- Chapter 12 -
Little Sister
It was hot and humid in Bethlehem the day Michael Christ Sr. and his wife brought home their fourth child. Mr. Christ laughed and tears streamed down his rosy cheeks and fell like waterfalls onto his burly belly. Evangeline Christ craddled her daughter proudly in her arms, rocking her gently as her two eldest boys came running up the hall, smiling and laughing as the nanny chased their tales, .
"I wanna see her!" Michael said, pushing in front of his younger brothers to catch a peek at the new baby.
"What's her name, mom?" Martin asked, tugging at his mother's skirt. He barely reached her waist and stood on his tippy-toes to get a glimpse of his sister.
"Give your mother some room to breathe, boys," Mr. Christ said amidst burst of laughter, unable to catch his breathe himself. Later, Evangeline had told her kids that she had never seen her husband laugh so much in her life.
Michael and Martin ran to the lavish living room in the west wing, the one reserved for special occasions. Only the oldest child remembered his parents hosting an event in this room - Mr. Christ was a wealthy politician in the big city of Jerusalem - Martin was too young and Malcom was barely a year old.
The two brothers were sitting still when their parents finally joined them by the fire. Martin thought, with the glow of the fire reflecting off her, that his mother ressembled an angel. Yes, she had fair hair and skin white as snow but what really stood out to Martin was her smile and the joy that radiated from that smile. A smile that could warm any childs heart.
Evangeline caught him admiring her and blew him a kiss. She sat on the rocking chair and began to bounce her feet just ever so slightly, rocking gently back and forth. "Her name is Mary" she said, kissing the top of her baby's soft head.
"I love that name, mom!" Martin said, jumping off his chair and running to his mother. She giggled and gently lowered the blanket to show her new daughter to her admiring son.
Mr. Christ was resting against the massive oak mantle piece above the fireplace in his most expensive suit. It was custom to search the closet for the one and only three-piece suit and dust it off before joining your wife at the hospital. His eldest, Michael Jr., was immitating his father. He tried to seem taller by craning his neck and stepping on the tip of his toes.
As much as Martin enjoyed his sister and her arrival, Michael was more excited about having his father around the house again. While Martin was capable of taking care of himself, even at the tender age of six, Michael was unaware of how things worked around the house. He was two years older, yet had little to no knowledge of responisbility and care of one's self. He shadowed his father everywhere he went.
Mr. Christ was just about ready to bring the match to the tip of his cigar when the first of many explosions sounded off in the distance. The kids jolted and their nanny came rushing into the living room with the other baby, Malcom.
"It is the Sicarii, sir. They have opened fire against the Agency" Mabel screamed as she came into the family room, Malcom dangling a little too loosely off her hip. Evangeline gently handed over Mary to her husband and grabbed both the boys by the hands. They cried as she guided them towards the backyard.
"Come on, cowboys, to the backyard" Evangeline half-whispered. Michael seemed calm enough but Martin detected the panic in her tone.
The Christ family was fortunate enough to be born into money and never had to worry about bomb shelters and survival kits. They had everything they needed in their backyard bunker. Michael Jr. was never really aware of the real problems that affected the people outside the walls of Christ Manor. Martin, however, was very much aware of the present danger that lingered in the city streets.
When they reached the back door, the city sirens were blaring loud pulses, warning the citizens of Bethlehem to seek shelter immediately. The Sicarii was a very powerful organization with ties to the Fallen Angel. The Jerusalem War was looming overhead and the arial strike tonight began it all. Nothing would be able to stop the War now. Once begun, it would never cease.
Evangeline finally made it to the bunker. She struggled with the heavy door but was finally sucessful in her attempts to pry the damn thing open. She shooed her two boys in and just then Mabel stepped out with Mary and Malcom.
"Where's Michael?" Evangeline gasped, when she noticed her husband wasn't besides the plump nanny.
"He took up arms in the front lawn. Says he will fight back" Mabel answered, in her usual broken english. She handed over the infant Malcom and baby girl Mary over to their mother. Evangeline placed them down gently in the makeshift cribs and looked severly at her two eldest children.
"Stay here. Don't make a sound. And make sure nothing happens to Mary." She warned them. Fear had now found and nestled itself in the bottom of Martin's stomach. His mother seldom talked with such a shaky voice. She was going to find their father. And something in her tone foreshadowed her fate. Evangeline Christ was leaving them in the bunker to find her husband, and she didn't think she was coming back.
She turned around to mask the tears that were rolling down her cheeks and gave out her last order to Mabel before shutting them all up in the bunker and sealing the door off to the rest of the world. She placed two fingers to her lips and then glided them over the solid metal door.
"Goodbye my loves" She said to herself in the midst of the explosions and the ear-splitting sounds that eminated from the bombs. She spun around and ran through the house to join her husband.
Mr. Christ was resting against the massive oak mantle piece above the fireplace in his most expensive suit. It was custom to search the closet for the one and only three-piece suit and dust it off before joining your wife at the hospital. His eldest, Michael Jr., was immitating his father. He tried to seem taller by craning his neck and stepping on the tip of his toes.
As much as Martin enjoyed his sister and her arrival, Michael was more excited about having his father around the house again. While Martin was capable of taking care of himself, even at the tender age of six, Michael was unaware of how things worked around the house. He was two years older, yet had little to no knowledge of responisbility and care of one's self. He shadowed his father everywhere he went.
Mr. Christ was just about ready to bring the match to the tip of his cigar when the first of many explosions sounded off in the distance. The kids jolted and their nanny came rushing into the living room with the other baby, Malcom.
"It is the Sicarii, sir. They have opened fire against the Agency" Mabel screamed as she came into the family room, Malcom dangling a little too loosely off her hip. Evangeline gently handed over Mary to her husband and grabbed both the boys by the hands. They cried as she guided them towards the backyard.
"Come on, cowboys, to the backyard" Evangeline half-whispered. Michael seemed calm enough but Martin detected the panic in her tone.
The Christ family was fortunate enough to be born into money and never had to worry about bomb shelters and survival kits. They had everything they needed in their backyard bunker. Michael Jr. was never really aware of the real problems that affected the people outside the walls of Christ Manor. Martin, however, was very much aware of the present danger that lingered in the city streets.
When they reached the back door, the city sirens were blaring loud pulses, warning the citizens of Bethlehem to seek shelter immediately. The Sicarii was a very powerful organization with ties to the Fallen Angel. The Jerusalem War was looming overhead and the arial strike tonight began it all. Nothing would be able to stop the War now. Once begun, it would never cease.
Evangeline finally made it to the bunker. She struggled with the heavy door but was finally sucessful in her attempts to pry the damn thing open. She shooed her two boys in and just then Mabel stepped out with Mary and Malcom.
"Where's Michael?" Evangeline gasped, when she noticed her husband wasn't besides the plump nanny.
"He took up arms in the front lawn. Says he will fight back" Mabel answered, in her usual broken english. She handed over the infant Malcom and baby girl Mary over to their mother. Evangeline placed them down gently in the makeshift cribs and looked severly at her two eldest children.
"Stay here. Don't make a sound. And make sure nothing happens to Mary." She warned them. Fear had now found and nestled itself in the bottom of Martin's stomach. His mother seldom talked with such a shaky voice. She was going to find their father. And something in her tone foreshadowed her fate. Evangeline Christ was leaving them in the bunker to find her husband, and she didn't think she was coming back.
She turned around to mask the tears that were rolling down her cheeks and gave out her last order to Mabel before shutting them all up in the bunker and sealing the door off to the rest of the world. She placed two fingers to her lips and then glided them over the solid metal door.
"Goodbye my loves" She said to herself in the midst of the explosions and the ear-splitting sounds that eminated from the bombs. She spun around and ran through the house to join her husband.
- Chapter 13 -
New Quarters
They told him he had a choice. Gave him options as to what he could do next. Grieving of course, wasn't one of them. He could go to the oprhanage with his younger sister and brother. Get adopted, live a nice life. They offered him another option, one Michael took gladly. He could join a elite group of people that wanted to change the world. The Agency.
Martin accepted the offer, preferring by far to spend the next several years with his older brother. He was still young and, forgive him but, he was traumatized from the death of his parents. He had little time to think and didn't realize that he would no longer see his younger siblings anymore and forever. To his youthful mind, he was simply leaving for the summer with his older brother to a training camp.
That his why no tears were shed when Mary and Malcom were taken from the home and dissapeared in the back of a stretch limousine. The War was over and the good guys had won. Mother and father have passed. Mary and Malcom have left.
Martin turned towards his brother to seek comfort but only found anger and chagrin. Some of the men that were searching the home were now exiting from the front door and into their respective cars. They scared Martin; in they way they moved, how they didn't communicate but knew what to do as if hypnotized. One of them grabbed Michael then another grabbed Martin and they left the house, leaving behind his stuffed camel.
******
All Martin can see is darkness. He is surrounded by nothing. The room he was being held in was cold and the floor was rough. It has been like this for the past three days. He missed his fourteenth birthday. He had been punished before for disobeying orders but never as severly as this time. Never had they locked him up in a bare room with nothing to eat and little water, and subzero temperature atop all of that.
Martin was crouched in the middle of the room. His knees were tucked under his chin and his arms were wrapped around his shaking knees. He was lost in thought. DIsoriented. Hungry. He didn't budge when the door finally swung open and light creeped in.
"You can go back to your quarters" the big burly guard shouted as if speaking to no one in particular.
Martin lifted his head with immense effort, his energy drained. The beam of light that sparkled in from the crack in the door partially blinded him. He squinted and his eyes adjusted to the stark contrats of the light. He slowly got up from his crouched position, hiding his genitals with his hands. There wasn't a form of punishment more embarassing them being left stark naked in a frigid and dark room.
He walked passed the big-bellied guard and could swear he was checking him out. Martin's face reddened as he marched on forward towards his room. He could barely call it a room, it ressembled much more a prisoner's cell then a trainee's room.
The embarassment did not stop at the enclosed, darkened room. Martin had to pass by all the other trainees, all of whom would stop their activities to stare, point, laugh. If Martin hadn't made the decision of joining the Agency back when he was still a kid, this treatment would surely have made him think twice.
When he finally reached the confines of his small, tapestry-heavy bedroom, he noticed a new tenant had taken up place. Martin hadn't had a roommate in several months. He was pleased though to find that this new roomie was female. Hot female.
"Please, do make yourself comfortable" Martin suggested, deciding just then to stop hiding his family jewels.
The girl took one long look at Martin then sighed. A small arc formed itself in the right corner of her lips. She seemed amused. "Don't flatter yourself, Martin Christ. I know all about your charming ways" She answered, her voice smooth as silk.
She grabbed what looked like swimming trunks and threw them at Martin. He catched them mid-air and looked at her with bewilderment. "What are there for?"
"Were going swimming, silly." She answered, removing the dress that was the only thing covering her body. She peeked over her shoulder and caught Martin looking at her with eyes that could only be compared with those of a horny lion. "Turn around, please. I thought they still teached manners here" She told him, this time no smile appeared on face.
Martin turned around, smiling to himself. This would be an interesting summer. If only he could refrain from being caught and punished. He slipped on his trunks just as the girl walked passed him. She looked at him as she walked by and smiled. "My name is Anna by the way. Anna Simeon"
Martin was crouched in the middle of the room. His knees were tucked under his chin and his arms were wrapped around his shaking knees. He was lost in thought. DIsoriented. Hungry. He didn't budge when the door finally swung open and light creeped in.
"You can go back to your quarters" the big burly guard shouted as if speaking to no one in particular.
Martin lifted his head with immense effort, his energy drained. The beam of light that sparkled in from the crack in the door partially blinded him. He squinted and his eyes adjusted to the stark contrats of the light. He slowly got up from his crouched position, hiding his genitals with his hands. There wasn't a form of punishment more embarassing them being left stark naked in a frigid and dark room.
He walked passed the big-bellied guard and could swear he was checking him out. Martin's face reddened as he marched on forward towards his room. He could barely call it a room, it ressembled much more a prisoner's cell then a trainee's room.
The embarassment did not stop at the enclosed, darkened room. Martin had to pass by all the other trainees, all of whom would stop their activities to stare, point, laugh. If Martin hadn't made the decision of joining the Agency back when he was still a kid, this treatment would surely have made him think twice.
When he finally reached the confines of his small, tapestry-heavy bedroom, he noticed a new tenant had taken up place. Martin hadn't had a roommate in several months. He was pleased though to find that this new roomie was female. Hot female.
"Please, do make yourself comfortable" Martin suggested, deciding just then to stop hiding his family jewels.
The girl took one long look at Martin then sighed. A small arc formed itself in the right corner of her lips. She seemed amused. "Don't flatter yourself, Martin Christ. I know all about your charming ways" She answered, her voice smooth as silk.
She grabbed what looked like swimming trunks and threw them at Martin. He catched them mid-air and looked at her with bewilderment. "What are there for?"
"Were going swimming, silly." She answered, removing the dress that was the only thing covering her body. She peeked over her shoulder and caught Martin looking at her with eyes that could only be compared with those of a horny lion. "Turn around, please. I thought they still teached manners here" She told him, this time no smile appeared on face.
Martin turned around, smiling to himself. This would be an interesting summer. If only he could refrain from being caught and punished. He slipped on his trunks just as the girl walked passed him. She looked at him as she walked by and smiled. "My name is Anna by the way. Anna Simeon"
- Chapter 14 -
Anna Starts a Chain of Events
"So you never did tell me why you chose the Agency" Anna said.
They were in Babylon Lake yet somehow they avoided the entire point of going to the lake. You could barely qualify their padding around as swimming. Martin and Anna were unable to stop chatting.
" My older brother didn't hesitate when they asked him so I didn't either" Martin answered, matter-of-factly. He could hide his emotions in the mid afternoon sun; his brow was low and his eyes squinted into slits. The events that unfolded several years ago still pained him.
He had never opened up about how he felt that day to anyone in the Agency. None of his closest friends in there would compare to a friend on the outside. They were all robots, formed and molded into a soldier that would serve but one purpose; obey the Boss. Martin was considered a rebel of sorts as he often arrived after curfew, skipped meals, and would start fights with some of the other trainees.
Anna was different. Martin sensed a more human side to her, as if she hadn't let them infiltrate her mind just as he did. She had an amazing aura around her; a light purple glow when the sun lit her just right.
"Do you wonder what happened to your younger siblings?" Anna asked, slicking back her wet blonde hair, water dripping from the ends onto her shoulder. She caught Martin looking at her and it genuinely made her smile.
"Sometimes," he didn't really want to discuss that part of his past. Leaving them behind tore him apart. "I barely remember them" Martin continued.
"I know how you feel. I lost my little sister too. Similar story to yours," Anna said, " Parents fought secretly for the Agency for years. They never hid it from me; they encouraged me to do the same." She sighed, and Martin could feel her pain. Her pain of having to fight, of having to deal, to cope. Children aren't suppose to deal and cope.
"Where did you go afterwards? I mean, where were you before you came here?" Martin asked, soaking his dark shaggy hair in the lake.
"I did a lot of different training camps around Jerusalem. I don't really fit in" She added, with no remorse. She looked uncomfortble with the subject at hand.
Martin agreed. He had switched camps twice already but it didn't help. He didn't feel like he belonged here. It felt like a sentence more then an opportunity. If anyone would here them talking like this, they would most likely be sentenced to prison for treason to the Agency.
The sun was about to set and a sudden chill accompanied the wind. Martin suggested they get out of the lake and take a walk through the woods and back towards the training grounds.
"Sure, it is getting chilly" Anna said, following Martin out of the lake.
They dried off quickly and slipped into their trainee suits; a grey tracksuit with blue stripes running vertically up the sides. They had their names stitched in the front and the back. Christ and Simeon.
"I have a question for you, I mean, since you're so blunt about disliking the Agency." Martin hesitated. He wanted to be careful not to be overheard. He whispered: "Why do you think Jerusalem is unaware of the Sicarii if they're such a big threat?"
Anna stopped walking, confusion splattered across her face. "That's your secret question?" She looked at him funny, then brushed her fair hair behind her pointy ears. Martin had just noticed how very different she looked. Her expresions alone were bizarre. But her features were very peculiar as well. He had never seen anything like it in all of Jerusalem. He was about to question her heritage when Anna grabbed him by the hand and began walking towards the cliff that overlooked the Ocean.
"What are you getting at, Anna?" Martin asked, going along with whatever she had in mind.
"I have a question that is worth answering." She replied, walking straight towards the edge of the land. "It might answer yours as well in time."
They got to the cliff overlooking the Ocean. It was beautiful as the sun set in the horizon. Different shades of purples and blues reflected off the endless sheet of water.
"How far do you think that body of water stretches?" Anna asked.
"It seems endless. Why are you asking that?"
"Because, Martin, have you ever wondered what was outside this city, this country? What lived beyond Hopecity, beyond Jerusalem?"
Martin started. Something about that question was just unimaginable. There was nothing outside of the country of Jerusalem. How can somebody even suggest, let alone imagine such a ghostly idea.
"No, I haven't. Where did you even get such an idea?" Martin asked, almost ashamed of being involved in this discussion. He suddenly felt disconnected from Anna.
"I haven't been exactly honest with you about my past" She said, looking away from Martin, "My parents weren't from Jerusalem. In fact, they aren't from this body of land at all."
"Where are they from?" He asked, oddly curious. He felt connected again. Theories and secret societies was his favourite subject. He knew she looked different somehow.
"Across the Ocean." She said looking back at Martin. "And they're not dead. I'm telling you this because I see potential in you, Martin. You will impact the life of the Chosen One."
Martin suddenly felt shaky in the knees. The edge of the cliff looked too close for comfort and it made him nauseaus. He knelt and then sat down on the solid rock.
"How did you get in here? How did you become a trainee?" Martin asked.
"I am not a trainee, Martin. I have unique abilities that help me guide my way around certain obstacles. But there is one in particular that I can't seem to overcome. That is where you come in play." She said, sitting down beside Martin. "Well, you don't really do anything. A future family member of yours will."
"A future family member?"
"I can't say anymore, Martin. But I can start the process. We found Mary and Malcom."
Martin's brow twitched. All the rage and the anger he felt inside all these years for leaving them behind finally came to the surface and he began to cry.
"If you want, we can walk right out of here and nobody will ever remember you being part of the Agency?"
"I want to see them," was all Martin could say.
"Consider your past erased." Anna said, smiling.
- Chapter 15 -
Erased
Martin felt as if he was in a movie. He was walking just behind Anna Simeon down a very long and narrow corridor lined with rounded doors on either side. Her walk was rapid, and to the point. She didn't look back nor talked to Martin until they reached the final door on the left.
Anna, who had changed back into her own normal wear, a lilac-coloured fitted dress, stood on the opposite side of the door and gestured at Martin to enter the room. "Mary and Malcom are in there. They want to see you too."
He hesitated. Martin stood still in front of Anna, not knowing whether he should go back to the past or move forward. Anna had promised that either way, he was free to leave the Agency. She had made sure of that. Nobody had ever made him question the meaning of life like this. He had spent most of his life barricated inside training compounds for what? He had never received any form of gratitude for the dedication he showed to the Boss.
He also was hesitant about trusting Anna. Obviously this underground facility had to be controlled and operated by a few hundre people. Who was she working for? Sweat started beading down Martin's forehead as the realisation that maybe this wasn't a family reunion. He noticed Anna becoming uneasy. Something wasn't right.
"What's going on, Anna?" Martin asked, looking over his shoulder. He didn't feel safe anymore and his heart began to thump in his chest. The overbearing sensation of terror had invaded him.
"What do you mean? Just...go visit your family." She didn't look at Martin when she spoke to him. She held the door with one hand and tugged sporadically at the hem of her short dress with the other. She kept her focus on the floor at all times.
"They're not there, are they?" Martin asked. "ARE THEY?!"
Anna skipped when he raised his voice. She looked at Martin, tears forming a river in her bottom lids until they could hold no more and cascaded down her pearly-white face. Her lips quivered.
"No they're not. I'm so sorry it had to be this way"
Martin didn't truly understand the meaning of her words until he felt a shocking sensation vibrating through his neck. His muscles tightened and he collapsed to the floor. But before his vision faded, he noticed Anna blowing him a kiss.
*****
When he woke up he found himself in a hospital room. He tried to move but it quickly became apparent that he had been sedated. His muscles throbbed with pain, a pounding headache was threatening to shatter his skull, and his stomach rumbled with sinful lust for food.
The first thing he noticed was that his long dark hair had been trimmed to nothing but an inch long. He looked around his room. There was an I.D tag by the bed. Martin Christ, 16 years old, 5'9... Wherever he was, at least he knew that he was officially out of the Agency. They wouldn't dare have his real name printed anywhere where Jerusalem officials could find them.
He was just about ready to pass out when the nurse came in to check up on him. She checked his stats and then looked at Martin.
"Are you the son of Michael Christ Sr. and Evangeline?" The nurse asked.
"Yes," Martin answered. There was no point denying it now. His stats were available to everyone now. Things were different.
The nurse fumbled in her pockets and took what look like a picture out and handed it to Martin. It was a photgraph of a girl, about eight years old. She looked just like mom, he thought.
"Who is this girl?"
"Isn't it odd that you show up here, in Babylon, out of nowhere, and you just happen to be the brother of my adopted daughter? Now be honest, Martin Christ, who sent you here?"
He didn't notice at first, what with being sedated and all, but the nurse's voice stirred up forgotten memories of the night his family was destroyed. She was there. Her name was Jenna Crown. Whatever Anna did it worked. She didn't seem to remember Martin joining the Agency.
"I was visiting the statues as part of my school project." Martin forced himself to say. He didn't mean to lie, but he couldn't go back to the Agency. Although he didn't trust Anna anymore, he didn't feel right exposing her. That would only open doors to other questions.
The nurse seemed to accept his answer as being the truth. She promised that as soon as he was recovered, she would organize a reunion with Mary. She closed the lights on his bedside and told him to rest.
Martin couldn't move to his side and had no choice but to stare up at the ceiling. He wondered why Anna has sent him here, at the southern tip of Jerusalem? He knew it was her, there was no doubt about that. Was it to be reunited with Mary or was there something more to it?, he wondered. He closed his eyes and prayed that his troubles would be over.
"Are you the son of Michael Christ Sr. and Evangeline?" The nurse asked.
"Yes," Martin answered. There was no point denying it now. His stats were available to everyone now. Things were different.
The nurse fumbled in her pockets and took what look like a picture out and handed it to Martin. It was a photgraph of a girl, about eight years old. She looked just like mom, he thought.
"Who is this girl?"
"Isn't it odd that you show up here, in Babylon, out of nowhere, and you just happen to be the brother of my adopted daughter? Now be honest, Martin Christ, who sent you here?"
He didn't notice at first, what with being sedated and all, but the nurse's voice stirred up forgotten memories of the night his family was destroyed. She was there. Her name was Jenna Crown. Whatever Anna did it worked. She didn't seem to remember Martin joining the Agency.
"I was visiting the statues as part of my school project." Martin forced himself to say. He didn't mean to lie, but he couldn't go back to the Agency. Although he didn't trust Anna anymore, he didn't feel right exposing her. That would only open doors to other questions.
The nurse seemed to accept his answer as being the truth. She promised that as soon as he was recovered, she would organize a reunion with Mary. She closed the lights on his bedside and told him to rest.
Martin couldn't move to his side and had no choice but to stare up at the ceiling. He wondered why Anna has sent him here, at the southern tip of Jerusalem? He knew it was her, there was no doubt about that. Was it to be reunited with Mary or was there something more to it?, he wondered. He closed his eyes and prayed that his troubles would be over.
- Chapter 16 -
The Reason Behind it All
The hospital room was pitch black when Martin woke up. He couldn't see anything around him and could barely tell when his eyes were open. The place was eerily silent and he felt that something had gone terribly wrong.
He removed the tubes that were neatly inserted into his veins. The last one he pulled out pained him tremendously, leaving red welts on his wrist. He forced his legs over the bed and was shocked to finf them useless, like broken flower stems. His ankles twisted inwards as if he hadn't used his legs in a while. How long have I been here, Martin thought?
He noticed the wheelchair by the door, and with the help of the extended table lamp beside him, he moved it closer to his bed until he could finally hop in it and wheel himself out of his darkened dormatory.
The white-walled corridors were just as vacant and silent as his room. He was about to make his way towards the small cafeteria of this three story hospital when he spotted Anna by the double doors that led to the maternity wing. She had a sour look about her, her cropped blonde hair blowing in the breeze of a strange draft.
"This isn't real, is it?" Martin asked, finally making the connection. This place wasn't a hospital. This place wasn't even real at all. He started to recognize the manipulations in the threads. Anna was toying with him. Giving him what he desired most - information on his family - only to rip it away from under him. What was she getting at?
"What are you doing, Anna?" Martin asked, walking towards her.
She raised her head, a few short strands of hair falling into her eyes. "Do you begin to understand what the Agency is capable of, Mr. Christ?"
"What was the point of all this? Dragging me on for months, only to tell me you aren't an Agent. And then promise me a life rich in prospects, drag me to some unknown facility across the country with the hopes of reuniting with my family. I'm zapped out, wake up here, find out here isn't real and that you are an agent."
Anna tried to follow along with his retelling. She always laughed when her students did this. Confusing them was the first step in controlling them. None of her pupils ever trusted her again. And this is what was needed for a good Agent to suceed. Trust nobody.
"It's our latest technique in discipline. We see how far we can convince the students that the Agency truly is an evil operation. Students don't usually figure this part out so quickly. I'm proud of you." She said, finally locking eyes with Martin.
He looked away instantly. "I don't want your approval. I don't want anything to do with you, Anna Simeon. I know your real name; what you look like. Do you think for a second I wasn't prepared for this eventuality? You were right about one thing, Anna, and one thing only."
She smiled, and pushed herself off the wall where she was resting lazily. She brushed her hair behind her ears and flashed another smile at Martin. "Oh yeah, and what was that, Mr. Christ?"
"Don't trust anyone."
Martin ran against the wall, seemingly walking on it, and jumped off, kicking Anna square in the jaw. She fell back and the world she created, the hollowed hospital, began to shrink around her, the black edges blurred with tints of purple until she was back in reality, her own world.
Anna walked out of the simulation room and headed down the same corridor that she and Martin walked down a few weeks ago. She was furious and it was apparent in her fast and agressive step. She didn't look up nor talked to anyone she came by. Anna arrived at the last door and didn't knock before entering.
The room was silent. The person she wanted to talk to was writing something on her desk. The woman's blonde hair flowed gracefully behind her back. Anna had no manners.
"You told me the simulation would work. That it was up to par with our ressources." Anna said, sitting down across from Jenna Crown, the person in charge of operations.
The other woman stopped writing and put her pencil down. She removed her thick, horn-rimmed glasses and looked at Anna. "It's still experimental and I warned you. Where's Mr. Christ, now?"
"Hopefully he believed your story and is out looking for Mary. How could he control the simulation like that? He didn't come out the same way I did, back here. How is that?" Anna asked, quite confused, something that didn't happen much here.
"I'm not sure how he did that yet but he cannott escape, Anna, you know the consequences."
"Yes, I know. If we don't catch him, the messiah will never be born"
"Good. so you understand the stakes at hand. Now find the bastard and bring him back" Jenna Crown barked, returning to her writing. She told Martin the truth in the simulation, or at least her avatar did. She had indeed adopted Mary. She was nowhere near Babylon though.
If Martin wanted to find and rescue Mary, an idea they planted in his mind, he would have to go to the one place he doesn't want to; back to the agency.
- Chapter 17 -
Against the Agency
Martin had been wandering around downtown Babel for several weeks now. He managed to get enough to eat by scraping out the garbage bins that lined the alley behind the restaurants. The city streets were busy and the cars were loud and agressive. Martin wasn't used to this, what with being raised in northern Bethlehem where the population spiked at a thousand and farms were the only buildings that surrounded the area.
He could have made his way back towards the only place he remembered as home. But what would have happened then? Nobody was waiting for him. His parents had died years ago; his eldest brother was a puppet for the Agency; worst of all, Martin had no idea what had become of his younger siblings.
He had been trained extensively at the Agency's main base where he had met Anna Simeon. She had forced him to believe that she was an ally, that she could be trusted like no other. Martin blindly followed in her footsteps for months and even accepted to leave the compound, which is forbidden by law, so he could be reunited with his younger sister Mary, and his younger brother Malcom.
Upon arriving at this undisclosed location, Martin was knocked out of his mind and awoke in a hospital several hundred miles away from the base. He was greeted by Jenna Crown who informed him that Mary was under her care. A couple of days later, Martin came to the realisation that the hospital was just a figment of Anna's imagination.
The Agency had acquired technology several years back that wasn't compatible with Jerusalem science. Nobody had ever been able to materialize, build a world, create something around another being's mind. All of these events were zooming by in Martin's mind like a film stuck on fast forward. There was no way of stopping it or slowing it down. The only way for him to get over this was to confront it. He had to go back to the Agency. He had to confront Anna and find his siblings.
It didn't take that long for him to find a starting point. Just then, Anna materialized in front of him. She was resting lazily against the brick wall of Babel Eats, a famous restaurant. She bore her traditional smile and her short blonde hair was blowing wildly in the wind. She didn't seem to care. Her piercing blue eyes remained focus on Martin.
"You wanted to see me, Martin?" She asked, laughing to herself. She knew what he must be thinking. Martin was most likely wondering how she got here so fast.
"How, what...I want answers, Anna. I deserve to know the truth!" He spoke harshly and then felt bad, almost wishing he had contained his anger. This wasn't the right path to follow.
"You deserve prison, Martin, for treason to the Agency, the last known combatant entity against the Sicarii. How dare you mock us with your visions of grandeur. You are a brat, Martin Christ, and have learned nothing from us since your arrival."
"I have learned to never trust the ones who call themselves good, for there is only one good force," Martin said, pointing to his chest, "and it's inside all of us."
Anna smirked. His statement seemed to amuse her. She didn't like his defiance, although she partly put the blame on herself. She had manipulated his thoughts so well that he truly believed that the Agency was plotting against him. Whatever intent she had was twisted into something else. Martin would never believe her again.
"How dare you use the words I spoke to you against me, Martin Christ? Against the Agency that fostered you when no human being wanted to see the sight of you -"
Anna stopped. She knew she had gotten carried away with her anger, something she still hadn't mastered. Martin noticed her hesitation, how she tried to catch the words that had slipped her mouth and shove them back in. Something about the way she said human being didn't sound right. For once, Martin noticed just how fragile Anna really was. It wasn't easy to hide behind a tough exterior.
"I have a feeling you slipped, Anna. I knew something was wrong with you. With them. I am going to find my siblings and when I do, you better be miles away. And give the Agency a message from me: I'm not your puppet."
Martin turned and walked away from Anna, from his past, from the agency. He didn't know whether it was the right thing to do or not, but he trusted his instincts. They seldom proved wrong.
As he walked away, Anna muttered to herself morosely. For once since joining the Agency she was starting to wonder just how badly they wanted to obtain their objective. With all their restrictions and such, Anna felt trapped within moral obligations. She would have to find another way to get her hands on Martin Christ. Afterall, he was destined to save this place from extinction. Martin had a very prominent role in the Prophecy and if Anna wanted to go back home, he had to suceed in his mission.
She knew just what to do to get her plans in motion. Just as Martin wanted to look for his family, so would she. It was time she went looking for her sister... It was time for them to intervene in the human's lack of ability to control destiny. If this place was destroyed...countless others would perish as well. There was no more time to sit back and watch them slowly annihalate something that took millions of years to perfect. Anna had to act now, whatever the consequences were.
She took one last look at Martin and then vanished into thin air.
He could have made his way back towards the only place he remembered as home. But what would have happened then? Nobody was waiting for him. His parents had died years ago; his eldest brother was a puppet for the Agency; worst of all, Martin had no idea what had become of his younger siblings.
He had been trained extensively at the Agency's main base where he had met Anna Simeon. She had forced him to believe that she was an ally, that she could be trusted like no other. Martin blindly followed in her footsteps for months and even accepted to leave the compound, which is forbidden by law, so he could be reunited with his younger sister Mary, and his younger brother Malcom.
Upon arriving at this undisclosed location, Martin was knocked out of his mind and awoke in a hospital several hundred miles away from the base. He was greeted by Jenna Crown who informed him that Mary was under her care. A couple of days later, Martin came to the realisation that the hospital was just a figment of Anna's imagination.
The Agency had acquired technology several years back that wasn't compatible with Jerusalem science. Nobody had ever been able to materialize, build a world, create something around another being's mind. All of these events were zooming by in Martin's mind like a film stuck on fast forward. There was no way of stopping it or slowing it down. The only way for him to get over this was to confront it. He had to go back to the Agency. He had to confront Anna and find his siblings.
It didn't take that long for him to find a starting point. Just then, Anna materialized in front of him. She was resting lazily against the brick wall of Babel Eats, a famous restaurant. She bore her traditional smile and her short blonde hair was blowing wildly in the wind. She didn't seem to care. Her piercing blue eyes remained focus on Martin.
"You wanted to see me, Martin?" She asked, laughing to herself. She knew what he must be thinking. Martin was most likely wondering how she got here so fast.
"How, what...I want answers, Anna. I deserve to know the truth!" He spoke harshly and then felt bad, almost wishing he had contained his anger. This wasn't the right path to follow.
"You deserve prison, Martin, for treason to the Agency, the last known combatant entity against the Sicarii. How dare you mock us with your visions of grandeur. You are a brat, Martin Christ, and have learned nothing from us since your arrival."
"I have learned to never trust the ones who call themselves good, for there is only one good force," Martin said, pointing to his chest, "and it's inside all of us."
Anna smirked. His statement seemed to amuse her. She didn't like his defiance, although she partly put the blame on herself. She had manipulated his thoughts so well that he truly believed that the Agency was plotting against him. Whatever intent she had was twisted into something else. Martin would never believe her again.
"How dare you use the words I spoke to you against me, Martin Christ? Against the Agency that fostered you when no human being wanted to see the sight of you -"
Anna stopped. She knew she had gotten carried away with her anger, something she still hadn't mastered. Martin noticed her hesitation, how she tried to catch the words that had slipped her mouth and shove them back in. Something about the way she said human being didn't sound right. For once, Martin noticed just how fragile Anna really was. It wasn't easy to hide behind a tough exterior.
"I have a feeling you slipped, Anna. I knew something was wrong with you. With them. I am going to find my siblings and when I do, you better be miles away. And give the Agency a message from me: I'm not your puppet."
Martin turned and walked away from Anna, from his past, from the agency. He didn't know whether it was the right thing to do or not, but he trusted his instincts. They seldom proved wrong.
As he walked away, Anna muttered to herself morosely. For once since joining the Agency she was starting to wonder just how badly they wanted to obtain their objective. With all their restrictions and such, Anna felt trapped within moral obligations. She would have to find another way to get her hands on Martin Christ. Afterall, he was destined to save this place from extinction. Martin had a very prominent role in the Prophecy and if Anna wanted to go back home, he had to suceed in his mission.
She knew just what to do to get her plans in motion. Just as Martin wanted to look for his family, so would she. It was time she went looking for her sister... It was time for them to intervene in the human's lack of ability to control destiny. If this place was destroyed...countless others would perish as well. There was no more time to sit back and watch them slowly annihalate something that took millions of years to perfect. Anna had to act now, whatever the consequences were.
She took one last look at Martin and then vanished into thin air.
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