Gideon looked at me suspiciously, pushing up his glasses. I stood firm and returned his gaze with confidence. His eyes pierced through me, and I felt sweat beads running down my rib cage beneath my blouse. I kept my face emotionless as he turned towards Cypher. "Hey, you made this damn thing, can you take a look at this?" Cypher nodded and walked over to the monitor. I could hear mumbled conversation between them; I only caught a few words: signature, file, and not matching. Cypher leaned in and stared closely at the screen. Finally, he stood straight and said plainly, "Yep, that is genuine, matches perfectly." He gave me a quick glance and then looked back at Gideon. I knew Cypher would not rat me out; I knew he still hated Red Fall. He was just looking out for his own life and his mother’s. He was good, and he still cared about doing what was right. I felt comforted knowing I was not alone in this fight.
Gideon sat up in his chair and pushed up his glasses. "Well, that is good enough for me." He pulled out the false ChronoSavior and placed it into an incinerator, then pressed engage. I heard the crackle of it being burned to oblivion and breathed a sigh of relief; our deception had worked. The men let go of Nyla, who walked straight over to me and muttered, "Thank you, bitch," under her breath. I didn't know whether to be insulted or grateful.
Gideon walked over to us. "I am glad you did the right thing, and as agreed, you are free to go, both of you. We will clear Nyla Sable’s name with Neo Vista Alpha and tell them the real author was killed," he said, then winked at me. It made me uncomfortable. "Cypher will lead you ladies out of the facility, and on behalf of Red Fall, we appreciate your cooperation," he added, giving a fake smile like a snake. I nodded politely and followed Cypher and Nyla towards the hatch to the surface. We walked quietly down the angular red and white corridor with lit up panels, passing a lab full of test tubes and beakers with workers in lab coats over red and white body suits staring out at us through their goggles.
At the end of the hall, beneath the hatch, Cypher entered a code into a panel, and the door above opened. "We have called cars to take you both home," Cypher said. Nyla ascended first without a word. I was left standing next to Cypher in his Red Fall uniform; he looked like he was in some sort of galactic army with a molded plate over a red and white body suit and a Sinshooter gun on his hip glowing blue, indicating it was fully charged. He looked at me, and I looked at him. He placed his hand on my shoulder. "Take care, Seren," he said. I smiled at him. "You should leave too," I whispered. He shook his head. "You had better get going, okay?" I ascended the ladder out the hatch and looked back at him. He placed his hand on his chest and smiled, entering the code to close the door. I don’t know why, but I scattered the hay over the hatch to re-conceal it and walked out to the car waiting for me. Nyla’s had already left. I guess she did not want to hang around and chat with the person who had almost got her killed.
I got into the e-car and directed the driver home. I looked out the window at the trees, the buildings, and the clouds, but through a new lens. Everything was brighter. It was not over yet; Red Fall was planning on launching soon, so I had to be ready to act when the time came. The driver stopped outside my apartment and said the fare was already paid, courtesy of Red Fall. How nice of them, I thought sarcastically. They let Nyla and me go with our lives, but they knew they were killing all of us shortly, so their mercy was meaningless. They just loved the idea of looking just and fair. Bastards.
I ran up the stairs to my apartment and dug out the key for my door. I flung it open, and Earl came running to greet me. I knew it was not because of hunger since he still had four bowls overflowing on his mat. He was happy to see me. I picked him up and held him close. He purred in response, licking my chin with his rough tongue. I placed him down next to me and logged into my computer, stopping the scheduled email that was to be sent to Daniel. I felt elated, like for once, I had won.
I thought of Cypher still in there. Would he really go on the ship to Mars? He knew I would launch the ChronoSavior and stop the global genocide. Red Fall would be exposed after leaving their base, which they expected to be left unexplored since no one would be alive to figure out what they had done. They would be refused any return to Earth on the grounds of treason and the attempted murder of over ten billion people. They would not have enough resources to live on Mars for more than thirty years, and they would either die there or be blown to smithereens trying to return home. There was no future for them, only death and obliteration.
I suppose choosing your mortality over morality does not always win. I could not blame Cypher; he did it for his mother and, consequently, himself. I could not dwell on his decisions; at least he made the right one when it counted. I had a lot to do. I had to prepare for the launch, I had to try and find work, and I had to tend to the roses. There was much to do, but for now, I would rest.
I sure hope that was not a double betrayal by Cypher when he talked to his boss.