The Cipher

Chapter fourteen

  The meeting was extremely productive. There was hardly any time to let my brain consume all the information being shot across the space, let alone contribute to the conversation, partially because the ritual was all so new to me.

  But what I had figured out, was that I would be going undercover. Possibly as one of the most important factors to the rebellion and Shields’ rescue.

  And of course, that was the end game. It was great that they were organizing this war, but all I truly cared about was Shields. I was done playing HQ’s mind games, I was done with HQ in general. As soon as I knew Shields was safe, I was leaving. With or without Cyrus, whom I knew would want to stay and fight the war. 

  I found myself gravitating towards Zulu who was firing answers at everyone who walked up to her. It seemed strange, me being Zulu’s superior. Zulu was the queen bee of this buzzing beehive. I was a worker bee in comparison to her, everyone came to Zulu for answers. Not me. Not Cyrus. Why wasn’t Zulu a Colonel?

  The question plagued my mind. She might as well be the Cipher in Shields’ absence.

  I waited patiently behind the mobbing rebels as they awaited the omniscient Zulu to answer their questions regarding what they were to do.

  After what seemed like hours, Zulu was finally freed up, and at that time, Onyx had arrived along with Zero.

  I had never officially met Zero, but I already looked up to him. He was a middle aged man, but his knowledge exceeded that of the wisest, oldest man in the world, I could tell. He was very smart.

  He half-smiled at me; the smile of a man who was looking over my every detail, calculating my past, observing my gestures; trying to piece me together like a large, ever-complicating puzzle. Trying to see if the apple of the rebellion’s eye was all she was cracked up to be.

  “I am Zero.” he said, reaching his hand out to me, as if he wasn’t just judging my every move; every word.

  “I am Aspen. It is truly a pleasure to meet you.” I took his hand, although his movement dominated the handshake; one firm, quick shake, and then our hands were by our own sides again.

  “I’m Cyrus.” Cyrus introduced himself as well, I noticed he tried to lengthen the handshake, being his genial self, but this seemed only to annoy Zero. He seemed like a man who did not get caught up in extremities and unnecessary things. He was a man who liked to get down to business; cut to the chase.

  It seemed that as Zero was analyzing Cyrus and I, I was analyzing him as well. 

  Zero turned abruptly to Onyx. “I say, we take turns. I will educate one undercover, and you will disguise one, and then we’ll switch. After everyone is done, I’ll teach you, and you will disguise me, that way we will all be prepared.”

  Everyone nodded, seeing as it was a smart thing to do. 

  “Onyx, take Cyrus first. I will take Aspen. Then we will switch.” Zero stated.

  Something told me that he wanted to take me first for a particular reason, the reason being unknown. That much was not yet apparent. 

   Everyone split ways; Zulu to answer more questions, Cyrus to become a different person, and myself to be educated by perhaps the smartest man I had ever encountered.

  Zero led us away from middle of the Sector, out to the rims, and eventually, we were merely feet away from the Society walls, tall and ominous.

  He sat himself on the floor, not having much care for sanitation, obviously, but I followed his lead, for I didn’t care much, either.