Mari saw Raon there, same mocking expression she had when she met her, cold gaze of a predator, always on the lookout, and again had put herself in the place of the prey. She felt anguish saturating her, as her actions on this day would do more harm than good since being discovered by the worst possible person:
- Wait, wait... what... what's happening here? – the assistant asked, uncomfortable.
- Tell Goo Joon we test his little theory tomorrow at 0500. Now, get out of my sight...
The guy nodded his head nervously and ran away, his whole body trembling. Mari had barely turned around when she saw Raon's hand almost grabbing her face; in just a few seconds, they were reunited inside her memories, and saw together what the actress had been doing; a few more seconds, and the director let go of her with contempt, saying:
- I see you've been busy...trying to escape - she responded, giving her a smack
The actress fell to the floor, coughing:
- I already told you, didn't I? It's useless to resist. You belong to me, you will abide by my orders.
Mari was still on her knees, pressing her pained belly with one hand:
- You're an insane bitch - she mumbled - I hate you...
- Wait, did you say something? – Raon kneed her in the abdomen – Say it louder!
Mari's chest was crushed angrily by Raon's shoe, the director still restraining her instinctive desire to crack her sternum like a nut. This, however, made the actress scream in pain and make pitiful moans while she looked at her attacker with eyes full of hatred, filling with tears:
- I said I hate you, I hate you, you fucking crazy bastard!
- You just go on and on...What else, your highness?
The actress growled furiously:
– I curse each day I had to be you! I regret ever feeling sorry...for a monster like you…
- And you keep saying it - Raon responded - What do I have to do with the spoiled little princess being given a role she doesn't like? Or is it because little snowflake didn't like my methods? Enough of this nonsense, you will come with me...
Raon removed took out her foot and grabbed Mari's arm, shaking the actress a little when she saw her futilely resisting a superhuman strength. However, Mari did not remain silent while being dragged along:
- You're incapable... of understanding, aren't you? You can't see how wrong you act... your crimes, your abuses, even at those who... try to be good to you. But surely deep down… you just crave their affection…
- Such a stupidity. All these damned dregs are complicit in what they did to me and my family; the trash I have writhing on those stretchers never deserved to live.
- If you hate these people so much, why are you their leader? You treat everyone as slaves, why?
- You think I'm a monster. You know nothing about the Division, of what they've been doing for so long...the Board, those who remain, they're the monsters, not me...if I am where I am, it is to prevent them from doing more damage.
- Don't be so cynical. What you did will never disappear from my memory, Raon. That's why I tried to save the others, to protect them from you.
- Most you don't even care about, and they in turn only want to latch like lampreys. As for your little boyfriend, where were you planning to take him in his condition? You wouldn't get a hundred meters away from HQ before we found you.
- I asked for days that they bring medicine for him, and that doctor you appointed did nothing.
- It was not her order to heal prisoners, and besides, what are you complaining about so much?
- What?!
- You made my sister help you somehow, I know. Sometimes she perplexes me, times when she does whatever foolishness she wants...
The director made a tender smile at the end of the sentence, which she tried in vain to hide from her counterpart; Mari, however, was quick to notice, even though the pain in her chest diminished her attention to her surroundings, and was still far from subsiding:
- You shouldn't talk about her like that. Even being your accomplice, even agreeing with you on whatever you're planning, she at least showed some humanity, which you lack...
Raon, with Mari's memories, could now see those events unfold as if she herself had experienced them firsthand; the anxiety the actress felt when she was guided by Bae Rin along with her companions to the barracks, being locked up without any explanation, and then the disease that affected her and the guy. The days and the weeks passed, Weisenschaft doing what she was intended to, spiraling the actress into desperation while her companions fell apathic; it would be no better if the others assigned at that same place were there, as they were secgens too eager to unprovoked violence, the main reason why all of them were relocated to the DMZ outpost.
While in the real world, the actress realized her counterpart had stopped paying attention to her, Raon continued to experience those memories in clear and even painful detail; she felt Mari's heavy heart when Young-ho fell with a very high fever, conflicted with the discomfort that she herself felt seeing Onyx's face again. She knew perfectly well what had happened, but she knew that telling the actress why would serve none of her goals; thus, she wasn't suprised by the doctor's indifference towards the pleas made. Then, she saw how Mari sat down to chat with the others, telling them they needed to get out; the actress' line of thinking was that, since there were all kinds of impossible things in her world that were real in this one, maybe, somewhere, there would be an organization like the Dragon Division which had a way to return to her reality.
Despite having the prospect of something even worse outside, they saw it as the only alternative, having no reason to believe anyone was really interested in helping them, and would probably end up dead if they let Raon go on with whatever she was thinking to do. But the biggest obstacle before them was the fact the door had not been opened despite the emergency having long passed, utmost source of hopelessness among the group, an obstacle that they did not know how to overcome. And one that the director herself had ordered to be that way as a temporary measure to avoid precisely a scenario like the one being proposed, and almost happened nonetheless.
In the real world, Raon arrived at a cell, into which she threw Mari, closing the door before the latter ran back towards the entrance:
- Hey, open the door! Kim Ra-on! What are you planning to do to us, ah?! Tell me…!
The director still didn't listen to her. As she walked back to office, she remained absorbed in her thoughts, visualizing memories in rapid succession, and skipping ahead as much as she could of unnecessary information that, in a matter of mere hours, would simply be erased from her brain. She then arrived at last night; there, Mari and the others preparing to sleep, completely pale and disheartened when, without warning, the door opened manually, waking up everyone including Young-ho, who groaned at the sudden noise; it was S-1 who made an appearance. The actress, still half asleep, covered her eyes from the light coming from the hallway.
- You...
The vice-directo placed a few provisions and a new set of those thin blankets to which, depending on how they'd slept in those days, all secgen Awoken Ones were totally accustomed to. While arranging everything, she said:
- You were to be in isolation until past morning, so I must apologize again, but the measure was necessary. By the way…
At first Mari was reluctant, taking into account their last exchange, but soon overcame it, suddenly approaching and taking S-1 by the wrist with both hands, leaving the latter not knowing how to react, as she did not detect hostility in the actress:
- I'm imploring you, please, help us.
- K...Kang Ma-ri...
- My…my friend, he's very ill, needs a doctor…
- Hasn't he...got better after all these weeks? Unexpected...
- I used our towels to put compresses on him, but I don't know what to do anymore…
- Wait a moment... - S-1 responded - did you put cold compresses?
- Yes why?
- That's nonsense, you don't even know the reason for his fever, he...very good... - she responded.
The twin took out some boxes of medicine from one of the packages. In the present, Raon thought:
"But why you do that? Ignore my little plan B… You had no order to intervene"
She kept recalling the memory as her sister took out a capsule and pills from the boxes.
- I spoke to Ah Ra, and told her about the problem. You should give these medicines for 5, 7, 8 and 15 days respectively, and your friend should get better, so take and keep them out of sight.
- Wait, hey - Hee-hong said - Why such a rush to help? I thought you saw us as lab rats only.
S-1 put herself quite more defensive, replying:
- Don't misunderstand this, none of you; I'm just making sure you stay alive.
- Aye, that's what I thought - said Bae.
- My sister didn't agree with this, but I don't see any other way for everyone here to survive.
- You always the lapdog - Hee-hong muttered
Until the portal is ready, all must be healthy. Besides - she added - I gave you my word.
- And Raon? Will she keep her word? – asked Mari
- She will. Even now, there are dozens of people working day and night on the project. If all goes well, you return home, and we won't see each other again. It will be better that way.
- I agree - said Mari
- Believe me when I tell you my sister is not interested in your lives or well-being as such.
- Isn't it obvious? - the secretary retorted.
- For her to build something like this has become of great interest, basically because of the incident that allowed us to meet.
- But the way we ended up here... - said Hee-hong - Are you really...a version of myself?
- In general, yes.
- I still can't wrap my head around that - Hee-hong smirked, sadly.
- Routine resumes tomorrow. I come at same hour, so rest, for I will not have you idle here.
- Thank you. Truly - Mari said then, genuinely moved.
- I forgot...
S-1 handled a black coat to Mari; she got through its pockets, and felt something inside one of them. She saw inside, and it was a smartphone, her own phone she thought lost during the attack. She looked at the twin, but said nothing, rather to keep it a secret while the vice-director went on:
- I couldn't find any more clean blankets, so use this to keep your friend warm; It's Raon's but... she has many in her closet, won't notice...
At present, Raon laughed with great amusement at that, because she was right; and now that her coat had touched the skin of that Young-ho guy, she definitely didn't want it back.
- I don't have time left, the cameras will be reactivated soon, until morning.
S-1 walked away, nodded very slightly, and closed the door behind her while Mari placed the jacket on top of the actor, who shivered slightly before falling asleep, the result of the fatigue caused by the bone pain he must have been feeling then.
"But if she closed the door again, how come…" - Raon wondered.
Fast forwarding time in her mind, the director saw Mari waking and the others sleeping heavily; the convalescent, after taking his pills, was shaking in pain, while Mr. Bae shifted uncomfortably on the mat. Then the clock above the door read 4:44 in the morning; the built-in alarm made a loud beep; but something else happened, something that shouldn't have.
The door hinges rang, and it opened automatically; this only must have happened with her agents inside, signaling them to carry out their regular routine. The problem was, this time, it had opened more than 15 minutes early; minutes passed and Mari, having realized no one would come, looked outside, to make sure that no one was there. Raon continued to see, noting that the lights had not turned on automatically like they should have; the actress apologized, and took the coat from Young-ho to then put a new set of clothes brought by S-1, leaving the place soon thereafter.
Raon got in office, sitting in front of her desk, ready to review the security footage and microphone audios with her credentials; she was turning over an essential question inside her head:
"Who let you out, Kang Ma-ri?"
Reviewing her memories, Raon saw Mari going from one place to another, checking wherever she could, hallway to hallway, trying not to attract anyone else's attention, especially when, after 5 in the morning, the resident staff began to leave their rooms towards their posts. Hours passed, and she continued checking places, passing through the IT, the engineering area, the medical wing, and the biology area, without being able to access several of the elevators, one of the which, the director knew, could have taken her to the administrative floor where the HQ main access was. Mari tried unsuccessfully to access other elevators, which led respectively to the base's perimeter fort, the training area, or the monorail tunnel leading to the South Annex.
After hours wandering around the sections, Mari made a stop at the dining room after seeing that the rest of those who were there were returning to their places; almost no one turned to look at her, and those who did tried to avoid her gaze, either whispering among themselves, or in silence. For the actress, posing as director had its benefits, since she received quite good quality food, a complete, freshly-made lunch; while the other Awoken Ones, even secgens, received quite poor rations, higher-ups got way better despite the hatred Raon had towards them, just convenience. Mari quickly finished eating, realizing she was, first of all, craving such kind of delicious food, and second, that she was hungrier than she herself expected.
After leaving the dining room, she passed through the place where she woke up initially, finally passing through the elevated bridge conecting to the prison, recalling what Raon had been trying, and still wondering why, which her plans were those who entailed so much cruelty. The director then returned to her own reality, and smiled contemptuously to herself while observing the monitors; after passing through all the footage, it was clear Mari didn't appear in any of it. Trying to corroborate the memories with physical evidence, she realized no video or audio feed existed at the times and places the actress passed through, cams and microphones not recording anything at all.
- If someone wanted you to escape, Kang Ma-ri, why not give you access to an exit? And if he couldn't do it, why did he bother letting you out of the barracks in the first place?
Raon would stay in the office checking again and again, looking for a clue leading her to find the correct hypothesis, the one to explain this new breach in security, which could not be a coincidence. It couldn't be the dead stowaways, she herself had verified their minds were absent, and that ISOs were stored, so much so she decided to use her own biometric signature for the storage. Goo Joon had been close, but it was unlikely he would've been able to access security footage or her own office, and regardless of his mastery in IT, there was no point in him trying to aid the actress.
The digital minds could very well have sabotaged parts of the software, but the external review after the repair of the security systems turned up no relevant failures in the barrier or other area servers. She wouldn't rule out any theory yet, for Kim Ra-on was no overconfident woman, neither with enemies nor much less with her own people. However, until she had a sure lead or firmer evidence, neither Goo Joon, nor Ah Ra or Mari could be anything more than suspects of a series of unconnected acts that, she thought, spoke worse about herself than about them.
The director couldn't waste any more time. The arrival of his counterpart had brought little more than problems, and she preferred to keep the good part of the experience, that is, the current project itself and the knowledge of the universe with which they made contact thanks to the misfortune of one of its residents. She spoke thorugh comms directly with one of his most useful and convenient subordinates, overseer Han, a simple human, but who, unlike his unstable putative brothers, had demonstrated better results at coordinating the protection of both HQ and other sites (the most recent incident being quite the exception):
- Mr. Han...
- Director - he replied - How can I help you?
- Gather your best
- Is there a particular reason...?
- I have a job for them.
- Copied.
- Let the rest remain in their positions; they'll have double round tomorrow.
- Anything else, ma'am?
- Notify the rest of the staff. No one can leave or enter in the next 24 hours.
- Got it - he continued - So, the day has arrived?
- Yes.
Raon hung up, and got to review documents on her computer, approvals to general reports, cross-site requests, and departmental memoranda, part of her legal obligation after overseers and administrators did their own reviews, especially if they involved a large amount in assets. She would send a progress report with the third phase and memos requesting the sending of payrolls for quarterly review, giving approval to new hires in the administrative area, sending the respective profiles to search of possible infiltrators. Night would pass, all tasks ended before early morning.
She left the office, and signaling his escort not to follow her, he took the monorail to the South Annex, passed the abandoned laboratories, and climbed the steps to the exit, walking then through the open field and looking up at the stars, reciting all their characteristics by heart to kill time. After a couple more hours, she had sat down to meditate, with the icy wind running through her body, but her musings ended once the smartwatch rang the alarm to indicate the long-awaited test of the so-called PROJECT: SAHASRARA, the Division's interdimensional portal, was soon to begin. She rose from the half-bare ground where she'd sat, and returned to main base; after passing by the 6 or 8 firstgens stationed in the hallway preceding the place of the experiment, she climbed the steps to the observation room of that ample gallery, where the result of months of planning stood up front.