Ouroboros

Dark Waters

      She opened a door marked EMPLOYEES ONLY, revealing what appeared to be nothing other than a mundane cleaning closet. Then she moved a large box aside, revealing a hidden stairway. "As you can see, we've made a few renovations."

     "Thank you, ma'am," said Jim. He climbed down the stairs, and Linda hid the entrance behind him. Chris, Sofia, and a few others whose names Jim still didn't know sat around the table, playing Egyptian Ratscrew with Fiver. Tegan sat with Roman against the wall, tutoring him on what appeared to be math problems. Nearby stood a man in a blue jacket, who waved as Jim entered. He raised his eyebrows. What was an ICA Special Security Force officer doing here?

     "Dr. Morris?" the officer asked, extending his hand for a shake.

     "Jim is fine. You?"

      "Matthew." They shook hands. "Honestly, I'm surprised Ice Five let me in. Considering the blue jacket and all."

      "And honestly, I'm surprised you even had the guts to try it, given what went down last year. If I were Fiver, I wouldn't trust anyone who so much as wore blue jeans, much less the blue jacket. How long have you been doing this?" Jim asked.

     "I've been in contact with Gregor Faustus for a while. I could be considered a family friend, I suppose. I helped Roman while he was in custody. Nice kid," said Matthew. "Admittedly, I haven't actually met Ice Five until tonight."

      "How?" Jim asked. "I met them on my second day."

     Ice Five interrupted them from over at the table. "Long time, no see, Jim! I was starting to wonder if you'd forgotten us."

     "Yeah? Is that why the first thing you did upon receiving my message was to set me up for embarrassment?" he demanded.

      "Everyone got that memo, Jim. Even the ladies," Fiver assured him.

     Jim rolled his eyes. What was it with Fiver and making everything awkward?

     Fiver's gaze drifted to Matthew. "You came to us, but do I know you?"

     "You will," he said. "My name's Matthew."

     Jim swallowed hard as the two shook hands. He had a gut feeling that there was something he needed to know, but didn't. He shook his head and stepped aside to where Tegan and Roman were working. He looked down at the paper in front of them and grimaced. "Long division?"

     Roman clasped his hands together and shook them. "How many more, Tegan?"

     "Just two. You're doing great. Can you try this problem on your own?" She tapped one with her pencil. "Yes, Jim, it's long division. Gives you bad memories, doesn't it?"

     "Sure does," Jim agreed. He made no comment on the fact that Roman was learning at seventeen what Jim had learned at half that age. "How have things been going?"

     "Roman, I'm going to go talk to Jim for a little bit. I'll check your work when you're done. Sound good?" Tegan asked. When the boy nodded, she stepped aside with Jim. "Do you have a gut feeling like something is horribly wrong?" she whispered.

     "Why?" Jim asked.

     "Never mind." Tegan scoffed at herself. "It's probably just me. Sofia always tells me I'm too suspicious anyway."

     "No, wait! What do you think is going on?" he asked. "Should I be concerned?"

     Before Tegan could answer, Ice Five got up from the table. "May I have your attention, everyone?"

     The room fell silent.

     "Thank you all for coming. We're here to discuss a plan moving forward, now that Coda-9994 has landed on Ouroboros. I think we can agree that a great deal will be decided by his eventual verdict on the habitability of that planet. If it isn't habitable for humans, then we're set. If he says otherwise, then we have an even bigger problem," said Fiver. "Any ideas?"

     "I say we get in contact with WOHLF branches from other areas," Chris suggested. "There's more to the world than Hull."

     "Civilian support," said Tegan.

     "Leak some disturbing information from the ICA." Sofia glanced at Jim. "We have eyes there."

     "Show the ugly side of it all, then?" Matthew asked. "I feel like that's easier said than done."

     "You and Jim should talk," said Fiver. "Put together, I'm sure you two could come up with something. If you want, you can go in that back room."

     Taking that as a cue to leave, Jim retreated into the back room. Matthew followed and closed the door behind them. He pulled his phone out and opened it to a photograph. It depicted a group of young to middle-aged adults on the dock in front of a ship. "Do you know who these people are, Jim?"

     "Marine Defenders International," he answered. "Back when they existed."

     "No, I meant the people specifically," said Matthew.

     "No. Why do you ask?"

     "Because WOHLF was originally formed by ex-Defenders. If we can find these people, they might be able to help us," Matthew explained. "Are you sure you don't know them?"

     "Positive," said Jim. That wasn't entirely true, though. Someone in the picture vaguely resembled his memory of Ice Five unmasked, but he couldn't say that.

     Without warning, the door opened. Roman, perhaps sneaking off to the bathroom. "Sorry," he muttered.

     "Wait!" Matthew hissed, catching the boy's attention. "I have a question. Do you know any of these people?"

     Roman grabbed the phone from the officer and squinted at the screen. His eyes widened. "Dad has this picture on his desk."

     "Why?" they both asked.

     "See her?" Roman pointed to a young woman in the photo. The name Tatiana Kevan was embroidered on her jacket. "She was my mother."