"What is it?" Rebecca asked, extraordinarily annoyed.
"I'm a double agent. That might be a reason why Xarissa and Sarah and Caitlin went insane on that plane. I'm working for the FBIT. FBI for Teens. It's rather hard to get into. I was working for America in Denmark for a while, and those were the agents that I was rescuing in Montenegro. They were members of the FBIT. However, it's become corrupt. The SIASS has almost breached its defenses. I won't be a double agent for much longer, but they have requested me to do one more mission for them before I retire from there. I need you to come with me. Kalyia can't come, not until she's changed her physical features, and who knows how long that could take. I'm leaving her in Sarah's care. I need you to come with me."
Rebecca was stunned. She didn't know what to say. Laura keeping secrets from her? That wasn’t new. But Laura being part of some secret service she didn’t know about? First, it was surprising that there was even a corporation she didn’t know about. Second, how is it that Laura had kept this from her for all this time? “Laura, I need time…”
"Great! We leave tomorrow!" Laura said happily and went skipping off. Rebecca couldn't believe what was happening. Laura was her friend, so Rebecca would stick with her. But the FBIT... Rebecca had never heard of it before... she couldn't let that bother her anymore. She followed Laura, who was walking towards the cage.
****************
Xarissa couldn't believe that Connor was doing this right after he woke up, yet here he was, ready and more determined than ever! Connor began walking, avoiding the booby traps carefully.
****************
Armaan had studied every inch of HIA technology, and he knew about the chip in his shoulder. He knew everything that it could do.
It had a built-in system programmed to react to brain signals. A lot of the work at the HIA was strenuous and laborious, and could possibly cause assertive behavior. To keep their crazy line of work from making the agents insane, there was a tiny Nanoshard in the chip that could pick up certain signals that the brain was giving off. One of these signals was the thought and feeling of overactive aggressive behavior. When the Nanoshard picked up this signal, it let loose a tiny energy spark that shot back along the same line and cut off the signal, ending it as best it could.
Armaan figured that when the toxic gas was inhaled and carried to certain parts of the brain, making the amygdala malfunction and start acting up, the Nanoshard caught its behavior and intervened, shutting off all the rage systems. What was left was a frightening depression, making it a crucial move to stop the spread of it.
He knew this was dangerous stuff that the FNTTMS was working with, and it caused people’s lives to be put in danger. He began to wonder whether or not he should tell Maryssa the cure. He knew that if he told her, she would see the gas as a profitable option, and begin to use it for things it was not meant to be used for. Once Maryssa found the cure, she would be more lenient on restrictions, and people could get seriously injured.
Armaan knew he had to talk to the Administrator. He wondered when a good time was for that.
****************
Connor was becoming more confident in himself. He had passed the first three tests! And when he had reached a hacking test, it was done in before you could say "hacked".
Now he had to face the next round.
He was surprised to see nothing coming at him. His tester smiled at him, walked to him, and handed him a small slip of paper, which read, "I do not begin, yet I do not end. I have no point, but I am meaningful. Find me."
Connor looked around and thought. It was obviously a ring of some sort, but where? The ground had no ring on it anywhere, and he couldn't see any circular patterns on the floor. He then realized that he was in the ring.
"Haha, very funny, it's the room, isn't it?" Connor asked his tester.
"Wrong. You are close though. Two more guesses." She replied.
Connor thought and thought. He didn't understand the question at all.
"Does it have to be in this room?" He asked.
"Read it again." She answered. Connor did so and understood that it had to be in the room. He began to look for more circular patterns anywhere in the room.
"Is it the platform?" He asked again, not very certain of himself anymore.
"One more guess." She replied. Connor cursed under his breath. Then he made his final guess.
********************
The Administrator welcomed Armaan into his office. Immediately, Armaan felt like maybe this wasn’t a good idea. But he knew he had to do it sometime or another. He was too far in to back out now.
For some reason he hoped the Administrator would tell him not to tell her the cure. He felt like it was the safest and wisest direction to take. But it wasn’t Armaan’s decision. Whenever people’s lives were in danger, the choices were never up to just one man.
When Armaan sat in the chair, he had a feeling that he knew what Adm. Taylor would say. He just didn’t want to hear it. “So, what is it that you need?” the chief questioned, setting a stack of papers to the side.
“I need your direction for this…” Armaan began.
Adm. Taylor waited for him to continue
Armaan sighed. “Malyssa has been trying to get the cure out of me for days. I feel bad telling her no, but…frankly, I feel horrible telling her yes. I’m not sure what direction she’s planning on taking this.”
The chief sat back. “So you’re asking me to tell you my advice.”
“No, it was more like what you wanted me to do,” Armaan answered.
Adm. Taylor stared at him for a while. Then he gave him his answer.
****************
Imraan couldn’t hold back his astonishment. He gasped as he entered the room. The man before him looked like an older version of Conner. How could this be…there was no way.
“Welcome, Imraan Helvik,” the HE said calmly. “You may sit down.”
“Sir,” Imraan answered, and walked over to his chair. The Leading Assembly sat in a half circle facing the table where he sat.
“We have been thinking--I and the Leading Assembly--that you would make for a great member in our higher community,” the HE announced. “We would like to sustain you as an LA member.”
Imraan was relieved, surprised, frightened, and proud all at the same time. “It would be an honor to join the service.”
“We are faced with a considerable problem, though…”
Imraan’s heart began to beat fast. What had he done wrong? “May I ask what that is?” he asked, trying to sound reassured in his voice.
“We have just heard news that your brother has joined the HIA.”
Imraan’s heart stopped.
****************