Believe it or not….I'm back! As crazy as it sounds, I was actually writing a lot during my hiatus, but I just kept thinking my work was too shoddy to bother posting. Hopefully this chapter will be the one that boosts me into working faster.
At first I was disappointed with the last chapter-I thought it had killed my story. However, after logging on for no discernable reason, I was genuinely surprised that this story had a huge spike in views recently. Why? I haven't the slightest clue. But I will be totally honest with everyone; I am absolutely f*cking desperate for reviews. I am an insecure person and your opinions on the story mean a lot to me. I hope you enjoy this chapter, but regardless of how much you do, I'd like you to say something about it if you are able to.
Mission Report for January 3rd, 2071: Captain Ignacio Paszek
Our entry into the prison went exactly as planned; we were able to remain incognito for the entirety of the mission. Upon reaching the main console room, we were forced to dispatch a single NRC soldier, but it did not create any significant disturbance. Security footage revealed a lone figure with a dead body in one of the cells, so I led the team to investigate it.
After the figure threatened to execute hostages he was keeping, I was forced to try and negotiate with him. This was unsuccessful, and he revealed three of the VIPs to already be deceased-Reis, Grieg, and Ahmed. I attempted to subdue him, but he managed to escape. Lieutenant Khalil was left critically wounded, but we were able to extract him without any major complications.
While I cannot confirm anything, I should note that the figure looked and sounded identical to the man in the Pfyffer video, and he did claim to have knowledge of the events that took place in the video.
Footnote: RESERVED FOR DESIGNATION #10983466: CIA Director Robert Teele
After performing some more field tests on the cryo-weapon, I have yet to confirm its usefulness. It shows flashes of potential, but it is often inconsistent. I would not recommend ordering more of them to be built for ground troops, at least not until I can get a more detailed analysis of the effects of the weapon. Until then, I am content in using the weapon myself, as long as ample ammunition can be supplied.
Footnote: RESERVED FOR DESIGNATION #7754027: Liaison Noncommissioned Officer Rachel Kane
I'm sorry…I'll explain when I get back…please don't worry too much…
Kane watched him from the moment he got off of the plane. He helped Khalil off the plane and over to a few medics who were waiting by. He talked for a moment to the regional guy - Mwangi, and handed him a few papers. A couple times he looked over in her direction, but he would always look away after making brief eye contact, almost as if he was trying to stop himself from doing it.
He was straddling that line. That line between missions and everything else. He hadn't quite crossed over yet. His head wasn't in the right place, she thought. Maybe it wasn't anywhere at all.
He continued to run the same routine as he normally would, placing all of his gear in the spots where they would always go-weapons on the rack, armor on the far table, and a short uplink to the main computer. Then he went back around and checked that everything was in the right place. Just to make sure. Or maybe just to distract himself. It was tough for Kane to know.
He awkwardly strolled over to her after he was finished with it, constantly double-taking while he walked.
"Do you think we could…talk?" There was a great amount of strain in his voice, though it was the pause that concerned her more.
She nodded, making a meek affirmative noise, but she didn't think it was loud enough for him to hear. He responded with a small nod of his own, and he started to walk towards her, passing by and continuing onwards. She turned around and followed behind at the same pace.
It was hardly over a minute until the pair was just outside Kane's makeshift quarters, though she didn't recall having ever agreed to meet in her room. She removed an actual, physical key from her pocket and used it to open the door. Brick-and-mortar locks were more or less obsolete, but the older and less-equipped Al-Arish base still housed a few of them. Most considered them less secure. Some said they were more so.
With Paszek, the pinnacle of human electronic augmentation standing right beside her, she honestly could not tell which side of the poignant, yet ultimately irrelevant debate she was on.
They took their usual spots; Paszek sat on the edge of the cot, while Kane pushed the chair closer to the bed and sat in it herself.
Had the two of them been in the small room under better circumstances, one might call it "cozy". But the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife; both of them were equally anxious and apprehensive to have this conversation. It seemed that the former sentiment barely won out.
"Do you want to start?" asked Kane.
"I…um…figure you probably have a few…questions…" Paszek responded.
She took a deep breath.
"Not really any questions…I just need answers." She tried her best to stop it from sounding harsh.
He glanced up at her concerningly.
"The other day, we're just having a normal conversation…and you act like you've seen a ghost. Then, just a few hours ago, you call me and start freaking out…like something was wrong…but nothing was wrong. Right? Nothing was wrong?"
"I thought something was wrong."
"And what was that?"
"The guy…the masked guy…he knew who I was…I thought you were dead."
"He told you I was dead?"
"And…and it wasn't just that. He said that I was the one that did it. That I was the one that killed you."
"I…I'm not really following here."
"I don't know how, but somehow this guy knows me. Like, knows me. And he told me that it was strange to see me alive, and not to see my 'leading lady'. I got mad. Real mad. He denied that he had anything to do with it…just said that 'it was all you'."
"Was he just trying to mess with you?"
"Maybe. But it didn't seem like it. He seemed surprised…that I was surprised. Does that make sense?"
"A little."
Kane continued.
"I think we should be more concerned with how this guy…the masked man, knows you. What else did he know about you?"
"He mentioned that he was a 'savior' of mine."
"You don't think, do you?"
"Don't think what?"
"De Klerk? Back in Zurich?"
"Shit. You're right."
"I mean…we shouldn't jump to any conclusions, but…"
"No, no…wait a minute. He was able to hack my DNI. He's tech smart. De Klerk is only a medic. "
"Doesn't mean he can't use a computer."
"There's only one person I've known that could hack a DNI."
"Paszek...we've been over this…Hendricks is dead…"
"I know, I know….but I've seen some crazy shit in my time…"
"Have seen? Or are still seeing?"
Paszek's eyes immediately darted downwards.
"No. I'm done. I'm done with…that."
He paused.
"So is it him? De Klerk?"
"If we're going off just personal connections…it would make the most sense. But it raises some questions…"
She continued.
"Why would De Klerk kill his own general? And those Egyptian officials?"
"The masked man…he's an anarchist. He wants to destroy order."
"And De Klerk fits the bill?"
"From the little bit that I talked to him, I'd say probably not. But I should give him a call anyways."
"Maybe we should tell Teele."
"I think you know better than anyone else that the CIA will find a way to screw this up."
"I think we should consider all of our options before trying to go after this guy ourselves."
Paszek sighed.
"Let me talk to De Klerk. If we still think it's him, then we tell Teele. If not, we keep this personal stuff under wraps. I don't want them digging any further into either of us."
Kane could only breathe a sigh herself. There never would be way good way to talk Paszek out of anything.
It was a strange feeling for Paszek-having to wait for someone to answer a message. In the world they lived in, or rather, the world he lived in, everything was instant. All he had to do was think about it and he was talking with someone else, or searching directly from the CIA database, or doing one of a million other things.
Of course, not everyone lived that way.
It was on the third call that Aart De Klerk finally picked up the phone.
"Ah, Commander! I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon."
"Actually, it's, uh…Captain now."
"Great news then! Your promotion is well deserved, friend."
He paused.
"But you did not call to talk about that, no?"
"General Pfyffer…you heard, right?"
He paused again, this time longer.
"…yes. I still don't know what to make of it."
"How are you feeling about it?"
"Not really too sad. Scared, more like. They…they still don't who took him…and how they did it. For a man to just disappear like that? Leaves me scared."
"Did you know the general well?"
"I never talked to him directly. He addressed us all before, but I never talked to him."
"Where have you been for the past few days?"
"Zurich. The medical base we set up is still overflowing. This is the first break I've had in a few days. What about you?"
"CIA stuff. Classified."
"You be careful with those guys, you know? They hide things. And I don't think that they would be happy to hear that I was in-"
"No one else knows, Sergeant."
"Just call me Aart. We are friends, yes?"
"Of course."
"Then may I offer some advice?"
"…you know, I could actually really use some right now."
"That DNI of yours is not safe. I hear that some people are getting them removed. Maybe you should consider that."
"Are you considering it?"
"What do you-Oh! No, Captain, I do not have one. I was never offered one."
"You don't have a DNI?"
"No."
"Oh, well…uh…sorry. I just assumed you did, for…some reason."
"After seeing the inside of that place, I think I'm lucky."
"You've got no idea, Aart."
Their conversation continued for another 15 minutes or so. De Klerk mostly discussed the shortcomings of the ZSF's medical resources, and how the CDP was trying to gain some influence by funding their research programs. Interesting developments, but likely not the kind of issue that Paszek would ever be sent to deal with. It was far too political and far too grey for anyone to trust him with, right? They only sent him to deal with the really bad guys, right? Just the ones that needed to die outright.
It's not like it was his job to kill people. At least, they wouldn't say that. His job was to "secure" something here, "rescue" someone there. But they certainly wouldn't mind if he happened to kill a few NRC or CDP along the way. Maybe more than a few. Maybe a few dozen.
It did leave a rather potent question up in the air, though. De Klerk couldn't possibly be the man in the mask-he didn't have a DNI. Then who in the world could it be? It had to be someone that knew Paszek on a deeply personal level, be a fiery revolutionary, and have the capabilities to kidnap a ZSF general and hijack classified information. Such a tight niche was one that Paszek thought no one could possibly fill. No one that was alive, anyways.
A voice.
That damned voice. That woman's voice that he couldn't quite put his finger on…
"Death does not always extinguish."
But then that other voice. The gruff one.
"Think what you've left behind."
Why wouldn't they just shut up?
"We need a way out."
Okay then? Why wouldn't they just tell him how to do it?
"Focus yourself, Paszek."
He was focusing, alright. Focusing on not going insane.
The female voice came back.
"You just have to listen."
He was listening, too! But it was clear that whatever he was hearing was not coming across as coherent.
The two voices started spouting off phrase after phrase, each less coherent than the last.
"Go back under."
"Listen."
"Think…left behind…"
"…way out…"
Before long, a deafening ringing sound pierced the air, and Paszek could only hear the faintest of voices. He covered his ears in a futile attempt to drown it out, but was just that. Futile.
He was about to cry out in pain, but the sound stopped with no warning, and he cautiously removed his palms form his ears.
Paszek took a look around the room. It was completely normal. No crows. No icicles.
It had gotten to the point where normal meant suspicious.
Kane sat at her computer, searching for any piece of information that could lead to the masked man.
A message from Paszek popped up in the corner.
"No go on De Klerk. No DNI."
Damn. She wished it could have been that easy.
She chose to delay a response until she found anything useful; and to let Paszek get a few moments of peace. God knows he needed them.
Kane had replayed the Pfyffer video over and over again, hoping that it could yield something, but the prospects appeared slimmer with each viewing. Most of the video was dark-too dark to see anything of note in the background, but the lack of visible walls made the likely location a warehouse or something similar. But that didn't narrow down anything at all. She was just grasping at straws. There was no timestamp on the video, but the general was still in a full military uniform and beret, and was never reported missing, so it must have taken place within a few hours of him being last seen. Unless the masked man had access to a private plane, the video couldn't have been shot more than 300 miles away from Zurich. Still, this made nothing that much easier. He could have gone to France to the west, Germany to the north, Lichtenstein to the east, further south into Switzerland…even parts of Italy were fair game.
No. These were the wrong details. It didn't matter where the general was, or where the masked man was. It mattered where they were now. Pfyffer's body still hadn't been found, and wherever if happened to be located now (buried, stored, displayed?) would probably be a big help in finding out the identity of the masked man. Or, woman, Kane supposed.
General Pfyffer didn't have a DNI, but he was an HVI, so there was a good chance that he had some kind of tracking device on his person.
A quick search of his identification number confirmed it. Kane was certain that the masked man would be smart enough to consider the tracking chip, but its location would nonetheless prove useful. Any piece of evidence could help form a connection to the masked man.
She sent an email to Hernandez. They'd have the location within the next few hours. Until then? More time for nothing. The previous day's mission would be the only one they were to do in Africa; WA troops were coming in later in the week to retake Cairo. Just about all projections had them winning easily. Of course, the NRC didn't have John Taylor on their side this time, so maybe Kane could actually trust the WA them this time.
It seemed unlikely that she or Paszek would be heading to the Middle East anytime soon. Fighting on the frontlines had more or less stalled-CDP forces were loosening their grip on the region. Kane remembered reading that they were very interested in absorbing Tajikistan into their pact, though the reason behind this she could only speculate. The country didn't have much to offer in terms of resources, though its proximity to some WA assets may have proved desirable. In any case, Tajikistan looked like it would remain neutral for the time being.
Crazy as it was, Kane almost had a strange suspicion that the world may have finally started coming to its sense. Well, part of the way, anyway. Both the WA and the CDP seemed to be realizing that there were certain parts of the world that they just couldn't control.
Hell, once the NRC were flushed out of Africa, she figured that could be, more or less, the end of any major combat for both sides. That would really be something. Maybe, just maybe, they could start doing more to reverse climate change - make the superstorms go away, just like they were dreaming about before the CDP formed.
It was blue sky thinking, no doubt about it, but it was comforting nonetheless. Kane just had to make sure that both herself and Paszek made it to that future. Or any future at all, really.
Mission Briefing for January 5th, 2071: Chief Intelligence Officer Catlin Hernandez
As you all already know, General Cedric Pfyffer of the Zurich Security Forces was killed, on video, by an unknown assailant. Using the ZSF's tracking chip technology, we were able to get a location on Pfyffer's body, or at the very least were his tracking chip is located. A rather isolated area just outside of Halle, Germany is where we are receiving the signals from.
Seeing as this is within WA borders, we are not expecting any hostiles or any combat, but precautions will be taken regardless. Captain Paszek and LSO Kane will lead an initial investigation, and further personnel will be sent in as needed.
Footnote: RESERVED FOR DESIGNATION #7754027: Liaison Noncommissioned Officer Rachel Kane
Whenever you get the chance, could you talk to someone from the department about making a different template for these kinds of missions? I hate to use the same form for investigations AND full frontal assaults. People don't seem to like to listen to me about this kind of stuff. Thanks in advance.
The outskirts of Halle would, under different circumstances, be rather refreshing. The chrome white and blue of the cities was nowhere to be seen, replaced by grass lots and a worn concrete that seemed almost vintage, given the context. There was nothing about the rustic warehouse, or its surroundings, that would suggest that an international fugitive would have used it as a base of operations. Perhaps that was the intent.
Now, of course, being in Halle only served to frustrate Paszek; this whole excursion was just a step in what he feared would be a mind-numbing goose chase at the reigns of the masked man. He wanted so badly for it to be easy-for the answer to who this guy was and where he wanted to be right in front of him. But it just wasn't. Everything had to be cryptic and convoluted. Simple was becoming more and more of a scarcity in his life. As was sanity.
The warehouse, at first glance, was completely unremarkable. A modest amount of wooden crates, all unmarked, lined the walls. A few empty shelves filled in some of the gaps. In the center stood a forklift and a folding table that had been tossed on its side.
Of note was a damaged computer, both console and monitor, sitting on the floor near the forklift. Kane walked over to inspect it. The screen was mostly cracked, but a faint glimmer of light still shone from the outskirts of it. The console was a bit dusty and scratched, but altogether not too shabby.
"There's an office in the back. Go check there and I'll see if I can get anything from this."
Paszek nodded and did as she asked.
Kane pushed the obsolete keyboard to the side and pressed the equally obsolete power button on the console. What remained of the screen lit up fully after about 50 seconds or so, and within three minutes she had access to the information on the computer.
She started to sift through them manually. Most of the files on it would suggest that a completely ordinary person owned the computer: emails to co-workers, spreadsheets about sales numbers, a few personal messages, and even about 17 pages of a screenplay. It seemed that someone working for the company that used to operate the warehouse used this computer.
Two files, though, stood out from the rest. One was a document entitled "A Message for My Dear Friend."
It contained only the following information:
Check in the back.
-An Anonymous Friend
Kane glanced over her shoulder. She could see Paszek clearly through the window into the office. Nothing appeared to be wrong; he was just sorting through a filing cabinet inside. She mentally discarded the note for now.
The second file was only titled by a random series of letters, numbers, and a handful of special characters, but the size suggested it was a fairly long video.
Kane hit play.
A man, whose face is concealed by a hood, sits tied up in a small wooden chair, his wrists bound to the armrests. The infamous masked man walks up behind him and removes the hood, revealing one General Pfyffer.
Pfyffer gasps for breath. The masked figure walks behind the camera, now out of the picture.
The captive speaks. "What do you want from me!?"
The masked man lets out a small chuckle, though it's still muddied by a voice modulator of some sort.
"There's a nothing I can get from you. It's about what I can get from them."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You were wise to ally with the WA. They seem to be gaining the upper hand in the war. If only your morality was as keen as your strategy."
"Morality? You kidnapped me, asshole!"
"Your city was such a wondrous place before you let that corporation blot it out. Coalescence's ethical bankruptcy was evident far before the ground was broken for their headquarters."
"That's not my fault! I didn't plan that! I'm not even involved in that!"
"But you did shackle up with the Winslow Accord! The same men to give Coalescence all of their business! You saw no issue with this!"
"Screw you."
"…I shouldn't have expected anything more."
A faint rustling of clothing could be heard. Pfyffer's face twisted into a confused expression.
"Surprised, General?"
"Who are you?"
"Never mind that. We've got work to do. Now just let me…"
After about 20 seconds, the masked figure reappeared on screen and started speaking once more.
Kane shut off the video. She had already seen that part a dozen times. This…extended cut, though, brought about a few new details. It was now clear that the masked figure, whoever they were, seemed to hold some kind of grudge against the Winslow Accord, but at the same time, was aiming to help the CDP either, a rather unique stance.
She also knew that there didn't seem to be any personal connection between Pfyffer and this masked man…at least not one of any real significance. That didn't really help narrow down the list of suspects, other than De Klerk, who Paszek had already ruled out.
Kane made a mental note of it all. There had to be something more on this computer.
The files in the office cabinet were, even by military standards, incomparably dry. Almost all of it was in German, not that it mattered. Paszek could read German just fine. And 23 other languages. Another wonder of the DNI.
It consisted mostly of meeting reports and order sheets; the company worked in the pharmaceutical field, supplying bulk chemicals to other facilities for more specialization. Paszek thought that it might have been a decently opportunistic front for some kind of corruption, but the papers checked out. None of the numbers seemed to be too outlandish, and no corporate animosity was too tangible from the summaries. Business as usual, he supposed.
Paszek, however, had missed the only important thing in the whole damn room. A single college-rule sized piece of paper sat on the steel desk, having previously been buried underneath a stack of unlabeled hard-covers.
It was a note, written in a neat cursive.
I hope you or one of your friends saw my video and directed you here, Paszek.
There's a lot we didn't get to talk about earlier. I think things should be a little clearer by now. I know it's been a bit inconvenient for you to be globetrotting, but I promise that you'll be going home soon enough.
You will find the general's body just outside of here, inside of a dumpster. I doubt that it has been cleaned out in the last few days or so.
I've got some packages for you back in the States. I'll be more than happy to tell you where they all are. Give me a call once you arrive back in Atlanta.
447002XXZ
All the best,
-Savior
"…Kane…"
No response.
"Kane!"
"Give me a second here!"
"This is important!"
"Like I said, a second!"
Paszek quickly sighed and walked back out into the main section of the warehouse with the note in hand, holding it up for Kane to see. She swerved her head to see Paszek approaching.
"Is that…"
"Yeah. A note. Written by him."
"What does it say?"
"Pfyffer's body is out back, and he wants me to go to Atlanta…says there's some packages waiting for me."
"Packages?"
"That's the exact word he used."
"Hmm…anything else?"
"There's some kind of code on the bottom…four four seven zero zero two…x-ray x-ray zulu. I think it might be a way to contact him."
"That's not any kind of messaging code. It's not anything I can recognize. But I can cross-check that string of characters and see if there's a pattern."
"Alright…yeah…I guess that sounds good."
A beat.
"Oh…and there's one more thing on the note."
Kane looked up.
"It's signed as 'Savior'."
Kane let out a deep breath.
"He...he's really going all out on that, huh?"
"It's like he's taunting me. I don't get it."
"Maybe it's an existential thing. Like…like something he's doing is "saving" you. Maybe it's really vague."
"It sure doesn't come off that way."
"Well, there's to be some rational explanation for it, right?"
"Any of this seem rational to you?"
"Fair point."
A modest silence maintained itself.
"I was able to find a bit more of the execution video. About a minute before what they put on TV."
"And?"
"This guy….'Savior', or whatever he's calling himself…he's got a grudge against the WA and Coalescence, not necessarily in that order."
"There's only one person I know who fits that."
"Please don't…"
"How do we know?! How do we know it's not Hendricks?!"
"You know how I know? We've got his body in the fucking morgue! What more do you want?!"
"I've seen shit, Rachel! Shit you won't ever understand!"
"I'm not going to pretend that I understand it. What I'm trying to say is that Hendricks is dead.; You need to accept that!"
"I'll accept it when we find him! When we find this guy! When he takes his fucking mask off and I see it for myself!"
"If that's what you want to think, fine. I think hell will freeze over first…"
Freeze over.
Freeze over.
Freeze.
Frozen.
Imagine yourself in a frozen forest.
"Paszek! I need you to listen to me!"
Imagine somewhere safe.
"Think about what you've left behind!"
"Who are you!"
"It's not a matter of who…"
"It's a matter of where…"
"Tell me more! What the fuck is happening!?"
"Go back under. Find what you left behind."
"Ah!"
"Paszek! What the hell is going on?!"
Paszek opened his eyes to see a horrified Kane.
"I…I-I'm sorry about that…I just got a little…"
"Tell me what's happening. Now." she said sternly.
"It's…it's just flashes, is all. I get them sometimes…"
"It sounded like you were talking to someone. Something."
"…It's…it's nothing…just little…flashes, like I said…"
Kane was not convinced.
"Look, I…we're already going to Atlanta now. I'll visit Coalescence and see if they can…uh…calibrate this thing."
"You're willing to go back there?"
"What would you have me do?"
She mentally cursed herself. Paszek had a way of being …absolutely frustrating at times. It wasn't that she didn't believe him. It was just…she didn't believe he was giving her the whole story. Kane had seen the signs. Whatever he called them…flashes, episodes…it didn't matter. It wouldn't be the first time he had lied to her. But as always, there was more important shit to do. More important shit to worry about.
Personnel Report: Form B9, Section A, Subsection F: October 24th, 2066
Subject: Corporal Ignacio Paszek
Evaluator: Commander John Taylor
Personal History: I was first introduced to Corporal Paszek when he was a part of Commander Hendricks' hostage rescue unit in Ethiopia. After electing to stay behind in order to safely evacuate the hostages, he was critically injured by an enemy robot. I made the executive decision to immediately conscribe him into Project Prometheus. Though Paszek was initially grateful for my saving of his life, the others tell me he is growing increasingly insecure about the implementation of the DNI. However, I have seen nothing to indicate that this has affecting his contribution to this unit. Paszek has maintained good relationships with all of the other members, especially Commander Hendricks and Commander Hall. He has my highest recommendation for any and all black operations. Please see below.
Notes: Takes orders well. Agreeable. Uses conventional methods effectively. Average combat skills, but above average awareness. Unremarkable personality. Usage of DNI limited, but not altogether poor. Not as receptive of technology as others. Doesn't ask too many questions.
Recommendations: Continue enlistment in Cyber-Soldier program. If trained properly, could be a highly efficient operative capable of working far behind enemy lines. Keep mission details limited. Solo work may be preferable, has a high intuition that may clash with less knowledgeable assets.
"I have to say, Captain…I didn't expect you see you back so soon."
"Believe me…I wouldn't be here if I didn't have to be."
The two shook hands.
"And…Officer? Am I correct?"
"That's right, Dr. Berg."
"I received your message, Paszek. Something about a re-calibration?"
He pointed to his temple.
"Something isn't quite right up here. I was hoping you could have your guys take a look at it."
Berg clicked his pen.
"Could you perhaps describe the problem?"
"Just a couple of glitches. Interfacing issues. Nothing serious."
"Forgive me for asking…but if it's not serious, then why did you travel all this way?"
Paszek arched an eyebrow.
"Don't get me wrong! We'll fix whatever problems you're having. I just…have to wonder when an active duty soldier is granted a leave to address a…well…minor issue."
Paszek didn't hesitate.
"We've got full clearance to be here. I can call up the Director right now if you want…"
Berg placed his pen on the clipboard and held a hand up in defense.
"Oh, no, no! By all means! Um…just give me a moment and we'll get you to a room."
Berg quickly pivoted and started walking back to the other end of the hallway.
Paszek turned to Kane.
"You doing alright?"
"You're asking me?"
"Well, I mean…I've kinda been dragging across the world here for no reason…just wanted to make sure you were okay."
"What else would I be doing, really?"
"That position at GH?"
"I've got all the time I want to work a desk job. But if I want to help save the world, I've got to do it now, you know?
"That's a pretty sound philosophy you've got there."
Kane smiled.
It was bit disconcerting for Paszek for think too much about life after the military. Kane was smart. Probably too smart to be in the CIA in the first place. People were already offering her six figures, and that number would only get higher as she got older. But what the hell was he supposed to do? There would probably be some official position in the military that would take him…provided he didn't fuck up anything too hard over the next decade. But that wasn't exactly the kind of thing he was hoping to do. That would be more of the same. Variety was not a necessity now, but Paszek had enough foresight to know that he wouldn't be singing the same tune God-knows-how-many years down the road. He was almost thirty years old, had no discernable skills, was more-or-less clinically insane, and didn't even have a college degree. That's about as close to unhireable as you'll get. Even with how much better the economy had gotten, it still didn't help to be a veteran of a special ops program where five of its members starting murdering people.
"Just follow me down here, Captain."
The room was familiar.
Coalescence had a habit of using the same design in every one of their hospitals. Zurich, Atlanta, Milwaukee, it didn't matter. The concept had a strange effect, perhaps it drove in Coalescence's "hive mind" ideology just a bit too far.
The memories it brought back weren't too pleasant, either. Needles…scalpels…so many goddamn IV bags…but mostly that weird feeling of uneasiness. The room made it hard to tell what was real and what wasn't. He wouldn't even be surprised if John Taylor or Sebastian Krueger strolled on in the door. That kind of shit became the thing to expect.
Berg went on for a few minutes explaining the details of it all. They were going to put him in a medically induced coma, using the same drugs that they used during the surgery 6 years ago. This is no coincidence, it was just the best combination of drugs they had to shut down the whole human brain. Of course, there was one part of Paszek's brain that they couldn't turn off, even if they wanted to. When the DNI runs on its own, it gives the doctors a clean slate, an opportunity to observe its processes without any interference.
"We've done this at least eight dozen times. You've got nothing to worry about."
Kane watched skeptically from the other end of the room.
"How long will it take?"
"An hour, at the least…but it's difficult to say exactly how long it would take us to fix anything, should we find an issue."
"Will I be out of here by the end of the day?"
"Er…probably. Again, I can't give you any concret-"
"Fine. Whatever. Let's get this over with."
Kane gave a slight forced smile and waved. Paszek returned it.
She left the room afterwards, but not because anyone asked her to. She just didn't need to see this.
It took about 90 seconds for the gas being pumped through the facemask to knock Paszek out.
They usually said that you were supposed to see a pitch black or a pure white when you were put under. Paszek saw white…but it wasn't pure…far from it.
It was that damned snow white. It tried so hard to be the pure white. But it wasn't. It had the blue hint to it and the speckles of grey and black in it that ruined it.
Paszek already knew what was next.
The trees came. The evergreens with the same soiled snow sitting atop its branches. Soon there was a whole landscape of them.
It was the fucking Frozen Forest. Here he was, in the midst of an unadulterated DNI, and this was what it came to? The Frozen Forest?
No. That couldn't be it.
There had to be more. There had to be something else going on, right? Right?
"I think something's wrong"
Who the fuck said that?
"I feel it too…it's like he…shut down or something…"
"Hello? Is anyone there?"
"Paszek! Paszek! Oh my God…is that really you?!"
"Who's there?!"
"Paszek! Where are you! I need to find you!"
"I'm in the forest!"
"Give me a second! I'll be right there!"
"Is his mind really back here?"
"It's him. I know it's him!"
He should've recognized that voice the first time he heard it.
She seemed to materialize out of nothing.
"Hall?"
"Yeah! It's me."
"You're telling me he's really here, Sarah?"
She looked up towards the sky, seemingly speaking at nothing.
"Yes! He's here!"
She turned back towards Paszek.
"God…where do I start?"
"Am I…imagining this?"
"No. Well…kind of…we're all inside your mind right now. But it is real. I'm real."
Paszek's mouth hung slightly open.
"I…I don't follow…"
"Look…there's a lot to explain. He can probably do it better than me."
"He?"
"Listen only to the sound of my voice. Let your mind relax. Let your thoughts drift. Let the bad memories fade. Let peace be upon you. Surrender yourself to your dreams. Let them wash over you like the gentle waves of the bluest ocean. Let them envelop you. Comfort you."
No. No way.