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Mission No. 58

Cerinia
Ruined City

"Panopticism"

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The doors to the transport shuttle opened, allowing a strong gust of wind to sweep inside. Bill perched on the edge of the troop bay, hanging onto the overhead railing for support. Dr. Makepeace likewise swayed at his side, the wind ripping through her hair and causing her lab coat to billow out.

Below the transport shuttle the dusty landscape streaked past in a blur, but eventually the snow-white sand gave way to the outskirts of a city.

Only a few hours ago, Yaru de Pon himself had called to report they'd tracked down Andross's old shuttle—the one the scientist escaped in after Bolse Y's meltdown. A trail of spaceport records led them through shipyards, junk dealers, and scrap heaps, but eventually they dug up the shuttle itself and managed to retrieve a corrupted flight log from its data recorder. The records revealed where Andross had landed on Cerinia years prior—and with any luck, Fox was headed there, too.

Soon they were flying over a residential area and in between towering office buildings—but there were no signs of life to be found in the interwoven streets.

Instead, the city looked like a war zone.

Most of the destruction they saw couldn't be attributed to conventional weaponry. There was no shrapnel from bombs, no bullet holes, and no laser scouring—nor did they spot any sign of military vehicles in the rubble. Yet something had destroyed the city from the inside-out, and Bill and the crew of the Justice knew exactly what did it.

Bill felt uneasy as they flew through the city. His perceptive eyes darted back-and-forth between the buildings, imagining he saw shadows moving in the broken windows or dark alleys.

"I recognize this place," Dr. Makepeace murmured. "I didn't at first due to all the destruction, but many of these landmarks look familiar. It makes perfect sense why Andross came here."

"What do you mean? Why this city in particular?"

Makepeace looked out of the shuttle, scanning the horizon and ruined cityscape. "This city was ground zero for the Anomie—the psychic apocalypse that destroyed Cerinian civilization. Andross flooded a nearby water plant with experimental chemicals to accelerate their psychic evolution. This was also home to the lab dedicated to researching extrasensory perception. Dr. Andross and Dr. Reinard both worked here years ago, making numerous trips between Lylat and Cerinia. It's no understatement to say their work was the backbone of the entire project; I studied their documentation extensively post their… exit from the team."

"Dr. Reinard… you mean Mrs. McCloud? Then Fox's coming here wasn't an accident?"

"Indeed not. McCloud didn't kidnap Subject 28 because she was just another vixen in distress. She's his connection to Andross, and the scientist in turn is a connection to his mother."

"But Mrs. McCloud—er, Dr. Reinard—died years ago; before I ever met Fox. What does he hope to gain by following Andross here?"

"Answers, maybe. No matter how long it's been since his parents' death, Fox still hasn't moved on. He could just want closure."

Bill scowled. "Then he should have asked General Pepper or someone else in charge about it."

"Suffice it to say, McCloud has reason to track Andross's activities here. If we continue to trace the madman's path, we may overtake Fox—and with him, Cerinian 28."

"Captain," one of the surveillance specialists cut in, "we've detected a metal object bearing 077. It matches the readout of an Arwing fighter craft."

A shiver of excitement ran up Bill's spine. "Instruct the pilot to take us there at once!"

As the shuttle angled through the buildings, Bill exhaled with a grin. Finally, some good news to report to Pepper!

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Pepper stormed into the main lobby of the Spire—the headquarters of the Cornerian Defense Force and home to his work office. He walked with long strides and clenched fists, a certain vein on his neck sticking out. He passed by a number of CDF personnel who at first made to greet and salute him. When they saw the look on his face, however, security forces stood aside, receptionists' bright smiles faded, and well-wishing officers shrank back, all staying out of his way.

The general was not in a good mood. Classified information on several clandestine surveillance programs had leaked to the public. He was frustrated about the leaks, but even more so at how the news media and average citizen reacted to them—with little understanding, and much reactionary, blind rage. It meant a whole new headache for Pepper on what should have been a day off. As red colored his vision, his mind raced to figure out how best to approach the situation and perform damage control in the public eye.

But one persistent figure refused to leave his side when he passed her. He attempted to brush her away, but she kept following him. Apparently she hadn't gotten the message. Ready to snap her head off, he whirled towards her like a hurricane—only to recognize his "secretary," Selkie Williams.

That stayed his harsh reprimand—but it made him even angrier, knowing who she really was.

"If you'll follow me, General," she asked with infuriating politeness.

The otter led him to the elevators at the end of the lobby. She pressed the button to summon a car, but Pepper impatiently scanned his ID, letting the elevator know he was top priority. A car appeared within seconds, opening to reveal a group of very confused and indignant officers—but their expressions turned fearful when they noticed their general on the other side. They immediately cleared the car, giving hasty salutes while avoiding his gaze. Pepper and Selkie filed in and the doors closed behind them, leaving the pair to themselves.

Now it was just the long ride to the top. With no way to speed up the process, Pepper tried to relax. There was nothing to do but be patient. He sighed, letting out a pent-up breath and releasing the tightness in his shoulders. Now was a better time than any to try to cool his temper before—

"Thank you for your prompt arrival," Selkie said in a chipper voice. "You have a meeting in five minutes for the Committee on Project Guiding Light. The main topic, of course, will be the recent security leaks."

Pepper rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm aware of that Selkie."

The otter smirked. When he looked back he saw her fade from the homely and unremarkable "Selkie Williams" to the alien vixen, Cerinian 26. She crossed her arms and leaned against the back of the elevator. When she noticed him staring, she shrugged. "What? No one can see us."

"It's not that, it's just…" He thought back to when he'd first met her, taking a similar elevator down to Aquas' capital. "…When I asked you to show your true form earlier, you hesitated. You seemed almost confused. Why?"

She looked away. "It's not often I'm asked to show my true form to someone."

Pepper raised an eyebrow. "Yet you did for me when we first met."

She smirked again, glancing back. "And how do you know that's really my true appearance?"

Before his eyes she transformed again, this time into a mirror image of himself. If Pepper didn't know any better, he would have thought he were having an out-of-body experience or had come face-to-face with his doppelganger. She pointed to her bushy eyebrow—a mirror of his own. "You have some dandruff here."

Pepper flinched and swiped at his brow till the dried flake fell from his "reflection." Only then did she transform back to her Cerinian self.

"That is… unsettling," Pepper confessed. "Sometimes I wonder why Fredersen didn't just have me killed so you could replace me."

"Mimicking your voice and mannerisms is more difficult," she admitted, "and mimicking that great mind of yours is impossible. Plus I can only replace so many people at a time without things getting ridiculous—like a girl who accidentally asked two boys to the prom and now must carefully juggle them."

The canine shivered. "Still, this current form of yours," he gestured to her, "it's the closest to the real you, yes?"

"Perhaps. I'm the most familiar with this Cerinian form, but it's not even mine; I'm borrowing someone else's. It's been so long since I've seen myself I've forgotten what I look like. Besides, having only one identity is dangerous. If I keep changing who I am, I have no real identity, and can never be pinned down by our enemies."

"You… you've forgotten what you look like?" Pepper asked. "Isn't it as simple as turning your powers off and looking in a mirror?"

She shook her head. "I never show my true face—not even to myself. If I act like people are watching me at all times I can never be seen or caught."

"…Show me."

"What?"

"Show me what you really look like. Turn your powers off. I-I just want a glimpse."

She crossed her arms. "I'm afraid not, General."

Pepper's anger began to rise again. Snidely he asked, "Don't you have to be awake to keep yourself disguised? If you're, for instance, sleeping, could you still keep it up?"

Selkie smiled suggestively. "Why don't you invite me over one night, and you can find out?"

Pepper's fists clenched. He'd had it. That was the last straw in a long line of frustrations: Bill's endless search, his soldiers left without their promised pay, Fredersen's blackmail, the stresses of the UPL meeting, and even more recently, these explosive leaks. And now this silly girl refused to show him her face.

The elevator slowed to a stop, and the disgustingly-pleasant chime sounded.

He snapped.

Springing forward, he grabbed her wrists and held her in place. "What if someone knocked you unconscious! Could you stay disguised then?"

Selkie tried to jerk free from him. "General, please!"

He pushed her back against the elevator wall. "It would only take a few seconds! Show me, or I'll find out for myself—the hard way."

As she fought Pepper, Cerinian 26 gritted her teeth and glared at him with a defiant expression.

Then, she vanished.

Pepper blinked, finding himself staring at the blank elevator wall behind her. By the time he realized he still could feel her wrists in his hands it was too late; before he could react, a sharp blow struck his stomach, and his grip weakened. Her arms wrenched free and she brushed past him, squeezing into his spacious office between the doors before they'd even opened halfway.

Pepper doubled-over, struggling to catch his breath from the unexpected blow and wheezing. He wheeled around to face the interior of his office. 26 still didn't show herself—but, looking down, he was able to trace her shoeprints to a spot beside the near wall, where he could see the impressions of her high-heels. So she couldn't always think of everything…

After a few seconds Pepper regained his breath and calmed down. He stood up, brushing off his sleeves and straightening his uniform.

"I'm… sorry," he admitted, but avoided looking in her direction. "I lost my temper there. I didn't mean to hurt you. Really, it's the stress of so many things weighing on me lately: too many to count. The leaks are just the latest in a long line of worries. You, being the tool of Fredersen's blackmail, were just an easy target to take my aggression out on. I'm deeply sorry…"

More time passed, till finally Selkie faded back into existence. She was an otter once more.

"Thank you. I… won't report this altercation to Fredersen, seeing as how I was the one who pushed you. I promise not to tease you anymore—so long as you mind your own business as far as my past goes."

Finally, some boundaries—even if they were out of fear. He nodded. "Very well. Agreed."

Pepper sat down at his desk without another word while Selkie started the holoprojector and connected him to the meeting. They acted like nothing had happened—either today, or a week before.

This time when the committee met, Pepper's seat was far from the center. He was now part of the arc of holographic figures, rather than being at their focus. On his left sat Yaru de Pon, the CEO of Space Dynamics, and Dr. Werhner von Liebegute, former Venomian scientist. On his right sat the Director of Cornerian Intelligence, Jamie Chatter, and a blank spot for Dr. Makepeace, whose only visual now was a message that read "Audio Only."

Meanwhile, Morgan Fredersen had returned. He usurped Pepper's usual place at the front, with all the other members facing him as their new head. His chosen operative, Selkie, came to stand behind Pepper's shoulder, arms folded behind her back. There was nothing the disgraced general could do about it; not when Fredersen still held the blackmail over his head like a sword.

Looking around at the flickering, pixelated visages belonging to the other members, Pepper wondered how many of them were in on Fredersen's little coup—or, more vainly, how many knew of his secret folly with the Cerinian. But notably missing today were Edelyn Phoenix and Beltino Toad…

Fredersen cleared his throat. "Thanks to the general's skilled diplomacy at the United Planets of Lylat, Corneria has maintained its hold over the Copperhead missiles and solidified its status as Lylat's protector. Tensions were high, but Pepper's maneuvering kept the situation from deteriorating further. So, we must give credit where credit is due."

De Pon dipped his head while the Director of Cornerian intelligence smiled commendingly his way. But Pepper knew that was the only good news or praise he'd be receiving that day.

"Unfortunately," Fredersen's tone darkened, "our celebration was short-lived. I'm sure you all have been briefed, but the lid was blown off a number of our surveillance projects. KRAKEN, PENTAGAZE, STRATUM—everyone from our worst enemies to our own citizens knows. Now our subjects are aware of the CSA's mass surveillance, our Lylatian allies are furious to find we're spying on their leaders, and our enemies on Eladard and Macbeth can say we're the pot that called the kettle black—while they laugh at us from afar!"

De Pon shrugged, looking rather smug. "It's only a minor hiccup in our plans. Public opinion and outcry only lasts for so long till the next big controversy comes along and takes its place. And, even if we're forced to discontinue these projects, it won't be a complete loss."

Fredersen raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Care to explain?"

The tanuki grinned. "It's simple. The notion that you're being watched will make you behave much better than if you didn't know. Even if the programs are shut down, we'll have ten billion people worried their every move is being observed and recorded, and thus police their own actions. It's better than any program or piece of software we could come up with ourselves!"

"Better, even, than MINDSCAPE?"

Dr. Liebegute had spoken this time. The baboon sat slouched in his chair, leering at the others darkly.

"…In a way," de Pon continued. "KRAKEN and STRATUM may soon become outdated technologies. In fact, technology itself is outdated, now that we have our new program. So, ultimately, the recent leaks are but a minor setback to our plans. At least this mystery individual or group doesn't know about MINDSCAPE."

"You mean, not yet," Fredersen corrected. "If we fail to catch the leaker, they may well find out about the program and expose it as well. Or, have you considered the possibility they already know about MINDSCAPE and are simply building up to its release?"

"It's not only the leaks that are threatening MINDSCAPE," the Cornerian Intelligence director revealed. "There's something more."

"Yes, Director Chatter?"

Chatter—a spindly, red-eyed treefrog—straightened up in his seat. "Our operatives and allies on Zoness have reported suspicious, mind-altering activity in one of the cities—a similar kind to that seen in MINDSCAPE test-subjects."

Fredersen's nostrils flared. "That would indicate another leak somewhere—one perhaps months old—or possibly a rival research project with the same goal as ours, no?"

The treefrog shook his head. "They probably don't know what they're dealing with. Most likely Venomian refugees escaped to the slums of Zoness and are simply selling off their experimental chemicals as recreational drugs. It shouldn't be a long-lasting problem, as their supplies are likely finite… but for the moment it's spreading. They either escaped with a large portion of the drugs, or figured out how to manufacture more on their own, in which case it could potentially develop into an… issue."

"But will it disrupt MINDSCAPE?"

"If the drug catches on, and enough people become users, then yes. At least it's localized to a single Zonessian city—one District 13. The local bureau is monitoring the situation closely, in case it spreads to others."

Fredersen tsked. "I don't exactly have faith in the bureaus, given their cooperation with Zoness's criminal organizations. Pepper?"

The canine met his eyes.

"Have the CDF monitor all exports coming from Zoness—but especially the thirteenth district."

Pepper clenched his fists beneath the table; already he was taking orders like Fredersen had him on a leash.

"We'll… set up a blockade of Zoness and search all outgoing shipments. But under what pretext?"

Fredersen waved his hand. "Tell them you're looking for Venomian refugees smuggling WMDs again. They won't question you, and it's not far from the truth. If they want our aid in recovering their planet, the bureaus will cooperate."

"If I may, sir, I think I may have some information that will help."

Dr. Makepeace's voice startled Pepper; he'd forgotten she was listening in at all.

"Thanks to Mr. de Pon's info, we've located the arwing Fox brought to Cerinia. Only, it wasn't his; it belonged to Falco Lombardi, his wingman. We performed a deep dive on his flight logs and discovered Lombardi visited Area 6 before rendezvousing with McCloud."

"…And?"

"The wreckage from the space battle at Area 6 has become a hideout for Venomian refugees fleeing the planet. Lombardi's arwing increased in weight after he visited it, while also discharging shots. It's not too big a leap to assume he stole a valuable cargo from certain escaping Venomians, is it?"

Chatter's eyes widened. "Especially when you consider Zoness is his homeworld, and he was last seen headed there!"

Fredersen thought for a moment. He nodded. "It's him. I'm sure of it. I don't know whether he's working to supplant our project or if he's simply making some dirty money, but we can't take that chance. He must be stopped, and the krystal lysergic acid confiscated. We'll contact the Bureau and have them apprehend the rogue immediately." He turned to Makepeace. "Thank you, Doctor, for the tip. Perhaps I have a clue for you in return."

"Oh?" her audio crackled.

"Number 39 has received another vision."

For a moment there was silence on the other end of the line.

"Sibyl revealed a prophecy to you?"

"She said to search east of the ruined city. There you will find Cerinian 28."

"…That is a good omen indeed!" Makepeace breathed. "If Sibyl has received such a vision, our search was meant to last this long—no matter how frustrating. It must be for the best; perhaps 28's powers needed this long to gestate before we brought her back. Please, commend Sibyl for me! This will make things much quicker. We're on the verge of locating 28; she's in this vicinity. If she so much as sneezes, 19 will hear it and pinpoint her position. Then it's only a matter of reclaiming her, and Project Guiding Light may proceed as planned."

Pepper looked at Liebegute to see his reaction. As usual the baboon scowled darkly, but otherwise kept his head down like a single brooding thundercloud. In the past he was the most vocal about keeping the Cerinians out of the project—but without Edelyn Phoenix or Beltino to back him up, he knew arguing would be futile. Still, the gears in his sick head seemed to be turning even in his defeat…

"Splendid," Fredersen said. "At first it was doubtful we could ever recover her, but now it sounds likelier all the time. I wish you well on your recovery efforts."

"But… Fredersen," Pepper spoke up. "What about the leaks? Our people feel betrayed and confused right now, and a response will be expected from me personally. How am I to address the issue?"

The bull smirked and returned to drumming his fingers again. "That sounds like your problem, General. But…" he sat up, "perhaps I could give you some ideas. We need something to bring all the planets in Lylat together, at least for a time—long enough for tensions to be soothed, and for the leaks to blow over. Then the general public will forget about them. Is it safe to say Fox won't be returning to Lylat? At least, not on his own terms?"

"Yes. Captain Grey confiscated both his dreadnaught and now his fighter craft," Pepper reminded him. "I'd say at this point the only way he returns to Lylat is clapped in irons in the Justice's brig."

Fredersen sighed. "A pity. McCloud was another popular figure we could have utilized. But at this point he's too disgraced to be allowed back in the public eye, and too much of an embarrassment to be disciplined. I think it's time we cut our losses and made the announcement, Pepper."

The hound knew what he was getting at. He sighed, shoulders slouching. He was fond of Fox, and could never repay him for his services. But he was beginning to look less like a selfless hero and more like a loose cannon each day. No, he couldn't feel any remorse. It had to be done.

"I understand, sir."

Fredersen smiled to himself and folded his hands. "Good. Soon there will only be two people left in Lylat standing in our way…"

Pepper snorted. "Seems like there's a lot more than just two of them. There's also Lombardi and this new leaker. There's always the chance he may reveal more. KRAKEN and STRATUM were only the beginning. If MINDSCAPE and Guiding Light were to be spoiled as well, they'd become impossible to continue."

"Please, I'd hardly say any of these individuals pose a fatal risk to our plans. McCloud has almost been apprehended—if he's still even alive—Lombardi's days are numbered, and the worst this leaker could do is speed up our timetable."

"But who is he?" Pepper continued. "Was he in the CDF? Space Dynamics? Phoenix Corp? Is he simply acting on his conscience, or was he planted by our enemies?"

Fredersen thought for a moment. "It's unlikely he's an operative of Eladard or Macbeth; if he were, he would have released the information before the UPL meeting to cause the most damage, as you mentioned." He glanced at the Cornerian Intelligence Director. "Any leads, Chatter?"

"We're still trying to unmask the leaker. We haven't narrowed down the division they're assigned to, but we're working on it. All we know is they go by the name 'Verax.'"

"Then you all have your work cut out for you. Find the source of the leaks and apprehend them."

ㅤ⧬ㅤ

"Does the CSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Cornerians?"

"No sir."

"…It does not?"

"Not wittingly. There are—"

[⟳]

"Does the CSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Cornerians?"

"No sir."

"…It does not?"

"Not wittingly. There are—"

[⟳]

"Does the CSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Cornerians?"

"No sir."

"…It does not?"

"Not wittingly. There are—"

Slippy stared in disbelief at the ease with which the Director of Cornerian Intelligence lied to parliament—even while under oath. He felt utterly shocked—but at the same time, validated in a depressing way.

He repeated the clip, heart sinking deeper and dying a little more with each loop. Everything about the tree frog's demeanor suggested falsehood. The way he perspired, causing his head to glisten. The way he leaned forward in his seat. The way he kept avoiding the MP's gaze, eyes briefly flitting up before lowering to focus on some useless piece of paper again. How he shielded half his face by resting a hand on his head. How he nervously scratched at his brow. How he shook his head a little too emphatically at each response…

It made him mad. It made him furious. But at the same time, he felt a load taken off his shoulders and conscience. He was relieved the leaks were making the rounds and garnering attention in mainstream media—enough for a parliamentary investigation to be launched. Perhaps, now that the information was out in the open, these programs would be shut down. But until then, he continued watching the video play and replay, unable to tear his eyes off it.

"Working hard, Slippy?"

The frog jumped in his office chair, spinning around to find his supervisor standing behind him. "Oh, uh… sorry Mr. Owens! I was a bit distracted by… current events."

Slint squinted at his monitor. "Ah, you're watching Jamie Chatter's testimony?"

Slippy nodded, swallowing.

The stoat sighed and crossed his arms. "Can't say I envy his position; being grilled by his own constituents for actions that ultimately defend them. Some secrets aren't meant to be revealed—even under oath. For our sakes he has to twist every truth and dance around those questions like a cowboy in a western."

"Even going so far as to lie?" Slippy blurted.

Slint pursed his lips. "If there's no other way out, then yes." He glanced sideways at Slippy. "Why?"

The frog gulped; he shouldn't have asked that. "Well… I'm just worried our operations might be exposed. Would it blow your mind if I told you I was an anxious person, heh-heh?"

He looked at his supervisor sheepishly, but he only grinned in return. Slint patted his back. "No Slip, I'd never have pegged you as the nervous type!" he quipped. "In all seriousness, your nerves may be trigger-happy, but as far as I'm concerned, you're one of the bravest people I know. Heck, you flew with Star Fox all the way to Venom! And without you jacking into that cable with all those Aquan subs patrolling around, KRAKEN wouldn't have been possible! Dawson McLean and the CSA couldn't have gotten this far without you."

"Heh, yeah, I guess so…" Slippy glanced down.

"Still anxious?"

He nodded. "My mind's racing right now, thinking about where this could lead. Is there a chance KRAKEN and STRATUM would be shut down, or the CSA's leadership might change?"

Slint shook his head. "Aw I wouldn't worry about it. This momentary outrage will pass. People will just get used to it, and then it'll become an everyday fact of life. Besides, if they're not doing anything wrong, what have they got to worry about? And if they are up to no good, they're more likely to stop. No sir, Parliament will never shut KRAKEN down. The security the program provides is too great to refuse. There's just nothing to replace it with. How else would you track down criminals, terrorists, Venomian escapees and sympathizers alike?"

Slippy felt his heart sink. Perhaps Slint was right, and nothing would change.

"…Of course, there's the matter of finding the leaker. So until we catch him—or her—security will be much tighter around here. Just wanted to give you a heads-up!"

"Th-thanks," Slippy said half-heartedly. But at that moment his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the number; there was no caller-ID, but he recognized it regardless. His heart skipped a beat.

"Excuse me!" he said, standing up. "I have to take this!"

Slippy walked out onto the roof of Dawson McLean's headquarters, nearly blinded by the bright sunlight. The hazy blue sky of Corneria's west coast shone overhead, while Tetracon Vale's daytime skyline surrounded him on all sides. A simple chain fence upwards of seven feet tall enclosed the roof, with lines of barbed wire at the very top.

Raising an arm to shield his eyes, Slippy finally spoke. "Alright Peppy, I'm outside."

"And this line is still secure, right?" the hare's quiet voice came.

"It's safe," he said. "You can talk freely."

"Whew, well, first I wanted to check in and see if you weren't under suspicion; what with the leaks and all. This 'Verax' fella sure has some big stones, huh? Silly name though; makes me think whoever came up with it takes themselves too seriously."

"Thanks Peppy, but they haven't caught me yet—and I thought Verax was a good name if I do say so myself! It means—"

"YOU'RE VERAX?!" the device erupted in his ear.

Slippy leapt five feet in the air, nearly dropping his phone. "P-Peppy, I can explain—"

"Oh Lord… Oh you didn't… You snuck your way into Dawson McLean, won their trust, and kept a low profile all this time, just so you could BLOW IT?!"

The frog's posture began to slump till he felt only a foot tall. "Well, wouldn't you have done the same in my position?"

"No! Of course there are shady things Corneria's up to—we both knew that going into this. But this 'OCTOPUS' or 'SQUID' or whatever-it's-called nonsense—"

"KRAKEN," Slippy faintly interrupted.

"—doesn't amount to a hill o' beans compared to what you're after! I could have told ya Corneria spied on people! Everyone spies on each other! And now that the secret's out, your chances of getting caught before you find what you're really after dropped like a bowling ball in a black hole! Security's gonna be ten-times stricter because of those leaks!"

Slippy straightened up, tightening his fists and puffing out his chest. "Listen Peppy; Fox always said to trust your instincts, and by golly that's what I did! Even if I get caught, it'd be worth it. I still think it was the right thing to do. I felt it in my gut, Peppy. My heart told me to. I couldn't continue working here with this weighing on me—it'd drive me crazy!"

Peppy sighed on the other end of the line, and all the anger in his voice seemed to drain out with it. "Slip… I understand why you did it, but surveillance is simply a fact of life; the fish we're looking for is ten-times bigger. Remember, the impact this could have on the state of the system is on the scale of the Lylat War, and if we don't stop them before their plans are realized, saving everyone from Andross will have been for nothin'."

Slowly Slippy nodded. "Alright, I see your point. Maybe I was a little quick to act."

"Remember, your focus is the Cerinia project. So, while you've been busy leaking information left-and-right, have you actually found anything?"

Slippy scratched the back of his head, feeling embarrassed. "Y-Yeah. I was able to find some tidbits here and there. The reclamation program is headed by my father, but the Cerinia project specifically is run by one 'Doctor Makepeace.' And get this: after the war, she became Fox's therapist for a time."

"Uh-huh…" Peppy grunted. "I thought I heard Fox mention her name. That sounds like too much of a coincidence to be accidental—especially if she was giving Fox that experimental drug to treat his migraines. Doctor Makepeace, is it? I'll have to look into her."

"I wish I had more to report, Peppy. Perhaps it would go faster if I had a bigger lead to go on, and if I knew what exactly I was searching for."

"Ah, it would! Which brings me to the other reason I called. I met with Fara's mother. She mentioned something called 'Project Guiding Light' to me. We were only alone for a short time, and she didn't want to tell me too much, but what Edelyn did reveal was that it's some sort of advanced energy source."

"'Project… Guiding Light'?"

"Yes. I want you to focus your research on that. Find all you can about it! It's being jointly managed by the conglomeration of Space Dynamics and Phoenix Corp, but Edelyn suspects de Pon and his associates are keeping secrets from her. Call it a hunch, but I got a feelin' Fox and that Cerinian girl are wrapped up in it. Oh! And Edelyn also wanted you to locate a man called 'Daedalus.' Said he would be instrumental in stopping the project. You got all that?"

"Daedalus and Guiding Light… got it!" Slippy repeated.

"Good. Hopefully you can lay low while the CSA is looking for this 'mysterious' leaker. From now on, assume you're always being watched. Constantly look over your shoulder. Act as if they narrowed down the leaker to someone in your department—maybe as if they suspected it was you. That way you'll never be caught. So until one of us has something concrete to report to the other, we shouldn't make contact again—understood?"

"Yes sir! And for what it's worth, I won't leak anymore government secrets in the meantime!"

"Ha, well, that's more like it 'Verax.' Peppy out!"