sudo -rm -rf -5
Berlin - 7:00 AM
Angela backed into the bathroom doorway.
“Oh, no,” she said, “It can’t be.”
Demetrios stared at her in confusion.
“Can’t be what?” he said. “Is something wrong?”
“Uh, not really,” Angela said, thinking fast, “Just had a rough night.”
“We all did,” Demetrios said, “That missile from Russia really was something, huh?”
“Russia?” Angela said.
Demetrios chuckled.
“You were really that out last night, huh?” Demetrios said. “The equalists were at it again. They just don’t know where to quit. Seems the Russian people need to be ruled by an iron fist.”
“Yeah, iron fist, as in ours, right?” Angela said, quipping to divert attention away from her panic.
“I mean, who else?” Demetrios said.
“Oh, right, yeah, totally,” Angela said, casually doing a salute, “Imperium Sine Fine, am I right?”
Demetrios’ smile vanished. His eyes darted to the window and then back to Angela.
“Are you crazy?!” he hissed. “They could be watching anywhere!”
“What’s wrong?” Angela said. “I’m just showing my patriotism.”
“You can’t do it so casually,” Demetrios said, “They could get you for subversion.”
“Oh, there’s a buzzword if I ever heard one, subversion,” Angela said, rolling her eyes, “Anyways, I should be getting to work."
She opened the closet and picked out a set of combat fatigues and a tactical vest, all with the insignia of the Black Tagmata, a black double-headed eagle in front of a double-bladed axe. She put them on.
“How do I look?” Angela said.
“Like I’m not ready at all,” Demetrios said, rolling out of bed, “Wait for me!”
Bremerhaven
Diana opened her eyes, even though she was sure they were never closed to begin with. Even though her eyes were open for sure now, she saw nothing. She tried moving her arms, but they remained where they were. It was like they were being held down. In fact, it was like her whole body was being held down. Diana slowly realized something…she was buried alive.
Fortunately, one strong shove and her limbs broke the surface, feeling the air above. She pulled herself up and climbed out of the makeshift grave she was apparently in, coughing up large clumps of dirt. Looking around, she saw she was in the front yard of a house, surrounded by other makeshift graves. As her vision came back to her, she saw even more graves haphazardly scattered through the front yard, each marked with a cross. Diana got to her feet and slowly limped from mound to mound. Each cross had a name written on it. She recognized four names.
She was standing in the graveyard of the Humboldt family, in front of Anders’ childhood home.
“Oh, God,” she muttered, her hands shaking, “Oh, God.”
What was this place? What had the COS created here? Why was Anders’ family all dead? Why was she dead too? Was that really her who was dead? Or was she programmed in to replace someone else? To make sure, she ran back to her grave and picked up the cross that used to be on top. It read “Diana.” The rest was either broken off or illegible. She dropped the cross and stumbled back from the mass graves. Something terrible had happened here. Something was wrong in this virtual world. But one thing was for sure. Anders’ name wasn’t on the crosses. That meant he was still out there somewhere. And Diana needed to find him.
She checked the clothes on her, which were all dark. There was a wallet in her pocket. Inside was an ID card, only the country name read “Imperium Romanum” and not the standard “Romisches Reich.” And her picture looked at least twenty years younger and one child less. Other than that, she had no money. Her other pocket was empty. Strangely, she found no bullet holes in her clothes. Then she touched her forehead and felt dried blood in the center. That must’ve been where they shot her. Interesting, or horrifying, but that didn’t help her find Anders. She needed a way to get around.
Diana walked up to the front door. It was locked. She tackled it with all of her strength, and it gave way, its rusted hinges snapping loose. The door fell, and she cautiously stepped inside. The interior of the old Humboldt residence was dark but illuminated by the morning sunlight coming from outside. There were no windows. They had all been destroyed, shards of glass still littering the floor. The floor was covered in dirt and leaves. Vines and molds covered the walls and what furniture remained. The furniture was arranged messily, as if they had been moved. Papers, utensils, and books littered the floor, along with shattered dishes and overturned cabinets, as if someone had been rummaging through them. The closets were opened and empty. It looked like the house had been ransacked a long time ago.
Entering what should’ve been Walter’s office, Diana made her way over to the desk and searched the drawers. As expected, anything useful in the desk had been ransacked long ago. Fortunately, Diana found car keys in the bottom drawer, hidden under a false bottom next to a scrap of paper containing an address and a message.
Next to it was an old pistol with two full clips. Diana ran to the garage, where she found the Impala waiting for her, a light layer of dust gathering on its windows. She got inside and put the key in the ignition. The engine turned over several times and sputtered. Encouraged, she tried again. The engine turned over again and then died again. She tried a third time, and the engine roared to life. There was still a full tank left. After opening the garage door, she revved the engine and drove onto the deserted street.
Headquarters of the Black Tagmata, Berlin - 8:00 AM
Demetrios rolled up to the checkpoint and rolled down his window.
“Good morning, sir,” he said, handing over his and Angela’s IDs to the security guard, “The Angeloi protect.”
The security guard inspected the IDs and ran them under a scanner, which blinked green. He handed them back to Demetrios.
“The Angeloi protect, Dr. and Mrs. Papadopoulos,” he said, raising the gate.
Demetrios drove into the headquarters and parked in front of the main office. He and Angela got out and headed for the door.
“You usually aren’t this troublesome,” Demetrios said, “Did it really take ten checkpoints just to calm down?”
“Rough night,” Angela replied.
“Well, keep it down,” Demetrios said, “You know what the Black Tagmata’s capable of.”
“Of course,” Angela said, “With a name like that, how could I forget?”
They entered the office and took the elevator to the second floor, where they got out and entered a conference room. Several doctors, among them Zimmerman, waited for them.
“Morning, Dr. Papadopoulos,” Zimmerman said.
“Morning, Dr. Zimmerman,” Demetrios said, “What are we doing today?”
“We’re prepping the operating room,” Zimmerman said, “High Command will be briefing us on the subject soon.”
“Oh, exciting,” Demetrios said.
As they waited in the conference room, Angela took out her phone and logged into the database of the Black Tagmata. Once she was in, she accessed the personnel files and began looking for Anders and Diana. But she found much more than that, though, because she had to use a generalized search so the Angeloi monitors wouldn’t figure out her intentions.
Name: Darlene Moreau
Background: French
Status: Terminated
Name: Ruby Moreau
Background: French
Status: Terminated
Name: Kurt Moreau
Background: French, Resistance subversive, terrorist
Status: Terminated
Name: Hans Hansen
Background: Inquisition heretic, Resistance subversive, terrorist
Status: Terminated
Name: Erich Hansen
Background: Resistance subversive, terrorist
Status: Terminated
Name: Leza Atsumi
Background: Culture traitor, adulteress, terrorist
Status: Terminated
Name: Theresa Novak
Background: Culture traitor, anti-family
Status: Terminated
Name: Louise Kazdan
Background: Gender traitor, anti-family, terrorist
Status: Terminated
Name: Gottfried Loben
Background: Experiment #626
Status: Terminated with extreme prejudice
Name: Elisabeth Alexandra Hohenzollern
Background: False pretender, heretic, national traitor
Status: Terminated
Name: Aliya Hussein
Background: Muslim
Status: Put down
Angela tried her best not to show her emotions, but it was hard reading the names of people she knew in real life but were dead here. What kind of sick world had the COS created? Why was there so much suffering? Why did it create this terrible world? What did it gain from all this?
Finally, she found what she was looking for. She was about to sigh with relief, as she didn’t have to scroll through more suffering. But then she read further.
Name: Diana Frank
Background: Jewish, miscegenation, high treason, guilt by association
Status: Put down
“No,” she whispered, “Impossible.”
But there it was. It clearly stated Diana was dead. But what did that mean? Did that mean Diana died when she linked to the COS? Did the COS kill her? Could someone linked to the COS die in real life if they died in the simulation? It was a silly trope, but now she was actually living it, and she had no desire to test it. But what about Anders?
Name: Anders Humboldt
Background: Humboldt treason, miscegenation
Status: Unknown
There was also a related entry.
Name: Annie Humboldt
Background: Humboldt treason
Status: Unknown
The door opened, breaking Angela’s concentration. She quickly logged out, put away her phone, and put on a blank expression, hoping nobody noticed. Looking up, she noticed the person who had just entered the room was none other than Olga, who didn’t recognize her. Demetrios, Zimmerman, and the other doctors immediately stood up and gave the Angeloi salute. Angela followed suit.
“Dr. and Mrs. Papadopoulos,” she said, coldly, “Thank you for showing up on time. You understand the importance of punctuality.”
Angela opened her mouth, but Demetrios cut her off.
“Of course,” he said, “Mrs. Papadopoulos and I made sure we arrived early.”
“Now, on to business,” Olga said, “We all know what happened with yesterday’s raid.”
“I trust the commanding officer has been disciplined accordingly?” Zimmerman said.
“Yes, I had him shot,” Olga said, “But I am pleased to say it was not without results.”
“What kind of results?” Demetrios said.
“We captured a Resistance spy,” Olga said, handing them files, “His alias is Friedrich von Falkenhausen, but his identification card was a forgery. He is in the operating room. Your objective today is to oversee his interrogation and determine the location of the Resistance cell. Failing that, High Command is interested in a demonstration of the latest XA-series toxin.”
“Of course,” Demetrios said, “My team will get ready at once.”
“I look forward to seeing results,” Olga said, leaving.
Zimmerman pushed a button on the table, opening a back door to the operating room. A man was strapped to the operating table. He was struggling fiercely, but the metal restraints held. As Angela approached, she recognized him as Kurtz.
“I really want to test out my new prototype,” Zimmerman said, handing Demetrios a vial with a purple-green liquid inside.
“Interesting,” Demetrios said, “Appears to be the R series. I assume it works by hyper-stimulation and destruction of the nerves to incapacitate?”
“Yes, that is the new R series,” Zimmerman said, “Though I stand by my earlier recommendation to use the N or S series. The N series did help in the civilizing of China.”
“Indeed,” Angela interrupted, “But N and S are far too dangerous for a simple interrogation. Our job is to get information out of the subversive, not kill him. We should use R.”
Zimmerman didn’t even look at Angela.
“Yes, we should be keeping him alive,” Demetrios said, “Use R.”
Zimmerman nodded at Demetrios.
“Ah, good point, Dr. Papadopoulos,” he said, walking off. “I’ll prepare the R series at once.”
Angela resisted the urge to punch Zimmerman in the face. That was her idea, not Demetrios’. She just said it to her face, and he ignored her like that. Oh well. He was just a computer program anyways, not a real person.
They entered the operating room, where Zimmerman prepared a large syringe with the nerve agent vial. Demetrios put on his medical scrubs and a pair of latex gloves. Then he picked up a bone saw and a jumper cable, which he handed to Angela.
“Care to do the honors?” he asked.
Angela looked at the cable.
“Was it really that rough of a night?” Demetrios said. “This is your favorite part!”
“Oh, of course,” Angela said, taking the cable and faking eagerness, “I’ll get ready at once.”
Kurtz noticed the jumper cable and struggled even harder.
“Let’s begin,” Demetrios said.
He pressed play on a tape player, and Wagner played. Then he punched Kurtz in the jaw.
“Tell us where the Resistance cell is!” he demanded.
“I’d rather die!” Kurtz said.
Zimmerman punched him in the stomach, and Kurtz doubled over.
“Is that the best you can do?” Kurtz said.
“Can we administer the R series now?” Zimmerman said.
“Not yet!” Demetrios said. “Where is the Valkyrie?”
“Go to hell,” Kurtz said.
Demetrios looked at Angela.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” he said. “Electric shocks usually work!”
“Hold on,” Angela said, “I know this man’s real name.”
“You do?” Demetrios said.
“Last night I was up researching known Resistance leaders,” Angela said, improvising an explanation on the spot, “This is Wilhelm Kurtz, one of the Valkyrie’s lieutenants.”
Kurtz’s eyes widened. He looked at Demetrios.
“How…how did you know?” he said.
Demetrios punched him in the face again.
“So you admit to being a terrorist!” Demetrios said. “Now give up the location of the Valkyrie!”
“You’ll never get anything out of me,” Kurtz said, “The Valkyrie, Firebird, and Vlk will avenge my death!”
Olga entered the operating room, her expression still cold and calculating.
“You have one more chance to cooperate,” she ordered.
“Or what?” Kurtz said.
Olga casually drew her gun and shot him twice in the knees. Kurtz screamed in pain, and Angela noticed Olga smiling sadistically.
“Or I will put you down as the desert dog you are,” Olga said, holstering her gun.
She turned to Demetrios.
“This interrogation is over,” she said, “I want him taken to Rehabilitation for conditioning.”
“Conditioning?” Demetrios said. “He might yet give us more information.”
“And I haven’t had a chance to test the new R series yet,” Zimmerman said.
“Your job is not to question my orders,” Olga said, “Your job is to execute them. Understand?”
“Yes, Agent Kirau,” Demetrios said.
“Of course,” Zimmerman said.
They cautiously began releasing Kurtz from his restraints, but the moment he was free, he punched Zimmerman in the face and slammed Demetrios against a table. However, when he tried standing up, his legs buckled underneath him, and he fell on the floor. Olga then drew her gun again and shot him one more time in the lower back. Kurtz screamed again in agony.
“Too easy,” she said.
Berlin - 2:00 PM
Diana patiently sat in the diner, waiting for someone familiar to show up. Skye had said this was the rendezvous point, didn’t she? Otherwise why was there a message in Bremerhaven? She didn’t want to have driven all the way across northern Germania and avoided several dozen checkpoints for nothing. She had experience getting around checkpoints. These virtual Angeloi checkpoints were a lot like the old Soviet ones in the former Occupied Territories. Hadn’t Russia been annexed into the Imperium? Perhaps the Angeloi did learn something from the equalists, for all their hatred for them. Or maybe the COS didn’t have enough memory to create different checkpoints and protocols based more on the real Angeloi ones.
Diana looked at her watch again. An hour had passed since she arrived. Where was Angela? Or Skye or David? One hour was way too long for her to be waiting here. For all she knew, they could’ve all been captured by the COS. Or dead. Maybe the COS knew she was here. This was an exposed area. Behind her was a three-story office building. A sniper could shoot her in the back of the head from there. She couldn’t see the back exit, obviously. There could be a strike team waiting in the kitchen or the back alley. There was always a backup team waiting there. The KGB and the Athanatoi did it. She had to leave, now.
As she got up to leave, two suspicious men in trench coats approached her. They reached into their pockets and took out badges with the Black Tagmata’s insignia.
“Black Tagmata,” one of them said, “You’re under arrest.”
“On what grounds?” Diana said.
The other agent brushed his coat aside to reveal his other hand on his pistol.
“We will ask the questions,” he said.
The first agent reached into her pocket and took out her wallet. He took her ID card and scanned it with his phone.
“Hasn’t been updated since 1996,” he noted, “Wait a second, it says here she’s legally dead.”
The second agent peered at the screen.
“Impossible,” he said, “Is that a glitch or something?”
Diana used the distraction to grab the second agent’s sidearm, draw her own gun, and fire at the first agent. She then pistol-whipped the second agent. Both went down quickly. The diner erupted into chaos, the patrons screaming and fleeing as Diana took the first agent’s phone and then made her way to the exit. The Black Tagmata wouldn’t send just two undercover agents to arrest her. There had to be more agents on the way. And they wouldn’t be as incompetent or restrained as the first two. Diana got in her car and started the engine. She disabled location tracking on the agent’s phone and drove off.
3:00 PM
Diana pulled into an abandoned industrial park filled with fading Angeloi propaganda posters. They looked very similar to the ones she learned about in school and from her mother. There was the one with the father, mother, son, and daughter, all smiling and saluting proudly as tanks rolled and jets soared behind them. There was the one with the coal miner bringing his pickaxe down on the Hohenzollern imperial coat of arms. There was the one with a fat old turbaned Arab man holding the strings of a puppet controlling a globe and clutching a screaming European woman in his other hand, but the strings were being cut by a young and strong European man holding a sharpened cross and a fasces. There was another with another young and strong European man defending another helpless blond woman from a crouching loincloth-wearing African hunchback, again holding the cross and fasces. But there was one she didn’t recognize: a photo of Pavel Novak, wearing a medal-studded uniform doing the Angeloi salute with the Angeloi eagle in the background. Apparently he was the Volksfuhrer here. Just her luck.
Diana had made sure she wasn’t followed here. She had spent the last hour meandering across downtown Berlin, making random turns to keep her path unpredictable. But there was only so much she could do. The Impala was very recognizable. It had probably been recorded on hundreds of security cameras. Fortunately there were none in this area. She estimated she had half an hour before she had to leave.
While she waited, she took out the agent’s phone and scrolled through his database, hoping to find more information about Anders. Of course, as a fugitive from the Angeloi, he had changed his name and appearance, but Diana accounted for that in her search. Then she cross-referenced her findings with security camera footage of the Berlin area. Soon she focused on a quiet neighborhood in the eastern half of the city. Then she found footage of a familiar-looking man entering an apartment. Finding the landlord’s name, she was slightly relieved to find there was a law requiring him to publicly list the names of his tenants and their addresses. One of them was a Andreas Walterson.
“Found you,” she said, starting the car again.
Anders’ apartment - 3:30 PM
“Friedrich the Great, Friedrich the Glorious, and Saint Wilhelmina executed traitors and purged subversives from their courts,” the “news” reporter said, “Our leaders today patriotically follow in their footsteps. Subversive and non-Roman ideas like liberalism and Islam have no place in our Christian Imperium. And yet the left continues to declare they defend the true values of the Reich. What true values? Bestiality, sodomy, baby murder, atheism, miscegenation, genocide? Racism and bigotry against Europeans and Christians? The genetic replacement of Europeans with degenerate Muslims and Africans? They say they want freedom. I’ll tell you what they really want. They want absolute freedom. That is anarchy. That is barbarism. And I am proud to live under strong leadership which defends us against such anarchy and barbarism. The world is safer under the benevolent guidance of the Angeloi.”
Anders turned off the TV. Annie glared at him.
“I need to know how they talk!” Annie said. “I can’t fight back if I don’t know what I’m fighting back against!”
“Propaganda is propaganda,” Anders said, “We already know what the Angeloi sound like. We just need to make sure we don’t fall for their lies.”
“But if I don’t know how they talk, how will we reach the people?” Annie said. “We could end up talking exactly like they do, and nobody would believe it.”
“Trust me, Annie, they will believe us,” Anders said, “They will.”
They heard someone pounding on their neighbor’s door.
“Black Tagmata!” a man shouted. “Open up immediately! You are under arrest!”
Seconds later, they heard the Black Tagmata agent kicking the door in. A woman screamed, shots rang out, and a man yelled.
“Kristoff Alder, you are under arrest for suspicion of crimes against the state!” the Black Tagmata agent shouted.
The agent dragged Kristoff out of his apartment, still kicking and screaming. His screams slowly grew more distant.
“Remember, don’t let your emotions get the best of you,” Anders said, “That’s how we got into this mess in the first place.”
“How can we just let this happen?” Annie said. “We just let them take that guy away!”
“You sound just like Dad,” Anders said, “Remember what happened in Bremerhaven?”
Someone knocked on his door. They stopped talking immediately. Anders motioned to a cabinet in the corner. Annie quietly walked over and took out a gun. Then she went into the bathroom and closed the door. Anders went to the door and checked the peephole. He saw Diana outside. Wait, Diana? That was impossible. She was dead. Anders saw her die years ago. He buried her in the front yard himself, next to the rest of his family. How was she alive? How was she here? He cautiously opened the door.
“Yes?” he said.
“Anders?” Diana said. “It’s you. It really is you.”
“Who are you?” Anders said.
“It’s me, Diana,” Diana said, “Don’t you remember?”
“Yeah, I remember,” Anders said, “I remember you being shot in the head by Agent Holtzman. I remember burying you.”
“But I’m not dead,” Diana said, “I’m here.”
“Which is why I’m confused,” Anders said, “You’re wearing the same clothes you last wore. Did they resurrect you? Did they pull you from the past? What did they do to you? What do they want out of me?”
“I’m not a spy,” Diana whispered, “I’m here to get you out.”
“Out of what?” Anders said. “The Angeloi rule the entire world. You got a spaceship or what? I’m pretty sure aliens aren’t interested in goose-stepping.”
“This isn’t you, Anders,” Diana said, “You believe in aliens. You’ve met them too. This, all this is an illusion. It’s a virtual reality created by the COS. It gave you false memories, a false life to keep you from remembering the real world. Angie and I came here to rescue you.”
“I don’t need rescuing,” Anders said, “What I need is to tell the world the truth.”
“Everybody here is just a simulation,” Diana said, “They’re not real people.”
“They’re real to me,” Anders said.
“Come on, Anders!” Diana said. “You’re Anders Humboldt, Athanatoi agent, one of the leaders of the X-Division. We’re all trying to tell the world the truth. But the truth is, Anders, this isn’t the real world. In the real world, the Angeloi lost. We’re all free. We’re even married. We have a son. He’s ten. I don’t want to tell him I left you in here. We want you to come home. Please. For our sake.”
But Anders wasn’t convinced.
“If you’re really visitors, here, I should warn you stuff like that could get you shot,” Anders said, “So please keep it down. I have to go now.”
He closed the door. Annie emerged from the bathroom.
“Is she gone?” she said.
Anders looked through the peephole again. “She’s gone. We’re safe.”
“Who was she?” Annie said.
“I have no idea,” Anders said.
At that moment, his computer beeped urgently. Anders rushed over to it.
“It’s Frau Alder,” he said, “She’s calling the Black Tagmata.”
He pushed a button to amplify Frau Alder’s voice through the wall.
“Hello, I’d like to report a subversive,” she said, “The real subversive. It’s my weird neighbor who just met with a woman who claims the world is a simulation. I always knew there was something wrong with him.”
Anders looked at Annie.
“We got to go,” he said.
He ran into his bedroom and started throwing clothes, books, flash drives, guns, and ammunition into his suitcase. Annie likewise did the same thing. As they rummaged through their closets, Anders’ hands suddenly stopped on one notebook, which he had opened to a random page. On that page were two pieces of tape arranged in an “X.” Snapping out of it, he tossed the notebook in his suitcase, only to stop on another notebook filled with newspaper clippings. He had opened it to a clipping with a picture of a 1967 black Chevy Impala. He put away that notebook as well. He reached into the closet and took out a loose page of binder paper covered in a single phrase: “Fight the future.”
Black Tagmata - 3:45 PM
Angela and Demetrios entered another operating room, where Kurtz had been strapped to an intimidating machine which pinned him down by his limbs, almost like it was crucifying him. Power drills emerged from the machine and stabbed Kurtz at all points of his body, including his still untreated bullet wounds. Other parts delivered electric shocks to his neck and head, while bone saws dug into his chest and torso and lasers burned into his face. Kurtz screamed even louder than Angela had heard before. He struggled fiercely, but with his legs incapacitated and his back hurt he couldn’t do much.
After all of the doctors had gathered, Pavel entered the room, and everybody saluted him.
“The Angeloi protect!” they shouted.
Pavel looked far older than Angela remembered. He had a scar running down his cheek. His hair was graying in some areas. And he wore an Angeloi uniform adorned with medals. But his face remained as cold and evil as Angela remembered, even as he smiled at Kurtz’s pain.
“Are you enjoying the show, doctors?” he said. “I personally designed this machine myself. Has a 100% success rate. That is, if the subject survives.”
“My Volksfuhrer, with all due respect, I was promised the chance to test the R series on him,” Zimmerman said.
“You will still have a chance, provided he survives,” Pavel said, “If not, I’ll arrange for a hundred prisoners to be made available for you.”
“Enough for a full experiment?” Zimmerman said, his eyes lighting up. “A control and experimental group? Oh, thank you, your kindness knows no bounds!”
“I could even throw in a Nobel with it,” Pavel said, “I can make a call to the committee.”
Olga walked into the room.
“My Volksfuhrer, I have urgent news,” she said.
“What is it?” Pavel said.
“The Black Tagmata has received a report of a subversive,” Olga said.
“A subversive?” Pavel said. “Do I really need to be informed for that?”
“Not just any subversive,” Olga said, “The concerned citizen mentioned the subversives in question were talking about this universe being a simulation and the real world being one where the Angeloi were defeated. High treason, I say.”
“I want the subversives caught and executed,” Pavel ordered, “Skip the formalities. You are to shoot them on sight.”
Angela realized they were talking about Diana and Anders. So Diana was alive, and she had actually found Anders. She had to find them and warn them of the Angeloi. Who knew what would happen if they died in the simulation?
Olga saluted and left. Pavel turned back to the doctors.
“You’re all free to go,” he said, “I can take it from here.”
“But sir, you’re probably busy running the affairs of state,” Demetrios said, “Surely we can handle a simple interrogation?”
“This is a high-ranking Resistance lieutenant,” Pavel said, “I want to question him myself. I want to know where my mother is. And how to kill her and her friends.”
“As you wish,” Demetrios said.
They all saluted again. “The Angeloi protect!”
They made their way out of the room. Zimmerman and the doctors immediately split off, still talking about the R series.
“Alright, what’s the plan?” Angela asked.
“Don’t know,” Demetrios said, “Was thinking of staying and doing some research. Want to get us some coffee?”
“I was thinking of maybe going downtown,” Angela said, “Getting some fresh air.”
“Fresh air?” Demetrios said. “Well, I suppose if you want it, go ahead. But don’t take too long, or they’ll get suspicious. And be careful with the checkpoints!”
He handed her the car keys.
“Right,” Angela said, “See you in a bit.”
Angela left the building and headed to the parking lot. As she approached the car, she heard someone walking behind her. She turned around and saw Skye waiting next to a tree.
“Hey,” she said.
“What took you so long?” Angela demanded. “I almost had to torture someone today! And he still ended up tortured!”
“The COS is evolving,” Skye said, “It doesn’t have total omniscience over this world, but it’s slowly getting there. I had to play it safe.”
“Can you take me to Diana?” Angela said. “And Anders?”
“David’s bringing Diana to the rendezvous point,” Skye said, “She couldn’t get Anders.”
“What do you mean she couldn’t get Anders?” Angela said.
Skye took out a remote control and pushed a button. A portal appeared next to her.
“I’ll explain later,” she said.
They walked through the portal.
[REDACTED]
Skye and Angela exited the portal and found themselves in a wooded park.
“You had a portal the whole time?” Angela said. “Why didn’t you give me one of those when I got in here?”
“Too dangerous,” Skye said, “They’re pretty easy to track, if you know what you’re looking for, and they only operate over short distances.”
“How short are we talking?” Angela said.
“Maybe a mile or two,” Skye said.
“So the rendezvous point is only a mile or two from the headquarters of the Black Tagmata?!” Angela said.
“It’s not ideal, but it’ll have to do,” Skye said, “If all goes well, we can use the backdoor to get you out of here as early as this evening.”
“And what about Anders?” Angela said.
“I said if all goes well,” Skye said.
Another portal opened up, and Diana and David Niketas ran through it. Angela immediately ran over and hugged Diana.
“So glad to see you,” Angela said, “Wait a minute, you smell terrible.”
“That’s what happens when you literally rise from the dead,” Diana said, “Had to claw my way out of my own grave. Long story.”
“Alright, we don’t have much time,” David said, “Let’s get to business.”
“Di, did you find Anders?” Angela said.
“I did,” Diana said, “But he didn’t recognize me, the real me. It was like his memory was wiped or something. He didn’t want to go.”
“Well, he’ll have to remember soon, or we’re stuck here,” Angela said.
David handed them two phones.
“These are emergency backdoors,” he explained, “If you’re in a tight situation, use them to disconnect from the COS. Then reconnect if you can. We’ll clear a path for you.”
“We’re not leaving until we get Anders,” Diana said.
Angela heard the sound of footsteps approaching. She held up her hand.
“Hold on,” she said, “Hear that?”
“Yeah,” Diana said.
Skye and David drew their guns. Diana took out her gun and handed her second gun to Angela. They focused on the source of the noise, who turned out to be Demetrios.
“Okay, this is weird,” Demetrios said.
“It’s a long story,” Angela said.
“Oh, I know,” Demetrios said, “I know. Which is why I need you to run, now.”
“What do you mean?” Diana said.
“You exposed us all, Angie,” Demetrios said, “Nobody knew Kurtz’s real name until you just blurted it out. You blew his cover. And mine too.”
Angela looked at Diana and then back at Demetrios.
“You’re Resistance?” she said.
“Of course I am!” Demetrios said. “And by the way, there’s a tactical team on the way to kill us all thanks to your friend here.”
He pointed at Diana.
“I forgot to mention, apparently someone made a call to the Black Tagmata reporting Diana as a subversive while she talked to Anders,” David said.
“Oh, God,” Skye said, “We should move.”
Angela heard the sound of more approaching footsteps, accompanied by clicking guns.
“Run!” she shouted.
Shots rang out. They ran through the park, using the trees as cover from the gunfire and to disguise their movements. Every now and then, Demetrios, Diana, and David turned around and fired back at the Angeloi.
“Those portals would come in handy right about now!” Angela said.
Skye fidgeted with her portal generator.
“I’m working on it!” she shouted.
A portal appeared in front of them, cutting a tree right down the middle. They jumped through the portal and into Skye’s apartment. Before the Angeloi could follow or see where they went, Skye closed the portal again.
“What was that?” Demetrios said.
“Long story,” Skye said.
“Our cover’s blown,” Angela said, “Damnit, Anders.”
“It was my fault,” Diana said, “I spoke too loudly. And I was still in the hallway. I should’ve insisted on going inside.”
“They would’ve found out either way,” Demetrios said, “You have any idea how many bugs there are in the average apartment?”
“Anders is paranoid,” Diana said, “He would’ve fooled them if he was hiding there.”
“Speaking of which, we need to go back and get him,” Angela said.
“We can’t,” Skye said, “It’s too dangerous out there.”
“They’ll be looking for us,” Demetrios said, “Security will be expanded. Checkpoints will become more rigorous. Our photos, voice patterns, gaits, and fingerprints are probably being circulated around law enforcement as we speak.”
“Then we need to get you two back to the real world,” David said, “While we meddle around with the source code. Make it a little safer when you get back.”
“Real world?” Demetrios said. “Source code?”
“Long story,” David said.
“We’re not leaving without Anders,” Angela said.
“That’s why we’re here,” Diana said.
“Listen, if you stay, it’s very likely they’ll find you,” Skye said, “And when they do, they won’t hesitate to kill you. You know what happens when you die in here? Irreversible brain damage, a permanent coma, mental instability, possibly death.”
“Just as I expected,” Angela said.
“How do you know all this?” Diana said.
“We ran a simulation,” Skye said.
“A simulation inside a simulation,” Diana said, “Figures.”
“You have to go,” David said, “You can always come back.”
“Hey, in case you’re wondering, it’s not really safe in the real world,” Diana said, “We’re kind of surrounded with gun-toting dog robots and drones in the basement of Tesla Dynamic.”
“At least it beats this world,” Skye said, “Just go!”
Angela and Diana took out the extraction devices and pushed a button. Nothing happened. They pushed the button again. Still nothing.
“Is it supposed to do that?” Angela said.
“No, it should’ve worked,” David said, “Unless…”
“The COS,” Skye said, “It patched the emergency backdoors.”
“So we’re stuck here,” Diana said.
“Basically,” Skye said.
“What’s all this about a COS and robots and drones and stuff?” Demetrios said.
“Long story,” Diana said.
“If I’m stuck here, I might as well make use of my time here,” Angela said, “Could I borrow that portal device?”
“What for?” Skye said.
“I was thinking of trying again with Anders,” Angela said.
“I doubt he’s still there,” Diana said, “If me showing up there alerted the Angeloi, he’ll probably be on his way out of the city.”
“I might be able to track him,” David said, taking out a tablet, “If I could just get into the COS’s database I could find out his exact location.”
“Wait a minute, you can find Anders but the COS can’t?” Angela said.
“Like we said, the COS’s capabilities are limited in its own simulation,” Skye said.
“Well, that’s a terribly designed system,” Angela said, “Almost as bad as the reset button. I wonder who built it?”
Skye and David glared at her.
“Oh, right, it was you guys and Brad Wilczek,” Angela said, “Now can you find Anders or not?”
“Better than that,” David said, typing, “I might be able to bring him here.”
Palace of the People, formerly Brandenburg Palace - 4:00 PM
Olga walked up to the door of what was formerly the Kaiser’s office. She noticed Pavel had been doing some redecorating lately. The last traces of Hohenzollern rule had been removed from the door and the surrounding walls. The coats of arms and monograms were gone. They’d been left behind by Markos Angelos as a gift for the Kaiser back in the 1940s. When the Kaiser betrayed him, Angelos took his office but left it intact. When Angelos died, the office was turned into storage and forgotten. When Pavel took over, he had it reshaped in the Imperium’s image. Olga noticed the Angeloi eagle adorning the top of the door.
Olga knocked on the door and then entered. Pavel looked up from his computer.
“Well?” he said.
“I regret to inform you our operation to apprehend the subversive has failed,” Olga said.
Pavel pounded his desk in frustration.
“How could this be?!” he shouted. “Those were highly trained specialists! Their blood had absolutely no imperfections! They were born to apprehend deviants! How could they fail?!”
“I believe there may be a mole within the the Black Tagmata,” Olga said, “The team reported seeing the suspect fleeing on foot with the help of some Resistance fighters and two individuals in Black Tagmata uniforms.”
“Resistance moles?” Pavel said. “In MY Black Tagmata?! Find them and kill them!”
“As you wish,” Olga said, turning and leaving.
Skye’s apartment
Angela sat and waited in the alley in front of the apartment. The narrow street was quiet and empty, as she expected. This was a rundown part of Berlin, where the patrols were lighter and the Angeloi easier to bribe. No wonder Skye and David had been hiding here for the last few years. She certainly couldn’t last that long in this world. It was just too violent and evil. Not even during the war had she seen so much terror and brutality. And she had no desire to see such insanity again. As soon as she got out of here with Anders and Diana, she was going to push that bloody reset button, COS be damned, and end all of this for good. As for Skye and David, they appeared to be onboard with effectively killing themselves with the COS. After all, why did they warn the Lone Gunmen and Anders in the real world?
A portal opened up, and Anders’ car drove straight through. As the portal closed, Anders slammed on the brakes, stopping right in front of Angela, who got to her feet and raised her hands to show she wasn’t a threat. She noticed someone sitting next to Anders. It was Annie.
“Anders,” she said, “I just want to talk.”
Anders shifted the car into reverse and sped down the alley. Another portal opened behind him and deposited him back in front of Angela. Cutting the engine in frustration, he got out and pointed a gun at Angela.
“Alright, what do you want?!” he said. “First you revive Diana, and now you send Angie? Huh? What is this, a trap? How many agents you got waiting behind that door?! Tell me!”
“I’m not with the Black Tagmata,” Angela said.
“How do I know that?” Anders said.
“I’m not armed,” Angela said, “If I were with the Black Tagmata, you’d be dead already. You and Annie. You two are fugitives. Have been since your family was purged.”
She tried approaching Anders, but he kept his gun leveled at her head.
“Stay back!” he said. “One more step, and I’ll shoot! You know I will!”
“Anders, none of this is real,” Angela said, “This is just a virtual reality. The COS forcibly uploaded you to here because it needed a hostage against me and Diana shutting it down. We uploaded ourselves to rescue you.”
“That makes no sense,” Anders said.
“Would I be saying this if I were Black Tagmata?” Angela said. “Would I? No, because that takes away time from killing you.”
“How is this all fake?” Anders said, waving at the air. “It’s real. It feels real. People bleed and die here. You can’t just call it a fake, a simulation. Everything is real.”
“No, it’s not,” Angela said, “It’s just the COS messing with you. Your experiences here are limited by the COS’s technical specifications, so you perceive it as real. I don’t, because I do remember what the real world feels like.”
Actually, everything here did feel as real to Angela as in the real world. But she had to keep it up to reach Anders.
“The COS suppressed your memories,” Angela said, “It tried to make you believe you were originally from here. There must be memories bubbling up. I’m sure of it. Flashbacks of important past events, stuff you owned, quotes you heard, you must have seen them somewhere. I know because I’ve been in your shoes, when I was on the other side. Remember?”
Something must’ve struck a cord with Anders, because he stayed in place, quietly. His gun arm wavered and shook. His eyes blinked furiously. His mouth moved as if forming words but not being able to find them.
“Anders?” Annie said. “Are you okay?”
“…Alex,” Anders said, “He’s my…son?”
Angela sighed with relief. It was working.