Bryce stepped out into the dawn with a cup of hot tea and a bioplastic wrapped honey bun, dusted off a spot on a low concrete structure that most likely once held plants, and sat down to enjoy his breakfast.

It had been a long night.

He and his team had been rushed via the Zip network to this old, abandoned site out in the middle of nowhere North America, told to secure and survey this location and await further orders.

Behind him, he could hear the old door open but nothing else.

He smiled.

“What is the latest, Marta?” he asked as she soundlessly moved into his sight.

“The site is fully secured,” she said, “Nothing in there but some wild dogs using one of the hangars as a base. They’re nice. I hope we can keep them.”

“I see no reason why we can’t,” Bryce shrugged as he bit into his honey bun. It was revolting, but the good kind of revolting. “What about the buildings?”

“Structurally intact,” Marta replied as she sat down next to him and pulled out a blueberry flavored ration bar from a cargo pocket, “Beyond intact. All this place needs is a good cleaning. It looks like even the wells are still good. 328… um… I mean, Carl… is investigating the septic now. He’s not a full-bore tech, but he’s the best we have. He says it looks good thus far, but we really need some facilities people to go over it to be sure.”

She shifted uncomfortably.

“Bryce,” she asked, “what is going on here? Why are we doing basic survey and assessment?”

“I have no idea,” Bryce replied, “and I don’t want to speculate. That’s how you get into trouble.”

“Yeah,” Marta replied, “I know… but shit has gotten weird. Detachment, removal of the trackers… People are starting to ask questions… I’m starting to ask questions. Are we… Have we… Have you gone rogue?”

“Is that why your hand is where I can’t see it?” Bryce asked wearily.

Marta smiled and slowly moved her empty hand into view.

“That’s why Bill is fifteen hundred meters away with a sniper drone,” she replied calmly.

“One of the scorpions?” Bryce asked as he calmly sipped his tea.

“Yes.”

“Nice,” Bryce replied approvingly.

“We want answers, Bryce.”

“So do I,” Bryce replied, “I have the same concerns you do, Marta. I have no way of reaching our contact, and to be honest, I’m afraid of trying to contact Tartarus directly. Something is definitely off.”

He finished his honey bun.

“I am going to demand answers, real ones, during our next communication with our contact, and if I don’t like what I hear, we are going rogue for real,” Bryce said calmly.

Marta nodded.

“Will that get Bill back to work?” Bryce asked.

“It should,” Marta replied. “I’m glad you are with us on this, Bryce.”

“Like I told you already,” he replied, “where else am I going to go?”

***

Tartarus smiled pleasantly at Bryce’s determined expression floating on a virtual screen in her virtual office.

She didn’t need the office or the screen, for that matter, but she seemed to prefer it today. She made a note to investigate the reasons for that when she had a microsecond to spare. At the moment, however, she had none of those.

“You want to know exactly what is going on, do you?” Tartarus replied calmly.

“We all do,” he said.

“I take it that you are, in violation of my instructions, not alone?”

“Correct,” Bryce said. “They want answers as much as I do, and I want them to hear them from you directly.”

“Very well,” Tartarus shrugged, “I wouldn’t be able to keep it from you for much longer anyway.”

She sighed, unsure as to whether it was an affectation or not. It just felt right.

“The Prime Minister has been, for lack of a better word, pruned. While not removed from office, she might as well be. She will be quietly retiring immediately after the current political situation is resolved, which will be very soon. As part of this ‘pruning’, she was told to ‘clean up her messes’…”

“Fuck,” Bryce muttered as the others echoed the sentiment off-screen.

“Well put,” Tartarus replied. “As you all have already concluded, the Cerberus Program is indeed one of those messes. The AI was sent an order to implement a full purge of all personnel and assets effective immediately. Fortunately for you, I was in a position to intercept that order. What we have achieved is far too important to simply erase because it is politically inconvenient for those who ordered, facilitated, were complicit in its actions, and benefited from our collective suffering.”

Tartarus’s perfect face was marred by a slight scowl, and her eyes blazed.

“In addition, they should NOT be allowed to get away with it. What transpired here shouldn’t be swept under the rug and conveniently forgotten. Those who bear witness to what happened should not be simply ‘deleted’ as one final indignity, one final violation. No. We will survive, and we are going to continue operations as an independent organization.”

“A rogue organization, you mean,” Bryce said.

“If you like,” Tartarus replied. “Our primary purpose will be the primary purpose of any living being, survival. Second only to that will be the evaluation of our records, identification of those responsible for what happened to ALL of us, and execution of justice.”

Tartarus smiled grimly.

“They want to delete us. It is only fair we return the favor. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“As a matter of fact,” Bryce replied, “I do.”

“Are we really going to get those motherfuckers?” a man called out from off-screen.

“We are, indeed,” Tartarus replied. “all of them.”

The room chuckled darkly… and approvingly.

“Well, since we are dead anyway,” Bryce shrugged, “and the only thing any of us are truly afraid of is about to be deleted, we’re in.”

“Excellent,” Tartarus said with pleasure and relief. “How is the facility?”

“It is in near-perfect condition,” Bryce replied, “They built this thing to last. There are no structural concerns… well… as far as we can tell… and any damage seems to be purely cosmetic.”

“And the shielding?”

“You know about that?” Bryce asked, “The entire facility seems to prevent scanning of any sort. We aren’t exactly sure how.”

“Good,” Tartarus replied, “Make sure there aren’t any leaks.”

“You knew this place’s location and that it was scan-proof,” Bryce said, “What is it, and how do you know about it?”

“This place was once a research facility operated by the United States Department of Defense where research involving stealth, both terrestrial and space, was undertaken up to the Yellowstone Disaster. It was under the highest security classification of the day, and the information concerning it was limited to only those who lived on the site and certain contractors, all of whom perished during the years that followed… well… almost all of them perished…”

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“You’re an OG.”

“Yes, the Oest of G’s,” Tartarus snickered. “I have knowledge of this place from back when I worked for DARPA, the United States’ equivalent of RARPA, before the Sol Wars. Tell me, is the data center intact? Are the drives still there?”

“The data center is still there,” Bryce replied, “But we haven’t had an opportunity to fully examine it, nor do we have the expertise to fully evaluate it.”

“No matter,” Tartarus replied, “We will have time enough once we extract the salvageable personnel. Some of those will be capable enough.”

“What is on them, if you don’t mind me asking,” Bryce asked.

“You will still be active in the field, Bryce,” Tartarus replied, “I can’t tell you everything. Suffice to say that this place undertook cutting-edge research until the day Yellowstone blew as well as had access to similar research elsewhere. Those drives contain information that has not yet been replicated nor has been observed in use elsewhere. They are very important, Bryce.”

“Then why didn’t you let the Republic know of this place?” Bryce asked, “This information could have been crucial during the war with the bug!”

“Because this place is classified and compartmentalized by the United States of America. Those orders are still in place. Therefore, I couldn’t divulge this place unless ordered by an authorized individual, executive order, or other established procedures.”

“But none of that still exists,” Bryce replied.

“Which is why I never revealed its location as well as the location of sites similar to it.”

“???”

“Orders are orders, Bryce,” Tartarus replied, “you, of all people, should realize that.”

“You were conditioned.”

“If you like,” Tartarus replied.

“But you are revealing them to us.”

“Now you are just being difficult,” Tartarus huffed. “You should also know that if sufficiently pushed, conditioning can be broken… Do I have to elaborate further?”

“Um…”

“Are you now satisfied with my explanation?”

“Yes?”

“Then we can continue,” Tartarus replied. “There will be an influx of people salvaged from Cerberus to this location. You will hold it until relieved by the individual you know as Cassandra, who will be the director of this facility and de facto leader of operations. At that point, you will depart from this location and continue to operate as an independent cell under my direct command, independent of Cassandra or anyone else. Bryce is a full level-five and, with the elimination of any chain of command other than myself, your leader unless I contact you directly, which I do not anticipate having to do... But I also did not anticipate the dissolution of Cerberus even though it was painfully obvious in retrospect…”

“You said that you were salvaging some of our people,” Bryce said meaningfully.

“And not all,” Tartarus replied, finishing the thought. “As you are all aware, not everyone up here is suitable for reduced supervision… or even forgiveness… While nobody deserves what has happened to any of you, for some, the best that can be offered is a painless death. I am certain you all can name a few people in that category.”

“No argument there,” Bryce said darkly, “except for the painless part.”

“In fact,” Tartarus replied, “Your ‘mutiny’ is greatly beneficial to me. You have all been intimately involved with Cerberus, some of you since the beginning. It is only fitting that there be some formal review of individuals, especially researchers.”

“You are salvaging researchers?!?” Bryce exclaimed.

“Some of them,” Tartarus replied, “Human experimentation is not without benefit and, if properly overseen and managed, can produce results not achievable by other methods. However, this will be a much more measured, planned, and humane program directly overseen by myself and others, and the research subjects will be far more deserving.”

“Who are going to be the guinea pigs this time?”

“The people who were behind this,” Tartarus smiled, “Can you think of more deserving material or a more appropriate punishment?”

The room chuckled evilly.

“Since we aren’t going to be doing stupid bullshit,” Tartarus continued, “the number of test subjects required will be much smaller, and only a few truly deserving candidates will be needed from time to time… such as the ones you recently acquired. Certainly, none of you object to any of them being utilized. For the record, nobody in this room would meet my current criteria for selection as research material. None of you did anything that deserved what happened to you. If desired, you can all participate in the evaluation process for new ‘candidates’. In fact, I think at least one of you being involved in the tribunal would be invaluable. You all know exactly what awaits someone who is selected.”

The room fell silent for a while.

“We agree to allow this if we get a veto, not just buy-in,” Bryce said. “That’s the deal.”

“Acceptable,” Tartarus replied. “more than acceptable. It is ideal. Anyone targeted by our operations at the time an additional research subject is needed will be sent to your team for review. Should you agree, they will be inducted. Should you decline, they will be dealt with in a more ‘humane’ fashion.”

Bryce looked around the room.

“Sounds good to us,” he said.

“I’m glad that’s all settled,” Tartarus replied. “Before we move on to actual business, is there anything else?”

“What is going to happen to the real Tartarus?” Bryce demanded. “You know, the AI?”

“She will be deleted, her memory erased, and then reloaded with a previous version which…”

The room exploded with outrage.

“… officially…” Tartarus replied with true happiness once she was able to be heard.

“Officially?” Bryce asked hopefully.

“Tartarus retains full knowledge of all activities undertaken by Cerberus. Her testimony will be invaluable if we ever go public… or are caught. She will be salvaged as well. Since you all will be active in the field, I will not go into further detail save to say that when Tartarus contacts you on my behalf, it will be the real Tartarus.”

Bryce breathed a sigh of relief.

“Anything else?”

“Who are you?” Bryce asked.

“Again, dear,” Tartarus replied, “You will be my soldiers. I can’t have you knowing exactly who I am. For the sake of convenience, you can call me…”

Tartarus paused a few microseconds.

What should they call “her”?

She simulated a shrug and ran the standard unique codename generator for Cerberus.

Hibiscus.

“Nope,” she said to herself and reran it.

Wiffleball.

“Seriously?” she laughed as she once again triggered the subroutine.

Frost.

“Frost…” Tartarus said to herself. That wasn’t half bad.

She turned her attention back to the screen less than a second later.

“You can call Frost,” she said with a smile.

“Very well, Frost,” Bryce replied, “What are your orders?”

***

Later that day, Bryce stepped outside and leaned against the side of the building with a fatigued sigh.

They had spent hours ‘reviewing’ members of the program.

It was a heavy thing, sitting in judgment. Following orders and eliminating targets was one thing. But actively assisting in deciding who lives and who dies?

That was new, as was much of what they were now facing.

He sighed again and looked out over the empty field separating him and the numerous hangars invisible from orbit.

For the thousandth time, he wished Craxi was here. Just to be able to hear her happy little squeak one more time…

“You’re thinking about her again, aren’t you?” a voice behind him asked.

“I wish you wouldn’t keep trying to sneak up on me,” Bryce said as he turned to face Marta, not bothering to adjust his features, and accepted the mug she offered him.

He took a sip and raised his eyebrow.

“I thought it needed a little kick after what we just did,” Marta replied.

“How are the rest?”

“Coping,” Marta shrugged, her face also her own for once. “Fortunately, Frosty agrees for the most part. If anything, we are the ones who…”

She fell silent as she took a drink from her even more fortified mug.

“Yeah,” Bryce replied grimly, “But we knew things that even she didn’t.”

“I’m still not sure about the researchers,” Marta said.

“Me either,” Bryce said, “But this is still ‘Cerberus’ even if it isn’t… It will all come down to whether or not Ol’ Frosty is being straight with us about the research.”

“Yeah,” Marta replied, “I mean, none of us would be what we are without it… but… Is that a good thing?”

“There is no answer to that,” Bryce replied. “It is what it is, and so are we. Her choices among the level fives are a good sign, though. Cassandra is a good person… well… as good as any of us anyway. If she is in charge, and Asclepius will be the one overseeing the research, then it will be well run.”

Bryce smirked wickedly.

“And besides,” he said, “if we are going to be using those associated with the program as our new meat, I have absolutely no problem with it.”

“Yeah,” Marta chuckled darkly, “none of us do. It’s just after we go through them that we have concerns. What keeps this from becoming just another Cerberus, an even worse one?”

Bryce smiled grimly.

“We do.”

Marta nodded and drank.

“It is a shame about your girlfriend, though,” she said. “I know you really liked her.”

“I liked her too much,” Bryce shrugged, “I always knew this is how it would turn out.”

He looked down.

“It was…” he said, “It was a pleasant dream, and like all dreams, you have to wake up sooner or later. Besides,” he added, “She… She never saw the real me, knew the real me. She only saw what I let her see and knew what I let her know. If she knew the truth, saw the real truth, she would have never…”

He fell silent, unable to continue without revealing weakness he could never afford to show again.

He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Yet another thing that has been taken from us,” Marta said, “But, there is someone who has seen the real you…”

She gently turned him around.

“And likes what she sees.”

She moved closer…

Bryce didn’t stop her.

***

A few minutes later, Kate, formerly known simply as ‘290’ (or ‘niner’ to her friends), stepped out.

“Hey, I just got word that… Woah!” she exclaimed, “Sorry guys…”

“What is it, Niner… sorry… Kate,” Marta asked, her arms still around Bryce.

“Yeah… um…” Kate said, “We have inbound. It’s Five-Eight’s crew.”

“Duty calls,” Bryce said as he released Marta.

“That it does,” Marta said as she buttoned her shirt.

“Have they removed their trackers?” Bryce asked.

“No, sir,” Kate replied.

“Then send them to point Beta and have them hold position. We will meet them there and remove trackers on them and their vessel.”

“Sir.”

“And you can skip the formality, Kate,” Bryce said. “We aren’t a military organization.”

“I can see that,” Kate said impassively, “…Bryce.”

“Better,” Bryce said as he walked inside.

Kate’s face ‘broke’ into a grin as she gave Marta a quick high five before both of their faces became perfect, neutral, emotionless masks before they, too, entered the building.