The Liberal Assassin

By the time I woke up, the stars were greeting me in place of Pyros. What a nostalgic feeling. This only happened while I was still in the Academy. Mrs Peterman and Alastair often chided me for having unhealthy sleeping habits and now it felt a little too quiet without their nagging. Trying to go back to sleep would be futile as I tossed about in bed. Finally relenting, I got up and set to work.

"Lilith Malfoy…" a glance over at Cain 2.0. The gears in my head started turning as the sleep induced fog in my brain cleared.

Thanks to Luna Services, I knew what kind of internal system the Inner City used. The Night Walker might be an expert at hacking devices and systems but hacking the Inner City's mainframe would be on a whole new level. No one had attempted to alter the mainframe for as long as it existed and that's saying something. All devices and programs were dependant on it since nobody remembered the man who made the mainframe system or how he did it, everyone simply built upon what he had created.

So why does Titus Crowley need to hack the mainframe? Simple. That's the only system even the Parliament was powerless to mess with. It's the master key to unlock all the information Luna possibly has and that information crucial to me was hidden somewhere common users couldn't even dream about. Even so, the mainframe was the first part of the mystery. I still needed to know the exact location of where everything was taking place but first, the mainframe must be hacked.

"Cain, can you find me the mainframe's code? Kevin, help me search for anything regarding human experimentation."

Cain set to work at once and Kevin ran scans through the massive database. It was impressive how Cain was able to pick out the pieces of information so quickly. I studied the extracted codes, trying to get into the head of this genius who invented such a system.

There was a saying to 'set a creep to a creep' and that was exactly what I was doing. Searching this whole pile of code would take me a lifetime to get what I needed. That's why I'm not going to do that. As the creator, the first thing I would do is make a special route for myself. This is why we have system administrators and all. It makes things so much easier for access. Then again, this is the mainframe we're talking about so that route might not exist. However, as a developer, I would bet my life that the creator has one made. It's just going to be hidden or encrypted in a way only he or she would understand.

"All mainframe system programs extracted," Cain reported.

I glanced at Kevin's progress and decided that I should start working on hacking the mainframe instead. "Thank you, Cain. Help Kevin with his search and report back to me."

After Cain and Kevin got to work, it was time to start mine. I opened a new window expecting thousand line coded backend files but was greeted by a long list of numerals instead.

"Oh my Pantiumite…"

The gibberish stared back at me and no amount of refreshing will change it. I tried scanning it, looking for some sort of numeral pattern but it was impossible. How could the mainframe be coded in such a language? The only plausible explanation would be that the creator was an alien.

"What sort of code is this? It makes utterly no sense!" There aren't any programming languages on Luna that resembled what I was looking at. The code was written in nothing but numbers from zero to four.

Being one of the best system administrators meant that I knew every programming language used in the Inner City. However, nothing had been remotely close to this crude piece of work. It wasn't a programming language anymore, it was a cryptic code.

Before I could dramatically fall into despair, Kevin's voice interrupted my thoughts. "Sir, the list of all matters relating to human experimentation is ready. Is there anything else you would like me to do?"

I took a last look at the abomination and told Kevin to search for information regarding numeral code writing. The search had been quick and returned negative. Sighing, I placed all my hopes on the physical archive that Mrs Peterman prided herself over. If this was the makings of an ancient person, the only place left to find anything about it was a place as old as it.

"Thank you, Kevin. Could you pull out all the security patrol routes for the Academy?"

While Kevin worked on it I went back to the list, opting to ignore the mountain-sized workload cut out for me over the next few days.

Human experimentation was a much talked about debate but nothing interested me. Most of them discussed theories about human evolution and the history of New-Man. My search came to a dead end when all the sources proved to be duds. Nothing about the recent incident in the wastelands was mentioned.

I glanced back at the creepy screen of numerals. Nothing made sense. Why would it be written in numbers? I stared hard at the numbers and went through them line by line. The numbers were becoming a blur but somewhere along the two thousandth line I finally noticed something.

Some number patterns were repetitive.

"Kevin. Find me everything you can find about cypher and hidden messages."

"Yes, sir."

The numbers were repeated in a systematic fashion and I was beginning to see the light. I guess I didn't need to visit the library tonight. Thank the stars for my brilliant brain! With renewed gusto, I reviewed the information with a new perspective.

The numbers may have been strung together in a line without specified length but the repeated chunk of number repeated in groups of fives. I deduced that every five numbers represented a certain data that was used to create a similar effect much like a command that programming languages used.

Even after attaining enlightenment, this was going to take a while. The mountain load of work had just turned into several mountain loads of work.

***

Five days and four nights later, my eyes were bloodshot from the lack of sleep. However, it was a small price to pay. I don't think there will ever be a moment happier than now.

"Cain, run this code that I have written on all the mainframe programs you have extracted. Compile them when you're done. Kevin, where is that patrol route for the Academy again?"

While Cain started number crunching, Kevin pulled up the patrol route. Even if I could literally sleep for three days to make-up the last four nights of sacrifice, there were more pressing matters that deprived me of that luxury.

"Wake me up at three past midnight," I told my trusty assistant. "We're going to visit the Academy labs."

"It is done. Rest well, sir."

Writing the decryptor had sapped even the last recesses of my soul. This bed was my only salvation.

Fluffy duvets were the eternal embodiment of bliss.

***

It was four in the morning with no patrol-bots in sight. The Academy was becoming laxer in their security after my graduation. How are they going to protect the future of humankind when the Night Walker could stroll in on a whim?

The laboratory I needed to go to used to be Raoul's personal research facility. If there was one thing the dead researcher was good for, it would be his ability to convince the budget stingy Academy to purchase some really high-end research equipment.

The trip to the lab didn't take long. Steeling my resolve, did. When I finally gathered enough resolution, I broke into the lab. Raoul would have minded but it wasn't as if he could do anything at this point. It was the privilege of the living to create change and the duty of the dead to remain silent.

Placing the small vials on the lab bench, I started with one test sample and ran it through the analyser. One thing I loved about these high-end equipment was how they were so idiot proof. The only downside was how it took centuries to generate a report for the studied samples. If they could spend so much time developing an equipment, why couldn't they get a high-end data processor too? It's absurd how certain people think sometimes.

A short nap later, I downloaded the report for all the analysed samples and deleted the user history before heading back. From a glance at the report summary, I knew that there was an unknown substance present. That had to be what the Parliament was testing.

***

"No way…"

The results on the screen remained silent as I blinked. There was no way I just breached top-level security! Lilith Malfoy had been one of the names in a list for a top-secret project about Pantiumite evolution. Ignacio's theory of Pantiumite being unable to provide a hundred percent efficiency was spot on. The researchers had proven it from the report. New-Man bodies were not compatible with Pantiumite like it was with Plantiumite.

Pantiumite is a very stable compound that doesn't react as much as Plantiumite did. However, due to Plantiumite's volatile reaction to the environment, the substance was considered unsafe for production.

The Great Explosion was triggered by a large amount of Plantiumite escaping into the atmosphere which almost succeeded in wiping out humanity. As a result, Pantiumite was created as a substitute and Plantiumite banned. That was basic history even children knew about.

Basic science stated that for a substance to be reactive, it cannot be a stable compound. Plantiumite was an element and had natural reactive properties. Pantiumite was a compound found in the atmosphere that was extracted. It is said that deep underneath the ocean there are bio organisms producing the Pantiumite that escaped to the surface from which we gather from.

Pantiumite in the air are processed from consumption and with more refined processes, the Pantiumite concentration gets better. More concentrated Pantiumite have longer lasting effects which and are more valued. However, there was a limit to how efficient it would be due to the composition of a human body. Most Pantiumite cannot be absorbed to be converted into energy and would escape back to the atmosphere through respiration, hence the need for better refining processes.

These crazy scientists who were trying to artificially create a mutation of the Pantiumite mimicking its properties to achieve something impossible at the expense of human lives were insane. Over fifty participants were roped in this crazy experiment and the project was running for a good twenty years.

The underground place off the main island can only be built by the Parliament and I highly suspect Area Forty-One was the unseen third party in this war of humanity. According to records, the Parliament was kidnapping residence of Area Forty-One for testing. However, they stopped at one point and moved to the Slums. Could it be related to the crazy security system that Nash mentioned about? Then again, the Patrol Guards were in contact with Helenos who knew where Mia's body was kept at. Were they unrelated then?

According to the records, there were no survivors. The new substance was called Vivamite. It was Pantiumite forced to evolve and mutate in extreme conditions to become more reactive in nature. Unfortunately, the more reactive it was the more unstable it was with the human body.

I dug out Mia's personal folder, to confirm my suspicions. Mia had been used to test versions one to three and the results were dreadful although not fatal. It was version four that killed her when it exploded from within. Versions one to three were definitely more efficient than the ordinary Pantiumite. However, terrible side effects like nausea, hallucination and extremely s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e nerves were present throughout the testing. If this was what it took to become an immortal, I doubt anybody would want it.

The scientists have created up to seven mutations from the report with each one becoming more dangerous than the last despite the increased efficiency. The compounds were so unstable that success rates were close to none despite what the theories proposed. The furthest a test subject had survived was on the fifth version but the man died from internal bleeding. The Vivamite got absorbed into his blood and reacted violently causing all sorts of damage that not even the scientists could classify.

Reading the reports had been the last piece to the puzzle. I found my answer. These people won't pay with just their lives. No, it wouldn't be justice to the many who have died. Luna has the right to know the truth and the Parliament must fall.

The identities of Parliament members were unknown to the public but everybody knew there were twelve seats. Five seats were fixed and the rest were nominated by the top one percent living in the Inner City. The final decision will lie with the five fixed seats. Lilith was a nominated member ten years ago who was a replacement for some old timer who had partied to his death. The members of the Parliament changed frequently enough especially for the nominated members who could be appointed and removed at any notice by the fixed seats.

The only issue I had now was identifying the mastermind behind the project. There was no doubt that at least one of the fixed seats were involved.

Now, that list of names was in my hands and I had twelve people to visit. The hunt was on. There will be no mercy given to those who showed no mercy.

Blood will be paid in full with blood.