"Not the one that you know." The Talon answered politely, as Riley set about assimilating with the others. "I was born in one of RACDI-Alpha's sister facilities, this one hidden deep in the African jungle, on a rich diamond deposit. I'm not sure exactly how old I am, for no-one was keeping track, but I do know that I was almost a grown woman the first time I saw sunlight. In terms of scale, it was a tiny operation in comparison to The Pit, but size isn't everything..."
She had spoken matter-of-factly so far, but the light behind her eyes darkened as she diverted from his gaze, and her tone of voice took on a distinctly sour note as she continued.
"RACDI-Alpha is by far the largest, and most infamous, of Venture Horizon's backbone operations, and that in itself attracts it's own brand of cruelty. However, anonymity carries other advantages. When Venture Horizon wants to get experimental, when they wish to partake in activities that they would rather the world did not see, even by the standards of an organisation such as themselves, who boast of injustices such as The Pit as if they were their crowning glory, then installations such as the one that was my unwitting home are always on hand to provide the captive audience they require."
The Talon lifted her augmented left hand, and stared at it. Under the harsh white glare of the floodlights, the long metal fingers with their curved blades shone bright from the grease where she had torn at the meat from the chicken. Her expression was dreamy, unfocused, while her voice was muted, calm and mildly curious, as if she was imagining the memories like they had happened to someone else. In a way, she supposed they had.
"I had always been intuitive, always aware that there was a whole world outside, where I might find salvation from the pain. Determined but cautious, I bided my time. Months at least, perhaps even whole years passed in the planning, before I finally made my move to escape, and up until the final hurdle everything had gone perfectly. When I found myself being slowly crushed under several tonnes of rock and concrete, I was faced with an ultimatum. I could remain where I was, and either die or be recaptured; or, I could saw off my own arm with nothing but a jagged stone and a length of string, and hope that I could still escape, and find some sort of refuge before I bled out or succumbed to infection... It was not a particularly difficult decision to make, if truth be told."
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"Thank you for saying so, Warden." Lee replied sincerely. "Although personally, I think that there was room for improvement on that score..." He continued to be careful not to let the drinks display dominate his gaze as they spoke.
Miss Nyte's talk of her family set Lee thinking. Her father had been a man of justice. That could mean loyalty, courage, and a resolute constitution. Provided her father was one of the good ones, and that the best of him had rubbed off on her. He hoped that it didn't also mean rigidity. That could be a problem. What had Lee's father passed down? What lessons had the young chess savant been taught at his father's knee, growing up in Seoul?
'Greatness.' a voice inside him answered. A lesson I wish I had never learned. added another.
"Pan-Arabia," He eventually continued. "or Bahrain, to be more specific. That's all anyone ever remembers. Myself included, top be brutally honest. It may seem silly, but sometimes I find myself regretting that I can feel the same intensity of regret for all my other campaigns. Who will lament for the slain in the Japanese Assimilation, the Tibetan Subjugation, or the Oceanic Crisis, if not me? I was there for all three. On the front line, in the thick of it, and yet sometimes even I struggle to recall which memory was from which battle, or even which war."
It hit him then. The heavy, suffocating sadness. It had been such a long time since Lee had cried, and even now he couldn't succumb to the weakness. Impervious he must remain, for his battles weren't done yet. Still, from beneath his well-rehearsed facade of stone, some sign of his anguish must have shone through.
"Someone should know. I owe the dead that much. What say you, Miss Nyte? Do you think you could stand listening to an old man's war stories?"
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Selina strode towards them, bold and full of purpose. When she got close enough that the guards could tell of her intent, the one who looked to be the higher rank held up his hand in a gesture to halt her. He was tall, powerfully built, and resolute in his duty. Still, something in the way he hesitated slightly, and gave her a polite smile rather than a blank expression, suggested that he wasn't quite at ease denying her access. It wasn't much, but for Selina, a woman well practiced in persuading others to bend to her will, it was an opening. She obliged his gesture, and returned his smile with the most radiant of hers.
"Good evening... Sergeant."
"To you too, Ma'am. How can we help."
"I don't suppose you could let me in to your Colonel's office just for a moment."
"I'm sorry Ma'am, but no can do. Colonel Lee is currently away from his office, and our orders are to permit no-one entry without his leave. You're welcome to wait until he gets back."
"Darn! In other circumstances I'd be more than happy to wait. However, I only have to be present for an important video call in 10 minutes, and I fear may may have left some figures essential for said call on the Colonel's desk during our last meeting. So, unless you can assure me that he will be expedient in his return, that leaves me in rather a desperate situation, and I'd really appreciate your help."
"I'd love to help you Ma'am," the Warden replied, grimacing uncomfortably. "but orders are orders, and it's more than my job's worth to disobey them." He paused for a moment, thinking. "Listen, perhaps you could describe these documents to me, and I could go in and fetch them for you while you wait outside. Will that serve?"
"It's good of you to offer, truly," Selina replied sweetly, returning a sympathetic grimace of her own, her eyes imploring. "but I'm afraid there's a problem. The contents of those documents are classified Venture Horizon property. As you put it, it would by more than my job's worth to let anyone below a Category 4 level of clearance see them... even if you promised not to peek." she added playfully.
"I apologize Ma'am, I wish I could be of more help, but..."
"I assure you, Sergeant. I have no interest in snooping though your superior's personal business. I would be in and out in less than a minute with no harm done."
"I don't doubt it Ma'am, but I still can't authorize th-"
"Fine! Fine..." Selina exclaimed, putting on an air of exasperation. She ran her fingers through her thick, black hair, her brow furrowed. "I apologise, Sergeant, far be it from me to chastise you for doing your duty. I won't waste your time any longer."
She turned on her heel to leave, the guard's expression conflicted.
"Ma'am wait!" he called out after a pause. "How important are these documents?"
Selina turned back, her expression deflated. "The whole conference is a waste of time without them, I'm afraid, and the Board doesn't like to have its time wasted."
It had the desired effect. The Warden ground his teeth, cogs turning in his head. "Ok. How about a compromise? We both go in together. You can get the documents, while I supervise you to ensure that nothing is amiss. I can watch from a distance, so I need not be close enough to read anything written on the documents themselves even if I wanted to. How does that sound?"
"Oh truly?!" Selina beamed. "That would be perfect!"
