by Abhisek Basu
“You should if you don’t want those wires to gauge your eyes out,” Josh said, staring at him. Ian sat still while a teardrop trickled down his cheek.
The helmet shot out the wire strands and as accurately as Travis’ helmet, it pulled apart his eyelids and held them in place. Josh laughed at them. The irony of it all was too much. A hammer wielding hero sitting beside a sword swinging gladiator, both on the verge of wetting their pants because someone had kidnapped them. But now it was time to show them.
Miss Tessa entered the tic drive in the projector, and the screen showed an aerial view of Tholos. Josh paused the video feed and walked around them as Miss Tessa left the room.
“You both may feel like you don’t know each other, but you do. You were friends not too long ago. Travis Wilson, Ian Floyd, this movie you’re about to see wasn’t made in a deepfake illusory theater. Your faces weren’t artificially implanted here on the faces of other heroes. What you’re about to see here actually happened. Who you’re about to see is what you were. Have you been keeping up with the news? Do you know about the mass experiment?”
“Yes,” Travis said. “What has that got to do with anything?”
“What you’re about to see is what happened in that experiment for you both. I’ve sent your friend Marcus Adams a copy of the book, and if he wants his third child to live, he would watch it in the jail chamber of his. You don’t know Marcus Adams, but after watching this- you will. You don’t know who Natalie White is, well you do, but not the wrestler you see on your augmented televisions, here you’ll see who she actually is. But most importantly, you’ll know yourselves. In six hours, you’ll be with me outside and your lives will be at stake. I think you’ll appreciate this gesture, although it feels like torture at the moment.”
“Come on, man. Let us go,” Ian shouted as if he wasn’t paying attention to anything Josh said. Josh resumed the clip and left the room. Lewis followed him outside and the door closed behind him.
“Quanti Valley has been more or less cleared. The government cut off press feeds to prevent any stream broadcasts, so broadcasting might be a problem,” Lewis said.
“They don’t want the world to see the truth, like always,” Josh said. “How many men do we have in the contractual military?”
“We have enlisted 4300 men, sir. They were mostly from online forums, but they’ve been vetted well. Many are ex-marines and most have PTSD from past wars.”
“Have they all passed the CELIA check?”
“Yes sir. We’ve monitored all their socials and tapped their calls. No one is in contact with any CELIA member. We cross-referenced CELIA’s contacts with theirs too. They’re clean.”
“Good. Mask them up. Hand them energy weapons and send them out. Instruct them to shoot anyone within a 100-mile radius of the pillar,” Josh said. Lewis typed it out on his AR phone.
“Has David returned?” Josh asked.
“Yes, he’s at the meeting room where core members are being briefed,” Lewis said.
“It’s time to deal with him,” Josh said and walked towards the hallway. Lewis smiled and nodded. It was obvious to Josh that like him, Lewis had been waiting for this day a long time. No one likes a snitch. That much was true, but people especially dislike treating a snitch as a brother.
Josh grabbed the key in his hands and thought carefully about what to do next. Everything was going according to plan, but there were too many variables.
Still, his backups had a backup and unless the US government decided to nuke Quanti Valley in six hours, nothing would derail the plan. The last six hours before he went to the pillar were the crucial ones.
He opened his walkie talkie and dialled the digits of Miss Tessa’s device. “Get the third world dictators on the line and tell them to threaten to nuke Washington if the press feed isn’t allowed in six hours at Quanti Valley. All of them must do this,” Josh said.
“But Mr. Bones, do you think the ones with a good relationship with the US would do this?”
“Make them understand that we are the United States now, and if they want to maintain that good relationship they should be on the right side of history,” Josh said slowly.
“I’ll be on it, Mr. Bones. I’ve sent a member to prepare your suit. Big day today,” she said. “You know, this is the first time I’m seeing someone getting ready for a marriage whose wife doesn’t even know he intends to marry her.”
Josh smiled. “There’s a first time for everything, Miss Tessa.”
He walked into the briefing room where the core members sat with their masks on. Lewis was already there, leaning on the wall, listening closely to the individual speaking. The speaker was a former marine who pointed towards maps of the Quanti Valley and gave them the pointers from where the military would try to intercept them.
He briefly paused as Josh walked into the room, but seeing him nod, he continued his presentation. When it was over, Josh asked everyone else to leave the room. Lewis stayed back. David was asked to stay back.
“David, did you enjoy your day off?” Josh asked.
David opened his mask and placed it on the table. “Very much, sir!”
“Lewis, why don’t you ask David what he did with all that money?” Josh said.
“Come on, David. Everyone of us trusts everyone in this room. There are very few pleasures no matter how kinky they are, that money cannot buy. Tell us what you did,” Lewis said.
Josh noticed a solitary bead of sweat trickle down David’s forehead. He was nervous, and he knew that he was caught.
“Sir, I don’t know what happened. I was drugged. Yes! I don’t know where my money went. I was too ashamed to come to you after it got stolen. After all, it was my responsibility,” David said, joining his hands.
A fast thinker. These people were rare. Just by his conversations, David had figured out that Josh had tracked his tokens. Thus, he went the usual route that Josh had predicted.
“That’s so sad,” Lewis said. “It would’ve been sadder if this wasn’t a goddamn lie!” he shouted.
“Lewis, I don’t know what you’re saying. Sir, please tell Lewis I’m telling the truth,” David said.
Josh smiled at him. “David. I know you’re a smart man, David. You’ve always been a smart man, but guess who is smarter?”
“You?”
Josh nodded. “Exactly. You gave all your tokens to CELIA. All of them. But that is what I expected from a snitch. Tell me, when do you think I found out you were working for CELIA?”
The colour from David’s face was gone. He tried to sit up from his chair, but a swift punch from Lewis put him back in his place.
“Josh, please. I’m sorry,” David said.
“And I know you’re not,” Josh said. “That is okay, David. We both are working for a specific purpose. I know why I kept you for so long, and now the job is done. CELIA will think that they are using my funds to infiltrate my own land, but they won’t realize that it’s all a setup for them to take the fall. That’s why the Media will document their break-in and their actions, setting them up... Tell me, did you really think you were giving them any real information? Did they trust you after all the made up things you fed them?”
“They had to. I was the only one who brought them any morsel of truth. And I can see now...” David said, looking at the ceiling with a dejected face, his mind still piecing things together, “...how everything you fed me was to lure them in and send them looking to the wrong places. But you won’t succeed, Josh. You’re a maniac! Whatever you’re doing, you won’t succeed!”
David shouted. Lewis went for a punch, but David dodged him and punched him back. Lewis got up and looked at Josh for his permission. David was about to punch him again, when Josh nodded at Lewis. Lewis dodged, pulled his pistol out of his holster and shot David in the face. The round table of the briefing room was painted with crimson stains of David’s blood and brains.
David was dead. It was inevitable, but Josh was happy that Lewis got the chance to ta
ke him out.
“Take his body and dispose of it near the pillar where it can get absorbed. Although he was unaware of his true purpose, whatever he did will serve us well,” Josh said. “It’s good that in his last moments, he went out swinging.”
“Sir, he disrespected you right now! I don’t think I can speak highly of him ever like you’re doing right now,” Lewis said.
“He did what he believed was right. CELIA didn’t pay him like we did. They didn’t ask for his guidance and information. He did that because he believed that was right, that whatever we were doing was wrong. There will be many like him, Lewis,” Josh said.
“And we’ll deal with them,” Lewis said and picked up David’s lifeless body on his shoulder. “I’ve always hated him since I found out.”
“As did I, Lewis. But he was a man who stood up for his principles and convictions. In our world, except for a few men like us, that is rare.” Josh said and walked out of the briefing room.
Miss Tessa greeted Josh as he walked out of the room. She glanced at Lewis carrying David’s body and said to herself, “Well, he had it coming.”
“As do you all,” Josh said. Miss Tessa smiled a sad smile that almost broke Josh’s heart, but he controlled himself.
“Your suit’s ready. We have verified confirmation that Natalie is being held at the Fed facility. Permission to detonate?” Miss Tessa asked.
“Granted.”
Chapter 11
The sounds of gunshots filled the room. Dr. Alice ran towards the glass wall, but Natalie stayed where she was. She already knew what was going to happen once she noticed her uncle. Skillfully moving the gun away from the first soldier as he pulled the trigger, her uncle elbowed him in his throat. When the soldier beside him raised his rifle to intervene, he twisted his sub-machine gun around causing him to pull the trigger, bullets from which emptied on the ceiling as he drove the other end of his rifle down on his head. The third and final soldier charged at him at the same time, tripped on her uncle’s strategically placed feet, and lost his weapon as it slipped away from his hands.
The doctors had moved away, their mouths wide open and screaming, while her uncle remained standing above a pile of soldiers. The sliding glass door finally opened as Dr. Alice stood there, perhaps trying to comprehend what she had just seen.
Only one person was oddly excited by all this. That was Evan, who stood near Natalie, clapping and nodding at her uncle outside.
“Mr. White, how did you manage to get out of your room?” Evan shouted as her uncle kneeled down to pick up the sub-machine gun from the floor.
“Take a guess, weirdo,” her uncle said while picking up the gun. He glanced back at the soldiers crawling on the floor.
“I’m impressed. The Feds should hire you instead of these weak soldiers,” Evan said and smirked, as if the fight was a casual affair for him.
Her uncle entered the room and pointed the rifle at Dr. Alice.
“Mr. White, that isn’t necessary,” Dr. Alice said, but her uncle didn’t move.
“Are you okay?” he asked, staring at Natalie, but keeping the weapon pointed at Dr. Alice.
Natalie nodded. This was the last thing she expected.
“Come on, then. We are getting out of here,” he said and pointed the rifle at Evan.
Evan laughed and raised his hand. “I surrender, but no point in aiming that at me.”
“Mr. White, please calm down. I’m sure we can address whatever concerns you have,” Dr. Alice said and stepped forward.
“Calm down? You want me to calm down? You people entered my house and abducted me. You had the audacity to abduct the world champion and her coach. The guys back there told me this is a military facility. Is that right?”
“It is, and we can…” Dr. Alice said, but was interrupted again.
“Well, tell the President you’re looking at a rather large lawsuit from the Whites. This is absolutely preposterous and an infringement upon our rights. Just because some hacktivist group wants her there as a hostage, doesn’t mean you would let it happen,” her uncle shouted.
“Mr. White, I’m sure if you understand the gravity of the situation, you’d feel differently,” Dr. Alice said, joining her hands.
“I served in the military for nine years. I was a Navy seal before I was a coach. During my time, it was never customary to attack our own people. I know about what you did to her and all Americans, and it definitely wasn’t consensual. Just to get the Vice President’s daughter back, you can’t hand her over to the wolves. Enough is enough now,” her uncle shouted.
Just then, Dr. Jerry pointed a strange weapon at her uncle, a weapon that looked like a syringe was loaded on top of a round transparent weapon. “Drop the gun, Mr. White,” he shouted, and her uncle immediately pointed the rifle at him.
“You don’t look like a tough guy, doctor. You shouldn’t be pointing injectors at me,” her uncle said, aiming the rifle towards his head.
“If I pull this trigger, you’ll fall asleep within microseconds, so I won’t have the conscience of killing someone on my hands, like you will if you pull that trigger. Trust me, I won’t hesitate to do it, Mr. White. There’s nothing to lose by pulling this,” Dr. Jerry said.
“That needs to be on his neck, doctor. Stop. If you miss the mark, it might be dangerous,” Dr. Alice shouted.
“I won’t miss,” Dr. Jerry said, his hands still shaking while he aimed the injector at her uncle.
“Look into my eyes, doctor. Do you think I’d think twice before shooting you?” her uncle shouted.
“Wait. No. No one’s shooting anybody!” Dr. Alice shouted. “Hand me the injector!”
Dr. Jerry protested, “Alice, you can’t-”
“Hand it over!” Dr. Alice shouted again. Dr. Jerry handed over the injector to her.
Dr. Alice took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Finally, she opened her eyes and said, “Fine.”
Natalie noticed Evan’s expressions change to that of mild shock when he realized that Dr. Alice wasn’t protesting anymore.
“You’re free to leave. Natalie doesn’t have any obligation to put her life in danger, and she certainly didn’t sign up for any of this. I can’t, in good conscience, force her or you to do anything against her will,” Dr. Alice said and stepped back. She stared at Natalie and then back at her uncle again, “If you pursue legal actions, you’re free to do so. Our lawyers will be in touch and you’ll be fairly compensated for your inconvenience. We have a safe bunker here where it’ll be much safer downstairs-”
“We don’t need any bunkers,” her uncle said.
“Are you out of your mind?” Dr. Jerry said to her.
“We’ll find a look-alike,” Dr. Alice said.
“A look-alike won’t work!” Dr. Jerry shouted. Dr. Alice didn’t respond to him.
Her uncle, finally looking calmer, placed the gun at the table near him. “I hope I won’t be needing this anymore while we are walking out of the facility,” he said, placing the rifle on a white table near the wall. He looked at Dr. Alice for an answer.
“You will be needing that, just not for us. I’m sure whoever wants her hostage will come for her again. Keep it,” Dr. Alice said, and Natalie heard her voice crack as if there was a feeling of profound defeat growing in her. She looked at her and she averted her eyes.
Natalie knew she didn’t want to leave. This was what she was waiting for and everything was coming together. She knew that she had to be in Quanti Valley one way or the other, not because of what the Feds wanted, but because she had to complete her own quest. She had to either defeat Josh Bones or convince him to hand over the key. But first, all she had to do was figure out a way to convince her uncle.
“Stop standing there. Let’s go,” her uncle said.
“Uncle, wait,” Natalie said, trying hard to think of a logical reason for what she was about to say. “I want to do this. I’ll be fitted with weapons and everything. I can do this.”
“Don’t be foolish, Natal
ie. You’re not going there because some lunatic terrorist asked for you. You have a career and a life. This isn’t your fight and I’m not letting you throw it all away,” he said.
“Then what is my life? Winning shiny belts and training every day to fight other people in a ring with rules? Do you think that’s what I should do now?”
“Yes. You’re a professional wrestler. Walking there into that is like committing suicide. This is their problem, not ours!” he shouted.
“I’m connected to all this, uncle. Like him, I am also the winner of the simulation that we all went through. That is why I remember,” Natalie said. Then she paused and took a deep breath. “And I don’t want to just be a wrestler anymore, uncle. I am so much more now and I know what I am capable of. This is what I am destined to do. I’ve experienced what it is like to save an entire city. I’m not the same person anymore. This is my true purpose. In that simulation, I’ve made close friends and lost them all, fought creatures that are thrice my size, and I won- all without realizing that my body is here training for a meagre wrestling match.”
“Those wrestling matches are what you’re supposed to do! Don’t you see what these people are doing? They are controlling and brainwashing you into thinking that you have to do their bidding,” he said.
“This is what I want, uncle,” Natalie said, stressing on the word ‘I’. “This is my purpose. If I can save lives here on Earth and take down this hacktivist group, I’ll take it. I can’t just walk away from something that is my responsibility now,” Natalie said.
He noticed her uncle struggling to continue the argument. Finally, he pulled a chair out and sat down.
“Fine. If you’re going, then I’m coming with you too. An extra pair of hands won’t hurt, right?” he said and looked at Dr. Alice.
Dr. Alice nodded.
“Of course not! And trust me, Mr. White, we’ll be more than grateful to compensate you and your niece for your time and effort.” she said. “Feel free to be as involved in all this. This is not just the fight of the Feds, it’s every American’s fight against that insidious group of terrorists.”
