2027, Arctic Ocean, Panchaea, Central Hub
Lies and truths.
Fragile constructs of information spinned just on a single person's whim, steering humanity down a path of arbitrary choosing, rather than mutual consent. It's been done for centuries; and it wasn't going to stop for as long as mankind remained divided.
Adam was no different, he realized facing the momentous decision he'd just made while Eliza Cassan was broadcasting a twisted reality about that horrible incident which had cost countless lives all over the globe already.
Time had been against him and to effectively put a stop to the signal causing the neural manipulation of every augmented being Adam had to make a choice. So, torn between Taggart's aim for regulation and control, Darrow's personal resentment and Sarif's ideal of free advancement he'd picked the apparent lesser evil.
He didn't like it, despised the lies; he'd rather chosen not at all.
Even Hugh Darrow's truth had been distorted and infected with madness. Driven by fear of a dark future the Father of Tomorrow had become a mass murderer and was about to trigger worldwide genocide.
Fear didn't solve anything.
And the only man embracing progress, the only man sustaining a bright vision of evolution was David Sarif; the only choice.
Then, why the hell, did it still feel so wrong?
Perhaps because even the brightest prospect can't take root in a web of lies.
Adam closed his eyes, clenched his fists resting on the accursed console in front of him and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, while Eliza was blaming Humanity Front for biological warfare conducted on augmented people.
It was too late for remorse now, anyway. The news were broadcasting. He might as well get moving. There were still a lot of things to take care of.
'Je-sen,' Adam's Infolink suddenly went off, relaying Pritchard's voice right into his ear, disrupted by heavy interferences. '-nal ha- -pped. -hat's hap- -ight?'
'Pritchard, hang on.'
Downright glad for the tech intervening his brooding thoughts Adam pushed away from the terminal, turned his back to the central hub and crossed through the demolished Hyron Core to the elevator that would take him out of here.
'Dam-it, Jensen, t-lk to me,' Pritchard was growing more edgy by the second as Adam entered the platform and began his long ascent towards the surface. 'I -n barely read -u.'
Adam was actually surprised they were able to communicate at all, considering he had been standing at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean in a 1.5 kilometer deep pit built of massive, reinforced concrete.
'You're coming through more clear now,' he informed the tech.
'Th-nk -od. -hat's going on -ver there? Th- signal has stopped broadcast- -nd Eliza Cass-n's spewing non-se about -manity Front an- -iological -fare. May I assume -u've got s-mething to do with -at?'
'Kind of.'
'Of -ourse, you do. What -bout you? A- you alright?'
'Careful, Francis, you're slipping.' Adam couldn't help but make a remark. The familiar banter with Pritchard put a sense of ease to his mind, keeping the madness at bay he'd had to deal with these past hours.
'So, that's – "yes", then,' Pritchard deduced matter-of-factly and went on. 'What's -he situation -ere?'
'Heavy casualties on the whole staff.' Adam tried not to think about the bloodbath he'd had to wade through on his way down. 'We're going to need emergency response and evac teams.'
'Yeah, you and th- whole goddamn planet,' the tech threw in a bitter remainder. 'But I'm -ready ahead of you. -'ve dispatched a squad of VTOLs as soon -s I got a ping on your location. ETA about two hours.'
'That's about two hours too long, Pritchard.' Adam just wanted to get out of here.
'C-n't help it. You're quite -iterally in the middle of nowhere, you know.'
Yeah, Adam had noticed.
'And you are -elcome, by the way.'
'Yeah, yeah, my heartfelt thanks. What about Sarif?' Adam diverted. 'Could you get in touch with him?'
'No. As I've told you before, there's -oo much interference. So far, you're the only one I'm able to reach.'
So, David most likely didn't know yet, severed from any communication. Great...
'-ay I assume, the boss -s ok then?' the tech inquired further. 'Did you find him?'
'Yeah, Sarif's alright,' Adam assured. 'So are Taggart, Darrow and some of the UN delegations.'
Pritchard's lack of a response showed his poor enthusiasm for that latter part of the news.
'I'm on my way there right now,' Adam added, already dreading the confrontation with his employer, dreading the inevitable talk both of them were bound to have, especially now that Adam knew he was most likely the one telling David of his decision.
'-ood. Make sure, you keep the boss safe,' Pritchard emphasized, secluding.
'I will.'
Shortly after the tech cut off Adam approached the top of the well and went on heading through the corridors towards another elevator that would take him down to the engineering level where Sarif had barricaded himself along with a few survivors.
With Pritchard's final words still clinging to his mind Adam couldn't help but recall that icy grip of fear that had clenched his guts as soon as he'd learned David had been invited to Panchaea. Right after he had discovered Hugh Darrow was up to his neck involved in all of this shit, collaborating with the Illuminati and repurposing Sarif's research for horrifying intentions.
All Adam could think of from that moment on was to get David out of there as soon as possible. Not even Megan had mattered anymore. That he'd had to stay in Singapore, since he couldn't simply abandon the research team he'd just located, almost drove him insane - as did the live broadcast showing the massacre launch.
The incredible relief he'd felt when he caught David's transmission and found him alive and ranting at Panchaea later quickly got soured by everything he had to accuse David of. Patient X, the Illuminati, the lies and half-truths.
Adam had no idea how to face the boss again; had no idea how to talk to him. Not since they were equally guilty now.
Arriving at his destination he carefully stepped over the corpses of two SI security guards bleeding on the floor. He had known both of them. Wacker and Doyle. Adam had interviewed and hired them himself. Good men.
He cleared away the heavy containers blocking the door these two had died protecting and entered the small machine dock beyond.
'Adam,' David immediately rushed over, worry written all over his face. 'You're back! Oh God, are you alright? What happened?'
Adam just now remembered the damage he'd taken during his battle against the Hyron defense system, the pain simply caught up in a rush of adrenaline and injuries mended by his Sentinel Health System afterwards. He could feel the blood drying on his skin and sticking to his hair however.
'I'm fine,' he assured, moving on. 'It's over. I shut the signal down.'
'Thank God!' The relief in David's voice was genuine, yet the plain urge glinting in his eyes spoke volumes. He really didn't know what had happened and expected Adam to bring him up to speed.
Problem was, Adam still didn't feel like talking.
'We should clear out.'
'Adam-'
'You said, you've got wounded here,' Adam cut him off, deflecting and addressing everybody else instead. 'I came across another group rallied around William Taggart and a LIMB store on my way in. Rescue teams are also already inbound. I suggest we join up, gather all the medical supplies we can carry and see what we can do for the survivors.' Not that there were many left. But Adam knew sooner or later the ones he'd taken down would come to, being confused, afraid, traumatized.
Mentioning Taggart had caused David to grimace his discontent, though he managed to compose himself and concur with Adam's proposition.
'Of course. You're right, son,' he relented, showing only a hint of hesitation as he turned away and took charge of the group. His self-restraint didn't make it any easier for Adam to keep him in the dark. He deserved to know.
Supporting each other, the three women and two guys came to their feet and followed Adam and David out of the room, where they found themselves confronted with the mayhem that had afflicted Panchaea - and the world beyond.
'Jesus...' David gasped at the sight of the two maimed SI security men, his air darkening with grief.
'I've found three more,' Adam threw in, hoping to ease the pain at least a bit. 'Had to take them down, but they'll live.' Provided anyone could live with what had happened.
David gave him a look of gratitude and they went on to the elevator and up to the ring section, where Adam led the group to Taggart's hideout.
He wasn't eager to face the head of Humanity Front either, knowing he expected the same kind of affirmation from him as David. Tough luck he was about to score just as much.
'Mr. Jensen,' Taggart approached him in obvious anticipation, but stopped short the moment he glimpsed David following right behind, his demeanor dropping. 'Mr. Sarif. I didn't know you were still-'
'Alive?' David cut in, provocative.
'I meant to say "around". But since you're putting it this way, yes, I'm glad to see you unharmed. You as well, Mr. Jensen.'
'Yeah, I bet,' David gnarled his displeasure and both men fixated each other with scrutinizing eyes, clueless on where to stand with each other.
As the tension almost became tangible Adam cleared his throat and redirected their attention to more pressing matters.
'We're headed to the LIMB infirmary and the landing pad. Rescue teams are already en route. I recommend, you and your group join us to wait for their arrival.'
'Well, is it safe to leave?' Taggart voiced his concern, whereat David gave out a dismissive snort.
'It is,' Adam ensured, throwing his boss an annoyed look. 'I've secured the way and deactivated the signal. There shouldn't be any threats left.'
'Deactivated the signal, did you,' Taggart's focus shifted once again, observantly watching David as if he expected to find some hint written right on his forehead.
Adam lost the last shred of patience he'd had conserved, turned his back and covered the distance to the door.
'You coming? I'd like to move.' Not waiting for a response he pushed through the group staying outside and went ahead towards the LIMB store, where he had left nurse Gerta Mueller behind.
He'd just finished unblocking the doorway when the straddlers finally closed in, tailed by a rather rattled appearing Taggart. Pearls of cold sweat were visibly rolling down his temples and his face had taken on a sickly pale color.
'My God, my God,' he kept whispering without cease, eyes wide and absorbing the carnage all around.
'You're back,' nurse Gerta called out to Adam from behind the counter, relief mixed into her edgy Germanic accent. 'Is it over?'
'Yeah,' Adam affirmed. 'But we got wounded here.'
'Yes, natürlich. I'll take care of them.'
Leaving her office she crossed through the chaos of the store and began asking for everybody's condition, before treating the most severe injuries first.
Meanwhile, Adam cleared the way to the surgical wing and went browsing through the ORs in search for medical supplies; stims, trauma kits, sedatives.
When he returned, carrying a box full of first aid equipment, he noticed David standing by the door as if waiting for him, but eyes locked on the mangled corpse right in the middle of the store.
Taggart, observing the same scene from across the room, all of a sudden doubled over and noisily hurled into a potted plant next to him. Obviously the psychiatrist couldn't stand what actually lay buried beneath the human surface.
'Good Lord,' David mumbled his disgust, though he didn't look much better himself.
Following that thought Adam put the box down and went over to grab the body by the scruff of its neck, dragging it out of sight into the surgical wing. On his return David gave him a brief nod of appreciation, before they both watched in silence Taggart trying to regain his dignity.
'What about you, boss?' Adam eventually asked, motioning to the still busy nurse. 'Are you going to be alright?'
'Yeah,' David confirmed. 'I got away with just the scare.' The shock and heavy fatigue were clearly showing, yet.
Adam had to get him out of there.
'Thanks to your men,' David surprisingly added, causing Adam to have a quick glance at him.
Voicing gratitude or apology never came easy to the boss, so Adam was well aware of the meaning behind David's words.
'You're welcome.'
Now it was David's turn to eye his security chief more closely, estimating his odds of getting an answer out of him. But apparently David also knew him too well and so he kept quiet.
After nurse Gerta finally had finished treating the wounded, Adam engaged two unharmed guys with the task of carrying the medical supplies before he led his entourage of twelve on, clearing the path from obstacles and screening every corridor for potential movement.
They reached the entrance level without incident and at Adam's order set up a provisional base in the hall across the landing pad. From there nurse Gerta and a few volunteers spread out to take care of anyone still breathing they could find.
Adam, however, left the group including Sarif and Taggart behind and made his way up the tower alone to go and collect Darrow.
'Pritchard,' he hailed the tech, riding the elevator. 'How long until the ERT arrives?'
'They are still fort- minutes out,' the update came promptly.
Adam stifled a groan of resignation. Still too far out.
'What's your status? -u got everyone clear?' Pritchard followed up, while the elevator came to a halt, doors opening.
'Almost. I'm picking up Darrow, right now.'
'If it were -p to me, you could leave him there to rot,' the tech stated his mind as Adam was climbing the stairs towards the conference room where the whole calamity had originated.
'Good thing then, it's not up to you.'
'Always the cop, eh, Jensen?'
'SWAT- Wait a minute...' Arriving at the top of the tower Adam's senses suddenly notified him of something being off, stopping him short.
'What? What's wrong?' Pritchard inquired, tensing.
'Hold on...'
Yeah, there was no doubt, the sensation being too familiar. The floor felt way too quiet, way too dead, and activating the SMART vision Adam confirmed his suspicion. There was no life left here.
'Shit!'
Stirring into motion he quickly covered the distance to the broken viewing panel, vaulted over the edge and into the room where he had parted with Darrow - just to find him slouched in front of the panoramic window, eyes wide and the contents of his skull splattered all over the glass behind him. The Father of Tomorrow being but another corpse among many.
'Jensen?' the tech made no effort to conceal his growing impatience.
'Darrow's gone,' Adam let him in, devoid of any compassion. 'Ate a gun; blew his brains out.'
Pritchard didn't take long to chew on this news.
'Asshole.'
'Yeah.'
Turning his back Adam left the fallen visionary behind. In the end he'd been like neither Daedalus nor Frankenstein; he'd rather become the Monster himself, resenting his very existence and cowardly evading the consequences of his actions.
When Adam regrouped with the base shortly after, he found himself subject of both David's and Taggart's immediate attention.
'Darrow's not coming,' he tried to keep it simple, but Taggart didn't seem to catch the drift.
'Wha...'
'Ever.'
Silenced, the Humanity Front leader slumped down on a box, processing Adam's statement. David on the other hand took it with more dignity, though the dismay and pain written on his face was obvious. Darrow had been his lifelong friend and mentor after all.
Nurse Gerta apparently had found six additional survivors during Adam's absence, now carefully treating each with sedatives and first aid kits.
Adam simply couldn't bear all the misery anymore, so he kept his distance, retreating to the doors and keeping an eye out for the incoming VTOLs. He even thought about having a smoke somewhere secluded, but didn't want to give either Sarif nor Taggart the opportunity to catch him alone.
So he waited, barely checking his restlessness.
Thirty lasting minutes later he finally spotted five dots approaching in the distance, a sight of relief, stirring him into motion again. As the aircrafts were advancing he prepared everybody for their arrival and cleared the doors to go outside and meet the squad, closely followed by David and Taggart.
The VTOLs, marked as Sarif Industries property, carefully avoided the burning wreckage scattered about and set down nearby, company medics immediately emerging and heading towards the facility.
'Mr. Jensen. Mr. Sarif, sir,' the pilot of B-EE 006 called out against the keen winds, leaving his cockpit. 'I can take you out of here as soon as you're ready.'
'Never been more ready, Jonas,' David declared, but turned to address the Humanity Front leader a last time. 'Please, Mr. Taggart, be my guest and let one of my crafts send you home.'
'That's... very generous of you, Mr. Sarif,' Taggart took the offer, keeping reasonably suspicious though.
'It's the least I can do. You'll find your seat among the other evacuees then.' David waved him off and was about to leave, when Taggart held him back again, inconveniently caught up in the affront.
'May I... have a word with Mr. Jensen in private, please?'
David hesitated for the blink of a moment throwing Adam a wary look, but gave his consent nonetheless.
'Sure, sure. I'll be waiting inside the chopper, having a long overdue drink.'
With David retreating Taggart came a step closer, appealing to Adam.
'Mr. Jensen, you're welcome to travel in my company instead. I'm sure we have much to discuss.'
'Sorry, Mr. Taggart,' Adam rejected out of hand, 'but I got to talk to Sarif.'
And leaving matters at that, he turned to board the B-EE, joining with David.
2027, Arctic Control Area, FL380, B-EE 006
The silence that held the passenger compartment in its grip ever since the B-EE got airborne was borderline deafening.
As he'd announced David was already having a drink, when Adam entered the VTOL and took a seat across his boss, not without noticing another glass of Bourbon waiting there for him.
He hadn't touched it yet. He still was at a loss on how to initiate the conversation. David hadn't uttered a word either, not making it any easier. And the Bourbon, obviously meant for him, had Adam remorsefully recall that talk they'd had back in his apartment a few days ago, when he didn't offer the drink to his boss.
He'd been an idiot thinking he could defy him. The fact that he was here now made that abundantly clear.
Adam dared a look at David, quietly watching him empty his glass and have an immediate refill from the bottle stored behind a panel. The fatigue was showing even more now that he was diffusing his tension in hard liquor - the shiny, augmented hand slightly trembling as he poured the amber liquid.
'So,' David broke the silence, capping the bottle. 'Are we going to talk or do you want me to gather it all from the news?' Picking up the glass he leant back into the seat and fixated Adam with an overt demand glinting in his eyes.
Adam couldn't help but grit his teeth and draw a breath, trying to quell the rising anger.
Damn, the old fox could be vexing; especially when he was out for it.
At least the provocation gave Adam the sense of resolve he'd been so desperately in need for.
Well aware of the effect his artificial irises would have in the dim light of the cabin he retracted the shades into his skull and met David's gaze with grim determination.
'Just to be clear,' he growled, 'this was the first and last time I've ever lied for you. You want to lie, you do it yourself!'
The accusation hit a nerve, sparking a whole range of reactions across David's face; relief, sorrow, discontent, remorse.
He had his reply quickly at hand, though.
'Yes, you're right. And I'm sorry, I had to put that on you. But we both know that lie won't stand the tides. It'll just give us some time to-'
'You're missing the point here!' Adam sharply cut in, patience snapping.
David started, thrown off by the outburst, and avoided Adam's glare with notable unease until he managed to collect himself, reconsidering his approach.
'The lies, I know,' he slowly nodded and gave in to a sigh. 'It's time I do right by you, son, I'm aware of that. So, no more lies. You got my word.'
The sudden compliance was as surprising as it was hard to believe. Things were never that easy with the boss. But - whether it was the Bourbon or a guilty conscience talking - David seemed to be willing to put himself in the line of fire this time.
'Come on,' he prompted, lifting his eyes back at Adam. 'I'm throwing you a bone here. Ask away. Whatever you want.'
'Thanks, but I think I've figured out pretty much everything myself by now,' Adam passed up surly.
The experiments on the children at White Helix Labs about thirty years ago, the fire which had destroyed the entire facility, Adam's birth parents who had caused the accident and died in the blaze, his foster parents taking him in; and now this genetic anomaly that allowed his body to accept any implant without rejection syndromes.
Yeah, there weren't many open questions remaining.
Except for something that had been nagging at him ever since he had David convinced to reveal the correspondence with the PI he'd had hired to check on Adam's background. Not that Adam minded the investigation itself. That he understood. It was standard corporate procedure, and reasonable on top of that, given his occupational past.
No, he needed to know something else from David. The only question that actually mattered and would decide everything from here on.
'There is one thing, though,' Adam fixated his employer, eyes glaring. 'Patient X.'
Not without a certain satisfaction he watched Sarif tense at that reference and let his alias linger for a moment before he went on.
'Did you know before you hired me?'
David's tension visibly wore off as he slumped back into his seat and took a breath of relief.
'No. No, son, I didn't,' he shook his head, reassuring. 'Megan didn't reveal the source of her research to me until after your initial medical exam - until after she had conclusive data to present.'
Yeah, Adam remembered. That test took place after he'd shaken hands with David sealing their engagement. It was the first mandatory term of every Sarif Industries employment contract to determine the compatibility with implants. The very reason for Adam's modification and why he was still alive.
'But you told her to keep it secret,' Adam wasn't finished blaming his boss, unwilling to let go of his resentment so easily.
'Of course, I did,' David justified, flaring up again. 'I couldn't know how you would react, now, could I? Megan had kept that secret for years already and I just couldn't take the risk of-'
'- me saying "no".' As much as he hated it, Adam understood. David simply was trying to protect his vision.
'Look, son,' David followed up. 'I hired you after Radford dug up your SWAT psych eval. You've read the file. It was enough to tell me you were exactly the kind of man I was looking for. I hired you because I needed someone like you.'
'What for?' Realizing his original question yet contained a part he hadn't been aware of, Adam threw a quizzical look at his boss.
David leant back, closed his eyes and took a breath. Then he put down the glass, but kept his artificial arm poised, conspicuous, regarding the polychrome reflections dancing on the engraved, metallic surface.
Adam couldn't help but find himself captivated by the artful craftsmanship of David's prosthetic, as he always was.
'Do you know how I got this?'
'I know the rumors,' Adam admitted, aware of David stalling again. He played along, though, expectant there was some point to the sidetracking.
'They are true,' David verified. 'Well, most of it anyway. Yes, I traded an entirely healthy arm for an artificial one. But not for the reasons everyone is gossiping about. I mean, I love my Baseball, but-'
'I know,' Adam cut in, voicing his long-standing impression of Sarif Industries' CEO. 'You wanted to be an example there is nothing to be afraid of. I get that.'
'Exactly!' David exclaimed, gesturing. 'And that's why I won't give in to their insane demands.'
'You mean the Illuminati.'
'They want to bury it, Adam. They want to control and contain human augmentation. They believe mankind isn't ready to take evolution into its own hands.'
'Maybe they are right,' Adam argued, at strife.
'Maybe,' David responded with a shrug. 'But who are we to decide? Who are they to decide? Don't you think everyone should be able to choose for themselves?'
'Like I did?'
Adam regretted the impulsive remark the moment he noticed the bitter anguish in David's eyes. No matter how fiercely he was always defending his actions David actually felt guilty for following through with the terms of contract - and beyond.
'So, you want me to protect your dream, then?' Adam redirected back to the chase.
'I want you to protect much more than that.'
David's air grew dead serious as he pointed at Adam.
'What you have there, the X-Mutagen, it's the next step of evolution, son. No matter the circumstances how you got it, but you got it. You're naturally able to bond with technology. Your sole existence is proof of that. Like it or not, but you are the key element of all of this. And there are people who don't want you to share it - or even make it public. People who might want to exploit it. That's why I gave you the means to defend this discovery - against anything or anyone threatening.'
Slowly realizing David's caution also applied to Sarif Industries itself, Adam finally began to understand.
'Even against you, if it comes to that.'
The immediate silence being confirmation enough both men faced the heavy truth of their arrangement. Then David stirred into motion again, picking up his Bourbon, groaning.
'Ahh, let's make sure it won't.' Lifting the glass he paused once more, though, and pointed a metallic finger at Adam. 'But I'm counting on you, son.'
Adam felt his chest tighten, rendering his voice hoarse.
'Yes, boss.'
Satisfied, David took a long swig, and Adam stopped resisting.
He'd never had loved the old man more than this moment.
He wouldn't let him down.
