Chapter 12 – H** idden Dangers**

512 A.R. February 1** 8 ***,* Enclave – O** ld Store *, A* fternoon**

I stood with my back against the wall of an old store of some sort. My eyes were closed, and my body felt distant as my mind wandered.

One moment I was observing the aerial view of a drone zooming past Hannival’s house; the next, I was manually inspecting images from the surroundings buildings.

The drones had already caught movement in several buildings, but all of them had so far been temporary. People glancing out, staring for a minute or two, before moving on. We wanted to find someone that was keeping an eye on the house deliberately, someone who had been sent by the powers that be in this town.

An alert flashed within my mind’s eye, and my attention was brought to a time-lapse of events.

Twenty minutes ago, shortly after our arrival, a cloaked human had weaved his way through town to an old apartment complex. The snapshots revealed that the figure had sought cover whenever the drones had been in the proximity.

The apartment complex had a good view of the hill on which Hannival’s house stood, and the drones were now trying to discretely scope out all the windows.

So, no active monitoring, but those in control of the town sent someone to keep an eye?

Kato’s pack had entered the house half an hour ago, and we still hadn’t heard anything from them. Our own APC was driving around Hannival’s house as if we were keeping guard.

Maybe it’s time to get a few answers…

‘Athena?’ I thought and reached out with my mind.

It took a moment for a link to be made through the drones and the APC, but Athena’s presence descended on me as if her hand came to rest on my shoulder.

‘This will have consequences, you realize?’ Athena whispered.

‘What will?’

‘Acting behind Kato’s back like this,’ Athena thought.

‘You disagree with my actions?’ I wondered.

‘No… You did make a choice that was more effective, and I have no evidence to argue against it. However, the finer inter-pack politics are something you’ll have to handle on your own, and this might not have been the optimal choice.’

‘Any suggestions?’ I thought.

‘None which would be of use after the fact… Now, what may I help you with?’ Athena wondered.

‘Peter is uncomfortable when trying to interface with the Stunner, and John almost puked from the effects,’ I thought.

‘I do believe I can offer an explanation for that,’ Athena answered.

‘Go on?’ I thought.

‘Most of our more advanced electronics have two modes of interfacing with hybrids. One is the classical and subconscious approach. Basically, it involves a simple Expert System which acts as an interpreter between the will of the host and the machine. If you try to open a door using this method, then the Expert System will pick up on your thoughts and relay the relevant commands to the machine. Almost all hybrids can use this method, but it is quite limited, in that you’d need an Expert System that’s as intelligent as a person to accurately interpret and generate the commands necessary to control advanced machinery.’

‘Understandably so. I assume that the new method of doing it cuts out the middle hand?’ I thought.

Athena’s presence moved along my neck as if she was traipsing along my shoulders, “In a manner of speaking. You already know that your nerves are more like wiring than an organic ladder of cells, yes?”

‘I remember,’ I thought.

‘That was the first step between primitive hybrids and those that could interface with machines. It required the nerves throughout the body to become digitized. The second step has been gradually introduced over the last few centuries. You can solve complex numbers in an instant, not because some Expert System in your head is helping you, but because the synaptic networks of your brain are partially digitized as well. You think in numbers and code as if you were a machine without even realizing, and that’s the beauty of it… you retain the creative flow of your organic mind and acquire the problem-solving capacities of a computer.’

‘I think I realize what you’re saying, but how should interpret their troubles then? Are they malfunctioning?’ I wondered.

‘No… It is simply that they are on the threshold between the old and the new system. They are mature enough that the new system is able to make an attempt, but ultimately fails.’

‘And other packs? What about Kato?’ I wondered.

‘Your Telepathic abilities were not meant to manifest yet, but due to everything that has happened, your body has matured faster than others. This is in some ways infectious… You subconsciously reach out to others, especially by being in contact with them. Their bodies react to that influence by accelerating their own changes, and the result is what you see now.’

‘Oh,’ I thought.

‘Kato’s pack has no problems, they simply have not begun the process of being able to use the new system,’ Athena answered.

‘Marcus… He seemed more developed, is that because he’s younger?’ I thought.

‘Yes, but it is also due to random chance. After all, each Symbiont is unique in its own little ways.’

‘So what do we do?’ I thought.

‘Peter should make a habit of interfacing with the Stunner, in a few days he’ll be fine. It’ll take longer for John, and I recommend that he tries to interface with the stunner at least a few times a day.’

‘He won’t be happy about that,’ I thought.

‘I can imagine as much, but it’s important to keep up his exposure,’ Athena thought.

Something nudged my real body, and I heard Peter’s voice, “Anything new?”

‘Thank you for explaining, but I have to leave,’ I thought.

‘Until next time, Vilkas,’ Athena thought as her presence faded away.

I gasped and felt a shudder throughout my body as I opened my eyes. After a moment of gathering my thoughts, I turned to look at my right and saw Peter looking at me.

“The drones caught someone suspicious making their way into a nearby apartment complex. They’re still trying to figure out if the person just happens to live there, or if they’re keeping an eye on the hill,” I said.

“Ah,” Peter whispered as he moved up next to me and leaned back against the wall.

Both of us were standing next to the remains of an old store-front window. Shards of glass were still stuck to the edges of the frame, but there was no hint of it on the dirty floor. A glance toward the rest of the store revealed the crumbling remains of a great many wall cabinets and refrigerators.

I looked out across the rest of the store. John was sitting behind a wall cabinet, near the wall to the right, and he had the tablet in his hands as he focused on something. Allen was glimpsing out at the street on the opposite side of the store.

“See anything interesting on the spy cam?” I said and focused on John.

“The range isn’t that great, but the actual spy drones are tiny,” John said and motioned to the tablet.

I walked up to him and crouched down along his shoulder, “Could you inspect a building for me?”

“Sure, if it’s within range,” John said.

I reached out and pointed toward the nearby building where the drones had spotted the human, “This one. A human snuck his way into the building, and the drones are playing it careful by pretending they didn’t see him.”

“On it,” John said and began to smirk as he started tapping away at the tablet with his claws.

“Seems you found your own way to be helpful,” Peter said as he crouched down beside us.

“I’ll ignore your tone and just say that this will make do,” John mused with a quick glimpse.

Peter huffed back and then stood tall as he motioned to the store, “Do you think this was an old market or something?”

I accessed the map within my mind’s eye, zoomed in on our location, and read the description.

Alnwick – Chestnut Alley 26 – Smartmart [Grocery & Supply Store]

“The store was called Smartmart, apparently it’s-”

Peter chuckled, “A grocery and supply store, yeah… At Redgate we have a market that still has the old logo on the front. It’s centuries old.”

I glanced over at him in confusion.

Peter smiled as he motioned with his hands, “Smartmart was one of the first markets that was fully automated. For us it’s natural to just walk into a store, grab what you need, and walk out. But back then it was rather controversial.”

“I knew what the world before the collapse was like, but I didn’t know that people just a few centuries back would find it strange.”

Peter nodded, “Mom has always had a fancy for old things with a story to tell. According to her, people tried to fight the system by literally throwing the wares onto the street with the reasoning that they ‘needed’ it.”

I perked my brow, “That can’t have gone over well.”

Peter motioned to me, “Well, here’s the funny thing. Rather than punish them, they simply kept restocking the shelves. Guess who won eventually, and guess who the rest of the town hated for turning the street into a giant pile of food?”

Now I find myself wondering how old your mother is… Did she see it for herself, maybe?

I smiled to myself, “That’s certainly one way to test the system and avoid using active punishment.”

John spoke up, “Should have just thrown them in a cell for wasting resources.”

I looked back at John, “That’s probably what the protesters wanted, to become martyrs.”

“Then throw the whole lot of them in a cell. Coddling humans like that-”

Peter raised his hand and interrupted, “According to Mom, they weren’t human. I’m sure humans protested against it as well, but these were hybrids who wanted machines to stick with heavy labor and war.”

John’s ears wiggled a little, and he glanced up at the two of us, “Well, human or not, it shouldn’t be acceptable to waste resources like that.”

Peter motioned to John, “We’re talking about a brand that got started centuries ago. Young hybrids may have been more understanding, but those that were protesting may have been people born four hundred years ago. They weren’t the same as us, physically, or mentally.”

“Maybe,” John said and lifted his gaze to look around the store, “I find it difficult to believe that this store is centuries old.”

Allen emerged from behind one of the nearby cabinets, “The store may be centuries old, but the walls are made of Durasteel and Plasteel, which can easily last for millennia.”

“Hmm,” John murmured as he looked down.

Allen walked up to us, “Heard anything else from the others yet?”

I looked up at Allen, “No. They’re probably busy in the house and are giving us the silent treatment after what I pulled.”

John raised his hand and waved it, “Take a look at this…”

I leaned down once more and looked at the tablet. One of the video feeds was peering into a scabby old room with a boarded-up window. Sitting next to the window was a human that seemed to be peering out through one of the gaps in the boards.

“You found him,” I whispered.

John nodded, “The little spy cameras haven’t found anyone else in the apartment complex so far.”

“Directions?” I wondered.

“Second floor, third room down the hall. If we exit from here, stick close to the wall for a two blocks, then we can take the main entrance to where this guy is,” John said.

I stood up and looked at the others one by one, “Let’s get going then.”

512 A.R. February 1** 8 ***,* Enclave – A** partment *, A* fternoon**

I looked up the stairs, stopped for a moment as I listened, then looked back at the others.

First, I turned my attention to Allen and tried to reach out with my mind to him, ‘Allen?’

Allen’s ears perked as he turned his attention to me, ‘Like this, I think…. Yeah, Vilkas?’

I glimpsed at the broken husk of the apartment complex’s entrance. ‘Stay here, watch the road, and make use of John’s little spies to keep tabs on the complex.’

‘Okay,’ Allen answered over the link.

I looked to John and motioned with my hand toward Allen. It made John look back at Allen, who caught his shoulder and leaned in to whisper. Finally, I turned my attention to Peter, and motioned for him to follow me.

Peter nodded, while I turned around to face the stairs once more. Carefully, I raised one boot, placed it on the first step, and put my weight to it.

Solid construction… Not even a hint of wear despite a century of mismanagement…

I began to climb the stairs, one cautious step at a time. Dirt littered the stairs, and despite my best attempts, the boots made crunching noises.

As we passed the first landing, I caught sight of something that had been brushed aside into the corner. They looked like a bunch of food-wrappers, and I caught a subtle hint of caramel, mixed with nuts in the air. It made me focus on my nose as we kept walking, and I caught the subtle trace of something human.

Smells like a male…

We reached the second floor, and I moved up next to the corner of the long hallway. I raised my nose and perked my ears as I focused on my senses. A gentle wind was pulling through the building, and it brought with it the human’s scent.

Dirty, incredibly so, without any hint of modern-day luxuries like shampoo or deodorant. He didn’t smell young, but he also didn’t carry that weird ‘old’ scent that people like Jason’s father had. My ears swiveled as I tried to focus my hearing, but it revealed little more than the gentle whispers of the wind.

I felt a nudge on my shoulder and glanced back toward Peter in wonder. Peter was holding his stunner at the ready, pointed toward himself, and then motioned around the corner.

You want to go first?

Peter looked at me pleadingly and tipped his head as he waited. I reached to my side, unholstered the stunner, and nodded in agreement. Carefully he rounded me, and then began to sneak down the hallway. I followed in his wake and glanced into each of the old apartments as we passed.

Time seemed to have worn away most things. Old carpets were nothing more than discolorations on the floor, wallpapers had turned to dust, and old doors lay crumbling. Here and there one could see traces of small campfires, and someone seemed to have used some coals from a fire to paint on the walls.

Most of the graffiti was nothing more than nonsense. Large letters drawn over one another, most of them warped to a point where it was difficult to tell what they were meant to symbolize. Someone seemed to have made a heart, which had in turn been crossed over, which in turn had received an angry comment along the side.

It made me smile a little, but the reason behind it felt difficult to latch onto.

Perseverance, maybe? Or is it the subtle sign of intelligent life? Perhaps, simply the ideological divide between happiness and hopelessness, even in a place like this?

Peter stopped in front of the third apartment, and carefully glimpsed inside. Moments later he resumed moving, and I stayed close behind.

On my right was what appeared to be an old bathroom, and to the left was a kitchen that had been smashed to pieces. There was an open window in the kitchen and through it I could see the hill upon which Hannival’s house was perked.

Hannival sure picked an exposed place to settle down when he came here…

I snooped over Peter’s shoulder and saw a split in the hallway further ahead. Peter stopped moments later, readied his stunner, and drew a deep breath.

Careful now, Peter… We want to interrogate him, not knock him out…

I glanced to the left and saw a boarded-up living room. Old, filled with junk, but long since abandoned from the smell. In the room to the right, however, I could smell the human and hear his breathing along with the distant noises of the APC as it drove past.

Peter made his move, entered the room to the right, and raised his stunner. I followed, watched as Peter moved to the right, and raised the stunner to aim at the back of the human which was still hunched near the boarded-up window.

Something crunched underneath Peter’s boot, and the human glanced back in wonder.

“ Don’t move ,” Peter ordered with a dark, deep voice.

I moved up to Peter’s left side, held the stunner at the ready, and watched.

The room was miserable like the others, and the only thing which looked remotely intact was a large backpack that I suspected the human had stashed along the nearby corner.

A shiver ran through the human as he glanced back, and promptly fell back on his ass as he raised his hands in the air as if to stop himself from being shot. As the human stumbled back, his eyes turned toward the old backpack.

I moved toward the backpack, and bared my fangs, “Don’t even think about it.”

The human gasped as his mouth dropped open, and he scrambled to lean back against the wall as he raised his hands once more. Things seemed to settle, and I glimpsed back to make sure our coast was still clear.

Upon looking back, I felt confident enough to actually focus on the human. The boots he wore seemed rather new and modern, but the rest of the clothes were a ragtag of worn items. An old wool top, fingerless gloves to protect his hands, an open jacket with a bunch of cuts that had been patched up with some thread.

The smell of the human was rather strong when standing this close. A scraggy beard covered most of the man’s face, and his skin seemed abnormally weather-worn for some reason. Wrinkled and scratched up, despite the young and intense stare of his eyes.

“Fuck… Shit… Fuck…” I could hear the man murmur under his breath as his hands felt along the floor, as if searching for something.

I stepped in front of the backpack and aimed the stunner at the floor in front of the man.

“Focus on me,” I ordered.

The man was panting to himself as he lifted his gaze to me and stared. His breath seemed labored, and as his mouth hung open, I could see several missing teeth.

“Hands on your lap, or we’ll knock you out,” I said.

The man gulped, knit his hands, and placed them in his lap, as he glared back at me.

“Good, what’s your name?” I wondered, and crouched into a sitting position.

The man gritted his teeth, “I’m not telling your kind shit.”

I tipped my head as I met his sharp gaze, “Then we’ll just stun you, put a control collar on you, and hand you over to Athena for processing.”

The man’s eyes widened, and for a moment the man seemed to hold his breath. Moments later I could see his facial muscles clench together, “You… You have no right to do that. This is an Enclave, we have rights.”

I motioned to him with my free hand, “At the risk of Lusus infestation, Enclave rights are suspended. Therefore, you will either assist us, or we’ll bring you in. Your choice.”

The man gulped, glanced at Peter for a moment, and drew a deep breath, “I live here, you need a… uh, what’s it called?”

“A warrant?” I wondered.

The man snapped back to focus on me, “That’s right! A warrant!”

I held up my fist, and counted with my fingers, “One, this place doesn’t smell like you, ergo you don’t live here. Two, the concept of a warrant doesn’t exist in our legal system. Three, stop messing with what little patience we have, or we’ll straight out rip what we want from your mind.”

Once more, I could see as the man’s throat flexed, “… All right.”

“What’s your name?” I wondered.

The man looked at me and paused for a moment. As he opened his mouth to speak, I raised one claw into the air and interrupted.

“Think carefully, one more lie, and you know what happens,” I said.

The man took another second, seemed to mull it over, and glanced away, “Name’s Mihai.”

Volkov bubbled to the surface and I let my perception of time slow down, ‘I ran his face through the Archives, while it’s not certain, there is a high probability that this is Mihai Dragos. He used to smuggle things from the outskirts of Sophos cities, and brought it to various Enclaves.’

‘I take it he was discovered,’ I thought.

‘Yes, and he was given a simple choice. To be reconditioned, banished to the Enclaves, or executed. He chose banishment, and I would assume that he fears being brought in for processing once more would result in his death.’

‘Reconditioning?’

‘Based on what the Archives tell me, it’s an experimental treatment offered to those that are compulsive criminals that haven’t engaged in violent crime. Basically, it’s a form of invasive psycho-surgery that rewrites the personality and memories of a human.’

‘Sounds… disturbing,’ I thought.

‘I agreed until I realized that simply reading Mihai’s criminal record is exhausting… From a young age, he’s engaged in acts that range from infrastructural sabotage, to peddling dangerous medications to unsuspecting humans. Normal psycho-therapy, even under the influence of mind-altering drugs, have proven ineffective. All that considered, banishing him to the Enclaves seems like a rather rotten thing to do… against the people within the Enclaves, that is.’

‘What a mess… But I'd suspect this guy has information, if we can get it out of him,’ I thought.

‘That is true,’ Volkov said as his presence faded once more.

Time returned to normal as I smiled back at the human, ‘Mihai Dragos, I assume.’

Mihai crossed his arms with the kind of stare that made him seem annoyed, but the way scrounged together made me think he was more scared than anything else, “I told the truth, you have no right to take me in.”

I nodded, “Good, now let’s talk a little… and there might be something for you by the end.”

“… Oh? Well, consider me intrigued,” Mihai said and gave me a curious glance.

I motioned to the window, “Why were you watching us, and do consider what I might already know, will you?”

Mihai blinked, stared at me, and I could almost hear his thoughts grinding along inside his head.

After a few moments he drew a deep breath, “If I do tell you, then I need you to keep my name a secret, because these people will kill me if they find out.”

I made a slow nod and crouched down to the floor as I faced him, “You have my word that they will not hear your name.”

Mihai settled down as he shuffled himself up against the wall, and let his hands rest in his lap, “Maximum Max and his gang run this Enclave. No one touches the supply drops, and they ‘generously’ hand out what people need to survive… for certain favors.”

“They asked you to spy on us?” I wondered.

Mihai rolled his eyes somewhat and sighed, “It’s a long story, but I'm not from this Enclave. I just came here because of the opportunity it posed.”

“What opportunity?” I wondered.

Mihai kept his eyes on me, and I could see him glance behind me as if keeping tabs on what my tail was doing, or rather… what emotion it revealed.

“You don’t know, do you?” Mihai whispered.

“Oh, I know… But I want to hear your version of it,” I said.

Mihai glanced over at Peter, who still held the stunner at the ready, “Well, it’s not like I have much choice, do I? I have to do what you ask, or you’ll just kill me… one way or another.”

Peter huffed and glared down at Mihai in silence.

Mihai looked back at me and raised his hands in a spooky gesture, “This Enclave is haunted… People go missing in the night. Sometimes they’re seen walking the streets at dawn, but they’re not the same. The majority of people have left for other Enclaves, but the supply drops remain the same as ever.”

Oh, I think I see where this is going…

“… Less resources to go around in other Enclaves, with plenty to pick up here and smuggle to others,” I said.

Mihai smirked back in a way that revealed his missing teeth once more, “Smuggle is such a dirty word… I’m a hero, providing people with the things they need.”

“Of course,” I said.

Mihai smiled to himself and let his gaze drift along the room, “Food is too heavy, but medicine, candy, and matches are more than worth the trouble of walking the wastes.”

I motioned at him, “Something apparently didn’t go as planned.”

“No… The moment I opened the first crate I found myself surrounded by Max’s gang. At that point I could choose between becoming an example… or become their errand boy,” Mihai said and looked back at me.

“Doesn’t seem like a suitable lifestyle for someone of your caliber,” I said.

Mihai’s smile grew and his eyes seemed to glitter as if he was genuinely happy, “It is a rather stifling situation… but we might be able to make quite a deal here. If you’re interested, that is.”

“A deal, how so?” I wondered.

Mihai glanced up at the ceiling and lifted his hand in the air, “I’ll answer all your questions, of course… But there are other answers, for questions you don’t know to ask.”

Peter made a low and rumbling growl, “Or, we could just take you back and rip those answers from your skull.”

Mihai clenched his hand and drew a deep breath as he looked back at Peter, “You could… but you won’t. If offered an honest deal, your kind will pick that rather than risk hurting someone.”

“And you offer an honest deal,” I said.

Mihai looked back to me, “I’ve been truthful so far, and I know enough to understand that if I were to rip you off, then there’s no more pardon for me, and I'll simply be executed.”

“And what do you expect in return for this honest deal?” I wondered.

“You said there might be something for me, and if I were to guess, then I would assume that it’s a battery pack… Well, make it three. Do me that, along with one tiny favor, and you’ll have your honest deal,” Mihai said.

I let time slow down once more, and reached out with my mind, ‘Ares?’

Ares presence descended in short order, “Yes, Vilkas?”

‘I’m making a deal for information with someone in the Enclave, is it okay to offer battery packs as compensation?’ I wondered.

‘Battery packs are one of the few things which we can’t be directly used to harm others, as such it is one of the things commonly traded for deals like this. But, if the market is saturated, then the value of said battery packs also diminish.’

‘This guy wants three battery packs for answers of unknown value,’ I thought.

‘Three battery packs are a lot compared to the deals we usually push. That said, you have permission to trade one battery pack, two at the most, to secure these answers of yours,’ Ares answered.

‘Understood. Thank you, Ares,’ I thought.

‘You’re welcome…’ Ares answered as his presence faded once more.

I let my perception of time return to normal, and raised one finger in the air, “I did say that there ‘might’ be something for you, and it was indeed a battery pack. But asking for three and a favor is rather outrageous, don’t you think?”

Mihai crossed his arms, “Coming from people that live with so much wealth that even your average UCS citizen would balk at it.”

I held up two fingers, “The favor will depend on what it is, and you might get two battery packs once we are done here. Take it, or expect a trip back to be processed… not for the answers, mind you, but for getting caught doing shady business, again…”

Mihai sighed and grew a cheeky smile, “You drive a hard, but reasonable bargain.”

“Good, now start talking…” I said.

Mihai’s smile returned as he raised his hand and motioned to the window, “You’re after Hannival. Fortunately for you, I've overheard quite a few things about him, in this Enclave… and others.”

“He’s famous?” I wondered.

Mihai leaned closer as he peered into my eyes, “Hannival is the one who shared the secret of how to make Glow with nothing more than one of his starters, a stove, the household chemicals in your supply crates, and a few things one can find lying about the wastes. He’s the reason every Enclave is awash with the stuff.”

“A starter?” I wondered.

Mihai shrugged, “I don’t know how it works, but if you put the ingredients in a pot, set the stove on low heat, and pour his sample into the pot, then you’ll have a whole pot of the stuff. Then you scrape off what remains at the bottom of the pot, and you have enough ‘starter’ for yourself and someone else.”

The starter must be something biological, or even a self-reproducing nanite of sorts…

“I see, and where is Hannival right now?” I wondered.

Mihai made a big shrug, “Don’t know… He apparently left the Enclave before I arrived here. But Maximus Max might know, if you can get him to talk… He’s been here for decades.”

“So, Hannival was a drug dealer?”

Mihai nodded, “Oh, yes… Well, not directly. Hannival was the producer, and Max was the dealer. They had it all as well: Haze, Crystal, Mesmer, Poppers, you name it… Clean premium stuff as well. Of course, lately it has all been about the Glow,” Max said.

“But if people can make it themselves…” I said.

Mihai nodded, “Some people say Maximus killed Hannival for ruining his little drug imperium, but that’s not true…”

“Oh?” I wondered.

Mihai chuckled, “I mean, Max was about to kill him, at least… that’s what I've come to believe after hearing him scream about it a lot, but someone else caught him first.”

“But you have no clue who did,” I asked.

Mihai shook his head, “As said, it happened before I came here.”

“Right… Tell me more about how this Enclave is haunted?” I wondered.

Mihai threw Peter another glance, “This isn’t the first Enclave to get these kinds of rumors. It’s been happening elsewhere as well.”

“You do know what the long-term effects of Glow usage is?” I asked.

Mihai nodded as his gaze drifted back to me, “It turns people into psychopaths, yeah…”

“Do you use it?” I wondered.

“I’ve tried it, of course, and it’s a rather… Well, it makes it feel as if you’re in control, as if the world is yours to do with as you wish. But it never sat right with me, after all… That’s how the world already works, you just need to seize the opportunity.”

Well, you do have a knack for making deals, it would seem…

“So, do you think the Enclave is haunted?” I wondered.

Mihai huffed out loud, “Haunted? No… I’d wager a bet that the people who disappear are either the ones who use too much Glow, or the victims of those that do.”

“Are you saying Glow addicts become violent?” I wondered.

“No… But they do get the strangest fascinations,” Mihai said.

“… Like?” I wondered.

Mihai patted his abdomen, “Like what’s inside people, or what it feels like to murder someone.”

“You’ve seen something like it?” I wondered.

Mihai smiled back, “I may be able to talk my way out of a tough situation, but there’s no talking with people like this. The dead gaze in their eyes, their obsession, the way they… hunger.”

“They’re still here?” I wondered.

Mihai made a slow nod, “They avoid daylight, but when the sun sets… they come out,” Mihai leaned closer and cocked his head as he gave me a dark grin, “There’s a reason why Max and his groupies barricade every entrance.”

“You want us to believe there are zombies walking around at night?” Peter asked.

Mihai looked back at Peter, “Not zombies, no… something far scarier.”

I reached for Mihai’s backpack, and brought it closer to me.

“… That’s my property,” Mihai said as he looked back at me.

I glanced up at him, “I wonder how much of this is actually your property, but there’s a reason why you reached for it when we came in here.”

“Knife, left side. I might not have stood a chance against you, but I could have threatened to kill myself,” Mihai said.

I opened up the top of his backpack and looked inside, “While your story is certainly amusing, it doesn’t really help us.”

“… Well, ask me about something that will help you then,” Mihai said.

Most of the backpack appeared stacked with old clothes, stinking old clothes at that, but I began to pull them out one by one as I kept my eyes on it.

“How do we convince Max to tell us about how Hannival disappeared?” I asked.

“… Max is planning to hold out here as long as possible and gather what valuables he can from the supply drops. After that, he’s going to take his crew and head to one of the larger Enclaves to cash in. Threaten his plan, and he’ll do whatever the hell you want.”

A foul scent emerged from the bottom of the backpack, and I leaned back in unease. It smelled like… scat, as if he had shit his pants and had for some absurd reason decided to hide it in the bottom of his pack.

“I did tell you to not dig through my stuff,” Mihai said, and made a devilish smirk.

I bared my teeth at him, grabbed a garment I had thrown aside, and used it to dig into the bottom of the backpack. To my surprise, I felt something hard at the bottom. Several pieces, like metal flasks.

Mihai’s smile faded, and I pulled up the foreign object from the backpack. It was a metal canister with a top that had been screwed on tight.

I shook the bottle, and heard as something wet but thick sloshed around, “What’s in here?”

Mihai sighed, and slumped his head back against the wall, “Starter… Packs of Glow starter…”

I pushed the backpack aside, “ Explain.”

Mihai shrugged, “I get frisked and people look through my stuff from time to time, and Glow Starter is valuable, so…”

“So you hide it in the bottom, hoping people will give up once they find your filth,” I said.

“Exactly,” Mihai said with another smile as he pointed a finger at me.

I sighed and discretely put the canister behind my back, “How do I threaten Max’s plan?”

“You know how I told you to keep my name a secret, well… Let’s flip that around, shall we?” Mihai said, and pointed at himself.

I perked my ears in wonder, “Meaning?”

“Tell him that you caught me and that I'm now on my way to one of your processing camps, and you can tell him that unless he wants to share the same fate, he’ll spill the beans,” Mihai said.

“You’re asking me to lie?” I wondered.

Mihai nodded, “Some people out here believe hybrids can’t lie, but I'm from Sophos… so I know better. You can lie, and you can lie well, which is what’s going to make Max gobble it all up.”

I tipped my head, “And what about you?”

Mihai made a shit eating grin, “While you’re busy with Max, I’ll sneak my way out of town, go far away with the battery packs you’re going to give me. Max will think I'm dead, you’ll have your answers, and everyone wins.”

I looked over at Peter, “Fetch the batteries from John’s backpack.”

Peter made another low growl, lowered his stunner, and moved back, “Don’t let your eyes off this guy.”

“I won’t,” I said, and looked back at Mihai.

Peter walked away, and I waited until I heard him descend the stairs.

“I’m fortunate to have encountered such a pragmatic Alpha,” Mihai said.

“Flattery will net you nothing,” I said.

Mihai shrugged, “Worth a try…”

I motioned to him, “Why do this? Live out here, do the things you do? What drives you?”

Mihai perked his brow, “Oh? What’s this? An attempt to reform me? It won’t work, trust me.”

I drew a deep breath and watched his eyes, “No, I'm just curious.”

Mihai huffed and reached up with his hand to tap his head, “Despite all the good genes, all that manipulation by Athena, and parents that truly did their best… I’m the black sheep. I’m the anomaly in it all, the incurable wildcard. I am my own person, with no connections to nation, blood, or ideology. I live compared to the rest of you… lesser beings that willfully enslave yourselves.”

“… Hmm,” I murmured, and slowed down my perception of time for a moment as I reached out with my mind to the APC. It only took a moment before its presence made a gentle chirp in my mind.

‘I think we’re about done here, would you kindly fetch us by the entrance of this building?’

The APC confirmed it, and I felt as a timer started ticking: ETA ?160 Seconds

My perception of time returned to normal, and Mihai motioned at me as he spoke, “You don’t believe me? Then ask yourself where all the deer are, because they sure as hell ain’t out here doing the dirty work, or the felines, or the rest. It’s just you stupid wolves and a few of your lesser canine cousins. You’re the literal meat-shields of Sophos, and worst of all is that you did it to yourselves. It’s pathetic.”

Hidden deep within all the hatred, he does have a subtle point…

It made me smile to myself.

Mihai smile and barely subdued anger faded away as he watched me.

I could hear Peter marching up the stairs once more, and spoke up as I met Mihai’s gaze once more, “I know your scent, Mihai Dragos… and for your sake I hope you’ve told the truth, because there won’t even be any bones of you left if you screw us over.”

Mihai leaned back, and I could see his neck flex as he made subtle gulp.

512 A.R. February 1** 8 ***,* Enclave – A** PC *, E* vening**

The doors of the APC pressurized once more, and the others looked to me.

“So what happened up there?” John asked.

I motioned to Peter, “I’ll let you summarize while I deal with something.”

Peter seemed a tad confused, but nodded as he turned to the others.

I leaned back in my chair, closed my eyes, and reached outward with my mind. First, I ordered the APC to head back toward Hannival’s house on the hill. It confirmed the order, and the APC began to pick up pace as I placed a call to Kato’s communicator. After a few moments of what was basically a busy-signal, the line connected, and I heard Kato’s voice.

‘What do you want, Vilkas?’ Kato said while the surrounding noise of his companions leaked into the communicator on his shoulder.

Still mad…

‘We found a suspicious person. We interrogated him, and it revealed clues regarding how to find out who took Hannival,’ I thought.

‘… What?’ Kato said after a few moments, while the others went silent.

‘Time is of the essence, and we have the location of those with the information. Shall we head there at once?’ I wondered.

‘Hold on just one moment… Why didn’t you contact me when you first found this ‘suspicious person’?’ Kato wondered.

‘Well, we didn’t know he was suspicious until we interrogated him,’ I thought.

‘… You’re something of a smart ass, you know that?’ Kato said.

‘We all have our flaws; now, shall we get a move on?’ I wondered.

There was a moment’s pause, ‘… We are on our way, where are you at present?’

‘Heading toward your location,’ I thought.

‘All right, have the APC share the new location, and we’ll head there together,’ Kato said.

‘Roger that; Vilkas out,’ I thought, and terminated the connection.

As I opened my eyes once more, Peter was still talking about what had happened upstairs.

“- I'm not sure what he was trying to pull, but he made it sound like there were zombies in town,” Peter said.

I thought back to my memories of what had transpired with Mihai, packaged it all as a file, and turned my attention to the APC, ‘Play this on the monitor, and do add some controls for it as well.’

The APC’s interface chirped within my mind, and a video player replaced part of the fake window next to me. As the others turned to look, I reached out, scrolled to the part where Mihai was talking about the Glow addicts, and pressed play.

Mihai made a slow nod on the screen, “They avoid daylight, but when the sun sets… they come out,” Mihai leaned closer and cocked his head as gave me a dark grin, “There’s a reason why Max and his groupies barricade every entrance.”

I then pressed pause to stop it and looked over at the others.

John raised his hand to point, “… How on earth did you do that?”

I motioned with my hands, “We have photographic memory, and we can also package it into digital files to share with others. You’ll be able to do it as well.”

“Uh huh,” John whispered.

I motioned to both John and Allen, “Both of you can watch it later to catch up. For now, we’re joining up with the others so that we can visit Max and his crew to find out who took Hannival.”

Allen raised his hand, “I assume you’ve already contacted Kato?”

I nodded, “He was annoyed, but he went along with it.”

Allen smirked a little as he chuckled, “I see… So, do you believe this Mihai and his story?”

“Part of it, sure… I wouldn’t be surprised if Glow addicts turn out to be homicidal maniacs, but I doubt they’re like what he describes.”

Peter motioned to me, “What we did… was it the right thing?”

I looked over at him, “You mean… Making a deal with him, letting him keep the Starter, and so on?”

Peter nodded in silence.

“Make no mistake, Mihai is certainly a distasteful person, but he is nonetheless part of the Enclave and is technically outside our jurisdiction as long as he’s not directly involved in the new strain. We cannot risk making things worse for those who are doing their best to keep the looming war at bay.”

“… I get that,” Peter said and made a low nod, “But it’s not right, is it?”

I sighed, “No, it’s not. It’s all very wrong, but these are the rules we have to play by… for now.”

Peter nodded, “Good… Just checking.”

Allen raised his hand, “Did you get a sample of the Starter? In case Ares doesn’t have one already.”

I reached into the holster on my left side and fished out the metal container before holding it up, “It’s right here.”

John leaned closer and wrinkled his nose, “I thought I smelled something foul.”

I leaned over to one of the cabinets, opened it up, and stuffed it inside, “Yeah, that scent is not from the Starter itself.”

“So where is it from?” John wondered.

I looked up at him and shook my head, “You don’t want to know…”

512 A.R. February 1** 8 ***,* Enclave – M** ax’s Stronghold *, E* vening**

Kato’s APC rushed ahead, and Peter leaned forward as he bared his teeth.

“He’s really taking the whole Alpha thing seriously,” Peter whispered.

I scratched my temple and looked at the small map that was displayed near the center of the fake window, “I wonder what he plans to do when we reach our destination.”

John spoke up, “Do you think they have guns?”

I looked up, and I could see the final bend in the road. Max seemed to have holed himself up in an old droid bay. According to the Archives, it had been cleared out when the town became an Enclave, but the structure itself was still intact.

“They’re not supposed to have guns, but I'd be hesitant to rely on such an assumption,” I said.

The APC turned as it followed in Kato’s wake, and I could see the droid storage up ahead. It looked like a small bunker, with the shape of several rectangles that had been stacked together before having their corners rounded. A fence had been put up around the structure, and there were big piles of junk on the sides.

There were a few windows, but they appeared to have been reinforced by sets of rebar. On the upper floor of the droid storage was a balcony of sorts with a big metal door. The main entrance seemed to be a large metal shutter on the front of the building.

Kato’s APC drove past the metal fence and stopped in the courtyard. Our own APC followed and parked on the right side. Everyone began to look around, but there was no activity anywhere to be found.

Either there’s no one here, or they saw us coming and locked themselves inside…

There was a blip from within the APC, and an alert was shown on the fake window.

-** I ***ncoming* Video Call: Kato** -**

Accept?

[Yes] [No]

I reached out, pressed the ‘yes’ button, and watched as a video appeared that showed Kato staring into the camera.

“Do you expect us to walk out and knock on the door or something?” Kato asked.

“I say we let them sweat for a bit. Send out your drones, and keep the heavy ones nearby in case we need them,” I said.

Kato’s brow twitched, “That almost sounds like you’re ordering me around, Vilkas.”

I drew a deep breath and softened my tone, “I suggest we let the drones out, and order them to step out.”

“On what authority and for what reason?” Kato asked and tipped his head a little.

That is a valid question…

“Testimony from our lead witness, I'll send you the video and you can catch up on it later,” I said, reached out with my mind, and began the transfer, “Sophos authority overrules the rest as there is the danger of a new Lusus strain.”

Kato motioned to the camera, “Then I will take you on your word and let you navigate this quagmire.”

“As you wish… For now, I'll cut the connection,” I said, nodded at the camera, and reached out as I tapped the button to cut the call.

I glanced at the window, and reached out with my mind to the APC, ‘You overheard, yes?’

The APC answered with what felt like an approving notion, and I could feel a set of plans that it had already cooked up for the drones.

‘Go right ahead,’ I thought.

I could hear a set of clunks as I looked up at the screen in the ceiling. The heavy drone detached from the back and moved forward like a slow beetle. The medium-sized drones detached from the sides, and unfolded into a shape that looked like a flying mantis. Sleek, fitted with manipulator arms, and a variety of tools. Within moments they had soared high into the air.

The lighter scouting drones dispersed like flies, and it only took moments before they were swarming around the bunker.

‘I hope you have a loudspeaker?’ I thought.

Once more the APC confirmed it with a nudge in my mind, and I could feel a new interface which I could speak through. I drew a deep breath, pondered my words for a moment, and focused on the bunker in front of us.

‘The rights of this Enclave are temporarily suspended for an ongoing investigation. You are hereby ordered to open up and step outside,’ I thought.

The loudspeaker of the APC was loud enough that I could see the sand on the ground shake a little. A hint of my voice was also transferred into the inside of the APC.

John leaned closer to my seat and stared at my muzzle, “You’re doing that mind-thing where you talk, but this time it’s coming from a loudspeaker on the outside.”

“It’s not that odd,” Allen said.

Peter looked back and raised a finger to his nose, “Shh…”

‘Either reveal yourself in the next minute, or we’ll have to assume that you’re in distress and break down the gate to check on you,’ I thought.

Peter’s eyes widened as he leaned over and looked at me.

I glanced back at him, “… What?”

“… Are we allowed to pull this sort of shit?” Peter wondered, ears perked high.

I motioned to Peter, “It’s the honest truth, and nothing but the truth. They could have fallen prey to Mihai’s zombies, choked on stale bread, or managed to lock themselves inside. We don’t have much choice but to make sure they’re safe, right?”

John snickered to himself and twisted his voice with evil delight, “Right you are…”

Peter smirked, leaned back, and looked toward the gate, “Then we wait…”

A minute later, absolutely nothing had happened. The drones swarmed, and the wind was idly kicking around what looked like an old plastic bag.

“They don’t seem to be intent on opening up,” Peter said.

“Doesn’t seem like it,” I said.

I connected to the APC once more and felt something akin to a question. At first it confused me, but after a few moments I felt myself nudged toward the weapon system of the APC. While the laser system was already prepping, the target acquisition system wasn’t calibrated.

With a subconscious nod I gave my approval and watched as a console of some sort appeared near the lower half of the fake window.

-B** eginning Calibration and Target Acquisition ***-*

The hum in the rear of the APC began to grow, and the image shown by the fake front window changed a little. Two black orbs appeared above us, and then began to glow as if charging up. A flicker could be seen in the air as if some kind of scan was taking place. Finally, the gate was highlighted and a pair of outlines appeared where the beams were going to start cutting.

-C** alibration Complete ***-*

-T** arget Acquired ***-*

-D** rones Alerted ***-*

-A** waiting Fire Command ***-*

A timer was also displayed next to the console.

The fake windows began to darken in anticipation of what was coming.

“Here it comes…” Peter whispered.

3… 2… 1… Fire...

The beam itself appeared invisible, but the metal gate’s reaction was anything but. The inside of the APC lit up, and it seemed like a second sun had been ignited. Two beams began to carve through the bottom of the gate with an intensity that made molten slag fly off with force.

I could hear it as well. A loud, high-pitched scream in the air, and a thunderous hammering as if there were hundreds of drills cutting through metal all at once.

Suddenly, the metal door on the upper floor of the bunker was flung open, and someone emerged.

-W** arning: Current operation aborted ***-*

-** Possible Hostile Response ***-*

The twin beams ended in an instant, and I could see as the nearby drones all turned to aim at the figure which had appeared on the bunker’s balcony.

It appeared to be a rather big man, and he was shielding his eyes with one hand, while the other waved at us like crazy. He also seemed to be screaming, and I could hear his voice through the loudspeaker in the APC.

“- Stop! For fuck’s sake, S** TOP ***!* ” The man screamed as he waltzed up to the edge of the balcony.

The big gate glowed red as it began to cool off, and I could see molten slag dripping to the ground.

After a few moments, the man rushed back into the door, and the large gate began to open. My attention turned to the gate as it opened a couple of meters, and then came to a grinding halt as the now molten sections tried to bend.

“… These people,” Peter murmured as I could see people scurry about on the inside of the bunker while smoke billowed out.

The big man who had been on the balcony made his way out of the gate, and stopped to face the APC’s. More people soon followed in his wake and joined up behind him as they all stared.

“I’m going outside for a chat with them,” I said.

Peter nodded, “We’re right behind you.”

Another alert flashed on the screen as Kato made another call to us. Rather than focus on the call, I ordered the APC to open the doors, then glanced back at John.

“Would you mind staying behind for a moment to deal with Kato?” I asked.

The hatch on the side of the APC began to open as John stared back at me, bug-eyed, “Me!? What am I supposed to tell him?”

“That I'm busy talking with Max,” I said, moved up to the edge of the APC, and hopped out onto the ground.

John made a loud sigh as Peter and Allen followed in my wake. I walked up to the edge of the APC, glanced around the corner, and saw who I assumed was Max along with the rest of his crew.

I started walking toward them once more and let my mind wander among the drones. They were watching them all very carefully. Their gait, the way their clothing wrapped around their waist, just in case they were hiding weapons.

Their faces were already being looked up in the Archives, and I could feel a nudge from the APC as a valid match was found for Max.

Max Dunrow was his real name, and his parents had migrated to this Enclave many decades ago. They were no doubt dead at this point, and Max himself had a worn look. Scratched up, unkempt facial hair, and rather fat judging by the double chin. There were dark pouches under his eyes, and his whole posture seemed to be sagging as if he had crawled out of a grave.

The stare he was giving me was dark and menacing. It felt like he wanted me dead, and the only thing keeping him back was whatever greed that fueled him.

I stopped well outside reaching distance and waited until Peter and Allen stepped up next to me.

“Greetings, Max,” I said and made a slow nod in his direction.

Max glanced to the side dismissively, and then met my gaze once more, “What the hell do you people want?”

I threw a glimpse in the same direction and noticed that it wouldn’t be long until the sun dipped below the horizon.

Is he… scared? Not of me, but the things that come out at night? At least partially?

“We met your little errand boy, Mihai…” I said.

It was subtle, but I could see as Max’s cheeks tensed up.

I kept talking before he had a chance to answer, “He has been taken care of and will be processed in short order by the systems that be. He revealed quite a few interesting things, and unless the lot of you want to share his fate, you’ll cooperate with us and answer our questions. Understand?”

Max’s lips twitched as he drew a deep breath, “Don’t fuck with us, you’ll regret it.”

I motioned to our surroundings, “You should know enough about us to understand that there is no way we can back down from this. You either cooperate, or you’ll soon enough find yourselves with new, productive lives. You are the ones who decide what happens next, not us.”

Max clenched his fists repeatedly, and his mouth wavered as he mulled it over. His companions were glancing about nervously, and a few of them were staring at their boss.

A smile grew on Max’s lips, and he hid his hands behind his back, “I will answer your questions, but you do understand that some of our activities may be…”

“Questionable, and you want my assurance that you won’t be punished for it?” I asked.

Max drew a deep breath and made a slow nod, “… yes.”

I can’t make any promises, at least not without consulting Athena…

At the same time, Athena’s line of thinking can be… limited…

I motioned to him, “Your actions are irrelevant to us while you remain in the Enclaves and don’t threaten us. Speak freely, but truthfully, and we’ll be out of here before you know it.”

Max exhaled and seemed to relax, “Then ask your questions, and be quick about it.”

A noise along my left side made me glance over. Kato and his pack were approaching, and I could feel John’s presence approaching from behind.

I ignored them and focused on Max, “We’re looking for information about Hannival. Specifically, who made him disappear, and under what circumstances.”

Max sighed and his gaze lifted toward the distant hill with Hannival’s house, “That scoundrel and I have had a lucrative business arrangement for what feels like decades. He made the things that lost souls crave. I provided him with raw materials and whatever equipment he has fancied over the years.”

“Equipment?” I wondered.

Max shrugged, “Lab equipment, mostly. Old computers, that sort of thing. The stuff you find in the wastes, old bunkers, and whatever stuff folks can smuggle out of your cities.”

“Things changed when Glow came into the picture?” I asked.

Max huffed, “Glow has been around for years, but it was a niche product, nothing more. Expensive to make, difficult to store, and so on…”

“When did that change?” I wondered.

Max shrugged, “About half a year ago. We started getting inquiries for bigger batches.”

“And?” I wondered.

“And what?” Max asked and resumed staring.

I motioned to him, “You’re telling me that you start getting requests for bigger batches, and there was no other change? You didn’t inquire why? Or keep tabs on your sole producer when things suddenly changed?”

Max drew another deep breath and frowned in silence.

I motioned to myself and bared my teeth, “You will be forthcoming, or I'll be looming over you later on as we rip every shred of information from your thick skull.”

It seemed to work, or rather, the rest of his companions were now turning to look at Max as if wondering what he was playing at. Max seemed to become aware of the intense stares that surrounded him, and his neck flexed a little as he swallowed.

Peter moved a little, and I glimpsed back to see Kato sneak up behind me. Kato proceeded to lean in close by my ear, and I could see his glare, “Have you completely lost your mind?”

I frowned back at him and whispered, “Step back and don’t intervene.”

Kato’s nostrils flared as he gritted his teeth for a moment, “It’s your funeral…”

I looked back at Max and saw him shift his gaze to me.

“At first, I didn’t know who the customer was, and I didn’t care to be honest. But when they started pestering Hannival, perhaps to cut out the middleman, I started asking around. I never got a response from my contacts, but I did station guards outside Hannival’s house, which did have an effect,” Max said.

I nodded in silence.

“The ‘customer’ approached me in my office and let us know that they were part of the Luminaire. A new cult, risen from the ashes of the old one. I told them I wasn’t interested in their bullshit, so they offered me riches instead. Even weapons if I played my cards right.”

I waited in silence.

Max looked to the side and made a face as if he’d swallowed something sour, “Hannival had difficulty keeping up with production, so the Luminaire offered help… claimed that they had a few experts among their ranks.”

“You allowed it?” I asked.

Max nodded, “Yes, and it seems they were telling the truth. Hannival had some kind of breakthrough, and we started delivering like never before. Then, just a few months back…”

“Glow-Starter started spreading across the Enclaves,” I said.

Once more, Max nodded, “The market dried up overnight. Why ship material across the wastes when any junkie with a hot stove could make bottles of it? I was about to strangle the bastards, but Hannival and the rest of the Luminaire were long gone.”

“What about the guards?” I wondered.

Max crossed his arms, “I assume that they started misusing Glow the moment they got their posts, by the time the Luminaire walked off with Hannival, they were no longer the people I raised under my wing.”

I guess that even for people like this, they have some concept of family…

“Where did they go?”

Max shrugged, “Beats me, and I wasn’t about to send these guys to go after the Luminaire…”

“Why is that?” I wondered.

Max looked at me and raised his brow as if I was stupid, “They’re dangerous, you know? They’re brainwashed psychopaths that spend their days talking about their holy pilgrimage and the ascension that will soon follow.”

“Surely some of you must have overheard something about this pilgrimage, or where it takes place?” I wondered.

Max glanced back toward the horizon, “It’s somewhere to the east, but the only ones who know for certain are the ones leading their teams. The ‘enlightened’ as they call themselves.”

“Were they all over town, or did they hole up somewhere?” I wondered.

Max motioned behind us, toward the center of town, “They used to hold sermons in the cellar of the old cafe… Morningstar, I think it was called. Lots of people in town were drawn there.”

I tipped my head in wonder, “I know that Glow induces euphoria of sorts, but I can’t imagine that it would draw people together like that unless there was something more.”

Max smiled back, “Well, you’re right about that… The Luminaire aren’t exactly subtle about their hatred for you people, some of you in particular.”

“Oh?” I wondered.

Max glanced toward Kato who had now wedged Peter out of his place, “I see two black wolves… Either of you wouldn’t happen to be Vilkas, would you?”

I did my best to appear calm, and I was hoping the rest would keep themselves in check as well, “We’re aware of the threat to his person, and he’s staying well away from the cult these days.”

Max looked back at me, “Well, you always were a paranoid bunch, so it wouldn’t surprise me if that was the case.”

I motioned toward him, “What do the Luminaire preach about us hybrids, exactly?”

“The usual, you know? A new age, one where humanity will take its rightful place once more. A purge that will sweep across the land,” Max said and made a rolling motion with his hand.

“I see, and as the Luminaire left with Hannival, what happened after that?” I wondered.

Max reached up to scratch his ear, “I’m a businessman, so I cut my losses, started brewing Glow on my own. It was fine at first, people were still thirsty for the local goods…”

“Then they started disappearing?” I wondered.

Max nodded, “Streets became vacant as people started fearing each other. As more people disappeared, they started migrating to other Enclaves. Now it’s nothing more than a ghost town.”

I glanced toward the horizon and saw that the sky had started going purple, as the orange glow of the sun was starting to disappear as well.

“Is it true, that they come out at night?” I wondered.

Max stifled a chuckle, “Why not stick around and find out?”

I looked back at him, “We’ll see… Anyway, I find it a bit odd that an organization that seems as influential as the Luminaire could just walk out of town without anyone noticing.”

Max tipped his head and poked his ear, “Not sure what you’re getting at… They screwed me over, and took the people I rely on to get information back to me.”

I smiled back at him, “Come now… You expect me to believe that someone of your stature hasn’t even managed to scrounge up a few radios?”

Max gritted his teeth and looked back at me, “… You’re a real pain in the ass, aren’t you?”

I huffed back.

Max glanced to the side and fixated on a scrawny kid standing by the sidelines. He then focused on me once more, “We did notice that the Luminaire were leaving. We did not notice that they had taken Hannival with them until later. There were dozens of them marching out to begin their pilgrimage. This one decided to remain here.”

I glanced over at the scrawny kid and noticed that he was staring at the rest of us with a rather confused gaze. As if he couldn’t understand a word we were saying.

“What about him?” I wondered.

Max pointed to his ear, “He’s both deaf and mute, so no one has any clue how to talk with him. He’s a hard worker for his age though, so we let him stay. None of us have any clue what he might have seen, or heard.”

I directed my thoughts inward, ‘Volkov?’

‘You’re more than capable of doing this yourself, but I'm already on it… There, an Expert System capable of translating every known form of sign language,’ Volkov said.

I could feel as the Expert System presented itself to my mind, and I closed my eyes as I braced myself for it. A shudder ran through my spine moments later, and I made closed my hands as I felt my fingers tingled.

The sensation settled, and I drew a deep breath as I opened my eyes once more. Max was looking at me oddly, but I ignored it as I faced the scrawny kid.

I could feel the Expert System in the back of my head, the way it had reached into my hands as if waiting for my signal to take over.

‘Hi,’ I thought.

Something pulled on my hands, and I raised them in the air as I followed along the impulse. As I watched, my right hand reached up to the top of my head. I then moved my hand outward, extended my fingers, and crossed my thumb in front of my palm.

The eyes on the scrawny kid went wide, and he promptly returned the same gesture, ‘Hi.’

‘What’s your name?’ I thought, as my hands began to move.

The kid observed, began to move his hands, and I could hear a voice whisper inside my mind, ‘Lucas.’

In case he has heard about me, I'll assume another name…

I did my best to make a gentle smile as my hands translated, ‘My name is Wolf.’

Lucas blinked in wonder, ‘You’re a wolf, and your name is Wolf?’

‘Silly, isn’t it?’ I signed back at him.

Lucas grew a smile, and nodded, ‘Yes, it is.’

I looked over at Max, “I’m going to talk with him for a bit, you don’t mind, do you?”

Max glanced between the two of us, and sighed, “Hurry it up, will you… sun is almost down.”

I set my sights on Lucas, and walked closer, ‘Let’s talk for a bit, alright?’

Lucas glimpsed at Max, shrank a little as if worried, and signed back, ‘Okay.’

I stopped outside reaching distance, ‘Why did you decide to stay here, Lucas?’

Lucas observed me for a few moments, and slowly signed to me, ‘I don’t know.’

‘The rest of them were being scary?’ I wondered.

Lucas lifted his gaze to me and nodded.

‘Did your family go with the others?’ I wondered.

Once more, Lucas nodded.

‘Do you want us to find them?’ I signed.

Lucas was quick to shake his head and signed back repeatedly, ‘No. I’d rather stay here.’

‘I understand,’ I signed back.

Lucas made a low sigh, and his gaze wandered to the others behind me.

‘Do we scare you?’ I wondered.

Lucas looked back at me, ‘Yes.’

‘We may look scary, and you may have heard a lot of bad things about us, but we do not wish to harm anyone. In fact, we’re trying to stop the weird people from hurting others,’ I signed.

Lucas observed me as if doubting my intentions, ‘Really?’

‘Yes. You know about Glow, right? It makes people weird,’ I signed.

‘I know. Glow is bad,’ Lucas signed.

‘Do you know where your family was going?’ I wondered.

‘East, to the caves,’ Lucas signed back.

‘What caves?’ I wondered.

‘I don’t know,’ Lucas signed back.

‘Do you like it here, Lucas?’ I wondered.

Lucas glanced over at Max, gulped, and then looked back at me, ‘Yes.’

I motioned to myself, ‘We could find you a new home, with humans that are kind and gentle. You’ll have a bed of your own, and warm food.’

There was a long pause. He stared at me, unmoving. After a minute he clasped his hands, and his gaze drifted to the ground.

I motioned with my hands and caught his attention once more, ‘You’d be safe.’

Lucas’ hands were starting to tremble as he looked around, and then met my gaze once more.

‘Okay, Wolf,’ He signed back at me.

I motioned for him to come closer, and looked over at Max, “This one will be coming with us, you don’t mind, do you?”

Max jumped a little in surprise as Lucas walked toward me, “… What!?”

I couldn’t help but smirk a little at the response, “And I think that’s all for our questions.”

Max stared at Lucas who walked up next to me, and promptly hid in my shadow. Moments later he swore under his breath, and turned to glare at me, “Are we done here, you blasted animals!?”

I nodded, “We’re done here… pleasure getting to know you.”

“Yeah, same here,” Max said with a human growl.

Max and the others turned on their on their heels and were walking back to the bunker in short order. John kept a steady eye on them, while Peter and Allen turned to focus on Lucas. The young human looked at them in wonder as he remained in my shadow, while Kato stared in silence as he stepped back.

Peter inched closer to me, “How come you know sign language?”

“I don’t,” I said, and motioned for Lucas to come along as we started walking toward the APC.

“Huh?” Peter murmured as his ears perked, and he followed along.

John didn’t follow, and I glanced back at him in wonder, “John?”

“Coming… was just making sure they don’t pull anything at the last second,” John said, and huffed as he turned to follow us.

512 A.R. February 1** 8 ***,* Enclave – Main Street** , E ***vening*

We were back in the APC, and Lucas had settled into the corner like a field mouse. I watched as Allen unwrapped a sandwich and held it out to the young human.

He stared at the large sandwich in front of him, sniffed the air, and his eyes lit up as he made an audible gulp. Carefully, he reached out and kept glancing at Allen as if he was about to bite him at any moment.

Finally, Lucas caught the heavy sandwich, brought it to his mouth, and bit in as he began to chew the salami-coated meal. It made Allen smile as if he’d gotten hold of a new pet. John also stared, but he seemed more disturbed than anything else.

“… Vilkas,” Peter said.

I glanced over at him, “Hmm?”

“… What the hell are we doing?” Peter whispered.

“Our jobs,” I said.

Peter motioned to Lucas, “… How are we going to do our jobs with a human child in the backseat?”

“I’ll get in contact with Athena in a moment, just-”

A blip was heard, and I glanced up to the fake window as I saw a request for another call. This one also coming from Kato. It made me sigh as I reached up and accepted the call.

Kato’s face appeared on the screen, and I could see the rest of his team glancing over his shoulder.

“… Do I need to even ask, or is my question obvious, Vilkas?” Kato wondered.

“Any desire to rejoin Sophos should be respected, and I'm not going to leave a kid, especially not one who may have been dragged here against his will,” I said.

“… Fine, you got yourself a new pet to take care of, but I'm more interested in where you got the authority to threaten people like this and invade their homes!” Kato snapped.

“If I have acted out of line, then I'll take responsibility for that, but you’re not the judge of that, Kato,” I said.

His lips rippled as he bared his teeth, “You…”

I drew a deep breath, “I suggest that we take a look in the cafe that Max mentioned, the Morningstar as he called it.”

Kato’s ears had folded back as he glared at me, “… You’ve been going rogue so far, so let’s just see how deep you can dig this hole, shall we?”

“As you desire, Alpha,” I said, and reached out with my hand to shut down the call.

I reached out with my mind to the APC and discovered that the APC had already set the route. With little more than a thought, the APC began to accelerate toward our new destination.

Lucas was staring at us, bug-eyed as he munched on the giant sandwich in his hands.

‘Is it good?’ I signed at him.

Lucas nodded repeatedly.

‘Good,’ I said and smiled back.

I then turned my attention to the others and saw them staring at me.

“… I should probably have conferred with you, but at the time I had to make some decisions on the fly,” I said.

“That’s one way of putting it,” John said.

I looked over at John, “Do you think we’re doing the wrong thing?”

John glimpsed down at Lucas, sighed, and focused on me once more, “… No. We’re certainly making progress that the other team didn’t manage, but I'm just wondering how much trouble we’re getting ourselves into.”

I nodded, and then motioned to us all, “Then let’s have another vote. We can either head back to base, debrief, and figure out if we’ve done something wrong… Or, we can keep going, and investigate the cafe.”

Peter raised his hand, “No way in hell that we’re giving up on this after coming this far.”

Allen raised his hand, “If this is… wrong, then at least we’ll be done with the Defense Force force having stuck to our morals.”

I looked over at John and waited.

John lowered his head a little, “You’re all looking at me as if expecting me to say that we should have let the kid rot with the rest of them. That’s not what I think…”

“You just think that picking up strays like this, while doing a mission, is misguided… Which is something I'm tempted to agree with, but…” I said.

“But?” John said and looked at me.

“The kid is a witness and could be useful, especially if he knows something more,” I said.

John made a slow nod, “True, anyway… we’re dedicated now, and we need to follow this to its end.”

Another alert blipped on the fake window… [Approaching Destination]

I turned the chair around and looked in front. The town was going dark, and without any electricity, the city was truly becoming a dystopian wasteland. Oddly enough, it seemed like the APC was adapting without the need for any lights.

The surrounding buildings and even the debris on the ground was being mapped as if a 3-D wire mesh had been painted on top of it all. While a lot of color had been lost as I peered out, the scene painted by the displays were still well lit.

Kind of like my own vision when we’re running in the dark…

The APC began to slow down, and my gaze fell upon a building in the center of the street. It had more flair to it than the others, and it still had a logo that looked like a shooting star. While all the text had faded away, and the whole thing hung haphazardly from a few wires, one could assume that it was the Morningstar cafe.

As I looked into the dark interior, the screen steadily grew brighter as the sensors gathered more information. A path could be seen in the outline of the debris that led up to a door on the left side of the cafe’s interior. Moments later, a schematic was overlaid, and I could stairs behind the door which led to some kind of storage area.

“I’d bet the storage area fared a lot better than the rest of the structure,” Peter said.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” John said.

I glanced toward him, “Relax, we’re not in a hurry.”

“Well, we either get down there and find out what the cultists were doing, or Kato is going to lose his patience,” John said.

I turned the chair around to face John, “There’s a difference between being willing to bend the rules a little, and outright recklessness. Kato might not think things through enough, but he’s not stupid.”

John blinked as he stared at me, “… What do you mean?”

I motioned to John, “Did you trust Max or Mihai based on what you’ve seen and heard?”

John leaned back in his chair, “No, of course not, but what they said could be true, and it’s the best lead we have, so we should check it out, right?”

I nodded, “Hannival’s house had already been searched once, and I assume they used drones to do it at the start. As such, it is unlikely that it would be dangerous for a second team to enter.”

I turned my attention to the cafe, raised my hand, and motioned to our view, “This, however… Is the hideout for a religious cult. Tight passages, an unknown basement. Anything could be hiding down there, and the Luminaire have made people frightened enough that even Max was hesitant around them. We are not setting a paw down there until the drones have made a thorough sweep of it, and only if they find something really interesting down there.”

John sighed, “You’re always so careful, but this time I can’t argue with it…”

“Vilkas?” Allen said.

I looked back at Allen and noticed that Lucas was signing to me.

‘This is a bad place,’ Lucas signed, and looked up at me from his corner.

I signed back to him, ‘We’re just going to have a look from inside here, no need to worry, Lucas.’

Lucas withdrew his hands and nodded.

‘Did something happen here?’ I signed to him.

Lucas shrank down against the corner and looked the other way.

“What is he… um ‘saying’?” John asked.

I motioned to the outside, “That this is a bad place.”

“Dark night, dead town, kid from the local cult, and a ‘bad’ place… It’d make a good horror movie,” Peter said.

I stifled a chuckle, “I’ll get the drone going, and make sure there’s a feed in here.”

“Mm,” John murmured.

I closed my eyes and reached into the systems of the APC. It brought me control of a medium-sized drone as if serving it on a silver platter. A low thud was heard as the drone detached from the APC, whirred to life, and then began moving toward the cafe.

I opened my eyes and could see a video feed on the screen that filled most of John’s window. The others were looking at it while I relied on the view within my mind’s eye. The drone drifted gently through the cafe’s smashed window, and approached the old door that blocked passage to the cellar.

The door itself was simply leaning onto the opening in the wall, as if someone had propped it up there. I guided the drone to the side of the door and watched as a manipulator arm extended from it. The arm pushed at the door until it began to lean the other way. Moments later it toppled and hit the floor with a heavy thump that sent dirt flying into the air like a cloud.

The drone moved back in front of the staircase, and its sensor pointed into the dark. Its night-vision mode switched on and everything brightened. There were muddy footprints leading down the steps, but the rest of it seemed surprisingly clean. It also looked like someone had mounted candles along the wall, most of which had little more than stubs left.

I guided the drone into the staircase, and I could see everyone lean closer to the video feed. As we neared the bottom, a larger room became visible, and then-

A sudden set of flashes almost blinded the sensors of the drone, and-

The sensation that gripped me was sudden. It squeezed my heart, tensed my muscles, and I felt my teeth clench shut. A split second later, the world was shook by a tremendous blast. The seat belt dug into my chest, and the inside of the APC grew white with light as if sun had grazed us.

My senses felt torn, but deep within my mind, I began to realize what had happened. An explosion had torn through the cafe, and now the APC was engulfed in flames and debris alike. Gravity seemed to shift as the APC violently rocked back and forth, before finally settling with a slam.

The lights within the APC went dark, and the roar of the explosion died down. Heavy thunks followed as debris continued to slam into the roof of the APC. I had to force my body to draw breath, and I felt my muscles begin to relax once more.

A dark red error message flashed across the fake windows, [Recalibrating]

As I blinked and looked around, the others seemed to be in a state of shock. John stared at the dark screens, ears folded back, eyes wide as saucers. Peter was gripping the handles along the side with his teeth clenched, and Allen stared at me, muzzle hanging open as his hands were held against his head.

Lucas had been thrown into the center of the APC and now lay on the floor, clutching his sandwich as if it was the only thing keeping him alive. Error reports began to stream across the screens.

[Medium drone – 1x Lost (1 Remaining)]

[Reconnaissance drones – 4x Lost (16 Remaining)]

[Sensors, Left side: Minor damage]

[Kato – APC: Unharmed]

[No threats detected in vicinity]

-Recommendation: Return to base-

-** I *s this an emergency?* -**

[Yes] [No]

Slowly, the screens began to light up once more, and it showed that we were engulfed in smoke while an intense orange glow was coming from the side of the cafe.

I reached out and pressed the ‘No’ button.

-** M *ove to a safe location?* -**

[Yes] [No]

This time I pressed the ‘Yes’ button.

-** R *eturning to Gathering Point* -**

The APC began to rumble as it began to dig itself out of the debris, while I reached down to Lucas. He seemed frozen in place as he lay there, staring into nothingness, breathing deep, over and over. An alert blipped on the screen above, but I ignored it as I gently tapped Lucas shoulder.

Lucas looked up at me, face frozen in fright.

I signed to him, ‘The bad place is no more. I’m sorry that we scared you, Lucas.’

Lucas blinked and was jostled a bit as the APC moved through the harsh terrain.

‘You’ll be more comfortable if you let me hold you, is that alright?’ I signed to him.

The APC hit another bump, and Lucas began to slide to the side. I reached out, caught his arm, and pulled him closer to me. He stared at my arm for a moment as I held him, and then looked up as he nodded in approval.

I smiled back, nodded, and looked up at the others.

John motioned to the screen, “Kato is calling again.”

I drew a deep breath and gritted my teeth in a bit of frustration, and then reached out to hit the ‘Yes’ button to accept the call.

Kato’s face flashed to life, “Are you alright!?”

I nodded back, “We’re fine, and we’re heading back to the Gathering Point. I suggest you do the same.”

“… This is fucking insane!” Kato snapped.

I couldn’t help but bare my teeth, “Feels more like everyday business when dealing with cultists to be honest.”

Kato sighed, and shook his head, “Returning to Gathering Point, see you soon…”

The call ended moments later, and I let out a sigh in relief.

“Well, I guess-” John said.

Without warning, Allen raised his voice, “We would have been dead if we had been outside.”

John jumped a little in surprise and looked back at Allen, “… Maybe.”

Allen raised his hand to point at our rear, “Do you see that!? There’s nothing left of the cafe!”

“Yeah… That was a pretty damn big explosion,” Peter whispered.

Allen drew a shaky breath, “What if… What if Mihai had been a suicide bomber or something? Is this what we’re going to deal with as part of the Defense Force?”

“ Allen ,” I said.

Allen looked up at me, and I motioned to myself.

“We’re alright, Allen. All of us. We did things carefully, analyzed the situation, and we all came out on top. We’ve done a good job, understand?”

Allen gulped, “We almost got blown to bits.”

“And now it won’t happen to anyone else, be it human, or maybe Kato… Do you see?” I said.

Allen’s muzzle wavered for a moment, “… We did a good job.”

I nodded back, “Now we’re going to gather together, have a picnic, debrief, and have a good night’s sleep. Okay?”

“… Can we have the picnic in here? Or… far, far away from this place?” Allen asked.

“We’re not going to lock ourselves in the APC, Allen,” I said.

Allen clasped his hands, let out a deep sigh, and nodded, “I just, panicked for a moment, sorry.”

“It’s alright,” I said, and looked over at the others.

“You two okay?” I asked.

John reached up to rub his ear, “I’ll be fine once my heart stops pounding.”

Peter smirked back at me, “I found it exciting to be honest, never thought I'd be this close to a blast like that.”

I smirked back at him, “Think we can get footage of what Kato’s pack looked like when it happened?”

John chuckled, “That would be fun to see.”