by Siegel, Alex
"Did you hear from Yang?" Olivia said eagerly. "When is he coming home?"
"I didn't, and I don't know," Jia said.
"Can you call him?"
"No. I'm sure he's very busy. The whole Society is working together on a mission. We need to let him do his job without being pestered. Do you want to keep me company? I have to go back outside for a few minutes."
"Sure," Olivia said.
The girl put on her own coat while Jia fetched an ultrasensitive signal detector from a closet. It had copper loops at the end of a long pole. She turned it on and adjusted the settings.
The two of them went outside. Olivia looked at the night sky with wide eyes and stayed very close. Jia put her arm around the girl's shoulders.
The brown van was one of the team's older vehicles, and Jia had driven it herself a few times. Dings and scratches were the only details that distinguished it.
She ran the detector slowly along the sides.
"What are you doing?" Olivia said.
"Checking for transmitters."
"What's a transmitter?"
"It makes a radio signal," Jia said. "In other words, a bug or a tracking device. Imelda picked up a signal from the van, so we have to check, but it's probably nothing. There are a lot of radio sources in the area, and the security system is very sensitive."
"Oh." Olivia paused. "I'm worried about Yang."
"He's with Marina and many other legionnaires. He'll be fine."
"I have a very bad feeling."
"Calm down." Jia hurried over and gave Olivia a kiss on the forehead. "You're probably just remembering your parents."
"No."
Olivia's black and white eyes stared at Jia in an unsettling way. The girl could be a little creepy at times.
Jia went back to scanning the van. She wasn't detecting anything at all. She passed the wand underneath and still found no signal.
"I wonder when I'll see Wesley again," Olivia said.
"You're too young to be thinking about boys," Jia said. "There will be plenty of time for that when you're a teenager."
"Wesley is special."
"So are you. I'm sure he'll visit again." But I hope it's not too soon, Jia thought.
"It's dark and scary out here." Olivia looked around anxiously.
"Let me make one more sweep."
Jia walked around the van for the last time. She moved the detector up and down, but the reading remaining solidly at the level of background noise. Nothing was transmitting.
She took Olivia's hand, and they went back inside.
* * *
Aaron and Marina were standing off to the side in the main ballroom of the hotel. A temporary stage had been built at one end using wooden platforms. Eight men and women in the robes of legionnaires stood on the stage, each with a microphone in hand. They would translate Aaron's words into other languages so everybody in the audience would understand.
It was quite an audience. Marina was intimidated, and she didn't even have to speak. Nearly a thousand people were standing in the huge ballroom. Nobody had a seat, not even the six legates in attendance. They wore a mixture of formal robes and street clothes. The journey to Chicago had been difficult for most members of the Society, and some had arrived without their luggage.
Marina recognized acquaintances from the convention last winter, and she resisted the urge to wave to them. The legionnaires of San Francisco and Chicago were right up front in a show of solidarity and support. Marina could tell they were already making friends with one another.
The ballroom was the perfect place for such a grand meeting. The roof was painted gold, and three crystal chandeliers produced plenty of white light. The wallpaper had a metallic yellow and charcoal gray pattern. Blue velvet curtains provided a visual contrast.
Aaron squeezed Marina's hand. "Wesley was wrong. I'm going to die of fear when I get up there."
She gave him a stern look. His behavior was becoming ridiculous in her opinion.
"You'd better not." She shook her head. "A wife doesn't like to see her husband drop dead on their marriage day. It's embarrassing."
"Thanks for your support."
"No problem." She smiled prettily. He could show weakness, but she certainly wouldn't.
Wesley climbed onto the stage. The boy looked small among the adults, but he walked with almost arrogant confidence. Marina wondered what he would be like when he grew up.
He spoke into a microphone, "I'm the Voice of Truth, the Child of Destiny, and the Beacon of Light."
The truth inherent in his voice washed away any doubt. The translators echoed the message in other languages, but it almost seemed unnecessary. His blue eyes sparkled like glowing crystals.
Most of the audience gaped and stared. Wesley was little more than a rumor in other divisions. Even in North America, most people had never met him.
"This is Bethany and Leanna," he said. "The twins."
The twins joined him on stage. Their metallic skulls had subtle swirls which caught the bright light. Their crystalline, black eyes never blinked.
The audience murmured with recognition. The twins had written the security software used all over the Society, and they were legendary.
Bethany took the microphone. "Hello. It's very nice to see all of you. Thank you for coming."
Her artificial voice annoyed Marina, and she wondered if it were necessary. Had Bethany chosen to sound like a machine?
"And last but not least," Wesley said, "it is my pleasure to introduce the new Lord and Lady of the Society, Aaron and Marina. They are now your supreme commanders. I would like everybody to bow as they come up on stage."
Marina saw bafflement on many faces in the audience. Word of her and Aaron's promotion hadn't spread to the entire Society yet. Some people appeared outright angry, particularly the ones wearing the fancy robes of legates.
"Bow!" Wesley commanded.
The word thundered like a cannon shot. A few at a time, everybody bowed.
Aaron and Marina approached the stage. The short staircase suddenly seemed very tall to her, and she had some sympathy for her husband's plight. They climbed up and faced the crowd. Aaron was squeezing her hand so tightly, it hurt.
"Be strong, my love," Marina whispered.
She stepped back.
Aaron took the microphone firmly. "It's wonderful to see all of you. I know it was a difficult journey. I'm sure the lousy weather and the military occupation didn't help."
He straightened up and stood tall. The translators filled the ballroom with words from other languages.
Wesley whispered in Aaron's ear, and a look of annoyance flashed on Aaron's face. Marina wondered what Wesley had said.
"All of you were summoned here for one reason," Aaron said loudly. "To protect the twins. They are engaged in a project of enormous significance. Over the next day or two, God's enemies will try to destroy them. We must keep them safe until the project is done. If necessary, we will sacrifice our lives to achieve that goal."
He paused for a moment. Suddenly, he seemed uncertain. He looked at Marina, and she smiled at him. He appeared to regain his confidence.
He faced the audience again. "I have a plan, but I can't share it with everybody. You will be given your orders individually. We will now divide into three groups. Marina will command Group A, I will command Group B, and Leonardo, the legate of South America, will command Group C. The Voice of Truth will decide who goes where. Marina and Leonardo, please move to the corners of the room."
Marina hurried off the stage and went to a corner. She was intensely curious about who would be in her group.
Wesley walked out into the crowd. He looked at each person for just a second, and then he pointed in a direction. He seemed to know at a glance where everybody belonged, but she had no idea how he was deciding.
He immediately assigned all the San Francisco and Chicago legionnaires to Marina. Wesley also sent Smythe's girlfriend, Odelia, over. Being surrounded by friendly faces gave M
arina a lot of comfort, but Aaron had nothing but strangers around him now.
Sheryl came up to Marina and said, "Congratulations! I just heard about your marriage! You two make a perfect couple."
Sheryl was one of Aaron's legionnaires. She was short and skinny for a warrior, but she was very pretty. Wavy brown hair went down to her flat breasts. Her body was buried under her formal gray robes. Instead of pupils, she had tiny mirrors in her eyes.
"Thank you," Marina said. "What happened to your eyes?"
"I got a gift. I make mirrors."
Marina was suddenly looking at a reflection of herself. A mirror was floating in space in front of her. Just as suddenly, it vanished.
"Interesting." She raised her eyebrows. But how is it useful?
Wesley was moving quickly, but it was a big crowd, and it would take a while to sort them out. Marina forced herself to be patient.
More people came up and congratulated her. She noticed that the men tended to focus on the promotion while the women focused on the marriage. The enthusiastic praise started to embarrass her. She wasn't used to being put on a pedestal, and she certainly didn't like being the center of attention.
Marina noticed a pattern in the people assigned to her. Wesley was giving her the obvious freaks. One man had a blue face, a woman had an extra set of arms, and another woman had a prehensile tail. A guy actually had gills in his neck, and they fluttered as he breathed. Marina made sure not to stare.
Aaron came over. He received a wave of congratulations as he approached, and he blushed fiercely. He liked attention even less than Marina.
He pulled her aside and murmured, "Your first objective is capturing the supply convoy. I need the weapons and ammunition. You need the trucks to move the aperture to Chinatown. But you have to wait until the twins are done packing."
"I know the plan, dear." She rolled her eyes. "You told me five times."
"I'm a little anxious."
"I would never have guessed."
Aaron waved, and Nancy came over. The mechanic had brushed out her hair and had put on clean clothes. She was still wearing blue coveralls though, and they didn't flatter her rounded body. Work boots and knee pads were even less appropriate for the occasion. The assistants owned formal gray attire, and Marina wished Nancy had worn hers.
"Congratulations, sir!" she said. "Both of you!"
She gave Marina a warm but clumsy hug.
"Thanks," Aaron said. "You're going to guide Marina's group to the Chinatown building. Show her how to get into the basement."
"Yes, sir," Nancy said. "How long are we going to be there?"
"Days, possibly."
"We'll have to set up some toilets and showers. I'll bring tools and plumbing supplies with us."
Aaron nodded. "Good."
He wandered off to speak to others in the crowd. He was juggling a lot of balls.
Eventually, Wesley finished the long selection process. Somewhat more than a hundred people had been assigned to Marina. Leonardo had three hundred fifty for his roving assault team. The rest went to Aaron, and they would defend the hotel.
Marina took her group to another ballroom so she could give them separate orders. Wesley and his bodyguards tagged along.
The other room was smaller than the main ballroom. It had a wooden floor lacquered and polished to a mirror finish. White pillars supported a white roof, and gold and black curtains decorated the walls.
Marina decided to greet the legates out of respect before addressing the whole group. Aaron had briefed her on names and faces, so she knew who she was talking to. They were the legates of Europe, Africa, South Asia, and North Asia. Marina realized those four people were responsible for protecting the majority of the world's population.
She smiled to hide her nervousness. "Hi. It's very nice to meet you. I've never commanded such a large group, and I'd appreciate any advice or assistance."
The legate of Europe stepped forward and shook her hand. His name was Petri. His hair was even redder than Marina's, and his skin was clear and pale. His mustache reached straight across to his sideburns in a style that seemed very old-fashioned. He wore the silk robes of a legate with a hood as dark as the night.
"I'm curious," he said in a Scandinavian accent. "How were you appointed to a position of such importance? There has never been a Lord or Lady of the Society before."
She could tell he was upset, but he was hiding it well.
"The Voice of Truth announced it in front of God and witnesses. Do you think I'm unworthy?"
"No. I asked the Lord, and He confirmed the new arrangement. I just don't understand why. What makes you so special?"
"I think you should start addressing me as 'ma'am'." She stared at him.
His face twitched. "Yes, ma'am."
"I honestly don't know why. It was a shock to me, too, but I'm not complaining."
Marina shook the hand of the next legate. He was from Africa, and his black skin had the age spots of an old man. A crown of pure white hair surrounded his skull. He had a very dignified posture in his gray robes.
"You're very young to have so much authority," the legate said, "but I'm sure God chose wisely. Do you have any plans for how you'll run the Society?"
"Not yet," Marina said. "I'm focused on more immediate problems."
The next legate in line was a man named Sight, and he commanded South Asia. He had brown skin and Indian features. An odd growth in the center of his forehead looked like a tumor or a giant blister. His back was bent with age.
"Let me look at you," Sight said.
The growth opened up to reveal a third eye which glowed with a soft, white light. Marina instinctively gasped even though she was trying to be polite.
He shuddered. "So much death," he murmured. "So much fear."
"I'm not afraid."
"That's not what I meant."
Sight closed his third eye and turned away. His whole body sagged a little.
Marina frowned. She turned to the last legate, a woman named Elysia. She had pure white hair even though she didn't seem very old. It was long and wild. Her stern face had an odd yellowish tint which made her look jaundiced.
Marina shook Elysia's hand, and a spark jumped between them.
"Sorry," Elysia said. "I'm a little unsettled, and my control isn't what it should be."
"What do you mean?"
Elysia pointed her finger at the ceiling. Blue lightning flashed up and burned a hole. The bang made everybody jump.
"I'm electric," she said.
Marina thought about mentioning her own gift, but then she decided against it. Venomous fingernails weren't very impressive in comparison.
Wesley came over and said, "We need to get going. We're on a schedule."
The legates looked at the kid with obviously mixed emotions. By putting Aaron and Marina on top, Wesley had effectively demoted the legates. They no longer reported directly to God.
Marina stepped back and raised her voice. "Everybody, make a circle around me. Make sure you can hear me."
Some of the legionnaires translated the command into other languages. She nodded with appreciation.
She continued, "What I'm about to tell you is for your ears only. Do not share this information with anybody outside this room. Our primary objective is to move the twins to a safe location. Then we'll be their bodyguards while they finish the project."
"What project?" Petri said.
"They're going to change the universe..."
"No!" Wesley yelled. "Not yet. I'll tell everybody the truth when we reach our destination."
Marina furrowed her brow. She thought she was in charge.
"Very well. The first thing we'll do is help the twins finish packing for the trip," she said loudly to her group. "Then we'll go out and capture some trucks and equipment from the Army. We need the trucks for transportation. We'll convoy across Chicago to a secret place that should suit our needs. We'll help the twins unpack, and finally, we'll guard them until they're do
ne. Is that clear?"
It took a minute for the translators to repeat the orders in other languages.
Petri raised his hand. "I have a question, ma'am." He glanced at Wesley.
"Yes?" Marina said.
"What are Aaron and Leonardo doing? They have much larger groups."
"Leonardo will lead the offense. He'll disrupt and slow down the Army. Aaron will defend this hotel."
"Why?" Petri said. "With the twins gone, it seems there is nothing here worth protecting."
"True, but the enemy doesn't know that. By the time they figure out the hotel is just a decoy, the twins should be done with the project. At least, that's the plan."
"If the twins are attacked, the bulk of our resources will be in the wrong location. The plan seems very dangerous."
Marina gave him a stern look. "Aaron wants to play it this way, and it's his decision to make. Enough discussion. We have to decide who is going to help me capture the trucks. I don't need everybody. About fifty of you should be enough. Don't feel obligated to volunteer. If you're tired after your long trip to Chicago, stay here and rest. It's going to be a busy night."
She sorted out who would come. Almost everybody wanted to, and she had to make some arbitrary decisions about who to take. Again, she was struck by the freaky appearances of the members of her group. One man had mechanical hands made of a silvery metal, but they moved as fluidly as real hands.
Marina took Wesley aside. "How did you choose who would come with me?" she said softly.
"The wisest and strongest members of the Society are here," the boy said. "The elite warriors. The natural leaders. Guarding the twins is the most important job."
"And that's the only reason?"
"The aperture...." He closed his mouth and walked away abruptly.
The little sneak is still keeping secrets, Marina thought.
* * *
"Are you done yet?" Iris said impatiently.
"Almost, ma'am," Laurence said.
He was working on a laptop in her hotel suite. The laptop was on a polished wooden dining table along with the remains of a quick dinner. It promised to be a busy night, and Iris had wanted food before the action started.
"The building is owned by a company called Perpetual Energy Technology," Laurence said. "It's a startup that's trying to design better batteries. A year ago, they were almost bankrupt, but a fresh round of venture capital kept them afloat. The company has been quiet since then. Just the usual filings and a few press releases." He tapped on the keyboard of his laptop. "They pay their taxes. I don't see anything that would raise an eyebrow."