TheHYDRAjetwasdeckedoutexactlyasCaldwellhadimagined.TherewasmorerealleatherfurniturethanCaldwellhadseeninhislifetime.Therewereplushleathersofas,recliners,amassagechair,threedeskswithswivelchairs,abookcasefullofimportant-lookingleather-boundbooksandalargeplasmaTVscreen.EventhebarstoolswerecoveredinrealItalianleather.Abankofterminalslinkedtocyberspaceviatheaircraft’sonboardsatellitesystemblinkedtoonesideofthemainareaoftheaircraft.AfullyimmersiveVRsuithunglimplyinsideaglasscabinet.
Assoonastheysteppedaboard,Ms.Levindisappearedintooneoftwodoorsleadingtothebackoftheplane.AlargeredsignabovethedoorreadRESTRICTED:AUTHORIZEDPERSONNELONLY.CaldwellthoughthewasflyingLobotomyAir,courtesyofHYDRA,theprideoftheUnion.ThetwoagentssettledtheirframesinoneoftheplushItalianleathersofasandflippedontheplasma.AgentJonesopenedapartmentinthesofa’sarmrestandpulledouttwopairsofVRgloves.Theystartedplayingaholographicvideogame,ducking,weaving,jabbingandpunchingtheair.Thetwofive-inchholographicboxersprojectedontothetopofaglasscoffeetablefollowedtheireverymoveinrealtime.Theyweremachomuscleboysmassagingtheirpatheticegos.
“Youtwodon’thaveanythingbettertodothanplayvideogames?”Caldwellasked.Hethoughtitwasareasonablequestioninthecircumstancesbuttheyglaredathimandthenreturnedtotheirboxingmatch.CaldwellsatinoneoftheswivelchairsandwatchedAgentJones’boxerpinAgentJackman’sboxeragainsttheholographicropestothesoundofabellsignalingtheendofthefirstround.Hewastired,bothmentallyandphysically,butthethoughtoftheimpendingprocedurekeptanynotionsofsleepatbay.HewatchedthetwoHYDRAagentsremovetheirjacketsandties,poisedforthesecondround.Theirholographicequivalentssatslumpedintheircornerssuckingwaterthroughstrawsandtakingadvicefrominvisibletrainers.
Caldwellstoodupandopenedoneofthedoorsatthefrontoftheaircraft,theonlyonethatdidn’tsayAUTHORIZEDPERSONNELONLYorCABINCREWONLYandfoundhimselfinasmallerroomwithacoupleoftreadmillsandmoreleatherrecliners.WasthatallHYDRAagentsdid?KickbackandthinkofoldEngland?Hemandeeredoneofthereclinersnearalargewindowlookingoutontherunway.Theautomatedfueltruckswerepullingawayandtheaircraftwaspreparingtotakeoff.TherewasaknockonthedoorandtwoidenticalEurasiantwinsinredcabincrewgarbwalkedin.Caldwellwasn’tsurewhetherhewashallucinating.Therewassomethingaboutthestewardesses,acertaintelepathiccoordinationthatseemedtotallyunreal.
“WeleonboardMr.Caldwell.Mr.Fouleraskedustobringyouthissuittochangeintoafteryourprocedure.WealsohaveasuitcaseofclothingandotheritemsthatwilleinhandyinHongKong.”Thissaidinunison,thesoundoftheirvoicesingathiminstereo.Oneofthegirlswascarryingagraysuitbagwhichsheplacedonahangeronwall.
“Thanks,”Caldwellsaidandgawkedatthegirls.TherewassomethingunnaturalaboutthetwoEurasians,anintenseandvaguelydisturbingartificialbeauty.
“Youarewele,”theysaid,againinperfectsynchrony.
“Iamnotgoingtobotheraskingyournames.Iamjustgoingtogetconfused,”hesaid.
“That’sagoodidea.JustcallusSiuJethentherewon’tbeanyconfusion.”
“Soundslikeaplan.Doyouguysalwayssaytheexactthingatthesametime?AndwhatdoesSiuJemeananyway?Doesn’tsoundlikeEnglish.”
“Veryfunny,Mr.Caldwell.WeknowyouspeakCantoneseperfectlywell.We’lleandgetyouonceMs.Levinisreadyforyou.”Twopairsofpainfullyattractivebrownorientaleyesboreintohim.
“Yeah,hersurgeryisopenallhours,right?”
“Pardonus,Mr.Caldwell?”thegirlssaidinunison.
“Nevermind.It’sjustalittlejoke.AndcallmeCad,please.”
“Ifyouinsist,Cad,”theyconcededinstereo,retreatingbackwardsthroughthegapingdoor.
He’dbedamnedifHYDRAwasn’tculturingairhostessesinvats.Thepracticewasnotunheardof.TherewereplacesinItalywereyoucouldgetatwenty-oneyear-oldwomancustommadeinsixmonths.Nokidding.ThosetwolookedlikesomethingoutofFouler’sfantasies.OnlyhewouldthinkofmakingthemEurasian,appealingtothemostbasicstereotypesaboutbeauty.Andthenitclicked.Thetwoagents,JackmanandJones.Theideaofmakingidenticalblackandwhitebodyguardscouldonlybetheresultofadecisionmadeinalab.HYDRAwasgrowingitsownstaff.Thatwouldexplaintheirobsessionwithvideogames.LikeKat’sobsessionwithmovies.Andthewaytheyonlyspokewhenspokento.ThemechanicalwaytheydealtwiththetwoJapanese.Theirtotallyunnaturallaughinthelimo.ThewaytheylookedatFoulerwhenheleftthemattheairport,likeHanselandGretelabandonedinthewoods.
Caldwelllettheclonetheoryregressfromhismindandtriedtoreflectbackoneverythingthathadhappenedinthelasttwenty-fourhours.Glyph,hackerownerofTheHUB,dead.KatwasbackontheradarandstayinginGlyph’strailer.Hehadpartofhismemorybackandinafewminuteswouldhavemuchmore.Hewasslowlyrediscoveringaselfheneverknewbefore,hissynapsesreconfiguringinunimaginableways,slowlyunlockingahiddenpast.
Thetempoofhislifehaddefinitelygoneupanotch.Forbetterorworsewasanyone’sguess.Justtheotherdayhehadbeenonthebrinkoftakinghisownlife.HethoughtabouttheSlav’svialinhisknapsack.NowhewasonaluxurycorporateaircraftboundforHongKong,hisplaceofbirth.Onethingwasforsure.Theeventsofthelasttwenty-fourhoursweretooplextodigestandwerebestleftalonetoworkthemselvesoutinduecourse.HewasstillpissedoffaboutwhatFoulerhadletHYDRAdotohim.
Hestaredoutsidethewindowasflightengineersfittedthemetalslingshotsbelowtheaircraft’sfuselage.Caldwellfeltlikehehadseenthisdonebeforealthough,asfarashecouldrecall,hehadneverbeenonanaircraftbefore.Therewasafaintrumbleastheenginesfiredup,thesoundgrowinglouder.Thetemporoseuntilthefuselagestartedtoshudder.Thenoseofthejetstartedmovingupwardsandheinstinctivelygrippedthearmrestofhisseat.Thesoundofwinchesgrinding,thentheforceoftheslingshotssnappingandtheHYDRAjetshotstraightintothesky,boundforHongKong.
Whentheaircraftleveledout,Caldwellwalkedbackintothemainroom.ThetwoEurasianSiuJeswerenowheretobeseen.ItappearedMs.Levinwasstillintheroomwithrestrictedaccess.Thetwoagentswereonroundten.Bothbiologicalandholographicboxershadsloweddownconsiderably.ThenAgentJoneslandedanuppercuttoAgentJackman’svirtualjawandtheblackagent’sholographicboxerslumpedontothevirtualcanvass.Arefereematerializedoutofnowhere,realisticallydroppedtothefloor,orratherthecoffeetable,andbegantocountAgentJackman’sboxeravatardown.Theheavylookedon,willingthehologramtogetupbutitwastonoavail.AgentJones’boywasthechampion.Theybothslumpedsweat-soakedinthesofaandstaredathim.
AgentJoneseasedhisbulkyframeoutofthesofa,leavingalargedentintheleather,anddisappearedoffbehindoneofthedoors,musclesripplingagainstsweat-soakedshirt.
Caldwelldecideditwasgoingtobealongflightsohemightaswellappeartobefriendly.
“FirsttimetoHongKong?”heasked,makingeveryefforttosoundcasual.
“No,buttheseplacesalllookthesameanyway.”AgentJackmanhadspoken.Itappearedtheyonlystayedsilentwhentheyweretogether.
“Howdoyouknowifyou’veneverbeen?”Caldwellpushed.
“Lookheremate,thisisgoingtobeathreehourtrip.Wedon’tneedanyshitfromyou.OK?”
“Iamnotgivingany.Lookwhycan’twealljustgetalong.DoyouhavefamilyintheUnion,”Caldwellprobed.
Ablanklookcameovertheman’sfaceandhedidn’tsayaword.AgentJackmanstoodupsuddenly.Hisfistswereclenched.OnhisfacewasatorturedlookthatonlyservedtoconfirmCaldwell’sinitialsuspicions.Thesewerevatjobs.Whatwashedoingwithanoutfitthatcustombuiltpeopletoserveitsdarkpurposes?Theagent’seyeswentblankandCaldwellthoughthewasabouttotakerevengeforhisboxingdefeatandpoundhimintothefuselageoftheaircraft.Hewassavedbythebell.Ms.Levinpoppedherheadroundtherestricteddoor.
“Wearereadyforyounow,”shesaidcheerily,asthoughhewasmakingaroutinetriptothedentist.We?Howmanypeoplewerethereontheaircraft?Andhowmanyofthemwerebornthewaynatureintended?
“Iamnotinthemoodforalobotomyrightnow.Canyougivemeafewmoreminutestoreconsider?”Caldwellasked.Hewasonlyhalfjoking.Thelookinhereyestoldhimthatnowwasthetimeandthiswasnon-negotiable.Caldwellstoodupnervously.Hewasapprehensiveabouttheprocessthatwasabouttotakeplaceandwhatitwoulddotohim.Amildmigrainestartedtoflashsomewheredeepwithinhisskull.Sheopenedthedoorwidertolethimthrough.Shewasdressedpletelyinwhite,havingchangedherclothessincetheyhadboardedtheaircraft.Thenithithimwhyshehadlookedvaguelyfamiliarattheairport.Shehadbeenalotyoungerthen.Shewasthenurseinthewhiteroomofhisrecentlyacquiredmemories.
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