Truth Stealers (Thief's Signal: Book 1)

14

Jag was in the box again. But this time, it was filled with water, all the way to the very top of the ceiling, colourless and formless, but there nonetheless.

Jag opened his mouth, before realising it felt normal. He breathed. It worked.

So they turned me into an amphibian.

Four white washed walls, the floor, the ceiling, and colourless liquid rippling with every tiny movement. Jag waded about for a minute, trying to figure out what had happened. A sharp pain jut into his neck. Then another, and another on his back. Something stabbed at Jag's body, but he couldn't see anything. Invisible daggers were cutting into him. He let out a cry.

A liquid passed into his veins. A searing burning sensation followed the new substance and its path into Jag's body. After every stab into his body, some sort of invisible liquid entered and burned in his blood.

"Don't do anything stupid, Jag," came Drigs' voice behind him. Jag looked around to see him standing in the liquid box.

"What's happening?" Jag asked desperately, and in pain.

"The plan is happening. Just stick to the plan."

The plan...blurry memories began to focus better in Jag's mind.

Then he was suddenly sitting down with Drigs at a table in a restaurant. The dimly lit crystal lights and lush red carpet indicated an expensive bill to be paid after the meal.

"So I'm gonna test you on what you will do," Drigs said, before taking a sip of red wine.

"I know what I have to do," Jag said.

"Good, then tell me what you are going to do first."

"Get close to the main scientist, Lucy. Tell her my dream about being one of the first meta-types. Get her to make me the first one."

"Good, and who are you?"

"Jag. Jag Blakeman."

"Not Nimio. And what did you do before you met Lucy? How did you get into working with Meta Mechanics Developmental?"

"I always had a passion for science, ever since I began learning about it in school. I wanted to make the world better, more amazing. I wanted to solve problems and build great inventions. And then I found out about Meta Mechanics Developmental, and I knew that there was a place where my dreams could become real. Where I would work with like minded people and make things work in ways no one else had even imagined." Jag, or Nimio, paused.

Drigs burst into laughter, lifting his wine cup up to take another sip, but then putting it back down as he realised it would just splutter everywhere.

"That almost sounds plausible!" He said, in between his hysterical laughing.

Nimio smiled.

"Alright," Drigs finally continued, calming down. "Why do you want to be the first meta human then?"

"Apart from physically carrying over the blueprints for you to make your own," Nimio said, this time Drigs smiling, "as both a scientist and a lover of sports, it would sound like heaven to me. An enhanced body with almost magical powers...who wouldn't that? And then there's my father, a veteran of the last clan war. He isn't here any more, but I'm sure he would love to see me following in his footsteps. And yes, I know the risks of the operation, but I am willing to go through them, to help my government and the people that I love."

"Yes," Drigs said slowly. "The people and their government. The Cast, they call it. Communist scum. Remember why we do this, Nimio. For the Regime. We will build an empire of principles and strength, not mindless charity."

Nimio raised his glass. "To the rise of the Regime."

Drigs lifted his wine cup in return. "And to the fall of the Cast, and their weak-willed secret servants, the Preachers."

Drigs reclined in his chair, and took a breath. "You're not a bad liar, you know. But you forgot one thing. What else are you going to do for me?"

"Steal their documents. Then upload the virus you gave me onto their system."

"Well remembered. Just in case you did forget, I have a man there as back up. His cover name is Illgis. If anything happens, get Illgis to help."

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