Chapter 1

The Hydra is launched...

Chapter 1

 

May 2096

 

A loud electronic bleep sounded, echoing throughout the crowded hallway. 

The next person in line walked forth, and the line sidled forward idly.

Patrick Lefèvre took a moment to straighten his tie and brush a loose piece of lint off his suit. He nodded to the large door in front of him. Immediately, two panels on the steel door opened, revealing biometric scanners. Lefèvre stepped forward, and placed his hand on a hand-shaped gel pad in front of him. At the same time, he placed his eye at the other, much smaller scanner, located at his head level. His fingerprints and retina were scanned, in rapid flashes of green.

The door bleeped almost approvingly in reply.

“Access allowed. Please enter now.” The door slid into the marble floor with surprising swiftness, revealing a hidden passageway into the main hallway. Lefèvre cracked his knuckles and strode down the elegant marble hallway, which was seamlessly integrated with the latest in interactive technology, and decorated for the day’s great occasion.

All around him, holographic projections updated rapidly in real-time, gathering information from all over the world. The cacophony of dozens of voices speaking all at once filled the air around him. Men and women strode down the elaborate staircases and corridors, many decked out in designer dresses and business suits. Virtual and real indoor fireworks detonated in brilliant flashes of light, drawing great gasps from the throngs of people lining the wide corridors. Streamers tied to the rosewood railings of antique staircases and pillars shimmered, changing colours every few minutes, from bright crimson, to deep shades of gold. A broad banner stretched the length of the massive ceiling, the bright word “WELCOME” glittering brilliantly like diamonds. In fact, there were some actual diamonds embedded in the banner.

Despite himself, he could not help but marvel at the amazing design of the building, and the festivities before him. He had not expected any less, though. For he had just set foot in Rankour Industries, one of the most technologically advanced firms in the world and one of the world’s greatest organizations of innovators.

In the case of Rankour, the future was " quite literally " around the corner.

Lefèvre turned right at a junction, and barely paused as a pair of automatic doors slid open. He strolled into the indoor auditorium, yet hardly noticed by the reporters frantically bashing away at mini-computers, discussing animatedly among themselves. He took a seat at the front row, observing the small crowd as they sidled in slowly, murmuring to each other.

Everyone knew something big was right down the pipeline, something that could have life-changing consequences.

Lefèvre’s thoughts were interrupted suddenly as one of his long-time friends and colleague took a seat next to him, decked out in a stunning black dress. He smiled at her politely, yet deep in his mind, he noticed that her deep auburn hair and sea-green eyes had never looked so beautiful before.

“Bonjour, Miranda. As-tu trouvé quelque chose?”

Miranda Whitely raised an eyebrow at him and smiled knowingly.

“No, I haven’t found anything suspicious, not other than what we were informed. At least not yet...”

She looked about herself, as the lights slowly began to dim. The gathered audience roared deafeningly in anticipation. Whitely sat back in her chair, folding her arms.

“Well, we’re about to find out, aren’t we?”

The sound of a microphone being switched on filled the auditorium. An unseen announcer cleared his voice.

“Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado " the CEO of Rankour Industries....HUGO MALSTEIN!!”

The gathered audience went wild with approval, as Hugo Malstein casually strode on the stage of the auditorium, raising his arms as if to welcome each and every member of the audience. In a sense, he was. Patrick Lefèvre watched, almost transfixed, by the mere presence of the CEO. The words “charm” and “strut” could almost have been invented specifically for Hugo Malstein.

Hugo Malstein grinned widely to the audience as the last pockets of applause finally died down. He tapped on a nearby computer, and at once a vast hologram materialized out of nowhere, filling the cavernous space on stage. The hologram rotated slowly, glowing deep blue, in the shape of what appeared to be a long, cylindrical object that tapered down to a narrow point at the bottom, surrounded by a massive ring.

The gathered crowd murmured softly to each other.

Malstein turned to the crowd, gazing down at the audience as though he knew every single one of them personally.

“Well, thank you so very much for coming tonight! I assure you, none of you will go home disappointed. From tonight, nothing will ever be the same again...”

Miranda Whitely listened to Malstein’s speech, doubt growing in her heart. Just recently, Rankour Industries, which had often produced computers and electronic goods, had controversially decided to expand its productions into weaponry. She had grown more and more suspicious of the firm since then.

Malstein tapped a few more times on the computer, and suddenly, two compartments of the hologram began to flash deep red like a strobe.

“I know some people are a little surprised that we’ve decided to make weapons. Some people have become very concerned about this. Yet I assure you, we are still a peace-loving company. We know that today marks the fifth year of conflict of the United Nations against the separatist nations. We know that the world is facing a serious mineral crisis.”

Hugo Malstein paused for effect.

“That is why...tonight we unveil our masterpiece.”

He gestured to the hologram, at the parts glowing deep red.

“As you all know, Rankour Industries has recently launched a massive satellite into space. This satellite will not only complete our worldwide communications network, but it will also solve the current mineral crisis we have today.”

Some of the gathered audience gasped in surprise. Patrick Lefèvre sat up in his seat, his fingers steepled. Miranda Whitely typed silently away at her tablet computer.

“This satellite contains 2 powerful reactors, codenamed SCYLLA and CHARYBDIS, which power it and provide the minerals we need. The reactors work in the very same fashion the suns in the galaxy do. We simply input hydrogen gas into the reactors and subject them to very high pressures and temperatures until their nuclei fuse to produce helium gas. This can be repeated time and again until we can obtain the elements we desire. The reactors themselves are triple-heat shielded to ensure that the reactors do not detonate from the immense heat, and if we do need to produce heavier elements, the satellite does contain its own auxiliary power source for this very purpose.”

A dead silence filled the auditorium, save for the final echoes of Hugo Malstein’s voice.

Hugo Malstein grinned, practically leaping to his computer as he tapped some more on his keypad. The ring of the hologram began to glow deep orange. He turned back to his audience, spreading his arms wide.

“This satellite also boasts an array of weapons, which could simultaneously end the conflict between the UN and the separatists. Twelve mounted rail guns fire 200-kilogram tungsten projectiles at near light speed. But that is not all, ladies and gentlemen. Mounted on the ring of the satellite include fifty particle beam cannons capable of wiping out anything...”

Already some people were nodding, impressed. Malstein waved his hand at another projection beginning to power up.

“But why not we all see for ourselves? My special treat to all of you! This satellite is not meant to be fully operational until next week, but I’m offering you a sneak preview of what will happen to the separatists if they continue their barbaric assaults. Here we have constructed a full-scale mock up model of a city.”

The model of the city materialized on screen, lovingly furnished with details such as numbered mailboxes, engraved cornerstones and even the logos of car companies on the bumpers of cars. The only thing missing, Whitely noted, was any sign of actual human shapes.

A technician gave the thumbs up from the back of the auditorium.

“Coordinates locked, sir. Initiating firing of rail guns...”

It took only a fraction of a second.

Suddenly what appeared to be a meteor shower came streaking down from the sky. The tungsten projectiles, red-hot from the entry and racing down at tremendous speed, roared down from the skies and smashed into the city, tearing deep gorges and furrows into streets and avenues. In a blink of an eye, the city was ablaze and scarred beyond recognition, a moonscape of fire and blackened concrete and metal.

The audience gasped as one.

The technician raised his hand again.

“Commence firing of particle beams. 3...2...1...initiating...”

Several deep red dots appeared out of nowhere upon the surface of the scorched earth. Terrifyingly slowly, they spiralled in, converging towards the centre of the city.

A deadly light show of destruction.

The dots met deep in the centre.

A great blast of red light shone down from the sky, increasing in intensity, glowing brighter and brighter, and then...

The world erupted in flames.

The audience drew a deep, involuntary gasp. Patrick Lefèvre stared at the hologram, his mouth agape. Whitely’s hands flew to her mouth.

Hugo Malstein waved proudly at the scene before him.

“Ladies and gentlemen....behold, the Hydra.”

The audience stared in shock at what they had observed. Then from a few pockets of the crowd, some began clapping, rapidly gaining ground, until the audience erupted in a standing ovation, a perfect storm of applause.

 

 

Miranda Whitely and Patrick Lefèvre walked slowly back to their office, even though it was almost one in the morning. Somehow, the air had grown heavier, stained with the fear of what could be.

Lefèvre turned to Whitely, his voice calm, yet his brow still matted with cold sweat.

“So...what do you think?”

“You know me well enough to know the answer.” Her tone had become slightly harder than before.

“Though I learnt many things in the DGSE, I did not learn how to read minds...”

“Too bad.” She shrugged, though it took considerable effort for her to do so. “It’s a really cruel and heartless WMD. It’ll solve all our problems, but at the cost of millions of lives!”

Lefèvre nodded solemnly, his eyes downcast as they paced in step.

“I think from our expertise, and your experience in MI6, we know best that nothing is as it seems. I thought something had obviously gotten into Malstein ever since he bought over one of the biggest arms manufacturers in the world...”

Whitely brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face.

“I trust him less and less with every passing moment...”

“I never trust anyone, ever.” Lefèvre could not help but smile. Miranda Whitely herself could barely suppress a grin.

“How stereotypical of you!”

“How wise, you mean to say.” They shared a laugh, that Lefèvre knew, they had not done so in a long time. The moment of light-heartedness lasted all too briefly, and then they were back to face the reality. Lefèvre narrowed his eyes.

“The United Nations Security Council will have a lot to say about this...”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

If you want to know what Lefèvre said in French, he said "Have you found anything?"
The DGSE stands for the Direction Generale de la Securite Exteriure, which is the French external intelligence agency. MI6 is the foreign intelligence agency for Britain.

Reviews

[YouoweYoupay]

This was an exciting and tangible read. I was beginning to get tired of the sleek doors and the high-tech sounds and images until the fireworks came to life. Miranda and Lefvere are both interesting characters, and the story has strong initial grounds. I like it so far. I will be reading you. Thanks for sharing! : )

-youoweyoupay