Ark

"So what do you think Ark?" asked Nyo as he walked down the hall on his way to the uniform supply closet.

< About what? >

"Of Dmitry, can we keep him?"

< That is a given Nyo, we can not turn back now. Besides, he is a very intelligent boy. >

Nyo just smiled.

< Nyo make sure you get another set of clothes while you are getting a set for Dmitry; Stepan just woke up. >

"Ok, thanks," said Nyo. "Can you have the sizes I need when I get there?"

< They are already waiting for you. >

"So exactly what is it that we missed from the police reports? I thought we had everything and everyone accounted for before I came back," said Nyo as he entered the uniform supply closet.

< You are supposed to wait until you are back with the other two until you go over this. >

"Well at least tell me how important it is," replied Nyo. "What sizes?"

< Stepan is the same size that you are, a size 13, and Dmitry is a size 9. >

"Thanks," Nyo said as he grabbed the sizes he needed and then headed back out of the room.

< And it can be fairly important if we missed what I think we missed Nyo. >

~~~

"You know what, I'm not really sure where we are," Dmitry replied to Stepan's question. "All I was told is that we're safe."

"Umm ok, is there anyone here other then the two of us?" asked Stepan.

"Yep, Nyo is here but he went to get me some clothes," said Dmitry. "Actually, Ark I think Step will need some clothes too."

< I have already let Nyo know. >

Stepan shook his head, "I'm so confused, who is Nyo and where did that voice just come from?"

< I am that voice Stepan, I am the Ark; an Artificial Intelligence program that has been watching humanity for a long time. Nyo is my caretaker, you will meet him shortly. We are the ones that saved you from the late Dr. Waltkins. >

"I hate Dr. Waltkins," Stepan said darkly. "He made me watch him kill Alexey with a nail gun and then beat me until I couldn't get up again."

"I'd rather not talk about him," said Dmitry. "He's a bad man."

< He is also a dead man. >

Just then Nyo came back into the room carrying two sets of black and grey uniforms.

"Hiya Nyo!" said Dmitry. "What did ya bring me?"

"It's the same kind of uniform I'm wearing," said Nyo as he set the uniforms on the end of Stepan's bed.

"Cool, that works," replied Dmitry as he slowly got off the bed and carefully started putting on his uniform while trying to keep himself hidden under his lab coat.

Nyo smiled and then turned to Stepan, "Hi Stepan, I'm Nyo. How are you feeling?"

Stepan stared deep into Nyo's eyes for a moment and then let out a small gasp.

"You ok?" asked Nyo.

"Huh? Oh I sorry, I'm feeling much better then I did before," said Stepan.

"Awesome, well I brought you something to wear when you are ready to get dressed," said Nyo. "Now Ark, since we are all in the same room what did you find?"

< There were seven children missing other then Maxim Valranok, the boy whos autopsy and police report we got that original number from; but there is a problem. We did not add Maxim's friend Dominic Nimvok to that list, who went missing one week after Maxim's body was found. So we are missing a boy, he was not among the ones we found. >

"Where else could Dr. Waltkins have put him if not with the others?" said Nyo.

"I think I know," replied Dmitry excitedly. "Dominic is about my age and height but with grey eyes."

< According to the records all the boys Dr. Waltkins kidnapped had blue eyes. >

Dmitry shook his head, "Dominic's were grey, Dr. Waltkins hated his eyes because they weren't blue. He kept the both of us in the basement together for a few weeks before he moved me upstairs."

"Basement? What basement?" said Nyo. "I didn't see any stairs for one."

"Unless you were looking for it you probably wouldn't be able to find it," said Stepan. "He kept me there for a few days before too. It's door is under Dr. Waltkins' bed, it's a panel on the floor."

"Ark, get ready to take me back to Dr. Waltkins house, we need to check that basement," said Nyo.

"I want to come with you," said Dmitry. "He's my best friend."

"Not this time, you have to learn how to use a Phasenmorph and a personal cloaking device first; that and you need to heal for at least a day," said Nyo. "Ark, do you think you can guide them to the control room so they can guide me if I get lost?"

< Yes, I can do that. >

"I shouldn't be too long, there isn't any real danger there anymore with the good doctor being gone," said Nyo.

Nyo looked at Dmitry and Stepan and smiled, "Be good while I'm gone."

"Yes sir," grinned Dmitry.

"Ok Ark, now..." said Nyo as he vanished into thin air.

"Wow! That was cool!" exclaimed Dmitry.

"What just happened?" asked Stepan.

< I teleported Nyo to Dr. Waltkins house; it is very much like a transporter that Starfleet would use, only completely different in technique and mechanics. Now if the two of you would kindly proceed out of the medical bay and to the right the control room is not far from here. >

"Hey Ark," said Dmitry as he helped Stepan out of bed and into his uniform. "Nyo mentioned a Phasenmorph and a cloaking device, what exactly are those?"

< Ah the questions start again. >

~~~

Nyo appeared about a block from Dr. Waltkins house just outside of the orphanage.

< Nyo, it looks like we have company. >

Nyo looked down the street and saw several police cars sitting outside of Dr. Waltkins house.

"Okay, well that explains why you put me a block away," said Nyo as he punched in a few commands on his cloak and vanished from sight. "I should have already had my cloak on."

< There are eight police officers, two coroners and the Moscow police chief. Be careful Nyo. >

Nyo slowly approached the house and carefully snuck up onto the front porch. Just then the two coroners came out of the house carrying a body bag.

"This is Ivan Izbygnev," one of the coroners said to a nearby police officer. "Or what's left of him."

The officer nodded his head and wrote something down on his clipboard.

Nyo looked in the front door and seeing that the hallway was clear he slipped inside and then into the first room, Dr. Waltkins bedroom. Luckily the room was empty.

"How did the police find out about Dr. Waltkins?" asked Nyo as he quietly moved the bed to the other side of the room.

< It seems that they are here because of something Dr. Waltkins did back in the United States, it seems he killed his wife and son before he left to come here. >

"That doesn't surprise me," said Nyo.

< Why did you want to stop Dmitry from coming with you? You could have easily taught him to use a cloak. >

"Just in case I don't find his friend alive," said Nyo. "I don't want him to see what could possibly have happened to his friend if the boy is dead."

< I never really thought of that, I suppose humans are weak in that aspect too. >

Nyo found a trap door under the bed and slowly he lifted the door and looked inside.

"It's really dark," Nyo said to himself. He then pointed his Phasenmorph into the hole and thought "flare." Suddenly the entire Phasenmorph lit up as if it was a florescent light. In front of him was a flight of stairs that seemed to go much deeper into the ground then the average basement would.

"Thanks Phil," Nyo said to his Phasenmorph as he carefully took his first step onto the basement stairs and pulled the trap door closed over his head.

"Did you find the door?" Nyo hear Stepan say over his sub vocal communications device.

"Yeah, I found it," said Nyo. "I'm just inside the door."

"The stairs actually go pretty deep into the ground and they're kinda slippery," Nyo heard Dmitry add. "Be careful Nyo."

Nyo smiled, "Thanks D, I'll try."

Nyo slowly started making his way down the mildew covered steps while holding his left arm and Phasenmorph out in front of him. When Nyo reached the bottom he found himself looking into a vast, dark basement that was much bigger then the house above it.

"This place is huge, Phil can't even light the whole thing," said Nyo. "Is there a light switch down here?"

"No, there are no lights," Nyo heard Stepan say.

Nyo looked around best he could and then called out into the darkness, "Dominic, are you down here?"

< Nyo the chance of him still being alive is... >

"Who's there?" Came a small voice from the left side of the room.

Nyo directed his left arm in that direction and there in the corner of the room was a small boy with his knees up to his chest and his forehead resting on them, he couldn't see the boy's face.

"My name is Nyo, I'm a friend of Dmitry's," said Nyo. "I'm here to get you out of the place."

"You can't, he'll see you. He is always watching, he is always looking, he is always there," said the boy.

"Who?" asked Nyo.

"Waltkins, he likes to watch me but he hated me watching back," said Dominic as he began to cry. "So he took that away from me and he always watches me now."

"Dr. Waltkins can't hurt you anymore Dominic, I promise you that," said Nyo.

< I wonder what he means by that > Nyo heard the Ark say in his ear.

"How can you promise that?" cried Dominic. "Even if I get away he'll find me. I can't see him but he will always see me and will always find me."

"He's dead," replied Nyo.

Dominic lifted his head a little, "You're sure? You're sure he can't see me anymore?"

"Yes," said Nyo. "You're safe now."

< Nyo hold your handheld towards the boy, I want to scan the boy. >

But before Nyo pulled out his handheld the boy looked up in Nyo's direction and even without the scan Nyo suddenly knew what the boy had meant as there was dried blood on the boy's face that seemed to have come from his eyes as if he was crying blood. The boy's eyes were closed but even without the boy trying to open them he knew that there probably wasn't anything there.

< Nyo, the handheld >

"Ark, he took the boy's eyes," said Nyo as tears began to well up in his eyes. "That asshole tore out his eyes."

"Oh my god, no! Nyo, you have to bring him back, please bring him back," Nyo heard Dmitry say to him over the SVCD.

Nyo slowly got closer to the boy, "Dominic, will you let me take you out of here?"

"Why would you want to save me?" said Dominic. "I'm no good to anyone this way."

"Don't worry about your eyes," Nyo whispered as he carefully wrapped his arms around the boy. "We can fix them."

"You said that Waltkins is dead? Did anyone else survive him?" asked Dominic.

"Dmitry and another boy named Stepan are still alive," said Nyo.

Dominic smiled and then whispered to himself, "Dmitry made it."

"Will you let me take you to him?" Nyo asked him.

Dominic laid his head against Nyo's chest and nodded his head, "Please."

"Ark, take us to the medical bay," said Nyo.

Suddenly both boys disappeared from the dark corner of the basement.