Hacking the Sun - The Re-Remake

Chapter 12 Sub Terra 2/2

Further ahead, the Earth hologram had grown in size. Of the many eye-catching curiosities in the underground base, the planet render begged for attention. At the top of a metal staircase, Jessica and the entourage passed a single door that led to an operating nexus underneath the globe. As soon as she entered the circular haven of technology, she was floored.

Floored.

A gallery of terminals populated the inside torus, Earth's hologram the epicenter. Computers on the left, computers on the right, the interior was illuminated by an endless stream of LED buttons.

Jessica skipped past the operating staff of random uniforms, past the guards, up a short series of steps, and stopped just underneath the globe. There, she found the node. So cleared her throat, inhaled, and in her deepest and throatiest voice uttered a single word.

"Commander.

"I once stepped into a Star Trek set and began pressing random buttons. I don't think I can do that here."

Sure, the nexus looked fascinating, but it was the software—the potential schemes of resistance computer programs—that cultivated her curiosity. She pondered the differences to surface technology, but just as her curiosity caught fire, Monarch stepped into her personal space.

"Excuse me," he said flatly, "but you're here because you have something to show us."

Apparently, someone invited the whole party, because Jessica took a single sidestep before flinching at Valerie, Shannon, and an entire rebel inquisition blocking the entrance. At first, they were glued to Valerie, Monarch included, but Valerie pointed at Jessica. "Don't look at me," she said, shrugging. "Jess is the whiz who cracked the secrets of the Wizard's cell."

"Way to put me on the spot, Homegirl."

Monarch folded his hands behind his back and reared tight neck toward Jessica. "You said you had pertinent information on Pine Rime's destruction? We know those pointy-ears are responsible, but our best insider was recently compromised. Meaning, we have no damn evidence or retaliatory measures."

"You know," Jessica started, sober, "I always wondered if there was a secret world, like an upside-down dimension to the lies shoved in our faces on a daily basis. Then, I found out you were real but in the wrong light. Now that I see this place, I wonder; what does Sub Terra hope to accomplish?"

Monarch tongued his cheek. "It starts with your intelligence."

"My IQ's pretty high."

"I refer to—"

"I know what you mean, I just said my IQ's high." Near nervous, Jessica retrieved the white flash drive from her front pocket and cautiously handed it to Monarch. As it touched the palm of his hand, Valerie stepped forward.

"Sir," she began. "What of the operatives who found this data? Where are they?"

"They went dark," he drawled. He inserted the drive into the node. "For so many years, our war against the Union corporations has been one of information. Progress is negligible and scarce. Let's face it, our predecessors submitted to the aliens because of a gross technology gap."

Above, the Earth hologram rapidly shrunk and pixelated under an array of files. Jess guided Monarch to the aforementioned evidence, helping him steer away from the temptation of opening more. As a result, the playback eventually commenced and resounded throughout the entire headquarters. Jess and her friends would have to sit through the traitorous recording again.

"Increase the volume," said Monarch.

The reverberation of the sound managed to lift their collective skin hairs, supplanting the industrial ambiance with an ominous discussion. Two voices echoed, acting as a clockwork sedative to everyone's workflow. Every pair of eyes steered to where the globe had been, fixing on the holographic emulation of soundwaves.