“The file in front of you has everything you need to know about Sceleratus.”

“Sceleratus?” I asked confused.

“Yes, it’s the R & D Black Sight the Federation’s elite use.”

“What? The onesers have a private R & D Black Site?” I laughed “Sceleratus sounds like the place Stepson Vizare used to test out the DNA coder for his clones.”

“Heh, On occasion Cypher, you do tend to display your intelligence, good guess.” He said, clapping mockingly.

“Wait what? Scele-whatever it's called is it the place same place Vizare used to make the clones? Why in the Imbibe hasn’t the Federation done anything about it?”

“Because it’s serving a purpose, Cypher and before you ask any more questions, let's get on with the briefing. I’m sure that’ll answer any question you have on why Sceletarus hasn’t been shut down by the Federation Government.”

“Right,” I said.

As much as I didn’t want to be here, this R & D Black Sight, Sceleratus was as suspect as it got. Since when has the federation allowed the onesers to do as they please? unless this was being done in a corporation, I mused. Or has something happened that the Federation is looking to pull the plug? No my job is infiltrate and exfiltrate.

No matter how much I tried to push it away, the thoughts of Adrianna Smith and Jon Doe, who had Lev Ryan’s DNA, were fucked up, especially in the light of Artificial Death.

Unless.

“Does this have anything to do with Artificial Death,” I asked?

“No Cypher, this has nothing to do with Adrianna Smith and the Lev Ryan DNA.”

I made a mental sigh, watching as Mr Black nestle himself into a chair behind him. He picked up something from the armrest in his chair. He pressed a button and a second hologram exploded into existence from the hologram device sitting in the middle of the room.

A hexagonal image popped up from the emerald green light, emanating from the device. The Hexagonal thing, that spun in the air, had thousands of pins protruding from its entire surface.

The hexagonal image looked like a needle cushion, the only thing was the points of the needle were pointing outwards, ready to prick your finger.

I zoomed in on the pins, trying to get a better gauge of what the hell I was looking at, but couldn’t decipher shit. It was completely alien in design but still felt human.

“This is the Hedgehog” Mr Black said firmly.

“Hedgehog?” I asked, confused.

“Yes, Hedgehog that’s its pet name, but its official name is Ortho-Interpretive Processor,”

“Ortho-Interpretive?”

“Processor, It’s a processing chip for Automatons, Cypher. The Hedgehog can process and compute thousands of petabytes in 0.5 seconds.”

“0.5 seconds? That sounds dangerous as fuck.”

“It is.”

“Is that what I have to Exfiltrate?”

“Yes, it is. However, what 3D model I’m showing you, is just a render, we don’t know what it looks like, but this is the general basis of it.”

“I see, so even if I get into Sceleratus, I still have to make sure I have the right thing.”

“Indeed.”

Fuck, I said to myself.

“I think you understand why the Federation needs this. In the wrong hands, it could cause some serious problems, especially in regards to Automatons.”

“I only base knowledge on stuff like this, but wouldn’t this allow Automatons to effectively replace humans in our daily lives?”

“The possibility is there, but that’s not your concern, we leave that decision to important people.”

Important people my ass, I thought, “I still need—“

“You don’t need to SHIT Cypher. I have your fucking family! Do what you’re supposed to and bring me the fucking HEDGEHOG!”

A grim smile painted itself across my face before I knew it. I held onto the chair, trying my best not to show my anger because if I did, I don’t know what this bastard would do and as he just said, he had my family.

My family was just a pawn in his game to get him this Ortho-Interpretive Processor. It was a bitter pill to take and swallow, but hearing those words made me resign myself to what I got myself into, but it will certainly be the last time.

“I see,” I finally said after a minute of silence. “Glad we got that out the way Dontcha ya think Black,” I said smiling wryly

Mr Black’s lips curled into a smile as he lapped his feet, resting both hands on the armrest of the chair, then nestled his back into the chair, making himself comfortable as his gold canine sparkled through the hologram.

“That wasn’t a threat Cypher, but more of a reminder, you understand?”

“Loud and clear,” I said firmly.

The hologram fizzled as he stared back at me, looking down as if I were some peasant, and he was the King. All kings fall under their blade, after ruling poorly, I thought, but that’s only in movies and books. The smart life whilst the dumb die, patience Cypher…you’ve fucked up enough already, let’s not make hasty decisions like last time.

Mr Black pressed another button from his device and the Hexagonal processor dissipated from out of the air. A new image formed slowly and solidified into the form of a large Fortress with a small village outside the same compound.

The picture of the Fortress was taken from an overview shot. It showed a mountain range in the background beyond the desert the compound was nestled into.

The Fortress’ image turned clockwise and very slowly. The four guard walls of the fortress had twelve guard towers. As I stared at Sceleratus, it reminded me of Hortort’s Castle Fortress. I guess this is what happens when you have the resources, I mused.

The image then zoomed in on the village, which shows small chattel houses and shacks of varying sizes. It made me think for a second. “ Sceleratus has its own economy?”

“Yes, it does, good observation.”

Mr Black rolled his thumb, and the hologram zoomed out and zoomed in on Sceleratus again. The hologram showed the inner workings of the Fortress which was made up of forty buildings, twenty on one side and twenty on the other.

However, I realised that majority of the buildings located near the walls were all run down whilst the buildings located closest to the centre of the Fortress were still maintained.

“Are those modular buildings?” I asked Mr Black.

“We can’t confirm that. Eltessa has tried to verify that, but hasn’t been allowed to roam.”

“Tight security?”

“Not just that, they’re disciplined.”

“Disciplined?”

“Yeah…”

Fuck, I thought, it’s one thing for people to be away from their homes, but it’s one thing to be disciplined as well. If a village was out, it meant that men were going outside for the women that lived there, but if they were also disciplined that mean that the pay here had to be astronomical.

“Any Schematics?”

“None, It's an abandoned Airbase, designed in Pre-Imbibe fashion.”

“Pre-Imbibe? Does it also have a basement?” I asked.

“Yes, that’s probably where the R & D labs are.”

“I see.”

“No need to worry. Stryme and Eltessa have mapped out 40% of the buildings within Sceleratus. It should help narrow down your search.”

“40% isn’t 100%, so that doesn’t matter. I need to know every corner of the facility so that I could infiltrate and exfiltrate the Hedgehog without issue.”

“Good to know, I must also warn you. The expiration date on your family depends on the state the Hedgehog is upon retrieval” Mr Black said coldly.

“There’s no need for the threats Black. The Hedgehog is too dangerous, but I’ll retrieve it without a problem.”

“Good.” Mr Black said scowling at me through the Holo-Image. The wrinkles between his eyebrows were as clear as day. Which only served to piss me off. I’ve been angry for the majority of my life but being angry and helpless at the same time was downright humiliating. “Let’s move on.” He said firmly.

Mr Black wanted things done his way. I smelt it the moment I saw that painting he gave the Mangol to trade for me. Only men with power would do such a thing. No…not do, but could. Men that could make Bridge City move at their whim.

I wasn’t sure if Mr Black had the power to move Bridge City or the Federation for that matter, but I surely believed that if he wasn’t the man that could make it move, he knew someone or people that could make it move.