Chapter 23

Brilliant Light Industries

The Director stared at his watch, waiting every second tick by until the hand reached the exact hour. When it did, he reached the black door and placed his hand on the scanner beside it.

It traced his hand with a transparent green light, and an automated voice spoke, “Biometrics confirmed. Welcome, Director Sullivan Osbourne.”

The door opened, followed by a wintry welcome as a blast of cold wind greeted the director of the Golden Lion Organization.

“Welcome, Director Sullivan.” A feminine voice echoed above, from the woman who sat atop the hill inside the snowy room as he entered.

The director silently trudged up the icy hill and through the cold winds and met with the woman who sat atop it, on a tea table where none of the snow reached. Her skin was fair and pale, like the snow that they were in, and her hair was a shade of light purple. She was dressed elegantly in hues of blue and purple.

“Good to see you, Estelle.” He said as he took a seat on the metallic, white chair. On the table was a tea set and a plate full of biscuits.

He picked up the teapot on the table and poured himself a cup full.

“As always, you’ve arrived exactly when you said you would… Still, I was hoping you’d call more often.” She jokingly remarked.

“I would but I never have any good news to share.”

“Still, you really didn’t need to come all the way to my office just for a meeting. Have you never heard of the internet?”

The Director tilted his head up and watched the curtains of vibrant dancing colors above them, “I like the scenery here. I’m always amazed at this artificial marvel.”

“I’m glad you liked it, it costed me a pretty penny.”

“However, I don’t like it when you use it on yourself.” He grabbed a sugar cube and began to stir it in his tea.

“Come now, is this really any different from a woman wearing make up?” She responded flippantly.

“Because that’s not what it is.” Director answered bluntly.

“And I suppose you want me to turn the off the auroras as well? Even though I had all of this prepared for your visit, honestly.” Estelle lamented and placed her palm on her cheek.

She reached for her chest, grabbing an invisible object. As she clicked it, it powered down, turning into a small black cube. Half of her face began to glow with transparent glowing boxes, before breaking into digital fractals that faded away.

Her real appearance was in full view — a black eyepatch covered her right eye, while burn scars disfigured half of her face, stretching up to her ear. It was unlike Anastasia’s, but was far worse in appearance.

“So then, what brings the sudden visit?” She said before sipping her tea, her sweet tone of voice gone and changed to something more somber and petulant in front of the one who spoiled her fun.

He opened his scarred eye, which had a black sclera, as well as an orange glowing pupil that glistened within the snowy simulated world, “Were you creating a matrix key, by any chance?”

Estelle spat out her drink and asked, “W-what have you heard?”

“We’ve picked up two of its fragments recently. According to one of our operatives, Maria Readman, its data signature belongs to Brilliant Light Industries.”

“We were… working on it, yes.” She weakly admitted.

“And you lost it.”

“… It was stolen almost two months ago. We believe the suspects involved a certain… Harbinger.”

“Why did you not inform the other organizations about this project of yours, or about the fact that you lost it?”

“It was incomplete, and pretty much harmless in it’s current state, so we were hoping to recover it before it caused any trouble. Besides, we didn’t need to inform you of anything. We’re all busy working on our own projects, aren’t we?”

“We’re an alliance for a reason. We share our information.”

“You should have thought about that before you did Project ASTRAEA. I only found out about your superhuman projects thirteen years after you’ve started. No agreements involved, no rules were set up, no news of where the funding went.” .

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

“All of the shareholders were given appropriate news of the progress. Brilliant Light didn’t offer to any funding.”

“Because we did not know! Thirty years we’ve known each other, Sully. Thirty years! You give information, you get information. That’s how this works!” The scarred woman lashed out, emphasizing every other word.

“You would have been against it.”

“Of course, I would have been against it! You were killing children! Eight-hundred orphans, Sully. Eight-hundred children were slaughtered in your experiments. For what? So that you could have ten? Twenty of your super soldiers?” Estelle broke out in a fit.

“We stopped using orphans.”

“Not the point! And having people volunteer to their deaths for a measly few grand isn’t much better, Sully! All of the people you’ve lead to their early graves…”

“Project CHIMERA is also doing the same thing.”

“They were supposed to be bringing back extinct animals, I don’t understand how they ended up making animal people!” She yelled as she kept slamming her hand on the table with a disappointed look on her face.

The director lowered his head for a few seconds, watching the steam flow out of his cup before taking a sip.

“Sigh… so, is this all it’s about? We lost the matrix key we were working on, and your agents found it? How much do you want for us to buy it back?”

“It’s been fragmented, broken into five, maybe six pieces. According to Maria, they’re useless as they are currently, so I want to know what it was made for.”

“It’s a Matrix Key. It’s designed to break into any security there is. What else?”

“Is it possible for you to track down the remaining pieces?”

“We’ve been trying to do that for a while, and so far, no luck.”

“I see.”

“And? That can’t be all you came to say, is it?”

The Director paused, twirling his teacup for a second, “… We’ve come in contact with a Jackal’s Fang.”

“It’s not like they can do anything with their mad scientist trapped in Cocytus. We have other things to worry about.”

“Don’t forget the tens of thousands of people they killed.”

“So what? So have Dahmer, the Shaman’s Cult, and even Blind Garden. Don’t forget that the government is doing everything in their power to shut us down. The little terrorist group is on it’s last legs.” She responded frantically.

“According to the report, he claimed to have been a new member.”

“They’re rebuilding? So what?” Estelle picked up the pot and began pouring herself another cup.

“Not only that, but according to Felix, he also had what sounded like your illusion tech?”

She looked up to his, unaware that her boiling hot tea had spilled over her, “…What? Ow! Tsk! Eh?”

Estelle looked at Sullivan, whose serious expression softened with a relieved smirk. “As clumsy as ever.”

Her wide-eyed expression turned into an irritated pout, “So you had me disable my virtual make up just to see if it was really me?”

“Or if you were really here.”

“Honestly, Sully. You piss me off more and more every time we see each other.”

“So, you really have no idea how they had your illusion tech?”

“It’s possible for them to be developing their own, but… you’re saying that I have a traitor among my ranks?”

The director responded with nothing but a stoic gaze.

“I’ll look into it. Anything else? I would really like you to leave before you piss me off any more.”

“Then, are you free any time soon? There’s an event I would like to hold. I’d like to invite you to watch it.”

“I… will make some time.”

Director Sullivan smiled softly, much to her annoyance. He reached for one of the biscuits and looked up once more, his mismatched eyes of black and orange gazed up to the artificial aurora borealis above them.

*

Anastasia fumbled around the chrome-teal halls. Outside the windowed walls was the were the dark skies of night, with barely any stars to show for.

She took a swig from the brown bottle from her hand.

As she lowered the bottle, she stared at the alcohol waved back and forth. The brown bottle reminding her of the events prior to her return.

“This is all your fault!” A sad, angry voice echoed as she prepared her things. She turned back and saw two men in black armor, one yelling at her with a brown, glass bottle in hand, “You let him die!”

“Calm down, Harvey! It wasn’t her fault. Quit shouting at the commander!” The other man said as he tried to stop him.

“It wouldn’t have turned out like this if Rico was still here!”

“Harvey! Stop it!”

“He used his powers to save us! To save me! Why couldn’t you do the same?!”

“I ran out of power.” She answered.

“Shut up! You just want to save your own skin. I thought I’d be safe with you espers! Like we were with Rico!”

Anastasia opened her mouth, “You all knew the risk. I did what I could for the least possible casualties.”

“You frigid bitch!”

“Come on! Stop it.”

“Let me go! Let me go!” Harvey drunkenly yelled as he elbowed the man.

Another agent in an armored suit came along and pulled away the drunk, angry man. “Sorry about that commander, he’s had too much to drink.”

As he was dragged away, Anastasia mumbled softly with a downtrodden expression, “…I did what I could.”

“I know you did, commander.”

“… Just because we have powers doesn’t mean we can do everything.”

The man clenched his fist, “I know that… it’s just… Rico was… he gave us this unreasonable hope that enhanced humans could do anything. I know it’s unfair to think that… but still. You give us hope… the hope that we’ll make it back alive every time we go out, so seeing someone die...”

The angry man struggled and broke free from the other subordinates’ grip and threw the bottle in his hand right towards her. Anastasia caught it with ease, but because the bottle was upside down, its contents spilled all over her face.

“C-commander Tundra. I’ll go grab a towel.” He gestured his thumb.

“Thank you.” She responded in a small voice as the spilled alcohol slid down her cheek.

Walking through the halls, Anastasia took another swig, the last one before the bottle ran out.

In the reflection of the brown glass, she saw the faces of two agents, Rico and Kaitlin. A memory replayed as the two of the peppy girl smiled and asked, “Agent Tundra! Come eat cake with us!”

She bit her lip in frustration, and her white eyepatch started to darken. She threw the bottle in rage, shattering it and promptly moving on. Her whole body staggered with every step.

As she toppled over face first, Felix, who had just exited the washroom, noticed and rushed to over to help her.

“Anya, are you alright? What happened.”

“Did you hic… do your training? Hic.” Anastasia replied with the thick scent of alcohol on her. Her face was completely red.

“I did. Are you okay? Maybe you should go somewhere to rest.”

“I’m really not, but let me just... sober up a bit…” She said as she opened forced herself back on her own two feet, but she had no strength in her knees to stay upright.

Felix put her arm over his shoulder and helped her up on her feet.