Mirror's Eye
CHAPTER V
"When the mouse is laughing at the cat, there is a hole nearby"
-African Proverb
Marcus stood stoically by Faith's side, unable to make heads or tails of the mysterious hacker's last message. It seemed uncharacteristic of this person to speak in riddles, the woman normally making orders and demands with implied threats in the most plain, emotionless English he'd heard since his days in the police academy. Within moments, a subway train screeched to a halt in front of both of them. Faith was the first to step on and rest against the wall. Marcus sat down and drummed his fingertips together before stressfully running a hand through his thinning salt & pepper hair. The LCD display on one of the walls that normally displayed the train's location as it travelled was off, another odd sight.
Faith was lost in her own thoughts. Why would the woman suddenly quote the preamble to the constitution? Was it a hint? A threat? Was it simply a head game this sadistic lady was playing with her? Where could this woman have taken Kate? What was going on with the war that seemed to be waged on runners out of the blue? Was Merc okay? Question after question fired into her head, like a thousand obstacles in her path that she had no way to maneuver around. It was a situation Faith had no experience in. Never in her life did it seem like she had no control, no escape, no way out.
The LCD display lit up. On it was displayed an immense amount of information about Faith, just as was displayed on the television on the rooftop. The speakers that were normally used to announce stops and issues with the train blared with the woman's voice.
"As previously stated Faith, you have been chosen for a reason. We require your compliance to initiate a coup against the enemies of the country. You are permitted to ask questions at this time,"
To Faith's surprise, Marcus stood up and yelled.
"Okay, I've got a question. Just who in the hell are you? I want to know just what in the hell is going on here!"
"At a date which can not be disclosed, the American government decided that the privacy of her citizens was of miniscule importance as compared to the safety of the country as a whole from an attack from within her boundaries. This ideal launched forth project Eagle Eye, a massive data collection and surveillance movement spearheaded by the Central Intelligence Agency as well as the Department of Homeland Security. An entire secret branch of government proved ineffective, and so NASA assisted in the creation of the system known as the Autonomous Reconnaissance Intelligence Integration Analyst,"
The entire time as the cold female voice spoke, Marcus attempted to cut her off with angry yells. Faith, intent on the precious information they were receiving for a change, jabbed him in the gut and frantically tried to silence him while listening. Marcus grudgingly sat down, smacking his stun baton against the wall of the train, a small burst of yellow sparks punctuating his tirade.
Faith listened closely as the information flew by on the screens, noting that the name the voice spoke towards the end spelled out "ARIIA" very clearly on the display before it faded away shortly afterwards. She added up the contextual clues before asking her next question.
"So… you're name is ARIIA. ARIIA… you're some kind of computer?"
"We are an artificial intelligence system built to protect the United States of America and her allies from an attack from within her borders. In summation, 'computer' is somewhat accurate,"
Marcus simmered down and patted Faith on the shoulder as he spoke out loud.
"Is my family safe?"
"Your children remain unharmed and will remain safe so long as you continue to follow orders and ensure that Faith follows hers. I have activated you because Faith has had a naturally rebellious spirit since her childhood, contrary to her sister Kate who was known for having a profound respect for authority even at ages as early as two years old,"
Faith felt tears welling up at the mention of such old memories, family videos of the two of them playing cops & robbers, Faith being the latter, Kate being the former. She blinked the warmth away as she opened her mouth to ask another question before being interrupted.
"Kate is being held in safe custody. The one you call Merc is evading capture, as well as a majority of the runners in the city, despite the level of action being taken against them. You are now two minutes from the airport. Upon reaching it, you are to follow my orders exactly. Disobey, and you will die,"
The level on which ARIIA seemed to know Faith sent a shiver down her spine. A deep, primal fear gripped her as she realized that this long night was the night she secretly craved. A time when change came, sudden and ugly, crashing down on the city like a tidal wave. The time came for a war to tear apart the whitewashed landscape and allow the grit to stain the precious two way mirrored surfaces from which the powers that be looked down on the people. Despite her quaking inner fear, Faith felt an exhilaration she was not familiar with. Was this the revolution she ran with such determination for?
The train screeched to a halt and the automatic doors slid open. The subway station was dark, but light poured in through the entrance to the airport. A red dot blinked on the locking system for the station doors, before immediately becoming green with an accompanying "click" coming from the doors themselves. Faith ran; ready to burst through the door and sprint through the airport when Marcus grasped her wrist.
"Faith, just what the hell do you think you're doing?"
Hands moved before thoughts as Faith immediately initiated a counter to Marcus's grip. Marcus saw her counter coming and this time he was prepared. Faith's foot flew, aiming towards Marcus's ribs as she jerked the wrist Marcus had a grip on towards her. Marcus moved with her pull, dodging just out of the way of her kick, and swept her non kicking leg. Faith caught herself on her remaining arm as she fell, placing her swept leg just above his ankle and her kicking leg just behind his knee. Yanking on her gripped wrist again, Faith twisted her hips and forced Marcus to the ground with another scissor take down, this time the old cop landed forward, barely breaking his fall with his hands.
Faith planted her knee on his back and placed an elbow at the back of his neck, gently pushing his face against the floor. Her blood boiled as rage flooded her thoughts.
"Don't you ever grab me like that again," Faith's voice was almost as cold as that of ARIIA herself.
"I had to," Marcus spluttered, his face on the floor. "You have any idea how fast security would swarm on a runner in an airport making a scene? Damn it Faith, think!"
Realizing her dumb mistake, Faith eased off of Marcus's back and helped him up.
A silence occurred, heavy and thick, drenching the air in tension.
Fear crept into both Marcus and Faith's chests as they both simultaneously realized they were wasting time and their radios could blare on with ARIIA's unsympathetic voice at any moment.
Faith finally broke the silence.
"…I'm sorry. What do you suggest we do to not get noticed?"
Marcus frowned and scratched his chin.
"This whole conflict between the runners has to have hit the news by now. I have an idea; I just don't think you'll like it…"