"Frank, how does it feel to kill a human being?"
"What kind of feeling do you have when you tie your shoes?"
"Nothing special-it's a gesture like any other."
"Exactly."
"But it's also true that sometimes it can be satisfying to tie our shoes, especially if those loose laces have been bothering us for a while. Do you agree with this statement, Frank?"
"I don't think you need any further explanation."
"What was it like the first time you killed someone?"
"It was interesting. Let's just say it marked my point of no return. It was like following the White Rabbit down the rabbit hole and never coming out."
~
A few days later, they met in the conference room, gathered around the table. For once, Zoe was present, though she sat at a distance from the group, trying to hide her body odors from the others. For some strange reason, she wore a motorcycle helmet with a reflective black uniform that hid her features.
Miss Maia watched her companions one by one, her arms crossed. The rest of the group exchanged anxious glances. There was a sense of tension in the air.
"Well, folks. I have good news and bad news. The good news is that our little hologram show actually had an effect on the population. According to the data taken from the network, a trend of rebellion is beginning to spread."
"Wow! But that's wonderful!" Tricky interrupted, smiling in Lucy's direction and patting her on the back. "See, I told you your speech was special! It opened people's minds!"
Lucy smiled, blushing slightly before writing her response on a piece of paper in front of her.
{Thank you. But I don't think I have that power over people. If someone has deep-rooted ideas, a speech is not enough to change their mind.}.
"Well, surely your speech has given like-minded people the strength to respond." Miss Maia continued in an encouraging tone before turning serious again. "Indeed, there have been demonstrations in various parts of the city, all of which have been violently suppressed by the police, of course. The same goes for online speeches inciting riots: they have all been blocked and their authors have probably been traced and arrested. But that's something. It also means that we are not the only ones who want things to change"
"Well, yes. Otherwise we'd be like terrorists."
"Exactly," Miss Maia said, rising from her chair and standing at attention, every single muscle in her body tensed. She seemed quite troubled. "However, this also caused a strong reaction from the government. They obviously did not appreciate the fact that we exposed their weakness, and now their attempts to track us down are intensifying." She looked at Frank. "Especially to find you, Frank. I sincerely hope that you don't still have the codes in your mask, because if they catch you again, I have no doubt that they will take them from you, even if it means killing you brutally".
"I rejoice to say that I do not." Frank replied to her, resting his elbows on the arms of the chair and interlacing his fingers. "The codes are in a very safe place right now."
"Good. Because..." Miss Maia sighed deeply, her eyes betraying for a moment the pain that still burned within her. "Because of Tasha, they have a lot of our private information now. Including, unfortunately, our approximate location."
"Approximate?" Fresh asked, confused but clearly upset.
"Yes. They know we are in a skyscraper and that Zoe is protecting us, but fortunately Zoe has very powerful friends who are thwarting their attempts to find us for now. But they won't succeed for long." she paused, feeling her heart pounding in her chest.
Zoe nodded slowly, without saying anything.
"That's why, team, we're going to have to put everything we've got into one last big mission with three main goals." She grabbed a marker and began writing on the board. "Step one: make sure that not only Prince K, but no one ever gets their hands on those codes again. They must be inaccessible to anyone."
"Can't they be erased or destroyed? Aren't they some kind of file?" Jake asked, absentmindedly swiveling his chair from side to side.
"Unfortunately, no. They are files that can always be recovered by an experienced computer scientist." Frank replied.
"But hey, what if we put them on a USB stick and physically break it?" suggested King.
"It is not possible, these files are too large to be supported by a rudimentary USB stick. I had transferred the files into my mask using a special flash drive that was specially made to not be physically destroyed. It would be easier to break a diamond with a teaspoon than to crack this flash drive."
"Damn." Yutani huffed, obviously discouraged. "So what do we do?"
"First of all, we absolutely prevent Frank from becoming their prisoner again." Miss Maia exclaimed, continuing to write on the blackboard. "Frank, I know you have a high tolerance for... their methods, but you are still human. They may still be able to extract information from you somehow, perhaps using mind-altering drugs or brutal interrogation methods. We don't know. I'd like to avoid this. And if Frank talks, that's the end of everyone."
"I understand. It makes perfect sense." Frank nodded.
"Couldn't we make sure that we all know the location of the codes so that Frank is no longer a target for them?" Tricky asked.
"We can't afford to risk any more data leaks." Miss Maia replied.
"Sorry." Ted raised his hand to speak. "I understand the plan, but let me point out that Frank could also be a spy. I'm not saying he is, I'm saying we can't really... trust anyone."
Miss Maia sighed deeply before answering. "Your worries make sense, but we have to risk it. I think Frank has had countless opportunities to betray us, and he has never done so. He has always been at the forefront, risking his life on every mission. He currently holds the codes, and the very fact that we are simply wanted and not dead, I think, is a testament to his loyalty."
Ted nodded slowly. "That makes sense. Sorry to interrupt."
"These are legitimate doubts; nothing is completely risk free. But I assure you, even in Ninja's memory, I am taking extremely calculated risks so that his death will not be in vain." Miss Maia said with a slight tremor in her voice before she continued to write on the board.
"Step two: take the codes to an inaccessible place. Right now, the only place I can think of is space."
"Space?"
"Yes. We will send a bot to the space station that will infect the station's controls and hijack it away from Earth's atmosphere. That way, we'll find a physical vehicle for the codes, but we'll scatter them into deep space. That's where you two, Bruno and Yutani, must cooperate." She turned to the kids and nodded. "Your task is to build a functional robot that Frank can command from a distance. I also need you to build me a vehicle to send it into orbit."
"Ooh! That's great! I already have the plans in my head!" Yutani exclaimed, looking at Bruno with enthusiasm.
"We will not disappoint you." Bruno promised.
"If you'd like, I could help you with the design details." King offered shyly.
"That would be nice! The holograms you designed were really cool!" Yutani nodded happily, her mind already on the next project.
King smiled and blushed slightly, murmuring a sincere thanks, flattered by the compliment.
"Step three." Miss Maia interjected. "Find the machines to go back in time. The new kids and the inspector have priority on this as they have to get home, but listen to me very carefully. All of us, and I repeat all of us, will have to try to go with them."
"Huh?!" Jake exclaimed in disbelief. "You want to come with us? Why?"
"I will telling you plainly. This is going to be a suicide mission, and it's already enough if we manage to survive." She closed her eyes for a moment. "The fourth step is to kill Prince K. We have no other choice. If he continues to rule, there will never be enough political chaos to really change anything. This means that even if we successfully kill him, his guards will try to kill us. Once we enter his palace, there is no way to get out alive."
A heavy silence fell over the room. Miss Maia let the group absorb these words before she began to speak again.
"Think about this very carefully. You are free to leave the group if you still have family waiting for you outside. Because if you don't leave, the alternatives are death or time travel and have a new life in their time".
"That wouldn't be so bad." Rain murmured, sipping a glass of water. "I never really liked this world. It would be nice to live in the past - still with the animals, the sea, sports..."
Lucy became serious and expressed her thoughts to Maia in sign language. "I have to think about it. How much time do we have to decide?"
"You have a week, just to give Bruno and Yutani time to build the ship and the bot. But no more than that."
Tricky shot a disappointed and vaguely hurt look at Lucy, who avoided her gaze.
"Won't you come with me, Lucy?" She whispered in a sad tone. Lucy handed her a note.
{I'm sorry Tricky, but I need to think about this very carefully. I still have a family here that loves me. I need to think about it before I leave them forever, you know}.
Tricky nodded slowly. "Yes. I understand. You're right, I'm sorry, Lucy."
Lucy smiled at her and shook her head, as if to tell her not to worry.
"I have to think about it too." Bruno said in a serious tone. "I don't think I would be very happy in their primitive age, with such rudimentary technology. Plus someone should stay here to see that everything runs smoothly."
"Hey, Bruno! I promise it's not that bad!" exclaimed Yutani with a hint of sadness in her voice. "You could become a famous scientist instead, bringing your advanced knowledge to our time! We could... work together! C'mon, don't stay here!"
"I didn't say I would stay here. I said I need to think about it."
"What about you, Frank? What are you thinking about?" Miss Maia asked him.
"I don't have much choice but to go on this mission. Besides, to be honest, I don't have any connection to this era. Whether I'm in the past or the present, it doesn't make much difference to me. In fact, I think I'd rather be in the past." He moved his head to the side, causing the rabbit ears attached to his mask to bounce slightly.
"How so?" Rain asked him, smiling softly.
"I would like to go to a natural place, away from everyone. I don't know, something like renting a cabin in the Alps or a cottage in the country or a little house on a remote island in the middle of the sea. Something like that."
"Sounds like a nice project." Rain nodded enthusiastically. "But won't you be a bit lonely? For example, I'd like to go to one of those big cities - like New York. It sounds more fun and lively."
"I think I need some solitude." Frank ended the conversation before looking back at Miss Maia.
"Make all your plans without any rush. You still have time." She was suddenly interrupted by King, who, although he raised his hand to ask to speak, began to speak before he was given permission.
"Huh... Can I stay here instead?"
"King!" Tricky exclaimed, looking shocked. "What are you talking about? Why on earth would you want to stay here? Don't you think about your family, about us?"
"I think you'll be fine without me." King muttered, clutching his right forearm with his left hand in obvious discomfort. "I don't think my family will miss me very much. My mom's always there to tell me how ashamed she is of me, and my dad's always telling me to be quiet because if I make any noise, it will be harmful for his heart."
"What you say is very sad, little boy." Ted commented, looking serious. Even his dog seemed concerned. Sensing his owner's concern, he began to yelp softly. "I'm very sorry you feel that way."
King simply shrugged and looked away.
"But King... that's not true! You are our friend, we would miss you so much!" Yutani muttered with an extremely sad expression on her face. She seemed to be on the verge of tears.
"And who would take care of you here? You don't know anyone!" asked Jake in a worried tone.
"I can take care of myself. I don't know how,
but I will."
"That's not true and you know it. You are still a child. You have no money and you know nothing about this society. Please, King. Don't fuck up your life." Fresh scolded his friend, trying to use his anger to hide his concern.
"King." Rain leaned over and took his hand. "I understand how you feel. Believe me, I had a shitty family too, they literally kicked me out of the house. But your situation is different. I promise you, when we get back to your time, you will not be alone. Your friends will be by your side, and I will be there, too."
King finally seemed to change his mind. The distressed expression on his face softened and he gently squeezed Rain's hand. "... I'll think about it. Thank you everyone."
"Like I said, take your time," Miss Maia exclaimed before opening a black notepad on which she had scribbled several things.
"Now, folks, everyone out except Frank. We need to discuss details about the murder of Prince K. Frank, please sit here next to me. Of all of you, it is obvious to me that you are the one best suited to end the dictator's life. Do you agree?"
"I agree." Frank nodded and stood up to approach Miss Maia.
The rest of the group walked out of the room in a flurry of discussion.