Zakharov was the last one into the control room that evening.  Shila, Yang and a group of assorted cadets were staring at the main view screen, speaking in hushed tones.  No one noticed him at first, until Shila's eyes caught his own.  Yang noticed and looked directly at him.

"I'm not sure I agree with this change, Prokhor."

Zakharov walked next to him and turned his gaze towards the view screen.  "What do you mean?"

Yang scoffed.  "Don't play stupid…The one where you were joining the subterfuge team."

Zakharov nodded slowly.  "Ah, yes, that change."

Yang shook his head.  "You have no idea how dangerous this is, do you?"

Zakharov turned his gaze and looked at Yang.  "Dangerous?  Maybe.  It probably is a stupid idea.  But right now, the hope of my faction rests on this team.  I would risk everything if only the citizens of the University would be free again."

Zakharov didn't mention the real reason, of course.  Shila had already pulled her link to the Hive database and had integrated herself into a specially designed Datapod for the procedure.  Unlike a normal pod, the pod Shila was using was specifically designed for two things: subterfuge and sabotage.  Her programming would help the mission immensely…but it'd be moot if someone wasn't carrying the Datapod with them.  Her image only extended so far from where she was integrated.

Yang didn't know this, of course, so he was incredulous.  "We have plenty of cadets on this project that have trained for subterfuge their whole lives.  Risking your life isn't going to help your faction.  A captured or destroyed provost would detriment the morale of your people.  Besides, if Meskha finds out that you're alive before you reach her, she'll contact Deirdre.  You know what Deirdre would do if she found out you were still alive…she wouldn't rest until she finds you, then Meskha would make her retaliate at me for harboring you."

Zakharov frowned.  "Yang, I have administration access to several key points in Mandelev College.  You know as well as I that there's a point in every base that is used as an escape port.  With any luck, that escape will still be accessible by me.  It'll give us a better chance of success.

Yang folded his arms.  "I somehow doubt it.  How do you know she didn't already think of that?  She doesn't even need an escape point, as long as she has Deirdre as her own personal body guard."

Zakharov shook his head.  "She's a coward.  I know she will have kept that escape port open…I just know it.  Yang, I appreciate your concern, but I ask you to have faith in me.  This is something I have to do."

Yang shrugged his shoulders in defeat.  "If you say so, Zakharov."  He pushed a button on his monitor, and the view screen changed to a picture of a large field, scattered with large masses of…something.  The masses were moving and convulsing, like hundreds of individual creatures combined into one.

Shila gasped.  "They're…beautiful!"

Zakharov ignored the statement.  "Are they ready?"

Yang nodded.  Our trainers have followed your research to the letter.  Those vile creatures can take out all but the best trained defenders.  We're lucky they're on our side."

Zakharov nodded.  "How soon can we begin?"

Yang smiled.  "Whenever our teams are ready.  The mindworms are being prepared to be loaded onto transports."

Zakharov could feel something behind him.  He slowly turned was looking at a tall, dark man that was staring at the screen.  He noticed Zakharov's gaze and looked down at him.

"Hello, my name is Salem Cona.  I will be assisting your team."

Zakharov noticed the accent and looked at the crest on his suit.  "Spartan?"

Salem nodded.  "Colonel Santiago assigned me at the request of Chairman Yang.  She wishes to assist The Hive in defeating Leader Meskha."

Yang waved his hands.  "Well, for now, we just need to get some codes.  This isn't an 'attack', per say."

Salem shook his head.  "No, no, you misunderstand.  I only wish to assist you in your endeavors…I have been trained for subterfuge."

Zakharov nodded and smiled.  "Welcome to the team then, Salem."

The man nodded.  "May I also say that it's a pleasure to meet the late Prokhor Zakharov, returned from the dead?"

Zakharov cringed and turned to Yang.  "You told her?"

Yang shook his head.  "Of course not.  Maybe you just have a pretty, recognizable face."

Zakharov shook his head.  "All right.  Let us meet tomorrow morning, at 1100.  We have a lot to plan."

----------------------------------------------------------------

Zakharov tested the water before stepping into the shower.  A little too cold, but it would have to do.  At this time of the evening, every cadet in The Hive seemed to be using the hot water.  He was lucky it was warm at all.  Shila was leaning against the sink, looking out the window.

"Prokhor, soon we'll have our faction back?"

Zakharov sighed slowly.  "With luck."

"Luck is no good, Prokhor.  We need to win.  We need to get the University back."

"I agree-"

"And who does Meskha think she is?  She was given everything… assistant to the governor, a nice base to stay in…then she thinks she can manipulate the entire planet?"

"I know, Shi-"

"I hope we win.  I want to see her face.  I want to see her as we walk into that control room and find her all confused, like, and rip those codes from her skull."

Zakharov's eyebrows rose.  "Shila, calm down.  We'll get her."

Shila smiled.  "I hope you're right.  It'll be nice to be earthprokhor. inside the University Datalinks again."

Zakharov gasped.  "No, Voice, not now!"

Shila looked confused.  "Prokhor?"

Zakharov sat down on the shower floor.  "Shila, I'll be back soon…" he said, drifting into unconsciousness.

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earthprokhor.

"Damn it, Voice, is this important!?  I'm naked and on the shower floor, back in my body!"

apologies.  is time talk earthprokhor.

"Very well, Voice, I'm here.  What do you want to talk about?"

discontinuation pop. earthdeirdre.

"I…don't understand."

pop!  earthdeirdre.  why?  know?  no.  discontinuation!

"Voice, I don't understand.  The 'pop' of Deirdre…what about it?"

STOP.  earthprokhor, earthdeirdre pop, STOP.

"You want me to stop Deirdre's 'pop'?"

earthprokhor, take earthprokhor.

"Take me?"

show.  understand, show, take.

"Show me, then, what you want me to understand."

Zakharov felt a rush of air, and the blackness around him changed to a large field.  He couldn't move, but he didn't have to.  He was in the air above Gaia's Landing and could see the breeding fields below him.  Enormous masses of mindworms cluttered the fields…miles of the beasts, as far as he could see.

"Voice, is this what I think it is?"

know?  no.  earthdeirdre, army, worms!  planetworms.  destroy!  pain!  death!  causation discontinuity!

"What is she going to do with those fields?"

discontinuation.

"What does that mean!?"

destroy.  earthdeirdre pop destroy!  earthyang, now, safe.  earthyang, later, no.  earthprokhor discontinuation earthdeirdre pop!

"…I have to stop Meskha.  Voice, can you help me tomorrow at the lands around Mandelev College?"

destroy planetmeskha?

"No!! We need her alive.  Our mindworms will be released tomorrow, to you.  Please guide them against the defenses of Mandelev College, and protect our probe team from their infestation?"

mindworms die, save more mindworms.  will, earthprokhor.  planet help earthprokhor, earthyang.

"Thank you, Voice.  Can you release me now?"

will.  talk tomorrow, earthprokhor.

And the scene around him faded to black.

~