Unknown Location - Citadel - Moon base
Under the pale veil of midnight, Shakes slipped out of the house. The neon city lights streaked past his windshield like bleeding veins as he drove silently, his thoughts a chaotic storm.
Bridget's face flickered onto his comm.
"I see the boss made an impression. I'll inform him you're on your way," she said coolly.
Shakes wanted to say something—anything—but he didn't. He simply kept driving, jaw clenched, eyes narrowed.
Meanwhile, at the Abandoned Moon Mine
Deep beneath the surface of the forgotten lunar mine, Sébastien Purple stood watching over the latest batch of synthesized drugs. Machinery hissed and pumped around him like the lungs of some sleeping beast. He folded his arms just as a flicker of static danced across the room—Doctor Steven Baflin's hologram materialized before him.
Sébastien grinned like a wolf.
"I've been waiting, Doctor."
Doctor Baflin's hologram looked wearied, worn.
"I've come to make a trade. Her... for the decoder," he said, voice low and trembling.
Sébastien tilted his head, pretending to weigh the offer.
"So that's how you want to play it, Doctor? I wasn't expecting it to be this easy." He stepped closer.
"There's an old saying: always trust a doctor with your life. But tell me… can I trust you to keep your word?"
Baflin's voice cracked.
"She's all I have left. You already have the program. With or without the decoder, I'm lost if I can't get her back."
Sébastien nodded slowly.
"That's a good point. Still, I owe you a great deal for your sacrifices. Project Purple Flower has been a remarkable success. Incredible, what we achieved together,"
Baflin's face tightened. "You lied to me, you used me,"
Sébastien's smile faded.
"I gave you reasons and provided the resourced to continue your work, doctor, you should thank me,"
"Thank you? You wish to destroy innocents, cause anarchy and chaos, we are talking about global..."
"Tell me something, Doctor. If I told you I removed your daughter from cryo-stasis and watched her final moments—suffering—what would you do?"
Baflin stepped forward, stunned.
"You wouldn't, you can't, she doesn't have anything to do with all of this, she is Innocent!"
"NO ONE IS INNOCENT!" Sébastien roared.
"Not you. Not her, not me and not them. We all have blood on our hands. Even you, Doctor. How many did you experiment on? Ten? Twenty?" He grinned.
"You see? Guilt isn't rare—it's universal. It's just a question of who gets judged first."
Doctor Baflin thought for a moment.
"Abandoned Base Station. Babel Central. 0900 hours. Bring her. Come alone. If you try anything—"
Sebastian interrupted, his voice desperate.
"You still didn't answer my question… what would you do if I took her off the cryo?"
"what are you talking about, you can't do that, we have an deal, her for the decoder!"
Sebastien's smile returned, slow and cruel.
"Yeah, I heard you except there is something about that, You thought your secret trips to the cryo facility were unnoticed? Please. We ran scans. Her DNA flagged an anomaly. Turns out, it wasn't a bug—it was a program. An artificial genome sequence. Embedded inside her DNA."
The doctor's face went pale.
"So let me ask again, doctor...What would you do, If I took your daughter off the cryo?"
Baflin trembled.
"What do you want? I'll do anything."
"I know you will," Sebastien said, stepping back.
"You know where to find me. I have work for you."
The hologram fizzled out.
Just then, Firefly entered, his presence sharp and clinical.
"The process was a complete success. Extraction at 100%."
Sebastien gave a small nod.
"And the girl?"
Firefly didn't respond. His silence was answer enough.
"Get to work," Sebastien said coldly. "I'll handle the rest."
Firefly turned to leave.
"Status on the others?"
"Just landed on Earth. Mission in progress. No issues."
Sébastien closed his eyes for a moment, exhaling slowly.
"Good. I think I will pay an old friend a visit,"