Dear readers,
As an essential services worker, the past weeks have been quite rough. I have tried writing to relax but I find it a bit difficult to concentrate. I've reviewed this chapter over and over but you might still find a few grammatical errors.
Please, hang in there.
Hope you enjoy.
She felt herself floating around in the dark, images spiraling around her like paint swirling in water.
Her surroundings settled. It was a marvelous house; hand-woven carpets and tapestries decorating every surface. There was one with a particular motif she was found of: a bright sunny sky overseeing a dense jungle. The orange hues were captivating and impressive considering the depth of the color attained only through hand dying using natural pigments. It was her favorite.
Whatever happened to it? She remembered packing it in a suitcase, taking most of the space inside. She remembered having a lecture about packing unnecessary items. Her mother explained that she would always come back home to it.
A gust of wind blew in the tree branches, producing a sound like the waves of the sea.
Voices slowly rose from the silence.
An argument? She remembered her mother having fights all the time with her father. He was a tranquil and tame man who profoundly disliked confrontation. He had chosen to stand down instead of fighting with his stepbrother over his inheritance. When he decided to go abroad to work in order to sustain his family, another argument broke out. "Living in suitcases is not a way to raise a child". She remembered her mother insisting over the fact that they could not move to Europe in a sudden impulse. Her father simply walked away.
But it was not anger that drove the poor woman to argue as such.
It was fear.
Her mother was afraid of the unknown.
Her memories seemed so real as if they had just happened.
The last one brought her to tears. A sad hospital room. A respirator, IVs, a regular heartbeat from the monitor… so many tubes and wires she did not dare get near the bed. The staff told her she would get better in no time: it was only pneumonia. A bad cold that had worsened over ignoring the symptoms.
She remembered her father crying as he held her mother's hand. The doctor spoke of a diagnosis error. She saw the lawyers coming in to meet her father, sniffing an opportunity. Medical lawsuits were always the most expensive.
Thinking back, that was where her anger came from.
The fact that he didn't want to punish anybody, that humans were prone to errors and that it could have happened to somebody else. He dismissed the thought of legal action against the hospital, the doctors, and the medical staff. Her mother died as the infection worsened and organ failure had set in. Her father had murdered her mother in silence, gently, with his lack of backbone.
Tanusha cried until her eyes were so swollen, she could not see anymore. She could only hear her father speak with another man. A familiar voice. Jeff Tracy. How did she make it to the island? And the sunny sky, where has it gone to?
She woke up to the distant sound of waves. Whatever it was she laid on had nothing to do with the cold metal table from the lab. She tried tucking herself back to sleep a little more yet there was no sheet to grab a hold of. Kayo opened her eyes: she was inside a glass dome. The ambient temperature was just right and the lighting began slowly increasing the minute she made a move. The dome slowly opened on itself. The blinds slid automatically, revealing clear skies and the shimmering sea on the horizon. She was wearing clothes: yoga pants and a sleeveless sports shirt. She did not remember putting these clothes on; it was very uncomfortable to know strangers had dressed her up.
The room was painted in hues of greyish blues and whites. The furniture, looking quite futuristic, had trims and decorations in a matching palette. Covering the floor was a microfiber carpet so soft that she could not refrain from obsessively brushing her bare feet on it. It took her a while to understand that it was not a dream.
She stopped in front of a mirror and took the time to look at herself. No scars, no weird electrodes sticking out of her head. She was feeling well-rested and healthy; it made her question her memories of the past couple of days. Only foggy souvenirs remained, and the irritating smell of ether.
Kayo's reflections were interrupted by a chime coming from a holographic computer on the wall. It resembled the ones they had on Tracy Island. Alexandar appeared as she answered the call.
- Good Morning. How do you feel? Well rested, I hope.
She hesitated for a moment before giving an answer.
- Great… I guess. Care to explain what happened?
- This is your designated room. I trust you find it comfortable and functional? Let me know if there is anything inside that bothers you.
- What bothers me is the lack of answers. I should be the one asking questions.
- True. We have completed the required enhancement phase. You now have your personal quarters, access to training, entertainment and food to your heart's desire.
She crossed her arms on her chest.
- And what if I try to escape?
Alexandar sighed. He looked upset.
- Don't please. For your sake and mine. Doctor Hanse is satisfied with the current project's advancements and has agreed to let you leave the confines of the laboratories to work on a normal everyday routine. I worked hard on convincing him. If anything goes wrong, you'll go back to the table.
- I don't want to sound like an ingrate but I need to leave this place.
He motioned her to keep silent.
- All communications are being recorded for analysis. It is best you keep your whims to yourself.
She sat down hard on a chair, visibly annoyed. A hidden service hatch opened in what seemed to be the door: a cart containing food emerged, driven silently by a low-rise hovering platform. Having gone a few days without real food in her body, Kayo ate greedily, dismissing any table manners. Alexandar smiled.
- The menus are created following the analysis done on your body when you use the revitalizer. Our scanners allow us to measure vitamin deficiencies, keratin and melatonin levels, red blood cell count and detect any unwanted increase in dangerous proteins. Nothing can be overlooked with this equipment.
She turned to look at the glass-domed bed contraption: only in high-end sports magazines had she read about this type of extremely advanced equipment. Having one on the island would be amazing as it shortens the time required for a full night of sleep. Unfortunately, it was ridiculously expensive and required the constant presence of a physician in order to use it at its full potential.
While grabbing a napkin, she found a piece of paper hidden underneath. She could read "Act natural. I will tell you when it's safe to speak". In a quick gesture, she grabbed the piece of paper and hid it in a fold of her pants. She nodded to Alexandar, expressing her understanding. He smiled.
- I am happy you enjoy the food. Most of the vegetables are grown in our highly efficient greenhouses.
- So, even the food is genetically modified. To add insult to injury, your meat is lab-grown?
- Yes. With no danger to humans, I assure you. By increasing the nutrient content of the produce, we can feed more people. The same thing goes with reproducing the protein. It is healthier, more sustainable.
Upon finishing her breakfast, she got up.
- Is it time to initiate training? I want to get out of this room.
- Right. You have a full schedule in order to be ready in time.
- Ready for what?
- The Expo. Holling's military technology is being showcased to the Investor's Circle. You are to be his bodyguard then.
"Good, that's when I get to snap his neck!" She thought. This made her smile thoroughly.
- What are the training options?
- Just give me a second.
Alexandar fiddled on his tablet computer. A voice echoed through her mind, coming from nowhere.
- Can you hear me?
The sound did not come from the computer. Alexandar was writing on the tablet, his lips still. She did not understand what was happening.
- Close your eyes and concentrate. Can you hear me?
It was Alexandar's voice but a bit more high-pitched. She was suspecting him of playing with her brain; before she could say anything, the voice spoke again.
- Nod. Don't speak. Remember that all you say and do is recorded. Your entire life here is a live show. Just nod.
She nodded very faintly not to arouse suspicion. His hologram showed him still writing on the tablet.
- Good.
Alexandar lifted his head from the tablet.
- Are you ready to go?
- I'd love to, provide you tell me where we are going and how to get there.
- There is a lovely trail by the beach you can use to jog on the east side of the complex. We also have a complete gym with state-of-the-art exercisers. Whichever you like.
- And if I refuse?
- It's for your own good. Who knows what Hanse might do to you if you barricade yourself in this room? I suggest you do as I say for the time being.
She sighed. A ring came from her right: a hidden drawer opened from the wall. Inside she found a wrist communicator similar in shape to hers but a lot more sophisticated.
- This communicator is programmed so you can call me anytime. It does not broadcast further than the facility.
- Thanks for saving me the trouble…
- You are beginning to understand then. Your progression is steady; Doctor Hanse will be pleased.
The door opened on a corridor where a small white band lit up on the side, indicating the way to go. It led to a terrace overseeing a smaller building which appeared to be the gym. She headed for the beach trail.
During her run, she felt she was quicker than usual. Had she been able to count the distance, her time had surely improved of at least eight minutes. The trail was identical to the one she was training on at Tracy Island and there was no way she could have naturally covered all that ground in this little time. It was most obviously another perk of her enhancements. She did not feel any strain either in her breath or in her muscles.
Alexandar's voice came through in her head.
- Stop, you are far enough.
She obeyed him, stopping to look at her surroundings. She could see the eastern part of the complex, the other being hidden by a massive concrete structure in the middle. From this side, the entire complex was windowed.
- What now?
- You are far away from the surveillance now but you can still be recorded from your communicator. I suggest you turn it off…
He didn't finish his sentence; Kayo turned the communicator off immediately.
- Tell me now, how can you talk in my mind?
- Your cerebrum computer is wired to send signals to your brain for interpretation.
- That means you are "texting" to my mind and I can hear you?
- Correct. I am using my computer to interface with your cerebrum computer on an encrypted channel.
- You are the only one who can do that, right?
- Yes. Unfortunately, it won't be long before Hanse asks me for the algorithm so he can try it himself. I'll have to find a workaround. I will not let him take control of you.
She pinched her lips; Hanse was the big evil boss after all and her only option was to trust a complete stranger who played in her brain. Reassuring…
- What is happening is hard to swallow. You're my only ally here, don't let me down.
- I promise. But in return, promise me something.
- I can't guarantee...
- You'll have to comply with all of Hanse's demands. Otherwise, he'll use that code. Don't taunt him, argue with him or try to outsmart him. He is irritable and unpredictable...
- What's the worst that can happen?
There was a pause. He answered with a hesitant voice.
- Let me show you. Further, you will find a ramp leading up the concrete wall. Continue until you get to a control tower then get in it.
It took her a few minutes to reach the complex from the beach trail. As she went up the stairs, she could distinguish a control tower on the other side of the concrete wall. The fire escape was unlocked; she went up the seven stories without stopping, astonished at her own stamina. It pleased her.
She came into a computer room. Nobody was inside. It was dark but for a dim emergency light strip illuminating the room underneath the consoles. It itched her to get a hold of one and notify her whereabouts to her brothers but she refrained from doing so. At least she now knew where to go.
- This is where we can control all the defense systems. It is fully automated right now but can be manned if needed.
She continued towards the center. To her right was another room packed with systems and flashing lights floor to ceiling. It was obviously a server room. Striking here could deal a blow to the facility but to what extent. If these were solely the controls for the defense systems, they would most likely not have left them open to anybody. In the middle of the room was a chair, back facing the entrance, from which hung wires. As she approached, she saw Abigail strapped to it. She had her helmet on with a dozen cables connected to it. Kayo looked at the Keeper's hands and could see twitching every now and then.
Kayo tried reaching for her when Alexandar intervened
- Don't touch her! She is heavily drugged. They are literally pumping Acidosemine directly to her brain in order to numb her. Her reaction could be unpredictable.
- Am I going to have a turn in that chair?
- Rest assured, no. You are the new breed; they want total cooperation through little effort. Trust me, if they could get rid of her, they would. It would probably be the best for her, anyway.
- This is so wrong… Why would they do something this horrible?
- It happened a long time ago. She defied Hanse. She called him out in front of everyone, ridiculed him, and leaked footage of his devious experimentation to the World Scientific Ethics committee. She doomed herself and the other Keepers in the process. Hanse got his revenge by convincing Siegmund to sabotage the main reactor. The four of them were inside when he overloaded the core. The explosion was contained but not without wounding her badly. Hanse had the last laugh; he experimented on her, using her projects, her findings and claimed the glory for himself. She has become his work. Every occasion he has to make her suffer, he does it.
Ignoring Alexandar's advice, she gently squeezed the Keeper's hand.
- I'm sorry Abigail. I'll come back; I promise.
It felt like Abigail squeezed back, but it might also have been a spasm. Kayo felt bad for not believing all the stories the Keeper had told them. She had to be grateful for her new friend's insistence. Otherwise, she might have been worse off.
Footsteps were heard in the background
- I suggest you leave now. The guards won't question your motives but don't push your luck.
Kayo nodded and left, heartbroken. She was determined to help Abigail, even if it meant to go along with Hanse and Holling's madness. She hoped her brothers were working on a way to save them both.
The rest of the day was devoted to learning how to use her equipment. It took her a few hours to understand how to work with her cerebrum computer and interface with it through a gauntlet computer. Alexandar supported her as much as he could but, not being alongside her, could only give verbal instructions.
She was then fitted in her suit to learn the basics. Her helmet, the most advanced piece of the gear, was able to act as an interface or a screen in order to assist her in shooting or scanning. She became familiar with the commands rather quickly; the use of augmented reality was the only parameter she struggled with. Throughout the entire training, she wondered why Brains had not added such valuable technology to the International Rescue attire.
The suit was reacting better to her movements now that her subdermal receptors were completely operational. Putting it on was effortless. Alexandar explained the principle behind the tech: low currents circulating on the flexible conductors underneath her skin. The special alloy then reacted and either dilatated or retracted on demand. Reverting to optical camouflage was also a piece of cake. Once this ordeal is over, she wanted to claim the Artemis outfit and use it as her own. Her stay in Olympus might have brought some good after all.
In the end, she really enjoyed playing around with all this high-tech, military-grade gear. Alexandar showed her one last trick: she could use her cerebrum computer to block communications from the room through hacking by connecting to the cameras and recording devices. It was easy enough that she could secure her room whenever she pleased. That way, she was free to act and speak.
Alexandar spoke in her head again.
- I just received a message: Mister Holling wants you to dine with him tonight.
- Dine? Alone with him?
- Yes. Don't worry, I doubt he would want to do anything inappropriate. He might question you and make you uncomfortable though.
- You sound as if I cannot refuse.
- Exactly, you can't. You are his property after all…
She slammed her fist on the wall so fiercely, she made a bump in the drywall.
- I'm not an object you can toy with!
Alexandar motioned her to calm down.
- I know. But they are in charge. This is a game of power, remember. Think about Athena's suffering… If you stir up trouble, you might end up like her.
She sat back down, ashamed of her action, grabbing her helmet.
- You're right... What's required of me? A dress, hair done?
- He didn't specify anything. Appearing to him with your suit might make him proud.
- That's not a bad idea. I'm Artemis now, it seems.
- Good luck.
She exited her room and followed the lighted trail again. This time, it led her directly inside the convention center. The corridors seemed to fork in four directions in which most were barred by a camouflaged blast door. Her path had been arranged so she could not go anywhere else. To an untrained eye, it would feel like a normal wall pane but not to her: she had seen enough of these strongly reinforced panels on Tracy Island that she knew exactly what they were.
The halls led her to an elevator, guarded by heavily armed soldiers. She had not seen armed men in the complex anywhere up till now. Undoubtedly, these were Holling's quarters.
Helmet in hand, she approached the guards who did not even look at her. As she got closer, the elevator doors opened. There were no controls inside: she tried accessing an augmented reality interface with her cerebrum computer but was denied access. Her assumptions were that the elevator was only a simple system, controlled remotely. The doors opened on a large living room in the same hues than her quarters: greyish blue and white. The place was flawless.
Marcus Holling was waiting, sitting in a chair facing the window. He got up to greet her.
- Well now, if it isn't our new protégé. Is the food your liking? The room? How about your commodities and your freedom? We have so much to talk about.
Kayo would have had a breakdown at that moment. She could scream about her lack of freedom, about the fact that he stole her from her family, and Hanse's inhumane experiments on her in Newcastle. She would have shrieked until her lungs collapsed and tears drowned her voice. But something stopped her from expressing that much anger. Was the computer helping her cope with all of this? She understood a lot better where Abigail's uncanny resilience came from.
- The room is perfect. The variety of food is also to my liking, sir. I have yet to experience all the commodities of this facility, but I appreciate being able to walk around without shackles. The leash is tight though, as I was told I cannot leave this place.
- Why leave? You have everything here. Of course, you might have had friends and family outside but how do they compare to your total comfort and well-being? You are a valuable asset. Your life is here now, with us.
- Is there a way I can contact my family and at least tell them I'm safe?
- Why don't we discuss this over dinner? I have a wonderful Chardonnay paired with the creamiest, freshest Chaource cheese you have ever tasted.
He showed her to a table outside on the balcony. The wind was calm, and the air warm. The weather was just right to sit outside and enjoy herself but Holling was not the one she wanted to have a drink with right now.
A waitress came and served the wine before disappearing in a corner. The woman stood still, her eyes staring blankly in front of her. "Another of Hanse's victims", she thought, pitying her. Kayo grabbed her glass of wine and downed it in one gulp. Holling smiled
- Careful. You do not have blood modifications yet. It would be unwise to get drunk. Such a waste of great wine also. Sip it, why don't you. Enjoy life a bit.
She thought she was going to jump from her seat and strangle him. Instead, she responded sharply.
- Enjoying life does not rhyme with being a prisoner in a golden cage. My family is looking for me. If I cannot tell them where I am, there will be consequences.
Holling took a cracker and spread some cheese on top. He ate it, took his sweet time, and had another sip of wine. Before Kayo could add anything else, he clapped his hands. A holographic hub containing footage from various areas of the complex appeared. She could see some of them were locations she had passed during her run while others were completely unknown to her. Holling stopped at a particular one: an entire regiment of soldiers were standing at attention. They were armed and dressed for combat.
He dabbed his lips with a napkin before speaking.
- Regiment B294. This army of virtually trained soldiers can raid an area of two square kilometers in about twenty minutes. They are trained to kill anything that flees on two legs. If your family starts to become a nuisance, these fine gentlemen will gladly meet with them. They are fast, efficient, cheap and expandable. And unlike you, dearest Artemis, they cannot think for themselves. You can thank me later for letting you keep your conscience to yourself.
She froze, sincerely hoping Holling did not know anything of her background.
- I understand, Sir. I am sorry for bringing this up.
He smiled.
- Good. I knew you were a smart woman. Let's have dinner, shall we?
She remained silent, during the entire meal and ate scarcely. The food was okay, apart from the over-salting. Marcus Holling kept talking to her about his achievements, his beliefs, nothing new to her. Hanse had already told her everything during her incarceration in Newcastle. When he piped down, she asked:
- Did you really order me to kill a man?
He smiled at the waitress before turning back to her.
- Of course. Of what use are you to me if you cannot kill? Although I must say it was rather sloppy. You were in dire need of reforming; this is why the good doctor Velasquez has taken you under his wing. You have gone quite a way, I must say. You will be ready to be set in operation in no time. With no loyalty issues, I hope.
It was to be expected. She had faint memories of having strangled a man to death in a hotel room. It was hazy. She also remembered the screams of a young man but could not relate to any events where such could have occurred. She took a slow, deep breath.
- None, Sir. I am loyal to your cause.
- Good. Very good. Let us see if you can back your words. Do understand that, if you go missing, we will hunt you down as we did for Athena. We will destroy everyone around you in order to get you back and shall leave no stone unturned.
- Understood, Sir.
He shooed her away with the back of his hand.
- I grow weary of you now, you are dismissed. Regain your quarters and continue your training. You will need to be ready for the presentation.
She was glad to leave: he had drunk quite a lot of wine during the entire dinner, three bottles in whole and good ones at that. His threats resonated in her mind. If she wanted to go on with her escape, her plan would have to be flawless.
Walking back towards her room, she was surprised to run into Alexandar. He was panting. She did not have a chance to observe him in detail during the procedure since her mind was so hazy. He was very skinny; she could have definitely killed him in a single blow. Good thing I didn't, she thought, him being her only ally on this entire island.
He caught his breath.
- Artemis, Doctor Hanse wishes to see you right now in the lab.
- Why? Is something wrong?
- Not really, he just said he wanted to have a look at you.
- Sounds about right. I only saw that man in Newcastle when I was a total wreck. Let's hope I don't bash his head in. Let's get this over with.
Alexandar, surprised by her reaction, mumbled to himself as he showed her the way towards the laboratory. Four scientists, whom she recognized from Newcastle, stood behind Hanse. He greeted the pair with open arms.
- Good evening Miss Kyrano. Or should I say Artemis, the huntress?
She saluted him with a short bow. She had put her helmet back on to make sure her face would not betray her. She was relieved her cerebrum computer was filtering her emotions and gave her an enormous amount of willpower to prevent beheading him on the spot. His turn would come, she swore to herself.
Alexandar passed his tablet to the scientists and explained the modifications made to rewrite Kayo's brain and upgrade the learning chip to a basic cerebrum computer. She had a more limited range of actions possible but was a lot more efficient in combat. Hanse seemed pleased.
One of Hanse's assistants looking around at the tablet pointed something to the doctor. The old man smiled.
- Interesting. Let us see if your failsafe works.
He tore the tablet from his assistant's hand and typed. Kayo felt a sudden numbness in the back of her head. Was that the algorithm they had spoken about earlier? She really hoped she would not be robbed of her senses again. After a while, the numbness passed. Hanse smiled devilishly. He pointed at Alexandar.
- Artemis, kill that man.
She remained still. What was she supposed to do? Her friend gulped; he was trying to keep his calm yet his hands were shaking. During an instant, she thought about jumping on Hanse instead.
Hanse became impatient.
- I told you to kill that man. What don't you understand? Are you dumb? Kill him!
She remained still. Could she simulate being defective? She could not come up with an idea on how to act that part. Hanse's face was flushed red, looking like a ripe tomato with its skin ready to burst. The other doctors were stoic as if made of stone. She still did not move.
After a very long and awkward silence, Hanse smiled, showing his teeth. He looked even more hideous that way.
- Doctor Velasquez, your intellect astonishes me. Your failsafe if perfect. You will be granted permission to walk around Olympus and accompany our goddess everywhere she goes. Consider this a great token of my appreciation.
Alexandar bowed to Doctor Hanse; this permission would let him leave his concealed lab. Kayo was also satisfied: it meant the communication between the two would be less awkward. They were then dismissed from the lab. The young scientist walked in front; Kayo followed. He headed for the beach.
Far enough from the complex, Alexandar knelt down and retched. Kayo turned her back to him and crossed her arms. It always disgusted her to look at someone being sick.
- You sure you're okay?
He signaled her to wait a minute, cupping his hands to rinse his mouth with seawater.
- Just stress, that's all. I'm relieved you didn't kill me back there.
- Was I supposed to?
He did not answer; that may have made him uncomfortable. Kayo changed the subject.
- If Hanse had told me to kill him, I would have done it without hesitation.
- He won't try to pull that kind of stunt on himself. He's too much of a coward.
He shook the sand off his hands.
- I get to see the sky again, finally.
Kayo remembered Abigail hanging out outside on the terrace a lot during her stay on Tracy Island. Whatever the people of Olympus were submitted to, "seeing the sky" seemed to be the ultimate reward.
- How many other people are trapped below?
- In the labs? Or at all?
This surprised her.
- I made myself clear. How many people are trapped here?
Alexandar's face changed.
- More than a hundred. Scientists and engineers, very smart people who have signed with Holling and are locked up down there. Many of which were on the original project; they are still trapped underneath the complex. It's been years since went outside. Hanse refuses to let them out. Not to mention the people who get experimented on: the drones.
- Drones?
- We call them that. Those men and women whose learning chip is made to fill a single purpose. The maintenance and kitchen staff, the soldiers and the workers in the facility down below. They are heavily drugged and are kept in check. Some have signed for a sizeable sum in order to serve. All of them were vulnerable and had families to take care of…
Were the drugged men she found in England escaping that fate? This would explain why Artemis killed them all. Runaways are dealt with the hard way, she thought. She was Artemis now; it would be her job to hunt and kill anyone Holling wants dead. But what if she escaped first? She would have to devise a perfect plan if she wanted to leave with Abigail and Alexandar both.
A patrol was visible further on the beach. Kayo noticed it quickly and turned the other way.
- It will be wise to leave this place now. We're being watched.
Alexandar checked his tablet.
- I'll have a room to myself on the floor right over yours. We'll talk more tomorrow and work on introducing you to your flight module.
- Flight module?
- The rocket-powered exoskeleton you get to fly with.
- I've seen it already. You make it sound safe…
- It's to be expected since you probably saw Athena on hers. Yours will be a lot simpler, more like a very strong jet pack. You're not totally equipped to be a full-fledge Keeper like the first breed. There is also the matter of your weapons.
Of course, Artemis had weapons. The attack at the camp begun with an explosion. A portable rocket launcher was the only thing small and powerful enough to ignite the supplies. The killer then strangled all of his victims. If everything Abigail said about the previous Artemis was true, he was some sick bastard. She hoped it would not be necessary for her to get to that point.
They had reached their residences. The place was dark and deserted.
- Are we the only ones living here?
- Right now? Maybe. Not many people get to stay here long. After a while, they are moved to the mainland in another of Holling's facilities to do more work. No neighbors to run into in the morning.
Alexandar stretched and yawned.
- I'll get some sleep. A real bed after all this time. Let's hope my insomnia doesn't strike again.
He went up the stairs, towards his quarters and parted ways with Kayo as she reached her floor. She remained outside a bit longer to breathe the warm night air. Holling mentioned needing her to be ready for the "presentation". Her friend could surely tell her more about this in the morning. Since her treatment was special, she reasoned herself into taking advantage of it as long as possible. In the meantime, she could work on her escape plan more thoroughly.
At six o'clock the next morning, a chime came from her short-range communicator. She had left it on the nightstand, close to her. The revitalizer opened as she stretched her arm to grab it. The message was not from Alexandar, but from a distribution list named "Assignment". She was to report to the command center immediately. An assignment could provide her with the opportunity to send a message to her family and give them a short update on her situation.
Dressed up and ready, she followed the LED path towards another part of the complex, another corridor sealed off by larger reinforced door this time. Behind it unfolded an immense hangar, where dozens of workers were tending to fighter jets. These were military fighter aircrafts, older than the ones being actually used by the GDF. They must have been salvaged from the Global Conflict. Even after twenty years, this kind of aircraft retained its glory for being both fast and sturdy, capable of withstanding a missile attack and still land safely.
She walked in the center lane, looking at all the mechanics and engineers at work. A soldier came up to her, standing straight and saluting her as a higher-ranked officer. His voice was monotone, with little emotion, like a robot's.
- Master, you are required to accompany us in an urgent assignment. We require your capabilities in order to aid us in our task. You shall be put to the test.
She smirked when she heard the word "Master". It made her feel weird.
- All right… what's this all about?
The man did not answer. Instead, he handed her a holographic tablet containing details for the mission. The task was rather simple: accompanying a team of 5 soldiers, she had to neutralize all intruders inside the London PIMA facility. The boarding was in less than 15 minutes. She would have no choice but to go and assess the situation for herself.
The squad leader and his men greeted her with a salute and stood straight in complete silence. She felt a shiver; was she the only one with her full conscience in this entire hangar? Every one of the soldiers' movements felt calculated. She pitied them: it was horrible what desperate people would agree to do for money. What was more concerning was if the pilot had the actual ability to react in case of an emergency. She sincerely hoped that they would not be considered expendable, at least not with her on board.
Inside the aircraft, one of the seats stood out from the others. It reminded her of the one Abigail was strapped on but smaller. As the men took their seat, she understood it was indicated for her. She was relieved to see there were no restraints or any type of straps that could bind her in place, only safety belts. Reluctantly, she sat down. Nothing happened. She buckled up and put her helmet on as the pilot brought the aircraft on the runway.
Takeoff was smooth. Too smooth to her liking. The engines in these units were supposed to rumble like thunder. She was worried about the lack of roaring and the presence of a high pitch noise. That's when she felt a nudge behind her helmet. Something seemed to have grabbed a hold of it. Reaching out with her hand, she felt a connector attached to it. Alexandar appeared in augmented reality.
- Can you see me?
- Yes.
- She turned her head to look at the men at her side: they did not pay any attention to her. She went on.
- I trust you are going to tell me what this is all about?
- As you know, your helmet acts as a screen. You will be able to see a projected image through it. Since you do not have modified retinas, you will need your helmet at all times to access it. It's basically the interface for the Olympus systems. Watch.
Kayo began do see information appear at arm's length, in full field of view. She turned her head left and right and could see more informative screens. "This is awesome," she thought. The young scientist broke the silence.
- You can interact with it when in your suit. You can customize it to your liking. When you are linked to the system, aka "using the chair", you will have unlimited resources. Your basic autonomy with the full HUD on is about four hours. After that, you will be on emergency power and won't be able to interact with anything. You can have a limited view of your augmented reality, this puts you back sixteen hours, for a total of twenty hours of autonomy. Your suit can charge via solar power or fast-charged in the chair…
She interrupted him.
- I'm hooked to the main computer?
- Not really. You have limited access at the moment but eventually, once they trust you, you'll get your full permissions.
She fiddled with the HUD. It was amazingly intuitive.
- I never thought I'd say this but I love this thing.
It reminded her of a video game. Alan was quite fond of these, "he'd be SO jealous right now".
She smiled and tried to recall her brother's face. The more she tried to remember, the foggier it became. It had to be something related to her recent modifications. Alexandar intervened.
- What's wrong? I sense your vitals increasing.
- When you played in my brain, did you… "delete" my memory?
- No, I didn't. Don't worry, let's talk about it when you get back. There is a very rational explanation for that.
- For your sake, I hope there is.
"I sincerely hope it there is, and that it will be a satisfying answer," she thought. Getting this mission over with quickly and head back to Alexandar was her sole priority. She did not want to forget the only thing that kept her going.
