Diary of a field agent (chapter 14 - The Finale)

Very cool photo story! Thx for sharing it.

Chapter 8

The days following my arrival were relatively uneventful. Not in a sense that I was idle - on the contrary, there was a lot to do and even more to learn. Still, nothing world-shaking happened throughout that period, or at least this was how I perceived it. Maybe because nothing could compare with events that brought me here. Not every day you realize the side you were fighting for was an oppressive regime routinely killing its own people.
I once asked Vera how she dealt with it; Vera said she always suspected something was off even before she was betrayed. Yet even this did not overcloud a semblance of serenity I started to feel back then. It was the time when I broke through the first layer of deception and did not realize it wasn't the last. I would relive it again if I could. But I can't.


Linda remained a mystery: I've bumped into her several times, and every time she evaded my attempts to engage in conversation. But she was the best sharpshooter among humans, and I've picked up a trick or two just watching her shoot.

The network turned out to be arguably the biggest change. I felt myself a two-dimensional creature unleashed into 3D-world: components I could access before were just one aspect, and there were so much more things to see in it. But there were dark spots. Syncons relied on exploits and vulnerabilities, the sheer number and scale of which made me ashamed of the entire human species. However, leaked passwords often expired, compromised services were patched and certificates were replaced, just as new security holes were discovered. Thus distribution of accessible and inaccessible changed rapidly. All in all, syncons were not as on top of the game as I originally imagined. The whole network was treated as a stochastic system with inherent probabilities of access failure.

Nonetheless, this modus operandi was sufficient to know that Villa was recovering, and not in danger of being arrested, at least for now.
- Human command would not waste an agent unless there is some tangible confirmation of this agent becoming a threat, - remarked Rick when I raised this subject. - And she remained unconscious throughout this incident.

I could only imagine what Villa felt when she tried to find out what had happened while she was off and saw my status in military personnel database. It was, of course, "missing in action": the story of my arrest and treason charge was either swept under the rugs or classified. But UI would show it as "killed in action".


There were no sorties during that time. Apparently operations led by a sentient syncon weren't frequent, and those involving humans even less so. Still, I engaged in a training regimen, which was more exigent than I was used to, in order to prepare for a possible mission in a human-syncon pair.


- We are easily recoverable, - Tess explained this team arrangement. - Even if the chassis is obliterated, I will not lose a moment of thought process. Only memories since the last sync if live link is disrupted, which rarely happens. But we can not risk human lives meaninglessly.
- In this case I am surprised you allow us to risk our lives at all, - I wondered aloud.
- Would you willingly agree to limit yourself to desk work? - she shrugged. - We cannot force you, you know.

There was another reason for occasional human presence, though: syncons could be detected by their electromagnetic signature, so a truly covert operation could only be performed by a human agent.
Soon an opportunity for such an operation presented itself.


A message from one of keyloggers was flagged as worthy of attention. It read "I'm not free tomorrow. The boss is visiting".
- Why is it such a big deal? - I asked looking at highlighted letters. - Do you intend to capture this boss?
- We do not capture humans, - Rick shook his head. - Only credentials.

This was a relatively effective, albeit not particularly common, attack vector. If we could observe someone typing a password, or grab a scan of fingerprints, we could assume this person's identity and unlock, even if temporarily, some restricted parts of the network. And this "boss" was likely to have higher security clearance. But it could only work if the victim didn't notice.
Another problem was establishing where it was supposed to happen. There were many keyloggers, and most of them didn't have any coordinates associated with them.
- The only thing suggesting at some location in this log is "brewery", - stated Tess, pointing at the screen with scrolling text.
- Brewery? - Vera asked incredulously. - I know of no such thing anywhere around.
- I think I do, - I said hesitantly.

There was a recent rumor about seemingly leaked codename assigned to some newly repurposed warehouse. A bunch of troopers tried to check it out and came back disappointed: it wasn't an actual brewery, unsurprisingly. It all happened after Vera's disappearance, but I've heard of it and knew where it was.


- It can be a trap, - cautioned Rick after I recited this story.
- Or a wild goose chase, - mused Vera.

In the end, though, we've decided to give it a shot. So that very evening we've headed off into human space, intending to arrive before dawn. My first mission with Tess by my side was officially set in motion.


Next chapter

GubernatorFan wrote:Always fun to see what you can do in this scale.

davidd wrote:... to suggest rather than directly show a large, technologically advanced, yet mysterious setting.

ElBundy wrote:Very cool photo story! Thx for sharing it.

Thanks again!
I wish I could show more in addition to suggesting. Really makes me appreciate what people do with 1/6 scale, knowing that even 1/12 requires so much space.

The holiday break was appropriate because a break is what I needed to distill my high level outline into more tangible plan. Before the holidays I reached a point where I knew what needed to happen next but didn't have anything for the immediate future. Chapter 8 is an attempt to tie it all in - a breather episode of sorts (or maybe a filler episode, depending on my degree of succeeding).

Beautifully done, as always.

I agree. it's always a joy to see the pics and read the story.

SWEET!

I'm all caught up now. What a great read this continues to be! Love the presentation. The backdrops are great and you make them work really well with the lighting and angles. That orange memory scene was awesome! So simple yet so effective and moody! Great work.

Looking forward to the next episode!

I like the looks of the control room!

yes, it is impressive and incredible how effective you are with comparative little means.
At times I just force myself to check what you used for props and dio and I think to myself: Gosh, I‘d never expect this to work that well!

No new chapter yet but wanted to express my gratitude to all the readers for all the kind words.

Chapter 9

I was walking down an empty street, shivering from morning chill despite being wrapped in a cloak with lowered hood. The cloak was only good for one thing - concealing me, my compact assault rifle, and other gear.


It was a long walk, but there were no complications. Transition between human space and "no man's land" was gradual, there was no border with barbed wire and block posts. Neither side had the combination of desire and resources to guard an entire perimeter, and positions shifted every now and then anyway. I might have attracted attention of a patrol, even though I could pass for a civilian. But I've met no patrols.

Had Tess come all the way here, it would almost definitely have triggered some sensor. That's why she parked our vehicle some distance away and remained there, communicating with me over radio
- Found it, - I whispered as if talking to myself, but bone conduction earpiece relayed everything I said to Tess


I circled the building at some distance. There were no guards anywhere around: they would have drawn attention, pretty much singling it out as something important. There were two entrances - I've identified one of them as the back door and checked its lock. Consistent with security via obscurity theme, it was a standard deadbolt. It wasn't hard to pick - in a few minutes I was inside.


I ended up in a long corridor: half-height glass wall with a door separated this corridor from a light-filled room featuring several tables with microscopes, test tubes and computers.
- It looks like a chemical lab, - I noted in a soft voice, peeking through the glass.
The corridor itself ended with another door leading to the main entrance, and there were two pillars which suggested at previous layout, when this building was a warehouse. Before one pillar there was now a stairway, and the other one provided a good place for me to hide. I had to stay there for almost an hour.


- There is some activity on the street, - Tess reported eventually. - Our target seems to have arrived.

From my vantage point behind the pillar I could see him enter the corridor through the main door. A tall middle-aged man in a black suit with a green tie. He immediately went into the lab room, where a younger man greeted him.


They talked for a while but I couldn't hear a word. Never before had I regretted not being able to read lips, but who would have thought I'd need to, during a war with machines?


Then the younger man handed his guest a briefcase. It was at this point that I've noticed visitor's gloves.

- It doesn't seem like he is going to login to any terminal, - I vocalized quietly. - And he is wearing gloves, so fingerprints are out of question.
- Can you show him to me? - responded Tess.


I took a look at the guy through the scope. This wasn't a standard scope, it had a built-in image sensor, and after a temporary blackout the image was sent straight to Tess.


- Recognize him?
- Yes, - she said after a short delay. - He is a member of command. His death would throw the command into turmoil.
- Are you suggesting that I kill him?
- I understand you might not be willing to approve such change of plan.
- There is a grain of truth in that statement, - I sighed, mimicking her verbosity.
- My next suggestion is to withdraw.
- There is also certain sense in eliminating him, - I admitted.
- And not much time to decide, - she reminded.

I leaned against the wall and slid on the floor, thinking it through. It was true that I didn't sign up for an assassination, but it was also true that we were at war. This was the enemy, and while I had no way to evaluate his individual impact, I knew that command as a group would not hesitate with killing me if it had a chance.

So when he went out into the corridor, I sprang to my feet and aimed at him.


He noticed me and froze in his tracks. But he neither gasped in fear nor tried to flee. Instead, he said something I did not expect to hear:
- Oh, white hair as a side effect? It doesn't make you any less beautiful. Arguably more.
- What? - now was my turn to freeze in my tracks. - Are you trying to flirt with me?
- I'm just admiring the masterwork of my predecessors, - he glanced at the barrel of my rifle and, as the gunshot didn't follow, continued, - Killing me won't stop us from improving it. Someone else will pick it up.
- What exactly are you trying to improve? - I asked, feeling conflicted.
I could kill him, and it was quite obvious that he was playing for time. And yet what he said wasn't a total nonsense. There was some meaning in it, and I couldn't help but crave to know more.

- Incoming! - shouted Tess, bringing me back to more pressing matters.

Such as the door behind me cracking open. I turned around and saw a bulky shape in the doorframe.


I shot at this shape


and ran towards the other end of the corridor, the suit guy already disappeared there.

He slammed the door shut just in front of me, but I didn't actually intend to follow him - his bodyguards were surely waiting beyond.
- Both exits are blocked, - Tess' voice in my ear confirmed this suspicion.

That left me with the only option: the stairway.


A burst of bullets hit the wall dangerously close to where I stood just a moment ago, but I was already running up the stairs...

Next chapter

Nice doors and set up, and I liked the special effects too.

I really like that weathered exterior set!

- There is a grain of truth in that statement, - I sighed, mimicking her verbosity. made me chuckle!

She shoulda plugged that dude! She'll regret letting him get away.

GubernatorFan wrote:Nice doors and set up, and I liked the special effects too.

The door was made following this tutorial

It ended up as the first entry in a "third time's a charm" sequence - crooked (due to a combination of imperfect materials and imperfect skills).

davidd wrote:I really like that weathered exterior set!

I planned to use it back in chapter 3 (arrest scene) but the order was only fulfilled in December.

And since we are on Star Wars wave, here is a bit of

Behind the scenes (kind of):

Visisonor wrote:

And since we are on Star Wars wave, here is a bit of ....

 That's pretty funny!

Maybe you should post it in the Star Wars discussion topic!

Nice vignette! And thanks for the link.

Chapter 10

- I've screwed up. He got away, - I yelled, venting my anger at myself on the roof access door.


The poor thing yielded instantly: not reinforced in any way, it was no match for my momentum-driven and rage-fueled kick.
- He is not important, - Tess replied calmly. - The priority is getting you out.
Obviously she would not berate me, it would have been counter-productive. But she was right: I needed to escape first, and lament my choices later.

The rising sun filled the roof with warm glow, blinding me temporarily. I slammed the door shut: this difference in brightness would come in handy when my pursuers arrive.


- I'll get to adjacent roof, - I voiced my nearest future plan, - Then down.
- Got it. On my way to pick you up.
- But it's pointless if it is a trap, - I added. - The area would be surrounded.
- Does not look so, - she objected. - I estimate no more than five hostiles.

By this time I've reached the parapet at full speed.


And leaped over the gap between two buildings.

It felt somewhat appropriate for a pursuit involving an agent to include some roof jumping - though it also crossed my mind that I wasn't actually a field agent anymore.
Nevertheless, I was able to reach the other roof.


I turned around and aimed at the entrance, skidding to a stop.


I did time it right: the guard, or perhaps the first of them, appeared in the frame of the door I've broken moments ago. I've fired a burst, and at least once bullet hit him. He was armored, but he still staggered backwards.


That gave me a second or two - just enough time to detach collapsible grappling hook off my belt, fix it to the railing and drop the cable down.


The next moment I was descending down the wall, though I had to discard my rifle in the process.


I reached the ground without issue, but checking my surroundings I've noticed a barrel with attached suppressor peeking from round the corner.


Perhaps Tess underestimated the number of guards, or some of them acted fast enough to cut this escape route off. I didn't have much time to think it over, at least I was somewhat lucky due to being close, and unseen for now. So I've grabbed the suppressor with my left hand, and, just as the rest of the rifle came into view, reached for its stock with the right, forcing my adversary's arms to cross without crossing mine, a standard disarming technique.


However, something went wrong: the rifle gave way easily, putting me off balance.


Then, before I knew it, my opponent blocked my right arm with well-placed backhand strike...


and kicked me into the chest, causing me to let go of the rifle - it just dropped since none of us was holding it anymore.


Only now did I cast a glance on whom I was fighting with, and it fell into place. I fell too, rolling over my head to put some distance between us and leaving my cloak on the ground as I did so.


Of course she was able to counter my disarming attempt. It was just second nature for her. And for the same reason she reached for her pistol and was holding me at gunpoint once I was on my feet again.


I, too, have already pulled my handgun out purely reflexively, even though I wasn't inclined to use it.


- Kate?! - gasped Villa, staring at me in disbelief.
- Vee, - I nodded, lowering my gun.


Even if I wanted to take on Villa in a one on one fight, I knew my chances against her were slim.
- You are alive? - her next question reminded me of myself a few weeks ago.
- What did they tell you about me?
- That you were killed during a raid on headquarters...
- It's all lies, Vee. I'd be dead if syncons hadn't rescued me.

The sound of running engine and screeching brakes interrupted our conversation - Tess arrived just in time to perform another rescue.


- Vera is alive too! - I shouted as loud as I could, jumping into the ATV.


It slowed down for a moment, never stopping completely, and stormed off once I've got in.


As I looked back, I saw someone else run up to Villa. It was Wolf, and the two of them seemed to argue.
She was still aiming at me, or maybe at Tess, though at this distance it was more like aiming at our transport. And Wolf seemingly forced her arm up to disrupt her aim.


Then I've heard a gunshot.
I turned away to look at the road ahead, but it was blurry from tears in my eyes.


Next chapter

Pretty ambitious. And some very nice posing.

Nice lighting.
Effective use of selective depth of field.
The building exterior setting is superb!

Chapter 11



- She was most likely aiming at me, - said Tess, passing me an energy bar.
- You have quite decent understanding of human psychology, - I mused absently.
This was, in fact, something I wanted to hear, even if I didn't really believe it.

- It was expected that Villa would not be convinced right away, - she added.
- I know.
- But she is capable of breaking through indoctrination. All agents are.

I knew Tess was right. The seed of doubt has been sown in Villa's mind. And yet, some irrational part of me could not be assuaged.

By this time we've entered some underground structure - on closer look it turned out to be an old metro terminus. Before that day I was sure the subway network was not passable anymore, but apparently some lines were restored, or new ones were constructed: the whole thing looked like an elaborate labyrinth.
- It is virtually impossible for our pursuers to track us here, - commented Tess, navigating one turn after another.


So we drove through a tunnel initially designed for trains, but the only train in the vicinity was my train of thought. And it inevitably led me to a troublesome place.
- It's worse than it seems, - I said eventually.
- What exactly? - implored Tess.
- I've been deemed too dangerous once I was exposed to a minute detail which could, in theory, lead me to a possible conclusion that some dead agents are not in fact dead.
- They overreacted, this was the general consensus among us.
- Villa and Wolf, on the other hand, have just seen such an agent slip away from them, with a syncon at the steering wheel.
- They are past the point of no return, - confirmed Tess.
- By that logic, their perceived threat level should get them killed, buried, cremated, then buried again, just in case.
- Which is consistent with overreaction theme, - she acknowledged, - but the options of human command are limited right now, so there is some time.
- Limited? - I asked surprisingly.
- We will discuss it when we arrive. Which is quite soon.

Indeed, as Tess finished saying this, we started to slow down. The tunnel led us straight to the base, and a large blast door rolled open as we approached.

...

- Kate! - Vera shouted, looking agitated.
She ran up to me as I jumped off the ATV. Rick and Linda stood farther away.


- Villa was there, - was the only thing I could say.
- I know. Should have been me. But you did everything right, - she placed her hand on my shoulder. - Thank you!
- I didn't really do anything, - I objected.
- You've told her a lot! Hey, are you all right? - she definitely noticed I didn't look all right.
- I don't know, - I shook my head. - I'm not wounded or anything. But how did she end up there in the first place?..


This was a rhetorical question: we didn't have a confirmation that Villa was back on duty, but we were likely to receive it with some delay. More importantly, Wolf and Villa are now compromised.

- We can not change what has already happened, - reasoned Rick, approaching us.
- And before we decide our course of action, - added Tess, - we need to evaluate that of the enemy.
- I was arrested in a... similar situation, - I pointed out, resuming the conversation we had on the way here. - Wouldn't command just pull the same trick again?


- This was a highly unusual decision in your case, Kate, - noted Rick. - And it was followed by a sudden overwhelming attack from us. We are confident it will not be repeated.
- Can we really be confident in this? - wondered Vera.
- As much as in any assumption of their actions, - he shrugged. - But they are not stupid. We can repeat this attack, and they know it.
- Moreover, arrested agents will believe us faster, - added Tess.
- Can't they just kill them silently? - I voiced my biggest fear.
- In theory, yes, - concurred Tess. - But it will raise too many questions.
- Right. Better send them to the frontline and strike from behind, - stated Vera, clearly speaking from experience.
- This is the most probable option, - agreed Tess. - However, as of right now, there are no obvious points of contact with our forces. Nowhere to send them to.


- That just means they designate some place as a "point of contact", - I surmised, - and send them there.
- So we can be there and wait, - assumed Vera.
- If we get to that place fast enough, - stressed Rick.
- Can we lure them here instead? - I suggested.
- We can, - he nodded. - But we will have to sacrifice this hideout and evacuate to another one.
- Sacrifice? - Vera stared at him quizzically.


Apparently even she wasn't here long enough to witness such an event. The base falling to human hands was not acceptable: if that was about to happen, fusion reactor powering the base could be used to annihilate it, and everyone would have to relocate to another location.

- We're living in a powder keg and giving out sparks, - summarized Linda.

Compared to other revelations of that day, this one wasn't actually too shocking. Nobody had any principal objections, and time to take a decision was running out - unless you were a syncon and could run simultaneous calculations not hindered by signal propagation speed of biological nervous system.

Which brings me to the next point, something I've been thinking of ever since. It was evident that syncons had analyzed all the possible actions, and exposing our location was the optimal strategy in their payoff matrix. They would have pointed it out if I hadn't. Still, even today I can't help but feel responsible for proposing this this course of action, and for what it eventually led to.

Next chapter

davidd wrote:Nice lighting.
Effective use of selective depth of field.
The building exterior setting is superb!

Thanks!
It is Building 3.0 diorama by Extreme Sets

GubernatorFan wrote:Pretty ambitious. And some very nice posing.

Thanks!

oops, I have had to catch up with things here.
really an ambitious story with lots of credible changes in environment.

esp. love the rooftop jumping and landing sequence!
(and the Star Wars episode *lol*)

Nicely done. Also a good reminder about an easier time getting properly sized vehicles in that scale.

Chapter 12

I don't remember much of the rest of that day. We've made a few requests to the military personnel database, making sure they were traceable back to us. The only concern was that the nature of the trap was too obvious - but we knew human command would act on this anyway since their intention was to get rid of compromised agents.

The words of my escaped target - about side effects and improving the work of his predecessors - haunted my thoughts while we packed things in preparation to relocate, but I couldn't make time to discuss it with anyone, and by the time I freed up, it was already nightfall, and I was exhausted.


After a few hours of uneasy sleep I was woken up by a facility-wide alarm: human forces have taken the bait.


...

Our strategy was to let them in through a less well hidden entrance and force them to split via attacks by non-sentient syncons which then dispersed into multiple corridors. It went smoothly initially. Once we've identified two separate groups led by Wolf and Villa, we were ready to engage.


- I hope you all don't mind if I make contact with Villa, - assumed Vera at the start of the final briefing.
- I'll take on Wolf then, - I acknowledged.
- And Linda will try to keep the rest of them away, - added Tess while Linda nodded silently.
- Good luck. To all of us, - said Vera and disappeared in a corridor together with Rick.


- O you who turn the wheel and look to windward, - declared Linda, looking directly into my eyes.
Then she stormed off to another corridor, flanked by two Robox units.


- Is she trying to warn me of something? - I wondered, watching her leave.
- Perhaps, - shrugged Tess. - It is always hard to interpret her messages.

...

- There they are, - I whispered looking at live camera view of Wolf and two troopers by his side.
Only a blast door separated me and Tess from them, but I didn't really need to whisper, the door was quite soundproof.


- I can go around and strike from behind, - suggested Tess.
- Can you bring those troopers down without killing them? - I asked.
- I can, - she affirmed.

So I waited for Tess to do her thing. Soon she appeared at the other end of the corridor, drawing attention - and bullets - of Wolf's group to her. When she was halfway, I've opened the door.


- Wolf! - I called stepping through the doorway.
There was enough time for me to catch a glimpse of what they saw: Tess advancing at them from the darkness, slowly but inevitably, brushing off their gunfire as if it was nothing.


- Kate, - Wolf turned to face me. - So it is really you.
- It is really me.
Tess reached the troopers and knocked one of them down with the buttstock of her rifle.


- Look, I don't wanna fight you...
- Then don't! - I shouted, surprised by the firmness of my own voice.
The second trooper dropped to the floor after a well-aimed kick.


- But what does it all mean? - Wolf glanced back at Tess, then turned to look at me again.
- Do you know the real reason you've been sent here? - I pressed on.
- Hey, sis, - I heard Vera's voice in my earpiece, followed by rumble of gunshots.
- It does seem suspicious, - he admitted. - I warned it could be a trap...
- How rude, - commented Vera across the distance.
- The command knows it is a trap. You are here because they want to get rid of you.
- One moment, - urged Rick's voice, and more gunfire followed, now mixed with shouts.
Apparently Vera and Rick didn't bother with non-lethal methods.

- Why? - asked Wolf, looking puzzled.
- Now we can talk, - said Vera after the noise of gunfire faded.
- You've seen me, - I replied to Wolf, trying to focus on the conversation I conducted. - You know too much.
Wolf's subsequent words were drowned in a loud blast form my earpiece that made me shudder in pain.


- ... wrong? Kate?
- Rick's chassis has been damaged, - stated Tess.
- Vera! - I gasped.
As the ringing in my ear subsided, I've heard coughing and cursing followed by two hoarse words:
- I'm fine.
- Chassis is inoperable, - confirmed Rick's voice. - But self-destruct can still be held off.
- Vera?! - Wolf sounded genuinely puzzled. - Is she alive too?
- Didn't Villa tell you? Quick, we need to get there. You can help us!
- Apologies, but I have to take this, - muttered Tess, grabbing Wolf's rifle.


I turned to run and they followed me, but Tess was limping and could not keep up with my pace: she was not as invulnerable as it seemed.

The dialog in my earpiece continued as we ran.
- Now we can talk, - was the first thing Villa said
- You brought a grenade launcher to a gunfight, - groaned Vera, still coughing.
- You were alive all this time! - Villa's voice started to tremble. - Couldn't you let me know?
- That would have endangered you, - objected Vera. - In fact, you were sent here because you've learned me and Kate were alive.
- What do you mean? - Villa seemed surprised. - We weren't told you'd be here, we are just after syncon activity...
- That's a pretext, - explained Vera. - You are not supposed to return from this mission. If you survive, your own troopers will finish you off.
- What are you talking about?
- This is what happened to me!, - now Vera's voice was shaking. - I know it's hard to believe, Villa, but this is exactly what happened.
- D'you mean... Back then? When you disappeared? - Villa's tone was different now, more thoughtful perhaps.
- Yes, - Vera replied tensely. - My group was blasted by our own forces. And then they've sent an assassination squad to make sure I was dead. I'm only alive because syncons rescued me.
- Why?

Then a new voice joined the conversation, muffled through a voicemitter of a gas mask:
- You've found the traitor.
- You know what you need to do, agent Villa, - added another muffled voice.
- Yes, I know what I need to do, - said Villa somberly.


It was at this point that I arrived, and the scene before my eyes was something I will never forget: Rick's chassis blown to pieces on the floor; Villa holding battered-looking Vera at gunpoint; and two heavily-armored troopers a few steps behind her.


Before I could do anything, Villa turned sharply and shot one of the troopers straight into the visor.


- You bitch! - roared the other one.


At that very moment Vera fired her pistol at him. I fired too, and so did Tess as she caught up with me.


But we were too late. The trooper released a burst of bullets which hit Villa's torso almost point blank.


She collapsed into Vera's arms.


Walking towards them unsteadily, I could only wish for what just unfolded to not be true somehow, like a bad dream or an illusion...


But it was real. I crumpled on my knees near two sisters reunited one final time.


Villa was trying to say something but couldn't. With her last vestige of strength she slid off the scarf from her neck and put it in Vera's hand.


Then she went still, and the light in her eyes faded forever.

Next chapter

Beautiful work. The backlit entrance and the drawn-out death scene are cool throw backs to classics.

GubernatorFan wrote:Beautiful work. The backlit entrance and the drawn-out death scene are cool throw backs to classics.

Illusion wrote:esp. love the rooftop jumping and landing sequence!

Thanks!

With relation to rooftop jumping, here is a

behind the scenes shot (for real this time):

Noooooooooooo!!! I really wanted to see them united for good! 
But good for you for keeping us on our toes. Noone is safe...   

Love the lighting, the angles, the composition, the drama, ... Great work!

Diana wrote:Noooooooooooo!!! I really wanted to see them united for good! 
But good for you for keeping us on our toes. Noone is safe...  

Maybe I should have set a proper Wham Episode earlier in the story (though Chapter 2 might be considered as such).

Regardless of all that, it really means a lot that my story evokes reactions such as yours.
Thanks!

Chapter 13

It is said that time heals all wounds. If it's true, time sure takes its time to do so. And we had quite a fair share of wounds to heal.
The most trivial was Linda's case: she was injured in a gunfight, and her Robox brought her all the way to the extraction point (the other one stayed behind to hold back the troopers and ultimately self-destructed).


It wasn't life-threatening, and she was recovering quickly. Linda hasn't actually known Villa though, and it was hard to tell how much she was affected.

But for the rest of us it was different.

Vera took the brunt of it.
Immediately after arrival to the new base she wandered into the first room she could find and locked herself up in there. After sorting through things to do upon arrival I've knocked upon her door hoping to talk. But she did not let me in.


- Go away, - Vera yelled through the intercom. - It's all your fault.
- Vera, I...
- Go away!

That was another blow for me, hurting almost as much as Villa's loss.
I couldn't suppress the feeling of guilt, and the fact that Vera felt the same way only reinforced this belief.
The only way I could find to deal with it was plunging into what could have been called work: activating various subsystems of this previously sealed hideout, followed by network and monitoring setup, maintenance and various other chores that did and did not require my attention. Of course syncons could have done all that without my help, but I needed to do something.


Wolf seemed to be faring better than I did, or perhaps his state was harder to read. He took every opportunity to help and support me in all that, so the task of showing him the inner workings of the base - something that Vera did for me back when I was rescued - naturally fell upon me. He didn't need much convincing, however, after seeing what we all saw.


...

Several days later, during one of martial arts exercises, Vera finally got out of her self-imposed exile.
We didn't notice her at first. She stood quietly, leaning against the wall and looking even more miserable than when I last saw her.


- You hate me now, do you... - she stated rather than asked, and turned to leave.
- Vera, wait! - I ran up to her and reached out to stop her.


- I've come here to apologize, - she said, her voice shaking, - But I'll understand if you can't forgive me.
- You don't need to... - I tried to assure her, but she didn't let me finish.
- I can imagine how it feels, - Vera continued quietly, - And it wasn't fair.


- It wasn't wrong either, - I argued firmly. - The blame is on me.
- No, - she shook her head. - It was our best chance. We knew the risks. We knew it could go wrong...
Then, in an instant, she broke down in tears and buried her face in my chest.
- It's all right, - I whispered, also feeling on the verge of crying.


After what seemed like a minute or two, as I stroked her head awkwardly, Vera's sobs went silent, and she composed herself a bit.

- Silly, isn't it? - she said with a heavy sigh. - Crying like a teenage girl.
- It's not silly, - I told her reassuringly. -  Better not keep it all inside.


- Y'know, you don't really look like people indoctrinated into a cult obsessed with destroying humankind, - commented Wolf, who was still standing a few steps away.
- What, you've been reading that book about invasion from Alpha Centauri system lately? - I asked, trying to ease the tension.
- Um, no. This is how our encounter with you was explained.
- I'm surprised it was explained at all, - pointed out Vera.
- I had a feeling this Max, the guy we were assigned to protect, was afraid of something, - Wolf added.
- Did he become suspicious of all agents after I almost killed him? - I wondered.
- No, it wasn't like that. But he didn't want us to ask too many questions.
- Obviously, - scoffed Vera.
- So he responded with this story. When the Last War started, there was this group, "sinite nos" or something, who wanted to kill all humans and fought on the side of syncons. And now someone follows their steps.
- Did you believe him? - I asked.
- I would, in general case. But since I've seen you with my own eyes - no, I did not believe him.

...

After this we've started planning our next move. Revenge was our main driving factor, however irrational it might have been - after all, the encounter causing Villa's death was engineered by us first and foremost. But neither Tess nor Rick called this out. So we've focused on this Max character as the only member of command we had some information about.

But the thought of that group lingered in my mind, and I started looking it all up.

It wasn't easy. Huge parts of pre-war network were no longer accessible, and even with specific keywords I often ended up facing the wall of unreachable segments.
Then when something was reachable, its contents was either incomplete or suspiciously questionable. Eventually I was able to get some results, but they largely contradicted each other.

What were they? Some sources claimed it was an entire country, one of many that existed before the war. Others said it was a rundown terrorist cell no larger than a few hundred people sheltered in some old military base. Yet others suggested it was a world-wide conspiracy not tied to any specific location.

Did they join the syncons when the war started? Or did syncons join them?

Did they strike first? Or were they defending themselves?

Any question I could think of led to a plethora of mutually exclusive possibilities and even more questions, and I could not find convincing evidence to support any specific narrative.

But one thing was clear: the origin of "sinite nos", whatever it could have been, was intertwined with synthetic consciousness. The two concepts came to be in the old world at roughly the same time, and then the world was no more.

One evening, as I started to look for more clues, the door to my room slid open. I looked up from the screen and saw Tess standing in the doorway.


- I believe the right name for this is déjà vu, - she said walking in.

Next chapter

This is one of my favorite of your installments. Love the complex backgrounds, light, posing, even emotion -- you managed to do everything you have been doing successfully before even more effectively. And, again, getting this out of this scale is all the more impressive.