Mourning

Captain Martins had never felt a failure so absolute. He always imagined that true failure would only find him if he was on site, in a position to achieve victory… and yet did not. But apparently, it could hurt every bit as much to have been ignorant and helpless from the start. By means he couldn't comprehend, a Watcher had been taken to the edge of human civilization and slaughtered without mercy. Benicio couldn't possibly have intervened in any way.

And he still felt the failure so deeply his bones ached.

He sat in the main training hall used by the security teams for joint planning and organization. Chief Rakoto looked every bit as dejected as Benicio felt. Every member of security not on active duty had gathered here at Hasina's request. The majority looked miserable. Their role was the most coveted military position in the Solar System, protecting the rarest and most unique people alive. Eleven of their charges were beyond their reach, traveling to distant colonies at relativistic speeds accompanied by small armies. But of the seven that remained on Earth, one was now dead. Despite all their efforts, training, expertise, and dedication, they'd been powerless and unaware when Klaus needed them.

At last, Hasina broke the silence. "We know… that it's illogical… and unfair… to blame ourselves." She didn't sound like she believed her own words. "For decades, we and our predecessors have performed admirably. We've maintained external defense systems that have shot down hostile aircraft and even an ICBM. We detected and intercepted a strike force attempting to reach us during a blizzard, and we neutralized the threat with no losses. We maintain an environment utterly free of violent crime, and none of our Watchers has ever ben deliberately harmed… until now."

She rose, and holos displayed the final moments of 21's last Watch. "We face a threat beyond anything we've trained for. An enemy has displayed the ability to strike us in a way never before imagined. A top level VIP was snatched from the heart of our facility, and it took us the better part of a day to even realize it. Were we to fire a weapon in the direction of the threat, the shot would arrive a century too late." With a keystroke, she brought up the horrible imagery of Klaus-21's mutilated remains, littering the wilderness of a world far beyond their reach. "But we are still the best in the world at what we do. We will continue to do all in our power to achieve our primary objective. So far, we have very little data. Our only theory is that the enemy needs to Watch someone to abduct them, and they can even detect the projected minds of our Watchers. Some military and political leaders suggest that the best answer is to cease all Watching entirely. To avoid the risk of letting our Watchers send their mind to Lamia's world. We may well be forced to take such measures. But I'm not ready to abandon the Unwanted investigation just yet. Klaus would never have wanted his death to mean ignoring the plight of an entire afflicted world. So I've put together a schedule of a new role for our security forces."

The hologram now displayed their massive facility. "Typically, we have protected our Watchers from afar, by denying any possibility of hostile access to them. Now though, their privacy cannot be so sacrosanct… at least not while they're Watching. Until we learn more about the enemy's powers, there's no telling whether this will work, but I have a measure that's at least worth trying. Whenever Charlotte-17 or Niko-29 Watch Elpis, they'll be armed, and we'll always have two soldiers with them in their Chamber. They'll remain in physical contact with the Watcher for the duration, handcuffed to them, and with their implants in sync with one another. The bodyguards will be connected to the same neural interface the Watchers use, and if I get permission, they'll even maintain blood to blood contact through small open wounds. If there's any chance that an abducted Watcher might bring their guards with them, then it's worth every effort."

The soldiers nodded. They'd of course try anything, and everything, in an effort to protect the surviving Watchers. But Benicio understood the lack of enthusiasm. Whatever happened to Klaus, however exactly he'd been killed… the results were unreal. The severed hand used to identify the corpse had been by far the single largest part they'd found intact. Based on the blood sprays, and the scattered shreds of flesh and clothing… What could two guards do against that? Not to mention all of the scattered barbed fangs that covered the area. Clearly, that creepy little girl wasn't alone when she did her worst killing. There was something far deadlier at play, possibly an unknown apex predator doing her bidding. Even if Benicio himself had been at 21's side, could he realistically have fought off something with such murderous power?

But then the Captain felt his resolve surge back to the fore. Anyone assigned to guard duty during an active Watch would carry the most powerful compact weapon available, and would be ready to deploy maximum force at a moment's notice. And if all their efforts couldn't bring down the enemy… then at least the next Watcher wouldn't die alone.

The Watchers talked long into the night. Despite their weariness, and the weight that hung over them, they needed each other's company. When Niko's nerve flare finally ended, he joined them. Accepting Duri's most comfortable recliner without objection, the boy lay back, too weary to speak, but unwilling to leave.

In the past, informal gatherings of the Watchers had been tense affairs, with Klaus having to smooth over their differences and help them get past their quirks and insecurities. Right now though, they managed well enough. In a way, it was almost like they still had him with them, since he was all they could talk about.

"What was your first impression of Klaus?" Fawzia asked them. "For me, I instantly saw his desire to be the best Watcher possible. Taking him on as my protégé felt natural, almost automatic."

Charlotte smiled. "During the very first meeting… I didn't know what to think. This out of shape Aryan kid with his fluffy blonde hair and wide blue eyes, I couldn't see how much use he'd ever be. And by the end of the conversation… well, I felt a little intimidated. I'd always just viewed this as a job, one I wasn't allowed to turn down. But Klaus, he clearly viewed it as a higher calling. He'd already let go of his previous goals and dreams. Nothing mattered more to him than this."

"He seriously creeped me out," Peng said, earning him surprised glares. "What? He was just so… invasive. He seemed way too interested in my feelings and what made me tick. I grew up on the freak'n moon. People there don't have much room, so privacy is a purely social concept. There may be people all around you, and your living space may barely fit you, but people have serious social boundaries to make up for it. Klaus was totally different. It wasn't till after my escape attempt that I accepted he was the real deal. His interest wasn't dangerous or manipulative. He just wanted me to be happier in my new role."

"I was Inducted less than a year after Klaus," Duri said, pouring everyone more drinks. "Despite our different backgrounds, we clicked immediately. Our nerdy interests lined up so well, we were practically best friends by the end of our first meeting." He sipped his tea, then added, "I'm eleven years his senior. I figured I'd never have to lose him…"

"At first glance, I thought I was looking at a total wimp," Anya said. "Physically soft, and way too mellow and passive in conversation. He seemed to care more about everyone else in the room than himself, and I thought that made him somehow… less. It didn't take long to figure out how wrong I was."

Everyone turned to Niko. The boy had absolutely been through the ringer that day, experiencing vastly worse than all the rest of them put together. Even so, he noticed their attention. "When I first met Klaus… I wanted to be him."

All fell silent. Duri had kept the lights low for Niko's sake, and they all pondered and reflected for a time.

"What was the silliest thing you remember about him?" Duri finally asked, managing to smile again. "For me, it was when he added Fraggles to the RPG campaign. Sure, he called them Biochromatic Entities, and had loads of explanations for why their presence made sense… But I could tell he just really wanted an excuse for the occasional musical number. At least his singing voice was pretty ok."

"This is an easy one," Peng said. "He clearly hated puns, and you could see a little of his soul die whenever somebody cracked a dad joke. But then, out of nowhere, when he was using a stepladder, he said, 'I never knew my real ladder.' And man he practically threw up laughing."

"You made that up," Charlotte insisted. "There's no way he actually said that."

"Not true," Duri said. "He once rattled on for ten minutes about what makes most puns so terrible, and then he described the parameters for the rarest of animals: 'The Tolerable Pun.' Based on that little lecture of his, I can see him cranking that one out in front of a very small audience. I assume his delivery was spot-on?"

Peng shrugged.

"Oh come on," Duri prodded. "He's a great GM, so he's got loads of practice. I can imagine exactly how he said it, and it was gold."

Peng almost smiled. "I guess."

"His laugh," Niko said, and it took the others a moment to realize he was answering the original question. "If something really cracked him up, his laugh went from explosive, to hacking, to squeaky." He sighed. "I loved when it got squeaky."

"Every single time he joined me in my gym," Anya said. "Sure, he managed to get a lot stronger after pushing so hard for a year, but he couldn't do a cartwheel to save his life. I lost count of how many times the medical staff ordered the mats replaced by thicker, softer ones to make sure he'd never injure himself."

Everyone looked to Fawzia, the only one who hadn't volunteered an answer. Sighing, she set her drink aside. "The silliest thing… was how he never stopped looking up to me. I finished teaching him everything I know years ago, and by then he'd grown into a more powerful Watcher than I ever was. But he still came to me for advice, and approval. I'm not sure he realized just how special he really was."

Peng raised his drink. "Even I can fully agree with you on that."

"It's really late," Charlotte said, "and we all need to crash, but how about one more?"

The others nodded, though Peng hesitated at first.

"Ok… How many of you believed him, the way I did? I mean really believed him. His vision of the future. That one day, Watchers would connect all of the colonies. That all the lightyears between us would no longer matter, because Watchers on every world would be able to see and hear messages from every other? After all, it's because of him that the others are heading toward distant colonies right now."

"I absolutely believed him," Fawzia said without hesitation. "I would have retired the day I lost my dear Ralph if not for Klaus. Migraines are the worst, and I've grown weak enough they'd allow it."

"His optimism was way too contagious," Duri said. "There wasn't a chance I could have resisted joining his cause."

"I think I believed in it," Anya said, "I just doubted my ability to be a meaningful part of it."

"I never stopped hoping Klaus would find a way to send data, rather than just observe," Niko said. "He was trying to get me to work on that recently."

"I'm obviously not much of an optimist," Peng admitted. "Or an altruist. I didn't really care whether or not we could make something like that happen. But I did care… that he cared."

Charlotte nodded. They again fell silent, introspective. The dearest person in all of their lives was gone, but they were still a team. United in having known him.

At last, Anya asked, "So… what do we do now?"

"Tonight," Fawzia said, "we sleep. All of us. For as long as we're allowed. We need to be in far better condition for what comes next."

"And that would be?" Peng asked, unable to hide his mild impatience.

Charlotte rose. "We find a way to fight back."

The vast majority of HQ personnel had gathered in the grand auditorium. Scientists, archivists, doctors, and support staff filled the seats, while Benicio's fellow security officers lined the edges of the room.

The proceedings were only being broadcast to a handful of governments and global agencies. The general public would not be informed of this loss until far more was understood.

On the stage, Chief Rakoto, Archivist Nelson, Scientist Baldwin, and Doctor Sharma lined up to the left of the main holo, while the six Watchers stood on the right. For the moment, none spoke. The holo showed a series of images and vids from Klaus-21's life. Relatively little attention was given to the first fifteen years, though it had been clear from an early age that he had a way of bringing people together. Rival cliques in his middle school made peace within a week of Klaus setting his mind to it. He started multiple clubs, as varied as chess, hiking, writing, and film studies. Without ever really being the center of attention, he had nevertheless shaped and altered any group he joined, and always for the better.

The presentation focused much more heavily on his time as a Watcher. Each of the other Watchers were then invited to speak, adding commentary and experiences to highlight the images.

Taken in immediately by Fawzia-11, Klaus advanced rapidly under her tutelage. While he was far from genius level intellect, and of only moderate talent as a Watcher, he'd followed her advice to the letter, and with total dedication.

He'd befriended Duri-22 within days of the scientist's Induction, and they'd soon been as close as brothers despite their eleven year difference in age.

Charlotte-17 had been so inspired by his hopeful outlook and belief in the cause that she'd driven herself to surpass any Watcher before her.

Peng-24 related how Klaus had been the first Watcher to come to him after his failed attempt to escape the facility, convincing him to accept his new life, rather than run from it.

Anya-28 admitted that Klaus alone had been able to give her real hope of eventually becoming a useful part of the team.

When it was Niko-29's turn to speak, he briefly froze up. He'd been through so much in the last forty-eight hours, and most of HQ knew it. The room remained patiently silent, letting the boy pull it together. A hologram of his face now hovered alongside the images of Klaus-21's life. Niko looked sad, of course, and somewhat lost. But that wasn't what really stood out.

The boy looked angry.

He clearly had a lot he wanted to say, but looking out over such a large crowd, he hesitated. It could easily be stage fright, for one so young to address so many.

Covering for him, Charlotte stepped forward for a second time.

"Even before Klaus joined the Organization, this team was unique by design. I'm not talking about the Watchers. I mean you. The thousands who support and defend my kind. Any other Organization seeking to draw the best of the best would be very different. It would appeal to ego, stoke personal ambition, and offer extreme payment and benefits. Soon, many in such an organization would be the narcissists of global society. Those who seek their own advancement, and want to prove their superiority over their colleagues. Competition, conflict, and clashing personalities would weaken such an organization, projects would be sabotaged, and careers might be undermined and sullied by betrayal and backbiting."

Niko's hologram hadn't been brought down, but Charlotte's now projected alongside him. She smiled warmly, and gave the crowd a small bow. "But you are quite different. Yes, you excel. You're at the top of your fields, and you all needed drive, commitment, and very hard work. But you aren't in competition. You don't undermine each other. Because you didn't come here for your own enrichment or glory. Rather, you were chosen because the Interstellar Fleet saw that you wanted to serve. You serve and support the Watchers, so we can serve all of civilization. And the member nations would never allow anything less than total reliability and unquestionable integrity. Those who have access to Watchers, and our powers, must be trustworthy in the eyes of all."

Niko had mostly collected himself, and he looked almost ready to speak. Charlotte nodded, and concluded her remarks. "Everyone here wants to serve, and your loyalty is beyond question. You push, and learn, and improve, not for your own selves, but for the entire team, and for what we stand for. Our creed demands loyalty to humanity, and commitment to a goal greater than ourselves. That was what drove you all, and when Klaus came to us, he inspired us to go even further. He will… be missed."

She stepped back, and gestured Niko forward. Emboldened by her words, he spoke. "Klaus was my teacher. And almost a second father. But more importantly, he was our heart. He was the man that turned our team into a family. And now he's gone."

The sadness and doubt faded, and Niko looked every bit as determined as Charlotte or even Captain Martins. "Something on Elpis took Klaus. It stole him from us. And it murdered him. Someone precious to the world, and precious to everyone here, is gone. We'd been attacked by a Watcher unlike any we've ever known. And this enemy is killing people on Elpis every single day. Most of the Unwanted are children. And they're being slaughtered." Niko strode forward, to the edge of the stage, and he stood as tall as his young frame allowed. "A mass-murderer has taken one of our own. The best of us. Anyone here would have died for Klaus, but we never had a chance. Right now, we're mostly in the dark. There are powers and abilities at play we don't understand. We don't know much… yet. But we will learn. We'll Watch, and study, and grow. And we will stop the killings. If the enemy Watcher can drag someone across space in an instant, then we can learn to do the same. With all of your help, we Watchers will find a way to end the threat."

The room remained silent, in a mixture of respect and surprise. Niko was so mild, so gentle, so meek. But right now, he felt like a General rallying his troops for war.

And Captain Martins clearly approved. He clapped with power and strength few could manage, the sound echoing through the room, and the crowd swiftly joined him. In mere moments, the confusion, dread, and tragedy of a situation beyond their understanding had changed. In this room, two thousand of the greatest minds, and the most capable soldiers, in all of human civilization were gathered. They dealt with the impossible every day, examining the memories of individuals who could cast their minds across space, observing events with no regard to distance or the speed of light. An enemy had proven that more was possible. One way or another, the Watchers would be helped to match that power.