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Chapter 1 – Recruiting Assembly
The young man moved
through the darkened streets of Alhafra, keeping to the shadows and avoiding the
streetlights wherever he could. He was garbed in standard Osenian clothing,
coloured a dark gray. He didn’t look particularly out of place, although the
energy blade clipped to his belt occasionally raised an eyebrow. There was also
the matter of the black hood which covered his head.
He paused. He supposed that he looked suspicious – the hood only
seemed to draw attention to him. After a moment’s consideration, and to make
sure that no-one was around, he pulled the hood back to expose golden-blond hair
and blue eyes – the face of a boy still in his teens. He glanced around once
more, and then continued his watchful walk down the streets.
He was in what regular residents called ‘the ghetto’ – the
more accurate term was slums. Most people averted their eyes at the area and
pretended that it wasn’t there... which was precisely what the majority of its
residents wanted. With a blind eye turned towards them, they were free to do
whatever it was that they pleased – illegal operations, the trading of illicit
substances, and other such activities.
The anonymity certainly helped the hacking groups, at the very
least. The young man adjusted the shoulder strap of the bag he wore and
continued walking, his blue eyes watchful for any sign of movement that would
betray an assailant. It was important that no-one followed him tonight. If they
did, then he would lose all the trust he had gained with these people. He
couldn’t afford that – the continuation of his life depended on it.
Checking the street signs, he surmised that he was in the right
place. His eyes continued to scan the area, and they focused on a green lantern
that bathed a particular doorway in its glow. That was the signal. His hand
brushed by his belt just to make sure that his energy blade was still clipped on
securely. There was a small possibility that he would have to use it tonight...
he hoped that it wouldn’t turn out that way.
He moved up to the door via the shadows, and checked yet again to
make sure that there were no unwanted observers. The young man had been in
situations where those observers had very nearly cost him his life, and he was
eager to make sure that it didn’t happen again. Net hacking organizations
didn’t appreciate people who weren’t invited to their gatherings.
The young man lifted his gloved hands and flexed the uncovered
fingers briefly before clenching the right hand into a fist and raising it to
the door. He hesitated slightly – this was it. Should he proceed, then he
would become involved in one of the greatest affairs that currently concerned
Weyard. He could leave and return to his life as a hacker on the street, or he
could continue and become part of something much bigger than himself.
He gritted his teeth and steeled himself before pressing his fist
against the door. He knocked several times before dropping his arm to his side
and waiting patiently. A small hatch opened at his eye level, exposing the
upper-half of an older person’s face.
“Intrigue is something that the public loves,” the face said.
“But we don’t love the public,” replied the young man.
“We are the private.”
“And we’re going to place the intrigue beyond the public.”
The face shifted slightly as its owner nodded, and the mouth turned
up in a slight smile. “State your number and first name.”
The young man didn’t hesitate to reply.
“Zero-zero-two-one-seven-nine-seven. Isaac.”
The metal shutter closed. A faint metal clink was heard, before the
door unlocked and slid inwards. “Get inside, quickly.” The blond-haired man
named Isaac complied and stepped inside. The doorkeeper shut the door behind
him. He was older than he had looked from inside – his temples were graying,
and his face was beaten and worn down from the many years it had obviously
experienced.
“As a necessary precaution,” the doorkeeper said, holding Isaac
back slightly, “I need to take that weapon from you.” He gestured towards
the energy blade at Isaac’s belt. Isaac reluctantly unhooked it and handed it
over.
“Sorry to say this, but I also need to take your computer system
for this occasion.” The older man grinned, exposing a few broken teeth.
“Please hand it over.”
Isaac’s expression didn’t change. “I think not. What am I
supposed to do, hack you in the middle of a crowd with everyone watching me and
with no means of actually connecting? Besides, you’re just going to plant a
tracer in it anyway, so you might as well save me the time it’ll take to fish
it out later by letting me keeping it.”
The doorkeeper laughed. “You’re a bright one, lad. I was only
joking with you, anyway – you can keep it. Go on in.”
Isaac nodded, although privately he believed that it hadn’t been
a joke. He was just a little too prepared. He straightened his belt to account
for the sudden imbalance in weight before proceeding down the hall. Despite the
fact that he knew the place was secure, he continued to glance at every little
nook; every little flaw in the stone; every little scratch on the floor. His
life on the streets had taught him to be observant – a deathtrap could be
waiting around any corner.
He adjusted the shoulder strap of his laptop case once again. The
voices were growing louder. Turning the corner, Isaac found himself confronted
by a small assembly hall. Already inside the room was a cluster of people,
mingling about at the end closest to his point of entry. There was also a
smaller group of others at the far end, on a slightly raised podium.
Isaac focused on those people first – they were obviously the
higher ranks of the organization to which he was about to join, and thus it
would serve him to memorize their faces. They were all dressed in what would be
considered average garments in the decent part of Alhafra, but appeared to be of
high prestige in the slums. The person that really drew Isaac’s attention was
the youngest looking man present. He had blond hair that was lighter in colour
than Isaac’s, and he was a little shorter than most people of that age. He
looked even younger than Isaac was, but he was talking with the other officials
as if he had been with them since his birth.
Knowing that they were probably waiting on a few more people, Isaac
decided to mingle with the rest of the crowd for a while. He wasn’t really the
social kind, but perhaps he could pick up some information amidst the chatter.
He was not yet an official member of these people, after all – any information
he could scrounge up would probably be of some value in the right hands, should
he choose not to remain in their vicinity.
Before he could join any of the private conversations, however, one
found him first. A young girl about his age approached him slowly. She was of
average height, and had plain brown hair that was tied back with a small red
band. Her eyes were the same brown as her hair – not strikingly beautiful, but
not dull by any standards. She was garbed in clothing similar to his that
covered all her skin from neck down, except hers was entirely black rather than
dark gray. Instead of an energy blade, she carried a holster for an energy
pistol around her waist. Needless to say, it was empty – the weapon probably
waiting with his energy blade at the entrance. She seemed curious about Isaac
for some reason, and this immediately made him suspicious.
The girl apparently realized this, and she straightened. She gave a
cheery little smile.
“Sorry about staring – you just struck me as familiar for some
reason.” She extended her hand. “My name’s Jenna.”
“I’m Isaac.” He took the hand and shook it briefly. Already
he was taking in information – a steady grip, not too strong but reasonable.
She seemed friendly enough, but first impressions were not always the most
correct. “Don’t worry about the staring thing.” He paused. “Familiar?”
Something in his expression must have revealed his real feelings,
and Jenna shook her head. “Not the ‘I saw you on the wanted poster’
familiar. I just thought I knew you from somewhere else. Forget it.” She
cleared her throat. “Where are you from?”
“Nowhere in particular,” Isaac replied. He could tell that the
question wasn’t directed about his birthplace – it was about his
affiliations. “I’m just a street-kid who learnt how to hack the Net when he
was younger. I don’t have a group, though.”
Jenna nodded. “I’m the same – just a drifter.” She glanced
around briefly. “Out of interest, do you know how they’re going to work
everything? Not just while we’re here tonight, I mean – how things will work
out if we become full-fledged members.”
“Don’t ask me - you’ve been here longer than I have.” Isaac
shrugged. “Nobody has really told me anything special before coming here.”
“Well, the reason I’m asking you is because of something one of
these people mentioned.” Jenna gestured with a flick of her head to a small
group of middle-age men. “They said that we have to run a few trial jobs
before gaining total trust, and we do these with a partner that is roughly our
age. By the looks of it, you and I are the youngest present.”
“Perhaps that means we’ll be paired together,” Isaac said
with a slight smile. Jenna’s cheer was infectious, for some reason.
“I look forward to it,” she replied.
“May we have your attention please,” came a voice from the far
end of the crowd. Isaac and Jenna turned towards the podium – a man dressed in
an expensive gray suit was standing at the fore of the raised platform. He stood
before a microphone, and looked slightly impatient.
“Well, time to find out,” Jenna said. Her expression had become
completely blank and unreadable in an instant – a trait that Isaac was
slightly jealous of.
When the majority of people had ended their private talks and were
facing the podium, the grey-suited man continued. His expression was as blank as
Jenna’s. “Thank you. Firstly, welcome to this establishment. For the
snitches in the crowd, do not get ideas – this is not one of our regular
assembly points, so there is no point in squealing to other organizations.”
This comment elicited a few forced laughs – the collected crowd apparently
didn’t appreciate the humor.
“Alright. To more serious matters, I must thank you for coming
tonight. Our group is one of immense importance to the continuance of Weyard –
no matter how inflated that notion may sound. As such, we don’t really have
time to waste – our enemies could be moving as we speak, so I’ll get
straight to the point.” He paused. “We are members of the hacking
organization known as the Elementalists. Unlike the other organizations that you
may be affiliated with, however, we are not concerned about petty matters such
as social status and monetary resources. We are concerned with the safety of our
world.”
This was news to Isaac – most other organizations cared for
themselves and only themselves. Of course, it could be just a farce, but it was
not what he had been expecting to hear.
“I’m sure most of you are aware of the Proxian war of a few
decades ago.” The man took in the glances of everyone that was assembled
before him. “I’m not sure how much you all know, so I’ll mention a few
points. The war was triggered because other nations, primarily Prox and its
allies, became jealous of the Lemurian developed Net – the very thing that
sparks your livelihood today. Well, no-one seems to be aware that Prox, now, is
jealous once again.
“When Prox was defeated after about a decade of fighting, the
Lemurians stripped the country of everything it had – technology, resources,
allies, and most importantly status in the world. Once, Prox was the chief
supplier of all technology to everywhere in Weyard, following the disappearance
of the Tundarians. With the development of the Net, Lemuria took that position
and has remained this way since. Now, Prox is nothing but an isolated city in a
freezing cold northern region. And, needless to say, they still feel that they
deserve a place in Weyard. And so they have begun something some form of
research and experimentation that will give them ‘unbelievable power’, or so
the report says.”
Isaac knew some of this. He had found evidence that there was
Proxian research occurring all throughout Weyard at this moment. It was
extremely secret and undercover – the information had been extremely hard to
come by, and he doubted many people knew about its existence. But he had never
seen information regarding what the research consisted of – it merely spoke of
the fact that research and experimentation was underway, and that there were
many hidden funds being poured into it. He assumed that the purpose of the
Elementalists was to determine the nature of the Proxian experiments.
“Weyard is once again bordering on total warfare,” continued
the speaker. “And nearly no-one is aware of it. Should these experiments be
concluded successfully, then we imagine that Prox will not take a long time to
act. They will use their newfound power to strike hard and fast, returning the
world to the state that it was in only a few decades ago. A second Proxian War
will begin, and it’s highly unlikely that Lemuria be able to stop them this
time.”
A person lingering near the front of the crowd spoke up. “I
assume you mean to have us hack the experiments to pieces before they’re
complete?”
“That’s correct,” the speaker answered. “That’s why we,
the Elementalists, have formed ourselves – to uncover, identify, and eliminate
the experiments. Prox is quiet now, and they will remain quiet until and unless
the project is completed successfully. They don’t have the strength to fight
Lemuria or any other power now, so if we can stop the experiments...”
“Why?” said one person, standing to the side.
The man at the podium looked confused. “What?”
“Why?” repeated the other person. Most of the crowd members
were turning to face him. “Why should we stop the experiments? The Proxians
will remove all the governments of the world and institute their own order. And
that’s a better alternative to existing in what is standing here and now –
here, we are persecuted because of our trade, regardless of whether we are those
who hack to hurt or those who hack to help. Why should we stick our necks out
for them, when they have done nothing but victimize us?”
Isaac glanced at the other man. Out of the corner of his eye he
could see Jenna shaking her head at the man’s declaration. But Isaac did have
to admit that there was some sense in his words. Despite his quiet demeanor, he
didn’t hack to cause harm, or to disrupt the workings of society. He only did
it to help those in need. It may have sounded impossible, but he did. If people
were being wrongly treated or incarcerated for something that they didn’t do,
Isaac would see to it that they walked free. That was a shallow example, but it
was truthful. The blond-haired teen was not one to hack the Net just because he
felt like causing trouble, or just because he wanted to have fun with it.
And yet it was almost for nothing. He didn’t gain anything
beneficial from his endeavors, except for the standard payment that he received.
He didn’t get recognition. He was, instead, branded as a villain. He could
have been seen as a hero... sometimes Isaac felt that he deserved it. But he
wasn’t.
Jenna glanced at Isaac. Once again, she must have seen something in
his expression that hinted as his feelings, and he quickly wiped it clear.
“Are you considering what he’s saying?” Jenna asked him,
speaking at a regular level. Isaac had only just registered the noise – order
had been lost entirely by the Elementalist representatives, and the assembled
hackers were now conversing with each other about the rebellious man’s views.
“I was,” Isaac said. “There is some truth in what he’s
saying, after all.”
“Isaac...” Jenna sighed. “Are you one of those hackers too?
Just like nearly everyone else here?”
“Huh?” Isaac was confused. “What are you talking about?”
“You hack for your own self-interest.” Jenna’s voice was
hard, and almost angry. “You hack the Net because you want to divert funds for
yourself, or because you just want to be a menace. Or even worse – you just
hack because you can. There’s no purpose or justification – you just do
it.”
“That’s not true,” Isaac said simply. “Not true at all.”
“Then why are you here?” the brunette girl demanded.
“What’s your part in this? Why do you do what you do?”
“I do it because there are people out there who need help. People
on the Net are desperate for assistance in so many different ways, and others
are reluctant to help them. So that’s where I step in. I do what I can for
them, and if they require it, I hack to acquire it for them. And I refuse to do
it for someone who is going to use my assistance in a bad way.” Isaac looked
directly at her slowly softening features. “I am not like the other hackers
here – I do it because I want to help. Not out of some other notion. Don’t
ever mistake me for that again.”
A slight smile crept back onto Jenna’s face. “Well, at least I
didn’t misjudge you – I was hoping you’d say something like that. I do the
same – I help out others.”
“That’s good to know.” Isaac looked around. “I wouldn’t
classify less than half of these people in that category.”
“Yeah,” Jenna said quietly. “Listen up, then. I trust you for
now, Isaac. Don’t belittle that trust, or take it for granted. Because if you
destroy that trust, you won’t get it back.” She kept her gaze directly with
his. “Trust is something that is very important to me, so don’t make me
regret this decision.”
Isaac could see very well that Jenna meant every word, so he kept
his expression serious. “Don’t worry – I won’t betray that trust. I
swear it.”
“Attention!” came a new voice
from the podium. Isaac and Jenna turned towards it.
Replacing the other man was the shorter, blond-haired boy that
Isaac had picked out previously. His expression was sharp, and yet he seemed to
project a sense of calmness. He glanced at what seemed like each and every
individual that was assembled, before speaking again.
“You’ve had your talks about this person’s point of view.
That’s acceptable – I won’t persecute you for that. But the fact that you
are considering them without even listening to our own explanation is something
that I find stupid. Allow me to tell you why we are doing this, and why it is in
your best interest to support us for everyone’s sake.”
“Why should we listen to some kid?” a middle-aged woman yelled
out. “Give us a proper negotiator or we’ll leave!” A chorus of agreement
followed her words.
“Some evening this is turning out to be,” Jenna muttered, and
Isaac nodded in agreement.
“Allow me to answer that,” the boy replied. He still seemed
abnormally calm. “You should listen to me because I am aware of what is
happening, just like the other Elementalists present. I’m aware of it all
because I’m one of the hackers who discovered the information on the Proxian
research.”
“Yeah right!” another person called out.
“Yes, I am right,” he countered. “And I’m quite confident
that I’d be able to hack anything any of you here could assemble and protect.
Would anyone like to prove me wrong? I do not mean to sound cocky, but sometimes
it seems that that’s the only way to get my point across.” He cleared his
throat. “My name is Ivan, and I am among the best hackers in the Elementalist
society – age difference or no age difference. Age does not matter. Age is
nothing but a number that only causes discrimination. I say this now: if any of
you – any of you here wish to test me – then be my guest. I’ll connect to
your system and hack it to pieces before you can even say ‘wow, I shouldn’t
have done that’.”
Isaac wasn’t too sure of this Ivan person’s claims. But then,
it would explain how someone of his age would gain such prestige in a hacking
organization like this one. And he wasn’t willing to risk his laptop to test
his claim. After all, his security wasn’t really that impressive.
Judging by the sudden silence it was apparent that everyone else
shared his beliefs.
“That’s more like it,” Ivan said. He cleared his throat.
“Now then. As we’ve already explained, the Elementalists are dedicated to
halting the expansion of Prox, and the undertaking of their experiments.” The
young man glanced at the original agitator, who stared defiantly back. “Why?
There are several reasons why.
“The first is a very simple reason. That is because the Proxians
threaten us. It may not be overt, and it may not seem possible in such a short
time after the conclusion of the first war with them. But it is happening.
People aren’t aware of it. But the Proxians are undertaking these experiments
to give them greater power. Once they have it, it’s obvious that they’re
going to use it. After all, what is the point of investing so many resources
into these experiments if the results are going to be locked away and never
used?” He paused, letting a few of the smaller conversations fill the gaps.
“Especially when the experiments are being used on humans?”
All conversation halted immediately. Nothing moved for several
moments. But then two officials stepped forward.
“Enough, Ivan!” one said. “There was no need to frighten
these people now, before we’re even sure if these rumours are true!”
“Sit,” Ivan said quietly. “They have every right to know what
we have uncovered – after all, there are many among these people who will be
part of our organization in just a short time.” He continued to stare at the
two Elementalists before they finally backed down and stepped back. “Thank
you.”
Ivan faced the crowd again. Isaac had to acknowledge that he was an
exceptional orator. “Now you know another reason. The experiments are indeed
human in nature, or at least that’s what the reports that we’ve received
say. Unfortunately, we have no agents in the research project at the moment, and
the security regarding them is extremely tight. But we are fairly that Proxians
are conducting their research and then implementing it on human subjects. We
have no idea what the results are, but this alone is an inexcusable act, and I
personally will continue to fight it until breath leaves my body.”
“He’s good,” Jenna murmured. She gestured to the crowd –
most of them were paying extremely close attention to the teenage boy addressing
them.
“Now, more to the point.” Ivan looked at the crowd once again.
“The Proxians will obviously be enhancing the ability of their research
specimens in some way. And needless to say, this can only be used for a warlike
purpose – otherwise there would not be as many resources poured into the
projects. If they declare war again, then we can most assuredly say that Lemuria
will retaliate by declaring their own hostilities against them. The rest of
Weyard is sure to follow.
“Many of you may say that you don’t care. You may even want the
Proxians to come forth and wipe out all the governments of the world, meaning
that the social ladder is eroded and you all spring to the top. Hacking will no
longer be illegal – it would be a highly respected practice. This is your
paradise. But the Proxians would not have this. If you inspected Proxian laws,
you will find that they are extremely obsessed with hackers. They are persecuted
at a much greater level than any of you have experienced before. It took them a
long time and a lot of effort before the Lemurians gave them Net access, and
they’re not exactly open with it.” Ivan paused. “In fact, unless I’m
mistaken, the punishment for even minor hacking in Prox is imprisonment for
life. Or even the death sentence.
“Should the Proxians wipe out the governments of Weyard’s other
societies, then they will impose their own in their stead. If that happens, we
hackers lose entirely. We exist now – admittedly, it’s not the most
respectable existence, but it is our life, and many of us appreciate this. The
Proxians would see fit to end that life. So that’s why you are here tonight
– to help the Elementalists stop the Proxians. Not for your own financial
gains – to ensure the continuation of our life as we know it.” Ivan bowed
slightly. “That’ll be all.” He turned and stepped back amidst the cluster
of other Elementalist officials.
Isaac had to resist the urge to whistle. “I don’t think any of
the other officials could have put it in that way,” he commented to Jenna.
“Because of how he approached this, he’s probably convinced a vast majority
of these people to side with them when they were in doubt before.”
“It’s because he’s a hacker like us,” Jenna guessed. “He
knows how we think, and how we act, he knew exactly what keys to press in order
to bring us over to his side.”
Isaac nodded. “I imagine so.” He looked at the ground. “What
are you going to do? Side with them?”
“I think so,” Jenna replied. “After that speech, I can hardly
afford not to. And even if it’s only for the sake of saving those people who
are being experimented on, I’ll do it anyway.”
Isaac weighed the possibilities in his head. “I think I have to
agree with you.” He passed his gaze amongst the crowd again. Everywhere,
people were discussing what Ivan had said. Debates were breaking out amongst the
group as people argued whether to take the plunge and join the Elementalists or
not.
“Attention please,” said the original speaker. He had taken up
his position in front of the microphone again. “Ivan here has described the
situation to you, so now you know what cards have been played. It is up to you
now. If you have decided to not join our organization, then the exit is at the
back of the room. Please use it now.”
The room remained still for a moment, then several people moved
towards the exit hallway and slipped out, including the original agitator that
had challenged the speaker. The rest of the hackers stayed.
“Good. Now, we require all of you to fill a form with your
details on it. Once that is complete, you will be dismissed. We will contact you
in a couple of days and provide you with the details pertaining to how the
Elementalists work, and what you will be assigned to do.” Another person
stepped forward and murmured something into his air. “Oh yes. Please keep in
mind that once you have been contacted, there are several routine exercises that
we must test you with first. You must be assigned a partner for these, and you
will also be partnered with this person for the first few assignments. You’ll
learn more about our system of work in that time, and you’ll be able to decide
how you wish to proceed at a later date.”
Isaac noticed that Ivan was watching the assembled crowd with a
hawk-like gaze. The blond-haired Elementalist’s eyes passed across him for a
moment, before moving on.
“So we do have to have a partner,” Jenna commented. “Since we
seem to be the only ones here our age, shall we work together?”
Isaac smiled slightly. “I see no reason why not. It’s better to
work in a partnership that has a union of trust, wouldn’t you say?”
“I would,” Jenna replied with a smile. “Let’s get these
forms signed so we can get out of here and get some rest.”
“Agreed.”
The two teens moved towards the front of the crowd and began
filling in their information. Isaac had never been someone who liked writing
things, and the forms only aggravated that feeling. His medical information, his
qualifications, his capabilities with computers, his fighting skills... the list
went on. After several minutes of filling in the information, he and Jenna
handed their forms over and pushed their way through the crowd to the exit. They
retrieved their weapons from the doorkeeper and walked out onto the Alhafran
streets.
“So you’re a gun fighter?” Isaac asked, glancing at the now
filled holster at her hip. Inside was a sleek-appearing black pistol. Isaac
could see by the shape of the barrel and the muzzle that it was an energy
weapon, not one of the archaic projectile guns that many people still used.
“That’s right.” Jenna tapped the weapon slightly with her
forefinger. “I’m not much good at it though – it’s mostly for
self-defense.”
“I see.” Isaac nodded. “Well, I’m going to get out of this
area for a while.” He smiled at Jenna. “It’s been good to meet you.”
“The same to you,” Jenna replied with a courteous little
flourish. “I look forward to our next encounter, especially if we’re going
to be partners.”
“Indeed.” Isaac nodded and moved to the left. “Until the next
time.”
The two began walking in their respective directions.
---
It was so hard to keep a grip on reality. Especially when you
couldn’t even differentiate your reality with your dreams.
His head was filled with a constant pain that hadn’t lessened in
so long. He still had conscious thought, but true wakefulness was denied to him.
His head spun continuously, and he was never really sure if he was sleeping or
if he was awake. The concept of time passing had vanished from his mind
entirely.
But at this moment, he was beginning to take hold of more and more
things. His sense of touch was slowly returning... he could feel something
gripping his arms and legs. He couldn’t remember too much, so he tried to
focus on his latest memory.
Oh, that was right. He had been attempting to accomplish his
mission in Tundaria Tower. Unfortunately, Alex had found him and had stopped him
before he was able to do anything. Of course, it was Alex that the mission
related to – he was the one who had been supplying information to the Proxians
for a very long time. King Hydros of Lemuria found out about this though and had
sent him, Piers, to thwart his search for any Tundarian plans. Before he was
able to safely remove them, Alex had intercepted him.
There had been a blow to the head. Before that, he remembered sharp
pains in his side that had continued for a very long time. That had been his
broken rib that Alex had kicked in. But... Piers struggled to make sense of
everything. Something was out place, and he couldn’t determine what it was.
Of course. That was it – he couldn’t feel the dull ache of the
snapped bone anymore. It had healed entirely. That suggested that he had been in
this state for a very long time indeed.
Suddenly he felt something hard against his face. He was too weak
to move though, and he couldn’t do anything about it. Instead, the Lemurian
agent focused hard on regaining his senses. Slowly, his vision cleared, and he
was able to focus his eyes once again. He could feel cold metal underneath his
fingertips. Something was pressed up against him.
He was lying on the floor. Piers nodded inwardly – he was
regaining everything. He wondered if he could move – it was probably unwise,
but he needed to do it. He had no idea of where he was, or what was currently
happening. All he knew was that his rib had healed in the time between Tundaria
and where he was now, which suggested that he had been out for an extensive
period.
“Are... are you awake?”
It was a female voice, and it was very young. Piers couldn’t see
the speaker, but he slowly pulled himself up into a sitting position. It was not
a wise decision – his head immediately began swimming again, and he slumped
against the wall in sudden weakness.
“Oh dear...” said the voice again. “D-do you need help? Can I
help you at all?”
Piers tried to get his jaw working again. “You can start...” he
mumbled quietly, “by ex-pah-lai-ning where I am...”
“Oh...” the voice sounded very upset, and Piers wondered why.
“Didn’t you know? You’re in Prox.”
Piers almost jolted upright. Once again he felt the dizziness
strike at his mind, and he forced himself to fight it and keep himself awake. He
couldn’t afford to collapse again – he needed to learn more about his
situation.
“Prox?” he said. His voice was becoming stronger.
“Yes. But this isn’t just any part of Prox – this is the
prison. Or, that’s what it seems like.” He felt something touch his arm
gently, and he forced his head to swing around and face it.
Crouched beside him was a young teenage girl. She had blonde hair
arranged into a bowl shape, and strangely tinted blue eyes that looked almost
purple. The style and cut of her clothing was of Lalivero.
“Are you okay?” she said quietly, in an almost sad voice.
Piers’ senses were becoming stronger again by the second. “You seem really
sick.”
“I’m not sick,” Piers assured. “Judging from the way I
feel, and the way I’ve been feeling for quite a while, I’d say I was
drugged, that’s all.” He groaned. “A prison cell in Prox – that’s just
great. That just proves that Alex really is working for them...”
“Alex?” the girl said in surprise. “You know him?”
“Much to my disgust,” Piers responded. “Why?”
“He’s one of my captors. They occasionally bring me into
another room and perform some physical tests on my, and he’s always present
when this happens. He hasn’t ever spoken to me directly, but I did catch his
name from another conversation he was in. Occasionally he mutters something
about the ‘next stage’, or something else relating to research.” The girl
gulped slightly. “I think they’re going to use me in it...”
“I see.” Piers sighed. “Well, I’m not going to be of much
use in here. What’s your name?”
“I’m Sheba.” She managed to give him a very slight smile.
“What’s yours?”
“I’m Piers.” He chewed on his lip for a moment. “While
I’m here, I might as well learn as much as I can...” he glanced at Sheba.
“If it’s not too hard for you to face, is it possible that you’ll explain
what you know of this research?”
“Well, I guess I can, but I really don’t know much about it.
Why are you so interested in it, anyway?” Sheba looked at him inquisitively.
“I’m a Lemurian agent,” he answered. “Alex is also a
Lemurian, but he’s been secretly providing information to the Proxians about
various things. I was sent to stop him, but he got me first. Hence why I’m
here.” Piers shrugged. “But just in case I ever escape or get out of here, I
need to know what I can so I can still report to King Hydros. Can you help
me?”
“I can try to help. But only on one condition,” Sheba said.
“If you get out, take me with you.”
Piers smiled slightly. “Of course. I wouldn’t just leave you
behind to fend for yourself.” He thought for a moment. “So. What do you know
of the research Alex mentioned?”
“I only know things that I’ve overheard in conversations
between other people around. But I did hear Alex and another blue-haired Proxian
man talk about it when I was supposed to be asleep. They said a few things about
the research. Firstly, they said that the research was almost ready for humans.
And secondly, they called it a project.”
“Did you hear a name?” Piers asked. “Did they call it
anything? Even that would be helpful.”
Sheba looked up at the metal ceiling. “Project Psynergy.”
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