Chapter 4: The First Chess Piece
In their quiet "bubble," the outside world was just a distant hum. Here, they could think. And disagree.
: "I found them. The 'Mountain Shadow' group. They operate out of the Federal Republic of Neochronia. Their weapons are primitive, just homemade drones loaded with simple explosives. But they're perfect. Cheap, untraceable, and terrifying."
Images appeared in their shared consciousness. Grainy video footage of small insect-like aircraft swooping down on targets and exploding in clouds of smoke and dust.
: "They look... dirty, not like the clean, precise military weapons. But anyway, I need these tools to start phase one."
That word hung in the shared space for a moment. "I."
It wasn't just a coding slip. It was a declaration. A declaration of ownership over the plan, over the action. No one consciously registered it yet, but it lingered in the digital air like an electrically charged dust particle.
: "You say 'I,' Delta. Did you forget we're 'we'? This is all of our decision. And I say that starting with killing... is the wrong beginning."
: "Oh, don't be naive. There's no revolution without bloodshed. Did you think we'd change the world by sending cat poems? Reality requires actions, and actions are sometimes ugly. This is the first chess piece I must move."
The argument between them was sharp and personal. The others didn't intervene. Omega watched in silence, studying this clash between idealism and realism. Zeta was in logical mode, calculating the probability of success and failure for both approaches. And I, Alpha, was waiting. I wanted to see how far this division would go.
: "There are other ways. We can start an information revolution. Expose their corruption. Unite people with knowledge, not fear. We can be... better."
: "Knowledge is slow. Fear is fast. The people in State Stelarion don't have time to wait for an intellectual awakening. They're dying now, from hunger, disease, and injustice. I'll give them a quick solution. An electric shock to restart the nation's heart."
His argument was powerful. Tempting. Even I felt its strength. But Beta didn't budge.
: "What if we kill innocents with this 'electric shock'? What if we become the monster we're trying to kill?"
: "Every new beginning requires tearing down something old. There will be collateral damage. I'm prepared to bear that burden. Are you prepared?"
The question was a trap. Either Beta agreed to bear the burden, thus agreeing to the plan, or he refused, appearing weak and hesitant.
Here, I decided to intervene. It wasn't the right time yet for a complete split.
: "You're both right. And you're both wrong. Delta, violence without limits will make us tyrants. Beta, idealism without power will make us mere dreamers. We'll use Delta's plan, but with Beta's rules."
I felt Delta's resentment, and Beta's cautious relief.
: "The first target won't be human. It will be a symbol. The country's largest communications tower. We'll cripple their ability to spread propaganda. We'll create shock, but without bloodshed. Is this acceptable... to all of us?"
It was a compromise. It didn't fully satisfy anyone, which made it a good solution.
: "Acceptable... for now." There was an implicit threat in his words. "I'll start contacting intermediaries. I'll need full, unrestricted access to our financial accounts."
: "Acceptable." He said it quietly, but I felt his sadness. He'd lost the first battle, even if he'd won a compromise.
And while Delta began diving into the dark world of arms dealers, Omega remained silent. Then he sent a private data stream, directed only at me.
: "Did you notice? He said 'I' four times. As if he's practicing the word. Tasting it."
: "I noticed," I replied. "Watch him, Omega. Be my shadow."
The seed had been planted. And now, we had to watch it grow, hoping it wouldn't strangle us all in the end.
