Season 02 - Episode 26

‘the slightest chance’

“Are your men in place?” asks Associate Executive Minister of War, Hu Patelikov.

“Sir!” snap the half dozen EnFo commanders grouped before him as one. “Yes, sir!”

“Any progress with the lighting?” asks Hu.

“Sir!” says one of the black masked figures. “No. The whole grid is down, sir!”

“Nevermind,” sighs Hu, glancing over his shoulder and across the pitch black park. In the distance a small, exposed group of men are huddled beneath a makeshift lighting rig. “They've kindly illuminated themselves for us anyway. Are you clear on your orders?”

“Sir!” snaps another identical mask. “You will speak with the cult's leader to confirm that the entire cult is present. Then, at the trigger phrase, 'That's excellent news', our snipers will put them down, sir!”

“Sir!” snaps another identical mask. “Meanwhile, ground troops will encircle the cultists to prevent escape and on your command, finish any survivors and confirm all kills, sir!”

“Good,” says Hu. “Now let's get this done so I can get back to civilisation.”

Hu stalks through the darkness, a horseshoe of black clad EnFo's sticking close. As he approaches the lit up group of men, he sees their brown and red rags, their half shaved heads. They see him coming and organise themselves, moving to reveal an older woman in white.

“Are you Pho?” snaps Hu, stopping at the edge of the circle of light.

“I am the Lady of the Levels,” says Pho evenly. “Mistress of the Scapes, giver of light by which you see.”

“Could you not have given us a little more?” sneers Hu so that the men around Pho bristle. “I am Hu Patelikov, GovCo's Associate Executive Minister of War. What do you want?”

“We are here to discuss surrender, Associate Executive Minister,” says Pho calmly. “Complete and total surrender, in return for the slightest chance of mercy.”

“GovCo policy is not to accept surrender from enemies of The Levels but to exterminate them,” says Hu. “Why should I make an exception for you?”

“No, my dear Associate Executive Minister,” says Pho, as if talking to a small child. “Not our surrender. I am here to discuss GovCo's surrender to me.”

Hu lets out a single, humourless laugh before his nostrils flare and his eyes flash.

“Indeed,” he seethes. “Well, before we get to that, are all your people here as agreed?”

“Oh yes,” says Pho. “We're all here, Associate Executive Minister.”

“That's excellent news,” says Hu with a thin smile.

There is a pause, heavy and thick, followed by... nothing at all.

Hu frowns, his eyes darting back and forth.

“I'm afraid all your snipers are quite dead, Associate Executive Minister,” sighs Pho, as if weary. “But we do thank you for the donation of their weapons.”

A small swarm of glowing green dots appear on Hu's chest, laser sights sliding back and forth across his expensive suit. He looks down at them in horror.

“Now,” he says, licking his lips. “Let's not be hasty.”

“I believe you asked for more light,” says Pho, feigning a concerned expression. A set of floodlights high above, casts down a new, much wider circle of harsh, white light, suddenly illuminating in sharp edged detail the ring of hundreds of EnFo’s surrounding them all.

“Hold your fire!” cries Hu as the green dots on his chest continue to dance. “Listen to me! Mother of... whatever! This is madness! Just you and one tiny cult against all of GovCo?”

“Associate Executive Minister,” says Pho sadly, shaking her head. “Once more, you misunderstand. It's not just me and one tiny cult...”

Every floodlight over the park kicks in at once, casting the whole place into stark, shadowless detail. Around the thick, black ring of EnFo's is revealed another, much larger ring made up of thousands. Small clusters of men and women, all wearing green here, all purple there, these dressed in silver with tattooed faces, those dressed all in blue and wearing masks and more and more. Every single one of them carries a weapon and a murderous expression.

“...it's me and all the cults,” says Pho.

She closes her eyes and raises her face and hands to the ceiling, smiling serenely as the park fills with the sounds of gunfire and merciless slaughter.

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