The Blind Remnant

7. Origin

"Now!"

The PVV-5A plastic explosive blows a hole through the marbled floor. As the officers regain their feet, Tyoma and Roza fade into invisibility. "Revenants, move out!"

They spread out left and right, and dash towards the enemy formation. Bullets start flying, columns shatter into glossy pieces. Under the crossfire, bodies fall and the FSB line collapses.

Concealed by shadows behind the raging glow, Sergei lowers Anya into the hole. When her ankle dips the stormwater, he relinquishes his grip and let go. "Goodbye, my friend. Carry our hopes. Remember, we will always be with you."

He turns around, activates electro-camouflage, and throws himself into battle. The three Revenants weave through the columns and hit from unexpected corners. Outside, the government reinforcements continue to fast-rope from the helicopters.

"No!" cries Anya, but Sergei's already gone. Her grandmother, her team, all traded themselves for her to be passed over. Is it right? No. But does that make it wrong? She feels angry and even unworthy, of being the sole surviving remnant.

She crawls forward and explores every inch of the sewer with her fingers. Eventually, the sound of gunfire withdraws from her earshot. In her long moment of solitude, the dark is her only companion. After countless shuffling of knees and arms, she reckons to have put five hundred meters behind her.

A manhole opens, and Anya's head surfaces. She is on the other side of the Moyka River.

On an alley road, she trudges and shivers under her wet clothes. A good samaritan woman comes to her and grants a piece of flowing robe over her. "Take my cane too," says the woman, who then leaves without farewell.

Sirens of emergency vehicles rush past her, presumably for the Hermitage Museum. Unruffled, she remembers her direction and continues eastward. To the safe house.

Adam and Eve speak to her out of nowhere. Fear not, Anya, for we are with you.

"Where are you?" asks Anya, while turning her ears to locate them. "Are you in my head?"

Adam: Correct. We rewrote our program code and migrated to your neural implant. From now on, our sole purpose is to be your servant.

Eve: We will be your eyes and ears. We will also scour the world's internet to advise where you are most needed. So whether you roam the open seas or range the rolling hills, we will follow you.

"Alright, welcome aboard then," says Anya. "Just try to keep it down. Three's a crowd."

The light of dawn abounds and brings her the warmth of the sun. As the street livens and the bustle returns, Anya is bestowed with a new conviction. Towards her safe house, she hears Adam and Eve arguing where in the world to go next. Her smile becomes wider, her stride wider, for a great journey is upon her, and there is work to be done.