Pulling up to the front gate of Tiberius Septus’ household, Arian was nervous, not just because Kaiya would be entering the home of her former lover, but also because he was not convinced of her loyalty. His experience with Eduardo’s men had done little to alleviate the doubts. Stepping out of the car, she looked back at Arian, as if to reassure him. As the transport moved to a safe distance, over a block away, he watched her walk toward the black iron gates.
Kaiya stared at the keypad, knowing the number that would gain her entry, but choosing to bypass this method. Instead, she pushed the intercom button. After some static, she heard a voice on the other end.
“Consulate Septus’ house.”
“Idalia, this is Kaiya, I need to see Tiberius.”
“Oh my! Where have you been? We were so worried about you.”
“Can you let me in, Idalia? I really need to talk to him.”
“I need Gallia to override the security, let me get her.”
Kaiya waited for a few minutes by the gate. Looking down at herself, she wondered why she hadn’t thought to change out of her blood soaked clothing at the Devonshire. She hoped in her heart that Idalia would not alert Tiberius but only Gallia. After a moment, her fears were allayed.
“If this is Kaiya, then what are the names of my three children,” came Gallia’s voice.
“Well,” answered Kaiya, “there is that precocious little devil Miguel, that beautiful bastard Petrov, and that trouble maker Pieter.” Kaiya placed her hands on her hips. “And I know you guys can see me, so let me in. I need to speak with Tiberius.”
The gate opened and Kaiya entered, walking straight to the front door of the mansion to meet Gallia. The door opened and the two women embraced.
“Oh, mistress,” said Gallia, “he will be so happy to see you. He has been a shell of himself without you.”
Looking Kaiya over and seeing for the first time her blood-soaked garments, her mouth dropped and she looked as if she would scream.
“Shhh,” said Kaiya, raising her finger to her mouth. “I will explain later. I want to surprise my love.”
“Of course,” replied Gallia, taking two steps back from the petite woman.
Kaiya walked through the kitchen and the dark empty dining room, stopping before a hutch that held the fine silver of the house. Rummaging quietly through its contents, she selected a carving knife, used to cut the meat from large birds when they hosted dinners. She slid the knife carefully into the leg of her black leather boots so that only the very top of the handle was visible. Who looked at Kaiya’s shoes? She found the stairs and walked up, cautious so as not to make a sound.
This was unnecessary. Tiberius would be happy to greet her, in spite of the fact that he had left her to rot in Sikyon. It would be rectified soon. She knew the man as well as she knew herself, and regardless of how he felt about her, he would be no issue.
She walked down the hallway past the bathroom where he showered and prepared for the day. She had watched him get ready for the Parliament in that room a thousand times, yet she felt nothing but disdain for the man as she approached his room. Twenty years together in luxury and she had been tossed aside as if nothing. As her footsteps sounded throughout the oaken hallway, she hoped he would hear her and as she turned the corner to the atrium that led to his quarters, he did.
“Gallia? Have you brought my tea?” came his voice, once seductive, but now terrible.
Kaiya moved effortless across the white marble. Looking down at her bloodstained white blouse, she shed it, along with her bra. Continuing to walk and noticing the blood on her skirt, she shed it as well, along with her underwear, so that she stood at his door, naked and ready to confront him, made more beautiful by the fierce gaze in her eyes and Jabari’s crimson red blood, now dried on her forearms.
He opened the door. “Gallia, what the….” The words froze in his mouth as he took in her beauty. His Kaiya had returned, and everything else was meaningless.
She stepped forward, throwing her body into his. “Did you think I would go away so easily? We had a life together.”
“My love,” he stuttered, pulling her close in jubilation. “You came back to me. I have done everything for you, my dear. I have it all worked out with the Overseers. We can be together. I am to be given an island. You will be my princess there. I love you so much, my Kaiya.”
She guided him toward the bed.
“You promise, honey? You would do all that for me?” she asked, as she unzipped his pants and dropped them to the floor.
“I would do anything for you, my love,” he replied, breathless, allowing her to disrobe him and push him backward toward the bed. “I only want to be with you.”
“And I with you, my darling,” she replied as she shoved her lithe naked body forward, knocking him onto the bed. As she worked her nude pelvis up his body, she nestled her face to his and could hear him speaking, and at the same time, felt his arousal.
“I was going to come and find you,” he said, as he shoved himself into her. “I missed you so much.”
“I missed you, too,” said Kaiya, as she reached to her boot, to the grip of the hidden blade, still enthralling Tiberius with the passion of her body. He hardly noticed as she thrust the silver knife downward, into his heart. The blade eased into the chest cavity, slicing past the ribs and sternum just as easily as it carved a roast duck.
He coughed, spitting up blood. For her, it was as if he had climaxed. She looked into his glassy, dying eyes and spoke to him, as she had wanted to for years.
“Oh… now that is interesting, isn’t it? You can die, you pompous motherfucker. And a Natural Born can kill you. I hope you have a miserable afterlife in whatever terrible utopia you dead assholes can dream up.”
She leaned down close to him, feeling his manhood shrinking inside of her. “My darling,” she whispered into his ear, removing his disgusting member from her, “Nice means nothing.”
Tiberius continued to stare forward, a stunned look on his face, but he never again spoke. As his last breath rattled out from his unmoving diaphragm, she moved away and stood looking down, examining his frozen features in the same odd way in which she had watched Jabari as he died. A change in the lighting snapped her back to attention, drawing her gaze to the door. There, a frightened and shocked Gallia stood, unmoving. The two women, longtime household companions but never friends, looked at one another for a moment, as if sizing up the situation. Finally, Kaiya broke the awkward silence.
“Well, Gallia, your choices here are simple. You can either alert on me, or you can help me. Tonight the Natural Born will strike back at all of those who have oppressed us.”
“I will not alert on you, my dear. I’m not sure the master deserved that death, but I am also not sure that he did not,” came her reply.
“Then I need one thing from you, Gallia. A last request, and then you and Idalia must leave Capitol City and never return.”
“What can I do to help you?” asked Gallia. She seemed distracted, and unable to ignore the dead man in the center of the bed. Kaiya stood, naked, covered in blood, a terrible and beautiful huntress. She would do anything this woman asked of her.
“I am assuming you still download Tiberius’ notes from his qubit every night?”
“I do.”
“Then you have the access codes to Pandora.”
She nodded her head in acknowledgement.
“And do you have the access codes to the Central Tower security database? Surely you must prepare notes for his Security Council meetings. Can you access the dungeons of the North Tower?”
Again, Gallia remained silent, but nodded her head in affirmation.
“Perfect. Fetch me his qubit and write down the access codes for me. I must shower and dress. Leave the qubit in here for me and then let my friends enter and have them wait in the parlor downstairs. I will be down shortly.”
She followed Gallia out of the room, stopping to pick up her bloody garments. Walking into the shower room, she locked the door behind her. Finally alone, she closed her eyes and allowed herself a moment to calm down, taking deep breaths. From the pants in her hand, she removed the shortwave transponder that Eduardo had given her back at the Devonshire. Pressing down on the talk button, she informed her companions of the current situation.
“Tiberius is away for the night. The servants believe he is at the bio-bot lab, searching the ruins. I have his qubit and access codes. Gallia will let you in. She has no love for him or Arameus. We will take his personal transport to the North Tower. It will allow us entry without question.”
“Are you sure it is safe?” came Eduardo’s hesitant reply. “I would hate to think you would double-cross us at this point.”
“If I were going to double-cross you, would I invite five armed men into a house with three women and a Consulate? What purpose would that serve?”
“I hope for your sake that it is only you women,” said Eduardo, and Kaiya heard brief static as he released his talk button.
Rolling her eyes, she couldn’t help but think how much better the world would be if all men were removed from it. She walked down into the basin of the shower, which, triggered by her motion, rained down hot water and soap, scrubbing her body clean of the blood, dirt, and gore from the day’s activities. There was no telling what the night would hold. She cleared her mind, allowing herself to enjoy the first hot shower she had had in weeks. The water stopped and the hot vent kicked on, blowing her body dry. She exited the basin and walked to the corner of the dressing room that Tiberius had reserved for her dresses, happy to see that they were still in place. Selecting a short, purple evening dress, she slipped it over her head, and wrapped her hair in a purple lace ribbon, fixing it in a sort of loose bun that was the style at the time. Purple was a good choice, as it was the official Imperial color. She would look right in place next to her guards. Glancing in the mirror, she couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she looked. It was a shame a gown like this had to be wasted on a prison break and flight into the desert.
Walking away from her small portion of shelves that lined the circular room, she looked through Tiberius’ clothes, searching for something for Arian and Eduardo to wear. Neither of the men had guard uniforms and would stick out in their group, particularly Arian in his bloodstained outfit. Since Arian and Tiberius were close to the same build, she settled on a dress military uniform. Tiberius had never been a military man, but dignitaries were expected to observe such formalities at patriotic parades and the like. This was the perfect outfit for their task. Eduardo, with his hulking frame and awkward disposition, was another matter. There was no way he could pass for anything other than a Natural Born, and the Natural Born did not enter the North Tower holding cells. He would have to wait in the transport. Bringing him along was not worth endangering the mission.
She sat at a dressing table and put on a fresh pair of high black boots retrieved from her closet. Opening a drawer, she pulled out her old bottle of perfume, spraying it liberally on her neck. The air around her was filled with the scent of lavender, grapefruit rind, and animal musk. She stood, glancing one last time in the mirror, before exiting the bathing area and heading back to Tiberius’ room, where he was unceremoniously holding a visitation for no one. The qubit and a notepad filled with access codes were on the bedside table. She examined both, and was pleased with Gallia’s work.
Tiberius had been dead for over half an hour, and the loss of blood along with the weakness of his dead-eyed stare made him appear much less imposing than he had in life. His long frost-white hair, which had once given him a distinguished quality, now made him seem frail and elderly. In the reality glimpsed through death, he was an old and feeble man.
She reached down and yanked the knife from the dead man’s thoracic cavity. It didn’t come out nearly as easily as it had entered as rigor mortis had set in and caused the muscles to tighten around the knife. She wiped the blood onto the white linen sheets and carefully placed the knife back into her knee high boot, the top of which was just obscured by the purple dress. She walked down to meet her companions in the parlor below.
Entering the room, she gasped at the sight of Gallia and Idalia on their knees, each with a gun to the back of their head. Eduardo stood in the rear, looking on in a silent challenge. The two gunmen seemed uncomfortable threatening the helpless servants, and threw repeated glances to their leader, imploring him to rescind the order. Arian himself was frozen by the tension in the room. The possibility for violence was tangible.
“What the hell? They’re helping us!” screamed Kaiya, beside herself with rage. “This is how you re-pay them?”
“I just want to be sure of one thing,” said Eduardo, stepping forward. “Why would Tiberius Septus leave his household to inspect the bio-bot lab, yet leave his qubit behind? It doesn’t add up.”
Kaiya was caught, unable to speak.
“I would hate to think you are lying to us,” continued Eduardo. “Well… What is it?”
Accustomed to stress, she relaxed and answered. “What do I need to do to make you trust me, Eduardo?” asked Kaiya.
“I guess you need to earn that trust,” he answered.
“I see. Follow me. I have something to show you. Just you.”
Eduardo glanced at his men. “If you hear anything from upstairs, execute the two women and set off the charges in your packs. No one will leave here alive.” He looked stonily at Kaiya and followed her up the stairs to the remains of Tiberius Septus.
Kaiya sat on a clean part of the bed, beside the body, patting a leg that was growing colder by the minute. She looked to Eduardo seductively and patted a place on the bed beside her.
“Well, what do you think big guy? Want to join me?”
Eduardo was horrified. He had been in battles and had killed men, but never in so callous and hateful a way. His struggles had been out of necessity. Surveying the brutal scene, it was obvious the killer had enjoyed the act, and observing her now, he could tell that she still did.
“Shit, woman, you are one crazy bitch,” was all he could utter.
“Do you trust me now?” she asked, batting her eyes ironically.
“Hell no, but I know you aren’t on his side.”
“Good. Then let my friends go. They are good women and innocent victims in this. We have the qubit, the access codes, and Tiberius’ transport. We can succeed tonight if you will get out of the way.”
“Perhaps I underestimated you,” said Eduardo, shooting another glance at the corpse. “I will do so again at my own peril.”
“One thing, Eduardo. Don’t mention a word of this to Arian. He doesn’t need to know.”
“I see,” the man replied, though by his expression, he was unconvinced. “Let’s go. We have much to do.”
As they re-entered the parlor area, Arian looked to Kaiya, seeking some sort of explanation. She shook her head, brushing him off.
“Release the women,” Eduardo ordered. “They are free to go.” The men lowered their guns and the two women stood. Kaiya rushed to them, hugging them each in turn.
“I know we haven’t had the best or most fair relationship, but I wish you both nothing but the best,” she said. “Go to your homes, get your families, and get as far from here as possible. It may not be safe for the Natural Born surrounding the city after this night.”
Both women nodded and rushed out the door, not bothering to look back at the six men inhabiting the room. Kaiya watched from the window as they exited the house and wondered what would happen to them. Even if they were able to make it to safety, what would be the implications of Arian and Ansley’s overall designs for them or any of the others in the room? She shook off her thoughts and typed in Pandora’s access code, the angelic female voice filling the room.
“What do you need, Tiberius?”
Knowing Tiberius had removed the voice recognition software so that his staff could handle his daily tasks, she was confident her commands would be accepted.
“I need you to alert the guards at the North Tower and those within the cell block that I am sending two trusted associates to interrogate the political prisoner Ansley Brightmore,” said Kaiya in a commanding voice that Arian had never heard. “They will be accompanied by four of my personal security detail. This is to be done with the utmost secrecy, at the bequest of the Overseers.”
“Of course, Tiberius, I just need the North Tower security code,” came Pandora’s response.
Finding the code on the notepad Gallia had prepared, she typed it into the qubit’s graphical interface.
“Thank you, Tiberius. Is there anything else that you need?”
“Bring my group transport to the front of the house and direct it to deliver my men to the secure entrance to the North Tower.”
“Your vehicle is on its way. Estimated time of arrival to front of house: two minutes, estimated time of arrival to North Tower: eighteen minutes. Have a good night, Tiberius.”
As Pandora’s voice faded, Kaiya looked up at the shocked faces staring back. Arian in particular beheld her with a mixture of surprise and respect. She was earning both their trust and esteem.
“Well, I guess there’s only one thing left to do,” said Arian, hope evident in his voice.
“Two things for you,” said Kaiya, smiling at his confidence. She found the set of clothes she dropped upon finding the servants in harm’s way and tossed them to him. “It wouldn’t do for you to show up to the North Tower covered in blood.”
While Arian changed in the parlor, Eduardo seemed to notice his own garb for the first time.
“I’m afraid you will have to wait back at the Devonshire,” said Kaiya, her voice seeming deeper. “You could never pass for a Nephite and you’re not dressed to enter the building. Your friends, however,” she continued, motioning toward the other four men, “well, they could almost be Nephites.”
“We are Nephites,” answered one of the men, stepping forward. “My name is Conrad Percy, and these three men are my brothers. This is Chase, Connor, and Callan. We’ve been in Capitol City since the beginning and are amongst the oldest men in Arameus. We were all in our thirties when the nano-treatments were introduced. Our deceased father had business dealings with Marco Luccio, allowing us to enter the dome, though we have no love for this totalitarian regime.”
Noticing the shock on Arian’s face, Conrad was bemused.
“You didn’t think Ansley was the only Nephite fighting for the Natural Born cause did you? The man is brilliant, but he couldn’t have smuggled all that money to Beladero alone.”
“Then I’m glad to have you with us,” replied Arian.
“We would all give our lives for Professor Brightmore,” Connor chimed in. “He has fought for the freedom of the world at great personal loss.”
“And you may well give your life tonight,” said Kaiya flatly. “And the fact remains, the Nephites shall accompany us, and Eduardo will not.”
“I will wait in the transport for you then. I need to be there to help.”
“You’ll only attract attention from other guards. We can’t have a hulking, dark-skinned Natural Born sitting outside. Do you want to blow this entire operation? We can execute this smoothly as an act of espionage and no one will be aware, or we can continue to do things your way by stumbling around with guns.”
“I will not be marginalized by you,” retorted Eduardo. “These are my men whose lives you will be risking. I will see that they are safe.”
“And you will. When we retrieve Ansley, we still need to get out of the city. It will be up to you to find us a way to Beladero. I hardly see that as a marginalized role. We will reconvene with you at the Devonshire. Make sure you have us a way out.”
Eduardo looked as if he was going to argue but relented.
“I will be at the Devonshire. Bring them there safe and I will get you to Beladero.”
“Then we are in agreement,” replied Kaiya. “Arian, the brothers, and I will go to the tower. You go back to the transport and await our arrival.”
“Good luck, men,” said Eduardo before leaving to prepare their escape route.
“We’re now expected at the detention block,” she said. “Let’s not keep our hosts waiting.”
The four brothers filed past her toward the transport. As Arian followed their lead, she placed a hand on his chest stopping him. When he looked at her, she saw in his eyes that same mixture of surprise and respect she had noticed before, as if he were seeing her for the first time.
“You look amazing in your uniform,” she whispered. His fingers smoothed the fabric of Tiberius’ former dress uniform. He felt distinguished.
“You’re amazing, my love,” he said. “I didn’t know you had this in you.”
“I am capable of much more than you realize, Arian. Just know that I’m doing all this for you. I only want to get you out of here safely. You came for me, so I am helping you go to Ansley. I still say we should run as far from here as possible.”
“I can’t do that,” replied Arian.
“I know,” she said, as she straightened his collar. “There. Now you look like a true dignitary.” She patted him on his chest. “Let’s go get your friend.”
“Hold on,” said Arian, reaching down to his bloody, discarded shirt and removing the three remaining bio-bot injections. Kaiya eyed him, but said nothing. He slipped them into a pocket in his shirt, below Tiberius’ ceremonial robe.
They followed after the guards and took their seats in the official transport of Tiberius Septus. The vehicle, being outfitted for a high-ranking government official, was equipped with bullet proof armor and blast proof glass that was tinted so that riders could see out while no one outside could see in. As Kaiya entered with the qubit, Pandora again began speaking.
“Is your entire party in the car, Tiberius?”
“Yes,” answered Kaiya.
“Then we will get under way. There are 18 minutes to your destination.”
The transport shot off at a high speed on the track network that connected all the streets in Capitol City. All over the grid, transportation was stopped for the passing of a high-ranking official.
Arian was nervous, and he could tell by the faces of the other men that they were as well. He could read nothing from Kaiya. It was disconcerting to know she was so peaceful in these circumstances. Tiberius’ transport drove itself through the streets unimpeded until they came to the security checkpoint at the West Bridge that led to the Central Isle. As the transport hawk slowed, everyone in the vehicle sat upright and put their hands on their guns, but Pandora communicated the proper codes and they passed without question, ushered toward the North Tower. The hawk docked in front of two Imperial soldiers.
“Be cool, boys,” said Kaiya. “We’re expected. I’m the interrogator, you all work for me.” The men nodded as the transport opened.
The soldiers came to the door. The larger of them spoke.
“You are here on behalf of Tiberius Septus?”
“I’m here to interrogate the prisoner,” Kaiya said. “According to Consulate Septus, he is a Centauri. They have been working him toward a confession. I will get this confession.”
Her bravado had an effect on the guards.
“Well,” said the larger one, “I hope you can get it out of him.” He made an exaggerated motion to allow her, Arian, and their four escorts into the North Tower. He followed, leading them into the building and guiding them to a security station situated by an elevator.
“Stop there. We need your passcodes to allow you to advance.” The captain seemed peaceful, but the men around him were heavily armed.
“Are you kidding me?” demanded Kaiya. “I was informed by Consulate Septus that you fools were aware we were coming. I am here to interrogate Ansley Brightmore. What more do we need?”
“We were informed, just doing our jobs. I apologize for any inconvenience. Please don’t tell the Consulate of this.” Her mind flashed to his corpse.
“See that it doesn’t happen, captain. I have no desire to go after a man who is doing his duty. Just take us to the prisoner.”
“Right away, Madame.” The captain of the guard station walked down from his perch and led them to an adjacent elevator.
“You’ll find the traitorous bastard at basement level C.” The captain placed a small object on a keychain over a scanner, which registered the floor. “He will be there, but I must warn you, he is very weak. The Overseers themselves have been to see him and I’m afraid that Brightmore was less than forthcoming with information, to Overseer Romanov’s great dismay. He has been severely tortured.” A strange look of guilt and shame was obvious on the guard’s face. “I wish you better luck than they had.”
“I assure you,” answered Kaiya, “I will achieve results. Luck is fanciful and foolish.”
“I hope so,” replied the captain, handing her the key card to enter the cell as the elevator closed. They were again alone, descending into the depths of the tower.
The group was silent as the elevator dropped. Arian was afraid but would not show it to his companions. Arriving at C-level, Arian watched Connor pull out the same egg-shaped device Ansley had used to block spying in his apartments. As the door opened, Kaiya stormed out, past two cell guards who hurried after her. Connor activated the egg.
“I thought the guards in this prison were a well-oiled machine, but clearly I was mistaken,” she said as she hurried down the hall. “Tiberius will have much to tell the Overseers about the lack of security and competence in the lower levels.”
She stopped abruptly, and the two guards following ran into her, knocking her 5’2” frame to the ground. Connor ran to her aid, while Conrad and Chase drew their firearms and aimed them at the two guards. Arian hung back, taking in the scene as if in slow motion.
“This is how you treat an interrogator for Tiberius Septus!!!” she screamed at the bewildered and frightened men.
“No, Madame,” answered one of the guards, helping Connor pull her to her feet. “We didn’t know it was you.”
“So you were not aware that we were coming tonight? Tiberius informed me that Pandora had announced our presence.”
“She did, Your Grace. We made a mistake,” stammered the guard. “You shot out of the elevator and we reacted. Please don’t let this get back to the Consulate. We will do anything.”
“I know that you will,” replied Kaiya coldly. “Which cell houses Ansley Brightmore?”
“Cell Four,” replied the frightened guard.
“Open it and leave us, please. I need to interrogate the prisoner alone.”
“Of course,” murmured the guard, rushing down the hall and unlocking the fourth cell. Chase and Conrad lowered their guns, though they did not holster them.
“We apologize for any inconvenience,” said the other guard.
“Is there anyone housed in Cell Three?” asked Kaiya.
“No, Madame,” replied the guard.
“Open it and show me.” The guard opened the cell. At a nod from Kaiya, Chase struck the man in the back of the head with the butt of his gun, splitting his scalp and sending him to the floor, where he lay motionless. The second guard reeled around, but Conrad already had him covered.
“You can either go in the cell like your friend there, or you can walk into the cell willingly,” said Conrad.
The frightened guard nodded and said nothing.
“Give me your qubit and get in the cell.”
The man handed over his qubit and entered. Chase and Callan dragged the other man, who was either unconscious or dead, into the cell behind him, removing his qubit as well.
“Take a break, gentleman,” Conrad said snidely as he closed the cell door. “I’m sure they will have you guys out of here in no time, although you may not get a very good performance review.”
With the guards secured, they were alone in the hallway. Arian walked forward and pushed open the heavy steel door to Ansley’s cell. He took a deep breath, nervous about what he would find on the other side. After the guard’s recap of his friend’s interrogation, he knew that it would not be pleasant. As Arian entered the dark cell, sensors signaled the overhead lights to flicker on, bathing the room in white fluorescent light. He was horrified by what he saw.
The room was almost bare, save for an exam table in the center, an IV stand, and a monitor registering the rhythmic beats of Ansley’s heart. Ansley was restrained on the table, strapped from head to toe, allowing him minimal movement. Fresh, pink scars covered his face, arms, legs, and chest. Arian was puzzled by their rapid emergence. At first, he didn’t appear to be conscious, but as Arian moved closer, the once great man spoke in a weak and pitiable voice.
“I’ve told you everything I know. I can’t do this anymore. You have to find a way to kill me. Please. The pain is unbearable.”
Emboldened by his friend’s agony and the need to comfort him, Arian rushed forward, grabbing the Professor’s hand.
“It’s Arian,” he said in a soothing tone. “We are here to rescue you.”
Ansley opened his eyes and turned his head as far as the restraint would allow, squinting at the brightness.
“I couldn’t resist them. The pain. The torture. They know of our assault on the lab. What day is it? We have to warn Jabari’s men.”
“I’m afraid it’s too late for that,” said Arian in a somber tone. “But we were able to escape and have come for you.”
The four brothers approached the table and stood looking down at Ansley, their faces full of compassion.
“Do you think you can walk, old friend?” asked Conrad, unclasping the restraints.
“I can walk, but you must leave me. This body is no longer my own.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” said Arian.
“They tried to break me and get me to give up our plans. They cut me and beat me and broke my fingers and ribs, but I wouldn’t crack. Five days ago, Vladymir Romanov came with a team of doctors who injected me with the bio-bots they’ve been producing in the desert. The bots, they wrote themselves into my genetic code. Once the bots hijack the machinery of DNA synthesis, they code themselves into your very being. I can feel them. I can communicate with them. It’s as if they’re alive. They used me as a test subject, just one more humiliation, but then something unexpected happened. Knowing now that the bot injections would not destroy the host and frustrated with my lack of cooperation, they had no more use for me. Vladymir cut my throat in a fit of rage. I bled to death on this very table. But the bots didn’t die. They repaired me, using my body’s chemical energy stores and medical records downloaded from the same transmission system the Overseers will use to control the Natural Born. I was returned to homeostasis. You see, they are me now, and they don’t want to die.”
Arian exchanged confused looks with the brothers and then glanced back at Kaiya, who was studying Ansley intently.
“Don’t worry about those things now, my friend,” Arian said. Let’s just get you out of here. We will find a way to get those things out of you. We were able to destroy the lab. The bio bots are no more, but I was able to save a few samples. We can still carry out the plan. We just need to make it to the Iris and you can alter history and bring down this regime.”
“You don’t understand,” said Ansley. “When they saw that my body had healed, they cut me. They forced me to die over and over again, but I kept coming back. I couldn’t tell what was real and what was fantasy. I didn’t know if I was alive or dead. I just wanted it to stop, so I broke. They broke me. I told them everything. I told them about the assault on the lab, about Beladero. Everything. And I was a selfish fool.” Ansley closed his eyes and single tear rolled down his scarred cheek. “It was never about the Natural Born, and it was never about the regime. It was always about Padma. All the men that have died, all those that have sacrificed to create the Iris, it was all for me and me alone. I needed to somehow go back, to find her. I couldn’t deal with the fact that she was gone forever. I couldn’t just sit there and allow her memory to fade into oblivion, so I began to build the accelerator, a fool’s quest to warp time and space to find my love. I purposely misled the people of Beladero with promises of sending a message back before the rise of the Overseers, but I knew it would not be possible. How can one send a message through space and time and assure its arrival?”
“The wormhole was for me. I was going to enter it in a selfish attempt to find her again. And I knew I would die doing so. The gravitational forces would surely tear me apart. But then I met you.” His eyes met Arian’s. “I had watched you since your birth, as you were my only link to Padma. I followed your research. I saw you speak at the Institute six months ago on the progress of your research, and I was struck by an idea. Even though you yourself were unaware, I saw the potential for the bots as a self-sustaining source of health and youthfulness. Without control of extended life, the Overseers would lose all power over the world. Unexpectedly, I found myself believing that we just might be able to change the world after all, and for a time I forgot my own selfish desires. I thought if we could somehow deliver this technology before the rise of Arameus, we could eliminate their power.”
“But we still can… I have three syringes of the bots. We can send them back,” implored Arian. “Ansley, we can still win this!”
Ansley got up from the table, and Arian, aware of his nakedness, removed his outer robe and placed it around his shoulders. The Professor tied the robe and stood taller. He seemed to be growing stronger by the minute. Searching the room, he found a cabinet in the corner and, opening it, he sighed with relief.
“I thought I had lost these forever,” he said, more to himself than the group. Arian watched as he removed a gold watch and the damaged silver cigarette case that he carried everywhere.
“I apologize for my weakened state,” he said, a half smile showing and a bit of his familiar arrogance returning, “but I was stabbed in the heart just this morning.” The other men looked with shocked expression at the pink scar on his chest that showed this to be true. “They seemed to never tire of killing me.”
Ansley shot a glance at Kaiya, frowned, and turned back to Arian.
“I see you found her,” he said.
“Without me, you would still be chained to that table,” she shot back.
“I’m sure I owe you a large debt of gratitude,” responded Ansley dryly. He embraced Conrad. “It’s good to see you old friend,” he whispered. The other three brothers surrounded him and embraced him in turn.
Ansley addressed the group. “I have learned a valuable lesson from my imprisonment and it is this. We need to die. I have descended into that dark crevice of death more than any man in the history of our world now, and I must tell you, I have always been disappointed to return. The source of the Overseers’ power is their unending grip on people’s fears of the unknown. They keep their equals in line with promises of extended life and dominate those who have nothing. No matter what we do, it will always be the same. If we destroy the Overseers, others like them will rise. If tyrants can’t be controlled by the people, then at least we should be able to count on nature to rid us of them.”
“Then what do you propose?” asked Arian.
“Strangely, enough, with my newfound… prowess for survival, I might just be able to survive a trip through the wormhole.”
“Then we should try,” insisted Arian. “I have three doses of the bio-bot injections that I was able to save from the lab. We can at least try.”
“No. We can’t try. It’s wrong. Padma lived her life, and now she is dead. I have lived two hundred years longer than I should have, as have the Overseers. Death is nothing to fear. It is eternal rest, and we will deliver the Overseers to their long overdue naps. All nano-treatments are produced in Capitol City, and the technology is jealously guarded here. All knowledge of the bio-bots is here as well. You remember the explosion that occurred when we shut down the Iris and closed the hole, right?”
“I do.”
“The longer we allow the hole to remain open, the further back in time the particles must travel to annihilate their anti-particle couplet. This entire region sits on top of the largest cave system on the planet. If we leave the Iris running long enough, we can create an explosion large enough to collapse 100 square miles, including Capitol City. Let’s see these bots survive that. Our deaths will be our parting gift to the world. The Overseers will be destroyed, and all knowledge of extended life lost. The Natural Born will re-build a free world.”
“I didn’t sign up for this,” interjected Kaiya. “This is suicide. How can you expect these people to follow you after you just admitted to deceiving them?”
“You signed your death warrant when you took up with Tiberius,” retorted Ansley. “Do you expect the Overseers to allow you to survive? They sent you back into servitude. What will they do now that you have illegally infiltrated the North Tower?”
“We will follow him because he is right,” said Conrad, placing a hand on Ansley’s shoulder. “Regardless of his previous motivations, his current ones are correct.” His brothers nodded in agreement. “We have all lived too long. And we have lived most of that time as slaves. We aren’t even allowed to have children. It isn’t right. We are still with you, Ansley.”
Arian cast a glance at Kaiya, who seemed incredulous, but he shrugged her off.
“I am with you too, Ansley. I have seen too many men die today for the freedom of their children to just walk away. I will not allow the world to be enslaved by a creation from my own research.”
“Then it’s decided. We destroy Capitol City,” said Ansley. “Now how do you propose we get out of here?”
“Leave that to me,” said Kaiya. “We entered under the guise of Tiberius’ interrogation team. We will leave as such. These guards are fools. They will not notice one more member of our party, especially one garbed in an Imperial robe.”
“Let’s go,” said Ansley, raising the purple hood to cover his face. “Perhaps we can beat them to Beladero. If you really were able to destroy the lab today, they will be busy there. We shouldn’t be naïve, though. They will have Imperial brigades marching on the city. I was able to hold off telling them of the Iris, so they will feel no need to hurry. To them, it is merely a rebel city that they can destroy in their own time. Let’s hope their arrogance is as extreme as I believe it to be.”
They exited the cell into the empty hallway. The egg was still holding. Kaiya walked in front with Arian trailing close behind. Ansley walked between the four brothers in an attempt to blend in. They entered the elevator and Kaiya scanned the key card pushing the button for the ground floor. Connor deactivated the egg. They rose in silence, the mood tense. When they arrived at their destination floor, Ansley placed his hand over the button that kept the doors closed.
“We are about to take a leap that none of us will come back from,” he said looking at the group. “I look at you all and I see brothers,” he nodded to his guards, “I see a son,” he nodded to Arian, “and perhaps now, another friend to our cause,” he added, acknowledging Kaiya. “We have had our differences, and all have made mistakes, but if all of you were willing to risk your lives to come to this, the heart of the Overseers’ stronghold to save me, then I am sure you are willing to go one step further and give your lives so that the world can be free. When we leave this lift, we will do so as the true Centauri, the fictional band of rebels the men in power have used for so long to murder our families and keep us under control. Whatever waits ahead, I am committed to the cause of helping those who can’t help themselves, and I know if you join me that you are as well. Let’s send a message to the world that tyranny, no matter what it offers, be it riches or eternal life, will never be tolerated in our world. Let’s send a message to those looking for a beacon of hope that we are the bringers of death to those who oppose hope, to those who ignore the abandoned. We are the justice that those without a voice dream of in their sleep. Hope is real. And we will make it so.”
No one in the lift said a word as Ansley finished his speech, but he could see in their eyes their commitment, everyone but Kaiya. Her expression, as always, was unreadable. Her head tilted as if studying the man before her. Ansley released the button and the doors opened. The four brothers split, allowing Kaiya to march ahead. As she walked by the guard station, she nonchalantly tossed the electronic elevator access key onto the counter of the captain’s station.
“We were able to get what we needed from the prisoner. Tiberius will be pleased,” she said brusquely as she continued past.
“Wait,” said the captain, standing to his feet. “Is everything alright? We lost the camera feed to the cellblock.” The concerned captain surveyed the group trailing behind her. He noticed the extra man at once.
“Stop them,” he yelled to his three companions, who rushed to head off Kaiya, keeping their weapons holstered, not wishing to threaten a representative of the Consulate.
“Is there a problem, captain?” asked Kaiya sweetly.
“I’m afraid there is, Madame. Six of you went down but seven have come up. You in the hood, show me your face.”
Ansley, his face lowered to avoid detection looked to his left and right, nodding his head and whispering something before responding.
“As you wish,” he replied in a calm and measured tone. Lifting his head, he threw back his hood, revealing his once famous and now infamous features. The shock was evident on the captain’s face as he realized what was happening. He jumped backward in a defensive posture as his men went for their guns. Arian lunged at Kaiya, tackling her to the ground, and Ansley lowered himself to his knees, as Conrad, Chase, Connor, and Callan stepped forward and unloaded their weapons on the surprised guards. The confrontation was over before it began, and the hallway was filled with smoke as the captain and his three men lay dead before them.
“We’ve got to run,” shouted Ansley. “That’s not going unnoticed.”
Leaping over the bodies, he rushed ahead, down the corridor toward the entrance along with the four brothers. Lifting Kaiya to her feet, Arian followed, pulling her behind him as she struggled to keep up with his longer stride. They were halfway down the corridor when shots rang out ahead. Ansley felt his shoulder explode in searing pain and was knocked to the floor. Connor and Chase dropped to the ground and returned fire. It was the two soldiers guarding the entrance.
Within seconds the gunfire ceased and the guards lay dead. Arian went to help Ansley. Leaning over his injured friend, he could see blood pouring from a gunshot wound to the shoulder.
“Are you alright, can you walk?”
Painfully pushing himself up with his good arm to a seated position, Ansley surveyed his wound. “It is of no consequence,” he replied. “It will heal.” Arian and Kaiya helped him to his feet. “We have to keep moving,” said Ansley.
It was then that they noticed three of the brothers surrounding a body on the ground. Callan lay dead from a bullet through the forehead. Conrad’s voice shook with a mixture of anguish and rage.
“We must leave him. We have a mission to finish. If we succeed tonight, we will all join in his fate, along with the Overseers. We must go, now!”
Without a look back at their fallen brother, Chase and Connor and the rest of them were again sprinting down the hall, this time Ansley falling behind, running awkwardly from his wound. They made it to the entryway and burst out into the night. With no other soldiers in the immediate area, the path to the transport was clear. Kaiya removed Tiberius’ qubit from her dress and instructed Pandora to open the doors. They entered, with Arian helping Ansley.
“Pandora, we need to go to the Devonshire Pub in the Southern District. Go now!”
“A strange choice for you, Tiberius. Estimated time of arrival, 10 minutes.”
“We need to get into contact with Eduardo,” said Ansley through labored breaths and gritted teeth. “I assume from the destination he is working with you?”
“He is awaiting our arrival at the pub and planning our way out of the city,” replied Arian.
“We may need to improvise,” said Ansley. “Can you contact him?”
Kaiya tossed the short-wave transponder to Ansley. “Just press the button to talk.”
The transport began moving, driving through the curved avenues surrounding the Central Tower toward the main route to the Southern District. Using his good arm, Ansley picked up the transponder and pressed the button.
“Eddie, are you there?” Static… A few seconds passed before he tried again. “Damn it, Eddie, you better fucking be there.”
After another few seconds, he heard the accented voice of his old friend from the other end.
“Professor, is that really you? Shit! I can’t believe this! Then they succeeded?”
“Not yet, Eddie,” replied Ansley. “We’re in trouble. Can you get us out?”
“I have a plan. Just get to the Devonshire.”
“I don’t think that’s going to happen, Eddie. We made a mess back there. There is no way we are getting through this check point.”
“Ansley,” interrupted Arian. “Ansley…”
“What!” fired back Ansley, annoyed by the disturbance.
“We have a cruiser outside the Patolli players’ entrance to the city. We’re going right by the South Tower. If we can gain access, we can make it to Beladero before the Overseers realize we’ve left the city.”
Ansley nodded in acknowledgement.
“What time is it, Eddie?” he said into the transponder.
“Nearly midnight, professor.”
“Good. Raul should still be in the tower cleaning, correct?”
“He works all night on Mondays. He’ll be there.”
“Good. Contact him and have him stand by at the service entrance. This is going to be close.”
“What’s your plan?” asked Eduardo, concern in his voice.
“I’m going to do what you always wanted me to do, Eddie. I’m going to take down this whole city. If I leave the Iris on long enough, I can create enough energy destabilize the outer crust of this entire region. Those in the remaining cities can rebuild this world. If you want to live, I suggest you go west and as far away from here as the next few hours will allow. Everything within a hundred miles of Beladero is going to collapse into the subterranean cave system.”
“I think not, Professor,” answered Eduardo, pride and respect evident in his tone. “I will not run while our comrades die. I look forward to dying tonight as we ring in a new era of freedom. I will alert my fellow Natural Born, however, and give them the chance to flee.”
“Eddie, if you can, contact Anabelle. I would see her safe.”
“I will do my best. I’ll see you on the other side, my friend.”
“And I you Eduardo,” replied Ansley. “Now get ahold of Raul and get him to that fucking door!”
Ansley threw the transponder back to Kaiya and surveyed the men in the transport. The brothers were somber but resolute. Arian returned his gaze, prepared to meet his fate. Ansley moved his wounded shoulder. The bleeding had stopped and the pain was already subsiding. He noticed Kaiya studying his movements and shoulder intently. In spite of her efforts on his behalf, he still didn’t trust her. Ignoring his misgivings, he spoke to the men in the vehicle.
“By now they know what happened in there, and they know precisely where we are on the grid. That checkpoint at the Southern bridge is a death trap waiting to spring.”
The others in the car nodded.
“We need to get to the South Tower without them following. I’m afraid we have some tough decisions to make,” continued Ansley, making eye contact with Conrad, who seemed to understand.
“There is no tough decision, old friend,” said Conrad, answering Ansley’s stare and reading his thoughts. “You, Arian, Kaiya, and Chase will exit as we pass the South Tower and meet this Raul. Connor and I will continue forward to the checkpoint. They will assume we are all in the vehicle. Connor and I will give them hell and buy you time to escape. They will never suspect that you would have gone to the South Tower.”
“No!” interjected Arian. “You can’t just give yourself to them. Come with us. We will all run for it.”
“We all die tonight, my new friend,” replied Conrad, repeating the words he said over his brother’s corpse.
“He’s right,” said Ansley. “They can buy us enough time to get into the tower before they realize we’re no longer in the vehicle. We’ll leave the city right under their noses while they search the streets above. With luck, we can make it to Beladero before they realize we’re gone and end this tonight.”
Though Arian still seemed uncomfortable with this scenario and unconvinced of its necessity, he said nothing else. Chase and Connor both nodded in solemn agreement with Ansley.
“Then it’s decided,” said Ansley. “Kaiya, tell Pandora to slow the transport to five miles an hour when we pass the National Mall by the South Tower and open the left door. We’ll jump out and she will continue forward at that speed with the door open. This will give you both the advantage of being able to leap out and open fire as soon as the vehicle stops at the checkpoint before they can surround you. Use the vehicle for cover. You need to buy us as much time as possible.”
Conrad and Connor nodded while Kaiya instructed Pandora as to how the transport was to behave. They rode in silence for the next few minutes, each man and woman nervously contemplating what they would have to do. Arian prayed that the South Tower, looming in the distance, would never arrive, but against his best hopes, it rose larger and larger in the window. As they neared, the transport slowed, and they knew it was time. Chase, the brother chosen to accompany Kaiya, Arian, and Ansley, embraced each of his brothers who would soon sacrifice themselves so that they could make it to the Iris.
“It has been an honor to be your brother and serve with you in this resistance,” he said, his voice choking. “I don’t know what awaits each of us in death, but I hope to meet you again in the halls of our ancestors.”
Ansley, Arian, and Kaiya said their goodbyes as well, shaking the hands of the men who would give their own lives for them. As they came even with the National Mall that led to the South Tower, the door to their left slid open.
“Now is the time,” shouted Ansley, leaping from the vehicle and hitting the ground in a jog. Arian and Kaiya followed, with Kaiya nearly falling before being lifted back up by her companion. Chase was the last man to exit the vehicle. He stopped, watching the transport move forward carrying his brothers and friends of over two hundred years to a violent death. With a pained sigh, he turned his back and joined the others. The park was empty, with everyone who didn’t work there home for the evening. The four of them sprinted across the green to their destination.
They ran past the marbled monuments to the men who had built the Empire of Arameus, the very empire they were trying to destroy. Arian couldn’t stop his thoughts from drifting to that day that he and Ansley had attended the Patolli game, the day they cemented their friendship. It had all seemed so innocent, drinking at the Devonshire with Alexandra and Anabelle, before walking across this very mall to the Patolli stadium. Anabelle would be dead by the end of this night, along with them all, while Alex was somewhere far away with her cruel gangster uncle. At least she would be safe. Despite her betrayal, this gave him comfort. It was nice to know that someone he cared for would survive. Ansley must have known it would end like this. Nothing had been innocent for him. He understood now why his friend was always brooding, drowning himself in alcohol. That knowledge must have weighed heavy on his soul for a long time. He tricked himself with thoughts of saving Padma and stopping the war, but the war was always necessary.
Then a troubling thought came to him. Gravano had bio-bots and would be far from the blast radius. This was all futile. They would not be able to destroy the technology. It would continue, now controlled by a man potentially more dangerous than the Overseers themselves. Coupled with Alex, they could continue production. No matter what they did tonight, his work would live on and the oppression might continue. He opened his mouth to call out to Ansley and warn him about the flaw in their plan, but was interrupted as gunfire sounded just to the south of them.
They froze to listen. Seven shots fired in succession before a brief pause. Then four more shots rang out. Still, they listened, unable to continue on. The red night erupted in hundreds of shots fired without interruption for a full minute. They ceased. Ten seconds later, two solitary shots echoed over the Central Isle and Ansley knew it was over. The brothers would have been incapacitated in the final flurry. The last two shots were the kill shots, executed at close range. After a sustained silence, Ansley reached out and gave Chase’s shoulder an empathetic squeeze. The man looked devastated but raised his head, looking Ansley in the eye.
“Let’s make sure they didn’t die in vain.”
With a solemn nod, Ansley raced for the tower along with the rest of the crew. As they ran, they heard a siren wail over the Isle. Their absence had been discovered. It wouldn’t be long before a full patrol was canvassing the area. They rushed onto the tower pavilion, Ansley leading the way past the main entrance and around the corner to the custodial entrance. He knocked hard, three times. Within seconds, the door opened and Ansley was never as happy to see Raul as he was at that moment.
“I thought you guys would never get here,” he said. “What the hell is going on out there? It sounds like a war zone.”
“No time,” said Ansley, between heavy breaths. “You have to get us to the tunnel from the locker room.”
Ansley stepped aside, allowing Kaiya, Arian, and Chase to enter first. The last thing he saw as he closed the door behind him was a Raven circling the green with a spotlight shining down and a full brigade of guards entering the mall. Raul led them down the corridor to the elevator and then to the entrance of the locker room. Entering, Ansley stopped, turning to Raul and grabbing him by the arm.
“You have saved us once again, my friend, and I thank you. Now get out of the city and as far north or west as you can. Go now!”
With that, Ansley, Arian, Kaiya, and Chase left, descending to the tunnel that would lead them from the city.
***
Eduardo sat at the bar of the Devonshire Pub, contemplating the diminishing glass of bourbon before him. It wasn’t often he sat on the patron’s side, but the doors were locked and he was alone, so what the hell. He lifted the strong spirit to his lips, feeling the burn of the alcohol wash over his body, giving him a chill, as the aromatics shot through his sinus cavity. He had always enjoyed fine bourbon. He breathed in deep to appreciate the subtle vanilla and caramel notes tracing his palate. His thoughts went to Juanita. He had loved her. She was another victim of a curable flu. He would be with her again soon. For now, he would drink and appreciate the good things he had left in his life. It gave him solace to know that no matter how much power the Overseers gained and how much they had controlled, there were still good men and women in Arameus, both Nephite and Natural Born, who were willing to give their lives to protect the most basic right in the world: freedom to pursue your own happiness.
He was proud of his friends. A lot of good families would die this evening on both sides, but when time allowed for healing, he knew the world would be better because of their sacrifices. This gave him hope, in spite of the fact that he was staring in the face of his own death. He laughed. It was too bad the Overseers’ media directors would perish as well. Otherwise, this would be known as the Blood Monday attack.
His transponder buzzed with static and Raul’s voice came from the other side. “They made it to the South Tower, Eduardo, and I have delivered them to the locker room. They will be out of the city in no time.”
“You did great, Raul. Thank you. Now get your little ass out of the city and as far away as possible.”
“I don’t think so, Eduardo. I still have some cleaning to finish. I was never one to leave a job unfinished that I’ve been paid for.”
“You’re a good man, Raul.”