"Guys, look! There are our holograms on TV!" King loudly called out to the rest of the group in a cheerful tone.
"What? Where?" Yutani hurried out of the lab, followed by Bruno.
"I want to see them too!" Said Tricky, who came out of the kitchen accompanied by Lucy.
"Wow! Holy shit, that's cool!" commented Jake enthusiastically, as soon as they reached the room.
"Let's see." Fresh was already next to King in the living room, standing in front of the TV set with his arms crossed.
On the screen, it was possible to see their five alter egos running through the city streets with grace, speed, and agility. They jumped over buildings, cars, and trains doing stunts and moving in time to an electronic instrumental track in the background, created specifically to attract attention without being too loud.
[Citizens of the City of the Super Runner! With this message we command you to listen to us!] An electronic voice vaguely resembling Jake's spoke up. The real Jake began to chuckle amusedly.
Then Tricky's avatar intervened. [Aren't you tired of living to work? Aren't you tired of being constantly controlled and used by the government as if you were objects?]
[Aren't you tired of giving everything you have to this society, only to be repaid with illness, sadness, and frustration? Don't you want to devote yourself to your interests instead of spending your lives glued to screens, working all day and night ?] said King's avatar.
[Are you not tired of the constant fear of being labeled as useless and being eliminated or abandoned? One day it may be your neighbor, the next day you may be the victim!] exclaimed Yutani's avatar.
[The value of human life should be an intrinsic part of every human being! There are no useless people! We should be proud to be human, not reduced to vulgar machines whose only purpose in life is to produce!] Fresh's avatar spoke in what appeared to be deep emotion.
"Hey, good job, guys. Really." Rain commented in a gentle tone, sipping a hot drink as she stood near the entrance. She was holding a colourful mug with glittery unicorns on it. She smiled, even though the steam began to cloud the lenses of her glasses. She felt relieved to see those holograms; it meant that Miss Maia and the others had succeeded in their mission. If all went well, they would be back soon.
The others turned briefly to Rain and smiled back at them before turning their attention back to the screen. Each hologram was designed to say one sentence at a time to keep the speech dynamic and as interesting as possible for the viewers.
[We have built a society that tramples on basic human needs. According to Maslow's pyramid theory, everyone has specific , basic needs. But our physical and safety needs are only met when we have enough money and utility! People, realize that you can only eat, live, and have a roof over your head if certain requirements are met! Not to mention the needs of belonging, esteem, and self-actualization, which are considered completely useless! The government doesn't care if you are happy, content, creative! It just wants to exploit you!]
[And you, like good idiots, allow them to do all this to you? Does it seem normal to you? Does it seem normal to you to live in a society where there is no room for spirituality, no respect for art and music, no freedom to express yourself and do what you really like? Do you really want to waste your life like this, living it in an empty and monotonous way?]
[Does it seem normal to live in a society where you have to hope to be born on the right side? Where diversity, instead of being celebrated, is treated as something to be eradicated? Where there is no respect, no charity, no brotherhood between people? Where there is no intimacy and privacy, not even for our dead? Where even animals, once considered our brothers and companions in life, are now mere products?]
[You might argue that resources are limited and that we cannot help everyone. You may think that this hyper-control of the population keeps order. But are you really sure that this is the case? Has it ever occurred to you that the resources are there, but are being used by a few people whose only interest is to keep being the only ones to use them? That the environment has been made uninhabitable and nature destroyed by this very greed?]
Suddenly other holograms appeared, vaguely resembling Ted. The boys had been having a bit of fun behind his back, turning the guard hologram into some kind of villain, chasing after the boys' holograms.
[You might also object that taxes are low and jobs are easy to find. Would you still feel that way if you or your family members were struggling with no one to help you? Does it seem fulfilling to you to have no competition at work because the other competitors are all dead? A society without healthy competition creates a generation of weaklings who are unable to fight and strive to improve themselves!]
[Tell me, would you ever trust your house key to a thief? Because that is what you do every day by accepting the abuse, violence and injustice of everyday life. You accept it even if you are passive and do nothing to change it. It is not all over. There is hope for a better future for all].
[Alone we can do nothing, it is true. But if we unite, we can! Citizens, the time for action is now! Prince K is currently unable to use The Weapon! He does not have the necessary codes to activate it! It is a good time to react! Do not be afraid of revolution, be afraid that absolutely nothing will change!]
[As the father of literary romanticism, Victor Hugo, said, "When dictatorship is a fact, revolution becomes a right!" Value your life!]
[Think about it. Unlike those who control you, we give you the choice to think for yourself. If you agree with us, let us hear your support in the coming days! Good night to all!]
The holograms suddenly disappeared, leaving room for the normal noise of traffic to pollute the silence of the night. On the television, the interrupted programs resumed.
"Wow." Fresh was the first to comment. "Guys, what do you think? Let's hope it wasn't a cringe show and that the message got through."
"Why do you say that?" asked Jake.
"Because I'm afraid all we said was platitudes and obviousness," Fresh replied half-heartedly. "I'm afraid people won't care and nothing will change."
Lucy had a sad expression on her face, clearly affected by Fresh's remarks. She was beginning to doubt that she had written a good speech and that if the mission failed, it would be her fault. Tricky noticed this and smiled at her, shaking his head and putting a hand on her back. "Hey. I liked it."
"Guys, the important thing is that you tried. I can't really say if it was an effective or useful speech, but it was certainly sincere and true. Better than sitting on your ass in a chair and complaining." Rain sat on the couch, sipping his drink and giving a thumbs up with his free hand. "So whatever happens, be proud of yourself."
"I would have liked Mrs. Zoe to see it. Why hasn't she been seen for a few days?" Bruno asked, tilting his head slightly.
"I think she's not feeling very well, but she won't let me treat her. She says she has to do it herself," Rain replied with a shrug.
Suddenly they heard the roof hatch open and footsteps approaching the living room. They all turned towards the door, eager to see their companions again and to ask them all the details of the matter.
First Miss Maia entered, with a completely alienated expression on her face. She walked mechanically, like a robot. She held a dirty cloth in the palm of her bloody hand, which was still covered in glass shards.
Next, Frank entered the room quietly and professionally, with the demeanor of an ordinary employee who had just finished a business presentation and was returning to his desk to work.
Finally, Ted entered the room. He looked somber, as if a thousand thoughts were weighing on his mind and heart.
The smiles of those present slowly faded. Rain placed the cup on the small table in front of her and stood up with a worried look on her face. "Maia! My God, what happened to you? Let me see your hand! Where are Ninja and Tasha?"
"They are both dead." Maia replied with a brutal calm that still betrayed her frustration. She kept her gaze fixed in front of her, not daring to meet the gaze of either of them. At this revelation, a heavy silence fell on the room.
The kids exchanged shocked looks, not knowing what to say. Even Lucy and Bruno, who, despite having more experience in the group, had never had to deal with the death of a teammate.
Only Rain had enough presence of mind to insist on asking for an explanation. "... I am so sorry, Maia. Do you feel up to talking about it, or would you rather let it go?"
"I'm not that weak, Rain. I am able to talk." Miss Maia replied angrily, suddenly looking up but not at anyone in particular. "My sister Tasha turned out to be the spy. Not only did she betray us all, but she also killed Ninja, she stabbed him to death. I found his corpse, barely recognizable. We are here alive thanks to Frank, who had enough cold blood and precision to kill Tasha in one shot before the situation escalated. Thank you, Frank."
"Just doing my job. Glad I could be of help," Frank replied in a neutral tone. Ted gave him a quizzical look, but said nothing.
"Watch out if I hear any of you pussies picking on Frank, you hear? I am the one who ordered him to shoot to kill." Maia said in a threatening tone, keeping her eyes on Fresh, who raised his hands in surrender.
"I understand." Rain seemed particularly saddened by this explanation. Although she had never liked Tasha, she had never thought that she could do such a thing. There really was no limit to the worst. "I'm sorry. I wish I could have been there to help you," she added in a sweet tone.
"Stop bullshitting me, Rain! Tasha would have killed you just like she did to Ninja! Fuck, did you hear what she did to him?" Miss Maia exploded again, pouring out all her anger and frustration on them. The rest of the group flinched slightly, except for Rain and Frank, who seemed indifferent to this outburst.
"I heard you. You are right, Miss Maia. Thank you for protecting me and letting me stay here." They said, touching her shoulder gently. "Now, how about following me to the infirmary so we can take a look at your hand? If you feel up to it, we can talk a little, if not, it's okay." Miss Maia nodded with a frown and followed Rain down the corridor.
"Wow, Rain really has a talent for taking care of others." King commented with an edge in his voice. "They calmed her right down."
"Rain has always been the person who restores both our bodies and our minds. They are an excellent medic." Bruno replied, nodding. "We're lucky to have him with us."
"Are you all right, Ted?" asked Jake suddenly, noticing that the inspector was clearly uncomfortable. He had not yet moved from the spot near the wall where he was standing, and his whole body was tense.
"Yeah ... yeah ... sort of," Ted replied in a strange tone of voice, as if he was struggling to speak. "Luckily, nothing bad happened to us. I was with Frank when it all happened. We didn't see Tasha kill Ninja because they were in a part of the skyscraper that wasn't visible from the outside, but in short... we heard what happened."
"Did you hear Ninja die?" asked Tricky, looking stunned.
"Not exactly. We heard a scream and communication with him stopped right after that. Tasha probably destroyed his earpiece." Frank replied. "We tried to warn Miss Maia, but a few seconds later we saw her almost fall out of the skyscraper. Tasha tried to push her down but was unsuccessful, she was very fast. But then they started talking and that gave us time to properly react to the situation and neutralize her."
"Yeah. I was with Frank when it happened. It was horrible, guys. It really was. Good thing you weren't there. The only thing I could do was hand Frank the sniper rifle. Then he shot her before she could call for backup and killed Miss Maia, but I'll let you imagine how Miss Maia felt." Ted shook his head slowly. "A terrible thing." He repeated, obviously upset.
"I wanted to go there myself and try to calm the situation down, but Frank stopped me from doing so."
"It was my duty to point out that your decision was unwise and against logic." Frank replied quietly, sitting down on the couch where Rain had sat just before, his gaze fixed on his kitschy cup, still half full. By now the liquid inside was cold and had stopped producing steam for a while.
"Oh shit," Fresh commented. "Yeah, that does sound like a pretty bad situation."
"But why did Tasha do that?" asked Bruno with a sad look on his face. It was obvious that he, too, considered Tasha to be someone trustworthy and positive.
"Unresolved personal issues." Frank replied, not getting into too many details. Ironically, he was not much of a gossip, although he was drawn to secretly listening and observing people.
"I see..." Tricky glanced at Lucy, who answered with a shrug and a sad expression on her face.
"What do we do now?" asked Bruno finally.
"In the interest of transparency, I am currently uninformed on the matter." Frank said, picking up the cup and studying the ugly decoration on it.
"Probably Miss Maia will need a moment to recover now, considering what she's been through...by the way, where's my dog?" Ted asked, looking around.
"He's asleep in your room, we closed the door so as not to disturb him." King replied.
"Good. Then if anyone needs me, they will find me there. Good night, everyone." Ted said, looking tired before he started down the hall.
~
The next day at breakfast, Miss Maia seemed to be back to her old self, except for the prominent dark circles under her eyes that accentuated her green eyes.
Without Ninja in charge of the food, their breakfast was sad and bare, consisting of the first things they managed to find in the kitchen.
For once, Frank was present, but he did not touch the food. As soon as Maia spoke, it became clear to everyone why he was there.
"Team, I have called you all here this morning because I have an important announcement to make." Miss Maia said as she was busy spreading a cube of butter on bread so soft it looked like sponge. The cube was still too cold, so Maia had to destroy part of the bread to be able to spread it. Unlike Frank, Maia had no problem taking off the mask over her mouth and showing her face to the others.
"First, a quick vote. In light of the fact that two people have died under my command, I want to know right now if you still want me as your boss. Raise your hand if you still want me in charge. If I see a single hand not raised, I will resign. Without any hard feelings, I want to know your sincere opinion."
They all raised their hands without hesitation. Maia seemed to smile slightly. "Thank you for trusting me despite everything. I promise I will do my best to make sure this never happens again."
"It wasn't your fault, Miss Maia," Ted tried to comfort her, but was immediately silenced.
"Quiet." Maia said in a firm but friendly tone. "This is not the time to talk about it. I have a meeting with Zoe today. I know this request will seem strange to you, but I ask you to trust me one last time." She put the bread down on the plate to give her full attention to her interlocutors. "Rain, Frank, I want you to take the kids and Ted on a tour of the city today."
"Huh?" asked Rain immediately. "I mean, it's perfectly fine for me to get out of here, but ... what's with this request?"
"I don't want anyone around while I'm talking to Zoe. Forgive me, guys, but I can't afford to trust anyone completely anymore. It has cost me the lives of two people. Knowing that there is no one else in the house except Zoe and me would make me feel better. Not to mention that Zoe is not feeling well these days, so the fewer people there are to cough on her, the better." she took a sip of water before continuing. "Although I know it sounds paradoxical considering she's a corpse. Second..." She smiled. "I think it would be good for you to have some fun. Do something nice, take your mind off these missions for a moment. I want you to think of it as a little vacation among yourselves. Show the newbies that our century isn't all bad."
"I've always wondered what the world out there is like." Jake nodded. "After all, we're in the future and we've seen almost nothing! It would be such a waste!"
His friends agreed. Yutani squeezed his hand affectionately and nodded happily, and Jake squeezed her hand back with a sweet look on his face. It was clear that they were both thinking about how to make this little vacation as much like a romantic date as possible, even though they would not be alone. The other kids in the group giggled, not yet used to seeing them acting like lovebirds.
"I'd rather stay in the lab, I don't really like going out. The city noise really bothers me." Bruno commented.
"I know, Bruno. In fact, you will be wearing the noise-canceling headphones I bought for you a few days ago. And I think you will have to take steps to avoid being recognized. There are outfits in the walk-in closet that you can try on to hide your identity a bit. You too, Frank. I suggest you use your backup mask that Bruno made for you in case of an emergency. Your face is literally on every poster in town, so it's not smart to be seen walking around in your usual rabbit mask. When you get back, you can put it back on."
"All right," Frank nodded. "I will also do my best to keep the kids safe."
"Come on, lighten up a bit, Frank. You're so serious, all you think about is work. Isn't there something you'd like to do or a place you'd like to go?" teased Rain jokingly.
"Honestly, I don't know. I haven't even thought about it." Frank admitted.
"That means you'll think about it when we will get out." Rain nodded enthusiastically, already enjoying the idea of a happy day with the rest of the group.
Frank nodded without saying anything, so Miss Maia concluded the announcement by clapping her hands.
"Well, team. Make all the plans you want as long as you are out of this house by noon. Bring umbrellas, it will probably rain all day. Don't come back after midnight, and let me know immediately if there are any problems. Now, have a good breakfast."