“Where the hell are we now?” asked Clive. He looked around at the white walls of the empty room.

  Ian forced a smile. “My personal virtual. It doesn?t really have the bandwidth for two people.”

  “I can see that.” Clive looked at Ian. “Or more like, I can?t see anything. Could you make this place any duller?”

  “I can change the color of the walls. Maybe add some furniture. No windows or surrounding environment. I?m pushing the system hard for a triple-time compression.”

  Clive crossed his arms. “So, you?re doing that again? Do you have any real questions for me?”

  Ian paced the tiny room. Despite having a virtual body, he felt tired. His mind needed rest.

  “I want to know more about the black troops,” said Ian. “I confronted Captain Rourke about them. He?s not telling me something. Or anything, really.”

  Clive cocked his head. “Did you expect him to?”

  “He didn?t deny them. He more or less referred to them as special forces.” Ian shrugged.

  “That?s because...” Clive sighed. “I hate to admit it, but you?re not stupid, and Rourke must think you?re an asset to him if he?s keeping you around after seeing so much.”

  “Maybe he?s keeping me around, because there isn?t anything major to hide from me,” said Ian, grinning.

  Clive snorted. “Or maybe you really are stupid enough to manipulate. Maybe he even plans on convincing you that the black troops are the good guys, and you?re going to help or work for them soon.” He raised his arms and displayed his palms. “You know what? You already do. You spread the very bullshit I?m trying to stop, or was trying to stop. You?re talking to a dead man you helped kill.”

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “I?ve done nothing but help people since I got here,” blurted Ian.

  “Really? What about all those menial tasks you?ve done at base that you didn?t really understand? What about those situations you responded to where things weren?t clear? Are you sure you were helping? Did you fully understand what you were doing?” Clive crossed his arms and leaned back. “Do you know exactly what happened tonight?”

  Ian stared at the blank floor. Murder. Calculated, precise, murder. Or Clive wanted him to think that. Rourke?s words echoed in his mind.

  Ian matched Clive’s stare. “So, tell me what I don?t know. What are the black troops doing here and elsewhere on the coast?”

  Clive shrugged. “I knew their exact plans, but they?ve probably already changed at this point. They?re not after the servers. Regular troops can take care of those. They?re trying to cut off the sources of information, like myself.” He winced. “And apparently they know about our cubes. We?ve gotten desperate for more discrete forms of storage, but now that the info?s out they probably know who has them. So, they target anyone spreading or storing information that might hurt the UN.” He made that open palm gesture again. “To sum it up, they?re hitmen.”

  Ian?s mind again went back to the soldiers in the cafeteria. Did spreading propaganda justify an assassination like that? Rourke didn?t deny Clive?s accusations.

  Bright lines traced the shape of a man next to Clive. Rourke appeared standing tall.

  “Staff Sergeant Taylor,” said Rourke. “You?re not following my orders.”

  Ian fought back his shock. “I had a few more questions before I carried it out.”

  Clive stepped back and stared at the two soldiers.

  Rourke sighed. “There?s nothing he can tell you that I don?t plan on telling you myself. Let?s just destroy this cube and move forward.”

  “I?m not an object, man,” said Clive.

  Rourke stared down at the musician. “You?ve been dehumanized ever since you chose to become an enemy of the United Nations. You?re lucky your treatment is as humane as it is.”

  Clive stabbed a finger at the captain. “Hey, fuck you. I fight for my country, not some fucked-up global organization.”

  Ian waved his arms. “Captain! You?re gonna blow my system! It can?t handle three people at this time compression. Shut it down or release control back to me.”

  “Relax,” said Rourke. “I?m patched in from another system.” He grinned. “This is a fun way to spook soldiers that spend too much time in their private virtuals.” His grin faded when it got no response. “All right, looks like I?m going to have to walk you down to the rack and make sure you get this done.”

  Rourke pulled Ian?s connection and reality exploded into a billion bright particles.