Sizzling bolts of energy stitched the air behind her as Astrid sprinted across the open street. She dove for the cover of a truck turned on its side, rolling hard until she fetched up next to Wilhelm. He grinned and flashed an approving thumbs-up. "Glad you could make it!" He risked a glance around the truck's front end and nearly took a blast to the face for his trouble. "It's a lovely area, but I can't say I care much for the neighbors."
"They are a mad pack of bastards, aren't they?" she laughed. Adrenalin and Willi's infectious cheer had blown out the last lingering chill of the nightmare; right now Astrid was riding high and ready to take on the world. She dropped to her stomach and scuttled down to the rear end of the truck for a look of her own. Six gunners still standing, forming a loose ring around the team's target, several meters away. Civilians dotted the open ground between them, some running mindlessly across the battle zone while others simply cowered or stared in dumb shock. Astrid sensed an opening, waited for the line to clear and fired. Bluish-white jags of lightning shot from her fingers to strike one of the gunners, knocking him to the street. "What happened to Hilde and Rolf? They were headed this way."
Fire shifted in response to Astrid's attack and Willi took advantage. He peered over the side of the truck, staring hard at their enemies. He twitched one hand up and twisted sharply; instantly a weapon wrenched itself from its owner's grasp and flew off to the side. Four now, not counting their boss. "Been and gone." He ducked back and shook his head. "Rolf had himself a idea, and Hilde - well, being Hilde..." Astrid nodded and sighed. Hilde was smart enough in her own right, but she would cheerfully follow Rolf right over the edge of a cliff if he claimed it was part of a plan. If the two of them had stayed put, the team might have been able to carry the fight even after losing Victor and Hemlut. Now the entire mission was hostage to whatever wild-eyed notion Rolf had come up with.
Astrid was about to ask if Rolf had said anything before running off when a loud war-whoop sounded behind them. Willi turned to see, and his mouth fell open. It would have been funny, some other time and place; here and now, Astrid knew, it probably meant their day was going to get a lot worse. She turned to follow Willi's pop-eyed stare.
Worse indeed. Hilde was charging down the middle of the street, a compact car raised overhead. Riding atop the car grinning like a madman was Rolf. A hazy nimbus of green light surrounded his body; bolts were pounding into his chest only to fizzle harmlessly. "Fire away!" he bellowed. Hilde skidded to a halt, planted her feet and spun. As she came around the car flew free, spinning lazily through the air. At the last possible moment Rolf leapt free, sailing high over the gunner's heads in a graceful arc onto the target. The car-missile bounced and tumbled through the herd of civilians before bowling over the last four gunners. Rolf's shield expanded into a bubble covering himself and the target, letting the car roll harmlessly overhead. Safe again, he sat up and threw his arms up in triumph. "Target secure! And the crowd goes wild!"
A horn blared out over the speakers and the simulation room ground to a halt. Free from their untimely "deaths," Helmut and Victor trotted around the corner. Neither looked all that happy, whether on account of being killed out of the game or what they knew was coming next. Seeing their instructor descend the stairs from the control room, Astrid knew the day was about to get a lot less pleasant.
It was easy to feel small around Sturmvogel; the man stood well over seven feet and massed nearly as much as the car Hilde had thrown. When the full heat of his temper was flaring, Astrid felt positively microscopic. "I'm not even going to dignify that garbage by calling it an operation." He sighed like a man carrying the weight of a small planet on his back. "Could one of you threats to the future of our nation possibly tell me why?"
To his credit Victor managed to keep his head up. "We should have spotted the ambush."
"Any other time, that would be a start, but no," Sturmvogel replied. "The whole point of this scenario is to test how well you handle the ambush. If you had spotted it I would have been very surprised. The problem, you ragged little apes, is this." He shouldered his way through them and picked up one of the "civilian" test dummies. Its head was hanging by a thin flap of rubber skin. "At what point, Hilde, did you have reason to think using a Volkswagon for a bowling ball was a good idea?"
Rolf glowered and retorted, "It worked, didn't it? If those were real people, they'd have moved out of the way."
Sturmvogel threw the dummy hard enough to knock Rolf back against Helmut. "Shut your mouth, boy. Real people are the dumbest creatures ever to foul God's earth when panic sets in. They'll stand on a railroad track watching the train until it hits, and show up at the pearly gates wondering how in the hell that happened." He folded his hands behind his back and started pacing slowly. "Any idiot off the street can pick up a gun and do what you did. This is not what you are here to learn. You are here to learn how to apply your powers with precision, with efficiency. Yes, collateral damage will happen, but you do not seek it out." He ran a hand back through his short grey hair. "Clean yourselves up and we'll continue this in the briefing room." Looking properly subdued, except for the still-snarling Rolf, the team scurried for the door.
The afternoon sun's warmth was a welcome change after spending most of the morning underground. Alone in one of the little gazebos near the lab building, Astrid stretched out on a bench. Their debrief hadn't been so bad overall; Sturmvogel had even spared a few grudging words of praise for Willi's quick thinking to break the team free of the ambush. Even so she was glad to be done with it. Nothing to do for another two hours, and she meant to do all the nothing she could.
Which wasn't going to be much. Not five minutes after she closed her eyes a shadow fell over her face. She frowned and opened her eyes, ready to tell the intruder where they could go. The stinging rebuke died on her lips when she saw who it was. "Uh! G-good afternoon, Herr Wiegler!" Astrid scrambled to her feet, blushing brightly.
For Astrid and the other students, Aurel Wiegler existed as a strange mix of kindly grandfather and all-powerful god-figure. Sturmvogel was easily the most frightening person any of them knew, and Herr Wiegler was the only man they had ever seen him defer to. Thankfully, he was smiling as he made his way to the gazebo steps. "No, Astrid, sit down. My apologies, I should not have startled you." He limped to one of the benches and sat with his cane between his legs.
Astrid settled back on the edge of her bench. "I just - I haven't any work at the moment, and after the training session..."
"Of course, of course. A fine idea, in fact, taking advantage of a day like this. There won't be many more." He regarded her thoughtfully. "Certainly I would understand if you felt a bit worn out. I hear you had another, ah, early start today." That he knew was no surprise, but that didn't make it any more comfortable to hear. Astrid looked down and nodded, feeling the blush creep back onto her cheeks. "I see." She risked a glance at Wiegler, who seemed deep in thought. The quiet was becoming uncomfortably stretched when he finally resumed, "I make it a rule not to meddle overmuch with you boys and girls - the staff are far better at that sort of thing - but in this case I feel I must. Something is clearly bothering you, young lady."
She felt a twinge of panic. Was he thinking of dropping her from the program? "It's nothing much, sir, I - I just haven't been sleeping quite so well lately - "
He cut her off with an upraised hand. "Relax, please. You're not in any sort of trouble, so don't let that worry you. I only came to you personally because...well, things are about to change for all of you." Wiegler's sharp blue eyes seemed to focus on something distant, and for an instant Astrid saw a coldness in his face she didn't much like. "All you have learned here will very soon be put to use. Yes, very soon indeed." He looked at her again, and the chill was gone under his accustomed smile. "I only wish to know I and the staff have done all we can to prepare you for what will come. If it is as you say, well and good; if there is something more, I urge you to find some way of dealing with the matter. Leaving such things to fester is never a wise course."
"Yes, sir," Astrid said with a nod. "It really isn't much of anything, though. I just keep having this...this very powerful nightmare. I'm trapped in this blank room, and a person is watching me, and they're doing something to me, and it hurts."
"Mmh." Wiegler stroked the neat little tuft of his goatee. "Well, I don't care a great deal for pop psychology, dream interpretations and so forth. However, if I were to hazard a guess, I might say you're simply reacting to your environment." He smiled at Astrid's bafflement and continued, "When my brother founded this place, he set out to perform his studies in a rather...removed sort of way. He wished to focus more on theory than any sort of practical aspect. After his death, I assumed the directorship; regrettably certain events have obliged me to move in a more straightforward manner. I believed, rather than simply seeking to understand those with gifts such as your own, we might...direct those gifts to the betterment of our world." He leaned closer, and Astrid almost flinched back. There was, she thought, a strange glow in his eyes, something almost feverish. "There are many in the world who would mistreat you, you know. Spurn you as freaks, or resent your superhuman abilities. I started this project in the hope of not only learning from you all, but providing you with acceptance, and a sense of purpose." The light faded and he settled back, again looking very much a man of his seventy-five years. "It pains me to admit that I may have allowed the former to overtake the latter. And there, I believe, is the root of your dream: for years you have been studied, tested, measured and watched. I cannot myself imagine what that must feel like; that I have caused you and your friends to endure it is my greatest shame."
"But you haven't, sir!" Astrid protested. "I mean...yes, it hasn't always been pleasant, but I can't imagine some orphanage being any better." She stared down at her hands, fingers twisting together in a nervous tangle. "We are grateful - at least, I know I am. You've helped us, and there's no shame in that."
Wiegler laughed and levered himself up. "Perhaps. It does me good to hear you say so, though. Now, I believe I should be on my way. Finish your rest, if you like. There will be work enough later." He squeezed her shoulder gently and walked back out into the sunshine.
***
The room was dark, save for the light of a single computer screen. A short, cryptic message waited to be sent:
BOXES PACKED.
LANDLORD SAYS ANY DAY NOW.
LOVE TO MOTHER.
-HANSEL
The traitor considered the words a moment longer and sent the message on its way.
Very soon, things were going to change.
In spite of the Director's mysterious pronouncement, the next few days were thoroughly uneventful. Working, training, learning, always the iron routine. For Astrid, at least, there was the relief of a few nights' peaceful sleep. Maybe Herr Wiegler had been right, and understanding brought relief; maybe it was simply a lull in the storm. However temporary, it was a welcome break from the restless nights and early mornings.
*
Three men stood around a long table in the middle of the room. One reached out, tapped a large photograph which covered most of the top. "Our stoolie says the guard change is slated for 2330. If we move tomorrow, we'll still have the new moon; have Able come around here to the north, and Baker takes this ridge near the southwest corner. We'll get almost a hundred yards from the fence before they even know we're there."
"What about psychs?" another asked with a frown. "We know one of the principals is; who's to say there aren't more floating around?"
The first man grinned coldly. "Warcry's going in with Baker. Guy's like a damn black hole for psychic vibes. If they are there, they won't feel a thing until it's all over." He pointed at the map again, sweeping his finger back and forth to follow his narrative. "Soon as both teams are in position, we cut the power. Hansel should have the generator taken care of. Able swings in first to secure the principals, and Baker moves on the lab."
"And if it all goes pear-shaped?"
"That's why we'll be along," the third man said. "Hope it doesn't come to that. And remember, no lethal force against the principals. Corpses are useless to me."
*
"My, aren't we a happy sight?"
Astrid glanced up and made a sour face as Willi and Hilde entered the common room. "What's to be happy for? I'm losing to a brick on legs. Again." She waved at the chessboard, where Helmut was steadily chewing through her forces.
"That's because you think in straight lines." Helmut advanced his bishop to capture Astrid's second rook. "Learn to bend, or else you break."
"Why don't you get bent?" Astrid grumbled. She liked Helmut, more so than his brash sister Hilde, but his habit of constantly spouting Zennish one-liners was maddening at times.
Willi flopped out along one of the couches. "Take heart. You could always lift your spirits by challenging Rolf to a game. Where is the Happy Cannonball, anyway?"
Hilde bristled at the nickname Willi had coined after the disastrous exercise a few days before. "He's studying, trying to finish up the paper for Frau Blucher - as you probably should be."
"Nonsense," Willi replied airily, "I finished that silly thing ages ago. Why - "
The room went dark just as Astrid reached for the board. Emergency lights blinked on, bathing the room in spots of harsh white light. "What the hell?" She looked over at Willi, now on his feet. He answered with a shrug; the others seemed just as puzzled.
Helmut yawned. "Sit down, Willi. The generators will turn over in a few minutes. Whatever it is, they'll figure it out."
*
Deep under the administration building, two massive generators sat silent and unresponsive. The failover circuits had engaged, just as they should, but the grounds remained stubbornly dark. On the front panel of each generator was a mess of singed wires and cracked circuit boards, all that remained of the control units which should have delivered the startup signal.
*
"This isn't right." Hilde bounced up out of her seat and headed for the door. "Something has to be going on, the power should have come back by now."
For once, Astrid was inclined to agree. "We ought to find Rolf and Viktor, at least."
"I think Viktor's still in his room," Willi said as he followed Hilde out. "I'll go get - oh." He danced back out of the doorway, where Viktor came squeezing around Hilde's bulk.
"What's going on? The lights are out everywhere, you can't even see the guard towers," Viktor said breathlessly. That set alarms ringing in Astrid's head. The Director was a fiend for security; she had no doubt the perimeter defenses would have a dedicated circuit and priority on generator power. If the fences and guard posts were dark, things were serious.
His earlier apathy forgotten, Hemlut shouldered his way through into the hall. "Come on. We need to get Rolf and find Sturmvogel." He made his way to the stairs, Astrid and the others strung out behind. Almost unconsciously they fell into a tactical formation, advancing down the steps with the blocky siblings leading the way. As they approached the door, Astrid glance up and saw the camera overhead sitting dead. Outside was pure blackness; from here they could hear shouting outside, frantic calls echoing across the grounds.
Hilde eased the front door open and they filed out. Astrid stopped on the last stair, turning side to side, trying to orient herself. There, that nest of lights, that was the admin center; Sturmovgel would likely be in there somewhere, coordinating the security team's response to...whatever this was. She raised a hand to point the way, and Willi collapsed with a weird, guttural squawk.
"The left! On the left!" Viktor shouted. He paid for the warning cry, brought down even as he spoke. Astrid dropped, rolled and felt something whoosh close by her head. Lightning crackled at her fingertips. She scanned the place Viktor had pointed, trying to spot Willi's attacker. Beside her, Hilde grunted and reached around to claw at her back. Surrounded! Astrid gave up hunting and fired wildly into the brush. In the flickering flash of the bolts she found them, a trio of black figures crouched near the treeline.
Too late, too late. Another shot went wild, but the third struck home. Her muscles went heavy and slack. Astrid looked down, stared stupidly at the dart lodged under her breast. She tried to shout out a warning to Helmut, but all she managed was a weak little sigh as the dark swallowed her up.
So...I guess this marks my debut on the boards here. And what better place to start than at my character's beginning? I mean, everyone loves a good origin story, right?
Well, it's an origin story, at any rate. The quality I leave you to judge; feedback is welcome.
* * *
Her world is harsh blank whiteness and the eyes. If it weren't for the eyes there wouldn't be anything, but somehow they're worse than nothing. The eyes are watching her with a doll's dead stare; no love, no hate, no regard. She is a thing, the eyes tell her, an object to be studied and watched. She can't see the face below the eyes - it's white there too - but she knows it would be just as dull and empty. Her head won't turn away, no matter how hard she tries. She tries to close her eyes, anything to get away from that look, and even that escape is denied. All she can do is sit and stare into those ugly muddy brown eyes, watching the watcher. Somewhere a voice starts counting, loud but far-off. As the numbers climb she feels the itching-stinging-burning and it hurts it hurts stop it hurts so bad I want stopitstopit I want I want
"Mutti!" Astrid bucked hard, nearly throwing herself off of the narrow bed. She got her hands up in time to save herself knocking her head against the nightstand. By the clock there it was nearly 0530, two hours before breakfast. Astrid groaned and pushed herself upright. Staying in bed was pointless, she knew; there was never any sleep after the dream.
Goosebumps rose on her bare legs as she shoved the blanket aside. Moving by feel in the familiar confines of the room, Astrid dressed quickly and slipped out into the hall. The dorm was still dead quiet, the corridor mostly dark. She reached the front door uncontested, though not at all unnoticed - she resisted the urge to wave at the camera resting above the doors.
Outside the sun wasn't much more than a smudge and a promise on the eastern edge of her world. From the top of the steps she had a commanding view of the campus, such as it was. Even in broad daylight, one would only see a small cluster of buildings in the little valley. The real work at the Institute happened well out of sight. Across the sports field she could see lights blazing already in some of the offices, a few fellow early risers getting a jump on the day. At least they'd had a choice, she thought with a bit of a sneer. Looking past, out to the edge of the south ridge, she could just make out the peaked roofs of a pair of guard towers along the perimeter line. Astrid wondered if Reynard would be on foot patrol today, and made a note to ask after his wife if they crossed paths.
She bounded down the steps and cut north, heading for the little path where the old fence had run. The light was still thin, barely enough to see the breath clouding in front of her face, but Astrid ran all-out. Over the well-kept lawn, through the wilder grass at the forest's edge, into the trees and never slowing for a step. For every day she could remember of her seventeen years, the grounds of the Johann Wiegler Institute had been her home. The high wire-topped fences were the borders of her life, and she knew every step of the grounds by heart. Duck here, under the branch; there, cut left around the tree with the forking trunk; over there, a high hurdler's jump over the fallen log.
It was a path she'd run a thousand times before. Winding round along the edge of the campus, it would eventually bring her back to the dorm, shaking and exhausted and never quite able to lose the feeling of the eyes, watching and floating in the white.