Porter, Chase, and Raul were each pressed against a wall. Rick had slipped away once they had entered Omnicorp to do some scouting and to make sure they were safe. The downloading of Omnicorp's floor plans and cameras had been a success and each one of them could see it through the glasses.

"How far in are you guys?" Ardwen's voice buzzed in their ears.

"Just inside the main hallway, out from the lobby," Porter answered. "First floor still. Which way are we going?"

"Wait how did you guys get inside so quickly?" Porter could visualize Nami leaping over Ardwen to look at the monitor as she asked that question. Her computer was running diagnostics on the technology within the building, security systems and cameras, while Ardwen was actually watching them, and had blueprints to follow. Gretta, Shotuku, and Riya were playing cards beside them.

"Umm we went in through the storage door. Rick opened it when he first established the hacking link. Anyways where to now?"

"Hey who elected you the leader?" Chase demanded.

"Quiet Chase, nobody is leading I'm just getting directions."

"That sounds like the job of a leader. Why am I not the obvious one for the job?"

"Because if you don't shut up I'm going to stick an electrified katana in your stomach." Porter withdrew the weapon Rick had given them and Chase backed down a little in fear. "Alright now, which way do we go?"

"Looks like-"

Ardwen was interrupted by the sudden shout of a guard. "Hey did you hear that? Sounded like someone arguing!" The group froze as they heard the footsteps coming round the hall towards them.

Porter gave Chase a disapproving sidelong glance. "You know if these two don't kill us, then I'm going to." Before either of them could react, Raul snatched up the katana from Porter and struck down the first man in a flash. They heard the startled reaction of the second one before he too was electrified and just like that it was over. Raul handed the katana back and bowed at the two speechless teens before pressing up to the wall again.

Porter opened up the communication to Ardwen once more. "Yeah so anyways, as you were saying."

"Right well you guys need to access the service elevator one floor down. There's a staircase to your right, down that hallway. It's an unmarked door, third on the left. Take it down to the next level and you'll have to make your way across. Looks like the level under you ramps up in security quickly so be alert."

"Ah that's not so bad." Chase shrugged as visual images of the floor layout sped past their vision. "I mean if we come across anyone Raul here can just knock 'em out. So long as he doesn't have to kill them we'll be fine."

Raul wrapped Chase up in a headlock before another word was spoken and bent over his ear. "We will never speak of that incident again, understand?"

"Yes," Chase squeaked, and he was released and left rubbing his neck a little. Porter looked over at the two, shaking his head.

"Alright then, so it would seem we're more likely to kill each other than be killed by guards so that's a positive, right Ardwen?"

"I guess. Look we have to do this for Riya right? So don't goof up."

"Oh I can't guarantee that," Porter muttered under his breath. The group rounded the corner and started counting doors, making sure to duck under the security cameras. To think that they could be so far advanced in the future and yet security cameras could still be so easily avoided.

They pushed open the door to the stairs, surprised to find a manual one still in existence in such a modern facility. Actually opening doors was such an uncommon thing these days. The stairwell was similarly old-looking but it wasn't like you could really modernize such a concept. Stairs would be stairs forever.

That section was an easy part. Other than having to wait to open the door to the lower level (thanks to a passing employee), things were going quite smoothly and quickly. They would be in and out of Omnicorp within an hour.

The three looked on at the blueprints on their glasses. Each one mapped out the best route in their head before comparing notes and finding they all decided on different pathways. A quick match of rock-paper-scissors and they had decided on using Raul's route, to duck through a small supply closet with doors at either end of it. All they needed for that plan was for one of them to steal an access card from a guard.

Nami was working on which guards held those keys, searching through the database and matching it with patrol routes. There was a surprising lack of men with access to a supply room, probably to keep workers from stealing, and Nami forwarded the information to the group. The map was lit up with the different guards carrying the item they desired.

"But how do we steal one?"

"Knock someone out."

"That would never work."

"Sure just give the katana to Raul again."

"No we can't just go around knocking out guards. If anyone finds those ones up above or they wake up before we leave, we're screwed."

"Naw, who would look in a bathroom stall? Nobody will find those guys and we'll be out of here faster if you'd just give Raul the katana."

"We're not here to pave a trail of paralyzed bodies. Let's come up with a way to get that key."

"We have a way! It's Raul! So long as we have him we can do anything we like. The guy's a ninja."

Porter and Chase's argument was cut short by a soft groan from Raul before he toppled forward, unconscious. Behind stood a guard with the butt of his rifle in the air, after just using it to take down Raul. "Hello there children."

"Holy St. Maurius!" The two said in unison.

* * * * *

Ochenkov stood in the silence of the laboratory. The recording was still sitting uncomfortably with him. But he couldn't stop. Not yet. He flipped down to the next recording and selected it. It was a little more recent but hadn't happened much longer after the first. Ochenkov took in a deep breath and prepared himself before pushing play:

"I feel my willpower and patience being tested with Alpha each day. This time we didn't get any response, not a physical one at least. The brainwave activity picked up a little on the neural scanners but it was weaker than usual. I feel like our progress is all going in reverse. I remember when she first opened her eyes and we broke champagne. Now if I can make her eyelids twitch I get a pat on the back. Sigma continues to receive praise, startling us all with test reports of his flight capacity and arms. Most likely they will be mobilizing him for war soon and I can only wonder what that could be like when it happens. I fear for those who will witness his power on the battlefield. It seems that he might be the only one who gets a shot though. With Allyson failing and most others going nowhere, they're looking to pull the plug on the whole thing. Syn is the only one left making moderate progress but it's not much. Certainly more than mine at least. Apparently he talked the other day for a moment before being put back to sleep. If Allyson spoke I...I don't know what I'd do with myself. Would her voice still sound the same? Or would it be different? Colder, perhaps, or maybe she would sound like a robot, as we always pictured them when we were young. I'm not sure anymore. I don't know if I'd be able to contain myself if Allyson spoke. To hear your...to hear your own...just, for her to speak again after so long...I mean I haven't heard her speak since she was...was alive? Does that even make sense? Is she really dead or is it Allyson who is dead? Alpha is her name now, that's what I know and I'm just going to have to live with that for now."

There was a long pause in the recording. Ochenkov only knew it was still going because the seconds ticked down on the screen, getting closer to the end. And he thought he could hear something faintly, in the background, almost like someone crying to themselves.

"I did some background research on Syn, as part of my personal interests about the disposition of the person before undergoing treatment. It was quite disturbing. The man was a lunatic, a psychopathic killer who was arrested not only on grounds of heresy and treason but also for the murder of five different individuals, in five different cases. I mean, Sigma was quite a strong rebel at one time and Allyson certainly wasn't the most upstanding citizen, even I will admit to that. But it's scary to think of such a murderer being adopted into the program. If the suppression doesn't quite work...but it is interesting to note the success of the stronger personalities, with Sigma and Syn. Luckily it also seems that the strength that once fuelled their criminal desires is now used in solely keeping themselves alive. If they had any excess energy they might be able to bring back memories from when they were...I can't go there, it makes me too sad again, thinking of memories and Alpha. We can't destroy their memories, unfortunately. The necessary brainwashing has to happen while they are still completely human. To delete their memories would possibly erase that work. I just hope that we have tucked the memories away deep enough for them to never recall them. I doubt faith in the emperor would be enough to save us if someone like Syn remembered what they used to be like. For now though, this is only speculation. The executives are pushing for more testing, harder tests, in an effort to push Alpha along. She isn't ready. This is going to be the end, I'm sure of it. After I conduct these she will surely die trying and things will start anew. But I suppose it's alright. I'm mentally preparing myself for the day it happens. For her passing. I mean to do it again. As far as I am concerned, she has already died once, now I must endure it a second time. And it is the last thing a father wants to see his daughter die in front of him."

The recording cut short and left Ochenkov in the silence again. There was only one more left for him to listen to. But he didn't know if he could do it. Sigma, Syn, Alpha, this entire project, somehow linked to the Jahari. His warrior's brain wasn't trained to unravel mysteries, only to hunt and survive. He needed to know though. He needed to find out more. But that last line, once again it caught him off guard and he turned to look over his shoulder at the girl floating in the tube. How could someone do such a thing to their own daughter?

A/N: Plot developments? In Sigma/Star? Unusual but true! The world is starting to darken as evil arises! Find out the conclusion next chapter!