Lukas strode down the hall of OCON’s headquarters, enjoying the view of the city lights through windows on one side as well as the stares of the older operatives on the other. They were all dressed in suits to help create the illusion of OCON being just another business, in case an outsider accidentally stumbled past multiple layers of security and managed to get a glimpse inside—which would never happen. Lukas, on the other hand, was dressed like a juvenile. Though he wasn’t the only young operative, he was the only one who reported to the director without having to go through a handler. His presence at headquarters still drew attention.
The gray, metal door loomed tall as Lukas came to a stop in front of it. He looked down and took a deep breath before knocking. The blue light that had been shining through the crack at the bottom of the door disappeared.
“Come in.”
Lukas turned the handle and stepped into Director Terrell’s office.
The head of OCON was standing in the middle of the room with his hands clasped behind his back. “Lukas. Take a seat.”
It was an unspoken rule to leave the door as one found it, unless the director said otherwise. Lukas shut the door behind him and walked past Terrell to one of the two chairs in front of the director’s desk.
“It’s only been a week and a half, and you’re already reporting. I take it your operation is going well?” the director said, staying in the middle of the room.
“Yes, sir,” Lukas replied, lowering himself into the chair. He wasn’t sure if he should turn around and face the director, or continue staring at the old-fashioned map on the wall behind Terrell’s desk. He opted for the latter. “There is definitely something unusual about this girl.”
Terrell finally came around to his desk and sat down. “Elaborate.”
“The communications and social studies classes were good choices, sir. They’ve provided several opportunities for me to engage Rena in discussions … debates, really.”
“Debates? Then she’s not your typical, ignorant citizen?” Terrell asked with the slightest hint of a grin.
“Far from it, sir. Rena has some strong opinions, and she’s put considerable thought into them.”
“Interesting choice of words. Do you believe she has arrived at her opinions on her own, or has she been influenced by someone?”
Lukas crossed his arms. “If you had asked me that question last week, I would have told you she had been influenced. During our first debate, I simply spoke in support of the Founders’ original ideas. She became quite angry. It was clear I had touched a nerve, and in the moment I took it to be the typical Outlier response—all emotion and no logic. But then I recognized something else. She seemed confused … as though she didn’t necessarily believe the things she was saying. It was like she was questioning her own questions.”
Terrell’s eyebrows came together and his hand came to rest on his chin. “She’s young. Whatever thought-conditioning she received may not have had enough time to be fully absorbed.”
“Yes, I considered that … and several other possibilities. But I observed something recently that has helped me focus on what might be taking place.”
“Please,” said Terrell, motioning for Lukas to continue.
“I watched Rena manipulate an entire class discussion. She asked questions, like she always does. But this time she wasn’t aggressive. Her questions seemed more honest. Innocent even.”
Lukas remembered the expression on Rena’s face as she posed her questions and waited for a response. The way her blue-green eyes went to the ceiling before drifting down again as she pretended to accept Lukas’s answers. The way she scrunched her lips to imply that she was wrestling with a concept. And her hair. Short and unruly. As if it had an attitude of its own.
“You’re distracted,” said Terrell, with a hint of annoyance in his voice.
“No. Sorry, sir. I was just thinking through some of her arguments.”
“I see.”
Lukas suddenly realized that he was attracted to Rena, both physically and intellectually. But Terrell’s office was no place for such realizations. Lukas had to make his point quickly if he hoped to avoid further scrutiny.
“Of course this drew other students into the conversation, and then they began questioning as well. Between myself and the teacher, we were able to correct their thinking, but I was surprised at the subtlety and sophistication of her tactic. I doubt the teacher even realized what Rena was doing.”
“A new strategy,” Terrell replied.
Lukas was relieved that the director had followed his logic instead of focusing on his previous, distracted silence. “I believe so, sir. The Outliers could plant these kids throughout society with just enough thought-conditioning to affect everyone around them. But not so much that it comes across as a direct assault. Over time—”
“The Founders’ principles are abandoned,” Terrell interrupted. “Consensus is rejected. Society breaks down. And the Outliers win this war without firing a shot.”
Lukas nodded in agreement. The director had taken the theory to drastic conclusions, as expected. But he’d done it too quickly. In fact, it seemed as though Terrell had been anticipating this information. Which made Lukas wonder if the director was keeping something from him.
Terrell rose from his chair and clasped his hands behind his back. He took a deep breath and walked slowly to the middle of his office. “This war is undergoing a major shift. I can feel it.”
Lukas turned around in his chair this time.
The director looked to the ceiling. “What you’ve reported about this girl confirms her developing threat profile as an Outlier spy.”
“Thank you, sir,” Lukas replied, though he felt that more confirmation was needed. There were other possibilities that could also explain Rena’s behavior.
“These Outliers think they’re making progress, but they don’t realize how vulnerable they truly are.”
“Yes, sir.” While Lukas’s mouth gave the expected response, his mind raced to find an explanation for his superior’s strange behavior. Terrell had already decided that Rena was a spy. And now he was pacing around the room as if he’d just learned something significant, even though Rena’s identity was suspect from the beginning. It was almost as if he were looking for justification. For what, Lukas couldn’t guess.
“You’re doing great work, Lukas.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“You’re drawing out this girl’s opinions, and that gives us insight into how she’s being used by the Outliers. But I’m concerned that you’re bordering on influencing her.”
“Sir?”
Terrell came back to his desk and took his seat again. “By engaging so strongly in these … debates, as you called them.”
Lukas took a few seconds to make sure he understood what Terrell was saying before he answered. “If she’s a spy, she’s no longer under constant Outlier influence. If she’s not a spy, she’s someone with Outlier tendencies. Either way, if I can change her thinking, isn’t that a better scenario than allowing her to go down this path?”
“Better for whom?”
“Well, certainly for Rena, but—”
“Her well-being is not our priority,” Terrell said, his voice lower than before. “We have an obligation to the entire city and all its citizens. The needs of the many—”
“I understand that, but allowing her to become a full-blown Outlier insurgent doesn’t help us. If we’re going to play that game, we should at least try to turn her.” As soon as Lukas stopped talking, he realized he had interrupted his director. And he’d failed to address him as a superior. “Sir,” he quickly added.
Terrell crossed his arms. His face was calm, as if nothing had happened. Seconds of awkward silence passed before he replied. “Would you enjoy scrubbing toilets, Lukas?”
“No, sir.”
“If you’d rather help out in a different capacity, I can have a toothbrush in your hand in less than a minute.”
“No thank you, sir.”
Terrell let a few more seconds pass before continuing. “I’m going to forgive your insubordination just this once … because you’re smart. I like how you think. But don’t ever assume that you understand this war like I do.”
“Yes, sir.”
“There are complexities at work that you can’t possibly fathom.”
“Of course, sir.” Lukas had never heard the word fathom before, but its meaning was obvious, given the context.
“Don’t change this girl’s mind. Let her progress along her natural trajectory so we can understand the Outliers’ strategy. If she thinks she’s being surveilled, she’ll be careful, and we’ll lose this opportunity. We need her to be comfortable. Careless. So keep an eye on her. Where she goes. What she does. Whom she speaks with. But don’t engage her on a personal level. No influence. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Dismissed.”