Track 017: State
Traveling was uneventful, which is good. Something about having Omni fully transformed walking around the street, eating the road with one stride to mine and Firewall’s two put off our would be ambushers. Feral energy leaked off of him in waves. It made everything run for the hills. I heard retreating bootsteps down the street. It was like the opposite of Firewall’s Intent or maybe if you level it up, you can do things like this. It makes me wonder at high levels how much our powers expand.
The more time I spend around Omni, the more I am very sure I don’t like him. He spends a lot of time talking about obscure scientific ideas which I can’t follow. However, he’s useful. Pointing out all the ambushes we didn’t get because of his was there. He was a little patronizing, but honestly, he just seems like a nerd about the system. He almost called me boss. Apparently, he’s used to talking to other members of his team about minute changes to things of each of the abilities that intersect. I think he misses them. I patted him on the back and while he seemed surprised.
I used this time to get some time in skating and experimenting with the grav boots. Even tried some wall running. While the movement was tricky, I was beginning to get a handle on it. The amount of momentum I need to get up to a decent speed can’t compare to what Neon could do effortlessly. It’s not the first time I was jealous of Neon’s overall ability. Their freedom.
I only wiped out two times. Which is good because breaking my ankle wasn't really on my bingo card for the day. The shameful thing of my health not being full was a reminder that I need to get better and there's a lot I have to work on.
“We’re here!” Gabrielle says, oddly excited.
And I’m gobsmacked, Cafe de Sol stands before me. Instead of the pristine and somehow homey place, it was desecrated. With colorful tiles and music spilling out on the street, windows are all broken in. Thready sound of the speakers is tinny in my ears. Tiles I loved so much are cracked, pitted, and broken all over the floor. Tables were fallen over and strewn about. The magic of my favorite cafe is gone.
“The Resistance is here?” I say following her in, she strolls through the doors, like, well, like they aren’t even there.
I pick over glass and walk carefully through the mess. The store was like a corpse and I was walking through its heart. Something terrible happened here from the smell of mildew and rot and the suspicious stains all over. Usually Firewall, who is the usual crime scene investigator of our team, just gave everything a passing glance. Her Scan ability tells her so much about the world around her, but it requires focus. The wolfish grin on her face was the last of the two and two I needed to put everything together. The whole thing is staged.
“I didn’t know when I first got here but, in hindsight it was so obvious.” Gabrielle walks behind the counter, looking around. “This had to be one of their bases, too many people coming and going. It had to be way more than a drop off. If they aren’t here, which I think they are…There will be something that allows me to find their next base.” She smiles, must have found something she was looking for. She touches a few of the taps and when nothing came out. I thought maybe things were over until I hear an audible click. “That was Margherita’s coffee order. I remembered it. It’s funny how she didn’t even use her psylink to remember our orders.” She looks down. “I wonder if she’ll be happy to see me. I have to tell her about Marco.”
“It might be hard but, she needs to know what happened. And I’m sure it’s gonna be a lot better coming from you.” I sigh. “Take it from me, not knowing is always worse.” I give her a hearty tap on the shoulder to remind her I’m behind her the whole way.
She gives me a watery smile and takes a second to compose herself. She taps the omni tool spear to her shield, and she’s Firewall again.
“Let’s go see Carter. It’s been far too long.”
She nods and we head to the back.
The secret elevator turns out is the bean storage room. One valve sits protruding from the vat. We all clustered in together with Firewall and me getting very close. The way I hope she couldn’t see me blush in the dark. Thank god they didn’t have the lights running here. When the lights come up as we finally hit the bottom, our eyes are locked on each other and the way they look at me… A gun clicks. And my stomach drops.
I slowly turn and see the barrels of seven assault rifles pointed at us. If anyone fires, we’d be swiss cheese in seconds. I slowly raise my hands from where they just happen to have been near or on her hips. Who could say?
The click clack of important heels echo down the hallway and a beautiful older woman comes into frame. With long white hair, severe blue eyes, and a look that says fucking try me. This must have been Vintage. I fear Gabrielle didn’t do her justice. This woman is dynamic.
“Who the hell are you?” She’s got a bit of a southern accent. Not boonies, but something you couldn’t mistake. Born and bred Virginian.
“You know Gabrielle, but my name is Mix Rhapsody. This is Neon, that’s Dr. Omni, and this Kohl.” I say, pointing to everyone.
A few expressions cross her face as she says nothing, just looking at us. Staring each us of us down. The look in her eyes scream that she has our lives in her hand. “Swab ‘em. We need to be sure they’re human.” She snaps like a whip. I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath until she breaks her silence. “If they move, fill them full of lead.”
At first, I thought it was a scare tactic, until I saw the bullet holes in the wall out of the corner of my eye. Looking at the hard eyes of the soldiers makes me rethink things. I wonder how long it’s been since they’ve seen a human face, or at least a friendly one.
Eventually, they put us in a holding room where I can tell they’re watching us while they have things checked out. That I don’t believe them… seems to matter very little. They confiscated our psylinks and weapons even if they can’t take mine. I mean, the only one they’re really hampering is Firewall, but she could hack their shit with a toaster.
The only thing in the room was a basic corkboard table and a few foldable chairs. The walls were whitewash white with gray accents to spice things up. It was made to be mind-rendingly boring.
Neon, of course, gets bored quickly. Moving and bending their light around their hands and trailing the neon air around their fingers. Kohl faces away from us, trying to not let us see him licking himself. I give a look at Gabrielle and we try to hold our giggles in. She snorts and I can’t help myself doubling over.
Are you two done? Kohl says, narrowing his eyes at us.
Harmonium? Kohl looks at me, eyes widening. Where did you hear that name?
I didn’t see a vision. Kohl hops in my lap. His cat’s eyes scrutinizing me.
But I saw the last one. Maybe it was private… but why?
The knowledge… Kohl grumbles. What did you see?
I recap what happened during the vision and Kohl seemed rather interested in describing my feeling around things and what I could sense outside. I guess he wanted to know if I was actually at a separate place in time or if it was just a simulation. That really wasn’t something that crossed my mind at the time.
The information you received seems accurate. His voice in my head sounds contemplative. So what do you need for this new resonator?
So likely we’ll have to return to the dungeon.
I know you don’t need me to say it, but I do believe it needs to be said. Chasing levels isn’t going to make us better off than having a stable group of people to help us. This isn’t a game.
I understand, but you’re going to be putting more than your life on the line when you risk it.
It was another hour before the door opened and in the doorway, Vintage and one of the other soldiers from the hallway came in and sat at the table. The man holding the tray with coffee and a saucer of milk, supposedly for Kohl. Not that he looks anything like a kitten now with his third level growth. Vintage places our psylinks on the table. Notably not giving Firewall back her psydeck. There was a moment while everyone was grabbing drinks and their tech, where it almost didn’t seem like an interrogation.
I couldn’t tell the man’s rank, but I could see the bars on his shoulder which I thought makes him an officer. I trigger the search and it even comes up with a bio on him. First Lieutenant Carl Sess. Lt. Sess was part of the last operation of the Armed Forces in Cameroon dealing with a kidnapped dignitary. He gained the Purple Heart for being injured in the line of duty during the mission. He fought with a black ops squad that was unofficially called The Pack.
While there is no active military anymore, they used synchronauts for the most recent conflicts and even became the police officers and firefighters. There was a lot of uproar for this immediately afterwards, but many people hoping to defund the police and were critical of military affairs put their support behind the change. Obviously, there were a lot of people in the armed forces who protested this, but with public sentiments clearly not siding with them over the declassification of operations over the last five decades, things were over pretty quickly besides the Newman incident.
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“We apologize for the rough handling. We’d like to start over.”
“I think it’s funny that you say this after imprisoning us.” I say. Letting some of the fire into my voice, I had been holding in during this whole situation. “The government is gone and you still act like you have the authority to push people around.”
“You don’t get to talk to me like that! We have been here in the shit for months-“ Lt. Sess roars.
“That’s enough, lieutenant,” Vintage cuts him off. “We need their help and I’m tired of living in a hole in the ground. Do you understand me?” She got up, and it was like watching everyone’s angry auntie telling off some cousin you don’t know. It’s uncomfortable and if I am not so angry about the bullshit, I’d feel sorry for him.
How long till we tell them I read minds? Kohl says, his head in the milk bowl, not drinking. They are posturing and putting on a show for us.
“Before we continue, I want to be sure of where things stand, Vintage. We aren’t refugees here huddling in the cold. We are not here asking for your help.” I stand up. Lt. Sess grabs his side arm. Vintage doesn’t make a motion, just looks back at me with the coldest glare. The only thing that shows her discomfort is the pinch around her eyes. “We’re here to help you and, for the matter of clarification-” I throw a Passage against the wall. The opening showing us the room beyond and a couple of shocked men and women scrambling for their arms. “You could never hold us.” I activate my Loadout and I hear everyone but Omni stand behind me and activate theirs. I wave at the people behind the wall with their jaws dropped open.
“I suggest you take your hand off that trigger, Carl.” Neon says and from the end of that sentence is behind him. Devilish grin on their face. “I guarantee I’m faster than you.”
They didn’t like the display of our power, couldn’t really blame them. But I don’t have time for this. I wanted to see Carter and all this bullshit was just keeping me away from my brother.
“You know what I am here for. I want to see my brother.” We’re all sitting back down at the table and I realize that I’m lucky because, unlike Firewall, I’m not wearing armor, that can’t be comfortable.
“We can’t hold you, Mt. Mix,” Vintage says using a proper gender neutral honorific. “I understand why you’ve come but, I’m unsure if your earlier outburst makes it safe for us to put you in front of our only doctor.”
“Come on, they’re siblings.” Neon says, "This isn’t some kind of revenge mission. They want to see each other again.”
“Neon, I’ve got this,” Gabrielle says, rising to her full sitting height. “I have worked for you and I still have much of the information on that last trip. If you want it, you will have to allow Mix to spend time with their brother.”
"An entire squad died,” Lt. Sess says. It’s the first time he’s said anything in a while, probably stewing in his inability to bully the people in this room. "Whatever information you have belongs to- ” His voice is halfway between a demand and beseeching.
“Lieutenant, am I gonna have to ask you to leave?” Vintage says, her steadiness pouring over the entire room to calm the proceedings, as if this is just some unruly family squabble at a holiday dinner. “The cocksure cowboy was supposed to be an act. If you can’t turn in off, I will have to get another to take your place in here.”
The Lieutenant settles, but it was grudgingly. Almost like a pouting child. It doesn’t bode well for a working relationship. How could this man be one of the heads of The Resistance?
“This isn’t an interrogation. We just want as much information on the outside world as we can get. This is just a casual debrief.”
“Respectfully, ma’am, you mean this isn’t an interrogation… now.” I said. “While I don’t mind sharing information with The Resistance, I want assurances we’ll get the same in return. While you might be the last of a concerted effort to keep America whole again, you do not speak for me. And as of this moment, you must understand and treat Rebellion as a foreign country.”
“This is American land!” Carl punctuated every word, punching his index finger into the desk for emphasis. The small sound adding to his perceived point.
Do you think this is the proper way to deal with the powers that be?
Okay, just be sure what you’re getting into.
I smile a little.
“We of Rebellion currently are in control of Voltage Mall. Land.” I can’t wipe the smirk off my face. “We have a permanent population. The four of us. We don’t have a flag yet, but that’s a work in progress. For government, I’ve been elected current head of state but, we’re open to have elections soon in the next five days or so. Minister of Technology?”
“Si.” Gabrielle raises their hand.
“Minister of Badassery”
“Yurr.” Neon responds.
“Head Vizier?”
Kohl leaps up on the table and raises a paw. The look on the Vintage and Sess’ faces is fucking priceless. I snap a pic with my contacts because, memories.
“So you see, we have a fully thought out government.” I know I’m high on my bullshit, but I’m having the time of my life with this. “All that’s left is to be recognized by a foreign power. Dr. Omni?”
Now, the whole time this is happening, he’s been cracking up. I’ve been on a damn roll and he’s been eating this up. And he’s the scariest motherfucker in the room. Probably the top five in the city.
“Yes, The Cyborg Paramours, recognize this cadre of buffoons as a power in their own right and an have struck an alliance for their production and scientific research.”
“So you see, Vintage, Carl, we’d thank you to recognize Rebellion as well and if you don’t, no worries now, but down the road you’ll be asking for our help.”
“Okay…” Vintage took a deep breath. The sigh I could tell was to cover the gears running around in her head. She’s had to change plans multiple times since we’ve been here in the past two hours. First, we could have been The Dominance or a trojan horse. And then they found out we’re humans… with extras and they were gonna strong arm us into learning what we know. Then we could be violent and they had no genuine power over us physically, so they had to use whatever perceived national power they had. And finally realizing they had no national power over us, they gotta treat us like people. This must be so hard for them. “Now I’m a very tired woman and I’d like to understand what has happened to the world outside.”
So we told them mostly everything. Gabrielle started with the failed mission, and then the rest of us jumped in. We talked about taking out the Sleeper, Aquilan still being on her bullshit, dungeons are real, and our cat really used to be a human and can awaken people to the powers they’ve only dreamed of. It took another three hours with all the interruptions and questions. Kohl speed it up when he spoke up to them for the first time. He could answer certain technical questions I couldn’t answer.
“So the awakened? How do you choose them?”
I don’t, for the most part. Each of us, as far as I know, look for different kinds of people. I can only choose those who stand out to me. And even then, not everyone can be awakened. Like the both of you, for instance. You don’t have the je ne sais quoi. It’s not a universal thing.
“That’s disappointing… So how many of our soldiers can you awaken?” Carl Sess says.
“That depends on a few things.” I say, speaking up.
“Like what, Mt. Rhapsody?”
“What kind of budding relationship can we expect from The Resistance?”
“We would be interested in a trade treaty for food for equipment and services as well. We could give off combat training, medical attention, and consultation with our specialists as well.”
“One of those is my brother, but I understand your benefit. I can also put good words for you with The Underground for what it’s worth.”
“So, have we come to a deal?” Vintage held out her hand, waiting for mine to join hers.
“Agreed. And if in the future we have need to change the terms, we shall meet here.” As we shake hands, everyone in the room gets a notification, except Omni.
Congratulations, Rebellion!
You have made an Alliance with The Resistance.
Foster this relationship and fight to save your world.
They then gave us a tour. They specifically didn’t go into any of the rooms off center and mostly kept us away from anything sensitive. It was half-assed and, honestly; I didn’t even care. Barely containing the worry and excitement of seeing my brother again. I think it got so bad that even Neon noticed at put their hand on my back and whispered a word of encouragement. Neon! Whispered! I feel like lightning could have struck me underground and it even then it wouldn’t be as much of a miracle.
Turns out this entire area is a loading platform under the street so they can get deliveries straight to the cafe without blocking the street. Gabrielle told me that The Mall might also have a sublevel for this exact reason. I wonder if we can get into the sublevels we can find even more supplies for our new life. Maybe that’s where the second level security card is.
I, however, am not too consumed with my stuff not to realize Gabrielle’s rambling and furtive looks are her anxious tells. She’s looking for someone and it hits me. She and Margherita were close. And Margherita’s brother died on the last mission she was on.
“It’ll be okay.” I say, my voice low so no one else catches our conversation.
“And what if it’s not?” She says.
“Then it won’t be and it will be awful for a minute. And it will suck, but you won’t be alone.” I know it’s not the perfect thing to say, but it’s true. The worst that happens is it sucks and then she’ll still have us.
“Thanks.” She puts her hand out, and I put mine in hers and it’s just a squeeze of reassurance and then we break contact.
We finally reach the medical area and I see Carter hanging over a person. With tweezers in hand, he pulls out tiny metal flechettes from a Southeast Asian Woman. She winces as the barb is pulled out of her. Wearing fatigues cut up to the knee to expose the wound. A few other similar looking wounds uncovered on her arms. Swabbing the wounds and giving her a nano straight to her upper arm.
“Thank you for your service, Private Bhati!”
“Thank you, Dr. Alleyne. I’ll try, but those synchronauts are damn fast bastards. Almost didn’t get away.”
“I hear that. Thank god these only had flechette guns and not a pistol or anything.”
“I’m a tough girl. No one is tagging me next time.”
“I believe you.” Carter smiles. “You’re on bedrest for 24 hours, okay? I don’t want to see you in the mission roles in the morning.”
“Yeah, yeah Doc.” She stretches as she gets up.
“I mean it, I’m sending the bed rest order up to Sess.”
“You’re no fun- What are civilians doing here?” She says, finally seeing us waiting.
Carter looks up and eyes go wide. We see each other and I fight the feeling of running toward him. He doesn’t though. Running to me, he trips over the edge of the bed and Private Bhati steadies him with a wince. Seeing this, I can’t help myself and run too. We collide hugging and I don’t know what I was saying or what he’s saying, but I think we just pat each other’s back just to remind ourselves we were actually there.