Zakharov was too old to run, but he was still making good distance down the narrow hallways of The Hive. Shila was doing her best to keep up.
"I don't understand, Prokhor. What's going on?"
Zakharov didn't slow down as he responded. "Yang has always been gearing his research towards mind control interfaces. Before the war he told me that he wanted to use it on the drones…making them into compliant workers, never a strike or a riot."
Shila kept close to him as they rounded a bend. "But they're drones; control of the drones, that's the agenda for almost every faction. Why does that make a difference now?"
Zakharov stopped near the edge of a bend and looked at her. "Because Planet spoke to me. That crazy druid was right; there is a sentient being that is Planet. He…she…it told me that something popped into Deirdre's mind to make her hate the University. The only explanation is mind control…and Yang would be the only faction advanced enough in that area to accomplish such a feet, and you proved it with your diagnostic check."
Shila nodded slowly. "Yes…it does make a little sense. But what can we do? We're just two people."
Zakharov put a hand on his head and looked down at his weapon. "We hope that we've been wrong this whole time, and fate really does exist…because being destined to find out the truth would be a comforting thought right now."
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The doors to the command center of The Hive were not spectacularly different from every other door they'd passed on their walk, but it did show signs that it was a special area. Most doors had a silver trim along the door-railing…the command center had a gold trim. A key card was also required for entrance, which Zakharov and Shila both had been granted since they'd arrived at the base. Now that'd he'd reached the center, however, Zakharov stood in front of the doorway motionless, finally realizing he hadn't a plan what he would do.
He knew he had to get to Yang; he had to find out the truth about his mind control research and whether he had infected Deirdre with it. However, he had no idea how to go about getting that information. He did know that he had to try, however.
"Shila, what's the access required for the command center controls?"
Shila looked off into space as she accessed various commands in her head. "Not very much…I could get into it."
Zakharov nodded and whispered something into her ear, leaning away from two Hive cadets who passed by. Shila nodded and walked around a corner, then faded from sight. Zakharov took a deep breath and swiped his key for access. The door slid open with an efficient hiss. Yang wasn't in the room; in fact, few of the cadets even noticed his presence. He turned to the senior cadet.
"Where is Chairman Yang?"
The senior cadet didn't look up from his monitor. "His study."
Zakharov nodded at the boy, and then turned and walked to the adjacent doors. He closed his eyes and knocked. As soon as his knuckles hit the door, one frightening thought entered his head like lightning…
What if I'm wrong? What if he thinks I'm snooping, and jails me? What if I'm destroying my faction by jumping this gun? What if…? What if..
"Zakharov! How goes it? I haven't seen you in almost three days! Come, come, come in!" The man placed a hand on Zakharov's back and ushered him inside the leader's study. Zakharov had been in it before, but he took another minute to marvel at its…simplicity. His own study at University Base had been elaborate, with paintings from Earth and from Chiron's own talents. Yang, however, had no paintings, no wall coverings, nothing to marvel about. The only difference between this room and any other room in the complex…was nothing. There was no difference. Zakharov shook his head slightly as he took a seat across from Yang.
"So, what can I do for you, Provost?"
Zakharov silently chilled at the sound of that. He didn't want to be called 'Provost' by Yang right now. "I was having some thoughts with my colleague, Yang. Deirdre and I have never been the closest of friends, but there's no real reason why she should've attacked me."
Yang leaned back in his chair. "We've been over this before, Zakharov. Deirdre has gone mad."
Zakharov leaned in. "Well, before the University was destroyed, we were working on the mind control interface."
Yang blinked. "To work to make the drones loyal to the University, right?"
Zakharov nodded. "What if, however, one faction developed the power to control people?"
Yang looked down. "So some faction could possibly be controlling Deirdre?"
Zakharov brought his hand down to his side, where his pistol was concealed. "Possibly. I was curious though. Why would one control Deirdre to attack me?"
Yang scratched his chin. "I don't-…" It was then that Yang saw the pistol at Zakharov's side. He looked up at the scientist with wounded eyes. Zakharov's expression didn't change.
"Zakharov…you're assuming I did it?"
Zakharov closed his eyes and sighed. "Deirdre was right, Yang. There is a sentient life that is Planet. It spoke to me…it told me that one day, something popped into Deirdre's head to make her utterly despise me. And my colleague was able to pinpoint that your mind control interface was being transmitted from this base."'
Yang had a confused look on his face. "I…don't understand. I did get the mind control interface to work, but I've never used it on anything other then my drones. Prokhor…you don't trust me?"
Zakharov sighed. "I want to trust you, Yang. But right now, I can't."
Yang's face lightened up. "All right, let's go down to the transmitter and look for ourselves, hmm? I can even access its history. Would that be satisfactory?"
Zakharov hesitated…then nodded. "All right…but please don't try anything we both might regret, as my collegue is always watching."
Yang turned to him. "Is he now?"
"Yes, she is." Zakharov smiled. And he knew Shila was smiling too.
Yang sighed. "All right, let us go. Maybe I can get some trust back from you."
"We'll see", Zakharov said as they walked out the door.
~
