“Thank you”
Daniel said to the delivery boy, he’s got two deliveries arriving tonight, his favorite cheese stuffed crust cheese pizza, and a brute force decoder. He just received the latter, still rather impatient for the former, but he’s got something to do. He hooked the device up to his laptop, technically he doesn't need this, he can write a code that can do the same, but this device is much faster, and also because he’s rather lazy for the next few hours.
“Set this up…”
And now the simple thing to do is try to log into Lancaster’s email, more specifically, the private email of Lancaster’s CEO. He’s been curious, so to say, what mister Williams said is odd to him, Eunike was right, it was a bunch of nonsense. Interesting nonsense however, and the strangely high amount of confidence in their voice tells Daniel that there might be a bit more than nonsense.
“And let the magic… happen, in 5 hours”
In hindsight, sneaking a disguisable microphone in Eunike’s phone wasn't the most morally correct of all choices, but it let him hear her conversation with William. The man sounds like a mad man with a board full of random pictures, like from the movies, he probably is, but what he said made him curious.
Not that he believed in secret organizations, instead he expected some sort of deal between Lancaster and maybe a terrorist group or something. It’s a stretch, but a lot more believable.
He figured the best way is to look directly into it to confirm his suspicion. And what better place to look for that than a private email of the CEO himself? Certainly no other place, and it was also certainly a surprise when the decoder’s light turned from red to green, signifying the process is complete.
“That was fast… what's the code? *Bennyisagoodboy* ah…”
Ignoring that the CEO’s first name is Benny he logged in, and looked for anything that could catch the eye. There wasn't much, it’s filled with your average company executive stuff, income reports, collaboration offers, yada-yada-yada… same old same old. He can't find anything, but perhaps… what he wants to see can't be seen by the eye?
Simple enough to find that out, just inspect elements and see if someone's been tweaking with the code. And surprise-surprise, there it was, a code for an email that had been tweaked to have no display name, several of them actually. That's illegal, but he won’t question it, he found what he wants to find anyway, not like he can use it to send Lancaster to the court since using an unregistered decoder is also illegal.
“Let's see…”
He gave them a name and refreshed the page, they all seem to be given an important label, easy enough to find them at the top. He found quite a few, the most recent one was received about a month ago, the oldest was…
“Two thousand fucking five?
All of them were sent by an unknown sender with a weird email address, it just looks like a mess of words and numbers. But he knew too much to not recognize an encryption, he has no clue what method to use, but that doesn't matter for now, only what's in the email, and they're… worrying.
*Have you neutralized the breacher?*
*We have not, but we have managed to track down their last location, they are last spotted on subway station 13 on Berlin street, we are unsure if they have left and we cannot take action due to public presence*
*Disappointing, you have done enough, we will take it from here*
“Hmm…”
Now he’s confused, did Lancaster actually send a hitman? But the one answering the question is Lancaster. Did Lancaster work for someone else? Maybe, suddenly the idea of a secret organization doesn't sound too wild anymore, but he needs to look deeper.
He scoured through each and every one, and found various messages, from confirmation of deals, requests for certain weapons, there were a lot of blank image and text files, probably deleted. But what could necessitate such a level of secrecy that you need to purge any image and documents a moment after you send it?
Bit by bit Daniel starts to doubt himself, is there actually a God damn secret organization? Because these emails are in no way sent by terrorists. The words are… too cryptic, like they're being read off a century old poem book. Either it’s an extremely eccentric group or a cult because literally no one in this world talks like that unless they're weird.
His flow of work was interrupted by an email notification. It gave him a jump scare because it was so loud… odd… didn't he put his laptop to silent? Maybe he forgot. Shaking his head to regain some focus he looked into what was just sent, it was sent to this account, not his actual account, so maybe he can get something out of it.
“Untitled email?”
Odd choice for a title, Who was this from?... Unknown sender. He looks at the time, just five minutes past midnight, who the hell sends an email at that time? To a CEO no less?
“Eh whatever, probably a relative or something…. What the hell?....”
He opened it to see a bunch of random 0 and 1s, after a bit of squinting he realized it was not that random, it’s a fibonacci sequence. He used to play around with it in high school, easy enough for him to decode it. As expected, it came out as a sequence of numbers.
He’s weirded out to say the least, and doesn't really know what to think, but he noticed something particular with the result, something… familiar. He realized what it was and kicked the charger for his laptop off the socket as fast as he could, he was running it without batteries just in case he ever accidentally opened malware so he could cut off the infection process early.
This wasn't malware, this was a threat, the random numbers, they were his Goddamn coordinates. He memorized it a long time ago, to make it more convenient when comparing locational data, back in his geoguessr days. It’s clear now someone doesn't want him peeking, and the fact that the first thing they do is send him his exact coordinates of his own office, which should theoretically be impossible, tells him something's not right.
“Well shit…”
It’s all he can say as he realized he’s probably in for some big trouble.
—-~----
“...….”
“What is it?”
“Nothing… just… thinking”
She doubt that, Ruke seems more uneasy more than anything. They were walking back to the city, after spending a bit too much time together at the lake. It was certainly something, she doesn't even know why she did that, they could've drowned, they almost did, but it felt right.
“Oh really?...”
“Yes”
“What is it that you think about?”
“It’s… uhm…”
He looks uncomfortable saying it. Ruke has been thinking about an advice he heard from a fellow Loner years ago, back when he’s a mere adolescent who barely knew anything except how to pickpocket. He remembered exactly what they said to him, it was an answer to his question about what “romance” is, he has not a single clue what that was back then.
‘lovers don't keep secrets’
Was one of the few things he remembered, should he follow that? Probably, not like he knows anything else.
“I… I've been hiding something”
“Hm?”
“F-from you”
“Oh?... What gives? Saying it now?”
“Well… if we were to be serious… I mean *really* serious about this…. I just think it would be bad for us to keep secrets, wouldn't it?”
“Maybe, it’s not a bad idea”
“Yes, so… my old ship, i didn't sell it, i threw it away, somewhere far in the forest, far from the city”
“That's a weird secret to keep, why?”
“You don't have to believe me, i’d rather you not listen at all, but… there was something, in it, in the ship”
“.....”
“It… i didn't know where it came from, it just appeared, while i was doing a mission, the mission that gave me enough money to get you out of that club”
“Is that… the reason why you insist we find an apartment?”
“Yes… I don't know what it is, how it got there, nor why it’s there, but its… dead”
“What?...”
“It’s a creature… it… i don't know, but just looking at make me fear for my life, i can't let you see it, i can't let it see you, i just can't”
“Oh… that's…”
“Sorry… I shouldn't have said that…”
“It’s fine, at least you are honest… and that's good… but i don't know what to think of that”
“Neither do i, i want to forget it”
“What… does it look like?”
“Strange, it looks like us if we were to lack tails, claws, snouts and scales, it’s so… bizarre… it’s wrapped in metal and rags and… bleeds all the time, the skin is blacker than the void and the blood as dark as oil, then… the blood, it rusts any metal it touches”
“That sounds like something from a nightmare!”
“It's dead now, don't worry… i think”
“You think?”
“I-i checked… yesterday, when i told you i needed to go somewhere in the morning, it wasn't moving, even when i hit it”
She breathed a sigh of relief, she can't comprehend how such a creature can exist.
“I don't think I'll ever forget this… you're not lying to me are you?”
“No, it’s real, sorry, i don't know how either”
“Mmh… it’s fine, let's try to forget it”
“Yes… let's try…”
Ruke’s words trailed off as he saw a particularly eye-catching thing in the distance. A small cluster of the glowing silver lines that once shine brightly, now a sickly brown. He has never seen that before, perhaps that's how the trees die, they start to lose their lines since they're too old to maintain it. And maybe that is why they're rusted, perhaps rusted lines are signs of a dead tree. As much as that makes sense in his head he can't help but feel that something is deeply wrong.
“Do you… want to know something, Ruke?”
“Yes?”
Ruke replied as the city’s glow can be seen reflecting off the clouds above, they're getting close to it. Sevi is looking up at it with a certain look in her face, as far as he can tell with the darkness everywhere, it seems to be a look of disdain.
“I would prefer to be at the lake right now, i hate it here, i hate that city”
“Why?”
“Because it reminds me i’m not living under my own control, i never was”
“What?”
He noticed a tear run down her snout. He couldn't bear seeing it, and wiped it off as he kept her closer to him. She started sobbing and hugged his shoulder.
“Ruke? Can I tell you the truth?”
“Of course…”
“I… I assume you think I was sold there to the club, didn't you?”
“Yes, that's how that club works… are you not sold there by someone?”
“No… i… i was born there”
“What?”
“I can tell you a story if you want…”
“S-sure…”
They sat down together under the biggest tree around, she let go of his hand as she sat down, after holding it the entire way until now.
“The owner once punished a stripper… she was rebellious, as she was sold there by after being kidnapped from her family, the punishment left her pregnant”
“....”
“Bearing an egg not rightfully hers, she wanted to get rid of it, as she had her own mate, but couldn't… when it hatched she couldn't help but love the foolish little Varashian girl that came out…. She named her, loved her, taught her what the world outside looks like… taught her dances that make the little girl’s eyes shine brighter than the stars themselves…”
She stopped, and extended her arm. There was something there Ruke hadn't noticed all this time, a bracelet, made of small uneven sized pearls, and a single flat part made of cut stone. When she took It off he noticed It had a word on it written in native Varashi, he recognized it, but he couldn't read it.
“Unfortunately for her… her “husband”, was the opposite, cruel, abusive, he hated nothing more than his illegitimate child, sees her a burden… at least… until she was old enough… her mother tried to stop him, but all she received was yet another punishment, unlike last time… it left her overdosed… blood pressure so high, blood trickled out of her eyes, her ears, her mouth”
“Sevi…”
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
“She convulsed until her very life was taken from her, she spent her last moments next to her crying child, her name is….”
She tapped the bracelet with her claw.
“...Zvya… mother of Svya… or as you call her… Sevi”
“That's… your mother?”
She simply nodded.
“Zvya was from here, Rezen, her sad little home…. i’m from here, until i was old enough and was placed up there on the station, i hate it, Every. Moment. Of it”
“.....”
“Even up there on the station was no better, i see it everyday, everywhere, these same cold buildings, these same hopeless people, both up there… and down here… everyday i wish i could just go out there, leave it all behind… but there i was, trapped within the walls of the club, left alone to look out a window, at the places beyond cold iron floors and walls, the places i dream to set foot upon one day… and see it all goes away”
“....”
“....With her mother gone, little Svya didn't have anyone else, not even other strippers were willing to take her in, so her “father” did, unwillingly so… He locked her in a room, never letting her out…. he did so until she was mature enough to count as an adult, then…”
She had one hand on his lap, he felt it move, looking down he saw her hand clenched tightly. So tight, it bleeds as her own claws pierce her own scales.
“....Made her a worker, and send her to one of the clubs at the station”
Ruke can't describe it, nor does know why, but knowing what happened to her, even when it was a long time ago, made him unreasonably angry inside.
“So your father is…”
“Yes… he runs all of them, Rezen is his hub, he’s not in this city, but just being here reminds me… he’s still here… somewhere, that worthless scumbag”
She had tears running down her snout again. He didn't wipe it off this time, too busy trying to hold a growl.
“I’m sorry… but you really shouldn't remember that”
“I know, but no secrets right? I’m just… doing my part”
“You didn't lie to me?”
“I did, i told you i could dance before i was even in the club, but i’ve always been there, until a few cycles ago… where you found me, and i found you”
“.....”
“Your attitude… so careful yet so… wild, it reminds me of my mother, she was always so protective, yet rebellious she is… she-”
He held her mouth shut and hugged her.
“Stop, stop it… I don't want you to remember that, and I don't want to hear it, it pains me, as much as it does to you… understand?”
She nodded, surprisingly calmly, he thought she would resist, but she seems to agree.
“Sorry…”
“No, I'm sorry, it’s a bad story to tell… but hey…”
She took his hand.
“We can make a better story on our own, can we?”
She smiled, suddenly the weight of knowing her life was shed off his back.
“Yes…”
They got up together, eyes locked with one another.
“...Yes we can”
—-~----
“*Oh, hey Daniel, what is it*”
“Not much, just… hold on, 10 Eunits right?”
“Yes sir…”
The taxi driver replied, Daniel gave him 2 incredibly thin cards made of silica, the number 5, the image of earth, and scannable line code were carved on both sides. The currency of Anasea, since it spans multiple countries the UN decided that it should have its own type of currency, the official name is quite long, but everyone calls it Eunits. And it's the most “advanced” currency ever made, as in converting it from physical to digital money is stupid easy.
“*Are you there?*”
“Yeah… just paying for a taxi, so uh… we might have a problem”
“*What problem?*”
He looks at a nearby street name sign, it hangs above the street, it reads:
*London street*
“I need to borrow some money, i accidentally opened some malware on my laptop last night, need to buy a new one”
“*Oh what? Wait, aren’t you really good at taking care of that kinda thing?*”
“Yeah, but it’s a new type of malware, really aggressive too… so i can't…”
He trailed off to look for something, it was rather easy, a massive octagonal building that looks entirely made of glass from outside.
“...really take care of it”
“*Alright fine… how much do you need?*”
“Not much, my laptop’s cheap, 500 Eunits? Maybe?”
“*Okay, i’ll send it to you later this evening, you owe me after this okay?*”
“Well yeah, of course, no need to rush though…”
He arrived at the front doors, he read the sign hanging above, it looked floating due to very thin and transparent wires used to hold it up. The sign contains an illustrated but very detailed image of the earth with the sentence ‘International museum’ overlayed on top of it.
“...you can send it any time”
He closed the call with Eunike, and walked in as he checked his wristwatch. It's quite early in the morning, he can afford to be here because he doesn't really sleep. The museum had just opened, so there weren't many people just yet, making it easy for him to spot a certain someone.
“Aren't you an early bird mister Williams?”
He mumbled to himself as he approached the man he was looking for. He noticed him getting closer and got a little scared.
“Mr.Williams? I- whoa!”
Daniel was damn near hit on the face by an airborne taco.
“You’ll never catch me!”
“Hey! Calm down, I'm Daniel! The guy you spoke to when you hired a private investigator a while ago!”
“W-what? Wait! oh! Yes! But… W-where is she?”
“Sad to say, she doesn't believe you, i didn't either, at least until i look a bit deeper…”
He seemed ecstatic at that statement.
“So you believe me?! I can't believe this! Finally!”
“Kinda, more curious than anything, so what now?”
Daniel wanted to get straight to the point, as interesting as it sounds, Williams' confidence in his words was also getting a bit into his nerves.
“Oh yes… yes…. Come, i have something to show you”
“Hey! What motherfucker threw a taco at my head!?”
Daniel turned around, and saw a museum staff with taco fillings all over their bald head.
“Let's do this quick”
—-~----
The two ran off somewhere where a bald mad janitor isn't present, the world war history part of the museum. Specifically, to the area that had paintings, Daniel recognized most of them as the work of Benedicte Temain, a rather famous French artist that survived both world wars, and known for their paintings that depict said wars.
“Here it is, what i want to show you”
“Paintings? Really?”
“Yes, but there's something you really have to see, on… AHA! That one!”
They stopped in front of one of Temain’s most popular work, a large painting, two by three meters big, which also made it the record holder for the biggest canvas in the world. It depicts the no man’s land in its not so beautiful glory, supposedly he painted it as a “reminder”. Daniel had wanted to see it for a while now actually, it was certainly something if he has anything to say.
“Uhm… there! Look at this!”
“Eh?”
He squints at the part William was pointing at, there wasn't much odd about it, just depictions of a battlefield… fire… dead people… an old tank… there wasn't much that is out of place. Except one thing, which he noticed after way too long, a very small, somewhat smudged depiction of what is clearly a woman in a black dress. It was hidden in the background, just next to the most attractive part of the painting.
“You see that? You see it don't you?”
“The woman?”
“Yes! Exactly! Now look to its right, at the strokes there, do you see anything?”
“Hmm…”
He doesn't get it, there was nothing there, just some odd brush strokes. But the more he looks at it, the more it resembles some sort of symbol.
“What's that?”
“It is this, look at this”
He showed him a notebook, it was dirty and damaged, like it had been used for years and never replaced. He opened it up to a page with random scribblings and symbols, one symbol was highlighted with a red circle and the word: ‘killer’ was written next to it. It is… a cross? An odd cross, sharp tapered ends and without the top part, instead replaced by something that looks like a spiky crown.
“What?”
There were some other details that set it apart from just a cross, but the page was smudged and he couldn't clearly see it.
“It’s them! This is their symbol!”
“The organization? How could you be so sure? It’s a bunch of brush strokes on a painting dude, can be anything”
“Maybe, if it’s just one… follow me”
They went to another painting, this one depicts world war two, in its grotesque glory. It’s the same as the previous one, a huge painting, two by three, but unlike the last one, it wasn't finished. The painting was famous for quite literally taking the life of its creator, allegedly as he was preparing to finish it, the wall where it was placed collapsed onto him due to the sheer weight of the painting itself.
“Right there, next to that church! See that?”
“See what?”
“On the broken window to the right”
He squinted again, it was harder to see, but he spotted a very tiny figure that looks just like the lady from the previous painting. She stood inside the church, staring out the broken stained glass window. There was something odd about the window itself. He realized that the symbol from before was what is depicted on the broken window.
“Huh… maybe it’s a signature?”
“That doesn't make sense! Besides, he already has a signature! You want to know something? That lady you see is in every single one of his paintings! Hidden in the background! I checked it myself!”
“If so, how do you even know he’s connected to whatever organization you’re looking for?”
“I didn't, until my brother and I infiltrated Lancaster, I’ve looked through their history, wanna know what I found?”
“What?”
“Lancaster isn’t a new company! It’s been here since before world war 1!”
“.....”
“You didn't know that didn't you? Of course you wouldn't! I-”
“Actually i do know that, Lancaster arms used to be named Lank&Lanc, founded by two guys who were good friends on 1913, who inherited the control of it to their son or daughter, until 1998 where the great grandson of one of them had a secret affair with the wife of the great grandson of the other, they fought, expensive lawsuit here and there, until the company went bankrupt on 2012, but then re-emerged on 2020 as just Lancaster, 8 years later after 14 years of “who fucked who’s wife” argument”
Williams seems stunned at his explanation, he really shouldn't if he knows what Lancaster used to be.
“Oh… that's why it went bankrupt? I didn't know that…”
“Eh… my question’s the same, how do you even know Temain’s involved?”
“Oh yes… uhm… ah! I remember! I know because Temain has a history of getting along with those of the wealthy class, you know how back then just how eccentric these people tend to be?”
“I wouldn't say back then, it’s no different even now”
“Well… yes, but! Temain in particular was good friends with Mr.Lancaster, the original founder, they have this strange elite circle…
“it’s an orgy”
Daniel stated bluntly, to say that he did his research before going here was an understatement, he’ll never be the same after what he learned.
“Wh- uh- yes! I know, but there was something else! Like a cult! One that Lancaster and Temain was heavily interested in, the two were known as religious weirdos, they're always up to something weird and saying something preachy”
“I don't doubt that, but as far as i know, none of these more odd hobby of theirs involve this symbol you’ve shown me”
“Well then you missed something, follow me, i have one more thing to show you”
“Alright….”
They went to the biography section, things that were displayed were mostly private belongings of various artists that have their works featured in the museum. Daniel was a bit curious about something, he looked at William, the old guy doesn't look his best, odd really, he’s done his research about him and he used to look much better in his podcasting days, what changed?
“If you don't mind me asking, how exactly did you start believing in this organization?”
“i… don't exactly believe it at first, it came to my knowledge after one of my listeners recommended it to me, my old podcast, i made it for the money and clout, i never actually believed anything i’ve talked about there…”
“....”
“...until one day, an anonymous listener submitted a document talking about an organization, i just took a quick glance and start talking about it in my podcast, but the more i read into it, the more i do my research, which was effortless at best, it just… makes too much sense, so many coincidences… so many connections… yet so… unclear, it drove me practically crazy”
“Can I know who the listener was? Email? Account name? Comments?”
“No, they… the account’s gone, i’m confused too, it’s like they never exist, the only thing i have left is an email with the document, i don't know if it’s much use, probably has everything you already know at this point”
“Hmm… still, send it to me, i’ll give you my personal number”
“Why? I can just send it to Black Dog email, can't i?”
“Don't, the only reason i’m even here is because when i got curious about what you said and looked into the email of Lancaster's CEO, i got doxxed by some random fucker, i’ve got every counter measure set up and they somehow know the exact co-ordinates of my apartment, i can understand them knowing the name of the street, but co-ordinates is way too precise”
“You what? W-what did you find?”
“Messages, unknown sender with encrypted address and account name, they're talking about your brother”
“WHAT!? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!”
“Because none of us know what we’re getting into, if you're right about this… then we’re not safe, whatsoever”
There was silence, it was odd, and awkward, his yelling had gotten them the attention of a few other visitors.
“....fair, what did they talk about?”
“Things about a Breacher, and whether or not they caught them, last seen on the subway station your brother died in, something about… taking the matter into their own hands”
“Hmm…”
“It’s not a wild bet to think that they’re talking about your brother, i am on your side mister Williams… but i need more information to know what were going up against and what to do”
“I see…”
“Anyway, sorry you had to lose him”
“*Sigh* I suppose it’s clear to you this is also personal, right?”
“Since the start, yes”
“Then please… help me, help me find justice”
“I’ll try”
—-~----
“Here it is… your proof”
“A diary?”
They stopped in front of a glass case, inside was the diary of the man himself, the diary of Benedicte Temain.
“Take a look at it, can you read french?”
“I can”
He takes a good look at it, there's the symbol again, much clearer, and there's two of them visible. There doesn't seem to be much else written other than inner thoughts and poems. But then he saw an interesting entry, it reads:
*Tomorrow be the day we shall see truth, for we but fools and cretins, let it be divine judgement, for we are but simply put and not born, this world we borrow, not own, yet we stain it with our savagery no different.*
*Tomorrow i shall visit the place with Mister Lancaster, i am but certain that he thinks the same*
One of the two symbols present in the page was crudely scribbled next to the entry, the word “Mark of the pure” written below it. He also noticed something about the entry, it was written just a day before the events of world war 1.
“Okay… but what is the place?”
“I don't know, this is my strongest proof, but i know nothing beyond it, maybe one thing, both Lancaster and Temain tend to call every religion they know a… “mockery” i don't understand what they mean by that”
“Don't make sense to me either, but yeah, well… this is proof, i can't deny that, i’ll look into it”
“Of course, please, give me any updates if you find anything”
“Sure, hold on, here's my number”
He handed William his phone, it was fine, he entered his own number like he should, but he suddenly stopped and looked at him.
“What?”
“You have location on?”
“Oh, yes, for the taxi, I had to show google maps to the driver since his phone was out, what is it?”
“You fool! You-”
He looked through him, at something behind him, a look of pure shock visible on his face.
“Wha-”
He turned around to see what it was, and froze just the same. It was… someone, dressed like they were from the 1800’s, a black regal dress, their face obscured by a black veil hanging off their equally black hat. Just then, an armored truck smashed through the glass wall separating the inside of the museum with an outdoor garden outside.
“What the-”
People panic as its doors were kicked open and people in body armor came out. Daniel recognized them as members of an infamous radical group who called themselves The Witness. They’re known for despising history, as the first thing they do is throw a molotov at the nearest artwork. Unfortunately they also hate those who believe in history, and started shooting any museum visitors they can lay their eyes upon.
“RUN!”