Perilous Choice
This is Olivia Chronicles, Vol. 2
By Malcolm Rhodes
This book is dedicated to all the dreamers. We make the world go ‘round. So, keep dreaming, and keep building.
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Shouting in the Silence (This is Olivia) Vol. 1
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including scanning, photocopying, or otherwise without prior written permission of the copyright holder. Copyright © 2013 Sweet Tea Publishing
Table of Contents
Cruel Realization
A New Look
First Target
Behind Closed Doors
Enemies Within
Cruel Realization
“I will not do it.” Olivia Hernandez stood face to face staring into the dark eyes of Cassandra, the wife of the high commander.
“You must.” Cassandra demanded with no change of tone in her voice.
Olivia knew that Cassandra was fully capable of terrible actions. She had witnessed Cassandra in action and had no desire to see any more. When you have seen a person physically choke the life out of another person, you tended to act warily around that person in the future.
“Why me?” Olivia’s voice revealed her desperation.
“Because it must be you.”
“Why?”
Cassandra turned away. Olivia watched her body language searching for clues as to what she was thinking. She and Cassandra had been thrown together under some very stressful circumstances and the truth was that neither really trusted the other.
“What will it take for you to trust me, Olivia?” Cassandra turned around quickly to face Olivia as she spoke.
Olivia was surprised by the question. Cassandra was reaching out to her, but why? What made her so important? Why did it have to be her? She didn’t know how to respond. She felt unable to form a response.
“Okay, I’m going to trust you.” Cassandra finally said in desperation.
“What does that mean?”
“Hold on.” Cassandra turned back around and spoke quietly into her communication strip.
Within moments an air transport vehicle appeared in the skies above them and slowly descended to the ground. Olivia was amazed at how quiet it was as it operated. She had only heard rumors of these vehicles and had never seen one personally. To be honest, she had doubted that such a thing existed. Now the side panel slid up and she stood amazed at its sparkling interior.
“Come with me.” Cassandra said in a stilted manner.
Olivia wondered if she had pushed Cassandra too far, but as she stepped inside the transport, she forgot all about those concerns. Her heart beat wildly as she followed Cassandra to a series of modules. Cassandra sat down in one and it immediately secured her in place. Olivia did the same with the same result. She felt safe, but still free to move her arms and legs about. This was as up to date as it came.
“Impressed?” Cassandra asked as the vehicle lifted up and began to take them to wherever they were going.
Olivia looked around and then back at Cassandra as she replied, “Who wouldn’t be? I’ve never seen anything like this.
“Nobody has. This is the prototype for a whole new form of transportation.”
“How did you get it?”
Cassandra reached across and patted Olivia’s hands. Olivia noticed that the restraints moved with Cassandra and though they continued to hold her securely, they didn’t seem to affect her range of motion.
“You are a smart one, Olivia. But for now it’s better that you don’t ask such questions. We are in the early beginnings of a revolution and unfortunately such beginnings require hard choices. I am asking you to make one of those hard choices.”
“What you are asking me to do is monstrous.”
“I know you believe that. I hope to show you why that isn’t true.”
“Why can’t we just take out your husband?”
Cassandra’s face betrayed her thoughts. “I hold little affection for him anymore, Olivia, and I look forward to the day that he is removed, but everything has its timing. Removing the chancellor now would merely result in someone just like him coming along. We must destroy his evil plan and reveal it for all to see. Each person has his or her role to play. I am asking you to play a role.”
“I want to.” Olivia’s spirit was beginning to pick up.
“That’s good.”
“But killing these infants just seems too cruel.”
Cassandra smiled as she said, “I appreciate that, Olivia. Everything that you’ve told me just continues to make me sure that you are the one we need. I have plenty of hired thugs. These men and women will do whatever I ask without question. They are useful for certain tasks, but they lack imagination. You have a truly gifted mind, Olivia. You can be a leader. You can think on your feet. I need someone like you.”
“If you can prove to me that these infants are not human. If you can show me that they must be destroyed. I will do it.”
“That’s my girl.” Cassandra exulted.
Olivia’s thoughts went deep as the transport began to descend. She watched in amazement as it deftly maneuvered inside the walls of a large complex of buildings and came to such a soft landing that she wasn’t completely sure that they had stopped.
“Here we are.” Cassandra said happily as she stood to her feet.
Olivia did the same and she found that the restraints just seemed to melt away from her. She was quickly realizing that Cassandra was not a person to be underestimated. As they walked through the transport portal, a young man carrying a digital device came rushing up to them.
“What’s the meaning of this, Cassandra?” He demanded.
“You are officially relieved of duty, Oliver.”
“You can’t do this.”
“I just did.”
Four large men in security uniforms rushed past Cassandra and Olivia, grabbed Oliver, and forced him into the transport. One of the men came back out with the device and handed it to Cassandra without a word. He reentered the transport and it immediately lifted up and maneuvered away.
“What’s that?” Olivia asked.
“We’ll find out soon. There’s someone I want you to meet; this way.”
Olivia hoped that revelation was soon to come. There was too much secrecy. She needed answers and she needed them now.
A New Look
Olivia looked about the laboratory where a group of scientists were hard at work. Cassandra had left her here with instructions to wait. She was impressed by the focus of all those around her. They were hard at work at their individual work stations. She knew enough about science to know that these were some of the best minds that the world had to offer. She recognized a couple of faces as having been recipients of the chancellor’s award of merit; a very prestigious honor.
“I’m so sorry.” A middle-aged man with dark features crossed the room in large strides and stopped before Olivia. “I just learned that I am now in charge of this facility. My name is Jamal.”
“Hello Jamal, I’m Olivia.”
“Of course I know who you are. You are the agent who is going to solve all of our problems.”
“I don’t understand.”
“That’s my responsibility. Any idea what happened to Oliver by the way?”
Olivia was caught off-guard. “You don’t know?”
“No, I’m afraid Cassandra tends to leave us in the dark.”
“I know the feeling. When we arrived Cassandra relieved him of his duties and he was taken away.”
“She can do that now?”
“Apparently she can.”
“Then things are moving even faster than any of us knew. That means I need to get you up to speed as quickly as possible. That means we need to go see Carlos.”
“Okay.”
Jamal led Olivia down one row of work stations and then left into an area that broadened out into one large work station with enormous digital display screens. The scale of the enterprise took Olivia’s breath away. A man that she assumed was Carlos was working at the large work station that powered the amazing array as she took it in. Images flashed on the screens, but she could make sense of none of them. She hoped that Carlos could clear things up.
Carlos maneuvered himself around to face his visitors as he said, “Hello, Olivia. It’s been a very long time.”
“Charlie.” Olivia replied. His was a face she never expected to see again.
“I’ll let you two get reacquainted.” Jamal said. “Update me on your progress, Carlos.”
“Will do.” Carlos said off-handedly as he quickly redirected his attention back on his old friend, Olivia.
Olivia moved forward and touched Charlie to make sure that he actually existed. She had believed him dead or at least that was what she had been told. She remembered the day so clearly. The news had sent her into a deep tailspin. Only the opportunity to work as an agent had given her the purpose to go on.
“I’m sorry, Olivia.” Carlos said with deep affection. “It was necessary that you believed that I was dead.”
“Why?” Olivia’s hand remained on Charlie’s arm. It brought back feelings that she had long ago left behind.
Carlos put his own hand on Olivia’s. “I did care deeply for you, Olivia.”
“I know you did.”
“I saw such great potential in you, Olivia. I knew that you were the one we were looking for.”
“You mean to kill those poor babies.”
“No!” Carlos turned away in disgust. “You don’t understand.”
“Then help me to understand.” Olivia touched the back of Charlie’s neck. She still couldn’t help, but think of him as Charlie. “Why does everyone call you Carlos?”
Carlos turned back and replied, “Charlie was that person who was a slave to evil; to the chancellor and his abominations. I left that all behind.”
“When you died.”
“Yes. I became a different person. I am a different person. I see the world as it is now and not as the chancellor would pretend it to be. I found you, Olivia. I found you and I saw that you were the one who could change everything. If found you, but then I fell in love with you and that almost ruined everything.”
Charlie, no she had to think of him as Carlos, was bearing his soul and it took her breath away. “Why weren’t you like this before?” Olivia drew close and kissed Carlos tenderly on the cheek.
“We don’t have time for this now, Olivia.” Carlos could feel his strong resolution beginning to wane. He was even more confident that his previous decision had been the right one. If he had stayed, then he and Olivia would have ended up being intimate and that would have complicated matters very seriously. It probably would have ruined everything. Still, there was regret. Olivia was clearly willing and he had no inhibitions either.
“I just wanted to know.” Olivia said as she backed away.
“Know what?”
“If you were really serious about all this. To give up me for your work then it must be very important. Show me why.”
Carlos smiled, stood up, and rolled another chair over next to his. “Have a seat and I’ll show you everything.”
“Everything?” Olivia wondered as she sat down.
“Well, not everything.” Carlos smiled again. It was as if they were picking up where they left off. They clearly had true chemistry. Some day, when all this was over, they could have some really good times together.
“Ready?” Olivia wondered.
“Yes.” Carlos said as he began to maneuver the array of instruments in front of him.
Olivia watched with eager interest. It reminded her of a musical conductor controlling the various sounds that emerged from a musical instrument panel. Carlos had true skill. Finally an image appeared on the screen directly in front of them. The clarity and detail of the image was truly stunning.
“Where does all this equipment come from?” Olivia asked.
Carlos stopped, looked over, and replied, “Those are the kinds of questions best not asked.”
“I see.” Olivia said wistfully. “What am I looking at?”
“A detailed scan of the abomination that you examined.”
“The boy.”
“I prefer not to use that term.”
“Because it humanizes them.”
“Can I continue?”
“Of course.”
“Do you see that area just to the left of the gray blob?”
“Yes.”
“That area controls critical thinking. It is what allows us to make free choices. In short, it is what makes us human.”
“Your point?”
Carlos held up an instrument, pointed it at Olivia’s head, and pressed a button. She flinched, but felt nothing.
“What was that?”
“I just scanned your brain.”
“Why?”
A second screen image appeared. It was similar to the first, but with one very obvious difference. “That is my brain?”
“Yes.”
“How was this done?”
“We’re still working on that. We don’t have all these scientists for nothing.”
“I understand now.”
“So you’ll do it.”
“Do I have a choice?”
“Of course you do.” Carlos lit up the area of Olivia’s brain image.
Olivia laughed. “You could always make me laugh.”
“Do you think that you will be able to go through with it, Olivia?”
“I’m sure I will.”
“How do you know?”
“These are not children. They are abominations.”
Carlos spoke into his communication device and within moments Jamal appeared. He came over with his head high and a smile on his face.
“I trust all has gone well.”
“I’m ready. Just tell me what to do.” Olivia replied.
“Come with me then.” Jamal said. “There is much to do.”
Olivia stood and looked over at Carlos. “Thank you.” She said tenderly.
“I’ll see you later, Olivia.”
Olivia followed Jamal. She had her mission and she had her motivation. The future, well, she would just have to see.
First Target
Olivia sat in a small room. Jamal was presenting the layout of a private residence. She hadn’t been prepared for that. She thought that she would be infiltrating a government facility.
“Why am I going into a private residence?”
“Because that is where the abomination is.”
“I don’t understand.”
Jamal struggled to keep his emotions under control. Even after all this time, he still couldn’t believe that a government he had once supported had been carrying out such an evil plan right under his nose. How could he have been so blind to what was going on? Had he been responsible for it? If in any way he had been then he would do everything in his power to stop it.
“This has been going on far longer than any of us could have believed. These things have been placed in homes for at least three years and maybe longer.”
“Do the parents know?”
“We do not believe so.”
“How?”
“If you were allowed to keep a child with you rather than turn it over to be raised by the government, you wouldn’t ask too many questions either.”
; “Why not just keep them in a government facility?”
“We thought about that. We believe these things are being placed in influential homes for a purpose. The chancellor wants to complete this revolution in his lifetime and so this is the only way. These things must pass for human.”
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