Nano XXX

"That was easy," said Michael.
The man in the suit smiled and patted him on the back.
"Come on," he said, "We have more work to do."
Michael understood.
As they walked back to the van, he noticed a shiny sheet of metal leaning against the building and took in their reflections. Two completely identical men in two completely identical suits.

Nano XXIX

Michael held both hands aloft as the man in the suit stuck the gun in his back and marched him towards the men.
"Is everyone here?" asked the man in the suit.
"This is all of us. Why?" asked one of the men in lab coats.
"You won't want to miss this," laughed the man in the suit. "Michael?"
Michael opened the box.
Fifteen men collapsed amid the bright light and screeching, clutching their ears and trying to cover their eyes.
Once they'd all stopped moving Michael closed the box and turned to the man in the suit.

Nano XXVIII

They drove between the buildings and to what the man at the gate called the back door which had once been known as the loading bay.
"They're all here. Excellent," remarked the man in the suit.
The van stopped and he got out. He pulled a gun from his waistband and pointed it at Michael, motioning him to get out. He winked at him.
"I caught him. He's willing to co-operate," he announced to the men on the loading bay, 15 of them in total.
There were nods of approval from the men. They wanted the box and to harness its power.

Nano XXVII

"I've brought him back, he surrended," said the man in the suit through his open window.
"I'll radio the others and have them meet you by the back doors," replied the man in the balaclava.
There was a crackle of static and he said something into his radio.
"Ok, you can proceed."
"Oh, one more thing," said the man in the suit.
"What's that?"
He turned to the passenger seat.
"Michael, open the box."
He did so and the man in the balaclava collapsed.
They drove in.

Nano XXVI

They drove for a long time along the country lanes and eventually the factory loomed into view.
"Remember this place?" the man in the suit asked.
"I used to work here. It's the old steel works, isn't it?"
That was an eternity ago now, before the war and before the box.
A man in a balaclava flagged them down at the gates.

Nano XXV

The man in the suit drove.
"How are we going to do this?" asked Michael.
"We're going to say I caught you after escaping and you surrendered. Simple, really."
Michael wasn't sure how they could pull this off. The van slowed.
"Why have you stopped?"
The man in the suit pulled a small remote control from his pocket and pushed a button.
"Don't forget the shield!" he said.
They drove on.

Nano XXIV

"Are there any more?" asked Michael after he'd closed the box.
The man in the suit shook his head.
"Where to now?"
"We're going to go back to the factory and kill all of them," said the man in the suit.
"Is that necessary?"
"You saw what they did to you, right?"
Michael remembered the flickering images. The man in the suit was right.