Queen of Rebellion

Chapter Nine - Part Two

My boots make clanking sounds as I walked down the long glass and metal hallway of the base. This was where I reported after every mission. Aside from a panel of a very few selected political leaders, I was the most well respected person who stepped foot into the facility.

As I walked by, men raised their heads and saluted. They grew tense, heartbeats quickening and sweat beading on their exposed temples. After a while, all their faces were the same but in different shades. Hell, some of them had been hidden away in the secret base for so long they came in dark or tanned and all left with pale faces. It was amazing to me what a lack of sun could do to a person.

They were all the best of the best in their fields but it only made them peons in comparison to the bigger picture here. This place was the place any serious military man or woman wanted to be. This was the front line. This was it.

And I ran it.

It was even so simple as walking into the place where the suits sat and watching them squirm. These moments didn’t happen often, moments where I was asked to show face in a more formal meeting, and so when it did they wondered what I would say or do next. I had the power to eliminate them from the program. I also had the power to take away those fat paychecks. That was scarier than death to these people.

Civilians.

Two men simultaneously pressed gel pads which formed their way up to their wrists and scanned for their identity. Not only did this read prints but it took a blood sample each time and read a chip placed into the base of their thumbs. They had to do this exactly at the same time or the doors would not open.

As the vault slowly lowered into the ground steam spewed from the edges and the main hall was exposed to us. I could smell the fear as I stepped onto the multi-pressured sensors on the floor which read the weight of each person that it stepped on. As we walked in, the few soldiers behind me who had accompanied me on my journey, our bodies were scanned again. To be honest, while here your body was constantly being monitored and scanned. Those not present sat in different labs and rooms throughout the base reading scans from other labs and rooms.

It was quite literally the most impossible of tasks to enter this place without an invitation.

The glowing red floor turned white again and illuminated the area in a pleasant tone once our scans were complete. When this happened the bulletproof shields guarding each member of the political committee was exposed. It was obviously a very small committee but they played vital roles in what we did here.

I bowed my head just once and stood up straight. Unlike the peons or the suits, the armor I wore was white, fitted to my form and highly advanced. As the room read me, I read it and everyone in it. Already my computer had informed me of the change in one of the politician’s hearts, Joseph White. He was the governor of California and had recently had a pacemaker put in.

Also, Jannet Scleral of Texas had recently gone through menopause and her heart was beating so quickly at my appearance she was on the verge of a serious medical condition. I supposed I should have said something but it always made me smirk to know how I affected the suits.

“General, we are glad you could make it here today. We understand you have a very hectic schedule.” Kevin Yu, governor of Colorado, stood, spoke and bowed. When he sat the fat surrounding his entire body continued to jiggle for a moment. While he usually was the most brave to speak he also had his reservations about me. His intimidation was derived more from fear than from inferiority.

I also don’t think he trusted me.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the counsel, it’s my pleasure. I assume you are here for an update on the misson.”