Hero Academy

Chapter 13 : Ark Angel

The main room of the Viper base had a rectangular glass table in the centre. Diana, Aspen and Oscar were made to sit down beside it, Rasussem siting at the head of the table. Armed Viper agents were dotted around the room, their ugly guns sticking out like a sore thumbs against the clean and practical room.

Rasussem gave orders to one of the guards, "Get a cell ready for my daughter and her friends. A better one, let's not have another escape shall well?" The guard kept his low and left, Rasussem sat down.

"I am not your daughter," said Aspen, quietly. Rasussem snorted like a stampeding animal, his fingers flexed.

"You are mine," he said.

"No, I'm not. I am a person, an independent person. I don't belong to you, I am not your property," said Aspen, her voice getting louder, "I'm not going to fit into your perfect mould, and neither is the world."

"I am your father, girl. You can't change that."

"Challenge accepted."

Rassussem stood up, for a moment Diana thought he was going to hurt Aspen who was staring definitely back at her father, but he didn't,

"This is hardly the point," Rassussem said, looking at all three of them, "You can hardly be blamed for beliefs, you are all children of a broken world. Do you that 1.2 billion people live off $1.25 a day? Slavery is now at its highest point through-out all of history? Even in your civilised society there is mysogynism in 1 in 4 rap style songs?" He paused, giving drama to his words, "Viper was built on the idea of a utopian world."

"No," said Aspen, "Viper was built on the idea that the world needs Big Brother to watch it. And that's only for the people who obey you, the rest get executed so that's most people I know, and me," she focused again, "Face it, it's a dictatorship."

"You can throw around big words as much as you want, Aspen," said Rasussem, "But people deserve someone to watch over them, to stop them from hurting one another. Your governments make laws and send people to police society, but they are as corrupt as they people they fight. They hide behind bureaucracy and their own wealth, fearing what would happen if the public knew what was actually happening."

"So that's your plan," Diana said, "Assassinated the Prime Minister and the US President when they come to the launch of Ark Angel?"

Aspen looked at her sharply, "That's only half a mile away."

"Don't get your hopes up," Rasussem laughed, "We aren't going to kill them," Rasussem stopped pacing and looked at them face on, "The Prime Minister and the President aren't a threat, they're our allies," there was a dead silence and Diana was sure that she must have misheard the man.

"Ark Angle is the apple of their eyes. The ultimate power symbol to scare their enemies. The satellite cost over ten billion dollars."

"So, it's just a satellite," said Oscar, "Bouncing back text messages won't send terror into rogue states."

Rasussem smiled again, "That was its purpose but not anymore. I used to work at Tricorp so when I heard that they were creating a Government Satellite I approached the two governments with an idea to truly spread peace. It took them around to come round to my idea but with a bit of persuasion they agreed with us."

"You've put a radar in it," realised Diana, "The one you took from the school."

"Yes," said Rasussem, "The radar is my own creation, though we did have to take it back from Tricorp. The radar, however, is not the only thing on board. That satellite is armed with, possibly, the greatest lasers that has ever been create. The lasers will police the world. From space it can neutralise anyone who poses a threat."

The silence was deader than before. Diana fell back in her seat, her mouth opening and closing like a fish with no sound coming out.

"Are you insane?" Aspen asked after nearly ten seconds of silence.

Rasussem stayed silent and Aspen shook her head, dumbstruck.

"How many do you see as a threat?" Diana asked, finally finding her voice, "It's a menace from the sky, not an angle. People are going to be slaughtered, peace is nothing without freedom."

"It will be freedom."

"A massive gun in the sky which is going to kill anyone you think oppressing you," said Diana, "That isn't freedom. You are a power-hungry lunatic," she paused, "I assume the radar is to find the people then?" Rasussem nodded, "That's why you needed it so bad, you need the most power radar there is to use it in space," Diana remembered what her parents had said, about Viper's most important possession, "Is Ark Angle the asset then?"

"The Asset?" Rasussem asked, "I'm surprised that you know about that but no it is not. The Asset is something else completely, but I think somethings need to remain a surprise."

"I doubt we'll be around to be surprised," said Aspen, "The first place that satellite is going to point is right at us," her voice went quiet but full of power, "I HATE YOU."

*

Diana and her friends were dragged back to the cells. They were all put into the same one, but they all stayed silent. Oscar collapsed down on the single bed in the corner and began to cry. Aspen curled in a corner and looked like she might cry as well but Diana knew she never would. Aspen was refusing to show weakness. After she said that she hated her father he had hit her, slapped her right across the face. Diana had seen Viper hurt so many, even herself but that slap was far worse. She might have broken a bone, Aspen might have been shot but Aspen getting hit by her father was the most terrible thing she had seen. Rasussem was just evil.

Diana sat cross legged on the floor, she felt like crying but no tears would come. She just sat there.

"Would Viper really do it?" asked Oscar after what must have been an hour.

"Yes," said Aspen and Diana at the same time. Oscar nodded and went silent again, his tears had stopped.

"This is stupid," said Aspen, standing up, "We need to get out. Diana's dad, and probably some others, must be here by now. But they won't be able to find us. We need to break out and stop this satellite launch."

"And how do suppose we do that?" asked Diana, "This room is probably one of the most protected in the entire building. And what if mum and dad aren't here? What York tricked them, like she tricked us?"

"A hypothetical argument isn't a real argument at all," said Aspen, "Now, how are we going to get out?"

"I tried using all my powers in the last one," said Diana, "They are useless here and Viper took all of our stuff."

"You two still have your wrist bands," said Aspen, nodding at them, "You can put on your super suits. I've got a magnet in my hand."

"They're not going to be very useful," said Oscar. They heard footsteps passing the door and Aspen put her finger to her lips. They all went immediately silent and Diana heard footsteps stopped outside her door. It opened.

Dr Jacob Astate stood looking at them, his grey eyes whizzing, a triumphant grin on his face. They are stared. Diana ran at him and hugged him, she pulled back quickly,

"Sorry, sir. It's just you know, we're locked in a cell."

"It's quite alright, Diana, I understand," he said, "Are you okay? None of you are hurt?"

"No, we're fine. Di, you were wrong, our text message worked," said Oscar, with a smile, "Are the Challengers with you?"

Before he could answer Aspen posed another question, "How did you even find us? This place is top secret, it took us ages and we had GPS."

Astate looked at them and opened his mouth to speak, then he closed it. Aspen looked like she was going to speak but Astate decided on what he was going to answer, "I know Viper were taking you here because I was the one who let them into the school.