tan SUV. They all have Ohio plates. The lot has no lights, but I can still see a short road connecting it with a two-lane street up ahead. Beyond that, parallel to the street, I can make out a large body of water – maybe a lake or a river of some kind. Behind me, the unmarked metal door I walked through is set into a small concrete bunker with no signs on it. It could be a small electrical building or storage shed in any Midwestern town. The cold takes away my pain for the moment, and I enjoy the simple sensation of being free.
I can see headlights going down the street as the sky turns to night. Ice chunks in the water dance in stray beams of light before the car turns into the parking lot. The headlights blind me, and I instinctively put my hands in front of my face. I can feel my grip on Dr. Tucci’s skin slipping, and I look for somewhere to run.
The lights swerve out of my eyes again. I lower my hands and blink a few times, trying to get the spots out of my vision. The headlights are now pointed off to my right, reflecting off the frozen grass and melted snow. It’s a black sedan, still running…
… I can see metal and plastic and leather and glass, all in a thousand different shades of black. My body aches, throbbing in time with the vibrations of finely-tuned machinery…
I recognize this car from my dreams, or my visions, or whatever I was having before I woke up in that cell. But what is it doing here?
I hear the soft ca-chunk sound of automatic car door locks, and the rear door opens slightly.
Are these the people that captured me? Maybe I should run for it.
Maybe they’re here to rescue me. Should I get into the car?
They could just be showing up for work, and I can pretend to be Dr. Tucci before taking their car.
On the other hand, they could be police, investigating the alarm. I could tell them what I’ve found.
Or maybe they have nothing to do with me, and I should just keep walking.
The choice is yours.
What should I do about this car? Total Voters: 37
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September 9th, 2009 at 12:35 am
Run for it
Though I have a nagging feeling a nice set of legs is going to come out of the car first and who can resist that?
September 9th, 2009 at 8:58 am
If you didn’t see a poll, there might have been a glitch. It seems to be working now, so check again if you didn’t get a chance to vote.
September 10th, 2009 at 9:03 am
Sounds like a good idea. This slightly opened rear door does look so inviting! Let’s enter into the car, but with the gun ready. If the pitch by the people in the car does not satisfy VI, he can always appeal to their self-preservation instinct to get out.
September 9th, 2009 at 6:55 am
No poll!
*sob*
September 9th, 2009 at 8:57 am
There may have been a glitch. I’m seeing it now — try again.
September 9th, 2009 at 9:04 am
[...] Episode Three [...]
September 9th, 2009 at 9:39 am
Another interesting chapter, didn’t see the whole wearing the skin thing coming, very interesting power. Makes me eager to see what else our protagonist can do.
So, my vote breakdown. I voted for Get into the Car, I’m hoping that these guys are somehow here to help VI in some way, maybe (another?) government branch that is looking to take down the group he just escaped from or some underground organization that is trying to liberate people like VI. I’m basically holding out for some bigger conspiracy that shows VI is only a small cog in a very big wheel, and I’m hoping that these guys are the key.
The option to Tell them what I’ve found just seems like a bad move to me, though it could lead back to the Get into the car vote I made. If he tells these guys and their friends then I could get the conspiracy I’m aiming for.
The two options of running for it or simply walking away seem too much like avoidance. I’d rather see VI deal with something then trying to simple avoid whatever he’s into. Plus, its a good point in the story for him to run into a friend of some sort… Lets face it, VI needs help.
The option to Take their car deals with them for a bit but doesn’t really get VI much further into figuring out whats going on. Instead of being on foot now he’s in a car but he’s pretty much stuck in the same “what the hell is going on” mode he was before.
I think really, for episode four I’m hoping for a glimpse behind the curtain a bit. VI has been lost and its time for him to take a step into figuring out whats going on… even if its a small step. I’m hoping that this car can provide some answers for the multitude of questions that both VI and myself have.
September 9th, 2009 at 9:59 am
The “wearing the skin” power came about because I couldn’t think of a logical reason why the guard wouldn’t come into the office to check on things. These are the corners y’all paint me into. :P
September 9th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Interesting response Rob. I want the opposite. I want the mystery drawn out longer. Not sure why… ;)
September 9th, 2009 at 9:54 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Chuck Wendig and Martin C. Henley. Chuck Wendig said: I'm an asshole! Wrong link! @eddyfate's Whitechapel is here, here, here — http://whitechapelproject.com/?p=155 [...]
September 9th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog. :) Cheers! Sandra. R.
September 9th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoy it!
September 9th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
I don’t know about the other voters, but his grip on Dr. Tucci is slipping and how long can he put up the charade?
He’s outside now, if I were him, I’d probably panic and run. For all those voting to just walk, well, he can, can’t he? He’s Dr. Tucci at the moment. He could just walk up to a car and drive away. He’s got a 1 in 3 chance of getting in the right one (assuming they are all open and keys inside).
By the way, love his new power. Good idea. ;)
September 9th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Thanks! The choice of bluffing required me to come up with an interesting solution. :)
September 10th, 2009 at 10:03 am
For my money, if I’m VI, I want to get away and get away now. Evidence that this car has anything to do with him is limited at best. So why force a confrontation that doesn’t need to happen?
Just keep walking.
If you–as writer–want a confrontation it’s still right there for you. Nothing’s to say his attempts must always succeed. But the other options seemed too metafictional to me.
–M
September 10th, 2009 at 10:58 am
Oh, a confrontation will come eventually — this is fiction, after all — but if people want VI to walk away, then he’ll walk away.
I’ll try to save the “VI is wrong” choices to a bit later in the narrative. :)
September 10th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Wow! Best episode yet! This things are just getting better! I voted walk away. Why? Because that’s the thing I’d try to do. Running is suspicious. Going to the car might lead to something you don’t want to. Maybe those persons aren’t even concerned by all that. My opinion.
Keep on the good work Eddy!
September 10th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Thanks for the kind words, Shadow Freak! :)
September 11th, 2009 at 2:21 am
‘Get out of prison & someone is waiting to pick you up’ is a bit too Blues Brothers-ish for my taste. VI really doens’t need help, he needs answers and answers usually don’t come packaged in parking cars. I’m all for taking the car. VI needs some miles between himself and his previous lodgings if he’s to stand a chance.
September 11th, 2009 at 9:19 am
“Answers usually don’t come packaged in parking cars.”
Though if they did, my Christmas would be so much cooler.
Good points, Ivo!
September 16th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
[...] Back to episode three Share this post with your friends: [...]
October 1st, 2009 at 7:38 pm
[...] Previously on Whitechapel [...]
October 26th, 2009 at 9:19 am
Can you publish post 6 and then add your recording.. I never could wait for xmas either. Yes, Yes I did open my presents and tape them back together…
So can you post episode 6, and add the recording later??? Pretty Please!!!
October 26th, 2009 at 10:17 am
Wow! I’m really glad you’re excited, but I always end up doing a final bit of editing when I’m recording — I often find problems and awkward turns of phrase during the course of recording. Don’t worry — it’s only a couple more days. :)