Zero Divide: Episode #2 "Black Star"

[Vanifae]

"I kind of wanted to keep our unique skills hidden, if it's the same to you, Haven. For now, at least. And if we did attack, the cartel would want our heads...I'd worry more about their reach than whatever vague laws may or may not apply here."

“Good idea,” Dee replies to Michael, “Façade can distract them and we get out of here and extract information from Talos.”

Talos looks fearful, “Oh humans I must protest, I had not wished to be untrue, I only do not wish to die, Mira is only a contact she supplies money and I do what she asks I have never met her. She ahs provided you a safe house, the Cartel does not know about it. I suppose I thought it might prove to our advantage for later.”

“Talos, you are a coward, and once this is all over you will get yours. But for now you are useful to us alive, so maintain that usefulness or you will be heading to wherever your species considers hell very quickly,” Dee’s eyes belie a coldness.

Dee glances to Façade, “Alan is the enemy now, he sold us out, remember?”

Alan

It is pretty intuitive on how to sue the system and he is immediately online and pulling information not much of it useful but he does get the following:

- Dr. Alan Tighe was born on Earth in 2115, in the United States; Jonesville, Indiana.
- He graduated Medical School as a doctor at the age of 23, he was a pioneer in genetic studies and worked closely with several space programs as the great expansion across the Solar System took place.
- After the First Contact Conflict, he was involved with several projects involving sentient species, xenobiology, and Galactic Republic medical technology.
- He also made a breakthrough that allowed humanity to utilize Huvan Mind Interface technology, allowing people to experience realistic experiences in virtual environments, it was utilized for Mental health studies, and then more base practices as the technology became more widespread
- He was assigned to Omega Tau III as the lead medical officer, he would later die and contact with the colony was lost, his daughter Vanessa Tighe and his wife Arianna.

 

[Velmont]

"Extract information... is that a politically correct words for torture? I disagree, I won't force someone to do or reveals things against his will, at least, not Talos. He is a good man, it is not him the problem. Let's go to that safe house, but we must make sure we escape the Cartel surveillance first, we don't want them to know where we will be hiding."

 

[Shayuri]

"Brilliant plan," Facade says dryly, "I'm sure that some stranger walking up to them, wearing the exact same...rather distinctive...wetsuit we're all wearing won't make them suspicious. The odds of them taking me prisoner and still tailing you are almost nil. Or, I could try to steal some clothes, take the time to change somewhere out of sight, and then confront them...all without being spotted or making a stir."

She shakes her head.

"Our best bet is to either turn around and confront them in public, where they may not want to act directly, or try to lure them into an out of the way place where we can dispose of them discretely."

"Then I think we should go to the safehouse and meet Mira. It will be easier to deal with an individual from a position of strength, so we'll start with her."

"Oh, and lets not make assumptions about Alan just yet," Facade adds. "Very little is how it seems so far. Closing our minds only hurts us."

 

[James Heard]

Alan saunters back into the main living space after his jaunt onto the web.

"Did you know I'm a Hoosier? Amazing really, I'd have never have guessed."

Alan looks around the room.

"Say, what happened to the other guy? We didn't put him in the sandwiches did we?"

"By the way, do we have any Huvan Mind Interface's around here? You know, one that I could take apart to put back together or something?"

 

[Vanifae]

"Extract information... is that a politically correct words for torture? I disagree, I won't force someone to do or reveals things against his will, at least, not Talos. He is a good man, it is not him the problem. Let's go to that safe house, but we must make sure we escape the Cartel surveillance first, we don't want them to know where we will be hiding."

“You are soft Ian, that is going to get you killed,” Dee responds, “as far as my opinion of Alan, he made his choice, and then followed that choice by willingly selling us out to the first pretty face, alien or not, that came along. I am not exactly impressed with his actions.”

Talos continues walking, “Humans perhaps we should discuss this away from this place?”

Dee glances to the veranthian, “You would be better served to keep your mouth shut, until we decided what we want to do with you; you may have been just trying to save your skin, but that does not get you of the hook.”

Alan

“Not even sure what the hell you are talking about, a mind interface, what?” Wedge replies watching a video image on a widescreen monitor, looks to be a movie perhaps.

Biggs looks up, “Wait yeah, you don’t really think the Commander actually disposed of the other guy do you?”

“I doubt it… but I have not seen him either,” Wedge retorts.

In the wall size window overlooking the city, he sees a young girl, her hair is a light brown and curly, her eyes are silver, and her skin is a soft cinnamon color, she wears a white dress with no shoes.

 

[Velmont]

"Think what you want, Dee. I have principle and torture is not among them. And I have been given a way to see the heart of people, one more reason not to do such thing. But it won't stop me to fight for what i beleive right. And if it makes me soft to your eyes, well, it doesn't bother me." replies Ian.

"Let's not waste any more time. And if they continue to follow us, we will have to deal with them. I suggets Haven cut there way so they can't follow us."

 

[James Heard]

Alan

“Not even sure what the hell you are talking about, a mind interface, what?” Wedge replies watching a video image on a widescreen monitor, looks to be a movie perhaps.

Biggs looks up, “Wait yeah, you don’t really think the Commander actually disposed of the other guy do you?”

“I doubt it… but I have not seen him either,” Wedge retorts.

In the wall size window overlooking the city, he sees a young girl, her hair is a light brown and curly, her eyes are silver, and her skin is a soft cinnamon color, she wears a white dress with no shoes.

"A Huvan Mind Interface...A while back I developed the bits that would allow humans to use them, and I guess I figured that by now everyone would have them. You know, porn and sports - all in the privacy of your own mind."

"As for the other guy, I'm just asking. He's not here and I don't remember him coming off the boat with the rest of the pilgrims either...But no, I don't really think he's in the sandwiches," Alan looks at his stomach dubiously.

"...At least I hope not."

Alan moves over to the window and taps the glass.

"What movie are you watching here, if you've got another one on the computer over there?"

 

[Victim]

Ashley continues walking, "Even ignoring 'softness,' information gained from torture is often unreliable since people can whatever they think you'll want to hear to make it stop. You might also want to consider more than our immediate situation. However useful you think torture might be now, that kind of method seems likely to damage our medium and long term interests." Of course, you already did some damage just by mentioning it. "Besides, ruthless pragmaticism not subordinated to a higher principle or purpose is like the snake eating its own tail."

"I'm sorry Facade. I had thought that even should your distraction fail and they attempt to capture you, that the public, crowded street, your skills, and our proximity should allow you evade them," she criticizes. "I could try talking to them. Should that fail, I'll attempt to get them to chase after me. Someone can meet later at some landmark we select now." She starts scanning the skyline.

 

[Vanifae]

Ashley continues walking, "Even ignoring 'softness,' information gained from torture is often unreliable since people can whatever they think you'll want to hear to make it stop. You might also want to consider more than our immediate situation. However useful you think torture might be now, that kind of method seems likely to damage our medium and long term interests." Of course, you already did some damage just by mentioning it. "Besides, ruthless pragmaticism not subordinated to a higher principle or purpose is like the snake eating its own tail."

The two men continue walking, following the group as the group continues towards the exit, the sidewalk is packed with people and the skyline is abuzz with lights and dizzying towers. A silvery gray tower that looks more like a cutlass blade then building towers over the nearest structures, though it looks several miles away; you could probably get to it from navigating the surface streets or what would pass for that in this city.

Dee responds to Ashley, “But it gets results, and if he is stupid enough to lie to us then he dies, and we already know how far he is willing to go to keep himself alive. If he tells us everything then he keeps his life, and he can go on being a merry old scumbag till the end of his days.”

Talos speaks, “Perhaps we can make our own side agreement, if all you want is information I am more then willing to provide you with what I know, therefore avoiding undue and unwanted violence.”

The two men are now within about twenty feet of the group, they both are wearing worn clothing, dark and loose, making it easier to hide implements of pain if need be perhaps, one has a shaved head and looks to be of mixed Asian descent the other is taller and thicker in build with a bald pale head, and metallic patch where one eye should be.

Alan

“Yeah I think I know what you are talking about,” Biggs responds, “That is pretty much the device you and your “companions” were connected to. They don’t see general use, the first ones actually made people go crazy and it made it difficult for humans to distinguish reality from the mental construct. It also can become addicting as well from what I read. With those large stigmas against it, it sees use in generally the Medical field, and pleasure domes… for varying reasons.”

Wedge takes a drink of beer, “I am not even sure, just killing time till the game; be my guest with checking for other entertainment bucko, you into football?”

Alan taps the window and the little girl in the reflection mimics his action.

 

[Shayuri]

"As long as they're following us, we have an advantage," Facade says to Ashley.

"We can lure them to a place of our choosing to confront as we see fit. I don't see any plus side to one of us, any one of us, trying to confront them alone."

"If we want to keep things civil, we head somewhere that there's plenty of people around. If we want to rumble a bit, we lead them to some out of the way alley or side street. Either should be easy to find."