Page 121 of Tapeworld Induction

He sighed. “Let me jog your memory. It led to a warehouse with dozens of people strapped to Crypterra Sleepers. I think it’s a Tapeworld mirror to a place IRL, where those people are being kept taped in. And Astrid is using the Tapeworld equivalent to monitor her stable of unwilling victims.”

“Oh…” Elodie’s eyes lit up. “You found it! I’ve been looking for that place for a while.”

A storm bubbled inside him, threatening to spill over. “You knew about the sleptigrades?”

Dylan shot him a quizzed look. “The fuck is a sleptigrade?”

“Astrid’s grey shapes.”

Elodie took another puff of the synthtube and leant forward, glancing at their interlaced hands before looking back at their faces. “We believe it’s the end result for someone trapped in the Crypterra Sleeper. Their tape-presence, after an undetermined amount of time, becomes corrupted. They lose their will and become your grey shapes.” Her cold detachment did nothing to ease the mounting sense of horror in him.

“Fuck. You know what that means?” Dylan moved away from him, suddenly with a thousand-mile stare.

He rubbed his eyes. Impulse told him to punch his leg as hard as he could, but he fought it back, resisting the anger and the guilt. “I saw Astrid do it. She killed that volunteer, Nicholas, right in front of me and Talia. I’ve killed people. The security guard a couple of weeks ago, the sleptigrades this evening at Cardinal Row.” The pressure in his chest was getting harder and harder to contain. He made a fist.

He started towards Elodie before Dylan stopped him. “Don’t. You didn’t know… I didn’t know.” She fought back tears, her voice tremulous and wet. “I had to kill three of them to get you back.”

Elodie crossed her arms. “I’m not without compassion, Isaak. Yes, dying in the Tapeworld will kill you IRL. Punching me will accomplish nothing.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked.

“I didn’t know how much you had seen. Astrid assured me all the gigs she had for you were unmanned, forgotten pockets in the Tapeworld. I’ve been trying to find that place, to find out what Astrid has been doing, but she’s a difficult woman to pin down… Look, we can still try to save your friend. Would you be able to pinpoint where the warehouse is, based on the mirror version of London you saw in there?”

The word “try” sent a shiver down Isaak’s spine. The woman either had a screw loose or she truly did not give a shit about them.

“What do you mean, try? Can’t you just use the lobster phone like before?”

“Answer the question.”

He paused, wracking his brain. “It’s near the river.” He thought back to when he looked out the windows in that other place. “No. Nothing.” He glanced at Dylan. “I’m sorry.”

“The Dalí device worked for you because your friend there pinpointed your location in the Tapeworld. We don’t know where Talia is. I can’t just strap her to the lobster and bring her back like that.”

Dylan stared daggers at Elodie. “Me and Isaak are more than friends.” She grabbed his hand possessively to make her point.

Elodie raised her hands. “I meant no harm.”

Dylan practically growled. “Can’t your hooligans just grab Astrid in the real world and force her to free Talia?”

“You’ve seen her bodyguard up close. She might be small fish to the Kingdom, but Crypterra’s security is still formidable.”

“It’s not looking good, is it? Talia’s trapped in there.” Sacha, his eyes washed in tears, stood and walked towards Isaak. “And it’s all your fault, you bastard.”

Dylan got between them. “Stop it, Sacha. You’re upset. We all are.”

Sacha glared past her at Isaak, fire in his eyes. “Better if you hadn’t showed up at my door, if you kept your word that you’d leave the Tapeworld alone.”

This was it, then. He’d been expecting Sacha to blow up like this.

“Yes, we both agreed to quit, and then I never did. ReSports and striding are the only two things I’ve ever been any good at, and I can’t do one of them anymore…” His voice strained. “When I’m in the Tapeworld, I can forget about my fucking knee! I can run again. I was never going to give that up. I’m sorry, mate. I know how important Talia’s become to you. There’s no excuse. I’m just… I’m sorry.” He poured himself out in a way he never had before.

Sacha wiped his forehead, cheeks reddening. “I…” He grew smaller, the bluster and anger fizzling out. His voice dimmed to a whisper. “I just want her back.”

Dylan had a look of resolve he’d seen before. “Talia’s in danger. Isaak may be to blame for many things, but both me and her made our own decisions to get involved in this. And now? Now we have to help her, not stand around arguing with each other!”

A feeling surged through him, the sensation growing in his chest. Confidence.

“Come on, Sacha.” He offered his hand.