The Fortress image of the Sceleratus pulsed out of existence and another image fizzled into existence. As the hologram turned, allowing me to grasp the man in his glory. The hologram may have been emerald in colour, but the various shades of the image showed him in a lab coat.

The man had a pocket watch, which was evident from the dangling chain from one of his pockets. The shade of his pants seemed khaki, but I couldn’t confirm that for obvious reasons. His shirt was tucked into his pants, whilst he showed a glimmering belt buckle, whilst the shade of the belt matched the colour of his shoes.

He had patches of grey hair around his head. His eyes looked stern, showing his astuteness. His nose was straight, whilst his lips were thick.

Despite the seriousness painted across his face, he still smiled in the hologram, a smile that held a charm, which spoke to what most scientists thought of themselves. ‘I’m smarter than you.’

“This is Doctor Hallon Efroniz.” Mr Black said.

“I take it, he created the Hedgehog”

“Correct”

“I see. Is there anything specific I should know about him?”

“The man’s a genius, and you know how that goes. The problem is, based on what Eltessa has been telling me, he doesn’t discuss his work with anyone in Sceleratus, but that’s to be expected. When you’re making a processor that could revolutionise the world’s Automatons, you tend to keep to be a recluse when it comes to working, caution saves lives some say.”

“Yet, you happened across this Hedgehog?” I said.

“Of course not, loose lips sink ships, and I intend to blow the fucking boat of the water!”

“Right,”

“I sense a bit of pessimism coming from you Cypher, you won’t fuck me over because of your ego?”

“You have my family, Black, they come first…always.

“I hope so.”

“I don’t think this Hedgehog is good.”

“You don’t have any faith in us do you?”

“Look around us Black, the fucking oceans resided because of how we treated the earth, everyone thought it was global warming, but it turned out to be Imbibe instead!”

“Yet, we’re here to stay. Don’t you think you of all people should be a bit more realistic Cypher?”

“I never said I don’t have faith in our technology, Black. Look at me for christ's sake I’m a goddamn cyborg! Haven’t you thought about whether Artificial Assistants could gain sentience through this processor? It’s more problems than we can already handle with our already dwindling resources.”

“Their sentient intelligence could also solve problems don’t you think Cypher?”

“Their Intelligence could also do damage. It wouldn’t be right, mathematically, to solve such a problem.”

“Problem as in Equation yes? We have the will to solve anything, that’s why we’re here Cypher! And this is just another step forward in our long history! Don’t you get it? The creation of the Hedgehog proves that despite the IMBIBE almost destroying us we STILL create and push ourselves forward.”

“…to only destroy ourselves? That’s bullshit and you know it!”

“Stop trying to rationalise progress Cypher, that’s not your job here, get me The Hedgehog, that’s all I need from you. Leave the particulars on how we move forward as a species to smarter…better men.”

“Fine,” I said, biting the word, “…but I’ll need more information the good Doctor.”

“Dr Hallon Efroniz graduated from the University of Antillea with honours at the age of twenty. After he completed his master's at twenty-two, he applied for his Doctorate and completed his Engineering Doctorate within three years, two years ahead of the scheduled time.”

“Genius,” I said.

“As they like to say.”

“No family, wife, children?”

“He has family, but no wife and children. The only relationship that’s documented for him is a fiancée, one he broke up with after his second year during his Master's Degree.”

“I see, what about the family then?”

“He has a sister Selen Efroniz, she’s normal, married to a warehouse manager, but nothing there for us to use.”

“His parents?”

“His parents are second-generation migrants, from Latrina.”

“What did they do?”

“…run a bread shop on a corner store. They don’t matter. Hallon’s completely isolated from his family, the only connection he has to them is the credits he sends to his wife and parents every month, which is substantial.”

“How much?”

“One Hundred Thousand.”

“Son of the Millenium,” I said bitterly.

“Right…”

“So there’s nothing to get him to comply? Why haven’t you threatened his family…sounds like something from your playbook.”

“Threats can only go so far Cypher. Threatening doesn’t mean he would willingly work for me. It doesn’t even guarantee anything.”

“Pay him more, there’s no need for me to get involved.”

“If I can speak to him Cypher, don’t you think I would’ve already? This isn’t some ragtag situation I can just appear in, I need a scalpel, and you’re just that.”

I chuckled a laugh, then shook my head. I knew what that meant, and it was something no amount of credits could ever buy. “Scalpel?” I said firmly, “Right, I have a feeling you don’t need him, you just need the Hedgehog.”

“You’re as smart as they come Cypher, but now that you know, what will do?”

"What I think is best."

“Cypher.” Mr Black said, sighing. “Do your job, get me the Hedgehog, nothing else should concern Cypher.”

I smiled bitterly, then nodded. Mr Black was right. I just needed to get the Hedgehog and be done with this job, not the particulars, but if only life was so easy.

In my mind, this Hedgehog was a linchpin, one that could see the Federation amp up their aggression with the Latrina Empire, despite the recently signed peace treaty right after Hortort Calisum’s death.

The peace treaty was just on the surface, but at the core, the Federation and Latrina Empire hated each other. However, Hortort Calisum’s son, Kaleb Calisum needed the treaty to consolidate his power, because a Civil War was brewing within the empire itself.

One that Kaleb Calisum won, after two years. The Federation could’ve used this time to plant their own man to take over, but Kaleb Calisum was no joke either.

The bad thing about it as well, the son believed every word his father spat about the Antillean Federation. Kaleb Calisum wanted to go after the Federation too, but because of the peace treaty, he had to re-think how to proceed.

As difficult as they may have been for him, it did provide us with twenty years of peace, till the bastard funded Deslin Akron, to weaken the Federation.

The plan was ingenious, having an anarchist like him ruffle the feathers of the Federation government, along with the citizens causing civil unrest. That was one of the key facilitators in pushing the narrative he would need, but when Deslin Akron blew up the National Scheme building, all the support Akron had rallied went down to zero.

The Hedgehog was going to be used against the Latrina Empire, I could smell it, but the problem was, I didn’t have any proof. I didn’t know any of Mr Black’s associates, nor did I know him at all. Damn, I thought, I can’t afford to get this wrong…it might be best for me to not play this game, and just retrieve the Hedgehog and manoeuvre through the chaos when it came.

“Fine.” I finally said after thirty seconds of silence. “No more questions, I’ll get you the Hedgehog.”

“Good.”

Mr Black tapped the button once more, and doctor Hallon Efroniz fizzled out of existence. A half second passed, and another image popped up, this time in the shape of a man, who stood tall with his hand behind his back.

This man, hands were behind his back, and he had a small goatee. His nose was sharp, whilst his lips were thin, which made his overall face seem like a hawk’s. He didn’t smile, but when his face circled, I noticed the Cyberdeck in his neck, Cyberweaver? I asked ruefully.

“This is Lieutenant Ranton, he’s in charge of Sceleratus.”

“Lieutenant Ranton? I’ve never heard that name before.”

“He isn’t Colonel Levisay, Cypher…but he’s a hardass and Stiffler for running a tight base. He knows who comes and goes within the city base, so expect random check-ups, especially when you first arrive.”

“Random check-ups? Curfews in place?”

“Yeah, for new arrivals. So sit tight and stay on the ground.”

“That’ll make Infiltrating the main building extra harder.”

“Don’t worry about that, just meld into the community, then slowly make your way into the base. Sceleratus has a militia unit for when Scavengers come knocking.”

“A militia?” I said laughing, “they even coaxed the locals to protect something they don’t even know what’s there?”

“Don’t be fooled Cypher. Those people may not know what’s within those walls, but they are treated very well. You know what happens when a guard dog is treated well by the master right?”

“Yes…it’ll protect him to the bitter end.”

“Exactly. This is why I need you. I need someone to get this Hedgehog, discretely, without causing a rawkus.”

“I get it,” I said firmly. “When do I leave?”

“Now.”