Birth of the Alliance

by Alex Albrinck

  “Which means you need to attack the dampering material itself,” Eva finished, and Adam nodded agreement.

  “It would have to be fairly invisible and small, though,” Hope observed. “I have to assume the Hunters and guards search new prisoners for contraband. If it’s large enough for them to see, they'll confiscate it. And they’ll figure out how it works and build their own countermeasures.”

  Adam nodded again. “Exactly. We’ve brainstormed a number of ideas, but those which would be obvious in their implementation have been shelved for now. But… we’re rather close on something we think will prove highly effective.” He glanced at Will. “It’s based upon the tiny microscopes you built years ago while we were trying to unlock the secrets of ambrosia.”

  Will perked up. “How so?”

  “The research had gotten to the point where tiny, invisible machines could be navigated into cells to take pictures. In our minds, that’s a delivery mechanism. With sufficient numbers of those robots, lined with the material in question, we could pilot them to travel to a dampering cell and cover the inside walls.”

  “Or they could cover the person themselves,” Will noted.

  “Also a possibility,” Adam agreed. “With sufficient time, perhaps a decade, we’re hoping to be able to sew tiny vials of these machines into the clothing of our people. They’ll be able to release their own vials of these machines and feel the effects—or, more accurately, the lack of effects—on themselves inside the dampering cells. Anyone freed of the dampering effect of the cells would eventually regain enough Energy to escape. Teleportation is a wonderful thing, isn’t it?”

  Will shook his head. “One problem. Your strategy calls for them to be there for several years and spring others, before our next spy comes along to let them out. If they start using Energy inside their cell when it’s not time for them to escape… the Aliomenti will notice.”

  Adam's face fell.

  “But,” Will continued, “I do think you’ve outlined the correct basic approach. If those tiny machines can be trained to locate the cells of specific captives, our spy could travel with vials of those machines on them. The vials would activate on specific dates. They wouldn’t know who they would free, or when it would happen. The containers themselves could hide in the spy’s cell, waiting, leaving the new captive’s clothing upon arrival. Once those key dates are hit, the transport devices move to the correct cell, unleash the tiny machines, our people secretly regain their Energy, and then are able to teleport out.”

  Adam stroked his chin. “Interesting. We’d have to figure out a way to get those transport vials to find their targets. The lab guys would enjoy that type of challenge.”

  “Problem there,” Hope said. “Where are they going to teleport? Our understanding is that the prison cells are on that island. Most of our people won’t be able to teleport far enough to reach the closest safe houses. There are probably only five or six Alliance members who could make that type of jump.”

  Will frowned, thinking hard. “That's why we need to schedule the times when the machines stop the dampering effects. We need a second person there to help complete the escape, someone who knows where an escape sub is located, someone who can get the escapee on board quickly, before Aliomenti security can engage and try to recapture them.”

  “I suspect that outdoor security on the Headquarters island is not extensive, and may not exist,” Eva said. “The Aliomenti do not believe we would attack there, and they do not fear human interference. Once outside the prison building, there should be little resistance. Sending in a second person with one of our invisible flying craft should be sufficient to extract the escapee and return them safely to the Cavern.”

  Will eyed Eva, wondering how she’d surmised the lack of security on Headquarters island. Had they recorded his memories of his time there already? He couldn’t remember. “Intriguing. Last question then. How do we communicate with the people to be released? They’ll wonder why they’re feeling stronger after decades or centuries of feeling weak. How do we tell them that they need to teleport outside to a specific spot and look for their Alliance colleague?”

  The room was silent for a moment. Then Hope spoke up. “The machines that can display our thoughts and memories on a screen… can those be altered to project images and sounds back into someone’s head?”

  Adam drummed his fingers on the table. “I see where you’re going with that idea. If we can miniaturize those machines until they’re the size of the rest of those tiny machines… I would think we could code an image and instructions to send to the captive, telling them where to go and what to expect.” He stopped drumming. “I’ll need to talk to the people in the labs and see what we can do.”

  “Let me talk to them,” Will replied. “You’ve been handling more than your share of the research and planning for the future Hunter and Assassin attack.”

  Adam glanced at him, and then nodded. “Fair enough.”

  “One other point to consider, based upon various comments we’ve heard here,” Hope said. “We’ve talked about intentionally sending people in and randomizing who is freed and when. Adam noted earlier that we have to assume that the Aliomenti aren’t stupid; eventually, they’re going to figure out that the escapes are not an accident. Would they be able to plant something on the escapees to try to trace them back here?”

  “That is an excellent point,” Eva replied. “We will need to consider the possibility of having surgical extraction teams in place to receive the escapees, then, rather than just one person. We have become quite skilled at removing the chips the Aliomenti implant in their people. I do believe we would be able to detect and extract such devices in transit off Headquarters Island.”

  “We can’t assume that they’ll use the same technology on prisoners that they use to track their own people,” Hope noted. “Even if they did, they will still eventually try to adapt, and may do so in ways we can’t—or won’t—consider.”

  “Such as…” Adam asked.

  “What if they realize we’re planting people for them to capture? What if they stop trying to capture those people and elect to try to execute them instead?”

  A collective shudder went through the room. “That’s… difficult to contemplate,” Will said, shuddering once more. “It becomes an escalating battle of moves and countermoves over time. If we provide our targets with armor, the Aliomenti will have access to that technology with a successful capture… or kill. If we send a squad in to hide at the rendezvous point to make sure that our targets aren’t victims of execution attempts? They’ll eventually figure out how to detect those squads, and either avoid the capture altogether or try to attack everyone present. Or… they’ll take the person captive and execute them on the flight to Headquarters.”

  Eva shook her head. “Nothing is without risk, though. We are all aware of this. We are fighting an enemy who does not follow the rules we follow. That is why we exist in the first place. The potential for failure does not mean we should not make this effort. Each person freed from captivity has a new chance to be a positive change in the world. Many here will see the opportunity to free others as the change they wish to create. As with many things, what is important is that we make ourselves aware of those risks, and make the decision if we are willing to face them. I have yet to see anyone in this organization hide to avoid risk, and I do not think that will change now.”

  Will nodded. “Agreed. Are we finished, then?”

  Those around the table nodded. Will pressed a button, and the lights in the amphitheater came back on. The Alliance had made it a point to ensure that secrets weren’t kept. Most organizations would keep conversations such as the one just held under the tightest security, to keep it from becoming the subject of rumor and misinformation. Anyone in the Alliance who wished to hold a conversation about an idea or strategy they might pursue was able to announce a meeting within the amphitheater and designate those they wished to include in the direct discussions. Those participants wou
ld sit around a well-lit table, with sound-proofing to retain the illusion that they were the only ones speaking, an illusion designed to encourage open and direct discussion. In reality, any who wished to come could watch and listen to the entire proceedings. Once the direct participants finished their discussion, the illusion would end. The entire facility would be bathed in light and the soundproofing removed. Open questions could then be asked of the participants.

  Adam had made a point of noting that the meeting would be about a way to take the attack to the Aliomenti, and the first few questions asked for clarification since there was nothing in the discussion about an actual attack.

  “That was admittedly a poor choice of words,” Adam replied. “My intent, which I suspect is now obvious, is to figure out how to proactively improve our situation against the Aliomenti. We’re quite the pacifists overall; we fight back in a literal sense only when attacked, and even then we seek to inflict the least amount of damage possible. My thinking is that the best way to both improve our position and reduce the effectiveness of the Aliomenti, is to free as many of our people as possible. It will lower their morale to see their inescapable prison cells proved to be anything but.”

  “There was quite a bit of talk about the risk to those who choose to take part in this. What about the risk to those left waiting in those cells until we can free them?”

  “Until we implement this plan, there should be no direct risk to those still imprisoned… beyond what they already face,” Will replied. “Afterward? We simply don’t know what the Aliomenti will elect to do to those they’ve captured, regardless of how long they’ve held those individuals. My personal hope is that we are able to free everyone before the Aliomenti wise up and start taking more drastic action.”

  “Why not simply plan and execute a military-style assault on their Headquarters and reclaim our people, then?” the questioner asked. “That’s my point. Sneaking around, stealth… this is not how our enemy operates. You mentioned Machiavelli in your meeting… would Machiavelli recommend hiding in the shadows?”

  “I didn’t get a chance to ask him when I talked to him a few centuries ago,” Will replied. Nervous chuckles filled the amphitheater. “A physical battle is not one we can win right now. We are significantly outnumbered by the Aliomenti. I am personally not willing to suffer civilian casualties; humans work at Aliomenti Headquarters too, remember. And my personal goal is not conquest; it is reconciliation.”

  “While you spout those platitudes, our friends sit in agony, deprived of their Energy and their freedom,” the speaker retorted. “This technology sounds fascinating, but we don’t yet have it, and it will be additional years or decades until we do. What are we going to do for our people until then?”

  “If you were in that cell, what would you want us to do?” Will asked. “Would you want us to kill the humans working in the building who don’t know you’re there? How many people here would you want to sacrifice their lives to save yours?”

  “You’re one to talk about sacrifice,” the speaker snapped. “Those dangerous roles you’re sitting there proposing, giving yourself up to the Aliomenti in the hope of being rescued later… I’m sure it will be one of the people there on the stage taking on those tasks, right? No, it won’t be you. You’ll be sitting here where it’s safe, while someone else risks their life to do what you won’t.”

  Will sought the man’s name via telepathy. “Clint, I will tell you this right now. When the technology is ready… I will be the first person they capture.”

  Hope snapped her head to look at him, but Will stared at no one but the speaker who’d challenged his willingness to sacrifice everything for others.

  “And I will be part of the crew that goes in to help those whose Will’s efforts will spring from captivity,” Eva added.

  Clint, his verbal bluster blunted, sat back down. “I… I didn’t mean… it just seems like…”

  “Like I sit back calling the shots? Like Arthur, The Leader of the Aliomenti?” Will asked. He shrugged. “I sincerely hope that’s not the impression I’ve given of my operating approach in my life. I’m nothing like him. And I’m willing to take on any risk to make sure that my friends are able to live in freedom.”

  The meeting ended shortly thereafter. Quite a few people remained behind, offering to be part of the escape team; others wanted to be the person sent in after Will, wanting to be the one to help Will escape.

  Clint, though, did not remain behind. He left as soon as the meeting was finished.

  Few noticed the smirk on his face as he left.

  XXIV

  Deception

  1986 A.D.

  The shuttle pod slowed as it neared the beach, and Will teleported to the sandy shore before the craft came to a stop. He took a deep breath of the purified air wafting through the underground city, felt the breeze on his skin, listened to the murmur of conversation and flowing rivers. The artificial light was fading, indicating that it was approaching dusk in Cavern time.

  Will smiled. It was good to be home.

  He’d been Outside for two months, following up on recruiting leads in India. The recruits seemed promising, and he expected he’d make direct contact and speak about the Alliance on his next trip. He moved through the sand and crossed the bridge heading “east” toward his home. They had, by convention, designated the beach as the northernmost tip of the Cavern; moving left from the beach would correspond to traveling east. He watched as a couple ordered dinner, and passed a green space where two ten-year members romped in the grass with their two year old daughter. As he watched, the little girl giggled and floated toward the “sky.” “Look, Mommy! I’m a birdie!”

  Will rubbed his sleeve across his eyes where moisture had suddenly gathered.

  He reached the southeastern bridge a few minutes later and headed for the house he shared with Hope. But she stepped outside before he reached the building.

  Her face told him what had happened a moment before the emotion overwhelmed his empathy senses. “What happened?”

  “They found Jordan, Will.”

  Will sucked in his breath. Jordan had established a residence and school for homeless children, and she’d been using the platform to meld her students’ minds to be accepting of the truths the Alliance taught, to be open to the idea of some greater existence. Even on a human level, the impact had been felt, as children expected to have no futures started scoring well above average on standardized testing, and her earliest graduates were earning college scholarships.

  But the Hunters had found her. “How… how bad?”

  A tear fell down Hope’s cheek. “Jordan suffered rather severe injuries because she stayed to protect her students. She’ll live. The Assassin… before the Squad showed up and drove him off… he… we took the survivors to South Beach and will bring them here. It was awful, Will.”

  Will fell to the ground and pounded the street in fury and frustration. He then stood and stormed back toward the center of the Cavern. “This can't keep happening, Hope. It just can’t.”

  “Will! Will, slow down!” Hope increased her pace to keep up with him. “We can’t be everywhere at once.”

  Will stopped, and Hope nearly ran into him. “I know that. It doesn’t make the reality any easier to accept.”

  “We don’t have to accept that it will continue, Will,” Hope said. She wiped her eyes dry. “The Hunters and the Assassin are very good at their jobs. We can’t have every person Outside protected by a private Defense Squad, ready to swoop in and hide the humans and pull our people to safety. It would limit the number of people we can help if we have five people guarding each person working in the open. And that says nothing about operating the ports and keeping things operational here.”

  “I know,” Will replied. He sighed. “And I know that over the past twenty years or so it’s taking far more attempts for the Hunters to complete their Hunts. The Assassin’s kill rate has dropped because we’ve interrupted him before he can finish. In terms of
percentages, we’re thwarting them. But in the end… through sheer persistence they always find the people we save. And humans keep dying. Our people go Outside knowing the risks, but the humans? They’re innocent, they don’t know they’re in danger, and yet they’re the ones losing their lives.”

  That’s what bothered him most of all. Each time he went Outside, looking to recruit, he knew he was at risk of capture or execution. The same applied for each person in the Cavern. This was their sanctuary, their Oasis, the only place in the world where true safety existed for them. Each day, Alliance members returned from the Outside after spending time influencing innovations in technology, encouraging advances in medicine, or simply helping those who’d lost all hope regain it. As some returned, others headed out to a chosen location to help create the change they wanted to see in the world, in whatever form they wanted that change to take. Some stayed Outside for a year or two; others stayed decades. All came back pleased with their impacts, small though those might be. All wanted to go back out. All had heard the stories of Hunts, stories that made them careful about using Energy, about keeping their Energy Shields up at all times.

  Those precautions weren’t taken just to protect themselves. Each person whose life they impacted was, without realizing it, at risk of attack by the Assassin. Arthur would claim that the Assassin’s executions of humans were to protect the Aliomenti from possible exposure and potential attacks and murders, much like what had happened at the Watt outpost centuries earlier. So intense was the human attack that a good-natured young man named William had morphed into a red-eyed killer. But the reality was that the Aliomenti weren’t being noticed or targeted for attack. The members of the Alliance were the ones at risk. The Assassin’s executions weren’t performed to prevent Aliomenti exposure; they were performed to thwart human progress, eliminating those most likely to have grown under subtle Alliance tutelage. The Alliance was winning in the long term; for technology, medical care, literacy… all were slowly improving through the hidden influence this organization exerted on the human population.