Chapter Text
A few hours had passed. Upon reaching Hawk Island, they were greeted by the Professor himself. Young Tabetha was taken to the Island's medical facility for treatment, followed closely by her mother and Doctor Chang.
The Tracy brothers showered and donned a fresh change of clothes before meeting the Professor on his balcony. He was quite happy to see Scott again. This time even more.
They sat around a table set for a meal. The Professor gestured theatrically towards the airstrip upon which rested Thunderbird Two.
- So, Mister Tracy, I trust this display is not simply to tease us? You will pledge your organization to our cause, will you not?
Scott looked around at each of his brothers; even Alan was present in the means of a holographic projection. No objections came from the boys.
- Yes, International Rescue will help you in bringing an end to Holling and Hanse's machinations. But first, many questions remain unanswered. Why was Holling so eager to get to Abigail? And, mostly, why did Mei betray us?
The Professor cleared his voice before speaking.
- Five years ago, Holling Military recruited many talented young scientists, promising them funding for their personal research. Four of the lot illustrated themselves during military training and were retained as candidates. Their projects piqued Holling's curiosity. A prolific aerospace engineer whose name was on the initial blueprints of the Fireflash, a thrice decorated computer and software genius who wrote the code for most of the World Council’s digital security protocols, a weapons engineer with fifteen highly sought patents, and a young bioengineering genius for whom the human genome has no secret. This comes as no surprise to you that these four were the initial Keepers, nicknamed Hermes, Chronos, Artemis, and Athena.
He stopped to take a sip of water.
- Incompatibility of character was their main problem. With each having personal issues, it was bound to create frictions, eroding every effort of teamwork and preventing them from advancing their goals. Until a fated event brought them closer. You may be familiar with the incident of Reactor 3? Artemis intentionally sabotaged a fusion reactor providing power to most of the Olympus complex for the purpose of testing a nuclear device. The explosion took the lives of many, and almost finished off the four of them.
- With Olympus being bragged about to investors as a safe haven for the rich and famous, Holling could not afford to have his engineers run wild and endanger his investments. At that point, another actor came into play: Frederic Hanse. A literal madman, with little to no ethics, working only to perfect his ideas and his ego. He previously had experimented on Artemis, which might explain why the young man lost his mind at one point. The doctor did the same to each of the Keepers, promising Holling he would not have to deal with insubordination again. As a safety measure, they were confined to their own private laboratories to conduct their experiments, under supervision from his team. Hanse did not hesitate to visit them at his leisure, requiring the Keepers to have more and more genetic modifications to fit their role. Seldom did the Keepers visit each other, or if they did, it was only under heavy surveillance.
He waited a moment, observing the Tracy brothers for reactions. They were waiting on him to go on.
- The Awakening was advertised as the big reveal, where Holling's investments would pay off. As the deadline was fast approaching, everything went downhill. Hermes died during testing, an unfortunate incident that can only be qualified as planned suicide. Star Alpha stopped responding: it was too late to send a spacecraft to investigate at such short notice. Cradle Alpha was raided by the GDF and sank but no GDF records were ever found of this operation. As for Beam Alpha: we believe it was taken over by renegade Bereznik troops, sitting dangerously close to the border. Only Athena and Artemis remained; it would have been a tragedy if both of them were to start fighting during the event.
- To save face, a code was written by Hanse's lackeys. They called it Zeus, the father of the Gods. Detailing the exact function of the device would be strenuous. In sum, Zeus was used to control them, using thought manipulation and modifying their perception of each other through their Cerebrum computers.
Scott frowned.
- Are you saying she could have turned on us at any moment if Holling wanted it?
The professor shook his head.
- Since it is much more complex than flipping a switch, no. An updated version of the program must be uploaded at regular intervals since the neurological patterns end up being "learned" and thus circumvented. It takes weeks, but eventually, they awaken if their brain realizes what is happening. Also, this needs to be accessed directly: this code cannot be transmitted, it needs to be downloaded physically.
Virgil sat with his arms crossed during the entire discussion. He waited for a good time to ask the question that burned his lips.
- Tell us then, why did Mei betray us? Why did she send Kayo to that medical facility?
The Professor turned away for a moment. As he thought, they were unaware of Mei's bargain with Holling concerning Abigail. It was better off not to tell them anything, lest they break up their deal.
- As I previously told your brother, I deeply apologize for the need for secrecy around this operation. Young Tanusha was chosen as the finest available candidate: she is strong, smart, quick on her feet, and witty. We have need of all those qualities for an unsuspecting spy. If things play out as we planned them, she will not be alone.
Scott frowned.
- You have an inside man?
- If our planning was accurate, yes.
- What if you're wrong?
The old man stood, unprepared, for the incoming question. Scott reiterated and pressed for an answer.
- What if you're wrong? What will happen to her?
- We cannot afford to be wrong. I know full well how Hanse will react, and we have full confidence in our plan.
- How can you be so sure? What guarantee can you give us that she won't share the same fate as the previous Keepers?
The waiter refilled Gordon's glass of water. The others did not even touch theirs. Gregory Hawkinburg replied in a grave tone.
- Hanse and I have been partners before the Veterans project began. Never had I seen a man so twisted and greedy. Once the project was abandoned, we still collaborated for a while. This is where I witnessed the horrific experiments he had conducted on the Keepers and volunteers alike. Having helped him, he believes me a friend, thus he corresponds with me from time to time and we keep it strictly to a professional level.
John was skeptical.
- That's dangerous if you want my opinion. You'd better be careful; sooner or later, you will need to sever ties with him. Speaking of careful… the people you employ are labeled as terrorists and hide here, on your Island. How do you manage to keep the GDF away from them? They can't basically hide underground forever.
- Our militia doubles as regular employees on site. The IDs you saw on the GDF database are fake. As said earlier, we counted on the help of Colonel Casey in order to keep our operation running from the shadows.
There was a long moment of silence. Soft footsteps echoed through the adjoining corridor. Mei arrived followed closely by Cody. She was wearing a long teal summer dress fitting her figure nicely while her military counterpart had donned fresh army wear. The waiter pulled the chair back and served her a glass of white wine. The boys waited for the doctor to speak to them but she did not. Instead, she turned to the Professor.
- We successfully neutralized the drug from Tabetha's system. She is stable and out of danger.
The Professor smiled.
- Congratulations are in order. With the child safe, the Colonel will place her full trust in us now.
Scott asked
- I'd like to know that story. How were you able to coax her into joining your operation?
- The Colonel herself reached out to us after Dixon tried to blackmail her. He and Holling had made arrangements in order to administer a treatment to the girl but the Colonel grew more and more suspicious of their sudden goodwill. She discovered the truth after sending some trusted men to investigate the same installations you targeted earlier. Hanse planned to use her to recreate Chronos. For it to work, they had to place her in a very deep coma where all her neurological activity would reorient towards unexplored areas of the brain. From there, with the aid of a cerebrum computer, he would have "trained" her to become a Keeper.
- I'm happy you were able to save her… can't say my participation in this rescue operation was of any help. Speaking of Chronos…
John stared at his brother and stretched out to whisper.
- Do you still want to go along with the idea?
Straightening himself in his chair, Scott nodded to his brother.
- We organized an exploration mission to Star Alpha. We came back with the Chronos module and a horrifying story. After Abigail failed to install…
At that moment, Virgil glanced angrily at his brother. Without excusing himself, he got up and left. Scott sighed. John apologized and followed his older brother outside the room.
- Forgive me… There was an incident with our Space Station. That's when we realized he was uploaded to our home systems. He has been our resident AI ever since.
The Professor clapped his hands. Mei stared at Scott in disbelief.
- You have made my day, young man. The state in which Star Alpha was led us to believe Chronos was beyond recovery. Our hopes of scavenging information from the wreckage were annihilated by the sheer amount of attention this incident generated. The GDF was prompt to react after you departed from the site and hastily recovered the remains of the station. If you wish to surrender him to us, let me speak to him first, please. I want to make sure his intention is to help us.
The sky had slowly begun to turn a dark blue shade as the evening sun descended on the horizon. Colored lanterns overhead began adjusting slowly to compensate for the rising darkness. Gordon's stomach spoke before him.
- Sorry to interrupt, I don't mean to be rude or anything. Scott, it's been fun an all, but I think it's time we brothers have a private chat. And, food, maybe?
The Professor signaled his waiter who nodded and left.
- Food shall be served for you in a private room where you can talk alone. We will not interfere with your deliberations. There is still a lot of planning to do and we could greatly benefit from your help.
Alan had been fiddling with his systems during the whole discussion, with Chronos listening silently in the background. He turned to his brother, as the matter seemed urgent.
- Scott, we only have four days left before the Investors' Circle event. We have to get someone over there pronto.
Scott thought.
- Of course! Professor, we have the means to get someone in Olympus.
The Professor looked at him, incredulously.
- Holling has seen your faces, it may not be wise to send any of your brothers…
Enthusiastically, Alan showcased his terrible photoshop of Virgil's metamorphosis.
- With the right talent, which we have thanks to Zeta, and a few electronics for the voice and all, we can fool the ID sensors, I'm sure!
Gregory stroked his beard.
- If your disguise artist is as good as you say, then why not. It is worth a shot. Do bear in mind that, in the event your brother is discovered, we will be incapable of extracting him.
Scott sighed.
- I know. I'd do it myself but…
Mei interrupted him, swirling wine in her glass in a quick motion.
- But you are too emotional and we cannot trust you not to jump at someone's throat?
The words struck the elder Tracy, leaving him speechless. Alan replied in his stead.
- … yeah. That. Sorry, Scott… she's right.
The tension eased when the waiter came back and announced food had been served at the boys’ accommodation. Gordon gladly took off to get some grub, followed slowly by Scott. Before he exited the room, Mei added.
- I appreciate you, Scott. Please be careful and take good care of your brothers. As their elder, the responsibility falls on you.
His reply was a short "I know" as he walked down the corridor leading to the stairs.
The boys gathered in a seaside villa. Virgil had been the first to arrive, having been led there by the facility's personnel. He was denied access to his ship after quite a lot of arguing with the guards. Realizing he could not blame them for following orders, he made his way to the villa. There was plenty of space: each of them could have a private room and there would still be enough to accommodate other guests.
They gathered on the balcony overseeing the beach. A buffet was served on a large table, overlooked with lanterns hanging in a similar fashion to those on the Professor's balcony. The sea breeze was comfortable and relaxing. As a token gesture, the Professor even had wine and spirits sent over. Although Gordon thought it ill-fitting to drink, Scott and John each poured themselves a shot of whisky, handing one to Virgil as well. The second eldest frowned.
- What is that supposed to mean?
Scott got up, his glass in hand.
- All of you, please listen. Since the beginning, I know I've not been the easiest person to get along with. Things have been hard… and the weight of International Rescue alone on my shoulders felt… heavy and overwhelming. Stress got the better of me and the current events really did test my resolve.
He turned towards Virgil.
- Virgil, in front of the others, I would like you to accept my most sincere apologies. I know my decision went a bit overboard and caused you a lot of pain. I'm sorry for that… and about believing it could protect you and the others. Now I realize that we're in even deeper trouble than we were before. Can you forgive me?
Virgil sighed. He would forgive his elder if he admitted his wrongs. He stood and seized his brother in an accolade. Scott smiled, reassured. As the two broke apart, the second eldest added:
- I understand it was a hard decision to make. But I know we can't back down from helping someone in need. Not only for Abigail or Kayo but for every single person who has fallen victim to Holling. If we can make a difference, let's do it.
Grabbing his glass on the table, he clinked it with his brother's and downed the whisky in one gulp. Scott did the same, coughing as the strong alcohol went down his throat.
John spoke, with a grim look on his face.
- I have a confession to make. I promised Abigail that we'd come for her, no matter the odds and no matter what happened. She agreed to walk away with Holling peacefully; she was well aware of what would have happened if she resisted.
The space monitor raised his glass.
- I swore that, against all odds, we would save her. I want to keep that promise and rescue her. After all, she's my friend, too.
Virgil sat down, pouring himself and Scott another shot. He asked, curiously:
- You seem to have spoken a lot to her.
- She kept going to the kitchen in the middle of the night, fixing herself hot cocoa and hanging on the patio under the night sky. Every time I went to check on her, she told me how nice it was. Her take on life is simple and refreshing.
Virgil smiled, remembering the time he had spent looking at the stars with Abigail. He sighed.
- We'll get to watch the night sky again soon. We're all in this together.
Raising their glasses, they all gulped down their shot. Gordon looked at his brothers and, wishing to imitate them, took a shot of whisky for himself. Raising his glass, he added:
- I didn't get the chance to be very close to her. At first, I was afraid of her, I guess. She was so… so assertive, and fearless, and that look in her eyes… like if she could stare down death itself. I'm sorry for the bad puns and the weird comments. Abigail is a good person.
He sipped his whisky with the tip of his lips first before shutting his eyes tightly and gulping it down. He immediately added some water on top to get the strong taste out of his mouth.
Alan had been listening to their statements, remaining silent and monitoring the communications from atop the space station. Once his brothers had begun eating, he forwarded a call from Tracy Island. It was Zeta.
- Friends, the meeting is arranged with our makeup artist in two days. This leaves you very little time before the event. Once you are ready, I can book you on a flight that will send you directly to Olympus. Oh and, please, tell me that old woman is not the only cook in your house. I am literally forced to starve myself.
Scott took over.
- You can either have Grandma or Max cook you something. Either way, it won't be fine dining. Send us all the information for the meeting, we'll rendezvous there.
A sigh of relief came through.
- Good. I'm leaving today. We shall meet in San Francisco then. I'll be waiting for you at this café in the fashion district. Oh and, please don't dress like idiots. I wouldn't want us to stick out like sour thumbs.
The connexion closed. John sighed.
- Charming as ever. Where did she get that cockiness from, I wonder? She was awfully more collaborative when we saved her from Bereznik.
Alan shrugged
- I dunno, but it's going to be a good thing to have her off the island. She has been snooping around a lot. Brains has been babysitting her for a few days now and telling her to stay away from the hangars. She's seen a bit too much to my taste.
Scott answered his younger brother's concerns.
- She has been helpful in supplying us with information regarding both Bereznik and Holling. Let's keep it at that. If she leaves, it's going to be a win-win situation. Once she's out of our hands though, we cannot guarantee her safety and she knows it. We'll have to notify Penelope about that.
- True that, bro. I'll let you guys finish your lunch. I'm gonna fix myself something to eat. See ya!
As the astronaut disconnected, the brothers resumed their dinner. It was very late and all of them were wary of their day, especially Scott who showed signs of fatigue during the entire meal without giving in. They all turned in for the night, welcoming the well-earned rest. The days to come were going to be challenging.
- Lady Penelope Craighton-Ward, what a pleasant surprise. We had no idea you were going to visit us. Please, take a seat.
The front desk secretary at Tracy Industries was quite surprised when the lady arrived, followed closely behind by her trusted butler. Penelope smiled, tucking a lock of hair back under her haute-couture cashmere beret. Her wound had improved slowly during the past day as she traveled to the heart of the United States in search of answers.
She was escorted immediately to the Department of Accounting and Finances. Thanks to a failsafe Jeff Tracy implemented with the board of directors, if ever he was unable to complete his duties, Penelope would become one of the main liquidators, deciding the fate of Tracy Industries. He knew the emotional strain on his sons would make them vulnerable to rash decisions. It was wiser for it to be overseen by someone a little more detached. Her nomination was official following an emergency board meeting where the temporary absence of Jeff Tracy was confirmed. There was no mention of disappearance in any form, as they did not want the investors to panic. Activities in the company were to resume normally and the board would keep to themselves about the situation for now.
The business with Holling industries was confirmed. Some important components were manufactured by the pharmaceutical which were traded with Tracy industries. Nothing out of the ordinary there. The fact that this had been going on meant that even if there was a scandal, there was little they could do to detach themselves from the business. The money transfers were deemed legitimate.
Going through a multitude of papers along with accountants and runners from the department, the Lady noted that several transactions and money transfers had been made towards a personal bank account. Every time, the amounts did not exceed one thousand American dollars, a threshold amount that would raise a flag. It took them several hours to dig up every transaction linked to this particular account. This discrepancy had been going on for more than five years. The account, after validation, was linked to a man on the payroll of Tracy Industries going by the name of "Dan Tracy", job title "Asset Manager Assistant". The man's file was complete, with a very detailed hiring contract signed by none other than Jeff himself. The only information mentioned was that he was an external correspondent; there was no picture of him in his file. The job title did not refer to any position in the company and, most of all, Dan had never showed up for work at the Tracy building. Before calling it a fraud, she wanted to get to the bottom of things.
With Dan Tracy's file in hand, she decided to pay the man a visit. It was not very far from her current location: his home address was in New Mexico, a neighboring state. After all this hard work, she was reminded her wound had still not fully healed and proceeded to change the dressing quickly in order to save her light pink crepe dress from becoming a mess. Parker helped her right before taking off.
They landed some ten kilometers away, on a desert road before reaching the interstate. The location of the man's residence was very remote, although less than an hour away from the Tracy Ranch. Upon reaching the dirt road leading to the house, they noticed it had nothing to do with the well-maintained Tracy secondary residence. This country house was worn, the white paint scaling from the boards, the front porch dirty with dried weeds and sand. An old truck was parked in the entryway, something Parker would qualify as a vintage vehicle. Penelope knew better than to judge, International Rescue operatives were rather less likely to lead a very flashy life. Yet, none of them were on Tracy Industries' payroll.
The front door's screen window was completely torn. She wondered for a moment if the place was abandoned. Parker led the way and knocked on the door, making himself the first line if there ever came trouble while the Lady waited on the side. A man in his 50s opened the door, casually dressed in blue jeans, fancy leather boots, and a checkered shirt; the staple cowboy look. His well-cut brown hair was gelled and shiny; he exhibited a rather strong musky scent from his cologne which did not leave Penelope indifferent. Showing a bit of annoyance, he answered abruptly
- Yes? May I help you with something?
Parker made way for his Lady. At her sight, the man's mood softened, but he still remained in the door frame.
- I've got something on the fire. If you would be so kind to tell me the reason for your visit?
Penelope smiled.
- Dan Tracy? We have a few questions.
The man, visibly surprised to be named as such, invited the pair inside without further ado, leading them towards the kitchen. He motioned for them to sit down at the table while he busied himself cooking. Whatever it was, the smell was strong, reminding Parker of canned American chili he had once during his army days. The man served himself the dish and began eating standing, bowl in hand.
- Forgive me if I don't offer you any. I hardly have enough for one.
- We are not here to abuse your generosity, sir. We will be brief. What is your relationship with the Tracy family?
He took a second to swallow.
- Why do you want to know?
- I am appointed by Jeff Tracy to oversee some of the aspects of his company while he is on… temporary leave…
- So he is, yes, I am aware.
The man sat down, resting his bowl of chili on the table
- You must be Lady Penelope Craighton-Ward. Jeff told me about you. What is it you want to know?
- I trust your name isn't Tracy, is it?
- Nope. That's the name Jeff Tracy wanted me to go by on the payroll. This means you've put your nose in the finances and the company is going to fire me now.
He sounded annoyed. She went on.
- They will not fire you if I have a say in it. But your story must be convincing. Please, I would like to hear it.
He finished his bowl of chili in silence. It took a good five minutes for him to begin speaking.
- Well… here goes. Jeff Tracy hired me after the war. I was under his command and running some… operations… for him. Some of the not very legal kind. It was necessary, you see, the post-war context was complex. I don't have to explain to you how covered ops go, being an agent yourself.
She was baffled at how much this man knew.
- Mister Tracy, what is your real name?
He smiled.
- If I told you, this would defeat my entire purpose. It was a gift for my new life. Using the last name of Tracy and being hired by the big boss would divert unwanted attention. A spoiled half-brother, an illegitimate son… HR don't go around and ask questions when they see the name. Since I'm neither, I was asked to do my part, and not cause trouble. So far, guess I've been doing a pretty good job, don't you think?
- And why is he paying you?
- For many things. I've looked over the Ranch while the boys are away. The other part of my job is making sure Tracy Industries don't run into any scandals. I supply them with information and make sure the company stays clean.
Parker frowned.
- Sir… beg your pardon but… how do you manage this?
The man looked straight in Parker's eyes. The old butler suddenly became very, very frightened. Penelope noticed and drew her attendant's attention. He turned towards her.
- M'lady… this man is…
Dan smiled.
- Good guess, old man. I know you for being a nimble thief but you will never get so low as to reach my level.
Penelope was intrigued yet she changed the subject. Whatever spooked Parker would have surely given her shivers. She went on, stating the purpose of their visit.
- We are looking for information about Marcus Holling. There is a lot going on and we are working actively on gathering proof. If you are working in the shadows, can you help us?
The man smirked.
- Even one of Britain's most prized agents can't come up with enough evidence to frame Marcus Holling? He is an untouchable man, but not that untouchable. The information gathered here is more than you can ever bargain for. I will let you access all my painstakingly gathered files if you agree to two things.
She frowned.
- Which are?
- First, I want a raise. Can barely eat proper food with the salary I'm on right now. Second, my discretionary fund is getting very, very low. I'll need a good million or so in order to stock up on material.
Penelope smiled, holding back her surprise.
- A… million dollars…?
The man put his elbow on the table, a flirty smile on his face.
- My Lady, do you know how much information costs these days? Much more than you'd like to pay for it. The world is in turmoil, a war has started and the Olympus dream is back on the map for the rich and famous. There is a lot we need to look into in very little time, which requires a lot more funds. Now then, if you want to peruse my collection of information…
He looked at his wristwatch.
- I will allow you until midnight. Since it is noon, you have exactly twelve hours to dig up whatever you wish. Afterward, it will cost you extra. So, if our deal is good, you call Tracy Industries, have my salary and discretionary fund deposited, then you will gain access to my personal vault for twelve hours.
Penelope extended her hand.
- Done deal. I wager you will require me to make this efficient now?
- That would be a nice touch. I don’t like freeloaders.
She took up her communicator. Dan raised a finger.
- Not in the house, please. This place is a Faraday cage, no outbound communication will go through.
The Lady pulled up quite a few strings and succeeded in handing Dan the digital contract. After reading it carefully, and being satisfied with the outcome, he led the way, heading towards what looked like a cupboard. Inside, the sheer amount of preserved gave Penelope a stomach ache. After rotating a jar, the floor gave way to a shaft accessible through a metallic ladder. Once they had reached the cellar, retinal scans and fingerprint recognition were required. The system recognized Dan as Agent 1815 and let him inside.
The room was a treasure trove of paper, the walls placated with news articles dating as far back as the end of the war. Five different television sets were displaying news from all over the world while multiple computers analyzed data found online. Parker went towards the walls while Penelope grabbed a tablet near her where she could read the headlines about Olympus. The article was in Greek, but the automatic translator had done its job. Dan remained at the entrance.
- Feel free to gather all you can. I trust you won't need to be walked through how to work with those systems. They are the same both the British and American Intelligence agencies use. If anything goes wrong… provide you don't start a fire on purpose, ring this button right there.
He pointed towards the wall, where there was a button labeled "service".
- Otherwise, I will see you in twelve hours. There is food and beer in the fridge, and freshwater from the evaporator also.
Penelope looked at him.
- You will be locking us up for twelve hours?
Dan nodded.
- Standard procedure. I'm sorry Lady Penelope, but there is no way I can just let the door of this place open. Jeff would not forgive me for that, even to help you. There is too much at stake here. Well, good luck in your search.
The door closed. Both Parker and Penelope were left alone with an insane amount of information.
As she went around, she noticed a very large file containing all the information regarding the first lawsuit against Marcus Holling. After looking through it, it struck her: this man, Dan, was the one who had gathered most of the evidence leading to the initial prosecution! Parker stared at the wall, uneasy. Displayed were articles about the murders of high military officials right after the end of the war, those who had refused the peace, glued as a mural in chronological order.
The lady approached him.
- Parker, we had better make good use of our time here. This man… I would have loved to know how he knew about Jeff and why.
Parker looked at the Lady; she had never seen him with such dread in his eyes.
- M'Lady… this man is…
- What? A corporate spy? Yes, I noticed, but …
He stopped her.
- No, M'lady. This man is a corporate assassin. We had better meet his demands, gather all we need, and leave.
- I don't understand, Parker. Why are you so sure this man is what you claim?
- He literally admitted it. "You will not get so low as to reach my level". He keeps the articles of his doings… and most of all, he is looking for new targets.
- Do you believe he might be hired to kill Holling?
- Doubt it, m'Lady. If he is keeping Tracy Industries out of the waters, he is only going to work for their interests. Might as well profit from the time we have in order to do research, then leave and never come back.
The Lady nodded as they began working their way through the sheer quantity of information handed to them.
After eleven hours, they had gone through most of the relevant documents regarding the Holling case: war crimes pinned against him, proof of the kidnapping of minorities in third world countries, ledgers and bank notes paid to mercenary forces for achieving political goals, evidence of blackmail, money laundering, and stocks manipulation. Along with the footage from the laboratories stocked in the black boxes at Tracy Island, this would be enough to forge a new very solid case.
Penelope eventually stumbled upon a hidden file cabinet. In it, she found information about the Keepers. This was unusual, as most of the information gathered had not covered the Olympus topic extensively. The file contained mostly pictures of the Keepers, and rarely seen ones at that. Going through the documentation, she found out that, in most of the pictures, Abigail was circled. As she withdrew a picture, a voice coming from behind startled her.
- This is my private project. Please, put it back.
Penelope held on to the picture, inquisitive.
- Why are you so interested in Abigail? Is she your next target?
She could see the man's face remain neutral. He slowly grabbed the cut-out from Penelope's fingers and put it back in the file, closing it with care.
- If I were you, I'd not overstay my welcome. Have you gotten what you came for?
Penelope gathered her things.
- We would still have an hour of time left per our agreement mister Tracy. Are we being cut short?
Dan nodded. He pressed every word of his sentence.
- You are beginning to look around too much, this means that you are done.
She motioned to Parker, who did not dawdle. As she was leaving, she looked at the man who was putting away the file.
- Why are you looking for her?
Dan remained silent for a moment, before adding.
- This, my Lady, is a question I cannot answer. Maybe one day, you'll know.
Penelope and Parker left the house, escorted by Dan to the door. Without even proper etiquette, he slammed the door shut behind her. It seemed this particular file had triggered something in the man which piqued her curiosity.
As they were taking off, Parker remained completely silent. His relief was palpable as they were leaving the area.
- Where to, m'Lady?
- Back to Tracy Island, Parker. We need to put together everything we gathered. And I believe a little digging into this mister Dan Tracy is mandatory.
It was morning when the aircraft landed in Olympus. Kayo had little sleep since her encounter in London. She kept replaying the fight in her head, again and again, trying to make sense of what has happened.
Scott? It couldn't be. He must be playing with my head.
Entering her room, she noticed that Alexandar had been waiting for her. In a fit of anger, she threw her helmet at him. He dodged, not being very strong but still a nimble little man. Trying to calm her down, his hands in front of him, he asked:
- Please! Wait! Explain to me what is wrong! Are you having a fit? A breakdown?
She eventually succeeded in grabbing him.
- Tell me what you did to my head. Why did this happen?
- Wha… what happened? Nothing happened!
- Are you trying to put the faces of my brothers on my enemies? What is your game?
- But there was no game. This man you saw…
The young scientist understood.
- I see. You thought this man was your brother. You believe I've changed your thought patterns, right? But I didn't. The only modification to your brain was with your inhibitions...
They were both startled by a knock at the door. It opened, revealing Doctor Hanse closely followed behind by a fully suited Athena. Hands joined in his back, the old man looked at Kayo.
- Why don't you have your helmet on, young lady? You are a Keeper, you are Artemis. Take pride in it!
His last statement sounded like an order. Alexandar, head lowered, picked up the helmet and handed it to her. She hesitated a second before putting it back on.
- Good. Now is no time to rest. You'll have a chance to remove your helmet and your suit only when we are done. Come now, be honored that I chose to come and fetch you in person. I'm not some lowly attendant.
Turning towards Alexandar, Hanse gestured for him to follow close behind him. Athena remained silent, following the chief scientist as he exited the room. Kayo caught up with them, keeping a certain distance from the old man. She opened communication with Abigail.
- Abigail? Are you all right?
Abigail turned her head towards her.
- I'm fine. Why?
- You didn't look fine the other day. Just checking.
- I don't remember meeting you before. When was that?
Kayo wondered for a moment what kind of experiments they might have done on her last time they met. Did they manage to manipulate her memory as well?
They approached the main Olympus complex, a gigantic exhibit hall composed of iridescent glass panels. More than a hundred people were working on setting up a stage, and booths, preparing the hall for some sort of event.
Hanse began explaining in detail the purpose of the Investors' Circle and their annual meetings. This year, the meeting would be held here. And the main exhibit was the Keepers.
- Sadly, we were unable to secure a proper Chronos in time, but we are working actively on having one from the lab in time. As for Hermes, we are still working on test flights, providing this one will not have a heart attack.
The old man laughed, followed by Alexandar who forced himself to laugh at the old man's shady jokes. Kayo looked at Abigail who remained strangely still once they stopped. She opened a secure channel between the two.
- What is that about Chronos and Hermes?
- In the same fashion you were altered, the two chosen candidates have to go through extensive modifications. Their genetics are not as flawless as yours. Your last mission was to recuperate the perfect candidate for the role of Chronos, which you failed. As for Hermes, the chosen one has a very frail heart, which is, unfortunately, the most important organ to consider for this role.
- You mean they keep on resuscitating him?
- Oh, no. This is much too damaging for the pericardium. They are trying their third heart transplant. The candidate rejected the first two. Let's hope this one works. Otherwise, it'll fall to the two of us to do the presentation.
- Presentation?
Hanse cut their discussion short.
- Have you been listening, young lady? As I said, you two should get along and put up a nice presentation. The long-awaited Awakening is going to happen and you will lead the opening number. We need to showcase our genius in order to secure funding. I'll leave the two of you to decide how you are going to do this. Now, go downstairs and check on the installations.
Leaving the two young women, Hanse departed, accompanied by Alexandar.
Abigail walked towards the installations, studying them in silence. Kayo resumed her conversation.
- What do we do?
- Let's put up the same number as last time.
- What number? I'm not the same Artemis as last time, you know.
- True. Unless Simon lost a large amount of mass, that would be medically impossible.
Simon?
Kayo remembered the young man who had been so nice to her at the facility. She also remembered his blown skull. For a moment, flashbacks of her time in the cell, followed by the dreams before waking up to Alexandar in the lab plagued her mind. Her hands were shaking. Abigail noticed.
- Are you having withdrawal symptoms? Let me help.
The bioengineer took out a small vial from one of the pouches on her suit’s leg and inserted it in Kayo's helmet.
There was a very light sting to her neck, then the shaking stopped and her thoughts became clear. She asked.
- What was it? How did you manage to make the thoughts go away?
- You need to run on juice. I've adjusted your dosage since you're new to it. This vial should get you through the week.
Dosage? Juice? Oh no…
She had been injected with Acidosemine in the lab before. It did chase away the and help her regain control of her body. If it was required for her to be functional, she might want to stick with it for a while.
Abigail had resumed her study of the layout.
- You have a retinal lens, yes? And a basic cerebrum computer? You'll have to fire your own projectiles; I can't do it for you.
- What now? I don't get it. What projectiles?
- Your mini rockets. You do know you have an array of weapons in your exosuit, right?
That was it. Abigail was speaking so casually as if she expected her to have knowledge of every aspect of her past. Kayo turned towards her and asked.
- Just how much do you remember about yourself? Do you remember Tracy Island?
Abigail thought for a moment.
- Can't say. Either I've forgotten or it's very far away in my memory.
- And the boys? And Virgil?
As she pronounced the name, Abigail seemed to be hesitant in her moves. Judging by her reaction, the words had gotten through.
- It… it does but…
She clenched her fist as if trying to fight away something. It was hard for Kayo to try to assess Abigail's reactions without seeing her face. After a few seconds, she walked slowly toward the stage and replied.
- I don't remember… I can't…
Her reaction changed abruptly.
- We have to stay focused. There is very little time before the guests arrive and Mister Holling is not going to appreciate not having an opening act. Do you want me to brief you on the original choreography?
Kayo acquiesced. She added.
- In exchange for you briefing me, I'd like to offer some help with your memory.
- My memory? It's perfect as it is… why?
- Thought you'd benefit from some reminiscence.
The two women worked their way back to the residential complex after touring the site extensively. Kayo had succeeded in reaching Abigail's mind, a feat she could not boast about to anyone yet. She had to try and bring her back to her senses if she ever wanted a chance of leaving the island; the help of an original Keeper was her best guess.