Spectrum

Prologue

Eric walked quickly down the hallway, smiling as he passed a group of researchers in their white cloaks. He did his best to act normal, hoping no one would suspect him. He was running late, too late, and he feared the worst. It was uncommon enough for a Grey to be in the science division, and if he ran, it would certainly spark someone's interest, and he couldn't let that happen. He had never been suspected for his treason—yet—and he wasn't about to ruin it, not when it mattered so much.

He eyed the cameras on the ceiling, watching his every move, but there was little he could do to avoid them. The hallway was perfectly straight, to match the section of the Grey Area it tunneled under. The architects had thought it out too well, and Eric cursed them for it. The Grey Area left little to sneaking around, even the maintenance tunnels were dangerous to use for their meetings.

"Does this hallway ever end?" He thought irritated. The hallway was perfectly white, and very long. He walked for hundreds of feet and still he hadn't come to the room, which was just over halfway. Up ahead, Eric could see, just faintly, where the hallway ended and turned into storage space. "Finally, I'm here."

He peeked through the window, checking to see if the room was empty. When he saw it was, he slid through the door. The room was dark despite everything being white. He peered into the shadows, looking for his contact, but Eric only saw clean tables and blank walls. "Hello?" He whispered, but no one answered. "Are you there?" He called out again. The room was silent, and Eric looked around nervously as the trill of panic swept through him. "Where is he?" He thought anxiously. "Perhaps he left. Or, maybe, he was caught." The thought terrified him.

Eric whipped around when he heard the door open. Pressing himself against the wall, he held his breath, doing his best to hide, but there was little chance they wouldn't find him. His grey clothes would betray him, and then he would be finished. The plans would fail, and they would have to start over from the beginning.

The intruder stepped inside, the glare of the hallway engulfing them with a curtain of brilliance. Eric was trapped on the wall behind them, so he couldn't see their face, and oh, how he wanted to. His nerves were spiking, his heart rate pounding harder and harder. The figured slowly made his way inside, doing their best not make a sound. They were looking for something. "What? What is he looking for?" Eric thought desperately. Then, just as he was prepared to rush the intruder, they turned around, letting the light fall over their face. Eric had never felt more relief than he just felt. His contact, just a little late.

"Where were you?" Eric asked accusingly. The sudden noise startled the man backwards, tripping into a metal stool.

"I had to go to storage. Some researchers stayed late, and I had to pass the time." His contact explained as he crept from the shadows. "Why have you called me here?" He asked. "I was told to lie low for a time. Has something happened? Please, let it be good news." Eric didn't know who the contact was, only that they were on the same side, and that he was their link into Apex, the city's government. Everything in their network of insurgents was anonymous. One person was in contact with one person, and they all had their orders.

"You'll never believe it." Eric said in a hushed tone. "They've given the order. We're to prepare for their arrival."

"The order?" His contact said, surprised, "Now? They said it was unlikely for it to be given in years. Are you sure?" He was more enthusiastic than Eric about the news.

"I'm sure. They've moved up the schedule." He replied. "I was told they're getting ready out there. All we have to do is give the system a test to make sure everything is in order. Then we wait for the Master to give the official order, and we'll have control of the city."

"I can't believe it." The contact said baffled. "Part of me thought this would never happen, but..."

"So did I, but here we stand. Everything we've worked for will finally pay off. We will finally bring ruin." His contact looked at him, a sparkle in his eye. "Send word up the chain. Tell them...it's finally time."