"My name is Tiber," the lead Purist said, the group now gathered in an expansive entrance hall. Much like the exterior, the space was spartan - there was little in the way of decor. The massive walls and high arches were imposing enough on their own, however. High above them, suspended, was a huge, iron ring, the same dark color as the rest of the space. It was the Purists' infamous symbol - a black, hollowed-out circle.
"The soldiers will stay here with my comrades," they said, tone only slightly more amicable now that they were all presumably Factor-free. "The scientists will follow me to discuss proceedings. There will be no weapons permitted beyond this point."
"Only the soldiers carry guns," Erin said. "We're ready to go."
"You will be searched first," Tiber said, and Lukas couldn't help but glance at Mila to gauge her reaction. But instead of the exasperation he was expecting, she met his gaze with a diminished, almost fearful look. The only person, in fact, who seemed at ease to any degree was his mother.
"Fine," Erin said. "But make this quick."
...
A few minutes later, Erin, Viktor, Lukas, and the lab assistants were following Tiber and two of the other Purists down a connecting hallway. The other cultists had stayed back, presumably to keep an eye on the soldiers. Now that they were gone, Lukas felt their absence more strongly than he was expecting. Very quickly he found himself strongly disliking the embassy, with all of its darkness, and long hallways, and endless doors.
Although the spaces they passed weren't completely empty, they came across less people than Lukas was expecting for such a large building. The Purists, when they did appear, were all dressed the same. They treated the group as though they were invisible, hurrying past without so much as a glance.
Finally, after a series of stairs and enough hallways to qualify the place as a maze, Tiber came to a halt in front of one of a nondescript door. He knocked, waiting. After a moment, the door beeped its assent, and slid open silently on hidden tracks. Without a backwards glance he stepped on through, leaving the rest of them to follow.
...
They'd entered some kind of office - complete with a desk, monitor, and supplies. Unsurprisingly, the walls were bare of photos or trinkets, and the overhead light did a poor job battling against the room's dark colors.
The man sitting behind the desk looked up. Lukas could tell that he was male because unlike the other Purists, his face was clear of the huge, tinted lenses. His head was still shaved clean, however, and it gleamed in the light. With large, pudgy jowls and a high forehead, he looked a little bit like a hard-boiled egg.
"Hello," he said. "I'm so glad you could make it." He gestured to the two stiff-looking chairs positioned across from him. Viktor dropped into one, but Erin offered the other chair to Mila, who was pleasantly surprised. Viktor glanced over at her but she shrugged. "I prefer to stand," she said, moving next to Lukas. On the other side of him, Aleksan and Anya shifted, clearly ill at ease. Anya in particular seemed unhappy ever since they'd stepped foot in the embassy. She's spoken very little since they'd left the ship, and now her body language suggested a strange defensiveness.
Lukas thoughts were interrupted by the man's booming voice, a stark contrast to the Tiber's low intensity.
"I must apologize for any discomfort you may have experienced upon your arrival." He gave them all a thin smile, his cheeks wobbling. "But you must understand - keeping our sanctum pure is of the highest importance."
Viktor, always the diplomat, waved away the words like a bad smell. "We understand and respect your views, of course, Professor Maddox."
The name elicited a reaction from the assistants. Deadly curious, but knowing better than to ask aloud, he pulled up his feed and sent Aleksan a quick message.
"Oh!" The man seemed pleased. "I don't even need to introduce myself!"
"You're quite infamous," Erin cut in. "Renouncing the University to run away with the Purists should have made the headlines. I'm surprised you agreed to meet with us."
In the corner of Lukas' vision, he feed displayed a notification from Aleksan
Before ur time, he read. Used to teach at the Uni but left after anti-Factor scandal. Got covered up.
Alek
Still looking through his peripherals, Lukas caught Aleksan nudging Mila. A moment later, another message had been added to their chat.
Took one of his classes on Planatae geology. Disappeared - no one told us why. Had 2 figure it out from rumrs. No idea he went Purist.
Mila
"You know how it is," Maddox was speaking again. "It wouldn't be a good look for the Ferrum Rete if one of their best and brightest suddenly went AWOL - especially during a conflict."
"Well, seeing as you ended up here," Erin countered, "I don't think the Ferrum should be worried too much about you being scooped up by any rivals."
Maddox actually laughed at that, and Lukas was struck by how different he seemed in comparison to the other Purists.
"Well, now..." Maddox sighed, still smiling. "You're not wrong. I was surprised, however, to get your message, Adamas. I guess I'm not so off-limits anymore."
She shrugged. "Progress fears no borders."
"Yes, exactly," Maddox leaned forward in his chair. "You knew I've still been continuing my research, then, eh? Or else you wouldn't be here."
"That's right." Erin's tone was flat and to-the-point. "For someone who should find Planatae and the Factors they provide-" she paused, choosing her words carefully, "-as blasphemous, I -"
"But that's exactly it!" Erin had struck a chord, it seemed, and Maddox was sitting up straight now, eyes glinting. "Planatae only exist because of humanity - without them, a planet is pristine. It is governed only by the basic laws of nature, unable to manipulate and infect the life that inhabits it."
"Man should not be a servant to his land," cut in Tiber's low, raspy voice, and Lukas jumped, badly startled.
Even Erin whirled around to face him, slouched in the corner. It seemed most of the room had forgotten he was still there.
"But Planatae themselves are a natural process," Viktor protested, after they had recovered. "It's simply a symbiotic relationship on a massive scale."
Maddox snorted. "They're parasites."
When Lukas' feed pinged again, distracting him. He assumed it was another chat from the assistants - but was surprised to see a different message appear from his mother.
Follow my lead when the time comes. Don't react to this message.
E. Adamas.
Viktor was still arguing with Maddox, his voice plaintive, but Lukas wasn't paying much attention. His mother's message was cryptic, but he didn't want to risk angering her by pushing for more of an explanation.
"Enough of this," Maddox's voice had risen slightly, drawing him back. "Do you know why I've continued my work? Even when my faith discourages it, I've continued to study Factors, and the Planatae that cause them, to prove something."
He glanced at Tiber now with an almost-apologetic look. "There's a library that exists on Centralis - did you know that? You didn't, of course - because a non-Purist has never stepped foot on the station before. But there are records there, some of the oldest written fragments of human history I've ever encountered. Some of them..." He paused here for a moment, his grin widening, "...even describe a galaxy where Planatae don't exist."
Viktor swiveled in his chair, openly gaping at Erin.
They eyed each other for a moment. Then she tilted her head, as though to confirm the statement. Viktor paused, swallowed, then asked, "Is that we're here?" He appeared suddenly incredulous. "You found out about these... records."
"Yes, Adamas." Maddox tilted his head, looking at them both. "That's what drove you out here, isn't it? I'm impressed - until you reached out to me, I thought I'd truly hidden myself away." He smiled, but his eyes were hard.
Erin made a noncommittal sound. "But you want something too, don't you? Or you wouldn't have answered."
"Well," Maddox shrugged. "If what you said in our communications was true, I'd be very interested in the genetic breakthrough you brought up. A way to test the blood for Factors... it would be invaluable to our cause."
There was an intake of break from Tiber. "This exists?" He eyed Maddox. "I see. That's why they let you do this."
Another notification blinked across his vision, and Lukas couldn't help but react, certain it was a joke.
Act as though you're sick. Make it believable, or you'll never go out on the field again.
E. Adamas
He risked a glance towards his mother, who stared resolutely ahead.
"Viktor," she said pointedly, "I'm sure you're willing to negotiate."
"Um. Yes." He paused. "I'd like to discuss the, ah, moral implications of offering you this technology, Professor."
Maddox sneered. "Don't believe those rumors - Dr. Braus, isn't it? There are no secret horrors at Onyx or Centralis, no matter how much people like to believe."
He deftly shifted the topic. "Let's talk about science instead - that's why you're here right? There are precedents, in both myth and science, that suggest a Planatae's influence on a person goes far beyond the Factor. Everyone born to a planet that has become a Planatae is connected to it, regardless of inherited ability. That's why this genetic marker would be so valuable..."
Lukas sighed, his stomach sinking. There was an undercurrent of... something in the room. Erin, and likely Viktor too, had a hidden agenda - he was sure of it. Erin's strange request was likely just the tip of the iceberg. The idea made him nervous - he didn't think they should be trying to outmaneuver the Purists for any reason.
But then, suddenly, his perspective shifted. For once, his mother was trusting him to be part of her schemes, however strange. That had never happened before. Despite his confusion, this was Lukas' chance to prove to his mother he could follow directions, be reliable in the face of uncertainty. And with that in mind, there really wasn't a choice.