76°00'08.2"S 53°43'31.2"E - Nuevo Trujillo, Spanish Antarctic Colonies

19.05.2024 05:00, UTC+03:00

The train pulled into a gradual halt in N.T. main station. I winced going out, facing a low hanging sun, in an otherwise busy station.

“Compose yourself,” I hissed at Miguel, who was yawning next to me. I understood that the jetlag was getting the better of him, but we had to be emotionless for the next minutes. As the doors opened in front of us, flashes of cameras started capturing our every move, journalists yelling questions trying to tosh microphones towards T-2 Azura. We simply followed behind her, not allowed to say anything or reveal any emotion.

T-2 Azura made a quick pause half way through the disembarking stairs, letting everyone get enough pictures of all of us. The reporters at the front went into a frenzy of questions, some more non-sensical than the rest.

“Are rumours of the Queen visiting true?”

“What are the T-Agents doing here? Is the Domain collapsing?”

“A message for the citizens of Nuevo Trujillo? A statement for the victims?”

T-2 Azure ignored all questions. Once she deemed enough pictures of the team assigned were enough, she starting walking down the stairs. Some accompanying T-4 Agents ran ahead to clear a path through the press, allowing us to move still ignoring all the frantic questions.

“What is Santiago doing to support N.T.?”

“Did the Domain collapse because the Trastamara House is in danger?”

I quickly glanced the reporter that asked the question. He was a man wearing a hat with the brand of Madrid News: Polo Sur, a famously royal-critical newspaper based in Europe.

We crossed through the members of the press and approached a huge vehicle that would lead us to our next stop, presumably the T-HQ of Nuevo Trujillo. In the background, the train started warming up its machines, planning to hastily leave towards Santiago, signalling for good that I am stuck in N.T. until further notice.

We got into the car, still chased by reporters’ flashes. Once the car doors closed and the double windows were raised however, no sound penetrated the walls of the car, not even the car gears shifting to start our trip.

“That was easy enough,” T-2 Azura said. No one said anything; Miguel also seemed to have lost his usual smirk.

The car proceeded with its itinerary. I stood perfectly still in the car, listening to the white noise of my earpiece, tuned to the now unused personal channel I used to maintain with Marcelo. There was no other channel for me to use now besides the one of my new team, and anyway we were all in the same car.

And it calmed me. I just knew that if Marcelo ever found a way to communicate, that would be the one.

The car stopped outside the T-HQ.

“Follow me men,” Ricardo said, as he exited the car first.

“Elena, Miguel, Gitana,” Azura added “You stay in. Your specialties are needed.”

I saw Miguel grin excited. I nodded in agreement. I had a guess to what this meant, and as sure as I was that this was the right thing to do, it never made it easier. I wondered if Gitana thought the same: she was sitting on the other side of the passenger seats of the vehicle, looking outside the window. She rarely voiced any opinion or preference, but I had no doubt she was going to be part of this mission due to her unique Insight Curse. She was a humble T-4 that had not attempted to rise the ranks and never used her Curse unless commanded to. The three of us have had a combined specialty in interrogations that had been used many times.

Once the doors closed, I heard my earpiece forcibly changing channel. T-2 Azura started whispering her briefing of the situation over the channel. There were no videos this time, nor files. We would have to memorize her report.

“You will be dropped off to Base Oso, one of the four bases at the edge of the now collapsed Domain. We received reports from the Spanish Military that the Survivor interacted there with some of the volunteers and a doctor before escaping custody by unknown means. Utilize your combined Curses to extract the full description of the individual. Leave no trace behind. Erase everything. Copy?”

“Copy.” Miguel said.

“Understood,” I added. I hated when they called my abilities a Curse, but officially that was how I was classified. I just liked to believe I am good at my job.

Gitana simply nodded.

The doors opened again. “I will be in comms with you. Use this channel only.” Azura stressed. “Good luck.”

She exited the car, and as the cars closed, we headed to our new destination.

“Wouldn’t she be more useful with us?” Miguel scoffed.

“T-2s do not approach Code Black territories. They know too much to be killed.” I explained. I added the last bit, just to see him squirm in fear.

It did not take long to reach Base Oso. Calling this a Base was an overstatement, it was a makeshift camp at best and the Spanish Military was controlling its entrances. The spring Spanish climate was no more in this area, forcing us to wear our polar suits to conbat the cold. We all knew of course that these suits would only buy us a minute or two in case of another Domain collapse.

It became crystal clear once we stepped in the camp that the Spanish Military was not there only to protect the gates of the camp. They also prevented anyone from leaving the premises. Everyone looked at us in desperation, even the medical volunteers, as we exited the car. We were quickly sent into the building that was the center of operations – probably a grocery store before calamity hit it – and into an empty windowless room.

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There were fifteen people inside, all wearing medical or volunteer suits. It would be a long day.

“Do not fret,” I said as soon as I saw them. “We are here to help.” Their faces lit up and smiled.

I went ahead in the next room, while I heard Miguel call the first one: “Sanchez, come over here buddy.”

We all sat in a round table. I was across the Sanchez, a guy of Asian descent in his late twenties, Gitana was on my left holding a big notepad with blank paper and a pencil, and Miguel sat relaxed on my right.

I smiled.

“So, what is your name? I am T3-Elena.”

“I am Haoyu Sanchez,” he said in Spanish, with some minor accent.

“I presume you are a local refugee from the Chinese District of N.T.?” I politely asked.

“Yes madame.” Chinese-Spanish families were common in the north of Nuevo Trujillo, in what has been dubbed as the Chinese District

I nodded with worry. “I am so sorry for what happened at the very heart of your home. We are here to help you the best we can. So, tell me what you experienced.”

He looked hesitant at first and we all stared at him for a good half a minute in silence.

“I was in the center when we heard that something happened to the Paseo. I ran as fast as we could, as some of my family leaves around, but luckily south enough. Once I learned they were safe and sound, I conscripted myself to the nearest camp to help people hit by the edge of the Breach.”

“The breach?” I asked.

“That’s how we call it around here.”

“And why did you volunteer?”

“I am a nurse. I knew I could maybe help. Noone survived in the north, but people that were at the border of this area were in need of medical attention.”

Miguel did not move, neither Gitana. This was my part of the job. Easing them into it.

“Are you sure no one survived the north?”

“Well, some of my colleagues claim they saw someone survive. But I think they are just making it up. No one can possibly survive this.”

I looked at him a bit and I laughed. Gitana nodded, ever so slightly, negatively.

“Sorry you are right. My friend here always makes up stupid stories as well. Let’s talk about the day then…”

I continued the discussion pretending to be interested in other details of his story. After ten minutes, he was sent out before the next person joins.

It took a few tries to get to the first person that interacted with the Survivor.

“Dr. Linda Pérez. You were one of the few leading the medical efforts in Base Oso.” I spoke. “We thank you for your noble service.”

“It is my duty” she responded. You can see the signs of exhaustion everywhere on her. Black circles under her eyes, her arms featuring cuts and bruises, a hastily made braid to rule her unruly long brown hair, a sweaty blouse.

Before I could even ask anything, Gitana nodded and put her pencil on the notebook in front of her. Miguel raised his hand and moved his fingers as if about to snap his index and thumb.

I reached out to her hands on the table.

“You have nothing to fear,” I said.

I smelled the sea and the salt, I felt the sand beneath my feet. I was wearing my summer clothes, standing on the beach. Dr. Pérez was next to me in her swimsuit, holding a cup of what could be a coconut rum cocktail. Near the beach, but far away, two children were playing by the sea.

“Where are we?” I asked smiling at her.

“Cala Pregonda,” she said, exhilarated “I love this place.”

“And your children too?” I asked her.

“My nieces. My brother’s children.” She turned to me. “Have we met before?”

“No, I just saw you hanging out here. I found it a great view.”

I found myself flirting her. It was not on purpose, but it seemed that was what she was projecting to me. She smiled back and started walking towards her nieces. I followed suit.

“Are you from here?” I asked her. “Or just your brother?”

“My brother and I grew up nearby. This is our favorite beach. Until I left for Antarctica. To make a future for us.” She hesitated a bit.

“You must have succeeded. You are now back here.”

“Yes!” She giggled. “I became a medical doctor. Surgeon. I worked so hard.”

“Wow, looks and brains!” I cheered her up.

“Yeah.”

I saw her losing her focus on the scenery being created for her, trying to recollect her thoughts.

“What are your nieces names?”

“Solana and Luz,” she said “Solana like our mother. Javier loved her dearly.”

Javier, her brother. Solana and Luz, her nieces.

“Tia Linda!” we heard her nieces calling from afar waving her hands. I could not quite see their faces.

Linda looked towards me.

“You haven’t seen them in a long time, have you?” I asked, almost feeling pity I couldn’t offer more at this stage.

“No… I…”

We got this Elena. Retreat. Gitana was calling me.

I caressed Linda’s cheek.

“You have nothing to fear.” I told her “Go have fun with them.”

I heard Miguel snap his fingers as I exited Linda’s soothing fantasy. I was right where I was before, in the middle of a cold windowless room where we interrogated Linda. Dr. Pérez. As Miguel snapped his fingers, she laid on the table in front of us, blood spilling out of her ears and mouth.

“Was it nice?” Miguel asked, unfazed.

I ignored him and I turned to Gitana.

“Tell me you got him,” I said through my teeth.

She turned her notebook towards me. A very detailed portrait of a young adolescent man stared right back at me. He had fear in his eyes, shock even. Was he shocked at something he saw or did? Or maybe shocked at us, killing a doctor just to get a drawn glimpse at his face. Gitana had outdone herself with a portrait as vivid as a photograph. We had a face of the Survivor.

Unfortunate Linda’s blood dripped on the floor, disrupting the silence.

“Good job, Gitana.” I said. “Miguel, no trace. Get rid of her.”

“Does she have any family?” he asked.

“No. No family.” I answered. “She was a lone scientist.”

I untied my braid and sighed. Gitana looked at me expressionless. I wondered if her Insight could see into my Soothsaying, and whether she knew I lied. If she did, she did not say. It did not matter. Finding the Survivor would be easier than initially thought. Day one, and we had his face.