“
I got it. If I don
’
t get your toy back, you
’
re going to go tell Daddy on me…grow up,
”
he said, looking to the ceiling where he assumed a bug to be spying, and gave a wink.
“
Don
’
t forget it, love,
”
she said as she stormed out of the room and slammed the door.
* * * *
“
He is in the slums. I can hear him faintly. He doesn
’
t even know he is speaking to the network, but he is there…listening to what she has to say,
”
said Zax.
“
Crimson? The bitch
that
damn near shot my ear off?
”
“
Yep, her. He
’
s hearing her out
…
appears they aren
’
t allies…yet. I
’
d like to tell you what exactly is going on, but he has only had one treatment. I
’
m surprised he is broadcasting a signal this strong. If he has all five treatments and is trained…he may be a better solider than you, Badger.
”
“
I see. Give me details as they come in. Also, send ten men to Max
’
s. Give them the order shoot to kill, except the bald one. Take Zarfa alive if we can. We don
’
t want Crimson corrupting his mind. She knows too much about us
,
and whether she intends to fight against us or not, we don
’
t have the time to wait and see.
”
“
Understood, sending out the order now to our top ten soldiers.
”
Badger paced back and forth in the room, clenching his injured ear between his index finger and his thumb. He still wasn
’
t quite sure how this diso
rganized threesome had heard
him and his psychic army the night before. He knew that Max and Crimson could hear a little of their broadcasts without having Psyker bot treatments, but so could anyone.
The bots
made it so that the recipient of treatments could pick up on the unconscious brainwave resonation that every human produced. On top of that, it would make those who had received treatments resonate stronger. Zarfa had to be an anomaly because nobody was able to broadcast from that far away after one treatment. The fact that they could track him twenty or more miles across town meant by the fifth treatment, he would hypothetically be able to converse with other Psykers around the globe.
This thought frustrated Badger for two reasons; one, Zarfa would be a dangerous enemy if left unchecked; two, Badger had received orders from the top to let him live until he had made his decision resolute. Even if his decision was to go back to Legion Nine, Badger was to leave him alone.
“
How long until our men reach Max
’
s office?
”
Badger asked Zax.
“
With hovercraft congestion on the airways the way it is right now? Forty-five minutes at least.
”
* * * *
“
Punctual, I like it,
”
stated Crimson with a smirk.
Zarfa said nothing in return. He glared at her as thoughts of his sister invaded his mind. For some reason, he could see Sarah in Crimson and he both loved it and hated it. He probably would have appreciated it more if it weren
’
t for the fact that he had
earlier
been introduced to the thought that Sarah might still be herself, and working with the Faraza by her own volition.
“
In all fairness, you did say afternoon, so would I still be punctual if arrived at three?
”
“
Yes, less punctual, but still punctual. The fact that it is only a minute past twelve screams punctual. Like a solider, like a…
commander
even,
”
she said with an eyebrow raised.
Zarfa stood only a few feet inside the doorway. He now closed the door behind him. He knew it absurd
,
but he didn
’
t want anyone passing by to hear this conversation.
Max sat behind his desk at the far end of the room with his hands folded in front of him. He still hadn
’
t cleaned up the broken glass from the night before. Neither had he patched his injury with medifoam
. Strange,
Zarfa thought.
Crimson sat in front of Max on his desk and to his left so as not to obstruct Zarfa
’
s view of Max. There was a chair seated in front of both of them with a small table next to it. On the table, Zarfa could see that it was their attempt to make him as comfortable as possible. They had placed some water and snacks on it for him.
“
Please
,
have a seat,
”
said Max
Zarfa walked over and plopped himself down in the chair. It was comfortable, but he felt as if he were being interviewed
,
and
he
still didn
’
t trust that the food and snacks weren
’
t laced with something.
“
Why is it I feel as if the two of you are teaming up to tell me something I don
’
t want to hear?
”
Zarfa asked
.
“
I assure you
,
Max knows as little about why we are here as you do. I refrained from telling him anything until you arrived for that very purpose.
”
Max nodded his head in agreement.
“
So
,
what is the meaning of this? You said there was a war coming, then tell me. When? Where? Why? What does it have to do with us?
”
Zarfa was monotone
,
but already sounding aggressive.
“
Before I do, please let me preface all that I say with this; first off, Zarfa, I
’
ve done my homework on you. I know you lead a small army, Legion Nine, as they are called, and it is quite impressive. Little to your knowledge, but the fact that you are fighting against the Faraza makes us allies. Furthermore, I know why you are here. I know why you are getting Psyker treatments. However, you have been misinformed. If you do modify your hearing, your scheme will work. You will be able to hear the wasps before they emerge from the earth, and you will be able to track them back to their lair… However…
”
She lingered for a moment because she could tell Zarfa
’
s curiosity had been piqued.
“
However what?
”
he asked, not even bothering with such things as how she had known he was planning on an offensive strike after he returned.
“
Why do you think that so many young adults have decided to get the Psyker treatments despite the high risk? Despite the pain? You aren
’
t privy to this, but have you seen the commercials run in Alexarien advertising Psyker Scream
s
and the modifications required to listen to them? They are blunt, honest, and hide none of the risks. However, what they don
’
t have to tell you is these commercials have an encrypted frequency that transmits directly into the
amygdala
and cerebrum of the brain. They send a message silently right to the viewers
’
emotions and thoughts.
“
Granted
,
this brainwashing technique works best on young adults, particularly females, however, nobody is immune to it. If it were a perfected technology, they would have no use for the bots. First, they snag their audience with the signal,
and then
they gut them with the bots. When those bots rewrite your brain to hear the higher and the lower frequencies, they also remap your entire brain so that you can hear the thoughts of those whom your brain resonates with clear as day. This enables telepathic communication within what is ultimately Synaptix
C
orporation
’
s army they disguise as the band Psyker Scream
s
.
“
Badger is their leader and Surge and Zax are his right and left hands. Once anyone has had all five treatments, not only can they communicate telepathically, but they are completely open to any form of suggestion that comes from the base source. I am not sure how many
base sources they have, but to my
know
ledge
the three that comprise the band aren
’
t under anyone
’
s control but their own. However, they are extremely loyal to Synaptix.
“
They can control their
‘
fans
’
by merely sending them telepathic commands. Those things you heard when you went to the concert were signals you were picking up from the thoughts of the audience. If you go through with the treatments, you will be able to communicate with them. You will be their ally, as
well as my own in that Synaptix.
We
all want to end the Faraza, but you will be susceptible to being one of their little puppets…which would make you my enemy.
”
“
So you
’
re telling me if I follow my goals, we are going to be enemies? Why don
’
t you
go ahead and
kill me right here? Or try anyhow.
”
“
Because it isn
’
t my style to do so. They can
’
t control you yet. You still have time to decide. If you stop the treatments now, you will go deaf, also one of their tricks to make sure they build their army of brainwashed slaves without letup. Being deaf isn
’
t so bad, not compared to being a tool of Synaptix.
”
As Zarfa sat in quiet contemplation, Max
’
s mind was running a mile a minute.
“
Hang on, it wasn
’
t
only
Zarfa who heard voices
,
though. I did
,
and I am willing to bet you have too, Crimson. How is that possible if we don
’
t have the nanobots in us?
”
“
Our brains, even without modifications, naturally resonate between one and thirty hertz at any given time. You should know that,
doctor.
We were standing in a mass concentration of people whose brains have been modified to amplify that resonation so naturally, we would receive bleed through messages. Of course
,
we could never communicate back. We would never be able to spy on them and figure out what they were saying. We would only get garbled voices and random words that meant nothing. Zarfa, on the other hand, had already had some modification, which is why with a little focus, he could center in on Badger
’
s
‘
voice.
’
Consequent
ly
, Zarfa, they can now track you wherever you are until you either go deaf from complications or become one of them and don
’
t care any longer if they are tracking you or not.
”
“
I see,
”
said Max, nearly dumbfounded.
“
So you are telling me that my brilliant idea to be able to go on the offensive with my army was the worst strategic plan I could have made if I wanted to remain myself and take down the Faraza?
”
“
Correct.
”
“
Then I guess it
’
s a good thing that my hatred for them is so deep that I don
’
t care if I live or die! I don
’
t care if I become a puppet of Synaptix, just as long as the Faraza
are
destroyed.
”
“
Did you miss the memo when I said I seek to destroy them as well? I have higher goals. Don
’
t be stupid; hear out the rest of what I have to say and decide, please.
”
“
Don
’
t tell me what to do. You don
’
t know me! I don
’
t care about
your,
just mine.
”
“
We have the same goals! Mine
,
however
,
include destroying Synaptix
as well
. You see, the Faraza are the henchmen of the Polyhelix cor
poration. They kidnap
people to experiment their gene manipulation further. This,
Max,
is where your patients are going. They are taking them from poor
-
afflicted areas such as the slums, or places that don
’
t govern themselves the way Alexandria does because they can get away with it. They are
equally
as sick
,
if not more so
,
than Synaptix. The point is, both are planning to raise an army and dominate as much of this planet as they can.
It isn
’
t man
’
s place to play God such as this. Mindless armies on one side being controlled by nothing more than, to put it simply, radio transmissions. On the other side
,
a corporation with no soul that is building an army of chimeras out of people whom they
’
ve kidnapped. Both sides have
,
in the past
,
contributed to the betterment of man, but today, they have made themselves idols and gods to the people. My goal is their utter destruction. So, Zarfa, are you content to destroy
only
the Faraza, which is nothing more than the tail of the beast, or will you strike its head
alongside
me? I could use you; I could use your army.
”