New Elysium: Breakout

Connection Part 43

The Emperor

Butcher of New Caledonia

Former military man, turned renegade

The Emperor burns down Orion's Reach Headquarters

"The fatal outbreak of a particularly lethal strain of Legionnaires' disease on Feren 2, which has cost an estimated 1,500 lives and continues to ravage across the colony, has been traced back to a contaminated water tank. It has been verified that the contamination has been introduced deliberately and maliciously by the terrorist known as 'Red'."

Thousands rally in support of the terrorist "Red."

Former Crew of the Aphelion Speak out in defense of "Red," who they claim is a former Captain.

Those were just a few of the titles. Red took his hands away from the interface and stared out the window in silence watching as the Aphelion's docking bay loomed closer. There were other titles suggesting he had a faction of supporters, a bevy of followers ready to come out and join him. A report even suggested the dark web was amassed with people just waiting for him to give the command. Red had never ventured onto the dark web before, hell he was supposed to arrest people for that kind of thing. People were coming out as augs and being arrested on the streets again. 

It was The Purge 2.0.

Shit.This is what Jack was talking about, a riot on the streets, people needing a leader... I should have seen that coming. Fuck him.

"Hey, you can't have that one! That was me!" Null gasped as she leaned over to see what he was looking at.

"What?" Red snapped out of his thoughts and shifted away from her. He couldn't go far as he was buckled into the small shuttle seats next to her. He still wasn't used to Null, her eyes always watching his every move. She didn't trust him any more than he trusted her.

"I did that. Orion's Reach. That. Was. Me." She jabbed her own chest emphasizing each point, huffed and leaned back into her seat. "You were still in jail and they gave you the credit."

Red held up both hands. "Happy to give it to you."

"Don't you pay attention to the news?"

Red turned back to the window. "I haven't had access to any of it in seven years. I don't even feel like plugging into it." That wasn't completely true. He'd been dying to see what was happening in the outside world. But at the same time, he knew what was coming. It was the same playbook used over and over again. To take someone down you had to destroy them utterly. When their reputation was damaged it was impossible to come back from that. That made arresting them with public support easy.

It had happened to him over seven years ago.

The network didn't feel the same when he looked into it. It didn't have the familiar presence of others sifting through the binary scene. Not even the usual AIs who dominated the system were there. It was a barren landscape.

"How's Adam?" He changed the subject.

Null immediately brightened. "He can fly again."

She didn't have to explain, Red remembered Ember's momentary loss of control in the prison when she was talking about not being able to fly anymore. They clipped my wings...

His own experiences were similar. 

"So, he's no longer a threat?"

Null turned to look at him, suspicions aroused. She stiffened in her seat, the message clear. "No."