by M. Van
Kyran cleared his throat but kept his eyes fixed on the screen as he said, “I shouldn’t have said anything—it’s not my place. You should ask Harp.”
The tension in Kyran’s body was palpable, and it was obvious I wouldn’t get any answers from him. I would have to ask Harp, although I had a feeling I wouldn’t get the answers I needed from him either. Harp hadn’t been the most forthcoming person with information, although he had promised me to tell me everything if my memories didn’t come back.
As if our last words hadn’t been spoken aloud, Kyran tapped his fingers on the glass surface and pulled up a timeline on the screen.
“This is the guy we’re keeping an eye on,” he said after he’d removed the HDA from his mouth and pointed a finger toward the image of scribbled lines and numbers. Then he showed me a picture of an elderly man with short, gray hair and a wrinkled face. Gray eyes complimented the color of his hair. “This is when Harand Sulos became the new CEO of ArtRep Enterprises.”
On different charts, Kyran pointed at lines indicating numbers of how ArtRep’s influence had grown ever since this Harand character had taken charge of running the company.
“Many think he managed to fall into grace with the Tenebrae government by managing to increase the energy output,” Kyran said, “not only to maintain the shields, but also providing storage facilities that could be used as backup—we have no idea how he managed it tough.”
“ArtRep also builds AR’s,” I said, “that would probably contribute to his influence on the government.”
“Yep,” Kyran added, “we have pretty good indications that he has the government in his pocket.”
Men like Harand Sulos would reside in the tallest buildings in the center of the city, protected by the best shields, enjoying all the comforts this planet still had to offer, and no one dared to go against them.
“So, he’s responsible for turning me into an enforcer,” I said. Kyran shrugged as he answered.
“I guess.”
“But why?” I asked as I pinched the bridge of my nose, “I mean… why not use the bioprinters and create an actual AR?” Kyran glanced at the screens in contemplation.
“Maybe this is cheaper,” he said, “who knows.”
I slumped in my seat, crossed my legs at the ankles, and let out a deep sigh. All this information was starting to give me a headache, but that didn’t quench my curiosity. Maybe because I hadn’t been able to think for myself or been able to show any kind of interest in anything, but for some reason, I wanted to know all.
“How did they do it?” I asked. “How do they turn a person into a compliant killing machine, and why can’t it be undone?”
“It’s not that it can’t be undone or else you wouldn’t be sitting here. With the memory thing, it’s just…” Kyran said but trailed off after a glance at my face. “They use this,” he said instead.
An image of my head appeared on the screen above. Within seconds the composition of it changed, and it became a see-through mesh of wires. It looked like an organic electrical system. He zoomed in where different parts of the brain started to light up. Kyran pointed at the part that lit up yellow.
“Do you see that black spot?” he asked as an area at the back of my neck lit up on the screen. I nodded but didn’t reply. “That thing is a highly sophisticated piece of tech planted in your cerebellum from where it sends signals to the different parts of your brain. This, for one, is how they block your memories, but what it also does is override your unconscious and subconscious mind.”
“To what purpose?”
“To keep you subservient and easy to control, of course,” he said. Kyran shot off a monologue that included all different kinds of medical and scientific explanations about how they had done it and how it was difficult to undo it, but about thirty seconds into his rant, I zoned out. That eagerness to quench my curiosity faded.
After a while, Kyran looked at me as if he wanted me to confirm that I understood. I raised an eyebrow and then cleared my throat.
“You stopped the signal it was sending, which made it possible to talk about the past, but that piece of metal stuck in the back of my head is blocking those old memories from reaching the surface,” I said in a recap, “and getting the thing out might become problematic because of…something that could potentially kill me.”
“Something like that,” he said as he pressed a combination of keys. The screen overhead turned black, and Kyran turned to face me. He eyed me thoughtfully as he grabbed the HDA from the table again and stuck it between his teeth.
“How can I be sure that what you are telling me is the truth?” I said. I focused intently on Kyran’s face in the hope of reading him better. It didn’t seem possible to read anything of Harp’s body language, and although Saera appeared more open, I wasn’t getting the information I needed. “You said it yourself—you tweaked my memories.”
A faint smile formed on Kyran’s face as he said, “Why did you decide to go with Saera in the first place?”
His eyes didn’t venture away from mine as I thought of an answer. My reasoning hadn’t made sense to me at the time, and it still didn’t. On an intellectual level, I knew Kyran could have been the reason for planting my trust in Saera, but for some reason, I knew he hadn’t. Ghostly memories like that one with the grimy bear felt too real, and even though Saera hadn’t been in that one, I somehow felt her presence in it. I shook my head at Kyran, unable to come up with a viable answer.
“Gut feeling, hah,” he said with a grin. I nodded my reply as I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my chest.
“I never had the privilege to work with you. I’m the new guy,” he added, “but from what the others have told me, you used to be a pretty tight gang before you…eh…went missing.” He fumbled the last part, and as soon as the words had left his mouth, Kyran’s face flushed red again. Unsure of the importance of his hesitation, I focused on the bit of detail he had revealed.
“The others?” I asked.
Kyran grimaced and then shook his head. “Not my place to tell,” he said, “but I think you’ll find out that your family is even more dysfunctional than you’re already guessing, but they truly are your family.” The HDA interfered with his speech, but I could tell he meant it. “Maybe you should go find them, because we’re pretty much finished here.”
I eyed him a moment longer in the hope he would say something more. That hope quickly faded as he stood and turned to leave the room.
“Yeah, I think I will,” I said under my breath as I gazed across the empty room.
Chapter nine
Maece
I walked up the steps leading to the platform. I stopped at the top, and for a moment, I peered across the circular area. The effort that had gone into creating the domed structure must have been immense, but then that was what the Subterrans did—building underground cities.
They’d started doing it even before the sun had failed. As a people, they had never had the urge to venture into space or had any use for the latest in technology. Sure, they used the technology needed to man the food production facilities, power, and oxygen plants, but as their ancestors before, they had a knack for what they used to call farming in the old days.
This was always frowned upon by the other major cities until those dissolved into husks filled with empty structure after their energy fields had failed.
The remaining cities of Tenebrae had to deal with hundreds of thousands of refugees, and Subterra offered to help. Of course, Tenebrae took the generous offer, but their definition of a refugee was a bit different from what the Subterrans had in mind. For Tenebrae, this was an opportunity to gain access to Subterra’s food production facilities and power stations, and instead of sending refugees, they started sending soldiers.
The war that followed was brutal, and many lost their lives on both sides. All this happened over five decades ago, but the relationship between the two societies never fully mended. So this was probably the reason for this Subterran pre
sence underneath the City of Umbras, and I wondered if the city leadership overhead had any idea of its existence.
I watched the people milling around the central control area with the screens hovering over the desks and took my first steps toward them. Some of them eyed me as I approached, although they attempted to hide it. I tried to ignore them, but some of them made their curiosity obvious by stopping midstride or looking down from their screens.
My boots clunked on the rock surface, echoing inside this hollow space as I strolled past the Hymag hovering idly inside its spiral cage, and I noticed my reflection. In the mirror, an image of a creature built to induce fear stared back at me. The heavy boots, exoskeleton suit, and weapons seemed to be doing their job—even inside a facility filled with what looked like highly trained personnel.
I avoided looking at my face as if it might be the reason for the strange looks I was getting, although I figured it might be the only thing about me that looked normal now.
I spotted Saera and Harp standing at the edge of the platform in what seemed like a heated conversation. However, only Saera gestured wildly with her arms, and her face looked flushed. Harp, on the other hand, seemed to be listening patiently with his hands folded behind his back.
I started in their direction and glanced around the open space. Several heads diverted their gazes instantly, and then I wondered if it even was the way I looked that had them interested or that perhaps the doings of this strange family was what had captured their attention. Gossip was something that would survive as long as humanity would.
As I neared, Saera spotted me, and she fell silent.
Harp nodded and said, “Good of you to join us. I presume your all caught up?”
“On general history and how my brain got screwed up,” I said and recognized the cynicism in my voice. It seemed that stopping that signal from interfering with certain parts of my brain made me able to tap into my personality. If only now I could figure how to get the memories back that had formed that personality without dying. “Yeah, I’m all set up.”
“Good,” Harp said. “Follow me, and I’ll explain our plan.” He turned and started walking toward the men and women sitting behind the desks.
I glanced at Saera as she sighed; I guessed out of frustration. Her cheeks were still flushed from the conversation, but as our eyes met her face colored a dark crimson. Unable to hold my gaze, Saera lowered her head to stare at her boots.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
Her lips formed a thin line as she looked up at me. She shifted uncomfortably before she spoke. “I…ehh…about what I said before…” She hesitated as her eyes darted from left to right. It was clear that she attempted to apologize for her previously spoken words and although they had stung, I didn’t enjoy watching her squirm like this. My absence and presumed death had hurt Saera a lot more, and I could understand that she wanted her sister back. I wasn’t sure if I could ever be that person again, but I wasn’t about to make it harder on her. I reached out a hand and touched her shoulder.
“It’s okay,” I said and offered a friendly smile. “I didn’t take it too personal because, let’s face it, I don’t even know who I am.”
Saera let out a soft chuckle and tilted her head to give me a crooked grin. I released her shoulder, and we stood in silence for a moment.
The low murmur of activity drew my attention, and I glanced at the workstations where Harp stood. Nodding toward him, I asked, “What’s going on?”
Saera placed her hands on her hips and shook her head.
“He thinks, or rather, he hopes,” she said, “that ArtRep has a way to remove the neuro regulator from your head without getting you dead.”
“Presuming you mean the little black spot that Kyran showed me, I’m guessing that is good news.”
“Yeah, well,” she said and hesitated, “don’t get me wrong. I want that thing out of your head, but at this point, it is still a guess as to what it would do to you.”
“But I’m guessing Harp wouldn’t be risking a dangerous mission just because of that.” I asked.
“Probably not,” Saera said with a sigh, “he has gathered a lot of information about ArtRep ever since we found you and Kyran infiltrated TED, but Harp isn’t sharing. Now that he has your HUD at his disposal, he intents to use it.”
I raised an eyebrow, and Saera must have read the confusion on my face.
“Your HUD has a far wider range and can be used to get us into all sorts of nifty places,” she said.
“To do what?” I asked.
“To gain intel.”
“I get that,” I said, “but on what and why?” I sounded annoyed and I think my voice might have been too loud, because Saera tugged at my arm and pulled me closer.
“I’m not sure,” she said at a whisper, “but I’ve overheard Harp talk to this guy named Monroe—he’s this alderman and part of the council.” Saera paused and eyed me for a second as if she were checking if I remembered the man’s name. At the blank stare I shot her, she continued.
“I have a feeling something big is up and it’s going to affect all of us, but I don’t think Harp has enough evidence to convince the government.”
I let the information sink in while close by the Hymag spirals hummed to life. The transport was getting ready to depart. The magnetic charge that was released in the process sent a tingle down my body and raised the hairs on the back of my neck.
“There is enough tension as it is between the people aboveground and us,” she said in a louder voice to drown out the sound of the Hymag powering up. “Ever since the war, they occupy several of our power stations, and in return, we aren’t that forthcoming in sharing our mushroom and fungi output. It’s better not to accuse anyone up top without the proper evidence.”
We took a couple of steps toward the central hub of operations where all the desks and monitors stood. As we moved out of reach of the magnetic field generated by the spirals holding the transportation device, I said, “So, I’m supposed to fetch the proof about something I know nothing about to convince the government of something…”
“Kind of,” Saera said with a grimace.
“Right,” I said as I thought it over, but I didn’t feel particularly irked or bothered by that notion. The worried look on Saera’s face told me she had doubts about my reaction, and I decided to lighten the mood. With a thoughtful expression, I said, “As long as I can remember what I find out, right.”
Saera just stared at me, unblinking. Without a hint of amusement, she grabbed my arm and pulled me in the direction of the others.
“Oh, come on. That had to be a little funny,” I said as she tugged on my arm. “Without memories, it’s hard to figure out my personality, so I’m trying things out.” I gauged her face, but it didn’t move a muscle. “It’s not as if I can count on Harp for a smile.”
This seemed to hit a nerve, because she smiled, and as she peered at me from the corner of her eyes, I could see the joy in them. I giggled, but as soon as I heard the strange sound escape from my mouth, I slapped a hand over it. This triggered Saera, and she broke out into a full laugh.
As if I had achieved some major victory, I felt the tension fall from my shoulders, replaced by relief. In light of the situation, the sensation was difficult to explain even to myself, but somehow, it felt as if I belonged here.
Harp was waiting for us, standing in his usual pose: chin up, shoulders straight, and hands folded behind his back. He didn’t look amused, and our smiles faded in an instant.
“This is Tyrel. Please give her your heads-up display,” he said. A young woman stepped out from behind Harp with a shy smile. Her hair, tied in a ponytail, was dyed in different shades of red and green, but judging from her dark-colored eyes, I assumed her to be a natural brunette.
I started unclasping the goggles from my belt because I didn’t want Harp to think I didn’t trust him, but his question made me curious.
“Why?” I asked.
“Tyrel here will fix it
,” Harp said.
The girl’s eyes widened, and her shyness was shoved to the background. “The device isn’t broken, sir,” she said in a high-pitched voice. “We just intercepted the signal and disrupted the optical collimator to prevent it from reaching the-”
“Ty,” Harp said, interrupting her in a loud voice. Tyrel’s mouth snapped shut, and her shyness returned.
“Will it keep ArtRep from tapping into the signal?”
The girl nodded her head vigorously without uttering another word.
“Then go fix it,” Harp said.
Tyrel’s teeth tugged at her lower lip and creases formed on her young face, but she didn’t retort. Instead, she said, “Yes, sir.”
Harp took the device from me and handed it to Tyrel. Without another word, she turned on her heels and headed for her workstation. Then Harp turned to me and said, “You’re going back to TED.” He said it with such an intent that I almost choked on my saliva.
“Wha…what?” I said and felt my cheeks burn up as a result of the embarrassing stutter. Harp stared at me with that indecipherable gaze that would have left me guessing, while Saera shook her head and smirked.
“You’ll be infiltrating and help us tap into TED’s mainframe,” Harp said as if it was the most logical scenario. It probably would have been if perhaps I had known these people a little better. I bit the inside of my cheek, feeling nervous. A couple of hours ago, I wouldn’t even have questioned the order and would have executed it blindly. Now, it felt daunting.
“Why?” I asked. The word had already fallen from my mouth as I realized its stupidity. Saera had explained why—they wanted to know what ArtRep was up to.
“Even though Kyran has had access to TED’s systems for a while now, he’d only been able to retrieve a limited amount of information,” Harp said. “With the help of your heads-up, he’ll be able to get us inside the central mainframe.”
