Reality

by Kenneth James Allen

  Scott powered down, gritting his teeth through the open air of the windowless metal beast. He discarded the machine gun to the dead body in the passenger seat and gripped the steering wheel. Without slowing, he rammed into the rear side of the vehicle, causing it to shudder before catching and crashing to its side. Sparks erupted as it slid across the tarmac, edging closer to Scott’s private jet.

  He drove around the down SUV as topside doors flung open. Mercenaries pulled themselves up and took their firing positions. Bullets flew around Scott, smacking the interior with a sizzle. He accelerated again and held on tight as he aimed his seconded vehicle for the middle of the undercarriage. The looks on the soldiers’ faces grew from anger to shock as Scott made impact, the force injuring their backs beyond repair.

  Scott eased down from his driver's position and limped over to the injured soldiers with a grenade in hand that he found in his vehicle. Pulled the pin. Tossed it inside. Walked away.

  Maxine and Woodward stood at the bottom of the stairs. Maxine’s head was bandaged, and Woodward’s arm was in a sling. Amongst warm greetings, the disabled four-wheel-drive exploded, creating a momentary second sun.

  #

  It was early hours, and ocean spray coated him. Scott blinked several times before realizing he was standing in front of the real Maxine and Xavier. He worked the plugs out of his ears and pushed them into his pocket.

  “Not too shabby,” she said, half-pleased.

  Scott took in his surroundings. A runway ran the length of the island, with some sheds and squat concrete buildings lining the northern end. The ocean stretched away in every direction; waves lapped against the surrounding rocks. Behind him, he noticed a large, black helicopter, laying on its side on the helipad, surrounded with scorch marks. The rotor blades that were still attached were mangled.

  Scott turned back. “Holy shit,” he said. “Did I do that?”

  “Yeah,” Maxine said. “You did that. I mean, not all of that, but credit’s due, where credit’s due.”

  “Remarkable,” Xavier stated. “Just remarkable.” Then he turned to Maxine. “And you thought I had the wrong person. You owe me fifty bucks.”

  Scott held his arms out. “Am... Am I floating? I feel like I’m floating.”

  “Because you are,” Xavier said. “Don’t think of this place like an island. Consider it more of an iceberg.”

  The duo turned and started walking towards an aircraft hangar.

  Scott reached down to the pain in his leg. He smeared the blood between his fingers. “Guys! I think I’ve been — .”

  Then Scott collapsed onto the tarmac.

  Chapter 5

  Scott woke on an old military cot. The small concrete box he found himself in was dark and cool. Shadows clung to the walls, and faint murmurings floated on a draft that circulated through the open doorway. He noted the IV line attached to his arm and followed the tube to a bag hanging on the wall. His leg was bandaged, and, curiously, stretching his foot only sent a dull pain to his receptors.

  He sat up on the edge of the cot and placed his feet on the floor. Cold worked through his soles. Wincing, he slowly pulled the conduit from the peripheral vein. Just the thought of it all made him want to vomit, and he puffed his cheeks repeatedly to fight off the temptation. Using the wall for support, he eased himself up and padded out into the murky gray.

  “Ah, he’s awake,” Xavier announced. He was sitting at a metal table with Maxine, sharing some old MREs he found in the storeroom.

  Scott rubbed his head and limped his way to the table, easing down on the hard surface. Old fluorescent tubes cast a dull light over the area. Dozens of similar tables and chairs lay dormant. Bare cupboards lined a wall; drawers and doors have been opened to expose their emptiness. A drip echoed in the distance.

  “Alright, Xavier. No more games, no more delays. Tell me everything right now or I’m out. You can take me back to the mainland, drop me off, and I’ll fend for myself.”

  “Very well, Mr. Harris. Come, I’ll give you a tour and tell you everything.”

  “Not sure if you noticed, but I was stabbed in my calf, so walking is a bit tough.”

  “Nonsense,” Xavier replied. “The pain is all in your head. Trust me, you can walk fine.” He stood and walked to a dark, perpendicular walkway, turned and waited.

  Scott pushed himself off the table, taking care of his leg. When he put pressure on it, only the dull thud of discomfort washed over him.

  “See?” Xavier queried. “It’s fine. Maxine, go and check on the others, make sure they’re prepared for the next phase of events.”

  Scott walked over to Xavier. “Others?”

  “Oh yes,” Xavier crooned. “There are others. But for now, let’s talk about what you really want to know.”

  “Can I get some shoes or something?”

  “I’ll organize something soon.”

  Xavier took off down the dimly lit, narrow corridor, Scott just behind. Xavier’s footsteps on the metal-grate walkway echoed infinitely. Each door they passed had a glass panel, the black stencil had worn away with time. Some rooms were dark and empty, while others held computer panels and switchboards.

  “I was once part of a clandestine operation titled Project Emporium. This man-made island we are currently under was the central base for those operations. Here they performed testing, training... various experiments. There were numerous facets to this operation. The one you need to know about was called Trojan Horse. It’s the program that you, Scott Harris, are part of.”

  Scott grabbed Xavier on the shoulder, forcing him to turn around. “What? Me?”

  “Why, of course.”

  “But, I’m a nobody, a nothing. A blip on the radar. I sell stationery for a living! How could I be part of some secret government program?”

  “Two things, Mr.. Harris. This operation was not run by a government, not the government. And you don’t remember because that is how they programmed you as part of your training.”

  Xavier clanged down the metal stairs, leaving Scott on the walkway trying to understand what he meant.

  Scott caught up with Xavier on the lower platform. Rooms ran along the perimeter, some lit up, others extinguished into black. Scott looked over the edge for the first time. Levels cascaded down into an abyss. Looking up, the view did not fare any better. Level upon level of metal flooring worked its way out of sight.

  “This place is incredible,” Scott said absentmindedly.

  “It’s what power and money can achieve.”

  Xavier smirked and walked off.

  “Wait! What do you mean by programming and training?”

  Xavier took a deep breath. “You’re a sleeper agent, Scott.”

  “A what?”

  “You’ve been living a lie, Scott.”

  “A lie? What about my job... my wife!”

  “All cover, Mr.. Harris. Deep cover.”

  “My wife was an agent as well?”

  “Oh, no, she was real. The job as well. The authorities felt it boosted your cover. But that’s my point, everything about you is a lie. In fact, Scott Harris isn’t even your name.”

  “What is my name?”

  “That’s inconsequential, but if you must know, it’s a series of characters.” He turned to face his companion. “For the sake of the original program, it was perfect. However, if it’s all the same to you, it’s easier to just keep calling you Scott Harris.”

  “So, this is all Zero Division?”

  Xavier smiled and took a breath. “No. That is something else.”

  “Something else?”

  Xavier pushed his way through a door and into a well-lit room, with Scott close behind. In the center of the room was a chair that Scott could only describe as a dental chair. Various instruments with dials, screens and cables congregated around the head.

  “This looks like some type of torture device,” Scott exclaimed.

  “Well,” Xavier said. “It depends on how you define torture. This was on
e of the devices to make you who you are.”

  Scott encircled the equipment, noting the dust and age of the devices. “This stuff looks old,” he said.

  “Of sorts,” Xavier replied.

  “What did it do?”

  “It was designed to reset memories. It’s a reason the program was so successful,” he said. “If the agents didn’t know about it, or their capabilities, they were less likely to be noticed. And if anyone did, they wouldn’t be able to share information about it, regardless of the torture technique they were exposed to.”

  Scott shook his head. “This is unbelievable,” he said.

  Xavier gave a wry smile. “I’ll spare you the test torture rooms where they put it to the test.”

  “Shit! Really?”

  “Well, they had to be sure, Mr.. Harris. Everything from traditional waterboarding to ancient medieval atrocities. It was all done for the sake of the program.”

  “It sounds sick, is what it sounds like.”

  “Perspective, Mr.. Harris.”

  Outside the room, Scott asked, “If I’m some sleeper agent, what the hell was I supposed to do?”

  Xavier clapped his hands together as he rounded a corner and clanged down another set of stairs. “Oh, what weren’t you tasked to do! Eliminate foreign dignitaries, execute local political leaders, destroy royal families... The mission set was extensive and all-encompassing.”

  “So, our government created all this to keep the nation safe?”

  Xavier inhaled through clenched teeth. “Not exactly. This was all created by a foreign government backed by unknown private investors. People who thought the world should be a different place. Who they were exactly, I haven’t been able to figure out. However, from the research I have done, I know they were called The Circle.”

  “This is ridiculous. I don’t feel like some sort of secret agent, lying in wait for the signal to go and kill someone.”

  Xavier laughed. “What? You think Identity did everything you’ve done? You did all those things, Mr.. Harris. The app was merely a way to ease you out of your sleeper state, to help you remember who you really are. It’s just that you seem to be taking longer than the others.”

  “You know, I seem to recall a time you told me to stop using the app.”

  “True, Mr. Harris. I did that because you were experiencing something none of the others had. I’m not sure why that’s the case, not even sure it’s important. The fact is you ignored that instruction and here we are.”

  “How long has it been? I mean, if what you say is true, how long have I been waiting for the signal to act?”

  “It’s difficult to say. A lot of the records were destroyed some time ago.”

  “Well then, why now?”

  Xavier stopped at a set of double doors. “Because there is a war brewing, Mr.. Harris. Agents were being woken in numbers, given orders that could lead to the destruction of all civilization.”

  “Why would The Circle do that? Why destroy the planet?”

  “Because it wasn’t The Circle who initiated the orders.”

  “Who then?”

  “That is something I will tell you later.”

  Scott sighed. “At least tell me why they’re after you.”

  “Because I’ve done this.” He pushed on the doors and ushered Scott inside.

  The interior was gloomy. Dampness encircled him and mildew attacked his nose. Under some spotlights, Maxine danced around a boxing ring. Her MMA gloved hands were up, protecting her head, as she shuffled towards her opponent. He was six-foot everything and solidly built. Tattoos snaked around his arms. Sweat collected on his bald head and dripped from his beard. Muscles contracted as he protected himself from blow after blow from Maxine.

  In the corner of the room, a woman sat on a bench with a myriad of weapons laid out on the table. Blindfolded, she field-stripped and reassembled an MP5 with incredible efficiency. Scott knew nothing about guns, regardless of his escapades, other than the damage that could be done. Even when he came out of the app, he could remember using weapons, yet had no recollection of how. When the woman had reassembled the rifle, she removed her blindfold, inspected her handiwork, and repeated the process. Everything about her, much like Maxine, was a ruse. Her long black hair and soft features were designed to deceive.

  No one bothered to stop their activities for their new guest.

  Xavier stepped in front of Scott.

  “If we are going to stop this war from even getting off the ground, we need to fight fire with fire. These are your fellow sleeper agents that I’ve been able to locate. In the ring with Maxine, is Jacob.”

  As he said this, Jacob made a heavy connection with the side of Maxine’s head. Instead of falling to the canvas, she performed a cartwheel, kicking Jacob squarely in the jaw. Jacob backed away, slightly dazed. Xavier clapped.

  “Everyone was built on solid foundations,” Xavier said. “But they all have their specialties. Maxine, for instance, is adept at long-range target elimination and psychoanalysis. Jacob’s is explosives and destruction.”

  “What about her?” Scott said, pointing.

  “That’s Charlotte. Weapons and comms.”

  “And mine?” Scott asked.

  “Espionage and analytics.”

  “Really? All that cool stuff, and I get stuck with analytics. Weapons. Explosives. No! I get fucking analytics.”

  “Sorry, Mr.. Harris. I didn’t oversee the assignment of skill.”

  “So, you were in charge of the ‘Sleeper’ unit then?”

  Xavier smiled. “No. I wasn’t on the payroll here.”

  “What were you doing here, then?”

  “I was one of the experiments.”

  Chapter 6

  “What experiment?” Scott continued to ask.

  Xavier had gathered the agents together to introduce the newest member of their team. Maxine and Jacob leaned over the top rope, and Charlotte had left her weapons laid out on the table in pieces to join the group.

  “Everyone, this is Scott. Scott, this is everyone,” Xavier announced.

  “So, you guys are like me?”

  “No,” Maxine said. “We’ve remembered everything. You? You’re a bomb ready to go off, which is dangerous. And until that happens, you’re damn useless, which is also pretty dangerous.”

  “I saved your asses with those helicopters.”

  “You also caused those helicopters to find us. So, I give you a pass mark.”

  “Pass mark?”

  “Barely,” she whispered.

  Jacob howled. “God damn, that’s a burn.”

  “Mr.. Harris,” Xavier started. “Why don’t you jump into that ring and answer your critics.”

  Charlotte clapped her hands. “Finally, some entertainment!”

  Scott thought back to her fighting style against Jacob when he first entered and knew he wouldn’t last ten seconds in the ring with her.

  “Listen, I appreciate getting invited into this little superhero club you’ve got going on, but Xavier’s chosen me for a reason. I don’t need to prove myself to anyone.”

  “Oh, yes you do,” Xavier proclaimed. “We need to be ready at all times, Mr.. Harris. They will find us eventually, and when they do, they’ll stop at nothing. They won’t be reasoned with, Scott. You can’t talk them down. They will kill you... exterminate all of us. We are standing in their way.” He pointed to the ring. “So, get up there, and show us all what you are truly capable of.”

  Scott looked over the expectant faces and felt he had little choice in the matter. Even a large grin had spread over Xavier’s face.

  “Listen, I’m not going to hit a —.”

  “Don’t you fucking say it!” Maxine blasted from the ring.

  Charlotte marched up to him, stood an inch away from his face. “Trust me, Maxine could kill you in fifty different ways in less than five seconds if she wanted to. And if she did, I’d fuck up your dead body before your brain shut down.”

  Scott backed awa
y, his heart thumping in his chest.

  “You’d better be right about this,” he said to Xavier. “Right about me.”

  “Given everything you’ve done, Mr.. Harris, I do not doubt at all. It is you that needs to be right about this.”

  Scott pulled himself up to the edge of the ring among an echoed applause by Charlotte. Jacob separated the ropes to allow Scott easy entry, finally handing over his gloves before departing. He jumped down next to Charlotte.

  “Wish we had some popcorn for the show,” he said.

  “Beer,” Charlotte replied. “Lots of beer.”

  Scott stood in the middle of the ring and pulled on the gloves. He looked to Xavier. “What are the rules?”

  “The rules are simple. Anything goes. If you tap out, you lose.” He tapped the canvas. “And Maxine, go easy on him.”

  Maxine shadowboxed a deadly combination of a jab, cross and hook, so fast that Scott lost track of the gloves. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Come on. Come to me. Let’s get a little crazy in here. He opened his eyes just in time to see a glove rush towards his face. Flinching, Maxine’s hand connected firmly with his face and he stumbled back towards the ropes.

  “You must always be ready, Mr.. Harris,” Xavier coached. “Out there, in the real world, attacks could come from anyone at any time.”

  Scott wiped his nose and the absence of blood surprised him. He punched his gloves together and held his hands up as he moved forward. He had seen the movies, knew what to do in principle. Even though he was shitting his pants, he knew Xavier wouldn’t let his opponent hurt him... would he?

  He threw a wet haymaker in her direction. She dodged it easily and stepped to the side, launching a roundhouse kick to his jaw. Scott fell to his knees instantly, groaning like a cat on heat. Cheers erupted from the sidelines, with Jacob and Charlotte sharing a high-five.