The simulations moved yet again, and Liane found herself on wide, familiar streets in the center of the city. In front of them, an enormous skyscraper rocketed up to the clouds, girders, and glass materializing into a structure that was sickeningly familiar to Liane. Alongside the Agency headquarters, the skyscraper of the Libertas Party rose as well.
Owen walked up to the skyscrapers, standing between them as he said, “Libertas began as an attempt to combat the instability, to salvage peace from the ashes of war. And in their wisdom, they conceived of a secret group of engineered soldiers, an organization willing and ready to commit whatever sins were needed to defend the country from her enemies. To offer the world a second chance…and all it cost were the lives of the children they stole and brainwashed into being Agents.”
Softly, Liane asked, “When did the Agency recruit you?”
Owen’s features seemed to harden. “After my parents were killed, I was sent to an orphanage. People in black suits came to inspect us one day and took me away with them. The Agency has always preferred recruiting orphans; fewer questions, fewer
obstacles.”
More questions crowded Liane’s mind, but before she could ask them the simulation changed yet again, showing the city as she had never known it; gleaming and cutting edge, a metropolis as bright and promising as the future it envisioned. Owen walked down the sparkling, empty street, saying, “This is the world we were supposed to create. Something better than what the world once was. A utopia.”
Darkness seemed to slither across the gleaming city,
gathering in the cracks and crevices of the streets. Shadowy
figures moved around Owen as he went on, “But genetic
modification changed all that. It leaked onto the black market, giving those desperate survivors the chance to become extraordinary, superhuman…above the laws. It festered within this city and the Agency, rotting both away from the inside until what we were left with is this; a hollowed dream.”
The simulation flickered and then was gone, leaving just the dim blue lights of the training arena. Owen gave a deep sigh.
“After thirteen years in the Agency, learning for myself how far we’d drifted from what was intended, I’d seen enough to know I wanted out. I escaped to the continent, where I found that I wasn’t the only one who knew we could be better, greater.”
Owen was looking at them when the lights rose, his eyes piercing. “Do you know why we call this army Black Sun?” When they shook their heads, he went on, “There’s a poem in Old Norse called the Völuspá which tells of Ragnarok, the world’s end. Have you read it?”
Liane shook her head while Seth just looked confused. Owen quoted, “‘It sates itself on the life-blood of fated men, paints red the powers' homes with crimson gore. Black become the sun's beams in the summers that follow, weathers all treacherous. Do you still seek to know? And what?’...” The trace of the smile on his lips faded into an expression of pure determination. “That’s what we will bring about. We will paint the Agency’s home with crimson gore and turn their existence into darkness and destruction.”
Very slowly, Liane said, “Ragnarok… I’ve heard that word before, from people fighting against the Agency. It means more than just the end of the world, doesn’t it? It’s a code for something else.”
“Yes.” Owen tilted his head, his eyes like shards of glass as he asked, “What would you do, Liane if you found out that everything about our existence was a lie?”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“Nor will I until you’ve earned it.” Owen looked away from them, going on, “We’re only one cell amongst many, of course, but all the soldiers of Black Sun work towards the same goal; an end to the tyranny. We’re getting closer. Several months ago, one of our groups in Vienna captured three key Party members for questioning. The cell was lost, murdered by the Agency, but not until after we’d gained critical information.”
Liane fought to keep her face blank. She’d been the team leader of the mission in Vienna, fighting against what she’d then thought were terrorists. People she’d later learned had been seeking the Titan Strain. Glancing away, she asked, “Is that what prompted you to go after Agents?”
“It made the decision to fight them openly an easy one,” he said. “It’s now clear to all of Black Sun that the Agency is a blight on this country’s existence. Which, at last, brings us to the two of you.” He took a few steps closer, saying, “You’re safe here for now, but you’ll never be safe beyond these walls until the Agency is gone. You’re already part of the war. You might as well fight with us against those who hunt you.”
Liane glanced over at Seth, her faint frown prompting him to answer, “I don’t think either of us is eager to tie ourselves to any organization just yet. You can understand, I hope.”
“To a point,” Owen answered. “While you think on it, let me take you on a tour of the facility.”
Seth asked, “You’re not nervous about outsiders seeing the ins and outs of your secret headquarters?”
“We only hide from the Agency,” said Owen, leading them to the hallway. “People like you and Liane are welcome here.”
“Just not welcome to leave,” Liane muttered, causing Seth to elbow her in the ribs.
Owen led them back up to the main level, explaining, “Training facilities and supply storage are on the lowest level. The main bay we use for meetings, recreation, and the canteen. Let me show you our surveillance facilities…”
He led them towards the command room, entering the door
opposite. Beyond it was a dark chamber filled by computer hard drives and screens, with two bespectacled women rolling from
station to station on mobile chairs. Owen ushered Liane and Seth over to them, saying, “Masha and Dasha; our primary techs.”
The women turned to reveal identical, androgynous faces and waived in welcome. Seth looked past them to the monitors,
asking, “You’ve got coverage around the whole facility?”
“Just exterior,” Owen explained as the twins turned back to work. “Most of this is to keep an eye out for the Agency. I don’t spy on my own soldiers.”
Liane thought of the cameras within her Agency flat and shifted uncomfortably.
It took a good hour to see the entire facility. Owen and Seth did most of the talking, while Liane focused her efforts on memorizing everything she saw. Despite that, by the end of the tour, she still hadn’t managed to find a viable way of escape. They stopped near the first of the security doors that led to the staircase. Owen pulled out a small handheld device, saying to them, “Press your thumb to the screen for it to scan.”
Seth looked confused but did it all the same. Liane followed suit, frowning as Owen typed in a numbered code. When he was done, he gestured to the door keypad, saying, “Give it a try, make sure that it works.”
Seth stepped forward, pressing his thumb to the keypad. It flashed blue as the scan occurred, and then the door clicked and swung open. Seth turned his perplexed gaze back to Owen. The former Agent nodded towards the dim staircase beyond, saying, “Your print will work with all the other exterior doors as well. Anytime you want to leave, you’re welcome to go.”
Liane looked distrustfully at him, asking, “Why the change?”
“I don’t believe either of you are a threat to us, and I won’t force anyone into this fight against their will. You’ve seen our resources and you know our goals; now it has to be your decision to stay.”
Liane nodded, turning in the direction of their room as she said, “I’ll go get our things, then.”
But Seth grasped her arm, saying, “Wait.” He pulled her away from Owen, looking at her with grave eyes as he asked, “You’re sure that leaving is the right way to go?”
“I don’t trust anyone who was an Agent for seven years,” she whispered, her eyes straying to Owen. He wasn’t looking at them, but she knew he was listening as she went on, “Whatever else he says, this war against the Agen
cy is about revenge.”
“Who cares if he wants revenge? You do too,” Seth retorted. “We’ve had two close calls out there. We’re doing a shit job at
hiding, and now we’re in a place that’s actually safe.”
Liane felt her face flush as she said in a low voice, “This place isn’t safe; it’s full of angry mods who go out and hunt for Agents. How long do you think it will take until the Agency comes hunting for them?”
“I still like our chances better with the mods rather than without.”
Liane looked away, her face jammed into a frown. Seth moved closer, his voice taking on a lighter tone as he coaxed, “Look, neither of us is at our best. I’m still feeling the effects of being kicked in the head and you’re exhausted. Give it a few weeks for us to get back to normal, then we can reconsider.” She looked back at him, considering his words but not completely swayed. Seth added with a grin, “I’ll even let you keep hogging the covers.”
Liane felt herself flush pink. “I do not hog the covers.”
“Liar.” Seth took hold of her hand, smiling down at her in what he must have thought was a charming way as he pleaded, “Two weeks; then we can go wherever you want.”
Her cheeks still flushed with embarrassment, Liane’s gaze strayed to their joined hands. After a moment, she nodded.
“You have an answer, then?” Owen asked from behind them.
Seth turned back, nodding, “Yes. For the time being, we’ll stay here.”
Owen nodded, pleased as he glanced at Liane. “Perhaps in the coming days, I’ll be able to win you over.”
“Don’t count on it,” Liane said quietly, causing Seth to sigh in exasperation.
Unbothered, Owen said, “While you stay, you’ll have to help out around here. Everyone has duties. The two of you can assist with training the new arrivals. I’m sure you’d both take to it.”
“Sure,” Seth said. “If you think it will help...”
Owen cast a sidelong glance at Liane as he turned to shut the door to the world above, and she was just able to catch his words as he murmured, “I’m sure it will.”
CHAPTER 14
It didn’t take long for Seth to get comfortable within the headquarters of Black Sun. It was like being back at the police academy, in a way. Life was centered around a routine of trainings, debriefings, and tasks to keep the underground hangar habitable. Of course, back in the academy, his fellow recruits hadn’t been capable of breaking every bone in his body if they went too hard during a sparring session… Seth tried to comfort himself with the knowledge that he had Liane at his back; as strong as the mods were, she was far deadlier.
True to his word, Owen had Seth and Liane help with training. Most of the new recruits didn’t have combat experience and were accustomed to using their mod strength to win street fights. A round with Liane usually fixed that, though she also had a bad habit of crouching down to them afterward and saying ominous things like, “You fail to protect your neck; that’s how you’re going to die.”
Seth was still working on her people skills.
But all things considered, he was pleased with their new hideout and allies. Owen was polite, if not friendly, and Neil and Ox were always good for a laugh. Even though he was the lone non-modified human in the entire facility, no one treated him
differently. It was even possible to forget, as he told jokes at
dinner or helped recruits with their marksmanship, that he and Liane were still being hunted.
And they were, very much so. The mods that went out on patrol brought back regular news, and every single one mentioned the increase in Agents sweeping the city. Seth didn’t need Liane to tell him why; it was clear that Damian was hoping to unearth them again. But they were careful, keeping to the bunker and abandoning any further attempts at hacking into the Agency’s system. Seth was grateful for the reprieve, reveling in the comradery and sound sleep that Black Sun offered, but his partner felt differently.
Liane helped with tasks when asked, and accompanied Seth to meals in the canteen, but more often than not she sat in silence, listening with a grave expression as the mods joked and laughed around her. Even as the weeks went by, she seemed no closer to trusting them, and when not in their room she lapsed back into the inscrutable Agent she’d been when Seth first met her. During trainings, she lurked outside the ring with crossed arms, eternally unimpressed by the fighters. Whenever she faced off against an opponent, the match was always over in seconds, and she would be back to lurking before the mod was able to drag themselves to their feet.
After one such training session, the mods gathered to sit on the padded mats, chatting as they stretched and cooled down. Seth looked around, rubbing at a fresh bruise on his thigh as he searched the crowd for Liane.
“She left,” Neil offered. “During the last match; I saw her slip out.”
Seth let out a sigh, nodding, “Right. Thanks.”
Neil swept his dark hair out of yellowed eyes with an easy
gesture, commenting, “If I had to wager a guess, I’d say she doesn’t want to be here.”
“She wanted to leave two weeks ago. I convinced her to stay.”
“She’s got that much of a death wish, huh?” Neil chuckled darkly. “It’s not every day you meet someone who wants to face off against the Agency.”
“Stopping them is pretty much her reason for being right now.”
Neil glanced up from his stretches, “That sounds personal.”
“About as personal as you can get,” Seth answered with a
grimace as he stood. “I’d better go find her.”
The corridors were dark and quiet as Seth walked away from the training room, the cooler air of the passageways drying the sweat on his neck. Before he could reach the ladder-like staircase that led to the upper levels, something moved within the shadows in front of him. Seth tensed before the light fell over Owen’s chiseled face and blonde hair, and he breathed out, “You don’t make a sound when you move, you know that?”
“Force of habit,” Owen said. He glanced past Seth down the empty corridor, then held up the tool kit in his hand as he went on, “I was headed to the boiler room to fix the regulator; could you lend a hand?”
Seth huffed a laugh, admitting as they walked down the hall, “I’m not one for fixing things. Liane would be of more help.”
“She doesn’t seem that anxious to spend time with anyone, least of all me.”
“I guess she’s not really used to it yet. You know; being around so many people.”
“The transition to life outside the Agency isn’t easy,” Owen
conceded. “And the two weeks are nearly up. Will the two of you be leaving, then?”
“We haven’t talked about it much, to be honest.”
The former Agent gave an impatient jerk of his head. “Surely you know her well enough to guess her mindset.”
Seth sighed. “I imagine she’d opt for us to take our chances out in the city. She didn’t stay in London to hide; she wants to fight the Agency however she can.”
“That’s all well and good until the two of you are cornered again,” Owen said, opening a solid steel hatch and heading down a short flight of stairs. Seth looked around with interest; he hadn’t been to this part of the bunker. While he recognized the extensive boiler system to his left, to the right there was yet another corridor leading to more chambers.
“This place is like a maze,” he murmured. “Ever had any mods get lost down here?”
Owen tossed down his toolkit with a clatter, then gestured down the corridor to the right as he said, “It’s always easiest to orient yourself by means of the escape tunnels; they’re as far north as you can get inside the bunker. The training room marks east, supply room marks west, and privies are south.”
Seth let out a laugh, the sound echoing off the steel pipes and girders. “So, if we’re ever under attack, run in the opposite
direction of the smells. I’ll remember that.”
&nb
sp; Owen knelt, his eyes on one of the screens attached to the main boiler unit as he commented, “Amazing you still have a sense of humor left, given what you’ve been through.”
“Probably a coping mechanism. You know, to avoid a complete mental breakdown.” Seth’s smile slipped into something more somber as he went on, “Look, I don’t want to leave. But I’m not letting Liane head back on her own.”
“That’s noble of you.” Owen glanced over his shoulder at Seth. “And you think she’d do the same for you?”
Something seemed to shift in the air between them. Seth
regarded Owen in silence for a moment, then said quietly, “Yeah, I do.”
“She hasn’t told you much about the Program, has she?”
“I know enough… How she was trained, where she lived. Things like that.”
“That’s surface-level, how they trained our bodies,” Owen said with a dismissive shrug. “The singularity of the Program was how they shaped our minds. It’s not easy to teach someone to value missions over their own life or withstand pain. Useful qualities like those were honed through conditioning. The qualities they deemed useless, on the other hand—compassion, sentimentality—had to be drilled out.”
Seth leaned against a nearby railing, frowning. “How did they do that?”
Owen smiled knowingly, reaching within his kit for several tools. “When I was in the Program, I tried to help another trainee prepare for a qualifying exam. Do you know what happened when my Handler found out?” When Seth remained silent, Owen went on, “She put the two of us in a sparring room together and said only one of us could walk out.” Leaning his head back, lost in thought, Owen finished, “I beat my only friend nearly to death, put him in a coma. Even after he recovered and returned to duty, we never spoke again.”
The Osiris Contingency Page 12