At Verdant Suites
I removed the mask, every muscle in my body tense. Fought to keep my emotions locked inside.
Kiara sized me up. I felt vulnerable.
"We have to do this mission…" She rubbed her temples. "Sit down." The android seemed more relaxed. But I sensed a certain tension in the air. "What do you know about Egypt?"
"Enough, I'd say."
"Okay. Egypt suffered a radiation bombardment at the end of 2795 because of its former leader's actions. Afterward, the country was divided into four military cities, with Cairo as the Supreme City. Abdel's the current leader of Kemetia's command in Cairo, and he has the same ideals as that former leader…"
As she explained, I felt the weight of what awaited us in Cairo.
I recalled what I knew about the subject.
In 2795, great tension arose between the cities: a race to coweave nuclear nanobombs. The most powerful city would be the first to succeed. Cairo took the lead with three nanobombs, known as the 3-R:
R-ATOM: radioactive, based on nanonuclear fission. Generated waves of radiation that penetrated any material.
R-BIO: biological. Disintegrated organs, including nanotechnological ones.
R-FUS: geological. Triggered earthquakes capable of destroying continents.
This would make Cairo the most powerful city. Immense military power in its hands. The Universal Peace Tribunal (UPT) tried to negotiate peace with Kemetia, but failed. The leader decided to attack several countries to annex more territory to Egypt. Wanted to demonstrate the country's power.
Eventually, the Aether Network gained access. Or rather, stole the 3-R. They bombarded Egypt with R-ATOM, bringing the Egyptians to the brink of extinction. Life in the country became unsustainable. The land, practically uninhabitable. That was what the other countries believed.
Seventy-five solar cycles passed. The ten most powerful cities established themselves: São Paulo, holder of the 3-R, took first place. Followed by Hong Kong, New York, Dubai, Sydney, Singapore, Lagos, Kinshasa, Tokyo, and London.
During those cycles, the surviving Egyptians eliminated the radiation and rebuilt Egypt. Cairo, alongside the militias of Alexandria, Luxor, and Aswan, transformed Egypt into one of the strongest military powers, even without the 3-R. They had extraordinary military might at their disposal. But Kemetia's command was in northern Africa, a region led by the Lagos militia. They therefore had to report any decisions to the Nigerian command.
That changed in 2871.
A new leader emerged. The military and political figure Abdel Ramesses Kalil. His rhetoric resembled that of the former leader, the one who had led Egypt to annihilation in 2795. It focused on worship of the ancient gods and the subjugation of other nations; he emphasized that everyone belonged to a brotherhood of equals. After all, the Egyptian cities were horizontal. He exalted his own population by declaring them descendants of the gods. All others should bow to them.
Kiara paced back and forth. "We'll have to be completely invisible there. Land in Cairo, head straight to the Port of Alexandria, get what we need, and leave. We'll have to be invisible," she explained.
Her words were arrows, embedding themselves in my mind and reminding me there was room only for getting things right. Every detail about Cairo, its war scars, made my stomach sink further.
"If something happens, if anything's out of place, we could get into trouble. This mission, if Ma…" The name disappeared from her mouth. Her expression hardened. "And you? How am I supposed to do this with you along? Even killing an insect must be out of the question for you. Unless…"
I frowned.
"You understand what self-defense means, right? If someone tries to take your life, you fight back. Even if that means killing. Would you do it?" Her gaze fixed. Penetrating.
I was about to explode. Emotions repressed for so long on the verge of overflowing. My belly twisted with every memory of that horrendous place. "I-I don't know. If I promised, I'd be lying. I'd rather be honest with you." My body trembled with the effort of containing a scream. I felt on the verge of collapse.
But I knew I needed to continue. "I-I'm going with you. I'll do what you ask. I know you'll protect me. Every part of me seeks that. I-I want to understand her…" My voice faltered. My eyes burned.
Kiara wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. Her fingers smoothed my hair. A comforting gesture.
I rested my head on her shoulder. Finally, the trapped tears flowed.
"Hey, easy. The choice is yours. Always." Her voice firm, but full of tenderness. "I'll protect you, but I need you to be strong. I need you to protect yourself too, if I'm far away." Her eyes met mine seriously. Almost pleading. "In this world, that's the only option."
I understood what she said, except that world was the opposite of mine. In my reality, death had kept its distance. Being there made me question my morals. My principles. My inaction. It would be ignorance to say I was unaware of the situations outside Zenith. They had never touched me concretely. So far from my routine. But I knew about them.
Although my initial motivation was purely selfish, I wondered whether Maia had brought me there to understand more about her. Or for something greater. Diving into that thought, a growing need to understand, to become part of that universe, invaded me. I would go to the end. Face whatever lay ahead.
I swallowed hard.
Attentively, Kiara held out a bottle of water.
"I-I'll try," I whispered, hesitant but determined. "I promise I'll try."
"Okay." She displayed a holomap of Egypt from her hand. "See that orange point? That's the mission site. Still looking, but I'll scan everything to identify the object and detect gaps in the warehouse's security so we can infiltrate it. Follow everything I say. I'll avoid combat, but if it happens, I need you at least minimally prepared."
Kiara held my wrists firmly. "Use these."
Click
She pressed two buttons on my sleeves, and two blades emerged at my wrists. I recoiled, surprised. Had they been there the whole time? My hands trembled as I watched the blade slide out. Its sharp gleam reflected the world I was about to enter.
She pressed again. The blades retracted. "Make this movement." Kiara thrust her hand forward. The blade reappeared. She winked.
"It's easier than it looks." I tried to follow her instructions. My mind spun with too much information. Uncomfortable and afraid of the weapons as I was, I nodded. My fingers brushed the blade, but my mind screamed to let it go.
I took a deep breath.
Certainty alone kindled the fire of decision. Determination boiled in my chest. At her side, I would offer support. Kiara was taking a risk by bringing me. I needed to repay that with effort.
I practiced the movement a few times. The mechanism responded more fluidly with every attempt. Before long, the gesture began to feel almost natural.
The gravity of the moment was a living conflict inside me, echoing through every choice.
In the early hours
Kiara asked me to wait at Verdant Suites while she collected two substances from Gill. She returned quickly. "It's time. Ready?"
"To be completely honest, no."
She shrugged. "You will be."
We left the hotel.
A warm morning wind caressed my face and disheveled hair. Summer would soon reach its peak. Our destination was a place with a mild winter.
A new feeling invaded me. An unusual contrast I was experiencing. Dread. Euphoria. Pulsing uncontrollably in my heart.
Kiara's car descended from the sky and landed before us. With the mask on, a round neon-magenta hologram appeared on the nanobodywork. That radiance penetrated my mind, as though whispering orders. My body would readily obey.
"Oh, that's the Netherian symbol being transmitted." She switched off that strange broadcast.
I felt relieved. "What was that?"
Kiara drove along the airway. Looked at me in the rearview mirror and gave a sarcastic smile. "Mercenaries are the unwanted children Zenith discards, but Netheria welcomes them with open arms and molds them." Her expression hardened. "That's why they serve it." The coldness of her words made me shiver.
I turned away. Silently brooded over my curiosity about Kiara. I knew little about her. Both she and Maia carried an aura equally intimidating and comforting. They might differ, but they had so many similarities too. They were contained storms. Invisible. Inevitable. Ready to break free at the slightest lapse.
A strong, whistling wind interrupted my thoughts. Another concern crossed my mind. "How are we getting to Egypt? I mean, what about our passports?" I must have sounded a little desperate. But I barely cared.
Kiara threw her head back and roared with laughter. The intensity of it intimidated me.
My face burned. What was so funny?
"We don't need those things. We're nobody. We don't exist in their worlds. If we disappear, we're forgotten. They prefer it that way. So do we."
"B-but…" I searched for the right words. "They're still criminals. The police are looking for many of them. After all, you said yourself that this mask prevents identification by officials."
"Yeah, they have to say they're after us. That they know who we are. They pretend to hunt us to reassure the population, but we do their dirty work in secret. The real criminals here…" Kiara invaded me with her gaze. "Are the ones who force us to do what they want while hiding behind official systems."
The words died in my mouth. Kiara was right. The truth was, I had always known, but believing what the Aether Network said was easier. More comfortable.
I was leaving my comfort zone further behind with every part of this journey.
Memories of Maia returned. Not her. How did she navigate this world without leaving traces? She was like rain: gentle enough to soothe. Strong enough to transform. Inevitable as a summer storm arriving unexpectedly.
My hands trembled faintly. Even the car's warmth was not enough to warm them. My heart beat faster with every kilometer. What awaited me on the other side?
Silence weighed heavily. The hum of surrounding engines sounded distant, almost like an echo in another dimension. The sky darkened red on the horizon. Was it only the city's reflection, or an omen of what was to come?
I let memories of Maia flow through my mind.