by Drew Avera
Chapter 4
One of the biggest downsides to leaving Earth was the lack of fossil fuels to allow everyone to have a vehicle. Even with electric motored vehicles, the right to own and operate a vehicle was restricted by the Syndicate. The lack of convenience irritated me as I walked into downtown Archea and approached the square that surrounded Pontiff White's palace. The palace served as a penthouse and doubled as his office, it was a gross example of the Syndicate’s waste of money. Why would their puppet need a twenty foot marble statue of himself centralized in a fountain? I imagined it was merely a show of power and authority to those brainwashed enough to believe that our governing body even gave a damn about us.
You would be hard pressed to find someone outspoken about their ill will towards the Syndicate though. Most of our society knelt at their feet and waited for the scraps of wealth to be tossed down to them like dogs. I may be a pawn myself, but I'm not ignorant to the fact that we are all expendable in the eyes of the Syndicate. Our worth is only in what they stand to gain from us.
I crossed the courtyard using the rust colored sidewalk leading up to the palace and opened the entrance door; its frosted glass was adorned with the Pontiff's name and title. It would be more appropriate if it read ‘puppet’ I thought to myself after entering the building. The vast lobby was decorated with expensive hand woven tapestries. A wide reciprocating waterfall followed up the four story wall in front of me. The building was an engineering marvel to say the least. Large windows scrolled up the outer walls of the building and cast generous colorful beams of lights emanating through the stained glass. Hues of blue and purple mixed with a soft red glow fell upon the ceramic floor and spread out in front of me. I walked into the tubular elevator to my left and was surrounded by clear acrylic as it lifted me to White's office. The elevator was quiet and smooth as it lifted me up, almost like I was riding upon air.
When the elevator stopped I stepped out into a long hallway lit by recessed floor lighting. Each step I took caused the lights beneath my feet to shine brighter, casting an unusual glare in my eyes. I could see Pontiff White in his office at the far end of the hall seated at an enormous metal desk surrounded by holographic screens. Two businessmen who were likely members of the Syndicate sat on a couch opposite where he was sitting. I could see the discomfort in their faces as I approached the room.
The two businessmen readjusted themselves in their seats in order to watch me as I paced in front of White's desk. The stoic expression on his face conflicted with the rapid breathing I could hear coming from him. He wore a dark double breasted suit as did the other two men. I sensed uneasiness about the men on the couch and could see one of their faces grow paler by my presence. The members of the Syndicate may be powerful men, but they were cowards as well.
"Is there something I can do for you, Serus?" White asked me between heavy puffs of his cigar.
"You know my name? I wasn't aware that we had met previously," I said.
"No, we have not met before, but that stroll you took through that hallway with the floor lighting allowed me to take scans of your face and match them to my database. Now I likely have more information about you than you have of yourself." He said the words with a smug grin that bared his perfect teeth behind his thin lips. He released the cigar smoke in heavy funnel shaped plumes from his nostrils. The lines in his face were faint despite his age and I suspected surgery was a common practice of his.
"Very well. I have come to you concerning assignments against some scientists that were issued recently," I said.
"Oh, is that so? I wasn't aware of hits being placed against multiple scientists," he replied while looking at the businessmen on the couch. They avoided eye contact with me when I looked at them. White flicked ash from his cigar into a crystal ashtray on his desk and manipulated the holographic displays in front of him.
"I see. Well I have cause for concern regarding the reasons behind the assignments,"
"What reason would that be?" White asked.
"It's just that no reason has been filed. Usually we know why the hits are being carried out." I said.
"Fortunately for you, Serus, those reasons do not concern you," he said with a dismissal wave of his hand. He bit the cigar between his teeth and chuckled at the other men. They produced their own semi-confident smiles until I glared at them.
"I believe I am entitled to know why a hit is to be carried out," I said, perhaps a little too emotionally.
"And why is that? It wouldn’t have something to do with the three dead policemen at your sister's home last night would it?" I felt my face go pale after he asked that question. "Yes, Serus, not only do I know who you are, but I also know that your sister, Kara, was scheduled for assassination. Its funny how being Pontiff carries so much useful information isn't it?" He smiled as he puffed his chest heroically and winked at the men on the couch when he leaned back in his seat, confident in his dominion over me.
My hands began to sweat and my heart began to race. My ruse was falling apart, I should have planned better. Now my cards were laid out before my opponent while everything I held dear was on the line. My sister was slipping through my grasp and I wasn't sure what I could do to save her.
"Surely you understand my concern for my sister's life?" I asked.
"Yes I do, but I'm sorry to tell you that I cannot help you. The hit was not assigned by my offices or anyone working for me. It was apparently arranged at a much higher level and I am not in a position to release any other information regarding it. All I can do is offer my condolences for the impending loss of your sister." He rocked back in his chair and kicked his feet up. His facade was just that. I could see how quickly his heart was beating by the pulsing of the veins on his forehead. That small detail made me think that maybe he was just a sheep in wolves clothing after all.
Still my heart sank. I assumed that I would have been able to make him bend to my will, but he was a powerful, well connected man. He sat in his seat with a hard set jaw and titanium spine; I saw no remorse in his eyes when he looked back up at me. Only the tell-tale throbbing of the vein on his head showed any conflicting information that made him look weak. Maybe I was over thinking it I thought to myself as I swallowed a lump in my throat and recognized an emotion I had not felt in several years, fear.
When you are consumed with your work and your job involved taking the lives of other people, it was easy to become desensitized to death. It was a whole other sensation when the person scheduled to die was family. The programming in my head distorted my thoughts and I felt compelled to flee. I turned to dismiss myself from the office and realized that my eyes were welling up with tears at the thought of losing my sister, the sole surviving member of my family.
"It was nice speaking with you, Serus," White said as I walked out of the door. I was too consumed with fear and frustration to say anything back in retort. The other men stood to follow me to the door, but stopped as I stepped out into the illuminated hallway. I entered the elevator and turned to see the door to White's office close right after I made brief eye contact with the Pontiff. No remorse reflected back at me, but I could see a man trapped by his position. He may not be able to help me, but I was sure that he knew something more. It wasn't a wise decision to come here in the first place. I couldn't push the envelope more by going up against the men who held all of the power. I needed to gather more information first, have some ammunition to throw into the fire. Right now all I had was my sister’s testimony. I didn't know if that was enough, but maybe more could be found. I left the palace and began walking back to Thom's apartment.
My fear began to settle down and I figured it had to do with the fact that I was no longer in confrontation with the soulless men up in that office. I turned back and looked up at the office window where Pontiff White's office would be. I could see the man standing in the window and he was looking down at me. If I could peer into that man’s soul I think I would only see darkness. Some men are soulless and others are devils
. I wasn't sure which kind of man White was, but I was deathly afraid that I was soon to find out.
