They reached a large building, red brick walls and few windows.
“All right then, here we are. A senior Warden will help you get settled in, and then you will spend the next few days with the other initiates. Just follow their lead, but don’t let these slackers drag you down with them.” He laughed.
“You see, most initiates from the last batch have already progressed to full Warden. Those who remain just didn’t make the cut yet. Oh, we will make Wardens of them still. Sometimes, it just takes a little more time,” he said. Sue smiled and was about to open the door when the man, who still hadn’t introduced himself, stopped her.
“And by the way, Atlas. I understand you have a friend here, Warden Wagner, right?” She nodded.
“He’s in the middle of his specialization and made full Warden just a few weeks ago. He is very busy, so please, just leave him be for now.”
Then he turned and walked away, without waiting for a reply. Sue watched him for a moment, wondering what his role could be, and decided he looked like someone she ought to listen to. His natural authority needed no rank, and the way he acted left no doubt that this guy held a very high rank—he just didn’t have a need to flash it around.
She entered the building, wondering what life here would be like. She wished she could start anew, but she remembered Counselor Mark Novak’s warning. She knew she had stepped too far, and it was only a matter of time before they made a move on her.
Inside, she was greeted by a senior Warden who took her to her room, empty for now. She sat down on the bed and sighed. There was no such thing as starting anew. Every human being was a product of their experiences, and hers had already paved a path from which there would be no return.
DAVE
He was scanning through the system, in search of something he knew should be there, somewhere. The file containing the drone footage would be located on level three or four, he was certain of it. But where?
Thankfully, his search shouldn’t raise suspicions. He was Tech after all, and searching for weaknesses in the system was one of his tasks. It was all part of his training. If he found the file, though, that was something else. Given that he managed to break the security on the file itself, what would they do if they discovered he’s seen the contents?
But he needed to know. A man had been killed, and Dave needed to find the murderer. Someone had done this, and that someone should be punished for the crime. It was a convenient way of doing it, shooting someone in the back, while most were occupied with the monsters.
Kirilov was a prime suspect, of course. But it could just as easily have been one of the other seniors. He never learned their names, but he figured if he found the file, it would be marked with a date and time. That should be enough to open up an investigation. Even if all the suspects were Moon blood, he didn’t think such evidence could be disregarded.
He sighed. There was always the possibility that the file had been deleted, in which case recovering it would be even more difficult. But not impossible. There was no way to completely erase every trace of data. There would always be bits and pieces that led to new bits and pieces. In time, he figured most of the file could be restored, even if the perpetrator had deleted it. He was better at this than any of them.
No way anyone should get away with it.
He stretched his back and looked at the clock on the wall behind him. Hasle had left two hours ago, to get some new wiring he needed. He’d probably gone to lunch while he was out. Dave’s stomach growled, telling him he should go as well.
He got up and stretched some more. Sitting in front of the screen, immersing himself in strings of data, sometimes made him lose track of time. He needed a break.
He walked outside. The sun was shining, and he considered going to sit for a while in the sun, a quick nap would feel wonderful right now. But his stomach growled again. He smiled. All right, he thought, lunch then.
There were several places to grab lunch, and while most chose the cafeteria in the center of camp, he preferred to grab something from the shop nearby and take his lunch outside. He walked over, and five minutes later, he stood by the counter to check out his pack of food. The old man behind the counter, probably a Warden veteran who had chosen to stay after Service, smiled at him, and he put his finger on the scanner. An upside down image appeared, and the man glanced quickly at it. Dave smiled at it all, knowing that he shopped here at least three or four times a week. He didn’t think the ID verification was really necessary. Not around here.
“Two and a half credits,” the man said. Dave nodded and tapped the green YES icon right below the image of his fingerprint. The old man nodded, and Dave walked out with his pack. He looked around, wondering if he should try a new spot today. For variation.
Then he saw her.
She looked different, walked differently, and she had this air of experience around her that told him she had been through things. Seen things. Done things.
But it was her all the same.
“Sue!” he shouted. She turned.
“Dave!” she said. She looked around, hesitating, before she walked over.
“I’m not supposed to disturb you…” she said.
“Disturb? Sue, what are you doing here?”
“Long story. You look good, Dave,” she said, smiling. He felt his cheeks flush.
“Sue, I never really got to thank you, back then,” he said. She had saved him, at Initiation Day, when he was about to be sent off to the Corpus. That was a debt he would never be able to pay back.
“Don’t worry about it,” she said. “Maybe you can look out for me this time, since you’re a full Warden and all.”
“What, they made you an initiate?” he said, surprised. She nodded.
“Yeah. I’ll head out with the rangers in a few days, though. Soon as I get some field experience here, they will raise me to full Warden.” Dave cocked his head.
“Yes, that sounds like a good idea. I don’t know what you did in the Janissaries, but I guess you’d be a natural ranger. So a few days, eh?”
“They will come pick me up. I have no idea where the rangers are.”
“Me, either. I have a friend with the rangers, Liz. Maybe you’ll run into her.”
“I might,” Sue said, looking around again.
“I’m sorry Dave, but I should get going. I hope to see you again before I go,” she said. Dave smiled.
“Well, let’s make sure of it. How about you come here for lunch tomorrow?” he said.
“Sorry, I have a class then. What about the day after?” she asked.
“It’s a date,” he replied, before he flushed again.
“Oh, I didn’t mean, like a date…” Sue laughed.
“Of course. Let’s just meet, okay? Day after tomorrow, lunch, right here,” she said. Dave smiled again.
“Okay.”
Sue walked off, and Dave stood for a moment, wondering what could have brought her here. But he was happy to see a friend from back home and looked forward to talking more with her. Day after tomorrow.
He walked toward his regular spot and sat down with his lunch. Soon his mind was elsewhere, coming up with ideas for how to find hidden files in a system set up with traps and some of the most advanced security the Covenant could muster. He had a few options, but it was like searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack. He sighed. It could take months, or even years. But he was not going to give up.
~
It was the day after he had met Sue, and it was getting late. Dave was thinking of her as he moved among the files, cloaking his movements from anyone tracking him, while rummaging around for traces that would lead to the files he was searching for. He had donned the VR headset, which made it easier to see unlikely traces, which deleted and moved files often left behind. Especially when the programmer was an amateur or in a hurry. Dave suspected the killer would be both.
He was following a particularly interesting trail when a purple sphere appeared in his peripheral vision. It look
ed insubstantial, but there was something inside it. He couldn’t tell what it was, though.
The sphere moved closer, and Dave cursed silently. He must have set off some kind of trap, drawing security protocols toward his location. He waited, hoping it would pass him by, that it was just some random algorithm or a disconnected program of sorts. When it kept moving straight toward him, he began to remove the VR headset.
“Please don’t,” a booming voice said. He stopped.
“Wagner, is it?” the sphere said, its voice softer now.
“Who is this?” Dave asked, curious and concerned at the same time. He had the perfect explanation for being here, with his Tech training and all, but he also knew the killer might be around. Or someone who’d react to his searching through files he wasn’t supposed to know of, instead of performing tasks set by Hasle, his superior.
“Wait just a second… There,” the voice said. What was that about? Dave thought. Then he noticed the transparent, almost invisible shimmer surrounding both him and the sphere.
“What the hell did you just do? Who are you? What do you want?” Dave rattled off the questions, angry now. Mostly because he didn’t understand how it was done. He looked at the sphere, and a figure slowly appeared inside it. A man. A face. A familiar face. A face he’d seen so many times, but always on screen, never for real.
“Counselor,” he said, still not moving. Too perplexed to move.
Counselor Mark Novak smiled briefly, but he didn’t waste time.
“So, have you found what you are looking for?” he asked. Dave shook his head, taken aback and unable to come up with a rational explanation. He realized Counselor Novak knew something.
“Perhaps I can help?” Novak continued, then shook his head.
“Horrible thing, what happened. Do you have a suspect?” he asked. Dave’s jaw dropped.
“How do you know?”
The counselor just smiled.
“All right… I believe it must have been Kirilov, or one of the other seniors…” he said, and Novak cut him off.
“Moon people. So, you are accusing Moon people of murder. That’s a serious accusation, Wagner.” The counselor let it hang in the air. This was too much. If Novak knew this much, he must know…
“Sir, how come you know so much? How do you know they were all Moon people? Kirilov, sure, the name gives him up. I never gave you the names of the others, though,” he said, a chill running down his spine.
Novak still smiled.
“Yes, how did I know…” Novak became completely solid, as if he was really there.
“A few days ago, something happened. You see, a common friend of ours has learned something not many people know. And I have really high hopes for this person, so much that I had to look for ways to save her, but gently, so as not to put myself in harm’s way.”
Sue, Dave thought. Who else?
“So I had someone look for a file with you in it, since I knew you were her friend. I knew you would be willing to help her, especially when I found out about how she helped you once. And since I know more about the Wardens, more about the Covenant in fact, than most people alive, I knew where to find you. And I knew what else I would find…”
Dave waited for Novak to finish up and saw his face change from a smile into something else.
Outrage, Dave realized.
“For too many years, unimaginable crimes have been committed. I mean to see the end of it, and once you see what I have to show you, you will help me. And you will help Miss Atlas, lest she ends up like Greer.”
It was like a blow to the head. Someone wanted Sue dead—but why? And could he trust this man? He mustered up the courage to ask one question.
“Who would want to kill Sue?” he asked. The counselor grimaced.
“Who did she insult when she saved you from being sent to the Corpus?” Of course, Dave thought. The First Janissary seemed the type to bear a grudge. Sue must have given him an excuse, and he had seized the opportunity. He dared another question.
“How do you know about Greer? Have you seen the drone footage?” Novak shook his head.
“No, I haven’t seen it. Greer’s name is in the report. I saw that,” he said. Dave felt a pang of irritation.
What does he really know? Dave wondered. Is he playing me?
“Sir, I’m getting confused. What is happening here? Please don’t play games with me,” he said. He didn’t care if he insulted the man. He needed answers. He needed the truth.
Mark Novak nodded, as if he understood Dave’s confusion. He sighed.
“Susan Atlas has become a problem in Legacy. She has discovered things… Things that are considered a serious threat to the security and integrity of the Covenant. So now, they want her dead. And not just Ivanov,” he said. Dave nodding gravely, waiting for him to continue.
“But she has become a symbol, a hero, in the eyes of the public. So they can’t just execute her. They need her to maintain the image of heroism, while at the same time, they need to get rid of her. Before she becomes too dangerous. So I nudged them along, helped them come to the only possible solution, one that would actually benefit them more than if she had just been a good Janissary. A good martyr.” He chuckled, without mirth.
“A transfer. The hero from the northern border goes south to perform heroic deeds on the western border, as well, keeping the Covenant safe, guarding the Rift,” he said.
“So you sent her here?” Dave asked. Novak smiled.
“Yes, in a way. By order of Head Servant Lunde himself, fulfilling the wishes of a young patriotic soldier, and sending her to the next frontline.” The old man shook his head slightly, and closed his eyes.
“Where she is to be killed on her first mission,” Dave said, now clearly seeing the logic. “The heroine dies in combat, while protecting the Covenant against its enemies. It is the perfect way.” Novak produced a small sphere. Inside, letters and numbers danced.
“This is the key code and the location of the video file you’ve been looking for. The one that reveals the truth. When you are finished with it, you will know what to do to save her. And yourself,” Novak said. Dave touched the sphere, instantly copying its contents to his secure folder, hidden behind another file. It would be safe, at least until someone did a thorough search.
“And you’re still saying you haven’t seen it?” Dave said.
“I haven’t. But I know what’s there. I’ve seen dozens like it. Just remember, once you use the key, it might trigger an alert. So don’t do it until you’re absolutely certain you are ready. And be prepared to face the consequences.”
Chapter 17
DAVE
Dave removed the VR headset, and put it gently beside his monitor. He still didn’t entirely trust Counselor Novak, but how could he not do this? How could he not look at the video? Especially since hearing what they were planning for Sue. He quickly locked the system and got up. Then he walked over to the fridge and grabbed a water bottle. He almost emptied the bottle, his thoughts racing, going through every detail of his virtual encounter with the Legacy Counselor. However weird it all seemed, it made sense. He’d never even heard of anyone transferring to the Wardens. If you messed up in any of the Services, it was off to the Corpus or out of the Services altogether.
He checked to see if Hasle was there. Only when Dave was absolutely sure he was all alone, did he unlock the system again. He checked his messages for the tenth time in the last fifteen minutes. He went through a couple of short documents, but his mind was elsewhere, and it was time to end the procrastination.
He opened his private folder and went through the first levels of security. Then he inverted a subfolder, decrypting the access path to another folder, and finally, invisible beside the latter, he tapped his screen lightly.
A key prompt jumped up. He quickly entered the key, and finally, the folder he had received from Novak appeared. He opened it. Two files. One video file and a simple text file. He opened the text file and memorized the twelve-dig
it code. Then he closed the text file, and let his finger hover over the video file icon for a second.
Don’t do it until you’re absolutely certain you are ready, Novak had said. Dave tapped the icon, and another key prompt jumped up. Twelve digits. He began entering numbers, letters, signs.
Be prepared to face the consequences. Yeah, right.
How could he be ready? There was no such thing.
Are you certain you wish to continue? Bold letters in front of his eyes. A blinking question mark. Red no, green yes.
He tapped the green icon.
For a moment, the screen was black. Then the video began. The chirping of a bird was the first thing he heard, before the image adjusted and he could see.
He was looking at himself, from the back. Then he was looking at the others. He recognized some of them. Kirilov, Scott, Greer.
Guns aimed, fingers on the triggers.
The sound suddenly stopped on the video. Dave looked at the volume indicator on the left. He swiped it up to max. Still nothing. Must be a technical error. Perhaps a separate file that hadn’t synced when he opened the video. He moved the cursor back, just a couple of seconds of playing time and pressed play again, hoping this would work.
As the sound returned, the view changed. Something moved on the far side of the clearing.
A man appeared, ragged clothes hanging loose from his shoulders. Zoom in. Shaggy beard, hollow cheeks. Dave could instantly tell this man was starving. He was looking at the man entering the clearing again. Zoom in. The man’s eyes, scanning the area in front of him. Then he signaled something, and the others followed him out of the brush, into the clearing. Men, women, children. A baby in the arms of its mother.
Warily, one step at a time, everyone looking around, even the smallest children. All except for the baby, sleeping soundly.
What were they so afraid of?
He turned the sound down, just enough to hear. He knew what was coming next.
The view zoomed out again as the first shots rang out. The man was the first to fall.
RIFT (The Rift Saga Book 1) Page 14
