Epilogue

The figure glanced about the different documents, his eyes scanning them rapidly as he checked, double checked, and triple checked what he was reading. He stood in a virtual space he’d stylized off of the Sherlock Holmes films, disorganized and unruly to the onlooker, but perfectly logical and reasonable for him. All around him, different boards held a variety of names, locations, and organizations, with strings connecting them all in a spiderweb of conspiracy and misdeeds. He’d finally gotten the information he’d been searching for. He’d finally gotten the last piece of the puzzle. And now, it was clear. Everything was clear. He knew what the government was planning, what they’d been planning, for the past decade, more even. Their final end game was in sight, and the whole world, would be forever changed if they accomplished it. Honestly, he didn’t really care. Their plans meant nothing to him. That being said, he knew, at the very least, he owed it to those who’d come before him, and those who’d helped him, to share what he’d found. A glance at the desk, where a black and white mask in the visage of a smiling, mustached man, looked back at him. A relic from his youth, from a time when he, personally, would have done something about the situation. He’d had more energy then. He was naïve, back then. Now, he would no longer shoulder the burden of the world. He’d tried, and failed, too many times to count. This wasn’t his battle. This was the battle for a new generation. And he would do as he’d always done. He would watch from the shadows, confined as he was, to the underworld. That was, after all, the responsibility he’d taken, when he’d given himself the nom, Hades.

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He prepared the message, selecting the recipient from his massive list of contacts. Most of the names on the list, were grey, showing they weren’t online. That didn’t phase him. Most of the names on the list, were dead or incarcerated. How many had given their lives, pointlessly, in their struggles? It was a bitter thought, and he pushed it aside. He lived with the guilt of their memories. He surrounded himself, with the visages of his friends. Friends whom he’d soon join, once the world met its end. But before then, he’d pass on this information. The world had one last chance at hope, and he would be the one to light that beacon. From there, well, he didn’t really know. He was…so tired.

Hades looked at the blank message header, as he filled in the message. It was short and simple. He couldn’t risk saying what he needed to say, in the message. Instead, it would give the recipient the ability to join him, in a secret, highly secure digital space, where they could meet face to face, and have a discussion. What happened from then on, would be the young man’s decision. Confirming he’d encoded everything properly, he gave the message a proper header, and sent it off. Then, he sat down, let out a heavy sigh, and poured himself a drink. All that he could do now, was wait, and hope that James didn’t keep him waiting too long. Time was, after all, of the utmost importance. After all, in the next two days, everything would change.