Vanya's Journals, Chapter 66: A Secret Mission Gunfire erupts once more in the hallway outside, seemingly even closer this time. Once again, the guards leave the room, their weapons drawn.
"What is all that about?" you query of Russ.
"Terrorists," he responds simply with a noncommittal shrug. "Some people don't like that we have someone here from Everoc."
"Is it so difficult to maintain order?" you ask.
At this, he glances around at the back corner of the room, near the ceiling. Following his gaze, you notice a security camera mounted there. "This is essentially a system-wide cult, Dr. Jones. It is therefore always difficult to keep everyone in line." With this said, he motions to Sally. "I believe our friends outside could use your assistance."
Sally wrinkles her nose with an acidic glare in his direction and rises reluctantly from her seat, stalking towards the door. As she leaves, Dr. Russ stands, beginning to pace about the room. "Please continue," he intones, and you do so. It had been almost two months since Koth had given me a scare at the shuttlecar station, and since then she'd proved to be immensely helpful not only as an ally, but also as a leader, pulling everyone together. I think she wanted to get back home just as much as I did, even if we were on different sides. She'd listened to me about Joseph, and although she wanted to ruin Parasol, she understood that if he wasn't stopped, Ballpoint and Parasol
would ultimately destroy each other in the end – if she could believe me. While she was skeptical as to whether or not Joseph actually existed, she had decided that the Intelligence Facility would hold the answers... and that if I was right, the only way she could keep Ballpoint from destruction would be to get back home and help stop him herself.
Koth could be really, really intimidating when she tried, and she had a way of getting things accomplished that I couldn't compete with. Sometimes, though, she could be a little
too forceful, and Katie took it upon herself to act as a mediator when Koth went too far. This wouln't have been necessary, except we'd started holding little meetings in Jade's apartment while she was away at work. I thought it would be a good idea for everyone to get to know each other, which we did. Katie wanted Trebor to be able to come too, but we didn't know if the killer was following him or not, so we decided it would be safest if he didn't.
At our first little meeting, I suggested we all tell things about ourselves to help us get to know each other better, which was something Koth wasn't very pleased about. Though she avoided saying much, it turned out that she was born on Everoc, too, just like me. She'd, along with Bugi, had been part of a human fortress's militia. Koth acted very secretive about it, but I suppose that's just who she is. She'd invented a lie about herself to tell the others: that she'd found her way into Parasol by sneaking into an open portal, and that since then, she'd been learning about their technology and trying to get back home. Gareth seemed convinced, and initially welcomed her as a fellow intellectual... but that was just until she showed how little she appreciated the title.
Gareth also turned out to be from Everoc: a set of Parasol scientists in an elven tree-city had adopted him, an orphaned baby, as their own, to strengthen their cover story. Eventually he'd proved too bright for them, seeing through their disguises, which led to them sending him to advanced schools on Parasol to keep him from letting it slip to the other elves. Although he'd loved his adoptive parents, Gareth didn't see either Parasol or Ballpoint as being in the right: he assumed they were both greedy and hungry for power. I guess that's true, in a way, although their ideas of "power" are wildly different.
We all held a certain kinship with each other, strange as it might've seemed. I was an elf who'd wished she'd been a dwarf, Koth was a Ballpoint-captured Everoccan stuck at Parasol, Gareth was an elf who loved science, and Katie was a mix of three species. Ironically, the most normal among us was Lord Reudh, of whom everyone back at Spearbreakers had always labeled as unusual. Even then, he was born on Everoc and had joined up with Parasol, something Everoccans weren't supposed to do at all.
Despite our unique backgrounds, or perhaps because of them, our meetings eventually helped us form a sort of friendship. Some of us were in it for ourselves, some of us were in it for someone else, but we all respected each other.
...Well, for the most part.
~~~
We'd chosen a Wednesday, which seemed to be the best time for the operation because Reudh could get in and out of Kenzon's armory without raising suspicion. As Katie had told me, her father had once led a guard squad in Parasol Security, and still had a small collection of suits hung up in his armory. We didn't want to borrow them for any longer than we absolutely needed to, to lower the risk of Kenzon finding out. The day before, we'd held a final meeting where Reudh measured everyone to make sure we could find a suit that fit.
Earlier in the day, Reudh had arrived at Scheck Kenzon's Weapon Training slightly early, sneaking into the back and disabling the portal shield generator. As soon as it was down, Koth, with Gareth's help, had ported directly inside. Now we were waiting for them to return, standing on a low rooftop downtown. While Katie and I waited for everyone else to return, Gareth was downstairs, bringing up equipment he'd hidden the week before. He'd already planted one bomb at the facility, and all that remained was to plant the second before we moved in.
From our chosen rooftop, we could see most of the downtown area of Quark – Division 3's capital city – shimmering in the afternoon sun. From where I was, I could easily make out the Intelligence Center, standing tall in an alcove of even taller buildings, just across a little bay. Water transportation didn't seem to be very popular in Parasol, and it made sense: most cargo was delivered by way of portal. The bay was empty, its clear blue waters shimmering beneath the lightly overcast sky, a pod of glowwhales drifting calmly near the surface around the support pylons for the glass shuttlecar tubes above. It was beautiful... as the wind whipped my hair about, I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, relishing the cold, crisp feel of the air. It was a decent distraction, and an important one, because I was really on edge about the operation. I felt sure that something would go wrong... something always seemed to.
Katie spoke from behind, a hand on my shoulder as she carefully gathered my hair into her hands. "Here, let me put this up for you," she told me quietly.
"It's a lot windier than I'm used to..." I said with a thoughtful air as she worked. "I've lived underground most of my life, and the year I lived outdoors was on the blood plains, where the wind hardly blew at all."
I could imagine her face lighting up with an amused smile. "It's normal for Parasol," she laughed. "There you go, done. I put it up in a little loose knot." She walked around me, looking at it from different angles to make sure it looked okay.
"It feels odd to have it up like that," I noted, feeling it gently with my hands. "I've always kept it down."
Katie nodded. "You'll get used to it, don't worry," she assured me. "And it's better than having to brush it out of your eyes every few seconds. I already have mine up," she added, turning her head to point at the loose knot of chestnut hair on the back. "Koth has hers up, too, but she braided it into a short ponytail... she's never seemed very concerned with her appearance."
"No, she hasn't," I agreed.
As if on cue, Koth stormed through the open portal to our left, with Reudh following closely on her heels, both laden with suits of Parasol armor. "Gareth!" she yelled down the stairs. "Where the hell... Yo,
knife-ears! The fuck's taking you so long, we're back already!!"
"Koth!" Katie protested at her obscene language, but at that moment, Gareth stumbled up the stairs and into view, carrying a time bomb mockup in his arms.
"'Knife-ears?'" the elf mumbled, almost tripping on the top step. "That's the most trivially inaccurate insult you've invented as of yet." Setting the bomb down carefully, he flipped a few switches on the miniportal, and the silvery portal surface dissipated. "I won't be goaded into an argument on physiology, especially not with a troglodyte of such limited vocabulary," he added with a quick glare in her direction. He'd long since lost his initial admiration for her as an activist.
Katie was quick to try to settle it. "Come on, guys," she reminded them. "We're part of a team, remember? We're all in this together."
Meanwhile, Reudh did his job, dutifully sorting out the five Parasol uniforms he and Koth had brought. "Katie is right, everyone! Insulting our allies will not get anything done!"
"Okay,
listen up!" Koth barked to get everyone's attention. We all stopped what we were doing and turned towards her. "Katie and Reudh, put your suits on. Vanya and Gareth, you're installing the second time bomb outside the Intel Center. When you've got it up,
Gareth," she growled the name with a glare in his direction, "will port back, set it for the parking lot, and we'll go, timing it to reset to the alley coordinates so Vanya can get back after getting their attention. We'll leave a note behind with the coordinates for the parking lot location so Vanya can follow us. We get in, you
do the job, and then we
get the hell out of there. Got it?"
Everybody nodded their assent. Koth seemed a little dissatisfied with their response, but continued anyway. "If we get separated, meet up here, because I'm
not coming to look for you if you get lost, got it? Now..." she paused for a moment. "
Let's go!"
And just like that, it was time. As one, everyone started moving towards their jobs. Reudh picked up his suit and put it over his shoulder while he got out Koth's and Katie's; Gareth, with his "bomb" in a backpack, headed to the miniportal controls and started setting them.
I felt adrenaline pumping through my veins. I was terrified... but I could remember what Urist had told me, almost four years before: "
Fear doesn't make you weak. Courage is doing something brave, even when you're scared. Being afraid keeps you sharp – it keeps you alive." As frightened as I was, I knew he was right, and it seemed to give me strength.
"This is so exciting!" Katie whispered as she took her suit from Koth, and then she paused in confusion. "Um, Koth..."
"What."
Katie giggled awkwardly. "Um... where are we supposed to change clothes?"
"Oh, for the love of..." the woman began in exasperated disbelief, resting her head in her hand for a moment. "'Modesty' out in the field will only get you killed," the woman spat shortly as she took her suit from Reudh, looking at it with resigned distaste. Then, she sighed. "Fine, we'll duck behind the AC unit over there if it's such a big deal to you, and if anyone peeks," here she raised her voice with emphasis, glaring at Reudh and Gareth, "they end up on the business end of a revolver." Though they were preoccupied, I saw Gareth gulp.
Katie seemed satisfied, if amused, by Koth's threat, and took her suit over towards the metal air conditioner units on a remote corner of the rooftop, while Koth followed. At about the same time, the portal hummed to life again.
"Vanya, I opened it!" Gareth called out to me, hoisting the heavy backpack onto his shoulders.
Swallowing, I headed to the portal, but hadn't gotten more than two steps before I felt a strong hand on my shoulder pulling me to a stop. I turned, following the arm up to a brownish red beard, and Reudh's kindly face.
"Be careful out there, Vanya," Reudh warned me, his face reflecting a genuine expression of concern as he gently caressed my cheek.
I put my hand on his for a moment and smiled with gratitude. "I will, Reudh," I said softly. "You be careful, too."
The dwarf gave a solemn nod, and I turned from him, walking towards Gareth. The portal's silvery, shimmering surface rippled like a lake on a windy day, just like any other miniportal I'd been through. After a pause, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, praying,
"Armok, be with us," and followed Gareth through.
And the world dissolved, twisting, tumbling, churning like so many pebbles on a riverbed... It was the shortest distance I'd ever traveled by portal, but from how it felt, I never would have guessed.
I rematerialized almost instantly, stepping out into a winding alleyway lit only by the dim glow of the portal and the clouded sky far above. Gareth was already heading out, and I broke into a light jog to catch up. "It's only a short distance away," he told me quietly as I drew alongside. "We have to leave the portal open while we're here, so I'll do it even faster than I normally would." He looked back at it nervously just before we turned the corner. "It would be... very inconvenient if anyone found it."
"I know. We have a place to put the bomb, right?"
Gareth nodded, readjusting the straps on his shoulders. Though he was nervous, I detected a trace of pride in his voice. "Yes, um... I did some... preliminary reconnaissance work. Most of the hovercars out here are unlocked, and... it should be exceptionally simple to wire the bomb into central console of one. I even found a surveillance blind spot." We paused for a moment at the street, which was empty except for a handful of busy pedestrians, and finally started across. "You need to maintain a casual appearance," he warned, even though he looked so uncomfortable and awkward it would've been well for him to take his own advice.
Parasol streets aren't very wide, as most only have to accomodate foot traffic. Except for commercial areas like Parasol's Mall, there aren't many pedestrians at all. Despite this, the streets are still beautiful, paved with a dark, brushed metal, sloping gently towards the edges where little drains awaited whatever water might trickle in their direction. It isn't quite this pretty in cheaper areas, but downtown, evergreen trees line the edges of the little streets, genetically grown to look almost identical. As we passed between them, I was struck by how different Parasol dwarves are from those of Everoc.
Before long, we crossed onto the narrow street that ran alongside the Intelligence Center. The outer walls loomed before us, topped menacingly with electrified barbed wire, cameras, and laser turrets. If anyone wanted to gain entrance by climbing over, it would be all but suicide for them to try.
We stopped beside one of the vehicles that were parked up against the wall, and Gareth removed his backpack from his shoulders, setting it down and digging around a little before removing a pair of latex gloves. Swallowing nervously and muttering to himself as he pulled them on, he opened the door of the white, streamlined vehicle: a Parasol Security patrol hovercar. As he climbed inside with the backpack, he looked out at me. "If anyone approaches, be sure to warn me in advance."
"I will," I promised, and took up as casual of a stance as I could manage against the nearby wall, watching vigilantly. I was all but biting my nails, worried we'd be caught.
~~~
I don't know if it was Armok's doing, or if we were just lucky, but most of the foot traffic for that day was directly in front of the complex, and there was very little off to the side where Gareth and I were. After ten to fifteen minutes, Gareth emerged from the car and closed the door, pulling off his gloves and sticking them into a pocket.
"It's done?" I guessed.
He nodded. "I, uh... I hooked it into the command system and rigged it so it'll look like it'll explode if they, um... if they start the engine. I have a dummy motion-sensor grenade wired in there, too, so that it'll... um... so that will give them even more incentive to... to leave it there." Saying this, he wiped his forehead anxiously, running his fingers through his blond hair. "The bomb I installed inside the complex was notably difficult by itself," he admitted sheepishly, "but I only put it in a utility closet outside. Out here in the open is... it's so much more... well..." He paused to collect himself. "It makes you nervous," he finally finished with an apologetic smile, his eyebrows drawn together worriedly as he wrung his sweaty hands together.
I glanced in through the car's window. Gareth's "bomb" was fastened firmly against the dashboard, wires coming out of it every which way, attached in various places to buttons and panels. I didn't know much about bombs, but even just looking at it, it seemed like it could explode at the slightest touch. In the center, runes ticked away on a colored screen, counting down from thirty-five minutes. "I think you did a good job," I assured him, slipping Katie's PEA out of my pocket and tapping at it as I sent a message to Koth: "The bomb is ready."
"So, uh..." Gareth said awkwardly, looking at the ground as he scratched the back of his head.
He seemed to have forgotten the rest of the plan, and I laughed softly. "You need to get back," I reminded him.
At this, he nodded briskly. "Right," he agreed, turning and starting back at a fast pace, all but stumbling over his own feet as he started out.
"Don't walk too fast!" I warned him, raising my voice slightly to make sure he heard. "I'll send you another message soon."
We'd finished what I'd considered the weakest part of the plan, and I was starting to feel a little more confident. As scared as I might have been, it was too late to turn back, and I needed all the confidence I could get.
My part was coming. I'd never been much of an actor, or even considered trying... I'd always tried to stay hidden instead of making a scene. My next job went against everything I was, but as I was a former skulker, everyone had agreed that I should be the one to get the attention of the Parasol Security guards, because I'd have the easiest time slipping away... or that was the plan, at least.
A smile briefly crossed my lips as I thought of how I'd done something similar so many years before that had started all my adventures: I'd yelled that Talvi was awake. The skulker girl I was four years ago would never have attempted what my friends needed me to do now... but people change. Our worlds change who we are, and it's only a rare few that can get past that and change the world themselves. I'm almost a different girl now... but just as I did then, I still had a purpose. The only difference was that I knew it.
I waited in the narrow street a few minutes, giving Gareth time to get back to the miniportal exit, and then closed my eyes, readying myself.
Turning suddenly from the car, I started backing away from it, screaming, "BOMB! THERE'S A BOMB!" My voice took on as much a tone of pure terror as I could manage, which was actually easier than I'd expected. I kept up the act as best I could, hoping nobody would see through. "Oh my gods, there's a BOMB!" I yelled again, turning and running down the dark metallic road towards the front gates of the Intelligence Center. "HELP! SOMEONE HELP! PLEASE!"
When I was about halfway there, I saw two Parasol officers turned the corner ahead of me at a sprint. My first instinct was to run away, but I fought against it, pushing myself towards them even faster, almost as if out of spite at my fear. "HELP!" I screamed again. "HEY, HELP!! THERE'S A CAR BOMB!!
HELP!!"
As I reached the first of them, a tall human with dark hair, he slowed to a stop, putting his hands on my shoulders. He was a full two feet taller than I was. "Whoa, slow down there!" he said calmly, with a slow, sprawling accent. "What's the matter, baby girl?"
"Oh my gods," I cried, hyperventilating and shaking my head, staring at the ground while I tried unsuccessfully to work up a few tears. "Oh my gods, you
have to help!" Grimacing inwardly, I gave up on the fake crying, turning back towards his face. "Please, there's a car bomb!"
"I don't see how that could be possible," the man assured me, tapping me on the shoulder roughly, as his chest swelled slightly with pride. "We've got eyes on this whole area, and we're the best security force that Parasol has to offer.
Nobody could plant a bomb without us knowing." Ironically, despite all his bravado, Gareth and I just had.
I didn't know what to do. On a whim, I grabbed his hand and started trying to pull him in the direction of the car. "You
have to believe me!!" I pleaded. "I
know what I saw!! I glanced in and saw it through the window!"
"Hey, let go!" he ordered, jerking his hand away from mine. "This is highly suspicious behavior, you know. There are
not any bombs in the area. We keep an eye on this whole place.
Nothing could get past us," he repeated, placing heavy emphasis on each word.
He wasn't falling for it, and I knew it... I felt desperate. My act probably would've fallen to pieces right there, if the second officer hadn't arrived right then, slowing to a stop. He was slightly shorter, with a spiky blond haircut. "Give the giirl a chance, Jack. Just because she's an elf, it doesn't mean she's any less intelligent than we are," he advised the other. With this said, he crouched down to look at me on my level, almost like he was talking to a child. "Hey there, little miss. You can call me Rainer, okay? Think of me as a friend. Could you tell me where you saw this 'bomb'?"
I could tell he didn't believe what he'd said about my intelligence, but I couldn't even risk a glare in his direction, worried it might spoil the act. Looking back now, I guess it might've been a little more realistic if I had. "There's something that looks a
lot like a car bomb back there," I explained in a rush, trying to sound believably distraught. "I'll take you, but hurry!" I turned from him, watching over my shoulder to make sure he followed as I started off at a brisk pace. He did, while "Jackson" merely fell behind at a leisurely gait, still skeptical.
"I'm telling you, there's
no way somebody planted a bomb on
my watch," Jackson called out loudly from the rear. Rainer ignored him, though, so I did the same.
Before long, I'd reached the car, pointing inside. "It's in there," I said. I wasn't convinced I was doing that good of a job of acting, but I was trying to act skittish around the vehicle, imagining how I might act if it actually
was a bomb."
"In
there?" Rainer asked incredulously as he walked over to the front window. "In a patrol craft?" Cupping his hands to the window, he peered inside. "OH shit," he said, backing up from it quickly after a moment. "Jackson!!" he yelled, turning towards the other. "She's not kidding, there's an honest-to-god bomb over here!"
"The
fuck?" Jackson shouted back, shaking his head. He actually seemed angrier about the fact that there was a bomb there on his watch, than that there was a bomb there at all. "No
way I let that get past me! That had to be the rookies we had down here this morning, 'cause I
ain't taking shit for this!"
Jackson went on about how ridiculous and impossible it was, but Rainer wasn't even listening to him, putting a hand to his ear and speaking in a clear, even, and official tone. "This is Lieutenant Rainer, Parasol Security. We have an active car bomb on the south side of the IC. We need immediate backup and a crew down here to disarm it." That said, he turned to me, shooing me away. "Thanks, miss, but you need to get out of here quickly," he warned me, scanning the area visually. "There's no telling how big of a blast this will make if we don't disarm it in time. We'll need you to hang around for a bit so we can ask you questions, but I don't want you getting hurt. Just head to the front of the facility." He pointed over his shoulder towards the front gates of the Intelligence Center.
I nodded vigorously. "I will, and thank you, sir."
He gave a brief smile, and then turned towards the few curious bystanders who were beginning to gather, pressing a button on his uniform near his lapel. "People, we have a critical situation here!" he bellowed, his suit amplifying his voice. "I'm going to need you all to remain calm and clear the area!"
For my part, I wasn't going to stay and watch. Keeping an eye on Rainer to make sure he didn't turn back towards me, I started towards the alley where we'd opened the miniportal, hoping nobody else had found it. As I left the street, multiple hovervehicles flew in from different directions, coming to a stop above the "bomb scene" and slowly floating to the ground, the Parasol security logo emblazoned boldly on their sides. When I finally made it to the next corner, ducking into a recessed doorway, I felt a great sense of relief. Pulling out Katie's PEA, I tapped in the runed message: "They found the bomb." After I'd sent it to Koth, I stepped back out into the narrow street and continued towards the alleyway. When I arrived, I was thankful to see that the portal was still there, shimmering with a low hum, and I hurried towards it.
As I stepped through the portal, I couldn't help but feel glad that the worst part was over.
I don't know if I'm just being superstitious, but it feels like things always get worse whenever I think about how they're going well.
☆
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Topic: [34.11] Spearbreakers - It shudders and begins to move (Read 2253362 times)