“Because we believe you wish to do the right thing.” Her hand brushes my neck. The only thing between her skin and mine is the thin leather of her glove. Her voice lowers, soft and husky in my ears.
“You have the opportunity to do something we haven’t been able to accomplish before. Infiltrate their ranks. Identify their leaders. Lead the way in the dismantling of a deadly and infectious element that tears down the unity we’ve worked so hard to achieve. And when you do, you will be rewarded as promised.”
The thought of my wife and son bring my thoughts back to reality. She seems to sense it and steps back with a final caress of my shoulder.
Her voice returns to its businesslike tone. “In order to accomplish this task we will have to accelerate your training. We’ve brought in an expert in the detection of spies and rebels. He will train you to develop those same skills. He will be in charge of your mission and all that it entails.”
She raises her wrist to her lips and speaks into the watch contraption. “Admit Agent Kilgore.”
The doors open, and a man marches into the room. With his severe uniform and haughty stare I almost don’t recognize him. It takes all my self-control to keep from staring in shock.
The man standing in front of me is Jack.
Chapter 5
“And here is our newest recruit.” He offers a black-gloved hand. His uniform is crisp, his shoes shiny enough for me to see my dazed reflection. I shake his hand dumbly.
“Let’s get straight to business. I want you to describe the person or persons who contacted you when your line became chaotic the other day.”
I stare at him uncomprehendingly.
His lips twist scornfully. “You were contacted by someone, yes? Unfortunately, our cameras in the area were compromised. You will have to aid us in a description we can pass along to our watchdogs.”
“He was…around your height, sir.”
“Ah, of medium height.” He taps notes on a tablet. “Continue.”
“Medium build. Blond hair and gray eyes.”
“Any distinguishing features? Scars, protruding ears, elongated nose…anything unusual?”
“No, sir. He was…commonplace. Average.”
He gives me a wry glance. “Well that could be anyone. It could be me, in fact. Are you sure it wasn’t me, SVR Gamble?”
My mouth opens, but no words emerge. He laughs at my expression.
“Simply a jest, SVR. So we have an everyman. Able to blend in with so many others with similar features, yes?”
“No doubt that’s why he was chosen,” Ursula says. “What must be figured out is how the man was able to infiltrate the lines without notice.”
“Well, that is where our new SVR and I come in,” Jack says. “I am sure we will be able to uncover this latest Coalition plot in short order. But for now I will take our man for a tour of our humble facilities, if you have no further need…?”
Ursula gazes at me for a long time before answering. “No. I have no further need of him for now. I need not stress the importance of his training, Agent Kilgore. His future depends on a swift end to this insurgence. As does yours.”
“As you say, Madam Lieutenant.” He dips his head submissively as she exits the room. Then his eyes meet mine, twinkling with wry amusement as he gestures to the door.
“Shall we?”
We stride out of the barracks into a massive hallway. Throngs of people go about their business with painted smiles and subservient faces. Their stride is unhurried, almost carefree. They wear expensive suits and dresses, dapper and stylish as they intermingle with military personnel without trepidation. It seems strange to miss the hollow stare and listless movements of my former associates. Yet there was an authenticity to their defeated manner, none of the empty posturing that surrounds me now.
“As you can see, the military has stations in every zone. People are accustomed to their presence. Your new position allows you access to any home or business. Nothing is private. And that says nothing about the surveillance by thousands of cameras and taps on all lines of information.”
I shake my head. “I don’t understand why the people allow that kind of access without protest.”
Jacks stops before a large window overlooking the city. A bulky zeppelin floats by, emblazoned with an advertisement: Empire News — Only What You Need to Know. The view beyond is of mammoth buildings and towers that speak of strength, pride and power.
“There was protest.” Jack’s eyes grow distant. “There were those who knew. Who saw what was coming. But their voices were mere whispers in a crowd of roaring discontent. The surrender of freedom came in subtle stages, not with an explosive arrival. After the wars, the fear, the terrorism…we slowly let fear goad us into thinking it was better if control were out of our hands and placed into those of people who would protect us. We turned a blind eye as our liberties were sacrificed at the alter of nationalism. It was easier that way.”
My eyes are pulled to crisscrossing sections of bridges that interconnect with the nearby buildings. Walking across are familiar figures: heads downcast, shuffling along as the wind buffets them mercilessly. They are different, but they are the same. I know because until just recently I was one of them. It occurs to me that someone must keep all the grandeur of the city in its pristine condition. These are the ones who polish the gleaming exoskeleton of the city, going about their tasks in silence as their lives waste away unnoticed.
Jack’s gaze follows mine. “The minority who raised objections were silenced in the harshest of manners. The behavior modifications were an excellent way for the Sovereign to demonstrate their absolute domination over dissenters. Martyrs are hard to erase from the consciousness, but listless slaves are a visual reminder of the futility of resistance.”
We continue forward, into the hive of endless movement. Though the smiles are still there, I suddenly become aware of the silence. The people do not speak unless addressed, and even then respond in low tones as though a shout would bring the entire structure down on their heads.
Once outside, we enter into the back seat of a waiting transport. The door closes, sealing us in what feels like a tiny pocket of insulated security. It turns out my instincts are on point.
“You can relax now, Franklin. We’ve modified the eavesdroppers in this ride. Our conversations are still recorded, but the feed is looped out to our processors, then altered and fed back into theirs. Just a lot of silence with the occasional breakdown of what you need to know. Just what they want to hear. Isn’t that right, Emily?”
Emily is the driver, a petite blonde in a blue service uniform. “Just like you say, Jack.”
“She’s one of…us?”
Jack smiles wryly. “Glad to see you’re finally including yourself in the equation. Yes, we have people everywhere. Emily is one of our finest agents. They believe her to be a sterling recruit, bound for the best and brightest. It’s taken a lot of time and effort to get to this point. A lot of lives hang on this mission. You understand that once stationed, they won’t exactly be able to just abandon their posts without notice.”
“We’re glad to have you with us, Franklin,” Emily says. “You were the last piece we were waiting for before the movement can begin.”
I do not know how to respond, so I remain silent. Emily’s eyes study me from the rearview mirror. I cannot tell what she is thinking.
The vehicle passes unhindered from the military compound. Although train traffic is constant on the crisscrossing tracks overhead, the streets are eerily empty. We pass under the shadows of towering giants of steel and glass in conspicuous fashion, like a scuttling cockroach across a whitewashed kitchen floor.