Satya's next assignment was deceptively unimportant.
She'd barely remembered it, what with the reveal that she would be visiting the office of Sombra's boss being squeezed in between a soulful apology and adrenaline-fueled dancing that had culminated with having to carry Sombra to her house a few blocks away. As such, the awakening she received from her phone's latest memo was particularly rude, and the idea of leaving it until she had better rested off the long night she'd had crossed her mind. The notion fleeted, however, as she rolled over towards her headboard and read the message.
Mi amiga,
Today's the big day; I know you're going to impress the gran jefe. Normally I'd go with you, but I don't place much faith in my stomach keeping everything together if I try to stand up. Also, the next time I decide to down shots of Herman's new tequila like Tic-Tacs, just hit me. Hard. In the face. I'm certain it won't hurt worse than this damn migraine.
Don't worry, I'll be fine, time heals all wounds y otras cosas por el estilo (ah shit, I forgot you don't know Spanish. Basically, it means "and all that jazz"). Anyways, I *should* be back on my feet by the time you're done. As always, I've sent you the coordinates. We'll meet back at your place. I'd love to hear all about it.
-Sombra.
P.S. Remember what I said. Be curious.
As Satya closed the file on her phone and began her morning routine, she found herself being confronted with an unfamiliar feeling, one that slowed her pace towards the shower and placed a hand on her chest as she felt her heartbeat accelerating. It had been a long time since nerves had gotten to her like they were now, but she remembered it with great detail.
Like the day I met Sanjay, she recollected. As a fresh, raw recruit, she had been sent to his office, alone and unsure just what to expect or what to do. The two had met while she was admiring a painting that hung in the hallways of Vishkar's home office. As she straightened its frame slightly, he had ambled up beside her.
"A masterpiece, isn't it?" he said, his eyes searching over the artwork.
Satya looked over at the person who stood alongside her, a young man with a wide nose and mildly pointed chin wearing a Vishkar uniform. Uncertainty grew within herself; Was she supposed to answer him? Was she supposed to know him? Either way, she'd be taking a chance that she'd end up in an awkward situation, something she actively tried to avoid.
After a few seconds, she slowly glanced over at him and went with an arbitrary decision. "Yes." she responded meekly. "Very much so."
The man continued with subtle enthusiasm: "I enjoy how this particular work reflects Vishkar. Each brush stroke is precise, its intentions well defined. Everything on the canvas has an exact place within the artist's vision. Without a doubt preferable to the surreal movement of its era."
Satya had always had mixed feelings about art; On one hand, it could use wild and random techniques to create what she saw as utter chaos, regardless of whatever explanation accompanied the piece. On the other hand, pieces such as this provided a friendly perspective, showcasing the same desire for order that she had. Perhaps, in these gilded halls, she had found a kindred spirit?
She now spoke with more confidence. "I agree. I also appreciate how the artist does not mix the colours, further exemplifying the contrast with its contemporaries."
"And magnifying the reflection." the man interrupted. "There is right, and then there is wrong. Good and evil, day and night. Each one is evident, easy to stay within the boundaries of, and must be taught to the unlearned."
"It only takes one with the right mindset to see it through. Order through peace, peace through calm, calm through order."
An impressed smile crept across the man's face as he swiveled his head and regarded her. "I've never heard that. Who are you quoting?"
Satya saw and took the opportunity to lightly brag. "Myself. It is a mantra I have developed. It saw me through the Academy and still rings true today."
"Ah, so you're the graduate they assigned to me." The man turned himself towards her and bowed in the traditional Indian manner. "Sanjay Korpal, at your service."
Satya, realizing quickly that Sanjay was the supervisor she'd been sent to, returned the gesture. "Satya Vaswani. Humbly yours, sir."
Sanjay rose and spread his arms outward. "Welcome to the Field Operations division, Ms. Vaswani."
Field Operations? This caught Satya unprepared. "Sir? I am not sure I understand. My expertise is in Architecture." she protested, making sure her words weren't minced but also maintaining a submissive status.
Sanjay chuckled quietly. "I am aware. But such creativity and cunning as yours, the kind that I hear garners the highest overall marks in Academy history no less, can't be squandered on drawing blueprints and erecting skyscrapers."
Satya was nearly tickled pink. "Thank you very much, sir. I promise I will use my talents to their fullest extent."
"I will expect no less." He began to walk down the hallway and gestured for her to follow him. "Together, we can give the masses a better world."
The only problem was that in the years they had worked together, it didn't happen. Satya quickly learned that her handler was highly ambitious, never missing a chance to appeal to his own superiors for greater power, as well as take unsavory measures to obtain it should his mewling diplomacy prove ineffective. As well, he was an unremorseful liar, gladly willing and able to dupe herself or others into furthering an agenda that had no indication of giving anyone except himself a better world.
Thankfully, Sombra had, at least in this early stage, proven to be different. She had no idea just what Sombra's own boss would be like though, and it unnerved her. Still, she had to soldier on; To not arrive on a day when she was expected would be tantamount to signing her own death warrant.
By the time her reminiscing was done, Satya had showered, dressed in her office uniform, polished off her usual breakfast, and was undergoing her dances. Her mantra rang in her mind as the memory flickered away like a dying candle. By the time she had finished, her teleporter had been conjured and the pathway to Sombra's coordinates had been opened. Steeling herself, she took herself through the portal one purposeful step at a time.
When she arrived and closed the path behind her, her surroundings had changed significantly. She was standing on a balcony overlooking a sheer chasm that must have dropped over a thousand feet straight down. On the other side, mountains protruded upwards, pointing towards the midday sky with rugged grandeur. Satya would have observed the landscape for a little longer, but she didn't want to risk running late. As such, she followed the balcony to her left, where an ornately designed doorway led inside.
Without an indication as to where her meeting would be taking place, she was left to wander around. At first, this lack of organization nearly overwhelmed her as she searched the hallways and massive rooms of the interior with increasing urgency and panic. She was on the verge of opening another portal and returning home when Sombra's advice cut through her fear like a scalpel.
Remember what I said. Be curious.
A situation such as this was most certainly out of her comfort zone, but the words and the memory of her friend's kindness the night before were still fresh.
Maybe, she pondered, this is another such scenario? If so, she will be proud to hear that I can keep myself together.
She centered herself in her current room before she closed her eyes and took in long, deep breaths for some time, all the while letting Sombra's message and her mantra take root and pacify her emotions. Disorder could never win, especially not today.
Her feelings calmed, she took to exploring the interior with what could have been constituted as gusto. Her searches took her down countless hallways with expensive red carpets and mahogany walls lined with sculptures and priceless paintings, and into massive rooms lit by chandeliers and decorated in the same way as the halls. It didn't take her long to realize the complex she was in was carved inside a mountain, with a stately mansion at the very peak and the rest hidden from sight inside massive hollow chambers.
Natural architecture, she mused. Always crude compared to hard-light, but still a sight to behold when bent to human will.
After going upwards, she then turned her attention down. As she searched the deepest corridors, she noticed that the surroundings were becoming more modern, with pure white colouration and modern building materials taking the place of the vibrant reds and sturdy browns, and steel, glass, and plastic being used more often than wood and gold. As she came to one of the lowest areas, she was confronted by a locked, unmarked door. Initially, she went to turn around, but her friend's wisdom took hold and compelled her to continue forth. The lock was no match for her constructions and slid open easily. With each step she took inward, ceiling-mounted lights gradually illuminated themselves, revealing the room's contents. Strewn across various counters and hanging from the walls and roof were machines, each one looking more surgical, and in some cases insidious, than the ones before. The gleam of polished instruments forced her to cover her eyes, and the overall feel of the room unsettled her nerves. What was what looked to be a combination of a laboratory and a doctor's office doing inside a mansion in a mountain?
As she rounded a corner, she came to the strangest sights of all.
Before her laid a hospital bed, its occupant an unconscious woman with knee-length raven hair, thin ruby lips, and striking purple skin. Embedded in her arms were multiple tubes of fluid that pumped strange concoctions, while a vital sign monitor beeped inhumanly slowly. In this sleep, the woman didn't look peaceful; her chest wasn't rising and falling, nor did her abnormally stiff position looked induced. In fact, Satya couldn't make out anything natural out at all whatsoever. It was as though the woman was a completely blank slate, with not even so much as a synapse firing inside her brain at that moment.
Next to this was a suspended animation tank, but instead of being filled with water, it held a great cloud of jet-black mist that slowly twisted around itself. The contorting mass was so thick that Satya couldn't see if there was anything within, but she still tried to gaze through, mesmerized by its oddity and the wish to sate her newfound curiosity.
Ever so slowly, she tiptoed closer to the tank and its swirling contents. Her continued inability to pierce the chaotic veil and find the eye of the storm drove her closer and closer until she was mere inches away from the glass, her nose nearly pressed against it. From such a close proximity, she almost thought she could hear the mist, and it seemed to be making the sound of a whisper-quiet, perpetual exhale without a single pause for breath.
What on Earth is in there? If I didn't know any better, I would think that it sounds... alive.
As she stared deeper still into the black void, something from within appeared directly on the other side of the glass without warning. It rapidly took shape, becoming a pale face resembling some sort of ghost, with soulless eyes and a dagger-pointed nose. Satya yelped at the sight and jumped back as it faded back into nothing. Before she could catch settle herself down, a sharp, whining hiss further startled her as a hole in the top of the tank opened and some sort of gas was added through a tube. As it happened, the already-dim lights flickered and the dark maelstrom intensified, shaking its enclosure violently.
Now watching with growing dread, Satya immediately came to the realization that her curiosity had overstepped its boundaries. Before she could beat her hasty retreat though, she felt an icy hand wrap around her throat and squeeze hard. Simultaneously, the lights ceased to flicker and settled on beaming steadily downward once again, revealing that the hand now trying to choke out Satya belonged to the unfeeling woman, now conscious and standing, her unblinking eyes locked on their target with lethal intent.
Her nails dug into Satya's neck, drawing a a small stream of blood that trickled down onto her uniform. With desperate strength, Satya scrambled to pry the murderous hand away, but it was to no avail; The woman had inhuman physicality to go with her appearance. She tried to summon a construct to remove the threat, but panic consumed her thoughts and actions as she gasped for air.
Before what she saw around her could turn to blackness and her body could go cold and limp, a voice called out from behind.
"Le lac des cygnes!"