Background music suggestion: Hans Zimmer: Time, Inception soundtrack

Chapter 21: Story of Woe

Hold me in your arms,
hold on to the dream
and the cry to wipe away the tears

In a world that takes away the seeds
And takes away another
To fill its evil needs
In a world that takes away the dreams
When dreams deceive a man,
insanity proceeds

-Saviour Machine: A World Alone

...

The pyramid was connected to the container structure with a bridge. Ian was rejoined by Jo, Erik and Gudrun and they dragged Nielsen along with them and his retina, combined with the codes he punched in, allowed them access at each security door. There was a long quite claustrophobic corridor. They'd be soon at the core. The final doors were opened and they entered the vault, reaching a rather large space. Looking up at the ceiling reminded Ian of something had seen on their trip in Europe - the Pantheon in Rome. This dome also had a small round opening in the middle, the oculus or the eye, as it was called in Pantheon. In this place it seemed to lead to a shaft going straight towards the pyramid's top - who knows what for. The vault was lit up by the dim glow of the the large monolithic black servers that stood ten feet high in the room. They were pointing towards the center like dials in a clock face - eleven of them. In the middle of the space a black cylinder, also about ten feet in diameter, stood alone.

Gudrun cuffed Nielsen and taped his mouth, leaving him by the doorway.

They began to set the explosives they had brought to each server.
"You're tickling me, you know."
The cylinder was suddenly lit up, eyes encircling it. Even without counting Ian knew there were eleven of them.
"Yes, those actually might make a dent but nothing I couldn't fix," Bargala said confidently.
Ian looked at Jo. They thought they had enough explosives to blow the thing up...Could it be bluffing? They had the plan B of ordering the nuke but hoped it wouldn't come to that.
"You're thinking about nuking me, aren't you?" Bargala said, scoff in its voice.
"I'll intercept it."
"Anyway, how stupid can you be?"
It rolled its eleven eyes and sighed.
"Well, it was nice having you here...But I'm afraid you have overstayed your welcome."
The helmets were suddenly giving warning signals. The oxygen level in the room was dropping rapidly. Nielsen had a hard time breathing. Gudrun took the tape off but that probably didn't help.
"C'mon, Tyr, it's a small price to pay," Bargala said.
The helmets could help them for some time but in half an hour or so they'd run out of time. The four went to the door but it didn't really surprise it was sealed now.
Ian couldn't help feeling they should have planned this part differently. At least the explosives would still work, they had an oxidizer in themselves, but still, there was no telling they'd be enough. And now...It was obvious they were going down with Bargala themselves. Well, that possibility had always existed.

The earpieces cracked. Bargala had cut their connection to the outside world.

...

"I can't hear anything from them anymore...But I can see something. The last data the helmets were sending. They're running out of oxygen inside the vault."
Orfeus' voice was most grave.
Their helicopter had landed and camouflaged itself, a mile from the pyramid. They had managed to tap into some of the systems but none of the vital ones.
"The vault can be only controlled directly from the security center," Orfeus said.
Cosmo knew it was a long shot but he knew something about their systems, having hacked into them at the mountain complex, and studying them there for several hours.
"I'll go," he said.
Mitsuko, Orfeus and Helena looked at him.
"Are you sure?" Mitsuko asked looking serious.
He nodded.
"Let's call the other helicopter here...We'll find you the quickest access from the roof," Orfeus said beginning to go through the plans on his screen.

Helena looked at Cosmo. He himself somehow didn't even dare to look at her. But then, before putting his helmet on, he suddenly took something, from under the neckline of his suit and showed it to her. Helena couldn't believe her eyes. It was the black string of her hoodie, tied to his neck. The one he had asked on the rooftop in Oslo, what felt like ages ago. She felt the tears rising in her eyes.
"It's for good luck, you know."
Cosmo tried to smile. She caught him in her arms and embraced him hard.
"Ja ciabie kachaju, Helena," he whispered close to her ear. Before she had time to say anything, he rushed outside. Helena just knew the words had meant and she would have wanted to reply. She watched through the darkened window as he ran to the other helicopter that had now landed a few hundred feet from them. Soon it left off.

Go with him.

Helena looked out of the opposite window. There was a lot of smoke and the fire by the gate. In the light of the fire the pyramid looked nightmarish. She knew Cosmo was heading for the black structure next to it and estimated it was approximately one kilometre from where they were now. From the sounds of gunfire she could hear the battle was still very much on.

Go with him.

Now.

Mitsuko and Orfeus were so immersed they didn't notice what she was doing. Helena opened the larger medic kit and looked for the combat drug the Cowboys had called "the Power-Up". She found it and hit the pen injector to her arm without even considering it twice. She knew the effect would come almost immediately and last for twenty minutes or so. She snuck to the front of the chopper already feeling the surge in her veins. Luckily the hackers were at the opposite end of the small cabin. In the cockpit there was the MSA pilot who was also their bodyguard, holding his weapon. He seemed to be frustrated he couldn't join the fight as they needed to remain camouflaged.

"Where are you going?"
"I'm the medic. They called me."
She showed the medic shoulder bag she had taken.

The pilot just nodded and she exited.

Helena ran, in fact, she ran like she had never run before. She guessed that had there still been some injury in her ankle, she wouldn't have noticed. She headed for the gate. After jumping from the chopper she had set the armor color to 'ADAPT' so she hoped to be blending into her surroundings. Soon, much sooner than she expected, she arrived at the gate, navigating through the rubble. Luckily the heart of battle was further. Inside the walls she stopped to look around. There was a lot of smoke…She tried to choose the best route in the sidelines. Then she went on.

Something hit her.

CHARGE: 70 PERCENT

Either she was catching some crossfire or a sniper hit her.

CHARGE: 40 PERCENT

Helena made evasive moves, trying to head inside a thicker cloud of smoke, at the same time still keeping her heading. Whatever it had been, she was getting no longer hit. She noticed that she still wasn't even out of breath - it felt so unnatural. Her body would probably pay a price afterwards but she was going to use this now, to the maximum. She even made a burst towards the structure. Then again, she felt something hit her, on her back.

CHARGE: 20 PERCENT

This had been crossfire. Helena felt relief as she could already see the main entrance of the structure. By the look of it, the Cowboys and Agents had definitely been there. She pressed the button on her wrist to turn on the communications system.

"Helena here. I'm soon by the black structure."
"What? You're there?"
It was Mitsuko. She didn't sound happy at all.
"Yeah. Can you help me get to Cosmo?"
There was a silence.
"I can but..."
"Please. Help me. I'll explain afterwards."
Helena wasn't sure what she'd explain but she'd worry about it later.
She heard Mitsuko give a deep sigh.
"Okay."

...

Cosmo was now crawling inside a ventilation duct, as fast as he could. The helicopter had landed him on the roof, which was not stealth at all, but he had entered the ventilation ducts as soon as he could. Now he could already see the grate he was aiming for. Above it he adjusted his helmet so his ears and eyes were protected and dropped a flashbang. Then he hit the grate, falling to the room. The young Agent didn't consider himself the most skilled shooter but he had the upper hand here. The four men in the security center were soon down. However, it had still cost him his armor.

CHARGE: 0 PERCENT

There was no time to feel sorry about it though. Cosmo took off his helmet off, sitting by the closest console. He wasn't used to the visor blocking his vision and he needed to work fast. Luckily the security system was quite similar to the one at the mountain complex.

"Just give me...five minutes."

He succeeded, at least for a moment. The vault was filling with oxygen again.

But what he hadn't noticed, when he was concentrating on the task, that someone had entered the security center, most quietly. It was only when Cosmo raised his eyes from the screen, he realized he was looking at Helena's father, Loke Magnusson, on the other side of the room. He hadn't seen him in person after MoGaCon. The man looked somehow older now. A lot older, in fact.

The two men were silent. Loke looked at Cosmo, holding a pistol, Beretta 93R, aiming for his head.
"Nothing personal," he said.
Before Loke Magnusson fully understood what happened, someone barged in the room and slammed into him. But by the time that happened he had already pulled the trigger. Cosmo didn't have time to fully evade but the burst of three bullets hit him in the chest. He was now on the floor. Then, within seconds, Loke Magnusson pulled the trigger the second time. He aimed for one who ran into him, straight to the stomach.

The person looked at the wound. Then at him. The expression in Loke Magnusson's eyes turned first into disbelief, then into shock.

He now knew whom he had shot.

He just stared as Helena stumbled towards Cosmo. She collapsed next to him and took her helmet off. Then, she gently touched his face. Cosmo's wounds were very much bleeding. They looked at each other understanding what was going to happen next. She held him close, as close as she could, and whispered the one thing she still wished to say. The pool of blood beneath them was growing.

Time passed. The room was silent.

Loke Magnusson just stood there. Finally, he dared to walk closer. He looked down and knelt next to his daughter, in the blood. He remained there on his knees, laying his gun down, touching the red liquid with his fingertips. The pool of blood was still growing. Helena just lay there clinging onto Cosmo.

"Hella…"

She didn't answer.

"Helena…" Loke Magnusson said bursting into tears.

He gently reached for her. As he turned her around, he already knew what he would see. The beautiful dark eyes stared into nothingness. But what surprised him, practically stopped his heart from beating, was the look on her face. It was so obviously relief. Then he looked at the face of the young man whom she had embraced. His eyes were closed. First Loke thought he imagined it...but there was a smile on his bloodied lips.

Loke lay next to his daughter and softly kissed her on the forehead.

"Farvel...min søte."

Soon a lonely shot echoed in the room.

…