August 01, 4021 22:34 [Matriarch 04- Aegypius Lab]

“Did he receive the entry card?”

“Yes.”

Vivian removed her mask, setting the Vulture’s head aside. She untied her bun, letting her hair down in a messy bundle. “We should let the Director know.”

Cecil nodded, his face still shrouded behind the dark gas mask.

“Do you ever take that off? What’s your deal anyway?” she asked him, raising an eyebrow.

“Restriction,” he answered, curtly.

“Ah, now it makes sense.”

“The power I’ve received from the trade-off will be essential in order to survive within the forest. Granted, if I were just looking after myself, none of these preparations would be necessary.”

“And because you want to hide the fact that you’re a Hyena from Indra.”

Cecil grunted irritably.

“What are the terms?” Vivian asked in an attempt to calm him down.

“I can’t disclose that, but I think it’s clear enough,” he said pointing to his suit.

“Right,” she nodded. “Check if the line is secure.”

“It’s secure.”

Vivian sighed. She couldn’t believe it herself, but she preferred Cecil’s obnoxious personality over this reserved husk of armor. Any conversation with him was like pulling teeth. Talking to Cecil in his current state was like speaking to a brick wall and expecting a reply.

She opened up a secure line on her monitor. After a few seconds of buffering, the line connected, displaying a live video of a gruff-looking man in his fifties. The throes of battle had made themselves apparent on his visage, grey hairs peppering a dark beard on a face worn with age. His mechanical eye whizzed about, collecting data. A peaked cap embossed with a crescent moon rested atop his head.

“Is it done?” Jìguāng inquired.

“Yes, Sir,” Cecil answered.

“Good. My contacts in Cloudburst will take care of him once he reaches the border. As for the rest, I’m currently working on a solution with my agent in Khar Khot to start preparations for their escape.”

“Father—”

“Speak,” he said gruffly.

“What about our situation? Have we thought about the logistics of our own escape? How and when are we going to leave? Where are we heading? And who are we rendezvousing with?”

Jìguāng shook his head. He cut the tip of his cigar and lit it, puffing on it slowly. A trail of white lingered in the air.

“You’ll have to wait a little longer until I make the proper arrangements. Security will be tighter the moment they realize that Indra has escaped. The situation will be red-hot with search parties on the lookout for him. The window for escape will be nonexistent for a time. Once things have cooled off, I’ll see to it that you and Cecil get the proper entry permits.”

“And what happens to you and the others when we leave? Or if we were to be compromised?” Cecil asked.

“You let me worry about that. Nothing will happen to me, and the others will be fine as long as they stay near the supply line. They’ll be surrounded by Hyenas protecting it with them. As I said before, I’ve got an informant over there that will see to it that they escape before any heat falls on them.”

“You seem to have thought of everything. Although, this only works if all the components of your plan are carried out accordingly.” Vivian remarked.

“I have plans for contingencies, though you won’t need to know the details unless something changes. Getting Indra out of here is the first priority, got it?”

They nodded, “Yes, Sir.”

Jìguāng took another puff, mulling over something. “Cecil, would you give us the room for a moment?”

Cecil nodded, leaving Vivian alone with Jìguāng. She seemed confused. Anything he said could be said in front of Cecil, right? So why did he send him away? Was it a question of trust? That couldn’t be it; they could trust Cecil. It must have had something to do with her specifically.

“While we’re on the topic of Indra, what exactly is the nature of your relationship with him? Kǔ Shén mentioned it earlier, but we haven’t really had a chance to speak candidly about it.”

Vivian’s stomach sank. She began to feel the heat rising in her cheeks, as she twirled her thumbs, her eyes flitting away from her father’s scrutinizing gaze.

“It doesn’t matter anymore. He probably hates me now.”

“That works in our favor. Good.”

“Good?” she looked at him incredulously.

“It’s for the best, Vivi.”

“How can you say that?!”

Jìguāng sighed, leaning his cigar against the ashtray. “Let me tell you a story. Your mother and I met in Yoru almost thirty years ago while I was stationed there conducting my research. She was ten years my senior, but I was young and naive. I fell for her sweet words and promises of a blissful future together. And it was–for a few years. I loved your mother dearly, but soon after you were born, I learned of her true nature and the company she kept. When she found out that I had learned the truth, her demeanor changed. It was as if a veil had finally been lifted from my eyes. She threatened to take you away from me in order to buy my silence. I couldn’t have that, so I requested an emergency transfer back to Yuèliàng, taking you with me in the dead of night.”

Vivian barely blinked. “I know this story. You told me it when I was younger.”

“I did, but you still don’t seem to understand. The woman I loved was just an illusion. Someone who manipulated me into thinking that she was exactly as I had pictured her in my mind. She showed me what I wanted to see, and I was none the wiser.”

“I assure you it’s not the same—”

“Maybe it isn’t. That’s not my point. He’s still young. A boy that has barely come into adulthood. If I had my way, none of these children would be out on a battlefield, fighting wars for those wretched Oligarchs. The most I could do was make Matriarch 07 a home for them, free of discomfort. He’s only known strife outside the confines of the Matriarch, so when someone shows him warmth, he’ll mistake human kindness for love.” He looked at his daughter pleadingly.

Vivian pursed her lips. “I understand how you feel. I acknowledge that we come from different circumstances and that we’re at different stages in life at the moment, but I am not my mother. I won’t mistreat him like she did to you.”

“Viv—”

“I won’t hear another word about this. If you want to speak to us, it's going to be both of us from now on and we will solely focus on helping Indra and the others escape. Anything else can wait.”

Jìguāng nodded sadly. “So be it.”

Vivian cut the connection, putting her hands on her forehead. What a mess.

Cecil reentered the room as Vivian scrambled to reconnect the signal.

“Don’t bother, I can guess what happened.”

Her complexion turned scarlet again as she shuffled the connections on her desk, reconnecting to an open network. She turned to him apprehensively.

“What do you think? Am I in the wrong here?”

“I think there are more pressing issues to worry about. You can’t mend your relationships with people if they’re dead, so focus on the task at hand. Once all is said and done, I’ll weigh in on the ethics of your situation. Besides, I can’t say that I’m blameless either when I encouraged it. Let’s table this discussion for another time. We have a meeting with Kǔ Shén in fifteen minutes regarding Indra’s progress. Ready?”

Vivian nodded, tying her hair into a bun before slipping the Vulture’s mask back on. “Ready.”