Reality- Orion Industrial Tower
Chris and Alex sit in silence together as a the line of cruisers pull up outside of the Orion Industrial Tower as Charles, Hazel, Vade and Tobias get out of their rides as Esmeray had rode with Alex as he and Chris glared at each other before getting out as Agents set up a perimeter as Kami and Kelsey were already there, flanked by agents as Ian and Ash come from the elevator and walk towards them.
Ian: Let them pass. They're guests.
The Agents move from the doors as the group head inside and follow Ian and Ash to the elevator as Esmeray was visibly shaking at just being around it all as Tobias could see that she was a ticking bomb.
The elevator was quiet and wrought with tension as the entire group rode the tower to the top floor before Ian steps off first and leads them inside as various chairs are set up about in a semi circle in front of Winston's desk as Courtney's, Mario, Wesley, and Braxton were seated as Winston stands from behind his desk.
Winston: Welcome, all.
Esmeray shakes but Tobias grabs her hand and squeezed it as she doesn't say anything as they all take seats as Alex and Chris remain standing behind the others as Ian and Kami sit next to each other, separating the others from the Orion group.
Winston: We don't like each other. We share varying degrees of feelings, animosities and resentments towards one another. Some of you I know. Others I do not. But we are both in agreement that a greater and more dangerous threat looms out there. Xander Halstead. The Zealot. The being who wishes to destroy the fabric of our existence.
Tegan: Compared to you he's nothing…
Winston looks at Esmeray as Courtney rolls her eyes.
Tobias: Ray…
Winston: And you are?
Esmeray: Esmeray Dixon...you killed my brother, Blayde Dixon…
Winston: Ahh. Yes. The terrorist. I remember. You're the one that kidnapped Van earlier. Mighty bold of you. Must've been harbouring some great hatred for me so I understand why this moment must be difficult for you.
Esmeray: I hate you...and if I could I'd get up and slash your goddamn throat!
Vade: Ray! enough!
Esmeray sneers as Tobias squeezed her hand as Esmeray squeezes it back.
Vade: Get to the deal and why we're here, or let's get the blood flowing.
Ash: That's the Vade I know.
Vade: The Vade they want you know. Not the Vade I actually was.
Winston: Yes. We messed with your memories the same as a lot of other people's.
Courtney: You what?
Courtney, Wesley and Braxton all seem taken aback by this.
Ian: A later discussion.
Courtney nods as she leans back in her chair and folds her arms as Ian stands and faces them.
Ian: The fact is this. Separately we cannot stop Xander. If he was alone maybe, but with his followers it'll be a task near impossible. But myself and the rest here have obtained Awakened abilities, as I'm sure most of you have.
Kelsey: You've been busy, Ian.
Ian: I knew this day would arrive. I had hoped to be able to reach Xander...but he's too far gone.
Tobias: He's just a man. Same as me. Why are you so sure he could even withstand absorbing the final code and not frying his mind?
Ian: Because of the anomaly.
Tobias: That being what? The Echos?
Ian: No...him. Xander is the Anomaly.
Alex: What does that mean?
Ian looks at Winston who nods as Ian faces the confused faces of nearly everyone except for Kami.
Ian: Xander himself...is not a man. He never was. He's an Echo.
Kelsey: That's not possible...I remember going in missions with him and having…
Kelsey stops.
Kelsey: Goddamnit…
Ian: Everyone, dreamers included, who ever came into contact with Xander were implanted with false memories of him being in our "reality" but he never was.
Vade: An Echo who created his own Echo…
Ian: A digital being who was able to force himself into believing he was real that he rendered and created his own Echo. A miracle yes, but one that carried grave consequences.
Winston: Xander has no organic makeup; he is pure unfettered code and if he can get the final source code, he theoretically can absorb and fuse with it...thus achieving what he ultimately desires.
Esmeray: There's something you're not telling us.
Esmeray looks at Ian and then at Kami.
Esmeray: And you know it too.
Kami nods.
Kami: I do. But that's for Ian to divulge.
Winston looks at Ian who looks at him and nods as he faces everyone.
Ian: Kami was the only one who ever knew the absolute truth. Xander wasn't a normal Echo. He was...born. From me...and my wife...Allison.
Esmeray: Who?
Kami: The Paragon.
Everyone looks at each other before looking at Ian who takes a deep breath.
Ian: Me and Allison had dreams of a boy. She couldn't conceive and with retinal cancer and slowly lost the use of her eyes and her sight. So we went away into the A.N.N...with plans to never come out. We found a way to carve out our own little existence away from the reach of any and all dream shares. Not even your tech would've been able to reach us Winston. We were two Dreamers who had nothing but time there to live and love...and the anomaly happened. Xander was born nine months later...as if he were a real birth. Through time as he grew up, we became less and less aware that he wasn't real to us, he was real, as real as any son or daughter we could've had. But as he began to grow and learn and understand the world we realized he would soon break free of our grasp and discover the world. Me and Allison couldn't agree on what to do next. She wanted to nurture him and raise him there but I wanted to expose him, and let him see what the world really was. I took him away, and it was only after I took the job up from Kami that I realized that I may have brought my son into a world he could never understand. I tried to tell him how it was, to make him understand what he was but he couldn't be reached. And once he had created Artur there was no turning back. Kami had figured him out by then and by that point...he was too far gone.
Winston: This whole time…
Ian: I did what I had to to protect my son, but I also will do what it takes to stop him.
Kami: Xander is capable of absorbing the A.N.N and rendering the digital and physical world together.
Ian: We all have to agree that right now...until we're finished with taking Xander down...that we put aside our differences...and do what must be done.
The group look at each other as the tension is felt but nobody says a word.
End of chapter.