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"Alternative Directions: Options "Written By: Karina Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the lovely
boys and their girls in the series. Wish I did. Please don't sue me.
I haven't even got a brass razoo to give you. Rating: Deffinately PG in Australia, at the moment,
but probably safer to say R for later chapters. Not sure about international
ratings Warnings: It will be 6x2, even though it does
not start out that way. After all, Zechs and Duo never met in Gundam
Wing and only spoke briefly over a com line in Endless Waltz. I've
tried to keep them in character as I saw them in the series. A bit
of language creeping in under stressful conditions. Pairings: eventual 6x2, past 2xH, 2+H,6x9, 1+R
Summary: Directions is set post Endless Waltz
and roughly 2 years have passed. Zechs and Noin are on Mars and Duo,
after spending some time with Hilde in a relationship leaves L2 to
join Preventers. Hilde was not happy about his decision. I guess enough
said. Here t'is, and I hope you like it. This is also AU for the standard
setting, as well as the series and Endless Waltz. Spoilers: Gundam Wing Series and Endless Waltz Many thanks to Dulin for volunteering to beta this. //... // thoughts
"Alternative Directions: Options"
2nd March Earth Sanc New Port City Undisclosed location Time: 5:50 [Sanc time] Epsilon *“While it is without doubt the Kushrenada boy is alive, it is also obvious he thinks himself beyond our reach, else why would he flaunt himself over the public airwaves? He was always too clever for his own good, that boy. Clever and independent.”* //You were in a mood tonight, Delta. There was something underlying your irritation with the reappearance of Kristian Kushrenada. Something I will need to pursue if I wish to preserve the sanctity of Romefeller and my own hide. You always were an ambitious bastard and history reveals how many of those who held your position within the Inner Circle had succeeded to my position. I am an avid fan of history, Delta and I will not become yet another victim of another’s ambition. Is that not what you are hoping for? To replace me?// She resisted the temptation to look out of the darkened windows of the limousine. It was sheer idiocy to be out in this storm but when the voice of Alpha spoke, you listened and you obeyed else you never heard another sound again. Inclement weather was nothing in comparison to the Mistress of Romefeller’s whims. The heater was set on its highest temperature, the fan was on full blast and the heavy coat she wore combined should have kept the chill at bay but she was still cold. //Something is going on, in the Inner Circle. Something I need to keep my attention focused on else my position be threatened. Do they think Alpha to be on her last legs? Will the old witch finally succumb? There will be massive changes when she steps down, or more likely in her case, dies. I doubt that one will ever relinquish her hold on the reigns of power while breath still warms her body.// *“Do any of you have any real idea how much time and effort went into the designing of the genetics of the W series gene set? It is not a mere base code these children carry around within them and to permit one of the successful ones to break away from our ranks sets us back generations if anything should happen to them.”* //You were rather vehement, my dear Beta. You are clearly under pressure and I begin to wonder if it is Alpha or Delta who is riding you over the W series. It is true the overall gene set has been successful and I believe it was only fifty odd failures before you successfully cemented the appropriate gene set to breed true. All in all that is a remarkable piece of gengineering.// She sighed, leaning her head back against the cushioned rest and closed her eyes to the darkened interior of the car. She was not about to reach the hotel in record time considering the exterior conditions. There was time enough to reflect on some of the points raised at the extraordinary meeting. //Gengineering. Genetic engineering. Designer babies. Something the common world has fought over for centuries and what one generation decides the next changes. Will they never settle? Their prevaricating advances our aims, it is true, and to keep our work unsuspected we must keep them fighting over the pros and cons of the subject. If they ever stopped fighting over moral issues, real and imagined, they might discover just how many of their number are the product of exactly what they squabble over. Children. They are just children and in their innocence they think they know so much.// *“I have been pushing for an investigation into the disappearance of this particular W series specimen since he eluded our trackers here on Earth twenty-two years ago. Have none of you realized that this series, as they mature, are all showing an inclination for independence and in some cases there is evidence of mental instability?”* //Mental instability? Is it that or is it something more? I have seen enough to know they are not insane but I cannot deny they are fiercely independent and they certainly do not like being told what to do. Is that insanity? I don’t think so. We take particular care to weed out the insane ones and destroy the faulty genetic code that breeds the weakness. At least over the last six generations there are less of those to deal with.// *“We need to establish physical and psychological control over each and every one of these children. Regardless of the age of the subject we need to direct their focus to the true needs of the Inner Circle, namely the continuance of our project to establish and maintain stable links with the Artifact.”* //The Artifact. I have to wonder how stable that device is after all this time. Perhaps it is losing touch with reality and that is why so many of our children rebel against us. Historical accounts claim we are linked by ancient ties to the Artifact though they do not explain how this link was established. Certainly I have my doubts any such link exists. Too many of our psychics who have attempted to contact the device have perished beneath its power. They simply were not strong enough to endure the contact and our gene set is far superior to our primitive ancestors. Does the fault lie with us or with It? It is sentient, though not as we are, there is little doubt about that. Breeding as we have done to make contact with it easier to manage, I wonder if we have not damaged it … Or perhaps angered it? It is always possible the Artifact has deliberately led the breeding program astray. The next logical question is, of course, do we control our children … or does It?// What she needed was something piping hot to warm her aging bones, something hot to fight the chill which was more than just physical. Comfort food would give her even a brief moment of distraction from the obligations of her position. In her duties she could never relax, never take anything at face value and never ever presume what was plainly spoken must be plainly understood. In her line of business things were never that easy. To be so innocent within the true Romefeller was to tuck in a quilt and take a pillow with you to make your coffin more comfortable in the afterlife. //Afterlife indeed. With what we do to further the human race there will be no afterlife for the likes of us. Our sins will come back to haunt us and knowing this still I continue on. The results are worth the cost.// *“It is my opinion that at this time it is more important to us to bring Romefeller back under a united front than it is to irritate the bloodlines by acquiring their children. We have all come to know the folly of stealing certain children away from their families and that is what we would need to do en masse to gather the W series to our bosom.”* Oh yes, she knew the folly of abducting the children. At the time of the incident she was privately against the idea of acquiring Kristian Kushrenada in such a fashion. Still, the public interest in the abduction had surprised them all and she was of the private opinion she alone was not the only one who had had their doubts as to the wisdom of the decision. At that time, however, they were all wary of Alpha. They had been in awe of her. She had been the one to look up to, to emulate. She could do no wrong in the eyes of the younger office holders. At that time Delta, like Epsilon herself, had been junior to the then office holders and it was not their place to offer opinions. Gamma had been in training as a Successor and had even less interaction with the matter and Beta … Well, Beta was the assistant to the then Breeding Master, a genius genetic engineer who was full of his own pride at accomplishing what his elder and better could not. The successful implementation of the genetic W series. //Oh, you were a genius but can you help us control your children? Something tells me not. Done is done and we must go on. // *“We simply cannot afford the attention such disappearances would stir amid the law enforcement agencies of the world. Kristian Kushrenada was originally to be used as the guide to enable us to establish full control over our rebels and with the establishment of control we could better investigate just how suited to the Artifact the W series is.”* //He was supposed to be, and probably is, the key but the fact remains he has eluded us for over twenty years. Smart boy. He would probably make an exemplary Inner Circle member with the appropriate training and maturity. His reappearance now disturbs me. He would not reveal himself unless he had assured himself of his own safety. He was never a fool so what is he cooking up? Perhaps … No, he would never reveal himself after so successful a disappearing act, if he had found and allied with the rebellious upstarts who think they know more than we. They are going to have to be brought to heel and I can see Alpha demanding I find them on pain of replacement. If she thinks she can do better then let her. I agree with her, there is only one Romefeller and they can never replace us. We need that crystal back.// *“That boy’s psionic abilities are without doubt not what they were projected to be. I shudder to think of the results of the development of his abilities beyond the safety of the laboratories here. Mental stability features strongly in the development of the abilities I believed were placed within the genetic selection of each one of these children. Have you forgotten the Peacecraft boy? Have you forgotten what he proved capable of doing?”* //Delta was pushing the mental instability a little too much, I think. I doubt he even has a true understanding of the psychic abilities placed within the W series code. He’s too touchy about Kristian escaping him so soon after gaining the position of Security Officer. He took it personally and you have to have a thick skin to be an Inner Circle representative. Ambition he has but a thick enough skin to succeed? Only time will tell.// The Peacecraft boy. Yes, that one was proving to be quite a problem child. Of course it did not help that unsupervised he had been exposed to the experimental catalyst unit. How had Treize Kushrenada acquired the plans for that unit? Her investigations were continuing but she had an uncomfortable feeling their greatest fault was they were simply underestimating the children of these last two generations. //Is it possible we have tinkered with the genetics and perhaps sparked some wild card evolutionary leap? Are these children more advanced than we think? Have we come further than we planned without realizing it? The implications are staggering if the children are more advanced and not just incredibly independent and stubborn. I can’t deny their intellectual genius but it is not their intelligence that is worrying. It is their burgeoning psychic potential that concerns me. They could be so far in advance of our own minds talents we may have no hope of containing them to set limits. No doubt Alpha has already thought of this but … All this speculation is useless just now but I will need to determine answers. There will come a time when my life may depend on those answers and I am not prepared to die as yet.// *“Kristian Kushrenada was a prototype. A prototype, people, with all the little quirks, good and bad the word implies. He had the correct combination of genes, in the exact placements of our experimental projections spliced to the K series base. He was a success.”* //Beta seemed to have no reserve in claiming the Kushrenada a success, despite the independence that saw him walk out on us. He may have been a genetic success but that does not necessarily mean he has been a total success.// *“All the indicators project development both physical and psionic along the projected course and I believe he has likely developed that potential. That he did not display the exact potential when he was brought to the Inner Circle does not mean he was a failed experiment. It merely suggests to me that while some of his talents emerged phenomenally early in his life the talents we had projected he would develop may actually have developed in later adolescence.”* //Was that wishful thinking on your part or a true belief he may have developed the talents you projected? He was talented, I do not deny that, but he showed talents other than those contained in the summary of his charts. One or two of those abilities seemed to be more than a hint of talent. I wonder how much did he deceive us? How much did he manage to hide from us before he bolted?// *“It also might have been simply that he may have been much more efficient at hiding his developing potential than we expected. Do not forget for an instant that he is a Kushrenada and they tend to develop more talent later in their lives than most of our other bloodlines. He was certainly an intelligent child and quite capable of deception. On considering our past records I believe it may have been a mistake to acquire that one at so young an age. Tests will need to be devised and performed with great care to determine just what he can do when he is reacquired. It is my hope he may surprise us all with the development of his abilities.”* //At least he did not try to skim over the possibility of deception. It is true many of the Kushrenadas develop their greatest strengths in later maturity. That I will not deny, and he is right, tests will need to be devised on Kristian’s reacquirement. He has a lot of balls to imply it will be a simple matter to gather that one in. He will no doubt delight in pointing the finger at Delta when the first attempt fails and call his abilities to command into question. I will enjoy that. // She had no doubt there would be failures in their bid to return their runaway to his rightful place. The boy, who now she supposed she had to consider a man, would be expecting them to come for him. No doubt his view of working for the Inner Circle had not changed. It would be interesting to see the methods he employed to retain his freedom. *“For there to be advancement we must locate and acquire Kristian Kushrenada and on having secured him we must prepare him to serve us to his full capability. He must be persuaded to cooperate before he may be trusted to bring us to the culmination of our purpose.”* //Alpha certainly understands the capabilities of a Kushrenada and the difficulties inherent in gaining his willing cooperation. She understands but she seems to have little doubt he can be made to obey. Of that I am not so certain.// *“There is another who is vital to the furtherance of our ambitions that we must have secured, controlled and brought to the Inner Circle to begin his training and conditioning. Our future and that of humanity do not hinge solely on our having control of the Kushrenada but on the acquisition, training and deployment of multiple new generation talents.”* //Conditioning, training and obedience, three values Alpha seems to believe are vital to the success of the project. I suppose in a way she is right but to expect it as a fact before they have even acquired him … them … Kushrenada and Peacecraft. What a pair they would make if they ever joined forces. We do not even have confirmation on the exact talents of either of them and she seems to take the projected talents as gospel. She is a canny old bugger and there are days I just can not understand her motivation at all. I sometimes wonder if her sole motivation is actually to secure clear contact with the Artifact. Sometimes there is a look in her eyes that suggests to me she has something else on her mind. Something I will not feel settled over until I discern her true actions.// *“We put a great deal of effort into mapping out his genetic print and the splicing of them to the K code. I will not have such a masterpiece of genetic engineering wasted to the petty games of those fools who think they run Romefeller. I take it Epsilon that by mentioning the Earth Sphere government you were referring to the individuals on said government who chiefly concern us?”* //As if I would be referring to anybody else. All Beta thinks about are his gene sequence codes and what they should produce and why they succeed or fail. What more should I expect from a genetic engineer? He can’t wait to get his hands on the Peacecraft boy after losing him and thinking him dead so often. There never should have been a mistake such as the fall of Sanc. We lost so many vital bloodlines that day though I have a sneaking suspicion the old man managed to get more than a few of the younger children out before it happened. If he did though, he has them well hidden. I can find no trace of them though there are a couple of people the right age who may prove to be refugees from Sanc. I will need to acquire DNA evidence to prove or disprove their identity against our genetic records. Should they be survivors I have no doubt Beta will be my bosom friend for all of a week.// Age-clawed hands gripped the edge of the seat beneath her as the vehicle skidded and she refrained from cursing. It was idiocy to have answered Alpha’s call in such conditions but one simply did not ignore a directive from the Inner Circle’s leader. Not that attending the summons would do her a great deal of good should she perished in an accident returning from said meeting. //I should have waited until morning to inform her of the Mars debacle. If I had I would not be out here now. I think she would have waited even after Kristian made his announcement.// Visibility from what she could see through the tinted windows was practically zero. The car was equipped with all the latest global positioning units and the tyres were fitted with chains. Regardless of the safety features of the car there was still no guarantee they would make it back to the hotel and her activities for the night were far from over. //How did we allow our errant children to stray so far from the fold? They have their own plans and some of them actually have brains and balls enough to carry out those plans. How many am I going to have to order killed to bring the others back into the fold? Most of them do not even know the Inner Circle exists as anything other than a legend. If they even know that much after the laxity in the education standards. My predecessor has a lot to answer for.// *“We need every single specimen of the K series genetics and it really does not need saying again just how important the W series genetics is to our future. Is it not enough through the power games they employed we have lost Treize Kushrenada? His K series genetics with the successful Psi genetic splice was to be the foundation for the next sequence. Splicing the W series genetics with the new projected modifications to his completed K subseries strands would have produced the X sequence. Because of the interference of these fools who suppose themselves capable of ruling the Earth Sphere we have lost a vital genetic base.”* //Is he right? Is he exaggerating? Will the death of one person be a mistake that will set us back so far? Treize Kushrenada was an odd one. Even my people had trouble reading him and trying to infiltrate his intelligence system was next to impossible, not that I have let that slip to the Inner Council. He seemed to know our every move and I never found anyone I could tag with certainty as working for him within our ranks. How did he do it?// How had he beaten them repeatedly at their own game? How much of the true Romefeller had the son of the Kushrenada family learned? How much did he presume and how much was he aware of as fact? The man had been an enigma and even the psychologists they employed had scratched their collective heads on more than one occasion. His peculiar genius was beyond their understanding. //I still have not quite figured out how he acquired the plans to the catalyst prototype. Of the three units we had been experimenting with he took only the unit we had the most success with and all of the blueprints and projections. I have had my people scanned and probed and there are still no clues as to who worked with him. It had to be an inside job but I trust my people. None of them betrayed me.// Not knowingly, at any rate, she admitted. The Kushrenada’s Psi talents were guessed at, not identified irrefutably at the time of his death. The Kushrenada family, as had been stated before, were often late bloomers and had a habit of surprising the Breeding Master. The talents developed were akin to the projected abilities but often not quite what the technicians had assumed they would be. Even Romefeller could not totally control the development of the Psi genetics. It was still not an exact science and there was always Mother Nature to be considered. She had a habit of teaching everyone they were not so superior to the natural order of selection as they presumed. *“While my teams are working as quickly as they can we have limited genetic material to work with that is required to base the X sequence. It may be another eight or more generations before we can replace what was lost with his death.”* //Eight generations? Near two hundred years is not a delay, it is a disaster. Is he exaggerating? No, I doubt he would dare stretch the facts to a full Inner Circle meeting. It was a tragedy when Kushrenada was killed and I wish I had taken him into protective custody when I had the opportunity but it was an opportunity I missed. One I regret. Why must there continually be these set backs? Eight generations. Will the Artifact last that long?// *“We know a great deal about genetics but we do not know enough to detect and eradicate all of the flaws inherent in cloning an individual of the complexity and purity that was Treize Kushrenada. No, to produce a viable X sequence it must be the original genetic material used and you know that Kushrenadas do not mature for genetic manipulation until after their fortieth year. It is a natural delay in setting the maturity patterns that result from the longevity genetics that is a part of the base print for the K series gene line. This immature faction fighting going on within our ranks has and is interfering with the future of the organization. We have already lost one Kushrenada who was vital to the overall design we follow. Treize Kushrenada is irreplaceable and that setback can only be corrected with time. We have come very close to losing Kristian and how many times have we thought we had lost the Peacecraft boy? Something must be done about those incompetents before they set us back beyond our ability to recover.”* //I suppose he is right. They have interfered more and more with the grand design over the past four generations. Small little rebellions at first from those on the outside of our Inner Sanctum. Perhaps the largest insult was the rebellion and theft of the crystal and vat from within our hallowed halls. Then the atrocity that befell Sanc. How dare they threaten such ancient bloodlines? All the effort of the past generations gone into keeping that bloodline alive and they stood back and allowed mere humans, a lesser species, to massacre them. Even the children. Idiots. Such incompetence I could never forgive. I suppose it is no tragedy they are about to get their comeuppance and I will not be shedding a tear for their deaths. I wonder how many executions it will take before someone takes notice?// *“I know we must get back to the matter at hand, but this may have a bearing on any further decisions made concerning each and every mating in our blood pool. I can say with all confidence that within the next twenty years it will be possible to have complete breeding control over every successive generation within our breeding population. It has been confirmed the young Winner heir is a homosexual.”* //Sometimes I think even we go too far. To guarantee we have control over each generations gene set we now will program their genetics so they will orient sexually only to another of the same sex? This is idiocy and it is a dangerous insanity. I think they go too far with this. It is all well and good to have control but what if something goes wrong? What if we should lose the technology to manipulate the genetics and we close off what is a large, and will be an important, section of the gene pool? If we should have trouble in the future with in vitro techniques and the artificial wombs, what then? If the worst should happen for whatever reason there will be no continuation of those bloodlines, even by natural breeding. It is dangerous.// Sometimes, she was sure the Breeding Masters lost all sense of humanity with their vaunted ability to play God with the genetics of the species. No one should be able to force a person to exclusively find attraction in the same sex. It went against her personal grain but again, one did not have personal preferences when one was an Inner Circle member. There was only Romefeller and the drive to continue the dream. *“Do you have a name? Do you have an identity you can point a finger to and say this is the origin of the attack? The Illuminate? Phoenix? Someone else who dares to challenge us? Some lucky and infinitely stupid hacker who is now running around with a target on his back?”* Gamma had seemed to understand the severity of the implications surrounding the security breach. The Primary system failure was a disaster and proved, at least to Epsilon, they were becoming complacent. Treize Kushrenada acquiring the catalyst prototype was enough proof to convince her they needed to reevaluate their security years before and now this breach … “I wish it were so simple.” a low sigh. //Nothing so simple as Phoenix or the Illuminate. Those we could deal with and though there would be some blood, guts and gore it would not be a loss.// *“After due consideration and careful studying of the W series genetic charts and projected potential it is Milliardo Peacecraft whom I would expect to be the key to the Artifact. His genetic charts show clearly that if he indeed holds all of the abilities that were projected then he more than meets the requirements needed to establish and maintain prolonged contact with the Artifact. It still remains to be seen if the boy has an active enough talent to establish such a bond. All of the clues are there in his coded sequences to be read if you have the eye for it. It is my belief he could make the merge successfully. You must remember that he succeeded in merging with the Epyon system.”* //And that, my dear Alpha is what worries me. He made the merge with whatever Kushrenada produced out of the catalyst unit. I have no doubt it was not the same catalyst unit he stole from us. He had it for years before he handed it over to the Peacecraft boy and in that time he would have developed his own modifications. Who would have thought at his age Treize could penetrate our security? Or the Peacecraft could use what ever he made of it?// *“With the past record of these bumbling fools we cannot afford to lose that boy and his children at this time to their incompetent planning. They are too valuable to us. Nor do I wish to chance losing the children’s mother. Her genetics were to be considered for genetic advancement beyond the cross breeding with the Peacecraft.”* //I will need to extract from someone the exact arrangements made for the Peacecraft and his offspring. I need to know the rendezvous times, the location of their safe house and the identities of the carers for the children. Where would they deem it safe to seclude the Peacecraft? Any number of places might be considered suitable for the children at this stage of their development but the father? No, they would want somewhere very safe to secure him.// It would be somewhere as secure as the inner sanctum of the Primary Romefeller location. Delta had initiated considerable upgrades of their facilities since Treize Kushrenada had somehow circumvented their security and removed the catalyst unit and the research pertaining to it. Time and again they considered themselves secure and then were rudely awakened. They were nothing if not inventive, their children, and it was refreshing to see though annoying to contain the abuses. //How many will I need to kill to secure the three? What were their intentions toward Noin? I had no real intelligence on what they were intending to do at the time I made my initial report to Alpha. I will extract blood price in retribution should they kill that woman and they may well need to. An Amazon to be proud of. She will not allow them to take her children without a fight, or her man for that matter. As I recall there was something in her genetics that was manipulated … What was it Beta’s predecessor told me? Something that made the bloodline fiercely protective of what they considered their own but … I will need to go back over my notes, I think. I am sure I would have made a note of something as important as that. Some psi function tried some time in the past. An experimental gene set suited to the genetics of that particular family. No, I can’t quite … Later I will have to investigate, there simply is not enough time now.// The vehicle rolled to a stop and she glanced up. Had they arrived or had the blizzard reached the point they were trapped? Dimly through the window and the driving snow she could discern the meager glow of lights but it seemed too dull to be the blazing welcome of her hotel. //Delta is an idiot. How are we expected to make headway when at every turn the Primary systems of Romefeller fail? Under his control there have been more breaches of security than at any other time. It is even worse when you consider there are none amid those training for office bearers I would consider of a potential to replace him. The Successors are far short of being adequate for training at the top level. It would probably have to be Gamma and the best of the Successors would need to take his place.// There was one person, of course, who she might consider as having potential but that one was an infant and would not be ready to replace any of them until at least those who did replace them were ready for retirement. Such a long time in the future but there was no help for it. Dorothy Catalonia was simply too young to enter into the elite ranks of the Order. There was a wealth of potential there to be explored and developed and groomed to reach its peak. The youngest office holder to reach the Inner Circle had been Alpha herself at the disturbingly young age of eighty four. During that time her career had covered first the Security Officer’s position and then the Intelligence department had fallen under her control. She had been the logical choice to replace the Head of the Council in due time and had ruled unchallenged now for more than a generation. //A meteoric rise and looking over the Intelligence records of my predecessor I have to agree with him on the danger you represent to the Order’s continued future. You assisted yourself in your career with some judicious pruning of the family tree. You are a viper, Alpha and I will remain alive by remembering it. None of us are irreplaceable for all we consider no Successor ready to take our positions. There will always be someone to step in to the role.// A shadow crossed in front of the window even as she felt the car tilt a little as her driver disembarked. Gathering her coat more tightly about her she was prepared when the door opened and thankful her driver positioned himself between her body and the valet who opened the door. The keys to the car would already have exchanged hands and instructions would have been given. All that remained was for her to exit the car and make the final preparations within the privacy of her suite. There were still some hours before she could rest. *“It is indeed time those who think themselves to be above our ancient order and its directives should be brought to heel. We are too close to our final success for them to bring down the bloodlines with their petty schemes.”* //Yes, it is time they were brought to heel, Alpha but the problem is enforcing your directives. How many will I have to order be removed from positions of power and how many will I have to eliminate? If I move at the wrong time or take out the wrong person first I could start a bloodbath amidst their ranks. They have their own hierarchy and everyone wants to move up in the world. Knock out the wrong person and there may be a scramble for power and no one will realize we are responsible or why someone died. It could lead to retribution killings with innocents paying the ultimate price. // That, of course, was not Alpha’s concern until such time as it happened and then it would be Alpha breathing down the neck of the Security division and the Intelligence service. She would be breathing fire ranting they should have been capable of handling the matter discreetly and favorably for the Inner Circle and she would be right. Epsilon could only hope Delta kept quiet and allowed her to handle matters with far more discretion than he was capable of. She did not need his heavy handed-methods cluttering up her field of operations. The problem was she was going to have to work with him regardless of her feelings toward him and use his assassins to augment her own people. *“You will arrange for a special operative to remove the irritation who dared to defy a Circle directive as an example to all of the others. You will make it obvious to all involved that it was a direct order of the Inner Circle the execution take place. Leave our seal for them to find.”* //I have to work hand in hand with the idiot, I have no other choice, but so help me, if he interferes with my operation we will find a new officer in the Inner Council. I will take a leaf out of Alpha’s book and remove what annoys me.// Her driver offered her the best shelter with the use of his bulk to shield her and she made no objection to him invading her personal space. She trusted him, one of the very few she permitted within arm’s reach of her should the situation demand it. His solid bulk cut much of the force of the wind from her and his hand on her elbow steadied her as she slipped on the ice coating the steps. It was a rotten miserable night to be forced to take action but she had weathered worse in her past. She was not that old now she would permit weather to defeat her. *“I admit that events may have progressed too far if our children are so willful as to ignore our commands. It is time to slap our children over the wrist and discipline them as they deserve. Should they still refuse to recall the ESUN Wellington from her mission and hand control of the operation over to your Intelligence Service then you will continue to remove them, one by one, in order of their power structure until some bright young thing down the order of command understands the message. I want it understood that Milliardo Peacecraft and his children are under the direct protection of the Inner Council.”* It would be made plain if she had to spell it out in the blood of the very children they had fought so hard to bring into the world. Irony was it not, that those they had created were now to be destroyed by their hands? If only they had not turned from the Mother organization to further their own goals so much could have been different. //Our fault, as much as theirs for permitting them to drift so far from the tenants of our Society.// The night clerk was bustling toward them, key card in hand and bowing, mouthing niceties. A dismissive inclination of the head and thankfully the elevator doors closed, giving her peace. The elevator music she had ignored before now irritated her and caused her to grind her teeth in frustration. It was only another six floors before she could exit and in that time she needed to finalize her plans. There would be no warm bed and the chance to rest her weary body until matters were well in hand and her old bones felt every day of the one hundred and ten years she had lived. If only she dared say to hell with it all and she would deal with it after she had slept, but such weakness was not permissible. She expected the best out of her people and she would give them her best in return. It was only fair. Romefeller security personnel under Delta’s training annoyed her. After providing a logical and carefully thought out argument to Alpha some years earlier she had earned permission to keep herself secured by her own people. The very real undertone she might be likely to knife the imbecile no doubt had assisted in her independent security system but she was not a fool. She knew how many of Alpha’s people watched her and how many of Delta’s agents were interfering in her daily schedules. It was hardly the fault of the Security Agency if they were overseen by an incompetent she could not personally stand. Over the years she had taken a personal delight in thieving his better agents and making them a part of her Intelligence Service. //If he did his job properly there would be no cause for me to freeze my bones in a northern blizzard. We are all fools. Are we not too old to be running around in blizzards in fancy dress pretending we are the most important people on the Earth? Alpha delights in pulling strings and age has only made her penchant for dramatics worse. I shudder to think what she will be like in another twenty years.// Her driver now taking the position of her personal security guard stirred beside her, taking a half step forward. It was enough to send her gaze flicking up to the display of floors as the elevator carried her toward her room. They were about to arrive and she stepped back allowing him to check the hallway before she would emerge. He was a big man, in his prime and older than most would think him, the recipient of a healthy dose of longevity genetics. She trusted him and had taken a personal interest in his training as he grew from infancy. From his genetic charts she had chosen him before birth to be reared to become her protection. In some ways she considered him a son, so deeply had she kept her hand on his training but she would, without hesitation, kill him should the need arise. Such was Romefeller. He would think nothing of placing his body in front of an assassin’s bullet to keep her secure. Of course she had noted every stupid thing he had been taught during his training. She had taken pains on his final assignment to her to break him of those very habits. Delta’s techniques annoyed her and she had continued his training along her own ideal of the perfect security guard. She had not a single doubt Delta would have a great deal to say if she ever permitted the fool near enough to note the changes. Of course Delta might suspect she had interfered but he would not know for certain unless she permitted him to know. She believed in looking out for her own people as best the needs of Romefeller permitted. The elevator chimed, the horrid music fell silent and the doors whooshed open giving her access to the hallway. Doors, gilt decorations and artistic offerings designed to please the discerning eye of the guests. Nothing more than she had expected but she remained to one side of the doors until her guard determined it was safe for her to exit. There was always the possibility Delta was as fed up with her as she was with him. The hotel was, as expected at this hour of the morning and with the current weather conditions gracing Sanc, deserted. Most sensible people would remain tucked up in their beds with no intention of getting out of that welcome warmth unless dragged out by circumstance. Knowing the local conditions as she did she doubted the storm would abate until well into the day if then. It was possible it would last a day or two. If she was one of those sensible people she would be tucked up in bed too but unfortunately that pleasure would have to wait. Epsilon only wished she could have the luxury to laze the day away in the warmth of her bed and not necessarily alone. Perhaps the attentions of a delightful young male partner would do much to ease the ache of the cold from her bones. Age did not mean the urge to enjoy warm male flesh in an intimate embrace did not visit her regularly. With the selective breeding that had gone into her make up and the longevity boost granted by the artifact even at this advanced age she was not an eyesore. It usually required only a small dose of drug to stir the male interest and she had enough experience to leave them drained and never sorry they had entertained her. //That Peaceccraft boy is certainly a bit of eye candy I could teach a thing or two to. Very nice and if events transpire as I would wish he might yet get an education at my hands. However I am not foolish enough to think it will be easy to gather him in. He has survived this long on his own merits and unless I miss my guess those assigned to take him would not be having it entirely their own way on Mars. He survived the massacre of Sanc and he was only six and he survived the Libra later. No, this one is a survivor and he will not go down easily to whatever forces have been sent to collect him. I think I will enjoy standing on the side lines while Delta’s people struggle along displaying the incompetence which lost us Kristian Kushrenada and a dozen others since he took control.// Her guard bowed slightly to her, stepping out of the elevator before her and preceded her down the hallway. He was alert and she placed her trust in him allowing herself to consider her options before she must face the matter of ordering the execution of her own people. From the infant created in the genetic laboratories this very moment, to the Peacecraft heir and the fools about to die at her instruction they were all her people, her children. How long would it take for Alpha to admit Delta was incapable of handling the Peacecraft? It would happen, of course, the man just did not strike her as being competent enough to handle someone like the boy. It was a personal matter, this tension between her and Delta, but she would not allow it to rest. The personal insult was such that though others might forget she never would and she would take him down. Just as soon as he crossed that line again and hang Romefeller’s needs. Sometimes personal satisfaction came first. Of course Alpha was aware of every child they had lost since her inclusion into the Inner Circle and the circumstances preceding those losses. The cost to their genetic pool hidden within the halls of Romefeller was putting the overall design at risk. Acquisitions were a problem as well resulting in the occasional necessary kidnapping though those were few and far between since the Kushrenada episode. There was even a disturbing trend amid the families who knew of the true Romefeller removing their children from the program. More than a few instances had occurred when those same families had ignored the directives of the Mother Chapter. There were also those who broke away over the last two centuries, choosing to believe Romefeller to be some mythological monster and now would pay the price in blood. //I can’t say I exactly blame them for breaking away given the circumstances of the times but I find it now is becoming a bore. I asked nicely for their cooperation and I do not enjoy being ignored nor being told I am a figment of the imagination. I believe it is indeed time to tear down that hodge podge of moronic senile old fools who purport to be Romefeller within the public eye. Too often they step into matters of no concern to them and create problems entirely too public for us to deal with and hope to remain unnoticed in the shadows. If we are forced to choose from these older generations who it will be to replace us we are in serious trouble.// Ahead of her the security guard paused and she stopped, watching as he extended a hand toward the key pad of her door. She marked his hesitation and the way his fingers splayed, his palm resting above the keypad. A small frown appeared and her awareness of him through their bond allowed her to feel the extension of his talent. The activation of the neural implant augmented his minor telepathic ability as he reached for the second implant. He could access the Intelligence Agency’s computer network at a thought and find the records for her suite in seconds, no matter their location. “One entry. Unauthorized by Intelligence. Access to the suite is being monitored. At this time, the intruder is waiting.” “Identity?” She had a fair idea who it would be waiting for her within but it helped to confirm things if possible. “Unconfirmed. No visual on scanner.” She was not surprised and nodded her permission for him to open the suite. “That would be our assassin. Enter.” At his small motion with his right hand she stepped back and to the right of the door frame. He would not open the door while she was an obvious target and as she moved he tapped out the coded sequence on the electronic lock. The first thing he had done upon arriving at this suite after their trip from the air terminal was to change the hotel security system to one he approved of. She heard the click of the lock disengaging and his
hand pushed the door open. He slipped into the room and she remained
beside the door, waiting. The faint murmur of voices Prior to their parting from the Inner Sanctum Delta had assured her he would dispatch to her, for her use, the best of his assassins. This demonstration to their errant children of their elders’ displeasure called for the best resources to be used. Prior to her arrival at the hotel she had formulated a list of ten individuals, three of whom she expected would die before the message was understood. Someone, perhaps the fourth or fifth on the list would display a modicum of intelligence and cooperate when given the choice. The kills would need to be carried out discreetly and curious as to the identity of the chosen assassin she stepped around the bulk of her guard. He or she knelt, one knee raised and the dark clad form hunched over effectively disguising the gender. Slender in build and shrouded in the charcoal black of an assassin assigned to the Security Service the killer presented an unassuming sight to her aged eyes. To her augmented sight he generated a chilling cold light within his aura that would make most people decidedly uncomfortable in his presence though they would notice nothing unusual about him. Most people were not Epsilon of Romefeller and this aura was nothing to her. She could out chill this child if she could be bothered to entertain herself with such trivialities. “Your designation?” He would be a shadow no matter the hour of the day or the lighting available, shapeless, formless and utterly silent during his assignment. Unless he wished otherwise his presence would not be noted by his victim and he could make a death seem natural. For their purposes it would be required he or she make it blatantly obvious an execution had taken place. For her purposes she needed to leave an indelible message to those involved in the distasteful business could not mistake. Unfortunately their need to advertise the nature of the kills would require the world of the normal law enforcement agencies becoming involved in the business. Not her preference but unavoidable and there was a small saving grace. It just so happened that the first name on her execution list also appeared on another list made public earlier in the night. If the body was found quickly enough the revealing piece of evidence might be removed before law enforcement agencies began to investigate. If the family of the victim was intelligent a second killing might be avoided and the authorities might never see the seal of the Inner Circle and ask awkward questions. //It is convenient and I am not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. It remains to be seen how intelligent our errant children are. I am sure they will not want Romefeller investigated because of their incompetence. We might feel inclined to further punish their disobedience.// She held no fear of the deadly presence of the assassin. He had been present for some time, she was sure and unsupervised though his presence had been known. On his departure the entire lock to the suite would be restored to hotel security and by noon at the latest she would be removed to a safe house. Her presence here would be wiped from the hotel records completing her vanishing act. Those measures were already underway by her competent staff as routine procedure when she was exposed to questionable company and a new safe house would be established to shelter her. It was a pity she must expose herself once more to the elements but it was necessary and she would neither drink nor eat until she was assured of safety. Her security contingent was conspicuous by their apparent absence with the exception of her personal bodyguard who still stood at her side, his cold eyes on the shadow before them. While it might look like they were alone she had a mind link connecting her to every one of the agents observing this play taking place. Their unease at this guest in her suite was palpable and she knew the assassin was aware of the hidden watchers. He was Security, not Intelligence and there had been a healthy rivalry between the two departments since their founding millennium ago. She had done her part to actively cultivate that rivalry and distrust. She was careful to stress the need to cooperate for the greater good of Romefeller. If she needed clandestine assassinations within the Mother Core of the organization she would use Intelligence assassins, not Security. For this task Security was adequate. “Mistress.” One arm folded over the dark clad chest and the hooded head dipped lower. “River Styx, Night Stalker.” // Perfect. At least Delta has not stinted on the quality of the assassin.// Her Security counterpart understood the seriousness of the situation they faced and had not sent her an inferior trainee to carry out the task. She was only too aware of the reputation of the one designated River Styx and the Night Stalker class was a Psi active gene set. They were not as powerful as the K series gene set who proved repeatedly to be both highly intelligent and imaginative and who rarely disappointed her expectations of them. Yes, the assassin knew his business and would be up to the task and report to her assigned agents after each kill for further instruction. Night Stalkers were the best Security had to offer. He was, of course, a shadow in the brightly illuminated suite. Her security detail had set the light levels of the suite to ensure he was visible, no shadows to hide in. Of course that would be considered poor form and he would be well versed in the arts of diplomacy. She would be within her rights to have him slain as a possible security threat should he make use of natural cover. When dealing with the hierarchy of Romefeller, one minded one’s manners as a matter of course. He would not know her identity within the organization. They guarded their offices carefully, keeping their identity well hidden and to his knowledge she was working at the instruction of the Inner Circle, just as he was. The security surrounding her was enough to tell him she was highly placed but there should be no true indication as to just how highly in the scheme of things. His slender form was encased in the dark bodysuit from head to toe, the tight fitting hood forming a mask shielding his features. The charcoal colour and weave of the material seemed to absorb the light and gave his appearance a somewhat blurred and indistinct look. The degree of blur was evidence of a prototype defense screen developed by Delta’s research department in recent times. While the energy pack contained in the unit held its charge the screen would deflect any high energy weapons such as the disturbing electroshock guns the public front of Romefeller had developed during the war years. The screen also deflected metal based weapons, particularly high velocity rounds and would slow down, if not stop, the strike of a metal blade. The introduction of the screen was one of the reasons she had taken to carrying on her person something so primitive as a flint knife. It amused her to consider the consternation Delta would experience should he forget his place in the scheme of things and attempt to have her removed from her position. Should his agents circumvent her security detail they would find she was not so defenseless as he might think. Experience had taught her Delta tended to place too much faith in his new age technology, a failing she had not seen fit to mention in the interests of self preservation. No doubt he had his own specialist agents, much as she had her specialist core group and should they ever go head to head they had the potential to tear Romefeller apart. It was something neither of them wanted and thus they held their uneasy truce. //The very best Delta has to offer. How fortunate he just happened to be within Sanc this night.// Considering the identity of the assassin she did not doubt her bodyguard had accessed their secured network and called for a report to be delivered to their next safe house. She wanted to know of the actions of the assassin in the recent past to explain his presence within Sanc. It would be interesting reading to learn exactly what Delta had been up to with this killer since his name had last crossed her desk “You are to make the displeasure of the Inner Circle known to your target and you will do so in a manner sufficiently shocking to give others cause to reconsider the wisdom of refusing a Circle directive. The kill is not to be painless and you will leave a calling card.” She extended a thought to her companion who turned to face her and receive the sealed deck of cards. A brief nod and he moved forward to place the deck on the floor before the kneeling assassin. River Styx made no move to take the deck, remaining in his kneeling position while her bodyguard stopped midway between the killer and Epsilon. “Your targets are Hearts. Begin at ten, leave the card at the site and ensure the sanitized subject is found within minutes of the kill. Should you receive no word from my agent, designated Phoenix for this operation, within a twenty-four hour period after the kill you will move on to designated target nine. This procedure will continue unless Phoenix notifies you of a satisfactory outcome. You will thereafter be advised of your next assignment.” The kill list was passed to her bodyguard who knelt to place it resting atop the card deck at the assassin’s feet. Not so much as a twitch stirred the dark form. His past record had impressed her and his current performance was no small indication of his nerve. Epsilon was pleased but the final proof of his skill would be in the performance of his assignment. “Your first designated kill will take place no later than midnight of this night. The target’s daily itinerary is noted though there may be changes owing to the weather conditions. You will compensate. Track the remaining targets as required and the individual kills will be accomplished within a forty-eight hour period of the previous kill unless you are informed the contract is completed. Understood?” “Mistress.” The hood lowered briefly in acknowledgement. “You will keep the kills surgically clean. No method will be permitted to produce so much as a single casualty other than the designated target. A surgical strike, neat, precise and untraceable by law enforcement investigators.” Again the hooded head dipped into a deeper bow and Epsilon smiled her satisfaction. If Delta was good for only one thing in this life it was for training quality assassins. Once instruction was given River Styx would not deviate from the assignment. Delta’s assassins were not as diverse as her people, of course but they were acceptable and should she be satisfied with the performance of River Styx she might even see about a transfer to her Intelligence department. It would be interesting to see just how far she could extend his abilities with the proper training. “Dismissed.” The card deck and list vanished beneath a sweep of a black gloved hand and he shifted to his feet in a fluid motion. He was grace personified, flowing to the side of the security commander and past him. As protocol required he passed half the rooms length from Epsilon herself and slipped out of the door without so much as a rustle of cloth to mark his passing. Before the door had closed behind him her bodyguard was studying a diagnostic unit. “The air is clear of toxins. Central reports the car is waiting in the garage and a safe house has been prepared. Expected time of arrival in this weather is approximately twenty minutes.” Satisfied, Epsilon nodded. Her original time schedule for removing herself from the hotel had been moved forward from the moment the assassin was identified. No chances would be taken and she would touch nothing before leaving the suite. Her personal effects would be meticulously examined by her security service before being designated safe for her to touch. Anything she might required in the way of clothing or personal toiletries would be replaced and waiting at the safe house. The hallway she must walk and the elevator she would ride in would be thoroughly checked as the assassin passed and where possible she would move by a different route entirely. Where the assassins of Romefeller were concerned you considered your living quarters compromised and maintained a safe distance until proven otherwise.
Karina Robertson 2006 -------------------- Author's Note The last Romefeller Chapters were chapters 104 and 105 if you need to refresh your memory over any of the points raised in the chapter. There has been minor editing with the flashback dialogue but nothing major, just spelling and grammar. Karina
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