The man in the brown jacket with the diagonal red stripe was walking along the production line of the military factory. His hair was short and curly. His whitish temples denoted his experience. He was thin and his yellowish, dry skin showed the absence of sunlight. His eyes remained steadfast in their work, but opaque with sadness.

He had been the chief scientist for some years in the manufacture of cybertech devices. These weapons supplied Ilu Nla's cybernetic troops and the Phalanx's generals. With his tablet, he opened and analyzed the quadlink reports. Other scientists in forced labor had their performance evaluated by the chief scientist.

With the utmost respect, they showed their progress, answered the questionnaire and suggested improvements to the process. Amorphous-looking robotic units protected the facility alongside heavily armed soldiers. The weapons that the men of science produced in the factory now put their lives at risk.

The operations leader concluded his report with a sigh. He smoothed out his throat. A steel band wrapped around his neck. A small LCD screen broadcast his biometric data in real time to a command center. The explosive collar was his shackle. If he left the factory, his head would explode.

He walked towards a staircase leading to the second floor. The routine assessment had been carried out successfully. Suddenly, the invasion alert sounded. It wasn't long before two soldiers approached, raised their weapons and gave orders to all the scientists:

"Fall back to the shelter. This isn't training, we're under attack."

"Who? Who's invading the complex?"

"You'd better obey, Chief Scientist Adsa. You are a very valuable asset to us."

Soldiers and robots began firing. Akachi's father didn't see the invaders. He didn't know if they were allies or enemies. He was led away by the military. All around him, explosions were destroying years of research. He didn't consider it a bad end for his warlike creations. Fewer of his weapons spilling innocent blood.

The trio made their way down a narrow corridor. There was an atmosphere of tension in the air. The soldiers, in a hurry, kept pointing their weapons backwards. They walked at a fast pace. Adsa obeyed them, in any case, he was still their prisoner. He didn't know who was after him.

A shock troop passed them as they crossed a corridor. A whole unit of bipedal tanks were sent to the shed where Adsa had been. Azekel's son thought that the invaders were too powerful, that it wasn't just any attack. He doubted very much that it was a foreign military force. However, he didn't attribute the attack to a handful of sympathizers of the mediums.

Adsa listened attentively. The soldiers talked among themselves, fearful of the attack. They let valuable information slip.

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"I can't believe they've come! It can't be them..."

"Shi... shut up, you idiot! Just when General Jitujeusi is traveling with the interim president. Damn it, these guys don't waste any time."

They got into a freight elevator. Adsa noticed a mistake in the door, it took too long to close. One of the soldiers, frightened as he was, had trouble pressing the buttons on the panel. His partner pushed him, and angrily shouted at the other:

"You're an idiot! Don't you know that in emergencies like this we have to take the chief scientist to..."

Chuiiif, blood gushed from the soldier's neck like a fountain. The red spray hit the back of Adsa's neck and back. He closed his eyes. He felt the warmth of the man's vital fluids on his skin. He broke out in a cold sweat, swallowed and held his ground. The other soldier screamed in fright, struggling in the elevator, but death had taken him too.

"You can open your eyes now, Adsa."

He opened them, not out of obedience to that voice, he knew that the worst was over. He was no longer at risk of death.

"What kind of theater is this anyway? The Phalanx isn't doing this just to get me out of here."

"It's not us, it's them."

"Them who?"

Adsa dared to turn around. She could feel the murderous presence in the elevator, which continued to ascend through the building. Not being able to see the killer made him fearful. He began to think that when the elevator doors opened, he would already be dead.

"I doubt very much that Ojwang is discarding me like this."

"It'll be a temporary exit. You need to sunbathe, hihihihihi. But if you die, know that no one is irreplaceable, Doctor Adsa."

Adsa narrowed his eyes. He had understood what was happening. He wouldn't be freed, but used.

"They're going to risk a big move on the board, and away from the eyes of the rook and the king."

"Who needs the rook if the queen is on the field? The rook is always too direct in its attack, and the king, too meticulous, needs constant protection."

"The queen can move wherever she wants, gambit with every pawn she gets her hands on, even the knight."

"Exactly! It's amazing how much Adsa looks like your son."

"Where did you meet my son, you viper? What did you do with him?"

"I didn't do anything with him, I didn't have that pleasure. But there is someone who can give you the answer, and they're out there."

The explosive necklace clicked. The clasp opened. It fell to the deactivated floor. The door opened. The scientist no longer sensed the enemy presence. He grabbed the pistol from one of the soldiers. Explosions echoed in the air. Without the presence of Jitujeusi and his phalanxes, with infiltration facilitated by members of the Armed Forces, the military in the complex would not stand a chance against the invaders.

Akachi's father got out of the elevator. He was on the factory terrace, in a helipad area. A military helicopter had just landed. Several bodies of military personnel lay broken, a fight had taken place there. He approached the helicopter, which was slowly turning its propellers.

"Going somewhere, sweetie?"

"Who's there?"

The helicopter door opened. The five members of the Circle of Sages stepped out. Adsa lowered his gun, he didn't have the strength to react against the mediums. He threw the pistol away. The leader of the group, the bearer of the Spiritual Key of Justice, descended from the aircraft and approached the scientist.

"I'm glad you're well, Doctor Adsa."

"Sage Ekundayo, what do you want from me?"

"We haven't seen each other for a long time, that's not how you treat your friends. Come with us, we need to reconnect."

Ekundayo walked over to the helicopter and pointed inside in an inviting gesture.

"Do I have a choice?"

"No. This isn't a rescue, it's a revolutionary act."