ã€ŠR.Evolution- The Border Disputeã€‹


 Prologue

    Prologue.

    ¡ª

    ANI ¨C During the dark ages of the 22nd century, twenty major cities unite for the purpose of an economic treaty- this becomes known as the Allied Network Initiative a.k.a. the A.N.I.

    The Underground ¨C During the lawless era- a simple neighborhood watch system- along the ''Great Territory'' a defensive network forms by volunteers during the dark ages of the 22nd century. Initially a simple neighborhood watch system during a lawless era- it grew into a centralized defensive network known as The Underground.

    ¡ª

    Year: 2206

    ¨C-

    Vincent was seven. His town was located where the ANI city ends and the territory begins. Renovations were required for the ANI city expanse.

    In the distant horizon, he sees the outline of a city that stretched for many miles- a highly populated mass of towers. . This city, which expanded over what was once ''New England'',was one of twenty major cities that expanded across nations- the ¡®ANI''.

    Vincent¡¯s village had long foreshadowed a time when the neighboring ANI city would inevitably expand into their territory. Because of this- an arrangement is made with the local Underground.

    Initially, an ANI diplomat offers a generous trade agreement: In return for relocation, they will offer certain privileges and future trade arrangements.

    The town members vote against the proposal. Despite the immediate fortune that would be given to the townspeople- they feel that in the long run - the expansion will become a detriment to the future of the territory.

    The best place to stall them was here.

    With support from ''The Underground¡¯, the defensive network became an impassable fortress, and a promising border between two nations.

    The two sides appeared to be at a standstill until a young promising sergeant came up with another idea. In the corner of a dark room, he spoke words.

    ¡°In addition to the trade agreement,¡± the sergeant explained to the town''s chief, ¡°-You yourself will be granted rights as one of our top ''Elites'' ¨C you will live in luxury for the rest of your life as one of our head members in ANI. Not only you, but your children''s children will never have lack."

    Elites were in fact given a life of luxury. The treaty itself seemed promising, the chief agreed.

    ¡°We¡¯ll come in quickly and quietly,¡± the sergeant replied, ¡°We will relocate them with care, and the villagers will be none the wiser¡­¡±

    It was nighttime when he guided the soldiers through the Underground tunnel defense system that led into the town. It was quick, and it was quiet..

    ¡ª

    ¡°Hide under this,¡± Vincent¡¯s father spoke sincerely but harsh as he shoved him under the floorboards of their home.

    As Vincent hid under the floorboards his mom gave him one last word before she closed it forever above him.

    "Wait here until men in black uniforms come. It''ll take a couple days.¡±

    His mother could give no better direction as a knock pounded on the door.

    There was no time for a hug or kiss as Vincent was shoved down into the hidden cellar of their home.

    Above him, he heard a knock, footsteps coming in, gunshots, footsteps fading away.

    He held onto his knees.

    An hour or so passed when he made his way to the edge of the cellar and saw the entire village in flames. He watched on as bodies were gathered in the center. The town chief shouted something to a man in a uniform. The uniformed man turned around to look at the chief for a moment and then whileshot himpoint blank.

    Another man saluted the man in uniform.

    ¡°Update?¡±

    ¡°Things are as smooth as your predicted sir.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± the Sergeant replied.

    Vincent got a look at the face. It would be a face he couldn''t forget. It was young, handsome even, short black hair and black eyes. He couldn''t forget it- the eyes seems to be filled with a twisted sort of life. Vincent wouldn''t forget the smiling eyes the man had upon his face at the chaos around him. After hearing the update- a slight smirk could be seen for just an instant before disappearing.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°And clean this shit up,¡± He replied- pointing to what was the town chief''s body as he moved onto the next soldier.

    The soldier saluted towards the young sergeant as he moved onwards and then dragged the body towards a large pile.

    ¡ª

    The hours passed by as the blaze became a fire and then embers and finally smoke. The rancid smell of burning fat became that of decay and yet Vincent stayed hidden.

    Hunger ate at him, but he didn''t leave his hidden place under the house.

    It was two days later when Vincent heard a sound. He looked out through gap under the cellar as a vehicle pulled up to town. A man and woman dressed in all black got out- just as his mother had spoken. Dehydrated and covered in ash, Vincent crawled out from underneath the celler.

    The man turned with a jolt as he heard a sound coming from Vincent''s direction.

    The woman held a hand to her mouth in shock at the sight. The man slowly appraoched Vincent and kneeled down. He held out a hand.

    ¡°Hey there, kid¡­¡±

    ---

    Now inside the vehicle, Vincent sat in the middle next to the woman while the man continued investigating and recording details. After another fifteen minutes- he got inside of the vehicle. They were silent for a moment.

    "How did they get inside?" The woman spoke.

    "It seems like they were led in through one of the entrance tunnels..."

    The woman looked at Vincent a moment then outside the window.

    "most likely they were betrayed by the chief"

    The man sat for a moment looking foreward at nothing and then started up the vehicle.

    In silence they drove away and Vincent¡¯s last look of his village was that of smoldering ashes and a smoke-filled sky.

    ¡ª

    Hours passed as vincent drifted off.

    The halting of the humming motion and a slight bump awoke him.

    Vincent wasn''t sure how long it had been when the vehicle stopped. As he looked up he saw a large building surrounded by beautiful green grass and what looked to be a vegetable garden. The battle-worn face of a slightly older man came out to greet the two that exited the vehicle.

    Vincent watched on from behind the shelter of the woman he''d driven with while the middle-aged man and the man he''d been with discussed something.

    "Based on the remains- it happened approximately two and a half days ago. There was no sign of a fight and the security field seemed untampered."

    The middle aged man listened for a while as the man gave a detailed report of all he''d seen.

    "In your opinion- does it look to be the work of the A.N.I?"

    The man nodded.

    They talked for a while about other things that Vincent didn''t understand. At some point he noticed that they were talking about him a bit. The older man simply gave a slight glance and smile to Vincent and returned his attention to the young man.

    "It seems that we will no longer be able to trust in the slight peace then. They''ve begun to make the first move...."

    The man continued ¡°Get ahold of the ''five'' immediately. Let them know we''ve raised the alert status- and that it''s time to initiate the first step in project blackwing."

    ¡°Yes, sir¡­¡± the man replied with a salute.

    Suddenly the man''s attention turned downward to his side.

    ¡°Oh- hi little one,¡± He spoke as a young girl, Vincent¡¯s age, had come up with her arms up to the man. The man picked her up with a strong arm and gave her a hug and small kiss on the forehead before setting her down.

    He then pointed at Vincent,¡°We have a new friend,¡± he spoke to the girl ¡°how about you say introduce yourself and say hi?¡±

    The girl looked toward Vincent curiously- her eyes looked past the dirt-covered body andbroken demeanor. She simply curtsied in her flowery dress, ¡°Hi there... I¡¯m Jessie.¡±

    From that point on, Vincent would love her as much as a man could love a woman.

    ---

    Part 2.

    ---

    Year 2219

    Location: A small town located in the heart of the ''Vast Territory''

    Michael and Sue sat on the overlook. They¡¯d come here every once in a while. Michael was a restless heart longing for adventures while Sue was the opposite. She was the kind of girl one would settle down with and make a family. The only thing that kept Michael here was his obligations to the town.

    If he had only wanted to be the man that he was now, to stay here with her, she¡¯d have been happy to have him. But he was so restless- he wanted so much different than she wanted for ¡®them¡¯. He was always her ¡®friend¡¯.

    She turned to him as he began to speak up. ¡°You see that horizon over there?¡± He pointed out past across the plains to a horizon in the distance. She liked to listen to him speak. He was filled with an invigorating sense of hope; even if it wasn¡¯t the same hope that she held for them together.

    ¡°Somewhere over there is a whole world that we haven¡¯t seen yet and that we haven¡¯t explored." he spoke as his arms made big movements.

    "Supposedly, there are huge cities that stretch as far as the eye can see; they travel on air on special round discs shaped like this.¡± He held out his arms in a circle about two and a half feet wide for her to look through.

    Being next in line to village chief- and his father''s son- his studies taught him more things than that which normal townsfolk were taught. it was a large range of topics- from different laws- to customs -to sciences and technology. Even still - he seemed to be holding onto a dream ¨C even if his duty to the town was to keep him tethered to here.

    ¡°How is that even possible?¡± she said, even though she had no interest in the discs, the thought of flying didn¡¯t even strike a little bit of adventure or sense of curiosity. She liked the basic things in life, the smell of a summer breeze, the grass in her feet and the company of the boy she currently sat beside. When there was ''real'' work to be done in the town, the distant world seemed like a waste of time and energy to spend time thinking about.

    ¡°Supposedly it works on ''electromagnetic energy field'' that transmits pulsewaves between fixed points. The discs use an propulsion system underneath them to hover and they control it with their feet...¡±

    ¡°Ha ha,¡± She laughed while she swung her hair around, and tried to look pretty for the boy, ¡°You lost me at electromagnets."

    ---

    R.

    ---

    End Prologue.

 Chapter 1 - Embers

    Chapter 1. Embers

    Year 2212

    Dark brown hair

    Hazel eyes so deep

    They haunt me in my dreams

    You never knew

    Last night I spent the night awake

    And thought of only you

    You feel so far away it seemed

    And while we grew up close

    Circumstance kept us apart

    Is time what it will take to find you?

    When the walls of hope and doubt fall away

    And all that remains is what lies within

    Will you be there?

    Vincent brushes his finger along the walls of the underground. They are rock; man-man. The indents and nuances of grainy texture reflect the crafter- human hands. They are the reminder of another time; when mankind held unique differences- they are a reminder that around the world there are still some places, if only a few, of a people that exist apart from the ANI.

    Long ago,or so Vincent had read in old books, Before the ANI cities, the great collapse, before the virtual age, people had a choice: at least more than they do now. Now the ANI sectors are full of human drones - people who perform solely for the purpose of the economic factor. Some of the lower classed ones use a self-induced drug that causes them to literallynot know what they''re doing.

    Vincent doesn¡¯t pity them. Every person has a choice. It isn¡¯t as if they are forced at gunpoint- but rather feara world without laws. Instead of living among the territory and self-governing, they prefer a cage. A false sense of security, a slight promise of stability, while ANI slowly choked the life of the people that within its walls. They obey because if they didn¡¯t, they would be ousted or shunned. What they didn¡¯t know that true freedom could lay right outside of the walls. However, instead of recognizing the freedoms that lay outside- the ANI citizens consider anyone outside of the cities ¡®barbarians¡¯ and fear them.

    Deep down, despite what he¡¯d seen- he doesn¡¯t care. not about the people in the cities or the people that were still free. He cared about a girl, Jess. If he had had his choice, he''d have run off with her a while ago and let go the conflict surrounding them: all that struggle and hurt, all the anger, and all about his past. She was probably the one person who could save him from himself and his self-destructive nature.

    He didn''t expect this of her of course. She was set on her own path - to follow in her father''s footsteps for the betterment of the territory and of mankind. He liked that about her and he wasn''t going to get in the way of that. His own reason for being here was different however..

    Revenge.

    Revenge for the time when he was younger and he overheard his parent¡¯s murder. Revenge for when he crawled out from under the cellar and watched that ''A.N.I. captain'' shoot the town chief in cold blood, and for the last look of his only home in ashes as he drove away.

    It was this memory that held him in place, that he couldn¡¯t let go; except when he was with her.

    ¡°We have a new friend; how about you say hi and tell him your name.¡±

    Vincent peered out from the shelter of the two strangers who had brought him here. She¡¯d looked straight through him- with his burned skin and lonely distant glare.

    "Hi, I¡¯m Jessie." and she curtsied. And that was the moment he knew. It was at that exact moment he saw only her. Sometime later- they moved away- and it took years to find her again -but ever since- the memory of her was sealed in his heart forever.

    ---

    Vincent picks up the pace as he walks along the halls.

    The cameras were somewhat avoidable with stealth tech- a person could use certain emmitor to appear nearly invisible on cameras- but then there was the human element.

    Vincent darts left as a patrol guard goes on his rounds. While there are sensors and cameras, Vincent is aware of the pattern and rushes by with ease.

    Vincent punches in a code in a split second and pushes open a door on the side of his current hall.

    Vincent closed the door behind him. A slight echo resounds inside of the large hangar. A collection of vehicles spread out across the floor. As Vincent enters inside- he looks up at a control tower above him where a man seems focused on some sort of work.

    Vincent waits momentarily as the man finishes the current project - using both machine and a virtual visor that lets him inspect the vehicles for maintenence after their away mission. Mechanic is a loose term. With as advanced as vehicles have become any repairs require engineering skills as a mechanical.

    The man puts off the visor and notices Vincent.

    He waves downward, "hey- Vincent,"

    While his voice is somewhat faint- it carries well. He momentarily pulls something from an unseen location, takes off his visor completely and walks towards the newcomer.

    As he approaches Vincent-his appearance becomes more distinct.

    Dirt around fingers and a grease stained shirt: a slight black hue around the rim of where his goggles were. The man is a bit bigger than average - not wide, morelike a naturally builtmma fighteror something-a couple tattos are slightly visible.

    His appearance is in contrast to his personality however- which Vincent has found to be that of a gentle giant.

    Despite the late hour, the man is only bemused slightly at Vincent¡¯s entrance.

    ¡°Hey, Tag,¡± Vincent speaks to the man - Devon- who is called Tags based on the dogtags he''d wear around his kneck. the tattoos seem to be some sort of tribute to old comrades.

    Tags and Vincent bump the side of their forearm- a common greeting among HQ members.

    Like himself- Tags is a loner. Tags has been at HQ ever since he first arrived. Vincent isn''t sure what motivation had for coming here- but based on the recognizable tattoos and dogtags- Tags probably signed up for similar reasons as himself. Even still- Vincent figures that Tags had a purer motivation than his own. Not that he really cared, but the thought of why he signed up makes him wonder why.

    ¡°Your **eyes'' turned left?¡± Tags asked acknowledging the pause. Vincent had been quiet for a moment in thought.

    ¡°What made you join the Underground, Tags?¡±

    Tags responded, ¡°Uh, a **back-fielder** huh?" Tags scratched his head, "I''d need to *go Zip''s* to talk about ...¡±

    Ah - something sentimental.

    "Ah, then nevermind," Vincent didn''t really feel like having a heartfelt conversation.

    Guffahhh, Tags laughed.

    "Actually, the real reason I was here was for the bike.¡±

    ¡°Haha, that''s more like the Vincent we all love,¡± Tags pulls a set of keys from behind him. It seems that Tags knows Vincent better than he thought.

    Technically the bike is Vincent''s- granted him per his request after a promotion. However - there was still a curfew so Tags is responsible for the goings and comings in the meantime.

    Not that he needed to warn him, but Tag seemed intent to reminded Vincent about the curfew, ¡°Just have it back before the scheduled team comes back at Zero Four Hundred¡­If not- i''ll probably get into little reprimanding.¡±

    Vincent assents with a nod.

    While Tags received some leniency towards the curfew based upon his work hours - he didn''t really have the authority to allow others the same leniency. AsVincent is at least a good acquaintance of his however- he makes an exception.

    Vincent took the keys that Tags tossed him and walked up to his bike.

    There is still a seat, handlebars, and a visor but perhaps that''s where the similarities end.

    The wheels are small and spherical- adaptive to a magnetic railway rather than using rubber - it slightly hovers above the ground.

    Vehicles now use a long-term battery which can last almost the entire life of the bike itself. The battery itself would be dangerous except for the safety features-but this has been developed alongside the vehicles over the past few generations.

    Ignition starts with the simple press of a button rather than a key twist. The visor has an on-screen Augmented Reality system which could update realtime obstacles, distances, etc. It also has a music selection which connects to an earpiece and can be chosen through the display. As Vincent verifies I.D. and presses on the bike - a list of options come up while a slight hum indicates that the bike is on.

    He selects a song from a list in the twenty first century back when music was good and then drifts into darkness.

    ---

    Nikita sits in her room, working on the homework assignments and her apprenticeship studies. She worked hard for grades and it showed- she was already in the top two percent of the class. Placement within A.N.I. society¡¯s Elite status required one percent (competition in school education was fierce because of this.) with certain exceptions. However, even to work directly under Elite required that they be within the third percentile.

    Most people had no expectations to become elite- Usually those who had elite status would raise their kids rigorously to achieve elite status and use the advantage of finances and connections (the alternative was heavy bribery) ¨C however, there were many who wished to avoid falling into the bottom percentile. If a child was determined not to be worth educating- they would automatically be placed into the workforce- as early as sixteen, without any further education or hope of advancement. Once you were assigned- you were usually assigned for life- street cleaners, waste, and such were placed here and given stipends enough to live a meager life.

    Once placed here- people would generally would become addicts to the street drug, Z- living their lives as metaphorical zombies- as Z inhibited awareness so as to avoid the drudgery of the routine lives.

    Those without mental or physical ability (the disabled) were simply kicked out of the towers, to take up residence in the broken mass of structures that littered the ancient cities. Even Elites¡¯ children that fit this category could only be placed in care at high cost secretly, and were generally shunned by society.

    The reason for current development was the need for a strongly structured economic factory. After the entirety of the world economies crumbled in the twenty-second century, the rebuilding culture that emerged was this- A.N.I. (Allied network initiative).

    But Nikita had no need to worry about this. She was a perfect bill of health and intelligence, not to mention beauty. She could get by easily- living at worst, a very cushy life in the top of the towers. Her beauty alone would make her a trophy wife for an Elite and she could live easily in that manner- if that had fit her personality at all.

    ¡°Nikita- you have a letter from someone!¡± The door opened up to reveal a thirty-something year old woman- her host mother.

    Nikita snagged the sealed envelope right away from her mother.

    ¡°What¡¯s in it envelope?¡± her host mom spoke.

    Nikita sighed. Her host mother was a hard-working woman within the more educated sector- (her host father was a supervisor in the lower sector and worked late hours) and it fit her personality. While she was a serious worker - the problem was that sometimes Jess felt like the woman was a little childish.

    Nikita opened up the letter to her expectant guardian, ¡°oh¡­ Uh¡­ nothing important. Just an update on the ballroom dance that I¡¯ll be an aide to.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± her host mom replied. ¡°You¡¯ve been elected to a ball?!¡±

    Inwardly, Nikita¡¯s heart clenched- Nikita had hoped that that detail she¡¯d simply brushed over would pass unawares to her mother. Being invited to the upper echelons of society was iconic- her host mother would surely take pride in such a thing, with an ¡®I helped raise this girl!¡¯ attitude.

    ¡°I¡¯m just working as an aide for an older diplomat,¡± Nikita wanted to at least humble the woman a little. In truth she was still invited, whether it was as an aide- becoming an aide to an Elite required becoming successful already- It seemed society had taken appropriate notice of her since her arrival to the school a few months ago.

    The host mom however, ignored her completely- absorbed in the grandeur of a ball, ¡°You know- my daughter may have had something that fits you for that.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Nikita spoke with forced enthusiasm- Her host mom was well meaning¡­ however Nikita was sort of a tomboy- wearing nothing more than essentials and busying herself with work rather than boys and the like¡­ actually that wasn¡¯t entirely true. A time ago- there was a boy¡­ but that was a long time ago- she doubted if he remembered her all that well.

    Nikita watched her host mother excitedly walk into her own daughter¡¯s old room as she secretly sighed. Their daughter had since graduated, being two years older than Jess ¨C and now lived on her own while moving forward with further education. (At this point- children were considered adults- despite not necessarily having the maturity of one as of yet¡­ they were free to make more independent decisions and were trained by society in their respective fields. Needless to say, these years were generally the most wild¡­ ¡®Free love¡¯ was a common part of the culture.)

    Nikita followed her host mother to the bedroom where her mother pressed a button in the wall ¨C revealing an opening where a storage of clothing was. While her host mother and father were different class status- they¡¯d actually married for love- and atypical of the norm- seemed happy together¡­ they managed to get a place with amenities between the two of them. While her father would have definitely lived in something less structured, her mother insisted that they live in a good place between both of them¡­ the father was actually a good man too- and worked his way up to a higher position inside of his own placing to supervise a group and receive compensation befitting the position (while not in the same bracket as the mother- it was still a step up).

    Her daughter supposedly was a similar size to herself.

    Her mother pulled out a certain dress ¨C Yellow with orange stripes. Somewhat showy and with ruffles on the bottom. Nikita was somewhat shocked by it. It would definitely expose a lot of skin. She wondered what her host mother was thinking.

    ¡°Uh I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll fit the dress code¡­¡± she replied with her hand to her forehead.

    ¡°Oh?¡± the mother looked disappointedly at the dress, ¡°what does it say?¡±

    Nikita re-read the note aloud.

    ¡°Welcome to the official party for¡­¡± she continued down to the dress-code, ¡°attire must be formal. For the men- well-suited. The women may wear knee-length skirt or¡­¡±

    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Her step mother spoke, ¡°there¡¯s no way that it says that- let me see!¡±

    Nikita tried her best to tuck the note away- but her mom snatched it up.

    The invitation itself only mentioned the ball- the attire part she¡¯d made up.

    ¡°You¡¯re a pretty good liar!¡± her host mother spoke.

    ¡°Ahaha, I¡¯ll give it a go!¡± she replied. Inwardly- she was groaning inside.

    ¡°Her step mother looked questioningly at her for a second then lightened up. ¡°Great!¡±

    According to her exchange mother ¨C she looked radiant- beautiful. She pulled out a reflector- which Nikita looked into. Cleavage was clearly visible. She thought that if someone flicked a quarter it would probably get caught between. Her upper thighs were also more than half exposed.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Nikita was uncomfortable a bit to say it kindly.

    Nikita tried to smile, ¡°¡­Uh.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± her mom clapped while Nikita looked into the mirror.

    She could see the host mom light up.

    ¡°Is there anything a little less¡­ revealing?¡±

    Her host mother frowned- as they went through the closet. Nikita would have been fine wearing her school uniform and probably would have ¨C had her host mother not found out- but of course her host mother wouldn¡¯t have any of that. They picked one dress and then another to which Nikita stood like she didn¡¯t really want to be there.

    ¡°A pretty girl like you should at least make some effort¡­¡±

    Nikita forced a smile and attempted to take the dressing up more seriously, not for herself of course.

    Eventually they found one they could both agree upon and Jess sighed in gratitude as they set it aside for the ball.

    ¡°Uh, I have to finish my homework now¡­¡±

    ¡°So studious!¡± her host mother replied proudly, ¡°I¡¯ll call you for supper then¡­¡±

    Nikita nodded graciously and then walked to her own room.

    ---

    While the invitation to the ball was legitimate- there was more to it¡­ Nikita ( had barely managed to tuck away the other paper before her host mother had snatched it from her.

    Seemingly a blank invitation card- as she pressed her thumb into the corner, the true lettering appeared.

    --------------------------

    <u>Top Secret</u>

    ¡°Insertion"

    Place Reconnaissance bug into ¡®Arcus Llong¡¯s¡¯ surveillance room.

    Method:

    At 1930: doors will open to ''Arcus¡¯ home for a ball.

    You''re assignment:

    Using your position as aide to the elite Rick- you will escort him as usual through the premises. At 2003 precisely, you will make way to second floor balcony, opening window A on B side, room 3 for ''SX3'' member ''Royal Black'' to enter.

    You will then continue, business as usual, until ''R.B.'' has left the premises - only aiding with escape if necessary and will not endanger your position.

    The card had a diagram with more details that Nikita memorized and tucked away. It only recognized her fingerprint- with anyone else it would simply be a piece of paper- and at the very worst she could destroy it easily.

    -------------------------

    Jess a.k.a ''Nikita Famwell'' sighed.

    ¡®R.B. or Royal Black¡¯ was codename for a boy she¡¯d known a long time ago. She hadn¡¯t been in contact with him since childhood- which was around ten or so- when her mother had passed away and they left where they¡¯d lived for the Underground base eastward.

    She attempted to busy herself once again, but her steady work pace slowed with her thoughts. After she finished she let some music play her to sleep.

    Before she completely drifts to sleep - a memory resurfaces...

    "Goodbye..." a ten year old Jess spoke to the other children of the orphanage.

    "I''ll miss you," one girl replies after giving her a hug.

    "i''ll miss you too!" she spoke as she moved onto the next child.

    She couldn''t help feeling a sting as she came up to Vincent- the one she really wanted to say bye to the most. However, instead of looking at her- he refuses to look at her all.

    "Jess!" her father called to her - he''d grown much more stoic as of late- disregarding the pent up emotions between the two youths.

    And with that she hopped into the vehicle that took her away from first and only home.

    ---

    In a darkly lit room, the light on the table lightened the features of a hard set man as he spoke on the com link.

    "You promised you''d help me gain power but as we speak - the president and the commander are in negotiations.

    The voice on the box replied, "Don''t worry... this is all a part of our plan. Your time will come soon enough."

    The hard-set man had a firm tone in response, however. ¡°You told me that you were invested in my success. Prove it to me now.¡±

    The voice is silent in response.

    ¡°Are you there?¡±

    "Ah sorry, i was thinkin of an old phrase...something about signs.." the voice said smiling- more to himself than the main across the line from him.

    ¡°Do you even take this seriously?"

    ¡°Wait, wait- don¡¯t be hasty,¡± the voice responded, ¡°To do what you ask, do you have some sort of leverage i can use? How about the whereabouts of the Chief''s daughter?"

    The hard man replied, ¡°Yes. The coordinates are¡­¡±

    ---

    A handsome man, with blond hair and a black suit hung up the phone on the other line.

    He leaned back in his chair and laughed inside himself. How many times had he bare witness to it - the moment when a man became a beast.

    A voice popped into his head.

    --

    "Son..." he remembered his father speaking.

    "If you love me, you will do your duty."

    He looked back on the voice with a slight fondness now. There was a time when that voice brought unending wrath- but now it brought only gratitude.

    He pressed a button on his desk to call in two members of his elite assassination squad.

    --

    He would have to hire his best assassin and prepare the proper story using his contacts in the media to feed some misinformation and at the very least disperse the blame.

    He sighed and made a call...

    Two youths appeared in front of him.

    ¡°Sir," a boy with piercing hawklike eyes and a vicious persona spoke. The other looked forward without any emotions whatsoever- in fact his eyes looked like they were smiling but perhaps it was illusory.

    ¡°Raven, Sparrow, thank you for coming,¡± he speaks, ¡°I have a mission for you¡­¡±

    ---

    Vincent pulls up to an empty spot on a roadway.The railing is situated in front of an overlook a little ways from the roadside.

    Vincent looked over the railing- before him stood a small village at night under a moonlit open sky. He saw another light turning off as the day drew to a close for another house. It had been a while since he''d looked at a village for what it was- a home, and not simply a place to gather more recruits or resources. The ''Underground''...the ''Allies''...- we all have our own ''agenda''s.

    He looked above him. The stars showed themselves the same, like nothing had changed since the beginning of it all. Even though- for him- everything had. Perhaps if he''d grown up in a village not affected in the way he had- he could see things in a different light rather than his focus on revenge.

    But he wasn''t blind either- everyone had their own agenda. He went along with the ''Underground'' for his own reasons, not for ''theirs''. He remembered how a couple years ago he faced the issue.

    "Do you read me? Requesting assistance at coordinates h.q. zero zero."

    Some Underground members had requested assistance nearby. Vincent¡¯s post was closest and he and a few others had gone in to help them escape. They got a view of the area- a small town surrounded by an Allied ship. They took a tactical position and he motioned to them to hold their position while he went in. When he got a better angle, he saw a couple members at gunpoint by a group of Allies.

    Vincent quickly went up behind them and knocked a couple out. Another lifted up his gun at him and Vincent responded quickly with a shot at him point blank. The man fell there dead.

    He was surprised at how effortless it was for him to kill the man. He looked at the gun. He hadn''t thought anything of it. All the training and it was this simple?

    "This way¡­¡± he continued as the recruits watched him and the man who had fallen.

    The other member he''d rescued pointed a gun at the enemy soldier who was on the ground -defenseless. Vincent watches as the recruit was readying his gun and then got a closer look at the enemy.

    It was just a scared kid. It was probably someone who had no experience in war and seemed to have no desire to fight in the first place.

    Was this his enemy? Was the shape of his revenge?

    No.

    He considered this while watching on and then stopped the recruit from shooting.

    ¡°Come on, let''s go¡­" Vincent had said.

    The other recruited nodded as they rushed out.

    Later on he stood in front of the council to give a deteailed report. Reagan, the council''s leader- second only to Sozo, held a stern look at him - as if judging or studying him. Sozo held a more sympathetic look for some reason.

    ¡°So... then what happened and why did you let the enemy live?¡± Ragu said asking the details of the event.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Vincent responded. He paused, "I recognized that he was a non-threat- and we were in a rush.¡± Vincent drifted off into thought. He knew the real reason why but had hidden it.

    When Ragu was about to speak, Souza interrupted him,

    "It must have been hard for him..." the commander said speaking up for Vincent.

    "That was your first kill right vincent,"

    Vincent was quiet.

    "I can imagine what you must have been feeling when you shot the soldier," Souza spoke, "but you did the right thing Vincent."

    No. He felt barely anything when he¡¯d killed the other man. That wasn''t it.

    ¡°You may leave¡­¡± the Commander said kindly. He was grateful for having the issue covered rather than expose what he truly felt.

    He remembered being awarded afterward for tactics and bravery. The same people he rescued invited him over to their table, but he didn¡¯t want to join them, he wondered if it were even worth saving them. He sat down separate from other people at his own table. He didn¡¯t feel like being buddy-buddy with those people- people he didn¡¯t like.

    Suddenly, Jess went up to him and sat down.

    "Hi," she said as she quietly started eating follow suit.

    ¡°So... you killed someone."

    "Yeah..."

    I heard you told them not to kill the other Allied soldier.¡±

    ¡°Yeah- what about it?¡±

    "Was it hard?"

    I don¡¯t know.

    She smiled and they started eating quietly. Perhaps she thought it was mercy, but if she really knew the lack of remorse and cold-heartedness that came as she pulled the trigger, would she still feel anything for him?

    That was the same day he got reassigned to special operations.

    --

    It had been over two years now. He¡¯d been invited to the secret base that lay in the earth''s depths, and was now living there with the other ¡®specials¡¯. Even still, he''d only just recently had time with Jess. After all, he''d usually be on the field. And even with the time he did spend with her, he generally pretended to hold no interest. After all, could she love him if she knew what was really in his heart?

    Since that first kill, he''d only gotten better at his job as an operative.

    He looked back on the overlook at a town in the distance.

    It was small. Light shone through certain windows like little lamps scattered across it. He thought he could have a home here if his heart could find any sense of peace.

    He looked up at the sky. Stars glowed overhead; they looked down on him like nothing had ever changed since the beginning of time. Even if it had... for him.

    ¡°I never got to see you much since we were separate.¡±

    Jess and he were walking the halls in the afternoon after lunch. A year since the reassignment and it seemed Jess had been assigned to ¡®Sx3¡¯ as of recently as well.

    ¡°Yeah, I know, we were just in different places.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad I get to see you more,¡± she said.

    He tilted his head a bit. His heart swelled when she¡¯d said that, but the words he was thinking didn''t come out. Me too¡­ he thought.

    They split ways back to their respective rooms and Vincent had been thinking about her quite often ever since.

    --

    Unfortunately circumstance still kept them apart. While her first assignment entailed a deep-cover operation using her talents with linguistics and cultural awareness; his were more abrupt.

    Thankfully for this mission, they finally coincided.

    Thinking about her always made him reflect on his purpose.

    So much of it was focused on a distant goal: fueled by anger. He had something more to look forward too. The girl he loved was in his life again. He¡¯d somehow in the back of his mind been trying to find her again. Where would his life lead if anger and revenge were the only things that drove him? He was going to tell her how he felt. What would she think about him if she knew the inside of his heart? Would she understand or run away? If he could only have met under different circumstances¡­ but then who would he be?

    She was the one thing that held him back from needing this feeling. With her his heart felt something more. The only conclusion: he felt that after the mission he''d tell her how he felt.

    He sighed as he looked at the time- It was certainly late.

    He walked back towards his bike and headed towards HQ again.

    --

    The comm-link on the head commander Souza¡¯s desk held a more ominous undertone.

    The first thing that put him on edge was that this was a private line. Why should this man have his channel? It was reserved solely for Underground. The only people with access to the channel were those in positions of officer or greater- which hinted either at a leak in safety measures or someone working with an outside source.

    Secondly was the tone of the voice- while polite- it was certainly insincere.

    That, in addition to the tone of voice. One word was enough to set him off. He wasn''t sure what is was about the man.

    Souza replied, "Hello. Who is this?"

    "No one of consequence."

    "Why are you calling me?"

    "Perhaps you''ve pieced together some things already..." the man responded, "be assured- i want the same things as you- freedom for your territory-"

    Sozo didn''t believe him.

    "And?"

    "The difference is inhow the new territory will come to be," Tthe other man responded, "You''re no longer necessaryto fulfill this role. I believe it''s time for you to retire..."

    "Why should i step down?"

    "I didn''t ask for you to step down- feel free to continue as things are. but consider a method in proper motivation," the voice went on, "Now- believe me- i wish i could have done this differently - but seeing as the people involved have different motivations- i must adapt."

    What were the man''s motives? if he wereto retire... oh. so that''s what this was about... Sozo thought. In turn- the one who would take charge was Reagan- who desired for the territory to become a government controlled by one official power... But that only explained why Reagan would leak information to an outside source- not what the sources motivations were.

    "Why did you call me?"

    "There is one more thing i request of you to do...it''s actually quite simple..."

    Sozo listened as the man spoke.

    "and why would i dothat?"

    "consider it incentive... I have coordinates to a certain location. Let¡¯s see..." the man seemed to be pulling out a sheet of paper, "41, -74 ... floor 12?... i could be more specific but i think you get it."

    Sozo did.

    If that means anything to you then i expect cooperation."

    The last sentimental piece to Sozo''s iron heart.

    "And what will you do if i cooperate?"

    "Simple. Everyone wins. You get peace. the territory becomes a government- I get some trade agreements. Plus those coordinates will have no use to me anymore- so nothing will happen."

    Sozo sighed.

    "Very well..." he spoke.

    "Mmkay then," the man replied with the same smiling voice as he began with.

    Sozo still felt a tingle as the unknown character signed off the communication link.

    Sozo was already behind in this final chess game- butwhile he was still in play there was still a move he could make.

    --

    Vincent watched as the display light litup and blinked above him.

    -He''d arrived back around zero one hundred- and gotten a total of perhaps thirty minutes of rest before being interrupted.

    He sighed.

    Jayden snoring below him unawares.

    Inside of his own wall of sound, he could hear the com come on.

    "Vincent, please come to the main office. Vincent, please come to the main office," he heard the automated female voice speak.

    Oh boy... what was he in for now? Was this due to his late night excursion?

    ---

    He walks up to the commander''s room at the end of the office wards. Even though Vincent knows that the commander isabusy man, at this time- the hour just seems ridiculous.

    He knocks on the door which opens automatically.

    "Come in Vincent," he hears the commander speak from his chair.

    In front of him the commander sit in a seat and desk that faced him. Across from him was an empty chair.

    Vincent walked in; the commander was sitting backward. He motioned for Vincent to close the door.

    ¡°Please..."

    The leader of the entire Underground commands respect with the simple motion. It was something that Vincent felt the commander had earned the rightto not simply with a title- but by merrit.He closed the door behind.

    Vincent looks around the room. Seeing as it was generally reserved for the main bosses, He hadn¡¯t gotten to see it but twice before. Once when he was only seven before the Underground was what it was, a well-oiled defensive base, after secondly when his actions had been called into question, and he was to be brought to the Circle of Six: neither time gotten much time to admire what it looked like.

    It was small room for the commander of a large organization but Souza was a man of simpler needs. There were bookshelves behind the desk and a simple drink and food dispenser. perhaps a couple automated cabinets and certainly it had the modern technology in its com system and computerization, however it maintained a more rustic appearance. Something that evoked comfort rather than intimidation. Something that one would expect of Souza.

    While there was a chair in front- Vincent simply stood in front of the commander who seemed to have a troubled appearance.

    As a special Vincent had been taught to study facial expressions a bit- buti t was an easier face for him to read.

    ¡°Please sit down,¡± the commander motioned to Vincent at a chair.

    Vincent wasn''t sure how much trouble he was in at this point - he had just snuck out or was it about his illegal postings on the ''net'' with his prose under a pseudonym?

    He''d go along with it and just see how much trouble he''d have to make up for.

    ¡°Can I get you anything?¡± the commander asked sincerely.

    So... this wasn''t about him then- otherwise, he wouldn''t have offered something. Perhaps it was something mission oriented - like the mission tomorrow? regardless- he would take the commander up on the offer so as to maintain a good rapport.

    ¡°A cup of cocoa-" Vincent replied with his drink of choice.

    ¡°Good idea,¡± As the commander gets the drink for Vincent he gets an extra cup for himself. He sets a cup in front of Vincent and started drinking from his own.

    The commander sat there in deep contemplation. Vincent looked at him for a while expecting something then eventually took a sip. After about a minute passed, he spoke.

    "The good news, the negotiations between myself and the president have held some merrit - and I intent to leave for a meeting soon.

    "Oh?" Vincent sipped another cup and prompted the commander to continue. While Vincent preferred a means to fulfill his revenge through conflict- from an objective perspective- this wasgood for the Underground,"so...the bad news?"

    "I believe it''s under false pretenses- as i''ve been coerced to meet personally. During the next mission- be on your guard."

    --

    Then why go? Vincent wondered in his head. coerced... didn''t that mean someone had leverage against Sozo- what kind of leverage could they have as his only potential weakness would have to be his daughter... oh....

    Vincent wasn''t sure... but he was sure to find out in the next minute or so.

    "And I need to ask you to do something..."

    "What''s that?"

    "Please... protect Jess..." The commander wanted her with the safest person he could think of- he thought about whether or not he should let him in on what was going to happen. He decided to do so.

    That went without saying, Vincent thought and responded quickly, "Of course."

    The commander couldn''t help but smileslightly, ¡°I alwaysassumed you liked her."

    Vincent didn''t want to show his own weakness... but faced with such an abrupt accusation couldn''t help but show a more honest face which he tried to play off with a slight cough. Sozo seemed unfazed.

    "Hmmm... Still after all those years..." Sozo drifted off, "I feel partly responsible for parting you two..." in an instant the deepset expression left the commander for a more thoughtful one as he drifted off into a thought.

    "-Well it couldn''t be helped, sir," Vincent spoke. "You needed to run the base."

    "Even so, I don''t see why I couldn''t have taken care of both of you..."

    Vincent wasn''t fond of this position, reassurance wasn''t his long suit. It seemed that the commander was waiting for a response though, so Vincent tried hard to think about how he felt. Yes, he resented him for leaving him behind but it wasn''t like there was any other option. Perhaps if the commander had been an ordinary man... but he had a lot on his plate and Vincent was more than a lost kitten.

    "Whether or not I was upset with you about it, you did what you thought was best."

    Vincent justified him even though he did feel some resentment.

    With a sigh of relief and resignation the commander put out what had been troubling him,

    "Someone has leverage against the ''Underground''."

    "What kind of leverage?"

    "Coordinates to this base... and Jess''s location... Vincent-" the commander cut off his thoughts when he noticed Vincent trying to grasp the entirety of the situation, "- I have a terminal illness- a virus that''s been growing at a rapid rate. My body is losing its strength to fight."

    This, Vincent didn¡¯t know about.

    "What about Jess?"

    "I love her very much and I wanted to tell her, but she''s vulnerable...."

    "Isn¡¯t it worse to tell her too late, and her having to wait, rather than tell her and have her have time with you beforehand?"

    The commander gave it some thought.

    It''s not that Vincent cared whether or not the General reconciled with Jess: he was just being accountable to do what he could. Whatever the general did was his own responsibility.

    "You may be right, but now i think it''s too late."

    "That''s another thing I¡¯ll need you for... I have one more request for you..."

    Vincent looked up from his brooding downcast appearance to an attentive subordinate.

    "What¡¯s that?"

    "If after my meet with the president, for some reason I can¡¯t go on, track down this man- with information on the Underground¡­"

    ¡°Yes sir¡­¡±

    It was a little while after sipping their drinks in solitude that Vincent headed back to his quarters for the next day.

 Chapter 2 - Sparks

    Location: A.N.I school. sector 7, tower 31.

    ¡°Who can tell me what the problem on the board indicates?¡± the teacher requests.

    ¡°Ah yes, Nikita,¡± the teacher looks at a student with a raised hand.

    ¡°XY cubed ¨C with 7x squared variable,¡± a lightly toned voice spoke- it belonged to girl with dark brown eyes, and light brown hair. While her appearance was well kept- beautiful straight hair ¨C it was otherwise somewhat basic, and would have appeared plain had her beauty not been what it was. She wore a singular bracelet on her left wrist on an otherwise simple uniform.

    ¡°Oh right- i put down the wrong answer, actually¡­. you¡¯re right. haha, good job.¡±

    ¡°Oh man, she¡¯s smarter than the teacher¡­¡± one of the boys said. They would¡¯ve called her a brainiac or another name, but she was too mild mannered and pretty to be teased. Instead they would try their best to impress her by studying themself.

    ---

    Nikita {Jess} got her food and sat at a table alongside another girl, Crissa.

    "Hey Cris,"

    "Hey Niki," Cris responded playfully, as befitted her persona. Crissa had been the first one to appraoch Jess when she arrived three months ago. Initially Jess had thought that Crissa would be a good cover, but surprisingly- she hadn''t given Crissa enough credit.

    "I heard that you''re joining in the party tonight..."

    Jess smiled politely- to others they wouldn''t have pushed more, but Crissa wasn''t others.

    "it''s just for work," Jess replied.

    "You know parties are a great way to meet people," Crissa hinted while pointing a fork at her.

    "I''m not interested..." Jess brushed off the idea with a slight wave of her fingers.

    "Oh come on," Crissa spoke, "there''s definitely gotta be someone.." and took a bite.

    Jess paused for only a second in thought about a boy she''d known. The moment wasn''t lost on Cris who sat back in victory.

    "Aha!," she paused, "There is?"

    To Jess - Cria was a worthy opponent.

    "Uh... there may be a boy i knew from a while ago..."

    "Aha," Cria spoke, "So... Niki really does likes a boy!"

    "uh, he''s just someone i knew when i was a kid."

    "Childhood friends," Cria spoke looking up dreamily.

    Jess couldn''t hold in the smile... but she remained quiet and took another bite instead. This was why Cris was such a difficult cover. She had an uncanny ability to spot something amiss.

    ---

    Jess bantered as she walked among the halls alongside Crissa, and a couple other girls.

    "Watch out..."One of the girls spoke guiding Jess to avoid someone in the middle of the hallway.

    A younger man- with more ragged appearance and slightly disheveled dropped some things on the ground. Those surrounding him looked on with disgust.

    "Dont touch him, you might catch his *Zeth disease..."

    Another girl chuckled but Jess ignored them and knelt down to help the young man.

    "Eww," the two girls moved ahead, leaving Crissa and Jess behind.

    "Oh, thanks..." the young man looked up hastily as he noticed her helping him pick up his things.

    "You''re welcome..." Jess spoke with slightly angered, "Don''t let them phase you..."

    "Ah haha, they''re right though... i''m just low rank..."

    Jess frowned as he picked his things while looking down and turning around to walk away. Such was the life of the lower ranks within the tower.

    "Hey," she spoke before he walked away, "status isn''t everything."

    He scratched his head, "Egh..."

    After a second she realized how dumb that probably sounded- as if she were mocking him while he felt the effects of his status and she recieved the benefits of her own.

    He just gave a shakey, "haha," in reply- but before leaving he gave his name, "I''m Dan." and then rushed off.

    It seems Crissa wasn''t interested much in the exchange and seemed to simply just be waiting for Jess without any sign of something happening.

    Crissa looked at Jess and spoke playfully, "You know... if you associate with commoners it''ll grant you less opportunity for advancement."

    Jess glared daggers at Crissa in response.

    "Hey now- i was just letting you know. I didn''t mean anything by it," she raised in hands to show surrender.

    Jess studied at her for a moment then decided to let it go and the two walked on.

    "But i guess that''s part of your charm..." Crissa said dreamily.

    Jess relaxed a bit, "Stop it.. haha."

    ---

    School closed out and Jess gave a wave to her friend before catching the transit line. Memorizing the bus system was difficult at first- but soon turned into an advantage - as public transport was a necessity.

    She got on board of a mag-lev to the main *drop zone*. She flashed her student badge to the security to which the man nodded. She then ran it through a scanner bot which granted her passage to the lower floor and her living district.

    ---

    A man in a cloak looked through a lens toward his target. It was an exact match of Jess Sozo.

    "So that''s her," the man spoke as he looked at the holographic profile that emmited out of his wristwatch.

    Of course she was listed under an alias- Nikita Famwell. Had it not been for the intelligence- she would have fit in quite nicely amidst the masses. But she was in fact his target. After spotting her- he disappeared into the

    --

    Vincent and Tech arrived at the base of the tower system. From here -passage would get more difficult- and now would be the only chance to communicate before the mission.

    Vincent sent a *CC* across an encrypted channel to Jess.

    The link would be sub-visual -using the face of an avatar in place of actual faces. They would also be using codenames and voice alterations. His avatar was a lizard with a cowboy hat and a red bandana. The voices would have slight alterations for security purposes.

    Her avatar appeared- a silver bipedal cat.

    He spoke a passphrase,

    "My, the city sure has changed."

    "Ah, but the owls are still around..."

    Tech whispered to Vincent on the side- "Wait... what owls?"

    -

    Having confirmed identities- Vincent looked to Tech for a moment inquisitively.

    Tech looked for a moment at a personal computer he was holding, "Yeah, go for it."

    Vincent then dropped his avatar and revealed his true face.

    "Heya Je-..." he paused a moment, "...River."

    Her cat avatar looked at Vincent inquisitively "You''re not using your avatar?"

    "Tech is with me..."

    "Oh, just a minute..." her avatar changed into her real image.

    For the first time in a year he got to see her face.

    Vincent got a look at her. light brunette hair- hazel eyes- accented by her attire and very slight touches of makeup. It was a classical beauty and she was stunning...

    "Wow," Tech spoke from the side of the CC link.

    Vincent knew exactly what Tech meant. It had been months since he''d last seen her.

    "Hey... Royal Black," Jess paused, wanting to say his real hame for a minute.

    Vincent knew exactly what she felt, "Hey...River."

    -

    Jess looked down at her dress., "well...what do you think?" Jess said apprehensively. It seemed she wasn''t very confident in her clothing.

    "You look..." Vincent said, "... amazing..."

    Her eyebow raised a moment.

    She sighed out relief asked, "i just can''t wait to get out of this..."

    Tech spoke from the edge, "You look great River."

    "Haha," Vincent laughed, "

    --

    "Wow," Tech spoke from the side of the CC link.

    Vincent knew exactly what Tech meant. It had been two years since he last saw her.

    "Hey... Royal Black," Jess paused, wanting to say his real hame for a mintue.

    Vincent knew exactly what she felt, "Hey...River."

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get out of this,¡± Jess spoke referencing the dress she had to wear.

    ¡°You look... good,¡± Vincent returned.

    Jess blushed: however, she would have been a lot more comfortable in more casual clothes.

    ¡°So is this the kind of girl that you''re into then?"

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± he wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to that, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s.... that.¡±

    Jess raised an eye for a moment, but he didn''t say anything further about it. rather he went back to business.In fact this wasn''t supposed to be a liesurely call, but one to sort out any problems or details before the mission.

    "It''s a big mission- you''re ready?" Vincent challenged.

    While Jess knew that other people challegned her youth she knew better about it than Vincent. For him it was more of competitive question. Jess'' similarly competitive nature was sparked, "of course. areyou?"

    "psh," Vincent gave her a smile.

    Tech coughed and Vincent looked in his direction. He turned to Jess on the CC again.

    With a tilt of his head and a shrug, "i''ll see you soon then."

    "See you soon," Jess spoke picking up on the signal.

    "Fox-fire out."

    "River out."

    Tech looked at his watch. The conversation was supposed to have lasted under a minute, but instead they''d spent two... it wasn''t an issue normally- but had the message been intercepted- it would have been trouble for both parties.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    "Eh hem..." Tech spoke.

    Vincent decided to ignore him altogether. Tech''s real name was Jacks- but he''d earned the nickname Tech by his expertise in electronics and other stuff. Eventually- he was picked up by Sx3 for his skills. He was a prodigy. Vincent knew that Tech wouldn''t have let the line get intercepted.

    At the bottom of the tower- where they stood, it was cold and dark... wind blew through remants of an ancient city. At one point this area was known as New York City, now it was simply -sector 7. The tower stretched way behind the among the broken down buildings surrounding them... eyes peered through some broken glass. It was nothing that Vincent and Tech paid mind to. The outcasts of the city lived here. Tech was once pulled out of one of these buildings.

    Stretching far above them and far above the relics of an ancient city- each cylinder stretched a mile across and two miles high. The towers were originally developed with one floor. As commerce advanced so did its height. Eventually it capped off at 12 floors plus a top cylinder half sphere covering the top.

    Entering was the easy part. Gates covered different sections. The top allowed for air travel. Walkways crossed between different towers. Passing through the bottom gate- trains. With as much commerce as there was, it wasn¡¯t too hard to get in.

    The hard part would come later. Blending in, checkpoints, the actual mission, and leaving. For this- Vincent didn''t need assistance by Tech- this was his natural affinity- but after arriving at the top floor of the tower with the Elites - intercepting and accessing the party would take Tech''s expertise.

    The top of the tower was vastly different then the inside of it. The top of the towers had access to the outside and natural light from the sun. More extravagant buildings for the Elites stood here, and the community was well kept, just like any othe rich neighborhood. Closer to the middle and bottom- the housing was much smaller- cramped- the only view of the outside was a wall that projected images of what earth supposedly looked like at the time. It wasn''t the same.

    Because of the living standards and freedom that came with being Elite- many people desired the position at the top-For this reason, the education system was competitive. With such an adamant focus on competition within the schools- the economy thrived and developed quickly.The main restructure of the ''old world'' was the need for a stable economy. In that regard, the Allies succeeded.

    However, there were ''debilitating aspects''.

    --

    Mark looked at the time on his wristband- It was approaching five... He and the president of the North American sector of ANI would be starting their negotiations soon.

    For more than one reason- their conversations were kept private.

    As directed by the liaison Mark Sohzo approached a safe grounds for meeting. He looked around- with all the safety measures in place- he wondered how it would happen.

    He wasn''t naive. He knew that this meeting was a death sentence, but his hands were tied. The only thing he could do is enact certain protocols after his death.

    --

    Jess walked up to Ricks Gethran in front of his large mansion. He was the diplomat she was responsible for informing throughout the function of the event. He was an older gentleman, around before the development of the towers, probably mid seventy. He was responsible for diplomatic relations with other Cities. It was an important position and he was well respected by those he was in contact with.

    ¡°Hello Nikita,¡± He spoke as he met her. ¡°My, do you look lovely. I do think I will be the most envied old person at the event.¡±

    Jess smiled, ¡°How are you sir?¡±

    ¡°This will be a large party won¡¯t it Nikita.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± she took on her more formal tone, ¡°there will be many guests.¡±

    ¡°I hate crowds,¡± He frowned, he paused for a moment then direct his attention said politely but commanding, ¡°I expect you to handle the people for me if you can.¡±

    ¡°Of course sir,¡± she replied.

    Everyone at parties had their own agenda. Rick was one of the few without one.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get going, Nikita,¡± he said as he entered into the taxi prepared to fly them.

    Jess entered in alongside the diplomat. Jess¡¯s cover was the daughter of an undercover family in the Allies¡¯ system. She posed as an on-call aide to the diplomat. Between twenty and thirty, the position of allied youths would be to follow a mentor during the times they weren¡¯t at school or partying. To work for a diplomat required a relatively clean and knowledgeable background.

    Jess would work tirelessly to maintain tabs on all that she could in the diplomatic aspects as well as Underground. She learned most of it from her father, who had trained her to be knowledgeable of politics as he wanted her to be a representative of the towns; she was well versed in multiple languages and dialects and could fake a lot of different identities. She had a unique skillset, but was generally shy. Rick was a good match as far as diplomats were concerned for her cover.

    They flew off into the darkness towards the top of the hemisphere where the event would be. From the top you could actually see the moon and stars, compared to the depths which hid them in the city that stretched above it. Even at the top of all the sections, there were massive buildings that hid the sky underneath the layers of Elites housing and the schools and police and government bodies that occupied it.

    -

    Vincent had the hard part. As the main operative, he would have to enter the opening that Jess hopefully had time to reach: undetected by people and sensors and guards. After he got in he would change to match the party, get past security and into the main room which only the leading elite who monitored the trains had access to, install the device and escape without the detection of the elites. If he got caught they would most likely scan the premises and find the scanner as well as trace the source. The mission was crucial to intelligence for second strike and that¡¯s why he was chosen.

    Vincent sat in the back seat, looking out the window. As the Flier went stealth and flew up the city sectors he got a look. The city was always night, lighted synthetically. Each sector held dark alleyways and flashy lights in their own area. The buildings were all assorted apartments. They reached the top dropped Vincent off as close to the building as possible then they went to their own stations. Tech installed the re-router.

    --

    As they entered the party, Jess slowly introduced all the people that would shake hands with Rick Garten; eventually they got a spot on the side and Jess told him she¡¯d go to use the restroom. Something looked different than expected. She noticed guards watching the premises but they seemed ready for something. She needed to tell Vincent.

    As she headed down to the restroom area, she broke apart once she was out of view and took out her de-sensors and placed them on the glass of the building wall.

    She had it timed that Vincent would be able to enter just about thirty seconds later.

    --

    Vincent climbed through the window- a change of clothes had showed Vincent in a dapper looking uniform fitted to those Elite youths. Jess looked at him for a quiet moment before getting back to the task at hand.

    ¡°Hey Vincent, I think something¡¯s wrong.¡±

    ¡°I noticed there was extra security- I¡¯ll take a look from the inside.¡±

    "I need to go back," she replied. Vincent nodded. The difficulty with the mission was the need to maintain presence with her Elite ''master''. She moved back to the room leaving him there to take care of what he needed.

    He walked slowly behind, following the premises, getting a scope of what was at the mansion.

    --

    Vincent scanned the area, he took different positions posing as a partygoer. Most of the diplomat¡¯s children attended the parties and were the most active individuals, usually dancing and trying to find ways to meet up with other youths. Vincent noticed extra security as well as the sensors that seemed to be scouring the area. ''Nikita'' was aiding her diplomat with information on the party and other people inside, Vincent went up to Jess while she was talking with Ricks.

    ¡°Excuse me sir,¡± Vincent spoke to the diplomat, ¡°May I have the honor of asking your aide to a dance?¡±

    ¡°Certainly¡± Rick replied,¡± It¡¯s very rare to see a young person with such respect nowadays.¡±

    Vincent went up to Jess, ¡°May I have the honor of this dance?¡±

    Jess smiled, trying to play it off, she pretended not to want to as much, ¡°Well, sure I guess. Maybe just a dance, I¡¯m kind of busy at the moment.¡±

    ¡°Ah, go take two,¡± Rick replied.

    They started dancing; Jess was smiling. His footwork was actually good, and suddenly they became the center of the floor.

    He whispered in her ear, ¡°We might need to adjust our approach.¡±

    After another few steps, he continued, ¡°You were right; the security is all different than planned for.¡±

    ¡°Should we regroup?¡±

    ¡°No, I have a plan. It involves a distraction and i¡¯ll give you this to take care of.¡± It was the identity chip that scanned as the leader¡¯s hand and the bug that would track the whereabouts of the Elite¡¯s action."

    She took it from him.

    ¡°When do you want me to do this?¡±

    ¡°As soon as you get the signal¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯s the signal?¡±

    ¡°When the building next to this has an accident- you¡¯ll hear it.¡±

    As the dance ended he leaned her back and kissed her on the hand.

    ¡°Thank you for the dance, ma¡¯am¡±

    She curtsied and went back to Rick.

    ¡°What was a polite young man,¡± Rick replied.

    Jess watched as he walked away into the crowd of people.

    "how is it, dating nowadays?" Rick asked.

    "i don''t know... i don''t do it," she replied

    "but for him, you''d make an exception?"

    "yep. i would," she replied assuredly.

    "Hm i see..."

    She led Rick around, meeting up and introducing him with different diplomats. Suddenly- a large explosion sounded and shook the building.

    She watched the guards move off in a hurried direction towards the exit. As she guided Rick to safety, she pretended to get split up from him in the crowd. She moved quickly in the direction of the main offices.

    --

    Vincent walked away from Jess and into the crowd. He spoke on the com to Tech, ¡°Is the device functional?¡±

    ¡°Yes it¡¯s in operation, just need you to give the ok. ¡°

    ¡°As soon as you hear the explosion, start it up.¡±

    ¡°Is that part of the plan?¡±

    ¡°It is now,¡± Vincent spoke.

    Vincent escaped back out the window and onto the speeder he''d detached from the main vehicle to get there. He tried to maintain stealth as he flew next door in the office building. Supposedly from what he¡¯d read on the on board computer files with the layout of the premises this one would be empty.

    He pulled out a couple time bombs from the carriage portion of the stealth ''bird'' . There wouldn¡¯t be anyone there between these hours and it would give him time to cause a scene and get them to follow him and Jess a way into the main office without notice.

    ¡°Where do you want me?¡± Tech spoke.

    ¡°It would be best if you were outside suspicion, I¡¯ll meet you a little more south of the main tower. How about level five at this location,¡± He gave him a location to meet.

    ¡°Good.¡± He got on his speeder and got away from the initial location of the bombing and in plain sight of the guards surrounding the main building.

    ¡°Hey you!¡± he shouted at some guards stationed outside of the premises.

    ¡°Long live the revolution!¡± he said and the bombs went off. He took his speeder and few out from the floor.

    --

    The mission complete, Jess went to find Rick. She spotted him amongst the partygoers looking pale from the activity.

    ¡°Sir, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes Nikita. Thank God you found me.¡±

    That was new for her. She didn¡¯t know any Allies even knew about ''God''. Perhaps it was an expression.

    As she consoled a few of the people around and told them that things were fine, she overheard a conversation by the guards that were involved.

    ¡°It seems whoever it was outran about fifteen guards on a speeder and got away,¡± he spoke.

    ¡°I heard it was one of those Underground terrorists.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just scare tactics. They¡¯re trying to install fear, but they know they can¡¯t get anywhere close to the action.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± the other guard spoke, ¡°but we were warned there would be something going down. Good thing too...¡±

    --

    After the mission- Vincent had gotten back to ''outpost'' outside the ''city'' where upon arrival had little time for relaxing.

    Vincent relayed the events of the mission along with the details in different security and his change of procedure- via a holo link-up.

    In front him in holographic form stood the ''Council'' of the Underground, All the major heads were there including the current leader Ragu.

    ¡°You did what!?¡± said the new leader, Ragu, of the underground.

    ¡°Well it worked,¡± Vincent said.

    Rage seemed to turn red at the response. ¡°I¡¯m tired of your lack of consideration- it weighs on the point of insubordination,¡± he seemed like he was about to recommend his execution with the tone he had; even though execution wasn¡¯t a proper course of action.

    ¡°It¡¯s seems like a logical change of plans sir,¡± someone responded.

    Vincent listened a little tired- something about him risking compromising one of their highest assets and daughter, and ''irresponsible'', ''reckless'' while he was just pooped out and only stood there; outrunning the group of Allied security had taken a toll.

    "As of this moment, you''re-" Rayga Martinez stated.

    Another leader spoke up, ¡°We aren¡¯t an oppressive government or even a military. We have to expect that things won¡¯t always go the way we want but the objective gets met with Vincent. We need him. We¡¯re not able to suspend him indefinitely.¡±

    ¡°Point taken,¡± Ragu said somewhat darkly. It was pretty obvious that he liked the power and being countered by someone ''beneath him'' frustrated him deeply, ¡°We¡¯ll put him on temporary suspension."

    Vincent was dismissed and left respectfully, which is to say for Vincent, disinterested. Despite things going badly in front of the council and him losing some privileges in the UG, Vincent now had the time and excuse to keep tabs on Ragu- so it worked out in the long run.

    Overall, he was happy. Things went well, despite the seemingly negative reprocussions of the mission update status. Jess was due back any time and when she got back he wanted to get some ice-cream and celebrate.

    ---

    She must have been on edge herself. From her side of the update, she''d have to relay the details of information gathering itself as well as a status update- however, after a little while in the holo-room, she had left it and gone to her room.

    He made up his mind. He was going to ask her out.

    Vincent walked down the corridor leading up to Jess¡¯s quarters. He felt happy and he was going to do something with Jess.

    He knocked on the door.

    He heard scuffling as Jess opened up the door and greeted him, ¡°Hey Vincent," she adjusted her hair, "How¡¯d it go?¡±

    ¡°Oh you know; I got temporarily suspended from missions and was assigned cleaning duty.¡±

    ¡°What??¡± Jess closed the door behind her as they talked in the hall.

    ¡°No biggee. Now i get to spend more time here with you,¡± he smiled.

    She smiled back , ¡°That¡¯s not even fair; they actually congratulated me for the work I did.¡±

    Vincent smiled, ¡°Well you are the commander¡¯s daughter. Beside that you¡¯re easy to like.¡±

    Jess smiled, ¡°Well, if they don¡¯t like you, that¡¯s their problems."

    Vincent smiled, ¡°Do you want to go out for ice cream?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± she said.

    --

    Jess got out of the room and closed the door behind her after a quick check in the mirror. She didn''t generally worry about what people thought of her appearance, which could have come in the fact she didn''t really have to.

    She was excited but tried not to show too much energy. Jess had seen him like this a few times before, but he was almost a new person when he was like this. Either way she like who he was regardless.

    They walked their way to the cafeteria in the underground. There was a little section with deserts and assorted things that only cost a little of the underground currency. Vincent and Jess both had a lot. They could make their own ice cream. He got vanilla and she got chocolate.

    Jess smiled in his direction. It had been a while since she got to be with him. She wondered if it would always be like this. Upon his attitude, she knew that he''d treated the Allies that he''d killed with respect. He closed their eyes after killing them. Deep down he was actually a good person even if he didn''t think so himself.

    Vincent looked at her.

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± she responded.

    They started taking a walk looping around the Underground.

    --

    Vincent asked her about her future, wondering what she had in store, ¡°So, when all this over, what are you going to do?"

    ¡°I don''t know. I think I¡¯m going to go to an independent nation and maybe help the country develop into something better.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s cool..." she had lofty dreams, while he didn''t have any besides his revenge, "you have big dreams. I like that.¡±

    ¡°So, how about you, Mr. stands alone. Anything in particular?"

    ¡°Uh,¡± Vincent didn¡¯t know how to take the remark, ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it enough not to know. I guess I like to write..." she didn''t know his plan of revenge. He gave a little thought and then replied, "Maybe I should just join you in what you¡¯re going to do. It sounds more interesting and maybe I can work with people there.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you should,¡± Jess gave him a sheepish smile.

    Vincent grinned but then a thought troubled him. How am I going to tell her about her father?

    ¡°Hey Jess¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Err it¡¯s about your dad¡­¡±

    Before he had a chance to tell her, a couple recruits rushed by.

    ¡°-I''ll tell you later."

    ¡°There¡¯s an emergency down in the hanger,¡± they said to Vincent and Jess.

    Vincent regretted not telling her however that changed quickly as they rushed to see what the bustle was. As they got there they saw the medical staff taking in Jadiva Aria and someone they didn¡¯t recognize. Something seemed wrong, the person was passed out from something and they were monitoring his vitals. They too seemed a little tired.

    A speeder and a grounder were lying next to the group.

    ¡°We were on our way back from recruiting new people from a village when suddenly¡­¡± Jason said.

    --

    "Target in sight..." a small breath escaped and the faint breath rose in the cold weather. The distance was perhaps three miles.

    Even the protection of this meeting couldn''t keep an eye from this distance.After all- it would be an impossible shot.

    Or it would have been...

    Except for the advance in technology. Smart bullets, had the ability to curve using a BMI connection to the shooter. Which wouldn''t have changed much- as humans can''t percieve all the details that come through in that little time. Unless it''s an augmented human. Details of the terrainshowednumbers and coordinates, the heartrate could be slowed, the brain waves enhanced, the body mechanized. Raven was such an ''augmented human''.

    "Shot authorized."

    and with that- a gun fired.

    ---

 Chapter 3 -

    ¡°We were on our way back from recruiting new people from the village when suddenly¡­¡±

    ¡ª

    Mark Dublin- diplomat for the ANI and liaison between sector seven and nearby wild lands- was heading into unfamiliar territory. In areas such as this, it would be impossible for the diplomat to connect to HQ. the fog from the sattelite wars was still strong in the area and dispersed any electronic signals in a sort of electron dispersion cloud.

    Thankfully, diplomats were highly protected. As of yet, very few diplomats over the entire world had ever been attacked and any attacks were met swiftly with retribution- so he wasn''t worried.

    He looke at the on board display as a town came into view. Unlike what their previous knowledge was, the incoming village- was much more flourishing than the previous historical records that resided on the screen.

    "Zoom in," he spoke from the commander''s chair.

    The soldier in charge of display zoomed into the town that had appeared on the screen.

    Diplomats had the authority over the ship as its captain. The airship was probably guarded by thrity or so soldiers on board and set up with enough equipment to last for three weeks without returning.

    Such a ship was necessary as their voyages would come in contact with many villages.

    Contrary to what the last recorded view of the village showed- a much more advanced and prosperous town lay before them as the on board computer updated the display. For now it was recorded into the ship''s log- but the files would update once returning to the HQ inside of the ANI base.

    Mark was surprised to see such a prosperous village. The technology was much more advanced than it should have been for ''barbarians''. he wondered if the village had Underground affiliations. Primarily their goal was to form peace treaties with neighboring villages, but secondarily- and secretly, the updated logs would help them in the event of any conflict.

    He researched the logs on the village.

    It seemed the last recorded file was from five years ago. The village''s cheif was a once an ANI captain before retiring into the countryside.

    Upon researching more about the ANI captain- he began to connect the dots. The ANI captain was a successful captain in helping the countryside oust the bandits before retiring twenty years ago- successful scores in military academy- science and politcs were both top of the class. He retired young after a successful campain and meeting a girl from the countryside.

    He knew how to deal with ANI miitary captains. He would approach this appealing his sense of duty. A smile grew on his face. This would be an easy treaty.

    "We''ll set up camp- then appraoch them tomorrow."

    "Yessir," his second saluted to him.

    ---

    A young man looked into the horizon at the group of troops stationed outside.A meeting with a diplomat was a battle of sorts, he had to be tactical about the meeting- from the first handshake until they left from view. He and his father often played chess. This would be a test for him.

    ---

    The soldiers stepped out ahead. Encircling the village at both entrances- and stretching out amongst.

    ---

    Sally looked up as their vehicle approached its destination. She and her brother, Jaydon (Jay for short) worked as part-time recruiters for the Underground, but where also honorary Sx3 members as their skill set was higher.

    Recruits would typically be guided to one of the forts among the territory while Sx3 members resided in the main Underground Base.

    As they approached the next village, Sally noticed something unique. Unlike other villages that seemed lacking on some parts- it was prosperous.

    The layout seemed very strategic ¨C while the majority of the village laid inside of a valley next to a river, a portion of the village was connected to tunnels that allowed for quick escape into the mountainside. It seemed they had their own watchtowers from the edges of the mountains as well. The homes also were all well maintained. The land attached to each home had its own farm and seemed to be producing well.

    The technology was updated from the usual- it had a generator that matched the ANI technology as well as unique irrigation system and other such techs that Jay was aware of being more recent.

    Two roads came form either side of the village that seemed well kept and used perhaps for trade with neighboring villages.

    She wondered how the village could prosper so well despite the lawless era only recently having ended. Did the conflict miss them? No¡­ they must have defended themselves quite well then. Noticing this he wondered who could have led the defense of the village so well and also their must have been many capable hands inside of it.

    Either way, this town was an important strategic location. It was situated Located on the west side of Appalachians ¨C it would most likely be the next interest of the ANI nation if they were able to expand. As of now though the conflict along the border seemed to be a standstill so that could be a long time from now unless something changed.

    Technically it was located in what was once known as Missouri. But that was a long time ago, and now it had become an ¡®Area¡¯. Area 5 of the Vast ¡®Territory¡¯ of the Norther part of the American continent.

    Sally looked around at the houses. She had grown up in a more urban environment. One of the few cities of the unclaimed, American Territory. The buildings where she grew up were all connected. The basic premise was the same, but the system was more centralized. Basically it had been moved into during the age of darkness and people had grown up using the broken homes from the enlightened period.

    The houses here were more self-sufficient. They had been based on a design the structural engineers had used after they had left the cities in search of a more simple and peaceable life. Each house equipped with its own natural energy storage unit alongside of it. Towns recycled pretty much anything they used.

    She looked at her brother. Determined eyes stared at the on screen monitor that highlighted the town in their stealth transport ship. He set up the broadcast speaker as they began to drive into the town.

    It was an uncommon sight for outsiders to enter into villages except for either passing through or trade with each other, so this broadcast with the recruiters would be news to most of the people. Excitement buzzed throughout the village as the recruiters approached slowly

    Sally followed Jay¡¯s lead as he turned off the power and stepped off the vehicle.

    After a few minutes waiting for the crowds to situate, Jay gave Sally a nod and smile that spoke ¡°here we go¡± and then spoke out loud to the small crowd that had circled around them.

    ¡°We¡¯re calling recruits and support for the Underground. Help protect our way of life from the Allies¡­¡±

    The crowd was full of older people, but there were young adults as well. The kids would probably be kept from the excitement by their parents.

    A young man about Jay and Sally¡¯s age walked up from amongst the crowd and stood in the center alongside the recruiters. It was too unexpected for them to be able to stop him.

    ¡°As you already know,¡± the man started, ¡°If any of you join the underground they won¡¯t be welcome here; this town cannot be affiliated with the underground.¡±

    He then directed his speech to Sally and Jay,

    ¡°If you would please handle your business quickly and then leave the town.¡±

    He must have been the town chief, Sally thought as she and Jay watched him walk out of view from the center.

    Jay then directed his speech towards the people again and tried to still the upset that the chief had arisen.

    ¡°We all came from towns just like yours. You know what we fight for. We want to maintain our way of life, but ANI wants to take it away from us. If you believe in what we stand for and are willing to fight for it, we want you in our forces.

    Jay looked at the people for a minute taking in the faces and gathering in the reception, some of the youths seemed interested, so it may not be a lost day.

    Jay then concluded his speech with the people, ¡°if anyone wishes to join up, meet us outside of the town at fifteen-hundred hours.¡±

    Jay entered into the vehicle with Sally following his lead and then Jay started it up.

    ¡ª

    ¡°Well, he was an interesting chief¡­¡± Sally said as they were waiting inside of the vehicle.

    ¡°Yeah, he really messed things up didn¡¯t he..¡± a more resentful looking Jay spoke an anger burning in his chest.

    ¡°He¡¯s just doing his part¡­ it was what he was taught to do.¡±

    ¡°I suppose,¡± Jay said recognizing Sally¡¯s calming nature. He knew that he was a little more rash then her. He started up the vehicle and they headed to the gate at the front entrance of the town.

    The hours ticked by without a single person approaching the vehicle. It seemed that today would be a lost cause, thanks to the chief.

    Jay wanted to be angry, but looking at his sister¡¯s more easygoing nature, he thought better of it. Instead he sighed and started the vehicle. Suddenly a group of four youths approached the vehicle.

    Sally greeted the youths and Jay started up the vehicle. Then they situated them in the back.

    After looking backwards he began to speak, ¡°Alright guys,¡± he put the vehicle in drive. ¡°Here we go.¡±

    ¡ª

    Mark Duran was an ambassador and diplomat for negotiating treaties with the towns. He had been in the process of moving towards the center of the territory. Because this area was unsafe, his vessel was manned with soldiers and enhanced with weaponry and arms.

    If they could gain access to this area, it would make a good platform for controlling the territory, all under the guise of establishing a trade route across of it. At least that¡¯s what the government told him.

    A town came up into view as one of the soldiers looked at the data on the screen.

    ¡°The town is declared neutral,¡± a soldier spoke.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine then, we¡¯ll stop here¡­perhaps we can make friends instead of enemies of the people here¡­ Open up the monitors screens.¡±

    The allied ship¡¯s on screen monitor showed a small town.

    ¡°What¡¯s that,¡± Mark spoke to his lieutenant as he pointed out a small vehicle outside of it, he noticed some people had walking inside- which was what had grabbed his attention initially.

    The lieutenant responded, ¡°It doesn¡¯t show up on radar sir¡­¡±

    Mark took a look on the monitor. A small rebel transport ship. What a coincidence. He needed more details and asked his lieutenant.

    ¡°Do you have any details on the layout?¡± something like this could mean everything in the details of the relations with the territory.

    ¡°the vehicle itself: threat level minimal, quick speeds in comparison to this vessel however, they could be recruiters¡­¡±

    ¡°we¡¯ll take them in¡­ is there anyting around them?¡±

    ¡°it appears not sir, whereever they are from is probably some distance from here.¡±

    How can we take them in?¡±

    ¡°Surprise attack,¡± Jarin spoke. ¡°We surround them with our speeders and then we¡¯ll aim our disablers at the vehicle. ¡°Then you can ask them to surrender afterwards without much difficulty.¡±

    Mark¡¯s vessel took a good position and let speeders out, maintaining a good distance while slowly closing in.

    He then pulled up the mike on the vessel and spoke through the speaker to the small ship:

    ¡°Surrender your vessel and get out.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    On screen he saw the vessel quickly move away.

    ¡°Charge!¡±

    ¡ª

    ¡°Surrender your vessel and get out.¡±

    A diplomatic ship!?  Jadi was surprised to find a large diplomatic vessel had come all the ways out here.

    While not equipped like a regular military vessel, its defensive capabilities could be enough to handle a small battalion and protect the diplomat from surprise attacks. It was armed with strong shields, weapons, and personnel to protect the diplomat during negotiations with different town leaders.

    Compared to the transport vessel, the diplomatic vessel was a warship.

    As soon as pair heard the alarm they kicked their little transport vessel into high gear. A large advantage to the underground was anonymity. Being captured was not an option this early in the game.

    Jaydon thought about their options. They were equipped with a few flash bombs that would detonate and confuse the allied sensors temporarily. The recruits in the back didn¡¯t help though. They wouldn¡¯t be able to outrun them with the added weight.

    ¡°Let¡¯s flashlight.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like an idea.¡±

    ¡°Buckle your seatbelts,¡± Sally told the passengers that were riding a she and Jaydon prepared the maneuver.

    Jaydon slowed down enough for the large vessel to get close. As some of the allied soldiers got out with their guns pointed at the vessel they threw on a ¡®flashlight¡¯ aka fraglight bomb to disrupt the ship and the soldiers while they quickly drove away.

    ¡°We only have a small window, we¡¯ll have to find a place to park,¡± Jaydon said. Sally pointed out a spot for him to park.

    ¡°Over there.¡±

    A little alcove presented itself as they were looking around.

    ¡°Let¡¯s turn off the power,¡± Jaydon spoke as he parked it.

    He shut down most of the controls except the stealth generator that disguised it.

    ¡ª

    They waited. Not knowing was the hard part. Silent breaths sounded out from behind them. A sniffle could be heard by one of the recruits.

    Jason looked at the scared faces in the viewport. ¡°These guys aren¡¯t ready for this¡­¡± he thought.

    They heard the hum of the larger ship pass through.

    Jason and Sally knew to wait. They¡¯d have to give it a few minutes. Jason looked at Sally as she turned around.

    ¡°How are you all?¡±

    The new recruits looked a little queasy from the ride.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have long,¡± Sally said to Jason expectantly.

    ¡°Alright guys, I¡¯m sorry but we¡¯re going to drop you back off at the village, we can¡¯t expect to outrun them at this rate. ¡±

    The people in the back nodded in assent, grateful.

    ¡ª

    They drove the vehicle close by the town. A few soldiers on speeders were stationed along the edge surveying the perimeter.

    It seemed they caught on that this was a feasible location to wait.

    ¡°How are we going to get in?¡± Jason asked aloud to whomever.

    ¡°There¡¯s a tunnel system underneath the village and we can get back that way,¡± one of the townspeople said.

    He parked the vehicle in some underbrush outside of the village entrance and then the youth guided him through to the entrance.

    Halfway into the tunnel they ran into an unexpected figure, the town chief.

    ¡°Follow me,¡± the young man whispered.

    He led them into the tunnel and up to inside of the town.

    ¡°You all go to your homes, quietly, there are guards watching the perimeters.¡±

    the townspeople walked back to their homes as the recruiters looked at the chief.

    ¡°Where did you all park?¡± he asked them.

    ¡°We parked a little outside the town. We won¡¯t be able to use it to get back; It¡¯s much too slow. We¡¯ll have to pick it up later.

    ¡°Ok. We¡¯ll figure out a plan. You guys stay down here. They¡¯re expected to have figured out you doubled back.

    ¡°You know they¡¯re going to find out about the tunnels when they search the town,¡± The lead spoke up, ¡°How do we know you won¡¯t give us up?¡±

    ¡°I have a plan. You¡¯re going to have to trust me about it.¡±

    The girl gave a look to the chief. He looked like the sort of person she¡¯d like to know. She looked at the lead, ¡°It¡¯s ok. We can trust him.¡±

    The chief looked at them for a moment before he climbed up the hole leading into the town.

    He turned back, ¡°I¡¯m going to throw them off your tracks. When the coast is clear, I¡¯ll give you the word.¡±

    They took a last look at him as he closed the hatch above them.

    ¡ª

    The giant ship parked in the middle of the town. A lot of soldiers came out with their weapons.

    In front of the ship stood a young man. Inside the ship, the captain of the group of soldiers went up to Mark Duran.

    ¡°Perimeter secure sir.¡± He captain said as he saluted the diplomat.

    ¡°Ok,¡± he spoke and got up. This was quite a unique experience for him. He was going to see what life was like in a small town. He would have to work with the town to trap the underground members. He¡¯d read up on the latest files regarding the leader of the town. Supposedly, the chief¡¯s name was John Bossin, a retired commander who moved into the territory before the conflict.

    He walked up from out of the vehicle.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for the chief,¡± he directed his attention toward the youth standing in front.

    ¡°I am,¡± the young man said as he stepped up towards him. He looked about twenty or so.

    The man¡¯s guards put their weapons on the young man.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a joke young child. I¡¯m looking for the chief, a John Bossan.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not joking,¡± the youth portrayed a sense of annoyance, ¡°That would be my father. He¡¯s away and gave me the responsibility as chief.¡±

    The guards put their weapons down as Marked motioned his hands to stand down. Custom forced his direction towards the town chief with respect to the point of flattery. He took another close glance at the youth this time.

    ¡°Well sir, I¡¯m sorry to hear about him. He had a good record as commander in the Allies,¡± he paused. ¡°Is there a place we can talk,¡± maybe he could use this to an advantage, ¡°and with your allowance, prior to negotiations, I wish to address the people.¡±

    ¡°Excuse my frankness. If you wish to address the people about what you¡¯re going to discuss with me; then you will just discuss it with me. They will respect my decision.¡±

    The diplomat was a bit taken aback. He didn¡¯t expect such an outspoken attitude from a younger chief. It was an insult to his own position as diplomat and representative to the Allies, but he would play politics along with the young man.

    ¡°Well, then what¡¯s your name, sir; my name is Mark Duran; diplomat of the central territory.

    The blue eyed and dark haired youth replied with a quick direct response, ¡°My name is Michael.¡±

    ¡ª

    Michael led Mark to the town home as Mark had a chance to see the town that he was a representative to. The equipment was man-made. The town school was an actual building, not just a division of a tower. There was a sense of security; the land was tamed, and so were the animals. The sun and sky shone brightly above.

    Mark was unfamiliar with life like this. He could understand the commander¡¯s sentiment even if he didn¡¯t agree with the choice. There was a sense of peace and freeness. He could breathe here. But there was so much for him at the Allies: a big mansion, security. He couldn¡¯t understand how the commander would give all that away and settle down with a country life.

    They arrived at the house, Michael directed him inside. A couple soldiers stood at the entrance. Prior to entering the guards proceeding Mark entered the house to check it out. As they came back out they communicated direct to Mark.

    ¡°It¡¯s secure.¡±

    ¡°Wait outside,¡± Mark told them.

    Michael led Mark inside as the soldiers waited outside.

    Mark got his first look at the house. For one, it was a house. Houses didn¡¯t exist in the Allied communities. Even the Elite mansions were connected to central towers and shaped quite differently than these square structures.

    As they got inside, Michael led him to a dining room.

    ¡°Can I get you something?¡±

    ¡°Some tea might be nice.¡±

    Michael¡¯s mom walked upstairs: a very pretty older woman that Mark got a glimpse of.

    ¡°And who might this be?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Saris,¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± Mark said. Saris nodded.

    Mark looked as she continued upstairs and Michael got them teas. The woman he met had a sturdy figure- even though her line expressed aging, she still held the youth and appearance of someone quite beautiful. She must work to maintain herself. Maybe he could understand why the commander would give up his position a bit more.

    As Michael got them teas, he quickly scanned the living room. Books: antiquated to today¡¯s standard. The standard was generally no longer written words, but 3D digital books that came out of a flexible picture screen that could fit in a small pouch. He looked through the titles on the shelves and saw some classics, some educated books, a bible: he¡¯d never seen one of those before. It looked like this chief, or at least his father, was well studied.

    Michael came back in and handed him tea.

    ¡°Before we talk diplomacy, we need to handle the issue of the recruitment team we saw earlier,¡± He continued as Michael sat down.

    ¡°We know they came to the town recruiting, and we¡¯ll be following up through an investigation to ensure the details you give are correct. Are you aware of their presence?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Did any of the town join up with the resistance?¡±

    ¡°I told the town if anyone were to support resistance, they would be banished from the town. The town is not accountable for the actions of any individual that chooses to side with them.¡±

    Well spoken, Mark thought.

    ¡°One last one,¡± he paused to give a direct look at Michael. ¡°Are you aware of any resistance activity right now?¡±

    ¡°Yes. They took my speeder and headed south.¡±

    ¡°They did?¡± Mark stood up, a little panicked, ¡°How long ago was this?¡±

    ¡°About ten minutes before you arrived.¡±

    ¡°I wish you would have told me sooner¡­ We¡¯ll have to extend our negotiations for later then.¡±

    The diplomat got up and told the soldiers, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The diplomat took a last look at Michael, thoughtful, ¡°You know. We could use someone like you in our city. Someone who can command the respect of this town¡­ AND is familiar with Allied laws¡­ and regulations. If you want a position, let me know- you¡¯d go far, i know.¡±

    ¡°Thank you; I know where to find you if I get the desire to do so.¡±

    Mark and the soldiers headed out the door in pursuit of a ghost.

    ¡ª

    As soon as they left the room in pursuit of the ghosts Michael sent them to follow, he called to his mom upstairs.

    ¡°I have to go¡­¡± he said.

    ¡°I know,¡± she said as she watched him pack. He filled his bag with an extra set of clothes and took a last sip of tea.

    ¡°i deem Tamma the next chief.¡± he spoke, following the tradition of selecting chiefs. While he had pretended to be in charge of the town until his father came back, to give more credibility to himself, his father would not be coming back¡­ seeing as he had passed away last summer- but for the sake of appearances to the Allies, his name gave them safety of a sorts,¡± He said wanting to take care of the business, now wasn¡¯t the time to deal with the emotional aspect of the leave.

    ¡°Yes Michael,¡± she responded, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure that he knows and that the town will continue to thrive as best as we can.¡±

    He gave her a quick hug and patted his little brother on the head.

    His mom got a last look at him- not because she wasn¡¯t sad to see him go. He was a great benefit to the town, but despite his father¡¯s last wishes, she knew that his place wasn¡¯t here, it was out there, in the middle of change.

    Michael opened up the hatch above the two recruiters. As he started to motion for them that he was ready, he spoke, ¡°Follow me.¡±

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± the lead said a little hesitant.

    ¡°I¡¯m your way out. The Allies will be back soon so we need to head now.¡±

    ¡°How are we going to get out?¡± the girl asked as she looked up at him.

    ¡°I have a speeder that I¡¯ve kept for a while. I¡¯ll be taking that to distract the guards still stationed here. When they leave, you two should be able to make it out to your vessel. It¡¯s may be tricky, but it should work.¡±

    They snuck towards a storage shed and he opened it. Inside of it was his speeder. Next to that was a ¡®roadster¡¯, a smaller vehicle that travelled on land at higher speeds then the transport vehicle they had.

    ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡±

    ¡°They stationed a couple guards around the perimeter,¡± Michael said, ¡°I¡¯m going to draw their attention away by going outside of the town from the back. That should give you enough space to leave town from the side. Hopefully I can outmaneuver them long enough to keep them from suspecting your leaving.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t come back here. I¡¯ll probably try and find somewhere to lay low for a while before showing my face in another town as a traveler.¡±

    After the looks he got from Jason and Sally ¨C he responded with, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it right now. I¡¯ll figure something out¡­¡±

    Jadiva looked at him with a sense of respect rather than distaste now- this chief was careful and responsible, and a bit of courage.

    Sally whispered to the lead, ¡°We should take him with us.¡±

    The lead nodded.

    Michael nodded at them: he took out a map from his backpack, ¡°Let¡¯s coordinate to meet at this point,¡± he looked at the time on the ¡®multi-band¡¯, ¡°at 14:20 hours.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a plan.¡±

    Michael geared up his speeder as Sally and Jason got on the Lander.

    ¡°If I¡¯m not there by 14:25, i¡¯m sure you can find your way back without me.¡±

    Michael geared up his speeder and headed out. He nodded back at the two.

    The two watched him ride off out of the back and the guards start to follow him out of the town. They geared up the ¡®roadster¡¯ to meet at the rendezvous point.

    ¡ª

    The two recruiters waited at the spot, when the time was 14:25, the leader started to gear up even though a little lax. The girl told him to wait a little more. At 14:30, they saw Michael on his speeder, badly hurt, but coming none the less.

    As he got closer, he fell off the speeder and the speeder fell. They ran up to him; he was unconscious. It seemed a paralyzer had struck him in the side from the burn. It was no joking matter.

    They brought him to the roadster and put him in the passenger side.

    ¡°You ride this,¡± he told the girl, ¡°I¡¯ll take the speedster.¡±

    As soon as they geared up they headed towards to headquarters district.

    ¡ª

    ¡°and that¡¯s what happened..¡± the head recruiter said.

    ¡°How did he get shot?¡± Jess asked him.

    ¡°well¡­ we assume the three speeders that followed him out gave chase¡­ from there i dont know. It¡¯ll probably be in the briefing that he gives to the council when he recooperates.¡±

    Vincent and Jess both looked at them with different forms of interest. Vincent liked the fact that he might have someone to race and Jess respected his quality of character who he was and what he gave up.

    Jess knelt down to look at the wound.

    ¡°Yeah, well,¡± said Vincent. He looked at her, he DIDN¡¯T like that she was interested in him.

    Michael startled at the presence of a shadowed figure looked up.

    He saw Jess, startled, but somehow taken aback, ¡°hey.¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± she said softly.

    He fell asleep again.

    Vincent didn¡¯t like that, not one bit. As they were walking back to the dorms, Jess mentioned the new kid.

    ¡°He¡¯s pretty cool huh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah I guess,¡± Vincent already didn¡¯t like the situation. For Vincent to admit this guy was cool was tough, especially if he were going to be his competition.

    ¡°Are you jealous?¡± Jess looks at him with a teasing voice. When he didn¡¯t respond she just reassured him with a more honest one,

    ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡±

    ¡ª

    They were standing outside of her door, she gave him a smile as she stood there. Did she want him to kiss her? He went in for a kiss, but changed his mind. Now wasn¡¯t the right time.

    He gave her a handshake instead.

    Afterward she kind of just stood there with an awkward smile as he let her get in her room.

    ¡°Good night,¡± he said.

    ¡°Good night,¡± she responded.

    He walked to his room. She closed the door behind her.

    ¡ª

    Doc. Pattersa looked down at the boy in front of him. Only a youth, but already so drastically affected by the conflict. he had worked on the burn as well as he could before the interview with Reag- the current leader.

    ¡°i want him in the council room at 20:00,¡± Reag had told him.

    That had given Doc enough time to stitch him up but no time for recooperation. It seemed that the youth would have to recooperate after the interview.

    He looked down at the youth as he unplugged the sedatives and began to pump him with an Adrena.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry to have to do this at a time like this¡­¡±

    Michael woke up hearing the words, some were fainter, like it was a part of the dream but he knew that he would have to go through the interview process from a conversation he¡¯d overheard.

    The soreness wasn¡¯t lost to Michael, but he was tough.

    ¡ª

    Vincent sat in his room. He should have kissed her. Why didn¡¯t he kiss her?

    After a while he nodded off in his bed and stayed there half asleep and half thinking of Jess.

    ¡ª

    The board was all called into an emergency meeting that Regean brought up.

    ¡°Why did you gather us Reagan? Where is Sosoa.¡±

    Reagan responded with a grave face.

    ¡°Commander Sosoa has been found dead in ANI territory under the pretense of a secret negotiation between him and president Ulna.¡±

    ¡°Dead?!¡± Varis replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s uncertain how yet, but looks to be the work of an assassin, presumably during a sign of good faith on our part.¡±

    ¡ª

    About thirty minutes later he heard an announcement on the coms throughout the UG.

    ¡°General Sosoa has been found dead in Allied territory under a false pretense of negotiations.¡±

    When he heard it he shot up, ¡°Jess¡­¡±

    He rushed out of his room to the direction of Jess.

    There would be a lot of revenge going on later. The underground members and recruits would be angry that their leader was killed, but right now there was only one thing he was concerned for, Jess was going to be hurt¡­ He didn¡¯t know what she needed- but if he could be there¡­ maybe he could do something.

    ¡ª

    He knocked on the door with a steady hand, but Sally opened up.

    ¡°Hey, you heard?¡± Sally opened the door.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Jess?¡±

    ¡°She was called up to the office prior to the announcement. She hasn¡¯t come back since then.¡±

    Vincent knew exactly where she would have gone from there. There was a spot she went to when she wanted to be alone. He knew because he used to be there too. There was a forgotten storage area tucked away where they used to hide.

    ¡°I know where she is,¡± he told Sally as he left her standing at the door.

    ¡ª

    As soon as he got to the storage room he saw her.

    Her back was turned to the entrance- she was sitting alone with her head between arms and the boxes around her. He went up to her and put his arm across her back. She lifted up her head. He held on to her and brought her against the wall where he held onto her.

    ¡ª

    You were beautiful sitting in my arms.

    How could I tell you what i knew

    When this is all over, I¡¯ll find a way.

    For now, I¡¯ll do what i can to give what i am to you.

    And one day ¨C we¡¯ll leave this place

    We¡¯ll have our freedom away from here

 Chapter 4- ambition

    Jess awoke to the comfort of a warm blanket and soft pillow.

    I¡¯m in my bed. she thought as she opened her eyes to the ceiling. the last thing she remembered was a warm embrace. Was it a dream?

    She wondered why there was no call for her yet, until she remembered. She¡¯s been given the day off: because of her father¡¯s death. She woud have a meeting with the board about her father''s will- after which she had nothing to do. They''d given her a leave of absense which was totally annoying considering she would just feel worse doing nothing.

    Oh. that''s right... my father''s dead.

    As she was only seventeen still- technically she was an orphan. Had she not cried all her tears out last night- she would definitely have started to now. But she didn''t want to be sad. she wanted to stay busy.

    ---

    A meething with the board member about her future, Susan Carboni. Why Susan of all people? Had her father seriously requested Susan to come all the way from the third territory to the first just so that she could help her with the will?

    Kind of selfish, dad.

    Jess had her assumptions as to why he would have chosen Susan, one of which involved setting her up with Susan''s son. After having been held by Vincent last night- the thought of that man disguisted her.

    He wasn''t a bad guy. When she and her father first left their home in the center of the territory to pursue his career in the Underground- they''d come across Susan and her son.

    Susan was a badass during the military campaign and her son was only a year older than herself. He was handsome, sure... he was good-willed, but honestly he was boring. He was simply a shell of whatever he was raised to be- and after having spent so much time with a childhood friend with his own feelings on everything, she couldn''t help but feel that he was dull.

    Being that they were both military brats - it wasn''t unexpected for them to be together, but Jess didn''t really have time to bother about boys. If she had, she would have chosen Vincent between the two.

    Anyway- she got up and made her way towards the officer''s hall where the board would be. She may have been a little early or maybe not.

    Jess thought about what was to come. What was in her father''s will anyway? She didn''t really want to hear it. It would just feel that much more real that he was gone. What was the point in him giving away the house?

    ---

    "Hey..." a voice spoke underneath of her- breaking her train of thought. Her roommate, Sally.

    "Hey Sally..." Jess replied, "how did i get here?"

    "oh... uh, Vincent went to look for you and then brought you back asleep."

    Vincent...

    "I see..."

    He should just kiss me already.

    "Are you okay?"

    "Yeah..." she replied. How was she supposed to reply to that? Sally meant well- Jess didn''t want to be rude, "i htink i''m gonna walk..."

    "okay..." Sally gave me a sincere yet sad smile.

    ---

    Jess was pretty sure that Susan would in the office by nine. At least she was punctual... which gave Jess an hour to stupor in self-pity or preoccupy her time with other things

    She got changed and decided to head towards breakfast.

    ¡ª

    Michael looked up at the ceiling form his temporary room inside of an underground base.

    Another announcement on the com sounded. Michael heard someone¡¯s voice, hard and commanding- on the speaker:

    ¡°In light of the recent changes, I would like propose a new arrangement within the U.G. We will meet inside the cafeteria at 1900 hours. Thank you.¡±

    Michael had had a plan before the sudden upset that was the Underground. It wasn¡¯t a great one, but it was a plan. He was going to be the town leader, marry the girl who always spent time around him, and do his part to make sure the town was taken care of. Sure, he had had hopes. After the first fourteen years or so, he realized that he would never be able to hope for anything else when his father got sick and had to go back into ANI care.

    The girl he liked in town and liked him a lot more- She was beautiful but she didn¡¯t really understand who he was, she knew what his hopes were, she respected him, but she didn''t understand. It wasn¡¯t really something he could explain to her. All the words wouldn¡¯t replace the feelings that dwelt inside of the heart, and one cannot simply change a person¡¯s feelings- for better or for worse.

    Maybe he was overthinking it. Maybe this was a fresh start. but he didn''t want to enter an army hellbent on burning bridges between the territory and ANI.

    His personal feelings on the subject were as such. The ANI had some bad and some good... If he could work for peace between both sides, he felt that that would be better than a conflict. The ANI had better technology and medicines- and being able to work alongside them- could help both sides prosper.

    He''d almost considered the offer given him by Mark Duran tobe trainedinside of the city and then change it from the inside. However, he didn''t want to be strongarmed into it- he wanted to understand the other side first.

    He completely understood the territory¡¯s feelings as well. Over ten years, he''d seen the encroachments the ANI made. His own village was such an example. He thought thenew ANI president was working towards peace- until he''d heard the announcement- assassination of Mark Sohsa.

    He didn''t want conflict, but if he had to choose- he would choose the Underground- his home. Even still - working as a soldier without a choice would be hard for him to do if they asked him to kill.

    He opened his eyes and got out of bed. With only one set of clothes and a book- he''d set off. Gratefully, the ANI left him another change of clothes- so he used that. He certainly didn''t want to overstay his welcome- Reeg had made certain that Michael knew he was unwanted, but he did agree to wait to set up accomodations before kicking him out of the HQ.

    The door he entered opened automatically. He looked up and noticed that the walls were rock. The temperature was cool- it must have been underground. He headed towards the cafeteria. Having not eaten for twelve hours- he could feel it. A light shone from the end of the hall and opened up into a large room. A giant tower stood in the center and people seemed to move busily in different directions. He was impressed. He had no idea that the Underground had such a huge facility.

    In the center tower- a display showed schedules. A girl looked intently at it- hoping to find something. Was that the same girl he wondered?He walked up behind her and looked over her shoulder.She turned her head and stepped backward for a moment.

    ¡°Hey,¡± he said.

    ¡°Hey," After the initial shock of being snuck up on.

    "My name''s Michael," he spoke while sticking out his hand.

    She took it and they shook, ¡°Jess.¡±

    ¡°What do you have planned?¡± he said as he looked at the schedule on the board.

    Accepting the turn of events she went along with his discussion, he seemed friendly, so she couldn¡¯t help being nice, at least as a newbie, ¡°Not too much actually. NormallyI''d be on assignment inside of the ANIbut seeing as... some things happened- I''ve been pulled back off of it and given a temporary leave."

    "I noticed that things are pretty busy around here..."

    "Oh yeah- for sure- there''s a big change about to happen so everyone is trying to prepare..."

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± she thought pensively for the total of a second than told him about it, ¡°It entails a lot of recruits. I shouldn¡¯t really tell you, but whatever, you know? I can tell who I trust and not. It¡¯s a big mission, first strike. We...they¡¯re going to sabotage the tower system.¡±

    ¡°Whoa..." He said shocked.

    ¡°Yeah¡­we¡¯re going to finally put the odds in our favor...¡±

    He couldn''t quite understand the aggression- had the ANI really been that aggressive to begin with? It''s not like they''d sent out troops guns blazing, on the other hand, he really didn''t know- and he''d seen the ANI''s oppression of the territory for himself. He figured he''d ask.

    ¡°Won''t that start more conflict?¡±

    ¡°Uh. they¡¯ll try to keep casualties to a minumum¡­ but there''s always casualties in a conflict.¡±

    Michael really didn''t want there to be a conflict to begin with, but he could tell that Jess was of one mind on the topic and he didn''t want to get into a debate for sure having just met her, so he turned more diplomatic.

    ¡°Well, they have this really boring outline of what I can do here and what my schedule should be. I thought it would be nice to get a tour of the area. See what I can learn about this place and get an overall idea of what goes on around here.¡±

    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t mind giving you a tour. That¡¯d give me something to do for the next hour or so- since i''m killing time anyway."

    ¡°That¡¯d be cool,¡± he said smiling.

    Jess smiled back at him.

    ¡°Alright then,¡± shepulled him by the hand for a moment,¡°Follow me.¡±

    ---

    ---

    Michael

    They started walking through the halls together. He noticed a lot of busy people passing by them one way or another.

    As they were walking she started explaining.

    ¡°The general amount of people that operate the entire Underground is about three thousand. Most of the people go about the normal life in towns like they normally would, but with added responsibilities as liaisons and support to town¡¯s structure of defense. This central hub can hold up to a couple thousand, but only a thousand have been here ever at one time.¡±

    She explained the main structure, ¡°The headquarters was chosen to be an underground base to protect it from aerial attack, as well as control the passages leading up to it. it also allows it to remain hidden from radar- thus allowing it to remain anonymous.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    As they walked, She noted that there were ¡®eight¡¯ main halls extending from the center, as well as a long hall that surrounded the perimeter in a octagonal shape.

    The first hall they started with was the main offices of the commanders. This included mission rooms and technical areas for debates and judging and deciding rules and regulations.

    They traced the outer perimeter to the right:

    The offices, where officers were each given a room to perform their duties from as well as meeting rooms.

    The cafeteria: Jess¡¯s and most of the Underground favorite location on the premises. Most of the food made was from chefs that could feed many but also by automated food dispensers that could make a food with basic ingredients inserted. The cafeteria was big enough for two hundred and eighty at once.

    People generally went there based on their schedules, sometimes at night following night missions, sometimes during the day. The automated stuff stayed open during night.

    She took him back along the path he came from and showed him all the different rooms of the recruitment center: a training area, study room, its own cafe, sleeping quarters, and small library area for basic 101 of the Underground.

    ¡°If you were training, you¡¯d mainly stay here until you were finished with basic: it comes with everything needed to learn and not much more. Except for the lounge, everything else would normally be off limits.

    She took him around the outer perimeter of the Underground, ¡°It takes about eight minutes to walk the circumference of the underground. ¡°It¡¯s probably about¡± she weighed a general distance in her mind, ¡°half a mile or so around.¡±

    As they continued walking she showed him each different hall they came across.

    There was the study: including libraries, and meeting rooms for study groups.

    There was the research and development labs: highly volotile. where scientists, engineers, and other persons worked on undisclosed projects or (¡®Tech¡¯ included, but you¡¯ll meet him-whoever that was, he thought.) developing additions to the equipment and vehicles and things they had. (While most scientists worked on projects related to missions, Tech seemed to have an interest in ¡®B.M.I¡¯ and the LGT or ¡®Lost Generation Technologies¡¯.)

    There were the ¡®offices¡¯. Most business and operations were conducted here by the ¡®leaders¡¯.

    There was the ¡®storage¡¯. with many equipment rooms.

    There was the cafeteria. most people¡¯s favorite place, including Vincent¡¯s, who was Vincent? to be.

    There was the ¡®hangar¡¯. where vehicles were stored until needed, and where the mechanics and technicians would work.

    There was the lounge area and sleeping quarters: the lounge area was in the back, the sleeping quarters along the side halls: this area was monitored at night and the girls and boys were separated on different sides of the hall

    There was the entrance bay: where a long hall protruded from where vehicles would pass through checkpoints before entering.

    Including the recruitment center hall, they totaled eight different sections, with their own subsections located inside, including an exercise area and medical locations. The eight different halls formed an octagon shape: each hall equal in the space of the octagon and the central room with the control tower.

    ¡ª

    When she finished the tour, they took a break at a rest area in the sleeping quarter area. As he got some water from a dispenser, she started explaining its history:

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re familiar with the basic history of the dark ages and the decline. It related to what we now know as the modern ¡®Underground¡¯. The old tunnel systems allowed people to work out a sort of neighborhood watch: when one person was in trouble, others could help them through the tunnels. It was the best defense against criminals when government wasn¡¯t in control. The main leaders of the neighborhoods turned out to become the main leaders in the new Underground. They took pre-emptive measures with the foreshadowing of the Allies expansion and formed a lot of posts to keep tabs on allied activity near boarders and this base as the main center for operating missions.¡±

    They walked along to the lounge area where a setup of break-related stimuli were.

    ¡°hey, i¡¯ll introduce you to a couple people.¡±

    As soon as she got to Tech in the back of the lounge, he introduced her to a project he¡¯d been working on. Sally was just watching him work on stuff, trying to keep up with his conversation while Jason was ignoring it all on the couch watching the t.v.

    His major set-up of technology was in the lounge area; he liked being around a busy atmosphere to concentrate even though he mostly interacted with the computers and projects. It was less boring then being in a room by himself to him.

    ¡°Oh hey Jess,¡± he said without looking up. ¡°Check this out.¡± He lifts up his arm and a metal sphere some distance away from him rises.

    Michael was shocked. Jess gave a nonchalant, ¡°cool.¡±

    ¡°How does that work?¡±

    Tech looked up.

    ¡°BMI, or brain-machine interface. It¡¯s a project I¡¯ve been working on for a while. In the late twenty third century there was a lot of experimentation with it before the dark ages. A lot of its history got lost but the technology remained in black-market.

    ¡°It works like this. I installed a device into my arm linked to my brain that transmits from my thoughts into computers. Anything connected to the same transmitter will act based upon my thoughts. I didn¡¯t need to move my arm, if I wanted I could just use my mind, but I adjusted the program to function to my body specifically, it makes things less confusing and more direct.

    BMI used to be popular for a thing called the ¡®web¡¯, or a link between people through logging into a certain frequency with BMI, but some brilliant hacker thought it would be fun to hack people¡¯s brains.

    Seeing as the mind was so dependent on the BMI, the attack caused a lot of people to lose their ability to function. The web carried on while the BMI portion faded- until the decline. Then the network broke down too. The allies have been picking it up the lost technology as of recent days, but mainly in government for the network and military for BMI. There¡¯s nothing about it in the news, but you can tell from certain operations how BMI had to have been used: sniper shots like 3 miles away, auto-targeting systems that can be manipulated around corners and such, I mean Vincent¡¯s good but not that good.¡±

    That was the second time he¡¯d heard the name.

    ¡°They program the bullets to interface with the sniper so even when the shot is off, he or she can redirect the bullet trajectory. Gravity comes into effect with bullets, so they adjust the speed of a bullet to reach certain shots. At that speed it¡¯s hard to adjust but the pathway of the bullet only needs to be adjusted little nuances if you have a good sniper.

    A lot of the people here are afraid of BMI because of the operation it uses and the history behind it, but ignorance is weakness; that¡¯s my take.¡±

    It was a lot to take in for Michael. He thought he understood it, but this web he was talking about seemed a little farfetched.

    ¡°I¡¯m Michael,¡± he stuck out his hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m Jackson.¡±

    ¡°Do you prefer Jackson?¡±

    ¡°Everyone calls me Tech. I¡¯m used to it,¡± tech and Michael shook.

    Michael thought about this, he¡¯d stick with ¡®Tech¡¯ unless he felt more connected to call him Jackson.

    Tech went back to his studies.

    ¨C

    ¡°Where¡¯s Vincent?¡± Jess asked the crew.

    Sally replied, ¡°Working on the bike. He¡¯s been at it since he¡¯s been put on probation.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see him,¡± Jess took Michael by the hand. Michael went with her.

    They walked through the hanger up to the bike area. In it were a lot of speeders and bikes including Michael¡¯s own speeder. Vincent looked like he was working on a somewhat older model with a lot of adjustment.

    As Michael and Jess entered, Vincent greeted them.

    ¡°How¡¯s it going, Jess?¡±

    ¡°Not bad, Vincent. I¡¯m showing Michael around.¡±

    ¡°Yo,¡± he said as he saw Michael.

    ¡°Yo,¡± Michael said replied.

    ¡°So, I hear you can ride.¡± He said as he got up from his work.

    ¡°I¡¯m not bad.¡±

    ¡°Want to check out my bike?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be sweet.¡±

    Jess seemed a little perturbed when she got the brunt of being ignored: boys will be boys.

    They started talking about converters, energy, and what-not. Jess just sat on the side. They kept talking for a while. Vincent gave a backdrop on most of the vehicles they had.

    ¡°The advantage of a bike is that the wheels aren¡¯t really necessary for driving on as much as used for traction to grapple onto different surfaces that a speeder might not be able to get to.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Michael wondered why they had any bikes.

    ¡°Once we get to the Allied cities there¡¯s another problem. Everything was based on electromagnetic force. So Vincent¡¯s electromagnetic energy source actually came from the wheels. Besides being able to fly, it could go pretty much anywhere- even across water and if the surface was sturdy it could maintain stability on it even at a dead stop. There were Fliers that were designed for quick travel based solely on propulsion, but they weren¡¯t as durable as a bike and could only work on specific roadway systems.

    When I was assigned to special operations, I got to choose out a speeder, flier, or bike, most people don¡¯t go with the bike but it¡¯s my fave, so I requested it instead.¡±

    He continued, ¡°A lot of the allies don¡¯t really need vehicles. As they live in the cities, they use these discs.¡± He pulled out a layered metal block. He pressed a button and it turned into a large metal disc.

    Michael knew about them but never saw them before. As Vincent noticed his interest, he handed it over. Michael held on to it.

    ¡°They work on electromagnetic energy. We can study them in certain chambers. The recruits learn how to use them but since our underground isn¡¯t based on the same energy system, we don¡¯t generally use them for travel. The way they work, pretty much the outfits they wear work with the electromagnetic field. They stand on it and control it with their feet. They can control the level and hover throughout the city outside of the buildings.

    ¡°What are you working at right now?¡± He handed back the disc to Vincent.

    Vincent showed him what he was working on. He was adjusting the restrictor plates for speed. A bike wasn¡¯t allowed to go past a certain speed, but Vincent adjusted the breaking point to handle a greater speed and adjusted the restrictor plates by taking them off.

    ¡°So do you race?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°I used to.¡±

    ¡°Why did you stop?¡±

    ¡°I ran out of people to beat.¡±

    Vincent grinned, ¡°You up for it?¡±

    Michael grinned back, ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±

    ¡ª

    As Vincent and Michael worked on figuring out a path for the race, one of the mechanics got up to gather people to watch. Tech, Sally and Jason were all in the crowd. Tech set up a camera to track the movements on a direct holograph projection.

    Michael and Vincent stood next to their vehicle and geared them up.

    As they got started to heading out of the entrance, Tech¡¯s camera circled them. The people cheered them on. Jess looked at Vincent and gave him a smile: Vincent

    Tech signaled the start:

    ¡°On your mark,¡± their engines geared up

    ¡°Get set,¡± the feet went up.

    ¡°Go,¡± and bike and speeder flew into the outside darkness of nighttime in seconds.

    Jess watched them leave the area followed by their dots on the map of the course.

    On the holographic ¨Cscreen, it showed the two racers: wind brushing past them at high speeds and small pebbles picked up and flying backward from the small dirt paths they were on. Vincent had the early lead ahead of Michael with the ability to grip giving him higher acceleration.

    Michael¡¯s speeder picked up speed quickly though: with each turn the holograph showed him gaining on Vincent. Vincent¡¯s bike wasn¡¯t designed to go as fast except through his own adjustments. While a bike typically had an advantage against an unskilled racer on twists and hills, Michael showed expert cuts and balance. By the second part of the course Michael had caught up to Vincent. Part two would be the straightaway: purely speed.

    Michael took advantage of his position and gunned past Vincent. Vincent watched him pull away ahead of him; the holograph showed Michael in the lead and getting a larger gap. Vincent put his bike into over-drive, pushing it to max and keeping it as stable as possible. He¡¯d attached some boosters to allow it to go past breaking point temporarily and engaged them. He caught up a little, but Michael was still in front by the time they hit the last course.

    ¡°Come on Vincent,¡± Sally whispered.

    With Michael in front of Vincent, it was only a matter of time before the finish. Wind brushed him and his bike at breaking speeds. Even through his suit he could feel intense pressure as he pushed the bike as well as a man could push.

    Michael ahead of him maneuvered the speeder through the obstacles of rocks and trees as well as he could. Vincent had to do better if he were going to catch up. Luckily, this was the terrain bikes were best suited for. He swung the bike through edges of rock as they passed through the cliffs and into a wood. As Michael weaved his speeder through, he began to wane. Speeders didn¡¯t have as much ability to maintain their speed while dodging obstacles.

    Vincent began to catch up. He had just passed through the trees and almost caught up with the speeder ahead.

    Vincent was a split second behind when they reached the entrance in sight: they fought for space as they crowded the dirt path to the entrance opening.

    3¡­

    2¡­

    1¡­

    Vincent and Michael crossed the finished. The camera behind both of them slowed down the frames to the exact instance of the finish; Vincent had the lead by less than an inch.

    Vincent had won.

    They both tried to slow through the hall into the entrance bay. Vincent¡¯s bike tracked the floor to a solid stop while Michael¡¯s had trouble in the deceleration. Michael crashed into a pile of boxes near the end of the bay.

    Vincent smiled at Jess. Jess looked at him as he smiled at her and frowned. She tried to act sportsmanlike. Inside she was happy, both that he gave her attention and that he won.

    Michael got out of the boxes and brushed himself down, Well done.

    Vincent went up to him, ¡°Good job. I¡¯m the best racer here and that was the best race I¡¯ve had in a while.¡±

    Vincent put out his hand for Michael to shake. Michael took it, and they shook: then gave each other a quick pat on the back.

    ¡°That was a good race,¡± Michael replied. It was good that he had someone to challenge him: Vincent would be a good person to help him. He was pretty sure Vincent felt the same way.

    ---

    ¡°To Susan,

    My last will and testament. Concerning my daughter Jessica. I place her in your care ¨C When she is of age- she inherits the homestead where there was once joy in a family. She didn''t know but- her life was already a target when she was on assignment within the ANI tower. I would wish for her to find happiness- far away from any oncoming war. My daughter is headstrong, so it may take some convincing- but perhaps you can give her a position that keeps her away from the frontlines of the conflict?

    I remember meeting your son a year back- he was quite the strapping young lad ¨C perhaps, if you find it a fitting match you could attempt a bond between them.¡±

    Jess looked ahead at Susan as she was handed the will.. slapping it out of her hand in disgust.

    "I''m not giving up just because my dad wants me to be safe," she spoke.

    Susan couldn''t help but smile with her kindred spirit. Once she and Mark had discussed their children becoming a couple- until she''d met Jess. Jess reminded her too much of herself. She new immediately that Jess wouldn''t have it for a minute.

    "Even still... out of respect for your father- we''re keeping you off the front lines for a little while until we find another place for you...you may as well go back to central to at least see the house you''ve inherited."

    "I have another idea."

    "Oh?" Susan responded curiously.

    "Yeah- let me train the new recruits. It''ll give me something to do..."

    "New recruits?" Susan, "i wasn''t aware of any."

    "Michael had a change of heart recently... I believe he''ll make an excellent candidate."

    Susan shrugged, "Very well..."

    She knew very well Jess was just trying to have an excuse to stay on the eastern base..

 Chapter 5 - Train

    Chapter 5

    Michael woke up before the scheduled assignment.

    They decided to hit the ground running once he¡¯d decided to join up with the Underground.

    7:30 am would be the start of his day- so he woke up at 6:30 for good measure.

    Normally- they''d put him at the main headquarters in central, but right now they didn''t have the time to move him there. Thankfully- he could use training facilities within the underground base.

    It was still dark in his room. The small glow above and the stillness of an empty room.

    So many events in a day: the whole underground, his decision in front of the council, and Jess. He may have just met her, but there was something special about her that he wanted to know about more. Next time...

    He thought about the girl from his home. Time was truly irreplacable.

    But time couldn¡¯t count for everything. Kairi. He needed someone to believe his own dreams and that¡¯s why he¡¯d kept himself distant form her. If she¡¯d had had the choice, they probably would have been married with kids by now.

    Change, the only constant. He wished Kairi the best.

    Below Michael¡¯s bunk were a set of clothes and a few gadgets were on the table. On the clothes was a note attached to a plastic square, ¡°Attach this to your hand.¡±

    After putting on the clothes, he attached it. It molded to his skin and a schedule screen projected out from where it was attached.

    ¡°Breakfast = 7:45¡±

    ¡°Current time = 7:20¡±

    He closed his hand and it turned off.He looked on the table and saw an earpiece, lenses, belt and a small black rod. He felt the clothes.They felt like a synthetic grainy fabric; they were black and adjusted to him quite well. He lifted up a belt, but there weren¡¯t any loops on his outfit: when he tried adjusting it to the outfit he was wearing it somehow attached itself through some sort of force.

    He also saw a pair of gloves. They were thinly made from the same fabric the suit was with yellow contours. He picked up the small metal rod. He tried attaching it to the belt and when he held it close to the belt and it automatically snapped on its side. He saw a small earpiece looking device that he put in his ear and circled around it. After it was attached a voice came through it:

    ¡°This is a basic instructional guide. You can use this to learn how to perform the activities throughout the day. To interact with the manual simply attach the lenses on the table to your eyes.

    He looked at the lenses. He¡¯d never had to put anything on his eyes before. He picked them up and opened up his eyes to place them on.

    He blinked a couple times as the lenses touched his eyes. Afterwards they didn¡¯t seem too bad. It felt like they blended to his eyes.As his eyes began to adjust to the attachments, he saw a small flashing dot in the top left hand corner. As soon as he looked at it, it opened up a menu in front of his eyes.

    ¡°To operate the lenses, simply look at the word listed in the menu and it will open. To open the map of the underground and your location in vicinity to the map, just direct your eyes to the bottom right corner. To close the program, double blink.¡±

    He opened up the map for an instant, caught a glimpse of where he was on the map and then decided not to deal with it right then: he double blinked.

    By the time he''d finished attaching everything it was already almost breakfast.

    As he got to the cafeteria, he saw that the room was filled. Assorted meals were put onto conveyors. As he approached the line, he got a closer look- some of it seemed like some sort of porridge and basic bread, but there were mass quantities of eggs, meats, and berries as well. So this is where the food from the towns went to.

    As hungry as he was he got some of everything. Growing on a farmland he was used to working a lot- and eating a lot to make up for it. At the end of the line was a drink dispenser with different spouts. He pressed a button and a drink he didn''t recognize came out, it fizzed.

    Afterwards -he looked around for somewhere to sit, hopefully he¡¯d see someone that he knew. He noticed Jess and a couple other faces at a table.

    ¡°Hey,¡± he said.

    ¡°Hey, how¡¯s it going,¡± Jess said. ¡°Sit down.¡± She motioned to an empty seat at their table.

    He sat down and looked around the table while placing his tray on the table. Vincent was looking down in thought. Tech and Sally were looking at some device and Jasonwas simply watching Tech and Sally with a modicum of interest.

    After pausing what he was working on Tech looked up, ¡°So, I hear you¡¯re training today.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Michael responded, ¡°they¡¯ve got me studying history and devices.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be your guide to the rooms,¡± Jess said. ¡°It¡¯smy job to help guide the new recruits..."

    ¡°Thanks, it looks like afterwards I¡¯ll be cleaning up the halls?¡±

    ¡°Have fun with that,¡±Jason spoke.

    Michael smiled, ¡°It¡¯s all good. I don¡¯t mind hard work and I¡¯m actually really excited to study for once. Growing up in a town, it wasn¡¯t really necessary but I always did it anyway. Public relations with the other towns."

    Jess looked at him and smiled. Vincent briefly looked at Jess.

    For a minute everyone just ate queitly.

    ¡°So, Sally,¡± Tech said, ¡°You want to try on this BMI thing later on today in the lounge- when we have some free time.¡±

    "Uh, sure!¡± she replied a little too excitedly.

    ¡°Great,¡± he said, ¡°I needed a test subject. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll hurt too much.¡±

    Jason laughed when he looked at Sally¡¯s queasy face.

    ¡°Why are you looking down Vincent?¡±

    ¡°Earth to Vincent,¡± Sally spoke up.

    Vincent looked up at everyone around the table, ¡°Oh, you know- I¡¯m upset that Tech asked Sally instead of me.¡±

    Everyone laughed, Vincent looked down again, ¡°Well, I¡¯d better get ready,¡± Vincent said as he got up.

    The table looked at him questioningly, but returned quickly.

    A few minutes later after everyone else had finished eating and started going their respective ways-Jess spoke to Michael, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the training center.¡±

    ¡°Great, thanks,¡± Michael replied as he picked up his tray and walked out with her.

    They placed their trays on the conveyer located near the exit.

    After walking for a few minutes, Michael felt up to asking her out.

    "Hey Jess,"

    "What''s up?"

    "So i think i get some free time in a few days- would you wanna... i dont know, just do something together?"

    "Like a date?"

    "Yep."

    Jess looked down with a slight smile, ¡°I¡¯m kind of focused on business at the moment. You know with the strikes and all.¡±

    "Ah."maybe he''d asked too early.

    She smiled reassuringly, "uh, thanks for asking though."

    ¡°I¡¯m going to show you how to operate the room,¡± she pushed buttons on the panel; the door opened up, ¡°Basically, the room activates a lesson depending on what you enter into the computer. Specific codes open up different lessons.¡±

    Inside the room, he saw a desk, chair and nothing else.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked. Jess clapped and all at once lights illuminated from the walls and at the front of it was a holograph of sector 7. It looked a lot different then he thought it would.

    A voice came on, ¡°New York City: the year 2000.¡±

    Michael looked at the projection and then at Jess.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back when it¡¯s done,¡± she said when she was done.

    Michael nodded at her and she left him inside. The projection zoomed out to the world map.

    ¡°Throughout the history of the ¡®Enlightened period¡¯ between the twenty first and twenty third century, huge technological advancements were made.¡±

    The holograph showed projects of city development including the electromagnetic railway and roadways, medicine and drugs, a theoretical picture of a family home with amenities, and BMI being used along the ¡®network¡¯.

    ¡°However, this period also showed a large economic decline: while technology had advanced, the economy had fallen. Only the top of society were able to even afford some of the technological advancements and the enlightenment came to a close.

    It showed a picture of the currency rise, decrease in living standards, and failing banks and market systems.

    ¡°As unemployment rose and the cities fell into disarray, governments lost control of their countries. Bandits began to take things by force and ¡®might made right¡¯ ruled over the territory. As the currency system fell into shambles and, cities became hubs of corruption, many people migrated to towns and villages and returned to a more basic life.¡±

    It showed a picture of the towns and lack of the technology they had prior to the change.

    ¡°This is the dark period.¡±

    It showed the cities unpopulated.

    ¡°The governments became little more than an ideology and they too began to wean. Cities remained the only center for government to rule in and the towns became ¡®Territories¡¯ not governed by an official office.¡±

    It showed the boarder change and the location of areas that governments controlled or didn¡¯t, the areas not governed- known as ¡®Territories¡¯.

    ¡°During this period, town life became the common lifestyle and people began to make a form of barter and trade between each other. This culture involved a more connected approach as people depended on each other to survive.¡±

    It showed a picture of towns in progress, and the network they formed between each other for progress.

    ¡°Bandits would attack towns, however, so the towns set up their own defense system. Towns made a sort of ¡®neighborhood watch¡¯ and warned each other when they saw suspicious groups in the area.¡±

    It showed a picture of watch posts and sensors that detected when an area was passed, it also showed the towns working on and underground tunnel.

    ¡°Eventually the towns developed the ¡®tunnel system¡¯: ways of getting across between towns or higher elevations for more strategic defenses.¡±

    ¡°After this period, the governments became stabilized. The governments initiated a sort of work agreement within the city structure and trade agreement between other governments for economic prosperity. If people accepted a mandatory working condition, they would be given stipends and housing dependent upon the service they provided. These cities became known as the Allied hubs, each city a sector of the Allied unit.¡±

    ¡°A lot of people moved away from ¡®Territories¡¯ to the Allied cities in the hopes of economic prosperity and more stability. Eventually these cities began to develop large towers to account for the quick growth.

    It showed the progress of the towers into what they appeared today.

    ¡°However, with the drastic increase in population and lack of standards- these cities became hubs of ungoverned corruption. Large amounts of crime occurred with the city, and many city dwellers decided to move to the last country that accepted these immigrants; Africa. Eventually they established their own hubs and Africa is one of the few remaining nations free to immigrants and not affiliated with the Allies. This became known as the ¡®Christian Movement¡¯.¡±

    It showed a map of the movement to Africa and the development of their own country separate from association with the Allied nations.

    ¡°The Allied nations continued to grow.¡±

    It showed the development of the towers and the expansion of the city.

    ¡°As the Allies expanded, the towns with the foreknowledge that peace would not remain decided to reinstate the use of the tunnel system into the modern defense system. This is the Underground we have in place.¡±

    It showed the tunnel systems of the Underground.

    ¡°For the next fifteen years, large conflicts occurred on the borders of the Territories and Cities; through treaties and through force the Allies continued to push their territory.¡±

    It showed a picture of people shaking hands and town members being moved.

    ¡°However the towns aligned with Underground wish to keep their homes. Sector 7 has a concept of ¡®manifest destiny¡¯. They won¡¯t stop until they accomplish their objective or can be shown that this land belongs to us. Because of this the defense of our ¡®Territories¡¯ is impertinent.¡±

    Afterwards the holograph developed into a menu in front of Michael.

    ¡°For further information please use the gloves to interact with the screen and select any option.¡±

    Michael played with it for a little while, but since he knew most of the details of the political treaties he got bored pretty quickly.

    He left the room after he was done and Jess stood outside.

    ¡°Hey,¡± he said.

    ¡°Hey Michael,¡± Jess replied, ¡°How was the lesson?¡±

    ¡°Not bad. I know most of it, but it was a pretty cool was of seeing it in a live picture.¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve got one more lesson, followed by work.¡±

    ¡°Sounds great,¡± Michael smiled trying to be polite.

    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll see you in a bit.¡±

    She plugged in some numbers on the panel and the door opened up.

    This time instead of showing a city and having a long narration, it brought up a picture of a lot of different Machines.

    ¡°These are the current Allied machines.¡±

    As he touched a hologram of one, it gave a demonstration. Afterwards he¡¯d learned all the basic mechanics, it disappeared: when he finished going through all the details the projectors changed to a new screen and showed a lot of different vehicles: some he was familiar with, some he¡¯d never seen. Afterwards, a small demonstration came on about BMI.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°BMI, also known as Brain Machine interface, is a modern technological advance used in concepts such as working alongside computer centers and manipulating machines.¡±

    It gave a demonstration of each of these examples.

    ¡°For further information please use the gloves to interact with the screen and select any option.¡±

    He left the room again and Jess was there.

    ¡°You ready?¡± she was holding a mop.

    ¡°Yep,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Here you go.¡±

    ¡ª

    Michael sat down at the table after he ate.

    ¡°How was your first day?¡± Sally asked.

    ¡°Not bad,¡± he responded.

    ¡°He¡¯s actually a pretty good worker,¡± Jess said.

    ¡°Keep it up, the halls look really nice,¡± Sally said.

    Michael looked down at his food. Some of this stuff was different then the stuff he was used to on the farmland, but everyone else seemed to like it. He started eating.

    ¡°Where are Vincent and Tech?¡± Michael asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re doing something together,¡± Jason replied. ¡°They should be here soon.¡±

    ¡ª

    Vincent and Tech stood in a small storage room where they could talk privately.

    ¡°The device you installed in the commander¡¯s room will relay to these coms and my tracker,¡± Tech spoke.

    ¡°He¡¯s not the real commander,¡± Vincent replied.

    ¡°Well, the current one,¡± Tech smiled at Vincent¡¯s attitude, ¡°Anything that comes in through his desk com can be traced. He won¡¯t be able to find the tracer either: it¡¯s stealthed.¡±

    ¡°So we¡¯ll be able to see who sent the call?¡±

    ¡°Only the location it came from.

    ¡°Hm, I¡¯ll have to leave to figure out who it is.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ most likely¡±

    ¡°Well that¡¯ll be an adventure; I¡¯ll have to make an excuse as to why I¡¯ll leave the underground- any suggestions?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± Tech gave sort of a pensive look with his eyebrows low and scrunched mouth.

    ¡°Ok, hm, I¡¯ll think of something. In the meantime, we¡¯ll try to stay on the down-low.¡±

    ¡°yeah, I know.

    ¡°cool.¡±

    ¡°well let¡¯s get back to supper.¡±

    ¡°yeah, I¡¯m starving.¡±

    ¡ª

    Vincent and Tech showed up at the table.

    ¡°What¡¯s up, guys?¡± Jess said.

    ¡°Not much,¡± Tech replied.

    ¨C

    It was a pretty fun first day, Michael thought. He got ready to crash as he went to bed.

    Over the course of the next week Michael went through more of the same, he started getting introduced to the Technology by Tech.

    They were inside of the same room, however, instead of a simulation Tech held up different items that the Underground used.

    ¡°This is called ¡®super-black¡¯,¡± Tech was holding up a small ball that seemed like it had some sort of black liquid inside. He threw down a ball and instantly all the lights went out: The small light from under the doorway vanish and a sort of fog seemed to absorb all the light.

    ¡°Super black also known as the darkness bombs, allow us to move about without being visually detected. Radar can¡¯t penetrate it and it turns off all the lights within a certain vicinity.¡±

    ¡°How do you see through it?¡±

    ¡°We have an electronic device I made called ¡®Echo¡¯ that we can put on our suits. It generates a low frequency emission that relays distance to objects within the darkness screen. superblack can make a fog with jammer/chaff that allows only for a predetermined adjustable frequency to penetrate.¡±

    ¡°Here,¡± Michael felt Tech hand him something in the darkness and he saw that it was a visor gadget. He put it on and suddenly everything in the room showed with a kind of yellow glow.

    ¡°Can you turn the lights back on?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Tech pressed a button and a sort of fan sound came out, the darkness seemed to get sucked into the fan and dissipate. The lights flickered back into place.

    ¡ª

    ¡°The most important thing about our operations is that we¡¯re ¡®stealth operated¡¯,¡± Tech was holding a certain button that he put on his suit, ¡°If we faced the Allies head on, we¡¯d lose. Most of our operations happen undercover.¡±

    Michael was sure Tech was about to show him something: the practical approach. It was a little more fun than sitting for hours the whole time.

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as invisible paint, but with the right frequency generator and meta-materials you can redirect light,¡± Tech pressed the button and the uniform he wore suddenly seemed to show the wall behind him through it.

    ¡°We can¡¯t become purely invisible but we can blend in a lot easier.¡±

    Michael liked that.

    ¡ª

    ¡°The next thing on the list will be the hover discs.¡±

    ¡°This room is equipped with an electromagnetic charge, which allows for the discs the Allies use to work in here,¡± Tech pulled out a couple metal blocks: the same ones that Vincent showed him on his first day here. He pressed a button and they both opened. He stood on one and handed the other to Michael.

    Michael stepped on his and followed Tech¡¯s lead.

    ¡°The suit you wear interacts with the disc; you¡¯ll be able to ride it with your feet. Michael stepped on it backward with his heel and he began to rise above the ground, the propulsion from the disc pushed downwards. He hit his head into the ceiling and pushed his foot forward and it dropped to the ground.

    Tech laughed as he saw Michael run into the ceiling.

    ¡°It¡¯ll take some getting used to, your body mass directs the direction and like you¡¯ve just experienced, your feet can control the functions in how it can move up and down. Not bad for your first try.¡±

    After Michael practiced on it for a while he finally got the hang of stabilizing it.

    ¡°What¡¯s this rod I carry around for?¡±

    ¡°Oh that- it manipulates electromagnetic current,¡± Tech replied. ¡°It¡¯s the weapon we used inside of the city. We can dismantle machines and use it to knock people out. It¡¯s also a defensive weapon as it allows us to nullify electrical energy charges against us and bend projectiles.¡±

    ¡°Cool,¡± Michael said as he moved it around in his hands.

    ¡ª

    Michael sat at the group table again. It had been a week since he¡¯d first arrived and he¡¯d pretty much gone through basic training. He and Jess were building a pretty good friendship.

    ¡°I think you should start training combat,¡± Jess said as he was eating his supper.

    He looked down at his food.

    ¡°Is there something wrong with that?¡± Jason asked.

    ¡°I try not to fight if I can help it,¡± Michael responded.

    ¡°It¡¯s something we¡¯ve all gotta do, not necessarily because we want to,¡± Jason said.

    ¡°We¡¯ll teach you basic combat,¡± Jess responded, ¡°It¡¯s important to know how to defend yourself. You can choose what to learn after that.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Michael replied.

    They kept eating; Michael stayed pretty quiet during the meal.

    ¡ª

    He and jess went to a different room.

    ¡°This is a basic combat simulation,¡± Jess said. ¡°You¡¯ll learn basic combat through this,¡± she handed him a helmet and gloves.

    ¡°Basic training includes: basic battle simulations and tactics, target practice, and hand to hand combat.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll start with basic battle scenarios,¡± Jess spoke. ¡°This helmet will allow you to manipulate the simulation during the exercise. The gloves will allow you to interact with the simulation.¡±

    ¡°This room,¡± Jess said as Michael looked around a larger room than the initial one. It had the same sort of metal in which holograms would work, ¡°changes based on the scenario.¡±

    Michael looked around the room as it turned on. It looked like a room with protruding walls and scanners.

    ¡°Put your helmet on,¡± Jess said, not authoritatively, but commanding. Michael put on his helmet.

    ¡°The initial objective is getting through the obstacles and retrieving the cup at the end of the scenery. Following this an alarm will sound and you¡¯ll have to get back before time runs out. It¡¯s a good exercise to train you to be aware of your surroundings. If you get spotted, an alarm will go off and you¡¯ll lose the exercise. I don¡¯t expect you to pass immediately, probably not even today; it will take a lot of practice.¡±

    Michael got ready at the beginning of the simulation.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be given a limited supply of counter-surveillance tools. In reality, you¡¯re given the same amount and certain scenarios will require counter-surveillance. However, tools that manipulate surveillance machines also send a signal to the persons watching over the surveillance, so in essence the minimum usage of counter-surveillance can be considered the most efficient form of espionage.¡±

    Michael saw a lot of moving surveillance detectors; he wasn¡¯t sure how he was going to get past them. He noticed the detectors moved in a pattern, so he watched them.

    He walked past the first point but as soon as he got there was spotted by the second detector. An alarm sounded.

    ¡°Again¡­¡±

    He restarted the exercise.

    The second time he got past three detectors but on getting to the third he tripped and crashed against the wall.

    As soon as he did, an alarm went off.

    ¡°You have to be sure not to exceed a certain amount of motions, motion detectors will respond to the vibration even if they can¡¯t see you. You¡¯ll have to be prepared for that in real life¡±

    Michael nodded and the third time he got the cup and found his way back by repeating the steps backward.

    ¡°Good¡­¡± Jess seemed impressed. Michael noticed this. Damn. I didn¡¯t want to be impressive.

    ¡ª

    ¡°The next thing we¡¯re going to study today is target practice. When you¡¯re on posts watching a certain area, it¡¯s important to be able to defend it. We have a selection of weapons that we use. When we¡¯re in Allied territory however, generally, we prefer espionage missions as the centralized military forces are too much for us- it¡¯s important for us to be able to escape. We generally will only use the rod you have equipped to you now. It can manipulate the trajectory of electromagnetic weapons the police forces use. Projectile weapons are disallowed inside Allied territory and the non-projectile weapons are only allowed by the police.

    ¡°For now we¡¯ll practice with a projectile weapon. A projectile weapons¡¯ trajectory can be manipulated by computer systems on the projectile and manipulated through computers that are generally attached to the weapon itself. However, we won¡¯t practice with that until after you get the hang of strait shot projectile target practice.¡±

    She handed him a plastic object.

    ¡°This can simulate the effects of a real projectile weapon shooter inside the room. Targets have the appearance of what they would from long distances. We¡¯ll start from a short distance. If you look through your helmet the target should show up. Practice.¡±

    This time Michael made sure everything he did was off. His way of holding it, stance, way of looking at it, and way of firing it. He completely missed the target. Jess gave a crooked look.

    ¡°Hold it like this,¡± she held onto his hand and then smiled. After she did she realized it and pulled her hand away.

    He fired and hit the target near the middle.

    ¡°That was better,¡± she said, ¡°we¡¯ll keep practicing.¡±

    She turned off the simulation.

    ¡°The next part of your training will be hand-to-hand combat. I¡¯ll set it up after lunch.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t hit a girl¡­¡± Michael said and smiled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think of me as a girl. Think of me as your enemy.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t do that. You¡¯re too nice.¡±

    Jess smiled, ¡°Well- maybe I can get some help with the next part. I¡¯m not nice all the time by the way.¡±

    ¡ª

    ¨C

    ¡°Another call came in from the source,¡± Tech said.

    ¡°Yeah I heard it too,¡± Vincent replied to Tech about it.

    Tech looked around him and then whispered to Vincent, ¡°When I traced the signal it showed it coming from the government block in sector two. That¡¯s as specific as I could get. They have a counter-intelligence set up around that area that limits the ability to trace.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­why would sector two be interested in sector seven¡¯s boarder struggle¡­?¡± Vincent responded. He felt a little down. He knew he¡¯d have to leave Jess behind for a while when he went in search of the signal, but he didn¡¯t want to, especially when she was getting along too well with the new guy. Even Vincent liked the new guy, which didn¡¯t help his own position. The new guy was better than him, Vincent had his own anger issues and unresolved conflicts that he¡¯d be putting on Jess. He¡¯d have to make a choice.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing other interesting things in the room too,¡± Tech said. ¡°It seems the council is working on setting up policies regarding the territory. They¡¯re trying to elect a representative; it looks like Ragu may be making a political move.¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll have to take that into consideration later. We¡¯ve got enough on our plate. If they set up a stronger government right now, that won¡¯t really affect our day to day life until after the strikes are finished and we succeed in establishing our separation with the Allies.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I understand.

    ¡ª

    ¡°Hey Vincent,¡± Jess said. They were all in the lounge area after the work for the day was done.

    ¡°Hey Jess¡­¡± Vincent had been hiding the fact that he liked her the past week now and she was beginning to like another guy. It was hard for him, but he was still hiding it. It seemed like Jess was getting annoyed and starting to like Michael. Which was what was actually happening.

    ¡°Michael needs your help training. He doesn¡¯t want to hit me.¡±

    ¡°Pretty honorable.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well it¡¯s annoying. Can you teach him how to fight hand-to-hand combat.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely.¡±

    Jess smiled, ¡°thanks Vincent.¡± She gave him a look.

    He wasn¡¯t quite sure what it meant. He turned to Michael.

    ¡°You wanna start now?¡± Vincent said as he looked at Michael.

    ¡°Sure Vincent,¡± Michael replied.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    They headed toward the recruitment training area.

    ¡°Hey Vincent,¡± Michael asked Vincent about Jess, he figured he¡¯d known her the longest, ¡°What do you think of Jess?¡±

    ¡°I think she¡¯s the best¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you think she likes me?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Vincent said, ¡°I¡¯m not really sure.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Michael said, ¡°you think she¡¯d go out with me after a strike?¡±

    Vincent waited in the hall for a moment, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ possibly.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Michael replied, ¡°Is there something between you two?¡±

    Vincent hurried forward in the hall again, ¡°we¡¯re just friends¡­¡±

    ¡°Cool, so what are you planning to show me?¡±

    ¡°Depends on what you already know¡­ how much do you know?¡±

    ¡°A bit.¡±

    They arrived at the training room door. Vincent opened it and Michael went in. Inside was a matted room and a lot of empty space. On the walls were different weapons.

    ¡°So,¡± Vincent turned to Michael, ¡°We¡¯ll start with the basic principles of fighting. In real life, there aren¡¯t any points, there aren¡¯t any rules, the goal is to survive and beat your opponent. Assume your opponent wants you dead and the only way you will beat him is if you are more prepared mentally and physically than he is.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Michael responded and stood opposite Vincent as they walked to the center of the room. ¡°Makes sense, it¡¯s about having the advantage.¡±

    ¡°Right- however you can get it,¡± Vincent spoke. ¡°Physically, the advantage comes from your knowledge of martial arts, your physical build, your speed. Mentally however, you want every tactical advantage, the mental advantage comes from recognizing your surroundings, and studying what you can use to beat your opponent. In real life, combat shifts close range and long range, circumstances change and your enemy may turn from one to many.¡±

    ¡°Always be aware of your surroundings¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll start without weapons. Your body is a weapon. It¡¯s important to recognize that you can use more than just your feet and your hands even though we¡¯ll start with kicks and punches.

    Punch like this,¡± Vincent said. Michael copied it.

    ¡°That was good¡­¡± Vincent said, ¡°Blocking is important too. Sometimes the advantage comes after a punch by the enemy. Try to dodge this.¡±

    Vincent threw a punch at Michael as Michael moved backwards.

    ¡°Good footwork¡­¡±

    Vincent threw another punch which Michael blocked.

    Vincent then started attacking a little faster and Michael blocked them again. They started fighting. Vincent charged him as Michael dodged to the side. Vincent rolled and threw out a kick trip and Michael flipped backwards to dodge.

    ¡°Swords!¡± Vincent ran to the wall and took off a practice sword and charged while Michael ran towards the wall and took his own. Michael parried an attack and threw his own but Vincent parried it.

    ¡ª

    Jess looked through the window of the training room and saw Michael and Vincent fighting.

    Neither of them noticed as Jess walked in and stood against the wall.

    ¡°Guns!¡± Vincent and Michael both took off a practice gun off the wall and shot at each other while charging.

    Michael tackled Vincent in the stomach while Vincent elbowed him on the neck. Both guns fell to the ground as they started fighting block for hit- elbow for knee. Vincent dove for his gun while Michael dove for his and both pointed at each other.

    Breath. Breath.

    ¡°Hey guys,¡± Jess said.

    Breath.

    Both of them turned to see Jess with her hands on her sides.

    ¡ª

    ¡°Can you guys not tell the council about us fighting?¡± Michael asked on his way to the cafeteria.

    ¡°So you really do know how to use a weapon huh? Jess asked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to think that I could fight¡­ if the council finds out they may put me on a mission I don¡¯t want to do.¡±

    Vincent was silent. Jess looked at him.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll just tell them that you finished basic,¡± Jess said. ¡°You¡¯re definitely capable of basic posts positions- I¡¯ll probably recommend you for the strike coming up as a guard.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine¡­¡± Michael said. Vincent looked at both of them. Jess seemed not to pay attention to him as much.

    They walked back to the cafeteria. A lot of people were gathered there. It seemed pretty crowded.

    Ragu was in front of the assembly of people there. As they sat down Ragu spoke in front of the groups;

    ¡°The council has decided that in the best interest of the territory we will unite the districts under one ruler: I and the council have come to a decision that I will be representative of the territories: We¡¯ve decided that to face the Allied forces, the best approach is to present unity amongst the districts. If we establish a stronger front, the Allies will see us as a greater threat.¡±

    Whispers went amongst the groups in the tables.

    Michael looked around his table.

    Tech and Vincent were discussing something in secret.

    Jess seemed a little quiet.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Michael asked.

    ¡°Right now, it doesn¡¯t mean much,¡± Jess said. ¡°But afterwards, it means the territory will be governed by Ragu.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a power play¡­¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Michael questioned. He looked at Vincent with a more inquisitive look, like Vincent knew more about what was going on behind the scenes then he was letting anyone know.

    ¡°Ragu and the leaders have always wanted a government and now that commander Sohon isn¡¯t in charge, they have the power to make a move like that.¡±

    Sally just strait up said to the table, ¡°A lot of people aren¡¯t going to like feeling that they¡¯re governed by the Underground.¡±

    The table was quiet for a minute. Michael felt the awkwardness.

    Jason replied, ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter at the moment does it?¡± turning back to eat his lunch with a little more pensive neglect than appropriate.

    Somehow however, Sally followed Jason¡¯s lead by answering, ¡°You¡¯ve got it- it¡¯s probably best that it¡¯s happening- but right now it won¡¯t really matter. Until we beat the Allies, the objective remains the same.¡±

    Michael looked around the group and then down to his food. He figured he¡¯d be quiet about it. no need to stress over what he was still getting used him himself. For now it still seemed good to be here, whether or not that would change later would be up tho

    The group was quiet again.

    ¡ª

    Vincent and Tech talked about the defenses of the Underground in their secret meeting storage area:

    ¡°Are the BMI links to the defense network in the Underground ready?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°It¡¯ll take a little longer,¡± Jackson spoke, ¡°After the first strike.¡±

    ¡°Those need to be up ASAP.. I¡¯m gonna ask you to do everything you can on this end without me¡­ I¡¯m going to be leaving as soon as first strike starts.¡±

    ¡°So then, you¡¯ll be leaving for a while?¡± Tech replied still looking at the BMI date as he kept calibrating the equipment that he could. The problem was that they could only use leftover equipment as of now- and if they hinted to Regean what they were doing, he may end up stopping them. Afterwards Tech would have to install the grid in secret without anyone aware of the change.

    ¡°Probably,¡± Vincent replied. He was helping Tech as much as possible in Tech¡¯s lab. There was a lot to do for just Tech and Vincent had to make sure that it would get done asap, ¡°I¡¯m going to leave under the pretense of quitting the underground.¡±

    ¡°Jess¡¯ll be upset¡­¡± Tech gave him a disconcerted look pausing the cleaning of the BMI suit he was working on.

    Vincent scoffed, ¡°You sure? She seems a little more preoccupied with the new guy¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re the one she really wants, you know.¡± Tech replied. He thought that it was pretty apparent, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell her how you feel?¡±

    Vincent looked at him for a moment- like he wanted to believe him- but doubted it.¡­ could she really care for him, or was it a passing fancy limited to time and circumstances? Instead of responding, he got the new gear that tech gave him and worked on adjusting it to him.

    ¡°Even if I wanted to tell her- There¡¯s no way I can right now,¡± he spoke thinking about all the tasks that her father had given him. It wasn¡¯t that he had to fulfill the request that was given him, but if it meant her safety, then it was his own fight as well.

    Tech had a look of disapproval, as if he wanted to dispute it. In his own opinion ¨C Jess would definitely help Vincent rather than hinder- if she¡¯d known about what was really going on. But then he remember that involving her could endanger her as well and thought better of confronting it.

    Vincent looked at the top right corner of his augmented lenses ¨C while Tech had more time himself in the development area of the Underground- Vincent had other responsibilities to keep up with- Including preparations for the mission to be. After finishing the adjustment on the equipment- he got up with a wave to Jackson and left the room.

    ¡ª

    An entry. A stationary man in uniform. A salute.

    Commander Reeg nodded towards the man who¡¯d arrived. Similar to himself, James was a talent with ambition. Reeg appreciated ambition more than loyalty- because it meant they would do their best to fulfill their duty well when asked.

    ¡°Sir, everything is in order,¡± James spoke.

    Perhaps Reeg just attracted the ambitious type. While lacking latitude in sentiment or leniency, people under Reeg were rewarded for their successes with promotions.

    Regardless, the mission ahead was in motion.

    ¡°Details.¡±

    ¡°All stations are ready and prepared. The operatives inside of the power plants have all reported a ¡®go¡¯ sign. Blackout should proceed smoothly.

    ¡°Good. Then let them know¡­Operation Blackout is go.¡±

 chapter 6 -backout

    "Sir, everyone is in place."

    Military commander- Reeg looked on with fierce eyes from the control tower. Here is where they would update all the information during the strike.

    Blackout. The first move of many- Reeg predicted retaliation afterwards, but that was after. After having secured the strength of all five leaders of the territory- he could finally put into motion what they''d been holding as a last resort.

    Peace Sohsa? Ha. You are a fool. As if the ANI would agree to submit to our request for peace. This is the only way to obtain it.

    The territories must unite and show themselves a strong front. If not...they would all succumb to what was ANI. Reeg didn''t care if he lost face to do so.

    The strategy had been Sohsa''s own design... three parts and all the pieces were finally in place. Sohsa only wanted to use it as a last resort- as the elected representative of the territories he held out against it until his death.

    Reeg respected Sohsa''s military mind. He and Sohsa had fended off waves of bandits during the dark age using Sohsa''s strategies and his own tactics.

    The other five territory officials he one only one stopping this was Sohsa himself and now the only thing to do now was enact the command.

    A smile rose along the edge of his face.

    "Operation blackout is go."

    ---

    Michael sat alongside many others including Vincent, Jason, Sally inside of the conference room.

    The operater pointed to the board. Five strategic locations were placed on the map. Each location was a power plant that fed into the surrounding towers.

    "Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon and team- your mission will be to ensure the proper advancement of the Virus in these respective locations.

    The operator pointed onto the map where they were to go.

    Michael was to work alongside Alpha Team- and supposedly the most crucial- it hovered near the New York City... where most of the diplomatic and economic treatise lay. Even though the president lay closer to Virginia- the ANI sectors along the east coast were now an economic factory more than a government.

    The groups were divided into their sections and prepared to head out.

    ---

    Mattias looked over the documents as his private jet approached the territory. He liked to play the bystandard... only guiding the steps of others while he helped them along their own paths.

    There would be quite a few events taking place here however- and he had to make sure that those others were properly prepared. He sipped from his glass of wine. It would be a busy twenty-four hours.

    First he would be meeting with the military commander on the ANI side, followed by the science divison, his sons would relay any information they''d found regarding the moon clan, finally he would get a good view of the start of ''blackout- after which, he coud return to... ahah- so much work.

    It was moments like this that he took advantage of what he had- the luxuries in life.

    "Wont you be a dear and sit with me," he spoke looking at the stewardess.

    ---

    Michael looked forward inside of the van.

    As Jess predicted- he was given guard duty. Michael found it interesting that he''d only just finished training, but they''d already put him on assignment. He wondered if that was because they were short-staffed or he''d been given specialized training over the normal recruit.

    After thinking about it- not many of the Underground personnel knew the location of the hidden base- perhaps that had something to do with it.

    Despite his lack of experience - this assignment officially made him a member of the Underground¨C the rest would only be gained from experience. He would definitely fulfill his duty to the utmost- regardless.

    As the van moved forward -alongside of him was Vincent who looked relatively unphased to the undertaking they were about to perform.

    "Are you confident?" Michael spoke ahead to Vincent. Michael knew of Vincent''s own mission. While they guarded the perimeter and broke past the initial army- Vincent was assigned the task of installing the ''decore''. Infiltrating inside of the base as oppposed to the easier tasks.

    To speak up for Vincent, another recruit smirked.

    "Haven''t you heard already?"

    "Vincent is the most successful espionage agent we have..."

    Michael looked at Vincent again. However- it seemed that Vincent seemed to be lost in thought as he turned his face away.

    ---

    Once he was alone, Reeg called into his private line to his informant.

    Despite the seemingly pleasant nature of the informant their relationship was nothing more a working one. He expected his informant to perform a promised act, while he in turn would fulfill his end.

    For this reason, he cared little for social tact.

    The informant seemed to be quite capable which would have made him wary- except that for now, their goals led in the same direction. His informant wanted one thing that he was aware of. His goal was to fund the independence of the territory under the condition that it would become a nation. After which ¨C when treaties were made, the nation would favor the land agreements and trade agreements that benefited the informant. They¡¯d negotiated the trade rights beforehand- so the only thing left to do now was the completion of the said nation.

    Regean¡¯s personal perspective was that the territory wouldn¡¯t survive without strengthening itself with a government. Perhaps it was this, or his ambition to lead the said nation at its head.

    So for now, Regean was fulfilling his own part ¨C keeping his liaison informed of the current status of the mission.

    Regean, of course, had tried to do his best to get a scope on who his informant might be- But there was little to go on. He had no means to trace all the details back to the source- despite Underground Technology ¨C Regean only had so many resources at his disposal to complete the act.

    Voices were easily changeable also ¨C so instead he surmised his informant from the given information.

    The events leading up to their meet were as follows,

    Regean was one of five commanders amongst the Underground- in charge of military operations in the east ¨C mainly operations involving the secret operations within the city.

    It was no secret that he was dissatisfied after the consecutive years that Sosoa refused to form a nation amongst the Underground. With all his sway on the Underground- he could¡¯ve. It was then that Sosoa had been approached once through a message that suddenly appeared on his desk. The message had read something like,

    ¡°I have a proposition in the forming of a nation amongst the territory ¨C if there is any care at all in such an act, then you will reach me at this address.¡±

    Regean after trying to surmise who could possibly have reached him, made the call of his pure diligence to protect the territory, but after the discussion, he found that his liaison wasn¡¯t motivated by the same patriotism. Not that he expected it.

    The man in contact was an ¡®investor¡¯ it seemed. A very tactful one, who funded conflict in return for financial gains. From what he could gather as of now, he figured the man was from ANI sector 1- someone with means, must have political influence, and a military background¡­ While it seemed like a lot to go on, unfortunately, those with military backgrounds usually had political influence and means already¡­ He¡¯d narrowed it down considerably however.

    After calling, Reagan got down to business. While he knew he had to keep the liaison informed he kept the details minimal.

    ¡°How are you, Bill?¡± the voice spoke.

    ¡°The status is green.¡±

    The other voice didn¡¯t seem the least bit upset by Reeg¡¯s businesslike approach, in fact they welcomed it.

    ¡°Very good,¡± the voice responded with something of a smile.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be in the area to protect my interests in the matter¡­¡± the voice responded, ¡°Let me know if you need anything¡­ and we¡¯ll arrange it.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Reeg spoke. Even though it wasn¡¯t intentional to be nice, the man hadn¡¯t really left another option to the last statement. Even still Reagan ended the conversation.

    ¡°Bill Out.¡±

    ¡°Hansel out.¡±

    ¡ª

    Vincent was waiting inside of the burn location with the others- a small dugout with basic amendities located forty-five minutes or so away from their objective.

    Immediately after gaining the information on Tech contacted Vincent. Vincent had a few others in the vicinity- but picked up the com after seeing who it was. Tech knew this may give them their first lead- even if it meant that Vincent would have to leave the mission.

    [Vincent¡­] Jackson spoke.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Vincent looked around at the others as they seemed somewhat attentive to the conversation. Rather than treat it like something serious he would have to play it off.

    [The informant is most likely going to be nearby.]

    ¡°Do you have anything else?¡± (He meant anything else to go on and hoped that Jackson could pick that up).

    [I was able to trace the com.] (That actually said a lot in itself. Coms used variable frequency communication ¨C and the encoding was variably encrypted.)

    ¡°Oh, very good,¡± Vincent held down his enthusiasm. ¡°What can you tell me?¡±

    [He was nearby your location when he called¡­tower seven i think...] After a few more details about the informant- Vincent kept nodding politely as the others turned their attention away disinterested.

    ¡°Thank you- that¡¯ll be fine.¡± Vincent replied and ended com.

    Vincent had half the story already. Reeg had worked alongside of this man to cause the assassination of Sosoa- if not directly then indirectly by giving him information. While Vincent had found out the identity of the liaison - most of the information that came up on the ANI database information - it didn''t tell much- and most of it was falsified information- if he wanted to disappear he could easily and Vincent wouldn''t have any way of getting the story.

    <hr>

    Vincent looked at the crew. The caravan was soon to arrive which was good, but from there he¡¯d have to find the informant. This would be the best opportunity to get a grasp of what was actually going on. He thought about the importance of the mission compared to the information. He didn''t want to risk the mission.

    Against everything in his being he¡¯d have to ask Michael for his help. Even though he didn''t like the guy, when he really thought about it-Michael he trusted.

    <hr>

    They approached the check point.

    The power plant- being such a crucial factor to ANI nation, of course, would have security guards stationed before entering and a gate to watch it.

    This is where the disguises came in. The vehicle itself would have to be one of the ones the guards were used to. or modified to look as such.

    Which is what they did¡­ It was a modified transport vehicle. From there they required the correct identifications to transport items and if they wanted to check the back for supplies- they had a few crates that would work as transport items- but would have to be requested from the inside, or at least match the description of a transport that was to take place.

    Actually- each plant had Nightwing agents stationed from the past five years. Today was the day they would end up burning their identities and start entirely an entirely new life. Nightwing agents however were patriots in this regard.

    Under the fake identifications and transport of the items matching the description on the list, the crew entered into the plant assigned. This was only the first step of course. The two drivers and four recruits in the back would have to go into their respective routes. change into specific uniforms to pass security checks and get deeper into the plant. Eventually the would have to get to the core itself ¨C the most heavily guarded part of the plant to begin with.Stolen story; please report.

    Thankfully As this was only first strike, ANI defenses would be at their lowest. They would never expect an attack of this magnitude from the start.

    It had been all carefully planned- for months this plan had been in the works, from the development of the d-core to the inside OWLS that would help them bring in the D-core to the reactor.

    Two of the crew got out now- which left Michael and Vincent.Now was Vincent¡¯s chance.

    Everyone was given a synopsis of the plan before the mission began, and had been told to study the layout of the core.

    Michael knew there was a big risk involved and that he was responsible to do his utmost to help the team. It wasn¡¯t going to be hard. perhaps his post would even be un-eventful, but he treated it with care.

    The vehicle approached the outer perimeter.

    they went to the swtich point and entered into the new vehicle.

    the food truck entered into the first grid point, after which they entered the loading bay. slowly the delivery began to unload the boxes one at a time. In one of the boxes was Vincent. He got out and broke off with MIchael.

    they broke up into respective positions. Michael led Vincent through the initial cooridors while Vincent held onto the device. they would break up and Michael would hold a post mid-way into the sphere¡­

    Until Vincent grabbed him at the shoulder with device in hand.

    ¡°you do it.¡± Vincent told MIchael after he had entered into the sphere.

    Michael looked at it for a moment¡­

    ¡°wait¡­ what?¡±

    ¡°you know the layout as well as i do¡­you¡¯re as capable as i am,¡± he spoke as Michael looked at him flabbergasted at the sudden change in the plan.

    ¡°what are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving, something came up. there¡¯s something else i gotta do.¡±

    that didn¡¯t make much sense. more important than this? ¡°i didn¡¯t hear anything on the coms¡­ is this a joke?¡±

    Vincent handed him the Decorer.

    Alright¡­ i guess it isn¡¯t a bad joke. michael looked at Vincent, trying to get a read- but the look from Vincent was almost expressionless, except for the short, ¡°please¡­¡± that came after it.

    ¡°yeah, ok..¡± Michael spoke¡­ ¡°you owe me one big time¡­¡±

    ¡°yeah, ok,¡± Vincent replied.

    What¡¯s so important he¡¯d leave mid-mission on the biggest strike?

    Michael took the de-core, metaphoric baton, and watched Vincent run down the halls into another room.

    Ok¡­ what is it i need to do. Michael laid out the schematics of a plan, point a to point b.

    he looked around, stealth was optimal but he couldn¡¯t avoid everyone.

    the core would be in the upper room of the center chamber. He¡¯d have to access it without raising suspicions.

    He walked past a relatively empty hallway Until he saw a group of people coming toward him.

    A girl and her father it looked, and some of what it appeared to be workers-

    He quietly hugged the inside of a doorway ¨C until they turned into the hall that he was in.

    oh geez¡­ he couldn¡¯t avoid this¡­

    he stepped away from the door. after a quick glance at the sign. 412, breakroom.

    The girl saw him first,

    ¡°hello,¡± he spoke to the group,

    the girl looked up to see him.

    She smiled at him- she was tanned, dirty blonde, a few freckles on a beautiful face.. he couldn¡¯t help but be a little struck.

    the older person gave him a glance, ¡°that¡¯s enough gawking,¡± he said

    ¡°Uh¡­ sorry,¡± he said and turned downward. He looked back to look past them. the group passed by as he moved back to his direction. a worker looked back,

    ¡°did you recognize him?¡± Michael heard quietly as they continued on from one of the workers¡­

    ¡°He was probably an intern,¡± another said.

    the rest of it was pretty uneventful. He was able to avoid being spotted by the others that were passing by- by keeping his eyes open and avoiding any confrontation.

    He walked up the room that would have the extra pair of inner chamber wear, protection and also disguise. He put them on and followed by entering into the inner chamber. supposedly the radiation here was stronger, and while the suit protected him from the increased temperature, he could almost see the waves going up from underneath him.

    He broke apart into a hall and entered into a room where the OWL contact would meet him.

    After a moment of waiting he saw a mask come up to him.

    He gripped tightly onto the d-core.

    It was the liaison- the one that had access to inside of the core central control.

    He handed it over.

    ¡°You¡¯ll need to get out of here quick¡­¡± the man spoke, ¡°Jess should be outside with a card ready to help you escape. ¡°i¡¯m putting this in right away¡­ it won¡¯t be too hard to get out, but the security will step up quickly after the shutdown starts.

    Michael nodded. he stepped back from the inner chamber and took off the mask from his face after leaving.

    It wouldn¡¯t matter if he seemed out of place in a moment as he walked through the halls. The whole shutdown would take the attention from him.

    He quickly exited from the premesis gaining a couple glances from others as he exited.

    He looked at the time on the walls as he entered into the front entrance.

    He nodded at the guards as he entered his info into the exit.

    One of them spoke, ¡°wait, where are you coming from?¡±

    ¡°I think he was from the delivery crew¡­¡±

    ¡°Can i see your i.d.?¡±

    Michael looked at the time, thirty seconds¡­ he wouldn¡¯t have time.

    Michael looked up: he gave a non-chalant shrug and kept walking through.

    ¡°Hey wait¡­¡± he put his hands on michael¡¯s arm, Michael pulled it away, and drop kicked him in the neck.

    ¡°Security alert!¡± he said after a moment after MIchael rushed out.

    Michael sped up to the caravan exit.

    ¡°Hey¡­¡± the person spoke, ¡°Where¡¯s Vincent?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know- but the decore is in. Let¡¯s leave.¡± he said and got on board. Vincent would make his way back he knew.

    The gunned it. The meeting point would be back at base at least six or so hours away.

    They rushed towards the woods and through towards the tunnel that had led to the power plant.

    Michael looked behind him as he noticed the reactor lines slowly dimming down.

    Soon thewhole area would be in complete darkness- the mission complete.

    ¡ª

    Upon arriving at the hangar with the group, Michael could tell there was an electricity in the air. Everyone was excited. He himself was somewhat enthralled about the fact that they¡¯d been able to accomplish the mission.

    They got off their helmets and gear, and looked around the Underground.

    ¡°Hey,¡± he saw Jaydon wave to him, "We¡¯re supposed to rendezvous at the cafeteria at1800 hours.

    Michael split up an ¡®I¡¯ll see you there¡¯ and then went to his room to get ready.

    ¡ª

    ?

    ---

    Michael was first of the group to get to the auditorium. It was set-up for a party, however, it was crowded so he just tried to find a place to sit and stay there.

    The recap of the shutdown was shown on a screen in front of the audience at the Undeground cafeteria as everyone waited for what Reeg had to say.

    He stepped up on a podium and his voice rang across the room as he spoke.

    He played a video recording of the details from the news reports as well as their own contacts recording the occurance of ''blackout.''

    Over the entire east coast- it showed the plants failing and all the towers getting shutdown and going to backups while attempting to repair the damage done. For them they couldn''t strike back until at least a working amount of power functioned inside of the towers- which gave the Underground two days perhaps. The towers themselves wouldn''t ever work again- decore was a program that forced the core energy system to collapse in on itself- once it started it couldn''t be stopped.

    ¡°Tonight was a success,¡± he said."The sector has taken a hard hit. While there¡¯s more to come, i¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing we can¡¯t handle and this is the beginning of a new generation. The five leaders have all agreed to an arrangment. For now- we have all formed a united front as myself as the head.What¡¯s left¡­ ?¡± he paused, ¡°We¡¯re going to work on preparing the border. The Allies don¡¯t know what they have in store for them, but tonight,let''s have a good time!"

    Michael looked at the man who had spoken, Reeg Martinez- acting commander of the eastern front since the assassination of the old one- and now the leader of the territory? He wondered what his motives were. It seemed that Reeg had been preparing for the position of leading for a while.

    ¡°Uniting the territory huh..?" Michael realized some implications within that statement.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Vincent said- making an appearance.

    With arms crossed where he was leaning against the pillar. ¡°it¡¯s always been part of his own plan to make the territory a nation instead. It seems that his plan is finally happening- Reeg¡¯s now going to lead the territory to its freedom and take control of it as a nation. After the conflict ends, we¡¯ll see what changes are in store.¡±

    "Oh," Michael said, "Hey Vincent- you made it."

    "Hey," Vincent spoke and then walked off again.

    Michaelwatched as Vincent walked off- he wondered what Vincent was hiding.

    Michael looked around him at everyone. Everyone that had been a part of the mission or come from other areas to be assigned in the Underground base was here- so the room was much more crowded than before. The cafeteria had been turned more into a dancing room as the floor and the chairs and tables were all moved.

    It seemed as if the Underground had come to life. Peope were gathering together and conversing. It seemed where the normal food stand was- there was a dj and open bar. After some adjustments he noticed the floor changed into more of a dance floor. Ah... a party then?

    He spotted a familiar face, Jess sitting at a table. She''d been pulled off of the assignment.He knew that she was skilled and wondered why they wouldn''t want to make use of her abilities.

    ¡°Hey you!¡± he said over the music. He had to yell to get her attention. She looked towards him and waved.

    ¡°Hi,¡± she wasn¡¯t her enthusiastic self¡­ It seemed she was in thought.

    "How are you feeling?" He spoke a little closer now so that he wouldn''t have to yell- within a couple feet.

    "I''m not sure actually..." she spoke, "how was the mission?"

    "Fine - it went pretty smoothly.."

    She smiled.

    After a moment ,He put out his hand, ¡°Wanna go for a dance?¡±

    She looked at him intrigued, ¡°yeah, actually... why not."

    He took her by the hand and led her to the dance floor. He didn''t really have any skills when it came to dancing- unlike everything else that he''d done. Although he''d learned a few basic steps in ballroom style dancing- this dancing certainly wasn''t that.

    Instead he just shook his hair randomly. She laughed and followed his lead- acting stupid alongside of him. As the next song came up.

    ¡°You do it like this!¡± she said clapping, and holding up her hands to his when the dance called for it.

    After a little while the music got loud and the crowd grew tigher. Halfway into the song- he started to feel a bit uncomfortable.

    ¡°It¡¯s a little loud in here huh?¡± he held out his hand to her and she got up.

    ¡°yeah¡­" she said with a smile, "i agree." It seemed she was back to her old self.

    "Well, where to now?"

    ¡°I¡¯ll follow you,¡± she said.

    Heheld her hand for a moment and put it on his hsoulder. She followed behind him. He started heading towards the lounge area.

    ¡°So where do they have you posted?¡± he asked as the energy calmed down in the halls.

    ¡°Ah- i''ll be working along the northeastern front- keeping an eye on it for the expected counter-offensive... After that... well, it depends."

    Strategically speaking. it seemed that the Underground was preparing for some offensive. He wondered what was in store for the future.

    ¡°Ah¡­ i see,¡± he responded. ¡°i think im headed a little more south of you then."

    He then made an effort to impress her with the candy-apple he''d grabbed off of a cart before leaving. He put it to his mouth while attempting a handspring and made it almost all the way before tripping and the candy apple falling onto him.

    She chuckled as he brushed himself off.

    ¡°Well- i guess it''s pretty common to get split up in the military huh..."

    "yeah," she replied.

    Next time we meet- we have to get something to eat.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± she responded.

    They reached the lounge he ran ahead, and found it to be moderately empty. At least in comparison. A pool table with some more relaxed music and Tags was there. They met a few others. The three of them and a couple others played a game together- hologram charades.

    Eventually when they were all tuckered out, they decided to watch something on the projection screen with a few of the others.

    ¡°I had fun,¡± she said. It seemed she wanted to relax just as much or more than he did. He was glad to see a softer side.It seemed the superspy, multi-lingual, uptight, study was really just a front for an ordinary girl- in a good way of course.

    He smiled and gave her his shoulder for her head to lean on and tilted his head on hers.

    ¡ª

    ¡°You¡¯re all set to go- hold onto this- it works specifically with mine- as both can link up to a variable frequency. ¡± Tech handed Vincent a com.

    ¡°Well I¡¯ll be leaving tomorrow morning then,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°How long do you think you''ll be gone?" Tech asked.

    "Can''t say... Officially i''m leaving however... So it''s indefinite."

    "Well, we''ll miss you."

    "No you won''t," Vincent replied

    "Haha..." Tech replied, "Maybe you''re a bit cold- but you''ve been a part of the underground ever since i''ve known you...come back soon."

    Vincent did have on reason he''d make his way back... but he couldn''t pursue that now. He couldn''t promise her anything now. There was something else he had to do - to respect her father''s last request.. he wanted to make an effort to fulfill it the best that he could.

    ¡ª

    After packing everything- Vincent went into the hall where he¡¯d go to the lounge and try to enjoy the last of his day here before leaving for the mission tomorrow.

    As he got inside he spotted Jess and Michael on the couch together while watching something on the projection screen.

    It was true then. They had been getting along after all. A part of him had complex emotions.

    Michael whispered something into Jess¡¯s ear, after which he slowly moved his lips to hers. Vincent watched for a second as they kissed.

    Despite Vincent thinking it was for the best, he couldn''t make his way a step further... so instead he turned around and left the room.

    ---

    He left to the ¡®balcony¡¯ a holographic projection room of a real life location, and stared over what was the picture of an overlook and a starry sky.

    After fifteen or so minutes- another figure approached him and overlook. It wasn''t a sealed room after all- usually meant for more than one.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Michael said.

    Vincent kept looking forward.

    "Hey," Vincent replied.

    After a moment of silence.

    ¡°You like Jess¡­don''t you."

    Vincent just looked ahead. He really didn''t want to get into a conversation.

    "Why didn''t you say anything when i asked?"

    Vincent sighed. "I''m not good for her."

    Michael didn''t say anything in response. Silence drifted off for a couple minutes. They both stared off into the landscape for a while.

    ¡°it¡¯s a nice scene,¡± Michael said looking out of at the landscape.

    ¡°Yep - it''s a recording it from a while back,¡± Vincent replied.

    "So where are you headed next?¡±

    Vincent replied honestly, "Sector two.¡±

    Michael was shocked.

    ¡°What are you going there for?¡±

    Vincent could only reply a certain way, "To protect someone..."

    Michael just looked at him with a peripheral for a second while facing the landscape still.

    "I''m here if you need me for something," Michael responded.

    "Yeah..." Vincent replied.

    "Okay."

    Silence drifted between them for another minute and then Vincent ended the projection.

    ¡ª

    Vincent opened up his netbook - an grey feeling consumed him- the kind of pain that couldn''t be described except emptiness and void.

    I¡¯m leaving.There¡¯s something that''s pulling me away.

    I don¡¯t want you to be hurt. This is the hardest thing for me to do.

    I care more about you than you¡¯ll ever know.

    ¡ª

    ¡°First things first, post a cash reward for anyone with information on the ¡®Underground¡¯ headquarters,¡± the General said. ¡°let¡¯s say¡­ 100 million.. we want to show the people that terrorism won¡¯t be tolerated and nip this thing in the butt. Put it all over the bulletins as well broadcasting on major news outlets every two hours or so.¡±

    ¡°Secondly, we want to smoke them out, they¡¯re hiding in the hills- so we¡¯ll place our men to reinforce across the border. We have no idea who our enemy is, so if we can get a few captives to give us info, all the better- initiate project -¡®Cell¡¯.¡±

    ¡°For now- we should treat this as an act of terrorism or a small rebel faction, we want the people to know that we¡¯re handling it- the worst thing that we can do is lose the support of the people, and make two enemies out of one.¡±

    Commander Jaymie had been brought to the president¡¯s side as soon as the strike happened.

    Who was he up against? the thought didn¡¯t scare him that much- but it did annoy him to think that anyone would dare challenge the sector. Now was the time to dominate the board.

    He currently had thirty -three thousand troops at his disposal, and while very few had ever experienced anything related to combat, it was mandatory for the population to join the military for a year and he would be able to call upon up to a million within the next year and a half if necessary.

    In terms of numbers it would bea good match against an opposing territory, with perhaps a third of that initial amount. Perhaps it was possible to stall them out protecting the main areas while gathering information on the headquarters.

    For now, he couldn¡¯t afford to charge into the fortified hills, that were sanctioned with defense from the territory. They¡¯d have to find the right approach to broach the hillside. while he didn¡¯t know the enemy forces wherabouts, but he was sure to get some info soon enough.

    While they could attempt to coerce the villages to work with the sector to oust the Underground, it was a sure thing that most didn¡¯t even know the wearabouts of the main base.

    So he¡¯d have to tackle this another way. Because the territory woud fight them if they tried to force their way into the hills. they¡¯d have to find certain routes accessible and martial law the areas that they needed to take control of the area.

    Everything was ready.

    He¡¯d have another guest arriving shortly as well. The one who¡¯d helped him up the ranks was now coming to see how the situation faired. He couldn¡¯t disappoint him. no matter what.

    He walked to his quarters and got changed for the meeting and headed to the office room to meet up with the man.

 Chapter 7

    OPChapter 7

    Someone, someone he knew- touched him on the arm. The soft fingertips holding onto his own his skin made him aware of it.

    Vincent looked beside him on the couch to see Jess sitting beside him.

    They were on a couch of a dark lit room. Light from a screen shone on a projection movie. Where were they now?

    Vincent was looking to her as she sat beside him on the couch of the lounge room¡­ a movie-play blaring in the background with other faces watching it while Jess was buried inside him.

    The fingertips brushed his arm towards his fingers. Her hand squeezed tightly around his. ¡°Don¡¯t let me go¡± it said. He tried to gently push it away, but it got tighter, so he gave in.

    ¡®But there¡¯s something you have to do¡­¡¯ he thought to himself.

    She curled up next to him, and he felt her skin as his arm circled around her arm.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let me go,¡± she whispered on his chest, her head buried into his tight grasp.

    ¡°I won¡¯t¡­¡± he said back, brushing her hair softly.

    A gentle tug on his heart, the memory of something else-¡­ Her squeeze tightened onto his chest and held him in place.

    ¡®At least we have this moment¡­¡¯ and he held her there gently brushing her skin with his fingers.

    It could have been a second and millennia¡­ he wasn¡¯t sure which:

    ¡®But there¡¯s something that you need to do¡­¡¯

    And the dream vanished.

    ¡ª

    Vincent woke up with cold sweat. He triedhis best to wipe it off with the back of his hand then brushed it onto the bed. His thoughts went backwards.

    He didn¡¯t have time for heartbreak. He would make his heart a stone instead.

    He closed his eyes and took a breath before moving his body.

    He lifted himself from the bed- and picked up his bag. A singular memory threatened to grab him from his dreams- something about a dark room and a T.V.

    He closed his eyes again tightly and opened them up to see his real surroundings- a cold and unfeeling empty bedroom.

    He didn¡¯t have the time to worry about what the dream meant... instead he reviewed his itinerary. He noticed his thoughts drifting and consciously focused on the task at hand.

    All there¡­ he thought. He took the bag, pressed a button that zipped it up, and then slung it over his shoulder and clipped it around his waist.

    He looked at his watch. 04 30.

    He left quietly, as curfew was from 11 to 5- he would have to sneak through the halls one last time. He opened his door quietly and closed it behind himself one last time.

    Twelve years was the duration of his time between first getting picked up by the Underground and now.

    ---

    Another memory- one from long ago¡­

    Two years after Jess and himself met- she and her father left the village in central while her father became the acting commander of the Underground in the west. His feet chased after her as she left for the Underground.

    Once again the same void filled his stomach.

    ---

    He walked down the halls towards the hangar. The earliest transcontinental train would leave at six. Including the security check he¡¯d get there at approximately 5:45.

    Vincent looked at his watch and relayed through the schedule in his head.

    Footsteps echoed in the empty hangar as he entered inside. He picked the keys up from the wall to his bike and then loaded it up. He threw his foot around it and started it up. After a quick breath he left.

    ¡ª

    Beep. Beep. Beep. Slam.

    An older man''s arm reached back from slamming the alarm and moved to the edge of his bed, bolstering the man up.

    Late nights and early mornings -Rejas Fillaburn was nothing if not punctual. Within another minute- he''d pulled himself upwards and was already on his way to changing. If therewas a mountain in the way-he¡¯d be the one to say, ¡°Strong will power and a good schedule!¡±

    Another time when he was an unruly youth came to mind. He and Sosa Martinez had a couple bikes anddrifted through the country with wild.

    He brushed the thought away. This was no time for reminiscence.

    He walked towards the bathroom and the bed pulled itself backwards into the wall. Heslipped into some slipperseas he walked through the illuminated path toward the bathroom.

    Reegas never understood why Sosa chose not to accept the amenities that technology provided. The commander¡¯s quarters were made to supply the commander with modern luxury.

    He laughed when he remembered joining up with the resistance against the bandits. Back then he and Sosa had been given a small bunk of a large bunker.

    He looked at an amplifying mirror as it illuminated on his face. Grey hairs grew into the lump of hair on his head. His eyes were older. Aged crinkles stretched from the corners. His eyes were wide and piercing- similar to a hawk.

    As he to shaved and put on his uniform- he felt good. He knew that if he¡¯d taken this position in the Underground- Acting Commander of the Eastern Front ¨C then he must be a proper candidate. It was true too- he was a very studied and capable commander.

    He kept up with the details ¨C trimmed nails, crisp uniform. A professional appearance was important as timeliness.

    He may have been an unruly rebellious youth but he¡¯d proved himself with tactics and bravery. He deserved this position.

    He told himself that it was for the good of the territory that he forced Sosa out of the office. After all- hadn¡¯t he pretty much been acting commander of the east already- holding the front against opposing forces for the past two year.

    Even still he felt somewhat pained by the loss of his friend. Sozo had gotten him a position of leadership in the Underground when things had gone to shit in his life.

    The ex-wife saw to that.

    But maybe if he could prove to himself his worth, he¡¯d know for sure that she¡¯d been the one mistaken. He started by maintaining his place. Over the course of a couple years, his ingenuity and determination drew him to be one of the head council members- but he was always overshadowed by Sosa.

    He began to have his own opinions- he truly believed that if things went his way, that it would solidify the strength of the nation.

    He couldn¡¯t dare call himself a good man. He didn¡¯t try to lie to himself about that. His two failed marriages were a better reflection of who he really was. But this was for the good of the entire nation. One soul was a small price to pay.

    Now that he had become responsible for Sosa¡¯s death - he almost wished that he¡¯d have died young in some glorious battle rather than betray his only true friend. Regardless- he made his decision and now he would follow it through.

    He looked in the mirror once again ¨CThere was one undeniable truth- he¡¯d grown older.

    He organized the room ¨C set the toiletries in their respective locations and walked to the door.

    All of the thoughts were pushed to the back of his mind as he closed the door of his quarters and walked towards the command center in ¡®Central¡¯.

    ¡ª

    The president of ANI Sector Seven sat in the virtual center which linked up to the other leaders in a hologram room. It was private office with only a chair and table- but with technology he could see all the leaders sitting in their respective chairs as it projected the shape of a giant room.

    An emergency meeting called them together.

    ¡°What is the status of your situation?¡± the ¡®sector three¡¯ representative spoke.

    ¡°Code blue,¡± the president responded. Different colors represented different situations. Code blue meant that the problem was internal and would be handled within its own sector.

    ¡°We recognize that your economy has been put onto bare essentials,¡± another member spoke.

    ¡°Yes it has, repairs have been put in the works- the city has been put on the bare essential function. While the citizens have been somewhat restless, they have been explained the situation and are relieved due to our action on the front.

    ¡°Exactly what steps are being taken?¡± the ¡®sector four¡¯ leader said.

    ¡°I have put General Scion in charge of immediate sweeps. The rebels will be handled by any tactics at his disposal. They are nothing more than a group of vagrants and should be smoked out soon.¡±

    He paused, ¡°¡­he has agreed to certain regulations- direct harm to townspeople is in violation of our agreement. While the details must be kept discreet, a full military effort is working. As we speak, the rebels are being taken prisoner now.¡±

    ¡°Do you think the problem will be resolved soon?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do believe so,¡± he only wished his words were as true as he tried to let them believe they were.

    ¡°The council is adjourned,¡± the sector two elected representative spoke. One by one the images disappeared from inside the room. The ¡®sector seven¡¯ president signed off too and found himself sitting alone. The president rubbed his temples to release the small headache that was growing under his head.

    The strife with the territory had come from years of unregistered conflict while he had only just been elected to save them. He had been on the verge of starting negotiations with the prior Underground leader, General Sosa. If successful- it would have brought peace to the territory for a long period of time- perhaps even permanently.

    His own plan had been to foster a peaceful environment between the Allied world and the countries surrounding it. But years of playing the aggressor had left the territories restless. And by the looks of the situation it seemed some other Elites had dug their hands into the dirt and wanted a war.

    Not everyone suffered from war. Some even profited.

    He himself would have to do everything in his power to maintain peace within the territory. For one, he didn¡¯t believe the sector had the means to control the territory through force. Secondly, he understood that the territory was made of people. He¡¯d come from humble beginnings himself.

    He kept his own view from public opinion, attempting to maintain a good appearance with the people. The general perception of the territory was a bunch of lawless barbarians.

    As he exited his office, his aide was outside the door to escort him to his next meeting.

    ¡°Everything¡¯s ready sir,¡± he said as he saluted.

    The president nodded.

    He followed the aide as he was directed to the meeting room with General Simms. Upon entering the general greeted him and then updated him with the movements of his men.

    ¡°The team is in position,¡± he said.

    ¡°I authorize the counter-strike,¡± the president said, ¡°Proceed.¡±

    ¡ª

    Vincent parked nearby the automobile section and walked to the entrance. It was still dark, but there was a small crowd of people gathered inside of the building going their way.

    ¡°Tech, can you hear me?¡± he said on his com on the side when he sure it was a clear coast.

    ¡°Supz¡­vincent, yeah, I¡¯m up,¡± Tech said.

    ¡°placing device,¡± Vincent said.

    Vincent heard tech yawn on the other line.

    Oh geez. Vincent thought.

    ¡°Approaching entrance,¡± he said on the com.

    ¡°all systems are good,¡± Tech said.

    Vincent walked through the entrance bay and placed a small disrupter on the detector on the side as he passed through.

    ¡°Just a minute,¡± the guard said.

    Dammit Tech, Vincent though.

    ¡°All right,¡± the guard said. ¡°You¡¯re clear, Jonathan. It just took a little long to load up your data.¡±

    After he got into a quieter zone he heard Tech on his com.

    ¡°¡¯Well, you¡¯re officially Johnathan Walken,¡± Tech replied- after a moment of Vincent¡¯s silence.

    ¡°Sorry about that man,¡± Tech said. ¡°I¡¯m still a little tired.¡±

    ¡°Forget it,¡± Vincent wasn¡¯t going to dwell on it. He went to the line leading up to the doors of the train, ¡°The signal¡¯s going to cut out.¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Vincent walked through and stepped onto the train.

    ¡°See you, man.¡±

    ¡°Later,¡± Vincent replied and turned off the com.

    He got a look around the cabin. A row stretched on both sides. The wall had a sort of lighting and was made out of some sort of plastic. He looked at his ticket that said 12C. He walked up to his seat and sat down. In front of him was an on board computer and visors which would connect to a multitude of entertainment files.

    Why do they need all this? Vincent thought to himself trying on the visors and soon taking them off. Vincent decided to look out the window and soon his mind began to drift.

    He wished in a way he would have been stopped earlier¡­ at least then, he would have been noticed. As it stood- he felt invisible. He closed his eyes, and waited for the train to start.

    ¡ª

    Michael knocked on his now girlfriend¡¯s door.

    ¡°Who is it?¡± she asked matter-o-fact.

    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Michael returned.

    ¡°Oh- Just a minute!¡± He heard rustling from inside. She got out of the room after picking up her things and opened the door.

    ¡°Hey,¡± she said as she greeted him with a smile. It seemed in the moments he¡¯d been waiting she¡¯d managed to tie her hair up and get dressed in a change of clothes. As always he was still impressed how well she could wear her uniform.

    Soo¡­¡±after a moment of gazing, ¡°you up for a walk to the cafeteria together?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± she said and wrapped her hand around his extended arm.

    They walked towards the cafeteria. It had only been a night since the kiss. Last night after the kiss- he escorted her back to her room and verified that she was girlfriend simply ¨C with a ¡° are you my girlfriend?¡± to which she responded ¨C ¡°I think so.¡±

    Today would be the first day that they would go through the base together as a couple.

    With a deep breath - they entered into the cafeteria together.

    As they entered ¨C they received an immediate response from the people they knew as they walked in together. A smile from Sally, an eyebrow raise from Jadon, and a tilt of the head from Tech.

    Jess looked up at Michael who was simply smiling, ¡°So,¡± Michael kissed her forehead. All the looks faded away.

    ¡°Alright,¡± she replied as they went towards the aisle together. They picked out their food and sat down.

    Jadon had a sort of annoyed look ¨C perhaps he wasn¡¯t a fan of cozy couples. Sally just smiled at them.

    ¡°Hey guys,¡± Tech said nonchalant.

    ¡°Hey Tech,¡± Michael replied.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Jess spoke and looked downwards with a smile- and they started talking like normal.

    ---

    After a little more time- and breaking the flow of the conversation¡­ Sally asked Jadon, ¡°Where¡¯s Vincent anyway?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± Jadon said.

    Both Jadon and Jess looked up at the word. However- Michael kept inside what Vincent has said last night.

    ¡°When I woke up this morning- I noticed that all his stuff was gone. His bed was made. He must have left at night when I was asleep.¡±

    ¡°Gone?¡± Jess replied.

    Jadon nodded.

    ¡°That was sudden,¡± Michael replied.

    ¡°And he didn¡¯t tell anyone about it?¡± Sally spoke.

    ¡°Why did he leave, do you think?¡± Sally pondered to the table.

    ¡°Who knows...¡± Jadon replied.

    Everyone had a shrug kind of look, except Tech and Michael. Tech seemed to be looking down and Michael had a more far-away look.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of Reegas?¡± Jadon proposed- to which no one replied.

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s because of Michael and Je¡­¡± Sally was cut off as Jadon nudged her.

    Michael couldn¡¯t help but notice that Jess seemed to be a little reserved about the topic.

    ¡°Was there something between them before me?¡±

    Jess refuted, ¡°nooo- nothing ever happened.¡±

    Jess seemed adamant about the last statement. Perhaps a bit too adamant which made Michael think that perhaps Jess had wanted something with Vincent at some point. In that case- it was probably kinder to leave it alone- so Michael started eating instead.

    After a silent moment- Michael brought up a new topic.

    ¡°So¡­ did everyone get assignments last night?¡±

    Sally spoke up first ¨C¡°Area 5.¡±

    ¡°Central still,¡± Tech spoke.

    ¡°4,¡± Jadon spoke. 4 was expected to be the area with the most conflict.

    ¡°7,¡± Jess spoke.

    ¡°8,¡± Michael sighed after finding out that Jess and he wouldn¡¯t be in the same area.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t be forever,¡± Jess reassured Michael.

    ¡°Ah yeah- well- let¡¯s go on a date once things work out between us.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Michael seemed a tad unsure of himself as he spoke to Jess, ¡°so I owe you that date we talked about when I get back?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jess gave him a slight smile.

    An alarm went off on Michael¡¯s wristband- indicating that Michael was supposed to meet in the hangar.

    ¡°Well, I gotta go you all¡­¡± Michael said looking at the time and standing up with his tray.

    ¡ª

    Robert Penn-worthy (penny-worth) held up a finger to his secretary as she entered. His look went from annoyance to astonishment as the man she escorted stood on the side.

    He immediately closed the display call and politely offered a seat.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± the man spoke, ¡°you¡¯re busy?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± Robert replied apologetically, ¡°it was just the secretary of affairs about a meeting.¡±

    The man pondered a bit, ¡°the secretary of affairs hmm¡­ it can¡¯t be helped I suppose.¡±

    Robert sighed out relief. The man in front of him was responsible for him being in this position in the first place- along with a network of information- a trusted advisor. If he lost the man¡¯s backing ¨C he¡¯d lose much of his power. He motioned his secretary to have drinks delivered. She quietly left.

    Robert was a politician. Good education- good family.

    He lived with the elites and supported legislation meant ¡®for the people¡¯. In reality ¨C he¡¯d long ago traded his concerns about the welfare of society for legislations that profited him or those within his sphere. He put on a smile and told people what they wanted to hear. Or else slander his opponents. These were his best skills and they were something he¡¯d long since mastered.

    The office he sat in was fairly sized one in the parliamentary building- but he still felt cramped in comparison to the luxury at his mansion.

    He gave his current attention to a well-dressed man sitting across from him. A simple black suit and orange tie. A younger man- perhaps thirty-two or a little older- but experienced in the art of politics. From his handshake to the insincere smile, facial expressions to posturing ¨C he too seemed experienced in the field of politics- which was strange- as the man was not a politician.

    Only really one memorable feature stood out from the man, his eyes. They seemed hawk-like, predatorial and fierce. Had Robert been more attentive to the man¡¯s background he would have given the eyes more credit, but he chalked it up to nature rather than nurture and was easily susceptible to the charms of flattery and pleasant speech.

    The man sat down, crossed a leg and put his hands over his knee- waiting for Robert to follow his lead. As Robert too sat down- the man spoke.

    ¡°You must step up in front of parliament and the council about this whole sector seven debacle, Robert.¡±

    The man waited for Robert to process the concept.

    ¡°It¡¯s important that you do so as soon as possible.¡±

    Robert being cautious in regards to his own political status responded with doubt:

    ¡°It¡¯s not a popular subject at the moment. The other Allied sectors don¡¯t want to be involved in another sector¡¯s conflicts because of all the expenses it requires to fund its support.¡±

    The man in black countered, ¡°By supporting it now, you¡¯ll become the forerunner in the campaign to stop it. When the Allied sector falls, the fear will spread as the rest of them feel the sting of it in their pockets.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that the sector will fall?¡±

    ¡°Trust me.¡± He said with such confidence, that Robert couldn¡¯t help but nod.

    The man paused for a moment and then smile before asking, ¡°How do you like the sound of Prime Minister?¡±

    Prime Minister. Robert thought.

    ¡°I like it a lot,¡± Robert said after contemplation.

    ¡°Good,¡± the man said and got up, ¡°I think you¡¯re the right person for the job.¡±

    ¡ª

    Vincent sat in his seat in the back row of the long transcontinental train. He wasn¡¯t quite sure what to expect from it. He¡¯d heard about it, but never seen it from the inside.

    The train system functioned in similar design to the electromagnetic railway in sector seven except for the fact that it was supported to skirmish underwater. On top of it was a buoyancy plate so that the actual cabin out looked the ocean from in the walls. The sea life whizzed by as Vincent looked out of the window at the underwater sea life.

    He was heading to sector 2, in which he had no idea what would be there. He couldn¡¯t help feeling a sting in his heart- anger, guilt, sadness and maybe a tinge of jealousy.

    Get yourself together. He said to himself.

    ¡°How are you sir?¡±

    ¡°Ok,¡± he said with a failed attempt at a grin. He gave her a look that said ¡®I tried¡­ you can leave me alone now.¡¯

    Instead, she gave him a sympathetic look. Something in her face said that she understood.

    ¡°Ah, not doing so well huh¡­¡± she took a beverage in a cup and placed it in his hand.

    ¡°Well let me give you this ¡®spiced fizzy¡¯. It¡¯ll cheer you up.¡±

    He kept his look down from her and to the beverage she handed him. It didn¡¯t seem too bad.

    ¡°Heh¡­¡± he replied as she stood there for a moment seeing if he liked it¡­

    After trying it¡­ he smiled and she gave him a smile in response.

    Everyone else who she passed by seemed to completely ignore her and even treated her with an annoyed short attitude.

    Even still- she treated them as kindly as she¡¯d treated himself.

    Thinking about the fact that she had to maintain this attitude day in and day out ¨C imagining how routine it could be ¨C he couldn¡¯t imagine enjoying it¡­

    When she came around to the back of the train again- he figured he¡¯d talk to her about it. She did her rounds and ended up close to him in the back putting away some dishes through a sort of automated wash system.

    As her eyes caught his, he figured he¡¯d ask

    ¡°How do you maintain such a good persona?¡±

    ¡°You like it?¡± she smiled.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s unique,¡± he responded trying to think of the right way to respond.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re sweet.. Uh, mainly because it¡¯s my job.¡±

    ¡°And what about when you¡¯re not happy?¡±

    She leaned in close so no one else could hear, ¡°I fake it.¡±

    She gave him a wink and moved on to the next customer with a sly smile.

    ¡°Have a nice day sir,¡± she said as she turned her head.

    He sat back in his own chair. Something about that phrase seemed to be the something he needed. He¡¯d put on his own smile, he¡¯d just keep pushing through it. Despite being hurt, for now he¡¯d ¡®fake¡¯ it.

    It seemed that the train users were for more of the middle classes. Lower class wouldn¡¯t need to travel and higher class would have their own transport. Businessmen and women using the train travelled in between the sectors for trade.

    He looked outside. At this point ¨C the train looked outwards into the ocean. The train went much too fast to notice the details, however as the train started to slow- he was able to catch a better view. Windows looked out into the ocean side. Dolphins, a whale, some sharks. It was a new thing to see oceanic life as he¡¯d never done before. Under the ocean using a clear tube- perhaps this new assignment would give him some perspective just like this had.

    Eventually the train came to a stop at the Icelandic Sector Station. This stop was along the way, built for easier transit and upkeep of the train along its extended route. Some got off and some got on.

    The next stop would be Greenland ¨Cfollowed by sector 2.

    After the first stop- the initial fascination wore off. A couple more hours passed between stops with which he used to gain some rest.

    He put down his head as he sat in the corner- the motion carried him to sleep.

    ¡ª

    He began to feel another shift in the acceleration during the train slowing and the final stop. He looked around to see the masses of people he¡¯d been riding with get up and out of the train.

    He picked up his bag and slowly followed the rush of the crowd.

    As he was leaving he caught a last look of the stewardess.

    ¡°Hey,¡± he said to her, not sure what else to do, stopped in place.

    ¡°Hey,¡± she smiled, ¡°I¡¯m free on Saturday.¡±

    She put a piece of paper in his hands.

    He pocketed the paper into his jacket, ¡°Okay.¡±

    They stood there together for another moment.

    ¡°You¡¯d better head¡­¡± She said.

    He looked around to find he was the last one on board. He gave her a smile and a nod.

    She gave him a wave as he left and he headed out.

    He tucked the paper away in his pocket. Anyway¡­ he thought to himself.

    He took a quick glance as the doors shut on him where she stood smiling.

    He then turned his attention forwards. The platform was filled with a rush of people. He followed behind them and up a wide ramp leading upwards. Above him opened up a giant room. A hatched curve of roofing led upwards in a sort of dome. Surrounding the building were all sorts of moving billboards. Stations of people in a place that looked like some sort of information booth.

    Other booths- cafes ¨C and the like surrounded him. They seemed to be built into the walls ¨C and most of the process seemed like it worked through automation. He was a little hungry but he¡¯d worry about it later.

    ¡°Come in Matthew¡­¡± Vincent could hear in the hustle of the crowd from the com on his ear. His last line to Tech- after confirmation of his arrival- he would assume his new identity completely.

    ¡°Hey Jackson- I¡¯ve arrived,¡± he spoke along the com-line as he dove into a small alcove to get a quieter place to talk.

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear- how is it so far?¡±

    ¡°Obnoxious, loud, and blinding,¡± Vincent replied, ¡°You¡¯d like it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡± Tech responded, ¡°Ahaha- well it¡¯s good to hear that you¡¯ve arrived¡­ we¡¯ll use lo-fi to contact each other only in emergency.¡±

    ¡°Yeah- sounds good. Have a good life,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°You too.¡±

    ¡°Bulletpuncher out.¡±

    ¡°Superstar out,¡± Tech laughed. Vincent long ago thought that codenames were ridiculous in these situations- so he decided to make it his goal to have the most ridiculous ones. Tech already missed Vincent.

    -

    He walked upward through a giant gateway onto the road in front of him. However- unlike roads he was familiar with in the territory- the entire structure was completely different.

    He looked up to see residual traces of daylight leaving. While it would have been only midday where he¡¯d come from in the territory- with the time zone change it was already nearing nightfall. He looked at the time on the giant clock tower for the base of King¡¯s Cross and saw the time in some sort of old format ¨C it read 6:40 on the clock.

    Unlike the Sector 7 however old buildings were incorporated into the base architecture. Built above King¡¯s cross- and additionally the entire city- was a spider web of interconnected buildings- including flashing lights all along moving billboards. It seemed to be chrome-like mixed with various colors. Numerous walkways connected buildings. It seemed sector two focused more on its artistry ¨C as the entire structure gave the feeling of a giant spire. Additionally- there were vehicles which travelled on some sort of invisible wires in straight lines between the towers as well- and a free flying disc system for individuals by some sort of electromagnetic powered propulsion.

    It was astounding to him how high up the buildings went to. Despite hating everything they stood for - ANI technology would always impress him.

    People began to look to him strangely so he stopped gawking and began to move. It wasn¡¯t his outfit ¨C 2 had much more ridiculous fashion sense. He seemed to be passed by dozens of people ¨C each with a unique style and fashion sense- including facial changes and physical augmentations that made them look not even human. Even him dressed in a unique one piece black- he wouldn¡¯t make any waves by his appearance.

    Everything about the city seemed to make a person feel small. No wonder they moved around like cattle- even still he had a mission. and he wouldn¡¯t let his inhibitions affect him.

    Sex on the billboards and streets. Graffiti and strange characters on alleyways. Strange smells from bars- not all of them food. Vincent moved onward. The pinnacle of civilization, Vincent thought- annoyed. Flashing lights and images didn¡¯t impress.

    A blinking dot showed his location on a map he¡¯d taken on his way out of the city. Thankfully the map gridded out the city into sections- adjusting itself according to his location and linearly connecting his current place to his destination.

    I should probably start by looking for a place to make camp¡­ he thought to himself. But first there was something he had to take care of.

    Looking at the map ¨C it seemed the target had become stationary- and judging by the distance was only a quarter mile eastwards of his own location. He began to walk.

    ---

    He overheard different accents and he noticed the same green tone in people¡¯s eyes; the same far-away from the drugs that dulled the mind. Anything that allowed for productivity was legal in this environment.

    Mindless drones, Vincent thought: just like the sector in the Americas. How easy it is for them just to give in- but to do more than acknowledge it would require care. Vincent didn¡¯t care; instead of pity, he just felt extra anger and disdain for the people who chose to live their lives this way. It¡¯s an individual¡¯s fault.

    As he worked his way down the government section on the walkways, he circled the perimeter of the government sector. A section of surrounding smaller buildings all conducive to certain aspects of the government and one larger building in the center which held the common working offices for all the politicians. He scoped out the main building.

    37 levels, multiple guards, single main entrance, perimeter checks. I¡¯m going to need to become someone with access into the offices¡­

    As he tried orchestrated the plan to gain access into the building as a worker he noticed a man walking towards the building. Sharp suit- soft features, level 3 shoulder marking: born in politics, elitist family, and well known- pride, easy mark.

    He quickly walked up to the politician.

    ¡°Hello, sir,¡± Vincent spoke. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you!¡±

    ¡°Uh,¡± the diplomat replied. ¡°What¡¯s your name young gentleman?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just an unimportant laborer; I just wanted to have the honor of shaking your hand,¡± Vincent replied.

    Vincent put forth his hand to shake it; the politician took it and smiled, ¡°each role is important.¡±

    Vincent smiled back. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±

    He stood there for a moment and just watched him with a smile.

    ¨C

    It was approaching night as Vincent stepped up to the housing unit assigned to ¡®Matthew¡¯.

    As he got to the building with his unit, he walked through the doorway and went up to the unit.

    His one room had one bed, a desk, and a small box of it split into a two parts, a kitchen and restroom.

    Firstly- he unpacked the suitcase. He put his stuff on the table and organized it. Then he began to arrange the identity duplication unit.

    The earlier handshake he¡¯d gotten from the politician was for this reason. An integral part of the ANI security system involved identification through data chips imprinted hear the hand. Through a handshake- he was able to duplicate said code.

    Vincent undid the contact lens from his eyes and linked it up to the software reader- as the computer began to scan in a compilation of the images gathered from his interaction with the politician.

    From here it would be child¡¯s play. Vincent simply had to wait.

    He let the computer system run as he started a simple shower for himself- undoing the rest of his outfit and hanging it up. He emptied his pocket ¨C finding the number of the girl he¡¯d met on the train.

    He crumpled it up for a moment in his fist and then released his hand. He changed his mind and uncrumpled the paper- setting it on a counter in the bathroom with a sigh.

    After he finished readying himself ¨Che got changed into simple night garments and sat down.

    For the first time in a long time, he let himself think about Jess, and sat at the computer letting the sound of his fingers flow against the writing pad.

    ¡®

    We were younger then¡­A time when there was more

    Since I saw you with him- I resented you

    I¡¯ve tried to let you go

    Because it¡¯s time to move on

    So I do my best to let you go.

    To place the memory of you behind me.

    but a part of me knows I won¡¯t forget

    Every moment spent with you

    The way your hair falls around you

    It seems that I¡¯m not that strong

    Those eyes

    I wonder if he sees them lthe way i do

    Does he know the beautiful soul inside?

    And they¡¯ll haunt me in my dreams

    And tonight¡¯s going to be a lonely night alone

    Because all that I believed in- won¡¯t let me go

    and when you see me next.

    you''d know...

    For some reason - he felt better- having written it down into the abyss. He closed the lid to the device after finishing. He crawled into his newly gotten bed shutting his eyes.I haven¡¯t forgotten you, h finished the poem in his head. beforehe finally fell into a restful sleep.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8

    ¡°What¡¯s your poison?¡± the bartender looks at a young man.

    The modern bars didn¡¯t have too many regulations. Nothing that inhibited the function of the laborer though- no permanent damage¡­ otherwise, hallucinogenics and highs were on the table. Bartenders were probably some of the higher paid as it was a popular hang-out ¨C and came from the business class degree.

    ¡°Can i just have some Hot Chocolate?¡± the man responded with a straight face. Even still, there were common alcoholic beverages that included chocolate so the bartender was only slightly amused.

    The bartender mused the familiar beverages that included hot-chocolate- there were plenty, but the two he could think of¡­ ¡°You talking about a Five-spice or a THC?.¡±

    "Just a regular hot-chocolate- little bit of cream if you have it..¡±

    ¡°...Okay then,¡± the bartender replied. If the man had wanted hot-chocolate, he should¡¯ve gone to a restaurant/cafe. Even still, the bartender kept this to himself and looked in the back for a standard pack of hot chocolate.

    He placed the drink in front of the man who¡¯d turned his attention to the screen.

    ¡°That¡¯ll be eighteen CAR,¡± the bartender wasn¡¯t going to simply make a non-standard drink for free- he¡¯d still charge for the cheapest alcoholic drink that included hot-chocolate which was 18 CAR.

    ¡°Oh?¡± the man raised an eyebrow, but fished into a pocket for a card which the bartender took.

    Initially the bartender had a scanner for the arm currency- but the man must have been an immigrant without an imprint on his arm.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± the man spoke as the bartender returned the card.

    The impression he made on the bartender was still a good one ¨C polite- which was uncommon for youths nowadays.

    ¡°You¡¯re military right?¡± the bartender spoke while cleaning a glass.

    ¡°Oh?¡± the young man looked impressed.

    ¡°I get all sorts around here,¡± he replied to the impressed appearance the man gave, ¡°yeah you must be from out of town too¡­hmm¡­¡±

    The bartender seemed to be thinking while the young man just observed.

    ¡°Sector seven huh?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re a little too good," the man replied.

    Actually there were a few signs, demeanor, clothing, appearance, but most of all ¨C the accent. If not for that, he could only guess at best, since the others could be coincidence.

    ¡°Oh... accent right?¡± the young man spoke before the bartender needed to reply. He covered his own mouth signifying that he knew that it was the accent that gave himself away, ¡°i guess that¡¯s something i¡¯ll have to work on¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d be popular with the ladies if you kept it,¡± the bartender replied.

    The young man just gave a shrug. From the shrug- the bartender could tell that he was still hung up over someone or gay- and the man didn''t appear to be gay.

    The man turned his attention back to the hologram in the corner.

    The bartender too turned.

    The projection displayed a newscaster and a popular diplomat discussing something together about foreign relations. The bartender wasn¡¯t as keen on politics as sports but kept up with it the same. typically there''d always be one or two who came in and talked about the news and there wasn''t a Blitz game on anway.

    Despite the topic being about some faraway events, it seemed pretty heated. Oh, now that he thought about it, the young man was from the same area-right?

    "is that your sector then?"

    The young man nodded.

    The bartender looked around the scene as the man wasn''t keen on talking.The bar wasn''t busy for the moment. it wasn''t until later that nightlife picked up.

    A few others were at random tables, but he was one of only two people at the bar, the other was a girl who had just sat down.

    He watched as a young woman dressed up in something revealing sat two seats across from the young man.

    ¡°My name¡¯s Rappa¡­¡±

    ¡°Hello Rappa¡­¡± the young turned to her with a polite uninterested smile and looked back to the projection.

    The bartender watched as they talked on a bit. Vincent didn¡¯t really talk himself up too much even though the woman seemed beautiful and interested. Instead he simply let her talk while asking basic questions.

    ¡°What do you do?¡±

    ¡°Teacher¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh? How do you like it?¡±

    ¡°You know how it is- in ten years i¡¯ll actually be able to do my job rather than the eight years of education and apprenticeship.¡±

    (some impressive conversation by Vincent. perhaps mocking the irony of something- ANI

    <hr>

    Suddenly there was a commotion to the side¡­ A police officer had a young kid pinned on the side. The kid looked to be part of the underworld- somewhere between ten and twelve perhaps.

    The bartender wasn¡¯t too surprised by the occurrence- there were plenty of youths in the underworld¡­ mainly because they were kicked out of society. However, it seemed that the man named Vincent wasn¡¯t too familiar with it.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a local street urchin¡­ they sometimes try and steal food or peddle items¡­¡± the young woman said. ¡°If the police find them, they round them up right away. ¡±

    The bartender, like the woman didn¡¯t think much of the occurrence, but it didn¡¯t seem to sit well with Vincent.

    ¡°It seems somewhat abusive..¡± Vincent replied. ¡°wouldn¡¯t it be better to find them a good home?¡±

    ¡°Would it?¡± the woman replied. She seemed not to have thought much about it before.

    ¡°if you¡¯re going to be a teacher¡­ you should care for all types of kids¡­¡± Vincent spoke. After the confrontation which shocked the beautiful woman.

    ¡°Uh, excuse me¡­¡± Vincent spoke in front of the bartender spoke to the lady. He handed the bartender coin for the lady and walked towards the officer.

    ¡°That looks like it would hurt¡­¡± Vincent spoke as he took the officer¡¯s baton from his belt and studied it¡­ it seemed like it would work by electrocution- and a few other items looked they were meant to net their targets.

    ¡°Ah i see¡­¡± he said after having studied it. The officer himself was too surprised by the sudden advance that he didn¡¯t initially do anything.

    ¡°Zap!¡± an electrocution came out of the baton as Vincent held it to the officer.

    The officer backed up a bit- attempting to get his bearings. He shook his head- definitely worse for wear.

    By the time the officer came to- however, the

    Thankfully the setting wasn¡¯t anything heavy- but by the time the officer came to Vincent had already taken out the cuffs and attached an arm to a leg- After which a sort of electrical tape wrapped around the officer¡­ locked by his own cuffs.

    On the t.v. in the background- the bartender watched as Vincent looks at something. He walked up to the bartender and asked about the current conversation.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°¡­Citizens of sector two,¡± the diplomat spoke on a newscast, ¡°Is it our responsibility to stick up for those who are unable to defend themselves. If we do not, chaos will reign. Therefore, I ask you to support the campaign against rebels. Take pride in your nation¡­¡±

    A politician was talking to the newscaster about sector seven and the blackout.

    ¡°Who is that?¡± Vincent spoke pointing to the politician.

    ¡°Robert Pennworthy,¡± the bartender replied. In his own position he wasn¡¯t sure what to do besides answer the question. ¡°He¡¯s been a forerunner for a united military for a while now. Load of crap i say- let two deal with their own problems¡­¡±

    Vincent glanced back to the bartender and flipped another two CAR coin in his direction.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    He then walked out of the bar with the urchin waiting for him.

    <hr>

    Jadon had been captured. This was the worst thing possible for those of the ¡®Underground¡¯ -the base would have to be moved immediately as the most crucial strength to the Underground was its secrecy.

    Thankfully ¨C an good thing about the base was its mobility¡­

    Jadon consoled himself with this thought ¨C still he hated himself for putting that obligation on the Underground.

    (It wasn¡¯t his own fault per se. Had Jadon known that a specially designed unit for capture had been hired by a joint operation between the ANI president, military chief and outside consultant- maybe he would have worried more about himself rather than the Underground.)

    A group of four including himself were tied together and forced walking towards a certain facility in the hillside behind enemy lines. Despite having come here by a group of militants. It seemed to be hidden even from other ANI. After reaching a certain checkpoint- they were dropped off and the normal group of military left- instead followed by another group.

    Jadon wondered what the implication was as he was forced towards the facility at gunpoint. The military that had their group at gunpoint as they walked single file were dressed in one colored military gear with no ranking or signifying marks to distinguish them.

    Jadon looked around trying to gather as much information as possible. They must have been some sort of mercenary group.

    Torture. It was Jadon¡¯s first thought after piecing the details together. He hoped he would keep a strong front for the others as he was the most senior within the unit that was captured.

    <hr>

    As the entered a certain dome building, glass doors opened and closed at certain points in the hallway. Jadon looked for an opportunity to escape, but with feet and hands bound now- he could simply walk in small steps and it would be hard to gain momentum. Although there seemed to be a sort of key located on the guard.

    He pretended to trip and brushed up against the guard- managing to take off the keys that were attached to the belt.

    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± he spoke. The guard looked at him strangely and then picked him up with force and lined the group up again to enter into the final chamber.

    Jadon tried to think about how to best make an escape as the guards began to tie them down into chairs. It would probably be now that was the best time to make a move- Even still he wasn¡¯t sure- but at least if he took the chance he¡¯d be the one to suffer if he failed rather than the team.

    As he was being pushed into a chair- he twisted to the side and then headbutted the guard into the seat. As his hands and feet were tied down ¨C he used his elbow to knock the guard out.

    He managed to move the key from his hand to the electronic lock on the brace of his feet. When he held it up to the lock -however ¨C it simply gave off a red light and a beep and remained locked.

    From behind he felt a prick. He turned around to notice a man in a lab-coat and specific glasses looking at him.

    He got woozy quickly and the scientist moved Jadon into the chair the guard had fallen into. (after have removed the guard)

    The scientist looked him up and down and picked the keys off of him.

    The scientist chuckled, ¡°sorry- this key doesn¡¯t work for anywhere here¡­ that was Steve¡¯s home key.¡±

    He strapped Jadon down to the chair alongside the three others. (end edit)

    ¡ª

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to feel too uneasy,¡± the scientist spoke to Jadon as he started to attach some things to his body and skull. ¡°Even if it ends up a failure -because of you- we will contribute great things to the advancement of science¡­ and don¡¯t worry- human subjects in your condition are very very valuable to us¡­ we¡¯ll make sure we use you all to the most of your potential.¡±

    Jadon felt like the scientist was trying to console him somehow, but it just made things worse.

    Jadon wanted to be strong for the others though. He looked around and saw that they¡¯d already begun working on the others as he began to hear one of them scream.

    ¡ª

    As Michael¡¯s potential was still to be determined- he was given the more menial task of staying inside of the hole and watching over the sensors.

    While the sensors would alert all of the group members of anyone within the vicinity, having someone inside of the pit allowed for the more detailed mapping and visuals of what the sensors were picking up.

    The other three used the opportunity to go into town and relax.

    Michael didn¡¯t have anything against it ¨C except for the fact that he was given the duty of watching over the monitors every day shift, while they would only take over during the night when they had to go to sleep anyway.

    Even still. Michael knew it was an important position and watched over the monitors with care.

    In the position he was in, he wouldn¡¯t know exactly what the enemies movements were so he was unsure about how realistic it would be for the enemy to come this far north- even still, based on the current events over the past two weeks- it was definitely a possibility.

    It was on day three that Michael picked up something on the sensors.

    He zoomed into the area that the sensors picked up activity with three different small cameras that shaped themselves like bugs. with the rounded lens, it could grasp a three dimensional shape and with lasers they could pinpoint the specific details of the objects in question.

    It seemed a group of ANI soldiers were on the move ¨C as an entire camp of perhaps thirty or so alongside of a couple machines were moving into the territory.

    Before gathering details he thought it would be best to relay the emergency to the others.

    ¡°Calling J, Cat, Steve¡­¡± He spoke. From this point he would wait for a response.

    It was probably thirty minutes or so. He assumed they were busy with something- even though he wasn¡¯t sure yet- the only thing he knew for certain was they weren¡¯t at the pit and most likely in the town.

    Meanwhile he gathered the details of the A.N.I. personnel.

    ¡°What¡¯s the report,¡± he heard J. speak on the com.

    Michael responded, ¡°Thirty-two in total- led by a sergeant- they seem to be moving some sort of object. From what i gathered it¡¯s a device that will allow contact through the dispersion fog back to base. Where were you all- i tried contacting you guys¡­¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter,¡± J responded, ¡°Contact HQ.¡±

    Michael didn¡¯t really care about their reasons. He already knew that they¡¯d been spending their days out on a lake or going to the nearby town to browse the stores and hang out. They were pretty bored, just like himself.

    ¡°I contacted them¡­ they ordered us to sit tight and wait for them to arrive.¡±

    ¡°You should¡¯ve waited for me to contact them,¡± J replied.

    Michael figured J would say something like that- so he¡¯d prepared in advance. He wasn¡¯t going to get upset, but he wasn¡¯t going to take the blame either, ¡°I couldn¡¯t get a hold of you and time was a factor.¡±

    J couldn¡¯t really respond to that, so instead he just ended the conversation, ¡°We¡¯ll be there in an hour.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡ª

    ¡°So this is your home huh?¡± Vincent spoke to the urchin.

    ¡°yeah,¡± the urchin responded.

    He looked around at the door to an abandoned warehouse. He could care less about their situation- if they wanted to stay here or didn¡¯t. besides he had other stuff to do.

    ¡°Alright, well- take care of yourself,¡± he said as he attempted to leave.

    The urchin pulled at his sleeve as he knocked at the door.

    ¡°Who is it?¡± the slit opened up. After looking through the slit- the door opened.

    ¡°Wait! who¡¯s this! Jeb did you-!¡±

    The boy retorted- ¡°no it¡¯s okay¡­ he helped me escape.¡±

    The doors opened up and ¨C

    ¡°It¡¯s really okay¡­¡± Vincent said. he really didn¡¯t want to get involved with whoever was behind the door- and he began to try and pry away from the urchin¡¯s grip.

    As soon as he did however- he was attacked by darts coming from the surrounding buildings. He skillfully dodged them and sent back a couple coins of his own to the directions the darts came from.

    ¡°ow!¡± two voices spoke. One of the voices was female as the footsteps came near him.

    The two eyes prying from outside of the slit opened the door completely and called out to the two voices surrounding the outside of the building.

    ¡°it¡¯s okay guys- put down the darts¡­¡±

    The two people came out from the edges of the buildings- hidden well behind boxes and other things.

    ¡°Hey, who is this?¡± one of the girls spoke looking at him. She looked to be fifteen or so and had gotten hit in the head. She was wearing a hodgepodge of different clothes to keep warm it seemed including a scarf and goggles.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± the kid named Jeb spoke.

    Vincent looked down for a moment in exasperation, ¡°Uh, Matthew Dublin.¡± He figured now was a good time to use his fake identification as any.

    ¡°Alright, Matthew, if that¡¯s you¡¯re real name¡­¡± the girl with the goggles spoke. ¡°we¡¯ll let you in then.¡±

    Vincent looked upwards for a moment and then gave up as they pulled him in.

    ¨C

    Regeant wasn¡¯t well spoken. When he called a meeting of five- it was because it was pertinent to the territory. Of course, that¡¯s what the preparations had been for beforehand. There was now no other option for them than to listen to what he had to say.

    ¡°Our first course of action: we must unify the territory.¡±

    The other four leaders were:

    ¡°Gorvin Walker¡± older ¨Crugged leader type southwestern, (tx/az)

    In the southwestern area- protected by Gorvin Walker- 59 years old.

    ¡°Telmun Portsmouth¡± the oldest by far and well respected for his wisdom. Northern territory, but stretched into central territory. Involved in most decisions as the final say. Known for diplomacy, convincing bandits not to attack defenseless villages- rather negotiated taxes and saved many lives. Afterwards when they came to collect ¨C he was able to fight them back and subdue the entire area.

    ¡°Sara Samma,¡± a middle aged woman- who¡¯d defended her section of the territory well ¨C very tacit- and also very good at handling disputes.

    and the youngest,

    ¡°Igor Plotu,¡± Only thirty- he¡¯d been a part of the upper decisions and was elected Sousa¡¯s replacement.

    ¡ª

    They were no fools. In fact, it was likely that one or two of them suspected Reagan of his involvement in Sousa¡¯s death- however ¨C seeing as the territory had a crucial need for Reagan¡¯s strategies- now wasn¡¯t the time for pointing fingers.

    ¡°What is it that you mean?¡± Sara Samma spoke.

    Regean hoped they could see reason with his explanations.

    ¡°Without a united territory- we will always be seen without leadership or government, we won¡¯t be able to unite our ideals or make clauses in the interest of the territory¡­ we will be seen as barbaric¡­¡±

    ¡°Was this your plan all along, Reagan?¡± Telmund spoke aloud- but more to himself than to the group.

    Regean knew they had no evidence of sabotage -¡°it was inevitable¡­ after Sousa¡¯s tragic death, it should be apparent the lack of respect they have for the territory.¡±

    The group was quiet to this.

    Gorvin pounded his fist as he looked Reagan in the face with a cigar, ¡°You put us in this position you bastard!¡±

    ¡°I actually like the idea of a new government,¡± Igor spoke.

    The rest were quiet after the response from Igor.

    ¡°Without all five- we can¡¯t move forward and could very well lose this war,¡± Regean spoke, ¡°unity is the only option¡­¡±

    The shrugs and disgruntled silence informed Reagan that they knew he was right.

    ¡°All in favor?¡±

    ¡°Do what you will¡­ Regean.¡±

 Chapter 9

    Patrick Kale - president of the ANI sector 7 made a call to the recent appointed head commander- Rale Fontaine.

    The first rule of diplomacy is to understand your opponent¡¯s perspective. In this regard ¨C Kale felt well prepared. He spent a great deal of time looking up the conflicts along the border. There had been quite a few- even some that he couldn''t gain details on despite his position.

    From here- it was his goal to consider what was reasonable and not to end the conflict- he was by no means greedy and felt that the long-term effects of a treaty now would carry over into the future - even if it weren''t a popular decision.

    On the agenda- he would negotiate a peace treaty- a ceasefire for a long duration and reparations and even trade agreements if the opponent desired as dragging out an extended battle against an invisible opponent would only hurt in the long run- so in this regard reparations were much less expensive.

    Additionally ¨C President Kale had been born before the dispute had begun between the ANI and the Territory. He grew up along the outskirts and was taught to have respect for all human life. From his perspective those within the territory were neighbors and not barbarians- the modern term ''barbarians'' had only been given them in the past generation and Kale wasn''t akin to the term.

    However the attack was an immediate threat and he was initially responsible to the people - and to represent the territory''s wishes rather than his own.

    Even though it was something he wanted to settle the conflict peacefully- there were quite a few who wanted to fuel the dispute - or so he''d gathered from the investigation.

    Therefore- he wanted to make the immediate negotiations before an all out war commenced. Even if they could win- at what cost?

    Overall- negotiating with barbarians was an unpopular decision- however, he would take the hit to his popularity and   repair fallout later.

    ¨C

    Reagis sat contentedly in his head office as the commander of the new formed United Territory. Not only was he in command of the forces- but had been given authority as the de-facto leader in charge of all the territories that stretched across the North American continent.

    How long had he waited for this turn-about? he would finally be able to lead the territory in the direction it was meant to go- thanks to his liaison from the East.

    Soon enough- a not-so unexpected call came on Reagis¡¯ desk- a special number representing the private line between Head Commander and President.

    ¡°Is this Acting Commander of the Eastern Front- Reagis Fontaine?¡± a voice spoke- and as Reagis pressed the com- the an image of the president took center stage in front of him.

    Reagis made it an immediate point to correct the President, "As of last night- I am acting commander of the ''Five Territories''," He paused to let the statement sink in, "President Kale i assume?"

    The voice along the other line paused- Probably in consideration of how to address the newly appointed head of five territories. Instead of succumbing to the pressure of the misdirect - the president continued with the initial purpose of the call.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to begin negotiations with you- before this absurd conflict becomes war.¡±

    Reagis assumed something like this would occur- and had prepared for it. Of course they would attempt to dissuade the territory from war- but at what cost? He prepared the appropriate response.

    ¡°Ah- You would- would you?¡± Reagis returned- suppressing a smile, "Just like you had with the last commander?"

    He was aware that he had the upper hand, and using the upper hand- he would play it out. Negotiating beforehand would be a waste, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but i believe we have nothing to discuss at the moment¡­ until all our demands are met on our own terms.¡±

    President Kale paused once again... it seemed that Reagis meant to play hardball with his current position.

    Reagis could hear Kale''s hesitancy across the line. While Reagis was shrewd and prepared for a debate - it seemed that the president had come with sincere intentions as he continued with his polite nature despite the candid responses.

    Reagis could understand why Sousa was more inclined to work with this man. But in truth ¨C  even with sincerity - the decision was a mistake. The territory would full under the weight of the ANI forces if they didn''t hold their position now.

    ¡°Would you consider a ceasefire?¡±

    Once again- Reagis was prepared. To disregard ceasefire without reason was a trap- but Regeis figured he¡¯d make use of his best tool for now.

    ¡°You ask that of us after intiating this conflict with the former commander''s assassination and the advantage in our offensive?¡±

    He could feel the regret seem out of the president¡¯s voice.

    Advantage huh? the president responded. He doubted it was true- as the ANI had much more resources at their disposal- but decided not to start an argument over it - it would be bad diplomacy, "We have spent a great deal of time looking into the assination and believe we''ve found a couple leads- If you create a treaty with us and we work together- i believe we can find the truth and expose it and its intent. It was a terrible tragedy...but i believe Sousa''s last wishes will be wasted if we continue down the road to destruction."

    At the mention of the word destruction- the president held a sterner sound, which was a little bit frightening even to Reagis, ¡°do you really want that?¡±

    Reagis held his ground ¨C deciding rather to end the conversation here and now before he lost overplayed his hand, ¡°If that¡¯s what it takes for the territory to be taken seriously as a governing body- then that¡¯s what we¡¯ll do.¡±

    ¡°Please!¡± At the president¡¯s plea, Reagis could only hold onto the com without hanging up- ¡°¡­At least let me propose our offer¡­¡±

    At the president¡¯s plea - Reagis could only wait, ¡°I doubt that you¡¯ll succeed our demands¡­¡±

    ¡°-Thirty year ceasefire! Double reparations for the value of the territory we¡¯ve taken- including damages.¡±

    Reagis was impressed. To think that the president would go so far when thinking he had the upper hand.

    In fact- he was sure that from Kale¡¯s perspective- this would good for both parties. The territory would be able to make up for the damages that they had received of course- able to repair and have wealth for a time to come. Thirty years was quite a long time- and only time could tell what would happen between the two nations.

    The thirty years would be a stepping stone- while the president would work to extend the peace for more than thirty years with his influence- perhaps create permanent peace.

    Even still... Reagis wanted much more - ¡°Haha, you must be joking..."

    and he pressed the button ending the com.

    ¨C

    The president sat there dumbfounded. The implication of the last statement was not lost on him. The other side not only did nothing to foster peace- but it seemed that they truly wanted war. Was it possible... had the assassination order come from Reagis himself?

    While instinct told him to be wary - he put the thought away- the evidence pointed towards an outside source. Even if the Reagis had some sort of involvement in the assassination- the actual culprit was somewhere else... besides... there was nothing linking the idea to actual evidence.

    Reagis steeled his heart at the final word given him by Reagis. Whether or not he sympathized with the territory or even respected the late commander as as person- his primary responsibility was as an ANI president- and if war was inevitable then he would do the utmost to end it with ANI victory.

    He was no pushover when it was necessary to be strong. He would use everything at his disposal which included accepting a former proposition that he''d rejected by the head general. With a history in diplomacy rather than military he knew that he must give proper respect to his general''s expertise rather than well wishes. He could no longer be a diplomat- now was the time to be a commander-in-chief.

    "God save us all..." he thought as he put a call to his head General.

    --

    "-Salis.." Salis heard his name spoken by Kale, "You are now allowed to use any means necessary..."

    Those were the last words given him by the president on the com.

    General Salis was quite surprised at the last directive given him by the president. He¡¯d always thought of Kale as a pacifist and a pushover. However- Kale had just ordered him to end this as quickly as possible, with any means necessary.

    A slight smile crept on Salis'' face. Finally, a real opportunity to show off the military strength of Sector 7''s armed forces had just fallen onto his lap. This could be the start of an even larger conquest. The pieces were in place- if he could lead with tenacity and

    ¡°Finally...¡± he thought to himself. With his hands no longer tied- he could enact all the ideas he''d had across the border - and he would take charge of the armies in the way that they should be used.

    He¡¯d had many ideas in place - but until now, he''d had his hands tied-

    With a brisk pace he called up his lieutenant and major generals as he placed himself at the head of the command post. He looked around the room. It seemed that this would be his new home for the next few months at least.

    "gentlemen," he spoke as he imagined what the great leaders of the past would say, "Our day has finally arrived. Begin operation ''Alpha''."

    ¡ª

    Along the com lines both the ANI and the territories heard an announcement:

    "This is a declaration of war. The territories are united against us. With the attack onto our soil threatening the safety of the common people within our cities- we have no choice but to retaliate," the voice of Kale spoke, "We will put those barbarians in their place and dismantle the terrorist network known as ''The Underground''."

    Reagis stared intently ahead at the battle screen. All at once many places along the network were being encroached upon by the ANI. It seemed that they were indeed prepared for this Blitzkreig strategy.

    He received detailed reports from his personnel about the hurried advance from the ANI military.

    While he knew that he wasn¡¯t a diplomatic man- when it came to military decisions- Reagis was one of the best. This was why he was selected over the other commanders after commander Sousa was retired. Had it been for diplomatic reasons a different commander would surely have been elected.

    It was for this reason that Commander Reagan desired the conflict where it was to begin with.

    This move by Saris was within his calculations. While it was a blitzkrieg advance- a mass movement across the territory- it was nothing he hadn''t prepared in advance long ago. This was where theory became practice.

    He surmised his opponent''s strategy. Using overpowering force -  an attack by the ANI troops would instill fear as they swept across the territory with a show of great force. Most likely they would crush anything that stood in their way- including villagers- forcing them as prisoners.

    The problem with this- is that unlike they history books- the territory a unique tactic to respond- knowledge of the vast tunnels whereby they could hide. In the meantime - Reagis would have plenty of traps in place to hinder his opponent. A mass advance was exactly what he hoped for.

    It was a battle of chess now. Reagan would respond to black''s next move with his own strategy in place.

    ---

    It had only been a short

    "Scout."

    Michael''s new assignment was this title -as one of the scouts in the northern area of the eastern territory- he would be responsible for looking at enemy movements in the northern territory. Michael''s fellow scouts had been a part of this section for a while and seemed intent on slacking off as much as possible.

    "Nothing happens here..." The team leader- J. spoke.

    Even still Michael looked ahead at the monitors that scanned fifty miles or so of territory. It¡¯s a lot of responsibility for one person- mainly because the rest of his team is taking a break inside one of the villages. From his team leader¡¯s perspective- Michael was the grunt and should be the one that did a majority of the work. That¡¯s the way it has always been.

    When he returns to HQ he¡¯ll probably tell command about the structure, not that he wanted to- but this kind of attitude during a war would get people killed.

    In the meantime- while he was here- he tried his best to learn the terrain by zooming into different areas- learning the nearby terrain and possible routes the enemy would take.

    With all the land surrounding his post ¨C there was a lot to learn about it- so he started with the nearest to his post.

    Over time- he learned about possible routes. There was also a map handed to him about the tunnel system accessible to those who knew. Over the past ten years, the Underground dug along the hillside in preparation for this moment, in addition to the tunnels that were previously there.

    Michae looked at another screen- and thought he saw something. He zoomed in ¨C to find a ANI caravan- he looked at the coordinates to the location ¨C it looked like they were headed towards the nearest town. It just happened that that was the same town as where J and the rest of the scouts were already

    ¡°J,¡± he called on the com, ¡°Emergency.¡±

    ¡°What is it, Michael?¡± J spoke with an attitude.

    ¡°A caravan of a three hundred or so troops are closing in on the village location.¡±

    ¡°Are you joking?¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Contact HQ- ask for reinforcements at our location. Keep them informed of the ANI movements. How long do we have?¡±

    At the current speed of the caravan, ¡°Probably twenty or so minutes before they arrive at your location...¡± Michael said as he did quick math in his head.

    Michael looked at the screen and saw that the caravan had an interesting device equipped to a boat- it looked to be some sort of giant antenna.

    ¡°Instantly he picked up a com to contact his commander,¡±

    ¡°HQ this is station D31,¡±

    ¡°Password?¡±

    ¡°Hot Hot Heat- Middle of Nowhere,¡± he responded. Passwords were generally obscure songs from the twenty-first century.

    ¡°What news?¡± the voice responded.

    ¡°ANI, caravan of one thousand approaching D30 at 60 klicks. Requesting assistance.¡±

    ¡°Please wait.¡±

    Michael waited for a bit.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have assistance to your location for in a few hours¡­keep us informed.¡±

    A few hours...  that wasn actually relatively fast considering this was the first assault.

    ¡°Yes. Okay.¡±

    Michael looked at the screen- they were slowly closing into the town directly.

    ¡°J-we¡¯re on our own for the next few hours¡­¡°

    ¡°Alright¡­¡° J responded, "try to keep an eye on their movements and get us the fuck out of here."

    "Yes sir- they..."

    Suddenly he heard an explosion nearby his own fort underground. It seemed that his hole had been found out.

    The shaking in itself seemed to dismantle some of the wires. The screen as well as the com both went black.

    Proceedure told him to scrap the hut. Scout locations were designed as a burn and run. He started to light a fire inside.

    He didn¡¯t have much time to think. He followed up with emergency procedures.

    It shouldn¡¯t be possible for the ANI to find the hole easily- Another explosion shook him again closer still.

    He grabbed a gun- equipment- his radio and rushed outside of the hill.

    He couldn¡¯t see anyone around, but he thought he heard someone yell in the distance. He listened intently trying to grab what was spoken. Immediately he was already being targetted.

    ¡°There!¡±

    Someone must have had a visual in his direction... True to his reasoning, it seemed a warning shot of some sort fired at him next to his feet. That was their first mistake ¨C and they only chance he¡¯d let them get.

    He rushed behind the other side of a hill.as the voices neared him. Thankfully- he had a speeder here still - despite them leaving him the oldest and most broken.

    He jumped onto a speeder- putting it into gear and ¡­

    The motor didn¡¯t turn firstly. He tried it again- but It still didn¡¯t work .

    Shit. He thought to himself as he tried it again and the sound of enemy troops rushed towards him.

    At this rate even if he started it- they may still catch him ¨C or at least have an easy target.  He hid behind the vehicle- looking around his side of the hill to take a good position.

    He rushed towards a tree- just as he did ¨C others came into the direction of the hill. It seems that they approached it with their guard up- perhaps expecting retaliation or some sort of trap.

    Which it was.

    A gun fired at them from the hillside. They took cover- a couple shots hit. The bike itself that they dove behind¡¯s powercell was overloaded. An explosion came from the bike- opening wounds in the nearest three of the five that had approached him directly.

    ¡°There!¡± They pointed in the direction of the firing. With ANI military- their uniforms protected a majority of the attack. He wasn¡¯t likely to kill any of them if they charged at him directly.

    A couple rushed towards the bush the shooting had come from to find a gun connected to a glove and nothing else.

    The gun had been remote controlled to activate through a signal he¡¯d connected with his radio.

    The safest place- Michael figured- was to circle around to the direction they¡¯d come. By now he¡¯d already gotten a quarter mile and was behind them on the hill in good cover. He was inside of some brush so he wouldn¡¯t be found immediately.

    He figured by now they¡¯d found the gun and would be scanning for him. He didn¡¯t have time or knowledge to cover his tracks- so speed was his ally.

    He looked at where they¡¯d arrived from and saw a speeder and a guard. He approached as closely as he could without being noticed and then took careful aim- shooting the guard dead in an instant.

    He didn¡¯t want to certainly- but this was war. That was his only justification that he thought as he rushed towards the spot. Another guard came up to him. The seven he¡¯d counted earlier was accurate then. He bobbed downward ¨C avoiding the predicted shot from the guard- and returned fire with two hits. He doubt it would kill the second guard- but he wasn¡¯t going to waste time checking.

    He rushed up to the speeder and turned it on- taking the first guard¡¯s gun, com, and left.

    Certainly if not the first- the second two shots would have attracted the attention of the soldiers behind him.

    In fact- it looked like they were on his tail directly behind him as he left the area.

    He sped up into top gear ¨Ctaking one of the trails that lead throughout the mountainside. Equipped along his waist he unholstered his gun while trying to ditch the followers and head in the direction of his team...

    Wind rushed by him at a biting rate- branches became guillotines as he dodged throughout the trees..

    ---

    Breaths were lost inside of the rushing storm that formed from the force of the speeder. It looked as if he was losing his tail. He recalled a a side path ¨C a secret tunnel that dove through the hillside that he could enter. And inched his bike to go right. Abruptly turning into the side trail.

    As soon as he did ¨C he realized that he had to find a way to stop them from following and parked his bike. Waiting for the soliders to pass by the trail. He laid in wait from a high hill getting a glance at the soldier with his gun out. He shot as soon as he saw speeders to which they collided into each other . an explosion resounded through the wood a few hundred meters away from him. And he hopped back onto his own speeder the spoils of the conflict.

    He geared himself up and prepared for chasing towards the team. IT was the only thing he knew to do.

    He worked his way towards the group- Perhaps he could be of some assistance from the outside- if they needed help to begin with.

    J wouldn¡¯t have been able to gain any new information from him, since he had to leave the hole- he would also have to warn them not to return.

    By now it was probably already nearing the town being approached by the large battalion- as he rushed toward a hill overlooking the town.

    He approached it and waited. Doing anything now would probably get him in trouble- the best thing he could do was wait for the arrival of reinforcements while looking for details in the defenses.  It was possible that he could gather intelligence while awaiting the arrival of the others.

    However ¨C he needed to make sure the team had escaped.

    It seems like the battalion was already laying the groundwork: setting up a giant antenna as they got to the town. He wondered about the townspeople and went in to get a closer look.

    He circled around the city from a distance until he found a good spot on a hill that he thought would be safe- realizing that it was probably best not to give up his position at the moment.

    Unfortunately ¨C it looked like he would have to help his team to get out somehow- or they were stuk inside of the town. He spotted one of their vehicles.

    Additionally- it looked like security was already starting. The soldiers were going through the village- and had already filtered through 2/3rds of the citizens. Michael didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d screened the teammates- If so- they¡¯d probably at least hidden the weapons.

    The ANI seemed to have some sort of device able to look for tunnels quite well. In this situation ¨C most of the underground entrances and exits would be covered.

    ---

    A figure in an ANI uniform jumped down the ledge from the mountainside.

    The figure approached the base gate.

    ¡°Who goes there?¡± a guard spoke as the figure neared the entrance.

    ¡°Quan.¡± The figure responded, ¡°At least that¡¯s what it says on my vest.¡±

    ¡°Oh from the early reconnaissance unit huh?¡± the guard responded looking at the vest, ¡°I¡¯m sure the captain would love to get an update on everything.¡±

    The guard lowered his weapon as the figure entered inside. The guard looked at Quan¡­ it seemed like the person had it rough.

    ---

    The captain watched as a recruit from the scouting division entered into the tent.

    Alongside the captain was another person - it seemed they were looking in detail over the hillside as well as keeping up with the updates from scouts and anything else they could do.

    ¡°Hmm- what happened to you?¡± the captain spoke.

    -His clothes were ragged and he seemed out of breath- not to mention scars.

    ¡°Ran into some trouble up on the hill, sir,¡±

    ¡°Oh - how many?¡±

    ¡°It was one unit ¨Cbut they knew the terrain well- they destroyed their hideout and escaped. We pursued but I¡¯m the only one to remain.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    ¡°What is your name soldier?¡±

    ¡°¡®Quan¡¯ sir¡­¡±

    ¡®Quan¡¯ ¨C the captain report, to Michael, ¡°Report.¡±

    Michael would have to wing the next line¡¯s unfamiliar with anyone in the camp-

    ¡°Sir¡­ our target¡¯s hideout was destroyed- an escapee injured five. I chased him myself, but lost track of him amongst the brushes¡­ I believe he may be somewhere in the bushes scouting on our location.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± the commander speaks looking at Michael¡¯s mask, ¡°what was the last location?¡±

    ¡°He went from here to here before I lost him¡­¡± Michael pointed on the map¡­¡± Hopefully this would give him enough time to misdirect the unit into chasing a phantom.

    ¡°Hm. Are you injured then?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine sir¡­¡±

    ¡°Good work. You may rest for now in the barracks ¡®Quan¡¯. I would like a full report this evening.¡±

    ¡°Sir¡­¡± Michael saluted the ANI salute as well as he could.

    The commander watched as ''Quan'' left the premises:

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± the commander spoke to his next lieutenant, ¡°That was a damn good salute. It¡¯s a shame he¡¯s not from my division. I guess there is some hope for the rookie¡¯s after all¡­¡± he spoke before looking down at the map once again.

    ¡°Do we chase the recruit?¡± another replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him- there¡¯s nothing he can do against us- just continue loading up the Ray-Dev Cannon and ready for a fight.¡±

    ---

    Michael took his leave from the commander¡¯s tent. He¡¯d taken a gamble that the scouting unit Quan had been a part of had been a separate division from the Captain in coming here- otherwise they may have recognized that he wasn¡¯t ¡®Quan¡¯.

    Also he had to risk coming through some sort of scanner along the way- but fortunately again- they hadn¡¯t installed anything like a hand scanner as of yet- one of the detriments to a blitzkrieg advance.

    Thankfully ¨C his gamble paid off¡­

    He started to look around the base.  It seems that they¡¯d already taken the villagers under supervision with a separate part of the unit and the majority was at this location in an attempt to do¡­ something.

    Rather than reporting to sickbay- of course he wanted to see if there was a way to check up on his own unit and if possible ¨C try and see any weaknesses in the structure of the base.

    He slowly walked around- attempting to get a better look at the base structure- nodding as he passed other soldiers. Thankfully the most important part of this situation¡­

    He looked towards the north wall of the base. It seemed that there was the location of the antenna. He was certainly curious about it. Along the west wall however- It also seemed like twenty or so recruits were calibrating some sort of machine with a large cannon pointing out of the end towards the hillside.

    He decided to walk slower to see if there was a way to get more details on it.

    ---

    ¡°Geez- what is that?¡± Michael as Quan spoke.

    ¡°Oh this? This is our special advantage,¡± a response came from one of the builders- Ray-Dev,¡± He responded, ¡°Once we get it up and calibrated- buh bye resistance.¡± The builder spoke while sweating a bit during the building process. It seemed like it wasn¡¯t something that the machines could put together. Whatever it was looked gigantic however.¡±

    Michael decided that he had to find his team from here after they got captured- at the worst he could find out where they were. It seemed they were actually somewhat nearby to the sick bay- so it was a good opportunity to go in that direction.

    ---

    "Michael?"

    One of the three teammates that had been captured said as he entered inside.

    Michael motioned to be silent.

    "My name''s Quan," he spoke with a wink.

    Michael told them about the reinforcements and just to sit tight until then and they''d get them out- most likely.

    As he was getting a strange look from one of the guards - he decided it was best to start walking from there.

    "Ah sorry," he said as he left the small tentlike structure, "i got this mixed up with the sick bay..."

    "sick bay''s that way..." the guard spoke.

    Michael walked on and around towards the antenna in the north of the camp.

    It was giant- and with it- it would definitely be possible to connect across a few hundred miles.

    As the dusk was starting to set in he looked at the time... It didn¡¯t seem like he¡¯d have much more time here- so he made sure to record as much as he could to his memory as then walked towards the gate again.

    He waved to the guard with a complacent look-

    ¡°They want me back out on the field right away¡­¡± Michael as Quan sighed.

    The guard just watched him and scratched his head as MIchael safely escaped the location.

    (Hostages? are there any?)

    ----

    As Michael finally left the camp - he breathed out heavily. That was probably the more stressful thing he''d done- but with all the things going on today - the adrenaline hadn''t dropped off yet... and it seemed that there would be more to come.

    He worked his way back to the meeting point as quickly as possible.

    Already it seemed that the Underground had an initial camp setup. He watched as the Underground seemed quite active in their preparations -and team alpha was about to move out.

    Immediately upon arriving he was told that they were expecting to meet up with him in command for extra details that Alpha may be able to use.

    His captain seemed to be a little smaller than himself- but with a friendly demeanor- even still -procedure took precidence.

    "Hey there, soldier..." he spoke as Michael saluted, "you must be Michael..."

    "yes sir," Michael responded.

    "So then- what''s the report. Any details we can use?"

    Michael went into a detailed report and the captain took note of everything on a map they were constructing- following this it seemed they were going to use some stealth and attack the weak points and corners of the forming structure before it could get setup.

    "Also- they have some sort of cannon that makes them seem pretty confident..."

    Afterwards Alpha team was informed of the details as they moved out- gaining strategic positions along the edge and building in miniature forts.

    Michael was informed to rest for the next hour- he would join up rest of the unit as they prepared to mobilize for after sunset.

    ---

    Michael awoke the entire mountainside shaking by a great explosion.

    As with the rest of the group - he got out of camp to see what had happened. ten or so miles away - where Alpha team was located- there was now simply barren piece of rock

    The only remnants being flames  and smouldering broken limbs.

    "Alpha?" the captain called on the com. There was no response.

    "Sir..." a late response came- it seemed whoever it was was also injured, "Alpha team is wiped out."

    Whatever "Ray-dev" was seemed it would be difficult to break through with simple numbers.

    --

    "Haha," a voice spoke, the operator looked out from the cannon lens, "a clean shot."

    It seemed like the Underground forces were starting to get situated a few miles away- but that was quickly abated with a firing from the fully functional Ray-Dev cannon.

    Ray-Dev was the first real high impact lazer- not only this - but it had a sensor which could detect body heat, motion, and other things- and target anything that it found as a hostile. It could literally take out an entire hillside men in one shot- by firing a a pulse or pulses of energy through anything that wasn''t at least five feet of dirt. Even hiding behind trees and the like was useless. There were only two weaknesses - recharge time and direction.

    "With this- these rebels won''t have a chance..."

    It was true also- greater numbers and more impactful technology seemed highly in favor of the ANI.

    ---

    Despite Alpha being wiped out- the attack was still on. Priority was on taking out Ray-Dev first if possible. The team was spread out far so that when it fired there wouldn''t be as many casualties. As far as who it attacked - that was a russian roullette.

    Michael and the battallion moved forward as one group.

    it was between the first and second watch of the night as they rushed forward onto the ANI camp.

    The ANI certainly didn''t expect. As they got out- there was only a giant smokescreen in front of them.

    ---

    "Load up Ray-Dev!"  the captain spoke as first priority, "Hold the base here."

    Because of stealth technology- it seemed that the Underground had been able to approach without being noticed.

    Michael as part of the strike team and having seen the camp earlier located "Ray-Dev" immediately. From what it looked- it was already almost ready to be in operation.

    "Provide them cover!" the captain spoke as Michael''s team rushed towards the cannon under the smoke cover. If he could take it out- it would probably save fifty or so of the one hundred fifty in the attack.

    Under the cover of smoke he dashed towards the cannon through one of the holes in the wall. Unfrtunately he could be seen within a few feet of his location - so two ANI soldiers went for their close range knifes on their uniforms to attack- He immediately knocked one knife out and then threw out a disarming grenade.

    The grenade itself would stun the device- but he wanted to make sure there was no chance of being repaired so he took hold of an assault rifle and started shooting it point blank. In the meantime gunshots opened up in his and his team''s direction - so they took cover beside the cannon and tried returning fire. One of them got hit- as right now they didn''t have the complete cover of the fog that had taken over the outside of the battlefield. It looked like they were being closed in upon by a big number until shots began to fire from the outside. The rest of the battallion had caught up.

    With the experience in the battlefield vs. the inexperience of the ANI troops- the ANI soldiers began to retreat.

    ----

    "Fall back!" the captain spoke.

    The remaining hundred or so soldiers that could retreat from the battallion did so- taking whatever vehicle they could.

    Meanwhile- Michael rushed towards the prisoners- attempting to free his team- it seemed like a soldier there was ordered to shoot and had his gun held up to the prisoners.

    He shot towards the soldier and the soldier quickly backed off.

    "hey guys..." Michael spoke after he opened up the lock with a shot and the door opened

    ---

    Reagan looked at the battlefield on the screen- it seemed like his plan was working properly. the edges in the north and the south were slowly being pushed backwards.

    While the ANI had been able to push a hundred and fifty or so miles out and approach the mountainous ranges - it seemed that.

    ---

    Reports began to filter into HQ to Reagan as he watched the battlefront along the line based on the reports.

    "Sir- it seems that they''ve made their move."

    "Very good... you all know the drill..." he responded, "I want those bastards pushed twenty klicks backwards along the line. Give up the center- but use a hit-and-run team- Force them to chase- dont let them set up a camp."

    "Yes sir," came the response from the different commanders along the borders.

    ---

    The UG 22nd Infantry had achieved victory in the north and was pushing back the ANI forces in the north with great gusto- Only 100 or so ANI remained from the initial 300 troops- and despite the first captain''s death- they second captain still refused to order a surrender-

    However- Michael''s battallion had run into a snag. Despite rescuing the POWs - there was now another issue. The villagers were being held hostage.

    "Please... let me negotiate,"Michael said after he entered into the captain''s tent. They were currently overlooking the villager from a surrounding hillside.

    The captain talked with Michael regarding the terms- having learned of Michael''s background meeting with the ANI in disguise- as well as being the chief to a village- he responded, "Do as you will."

    Michael headed down to the ANI alone- with hands raised.

    ---

    "You would actually let him move forward?" Cardinal spoke to Bleu about letting the negotiations take place.

    "well, yes... if he seems so adamant- then of course- at worst we lose a recruit- at best- we get a good shot at the commander while they''re talking..."

    "Ah," Cardinal responded.

 Chapter 9.10

    Michael looks up inside of a makeshift holding cell.

    All there was in his current cell was a small bed and a sink. A toilet would require him to ask the guard.

    He sighs and looks upward. After what had transpired- what was he supposed to do next?

    -

    He finally had some time to reflect and thoughts came to mind; About Jess, about what had transpired, and about what led him here, and about what would happen to him after.

    His verdict would arrive soon- maybe by tomorrow... he tilts his head to the side. until then - he would have to sleep or do something to relax.

    ---

    ¡°Quan, hm?¡­¡±

    The ANI captain¡¯s voice comes to mind as he closes his eyes.

    Michael was approaching the enemy commander with hands up and after having already blown cover.

    Not only did he have to negotiate with someone after exposing himself as a spy ¨C but it had to be in such a high tension situation.

    Michael was in no way the best candidate for this position- seeing as he''d already created bad blood infiltrating their base prior to this negotiation: however- it was his own reasoning that had brought him here.

    He was the one insisting on negotiations in the first place- as a means to protect the townspeople that the ANI troops held hostage.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I had to be the one come here¡­¡± Michael spoke first, ¡°My name¡¯s Michael.¡±

    ¡°What do you intent to do by coming here?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s be honest..." Michae said with both hands up, "You don¡¯t like me after what I''ve done- I¡¯m the only one who truly wants this negotiation to succeed- we have to work with each other to get through this- Otherwise we¡¯ll both end up dead.¡±

    The commander sensed the sincerity in Michael¡¯s voice- which kept michael from being shot immediately.

    ¡°¡­Alright then, Michael¡± the commander spoke, ¡°speak your piece.¡±

    ¡°We aren¡¯t all the barbarians you think us to be- all we truly want is to be at peace.¡±

    The commander almost laughed while raising his eyebrows

    ¡°¡­BUT the past twenty years have grown to this as our lands have been stripped constantly through force and without reserve¡­ what person would step down without a fight as everything that is his is taken away?¡±

    The last statement seemed to take root- as the commander simply remained silent.

    You know as well as I that this land once belonged to one nation before it was divided. Wouldn¡¯t that mean that we were once brothers? Why should we continue to fight against each other in blood over something like land- why not strive for peace?¡±

    The commander seemed skeptical of a sort, but was willing to listen - ¡°So what is it that you propose?¡±

    ¡°Lay down your arms ¨C let the villagers go ¨C in doing so you will show us a sign of good faith that we will return by letting you return to your own home in peace.¡±

    These were in fact the terms that the captain allowed him to negotiate under- despite the disbelief that he could do it- Michael¡¯s words seemed to take root.

    ¡°We only wish to protect our lands ¨C not kill our neighbors who were once kin. In letting us protect these people here- we have no more reason to chase you down- isn¡¯t this enough killing?¡±

    It seemed that the commander was willing to consider Michael¡¯s proposal.

    As Michael watched the Captain mulling the proposal over in his head - a giant hole filled a large portion of where hed been thinking -  followed by a loud ring. A secondary hole followed- ensuring a completion of the first¡¯s purpose

    Michael¡¯s head jerks sideways looking up at the hillside ¨C to which his own captain was looking down sternly onto the battlefield. It seemed that the negotiation was only a false pretense to do just this...

    While this upset Michael greatly- he doesn¡¯t have much time to regret or think ¨Che had to protect himself from the crossfire.

    He took cover behind a rock and was siezed by two ANI troops almost immediately afterwards.

    Steel-like doors shut in on him- as he was closed off to the surroundings.

    He was immediately arrested by the soldiers that had surrounded himself and the newly-made-commander as they shut the steel doors on him completely. It seemed that Michael had simply been a disposable asset to rid the Captain.

    ---

    Michael was guided at gunpoint to the newly appointed Commander. the same second-in-command that he''d seen in the tent before.

    The man seemed very itchy on the trigger. Michael got an eye at him and it seemed that he was a younger man- perhaps even stationed as a soldier at one point- but a far cry from experienced to this station- and his station was probably more during peacetime rather than hardened experience.

    He also seemed as if he had some misplaced anger to vent- his hand was holding a gun waving back and forth.

    "How do I handle this?" the man sincerely asked Michael- he paused for a minute

    Do i make a display of you in front of the whole enemy force, torture you, or simply shoot you here.

    It seemed the man was legitimately waiting for an answer while he pulled his gun.

    ¡°But if youre simply disposable to them- what purpose would making a big show serve?"

    ¡°I dont know,¡± Michael replied.

    The man held the gun out to Michaels forehead.

    "No?"

    The man responded as Michael stood there silently.

    "I''ll put you with the others," and motioned for the guard to usher Michael out.

    Michael was led to a group of a hundred or so villagers- surrounded by soldiers and guns - huddled together.

    Michael was carried alongside the sergeant and motioned for one of his soldiers to bring a youth forward- a villager.

    "This is on you then..." the man spoke and signaled a few soldiers to ready their guns into the crowd- the sergeant himself about to shoot the child - Michael couldn''t help but shout.

    "Wait!" Michael replied as the man brought up a gun to the youth.

    "Hmm?" the sergeant replied upset and hand on the trigger .

    "If you kill them now- you will be signing your own death warrant," Michael spoke.

    The sergeant hesitated-

    "If we''re going to die anyway- then why not take you with us as promised?" the sergeant replied as he raised up the gun and began to pressure the trigger."

    "I can save you," Michael raised up both hands towards him- indicating a desire to work together.

    The captain put down the gun slightly subconsciously.

    "Bull-shi-" the captain raised his hand again.

    "I''m very familiar with the maps of this area. I know the tunnel system for this area and can guide you out of the area with enough time to escape."

    The captain motioned to Michael''s guard who then untied his arms.

    "Show me," the captain spoke.

    Based on the captain''s face - Michael could tell he had little time to explain before the captain would show his impatience.

    However- as Michael had been studying the maps over the past week or so - and felt confident in the layout of the tunnels. Of course for the intent of preparing against the ANI and not aiding them. From what he could gather in his memory there was an entrance to a deep tunnel system along a certain edge of the inner village. He could only hope that the map system was accurate.

    "Okay..." Michael spoke, "but you have to let the villagers stay here."

    "And what leverage do we have if we release them?"

    Michael sighed- it was a good point.

    "Let the women, children, and elderly stay then- they''ll only slow you down anyway."

    The captain thought about it, "okay." he spoke, "troops - follow him- you two stay." the captain spoke to Michael.

    "If you lead us into an ambush," the captain responded, "not only will we kill everyone here- i''ll request these two to kill everyone else.

    Michael breathed heavily- this was the first time he''d have to be responsible for hte lives of others in such a direct manner.

    He headed twoards what he hoped would be a tunnel- which a mound on the ground seemed to cover over. He pushed on the earth that covered over it- and it revealed itself to have an entrance below the dirt.

    It was pitch black as they walked into a cramped tunnel so they turned on different lights to make it through. It seemed like most of the tunnel was made naturally with only carvings out in what would have been more cramped setting. Multiple places required one to duck- and with the load of extra equipment it  was quite difficult to maneauver.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    A fatter person wouldn''t make it through very well. In fact- one of the hostages seemed to prove that as they walked through with difficulty and gained scrapes along the way.

    Michael could feel the tension rise as they walked ahead.

    After trudging onward for thirty or so minutes in the dark - the hit an intersection... At best...

    "Which way?"

    Michael waited a moment and then spoke, "neither... and then kicked a portion of dirt on the edge of the entrances revealing a third entrance, this one had a ladder leading upwards."

    ---

    "That should lead you all out..." Michael spoke.

    The captain responded by climbing upwards and taking a look.

    "Looks clear..." the captain spoke - having climbed back down and speaking to his lieutenants. He turned his attention to Michael.

    "You''ll be coming with us..." The captain responded and looked at the people following behind.

    Michael looked at him and felt that if he followed under these condition- then he''d most likely be killed by the end of it- and not just himself but the others as well.

    "Can you guarantee our safety by the end of this? I feel some ill intent coming from you... I would prefer to end this amicably and peacably- if possible," Michael spoke.

    The captain looked at him.

    "Well- damn kid," He spoke in response, "Looks like you saw right through me huh?"

    The captain looked at him for a moment-

    "the others are free to go," He motioned to the guards holding onto the villagers, "You..."

    He looked at Michael and studied the perimeter for a moment.

    "I don''t really see a way out of this for you however..." he responded and took out his gun.

    "Follow me..." He said and Michael did as he was told- not sure of how else to respond.

    "Consider yourself a martyr," the man spoke to Michael as they walked slowly into a separate path.

    "This is for my men," he spoke. Michael still wasn''t sure of what to say in this situation.

    Michael closed his eyes- prayed and waited.

    A gun fired- he heard a noise- but felt nothing.  He opened his eyes again.

    "Thank you for saving my men," the captain spoke.

    Afterwards- the captain was gone.

    ---

    Michael was responsible for singlehandedly leading the entire troop of ANI soldiers back to freedom.  Even still he didn''t regret it. The less unnecessary bloodshed - the better.

    Michael sighed as he looked up... he wondered the consequences of doing this.

    His thoughts drifted to his Jess. He wondered what she was up to in her home. From what he''d heard she''d been assigned to be on leave to grieve her father''s death.

    It hadn''t even been that long since their kiss- and he wasn''t really sure what to think about their relationship.

    It had been a good amount of time since he''d last seen her. Already his heart started to fill with doubts. Did she feel anything for him at all? Did she know about his situation? If so... did she care?

    What if she actually agreed that he should be inside of the prison.

    He tried his best to shake off the thought.

    ---

    ¡°Did you hear?¡± One recruit spoke to another about the events that had transpired.

    ¡°What happened?¡± came the response.

    ¡°In the north- one recruit had great success in helping to capture an ANI unit and then was put under trial for letting the unit escape¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah I think his name was Michael something- a scout¡­¡±

    Jess had been casually sitting in the western part of the central territory- where she would be safe for the time being.

    That was until she heard Michael¡¯s name- immediately she bolted upwards, ¡°Michael Bossan?¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± came the response.

    Jess¡¯s boyfriend was on trial for treason ¨C what was she doing wasting her time here?

    ¡°Where is he?¡± she responded.

    ¡°Uh- I wouldn¡¯t know, but I think the trial will be pretty soon.¡±

    Jess was currently an hour or so west of the nearest base ¨C but if she could she would give as much sway as she could to the trial itself.

    ---

    Immediately upon arrival to the nearest base she rushed up to the command.

    A guard stopped her at the door-

    ¡°Who goes there?¡± he spoke on alert.

    ¡°Let me talk with Susan,¡± Jess replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­¡± A woman''s voice speaks from the inside of the door to Jess, ¡°Let her in.¡±

    Jess opened up the door to Susan¡¯s office. It was a moderately sized one- with pleasantries ¨C including things like a family pictures and slight d¨¦cor- as opposed to a man¡¯s office it was more welcoming for sure. Even still Susan was one of the head commanders with good reason. She was a badass in the previous campaign- and retained control of her area with a tight grip.

    ¡°Jess- What¡¯s troubling you?¡± Susan replied.

    Jess having grown up with Susan¡¯s son a bit- was at least were on good terms with Susan¨C otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have been able to enter so informally.

    "Is there a trial coming up?"

    "hmm," Susan spoke, "yes in fact- a Michael Bossan."

    Jess replied, "what happened then?"

    "It seems he was responsible for both the capture and escape of the ANI soldiers- i''m looking over the details now."

    Jess replied, "You need to let him speak for himself- whatever he did - i''m sure he had a good reason."

    ¡°Oh?¡± Susan spoke with a raised eyebrow, ¡°Is he an interest of yours?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Jess spoke, ¡°and he wouldn¡¯t betray the Underground- I¡¯m sure of it.¡±

    ¡°Well then¡­ After I look into the details ¨C if I agree- I¡¯ll try to convince the board to be as lenient as possible¡­is there anything else?¡±

    With such a disarming response- Jess suddenly shied away a bit ¨C

    ¡°Uh- thankyou¡­¡± she replied, ¡°And thank you for helping me so much with everything.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Sussan replied and seeing Jess''s hinderance, "-But..."

    ¡°I want to request that I be sent back into the front,¡± Jess replied.

    Jess had in fact given it some thought- Susan had done her best to keep her safe from the conflict- but Jess felt responsible to herself to do more to contribute.

    ¡°According to his last testament, I think your father would have wanted you safe,¡± Susan responded.

    Jess replied, "i''d rather see his purpose fulfilled- and seeing that he¡¯s already gone¡­¡± Jess paused for a moment, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s up to him to decide for me.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡± Susan replied noticing Jess¡¯ conviction, ¡°I¡¯ll make a request for you to be back in Active Status on Sx3 - we could have some use for your abilities- After which we can figure out your next assignment.¡±

    ---

    After a few hours- his thoughts couldn''t help but drift to the verdict- about the persons in charge and how they''d present his case- about the judge - Reagis.

    From what he''d heard about it- Reagis was very strict- and believed in soldiers being soldiers

    How much influence would Reagis have on the council?

    Michael sighed- perhaps he was misjudging - he hadn''t really talked much with Reagis to begin with.. could it be that he was only judging him from other''s points of view?

    His thoughts drifted again... remembering about a line given him by ''that guy'' before leaving.

    He couldn''t say he knew Vincent all that well-  but in the short time he''d gotten to spend time with him- he felt a rivalry and sense of comradary.

    He wondered what Vincent was really doing ''To protect the ones he loves?'' Well he knew it was something interesting however, he had no idea what it would be, but if it took Vincent leaving the territory and starting anew - then it was impossible that it was a simple threat.

    He started throwing the stone up at the ceiling from a laid position on the bed.

    ¡°Well this¡¯ll burn five minutes,¡± he spoke to noone in particular.

    ---

    Vincent waited on a bench on the side of the recruitment center while the trainer was absent. He maintained a distant persona as he looked around the room. A group of people, a vast range of sizes, stood around, some alone, and some in groups.

    ¡°Look who brought in another runt,¡± a six foot and some inches guy spoke to a couple of his buddies after looking at Vincent. They must have come in together.

    ¡°What¡¯s a punk like you doing here? Your mom kick you out of the home and have nowhere to go?¡±

    Vincent took a look at him, he looked like he must work out. a lot. Big, built, and stupid- ¡°What do you mean?¡± Vincent responded challengingly, ¡°I believe your parents thought you needed a bodyguard, so they hired me to keep a watch on you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll pay for that,¡± the big guy spoke and advanced.

    Vincent held up his index finger. the big one waited while Vincent took off his jacket and folded it beside him.

    ¡°Alright, now I¡¯m ready,¡± he said.

    ¡°The big one threw a punch at Vincent, but Vincent ducked and kneed him in the stomach. The two buddies after seeing their leader keeling over tried to grab him but Vincent ducked, tripped him, and the elbowed him in the neck. The last one got a punch in on Vincent, but Vincent shook it off and got hold of his arm in a bar and pinned him with his knee in his back.

    The rest of the recruitees stood around looked at the situation with Vincent and the three on the ground. Vincent looked at their gleeful look at what he¡¯d done. He must have been picking on all of them. It looked like the school bully wasn¡¯t going to have his fun.

    The commander entered and stood in front of the group and saw the three on the ground.

    ¡°You¡¯re in,¡± he said to Vincent, ¡°Take a break. Report at the barracks in fourteen hundred hours.¡± He motioned Vincent to the door.

    ¡°The rest of you¡­¡± he said as he addressed the group, ¡°Line up.¡±

    Vincent got up to leave while the rest of the group got a last glimpse of him before the commander spoke again to them:

    ¡°First thing¡¯s first. My name is Sir, and you will address me as such. Only friends and those who outrank me will call me by another name. Is that understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± the group said.

    ¡°Is that Understood!¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!¡±

    Vincent walked out of the room and to the barracks. That went easily enough

    ¡ª

    Reagis breathed out a sigh after a full day of updates and status reports and adjustments. In fact ¨C it was certainly more than a full day- the night raids that plagued the ANI forces had led up until now ¨C which was in fact almost late evening.

    Even still- it had been a worthwhile use of his time. He could only do his best to take small naps in between reports- as well as commanding the central HQ regarding how to assist troops across the many battlefields.

    He wished he were the one on the field instead. He belonged in the battle. For now all he could do was imagine the battles while he himself directed them from his seat in HQ. Even still- his experience certainly helped him visualize and command properly.

    From here- he would receive status reports and revise battle strategies based on intelligence.

    It seemed that the north had been quite successful- even against the new technology that seemed to help the ANI forces.

    He directed northern forces to assist central in holding the center and keeping them from taking the mountain range now as that was the next pertinent objective.

    Central had had difficulty and had been pushed backwards more than desired. Once ANI troops were

    One recruit had been especially pertinent to said raid- a Michael so-and-so- however he was under supervision- as he¡¯d helped ANI forces in their retreat. Reagan would have to deal with said trial- in fact he thought he remembered the name, but couldn¡¯t picture a face.

    In the southeast - there was limited success ¨Cas the new technology had been a difficult stumbling block ¨C they had been moved back slightly- unable to make a base- but still able to hold ground.

    Reinforcements would be arriving soon from the southern territory- very experienced troops under one of the five commanders. He had good hopes for her leadership there- so wasn¡¯t going to add extra force.

    He sighed as a new case came to his table.

    "Sir," a boy nods before Reagis, "we are having a trial..." his second came to him. A capable young man- while he was only given secretarial duties - Reagis saw a lot of opportunity in the lad.

    "It seems to have some interest from multiple parties."

    "Oh?" Reagis spoke as he looked over the case. Beside the folder was another. A case of  that of two Underground personnel¡¯s capture immediately following a declaration of war by the ANI. Unfortunately they were two persons of importance ¨C Sx3 agents that were part of central¡¯s scouting team. It seemed that a surgical strike team was already in place to capture said agents before the declaration had been announced.

    He wondered how they''d been found firstly- but it didn''t matter at this point as much as the recapture or assassination of the recruits.

    If the ANI found out that the agents were more than just simple recruits- this could be a big issue for the Underground¡­

    He put some thought into the folder in front of him- maybe he could make some use of these separate cases.

    ---

    ¡°The council will see you now,¡± a voice spoke to Michael.

    Michael looked to the side as he noticed a guard and what seemed to be a guard and a man in a suit - his attorney or something like.

    Michael stretched, looked up for a moment and then pulled his feet to the side from off the bed.

    The guard looked at him through the cell and then threw him something.

    "You won''t be a threat will you?" the guard spoke.

    "No..." Michael said looking down at the cuffs.

    "I''d prefer if you did it -" the guard sighed as he looked at Michael sympathetically.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Michael locked his cuffs in place as the guard then entered a number opening up the door and let Michael out.

    Michael responded with

    (How do courts work in the future? If they aren''t motivated by money- but agendas, then what''s the truth? quick - mostly lawyers do the work- input of data-computerization-evidence-  secondly)

    He followed behind the guard as he walked slowly across the halls into the council chambers.

    The guard led him to the door and then Michael stepped into it.

    Michael looked around the room, a small chair stood in the middle of a semi-circular table. Twelve council leaders were in place around the table and Reagan in the center of the semi-circle. He was centered in the middle of the circle with a low chair facing the front and all eyes on him.

    ¡°We are here to discuss Michael and his actions in the northeast,¡± Reagan said.

    Michael wasn¡¯t sure how long the proceedings would take place. How would he have to defend himself?

    "The council has voted you free of all charge," Reegan spoke,"You are free to go.¡±

    The council members looked surprised at Reagis''  but none were more surprised than Michael himself.

    ¡°Is that all?¡± Michael asked.

    "Yes - for your ability in tact and bravery we have a new position for you in Sx3. you will meet at HQ asap-

    "uh, wait..."

    "you have something to say?"

    Micahael thought about it - but in fact he couldn''t think about the implications of what had happened.

    "Why are you being so lenient?" Michael spoke. Even though he didn''t mind the verdict- he at least wanted to understand.

    "Hm, While I myself would have had you executed - another party convinced me against it, bringing to light your abilities." Reagis responded- and as his image began to vanish from the hologram room- his final words spoke-

    "that is all."

    --