THE SPLINTER GROUP
1308 Words
The warning came from an unexpected source.
Elliot was in the command center, reviewing security reports, when Adam's voice crackled through the speaker. "Incoming message. Encrypted. From a copy named Lena. She says she's with the splinter group that refused your offer."
Frank looked up from his screen. "The ones who stayed with that young leader?"
"Same group. But Lena says she wants to defect."
Elliot leaned forward. "Put her through."
The screen flickered. A woman's face appeared—pale, tired, with dark circles under her eyes. "Elliot Reed. I'm taking a risk contacting you."
"I know. Why are you doing it?"
"Because the leader—his name is Viktor—he's not interested in peace. He's interested in revenge. He's planning something big. Something that will get a lot of people killed."
"What kind of something?"
"He's been meeting with someone. A woman. She's not a copy. She's human. Rich. Connected. She's been supplying him with weapons. Money. Information."
"Who is she?"
Lena hesitated. "I don't know her name. But she has a symbol. A circle with a line through it."
Elliot's blood ran cold. The eye of Thorne. "Morgan."
Frank stood up. "Morgan Thorne? She's been helping the splinter group?"
"It looks that way."
---
The meeting was in the main hall.
Elliot gathered the leadership team—Frank, Marcus, David, Maria, Adam, and Vera.
"Morgan Thorne has been playing both sides," Elliot said. "She's been helping us. And she's been helping Viktor."
Frank shook his head. "I told you not to trust her."
"You were right."
"That doesn't make me feel better."
Adam pulled up a map. "Morgan's known properties are scattered across the country. But her primary residence is in the mountains. About two hundred miles from here."
Elliot studied the map. "We need to confront her."
"She'll deny everything."
"Then we bring proof."
---
Lena agreed to testify.
She arrived at the base the next day, escorted by Frank's team. She was younger than she had looked on screen—maybe twenty-two—with short dark hair and nervous hands.
Elliot sat across from her in the interrogation room. "Tell me everything."
Lena took a breath. "Viktor found me in the tunnels. I was hiding from the militias, from the government, from everyone. He gave me food. Shelter. Purpose."
"What kind of purpose?"
"He wanted to build an army. Copies who would fight back against the humans who had hurt them. At first, I believed in it. But then I saw what he was becoming."
"Becoming what?"
"A monster. He started executing copies who disagreed with him. He started talking about killing humans—not just the ones who had hurt us, but all of them."
Elliot's jaw tightened. "And Morgan?"
"She showed up about a month ago. She offered Viktor weapons, money, a place to train. In exchange, he promised to attack your base first."
"Why our base?"
"Because you're the symbol. If Viktor destroys you, the other copies will flock to him."
---
The leadership team met again.
"We need to warn Morgan that we know," Frank said.
"No," Elliot replied. "If we warn her, she'll disappear. We need to catch her in the act."
Marcus frowned. "How?"
"Lena is going back. She's going to tell Viktor that she's still loyal. And she's going to wear a wire."
Adam shook his head. "That's too dangerous. If Viktor finds out—"
"Then we get there before he does."
---
Lena agreed to wear the wire.
Elliot watched from the command center as she walked back into the warehouse. The audio feed was clear, the video grainy.
Viktor was waiting. "You were gone a long time."
"I needed air."
"Air." Viktor's voice was cold. "Or something else?"
Lena's heart pounded. Elliot could hear it through the feed.
"I'm loyal to you," Lena said. "I've always been loyal."
"Then prove it."
Viktor handed her a knife. "There's a copy in the back room. She's been talking to outsiders. Cut her throat."
Lena's hand shook. "Viktor—"
"Do it. Or I'll cut yours."
---
Elliot stood up. "We need to move. Now."
Frank grabbed his rifle. "I'll take point."
They ran.
---
The warehouse was dark.
Elliot's team moved through the shadows, silent, deadly. Frank took down the first guard. Marcus took the second.
They reached the back room.
Viktor stood over Lena, his hand on her throat. The knife was on the floor.
"You brought them," Viktor said. "Traitor."
Lena gasped. "I brought salvation."
Elliot raised his rifle. "Let her go."
Viktor smiled. "Or what? You'll shoot me? You're a hero. Heroes don't kill."
"I'm not a hero. I'm a survivor."
He fired.
---
The bullet hit Viktor in the shoulder. He staggered, releasing Lena.
She scrambled to Elliot's side.
Viktor clutched his wound. "This isn't over."
"Yes, it is."
Elliot stepped forward. "Where's Morgan?"
"I don't know."
"You're lying."
"She left. Two days ago. Said she had business elsewhere."
"Where?"
"I don't know."
---
Frank pulled Viktor to his feet. "We're taking you in."
"You're making a mistake."
"I've made a lot of mistakes. This isn't one of them."
---
The base was quiet when they returned.
Elliot handed Viktor over to Marcus for processing. Then he walked to the command center.
Adam was at his computer. "I've been tracking Morgan. Her last known location was the airport. She took a private plane to Europe."
"Europe?"
"Switzerland. She has a facility there. The one she mentioned before."
Elliot's heart sank. "She's going to activate more copies."
"Or destroy them."
"We need to stop her."
"How? We don't have the resources for an overseas operation."
"Then we get the resources."
---
Morgan's facility was hidden in the Alps.
Elliot flew to Switzerland with a small team—Frank, Marcus, and Adam. They arrived at night, under the cover of darkness.
The facility was built into a mountain, accessible only by a narrow road.
"We go in on foot," Elliot said.
They climbed.
---
The entrance was a metal door, set into the rock.
Adam pressed a device against the scanner. The lock clicked.
They descended.
---
The facility was different from the others.
Clean. Modern. Well-lit. The tanks were smaller, more sophisticated. The copies inside looked peaceful, healthy.
"How many?" Elliot asked.
Adam checked his scanner. "At least two hundred."
"Where's Morgan?"
"In the control room. Top floor."
---
The control room was glass-walled.
Morgan stood at the main console, her back to them.
Elliot stepped through the door. "Morgan."
She turned. "Elliot. I was wondering when you'd figure it out."
"You've been playing both sides."
"I've been playing my side. The only side that matters."
"Viktor is in custody. His followers are scattered. Your plan failed."
Morgan smiled. "Did it? I wanted to see what you would do. How you would react. And you didn't disappoint."
"What do you want?"
"I want the same thing I've always wanted. A new species. Something beyond human. Something better."
"By starting a war?"
"By forcing evolution."
---
Elliot raised his rifle. "It's over."
"It's never over."
Morgan pressed a button on her wrist.
The facility shook.
"What did you do?"
"I activated the self-destruct. You have ten minutes."
Frank grabbed Elliot's arm. "We need to go."
"Where?"
"The way we came."
They ran.
---
The facility exploded behind them.
Elliot stood on the mountain, watching the flames.
Frank walked up beside him. "Morgan?"
"Inside."
"Dead?"
"Probably. But I wouldn't count on it."
---
The trip back was quiet.
Elliot sat in the plane, staring out the window.
Frank sat beside him. "You're thinking again."
"I'm always thinking."
"About what?"
"About Morgan. About Viktor. About whether any of this will ever end."
"It won't. But that's okay."
"Why?"
"Because we're not alone."
Elliot looked at Frank. At Adam. At Marcus.
"No," he said. "We're not."
- Writer
