by Alex Knight
Walking through the swamp wasn’t the most pleasant of experiences, but the further they kept the van from the bunker, the better. A lone vehicle abandoned in the swamp wouldn’t raise too many eyebrows, but one parked next to a semi-hidden structure? That’d be a big fat red flag.
“Huh. Look at this.” Zelda said, pointing something out to Kaiden on her screen. “Another one of those broken links. It’s pointing to something that’s not on the database again.”
“Something Bernstein deleted, maybe?” Thorne asked. “Or was this still a work in progress? He didn’t finish it?”
Kaiden and Zelda looked up at her in unison with less than friendly expressions on their faces. Clearly they didn’t care for her listening in on the conversation.
“Forget I said anything,” she said, holding up her hands.
You’re going to have to trust me eventually, though, she added internally. They were right to be suspicious. Honestly, she couldn’t blame them. But she was also experienced enough to know that when things were dire, you didn’t turn down help, especially when you were desperate for it. Probably the trio didn’t realize how much trouble they were in. They’d been in hot water when they’d had the locked cipher. Now, however, they had the unlocked database, and by slipping past Moran’s fleet in-game they’d pissed him off. No doubt he was personally on their case now. She’d always known he was a man not to be trifled with, but with what he’d told her on the Anakoni, with what he’d revealed about his little shadow government... suffice it to say, if there was an embodiment of what was wrong with the Party, he was it.
“How’s this?” Titus asked, easing the van to a stop tucked well into the trees.
“A bit further,” Thorne said, waving him on. The branches were in close now, some scraping against the outside. A draping of stringy Spanish moss ran across the windshield as Titus really squeezed them in tight.
“Perfect,” Thorne said when the branches scraping on the side sounded like they’d started taking the paint off. “Shut her down and grab your stuff. We’re hiking from here.”
“This is it?” Kaiden stared at the entrance to the bunker and slapped at a mosquito making a feast of his elbow.
“Doesn’t look like much,” Titus agreed.
“That’s the point, guys,” Zelda said, rolling her eyes. Thorne had to suppress a smirk. That was very much the point. Realistically, she’d hadn’t expected to ever truly need the bunker, and she’d definitely never thought she might bring others to it. But now they were here, she found she was actually eager to show off her hard work, and maybe just the slightest bit proud. Sure, they were all fugitives at the center of the massive manhunt, but she’d prepped this bunker, bit by bit, on her days off for years now. She had been ready for war, famine or nuclear winter. All that preparation, all that paranoia, was finally about to pay off. It was a good feeling. Although, she had never expected to use it to hide from the Party itself.
“What is this place, anyway?” Kaiden asked, looking around at the small island. Though, it wasn’t really an island so much as an acre or so of ground that was raised enough above its surroundings that it didn’t flood every time it rained. Or rather, didn’t flood entirely.
“The bunker’s an old remnant from the Test,” Thorne explained, pushing through palm fronds and Spanish moss as she approached the entrance. “There’s hundreds of them scattered throughout the country. Nearly all have been abandoned.”
“Uh, yeah. I can see why,” Titus said, waving away a banana spider the size of his hand.
“I’ve heard of these places,” Zelda said, sticking close to Titus and letting his larger frame push the spider webs out of the way. “But they’re super bare-bones, just designed as temporary shelter from the bombing raids that were common back then.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve done some work on mine,” Thorne said.
The entrance to the bunker was all that was visible above ground, and it was just a bunch of slate-gray concrete stained slightly green from the various plants and funguses growing up it. The door was metal, but looked just as dull and disused. Intentionally, of course.
Thorne leaned down to the rusty old combination lock. It clicked quietly as she turned the dial first one way, then back the other, then once more back again and stopped on the last digit. The lock came open with a click and the panel it’d been keeping shut slid open with a slight hiss. Thorne entered the quick fourteen-digit code on the keypad contained within, then stepped back with a nod.
The door groaned, bolts retracting inside as the passcode was accepted. A moment later, it swung open on creaky hinges. She’d like to have oiled them, but in the interest of keeping up the bunker’s neglected appearance she’d been forced to leave the hinges in something approaching a state of disrepair.
“It’s a bit damp,” she warned, then led them inside and down the front stairs. “Hard to keep it dehumidified, and being below ground level in a swamp means it’s a constant battle to keep the water out. But the air conditioning keeps it cool, there’s plenty of food, and a fair bit of space.” She gestured to the interior of the bunker like a parent showing off a child.
“Well, look at this,” Kaiden said. “There’s a whole apartment down here.”
“Not bad,” Zelda agreed.
Thorne felt a smile pull at her lips.
“In that corner there’s the kitchen,” she explained, pointing out the minute amount of countertop space, miniature sink, and a few cooking appliances. Really, the appliances were excessive considering the built-in pantry was filled with salvaged army rations that chemically boiled to heat themselves when dunked in water.
“There’s also a low-energy fridge,” she said. “Which is really just a fancy way of saying ‘a box that’s slightly darker and cooler than the rest of the bunker.’ Got some bottled water reserves in there, but most of what’s drinkable comes in through the exterior filtration system. Completely clean, just smells a bit of eggs thanks to all the sulfur in the swamp.”
Thorne turned next to the corner across from the kitchen, which contained what she liked to think of as the living-dining room combo. Really, it was just a big, wooden table pushed up against one wall and with space for four chairs. Only one was set out at present.
“There are more chairs,” she said. “But, well, I wasn’t expecting company, so we’ll have to dig them out of storage.”
The last two corners of the room were taken up by the workspace: a desk she’d laboriously dragged down into the bunker, a few blank notebooks, and her backup VR headset. She’d never really used it – hadn’t exactly slunk off into the deep swamp to work – but being disconnected from her job wasn’t a luxury she’d been afforded. As a full-time warden, if something were to happen, she needed to have access to Nova no matter where she was – at work, at home, or in her hidden swamp bunker.
“We have a steady internet connection here, believe it or not,” she explained. “Had to set up signal boosters in a chain, one every mile, all the way out to the nearest signal relay. Pain in the butt, tell you what. But it works. And unlike your van, everything here is properly shielded. And any incoming or outgoing data is redirected through the next town over so it looks like normal traffic.”
“This is insane.” Zelda looked dumbfounded.
“Yeah, man. Is doomsday prepping like your hobby or something?” Titus asked.
She was so accustomed to this being her hobby that she’d forgotten it wasn’t exactly a normal thing to do. Most people went to the beach during their time off, or hung out with friends – drinks at the bar and all that. But the Test had changed her, Thorne knew. How could she relax after the things she’d seen? How could she just trust that humanity would continue as normal and not break down into another world-rending war? No, some scars couldn’t be forgotten. She’d seen the world go to shit once before. If ever it happened again, well, she’d made sure she would be ready.
“With the situation we’re in right now, I’d say it worked out,” she said, s
paring them the sorry backstory.
Kaiden nodded. “Can’t argue with that.”
Thorne smirked, then pointed out the last feature of the bunker. Cut into the wall between the kitchen and dining room was an in-set doorway.
“Hallway to the bedrooms and bathrooms,” she said. “Nothing fancy. Two in total with bunk beds in each. They’re bolted in place so there wasn’t much I could do about swapping them out, but I did update the mattresses, at least. They’re... almost comfortable.”
“Do the spiders get in frequently?” Titus asked with a shudder, still pulling webs from his face and neck.
“Just the small ones,” Thorne said. “Though those are the most venomous.”
“Well, that’s just fine. You know, I’ve always wanted to die in some random swamp via spider bite.”
“Oh, and make sure to check the toilets before you use them. Found a frog or two in there before…” She felt herself frown. “Still can’t figure out how they’re getting inside…” Bothersome little things had been plaguing her since day one.
She shook the thought away and looked back up at the wanted fugitives she was bringing into her emergency shelter.
“So... what do you say? Think this’ll do the job?”
Kaiden shook his head disbelievingly.
“Seems as good a place as any to bring down the Party, I guess.” He shook his head again. “Home sweet swamp bunker.”
Chapter Five
As it happened, the bunker wasn’t so bad – for a place in the middle of a swamp and all.
Kaiden found himself pleasantly surprised. It took a few days to get the bunker fully functioning – not that they were in any particular hurry. Titus had died in their battle against the Voidlord and still had a few days left on his respawn timer. It gave them plenty of time to plot and plan while they fixed up the bunker.
All in all, Thorne had kept it in good shape. Even still, it had needed a bit of work before going fully online. The tech side was the most important to cover. They had to double check the internet connection was secure and ensure the system was holding a stable connection that would support four people online at once.
There were also more mundane things, like figuring out sleeping arrangements and rationing the food responsibly. Through it all, Kaiden kept a close watch on Thorne. She hadn’t given them a reason yet to distrust her, and considering Zelda and Titus had agreed to let her watch Bernstein’s message, it seemed like she was becoming part of the team. But that was a ruse; he knew it was. He’d let her get comfortable. If she was comfortable, she’d be more likely to make a mistake. To slip up and reveal what she was truly after.
“The AFBS can only be accessed from the heart of Warden Headquarters. Now, I doubt the Warden Corps would react kindly to my request to borrow their system for a quick broadcast. That’s why I – er, I guess now you – have to take it by force,” Bernstein’s video message repeated. Kaiden stared across the bunker’s table to where Thorne was seated. She nodded, apparently taking in everything Bernstein had said.
“I caught bits of it when waking up in the van but really wasn’t cognizant enough to understand it all,” she said, shooting an annoyed glance at Titus. Still sore about being stunned, undoubtedly. Probably that hadn’t felt very good, Kaiden thought, remembering when he’d been tazed by the rebels.
“If keeping my gun makes you feel safer, that’s fine,” Thorne said to Titus. “But in the interest of us working together, don’t shoot me with it again, yeah?”
The big man shrugged. “Don’t give me a reason to.”
“All right, all right. Everyone play nice,” Kaiden said, giving them both stern looks. “We’ve agreed to join forces for the time being – as strange as that feels. But if this is going to work, we need to be focused on the same objective, not picking at one another.” He looked at Titus. “Let’s not stun Thorne again.” He turned to Thorne next. “Please don’t give us a reason to stun you.”
“Seriously, though,” Zelda added. “We don’t have time to bicker, especially not with what I’m seeing online. The Party’s stepped up their raids, searching for us no doubt. And word is there’s a blanket curfew on the way. That’s just speculation for now, but I wouldn’t put it past them.”
“No, that sounds right,” Thorne said, leaning back in her chair and blowing out a breath. “Moran’s sure to be pissed the database slipped through his fingers. If anything, this is just the beginning. The longer we hold the database, the more pressure he’ll feel. His actions are only going to get more and more severe in response.”
That doesn’t sound good. Kaiden frowned. “How severe are we talking here?”
Thorne crossed her arms.
“Hard to say exactly, but if his shadow government is as powerful as he implied it was, then he can bring to bear the full power of the Party. And I don’t see why he would hesitate to do so, considering that database,” she nodded to the hard drive at the center of the table, “will bring down the Party if its contents are spread widely enough.”
It’s past time the Party answered for its injustices.
“We’re on a timer, then,” Zelda said. “We don’t know how long, but every day we don’t execute the plan to get this evidence out to the masses is a day the Party gets more desperate and more dangerous.”
“Exactly,” Kaiden said, nodding along. “So, let’s get to work.” He turned to Thorne. “What’s it going to take to get us into Warden HQ and send the database to everyone in-game?”
She’s not actually going to answer truthfully, but let’s hear what she makes up anyway.
Thorne shook her head, then chuckled softly to herself.
“This isn’t a joke,” Titus said, scowling.
“No, I know it’s not. It’s just… this idea is insane. Possible, just maybe, but for the most part, insane. Bernstein was ambitious, you gotta give him that, eh?” She looked up at them, then cracked her knuckles. “But let’s talk shop.” She typed something into her handheld console, then projected a hologram into the air above the center of the table. It was an asteroid, vaguely transparent and with large, rigid structures seemingly jammed on to its surface.
“This,” Thorne said, working her console’s controls to adjust the view of the asteroid, “is Warden HQ. It’s built on the asteroid Custos, which circles the known game universe in a forced orbit. It’s big enough that, as you can see, considerable infrastructure has been built up on it.” She tapped the screen and the view of the asteroid zoomed in on what appeared to be dry docks, vehicle garages, and bunkers complete with a frankly worrying amount of ground-to-air missile launchers mounted on top. The bunkers and the rest of the structures protruded from the surface of Custos as if half-sunken into it.
“The majority of Warden HQ infrastructure is beneath the surface. The barracks, living spaces, training rooms, armories, and – of course – the command center where the highest-ranking wardens operate, are right in the center. The AFBS is housed in the next room over.”
“Can you show us a schematic of that?” Kaiden asked. Seeing the outside of the base was good, but having knowledge of its inner workings would be even better.
“No can do,” Thorne said. “That’s not publicly available. But I’ve been there more than a few times. I know the inside of the rock well enough to guide us through it.”
Oh, well, isn’t that convenient?
“You’re gonna need to teach us the route,” Zelda said, squinting at the hologram asteroid as if she could peer inside it and see the way. “Fighting our way in is gonna be risky. If you die, we need to know where to go.”
It was a test, Kaiden knew. If Thorne really was going to work with them then she needed to prove her worth.
“Plot out the route as simply as possible and we’ll work on memorizing it. We’re also going to need to know how to work the All-Frequencies Broadcast System.”
“It’s not complicated, really, but I agree,” Thorne said. “Still, all this is well and good, but I think w
e’re jumping the gun. None of this happens unless we can get into Warden HQ in the first place. That’s not going to be easy.”
“What about sneaking in?” Titus asked from across the table. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for going in guns blazing, but why make things harder than they have to be?”
“This isn’t a movie. There’s no way to do that. No conveniently large enough air vents, no droids that can hack into the base’s system and open doors for us. There’re no backdoors, no side hallways. If we want in to this base, Bernstein’s right. We have to do it by force.”
Damn. Kaiden withheld a sigh. He’d expected that would be the case, but hearing the details of Warden HQ’s defenses wasn’t exactly encouraging. Assuming Thorne wasn’t lying about everything, that was.
“And we’re sure there’s no other option?” Kaiden asked. “No other way to access the AFBS?”
“Bernstein would have accounted for it,” Zelda said. “He knew what he was doing, and if this was the plan he settled on, then it must be the best one.”
“She’s right. And Bernstein was right.” Thorne idly flicked her finger across the screen of her handheld console and set the hologram of the asteroid to spinning in a mad frenzy. “The Warden Corps knows how powerful access to the AFBS is. Nothing about it works remotely. It can only be operated from inside the command center.”
“All right, so we go guns blazing. What kind of resistance should we be expecting?”
“And be as specific as possible, please,” Zelda added. “How many wardens? How many ships, etcetera? We haven’t even touched on how we’re going to find allies to help with this, but before we do, it’ll probably be good to understand what sort of firepower we need to bring.”
“We need enough soldiers to punch a hole through the base. It doesn’t have to hold long, but long enough for us to get to the AFBS and send a message. The soldiers with us are going to need to be pretty much max level. And, for that matter, so are we.”
