Tobias paces about as Vade watches him.
Tobias: You guys are fucking terrorists!?
Esmeray: We're not terrorists. We're idealistic. We're freedom fighters.
Tobias: You've got to be kidding me. All those lives your organization has taken... those innocents…
Vade: One. We're not the original incantation of the Awakened. And secondly, we've no evidence that any of the lives lost were innocent…
Tobias: We know that they are! That's not up for…
Esmeray: Why? Because Orion Industrial told us as much? I'd like to think you're smarter than that.
Tobias: You've given me very little to trust otherwise.
Esmeray: My brother was in the Awakened. The original. I've seen his notes, I know the ones they've hit. Here.
She swipes on her phone and watches as Tobias checks his phone and looks through the files.
Esmeray: None of the neural networks attacked should've killed any of the people connected.
Vade: Her brother and the other members were killed in an ambush once the networks all of sudden became safe from the attacks.
Tobias: Why attack them at all?
Vade: The networks were being traced to various criminal accounts that were siphoning money, and brain storage from lower income networks. They were severing those links so Orion wouldn't continue their siphoning.
Tobias: And the master code you need…?
Esmeray: To confirm our suspicions and prove for once and for all that the Awakened weren't the terrorists that Orion Industrial has made us out to be.
Tobias: Okay...I'm in.
Esmeray: You are?
Tobias: Yeah. Why not. The D.R.C would want to see me dead. And I'm probably already on a shit list. Why not find out for sure why Orion wants me scrubbed. I don't believe your little group was as intrinsic as you want to believe, but maybe there's still answers we can get from it.
Vade: Party starts tomorrow night. 8pm. We need to keep your profile low.
Esmeray: I can take him to Kami's?
Tobias: Lucas? Kami Lucas?
Esmeray: You know my sister in law?
Tobias: She...yeah. I know her.
Esmeray raises an eyebrow as Vade checks his alert on the computer.
Vade: He needs to get going now. Just got an alert that some Agents are on their way.
Esmeray: Shit!
Vade: Go. I've got it covered.
Esmeray nods as she and Tobias head out quickly as Vade cracks his knuckles and gets into his seat as he types in a sequence and begins a lockdown procedure over their tech.
Elsewhere
Alex sits in the passenger side as Chris drives, checking the feeds as he shakes his head.
Chris: Struck out on the other two.
Alex: Not surprising. Catching any of them at this stage would be surprising to the least.
Chris: How do you and this dreamer go back?
Alex: I grew up and went to the same schools with Tobias. He found out he could infiltrate in high school at a party a bunch of popular kids through when he wasn't invited. But he was there, even without the invite. Somebody turned him in and...he didn't have an easy life after that. I felt bad. Befriended him, even when I signed up for the D.R.C on recruitment day, he was always supportive of me.
Chris: I can fault you for giving a guy a benefit of the doubt. We're still human after all. But man, you gotta know these Dreamers are dangerous. Menaces.
Alex: I don't believe that. It's not like they've chosen this... they're abilities are…
Chris: Not natural. Problematic.
Alex: If not controlled.
Chris: And when they're controlled... they're even more problematic.
Alex: To each their own.
Chris nods as the two continue their drive in silence.
Elsewhere
Tobias stands next to Esmeray as the scanner from Kami's looks them over before opening as Kami opens the door and stops cold as she sees Tobias, who looks down. Kami looks at Esmeray with a scowl.
Kami: This your idea of staying away?
Esmeray: We need to lay low.
Kami: Of course you do. Come on.
Tobias: Hey, Kami…
Kami: Get inside.
The two head inside as Kami looks about before she shuts the door as Tobias takes a seat as Esmeray stands and leans against the bannister near the kitchen as Kami paces.
Kami: So I'm assuming what I was hearing from my D.R.C chatter was the work of you two?
Esmeray: Mostly me. But they were going after him.
Kami: (to Tobias) Why?
Tobias: Guess I was a loose end.
Kami: For?
Tobias: I untethered a senator from someone's grasp.
Esmeray: A non networked mind.
Kami: A dreamer?
Tobias: Can't be sure. But more and likely.
Kami: A dreamer who wasn't in range?
Tobias: Yeah, ever heard of that?
Kami bites at her thumb which catches Esmeray's eye.
Esmeray: Kami…?
Kami: Hmm?
Esmeray: What do you know?
Kami sighs as she runs her head and thinks as Tobias looks between the two women.
Kami: I didn't think it was possible. But it sounds like maybe Orion was able to take my notes and train someone, or someone's to do a long range frequency infiltration.
Esmeray: What!?
Tobias: No way.
Kami: Who taught you control, Tobias.
Tobias looks down and then up as he can see both eyes on him.
Tobias: You, Kami.
Kami: Then I know what I'm talking about.
Esmeray: What, wait hold on. You trained Tobias?
Tobias: When I was registered I was forced to go through an extensive program to coral and control my dreamer abilities so that I wasn't popping in and out of dreams at will. Kami was the current teaching agent for the D.R.C for minors.
Kami: Tobias was a stand out. Along with a few others. Orion Industrial took special interest in the aspect of control and wanted to see if I could push their range, their limits. I tried. But I couldn't accomplish it. But I left an array of specifically detailed notes explaining my theories and ideas on the matter to my successor, Ian Bernard. Ian himself was a dreamer who was immensely talented but he's a believer, he believes in Orion and there aren't any who'll shake that. If they've figured out how to make dreamers infiltrate at long range. Then you've got a problem.
Tobias looks at Esmeray who closes her eyes and bumps her head against the bannister as she groans at this new development.
Elsewhere
Vade watches as Chris and Alex come into his floor and into the room as Vade turns and smirks as he nods.
Vade: Chris. Alex.
Chris: Holy shit, Drifter... You're "The Fixer"?
Vade: Is that my code name now?
Alex: It's good to see you again, Vade.
Vade: I wish I could say the same.
Chris: This has gotta constitute as a fall from grace, no?
Vade: Mm, I wouldn't see that way. What can I do for you guys?
Alex: You want me to believe you don't have your ear to the chatters? D.R.C has you pegged as an tech modifier expert. Which doesn't surprise me. You were the best Untethering agent we ever had…
Vade: A long time ago, a life ago.
Alex: Tobias Matheson.
Vade: A Dreamer. 2217 if I recall. What about him?
Chris: Like Alex said, drop the act that you haven't heard.
Vade: No idea. I strip and modify A.N.N tech, don't have any need or reason to involve myself with D.R.C and Dreamer bullshit…
Chris quickly draws his pistol but Vade was up and aiming his just as quickly as Alex steps between the two.
Alex: Whoa hey!
Chris: Oddly handy with that weapon, Vade... expecting us?
Vade: I always expect trouble nowadays. Mind lowering thay gun or am I going to have to add to your body count today?
Alex: Goddamnit, stop this shit!
Chris: Whose side are you on, Alex!?
Alex: I'm on the side of not acting like a goddamn lunatic! Now put the goddamn guns down!
Chris and Vade stare each other down before Chris smirks and lowers his slowly as Vade does the same.
Alex: I need you to shoot absolutely straight Vade. Are you involved with anything that has happened with Tobias?
Vade: No.
Alex: If he reaches out...if you hear anything...call me...please, Vade.
Vade nods as Alex taps Chris and turns to leave as Chris and Vade stare one another down before Chris winks and heads on behind Alex as Vade watches them carefully.
Alex and Chris get outside of the building as Alex lights a cigarette as Chris runs a hand down his neck.
Chris: Vade...what an asshole.
Alex: The hell was that up there?
Chris: You're telling me you believe him?
Alex: Or course I don't. But we're not fucking Nazis. We're not judge jury and executioners.
Chris: I don't know what version of the US you think we live in but the D.R.C has carte blanche to do whatever is necessary. You better start remembering that, Alex. Your starting to show your colors don't run blue.
Chris pushes past him and heads to the car as Alex curses to himself and follows.
End of chapter.