The Mission

Part 8

It only took a second for the light under the screen to flash and the light on the door to turn green. I would much prefer it if all the locks were so simple.

I grasped the handle with my narrow fingers and slipped through without needing to open the door that wide. On the other side, everything was illuminated. I tried to find a darkened corner for scouting, but it didn't make much difference.

This was bigger than the data systems room, with levels and consoles. Girls, all facing away from me, sat at the consoles. Some were typing furiously. Others were blankly staring into the screens. Still others were monitoring those who were staring and working on other systems. A bustle of activity. I was fortunate they were all so consumed in their various tasks that they didn't seem to notice me lingering to one corner. I crept towards an empty console nearby and crouched down low.

Despite being a woman, that didn't make me any less of a target for the Embracing Sisterhood. The least experienced commanders wanted to know why they couldn't just throw female operatives in costumes at missions. Turns out there is something more to an Embracing Sisterhood girl than her clothes.

So many ways of trying to trick the ES. Just avoiding detection worked most of the time. So far, the illusion technology had never been caught. Reason enough to make sure everyone had it.

I used the still-functioning tap to get into the systems without a password. It took me a little while to figure out what the computers were for. I felt a chill and recorded what I could.

The systems were related to nanotechnology. Near as I could figure, the staring girls were recent converts, and the others were involved in controlling them. It didn't take long before I put together I was sitting in a room of soon-to-be sleeper agents, recently converted who would "escape" without mental effects and try to get back into normal society. A number were even blank former-soldiers given new instructions.

I panned my head across the room to make sure no one was watching me. To them, I was just another team member toiling away.

Since I was in the system, there was plenty I could do with that. I pulled out my thumb drive and decided how to start. First of all, they would be getting a special mix of hostile programs. And I would be getting all the personality programming shutdown codes.

I let my monsters out but kept them on a short leash. When it all came down, I wanted to make sure it all came down at once. With the hostile programs, I should be able to keep a connection even if anyone found the tap and tried to fix things before I was ready.

I felt my energy kindled. I was on the offensive and it felt great. Sure, it wasn't entirely the plan, but it didn't matter. I slipped out as silently as I'd come. Not a sister was disturbed, and no one turned to look.

Back in the hallway, I sifted through what I now knew were the priority areas in special projects. The black area would require a lot of backtracking. I hoped it was worth it. At least I wouldn't have to worry about the cameras. But I kept my ears trained to any shifting doors about to open or bootsteps down the hall. All was serene for the moment. I heightened my alert.

I made it to the next location without crossing any paths. The door was the same type as before. Before I could go to work, the electronic lock clicked and the door started to open. I attempted to hide behind it as much as I could. I'd have to make my way down the hall calmly and double back to get in. I didn't want to be too close.

I heard the door stretch out wide behind me. Heavy steps through the opening. It held open. I could tell someone was standing behind me. Hopefully nothing appeared out of the ordinary about my back. I kept moving swiftly.

Then came a faint voice.

"Karen Ross?"

Could've been said to anyone. But that name. In the back of my mind, I had to wonder if it was an alias I'd used once on a mission. I had so many.

Quick feet towards me. I couldn't take a chance. I turned swiftly. I looked towards the approaching figure with a serene expression. I kept it as I realized who was approaching.

If there was a face to the Embracing Sisterhood which few people saw, then it was staring back at me. As a regular operative, I'd seen her before, both in rare photos and through the scope of a sniper rifle. She looked smaller up close.

I avoided taking a step back as she neared me. I knew she was too near, but I could only stand there, awaiting my fate. If I was to have any chance then I had to play my role.

Her hair was long, curving in the back with light, reddish-purple streaks at the edges, like bolts of freakish lightning. She had a slight figure with a flat-chest, even compared to my own. She had brilliant, jade eyes that focused right on me. She was dressed in a lavender kimono with glinting, silver and blue roses down her sleeves like special jewels. I was very careful with the angle of my device. I would have to tuck it away with a motion like scratching my ear, but I could give it a few frames of her visage.

She had a deep, dusty skin tone and a narrow face. It was clear, as most suspected, that she was ethnically Japanese. I watched her and considered ways I might overpower her with what close-quarters fighting I could use. She looked tame and unnaturally calm, but I was watchful.

Her gaze lingered for longer than I would've liked. With a nod of my head, I asked her, "Yes, Sister?"

She cocked her head the other way but kept quiet. Did I have the balls to knock out the woman who was essentially the Queen of the Embracing Sisterhood? I hoped I wouldn't have to find out. I hoped she found the cover of 'Karen Ross' convincing.

With careful words, she asked, "You are Karen Ross, right?" There was something more in her looks. Something which made me feel tension deep in my stomach. She was testing me, but I had no idea how.

I looked her in the eye, cocked my head too, and answered, "Why would you call me that, dear Sister?"

It was only at that moment that I realized what she saw. It was the illusion. Of course. The image was taken from a captured and returned Valkyrie. Sure, they'd had their memories altered as much as possible and the gaps in time they were gone were filled. But I was wearing the face of a real person and she might have known who I was supposed to be personally.

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I wondered if I should've added a familiar smile or something to that effect. If what I'd said was enough for her, she didn't show it on her face. She kept the same stoic gaze and skepticism. Then she gave a slight smirk, noting, "My apologies. Of course. Where are you headed….Leslie?"

I narrowed my eyes and told her, "That's not my name. What are you playing at?"

This time, it didn't take long for her expression to shift. This time to one of delight. She snickered and fanned a hand. "Sorry sorry. You just never can be too sure, Nora…even with Valkyries. Forgive me."

I nodded back softly but kept my same expression. She rolled her eyes and noted, "Stand down, sister. I'm done testing you. I'm satisfied you're not a spy or some man with an excellent disguise. I'm eager tonight to find one of those. They're delightful. So close to being one of us…surely they just want me to help them the rest of the way, wouldn't you agree?"

Now it was time for the slight smirk. I gave it for just a moment, and she delighted in it. Despite my success, I kept my guard up. I had to be careful about how I responded. No one on the other side knew her real name or even the name other sisters used for her. There was only her code name, Tsumiko.

Tsumiko settled into a slight laugh and then let it go before stretching. I continued by asking, "So, did you need anything of me, blessed Sister?"

She stared at me for a worry-inducing moment before she restored her smile and said, "I could use some company. I'm touring the new projects to see how they are progressing. But I assume you're down here on some serious business and you need to hurry off…"

I could smell a trap, but I didn't bolt. I followed her statement, "Actually, I just finished what I needed to do. Heading back. I have some time if it won't be a hindrance, dear one."

She clapped her hands lightly and proclaimed, "Wonderful! It is always best for a sister to go with her fellow sister. Follow me."

I lingered near her, close enough for a good sleeper hold but far enough that I could dash out of the way if she tried something. That she wanted me to tour the projects I wanted to visit anyway felt too coincidental.

But I'd made it this far and I could only hope I had the skill to make it the rest of the way. It wasn't a long trip to the first door. It had been on my list. She opened it for me. I kept away from the door as she opened it and checked the area several times. We did pass a few sisters along the way but the benefit of having one of the most influential sisters around was that the skeptical looks vanished.

The first room had several water pumps and even more sisters at computers. Tsumiko asked for "status" as I moved around the room. Water warfare was an old weapon for the Sisterhood. They once used simple squirt guns as their method of conversion with nanites in a liquid suspension. And then there were the tampered water supplies which couldn't be used by anyone. This appeared to be something different. It didn't take me long to figure out how.

One of the sisters at the computers took it upon herself to explain the goal. Keeping nanites active at high altitude. Cloud seeding. Turning rainstorms into conversion methods. Fortunately, from the sound of things, they were having trouble producing enough nanite lines. Even in the worst days of the conflict, neither side was willing to let loose free, self-replicating nanites. Mutually-assured digestion, they called it.

I considered taking out my video device, but I couldn't be certain of filming without getting caught. I also considered sabotage. Sure, they weren't ready to release it yet, but this would be very dangerous once they got around the problems. One of my hostile programs could misreport the temperature of the nanite-cookers. Too hot and it would cause malfunctioning or dead lines. That would only be a temporary setback. Getting into the system to delete core data would be a bigger one. But it would also be a lot harder to do with Tsumiko nearby.

I had one play: Distraction. I was still tapped into the central computers. I could send a false report to the systems. But if I pulled out my device and, a moment later. the whole thing went nuts…it wouldn't look good for me. Tsumiko kept glancing my way. The Sisters at the computers focused on their job. Different idea…

There was an option for my device to send video to any connected display. That command was easy to engage without suspicion. My neck tingled as I watched the unattended monitor in front of me show my video device's screen in a window. I didn't get too close. Using it as a guide, I maneuvered through the complicated systems. I had to work the device by touch and not look like a suspicious sister with her hands always in her pockets.

Tsumiko made her way to one of the tanks and inspected it as one of the sisters flipped through some paperwork. It could be Tsumiko was testing me. I'd have to set the action on a delay, like with the sleepers. Report of a flaw in the nanite systems. Temperature monitoring sensors gone bad. Of course, nothing would be wrong, but I could spoof the temperature, so it always baked bad nanites. Eventually they would find the override, but it would kill their nanite-making abilities for a good while. At the same time, the data systems were vulnerable. I could corrupt key data, or at least the encryption keys, rendering it useless.

But that was far too much to do just wiggling my fingers around and staring at the screen.

"Nora…could you come over here please?" I knew that would happen. I looked up from the screen and got rid of the window. I kept my hands in my pockets as I approached. When I was close, I reached deep and came out with a bright-red piece of candy I'd forgotten about. It must've been in there for ages. I displayed it to Tsumiko, who smiled and waved a hand.

"Thank you, but I'll pass. Although we're going to visit the Little Ones, so they may enjoy it."