The Sylvan Syndicate ~Incomplete~

Marianna's Story

Marianna

(A small rustling noise can be heard, assumed to be the moving of the recording device, then a clearing of the throat)

Ah, yes, hello there, my name is Marianna (Mary-Anna) Marie Oswald DeLarue. I am daughter of the astounding and amazing acrobat, assassin, and hacker, Yvonnette (Yvonne-ette) DeLarue. So you may already have a reason to back away from this audio message. This tape you're listening to, or audio-book, or whatever it may be, is secured. So no worries! Anyways, The Game-master gave me this, and told me to record my history and past, so here I am I suppose. I trust him enough to not let this get into the wrong hands anyways. Right right, to the point. It all started back when I was the age of eleven. It's been eight years since that day, and I remember it quite well, I had just finished my 6th Grade math homework, and was going downstairs to make dinner, when my mother barged through the front door, her clothes in tatters, and the smell of smoke clung to her like a disease. I dropped one of the plates and asked what was wrong and if she was alright, "D-don't worry about me Mari, go upstairs and pack your things, and if all else, here." she handed me a sticky note which was in rather good condition compared to her, "If all of my plans fail, hide in your room, don't come out until they're gone, and then go unlock the safe in my room, you know the one I'm talking about-" she was cut off by a yell from the front door, "Yvonette DeLarue! Come outside unarmed and on your knees, otherwise we WILL force entry!" My mother muttered, "Shit. Too late..." She kissed my forehead and whispered, "I love you Mari, I'll be back for you, I promise." She then promptly pushed me up the stairs to my room, locking the door behind her, I heard her pad down the stairs silent as a cat. My mother was always like that, silent and stealthy, just as an assassin should be, or an acrobat for that matter. More on that later. I was on the verge of tears at that point, being holed up inside my closet, and then, I heard the door crack and splinter, three times it took to bring it down. I started sobbing, pulling my knees up to my chest and then putting my arms over them. Just like a child. There was yelling, and my mother spoke back calmly, and more yelling, and then it faded into the distance, along with the sirens. All of a sudden there was a loud crash from downstairs. It wasn't debris. Someone was inside my home, moving around. I was too weak, I was emotionally destroyed, and tired. There was a voice then, "She-She's gone. FastForward, meet me at the Park, after I get her daughter...God, I don't even know, just- We'll make it up as we go, eh?" A pause, presumably for the person on the other end, FastForward, to respond. "Alright, yeah, yeah, I get it. Get Marianna, get a temp. base, and rebuild from the ashes. Alright, GM out." Then more footsteps, this time coming up the stairs. He tried the door, finding it was locked, he inserted a small tool used for that exact situation, picking locks. Once it opened, he moved straight to the closet. A manly voice, smooth, and only slightly rough, "Marianna, this is The Gamemaster...I was a friend of your mother's an associate, she trusted me quite well, enough to tell me her address. We had this, this back up plan in case shit went south. I was to get you if your mother couldn't and take care of you until she got back. I'm however, giving you an option. Take it or leave it, I take you to be trained how to use a computer like no other people, or you can go and live a slightly less normal life than a teenage girl. I'm not forcing you to do anything. This truly is YOUR decision." My first of many.

(An audible chuckle from the recording can be heard, somber, and slightly depressed, "Ahhh, one of many, God I'm good! Right, back to the story. Sorry.")

I didn't want to be thrown to Foster Care, or another family. I knew my mother well enough to know that if she really gave this guy our address, she trusted him, and so I should be able to trust him too. Plus if he tried anything, I know Judo. So that's a thing. Right, I responded with a strong, "Yeah, yeah, I'll go with you. If my mother trusted you as much as you say, I should be able to. Plus, foster care would suck." I got up and unlocked the door, slowly opening it, to see a man lightly built, dark hair, black visor sun glasses, y'know the kind with rectangular pieces instead of circular? Those are the kind I'm talking about, and I'm dubbing it as such. He wore a long brown overcoat, a white button down shirt, black jeans, and combat boots. His skin was a pale white. But not too pale to be repulsive. As I walked out, drying my tears, I said, "I know Judo, so don't try anything, k?" He simply gave me a grim smile, and I swear I heard, "Just like your mother, strong and independent, that's good, you're gonna need that." I told him I needed to get something, he probably already knew, but he gave me a quizzical look, "Something my mother told me to get at all costs. Not sure what could be so important though." A look of realization passed across his face for a moment, then returned to the blank look, he took off his sunglasses and put them on his collar, "Go ahead and get it, I'll be by the front door when you're ready Marianna. We have a lot to discuss." I went into my mother's room, turned on the light, and went into her closet, I saw the waist high safe and looked at the note, the code to the safe. That's what the note had on it. I entered it quickly. And it came open with a small hiss of air. Inside were three things, my mother's work laptop, its bag and equipment, a note, and her sunglasses. I took her laptop and bag and packed it up all neat. Took the sunglasses and hung them like The GM had, and then read the note.

'Dear Mari,

This is an odd circumstance indeed if you do have to read this, and when you are, Corcius (Core-shish) should have you, trust him, at all costs, he is your life raft in this situation. I love you Marianna, you're my strong little Queen. Stay that way, okay? I'll be back for you, I promise. Whatever situation I'm in, I always manage a way out. But at all costs, DO NOT come searching for me, that is a must honey. I know you want to, knowing you. But you CANNOT. I'll let Corcious explain my line of work and my association with him and his group. I'm....I'm not the best mother, and I haven't been honest, all I can ask is that you forgive me sweetie.

With Love,

Mom'

That note hasn't left my mind since the day she left...Right! Sorry! The story, 'kay, on with the show! I folded the note crisply and put it into the bag, I got up, tears forming at the edges of my eyes. I showed up at the front door, I noticed he had a small picture in his hand. "What's that?" I inquired, "A memory...sorry, I should leave it here." "No no!" I piped up, "I-It's fine, really! My mom, she left a note telling me to trust you at all costs...so, you're taking care of me, right?" He gave a small chuckle and tucked the photo into his coat, "It would appear so Marianna, now if you're ready, I'd suggest we get going. The Police are gonna be coming back here for you." I nodded and he walked out the front door, onto our lawn, and stopped at the lamp post with a camera on it. He nodded me out, as I slowed beside him I asked, "So what're we doing standing here?" He put a finger to his lips and said, "This may sting a bit first time around. But you'll be fine." He moved me forward, and there was a bright flash of light, I blacked out. Later did I find out that it was the camera that made the flash and that it was reading my genetic code. Breaking it down into data, zeros and ones. Science Fiction, isn't science fiction, it's reality, if you don't believe me, you don't have to, but I'm telling you, I myself have used it, this stuff is real, and we hackers use it every day. I showed up back at the compound, the newly established base for the newly established hacking group, The Sylvan Syndicate, it was called. The Game-master heading it all, and his Admin, FastForward. I was being taught schooling by those two. FastForward is an audio visual wizard, he can do anything with a recording or photo. It's crazy. And the Game-master? Well, even now, eight years later, he's a mystery. He's badass though, I'll tell you that much.

(A sigh can be heard)

And thus, the Days of the Syndicate started off rough and hard. That day, that was the last day of my normal life. And I'll never forget it

Marianna DeLarue signing off, expect another update later. Toodles!

(A click and then a slow whir can be heard as the machine powers down)

>__argument_end_transmission

>__disconnected_from_remote_host

(Song: https://youtu.be/4GaxCGZqEvQ)