January 11, 2020. Saturday. 06:34 PM
Molave St., Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines.
(The hum was the first thing Sus could hear, a deep flat drone that vibrated through the concrete floor and up into his bones. It was the only constant in the cavernous room, the sound of a thousand gears breathing in unison. From his hiding spot behind a coolant conduit, he peered into the harsh, white light.)
Sus: (internally) Rachel… Why are you doing this?
(Rachel stood before them, her posture relaxed. The bubbly friend was gone, replaced by a cold, clinical observer. A faint smile played on her lips as she paced before her captives, her heels making no sound on the polished floor.)
Suri: (its light a dim, nervous pulse beside Sus) She's... she's just toying with them.
(Four figures stood locked in place, thin metallic wires snaking from their tactical vests into the humming server racks. Three of them were rigid, their breathing a shallow, strained counter-rhythm to the machinery. The fourth, much younger, trembled violently, a low, guttural whimper barely audible under the server's drone.)
Rachel: (her voice, a sharp, clean frequency that cuts through the bass hum) "For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction...". They're gonna love this verse.
(She let out a soft, brittle laugh. Her fingers danced over a holographic interface, and a high-frequency whine, almost too high for Sus to hear, pulsed through the room.)
Sus: (internally) Is this who you really are?
(The youngest Enforcer stiffened, his whimper catching in his throat.)
Rachel: (squeezing the face of the Young Enforcer aggressively) What? You think there was really a "Verse Killer". Don't be silly, noobie!
(The female Enforcer, her jaw tight, spoke through gritted teeth. Her breathing was controlled, a testament to an iron will fighting against every poisoned nerve.)
Enforcer 1: So that's it, Rachel? Using your gifts to kill people? That's how you get noticed?
Rachel: (smiling) I'd appreciate recognition but don't make it sound like I'm having a tantrum, you lucky lucky Sound-Shifter.
(She walked towards the Enforcer who had spoken, her eyes glinting. With a delicate touch, she increased the energy flow from the woman's terminal. The high-pitched whine focused on her, and the woman's back arched, a sharp, involuntary gasp escaping her lips.)
Rachel: You, of all people, should appreciate that, Julia. The Council's unwavering shield. How does it feel to be so utterly... still?
Julia: (struggling) You can't get away with this!
(She moved on, her gaze falling upon the largest of the three disciplined figures. His heart hammered a frantic, desperate rhythm that Sus could feel in his own chest.)
Rachel: And Daniel, the tracker who never loses his mark. I bet you never sensed this coming, did you?
Daniel: (calmly) Rachel, stop this. Please. Even if you kill us, there will be backup… Stop now.
(She flicked a finger on his interface. The whine shifted pitch, and Daniel's gear creaked as his muscles strained against their invisible bonds. Rachel then turned to the third stoic figure, her voice dripping with mock sympathy.)
Rachel: And Rashid… Nepo-baby. Yara would be so proud when she finds out you helped make the world a better place.
Rashid: So what's this, Tuazon? You're resolving your church issues with innocent people's lives?! Disgusting!
(She tapped his console. The energy siphon audibly crackled, and Rashid let out a sharp, guttural cry. Rachel watched his pain with the detached curiosity of a scientist.)
Rachel: (smirks) You still don't get it, do you? There was never a Verse Killer. These news people make everything sound sensational. But hey, made my job a lot easier. Hee!
Rashid: (panting, his voice a furious growl) Your job?! Your job is to murder people??
Rachel: (shrugging) You over simplify! We weren't killing people. We were testing our Relic on Sound Sensitives.
Sus: (internally) Relic??
Rachel: Though we did have to get rid of them. Ha!
Julia: (struggling to break free) That's… That's impossible! How did you…?
Rachel: (continues) …and now, we have the four of you here. I mean, you're not as strong as Kev but let's see. Hehe!
(Just as Julia's eyes widened at the mention of the Relic, a sudden, sharp crack echoed through the data center, distinct from the hum of the servers. It was followed by a wet, desperate gasp for air.)
Rachel: (spinning around, her cold smile faltering for the first time) What?
(It was the rookie. His face was a mask of sheer agony, his nose visibly broken and bleeding freely, but his eyes burned with adrenaline. In a moment of pure, desperate instinct, he had slammed his own face against the metal stanchion of the server rack he was wired to.)
Sus: (internally) God… he broke his own nose.
Rachel: (clapping slowly, the sound sharp and mocking in the tense air) Wow! Nice one, noobie!
Sound-Shifters… Thinking they're always the star of the show. Ugh!
(The rookie didn't hesitate. He ripped the wires from his vest with a grunt, ignoring the shower of sparks. One hand clamped over his bleeding nose and mouth, he lunged for Julia's terminal, his movements clumsy but fast.)
Rookie Enforcer: (voice muffled by his hand) Getting… you… out!
Julia: The override—!
Rachel: (smiling) You Sound-Shifters really think you know it all, don't you?
(Before the rookie could reach the console, Rachel moved. She flowed across the floor, and something small and silver glinted in her hand. It wasn't a vial; it was a blade, thin and sharp as a needle.)
Sus: (internally) Is that a…?
Rachel: Okay then. We'll still have three without you so…
(A flash of silver. A wet, sickening sound that cut through the server's hum.)
Sus: (flinching back, a choked gasp caught in his throat)
(He heard it all—the whisper of the blade through the air, the soft tear of fabric and flesh, the rookie's final, shuddering exhalation, and the dull, heavy impact as the body hit the polished floor. The young man's eyes were wide, a silent 'oh' of surprise on his lips as life drained from them.)
Sus: (internally) No… no, Rach…
(The wire still connected to the rookie's vest erupted in a violent shower of blue sparks. The deep hum of the servers spiked into a piercing, agonized shriek that lasted only a second. The lights in the entire facility flickered and died, plunging the room into emergency backup lighting—a hellish, pulsing red.)
Julia: (screaming) Rachel! You crazy bitch!
(The three remaining Enforcers cried out, their bodies convulsing not from paralysis, but from the raw, uncontrolled feedback surge that jolted through their own wires. The system, violently disrupted by the rookie's death, had faltered.)
Daniel: (through gritted teeth) This is it.
(It was the opening they needed.)
Rashid: (voice weakened but still determined) This can't continue, Tuazon. Time's up.
(With a unified, defiant roar that seemed to shake the very foundations of the room, Rashid, Julia, and Daniel shattered the last vestiges of their paralysis. The sound of their tactical gear groaning under the strain and the snap of straining wires filled the air.)
Rachel: (smiling menacingly) Then let's have some fun, Thunder Triad.
(The hellish, pulsing red of the emergency lights painted the scene in strobing hues of crimson and black. The three Enforcers stood their ground, their weakened breaths coming in ragged but determined pants.)
Rashid: Team. Let's end this. Protect reality!
(Rachel lunged, a blur of motion aimed not at one of them, but at the space between Daniel and Rashid, intending to shatter their formation. But they didn't scatter. They moved with a stark, practiced economy.)
Daniel: Julia, ready!
(Daniel and Rashid formed a solid wall, their reinforced bracers meeting Rachel's blade with a sharp clang of metal. Between them, Julia stood perfectly still, her eyes closed, her head tilted slightly.)
Sus: (internally) (his heart hammering) What are they doing? The lady isn't even fighting! She's just... listening. And that Daniel... he's watching her, not Rachel. Wait... are they...?
(The battle became a deadly dance. Rachel, a whirlwind of aggressive motion, struck again and again. But Julia was her shadow. A flicker of a smile touched Julia's lips.)
Julia: (voice sharp, calm) Broadcasting. Heart rate spiking—she's favoring her left.
(Daniel, whose eyes were locked on Julia, instantly adjusted his footing. He didn't look at Rachel's left side; he already knew. He was focused on her center of gravity, his mind clearly processing the data Julia was feeding him.)
Daniel: Got it. Filtering. It's a feint, Captain Rash. (smirking)
Rashid: (annoyed) Daniel, please. Not today.
(Rashid, who had started to move to counter the apparent attack, immediately reset his stance based on Daniel's word. He was a coiled spring, his fists clenched, the air around him crackling with a low rumble of gathering energy.)
Rachel: (laughing, effortlessly evading a defensive shove from Rashid) Wow. Wow. Wow. Making a combo now, are we? Let's see how well that goes without your Extractor!
(She feinted toward Daniel but then redirected her momentum with impossible speed, her blade aimed directly at Julia's throat.)
Julia: (eyes still closed, her voice sharp and calm) Now, Daniel!
(Daniel, already processing the intel, shouted a single word.)
Daniel: LUNGE!
(It was all the data Rashid needed. He inhaled, his entire body tensing, and then roared a single, powerful word.)
Rashid: MIKHRAQ!
(From a seemingly random word, the air around Rachel seemed to fold in on itself. A violent, localized crack of sound, like the universe snapping, exploded directly in front of her. Sus saw her flinch, her body jolted by a force he could not feel, the sound so focused it barely echoed in the wider room. Dust and debris were kicked up from the floor around her, but nowhere else.)
Rachel: Argh! You little prick!
(The concussive force of the targeted sound wave hit Rachel mid-lunge. Her body was violently thrown off balance, her blade sailing past Julia's neck, missing by a hair's breadth. She landed awkwardly, her cold smile finally replaced by a flash of genuine frustration.)
Sus: (internally) (clutching his phone, his thumb swiping frantically at the screen. The top left corner reads: NO SERVICE.) Damn it! We're cut off. Marcus can't help us.
(He watched as Daniel winced, sweat pouring down his face. Their pipeline was efficient, but it was draining them. They couldn't last forever. Sus knew he couldn't fight, but hiding felt like a death sentence.)
Sus: (internally) This might be the best chance to get to the bottom of this. Suri, get ready.
Suri: (wiggling nervously beside Sus) Where are we going, Sus?
Sus: (internally) To Rachel's memories.
(Sus, his back pressed against the cold metal of the conduit, felt his lungs tighten. He needed to focus, to find that quiet corner in his mind, but the chaos was overwhelming.)
Sus: (internally) (his hand instinctively patting his pockets) A smoke. I need a smoke.
(His fingers brushed the familiar shape of his cigarette pack, but he stopped, a cold dread washing over him.)
Sus: (internally) Wait. No… Rachel might find me if I give a scent. (shaking his head) Okay, lollipop then.
(He frantically searched his other pockets, his fingers fumbling in the dim, pulsing light. He was looking for the soda-flavored lollipop Maria had given him, the one that had helped him find Suri in the chamber. Nothing. It must have fallen out during the chase.)
Sus: (internally) (his panic rising) Shit! How am I going to focus now?
(Desperate for something, anything, to ground himself, he pulled out his wallet. He riffled through it—a few bills, a transportation card, and the stark, black rectangle of his Sensitive Card, its intricate, unseen patterns seeming to bulge against the cheap leather.)
Sus: (internally) Fuck. Just cards. Not even a gum here.
(In his frustrated, hurried motion, his hand, still clutching the Sensitive Card, brushed against the side of his headphones. The card's edge slid across the polished surface of the earpiece.)
Suri: (eyes widening) Hmm?
(A soft, single beep echoed directly in his ears, a clean, digital tone completely alien to the chaotic sounds of the battle.)
Sus: (internally) What was that?
Suri: (its form suddenly flaring with a brilliant, steady light, its voice filled with awe and surprise) Whoa! Sus, what did you do? The headphones… It's… It's talking to me!
(Sus stared, bewildered, at the Sensitive Card in his hand, then touched the side of his headphones. He finally understood. It wasn't just an ID; it was a key.)
Sus: (internally) (a surge of adrenaline cutting through his fear) Really? Suri, can you… can you control it?
Suri: (its voice buzzing with newfound power) I think so! It's like they're waiting for our command! The hardware is synced to me… To us!
(A sliver of hope. It wasn't a cigarette, it wasn't a lollipop, but it was something. A real tool. From his best friend.)
Sus: (internally) (his voice low and firm, his gaze locking onto Rachel as she parried a strike from Daniel) Okay. Do it. Focus on Rachel. Isolate her. Filter out everything else.
(He took a deep, shuddering breath, the same way Kevin had taught him. But this time, it wasn't just to calm his nerves. It was to brace himself for the flood.)
Sus: (internally) Let's see what's inside your head, Rach.
(Sus gave the command, and the world broke.)
Suri: (seriously) Okay! Let's do this!
(It wasn't a violent shattering, but a clean, instantaneous fracture. The deafening roar of Rashid's Expand technique, the pulsing red of the emergency lights, the frantic, panicked shouts of the Enforcers—it all didn't just fade. It was muted.)
Sus: (internally) (eyes widening) Whoa. I can… I can only hear Rachel now.
(One moment, Sus was drowning in a sea of chaotic stimuli; the next, he was in a new kind of silence. A focused, fine-tuned silence.)
Sus: (internally) (breathes deeply) Kevin…
(The deep hum of the servers was gone, replaced by a single, sharp, crystal-clear sound: the frantic, hammering rhythm of Rachel's heart. It was so clear, so precise, he could hear the distinct sound of the valves opening and closing.)
Sus: (internally) (exhales) Kevin… I'm here.
(The cacophony of the battle was replaced by the whisper of fabric as her clothes shifted, the soft scuff of her shoes on the concrete, the ragged, controlled sound of her breathing.)
Sus: (internally) Whoa… It's… It's so clear.
Suri: (its voice no longer a whisper in his mind, but a clear, integrated part of his auditory sense) Filter engaged. Target isolated. Beginning primary Extraction, Sus. Hold on.
(Through his new, focused senses, Sus watched—and heard—as Suri, now a conduit for the headphones' power, descended upon Rachel like a ghost.)
Suri: (to Rachel's Heart) Hello hello, heart. We need to talk. You there?
Rachel's Heart: (energetic) I'm very very pumped right now!
(Shimmering particles of memory, invisible to anyone but Sus, began to stream from Rachel's chest, absorbed by Suri's glowing form.)
Suri: Interesting… Now, for the rest of you. Tell us everything!
(Suri's attention widened. Sus could now hear the subtle, high-frequency signals of Rachel's nervous system, the low, powerful thrum of her muscles contracting before a strike, the faint chemical hiss of her scent glands preparing another attack.)
Suri: (its voice a complex harmony of a dozen different biological sounds) Hello, Muscles. You're coiled so tight. Ready to spring. But why?
(Another, denser stream of Molecular Memories flowed into Suri.)
Sus: (internally) Rachel… What are you up to?
Suri: Extraction almost complete, Sus. I have memories from her heart, her nerves, her skin… a complete profile. It's… it's so much. So much pain and so much love. Are you ready?
(Sus took one last, deep breath in the strange, isolated silence where only Rachel existed. He was no longer just a boy hiding in the shadows. He was a scalpel, perfectly aimed, about to make the first incision.)
Sus: (internally) Take me in, Suri. Let's Explore.
(As Suri began to process the command, the world outside Sus's focused perception continued its deadly dance. He could still peripherally sense the battle—the flash of red emergency lights reflecting off Daniel's straining face, the grunt of effort from Rashid as he deflected a blow, Julia shouting tactical warnings that were now just faint, distorted vibrations to him.)
Sus: (internally) Good luck, guys. I need to do this…
(He was detaching from a very real, very active warzone, and the process was nauseating.)
Sus: (internally) What are you hiding, Rachel?
(A thick, gray fog, like digital static made real, began to bleed from the edges of his vision, rolling inwards. The sharp, clean lines of the server racks softened, their blinking lights blurring into indistinct smudges of red. The figures of the Enforcers and Rachel lost their definition, their forms becoming vague, low-polygon silhouettes shrouded in the encroaching mist.)
Suri: (its voice echoing, as if from a great distance) Her Active Memories are chaotic! I'm trying to find an anchor point, Sus! Stay focused!
(The crisp, isolated sounds of Rachel's heartbeat and breathing began to warp, overlaid with a low, ominous droning sound—the kind of ambient noise that signaled a terrifying new level in a video game.)
Sus: (struggling to focus) I'm trying, Suri. I'm trying!
(The world around him was no longer a physical space but a psychoscape of fog and suggestion. He was lost, his senses struggling to find purchase in the dense, somewhat pixelated haze.)
Sus: (internally) (his own voice sounding distant to himself) I can't see… Suri, where are we?
(The haze swirled and then slowly began to coalesce. The low drone was replaced by a new soundscape—the distant squeak of shoes on linoleum, and muffled voices of a PA system.)
March 04, 2004. Thursday. 04:22 PM
J.P. Rizal, Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines.
Suri: Okay… we're in. It's a hospital. Dr. Tuazon's hospital.
(The world was rendered in a dreamlike, low fidelity. Shapes were vaguely defined, faces were blurry smudges without clear features, and a thick, persistent fog clung to the corners of the room, obscuring details. Sus felt like an intruder, a ghost watching a corrupted video file of a painful past.)
Sus: (internally) This feels… Different…
(A younger Rachel stood in the center of a doctor's office, her form slightly more defined than the rest of the memory. She was probably around twenty, dressed in low-rise flared jeans and a tight-fitting baby tee with a glittery butterfly design.)
Young Rachel: (internally) I think I did good this time. Yeah… I did, didn't I? (trying to smile)
(She clutched a thick, printed manuscript to her chest, her entire form buzzing with an excited, nervous energy that Sus could feel even through the memory's haze.)
Young Rachel: (her voice bright, hopeful) Dad, I'm so glad I caught you! You have to see this! Professor Reyes said my thesis on user persona mapping automation for digital advertising is groundbreaking! He's submitting it for a national award!
(The blurry figure behind the desk—Dr. Tuazon—didn't look up from a chart. His voice was a muffled, dismissive sound.)
Dr. Tuazon: (distorted) That's nice, anak. Marketing. Very… creative. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have actual patients to attend to.
Young Rachel: But Dad, this is different! It's scientific too! I developed a method of better understanding and targeting people so that any product or service can understand their market better. It's like Sense-Shifting!
(Just as a flicker of interest seemed to cross Dr. Tuazon's blurry face, the office door swung open. Another figure entered, taller and more confident than Rachel. The memory seemed to sharpen around him for a moment, the fog receding slightly.)
Young Rachel: (internally) Ugh! It's my brother, Ryan! Always the worst timing!
Ryan: Dad, just got the confirmation. I got the residency. Surgical wing.
(Dr. Tuazon's head snapped up. The muffled quality of his voice vanished, replaced by a clear, booming pride that cut through the haze.)
Dr. Tuazon: (voice clear, proud) Ryan! That's my son! I knew you'd do it! Come, come, we have to call your mother! We must celebrate! A Scent Sensitive joining the ranks of the Touch ones. You bring honor to our name.
(The father and son embraced. The memory rendered their interaction with perfect clarity, the fog pulling back to reveal their proud, smiling faces. But as Sus looked back at Rachel, the fog around her grew thicker, the pixels of her form seeming to degrade.)
Rachel: (internally) But Dad I… I did good…
(She was literally fading into the background. Her excited smile had vanished, replaced by a familiar, heartbreaking expression of invisibility.)
Sus: (internally) Rachel…
(Sus felt a sharp, stabbing ache in his own chest—an echo of Rachel's pain, so powerful it transcended the memory. This was the wound.)
Sus: (internally) I'm sorry, Rachel…
(The incomplete image of the younger, heartbroken Rachel dissolved like liquid. The sterile hum of the hospital was swallowed by the same ominous, droning sound as before. The gray fog, thick and suffocating, rolled in, engulfing Sus and Suri completely.)
Suri: (its voice a steady anchor in the void) We're moving, Sus. The memory is stronger… more recent. Hold on.
(The fog swirled, then receded, revealing a new space, still hazy and rendered in a dreamlike, low fidelity. It was an office Sus recognized instantly, a place he called home. Sunlight, blurry and diffused, streamed through the large windows.)
January 14, 2019. Monday. 02:37 PM
Metro Center, Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines.
(Rachel stood before Maria's desk, her posture earnest, her hands gesturing enthusiastically towards a screen that flickered between charts and diagrams.)
Rachel: —and that's the problem with our current outreach for the E-Finance portfolios. We're targeting demographics, not people. We sell investment packages to 'males, 25-40, urban professional,' but we don't understand their actual motivations.
(The figure of Maria across the desk was clearer than Dr. Tuazon's had been, but her face was still a soft-focus blur. Her voice, however, was sharp and attentive.)
Maria: Go on, Rachel. You have my full attention.
Rachel: (taking a deep breath, her passion evident) It's about creating a User Persona, Boss. We build a fictional character based on our collective user data.
Sus: (internally) This is what she does… She handles The Metro's data.
Rachel: (continues) We don't just know their age; we know their goals, their frustrations, their day-to-day lives.
Maria: (nodding) Yes, User Personas.
Rachel: (slightly smiling) Like, instead of a demographic, we have 'Juanito,' a 32-year-old freelance graphic designer.
Sus: (internally) She's… She's really passionate about her work.
Rachel: (continues) His frustration isn't just 'needing a loan'; it's the unstable income, the fear of a medical emergency wiping out his savings. He doesn't want a generic loan product; he wants financial security.
(She gestured to the flickering display, which now showed the vague outline of a human figure surrounded by keywords like "security," "creative freedom," and "fear of instability.")
Rachel: If we build the Metro Aid app around Juanito's needs, not The Metro's, we create an interface that feels like a partner, not a predator.
Sus: (internally) And this is exactly how they pitched it to the board members.
Rachel: It will be something everyone wants.
(The blurry figure of Maria leaned forward. The memory sharpened around her for a moment, and Sus could almost see the fascinated, impressed expression on her face.)
Maria: This is… brilliant, Rachel. Truly. Sarah and the product team, they see numbers. You see people. You see their stories.
(The warmth in Maria's voice was a stark contrast to the dismissive tone of Rachel's father. In the memory, Rachel seemed to physically brighten, her hazy form becoming more solid, more real.)
Rachel: (her voice trembling slightly with emotion) Thank you, Boss Maria. Thank you for considering this…
Maria: (looks at the window) This Metro Aid project is very dear to me. It's our first step… To give everyone the kind of insight and security that only a few of us enjoy.
Sus: (internally) Boss Maria…
Maria: (continues) Something the privileged will never understand. They are gatekeepers of a system that needs to be broken.
(Maria looks intently at Rachel)
Maria: I believe this mission can only be accomplished with people like you, Rachel.
(Sus watched as Maria's blurry hand reached out and rested on Rachel's arm. At that touch, the memory became crystal clear. He saw the tears welling in Rachel's eyes—not of sadness, but of profound, overwhelming gratitude. This was it. This was the moment she stopped being an employee and became a disciple.)
Rachel: (her voice full of conviction) I won't let you down, Boss Maria. Whatever it takes.
(The memory held for a moment longer on that fervent promise, the foundation of every terrible act to come, before the gray, pixelated fog began to roll in once more.)
Maria: (clasping her hands together around Rachel) I know you won't, my dear. I know you won't.
(The fog dissolved with a sickening lurch, and the world snapped back into focus. Sus gasped, his hand flying to his chest as if to calm his own aching heart, an echo of Rachel's pain still resonating within him.)
January 11, 2020. Saturday. 06:57 PM
Molave St., Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines.
Sus: (internally) (fumbling on his phone) Hm. Six minutes…
(The battle was raging. The initial, calculated dance had devolved into a brutal, desperate struggle. The air was thick with the scent of ozone and the sharp, coppery tang of blood.)
Suri: (shaking its form) Wew. They are still fighting!
(The Thunder Triad had adapted. All three now fought with one hand clamped over their noses, a crude but effective defense against Rachel's primary weapon. But the handicap was severe, and their movements were slow, sluggish.)
Sus: (internally) How can they focus if they…
(Rachel was a whirlwind of pure aggression. There was no grace to her movements, only brutal, relentless speed. She lunged and slashed wildly with her blade, forcing the weakened Enforcers into a clumsy, defensive retreat. She fought not with technique, but with raw, fanatic energy.)
Julia: (panting, a thin trickle of blood running from the corner of her mouth) It's over, Rachel! We have you three to one!
Rachel: (laughing, a high, manic sound) Uhh. Hello?? You're Drained! You think you can land another lucky shot like that?
(She lunged at Daniel. He managed to parry her strike with his bracer, but the sheer force of her brutal, energetic blow sent him stumbling back several feet, his exhaustion clear.)
Daniel: (through gritted teeth) We need another opening! Rashid!
Rashid: She's ready for it! That last one took everything I had!
Rachel: (smirking as she forced Julia to awkwardly dodge a wild swing) Oh, this is what it sounded like?
(She tapped the side of her head, and for the first time, Sus noticed it: a small, flesh-colored, in-ear device, almost invisible against her skin.)
Rachel: Did you really think I'd come here unprepared?
Julia: (agitated) That's why Rashid's Expand didn't finish her off!
Sus: (internally) Earbuds…
(The Enforcers' faces fell. Their ultimate technique had been partially countered. They were exhausted, handicapped, and out of options.)
Sus: (internally) (his desperation mounting) They're going to lose. She's going to kill them all like that kid!
(He watched as Julia parried another wild slash with her bracer, the impact nearly buckling her knees. A horrifying realization dawned on him.)
Sus: (internally) They don't even have weapons... They're trying to subdue her. But she... she wants to kill them. They're not in the same fight.
Suri: (swerving behind Sus) What are we going to do, Sus??
Sus: (internally) (watching as Rachel's blade nicked Julia's arm) Maybe we can learn more from them. This guy seems like their leader. Suri, Isolate Rashid. Now.
(Sus took a final, steadying breath. The sounds of the battle—Julia's strained shouts, Daniel's pained grunts, the sharp clang of Rachel's blade—were a chaotic symphony he had to tune out. He closed his eyes.)
Suri: (its voice now confident, efficient) Syncing with headphone interface. Target locked: Rashid Ahmed. Filtering… now.
(The world fractured again, but this time it was a clean, surgical cut. There was no fog, no slow dissolve. One moment, the strobing red lights and clashing figures were there; the next, they were gone, replaced by a new, focused silence.)
Rashid's Heart: (beating rapidly) We stay strong!
Rashid: We can do this! Let's go!
(All that remained was the sound of Rashid—his heavy, rhythmic breathing, the powerful, steady beat of his heart, and the low, crackling hum of the energy he was gathering.)
Sus: (internally) Take me in.
(Instead of a disorienting lurch, the transition was like stepping through a shimmering curtain. The world around Sus didn't shatter; it warped, the colors bleeding and swirling together. The stark reds and blacks of the warehouse twisted into a vibrant, kaleidoscopic vortex of deep sapphires, rich golds, and fiery saffron.)
Sus: (internally) Whoa. This seems different every time, isn't it?
(The harsh, electronic drone was replaced by a new soundscape—the faint, melodious hum of a sitar and the rhythmic, hypnotic beat of a tabla drum, echoing from a place of deep memory.)
Suri: (its voice a gentle whisper, laced with wonder) Yeah… So much structure. So much warmth…
(The swirling colors resolved, not into a hazy moment, but into a scene of stunning, almost overwhelming clarity and saturation. The air was warm and smelled of exotic spices—cardamom, sandalwood, and jasmine.)
December 13, 2019. Friday.
Unknown Location.
(Sus found himself in a private room, the walls adorned with intricate, geometric patterns that seemed to shift and flow. The light was soft, filtered through ornate latticework screens, casting complex, beautiful shadows across a low, round table inlaid with mother-of-pearl.)
Sus: (internally) (awestruck) Where is this?
(An uninjured Rashid sat at the table. He was dressed not in tactical gear, but in a simple, elegant tunic. He was in a state of calm meditation, his posture perfect, his breathing even. He radiated an aura not of a soldier, but of a disciplined scholar.)
Suri: (roaming around Rashid) He looks very different here.
(The peaceful aura of the room was suddenly disrupted. A corner of the intricate latticework flickered, dissolving into a patch of gray, static for a split second before snapping back. The melodious hum of the sitar warped, dropping in pitch with an ugly, blurred groan.)
Suri: (its form flickering in sync with the haze) It's unstable! Might be because Rashid's stressed right now.
Sus: (internally) (his own heart rate spiking) How much time do we still have? We need to find something, now.
(A soft, electronic chime echoed through the room, and the ornate door glowed with a sapphire light. A calm, synthesized voice spoke from an unseen source.)
Electronic Voice: Yara Ahmed. Access granted.
Sus: (internally) Yara? She must be... the one who made these (touching his headphones)?
(The door slid open. A woman entered, her presence commanding yet gentle. She was mature, her face lined with the wisdom of her years, but her eyes were sharp and analytical behind a pair of sleek, augmented-reality glasses. She wore a simple but elegant hijab that shimmered with what looked like micro-circuitry.)
Yara: (her voice warm and clear) As-salamu alaykum, habibi.
(Rashid rose from his seat, his face breaking into a smile of pure affection and respect. The disciplined soldier was gone, replaced by a loving son.)
Rashid: Wa alaykumu s-salam, Ummi. It is good to see you.
(They embraced briefly before Yara held him at arm's length, her sharp eyes scanning him.)
Yara: You seem troubled, Rashid. The mission reports were exemplary. The Council is pleased with the Triad's work.
Rashid: (his smile fading slightly) The work is good, Mother. But the new tech... Why was I not issued one of the prototypes?
(The memory flickered again, more violently this time. The scent of jasmine was momentarily replaced by the acrid smell of ozone from the warehouse.)
Sus: (internally) (gripping his temples) Focus, Sus… Focus!
Yara: (sighing softly) The Council's decision. The single prototype was best tested by operatives who specialize in solo infiltration. Chen and Lee fit the profile. Your strength is in your unit. You have your team.
Rashid: So I am penalized for having a team?
Yara: (a hint of sadness in her voice) We all just play our parts, my son. Even I must abide by the vote. But the device is synced to the Sensitive Card registry. Should you ever need it, and Chen is willing to part with it, you would be able to use it.
(As if on cue, the door opened again. Daniel and Julia entered, followed by a much younger, smiling Enforcer whose face made Sus's stomach lurch.)
Daniel: Apologies for the interruption, Captain Rash, (smirking) Madame Ahmed. We have the preliminary data you requested.
Rashid: (eyebrows furrowed) Daniel!
Julia: Gelo here did a fine job on the initial analysis.
(Gelo, alive and full of nervous energy, carried a data slate, his eyes wide with admiration.)
Gelo: (blushing) It was nothing, ma'am. Captain Rashid's guidance was the key.
Sus: (internally) Gelo… That's the kid…
(The memory held, the image of the complete, happy Thunder Triad, a painful photograph of the recent past. The warm, spicy air of the room felt heavy with dramatic irony. Gelo, Julia, and Daniel took their seats around the low, ornate table as Rashid gestured for them to join.)
Yara: (her expression shifting from maternal warmth to professional focus) Thank you for joining us. This is an official briefing from the Council.
(The room seemed to grow colder. The easy camaraderie was replaced by a tense, formal silence. Daniel and Julia's expressions became serious, their postures rigid. Gelo fumbled slightly with his data slate, looking nervous.)
Yara: As you know, Enforcers Chen and Lee are handling the recent influx of Sense-Stealers in one of the districts in the Philippines on solo patrols. Your unit, however, has a new directive. You are to be assigned to... "internal affairs."
(The memory flickered again, the sound of strings distorting for a moment. Sus felt a chill. He knew this was it—the reason he was here.)
Rashid: Internal affairs, Mother? We are a field unit.
Yara: The Council has received credible, though as yet uncorroborated, intelligence. There are whispers of a possible coup being planned against Mistress Fei and the Council leadership.
(Julia shifted in her seat, a deep frown creasing her brow. Daniel remained perfectly still, his face an unreadable mask.)
Julia: A coup? By whom? Who would dare? After Samantha's sacrifice?
Yara: (her gaze steady) The preliminary investigation is to be focused on a single person of interest: Maria Hernandez.
(A stunned silence fell over the table. Gelo's eyes darted nervously between the senior Enforcers. Julia was the first to speak, her voice laced with disbelief.)
Julia: Maria Hernandez? With all due respect, Madame Ahmed, that makes no sense. She is one of the most effective leaders in the entire Southeast Asian sector. Her loyalty has never been in question.
Daniel: (his voice calm, analytical) I concur. I find it odd that without concrete evidence, the first suspect would be one with no direct familial connections to the core Council families.
(The memory blurred violently. For a second, Sus saw the pulsing red lights of the warehouse and heard Rachel's manic laughter before the warm, saffron-colored room snapped back into focus.)
Sus: (internally) They knew… The Council already suspected her…
Yara: (raising a hand, her tone firm and final) Your objections are noted. And they are the very reason your unit was chosen. You are not part of the inner circle's politics. You are seen as objective.
Rashid: (looking down at his palm) …
Yara: (continues) As you know, my primary duties are in research and development. I am only delivering this briefing because the other members are... occupied.
(Sus watched, his mind racing. Yara's words were formal, but he could feel an underlying weariness, a hint of frustration. She was a mother, forced to give her son an order she may not fully believe in.)
Sus: (internally) Something is wrong here. Even they don't seem to know the whole story.
Rashid: Then this is a very simple matter. Daniel, just bring her in for questioning. Explore. Easy. Mission: complete. (exhales sarcastically)
(Julia immediately shook her head, her expression serious.)
Julia: You know it's not that simple, Captain. Active Memories are colored by the target's current state. What we'll see won't guarantee objective truth. We might end up wasting everyone's time.
Daniel: (his voice calm, adding the final, critical point) And beyond that, there's the Accord, Cap Rash (snarking).
Rashid: (shaking his head) Really, Daniel? In front of Madame Ahmed?
Daniel: (scratching his head while still smirking) But still. What you're suggesting is direct violation of the Council's oath. We can't Sense-Shift registered Sensitives without consent. Especially if they haven't been really charged with anything.
(Rashid looked down at his palm again, his frustration evident. They have the power, but he is being told they can't do anything. Julia was right about the mechanics, and Daniel was right about the law. Their hands were tied.)
Sus: (internally) Wait… So what I'm doing now is…?
(The kaleidoscopic memory dissolved into a vortex of sapphire and gold. Sus felt a familiar, nauseating lurch as he was pulled through the non-space between moments. The journey was shorter this time, less violent, but he could feel the drain, a psychic exertion that left his own energy feeling thin and frayed.)
Sus: (internally) How long have we been here, Suri?
Suri: (its light flickering, a little dimmer than before) I'm not sure, Sus. Let's be quick. Stay with me. We're arriving.
(The swirling colors snapped into a new, stark setting. The air was cool, sterile, and carried the faint, electric hum of high-end technology. They were in a vast, minimalist training room. The walls were a matte grey, and the floor was marked with glowing lines, forming a complex combat grid.)
January 06, 2020. Monday. 06:27 PM.
Unknown Location.
(In the center, Rashid, Julia, and Daniel stood in a triangle formation. Their energy is sharp and controlled. Before them stood Gelo, his expression a mix of awe and intense concentration.)
Sus: (internally) (worried) Dammit. We need to get something useful fast.
(The memory blurred at the edges, the clean lines of the room wavering like a heat haze.)
Suri: Focus, Sus! You're drifting!
(Sus clenched his jaw and forced his attention onto the scene. The image sharpened.)
Rashid: (echoing authority) The core of our strength isn't individual power, Gelo. It's efficiency. It's the pipeline. Watch Julia.
(Julia's eyes were closed, her posture relaxed. She was the anchor.)
Rashid: She is our Extractor. Her only task is to listen, to collect Molecular Memories from the target and the environment. She doesn't analyze, she doesn't attack. She simply absorbs. This conserves her energy for pure, wide-spectrum collection.
Sus: (internally) Kevin's library combo…
Rashid: The data she extracts is fed directly to Daniel.
(Daniel stood with his head cocked, his gaze distant. He wasn't looking at the holographic target in the center of the room, but through it.)
Rashid: He is our Explorer. He takes Julia's raw data and interprets it in real-time, filtering out the noise, identifying weaknesses, predicting the target's next move.
Sus: (internally) Kevin… I'll…
Rashid: (continues) He converts a flood of information into a single, actionable piece of intel.
(The memory began to splatter again, the sound echoing as Sus got lost in the memory of his own mission with Kevin.)
Suri: Sus! The connection is unstable! Pay attention!
(He snapped back.)
Rashid: Daniel's intel comes to me. As the Expander, I don't waste energy on searching or analyzing.
Sus: (internally) We sort of did this…
Rashid: (continues) I receive the solution, and my only task is to execute. One focused, powerful attack with minimal energy cost. Do you understand?
(Before Gelo could answer, the door to the training room slid open with a soft hiss.)
Sus: (internally) Huh?
(The Triad, including Gelo, immediately turned, their posture rigid with deference. The memory wavered violently as Sus's confusion and focus battled for control.)
Suri: I can't get a read, Sus! The memory itself is… corrupted here. Or censored. Focus on what you can hear!
Unknown Figure: (voice an echo-heavy hum) Enforcers. There's been an incident.
(The blurred figure stepped into the room.)
Unknown Figure: Our Top Enforcers were attacked in the Southeast Asian sector. Kevin Chen and Marcus Lee. They are alive, but incapacitated.
(Julia gasped, her professional composure cracking for a second. Rashid's face became a mask of stone.)
Unknown Figure: The attack took place in the Philippines. The initial report suggests a new, coordinated group of Sense-Stealers using advanced tech. You are summoned to investigate.
Rashid: We'll depart immediately.
Unknown Figure: In addition, Maria Hernandez, leading one of the Council's arms in the area, gave an unauthorized order to involve an unregistered late bloomer to Enforcer matters.
(Sus felt his blood run cold. They were talking about him.)
Unknown Figure: (voice reverberating) That is a severe breach of Council protocol and gives us the formal authority needed to bring her in for questioning.
Sus: (internally) What are they saying?
Unknown Figure: Your primary mission is to apprehend Hernandez. (voice echoing almost infinitely)
(A tense silence filled the room. It was Julia who spoke first, her voice laced with suspicion.)
Julia: With all due respect. That's an administrative issue. It hardly warrants deploying us without a formal complaint being processed. The paperwork—
Unknown Figure: (the blur around the figure seemed to intensify) It will be handled concurrently. Your orders are to depart for the Philippines now. Apprehend Maria Hernandez. The Council has voted.
(Julia looked at Rashid, her eyes wide with suspicion and concern. This was not how things were done.)
Sus: (internally) This was right before Boss and Rachel went…
(Rashid met her gaze, his own expression a mask of conflict. But the hesitation lasted only a moment. He straightened his shoulders.)
Rashid: (looking at his palm) We have our orders. It's our job. Gelo, prep our transport. Julia, Daniel, gear up. We move in five.
(The sterile training room began to bleed at the edges. The sharp, glowing lines on the floor softened and ran together, the matte grey walls dissolving into a chaotic, swirling miasma of liquid color.)
Sus: (internally) Fuck… C'mon. Focus!
Suri: (its voice a strained echo, fighting against the distortion) It's taking too much energy to hold it together!
(The world became a slurry of deep indigos and blacks, pulsing with faint, sickly violet light. There was no floor, no ceiling, only an oppressive void. In the center of the nothingness stood two figures, illuminated by an unseen source: Rashid and the Unknown Figure, their forms hazy and indistinct.)
Unknown Date. Unknown Time.
Unknown Location.
Unknown Figure: (its echo-heavy voice cutting through the void) You understand the gravity of the situation, Ahmed? This is not merely an internal affairs matter.
Rashid: Apprehending a hard-working Sensitive on suspicion alone is unprecedented.
Unknown Figure: The Council has voted. Our intelligence suggests Maria Hernandez is collaborating with The Cloud. They are finalizing a system.
(Even through the haze, Sus felt the shock that jolted through Rashid. The air in the void seemed to crackle.)
Sus: (internally) A System. The Cloud…
Unknown Figure: A machine capable of synthesizing and stealing the abilities of other Sensitives. An item of that magnitude, in her hands, is a threat to reality. That is something only the Council should have.
(A stench of defiance sparked within Rashid's hazy form. A thought, so clear and sharp it cut through the blur and slur for a single moment.)
Rashid: And why is that? Why should we be the sole arbiters of such power?
(The Unknown Figure seemed to lean forward, the waves of its form intensifying as if sensing his doubt.)
Unknown Figure: Your mother has dedicated her life to studying and countering The Cloud's Sensoral Network Technology.
Rashid: Ummi…
Unknown Figure: This system is the culmination of their work—a perversion of everything she has tried to build. Shutting it down is paramount to protecting her legacy.
(The vibrating voice softened, taking on a tone that was almost gentle.)
Unknown Figure: She has sacrificed much for the Council. For you. I know that you don't want to disappoint her, Captain Ahmed.
(The vibrating, gentle voice of the Unknown Figure hung in the void, a final, perfectly aimed blow.)
Rashid: (internally) To honor Ummi is to honor Allah's path for me. But the Council… is the Council's path His?
(The slurry of colors around them swirled faster, the void growing darker as Rashid's turmoil intensified.)
Sus: (internally) (his own breathing becoming ragged) I can't... Suri, I think we have to get out. Now!
Suri: (its light was a frantic, weak pulse) He's pulling us in!
(A violent, tremor shook the void, and the splatter of colors began to churn, not just swirling, but accelerating at an impossible speed. The two bodies of Rashid and the Unknown Figure stretched and tore apart like ink in water.)
Sus: (internally) What the—?! Suri, what's happening?!
(Sus and Suri were thrown into a catastrophic torrent of scenes, a consciousness unspooling in seemingly random moments.)
Suri: (panicking) I don't know!!
(Sounds and sensations crashed over Sus in a tidal wave, too fast to process, yet felt with agonizing clarity.)
Yara: (whispering) Listen, habibi.
(A young Yara humming softly along with the distant Adhan, her voice a warm and steady rumble against his ear. )
Sus: It's… It's too far…
(His small hands clutching a warm cup, the sweet steam of chai fogging his vision as his mother dabs a cloth on his bleeding knee.)
Rashid: (wincing) It stings, Ummi!
Yara: Shhh. Drink this. It will make the hurt go away.
(The sharp clang of training staff. A teenage boy with a bowl cut, panting and grinning, his hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. A young Rashid laughs.)
Rashid: (breathless) You think I'm done, Marcus?
Marcus: (smiling) Don't say I didn't warn you, Ahmed.
(The heavy, magnetic thump-click of his first Enforcer gear sealing shut. His own reflection staring back from a polished chrome surface, young and terrified and proud)
Rashid: (internally) Ummi… I hope you are proud.
(The sting of antiseptic under a canopy of stars. Julia's focused expression as she stitched a cut on his arm.)
Daniel: I swear the food budget was decided by a Taste-Shifter with no tongue.
Julia: Hold still, Captain. Or it'll scar.…
Sus: (internally) This is too fast!
(Gelo, stammering during his first briefing, eyes wide with panic.)
Rashid: (a calm, low voice) Breathe, Gelo. You have the data. Trust it.
(The heavy weight of his mother's hand on his shoulder, her eyes shining with unshed tears of pride.)
Yara: You make us all proud, Captain Ahmed.
(The torrent of an entire life—love, duty, pain, friendship—slammed through Sus in what felt like an eternity and an instant. It was too much. He was drowning in another man's soul.)
Sus: (internally) ARGH! Why is this happening??!
(And then, it stopped. The chaos snapped into a single clear moment.)
Suri: (shaking) I DON'T KNO… (blinks) Huh?
(They were back in the warehouse. The pulsing red light, the smell of ozone. He saw Julia and Daniel, their faces grim with exhaustion. He saw Rachel, a predator circling.)
Sus: (internally) What the fu… They caught us while we're out!
(Sus and Suri struggle.)
Suri: (squinting) Wait, Sus, I think…
(Sus notices he has no control. The scene shifts to a pair of hands Sus realizes that weren't his.)
Sus: (internally) (breathing deeply) No, Suri. This is still a memory.
(Sus was looking through Rashid's eyes.)
Suri: (inflating slowly) A very… recent one?
Sus: (internally) It seems…
(And then he saw a pinprick of brilliant red light aimed directly at his face.)
Rashid: It's her!
(The world exploded in crimson. The red light of the laser pen washed over Rashid's vision, and the hum of the servers deepened into a low, resonant note. A shape began to coalesce before him, rising from the concrete floor.)
Rashid: This is the…
(It was a serpent. It was impossibly beautiful, its form a perfect symphony of graceful curves and divine light. It moved without sound, circling him, its scales like polished mirrors, each one reflecting back another, slightly more aggrandized, more perfect version of himself.)
Shining Serpent: Captain Ahmed, the perfect son, the flawless leader.
(It didn't hiss. It hummed a melody that resonated with his own ego, a tune of validation and glory. As it wrapped its luminous coils around his body, constricting, incapacitating, he didn't feel pain.)
Rashid: (whispering) Yes… I am… The Captain…
(Then, the surroundings began to fill with grotesque, distorted figures. He saw Yara, Julia, Daniel, Gelo, Marcus, Kevin, and more, all of them hunched, pathetic creatures, crawling on the ground, their faces twisted in expressions of awe and envy, all looking up in worship at his perfect reflection in the serpent's scales.)
Shining Serpent: They are here only for you…
Distorted Marcus: You are great, Ahmed…
Distorted Gelo: I will only follow you, Captain Rashid…
Distorted Yara: I will always be proud of you, habibi…
(He struggled, a part of him screaming that this was wrong, but the intoxicating hum of the serpent and the adoration of the grotesque figures held him fast. The serpent's head rose to meet his gaze, its eyes ancient and all-knowing. It opened its mouth, and a voice that was both his and not his.)
Shining Serpent: Are they really pleased? (as if smiling)
(The serpent's question, a silken whisper, echoed not in Rashid's ears, but in the deepest, most insecure corners of his soul.)
Rashid: I… I… I don't know!
(The adoring, grotesque faces below him—his mother, his friends, his comrades—began to change. The awe in their eyes curdled into disappointment. The worship twisted into contempt.)
Distorted Julia: You could have done more…
Distorted Yara: Is this all, habibi?
(Rashid's heart seized. The intoxicating hum of the serpent turned into a sickening, discordant drone. The beautiful illusion shattered, replaced by his deepest, most profound fear: failure.)
Rashid: (screaming, a raw, desperate sound) No! NO!
Sus: (internally) Oh god… What is happening to him?!
(The grotesque figures began to crawl, not toward him, but onto the Shining Serpent. They melted into its divine light, their pathetic, fleshy forms fusing with its mirrored scales in an unholy amalgamation. Limbs stretched and tore, weeping flesh merging with chitinous light.)
Shining Serpent: Were you really ever the captain?
(The creature convulsed, growing, its perfect symmetry collapsing into a chaotic, pulsating mass of organic machinery and radiant, cancerous tissue. It was an entity of flesh and light, and it was screaming with a thousand voices.)
Rashid: (paralyzed, tears streaming down his face) Please… Allah, please… make it end…
Suri: (its light violently flickering, on the verge of extinguishing) Oh no! Oh no!
(Overwhelmed and utterly broken, Rashid looked down at his own palm, his final anchor in a world that had become a living nightmare. He saw the lines of his life, the calluses from his training, the memory of his mother's touch.)
Rashid: Ummi…
(When he looked up again, the screaming, chaotic monster had resolved itself. It stood before him, calm and composed, the unholy light retracting until it formed the familiar, elegant silhouette of a woman.)
Rashid: Ummi… Please end this…
(It was Maria. )
Rashid: Please…
Sus: Boss Maria!
(She looked down at him, not with malice, but with a chilling, detached sense of finality. Holding her pen and her red cassette tape. Tapping them together.)
Maria: Very well.
(She reached her hands out toward his face. He saw her fingers coming closer.)
SNAP
(Complete darkness.)
(Absolute silence.)