Star Wars: The Earthling Gamer

Chapter 24 - The Boss

I narrowed my eyes in mild recognition of him. "I've seen you somewhere." I told him. Looking at him, it was clear this guy was the head of this organization. "Maybe you have. I've even heard I bear a significant resemblance to a character in a video game." At that, I snapped my fingers. "That's probably it. You look like Carth Onasi, from a Star Wars game." I realized.

He waved it off. "That's beside the point. I'm sure you have many questions. Ask away." He says. "Your organization knows much about the creation of these Empowered people, right? How did I get my powers? I was never taken anywhere. I just woke up with them, the same day my family vanished." I asked. He smiled.

"How indeed? In fact, that's the one thing we've been curious about as well. We were hoping you would know. Because ever since that day, when you woke up with your powers, those Empowered people, as you call them, started popping up all over the continent. Some in Mexico, hundreds in America, and dozens in Canada." He confided in us.

"We know each one of them were brought in and tested on, after your powers developed, and I know of one name on their list of people that were supposed to come in. Someone that never got their powers." He continued, his eyes settling on Kara. "You can't be serious." I said. Kara paled, sitting back in her chair. "No..." I heard her whisper.

"Hazel, you'd told us that the government wanted Kara for something. This was it, wasn't it?" I knew she wouldn't have an answer, but her guess was probably more educated than mine. She just nodded. "Okay. Sure. So, I'm the first Empowered, and Kara was meant to get powers as well." I repeated numbly.

There goes my attempt to get answers of how I got powers. But I had other questions. "What about location? The System that comes with my powers warned me that we have less than a month now before we have to attack them, and I want to start planning this out." I asked.

He pulled up a map of DC on his phone, and showed me the address on Google Earth. "Here. There are some other entrances to their own bunker, connecting from these buildings, but the lab is in this one." He swiped around, showing the addresses and buildings to me, landing on a single building to finish it off. "Come to see me at 10 tomorrow morning, and we can plan with the war council." He told me.

"Understood. Can we get directions back here for tomorrow?" He glanced at my wristwatch, which I had honestly forgotten about. "Is that a Smart Watch?" He asked. "So to speak. It was specially made for my powers. It essentially gives me a minimap that only I can see, that I can turn on and off, and it's supposed to boost my powers in some way, as well, though Mana never did elaborate past that." I explained to him.

"That's interesting. I'd love to produce something like that." He mused. "Unfortunately, I don't think I can transmit directions to you." He said, focusing back on my question. "I have a phone. If you can give me the address, I can save it." Mana pipes up. At that, he picked up a pen, and scribbled on a post-it note, passing it to Mana. "There. Is there anything else I can do for you?" He asks.

"Two more questions, and I might have more in the future. Firstly, we never learned your name. Would you mind sharing so I don't have to keep cryptically referring to you as 'The Boss' in my head? Secondly, do you know how the other Empowered get their powers?" I ask.

He laughs heartily. "Just call me Alec." He said, extending his hand. I shook it. "Pleasure to properly meet you, Alec." I told him. "Same to you, Cyrus. And as for how the Empowered get their powers? Well, we're not certain on the process itself, but we do know where their powers come from." He elaborates. "Well? Where do they come from, then?" Kara asks, frowning.

Alec's eyes fall on me. "They take the DNA from the progenitor, and use that to recreate portions of its power. You may have noticed, some things went missing in your home, Cyrus. Those things all have one thing in common. It has your fingerprint, or saliva, or something. Even if it's faint, they can replicate your powers with it, to a small degree, for an individual." He explains to us.